Category Archives: CHICKEN, TURKEY, GAME HENS, DUCK, ETC. RECIPES

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA WITH GARLIC SAFFRON RICE

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Since moving to Camano Island, we have not found a good Indian restaurant in the vicinity. If I didn’t know better, I would think I was living among a bunch of unsophisticated plebeians, but that is simply not the case. My neighbors and others that we have met since moving here are anything but. They are well educated, erudite, and delightful. It isn’t their fault there aren’t any good Indian restaurants in the area. It’s just a matter of economics. You gotta have a customer base, or you ain’t gonna make no moolah! Economics 101!

Now granted, we have a couple of restaurants that tease us with dishes that are what I lovingly refer to as “Indian light”, but none of them have what I call a proper Indian food menu. The closest restaurant we have found that serves decent Indian food is in Anacortes, and that’s an hours’ drive from here.

So, you know me, I have now made it my mission to fill the void created by us moving from an urban area to septic tank, well water, and propane gas  heaven. (And for those of you, who have never had the pleasure of living without all the utility conveniences of urban life, be prepared for the shock of your life if you move into a rural environment. Septic tank, what’s that? Well water – huh? Propane, excuse me, where’s the natural gas hook up?)

But for all the inconveniences of rural life, I would not go back to the city for all the tandoori chicken in the world. So, like I said, I am going to make it my mission in the next few months to learn how to make all the marvelous Indian dishes that Mr. C and I are so terribly missing. And by golly, I’m going to share them with you. So hang tight all you Indian food lovers, I’m on the case!

Marinade for chicken:

  • 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt  ( I know, Greek isn’t Indian, but I like it!)
  • 1 T. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ -inch piece fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 lg. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

Sauce:

  • 3 T. butter , divided
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 4 tsp. ground coriander
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 2 tsp. garam masala (buy in Indian market)
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce
  • 2 c. whole milk or half & half
  • 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Combine marinade ingredients and add chicken. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook just until done. Do not over-cook. Remove from pan; set aside. Add the garlic & jalapeno; cook 1 minute. Stir in the coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, salt, and tomato sauce. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cream and remaining 1 tablespoon butter and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is hot. Serve over Garlic Saffron Rice (see recipe below) and garnish with cilantro.

GARLIC SAFFRON RICE

  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 5 threads saffron
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1½ c. basmati rice
  • 2¼ c. water

Directions if using a rice cooker:

Heat olive oil in a medium sized fry pan. Add the garlic, saffron, salt, and pepper and sauté for a minute or until the garlic releases its aroma. Add the rice and stir just until the rice is coated with the oil. Scoop into rice cooker, add water, turn on the rice cooker and step away. Rice cookers work best when they are not being supervised.

Stove top directions:

Heat olive oil in a medium sized covered saucepan. Add the garlic, saffron, salt, and pepper and sauté for a minute or until the garlic releases its aroma. Add the rice and stir just until the rice is coated with the oil. Add water and stir. Bring to a boil, stir again, then lower heat, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes or until the rice is al dente. Remove from heat and let stand for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and adjust seasoning before serving as the base for Chicken Tikka Masala.   

 

 

POULET AU VIN BLANC (CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE)

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Recently I posted a recipe for Carbonnade à la Flamande (Belgian Beef, Beer, and onion stew). On that post I also referenced Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy). (Recipe to be posted within the next couple of days.) But today, I am going to write about my take on a less well known classic French dish – Poulet Au Vin Blanc.

Poulet Au Vin Blanc, a stew like dish with chicken, wine and vegetables is the absolute definition of comfort food. Doesn’t matter whether you are sitting in a French café during a thunderous rainstorm or sitting in your own dining room listening to your children argue over whose turn it is to clear the table, this dish is magnificent! It is also a dish that I think your entire family will enjoy; even your children who might normally reject food containing onions, mushrooms, or carrots. (Actually your little ones might not even notice these evil ingredients if you serve the stew over mashed potatoes.) I personally prefer biscuits with this stew, but I realize some concessions have to be made when there are pre-pubescent gourmets in the family.

BTW, I would much rather be sitting in a small café in Paris eating this dish than at a table with young children. But then, you see, I’ve survived the pleasure of dining with small children. I remember thinking at the time – will these darlings ever grow up?  (I probably used another word besides “darlings”, but I obviously blocked the word from my memory bank.) Now I only wish I could dine more often with their adult counterparts.

