Spicy Chicken Breasts

Courtesy of Essential Pépin
Serves 4

½ tsp juniper berries
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
1½ tbsp olive oil

Combine the juniper berries, coriander seeds, and mustard seeds in a small skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Transfer the toasted spices to a spice grinder or coffee grinder, add the salt, and process for 20 to 30 seconds, until finely ground.

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with the spice mixture and rub it gently into the meat. Brush the breasts on both sides with the olive oil. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 12 hours ahead. Wrap the chicken in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.)

Preheat the oven to 180˚.

Heat a very large nonstick skillet until it is hot. Add the chicken breasts and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Turn the breasts over and cook for 3 minutes on the other side.

Arrange the breasts on an ovenproof platter and place them in the oven for at least 10 minutes to finish cooking. (The chicken can be kept warm in the oven for up to 45 minutes.)

Chicken Fricassee (Fricassée de Poulet à L’Ancienne)

Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

Serves 4

1 whole chicken (3½ to 4 lbs), cut into 11 pieces (Have your butcher cut the breasts in half, keeping the wings attached but removing the wing tips. Reserve back and wing tips for another use, such as stock.)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)

1 carrot, cut into ¼-inch dice (1/2 cup)

1 celery stalk, cut into ¼-inch dice (1/3 cup)

8 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken broth

2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

¼ cup heavy cream

2 to 3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Season chicken on both sides with 1 tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Preheat a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the oil to pot. When butter melts and foam subsides, add half the chicken, skin side down, in a single layer; do not crowd pot. (If butter begins to blacken, lower heat.) Fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Reduce heat to medium, and add mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) to pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Saute mirepoix, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown in places, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms darken, become glossy, and begin to release liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until flour is absorbed by vegetables and is no longer visible, about 1 minute.

Add wine to pot, and bring to a boil, stirring until liquid just thickens, about 45 seconds. Add broth, and stir.

Place chicken, skin side up, in a single layer on vegetables; pour juices that have accumulated on plate into pot. Tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine; add to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part of chicken registers 165˚, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Simmer liquid, uncovered, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard herbs.

To make the liaison (sauce thickener), whisk together egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour 1/2 cup cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, into liaison to temper it. Stir tempered liaison into pot.

Return chicken to pot. Add tarragon, lemon juice, and the remaining butter. Bring to a simmer, stir gently to combine, and serve.

Gluten-Free Shake and Bake

Courtesy of chefhanksnotes.blogspot.com

Serves 4-6

1 to 2 cup rice flour (1 cup for 6 or less pieces, 2 cups for up to 12 pieces)

¼ cup good-quality sweet paprika

½ tsp red pepper

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp toasted onion powder

1 tsp sea salt

4-12 chicken thighs or drumsticks

Preheat the oven to 375˚.

Add all the ingredients but the chicken into a plastic or brown bag. Add chicken pieces, 1-2 at a time, to bag and shake. Place onto a foil or parchment paper lined large baking sheet. Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚.

Five Spice Roasted Chicken

Courtesy of skinnytaste.com

Serves 6

6 cloves of garlic

1 large shallot

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp agave (or sugar)

¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce (Tamari for gluten-free.)

½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder

Freshly ground black pepper

3 lbs (6) chicken legs (thighs and legs attached), fat trimmed or 12 chicken thighs

In a blender combine the marinade ingredients; blend until smooth.

Place the chicken in a large, resealable zip-top bag or container and pour in the marinade. Toss the chicken inside the bag to cover evenly with the marinade and refrigerate for 6-8 hours or as long as overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°. Place the chicken on a rack in a foil lined roasting pan. Create a loose tent over the chicken with foil.

Roast the chicken in the center of the oven 30 minutes; remove foil and continue to cook, basting occasionally until the internal temperature is 165°-170°, about 45 minutes longer (Insert thermometer between the leg and the thigh).

Slow-Cooker Chicken Black Bean Tacos

Courtesy of skinnytaste.com

Serves 4-6

12 oz raw skinless chicken tenders or breast

15 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed (I used Goya.)

10 oz can tomatoes with mild green chiles (I used Rotel.)

1 1/8 tsp chili powder

¾ tsp plus 1/8th tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp oregano

1 medium scallion, diced

1 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

For the Slaw:

1 1/3 cups shredded red cabbage

1 tsp red wine vinegar (or lime juice)

salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Taco:

12 crisp corn taco shells

Optional toppings: Pico de gallo, avocado, etc.

