Poppyseed Salad with Lemon Marinated Chicken

May 7, 2012 by

When my hubby asked what I want for dinner on Mother’s Day, I knew immediately what to pick.  This.  I’m a sucker for a good salad, and this one is amazing.
Lemon zest is one of my favorite ingredients, and this chicken proves why.  While the lemon juice acts as the acid to really flavor and tenderize the chicken, the zest adds the flavor.
This is a great make ahead meal too, since you could even make the chicken ahead of time and serve cold with the salad, and all of the salad components can be made ahead as well.
And if you are participating in Bountiful Baskets, you might still have some of that amazing red leaf lettuce to use! (We ate all of ours lickety split) : )

POPPYSEED SALAD WITH LEMON MARINATED CHICKEN
For the Salad:
Lettuce (I use red leaf, sometimes with a little romaine mixed in)
Thinly sliced red onion
Crumbled cooked bacon
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Sugared almonds, recipe below
Lemon Marinated Chicken, recipe below
Poppy Seed Dressing, recipe below

Variations: You could also use green leaf, romaine, spinach, or a combination of a couple for the greens.  For a side dish salad, omit the chicken.  If you like cheese in your salad, try shredded swiss or mozzarella cheese.

Sugared Almonds:
Granulated sugar
Almonds  I use sliced, but you could also use whole or slivered

Put equal parts sugar and almonds in a pan and heat over medium high heat, stirring until sugar is melted and becomes amber colored.
Spread out on a silicone mat to cool.  (I keep a container of these in the freezer to pull out for salads, no need to thaw)

Lemon Marinated Chicken:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil (If desired, you can omit the oil entirely, but it really isn’t going to absorb the oil.)
1/3 cup lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp black pepper

Whisk everything but the chicken together then place the chicken in a zip top bag and pour marinade over. (This is optional, but I butterfly the chicken breast to make thinner pieces).
Turn the chicken to make sure it is coated well and seal bag.  Place in the refrigerator and let marinade for 4 hours or more.
Cook on grill or grill pan indoors.  Let rest for a few minutes, then cut in slices.  I serve it room temperature with the salad.

Poppy Seed Dressing:  (Makes about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard powder (I LOVE Colman’s brand, it’s sold in the bright yellow tin, it’s the only mustard powder I use)
1/3 cup red raspberry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1/2 cup chopped white onion (about 1/2 a large onion)
1 cup canola oil
2 T poppy seeds

Combine everything except the poppy seeds in a blender until combined.
Stir in the poppy seeds.  If you don’t have a blender, just combine all except the poppy seeds and oil in a bowl, then add the oil in a steady stream while whisking.

Recipe Source: Chicken marinade adapted from Ina Garten, Salad adapted from The Sisters Cafe

Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Salad / Dressings

Crispy Garlic Chicken

January 11, 2012 by
I have a New Year’s resolution.  Let’s eat garlic.  All of us.
And lots of it.  Do-able, right?
My hubby and I may not agree completely on what the greatest foods are, but luckily enough he loves garlic as much as I do.  Good thing too, because I think we might need counseling if we didn’t agree on that one. : )  I use garlic in lots of recipes, but this one is definitely all about the garlic.
It took me awhile of testing and not-so-tasty experiments until I finally got this one right.  But it was totally worth it.  You’ll see.
CRISPY GARLIC CHICKEN
Recipe by My Stained Apron
1 1/2 to 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
Oil for frying
Batter:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup cold seltzer water
1/2 tsp salt
Sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 T sesame oil
1/2 to 1 tsp chili flakes (depending on how spicy you want it)
2 T honey
Make the sauce.  Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Simmer for a couple minutes then remove from heat.
Cut the chicken into strips, 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
Make the batter.  Whisk all batter ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
Heat a few inches of oil in a pot over medium high heat. (You want about 350 degrees).
Working in batches, dip chicken in batter then carefully place in the oil.  Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.  Cook for a couple minutes, then flip and cook the second side.  Set on a wire rack set over a baking sheet while you finish frying the chicken.
Warm the sauce and toss with the chicken (I use my big wok to do this).
Serve hot.
Filed Under: Asian, Chicken / Turkey

Ideas for Turkey Leftovers

November 23, 2011 by
It won’t be long now.
You’ll be looking at the leftover turkey and wondering what to do with it.
I thought I’d share some of my favorite recipes using leftover turkey.
While a lot of the recipes originally call for chicken, these all work quite well for turkey as well.
Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey and Dumplings
BBQ Turkey Wraps
BBQ Turkey Enchiladas with Smoked Onion Dip
Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Halloween / Fall, Holiday Recipes