And yes, this is definitely one of the dishes I would fix for them. And yes I like to use the French name for a dish when appropriate. Someday I’ll even go so far as to post a recipe for a “casserole” on this site. That should prove how sophisticated I am about French cuisine!

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. unsalted butter, divided
  • ½ lb. small white mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 lg. Yukon Gold potato (10-oz.), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1 lg. carrot, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ c. flour
  • 1 c. dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
  • 2 c. chicken stock or broth (I use water and a couple teaspoons (or to taste) of either Better Than Bouillon Chicken or Turkey Base
  • 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ¾ tsp. dried
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ c. heavy cream
  • 1 T. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the chicken pieces, which have been generously seasoned with salt and pepper, in a single layer. Fry the chicken over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. (Do not over-cook the chicken. You want it tender and juicy.) Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and add the mushrooms; cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the same bowl as the chicken; set aside.

Add the second tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the potato, carrot, and onion; cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in the flour. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat until the potato and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream, the cooked chicken and mushrooms, along with any accumulated juices, and adjust seasonings. Simmer for about 2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are hot. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over buttermilk biscuits or Creamy Mashed Potatoes. (Recipe for potatoes under blog post for Carbonnade.)

 

 

TURKEY OR CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE

Most times when I begin a blog post I document the recipe and then write the commentary. But in this case, I started my opening paragraphs before I even knew what recipe would follow. That’s because I was in the mood for a creamy, savory “pasta like” dish. I know “pasta like” sounds ridiculous. But more often than not I try to prepare a meal without a side starch. (If you knew me, you would know how difficult that is. Potatoes, pasta, and rice are like life blood to me.)

But as I was writing away, I thought about this dish and how well it would fulfill my “near pasta” craving. And in fact, when I dine on these meatballs and their heavenly sauce, I don’t miss the pasta at all. I know –blasphemy! But it’s true. This dish is just that good.

Now granted, this recipe is not low calorie or low cholesterol. But dang, it’s hard to give up everything I hold dear! I figure if I serve these meatballs with a healthy green salad dressed with an olive oil based dressing, I’m at least on the right side of a well balanced meal. (It’s really hard when you grew up in the meat and potatoes era. For many of us who still remember things like party lines, Burma Shave signs, and 25 cents per gallon gas, every instinct about meal planning still begins and ends with what starch to serve. And believe me, it’s hard to train old brains to do new tricks. And my old brain, full to the brim with the most trivial of information, is no exception.)

So do yourself and your family a favor. Fix these meatballs some evening for dinner and leave that package of pasta firmly ensconced on the pantry shelf. Just think of this recipe as a perfect example of a quintessential NW winter dish. Cloudy with a chance of meatballs!

  • ¼ c. dried breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 c. + 1 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 T. chopped fresh parsley, divided
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 2 T. milk
  • 16 to 20 oz. ground turkey or chicken meat
  • 2 T. butter
  • one quarter of a small yellow onion, very finely minced
  • 5 tsp. flour
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can chicken stock or broth (or 2 cups)
  • 1/2 c. heavy cream (whole milk will work in a pinch)

Combine breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, egg, and milk in a medium large mixing bowl. Gently stir in ground turkey. (Mix only until combined. Do not over mix.) Form into 1-inch meatballs (I use a small ice cream scoop) and place on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake meatballs in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small heavy pan and sauté the onion over medium heat just until translucent. Do not let the onion get brown. Sprinkle onion with flour, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock until no lumps remain. Whisk in the heavy cream. Turn heat to medium low and simmer until sauce burbles, thickens, and is good and hot. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and a couple grinds of black pepper. Taste and add salt if necessary. When ready to serve, spoon meatballs on to a serving platter and dollop with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley. Sauce and meatballs can also be served over cooked pasta.

Note: Meatballs can be made ahead and either refrigerated if used within a couple of days or frozen for up to 2 months. The sauce, nope! Don’t even think about it! And these meatballs (sans the sauce of course) in chicken noodle soup. Amazing!

 

CRISPY SKINNED ROAST CHICKEN AND GRAVY

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For those of you who are addicted to chicken the way I am, there is just nothing that compares with a lovely roasted chicken with creamy rich gravy served over mashed potatoes and/or my Cornbread Dressing. Add a green veggie, Waldorf Salad with Dried Cranberries and Orange Zest, and dinner rolls, and you have a meal that will help you celebrate any special occasion in style. And coincidentally, will not break the bank or your budget.

