Saleena: chicken

Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts

Chicken Spinach Pesto Soup

Yes, it has been perfect weather for making soup here in So Cal, which means it is probably soup weather in most of the country. Have you made a good soup lately? I would love to give it a try :] Post a comment below with a link to the recipe and I just may feature it. I found this recipe on EatingWell.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divide

1/2 cup carrot (or if you're funny about cooked carrots, use bell pepper)

1/2 onion, chopped (I added)

2 cups shredded chicken

1 large clove garlic, minced

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram (I didn't have any, so I used a mixture of Thyme and Basil)

6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add carrot (or bell pepper) and onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.

Stir in broth and marjoram (or basil & thyme); bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary.

Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot.

Serve with croutons, french bread, or saltines :]

This soup is pretty darn good. And the best part? It's healthy!

According to EatingWell, the nutrition facts are as follows:

Nutrition

Per serving: 204 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 29 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 6 g fiber; 691 mg sodium; 529 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (110% daily value), Folate & Vitamin C (20% dv).

You can't really beat that.

I've already made this twice in two weeks! Which is a big deal, because I am always making new things. Can't wait to try out your soup recipes! Leave a link below :]

<3 Saleena

Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Stir-Fried Orange Chicken with Broccoli with Cashews

I have a special place in my heart for asian cuisine; partly because its scrumptious and partly because I get to pull out those chopsticks! Another plus? It's pretty simple to make. Especially stir-fry. This recipe is straight out of my Cook's Illustrated book, which I featured here. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Chicken Stir-Fry:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic

3 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup unsalted cashews

1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces

4 medium scallions

Directions:

Combine ginger, garlic, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in small bowl; set aside.

Combine soy sauce, sherry, and water in medium bowl; add chicken and stir to break up clumps. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain chicken in strainer; press out excess liquid.

For the sauce: Whisk all ingredients in small bowl; set aside.

Mix sesame oil, cornstarch, and flour in medium bowl until smooth.

Toss chicken in cornstarch/flour mixture until evenly coated.

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking; add half of chicken to skillet in flat, even layer. Cook, without stirring, but gently separating pieces, until golden brown on first side, about 1 minute; turn chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned on second side, about 30 seconds. Transfer chicken to clean bowl. Repeat with additional 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and remaining chicken.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet; heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add 1/4 cup water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium-low. Cook broccoli until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, then transfer broccoli to paper towel-lined plate.

Add garlic/ginger mixture to skillet, increase heat to medium-high and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, sticky, and golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds, Return chicken to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 1 minute.

Off heat, add broccoli and cashews and stir to combine. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve.

Serve this with white rice.

If there was anything I would change about this recipe it would be to add some orange zest. The 1/4 cup orange juice didn't cut it and orange flavor was lost in the midst of all of the other flavors. Other than that, it was great!

<3 Saleena

Arroz Con Pollo

Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, filled with love and joy! I know I did :] One of my very favorite gifts was the Cook's Illustrated cookbook.

Its HUGE. Full of 2,000 recipes. And the best part? It has been a process in the making for 20 years because they tested all of the recipes, making them virtually fool-proof and loaded with flavor. That's my kind of cook book. So, if you like to cook too, I strongly recommend this one. I received this gift Sunday night, I had to use it for dinner on Monday.

While on our honeymoon in Costa Rica, meal time was pretty predictable. It didn't matter whether is was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, my husband almost always ordered arroz con pollo. I don't blame him, because this typical Costa Rican dish is bomb. I almost jumped for joy when I saw this recipe in my new cook book. And Matt was pretty excited, too.

Ingredients:

6 medium cloves garlic minced or chopped

Table salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons

Ground black pepper

bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), trimmed (I used a bit less)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup water

3 cups long-grain rice

1/2 cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and chopped

1 tablespoon capers

1/2 cup jarred pimentos, sliced

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; stir to combine.

Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium).

Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more.

Add tomato sauce, broth, and water; stir to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add rice, olives, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. Return pot to oven. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding 1/3 cup water. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer

Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces.

Place chicken in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and pimentos; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

I love cilantro, so I added some extra on top.

This was so good, and Matt loved it, too :] I was a little hesitant about a few of the ingredients, but it turned out great! Next time, I would do the recommended amount of chicken (3 1/2 - 4lbs) because I did about half that. It makes a lot. Good news for us, we have lots of left overs!

<3 Saleena

Almond Panko & Sesame Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

I love love love this recipe. And so does everyone else I've made it for. The chicken is juicy with a crunchy crust that everyone loves. The dipping sauce is delicious and I end up saving whats left of it to put on other things.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup yellow or dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
About 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 eggs
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup slivered, sliced or blanched whole almonds
1 cup panko or plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup sesame seeds
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the mustard, honey, chives and hot sauce.

Separate out half of the sauce and reserve. Beat the eggs into the remaining sauce.

Using a food processor, grind the nuts.

Combine with the panko and sesame seeds.

In a large skillet, heat a layer of oil over medium-high heat. Coat the chicken tenders with the egg sauce and then the nut-breadcrumb mixture and fry, turning, until deep golden.

Serve with the honey mustard sauce, which is so delicious.

This dish is one of my favorites to make because it is very simple and the flavor is great.

I promise, you won't be disappointed :]

<3 Saleena

Honey Roasted Peanut & Pretzel Crusted Chicken

If you are looking to cook something easy and fun, or maybe making dinner for kids, this is sure to be a hit. This chicken is so crunchy and has a great flavor. Plus, I am going to add one of my favorite recipes for honey mustard dipping sauce...it's real good.

Ingredients:

For chicken:

1/2 bag salted pretzels, any shape

1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and pepper

2 eggs

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Honey mustard or barbecue sauce, for drizzling

For Honey Mustard Sauce:

1/4 C Honey

1/4 C Dijon mustard

1/2 Tbsp Hot sauce

2 Tbsp Chives

For the Veggies:

1 Zucchini, sliced

1 Squash, sliced

Salt & pepper

2 Tsp Olive oil

Italian seasoning

Directions:

To make the sauce, add honey, mustard, hot sauce, and chives in a bowl and stir to combine. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Place the pretzels and peanuts in a food processor or blender and grind until fine. Transfer to a shallow dish, add the thyme, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Pre-heat a large skillet with EVOO, enough to go a quarter-inch up the sides of the skillet, over medium-high heat. While your oil is heating up for your chicken, add oil to a small skillet and once it is hot add your veggies. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook until tender.

Crack and beat the eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water.

Coat the chicken in the ground pretzels and peanuts, then the eggs, then the pretzels again. (Double dippin' :])

Add the coated chicken pieces to the hot EVOO. Cook in a single layer, in two batches if necessary, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until the cutlets' juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned.