Category Archives: chicken

Chicken Breasts with Shallots in a Delightful Cream Sauce

Posted on December 9, 2011 | 2 comments

Joel's "after " picture

This is what I made for dinner a few Sunday nights ago, before Thanksgiving I might add.  This chicken makes a beautiful presentation and is easy enough for a delightful quick dinner for 2, or a lovely dish for company. It has a rich cream sauce which contains white wine, shallots and lemon.Why does everyone shrink back when you say cream sauce? Each serving doesn’t have that much cream in it, and honestly once in a while never killed anyone, so enjoy and live a little.  I served with rice. This is sheer perfection on a plate. Joel requested that I put the “after” picture on this post. I also served with fresh cranberry sauce that I had just made for Thanksgiving. Original inspiration for this dish came from The Barefoot Contessa.

Ingredients:

2 split chicken breasts (about 2 lbs.) with skin and bone (I went to the butcher and asked for 2 chicken breasts and had him split them)

3 tablespoons Canola oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 3 small lemons)

1/2 large shallot, minced (original recipe calls for 1 large, but I felt like it was too oniony, so I cut it)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature is very important), diced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. I used my Le Creuset cast iron pot, which is oven proof. You can use any oven proof skillet, preferably cast iron. Heat the oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes (just until oil starts to smoke.) Place the chicken breasts skin side down in the skillet and cook for approx. 5 minutes without moving (don’t play with them); you want a golden brown crust to form.

Turn off heat, and using tongs, turn the chicken breasts skin side up, place the skillet in the oven, and roast for 12-15 minutes (check temperature after 12 minutes. It should read 160 degrees,) then cook until the chicken is cooked through. It took me 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the white wine, lemon juice, and shallots and cook over medium-high heat until sauce reduces (slowly boils down) by at least 1/2 (it may take 8-10 minutes.) If it should reduce too much (it doesn’t happen to me,) add a little more white wine.  After it’s properly reduced, add the cream, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and bring to a full boil. Remove from the heat, add the diced butter and stir as the butter dissolves. Never reheat this sauce!!! It could get nasty. There is no need to re-heat anyway, because chicken should be ready, it’s hot and sauce is still hot. Spoon over the chicken and rice and serve!!! Fab! Really delicious. It’s worth the effort, and I must say it wasn’t difficult at all.

plated chicken with cream sauce and shallots

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Chicken Stew in One Pot

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 3 comments

This is one of  my go to meals when the weather turns a little cold and throughout the winter months.  When I need something to make that’s easy, healthy and comforting. Food for the soul I like to say. I serve this with crusty bread,  and a green salad. It’s very filling and makes a beautiful presentation for 2 or 6. Hope you enjoy, it’s really very easy , just chop up a few vegetables (carrots, onions, and celery, a basic *mirepoix) open a few cans and buy the chicken, don’t be intimidated by ingredients! This recipe inspired from Giada de Laurentis’s chicken stew. I have made a few changes to suit us.

*Basic Mirepoix is a combination of chopped carrots, celery and onions used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, sauces, soups and other foods. Usually comprised of 50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks celery, small bite size pieces

1 carrot, peeled, cut into small bite size pieces

1 small white onion chopped

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 can chopped tomatoes ( I use San Marzano diced) large 28 oz. can with juice

16 oz. chicken broth (1/2 box) but you may need a bit more so hold on to rest of the box.

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dry thyme

I use 4 chicken breasts with ribs ( I usually go to butcher order 2 chicken breasts with bone in, split in two) if you go to supermarket, either buy 2 large breasts, or 4 smaller ones. Skin on and Bones in! app. 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. total weight. You will be removing the skin, it will add to the flavor of the stew.

1 can red kidney beans drained ( if using organic, do not need to rinse) 15 oz.

1 can black beans drained ( if using organic , do not need to rinse either) 15 oz.

nice crusty whole grain bread

Directions:

Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy 5 1/2 quart. pot. ( Le Creuset again) heat over medium heat. When oil is hot add the onions, celery , and carrot (Mirepoix mixture). Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. You will taste again towards the end, so if you want to hold off on this step you can. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaf and thyme. Then add the chicken breasts , press to submerge in the sauce.

