Posts filed under 'Poultry'
This is a nice twist on a traditional sausage and peppers fry-up. I use spicy chicken sausage my butcher makes, but any kind would work (you may not need the olive oil at all if you’re using something fattier than chicken). I think it works as a complete meal on its own since you’ve got meat/veg/starch in one dish, but it would also be good thrown over rice or pasta.
Chicken Sausage with Lentils & Peppers
Adapted from Sausage & Lentil One-Pot
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. hot chicken sausage (or whatever type you prefer)
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 c. dried lentils, rinsed
2 c. vegetable stock
Heat olive in a large skillet, and cook the sausage in its casing over medium heat until it is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Saute onions in the same skillet for about 5 minutes, until softened and golden. Then add remaining ingredients, stir, and place sausages on top. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until lentils are softened.
May 7th, 2008
The prep for this crock pot dish is very quick and the recipe is easy, but the result was not terribly memorable. Sometimes that’s all you need out of a crock pot recipe, though: decent, healthy, filling food that gets you from hungry to satiated. The author of this recipe describes it as “simple, warming, and nourishing” and I think those adjectives are right on the money. I could see this being a welcome dish on a blustery day when you’ve been outdoors shoveling or sledding for hours.
The grassy, asparagus-like flavor that I discovered when I cooked the quinoa pudding a few weeks ago is still here, but it works in this savory dish that includes other vegetables as well. I didn’t find it off-putting at all.
I would suggest liberal amounts of ground pepper and kosher salt. Browning the chicken first might also add another level of flavor to this otherwise simple dish. And finally, although it cooks for 4 hours on high, my baby carrots were still a bit al dente — not expected and out of place in this comfort dish. Maybe they needed to be cut smaller? (I left them whole.)
All in all, I would probably choose to make chicken soup over this dish — to me, they both satisfy that same craving for hearty, familiar, no-fuss comfort food.
Quinoa, Chicken & Vegetable Stew
Adapted from Crockpot Chicken and Quinoa
1 c. quinoa (I buy a pre-rinsed variety, follow the directions on your package)
2 c. vegetable stock
2 c. water
1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, in bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. of salt
8 oz. baby carrots
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
10 oz. baby bella mushrooms, halved or quartered
Add ingredients to your crock pot in the order listed. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving so the quinoa and liquid thicken to a stew-like consistency. Adjust seasoning and serve.
May 4th, 2008
A couple of months ago some friends and I took a one-night cooking class that was supposed to focus on Passover foods. It wound up being a dud: it was a demo rather than hands-on, the instructor was unprofessional (”jokingly” cursing at participants she was friends with during her talk), and the recipes were nothing special. The eye rolling at our table made it a fun night out with the girls, though.
One of the recipes demonstrated was for a traditional Jewish chicken soup. There were a couple of women who had never made it from scratch before and unfortunately other than an ingredient list (and advocating enormous amounts of salt), the instructor offered less guidance than I would have expected. She was caught off guard when people wanted to know exactly what size chicken to buy, how much water to add, and how much soup it would all eventually yield (she just knew that she generally bought *this* chicken, used *that* pot, covered it with *this much* water). If you’re teaching a cooking class, I don’t think those kinds of questions should surprise you!
Still, I realized that my soup-making technique was similar to hers: I didn’t know the specific quantities, I just made it how I made it. (Which is fine when you’re not charging for and teaching classes!) I was of no help to my friends, either, except to confirm that you DO NOT need to add bouillon cubes to homemade chicken soup if you make it correctly in the first place.
I made a pot of chicken soup earlier in the week, and measured it all out this time in case it’s helpful for a first-time soup maker.
I use an 8 quart stock pot, but it is packed to the brim and I would probably be better off with a 10- or 12-quart size using the ingredients below. When the mood hits me, I also sometimes add whole cloves of garlic (peeled), leeks, or turnips.
As I’ve mentioned before, I follow the same technique as J.’s grandma in terms of straining the soup so it is clear, and then customizing each bowl based on what each person likes. (See Would You Like Parsnip with That?)
Jewish Chicken Soup
Makes 11 cups of clear soup, or about 16 appetizer servings with vegetables & chicken added back in
3.5 - 4 lb. kosher pullet chicken, rinsed and cavity emptied
1 stalk celery, trimmed and each rib quartered
2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia), peeled and quartered
1/2 lb. carrots (peeled and quartered, or use baby carrots as is)
4 parsnips, peeled and quartered (often sold pre-packaged in a clear bag)
large handful dill (washed but just trimmed, not chopped)
large handful parsley (washed but just trimmed, not chopped)
12 c. cold water
salt & pepper to taste
Place your cleaned chicken at the bottom of your stock pot, and add all ingredients on top except for the salt and pepper. The water should cover the top of your chicken.
Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for at least 2 hours, but up to four hours. Once an hour, use a spoon to push down any chicken or vegetables that are not submerged. You can also skim off any raft that forms (the foamy stuff at the top of the pot).
Remove all solids to bowls or plates with a slotted spoon. I like to put the vegetables on one dish and the chicken on another, and discard the sad-looking dill and parsley at this point. Strain soup through cheesecloth or a chinois so that it is clear, then season with salt and pepper. You can now serve the soup with chicken picked off the bone and vegetables added back in.
If you are storing the soup, allow it to cool overnight in the refrigerator. Skim the solidified fat off the top of the soup and discard, and then separate into smaller portions and freeze. Vegetables and chicken can be frozen separately, too.
May 2nd, 2008
We were going to be out of the house in the middle of the afternoon, so trying meatballs in my crock pot seemed perfect for today. I was really pleased with the results. I used turkey instead of beef this time, but still kept to a traditional Italian-style recipe. The meatballs stayed together very nicely, but also lent little flecks of turkey to the sauce, so that it became like meatballs in a Bolognese. Very yummy.
I continue to hold out hope that either boy will one day eat this “kid favorite.” (Was there a poll done? Whose kids are they?) A. tried a minuscule bite as part of our loose “try something new before you get more pasta” rule. Mostly, I was just very pleased that he managed a “No, thank you” in declining more, rather than a “Yuck!” At least I never get any complaints about the spaghetti.
Slow Cooker Italian-Style Turkey Meatballs
Note: I use a 6-quart crock pot
2 lb. lean ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 c. fine, plain breadcrumbs
1/3 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
ground black pepper to taste (about 6 turns of the grinder)
1 26-oz. jar of your favorite marinara sauce
Add all ingredients — except for the sauce — to a large bowl, and mix with your hands until well-combined.
Roll meat into golf ball-sized balls, and layer into the bottom of your slow cooker. (2 lbs. of meat makes about 28 meatballs, and not quite 2 layers of meatballs in my 6-quart crock pot.) Pour the jar of sauce over the meatballs so they are completely covered.
Place lid on your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
April 29th, 2008
Broccoli rabe was on sale at my supermarket this week, and it looked gorgeous so I bought a bunch without knowing what I’d make. To date, my favorite broccoli rabe recipe is from Lidia Bastianich, warm broccoli di rape and yukon gold potato salad. This chicken & pasta recipe is also a nice way to incorporate this healthy veggie, though it does not take top honors over Lidia’s!
The one misstep I made with this dish is I oversalted the pasta water. I normally do not add salt at all, but since you are cooking both the pasta and the broccoli rabe in the same water, I thought it ought to be seasoned. I didn’t measure the amount of kosher salt I put in, but since I am not really accustomed to any added salt I’d guess it was a tablespoon and it was totally overkill. Use care!
In terms of trimming the broccoli rabe: Last summer, the broccoli rabe from my CSA was almost all thick stems, with very few florets and leaves. So I followed Lidia’s method of prep, which involves peeling back the tough outer layer of the stem with a sharp paring knife. If I’d chopped off the stems and discarded them, I would have had nothing left to cook. The bunch of broccoli rabe I used this time was maybe 85% florets and leaves, 10% tender, thin stems, and 5% larger, tougher stems. I just wound up discarding the thick stems and rough chopping all the rest together. It was much easier to prepare that way than having to peel each stem! I’m guessing the difference is from the time of year — it is early in the season now, so the plants are young and tender. Perhaps as the spring and summer progress I’ll be seeing more leggy bunches of rabe.
This is a simple, easy recipe that didn’t wow me, but was healthy, yummy, and filling. I’d make it again.
Chicken & Broccoli Rabe with Whole Wheat Pasta
Adapted from Chicken and Broccoli Rabe With Fusilli Pasta
8 oz. whole wheat pasta, such as penne or fusilli
1 large bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, in bite-size pieces
olive oil
1½ tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Prepare your pasta according to the package directions, making sure to lightly salt the water.
While your pasta is cooking, rough chop your broccoli rabe into large, bite-sized pieces. You can also prep your chicken (rinse, trim, and cut into bite-sized pieces) at this time. Set both items aside separately.
When pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving the water it was cooked in, and set pasta aside. Return water to the pot over a medium-high flame.
Blanch broccoli rabe in the pasta water for 3-4 minutes, then drain and set aside.
In a large saute pain, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat, and cook chicken for 5 minutes, turning frequently so it is evenly browned. Add garlic, broccoli rabe, and a few grinds of pepper to the chicken, toss to combine.
Add wine and stock, stir, and simmer uncovered for 3 or 4 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Add cooked pasta, stir, and remove from heat.
April 29th, 2008
I have a big weakness for Chinese food, so I will just say up front that my love for this recipe may be in large part because I felt like I was eating some really fantastic take-out. But it really is delicious, and the small amount of cornstarch (something I tend to leave out in most recipes) makes a shiny, thick sauce that I never knew I could create in my own kitchen.
The original recipe calls for two full teaspoons of crushed hot red pepper. Whooo! I only used a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes and it was plenty spicy for me. With some brown rice and steamed broccoli, this makes a dinner I’d be happy to eat any night.
Spicy Chicken with Cashews
Adapted from Kung Pao Chicken
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 Tbs. canola oil
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbs. dry sherry
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1/2 c. roasted, unsalted cashews
1/3 c. green onions, minced (about 6)
Rinse chicken, pat dry, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Heat canola oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cooking until it is golden brown and cooked through (8-10 minutes).
While the chicken is cooking, combine remaining ingredients up to and including the sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk together until well combined (make sure the cornstarch has dissolved). Once the chicken is fully cooked, add the sauce to the pan. Then add the cashews and green onions, stir, and simmer for a minute or two, until the sauce thickens.
Garnish with extra green onion if desired.
April 15th, 2008
I had very mixed results with this recipe — the curry paste is fantastic, a flavor that I have not done a lot of cooking with before. But the actual cooking instructions in the original recipe were way off for me — the chicken was raw, even when I cooked it for the maximum times suggested. As a result, I would definitely skip the broil-only method suggested in the original recipe, and instead bake the chicken with a short broil at the end to crisp and brown the skin.
Remember, I am using kosher chicken which is salted during the kashering process. So you may want to add a sprinkle of salt either to the curry paste or on top of the chicken skin if you’re not using kosher chicken.
My mom and I though this recipe was a definite keeper, but there is a minor drawback to using the curry powder — it colors the chicken bright yellow, and so once I removed the skin for G. he was very skeptical about eating “yellow chicken.” I served it with pan-fried Brussels sprouts and some whole wheat egg noodles as a nod to the boys.
Curried Ginger-Lime Chicken
Adapted from Crispy Ginger-Lime Chicken Thighs
2 Tbsp. grated ginger (I use bottled)
2 large limes, juiced
2 tsp. curry powder
4 green onions (white and light green parts), minced
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Preheat over to 400° F.
In a small bowl, mix ginger, lime juice, curry powder, and minced green onions into a paste.
Lightly coat the top of a broiler pan with non-stick spray. Arrange chicken pieces skin-side up on the pan, and carefully spread a spoonful of the curry paste UNDER the skin of each piece.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Then adjust your oven rack so the pan is about 4″ below the broiler flame, and broil for about 5 minutes until the skin is brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
March 29th, 2008
The smell of this chicken cooking is divine — like Thanksgiving in a pan. The sweetness of the apples and onions, plus the pungency of the garlic had me near-drooling just 10 minutes after I put it in the oven.
The last time I roasted butternut squash I’d cut it into chunks, and they took a lot longer to cook than I expected. This time I think I over-corrected. Not only did I slice the butternut squash into 1/4-inch slices, I also roasted the whole dish at a lower heat (400° F instead of 450°) for a longer time (1 hour and change instead of 40 minutes or so). The result was the best-tasting mush ever. You could have made a squash & apple puree with just a soft smooshing of the veggies with the back of a fork. I know my aunt had this same problem when she made my roasted chicken on veggies. The texture didn’t really bother me, but it’s obviously not “right” and I wouldn’t serve it to company this way.
Here’s what I did: In a 12×18 roasting pan, I layered 3 Granny Smith apples (each one cut into 12 slices), a butternut squash (1/4-inch slices), an onion (cut into 8 wedges), and a large handful of peeled garlic. Drizzled with a little olive oil, toss to coat. Then I rinsed and dried a chicken that had been cut up into 8 pieces, and placed those pieces on top of the veggie/apple mixture. I dusted the chicken with some cinnamon, and baked at 400° F for an hour or so.
