Chicken

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

After a wicked storm rolled through Saturday night (as I was driving on a highway, unable to see two feet in front of me), I woke up Sunday morning to a gorgeous blue sky and perfect temperatures.  My favorite moment of the day was listening to the sliding sound from opening my windows, a sound I haven’t heard in months.  And you know how I spent my time enjoying the perfect weather?  Sitting inside watching football.  All day.  It’s what I do.  Don’t judge.  And before I was lulled to sleep by the subtle melody of chirping crickets, I also made chicken.  It’s also what I do.  This time I made Chicken with Mushroom Sauce.

Mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, and broth are thickened with a little bit of flour to create a creamy, earthy sauce which is served over perfectly cooked chicken breasts.  Butter is added at the end of the sauce giving a rich silkiness to the sauce and a touch of fresh thyme brightens up the whole dish.  If you’re a big mushroom fan, you’ll like this sauce which has layers of flavor.  I’d maybe use less butter at the end because it’s not really needed or leave it out and add a splash of light cream or fat-free half & half instead.  This filling dish is great for those of you watching your carbs but it’s not really football fare so I’d save it for another day.  It’s also best when it’s eaten right away since leftover sauce gets really thick in the refrigerator and it isn’t as good.

The ingredients:

Pound chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a dish and keep warm.

Add shallots and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates.

Sprinkle mushroom mixture with salt and flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick.

Remove pan from heat; add butter and thyme, stirring until butter melts.

Serve with chicken.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Spicy Apple-Glazed Meatballs

I met up with some friends on Monday night to watch a preseason NFL game and I couldn’t help but get a warm and fuzzy feeling from the entire evening.  Friends sporting their team apparel, the sound of the whistle blowing after each play, the sound of helmets banging against each other, the fact that both our favorite MLB and NFL teams were playing at the same time on TVs next to each other – All of these things get me right in the mood for football season, fall, and tailgating.  Not to mention that only a day before I had made these Spicy Apple-Glazed Meatballs which I immediately concluded would be perfect for game day.

Ground meat is mixed with garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper before being rolled into balls and cooked in a thin layer of oil.  Once browned, the meatballs are tossed in a glaze of apple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ground ginger and cayenne pepper.  Torn pieces of bread soaked in a combination of milk and egg are incorporated with the meat mixture which keep the meatballs from being dry.  The meatballs themselves are moist and garlicky while the sauce is sweet, salty and very spicy.  The addition of the chopped scallions adds a light onion bite which tops off these appetizers nicely.  I used ground chicken because I had it on hand so I made sure to cook the meatballs thoroughly before removing them from the heat.  Next time I make these, I think I’ll use ground turkey (the chicken was sticky and hard to shape into balls) and bake them in the oven to keep them nice and round.  While these meatballs make a great appetizer or snack for a game-day get-together or a tailgate, they would also be good as a meal tossed with a little pasta or rice.

Ah, fall and football – how I can’t wait for you.

The ingredients:

To make the meatballs, whisk together egg and milk in a large bowl.  Add bread pieces.  Let stand 10 minutes, just until bread is softened.

Add ground meat, garlic, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Mix thoroughly with hands or wooden spoon.  Shape meat mixture into meatballs.

Heat oil in skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Cook meatballs, half at a time, turning occasionally until brown and crusty on outside and no longer pink inside (for ground chicken or turkey, the internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees F).  Transfer meatballs to a dish and cover with a lid or foil to keep warm.

To make the glaze, combine apple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

In same skillet as meatballs were cooked, cook and stir juice mixture until thickened and bubbly (at full boil).  Cook and stir 2 minutes more.

Return meatballs to skillet to heat through and coat with sauce.

Transfer glazed meatballs to a serving dish.  Top with green onions.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Ground chicken

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

 

Rum-Marinated Chicken Breasts with Pineapple Relish

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I spent the weekend laying low, only going to dinner and a movie on Friday night with friends and spending the rest of my time engrossed in a new novel while watching either Food Network or reruns of various Bourne movies.  That’s pretty much how I roll.  Oh, and I made food.  Like usual.  Again, that’s how I roll.  I usually scan the grocery store circulars to see what’s on sale before I decide what to make but this week, I decided to make what I was in the mood for.  I sucked up the fact that chicken is ridiculously expensive in order to make Rum-Marinated Chicken Breasts with Pineapple Relish, a light chicken dish filled with vibrant tropical flavors.

Chicken breasts are marinated in a mixture of dark rum, barbecue sauce, Caribbean hot sauce and lime juice before being grilled to perfection and topped off with a golden relish of fresh pineapple and red pepper.  Never had Caribbean hot sauce?  I’m no stranger to Pickapeppa Sauce (a condiment made of tomatoes, mangoes, raisins and peppers, among other things) which was introduced to me by my old roommate who would pour half a bottle over cream cheese and smear it over Triscuits.  True story.  There was never a shortage of Pickapeppa in my apartment.  But I digress.  The rum marinade perfectly tenderizes the chicken and is then boiled to create a rich, silky sauce.  The golden relish is tangy, slightly sweet, tart and a tasty complement to the chicken.  Not a fan of pineapple’s acidity?  Consider substituting any summer fruit, like mango, peach or nectarine.  This is a chicken dish that I could eat, in any variation, nearly every day.  

The ingredients (disregard the honey, my bad):

Combine dark rum, barbecue sauce, Pickapeppa sauce, lime juice, salt and vegetable oil in large zip-top plastic bag.  Add chicken to the bag and seal, allowing chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

To prepare relish, place pineapple on grill rack coated with cooking spray and grill 3 minutes on each side or until soft and browned around the edge.  Allow to cool slightly and chop. 

Combine pineapple, bell pepper, lime rind, lime juice, dark rum, Pickapeppa sauce and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Remove the chicken from the bag and set aside.  Reserve marinade, discarding any chicken bits remaining and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.  Set aside.  Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray and grill until chicken is cooked to 165ºF.  (Remove and discard skin if using bone-in chicken.)

Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan and cook 1 minute.  Drizzle cooked marinade over chicken.

Serve chicken with relish and lime wedges.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Boneless chicken breasts

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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