Bring the liquid to a slow simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring mixture occasionally, app. 30 minutes. Using tongs if you have them, if you don’t , buy them, remove the chicken to a plate and allow to cool ( about 15 minutes) Discard the bay leaf, add the beans to the pot ( remember to drain) and bring to a simmer until the liquid is reduced to a stew-like consistency, probably another 15 minutes or so.

Discard the chicken skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew back to a slow simmer. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

I usually cook , then turn off heat, and bring it back to simmer right before serving.

This should serve 6 well. I serve with a nice crusty whole grain bread. Everything is in the pot, veggies, and protein. Enjoy! it’s delicious. Don’t be put off, it’s really easy to prepare, can be made ahead of time.  If it’s made a few days ahead you may want to add the chicken broth to thin out.

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Homemade Chicken Soup with Not-So-Homemade Matzo Balls

Posted on September 27, 2011 | 8 comments

I always make my own chicken soup. It is delicious broth. I usually make a few batches and freeze them because it’s a great thing to have frozen in quart containers as stock and will last for up to six months frozen. When the holidays come—whether Rosh Hashanah or Passover—I always make my chicken soup with matzo balls. I make the soup a day ahead and skim whatever fat is on there before adding my matzo balls.

INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN STOCK:

1 5lb. organic roasting chicken (I throw away the insides)

1 package of chicken wings (this was suggested to me a long time ago by my BFF Karyn and she was oh so right. It adds some fat, which translates into a lot of flavor and you will skim off the fat the next day. Thanks, Karyn…yes, I remembered!)

1 large, yellow Spanish onion; unpeeled and quartered

A big bunch of dill

4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds

4 carrots, unpeeled and halved

Bunch of flat-leaf parsley (Use this only if you want. This time, I didn’t have it so I used only the dill.)

A bunch of thyme (if you wish)

1 head of garlic, cut in half cross-wise (skin and all)

2 tbsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

DIRECTIONS FOR SOUP:

I place the chicken, chicken wings, onion, carrots, celery, whatever herbs I’m using, garlic, salt and pepper in as large a  pot as I can find (usually about a 16-20 qt. stockpot.) Add cold water to cover chicken by at least 2 inches above the chicken but not to the top of the pot because it will boil over (very messy). Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours. I skim the soup skum (sounds lovely) off for the first half hour or so—after that, you shouldn’t have much more. I remove the chicken from the broth after an hour or so, because it is cooked and it will taste like a rubber chicken if you plan on eating it. Sometimes, I like to shred it and return it to the soup. If you are not using the chicken (what a waste of good chicken), just leave it in. It will fall apart in there. I leave the wings and discard them at the end of the 3 hours. Next, I strain all of the soup, discard all remnants, fill my containers and put in the fridge. The next day (or the day of the holiday), I usually skim off the fat that has risen to the top and make my matzo balls (recipe below).

MATZO BALLS:

This has always been my secret, but now it’s out. Okay, I own it. After years of making matzo balls from scratch, my mother (yes, my mother, the cook) turned me on to Manischewitz boxed matzo ball mix! It just wasn’t worth it. My balls weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, whereas these are always perfection! Light and fluffy and everyone always loves them. No sinkers here!

I follow the directions on the box carefully. They sell just the mix box. You will need vegetable oil and 2 eggs per box. I do add a little piece of dill inside each ball, but that’s it! Now my secret is out. Sometimes this is really the only way to go. It saves time and ingredients and is really good. No MSG or trans-fats either! So make the soup, cheat with the balls, and enjoy. There is no substitute for homemade chicken soup, though.

*You can also add thin soup noodles to this recipe, if you like.

