Food Lush

Pounding Chicken

by Tara

(Let's go ahead and get the 12-year old giggling out of the way because of the overuse of the word "pounding" in this post.)

I've been making several recipes lately that require pounding chicken into thinner chicken. It's not usually something I think about a lot, but since I've been doing it a lot, I have been thinking that I need a kitchen tool that is actually made for this. For the last 9 years (I didn't start cooking till I got married) I have been using the side of an old school meat tenderizer, like this:

Photo from Williams-Sonoma.

It works fine, but sometimes the pointy part tears up the chicken if I'm not super careful, and it's quite the arm workout since it's such a small tool. So I think I need something new. What should I get?

 

This one looks a lot like a spatula, but the wider head would work better than my current tool.

Rosle Meat Tenderizer

(Photo from Bed, Bath, & Beyond.)

 

This might work just as well as anything. Although maybe it wouldn't hold up to lots of pounding?

Crate & Barrel Crab Mallet

(Photo from Crate and Barrel.)

 

I really, really like this one. And we all know that I adore PC products.

Pampered Chef Meat Tenderizer

(Photo from Pampered Chef.)

 

Or maybe this one? It also looks like a spatula, but less so since it's rounded.

Norpro Meat Pounder

(Photo from Chef's Catalog.)

 

Maybe I should just call it a wash and head to a home improvement store for a rubber mallet?

Workforce Rubber Mallet

(Photo from Home Depot.)

 

What do you think I should get to pound chicken?

Figs for Dinner

by Tara

Do you like figs? I haven't really eaten a lot of figs since elementary school. (That's as weird as it sounds. I went to a private, religious school for awhile and we were served figs as snacks a lot because, obviously, figs were Jesus's favorite fruit because there are fig trees mentioned in the New Testament.)

Anyway, I saw this recipe on one of Nic's Recipe Round-ups on this beautiful site (which, by the way, is a GREAT way to find new recipes for your weekly/monthly meal plans), and was excited to try it. I finally found some fresh figs at a local hippie store, picked up some chicken at my butcher shop, and went for it.

SO GOOD.

Seared Chicken Cutlets with Blue Cheese, Figs and Parsley

Picture taken right before I devoured half of the food on this platter.

I doubled the spinach, (and burned the garlic, but whatever) and it was a DELICIOUS meal. Highly recommend.

Do you like figs? What's your favorite fig recipe?

World's Best Chicken?

By Ariel

I saw this pin via Rachel Shultz on Pinterest a week or two back and of course I had to try it. World's Best Chicken? That's a lofty remark, right?

And the ingredients list? Minimal. Dijon mustard, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. The original recipe calls for a sprinkle of Rosemary after baking, but I subbed that and mixed about half a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper into the mustard mix instead for a little kick.

Verdict?  I think this could very well be a best.  The mixture is quick, easy, and you probably have everything on hand. I'm glad I added the Cayenne because I am a lover of spice, but it would easily be fantastic without. No marinating is involved, just mix and pour over raw chicken. The original recipe called for 40 minutes on 450 degrees, but I thought that seemed like a bit much, so I did 50 minutes covered on 350. It turned out perfect and juicy and goes really well with corn casserole. This is a fantastic weeknight dinner option and I just love how easy it is. The flavor is fantastic and I can't wait to play around with it a little more. I think next time I'll roll the chicken in the mixture and then coat with breadcrumbs or panko for a crispy dish. Another win for Pinterest and stumbling across a recipe I might not have found otherwise.  Poor Food Network hasn't been visited in ages.

What's your best chicken recipe?

Campfire Chicken Bundles

by Tara

My husband's family did a lot of camping when he was growing up. I am an indoor kind of gal, though, and we have never been camping in 10 years together (we were going to go once but the campground got rained out; not my fault!). I have learned a bit about outdoor cooking, however, and here is my favorite meal that Jim's family made around the campfire that I cook on the grill or in the oven (but you could totally actually take to go camping):

Campfire Chicken Bundles
makes 6 bundles (about 3-4 servings)

Ingredients:

-1.5 lbs Chicken*
-1 packet of onion soup powdered mix 
-Butter 
-1 cup rice (I used quinoa in the photos below and it was fine)
-Cooking spray (I used my Misto filled with EVOO)
-Aluminum foil (not an ingredient, but necessary nonetheless)
-Grill or oven 

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 or preheat grill for indirect cooking (or, you know, start your campfire)
-Boil chicken for ~30 minutes or until cooked through
-Cook rice (or quinoa or whatever).
-Cut squares of foil and lay out on a counter and spray with cooking spray
-Spoon rice evenly onto all foil squares
-Slice a pat of butter onto rice, and sprinkle with onion soup mix
-Lay chicken on top of rice, top with another pat of butter and sprinkle with more soup mix.
-Fold up foil around mixture and twist top to secure
-Cook for 10-15 minutes in oven or on top rack of grill (or around edge of campfire), or until heated through
-Open and enjoy!