For many people, the thought of massive amounts of leftovers after a large holiday dinner is overwhelming. With this fowl recipe (and yes, I got the spelling correct and the usage right if you consider that “fowl” is now used in colloquial speech to be nearly synonymous with “poultry”) you are almost guaranteed to have very few if any leftovers.

So treat yourself to this lovely roasted chicken anytime you want comfort food or to help celebrate a special occasion. In our house, any night we are actually home for dinner is a special occasion! Perhaps it’s time to slow down a wee bit. Yah think!?

  • 1 whole small chicken (4 1/2 – 5 lbs.)
  • 2 T. butter, room temperature
  • 1 ½ tsp. seasoned salt
  • freshly ground black pepper (just a couple of grinds)
  • 1/2 tsp. cornstarch (yep, cornstarch – it helps crisp the skin)
  • 2-3 (6-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary
  • ½ onion, rough chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
  • 1 small lemon, rough chopped
  • 2-3 c. chicken broth, divided

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine the butter, seasoned salt, pepper, and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set aside. Stuff the cavity with rosemary, onion, garlic, and lemon. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.

Place chicken, breast side up, on rack in a low sided roasting pan or large oven proof frying pan. (You don’t want to use a Dutch oven or any other tall sided pan because you want the air to circulate freely around the bird as it bakes.) Tuck wings under. Rub the seasoned butter all over the skin of the chicken.

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Pour 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth in the bottom of the pan. (Not only will the liquid absorb any fat drippings off the bird thus preventing a smoky, messy oven, it will form the base for your gravy.)  Roast for 30 minutes in a pre-heated 450 degree oven. Remove from oven, and add another 3/4 cup of chicken broth (or more if the pan was completely or almost dry). Return to oven, rotating pan. Roast until chicken juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reaches 175 degrees, about 45 minutes more. Remove from oven and move chicken to a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. If you want gravy to serve with your roast chicken, see recipe below.

CREAMY CHICKEN GRAVY

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  • pan drippings from roasted chicken
  • flour
  • chicken stock
  • heavy cream or milk
  • ½-1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-2 chicken gravy mixes (just in case)
  • 1-2 tsp. cognac, opt.

Place the roasting pan on the stove after the chicken has been removed. Turn the heat to very low and begin making your gravy immediately. (Good gravy flavor and consistency require time to develop.)    Do not remove any fat from the pan, do not strain the liquid, do not do any of the things most cook book writers tell you to do to make good gravy (except me, that is!)

Whisk in enough flour to absorb the fat. Let burble for a couple of minutes. (This process takes time, so be patient.) Slowly whisk in equal parts chicken stock and cream (or any combination you prefer) until you reach the desired thickness you like. Add the Kitchen Bouquet (gives the gravy great color) and some freshly ground black pepper. No salt yet! Taste the gravy. If you think it needs more depth of flavor, begin by adding one of the gravy mixes and a small amount of stock. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and taste again. Add salt at this time if needed.

Turn heat as low as possible and let the gravy simmer away for the next 10 minutes or so, whisking periodically. (You will probably need to add more stock during this time.) Also, after the chicken is sliced and plated, don’t forget to add the juices that have accumulated to the gravy.

Just before serving (and gravy should be the last item plated), taste the gravy and make any final adjustments to the seasoning. Stir in the cognac and serve piping hot.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLING STEW

There are few foods as comforting to eat as chicken and dumplings. Every time I make this dish I am transported back to my childhood when chicken was the featured meat almost every Sunday. My grandmother was the queen of frying chicken and also of a dish she called Southern fried chicken. Her version of southern fried chicken started with chicken perfectly fried in lots of butter.  Then she adding cream, covered the pan, and baked it for 30-40 minutes. And on the rare occasions when she made dumplings to go on top of the creamy sauce, I was one very happy little girl.

Well now that I’m older than my grandmother was when she was preparing this dish, and much more aware of calories, cholesterol, and the importance of using less protein and more veggies in dishes, I came up with this recipe. It will never replace my grandmothers’ butter and heavy cream laden sauce, nor will the chickens I cook ever be as fresh or flavorful. (My grandparents sold eggs for a living, so the chickens we ate were grain fed, free to roam in a fairly large chicken house, and killed only a couple of hours before being cooked.) But regardless, the flavor of the sauce in this recipe is both rich and savory. The addition of fresh parsley and thyme to the dumpling batter help make them savory too. Plus the addition of corn meal adds a bit of density to the dumpling batter which prevents the cooked dumplings from having that “not-quite-done” consistency.

