Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken

Dump Chicken.

It doesn't sound very appetizing, does it?

I found the term while reading a frugality blog that I frequent, and thought, "Uh, that can't be good." I find that many people, just trying to get the job done while not spending a fortune, often resort to meals that, well, I wouldn't choose. But out of curiosity I googled 'dump chicken recipes' and--I won't lie to you--I saw some horrid concoctions with various cream-of-something soups and other throw-together convenience items of which I am not a fan. But some of them looked very good (particularly here), and the concept is a good one. A pound and a half of chicken pieces? Good. A blend of ingredients that can be added to your freezer bag to make mealtime planning easier? Good. Slow cooker option? Good.

I decided to experiment on this for myself, and I have to admit that we've got a winner with this Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken. Mr.W was tremendously pleased, too, declaring that the flavors are from his favorite Mongolian-BBQ-concoctions. This can be put together and frozen or tossed together just before baking. I'd even try it in the slow cooker--probably with skinless poultry in that case.

I'm sorry to say I don't have a good photo of this meal. I snatched the crisped skin right out of the oven before even thinking about grabbing the camera. Yeah, it was a piggy moment, and I should be embarassed to tell you--but I think we can be honest with each other by now.

The chicken browned to a lovely mahogany, as did the pineapple chunks. The reduced sweet-and-salty juices were fantastic, too.


Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken
serves 2-4, depending on the kind of chicken pieces you use

1 16-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice
2/3 cup soy sauce
about 1/2 inch knob ginger root, grated (I grate directly from the frozen root and don't bother peeling)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 jalapeno, sliced (I used the seeds and all--added some nice heat, and the slices allowed you to get or avoid as much heat as you want)
about 10 grinds asian spice blend (this is a mixture of salt, sesame seeds, black pepper, fennel, coriander, garlic, onion, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and aniseed; alternates would be a sprinkle or two of jerk seasoning blend or a dash each of the individual ingredients)
1-1/2 pounds chicken pieces (mine was a half chicken; use whatever your family enjoys)

Combine all ingredients in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; cover tightly with foil and bake at 350*F for 1-3/4 hours. Remove foil and baste chicken with juices. Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes to crisp the skin. Serve over steamed brown (or white) rice.

Quick & Easy Tortilla Soup

I'm a menu planner. Every other week I spend time and plan out my meals from breakfast thru evening snack every day for two weeks. Within that plan I know how to schedule myself--from pre-soaking beans and defrosting meat to prepping vegetables and photographing finished dishes to share with you. It's a time investment, and not everyone wants to be quite that regimented, but it helps me to minimize food waste and maximize my grocery budget.

But sometimes things go awry.

Yesterday, for example, turned out to be a busy day. I had lots of errands to run and got a little side-tracked. My food prep plans fell by the wayside and as I picked up Mr.W from work, I realized I didn't know what I was going to feed him.

Pantry items to the rescue!

I threw together this tortilla soup and we were both delighted with the result. It was good--really good--and came together in about 30 minutes. Most tortilla soup recipes will have a list of garnish options--avocado slices, cheese, sour cream and crispy tortilla chips. Those things I'll leave to your tastes. We just ate this soup as-is.


Tortilla Soup
serves 4
6 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
1 4-inch piece celery (I used frozen and left it whole--we don't care for cooked celery, but if you don't mind it you can chop this up and leave it in)
Pinch each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 5-inch corn tortillas, cut up
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup frozen corn niblets
1 cup cilantro-lime salsa (I make my own by combining canned (drained & diced) plum tomatoes with cilantro, chopped jalapeno or ground cayenne pepper for heat, salt and lime juice to taste)

Combine broth, onion, carrot and celery in a 4-quart saucepan; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, or until onions are soft. Remove celery if desired.

Season broth with salt and pepper to taste; add parsley, red pepper flakes and corn tortilla pieces. Continue to simmer, occasionally stirring gently to break up tortilla pieces. This takes about 2 or 3 minutes only for the tortillas to melt.

Add remaining ingredients and heat through--about 10 minutes more. Serve hot.


Note for diabetics: Cilantro naturally regulates blood sugar, so it should be part of your diet!

Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast and Sauteed Veggie Salad

This is how I manage to stay on-target with my nutritional needs even when making a Sunday lunch that appeals to Mr.W: a whole, bone-on chicken breast roast with a baked potato. A side dish of room-temperature sauteed red and green bell peppers with onions and white button mushrooms rounded out the meal.

While Mr.W's plate was more focused on the meat and potato, my plate became a big salad: lettuce topped with the sauteed veggies, a slice or two of chicken, and finished with a drizzle of white balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

It was delicious--and surprisingly filling!



A note for diabetic readers: vinegar is excellent for blood-sugar control; go easy on the peppers and onions, though--when cooked, the sugars are intensified and will cause a blood sugar response. For even more good nutrition, add a handful of beans, which will slow the absorption of sugars in this meal.

Moroccan Chicken with Spinach and Chick Peas

There's just something about Moroccan food that I love. The fragrance while cooking, the delicate balance of sweet and savory, and the way the cinnamon seems to flavor every morsel all come together for a fantastic meal.

This was a Sunday throw-together meal that I cooked slowly in the oven. It would work in a slow-cooker, too. No extra steps--just chuck it all in.

So good, and warming on a cold winter day.


Moroccan Chicken with Spinach and Chick Peas
serves 2

tiny drizzle olive oil
1/2 chicken, or 4 pieces bone-in chicken
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large onion, sliced vertically
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used mixed dried fruit; raisins, prunes or apricots would all be excellent choices)
1 15-ounce can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup white wine (I used mead that someone gave us for a Christmas gift)
1 cup chicken broth
two or three big handfuls of washed and dried fresh spinach

Grease pan (or slow cooker interior) with a small drizzle of olive oil. Place chicken in pan, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, onion, garlic, dried fruit, chick peas, wine and chicken broth. Cover and cook at 300*F for 4 hours (or set slow cooker to high for 4 hours), or until chicken is cooked and very tender.

Remove pan from oven and add spinach. Re-cover and let sit while you set the table and prepare any sides.


Serve hot. I didn't bother with couscous, since I'm avoiding many carbs, but it certainly would have been delicious and authentic. Other options include bulgur wheat, quinoa and millet for similar texture and flavor.

I just ate it like stew. And I licked the bowl.

Supper on the Grill

Last night I popped into the grocery store and found two lovely nectarines. I couldn't resist! So I made a fun little salsa with them, and served them as a topping for grilled jerked chicken breasts over steamed brown rice.

Wow!

What a lovely alfresco meal! Here's how I did it:

I marinated three fat chicken breasts (about 1.25 pounds) with a good 1/4 cup of prepared jerk seasoning blend and a little olive oil for about 6 hours in the refrigerator today. When the charcoal was ready, I grilled off the chicken.

Here you can see that I over-charred the exterior... but the inside stayed tender and juicy.

The nectarine salsa was made in the morning and marinated in the refrigerator for several hours. Here's the recipe:

Nectarine Salsa

adapted from this recipe

makes about 2 cups

2 ripe nectarines, stoned and diced

2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 serrano chile, chopped (with or without seeds, as you wish; I left them out for a very mild heat)

1 teaspoon sugar (I used sugar substitute)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground grains of paradise

zest of 1 lime

juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to marry.

Even though I enjoyed it, I felt that this salsa still lacked something. I think in the future I'll add orange juice instead of lime for more of a sweet balance, and probably a second chile.

After supper, we enjoyed grilled peaches and cream. (I ate mine in sugar-free hazelnut flavored non-dairy creamer. Yummy!)

It was a really nice finish to a lovely meal.

Man Food: Cheesy Chicken Burrito Soup

This soup was a bit of an accident--and what a happy surprise, for me and for the men I fed it to.

I was looking for some kind of chicken chili dish to serve to Mr.W's friends, but they dislike all things sour creamy... so this soup was created.

Chock full of healthy goodness, this soup is a crowd-pleaser! Even your South-Beach and Low-Carb buddies will be able to eat this one.

Cheesy Chicken Burrito Soup

serves 6 to 8

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lb ground chicken or ground turkey
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
4 cups or 2 cans beans (I used pintos)
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Fry chicken breast pieces in olive oil until browned; set aside. Brown ground chicken; set aside. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker and set on low for four hours.

Add:

1 cup cooked rice or 1 cup rinsed quinoa (I used quinoa)
2 cups shredded cheddar, jack or favorite cheese
1-1/2 cups heavy cream mixed with 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)

1/2 pound frozen corn niblets

Turn slow cooker to high for 2 hours. Serve hot.