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Honey Roasted Chicken – Holiday Chicken

Posted on September 19, 2011 | 4 comments

DSCN4234DSCN4234this recipe was actually given to me by my daughter, jennifer. she has made it numerous times. always to raves from the family. i am going to make it this year for rosh hashana and it is so perfect for Passover.  it is a delicious chicken dish made with honey so it so appropriate for the jewish new year! sweet and savory as our new year should be! enjoy it.  if anyone out there has some holiday ideas i’d love to hear about them. pay attention to cooking directions as you will not be preheating oven!!!!!!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter or margarine

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup mild honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

a rounded teaspoon curry powder

2 tablespoons peach or mango chutney ( available in most supermarkets)

small handful of dried currants or chopped dark raisins

2 roasting chickens  cut up in 8’s

Directions:

you will need 2 shallow baking sheets with 1 inch rims ( you may be able to get it on 1 large sheet)Spray baking sheets well with cooking spray.

to make sauce:

Melt butter/margarine in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. while it is bubbling, saute onion and garlic until softened, about 3 – 5 minutes. add remaining ingredients except for chicken and stir until well combined. heat until warm throughout and set aside to cool slightly.

to prepeare chicken:

I would spray each baking sheet with pam cooking spray first

Rinse and pat chicken dry . (each piece) dip each piece in honey mixture, coating chicken completely. lay chicken pieces ( skin side up) on baking sheets. spoon any remaining sauce over chicken.

To Bake Chicken:

place chicken in a cold oven, turn heat to 400 degrees and bake for one hour. if you are using 2 baking sheets , roast in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and switch shelf positions 1/2 way through the cooking time.

to serve:

Transfer chicken to a warmed serving platter and serve . this chicken is good hot, at room temp. and cold out of fridge the next day.

*if you cannot find peach or mango chutney ( I found it at Whole Foods) Stonewall Kitchen Brand , you can use Peach Jam, Apricot Jam, etc. Probably Saucy Susan would work. Use your imagination and don’t kill yourself trying to find the chutney. I think the chutney would give it a bit more kick, and cut the sweet, but either one will be fine.

Happy Holiday and Have a Very Sweet New Year

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Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Balls

Posted on September 9, 2011 | 3 comments

Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Balls

this is one of my absolute favorite recipes. It is a soup , which is also a full meal. It is hearty and pretty healthy.  It is one of my staples from September through April. It freezes well and you can just take it out of the freezer the night before, and you’ll have a wonderful meal the next evening. When you defrost it you will probably want to add broth/water to it. add a little at a time till you get the consisitency you like. Enjoy:)

Ingredients: chicken balls

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 lb chicken sausage, casings removed

3 slices whole wheat bread for bread crumbs ( I put into food proccesor with steel blade for crumbs) i remove crusts . should be app. 1 cup of bread crumbs

2 teaspoons minced garlic ( 2 – 3 cloves)

1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano ( fresh is best) but whatever you have will do

1/4 cup grated Parmesan ( again nothing beats fresh) but whatever you have will do here as well

3 tablespoons milk

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soup Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small -medium yellow onion minced

1 cup diced carrots ( 3 )

1 cup diced celery (2 stalks)

10 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine( use whatever you have open)

1 cup small pasta tubetini, ditalini, stars, etc.

5 ounces fresh spinach, washed and trimmed

*fresh dill ( I love the flavor) add at your own discretion about 1/4 cup minced fresh dill.

Directions:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees  put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

for the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage,bread crumbs, garlic, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, salt and pepper  all in a bowl and mix well with a fork.  I use a teaspoon, and make 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls and drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. you should have about 30 to 40 small balls. bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. set them aside. (I made about 30 balls, they were a little larger this time out)

For the Soup:

 heat the olive oil over medium – low heat in a large heavy bottomed soup pot ( Le Creuset type pot) Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 10 minutes, don’t brown. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil, at this point I let soup cook a while to soften the vegetables, app. 1 hour. ( a low simmer) if you’re in a hurry you can probably do the whole soup in 1/2 hour , veggies will be soft enough to eat. if some of the liquid evaporates you can always add a little more broth.

chicken balls out of the ovenItalian Wedding Soup cooking

 Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook another 6 – 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the meatballs and simmer for another minute or so. taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for another minute or so, the spinach will just wilt. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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Easiest Chicken Dinner Ever