Chicken and Dumplings

October 31, 2011 by
My mom used to make this with one or two whole chickens.   We would have a big batch, since we not only had a large family, but there was many times friends there to eat as well.
I don’t recall ever meeting someone who didn’t like it either. : )
Seeing as how crazy the last couple of weeks have been, I’m making simple comfort food dishes all week, giving my hubby and daughters lots of extra hugs and kisses, and counting all my blessings twice. : )
CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 cups water
5 cups chicken stock
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1 tsp dill weed, optional
DUMPLINGS:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
5 T shortening
1 cup milk
Pour water and stock in a large pot along with chicken breasts and bring to a boil.
Simmer about 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove and shred chicken then add back to broth along with carrots, celery, and dill and simmer 10 minutes longer.
Taste, adjust seasonings, add salt and pepper if needed.
Make dumplings:  Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Cut shortening into mixture using a knife or pastry blender.
Add milk, stir in just until mixture comes together.
Bring soup up to a boil, then drop dumplings in by spoonful.
Cook uncovered 10 minutes, then cover and cook about 10 more minutes.
NOTE: for herb dumplings, add 2 or 3 T chopped chives or other herbs to flour.
Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Soups / Stews Tagged With: , ,

Battered Chicken Strips (AKA Chili’s Chicken Crispers)

October 7, 2011 by
 
A friend asked me if I knew of a copycat recipe for Chili’s Chicken Crispers, and I didn’t, but upon a little internet digging I did find one that looked promising, and after some slight adjustments I have to say they taste just like theirs.
We don’t have fried food often, but this is kind of a fun treat kids will love. 
 
BATTERED CHICKEN STRIPS
 
Batter:
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup flour
 
Oil for frying
1 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins (I just used boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut into strips)
1/2 cup flour
 
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey
2 T Dijon mustard
pinch paprika
pinch salt
 
Make dipping sauce:  Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl, then chill until needed.
 
Fill a heavy pan with tall sides with enough oil to come up about 2 inches.
(You could also deep-fry, but I found it worked fine to turn chicken halfway through cooking.  Just don’t overcrowd your pan, if you do the oil temperature will drop too much and the chicken will be greasy).
Heat to 350 degrees.
Make batter:  Lightly beat egg in a medium bowl, then add buttermilk, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and baking powder.  Add in flour, whisk to combine.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
Coat chicken in flour, then into batter.
Let excess batter drip off and then fry in hot oil until golden brown, about 8 minutes, turning once.
Place cooked chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Serve hot with dipping sauce.
 
Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey

BBQ Chicken Wraps

July 26, 2011 by
 
My husband’s favortie new hobby is to see if I can successfully replicate dishes he orders when we eat out.  We don’t eat out much so I don’t mind.  : )
I was glad he requested this one, since it was ridiculously easy to make at home.
And we’ve had WAY too much craziness going on around these parts.  Between helping my Grandma get moved into a retirement home, (at almost 97 years old!), helping clean out her home she’s lived in for over 70 years, a few flu bugs, and various other things, this is a great quick dinner!  Hope you like it too!
 
BBQ CHICKEN WRAPS
 
Large Spinach flour tortillas
Chicken breast, shredded (or leftover chicken)
BBQ Sauce
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Lettuce, shredded
Ranch Dressing
Tortilla Strips*
 
Heat chicken in a pan, adding enough bbq sauce to coat chicken.
Layer in tortillas with cheese, lettuce, a little ranch dressing and tortilla strips.
 
*To make tortilla strips, Cut corn tortillas in thin strips (about 1/4″ wide).
Heat a couple inches of oil in a high-sided pan over medium-high heat.
Fry tortilla strips until golden, drain on paper towels.
Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey, Sandwiches / Wraps Tagged With: ,

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas and Smoked Onion Dip

February 1, 2011 by
I’m not a big fan of condiments.  At least not of the average ones, I should say.  But this onion dip is out of this world with flavor!  I am thinking of all kinds of reasons to make it, and Hubby had to smoke extra onions this weekend so I had a stash to work with!  And combined with the quesadillas? Pure magic : )  This recipe was inspired by Elk Public House in Spokane Washington. (We saw them make this on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on Food Network and Hubby turns to me and says “Can you make that?”  How can I resist a challenge!? : )
SMOKED ONION DIP
1 large smoked onion*
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp Worcestershire
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
Pulse onion in food processor until finely chopped.  Mix with remaining ingredients.
Add more salt and pepper if needed.
*Or substitute a regular onion, sauteed until soft, and add 1/4 tsp extra liquid smoke
BBQ CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
Flour tortillas
BBQ sauce
Red onion, thinly sliced
Sharp cheddar, shredded
shredded chicken
Spread one side of a tortilla with bbq sauce. (The back of a spoon works well)
Layer on cheese, red onion, chicken, and more cheese.
Spread bbq sauce on another tortilla and place sauced side down on top of quesadilla. (You want the inside of tortillas spread with bbq sauce.
Cook over medium high heat in a skillet or on a griddle. Cut in wedges and serve hot.
Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks, Chicken / Turkey

Paella

January 5, 2011 by
 
I was in a store recently and saw a paella pan.  I’ve always wanted to try making it, and decided to take the plunge and give it a try.  I’m so glad I did!  I love how you can make it with so many additions, and it was really fun to serve the whole meal out of one big dish in the middle of the table.
If you do it correctly, you should have a crust on the bottom of pan where the rice gets a little crispy.  (Which is why I suspect the Paella pans are so big, so you don’t have to fight over that part.)
This dish may seem intimidating, but it really is quite easy, and very easy to adapt to your families tastes.  You can make it with seafood as well, and I think next time I will try adding shrimp too.  I added linguica to the recipe, which is a Spanish paprika sausage and we really liked the flavor it added.  You could also use green peas instead of green beans.
I used a 15 inch carbon steel paella pan, but if you don’t have a Paella pan I would use two saucepans and just do half in each pan.
 
