ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH FRESH TURMERIC MARINADE

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

This was my first time using fresh turmeric root, but will definitely not be the last!

ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH FRESH TURMERIC MARINADE
(adapted from No Crumbs Left)

1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoons ground sumac
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons grated fresh turmeric
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
⅓ cup olive oil
juice of one large lemon

In a small bowl, stir together the hot paprika, coriander, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper and sumac.

Arrange the chicken thighs in a shallow container and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt. In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut milk, olive oil, lime juice, ginger, turmeric, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Stir in the dry spice blend. Set aside about ½ cup of the marinade and refrigerate, then pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

Put the chicken, with its marinade, on the prepared baking sheet and bake covered for 45 minutes, or until starting to turn golden. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Without disturbing the chicken, carefully pour the juices from the pan into a small bowl. Baste the chicken by spooning the juices over, then return the chicken to the oven, increase the temperature to 400F and bake for 20 minutes more or until golden brown.

Pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until it has reduced by half. Serve the chicken drizzled with the reduced sauce.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The inspiration for this recipe came from one of my favorite cookbooks, No Crumbs Left, by Terri Turner. Fresh turmeric has such amazing color, but be careful, it will stain your hands and fabric pretty badly. The chicken was moist and super flavorful, the mixture of spices did not overwhelm it at all. I have to admit that I reduced them quite a bit from the original recipe because we tend to like moderation when adding spices to our food. Teri recommends juicing both the ginger and the turmeric, but I decided it was way too much trouble to go through that. And quite messy too. If you have her cookbook, consider giving her method a try. If you don’t have her cookbook, you need to get it, totally worth it. Available here.

ONE YEAR AGO: Sugarprism-Painted Linzer Cookies

TWO YEARS AGO: Kamut and Broccoli Salad

THREE YEARS AGO: Charcoal Peanut Sourdough

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chocolate Cake with Coconut Buttercream

FIVE YEARS AGO: Berry Rebellion Tarts

SIX YEARS AGO: Bergamot-Cherry Macarons

SEVEN YEAR AGO: Roasted Veggies with Queso Cotija Dressing

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Creamy Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole

NINE YEARS AGO: Maple Walnut Biscotti

TEN YEARS AGO: Barley Risotto with Peas

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Oatmeal Fudge Bars

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Cauliflower Steaks

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Soft Spot for Chevre

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Quick sun-dried Tomato Crostini

6Feb2024

CHINESE-STYLE ORANGE CHICKEN GOES LIGHT

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

We all know how tasty the classic Chinese-American concoction can be, but we also know that it is a true “caloric-bomb”. The chicken pieces are usually breaded, fried, and coated with a super sweet sticky sauce. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but I normally refrain from ordering it when I go out for Chinese food. Not too long ago I saw this version on Averie Cooks, and made it for us.

CHINESE-STYLE ORANGE CHICKEN
(slightly modified from Averie Cooks)

1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large oranges, juiced; plus more orange juice if necessary
1/3 cup tamari sauce (or light soy sauce)
1/4 cup honey
fresh cilantro to taste
additional salt to taste (optional)

To a large bowl or ziptop plastic bag, add the chicken, cornstarch, and toss or shake the bag to coat the chicken evenly; set aside. You may not need all the cornstarch. Try to go for a very light coating.

In a large skillet, add the oils, orange juice, soy sauce, honey, and the chicken pieces. Turn the heat to medium, and cook until chicken is done and cooked through; flip chicken and stir constantly. If the sauce is tightening or thickening up too much before the chicken has cooked through, add additional orange juice to thin it and keep stirring. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately. Adjust seasoning with salt if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The original recipe called for double amount of cornstarch and the sauce became way too thick and almost unpleasant to our taste. I suggest you go for the minimum amount that will still coat the pieces of chicken very very lightly. The sauce will still thicken upon refrigeration, so leftovers will have to be gently warmed with some water or orange juice to bring it to a saucy consistency. The interesting bit of this recipe is that you don’t need to sautee the chicken pieces first, so essentially zero mess on the stove, and pretty nice texture on the meat, I was pleasantly surprised. Give it a try, and you might love it too!

The chicken tasted light and fresh, but it was still quite substantial as a main dish. We had it with white rice and pan-steamed broccoli, a recipe I cook probably once a week ever since I first blogged about it (check it out here). This is a simpler version, I just add olive oil and lemon juice after cooking.

ONE YEAR AGO: Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Quinoa

TWO YEARS AGO: A Savory Phyllo Pie

THREE YEARS AGO: Nut-Free Lady Grey Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Mini-Heart Cakes for your Valentine

FIVE YEARS AGO: Blue Moon Milk

SIX YEARS AGO: Slow-Cooked Chicken Meatballs

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Zesty Flourless Chocolate Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Maple Pumpkin Pecan Snacking Cake

NINE YEARS AGO: Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup

TEN YEARS AGO: Sweet Fifteen!

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Sesame and Flaxseed Sourdough

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Green Beans with Miso and Almonds

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Saturday Morning Scones

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: White Bread

3Nov2023

BUTTER CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

If you are a lover of Middle Eastern spices, this recipe will definitely please you… I adapted it from Averie Cooks, a blog I’ve been following for a long time. My version reduced a bit the amount of carbs by substituting almond flour for bread crumbs, and also reduced the amount of fat added in the end. Still it felt rich enough for us. If you prefer, follow her original recipe instead.

BUTTER CHICKEN MEATBALLS
(adapted from Averiecooks)

1 pound ground chicken
1 large egg
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 tablespoon garam masala, or to taste
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste for sauce
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, for sauce
one 15-ounce can low-fat coconut milk
1 cup water
6 ounces tomato paste
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, full-fat
2 tablespoons butter (I omitted)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely minced

Heat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, non-stick works great.

Make the meatballs: To a large bowl, add the ground chicken, egg, almond flour, salt, pepper, and using clean hands or a rubber spatula, mix gently until the mixture is uniformly combined. Form approximately 16 to 18 meatballs, using 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of mixture per meatball. Place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly crisped on the outside, flipping them midway through cooking time.

Make the sauce: Add the olive oil to a large skillet, and sauté the shallot until soft and fragrant. Add the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, coconut milk, water, tomato paste, and whisk to combine. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low or medium-low, and allow the sauce to gently simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the meatballs to the sauce, simmer everything together for 5 minutes, then add the yogurt and butter in very low heat, mix to combine with the sauce, add the cilantro and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The amount of garam masala seems excessive, as Averie pointed out, but it works. It is not spicy at all, but makes the whole dish quite flavorful, very intense. I often use almond flour in meatballs and meatloaves, the texture is a little different from breadcrumbs but I am now quite fond of it. The meatballs get a little softer this way. Of course, you can use Panko breadcrumbs instead, same amount. I omitted the butter to reduce a bit the saturated fat content, which immediately goes against the name of the dish, but sometimes I do crazy things.

We enjoyed it with a little cooked kamut wheat and broccoli puree. Very simple meal, but super satisfying!

ONE YEAR AGO: Lace-Decorated Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple Carrots

THREE YEARS AGO: Sarah Bernhardt’s Cookies

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Really Big Announcement

FIVE YEARS AGO: Stir-Fried Chicken in Sesame-Orange Sauce

SIX YEARS AGO: Monday Blues

SEVEN YEARS AGO: A New Way to Roast Veggies

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Two Takes on Raspberries

NINE YEARS AGO: Spice Cake with Blackberry Puree

TEN YEARS AGO: Own Your Kitchen with Cappuccino Panna Cotta

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

21Oct2023

MISO-HONEY CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

I cannot lie, I have a fascination with all things miso, both sweet and savory. In this preparation, the miso really comes through, so if you are part of my cheerleading team, MAKE IT! Sooner rather than later…

MISO-HONEY GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS
(adapted from The New York Times)

4 tablespoons white miso
4 tablespoons mild honey
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chili crisp
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons water
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together the miso, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, chili crisp sauce -garlic sauce, oil and water. Reserve a little bit of the marinade for serving.

Place the chicken in a shallow dish or zip-top bag and pour the remaining marinade over the top. Toss the chicken until coated and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Grill the chicken for about 15 minutes, turning the pieces halfway through the cooking time. Serve with the reserved marinade. Adjust seasoning if needed, but remember miso is very salty so you should not need to add additional salt.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This one goes into our regular rotation for sure, I love the flavor and the way the honey gives that amazing color to the meat as it grills. We enjoyed it with asparagus and air-fried cauliflower, and leftovers were still delicious next day, which is a real bonus. We love our leftovers…

ONE YEAR AGO: Raw Zucchini and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Yogurt

TWO YEARS AGO: Black Tahini Shortbread Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: A Fruitful Trio (of Macarons)

FOUR YEARS AGO: Halloween Entremet Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pork with Prunes, Olives and Capers

SIX YEARS AGO: Kansas Corn Chowder

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Impossibly Cute Bacon and Egg Cups

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Pulling Under Pressure

NINE YEARS AGO: Cooking Sous-vide: Two takes on Chicken Thighs

TEN YEARS AGO: Miso Soup: A Japanese Classic

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: On my desk

TWELVE YEARS AGO: A must-make veggie puree

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Vegetarian Lasagna

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Brazilian Pão de Queijo

5Sep2022

CHICKEN & ZUCCHINI STIR-FRY

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

Zucchini is a delicious vegetable but pretty tricky to stir-fry, as it can go mushy super quickly. Today I share a recipe that deals with this problem and results in a nice one-pot meal, flavorful and easy to put together. Just keep in mind you’ll need 30 minutes to draw the juices out of the zucchini slices, which is about the same time the chicken will need to marinate. Perfect timing!

ORIENTAL-STYLE CHICKEN AND ZUCCHINI STIR-FRY
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

to marinate the meat:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cornstarch

for stir-fry:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 Serrano pepper, finely minced
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
salt to taste
roasted peanuts, about 1/3 cup
fresh cilantro leaves to serve

Prepare the zucchini by adding it to a large bowl and sprinkling the salt all over. Leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes. Rinse briefly to remove the salt, dry the slices over paper towel. They are now ready to use.

Marinate the chicken by mixing sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch and baking soda in a small bowl, and adding to the meat. Leave it for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Make the finishing sauce by mixing water, hoisin, soy, sesame oil and cornstarch. Reserve.

Heat the oil on a wok, add the chicken pieces and fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove to a bowl, add more oil if needed, sauté the bell pepper and Serrano pepper for a couple of minutes, seasoning lightly with salt. Increase the heat to high, add the zucchini slices, move them around for 10 seconds or so, add the chicken back, stir fry everything together for a minute. Add the finishing sauce, and heat it all together until it thickens slightly. Add peanuts, cilantro, and serve over steamed white rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I really like the fact that marinating the meat and prepping the zucchini takes the same amount of time. Once that is out of the way, dinner will be ready in minutes, and all textures will be perfect. The zucchini cooks so quickly that you can also add it together with the finishing sauce and just heat it for a few minutes until it all thickens, making it even simpler. If you like more heat, add Sriracha or any other type of chili oil. Of course, for most people garlic and onion sauté with the bell peppers will be great too. As I always say, your kitchen, your rules… But definitely give this a try, you will not look at zucchini stir-fry the same way…