Posted on September 1, 2011 | 2 comments

Easiest Chicken Dinner Ever

photo (2)

Seriously, I don’t even like to own up to this recipe. It is one of Joel’s favorites and anyone who ever eats it always wants to know how to make it…but the recipe is a little embarrassing! All that being said, I am going to share it because it needs to be done. I have to own it and I do. I’ve been making this chicken dish for years and hopefully when you make it, everyone will love it and you won’t have to admit how super easy it is and how there are hardly any ingredients at all. Enjoy! I owe you all this one. It is the perfect meal when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare, marinate, shop , etc.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. thin chicken filets (approx. 4)

6 oz can French’s french fried onion rings

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp flour

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Crush onion rings. (I place them in a large Ziploc bag and bang on them until they’re all crushed up. It’s fun!) Add the 2 tablespoons of flour to the bag, shake it up and place in a shallow bowl or plate.

Pat each cutlet dry with paper towels, dip in the egg, then dip in the crushed onion rings. Youwill have to push down on onion rings with a spoon so they adhere. Place on sprayed (Pam) cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

That’s it, enjoy!

I served this last night with rice and a chickpea, tomato, and feta salad (I will post salad recipe shortly).

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Good Old Roast Chicken

Posted on August 10, 2011 | 7 comments

roast chicken with no paprika just salt and pepper

Roast Chicken is one of the most comforting meals I know. I love it with some roasted onions, fennel and carrots. Last night I made it but had no fennel and it was just perfection. Hit the spot as they say. Every time I roast a chicken I do it a little differently. I didn’t have thyme in the house either so I just left it out. Salt is key — you want to make sure it’s well salted –un-salted chicken tastes pretty bland. I almost never ever add salt at the table. I also use paprika often although sometimes I don’t. You can see this one photo has no paprika and there is my photo from last night that has it. It gives it nice color and I use sweet paprika.
As a young cook, one of the most intimidating things to make for dinner was a roast chicken. It should be simple but somehow it seems complicated–tying up the legs, stuffing the cavity, etc. It took me many years to feel confident about the bird thing. The carving alone could set you over the edge. I conquered my fear and while I’m not the best carver in the world I make do and figure it out. The key to carving is letting the bird sit for at least 10 minutes. This seals in the juices and makes carving just a bit simpler. I can’t really help with the carving (you can go online and get a tutorial). I go by feel. I used to take a 5 lb chicken and hack it up so badly, but after a few attempts, I sort of figured it out and I’m sure you will too. I use an organic chicken, which you can get in any supermarket now. I just prefer it. Kosher is also very good here. Also, always pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This little tip goes a long way to a delicious chicken. I will keep a chicken frozen and take it out the night before to defrost and then the next day put it in the fridge to finish defrosting. It’s such a homey meal to make and your house will smell divine.

You may need to make this a few times to perfect it. Practice makes perfect. I always say if it’s a new recipe don’t make it for company .  The time to practice is on yourself or your family . I try to never make a new recipe for guests it’s too stressful and why do that when I have so many tried and true recipes that I can count on. Just saying….

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole roasting chicken (5 to 6 lbs; I prefer organic or kosher)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and sweet paprika–

1 small lemon, cut in half

1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise–paper and all —

Olive oil (I use about 2 tablespoons which I put in a ramekin to brush the chicken) you may use a little bit more or less . You also need a bit for the pan veggies.

1 large yellow onion, cut thickly

4 carrots, I cut them into threes

*1 bulb fennel, tops and sprigs removed and cut into wedges or slices–I love fennel but if you don’t use it it’s OK. The onions and vegetables are still delicious.

*fresh thyme –I stuff almost the whole package into the chicken cavity. I leave out a few sprigs to sprinkle over the vegetables.

*optional but add flavor and you can use rosemary if you prefer to thyme

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. You will need a roasting pan with sides deep enough to roast chicken with gravy.