I think there are a couple of ways to fix the mushiness:
- Set up a single pan the same way, but use skinless, boneless chicken breasts instead.
- Use a whole chicken on a raised rack in the same roasting pan, with the veggies underneath. (I’m thinking if the chicken is not touching the vegetables, they will be less soggy — even if the chicken drips on them.)
- Just roast the chicken and veggies in separate pans, at the same time.
I’m leaning towards the last option, since I know that keeps the vegetables firm and the only extra work is cleaning the additional pan. However, Merrie always uses chicken breasts, and has a lot of success that way, so maybe that’s the best next step.
Either way, I probably need to roast chicken in some form or fashion each week — G. eats it with gusto, and other than my chicken soup and yogurt I feel like it’s one of the only nutritionally-sound foods he really enjoys. A. would not touch any of it, and wound up eating grapes for dinner. He was very vocal about how “yucky” it all looked, so I told him he shouldn’t “yuck my yum.” That’s a phrase he told me his teachers use in school — he gave me an elaborate description of when the phrase is used, and I thought I was using it correctly, but he told me I got it all wrong. Oh well, that happens sometimes, even to mommies.
March 24th, 2008
This is my new favorite saffron chicken recipe, replacing this one. The caramelized onions and saffron take center stage here, without getting lost in the broth and citrus of the previous (and otherwise similar) version I’ve made.
I had a strong feeling of “why do I bother?” when I was cooking this dish — I had no other adults eating dinner here tonight, and although I planned to serve the chicken to the boys I had no faith they’d try it. It’s just been that kind of day all around.
They balked initially, choosing to eat just their pasta serving. But the rule in our house is you have to try something else on your plate if you want more pasta, and both boys chose the chicken over trying the spinach (that surprised me). G. wound up eating a nice-sized portion of chicken, which I had mostly wiped clean of onions before serving. A. “tried” a pinhead-sized piece, but did so with grace so I didn’t push the issue.
This was good enough to make again when my mom or mother-in-law and GG are visiting. And lucky for me I have leftovers.
Saffron Chicken, Take Two
Adapted from Saffron Chicken
1/2 tsp. saffron (I use a heaping tsp.)
1 Tbsp. hot water
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
2 tsp. finely grated ginger (I use bottled)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/2 tsp. salt
Rub saffron threads between your fingers as you sprinkle them into the hot water. Swirl and set aside so they can steep.
In a large skillet with a lid, heat oil with onion, ginger, pepper flakes, and garlic over a medium-low heat. Saute until onions are caramelized. Add saffron and water, stir. Then add chicken and salt, stirring again to combine. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until liquid is nearly all evaporated. Sprinkle with additional pepper flakes and serve.
March 7th, 2008
This is the most delicious new recipe I’ve made in a while — you will be sold on it just minutes after it goes into the oven, when your house is filled with the aroma of garlic, lemon, and oregano. Plus, it’s so easy! I buy peeled garlic, which makes prep of this dish super fast.
I served this with rainbow orzo (plain, a concession to the boys) and roasted broccoli (since I had the oven on already). A. doesn’t like when there is “brown stuff” on his broccoli, so I only roasted it a tiny bit. Unfortunately, he informed me tonight that he no longer likes broccoli “at all!” anymore. G. enjoyed a drumstick — I wrap the end in a napkin, which makes it easier for him to grip, and he goes to town gnawing on the thing. Clearly he ate no broccoli either. More for me!
Lemon-Roasted Chicken
Adapted from Everyday Food
1 broiler chicken, cut into 10 pieces (halve the breasts yourself)
20 garlic cloves, smashed (use more if you want!)
3 lemons, washed and quartered
2 tsp. dried oregano
ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Preheat oven to 450° degrees.
On a large baking sheet, arrange chicken (skin side up), garlic, and lemons. Sprinkle with oregano and ground pepper. Then drizzle olive oil over everything and rub gently into the chicken.
Roast until golden and cooked through about 30 minutes. I turn my oven to “broil” for the last few minutes to increase the browning of the chicken.
Once chicken is done, allow to cool for a few minutes and then squeeze half of the lemon quarters over the chicken (lots of liquid will be released now that they are cooked). Spoon the sauce from the pan over the chicken before serving.
March 3rd, 2008
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I'm Dara, the chick in the kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two boys, ages 3 and 5, and husband. Trying to feed my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Reach me at .