Season chicken with pinch of salt, garlic powder, oregano, 1/8 tsp of the chili powder and 1/8 tsp cumin.

Add the beans and tomatoes to the crock pot and season with the remaining chili powder and cumin. Place chicken in the crock pot and cover. Cook on high for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, combine shredded cabbage with vinegar (add more to taste), season with salt to taste; set aside.

Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Drain beans and transfer to a platter, or back to the crock pot to keep warm. Top with shredded chicken, scallions and cilantro.

To serve, warm the taco shells according to package directions. Fill with equal amounts of bean and chicken mixture. Top with cabbage and your favorite toppings.

Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs

Adapted from Joyce’sVietnamese Chicken Meatballs in Lettuce Wraps

Serves 4 (in my house these served 2)

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1½ -inch pieces (or buy 1 lb ground chicken)

3 tbsp Asian fish sauce

2 shallots, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced

3 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

1 tbsp finely chopped mint, plus 1/3 cup leaves for serving

1½ tsp cornstarch

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

¼ cup granulated sugar

Optional

7 oz rice stick noodles

Soy sauce

Garnish: Asian chili sauce, cilantro, Boston lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400°. Position a rack in the top third of the oven. If using chicken thighs, place them in a food processor and pulse the chicken until coarsely ground. Transfer ground chicken or thigh meat to a bowl. Add the fish sauce, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chopped cilantro and mint, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix with your hands.

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the sugar on a plate. Using slightly moistened hands, roll the chicken mixture into 1½ -inch balls. (For best results, refrigerate the meatballs at this point for 1 hour.)

Roll the meatballs in the sugar until they are evenly coated.

Transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and bake them for 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice noodles, if desired. Transfer the meatballs to the platter and serve with chili sauce and lettuce, rice noodles or rice.

Rice Noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few shakes of soy sauce and turn off the heat. Add the rice noodles and let soak until ready to use, at least 10 minutes. Drain immediately before serving.

Roasted Poblanos in Cream Sauce (Rajas con Crema)

Courtesy of simplyrecipes.com

Serves 6-8

6 fresh poblano chiles

1 tbsp butter

½ white onion, sliced lengthwise (root to tip), 1/4-inch slices

½ tsp salt

½ cup Mexcian crema (Mexican sour cream) or crème fraîche

½ cup milk

½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Char the whole poblano chile peppers on all sides. The best way to do this is over an open flame of a gas stove. Just place the raw whole chile peppers directly on the grate covering the flame and let the flame blacken the outside skin of the peppers. When one side has blackened, use tongs to turn the chile over a little so the flame can blacken another side. You can also use a broiler to blacken the chile peppers, but direct flame is the best way. Sometimes with a broiler the chiles end up cooking too much before they blacken. They should still be a little firm. This is easier to control when you cook them directly over flame. Once the peppers are blackened all over (you can still have a few green spots), place them in a paper bag or a thick plastic bag, close the bag, and let the chiles steam in their own heat for a few minutes.

When the chiles are cool to touch, remove them from the bag. Working over a sink (this part is messy) use your fingers or a damp towel to strip off the blackened parts. Try to avoid running the chiles themselves under water, as that may wash away some good flavor. But you may find it easier to rinse your hands with water as you are stripping the blackened bits off.

Editor’s Note: I don’t have a gas stove *cringe* so I roast the peppers in the oven on a foil-lined sheet or pan at 400˚. Turn them every 15 minutes until thoroughly charred. Then just fold the foil up and over them to let them steam a bit until cool to the touch. Peel.

Once the blackened outer skin is removed, open up the chiles and cut out and discard the stems, seeds, and inner veins. Cut the chiles into long strips, about an inch wide. Many recipes call for thin strips, about a half inch wide, which you can do if you want. I just like them with thicker strips. Set aside.

Heat the butter (can use vegetable oil instead if you want) in a large cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the poblano chiles to the onions. Sprinkle the chiles with salt. Add the Mexican crema and the milk. Gently stir to coat the chiles. Let cook for several minutes, until the chiles are completely cooked through and the sauce is bubbly and a little reduced, then sprinkle in the grated jack cheese. Stir with the hot crema sauce until the cheese has melted and mixed in with the crema sauce.

Serve with warm corn or flour tortillas (or as a side dish).