General Tso’s Chicken...

Last night I was craving Chinese, which I often do ~ especially if I have not had it in a while. So, I thought why not General Tso’s. Despite the fact that General Tso’s Chicken is not really a Chinese dish, it is nevertheless one of the most popular dishes at Chinese restaurants. You may be surprised that General Tso's is very inexpensive to make, but some restaurants charge a premium for it, usually putting it with "Chef's Specialties" and the like on the menu, rather than with the ordinary chicken dishes.

Some may be asking, how did this non-Chinese dish get its name. Well, what I could find out; General Zou Zong-Tang was a general of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty of China, responsible for suppressing Muslim uprisings. His name was used to frighten Muslim children for centuries after his death. It is questionable whether or not the General actually invented General Tso's Chicken . . . it seems more likely to have been the invention of Taiwanese immigrants to the United States and Europe, and then according to some folks who've done some poking into that side of the history, popularized it at New York City restaurants in the 1970s. Alternate spellings include General Cho, General Zo, General Zhou, General Jo, and General Tzo. It's pronounced "Djo," with the tongue hard against your teeth.

Here is an easy recipe I found some years ago in my local newspaper, The Ridgefield (CT) Press on how to make your own.



General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients:
3 boneless chicken breast, cubed
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup and 2 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
5 dried pepper pods
1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1½ cups broccoli, separate into short stem and florets

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish

In a large bowl, thoroughly blend the ½ cup of cornstarch and the eggs; add the chicken and toss to coat. If the mixture bonds too well, add some vegetable oil to separate the pieces.

In a small bowl, prepare the sauce mixture by combining the 2 teaspoons cornstarch with the wine, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce.

Heat 1-2 inches of peanut oil in a wok to medium-high heat (350-400 degrees F). Fry the chicken in small batches, just long enough to cook the chicken through. Remove the chicken to absorbent paper. This step can be performed well in advance, along with the sauce mixture, with both refrigerated.

Leave a tablespoon or two of the oil in the wok. Add the pepper pods to the oil and stir-fry briefly, awakening the aroma but not burning them. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the pieces are crispy brown.

Add the sauce-mixture, broccoli and sesame seeds to the wok, tossing over the heat until the sauce caramelizes into a glaze and the broccoli is tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately along with steamed white rice.

Serves 4

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George’s notes:

• In my remarks on the recipe, "The Ridgefield Press reported that the basis for this recipe was compiled from over forty different versions of the dish, combining the best aspects of each, averaging sauce ratios, and simplifying the basic dish to it's core ingredients."
• The traditional sauce for General Tso's is a heavy, spicy glaze, different from the lighter broth-based sauces found on most other Chinese dishes. Some prefer a lighter Tso sauce, too, and this can be achieved by tripling the cornstarch in the sauce and adding a half-cup of fluid. The "fluid" can be chicken broth, water, or even fruit juice ~ both orange and pineapple have been used. Cook the sauce only 'til it thickens, instead of waiting for a glaze. This version of the sauce is actually more common in the local restaurants; if you're a Tso fan, it might be what you're used to.

Chicken Liver and Pear Mousse...

Just in time for the Super Bowl, here is a terrific mousse pate that will have your guest calling you the next day for the recipe. It’s a rather refined pate that doesn't involve multiple types of pork fat, with an airy, compulsively spread able chicken liver mousse. The livers are sautéed with pears and shallots, and blitzed to a smooth puree in a food processor. By folding whipped cream into the liver mixture which will aerate it and provides a cool, creamy effect to the meaty flavor.



For entertaining, chicken liver mousse trumps any cheesy, baked concoction you may have made in the past. You can prepare it 24 hours ahead and serve it chilled, so there is no last-minute prep. But if you do want something extra-special, pipe the mousse onto crackers or mini phyllo shells or I will pipe it on pear slices and serve. Even if vegetarian pates are dismissed by purists, they are a delicious addition to any party.

Pate is delicious in any season, but its inherent richness and status in French gastronomy make it especially appropriate right now. It's the little indulgences that make entertaining feel special — getting dressed up, snacking on a variety of treats and enjoying the game with friends. With its emphasis on transforming common, unappreciated ingredients into decadent fare, making pate is a small act of culinary magic.