Remove the chicken giblets inside of cavity of chicken. ( I don’t use them so I toss them.) Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers, and pat the outside of chicken dry; this is most important. I use a bunch of paper towels to do this, just wrap up chicken and let it dry while I am prepping everything else. I peel and cut up carrots, slice the onion thickly, cut up the fennel bulb, and put aside. Next, take chicken, and put some kosher salt and freshly ground pepper inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the 2 halves of lemon (that’s why I use a small lemon) and stuff in all the garlic with skin and all. If you have the thyme, stuff this inside as well leaving out a few sprigs for veggies. Put carrots , onions, fennel into a large roasting pan. I place the chicken on top of some of the onions, scattering veggies around the chicken. Brush (silicone or pastry brush) the outside of the chicken with the olive oil all over chicken, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I am fairly generous here with the salt and pepper, but don’t go overboard. Tie the legs together with poultry twine, and tuck the wings underneath the body of the chicken. (Don’t sweat the tucking, the wing tips might get a little burnt if they are sticking out.) Put a little olive oil over veggies (a very little) and using a spoon, mix around. If you are using the thyme, scatter the remaining sprigs around the veggies. I sprinkle a very little bit of salt and pepper on the veggies as well. Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours (check on it after the first 45 minutes). When you check on chicken use either a baster or a large spoon and pour some of the pan juices over the chicken. Also add a little water or chicken broth to the roasting pan just to make a little more gravy, maybe 1/2-1 cup and more if you need it.  If during the cooking process the liquid dries up just add some more water , just don’t let the pan dry out. The chicken is done when you cut between a leg and a thigh and the juices run clear or a meat thermometer reads between 165 and 175 degrees into the leg.  I then remove the chicken, leaving the vegetables in the oven for another 10 minutes or so. I place the chicken on a plate and let it rest for at least 10 minutes (20 is perfect) with aluminum foil. I slice the 2 breasts into pieces and remove the 2 drumsticks and thighs. I then take out the veggies, and serve with the chicken, and a little gravy from the pan juices.

*internal temperature when a chicken is done should be at least 165 degrees. I usually cook till 175 degrees. I also allow to sit for easier carving and chicken will actually continue to cook, and so temperature will go up. I tent in aluminum foil while it is resting so it doesn’t get too cool but you can just let it sit there.

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Easy Peasy Chicken on the Grill

Posted on August 7, 2011 | 4 comments

Easy Peasy Chicken on the Grill

chicken thighs

Here is a very simple marinade made with very few ingredients. Most of the ingredients you probably already have on hand. I had the chicken and I actually had the beer which is what prompted me to make this. I also have to say that the thighs tasted better than the plain, boneless chicken breasts. I cooked the chicken on the grill at a lower heat. It took a little longer (maybe 20 minutes) but the thighs were moist and delicious and I didn’t blacken the skin because the grill wasn’t so so hot.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 cups beer (I wouldn’t use light beer but any other will do)

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced (approximately 1 1/2 cloves)

2 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark, it doesn’t really matter)

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs with skin on and bone in. (I would have the butcher cut them in half.)

This marinade yields a lot so you could probably make up to 8 pieces (at least) of chicken.

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, beer, water, garlic, brown sugar and ginger. Place the chicken in the bowl. Cover and marinate for 6 hours or overnight. Turn chicken a couple of times while marinating. Right before I put the chicken on the grill, I sometimes sprinkle a little kosher salt and pepper. The soy makes it somewhat salty but the beer dilutes the soy so I think it’s personal but I suggest adding a little salt and pepper. You can also cook up the chicken and taste it and sprinkle a little sale and pepper, if needed, before serving.

Place chicken on the grill and cook approximately ten minutes per side, depending on thickness of cutlets and your grill but until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Discard the remaining marinade. Be careful to watch the grill–you don’t want to overcook chicken (unless you specifically like it that way). I watched the thighs very carefully, turning often so that they didn’t blacken. They came out beautiful and were very moist for you dark meat lovers.

I served this with rice pilaf and my string beans (see recipe).

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Lemony Chicken

Posted on July 20, 2011 | 4 comments

Prep for Lemony Chicken

This is truly my go-to chicken meal, because there is no marinating, and I usually have everything on hand. Plus, you can always just pick up chicken breasts at the local market right before cooking. I serve it over a plain brown rice, because the sauce is so yummy. Add a plain roasted green veggie and you’re good to go. Great for guests!

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken breasts with skin and bone in

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons garlic, minced (6-9 cloves, depending on size of cloves)

1/3 cup dry white wine (I use whatever is open, or whatever I have on hand) or a pinot grigio would be fine if you are going to buy .

Grated zest from 2 lemons

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from zested lemons). save the lemons , you will use them .

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

 freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

Put olive oil in a small saucepan and warm it up. Not to boil, just warm. Turn off heat and add minced garlic. Remove from heat and add white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, and salt. Pour into a 9×12 baking dish.

Pat the chicken dry (use a paper towel) and place skin side up over the sauce. I use a silicon brush (or any pastry brush) and brush the chicken with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I then cut up the lemons which I used for zest into about 6 or 8 wedges, and place them in the dish alongside the chicken. You should have 1 lemon left over. If not, use a new lemon and just cut it into 6 or 8 wedges.

Bake for 35 minutes and then put on broil for the last 5 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may want to bake for 30 minutes, and put under the broiler for 10 minutes, which is what I did. Just watch it–you want it golden brown, not blackened, and if you cook too long, the chicken will be dried out. When you remove it from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Serve hot with the pan juices over rice, with a green vegetable on the side.

 

 

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Balsamic/Mustard Chicken

Posted on June 21, 2011 | 2 comments

Balsamic Mustard Chicken in Marinade

I have been so busy flying back and forth from New York to Colorado, that I haven’t had time to say hello and post some more yummy recipes! I also want to say that i am working on posting photos, which i think will be super helpful  not to mention make this blog prettier . I think mid-week  posts are the best because most of you probably are looking for weekend meals, and then you can add to your personal recipe file and cook anytime.

This recipe has been a great go to chicken dish but needs to marinate overnight for best results! I don’t usually grill it, but if you do, I suggest that you first cook it in the oven for about 30 minutes, and then throw on grill just to get grill marks and BBQ flavor. It’s wonderful in the oven as well. Gravy from this is yummy and rice works perfectly with this too.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 average lemon) 

1 teaspoon lemon zest (first zest, then juice lemon)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (i like to salt and pepper right before I cook the chicken)

1 whole chicken cut up  (if you go to a butcher, ask him to cut the breasts in halves. if you are buying in a supermarket, the breasts will be rather large; you can cut it yourself if you have a good knife. if not, no biggie just cook it in eighths. But I prefer in ten pieces with breasts cut in half.)

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl to blend. Take a large baggie (I love Hefty ziplocks),  and put the chicken and vinaigrette in. Squish it all around and coat chicken and place in fridge. I prefer this marinate overnight , but you can do it in the morning for that night. Usually I do it the night before and it sits overnight and most of the next day.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Remove chicken from the bag and arrange it in a Pam-sprayed Pyrex type baking dish. Add your kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper now. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through (about 1 hour.) Look at chicken after about 45 minutes; if it is burning, cover with aluminum foil  for the remaining cooking time. Transfer chicken to your serving platter and cover with aluminum foil. Take Pyrex with gravy from pan drippings and put on burner of stove (or transfer to a smaller sauce pan). Whisk in the chicken broth (and this is when I add the lemon zest as well,)  scraping up all the brown bits as you go. (When you are de-glazing the pan, a wooden spoon works best.) When the gravy comes to a boil, you’re ready to spoon over your chicken.  If you plate it individually, put rice on the plate, then a piece(s) of chicken, and then spoon gravy on top. Or I just pour some gravy over the chicken on a platter and put it on the table. Then I put rice in a pretty bowl and put that on the table as well. That way, everyone can take their own.

If you want to BBQ the chicken , cook it first for about 30 minutes, then do gravy as above. Lemon slices look pretty on the platter with some chopped parsley but totally not necessary.

* roasted asparagus is perfect on side

*I love Near East brand of Rice Pilaf in a box (Original) when I don’t feel like fussing with rice. Almost always comes out perfectly if you follow instructions.

 

 

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