(Photos by me!)

Serve with corn on the cob or a simple veggie dish, and you've got a great and uncomplicated dinner! 

It would be really easy to prep this if you're really going camping and need an easy dinner. Just boil the chicken, cook the rice, and assemble the bundles before you leave and toss them into your cooler or hot/cold bag.

*Vague, I know, but you can really use anything here, bones or without; I prefer breasts (insert joke here), but my husband likes legs and wings, so whatever.

What's your favorite camping recipe?

Brined Chicken – Heaven on a Grill

By Julie

We eat a lot of chicken, and I am always on the lookout for new chicken recipes. My cut of choice is a skinless, boneless breast, due to its versatility and easy storage (yes, that’s important, just go with it). But we also grill a whole bunch as well, and the SBC just doesn’t hold up so well under that kind of cooking. I can only manage so many lemon pepper chicken breasts before I want to scream.

I will also admit that I am not terribly skilled with the grill, and very often, meat turned out dry and tasteless. I’m working on it, under the tutelage of Master Griller, er, my dad. He is truly fantastic, my friends, a grill savant. His barbecue is the best in the world, and I will happily ask him to work his magic if you come visit me. (Sadly, I can only seek to learn his technique as he will not share his sauce/glaze recipe with me, as I am a girl. Some traditions are concrete.)

Anyway. Some years back during a Food Network binge, I watched Sunny Anderson brine some bone-in chicken pieces before grilling, so I thought I’d give it a try. Her recipe consists of water, salt, sugar, and lemons, as seen here. I can tell you I’ve used this concept many times over, never exactly following the proportions, and it turned out great every single time. It’s juicy and flavorful and perfect.

This is the method to my madness. I fill my largest bowl with water (leaving room for the chicken), and mix in table salt about a half a cup at a time until the salt won’t dissolve anymore (approximately – go with your gut here). Then I add in a few tablespoons of sugar and pour in lemon juice (perhaps a half a cup or slightly more, depending on how much lemon flavor I want to come through). I dump in the chicken. I tend to use hind quarters, but any cut, particularly bone-in, will do. Then let it soak -the longer, the better.

The last trick to remember is to grill the chicken low and slow. This will reduce flame up and let the chicken cook evenly and thoroughly without the outside burning or drying out.

My whole family loves this chicken. And that’s saying something since my kids typically don’t eat chicken that isn’t in nugget form. This is truly a winner winner chicken dinner. (Yeah, I went there. But don’t let it stop you from trying the brine.)

(Photo from: Me. Apologies for the "well-seasoned" grill.)

My Happy Tummy and My New Favorite Marinade

By Dani

Yesterday, after work, I got a chance to go horse-back riding with a friend (one of my favorite activities, and one I don't get to do too often) and didn't get home until almost 7 p.m. Luckily I had chicken marinating in this very concoction, and despite being dusty and tired, I still got to wow my hubby and whip up something fresh and delicious. It was so satisfying to have a great homecooked meal shortly after I got home with just a few minutes on the grill. Viva le marinade!

The recipe is easy:

3 parts soy sauce

1 part Sriracha hot sauce

Fresh lemon zest and juice (I like pretty tangy/spicy flavors, so I used about 2 parts lemon, but you can add more or less depending on what you like).

The result? Well, I thought you needed an illustration to know just how happy this marinade makes my tummy:

{Photo credit: freefoodclipart.com and my mad Photoshop skillz}

Poached shredded chicken in the crock pot

by Katie

I am really, really terrible at cooking chicken. Well, that’s not entirely true. Roast chicken? I make a killer roast chicken. Chicken soup? I can make it with the cold-busting best of them. And I have one reliable recipe for yogurt chicken on the grill.

But anything involving baked or pan-cooked or sauteed chicken breasts? DISASTER. I’m afraid of undercooked poultry, so I always end up overcooking it leaving the thinner parts rubbery, and the whole thing kind of sawdust-flavored, and...yeah, it’s not pretty. Which is a shame, because chicken is a nice easy widely-available source of protein, excellent for putting on salads and whatnot. But apparently I‘m just not cut out for it.

Except, I realized recently, when I do it in the crock pot. That salsa verde chicken I make with chicken breasts all the time, and my favorite chicken soup recipe also relies on the low-and-slow heat of the slow cooker.

Photo from: For The Love Of Cooking

So! Lightbulb! What if I made basic poached chicken in the crock pot, shredded it, then had it on hand for salads and pizza topping and burrito filling and so on?

(You geniuses out there probably knew this already, and are like "whoa, Katie, for a reasonably smart person you’re kind of slow." Which: hush. Let me have my moment.)