So next time you are feeling like a little comfort food is in order, prepare this easy and fairly inexpensive dish. Your family will love it! And although you might feel that a salad or something else is necessary to serve along with the stew, resist the urge. After all, you have all the basic food groups (except chocolate of course) covered in this one pot meal. Remember we are talking comfort food here, and you deserve a little comfort too. So instead of building a salad, have a glass of wine. I promise you no one will miss the salad, but you will miss out on the whole “comfort food experience” if you make the meal complicated. Use the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Sweetie!

Stew:

  • 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into large bite-sized pieces
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 c. finely diced carrots
  • 1/2 c. finely diced celery
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crumbled
  • 1/8 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 c. white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
  • 4 c. chicken broth
  • 1/2 c. heavy cream
  • 2 tsp. + 1 T. minced fresh parsley

Dumplings:

  • 3/4 c. all-purpose Flour
  • 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. dried thyme, opt.
  • 3/4 c. half-and-half

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Place flour in a re-sealable plastic bag and add the chicken pieces. Seal the bag and turn the bag several times until the chicken is completely coated with flour. Melt the butter and olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces, remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pot, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in the dried thyme, turmeric, poultry seasoning, bay leaf, and white wine. Cook until the white wine is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the chicken broth and cover pot; simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the gravy is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients and gently stir in the 2 teaspoons parsley, thyme, and the half-and-half. Set aside.

After the gravy has simmered for 20 minutes, add the cooked chicken, heavy cream, and remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley; stir to combine. Adjust seasoning.

Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, completely cover pan and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

SPICY CHICKEN CHOW MEIN WITH SOFT NOODLES

Mr. C and I recently attended a birthday party for our good friend Dave. Dave (I never use last names, but he knows who he is) was turning 60. Poor old guy! And among the guests were our good friends Larry and Clay.

Clay and I started talking about food, (what a surprise!) and he asked me if I had a good chow mein recipe. (He and Larry love to go out for Chinese food, but sometimes they just want to stay home, but still be able to enjoy one of their favorites.) I told Clay my cooking repertoire was sorely lacking in the Asian food department. But I told him I would look into chow mein and see what I could find.

Turns out recipes on the internet for chow mein are as abundant as recipes for spaghetti and meatballs. And since I have been concentrating lately on Italian cuisine, I thought I would try a recipe for chow mein from a chef who has some Italian ancestry. (Why a chef with Italian heritage you ask? All I can say is that it made sense at the time! Maybe it was the noodle part.) Anyway, I made a few changes to Guy Fieri’s recipe for Hong Kong Style Noodles with Chicken. And because Mr. C and I enjoyed it so much, I decided to post the recipe right in the middle of my series on Italian cuisine. (Again, it must be the noodle part. That’s the only thing that makes even a semblance of sense to me!) But regardless, this is truly a wonderful recipe and I wanted to share it with you as soon as possible.

To my thinking, the chili garlic sauce in the marinade gives the chicken just the right amount of spiciness. Enough to get your attention, but not enough to beat up your taste buds. (I don’t really appreciate having my mouth set on fire, but if you do, by all means add more chili sauce or even some crushed red pepper flakes.)

If you are a true devotee of Chinese food, you know that some chow mein recipes have a high fat content. I have reduced the amount of fat in this recipe to the lowest amount I feel is reasonable. Another thing you should know is that the “planned-overs” were just as good as the chow mein fresh off the flame. (You just can’t ask for more than that!)