PAELLA
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown
 
3 medium tomatoes
9 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups short or medium grain rice (I used Arborio)
20 threads saffron
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped from stems
3 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 T olive oil
3 lbs bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs and legs
1 cup sliced linguica sausage, optional
1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
 
Cut tomatoes in half and seed them over a fine mesh strainer (catching the juices in a bowl underneath.)
Grate the tomatoes, and discard the skins.
Combine grated tomatoes with juice and set aside.
Combine the rice, saffron, rosemary, 1 tsp of the salt, and paprika in a small bowl.
Get all your vegetables cut and ready at this point as well.
Warm the chicken broth in a kettle or pot over high heat.
 Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.
Heat olive oil in the paella pan over medium-high heat.
Season the chicken with remaining 2 tsp salt.
When the pan is very hot, add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5-6 minutes per side. 
Move chicken to outside of the pan and add the linguica, green beans, peppers, and garlic.
Cook about 3 minutes, until they begin to darken and soften.
Add the tomatoes with their juice and cook about 4-5 minutes, until mostl of the liquid has dissipated.
Add the rice to the center of the pan and stir constantly for 1 minute.
Move chicken on top of rice.
Add 4 cups of the chicken broth and make sure all the rice is completely covered.
Do not stir after this point.
After 8-9 minutes, the liquid should be absorbed and rice should appear dry.
Add 4 more cups chicken broth. Cook 8-9 more minutes.
Add remaining broth if needed until rice is cooked.  The rice should be a little firm still.
Remove pan from the heat and cover with a tea towel.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve in pan.
Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey

Chicken Pot Pie (or Turkey)

November 29, 2010 by
 
 
I heart this dish.  I really, really do.  It started off as a Martha Stewart recipe, and I’ve changed it around a bit over the years.  I’m not sure how closely it resembles the original recipe now, but this is definitely how I make it every time now.  Sometimes I bake it inside a pumpkin like Martha’s recipe if I’m feeling extra adventurous.  This is the perfect way to use leftover turkey as well.  No matter how moist and perfect your turkey can be, when it comes to using the leftovers it just needs a little boost to taste worth saving.  By cooking it in a super flavorful sauce you wouldn’t even guess that it’s leftovers. 
But you can also use chicken, as I do regularly.   
 
CHICKEN (or Turkey) POT PIE
 
Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 T dried Thyme
10 T cold unsalted butter
3 T ice water
1 egg yolk
 
Filling:
6 T butter
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 lg onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
12 oz mushrooms, quartered
3 celery stalks, chopped
6 T flour
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or leftover turkey)
2 T dried Thyme
zest of 1/2 a lemon
 
Make the crust. Combine the flour, salt, and dried thyme in a bowl. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender until pea size lumps.  Add the ice water and egg yolk, mix in with a fork.
Wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour.
Make the filling. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. 
Add the potatoes and onion, cook until browned and softened.
Add the carrots, mushrooms, and celery.  Cook 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring.  Stir in the chicken broth and milk.
Bring to a simmer, then add the shredded chicken or turkey, thyme, and lemon zest.
Pour into a casserole dish.
Roll crust out larger than dish, loosely drape over pan. (This is a fairly soft dough, so I roll it out on a floured sheet of plastic wrap- putting another sheet of plastic wrap on top of it, then roll out. This makes transferring and removing the crust easier.) Cut a couple of small slits in crust.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. If you want a shinier crust, brush with a beaten egg prior to baking.

 
 
Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey

Parmesan Chicken

September 15, 2010 by
 
My family LOVES when I make this.  It’s definitely a winner all around.  Which is why I feel especially silly only sharing it with you now, since this picture has been waiting to be posted for over 6 months in the back log.  I know, that’s some crazy good photography skills, right?  But I was about to be attacked by starving children and a husband if I didn’t get dinner to the table. PRONTO.  I’m sure most of you know what I’m talking about.
It’s great served with spaghetti and a simple tomato sauce (I actually just add some herbs to crushed tomatoes and let them simmer a bit).  We also like it with a huge helping of  my fall salad.  This dish makes a decent amount, so it’s great to make with company, or you can cut it in half as well.  Either way, prepare to see some dishes licked clean!
Oh, and on a side note, Amelia did sleep until 3 am today.  Does that count as progress?
 
PARMESAN CHICKEN
Recipe Source: Ina Garten
 
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
 2 eggs
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
unsalted butter
olive oil
 
Pound the chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thick (I butterfly them, then pound them).
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate.  On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 T of water.  On a third plate, combine the breadcrumbs and the grated parmesan cheese.
Coat the chicken on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides in the egg mixture, and dredge both sides in the bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
Heat 1 T of butter and 1 T of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken.  (Keep warm in a 200 degree oven while you finish them all).
 
 
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Filed Under: Chicken / Turkey