Tag: Chicken

Poulet A La Creme

Poulet A La Creme

Poulet A La Creme

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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I came across this recipe in an older cookbook by the renowned chef Jacques Pepin and although it looks very pedestrian the final outcome with it’s wonderful flavour profile will have your guests coming back for more.

Cooks note: I served this one with a Rice Pilaf however it would go equally as well with some Egg Noodles.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 8 Skin on Bone in Chicken Thighs 
  • 6 large Mushrooms – sliced
  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 4 tablespoons Flour
  • 1/2 cup dry White Wine
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup heavy Cream
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Chopped Tarragon or Parsley (optional)

Putting it all together:

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and brown over high heat for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side.
  2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle on the flour. turn the chicken over using tongs so the flour is evenly dispersed. Stir in the wine and water and mix well. Bring to a boil, add the salt and pepper and simmer covered for 25 minutes.
  3. Add the cream, bring to a boil, and boil, uncovered for about 1 minute.
  4. Serve sprinkled with the tarragon or parsley if desired.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                           Bon Appetit

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BBQ’D Sweet and Sour Chicken

BBQ'd chicken

BBQ'D Sweet and Sour Chicken

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Learning to cook for me has been a long but fascinating journey and I am happy to say that I am still learning which means that cooking still holds my interest and still has mysteries to figure out.

One of the mysteries it has taken me a while to figure out is how to BBQ chicken without burning the hell out of it and quite simply the solution to the “mystery” is to simply par boil the chicken to reduce the amount of grease the skin will produce thereby reducing the flair ups and the burnt chicken.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 4 Chicken legs
  • 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons Soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup Honey
  • 1/4 cup Ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons Granulate Garlic

Putting it all together:

  1. Par boil the chicken legs in a large pot for 7 minutes.
  2. Remove the legs to a sheet pan and dispose of the water.
  3. Heat the BBQ to 400° and place the legs bone side down for 10 minutes then turn over for another 10.
  4. While the chicken is cooking mix all the other ingredients together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes or until thickened.
  5. Brush the chicken with the sauce and turn over once the sauce has “glazed” the chicken and repeat.
  6. Remove and enjoy.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………

                            Bon Appetit 

Chicken Enchiladas

®Chicken Enchiladas II

Chicken Enchiladas

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: Easy
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My Sunday nights lately consist of making dinner and then rushing out the door to get to my Pool League for 6:00 p.m. and this usually means I miss dinner because I just don’t have the time.

This time I decided that a very simple, time saving recipe was needed so I could eat before going out and since it has been quite awhile since I have made these and the family loves them it was a no-brainer.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 8 large Tortillas
  • 4 cups cooked shredded Chicken
  • 1 16 ounce jar of Herdez® Salsa Verde
  • 6 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 3 Green Onions – rough chopped for garnish
  • 2 Poblano peppers – seeded and diced
  • Sour Cream for garnish

Putting it all together:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 375°
  2. Warm the tortillas for about 30 seconds to make them pliable.
  3. In the centre of the tortilla place a 1/4 cup of cheese then top with 1/2 cup of the chicken, Poblano peppers and salsa. Roll into a cylinder shape and place on a sheet pan.
  4. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
  5. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining cheese and salsa and put in the oven until the cheese has melted and the enchiladas are heated through.
  6. Plate the enchiladas and top with some sour cream and chopped green onion.

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………….

                           Bon Appetit

 

 

Chicken Pot Pie topped with Mashed Potatoes

Chicken Pot Pie topped with Mashed Potatoes

Chicken Pot Pie topped with Mashed Potatoes

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Chicken Pot Pie is one of those classic comfort foods that if done right is guaranteed to be a real crowd pleaser. This one is a wee bit different because I didn’t have a lot of time to muck around with a pastry crust for the top so I did the next best thing ( at least to me) and that is I topped it with Mashed Potatoes.