So next time you get a hankering for a relatively simple to prepare, economical, and tasty alternative to going out for “the real thing”, give this recipe a try.   个饱 Gè bǎo

  • 6 T. soy sauce, divided (low sodium is fine, as is Tamari or GF Tamari)
  • 2 T. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 T. chili garlic sauce (use less if you don’t like spicy chow mein)
  • 4 T. cornstarch, divided
  • 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut 1/4-inch slices (or pork, shrimp, or beef)
  • 3 T. vegetable oil, divided
  • 3 T. hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 c. chicken stock
  • 1 small carrot cut into 1/4-inch sticks
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into ½-inch bias-cut chunks
  • ½ medium sized onion, sliced 1/8-inch
  • 1 red pepper cut into 1/4-inch strips
  • 2 c. sliced mushrooms (I like part button and part shiitake)
  • 4 oz. snow peas, 1/2-inch bias cut strips
  • 8 oz. mung bean sprouts
  • 8-10 ounces chow mein noodles, cooked al dente (follow instructions on the package)
  • 1/2 c. bias cut green onions, garnish

In a re-sealable plastic bag add 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili garlic paste, and 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch; mush together thoroughly. Add the chicken and marinate for 90 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, chicken stock, remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan or wok (I use a very large non-stick pan because less oil is required), heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to almost the smoking point and add chicken, separating each piece after you get all of the chicken in the pan. Cook chicken until just browned on both sides. (Do not overcook.) Remove to a small bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and add the carrot and celery. Sauté for 2 minutes then add the onion, red pepper, and mushrooms and sauté for 2 more minutes. Finally add the snow peas, and bean sprouts. Stir in the chicken broth mixture and let burble until sauce thickens. Stir in the cooked chicken and cooked noodles. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately sprinkled with green onions.

Note: If you prefer rice to noodles, just prepare the sauce and serve over steamed rice. For gluten free – use GF Tamari and serve over steamed rice.

 

GRILLED RUBBED CHICKEN

I grew up on a farm. My grandfather sold eggs for a living, so we had eggs coming out of our ears. And who knows which came first, the chicken or the egg, but along with the eggs, we had chickens. Funny how that works! And every Sunday after church, my mom (we lived in a separate home on the farm property) would fix the side dishes, and my grandmother, after first killing, de-feathering, and butchering some unlucky rooster or hen (and I refuse to go into the details of how this was accomplished) would prepare the fried chicken. Now I know I’ve told you that my grandma was not a good cook, but boy could she fry chicken! So at about 2:00 p.m. every Sunday we would sit down to a dinner of fried chicken with all the trimmings. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Then long about 7:00 p.m. we would have a late supper. Often it was as simple as a Spanish omelet (like I said, we had eggs in abundance) and toast. Lovely in its simplicity.

Now logically you would think that as an adult I would hate eggs and chicken. But I still have an egg every morning for breakfast. Love them. And as far as enjoying the taste of chicken, well, in all probability, if I had to choose just one meat to eat for the rest of my life, it would be the delectable Gallus gallus domesticus. And after having grown up on a chicken farm, as far as I’m concerned, the only good chicken is a dead chicken anyway! Chickens are mean critters. They will literally peck one of their fellow chickens to death if the poor thing happens to have even a tiny scratch or scrape. And as a small girl trying to help her grandfather gather eggs, well those old biddies were unmerciful! So like I said, better dead is a Rhode Island Red, or however that cold war saying goes!

So for me, a lovely piece of chicken that has been rubbed with spices, spent a few hours of well deserved incarceration in the refrigerator, then cooked over low heat on a BBQ and slathered with BBQ sauce; well life just doesn’t get much better. Actually, the only thing I can think of that would be better, is if I could fry chicken like my grandmother. But to do that, I would have to raise my own chickens (not out of the question) and then slaughter them (satisfying but completely out of the question), churn my own butter from my own dreamy eyed cow (I believe we have a covenant in our development that expressly states that cows are prohibited), and own a well seasoned cast iron frying pan! Well I’ve got the pan, but as for the rest, not going to happen, so I will just have to cherish my memories. If I am lucky enough to end up in heaven with my grandmother, I know she will be waiting for me with a plate of her fried chicken. In the mean time, I will gladly content myself with this BBQ’d chicken. Hope you enjoy it too.

chicken pieces, any type or number of pieces you need

Dry Rub for Chicken:

  • 5 T. kosher salt
  • 1 T. freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 T. granulated garlic
  • 3 T. onion powder
  • 1 T. dried thyme
  • 1 T. ground sage
  • 1 T. paprika
  • 1 tsp. ground savory

Mix all dry rub ingredients together. Wash and dry the chicken pieces. Thoroughly rub each chicken piece with the dry rub. (Store any unused portion of the dry rub in an airtight container at room temperature.) Place chicken in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Grill over medium low heat and serve with Bourbon BBQ Sauce (under This & That Recipes)

 

BUFFALO WINGS

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If you can think of a better appetizer to serve a bunch of people who love spicy, but not too spicy meat, I would appreciate your input. But for my money, the best hot appetizer is a chicken wing that has been scantily dressed with butter and hot sauce. There is just something soul satisfying about munching on one of these beauties. And you want tingly lips and messy fingers? These will work for you every time.