Chicken Liver and Pear Mousse

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped semi-firm pear
½ cup chopped shallot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed of any fat and halved
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons pear brandy
~(regular brandy may be substituted)
1 cup cold whipping cream

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet on medium-low. Add the pear, onion and shallot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until pear is tender. Move shallot and pear to the sides of the skillet and place the livers in the center. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until firm but still pink in the center, turning once or twice.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Add liver mixture to a food processor. Add the thyme, brandy and pear brandy. Process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Cover and refrigerate 45 minutes or until chilled.

Add whipping cream to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the liver mixture in 4 additions, taking care not to over-mix and reduce the cream's volume. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to mason jars, ramekins or other serving dish. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve chilled. Mousse will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Makes about 3½ cups

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George’s notes:

• Pears and pear brandy draw out the sweetness from rich, meaty chicken livers. Serve as a spread or dip, or use a pastry bag to pipe swirls of mousse onto crackers, mini phyllo shells or apple slices. You can experiment with different herbs, spices or liqueurs.
• The Super Bowl was created as part of the merger agreement between the National Football Conference (NFC) and its competitive rival, the American Football Conference (AFC). After its inception in 1920, the NFL fended off several rival leagues before the AFL began play in 1960. The intense competitive war for players and fans led to serious merger talks between the two leagues in 1966, culminating in a merger agreement announcement on June 8, 1966. One of the conditions of the merger was that the winners of each league's championship game would meet in a contest to determine the "world champion of football".
• Super Bowl XLIV will be pitting the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts against the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the2009 season.

Fried Chicken & Corn Pudding

When Mrs. Wilkes opened a small Savannah, Georgia boarding house way back in 1943, there was no way she could have possibly known that same establishment would be operating nearly 67 years later. It has been a long and storied journey for the “Queen of Home Cooking.” During those many years of serving fried chicken and legendary Southern hospitality, Mrs. Wilkes has fed more folks than anyone dares to guess.

One of my favorite cookbooks is written by southern food guru and writer, John T. Edge, who has capture many of her classic recipes for future generations to savor in “Mrs. Wilkes’ Boardinghouse Cookbook”. This book combines recipes and memories of the 95 year-old matriarch of a true Southern culinary landmark.

Visitors to Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House are seated family-style at oversized oak tables covered with an array of country cooking - soft whorls of mashed sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas swimming in potlikker, creamed Irish potatoes spiked with mustard, collard greens, squash casserole, creamed corn, stewed okra; and platter after platter of crusty fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, and rosy, country-cured ham. And Mrs. Wilkes would give grace before anyone touched the first bite. After all, she would say, “your belly is about to have a religious experience!” The fried chicken is especially heavenly. “If the Colonel made it so good” joked Mrs. Wilkes, “he would have been made a general.”

If you wish to enjoy a mid-day meal at Mrs. Wilkes’ Boardinghouse, I suggest you get there early. Reservations are not accepted and the lines at noon can sometimes extend a block or so down the street. Although they do virtually no advertising and there is no visible signage out front, this place is not exactly a big secret any more. But believe me, it is well worth the journey to and a brief 15-30 minute wait under the shady live oaks that line the sidewalk. The restaurant, located in Savannah’s historic district, is open Monday - Friday for breakfast and lunch. Call them at 912 232-5997 or visit Mrs. Wilkes online at www.mrswilkes.com ~ dress is casual.

Yesterday, I prepared two of my favorite dishes from this renown Southern culinary restaurant and here there are...

Mrs. Wilkes’ Fried Chicken
from Mrs. Wilkes' Boardinghouse Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 (2½ -pound) fryer, cut up
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
2 tablespoons water
All-purpose flour
Vegetable oil

Sprinkle the fryer with salt and pepper. Pour the milk and water over the fryer and marinate for about 10 minutes. Dip in a bowl of all-purpose flour. Shake off the excess flour. Heat oil to 300 degree F and deep-fry or heat oil to medium and panfry the chicken. Make sure the chicken is covered with oil at all times. Fry until golden brown.

