Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken) Recipe

Ingredients

• One 4 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces, trimmed of excess fat (or 3 1/2 to 4 pounds of chicken thighs, bone in, skin on)
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced root to tip, about 1 1/2 cups
• 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded, sliced into 1/4-inch wide slices
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup white or red wine
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups peeled and chopped, firm ripe tomatoes, with their juices,  or 1 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes in their juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped)
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped)

Method

 

1 Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Working in batches so that you don't crowd the pan, place the chicken pieces skin side down in the pan.  Cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes, then turn over and lightly brown the other side. Remove chicken to a bowl, set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat. If you have less than 2 Tbsp of fat in the pan, add more olive oil until you have about that much oil coating the pan.

 

2 Add the sliced onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the pan. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the onions are translucent, and the mushrooms have given up most of their moisture, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook a minute more.

 

3 Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes. Stir in the pepper, thyme, oregano, and about a teaspoon of salt. Test and taste to adjust. Simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes. Place the chicken pieces on top of the tomatoes and onions, skin side up.  Lower the heat and cover the skillet with the lid slightly ajar.

4 Cook the chicken on a low simmer, turning and basting from time to time. Cook until the thighs are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_cacciatore_hunter_style_chicken/#ixzz3aV4OLGVT

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sage Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 8-10 ounces mushrooms, cremini or shitake, thickly sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (light cream may curdle, so use heavy cream)
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pieces pounded to an even 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch thickness
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

 

1 Melt butter in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add shallots and sauté for one minute. Add mushrooms and parsley and sauté for 5-10 more minutes, until the mushrooms have browned. If you are using unsalted butter, sprinkle on a pinch of salt. Add vermouth and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits that may be sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the cream. Bring to a boil and cook the sauce down until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 10 minutes).

 

2 While the sauce is reducing, heat olive oil in another large sauté pan on medium high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken breast cutlets. Add cutlets to pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through.

3 Stir in sage to sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken to serve.

Serve alone (for low carb version) or with rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta (use gluten-free for gluten-free version). We used bow-tie pasta which worked great. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Chicken Bacon Roulades Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup sliced shallots)
• 1/2 pound of bacon slices (thinly sliced, not thick cut)
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• Lemon pepper seasoning to taste (or ground black pepper with a little lemon zest)
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 Tbps olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Method

1 Working in batches, cook the bacon over medium heat in an ovenproof thick-bottomed skillet, until lightly browned but not crisp (still flexible). Remove cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

Lower the heat to low and add the shallots to the pan with the rendered bacon fat. Cook over low heat until softened. Use a slotted spoon to remove cooked shallots to a bowl, leaving remaining fat in the pan.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

 
 

2 Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a mallet or meat pounder (or rolling pin) to pound the chicken breasts thin, to an even thickness of about 1/8-inch.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with lemon pepper (or regular ground black pepper with a little lemon zest) and salt. Place 2 to 3 bacon slices in the middle of each chicken breast, lengthwise. Sprinkle with shallots and grated Parmesan.

Roll up each chicken breast like a cigar, using the plastic wrap to help you tighten the roll, and tuck in the ends to hold in the filling. Remove the plastic wrap. Use toothpicks to hold the edges of the chicken roulade together.

3 Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the fat in the skillet and heat on medium high. When the pan is hot, add the chicken roulades to the pan and brown on all sides. Move the skillet to the 300°F oven and cook until the roulades are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

4 When the chicken roulades are cooked through, remove them from the oven to a plate, tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Note that the skillet is very hot! Keep a pot holder draped over the handle once it's back on the stove. (At this point, whenever I take a handled pot out of a hot oven, I cool down the handles with ice cubes so that someone doesn't inadvertently try to pick up the pan with their unprotected hands.)

Pour off any excess fat from the pan (not down the drain, or you'll clog your drain). Pour wine into the hot skillet to deglaze the pan. Heat on medium high heat and use a metal spatula to scrape up any browned bits. Boil the wine down until it has reduced to just a tablespoon. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the minced garlic to the pan and swirl in the butter. Cook for a minute, then add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute more. Add the broth and the cream to the roux and whisk. Simmer, whisking, for two minutes.

Pour the sauce through a sieve into a saucepan and keep warm on the stove. Remove the toothpicks that have been holding the roulades together. Cut the roulades into 1/2-inch thick slices. To serve, place some sauce on each plate and top with roulade slices.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_bacon_roulades/#ixzz3aV3t3EY5

Chicken Apple Arugula Goat Cheese Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• Salt
• 1 tart green apple, thinly sliced
• Baby arugula leaves - enough for a salad for four
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup goat cheese - broken up into little pieces
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Method

1 Heat stick-free frying pan to medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and lightly sauté the shallot slices until translucent. Remove from pan. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and cook the chicken breast pieces, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through - 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle some salt on the chicken while you are cooking it. Remove from pan and chill.

2 When chicken has cooled, toss together in a serving bowl the shallots, chicken, sliced green apple, arugula, walnuts and goat cheese. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Serves four

Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces, patted dry
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
• 1 1/3 cups* chicken stock**
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup raw, medium or long grain, white rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon each of Italian seasoning and poultry seasoning (or 2 teaspoons of one of these herb mixes, or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil)**
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

*This recipe assumes the rice requires approx 1 1/2 cups liquid per cup of rice to cook. Some rice varieties, such as brown rice, require more liquid (and a longer cooking time). Adjust recipe accordingly.

**If you are cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock, use gluten-free packaged herbs and spices.

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat (hot enough to brown but not burn). Sprinkle a dash of salt on the bottom of the pan. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more salt to the pan (and more olive oil if needed) after every batch. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Remove chicken pieces and set aside in a bowl. Note that the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned.