This is my entry to the Monthly Mingle: One-Dish Dinners, hosted by Meeta of What's for Lunch Honey. Get lots of one-dish meal ideas at the roundup.

Chicken-Escarole Orzotto

It might not be pretty, but it is soooooo goooooood. Orzotto is risotto made with barley instead of rice. (Thanks to An Italian in the US for alerting me to the correct term!)

As you may have read before, my city is very Italian-American, and we love escarole—in greens dishes and in soup. It’s a hearty lettuce that retains some texture even after prolonged cooking (unlike spinach, which can get a little slimy). And that made it perfect for this dish.


Chicken-Escarole Orzotto
serves 2 or 3

1 can fat-free vegetarian vegetable broth
1/3 cup your favorite spaghetti sauce
Hot water
Olive oil
3 cups chopped escarole, washed and drained
1/2 cup pearled barley
3 large cloves garlic, minced
Pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1-1/2 cups cooked chicken meat

The first thing to do is combine the vegetable broth, spaghetti sauce and about 1 cup of water in a saucepan on a very low flame. You want your liquid to be warm—kept just under the simmering point—to make your cooking process go that much more smoothly. In addition to this pot of broth, I like to keep a teapot full of hot water on in case I need extra liquid. And I usually do.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium flame, then add olive oil to coat the bottom. When the oil comes to a shimmer, add escarole and fry until well wilted.

Push the escarole to the edges of the pan to expose the center bottom. Pour in barley and heat 1 minute, then push it to the sides and add garlic. Fry, stirring, until fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute).

Now comes the fun part.

Add about 1/2 cup broth mixture. Stir constantly until liquid is absorbed. Then add more, and again stir constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue this process until no more liquid is absorbed. It may take 30-40 minutes, so don’t be discouraged!

Taste and season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Go easy on the salt because the cheeses will add more salty goodness.

Add cheeses and chicken; stir until combined and melted.

Now here is where a tv chef or uber-blogger would suggest adding fresh herbs for some bright green beauty added to the dish. I didn’t have any fresh herbs, so I didn’t use any.


And as ugly as this dish is, it is so creamy, just lightly spicy and full of texture. Just right for a late supper while watching Heroes.

TGRWT #7: Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Mole

This month's TGRWT event, hosted by Flavor Alchemy, is a challenge indeed. The rules are to pair carmelized cauliflower with cocoa! See the roundup here.

Roasted cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. I always make it the same way: drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with freshly cracked black pepper and several generous scrapes of nutmeg, baked at 350*F until it looks like this. Then salt.




So instead of just snarfing the roasted cauliflower, I used it to make Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Mole.



Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Mole

1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (I buy them in a bag this way in the baking aisle)
olive oil
1/4 cup roughly chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and ribs removed, roughly chopped
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 pound chicken, poached and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups roasted cauliflower

1. Toast pecan pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat to toast. Do not scorch. Transfer toasted pecans to crock pot.


2. In the same skillet over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until just starting to become transparent. Add chopped garlic and saute until frangrant. Remove from heat and transfer to crock pot.


3. Add tomatoes, toasted pecans, onion, garlic, jalapenos, sesame seeds and chipotle peppers to the crock pot with the pecans, onion and garlic; puree with a hand blender (or you could do this in a regular blender in batches). Stir in cocoa, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and black pepper.


4. Add chicken broth and set crock pot on high. Stir in cooked chicken and roasted cauliflower. Cook for three hours. Serve hot over steamed brown rice.




The result? Good...


In all fairness, I've never tried mole before. I enjoyed the smoky combination of flavors and the gentle heat. I could absolutely see it as a sauce over shredded pork or chicken enchiladas.


But I don't think I'll add cauliflower next time. The fact is that I love roasted cauli all by itself. And the mole was good by itself. But together it took on a whole other personality--the perfectly roasted flavor of the cauliflower disappeared into the stew.


Don't get me wrong--I ate it. And liked it. I enjoy cauliflower in all forms, but the roasted nature of the vegetable was lost in this recipe.

British Food Fortnight: Quick Chicken Curry for Two

It is British Food Fortnight, a time when people worldwide celebrate the foods eaten and produced in Great Britain.