Serves 4 to 6

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Mrs. Wilkes' Corn Pudding
from Mrs. Wilkes' Boardinghouse Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 lb can cream style corn
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup milk

Mix in order given, pour into well greased casserole. Bake at 350 degree F for 1 hour.

Serves 6 to 8

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George’s notes:

• In 1943, Mrs. Wilkes bought a nondescript turn-of-the-century boardinghouse with a modest goal: to make a living by offering comfortable lodging and southern home cooking served family style in the downstairs dining room. Her reputation was strong and business brisk from the beginning, but it was the coverage in Esquire and the New York Times, and a profile on David Brinkley's evening news that brought southern food lovers from all over the world to her doorstep.
• The line now snakes out the front door and onto the street, where along with the locals and visitors, it is not uncommon to find former President Jimmy Carter or Alton Brown, among other familiar faces, waiting for their turn at Mrs. Wilkes' table.
• Mrs. Wilkes's Boarding House is one of those "1,000 Places To See Before You Die" kind of places.
• One diner's instructions on how to find Mrs. Wilkes': "Walk along West Jones Street until you smell fried chicken."
• The two photographs were taken several years ago when I stopped by Mrs. Wilkes for lunch. I might add, it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten.

Coq au Vin...

First a little about the name… Coq is the French word for "cock" ~ as in rooster, or male chicken. Vin is French for "wine" and "au" is French for "of the". Consequently, "Coq au Vin" literally translates as "Cock of the wine". However, as literal translations are not that meaningful, a better translation would be "Cock cooked with wine".

Until the 20th century it was common for rural families to have some chickens, for eggs and meat, and a rooster. The rooster would be kept until it was too old to perform its duties, at which time it would be killed and eaten. However, by this time the meat would be hard and stringy, so cooking it slowly in wine would tend to soften the meat and make it more edible. As such, the recipe has historically been considered "peasant food" as the well-off would be able to afford a better cut of meat which would not require slow cooking in wine in order to be edible.

When looking at a delicious meal placed before you, what does say; does the ingredients belong together, does the recipe ring true? Or is it, like so much modern cooking, a mess of ingredients that are out of sync and have no affinity with one another. I love a recipe that really works, where you feel there is something absolutely right about it. Where the cook has remained true to the dish, to its provenance, its history and its soul.

I feel that way about Coq au Vin. The story is there for all to read. The chicken, the garlic, the bottle of wine, the long, slow cooking time. Here is my all time simple recipe from The Taste of France cookbook.



Coq au Vin

Ingredients:
2 cups merlot
4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
12 button mushrooms halved
2 leeks, white part only finely chopped
4 shallots, finely diced
3 large garlic cloves chopped
½ tablespoon each: butter and olive oil
4 strips smoked bacon, fat trimmed
4 sprigs of thyme leaves chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
8-10 chicken thighs with bone and skin

Soak porcinis in ½ cup warm water until soft, reserve soaking water. Chop mushrooms finely. Simmer 1 ½ cups of the wine in a saucepan until slightly reduced by ⅓. Chop bacon finely. Trim excess fat from chicken, season with salt and pepper, place in a deep sauté pan and brown pieces until skin is crisp, remove from pan and drain fat.

In the same pan, melt butter and oil; add bacon, shallots, leeks, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté until soft, then add reduced wine and porcini water simmer for 2 -3 minutes. Add chicken, skin side up, and sprinkle with thyme. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, remove lid, add ½ cup wine and simmer for 15 minutes more until chicken is very tender. Serve with your favorite mashed potatoes and a green tossed salad.

Serves 4-6

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George’s notes:

• The origin of the recipe is unknown. Various legends trace coq au vin to ancient Gaul and Julius Caesar.
• What is known is that the recipe is very old (at least 400 years) but did not become popular until the early 1900s. Since then it has become one of the best known French recipes, both within and outside of France.

Chicken Marsala with Asparagus...

At times when our busy lives seems to be dictating when and what we eat; I suggest this simple inexpensive recipe. Always a crowd pleaser, Chicken Marsala is a delicious, classic chicken dish; lightly coated chicken breasts braised with Marsala wine and mushrooms. It’s an easy recipe, ideal for a quick weeknight entrée or serving to your most important company at an impromptu dinner party. Serve with steamed asparagus, angle hair pasta and a garden fresh salad. Within no time dinner will be on the table.


Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:
¼ cup all-purpose flour for coating
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
~ pounded ¼ inch thick
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup Marsala wine
¼ cup cooking sherry

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Working in batches, coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.
In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Serves 4



Steamed Fresh Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus spears

Place water in the bottom half of steamer pan set and bring to a boil.
Trim the dry ends off of the asparagus. If the spears are thick, peel them lightly with a vegetable peeler. Place them in the top half of the steamer pan set. Steam for 5 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus, or until asparagus is tender.

Serves 4

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George's notes:

• Planning meals can be difficult, so here is one I turn to when its be a long day, unexpected guest come for dinner or just when I want dinner to be easy.
• Chicken Marsala is a traditional Italian dish, originally from Sicily and very popular in the area around Rome.

Chicken-Sweet Potato Tagine...

Recently, I have been trying to cook ‘outside the box’ by experimenting with spices and ingredients from the Mediterranean area. The smoky, sweet flavors blend perfectly in this quick adaptation of a classic Moroccan dish. I came across a recipe in at Cooking Light and had to try it. I love the way the flavors meld together ~ each in their own way standing out, without dominating the dish. If you want to try something full of flavor and outside your normal collection of recipes, give this incredible recipe a chance. You will be transported to a Rick’s Café in Casablanca! Enjoy…



Chicken-Sweet Potato Tagine
(adopted from a recipe at Cooking Light.com)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
⅓ cup halved pitted Picholine olives
8 pitted dried prunes, chopped

In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in cumin and next 7 ingredients (through chicken); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in broth, sweet potato, olives, and dried prunes; then bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until sweet potato is tender.

Serves 4

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George’s notes:

• I did not have any Picholine olives, so I substituted with Kalamata.
• I served this along side some couscous, but you could serve it with rice.

Casseroles Revisited...

Love it or leave it, most of us grew up eating some variation of casserole as part of the family dinner rotation. Often it was a recipe that Mom fine-tuned over the years to please every family member's taste buds.

Few dinner dishes evoke childhood memories as powerfully as the casserole. Remember macaroni mixed with ground beef and cheddar cheese? Or wide egg noodles with flakes of canned tuna, dotted with peas and topped with crushed potato chips? Then there was the 1950s-era fixture of many American dinner tables: creamy green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup, served with crunchy fried onions from a paper canister.

My mother made a casserole she called Marguerite’s Delight. Aunt Marguerite is my favorite aunt, who is a terrific cook ~ usually putting everything but the kitchen sink, into her culinary creations. This one consisted of elbow macaroni, ground beef, canned diced tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, fresh corn, fresh lima beans, salt, pepper and a crushed Ritz cracker topping. Whenever I've had a bad day at school or the stables, I wanted Mom to make Marguerite Delight.

During these difficult times, why not give ourselves permission to embrace our inner child by revisiting a dish from the past? Heck, most of us are already in a fetal position anyway from the depressing headlines.

The term casserole means saucepan in French, but a more modern translation should be "kitchen sink," as we Americans have experimented over the years with all varieties of starches, fillers, binders and toppings. From cornflakes cereal to trendy Japanese panko crumbs, the topping gives the casserole the necessary crunch to contrast with what is almost always a creamy interior.

The filler is usually pasta or rice, protein and veggies, all held together by a thickened binder of milk or cream — sometimes it's chicken or vegetable stock — and cheese both inside the filler and sprinkled along with the topping.

A traditional casserole is not for the faint of heart. Your Weight Watchers point system would probably self-destruct, if casseroles became part of your weekly diet.

Casseroles are popular legitimate reasons; despite all their caloric excess ~ They are easy to prepare; they can be frozen or refrigerated for days in advance; they are cheap to and feed a whole family for a few dollars; and they offer convenience from beginning to end. How many complete dinners can you heat and serve in the same dish?