 

2 In the same sauté pan add 1 Tbsp olive oil, lower the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow (9 x 13 x 2) casserole dish.

 

3 Raise heat to medium high, add the sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them (no need to add butter or oil), allowing the mushrooms to brown lightly, and release some of their moisture. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish.

4 Add 1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (At this point, if you are making ahead, reduce the sherry to 1 Tbsp and pour off into the casserole dish. Refrigerate cooked onions, garlic, mushrooms, and browned chicken pieces until you are ready to make the casserole.) Let the sherry reduce to about 1 Tbsp, then add the chicken stock, and remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cream, and the sour cream. Add the raw rice to the casserole dish. Then pour the stock, sherry, cream, sour cream mixture over the rice. Add the Italian and poultry seasonings (or fresh herbs) and paprika to the dish. Stir the rice, onion, mushroom, herb mixture so that they are evenly distributed in the casserole dish.

5 Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture (in a single layer if you can, they will be crowded). Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated away.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_and_rice_casserole/#ixzz3aV3AtUQU

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Ingredients

Chicken and Vegetables:

• 3 to 3  1/2 pounds chicken thighs and breast parts, skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 teaspoons butter or olive oil, or a combination of both
• Salt
• 1 quart chicken stock (homemade is best)
• 2 to 3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or vermouth (optional)
• 1 Tbsp of heavy cream (optional)
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• Ground black or white pepper

Dumplings:

• 2 cups (250 g) cake flour (can sub all-purpose flour, but use cake flour if you have it, your dumplings will be fluffier)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup minced fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives, and tarragon (optional)

Method

1 Heat the chicken stock to a gentle simmer in a medium pot.

 

2 In a large (8 qt), thick-bottomed pot, heat the butter or olive oil over medium-high heat. Pat dry the chicken pieces and sprinkle with salt. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces, placing the pieces skin-side down first; this will render out fat you will use to build the stew later.

3 Once the chicken pieces are browned on all sides, remove them from the large pot, and turn off the heat. Remove and discard the skin from the chicken pieces and put the chicken pieces into the pot of simmering stock. Poach the chicken in the stock until cooked through, about 20 minutes or so. Remove the chicken pieces and set on a tray to cool for a few minutes. When the chicken pieces are cool to touch, pull the meat off the bones and cut into 2-inch chunks. Set aside.

  

4 Return the heat on the large pot to medium-high. When the pot is hot, add the onion, celery, carrot and thyme and sauté until soft, but not browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add the flour and stir well. The flour will absorb the fat in the pot and will stick a little to the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir the flour vegetable mixture constantly for 2-3 minutes. Do not let it burn.

5 Get a ladle ready and have the pot of simmering chicken stock nearby. Add the sherry to the flour vegetable mixture. It will sputter and seize up. Add a ladle of hot chicken stock to and stir well. It will be goopy. Add another ladle, then another, stirring all the while, until the broth comes together. Add the rest of the chicken stock, the reserved chicken meat. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer while you make the dumplings.

 

6 Make the dumpling batter by whisking together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add (optional) chopped fresh herbs. Add melted butter and milk to the dry ingredients. Gently mix with a wooden spoon until mixture just comes together. (Note: do not overmix! or your dumplings will turn out too dense.)

 

7 Drop dumpling batter into the simmering stew by heaping teaspoonfuls, over the surface of the stew. (Note that the dumplings will easily double in size as they cook.) Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Once you have covered the pan, do not uncover and peek while the dumplings are cooking! In order for the dumplings to be light and fluffy, they must steam, not boil. Uncovering the pan releases the steam. If after 15 minutes they are still not cooked through (use a toothpick or skewer to test) cover pan again, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

 

8 Gently stir in peas, parsley and cream, if using. Add more salt to taste. Ladle portions of meat, sauce, vegetables, and dumplings into soup plates and serve. Note that the stew will continue to thicken the longer it sits.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_and_dumplings/#ixzz3aV2zYszB

Chicken and Apples in Honey Mustard Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup flour, for dredging
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 small unpeeled apples, cored and cut into eighths (use Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Pippin, or McIntosh apples, good cooking apples)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Method

1 Whisk cider, cornstarch, mustard, honey, salt and pepper (to taste) in a bowl. Set aside.

2 Salt the chicken well and dust in flour. Shake off the excess.

3 In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil on medium to medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes. Turn chicken, add apples, and cook until the chicken has browned on the other side.

4 Add chicken broth and cider mixture to the pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and simmer until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.

5 With slotted spoon, remove chicken and apples to serving plates. Spoon sauce over chicken and apples and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with rice or noodles.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_and_apples_in_honey_mustard_sauce/#ixzz3aV2iWILT

Cardamom Honey Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

Marinade

• 4 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp sherry
• 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, ground
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns, ground

Chicken

• 6 chicken breasts, or one whole chicken, cut into parts
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper

Method

 
If a recipe calls for ground cardamom, it is best to start with whole pods. Break open the pods to release the tiny brown and black cardamom seeds. Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind the seeds.

1 Preheat oven to 390°F. Warm the honey, stir in the sherry, cardamom and peppercorns. Place marinade and chicken in a large bowl, coat chicken with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2 Heat olive oil in a large frying pan at medium high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden.

3 Place lemon slices in a roasting pan. Lay the chicken pieces on top. Brush with the marinade. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake until done, approximately 15 minutes for breasts, 20 minutes for thighs, wings, and drumsticks. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Pour out drippings from the pan into a gravy boat for gravy.

Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or couscous.

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