The “short cut” that makes this recipe a real time saver is that I used an already cooked BBQ’d chicken from a local source so all I had to do was to break up the chicken and add it to the broth and veggies, top with the mashed potatoes and finish it in the oven. As an addition I sprinkled shredded Parmesan on top for added flavour before it went back in the oven.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 cooked BBQ Chicken (about 3 pounds) – skinned and shredded
  • 1/2 large Red Onion – diced
  • 4 Garlic cloves – chopped
  • 6 Yukon Gold potatoes – peeled and quartered
  • 2 1/2 cups frozen Mixed Vegetables
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Butter
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 4 tablespoons Chicken Dry Rub (see Dry Rubs and Marinades)
  • 3 cups Vegetable Stock
  • 3/4 cup Milk
  • Shredded Parmesan for topping

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°
  2. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until just fork tender
  3. In a separate pot melt the 1/2 cup of butter, add the onions and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the flour until a Roux is formed. Stir in the vegetable stock, the chicken dry rub and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the chicken and vegetables and stir until mixed well.
  6. Mash the potatoes with the remaining butter and milk.
  7. Ladle the chicken mixture into individual Ramekins or bowls, top with the mashed potatoes and Parmesan and place in the oven for 3 minutes.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                          Bon Appetit

 

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan Chicken Stew

Moroccan Chicken Stew

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Looking out the window today and seeing the snow swirling about got me thinking of exotic climates where the only thing swirling around is the ice in my glass. Now, as with most of you, I doubt I will ever make it to some of these places so I will settle for visiting them through their food.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 2 Red Onions quartered and sliced
  • 4 Garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 sweet Green Peppers rough chopped
  • 1 28 ounce can of Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 15 ounce can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup Golden Raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped Green Olives
  • 12 ounces cooked Orzo pasta
  • 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp ground Ginger
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Cayenne powder
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Chopped Parsley for garnish.

Putting it all together:

  1. In a bag toss the flour and chicken until coated
  2. Heat the oil in a non stick skillet and sear the chicken until browned on both sides. About 6 minutes and transfer to a plate.
  3. Cook the onion in the skillet for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and ginger; cook 1 minute.
  4. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt. Add the chicken; simmer covered, 10 minutes.
  5. Stir in peppers, raisins, olives and chickpeas: simmer, stirring, 15 minutes, until peppers are tender and the chicken is no longer pink near the bone.
  6. Serve over Orzo.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……

                           Bon Appetit 

Chicken and Shrimp with Sauce Cantonese

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Chicken and Shrimp with Sauce Cantonese

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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The sauce recipe for this dish comes from a book, The Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking, that was published back in 1985 and has 2000 recipes in it. I chose this sauce as it appeared to pair well with Chicken and Shrimp and I also had 95% of all the ingredients in the house.

I was pleased with the overall taste of this recipe however I was disappointed in the amount of sauce it produced as I would have liked more.

Cooks note: Increase the sauce recipe by 1/3 – 1/2 for a more saucier result.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list: 

  • 1 bag 31-40 Shrimp – peeled and tail off
  • 2 Chicken breast – sliced into small piece
  • 1 large package Udon noodles
  • 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
  •  1 teaspoon grated Ginger
  •  3 Garlic cloves – grated
  • 1 1/2 pounds Sugar Snap Peas
  •  1 cup Chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
  •  1 teaspoon Soya sauce
  •  1 teaspoon Sugar
  •  1 tablespoons Dry Sherry
  •  1 tablespoon Cornstarch with 2 tablespoons Water
  •  1 Egg – beaten 
  • 2 Green Onion tops – chopped for garnish 

Putting it all together:

  1. Heat the oil in a large Fry pan or Wok and cook the chicken in batches and set aside.
  2. In a large non reactive mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients except the Shrimp, Egg, Green Onions, Peas and Cornstarch and water.
  3. Pour the sauce ingredients into the pan or wok and bring just to a boil.
  4. Mix the cornstarch and water together and whisk into the boiling sauce. Reduce the heat and let simmer until it starts to thicken.
  5. Temper the beaten egg by adding a small amount of the sauce liquid and then add to the pan/wok and stir well.
  6. Add the remaining ingredients except the green onion and simmer until the shrimp is cooked.
  7. Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions.
  8. Plate the noodles, top with the sauce and green onions and enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……..

                           Bon Appetit 

 

Brunswick Stew

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Brunswick Stew

  • Servings: 12 -14
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Stews, soups and casseroles are all “yucky weather” type dishes because they warm you up from the inside out and allow you to thumb yer nose at the cold, wet and otherwise cruddy stuff going on outside the window.