When I think of England, I think of the Queen, Wallis and Gromit, the tube, tea with scones and clotted cream, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and of course my many friends who are either living in the UK or have lived there in the past. I think of the day I spent in London's Heathrow airport in the luxurious Delta lounge gearing up for the long flight to Cape Town. But I digress.

So many cuisines have been introduced to England's culture that I would venture to say that their diet is as diversified as in the United States. There is one thing, however, that every Englishman that I know talks about.

A good curry.

So for British Food Fortnight, hosted by Fuss Free Flavours , I've created Quick Chicken Curry for Two. See the roundup here, even though FFF forgot my entry!

Of course Mr.W won't touch curry. So in my house it's really for one... but this recipe makes two servings.




Quick Chicken Curry for Two

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chopped yellow onion
about 3 tablespoons finely sliced carrot (I used 4 “baby-cut” carrots)
1/8 cup frozen broccoli florets
about 8 pitted dried plums (Okay, they're really prunes, but I seem to have fallen into the marketing ploy of making them sound less prune-ish by calling them dried plums.)
½ cup chicken broth or water
4 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
1 small tomato, chopped
1 grilled chicken cutlet, cut up (or leftover meat of choice)
2 small potatoes, peeled and boiled, cooled and diced

In a large skillet, melt butter and saute chopped onion until transparent and beginning to brown. Add carrot, broccoli, dried plums and chicken broth. Sprinkle curry powder over all. Stir well to combine. Continue to cook over medium heat. If water seems to be evaporating too quickly before your broccoli softens, add a lid.

When broccoli is softened, add tomato, chicken and potatoes. Stir gently to combine. Cover and cook until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve.


It was delish.

Spicy curry regards,
Mrs.W

Candied Chicken

Have you ever seen a more glorious bird from your very own oven?

And it's so simple, using regular pantry ingredients. I've used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, whole chickens, bone-in assorted pieces of chicken and turkey. Simply adjust amounts and timing appropriate for your cut--use that thermometer! And it's versatile--add herbs as desired or vary the type of vinegar used. I've even added tarragon, substituted mustard for the ketchup and substituted tarragon vinegar for a delicious alternative. You're limited only by your imagination.

The recipe I've provided below serves 2.

Candied Half Chicken

1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey, or a combination)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
half chicken
olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine the first three ingredients in a glass measure and stir to combine.

Rinse and pat dry chicken. Oil your baking dish well with olive oil. Place chicken in pan and drizzle olive oil over, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour maple syrup mixture over chicken; cover with foil and bake at 350*F for 1 hour or until chicken begins to pull away from the bone. Remove foil, baste, and return chicken to oven for a nice color--about 15 minutes more.

I've made this many times--succulent, not too sweet, crispy skin... not to mention with items you usually have around the house. I must recommend pairing this delectable bird with a melange of roasted veg--sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, oh my! However with my current bounty of garden and farmer's market produce, I enjoyed my chicken with one of my favorites--roasted cauliflower along with a surprisingly luscious slice of yellow-flesh watermelon.

Bon apetit!

Mrs.W

A Dinner Experiment

It's been one of those days. Well, actually, it's been one of those months. It's not that I haven't cooked at all--it's just that I've been incredibly disorganized. You know how it can be.

So tonight I needed to make something for poor, hungry Mr. W--if only to keep him away from Arby's yet again. So I'm experimenting.

I took three giant boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels, and rolled them in parmesan-italian seasoned breadcrumbs (homemade, of course, right from the freezer). I placed them in an olive-oiled 13x9x2-inch pan, and topped them with a giant freezer-bag of partially-thawed frozen spinach (this was fresh spinach that I'd cleaned & frozen for just such an occasion). I seasoned the top of the spinach with a generous pinch of kosher salt, a few scrapes of nutmeg, pepper and a few chile pepper flakes. I beat 2 eggs with a fork and drizzled all over the top, then finished with the remaining parmesan breadcrumbs, and baked at 350*F for an hour.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

So while I wouldn't call this a recipe, exactly, it is one of those meals you can throw together in a pinch. I could see adding some chopped onions that you've sauteed on the stove until just starting to carmelize--yum. That would be a perfect addition. And some chopped canned artichoke hearts. That would be lovely, indeed.