But returning to a casserole classic doesn't necessarily mean reaching for the can of cream of mushroom soup that's been in your pantry since the Ford administration. There's no excuse not to sauté your own mushrooms or celery, stir in flour and fat, and then add milk to make your own creamy sauce. Trust me. It's easy, and it tastes better than anything you can find in a can.

Once you have the binder, you can experiment with the starch and protein. If you don't like egg noodles, try ziti or fusilli. If a recipe is too dry for your taste, add more liquid. If you don't eat tuna, substitute cubed cuts of chicken or the cheaper tail portion of fresh salmon that's been baked and flaked off with a fork. Choose fillings you know your family will eat.

For the topping, I have sampled a number of crusts: panko crumbs, homemade fried onions, canned fried onions, crushed potato chips and crushed cornflakes. All of them were delicious, but I thought there is just something about the old-school options of cornflakes, chips or canned onions that make a casserole more satisfying. I guess if I'm going to time-travel into my culinary past, I want the one ingredient that makes the dish authentically indulgent.

Another way to look at it is that I like my casseroles the way I like Miss Piggy ~ voluptuous and grotesquely attractive, dressed with something created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste; that takes it over the top. The combination of all of this is something immensely enjoyable — almost addictive. Like the famous actor turned boxer turned actor again, a good casserole always leaves me wanting more.

So let's bring comfort back. In these uncertain times, it's one of the few things that will make you loosen your belt, not tighten it.

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Here I give the cream of mushroom soup in the original 1950s version green bean casserole a makeover with sautéed fresh button mushrooms and a traditional white sauce that's easy to make. The sauce should coat the green beans, not drown them. For the topping, you can use crushed oyster crackers, saltines or the traditional fried onions if you prefer. But again, in giving this classic casserole a new look & taste, I developed a topping using Cornflakes.




My Creamy Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut in half
1 tablespoon butter
12 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
2 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups milk, preferably whole
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Swiss)
~ I used Gruyère

Cornflake Topping:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1½ cups cornflakes cereal (placed in a zip-lock bag and crushed by hand)
½ cup shredded cheese (use same kind as in main recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8-by-8-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook green beans until firm but tender to the bite, about 5 minutes. Immerse green beans in a large bowl of ice water or run under cold tap water for 2 minutes to preserve color. Allow to drain in colander.

In a large deep skillet over medium high heat, add butter and mushrooms. Stir occasionally until water cooks out of mushrooms, about 5 minutes.

Add flour, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic and stir in milk until consistency is thick and uniform. Turn off heat.

Add cheese and green beans. Mix thoroughly and then pour contents into the casserole dish.

To make topping, pour melted butter over crushed cornflakes in a bowl. Mix in cheese. Spread evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until topping is golden brown.


Makes 6 to 8 servings

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George’s notes:

• Cooking in earthenware containers has always been common in most nations, but the idea of casserole cooking as a one-dish meal became popular in America in the twentieth century, especially in the 1950s when new forms of lightweight metal and glassware appeared on the market.
• Early 18th century casserole recipes consisted of rice that was pounded, pressed, and filled with a savory mixture of meats such as chicken or sweetbreads.

Chicken Frittata...

OK, now that the holiday season is upon us, it's time to start making some meals that are healthy ~ meaning low in calories, filling, high in protein and full of flavor. After all, the holiday parties and get-togethers will be coming soon enough.

As you have noticed from previous post, I like to experiment with many different ingredients and have been thinking about this dish for a few weeks. I had to wait for Thanksgiving to get over ~ for some reason that's a very difficult time to experiment with new recipes. It must have something to do with the traditions of that great well-known meal. Enjoy!

Chicken Frittata

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
9 ounces vermicelli pasta
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ can of diced canned tomatoes
4 eggs
⅔ cups reduced fat shredded cheese (I used Colby)
2 tablespoons Asiago cheese, grated
1 tablespoons Mascarpone cheese.
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper



Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a pot of boiling saltwater, add vermicelli and cook until al dente – about 9½ minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick, ovenproof skillet on the stove. Add the cut up chicken and brown for 6 minutes. Add garlic and Mascarpone cheese to chicken and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, spinach, basil, rosemary, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, eggs and shredded cheese.