So I did, and it worked, and now we always have chicken on hand and my meal-planning life has gotten much better, the end.

Basic poached chicken in the crock pot.

(this is more of a technique than a recipe- feel free to double the quantities, add herbs of your choice, substitute vegetables if you don’t have celery in the house, whatever. it’s very very flexible.)

 

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves (optional, but nice)

1-2 tsp kosher salt (I leave it out because I feed this chicken to the baby and like to keep her food less salty; but if you’re not concerned about sodium it definitely adds flavor)

4 cups water plus 1-2 packets chicken stock concentrate, or 4 cups chicken stock

Place chicken in the crock pot. Throw in vegetables. Fill with cold water or broth to cover by an inch or so, then add the bay leaves, herbs, salt, and stock packets (if you’re using water). Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove from liquid and shred. It will shred like butter, and keeps for several days in the fridge.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos

By Ariel

It's finally, finally starting to warm up here in the arctic wasteland Pennsylvania! Sometimes I regret my twitter account when I read fellow bloggers in places like Texas and California, because I hate the cold. My jealousy has no bounds when I'm chipping away at the ice on my car and I know for a fact there are others out there without my (admittedly first world) problems.

ANYWAY. What I was getting at is that it's warming up, but you will never see me put away my slow cooker indefinitely in the summertime. Sure, I would rather grill, but to be honest if my husband isn't around to actually do the grilling I would rather have dinner waiting for me.  

This meal was inspired by this pin I found a couple weeks ago. I modified the recipe to fit my own ideas and our taste buds.

Slow Cooker Burritos 

2-3 lbs. Frozen chicken breasts
8 oz. cream cheese (I used 1/3 fat free)
11 oz can Mexican corn (picture below)
2-3 T taco seasoning (or one packet. I always make the taco seasoning Elisabeth posted awhile back, and I used three generous tablespoons for this recipe)
24 oz. Salsa
12 oz. re-fried beans (my husband won't touch WHOLE beans, but loves re-fried.  Woe. Is. Me.)
Two 8oz. packets of steamed mexican rice (pictured below)

Mix all the ingredients together except for the rice and set the crock pot on low for about 6 hours. If you need it to be on longer, I would highly recommend throwing about a cup of water (more or less, depending on your crockpot) in at the beginning, as around hour 6 it is done and needs to come off the heat or it will burn. This almost happened to me, but luckily my husband was home and was able to turn off the heat! When you're ready to serve zap the rice per the directions on the bag and mix it into the crockpot. I used Old El Paso rice:

Shred the chicken in the crock pot, it should just fall apart. I then served the concoction burrito-style on flour tortillas:

Granted, this meal will not be winning any beautiful food contests any time soon, but it is delicious AND got the thumbs up from my taco-loving husband, so I think I found something for our rotation.  I think the next time I make it I'm going to add some diced jalapenos and bell peppers for more texture and kick.  

This would be great for feeding many, as long as plate presentation isn't important (game night, anyone?)

The Mexican corn I used came from Aldi's:

I never saw it before my latest trip, can anyone vouch for it's availability in other stores? In any case, it's tasty, but regular canned corn would be fine.

I've been embracing my crock pot with more vigor than ever lately. I have some more dishes I'm excited to share, because after the cold months are over we're all a little tired of stew, pulled pork, and beef brisket, right?

(Photos from Amazon.com, myself, and aldis.com, respectively)

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

by Tara

Everybody loves a one-dish meal. (You need another couple of dishes for prep, but it all cooks in one dish.) This girl is no different. I discovered this meal on Pinterest, and was so excited to try it. It was as delicious as I had hoped. A well-balanced salty and sour dish. 

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans
Serves 4

Photo by ME!

 Ingredients

 -6 tablespoons olive oil
-2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-3/4 pound trimmed green beans
-8 small red potatoes, quartered*
-4 chicken breasts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.

2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.

3. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each plate; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.

*I swapped the red potatoes for sweet potatoes to make it Paleo, but if you make it as written, I am sure it will be great. And I will envy you eating potatoes.

Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza

By Natalie

I'm not very adventurous with pizza toppings, but the other night I decided to walk on the wild side. I made Gimme Some Oven's Roasted Garlic Chicken pizza. It was very easy to make and I quite enjoyed it!

I was unable to find the Philadelphia Cooking Creme, so I subbed with Weight Watchers Whipped Cream Cheese. If you don't want your pizza to be too rich, use sparingly.

I've never roasted my own garlic, and I was surprised how easy it was. Be sure to buy a good looking bulb of garlic with big cloves.

Another way to make this pizza even easier is to buy a rotisserie chicken. Shred it and throw it on top.

If you are looking for an easy week night meal, this is the pizza for you!

photo credit: me