Until next time,
Mrs.W

Adventures in African Cooking: It Begins

My foray into African cooking begins.

Wednesday (February 28, 2007) I made a West African-inspired Chicken-Peanut-Curry stew over rice. It really should have been served with fufu, but I didn't bother trying to make that. I invited my brother over to be my guinea pig, and he was, as always, a willing participant.

It started with a recipe I found online (don't ask me where--I have no idea). As it came together I discovered it was a bit, well, BORING. The taste was okay, but lacked the wow factor. So I added a little coriander, a little cinnamon, then a little tumeric, a little curry... then a handful of raisins and a handful of prunes. I also mixed in a little pureed eggplant-red bell pepper-cherry peppers for some added nutrition!

Hey, eggplant is an authentic ingredient in african cuisines, and I have to sneak veg in where I can.

It turned out delicious. Here's the recipe:

West African-inspired Chicken Peanut Curry Stew

4 chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks

cooking oil

2 medium cooking onions, peeled and sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup pureed roasted eggplant-roasted red pepper-hot cherry peppers (can substitute 1/2 cup tomato paste)

1 cup natural peanut butter

3 cups water, divided

1/2 cup prunes

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground coriander

pinch tumeric

3 Tbsp curry powder

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, fry chicken pieces in cooking oil in batches to brown; do not let chicken pieces touch in skillet. Remove chicken and set aside.

Fry onions in same skillet until transparent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and eggplant puree, if using, and 1 cup of the water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Return chicken to pot. Stir in peanut butter. Be sure to use low heat and stir continuously or peanut butter will scorch. Add rest of water (2 cups) and mix to combine to a smooth sauce.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover pot and leave on low heat for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, you can cover pot and move to the oven set at 200*F for about 2 hours, checking and stirring occasionally (every 15 minutes or so).

The same day I made a pot of chili, as well, for the husband. (He doesn't eat unusual food, nor does my brother's wife... so when the mood for international food strikes, we get together to indulge while the spouses eat something less exotic.) When I got a bowl and tasted it--the heat was moderate, the way we like it--I thought, hmm, that stew from this afternoon might be good mixed in. So I tried it...

YUM!

The balance of the chili spices and heat along with the peanut and curry was fantastic! The heat was perfect, texture was awesome, the touch of sweet added by the raisins and prunes was a wonderful twist, and having chicken pieces mixed with the ground beef was excellent. If I served that as a mixed pot of 'chili' I'm sure people would be pleasantly surprised.

Have I dabbled in fusion cuisine?

But my REAL interest is Ethiopian cooking, specifically injera and doro wat--my favorite thing ever. I started amassing the ingredients last week... buckwheat panake mix (it's so hard to get teff here that I'm forced to improvise), tumeric, cardamom, allspice... fenugreek proved impossible to find locally, so I ordered it online. It arrived in a deliciously fragrant cardboard box after waiting only three days!

I'm not usually one of those people who raves over a particular vendor, but in fairness I have to recommend this one. I ordered my fenugreek from The Spice House. They did not have a minimum purchase requirement, so I didn't have to buy a whole vat of the stuff--3 oz for $1.99 is a good price. Shipping was a bit high ($6.55 for UPS ground) given the small order amount, but I figured it was a standard small-package rate. It arrived in record speed--ordered on a Saturday, and it arrived the following Wednesday.

In preparation for cooking an Ethiopian meal, I've been searching hundreds of recipes online for berbere (their spice paste), niter kebbeh (spiced clarified butter), doro wat (spicy chicken stew), and injera (their sourdough pancake used as tablecloth, plate and utensil). There are literally as many different recipes as there are Ethiopians in the world, because every cook has their own mix of spices.

The funniest thing about all these recipes I've been sifting through online is that several people refer to doro wat they've eaten at restaurants as mildly spicy! Hah! Clearly they've been eating toned-down americanized versions! Doro wat is always HOT. My favorite restaurant in Atlanta--Queen of Sheba near North Druid Hills--made it HOT. When I went to Addis I ate it HOT. This ferengi keeps it real! (Ferengi = foreigner. I wonder if the writers of star trek knew that... hmm... )

I've written to a couple of friends who I know are fans of Ethiopian national food and are experimental cooks, so maybe I'll get some good advice.

Until next time...

Mrs. W