Gradually add the egg and pasta mixture to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the dish with the Asiago cheese.

Place the oven-proof skillet in the re-heated oven for 13 minutes, or until the frittata is firm like a casserole. Slice and serve with a garden salad.

Serves 4 to 6

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George’s notes:

• You can substitute the Asiago cheese with Parmesan or Romano.
• You can use 1 cup traditional spaghetti sauce instead of the diced tomatoes, if you want a heavier Italian flavored frittata.

Be sure to checkout the series Presto Pasta Night on Fridays, which was started by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast - Every Kitchen Tells It's Stories and being hosted this week by Kevin Lynch at Closet Cooking. Give Kevin's site a look; he always has some creative & interesting recipes cooking away in Toronto.

Peanut Butter Chicken Stew...

Last night I was searching for inspiration on how to prepare some chicken thighs and decided to fix this chicken stew my mother use to make when I was little. I bet that most of these fantastic ingredients are probably in your pantry. The sauce of this stew is warm, delicious and far above what you would imagine from the ingredients. I served it with mashed potatoes and a mixed green salad. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chicken Stew

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
1 cup roasted red peppers
1 can (14 oz) of plum tomatoes with juice
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken broth
4 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter – I favor crunchy
1 tablespoon dried chili flakes

Pre-heat oven to 400 degree F
Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs and place them in a Dutch oven. In a large bowl, mix together all the above ingredients and pour over the chicken.

Cover the pan and bake in the oven for 35 minutes removing the lid for the last 10 minutes to allow the skin to crisp and sauce to thicken.

To serve, spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with your favorite side dishes.

Serves 4

Chicken Piccata...

Boneless chicken breasts are like a blank canvas awaiting embellishment. You can go in a hundred different directions and get satisfactory results.

Chicken Piccata is one of my favorite Italian dishes. The salty little capers that burst in your mouth are so wonderful paired with the zesty lemon. I have a secret ingredient that gives another layer to traditional piccata, white pepper. The addition of the mild white pepper makes this piccata irresistible. Be sure to include the small brown bites after frying the chicken in the bottom of the pan. They are essential to a delicious piccata. The sauce is wonderful over pasta and simply served with a salad and bread.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
Additional all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup dry white wine
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup canned low-salt chicken broth
¼ cup drained capers
1 teaspoon white ground pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Place chicken between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Using meat pounder or rolling pin, lightly pound chicken to ¼ -inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place additional flour in shallow baking dish. Dip chicken into flour to coat; shake off excess.

Make a rue by mixing 1 tablespoon butter and 1½ tablespoons flour in small bowl until smooth.

In a heavy large skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil; add chicken breasts to skillet and cook until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil to keep warm.

Bring wine, lemon juice and broth to boil in 1 skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture and boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in capers, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and white pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Serves 4

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Chicken Carbonara...

Last night I wanted one of my favorite dinners ~ Chicken Carbonara. If you are not familiar with chicken carbonara it is basically a type of chicken spaghetti; pasta noodles, with chicken and bacon in a delicious parmesan sauce. Does that not sound good or what? I dug out my trusty recipe file and came up with a recipe from an old The Junior League of Charlotte Cookbook. The only things I added to the recipe were peas, mushrooms and onions.

Just a comment about the recipe calling for raw eggs in the sauce ~ you are going to want to mix the egg sauce into the piping hot noodles right after you drain them. This will kill any bacteria. But believe me, it’s the egg that gives this dish a rich taste sensation. Serve with garlic bread and Caesar salad for a delicious meal. Enjoy!

Chicken Carbonara

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ cooked & cut into bit size pieces
4 slices thick-cut bacon
¼ cup onions, chopped
½ cup sliced mushrooms
12 ounces spaghetti noodles
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup green peas

In a small bowl mix together parmesan cheese, eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper. In another bowl mix together wine, chicken broth and lemon juice. Set both aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for cooking the noodles.

In a large skillet cook bacon in batches until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Sauté the mushrooms and onions in the bacon fat until tender, salt & pepper to taste. Deglaze the pan with wine mixture scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Place noodles in boiling water and cook according to package directions.