I like the traditional soups and stews….. butternut squash, potato and leek soups  along with chicken and beef stews….. but I like to try different types of stews as well and so I decided to try this one which if we went traditional would mean using things like rabbit and squirrel and since I can’t use rabbit (I would be shot if I did) and I would never use “tree rat” (that’s squirrel kids) I opted for pork and chicken as the protein.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 pounds Pork shoulder – cubed
  • 2 pounds Chicken thighs – cubed
  • 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 1/2 cup of Butter
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 1 large White Onion – diced
  • 3 Garlic cloves – chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds Baby potatoes – quartered
  • 4 cups Chicken stock
  • 1 19 ounce can Diced tomatoes (liquid as well)
  • 3 cups frozen Corn kernels
  • 3 cups cut Green Beans
  • 3 teaspoons Tomato Paste
  • 1/2 cup Yellow Mustard
  • 1 1/2 cups Smokey BBQ sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or Stock pot and brown the pork and chicken removing to a large bowl when done.
  2. Melt the butter in the same pot and saute the onions and garlic for about five minutes. Add in the flour and whisk well.
  3. Pour in the Worcestershire, chicken stock, yellow mustard and BBQ sauce and stir well.
  4. Add back the meat and the remaining ingredients.
  5. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the meat and potatoes are tender, about 50 minutes.
  6. Adjust the seasonings if needed
  7. Ladle into a bowl and serve with some crusty bread for sopping up the juice.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…..

                          Bon Appetit

Tefal Actifry

Actifry

Tefal Actifry

 

I used to have a Bravetti™ Deep Fryer, you know the kind…. took four liters of oil to fill it then it took forever to heat up and depending on what you were making it could be hit and miss on the doneness. The other pain was the clean up….. It was a mess to drain because you had to filter the oil into a container without spilling oil all over the kitchen, store the filtered oil somewhere and then clean the appliance without damaging the heating elements and not to mention the fact it was a big appliance and took up a bunch of counter space.

Well I finally got tired of the Bravetti™ and after cleaning it up I donated it to Value Village and then went on the hunt for a replacement.  I am happy to say that the Actifry™ is head and shoulders above what I used to have. Not only is it a healthier alternative as it uses 2 Tablespoons of oil and HOT AIR but once you close the lid and set the timer it is instant start and the timer goes off when your food is done. The clean up is a snap as all the parts come apart very easily and soap and water is all I have ever needed. I have used this machine for French Fies, Chicken Fingers and Shrimp with great success and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Oh and…. it fits in the corner of my counter thereby leaving me work space.

So if you are looking for a deep fryer I would highly recommend giving this one a whirl…. you won’t regret it.

Until next time……..

Tuscan Style Spaghetti with Chicken and Pancetta

 

Tuscan style spaghetti with Chicken and Pancetta

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Tuscan style spaghetti with chicken and bacon

As someone who cooks on a daily basis every once in a while I run into the “cooks” version of Writer’s Block and have absolutely no idea what to make for dinner and as any seasoned cook knows this can be very frustrating so when I ran into this particular issue tonight I turned to the Internet and searched for some inspiration and “what do you know”…. I found some.

I stole this particular recipe from Delish.com and I modified it ever so slightly and to say it was a hit would be an understatement so thank you Delish for the inspiration.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 12 ounces of Spaghetti
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Breast – sliced into strips
  • 6 ounces Pancetta – diced
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 3 Garlic cloves – finely chopped
  • 5 ounces sliced Olives
  • 2 cups Tomatoes – diced
  • 3 cups Baby Spinach
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large pot of salted water cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and reserve one cup of the pasta water.
  2. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 5 minutes.
  3. Add the Pancetta to the skillet and cook for about 6 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain half the fat.
  4. To the skillet add the garlic, tomatoes, olives and spinach. Season with salt and pepper, then add the heavy cream, Parmesan and half a cup of pasta water and let simmer. Add the past and mix until well coated.
  5. Add back the chicken and Pancetta, mix well and serve.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…..

                           Bon Appetit

 

Nacho Cheese Dorito Chicken Fingers

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Nacho Cheese Chicken Fingers

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
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“Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” 

Harriet Van Horne

I  came across this recipe while searching for something different to make for my grandson since the adults where having something spicy and I have to say the concept is really quite intriguing. I mean seriously, who would think of crusting chicken tenders with Nacho Cheese Doritos™? Certainly not me but it works and was a great success.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 8 to 10 Chicken Tenders
  • 2 cups ground Nacho Cheese Doritos
  • 4 Eggs
  • 3/4 cup AP Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt and Pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°
  2. Set up your dredging station by seasoning the flour with the salt, pepper, garlic, onion and parsley and place in one container. Whisk the eggs in a second container and place the ground Doritos in a third.
  3. Working in batches, two or three at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour, the egg wash and finally the Doritos and place aside. Repeat with the remaining tenders.
  4. Place the tenders on a baking sheet and put in the oven until they are golden brown (about 18 mins.) or they reach 160° internal temperature.
  5. Plate and enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……….

                         Bon Appetit