I received (actually begged and pleaded for) this easy and fabulous recipe from our dear friends Robin and Laurie. Of course I had to mess with the recipe just a tad, but the gist of the recipe is straight from Laurie the indisputable “Buffalo Wings Queen” herself. This amazing woman thinks nothing of deep fat frying 30 pounds (you read it right) of these little darlings for the Super Bowl party she and her husband host every year. (And you thought I was slightly mad for some of the crazy cooking projects I take on!) But let me tell you, these are the best wings you will ever taste. And I can’t really share any kind of history about these spicy wings because there are no substantiated stories available. I do however know for a fact that buffalos don’t have wings, so at least the many stories that reference Buffalo, New York as the birth place of “Buffalo Wings” are probably correct. Well regardless of who made them or named them, I say “well done”! So if you would like your friends to say the same thing to you, fix them a batch of these incredibly tasty morsels and see how fast they fly off the plate. Just don’t think a small amount when you do your menu planning. You will have to sprout wings yourself and fly away quickly if you tease your guests with just one wing per person. You know the old saying, “bet you can’t eat just one”, well “wings” are like potato chips in that regard, only worse!

  • 5-8 lbs. chicken wings
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • granulated garlic
  • ½ c. butter, melted
  • 1 (12-oz.) bottle Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (no substitution allowed)
  • juice of 1 lemon

Cut chicken wings into three segments. Discard wing tips (or save for chicken stock). Place remaining 2 segments on rimmed baking pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 45-60 minutes or until the wings are very brown and almost over done. Meanwhile melt butter in a large bowl; add hot sauce and lemon juice. When wings have finished baking, add to bowl with hot sauce mixture and stir until well coated. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately. If you want to make the wings ahead of time to serve later that day or the next, bake as above, remove from oven, cool, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, warm wings in microwave. Add to bowl with hot sauce mixture and stir until well coated.

Note: I know, I know! Buffalo Wings are plebian. Who cares? They are so, so good and everyone loves them. They are also protein rich. So especially when your guests will be drinking, high protein foods that taste divine help entice your guests to eat more food rather than taking all their calories in the form of alcohol.  Additional Note: I have tried serving the wings with blue cheese dip, carrots, and celery trying to imitate a restaurant presentation. Forget it! All my guests want are the wings!

CURRY SAUCE FOR CHICKEN, SHRIMP, BEEF, OR LAMB

While I understand that many of you are older and don’t have children at home anymore or even had children to begin with.  But since I did, and even after 20 some years of not having hungry children waiting for me when I arrive home from work, I still remember what it was like. So if it seems like many of my recipes are aimed at folks with little time to spare in the kitchen, it is because some of my best recipes were developed during my years of being a working parent. And you know, I still make many of those same recipes today even though Mr. C. and I are happily retired and presumably I have all the time in the world to spend in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I love to while away the hours preparing new dishes. But some evenings, it’s just delightful to serve a favorite old standby that I know we are both going to enjoy. So when I find myself with a bit of leftover meat in the fridge, I often make a curry. I almost always have the other necessary ingredients in my fridge or pantry, so to build a curry sauce is a snap. But before I go any further, a word about curry powder. The curry powder I use in this recipe is based on the spices used in Indian cooking. But In India, there is no such thing as curry powder.  Every Indian dish that requires powdered spices combines a number of individual spices unique to that particular dish. So there is no “one combination curry powder fits all” in an Indian kitchen. An Indian cook will roast and pulverize whole spices or they might use a combination of already ground spices. Much the same way in which we would decide the variety and amount of spice to use while preparing an apple pie. One baker might use only cinnamon and allspice, whereas the next pie maker might swear by a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.  So how did curry powder, which is a combination of spices including coriander, cumin, fenugreek, cayenne, turmeric, allspice, cardamom, cloves, fennel, ginger, mace, mustard, and black or white pepper, come about? The British, of course! From the early 1600s when Britain had just a scattering of trading posts on the Indian coast until 1947 when India gained its independence from Britain, British citizens living in India were exposed to Indian cuisine. And of course, as British soldiers and other government officials returned home from their stay in India, they wanted a way in which to bring those wonderful flavors home with them. Their solution was curry powder. And why not, it’s easy!  And many of the blends readily available to us today are really good. Instead of having to add multiple spices to an Indian dish that is otherwise quick and easy to prepare, curry powder is usually the only “spice” required. Such a deal! And all you parents out there, don’t be afraid to introduce your kidlets to curry at an early age. Curry was one of dishes all my children loved. They were eating it before they realized they really shouldn’t like it. Being children after all comes with certain responsibilities, like being fussy about what food you will and will not tolerate. Get your little darlings hooked young enough and they won’t know enough to object! And even if you aren’t lucky enough to still have children at home (I can say “lucky” and truly mean it now that my children are all grown) as an excuse to prepare a curry, be brave and give it a try anyway. Remember, you’re never too old for the “three bite” rule!