While noodles are cooking crumble bacon slices into bits and in a large bowl mix chicken, bacon bits, wine glaze mixture, and parmesan/egg mixture. Drain noodles and shake to get rid of any extra water.

Add peas and egg mixture to piping hot noodles and mix well.

Serves 2

Chicken with 40 cloves...

The 40 cloves chicken is a classic French thing I read about in Bon Appetite some years ago. I had a lot of garlic that needed to be used and a whole chicken in the freezer taking up a lot of space. So, I said “what the heck” ~ peeled those 40 or so garlic cloves and throw them in the pot with the chicken and some white wine and a little bit of chicken stock.
I quartered two lemons, added some sprigs of thyme and seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper; then closed the lid and popped it in hot oven........ The finished result was plenty of flavorful stock ... the cloves are deliciously caramelized... and the chicken juicy & tender.

Roasted Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, Thyme and Lemon

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken stock
10 sprigs fresh thyme
40 peeled cloves garlic
2 lemons, quartered
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Toss with a 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan or skillet over high heat. Remove from heat, add wine & chicken stock, thyme, garlic cloves and quartered lemons.

Cover and bake for 1½ hours. Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.

This is a great entrée for a Saturday evening, when you have been out & about apple picking, antiquing or just sitting out in your garden enjoying an early fall afternoon. I usually serve this with roasted vegetables and wild, so the flavorful juices can be ladled around the plate. Bon Appetite and have a wonderful weekend.

Country Chicken Pot Pie

With fall upon us – what is easier for dinner and tastes every bit as good than a hearty chicken pot pie. While the classic chicken pot pie is a wonderful recipe, down here in the Deep South; I like to add a few extra ingredients which will put this pot pie in a league all to its own. I like to serve it with mixed green salad and a glass of White Zinfandel.

Country Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 refrigerated pie crusts (15-ounce package), room temperature
½ cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons tarragon
6 eight-ounce skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 stick butter
2 cups chicken broth
¾ cup sherry
1 cup heavy cream
1½ cups sliced carrots, blanched
16 small pearl onions, peeled and parboiled
1 cup diced red potatoes, boiled until almost tender, do not peel
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup quartered artichoke hearts
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Place crust on working surface. Press out fold lines; pinch to seal cracks. Cut out 6 pastry rounds to fit top of six 2-cup ramekins. Combine flour and 1 tablespoon of tarragon in a shaker bag. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to flour; toss to coat. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and any remaining flour to skillet; sauté until brown, about 2 minutes. Mix in broth, white wine, sherry, vegetables, onions, artichokes, and 2 tablespoons tarragon; stirring until smooth. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the cream and reduce heat to simmer, cover skillet. Cook for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer filling to ramekins. Top with pastry rounds and bake in a 425 degree F oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until golden.

Serves 6

Cobb Salad

One of my favorite salads is the classic Cobb Salad; invented by restaurant manager, Bob Cobb, who in 1926 at The Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, found a way to use up leftovers. Cobb went to the refrigerator and found an avocado, which he chopped with lettuce, celery, tomatoes, and strips of bacon. Later he embellished it with breast of chicken, chives, a hard-boiled egg, watercress, and a wedge of Roquefort cheese for dressing, and the salad was on its way to earning an international reputation. Chefs around the world have been putting their twist on this classic salad ever since.

Here is my basic recipe for a Cobb Salad that is easy and it can be a nutritious high protein lunch on these early fall days.


Eating Well Cobb Salad

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 cups mixed salad greens
½ pound sliced cooked chicken breast (1 large breast half) (see Tip)
2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped (see Tip)
2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 large cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 avocado, diced
½ cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Whisk vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl to combine. Whisk in oil until combined. Place salad greens in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing and toss to coat.

Divide salad greens among 4 plates. Arrange equal portions of chicken, egg, bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and blue cheese (if using) on top of the lettuce. Put some dressing a small ramekin and serve on the side of your salad.

Makes 4 servings


A few of my cooking tips –

To poach chicken breast:
Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan and add lightly salted water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.

To hard-boil eggs:
Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and run a constant stream of cold water over the eggs until completely cooled