  • 3 T. butter
  • 1/3 c. julienne cut carrots
  • ½ c. thinly sliced mushrooms, opt.
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 T. vermouth, opt.
  • 1 T. minced fresh or dried parsley
  • 2 T. flour
  • 3-4 tsp. curry powder, or more to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ c. milk
  • 1 ½ c. sour cream
  • 1 c. cooked chicken (cubed), shrimp, beef (cubed), or lamb (cubed)
  • chopped cashew nuts (opt.)
  • finely chopped green onions (opt.)
  • chutney (opt.)

Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. Add carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until garlic is just starting to brown. Deglaze the pan with vermouth. Whisk in the parsley, flour, curry powder, black pepper, cream of mushroom soup, and milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Carefully whisk in the sour cream and add your cooked meat of choice. Adjust seasoning. Serve over steamed rice garnished with cashews, green onions, and chutney, or any combination thereof.

 

 

OVEN CHICKEN FRICASSEE

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There are just those days when it feels like the culinary spirits are conspiring against me. I know I’m headed for one of “those days” when for example, I break the yokes on our morning easy-over eggs, which not coincidentally I have over seasoned, and the toast is 2 shades darker than I would like. Those are the times when I know I’m going to have to be extra careful with anything I touch in the kitchen. So when I begin my day with less than confidence in my culinary aptitude, I prepare this easy chicken dish. I know for a fact that no matter which poltergeist is trying to mess with my kitchen karma that day, it can’t mess up this recipe. This dish is just too unsophisticated for even the lowest in the poltergeist hierarchy to consider it worthy of their efforts. So If you too ever feel like you’re in for a day like I described above, or you know that work is going to be horrendous, and dinner needs to be as simple to prepare as possible, try fixing this ever so easy and foolproof comfort food.  While the chicken is baking, throw some rice in your rice cooker (a must by the way for busy cooks) and open a package of frozen petite peas. (I pour the peas in a small covered casserole, add a dab of butter and a sprinkle of seasoned salt and nuke them for about 2 minutes. You aren’t really cooking the peas; you’re just hotting them up.) Serve the chicken over the rice with the peas on the side, and relax. You might even want to have a glass of wine with dinner. Or, if you really want to make life better, you might have a glass while you prepare dinner and then enjoy another one with dinner. After all, if it was good enough for Julia, it should be good enough for us mere mortals! Oh, and one other little helpful hint. Don’t forget to take the chicken out of the freezer before you leave for work or get otherwise distracted. Having to stop at the store before you get home, or after a hard day of gardening, for example, is just not going to make life better. That’s the wines job!

Oh, and just for the record, this is not a true French fricassée; this is really just an all American fricasee. And yes, there is a difference!

  • 3 T. butter, melted
  • 3 T. flour
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp. poultry seasoning or more to taste
  • ½ tsp. paprika + more for sprinkling
  • 6-8 pieces of chicken (I use boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts)
  • 1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup

Blend melted butter, flour, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and ½ teaspoon paprika together. Place chicken in a shallow buttered baking dish. Spread one half of the butter mixture on top of each piece. Flip over, and spread the rest on top of each piece. Bake uncovered, in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile whisk the evaporated milk and soup together. Pour over chicken, sprinkle with paprika, and continue baking for 30 minutes or until chicken is very tender.

Side Dish Suggestions: steamed rice or mashed potatoes, simple green veggie or salad

Wine Pairing: a not too oaky Chardonnay or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc