Cilantro Chicken

After having beef, corned beef, a casserole and crab, we were ready for some chicken. I flipped through more of my to-try recipes and this was the ticket. I had all the ingredients, which made it an instant winner! And it had citrus (it calls for lime juice; I had lemons instead), garlic and cilantro. If I’d started it several hours ahead, or even overnight, it likely would have been even better. But I did it at the last minute. It was delicious. I really enjoyed the garlic (6 cloves for 4 servings . . . wow), and the tang of lemon juice.

The recipe came from Sunset, in March of 2006, submitted by Cheryl Brown of Englewood, Colorado. The recipe blurb said Cheryl and her husband Rick once owned a restaurant in Littleton, Colorado, and this dish was a popular favorite.

Cook’s Notes: Start this a day ahead to get the best garlic flavor. Remember to pound the chicken so it’s mostly an even thickness (you’ll get more evenly cooked chicken). Use the remaining lemon juice in some rice to give it a nice zip too. A great combination.

Cilantro Chicken
Recipe By: Sunset, March 2006
Serving Size: 4
2 pounds boned and skinned chicken breast halves -- 4 pieces
1/4 cup lime juice -- or lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 whole garlic cloves -- chopped
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness (about 1/2 in.) and place in a shallow baking pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix lime juice, cilantro, garlic, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken and turn pieces to coat evenly. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.
3. Lay chicken on a grill over medium heat (you can hold you hand over the surface only 4 to 5 seconds) and cook, turning once, until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
Per Serving: 307 Calories; 6g Fat (18.9% calories from fat); 53g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 132mg Cholesterol; 416mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 7 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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Fumi Chinese Chicken Salad

I remember it so vividly, the first time I had Chinese Chicken Salad. It was about 1977 or 1978. Regularly, I was flying from Orange County to San Jose, to supervise and train people in an office I managed (from a distance). I usually flew one morning, spent one night and returned home the next night. The office staff would take me out to lunch one of the days I was there, and a favorite place, close by, was Ming’s in Palo Alto. It’s still there, likely serving much the same menu as in the 70’s and 80’s. I tried the Chinese Chicken Salad, and was mesmerized. Most likely it was the fresh cilantro and the dressing that hooked me. Whatever it was, I’ve been a convert ever since. I believe that was the first time I’d ever been served a salad with nuts in it. What a revelation.

I must have missed the Sunset issue when Ming’s recipe was published. Nevertheless, I’ve collected Chinese chicken salad recipes by the dozens ever since. One year, attending a women’s luncheon, I particularly enjoyed the salad served, and was able to procure the recipe. I hadn’t made this for years and years and years, until the other night. Friends had been invited to dinner, and they requested I make salad, something light, and easy. First, we had cheese (fontina and manchego with some pear jam on the side) for appetizers, with some wine, then the salad, served with ciabatta. Followed by the pumpkin custard I posted yesterday.

The salad is quite simple in its construct. Cabbage, head lettuce, green onions, cucumber, almonds, cilantro and the noodles (dry) from Top Ramen (without the seasoning packet). The dressing is nothing by oil, seasoned rice wine vinegar, dark sesame oil, a little sugar, salt and pepper. It does take some time to chop and mince, but this salad is not as complicated as some I’ve had or made. The guests, and the family, raved about it. One guest said he thought the salad had the perfect proportion of cabbage and head lettuce, and that they were sliced just right. DH and our son-in-law Todd asked me to make it again, soon. No problem. I’ll be happy to.

A note about steeping the chicken: It was many years ago I read an article in Sunset about the Chinese (Asian) method of poaching chicken, used for any cold chicken dish you wish to make. It’s so very easy, and produces a much more tender and juicy piece of chicken than you can do by baking or even using a rotisserie chicken from the market. If time permits, bring a pot of water to a boil and add some carrot, celery and onion (otherwise just use water), allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes, then add the boneless chicken breasts. Allow it to simmer very slowly for about 5 minutes or less. Put a lid on the pan, turn off the heat and allow the chicken to just sit (steep) in the liquid for about 30 minutes. Save the broth for another use, if you want, then allow chicken to cool a bit so it’s easier to handle, and chop or slice.

Cook’s Notes: The produce can all be chopped and diced ahead of time. The Top Ramen (or Sapporo brand, which is what I used) needs to be hand-crunched – you don’t want big chunks of it in your finished salad. If you have trouble with it, put it in a plastic bag and whack it multiple times with a lid or pan to break it up. I used all Splenda for the sugar, and poured on all of the dressing. It takes more dressing than you might think. Be sure to use the thick, dark sesame oil.

Fumi (Chinese Chicken) Salad
Recipe By: Adapted from a luncheon I attended some years ago.
Serving Size: 8 (lunch sized portion; 6 for dinner)
SALAD:
1/2 head cabbage -- chopped
1 bunch green onions -- minced
2 packages Top Ramen -- noodles only, not seasoning packets
5 each chicken breast halves without skin
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 bunch cilantro -- minced
1/2 whole English cucumber -- chopped
3 cups lettuce, iceberg -- sliced
DRESSING:
2/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons sugar -- or Splenda
1 tablespoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon peanut butter -- optional
1. Chicken: If you have the time, steep (cook) the chicken by bringing a few cups of water to a boil, add a cut-up carrot, an onion, a bay leaf and some celery, simmer for a few minutes, then add the chicken to the pot. Bring to a boil again and gently simmer for 5 minutes (yes, five minutes). Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside for at least 30 minutes, then remove chicken to cool. Save broth for another purpose, if desired. When chicken is cool, chop into small bite-sized pieces. You may also use leftover chicken for this. This steeping method will give you a very tender and moist piece of chicken. If the chicken is very cold (or partially frozen) you will need to simmer it longer. If using any chicken pieces with bones, make sure when you chop the chicken, it is cooked through before adding to the salad.
2. Dressing: In a jar heat the rice wine vinegar and sugar in the microwave just hot enough so the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool, then add other ingredients, shake well, and set aside until ready to serve.
3. Salad: chop up the cabbage, lettuce, onions and cucumber. Toss these things in a large salad bowl until well mixed, then add in cilantro and chicken and mix a little. Top with almonds, sesame seeds and Top Ramen noodles. Pour dressing (you'll use most of it) over and toss well. If desired, you may sprinkle some more toasted sesame seeds on top.
NOTES : If you don't add lettuce to this dish, it will keep for a few days, but the lettuce wilts, obviously, within a few hours. If you choose to do that, add twice as much cabbage. If you want to make this lower in fat, switch the proportion of oil and wine vinegar. This salad requires a surprising amount of dressing. The Top Ramen adds even more fat to the dish, so I usually make it without it when making it at home. The recipe indicates it serves 8. It will, if in moderate, lunch-sized servings. For a dinner entree, this served 6.
Per Serving (not accurate because you don't use the high-sodium seasoning packet in the Top Ramen): 462 Calories; 32g Fat (60.4% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 43mg Cholesterol; 996mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 5 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
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Chicken Cacciatore

Some years ago a group of us spent a week in Tuscany, staying in a charming (read: old) villa in a tiny town of Bucine. Actually we stayed at this villa twice over the course of two years. In case anyone is interested, click HERE and you can see the villa. But this is the first trip I'm talking about today. The owners of the villa provided a delicious multi-course meal for us one night (they still do it now, but for a fee). It got us all talking about our favorite Italian food. Carole talked about her fabulous chicken cacciatore, and agreed that when we returned home, we'd have a reunion with all of us to share stories, all our photographs, and she'd fix it for us.

It took us awhile to get a date for everybody, but we did, finally, meet at her home in West Los Angeles, and this is the dish she made. We slicked up our plates in short order, I'll tell you. In between quaffs of chianti and telling stories. Laughing over some of our fun and funny adventures. Like the day we took the train to Florence, and made it on time to the last train back to our little village, with most of us having to help Carole with her bags and bags of purchases. Carole is a very successful real estate agent in Beverly Hills, and she dresses very well, so she thrives on buying all kinds of lovely things whenever she's in Italy. Then there was the story about the huge antique chest Carole bought the day we spent in Siena. She spent nearly as much on the shipping as she did the antique itself (Well, not quite, but it makes for a good story, doesn't it? The chest is lovely and was very expensive.).

We had a grand time at our trip reunion. Carole happened to mention that the cacciatore recipe was Mario Batali's, so it took just a bit of sleuthing on the internet to find it. About the only thing truly different about the preparation is the addition of pancetta. (Remember, pancetta is unsmoked Italian bacon.)

Cook's Notes: This freezes well, and makes a nice presentation with some linguine or thin spaghetti to serve it on. The sauce is part of the greatness of this. And in this case, more is better. Don't skimp on the ingredients for that part.

Chicken Cacciatore
Recipe By: Adapted from Mario Batali, of the TV Food Network
Serving Size : 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 pieces chicken drumsticks
6 pieces chicken thighs
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 medium onion -- chopped
3/4 cup carrots -- chopped
1 stalk celery -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 cups mushrooms - small, whole [my addition]
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram -- or oregano
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons cognac
28 ounces plum tomatoes -- diced, packed in puree
2 tablespoons Italian parsley -- chopped
4 ounces pancetta -- 1/4-inch dice
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 T. olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and working in batches brown the chicken until golden brown, about 7 minutes per side. Remove chicken pieces as they are browned.
2. To the Dutch oven add the remaining 4 T. olive oil. sauté the pancetta until golden brown, about 6-7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and save. To the pan add onion, carrot, celery, then scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Add the garlic and marjoram and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cognac and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by about two thirds.
3. Add the reserved pancetta, tomatoes and tomato puree; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a slow simmer and partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together, about 35-40 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and cook for one minute to heat through. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the chicken is tender, about 35-40 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer meat to a heated platter and cover loosely with foil. With a large spoon or ladle, skim any fat off the surface of the sauce and discard. Stir the parsley into the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Per Serving: 456 Calories; 26g Fat (56.7% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 142mg Cholesterol; 681mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.
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Quick (Modern) Coq au Vin

Since I Tivo all the America's Test Kitchen programs, I store them up and watch several at one time. They did one a week or so ago called French Classics. It included this Coq au Vin (coke-aw-vahn, chicken in wine) and a chocolate Pots de Creme. I printed out both recipes, and today you get to hear the results of the chicken.

When I was in my 20's, and living in Denver, I think it was, I attended one of my first cooking classes, and the teacher prepared the traditional coq au vin. It required many steps, including rendering some salt pork. Salt pork's not something I see every day, although I suppose it is available at the grocery stores if I sought it out. I have made coq au vin a few times, but never found the chicken all that tender (dry and overcooked) and the gravy was very thin.

The chefs at America's Test Kitchen came to the rescue. They explained that originally French kitchens used a very elderly boiling chicken, the kind you have to cook and cook to tenderize. These days we have young, tender fryers which don't require much cooking. They demonstrated a rather rapid coq au vin, and I was intrigued. It used bacon instead of salt pork. I love the richness and suppleness of red wine, cooked down to a thick gravy with the onions and mushrooms. This recipe took about 50 minutes of total cooking time (browning and simmering), with about another 25 of prep. So, I had dinner on the table in a little over an hour. Their recipe said it took 90 minutes.

The secrets of this recipe include reducing the entire bottle of wine and chicken broth to about 3 cups, browning the chicken first, then making the vegie part (mushrooms and onions) and then simmering the dark meat pieces first (for 20 minutes), THEN adding in the chicken breasts later, so they cook only 20 minutes. What a difference that made. The breast meat was tender and juicy. Once the chicken is done you remove it to keep warm and turn the heat up to high and continue reducing the gravy until it's thick. A tablespoon of butter is added at the very last, along with a tablespoon of the red wine you saved at the beginning, that didn't get reduced.

Definitely I'd make this again. It was certainly a lot easier than my previous recipe. I might not make it for guests just because it's, to me anyway, a kind of home comfort food dinner. But, it looked very pretty in my wide soup bowls with the gnocchi pasta in the bottom and the fresh Italian parsley sprinkled on top. We both slurped it up in quick order.

Cook's Notes: use a light, fruity red wine (they recommend Pinot Noir or a Rhone grenache). Use good, thick bacon (more flavor). If possible use kosher chicken, since it will retain the juice better. Next time I'd use more mushrooms, just because I like them. And if I had my druthers, I'd have more sauce, so that would mean using about a bottle and a half of wine to start with, and would mean measuring a bit more carefully so you reduce each part correctly.

Modern Coq au Vin
Recipe By : America's Test Kitchen
Serving Size : 6
1 bottle red wine -- fruity (pinot noir or Rhone grenache)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 sprigs fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 ounces bacon -- thick-cut, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces -- parts or thighs only Table salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup frozen pearl onions -- thawed, drained, and patted dry
8 ounces mushrooms -- crimini, wiped clean, stems trimmed, halved if small and quartered if large
2 medium cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1. Bring all but 1 tablespoon wine (reserve for later use), broth, parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 3 cups, about 25 minutes. Discard herbs.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons fat in small bowl; discard remaining fat.
3. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of chicken in single layer and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining chicken and 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add pearl onions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and flour; cook, stirring frequently, until well combined, about 1 minute.
5. Add reduced wine mixture, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; add 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Return chicken, any accumulated juices, and reserved bacon to pot; increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
6. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl; tent with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer sauce until thick and glossy and measures 3 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and reserved 1 tablespoon wine. Season to taste with salt. Return chicken to pot and top with minced parsley. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: 553 Calories; 40g Fat (63.5% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 159mg Cholesterol; 493mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 5 Fat.

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Chicken in a Hurry

You know what I mean when it's 6:00 and you need to get something on the table for dinner? Like right NOW. I have a go-to chicken recipe - it's not a 4-star winner, but it's certainly better than okay. My DH always says it's good, and I think it is too, as long as you know your purpose is to eat quickly.

It's nothing but this:

This is a can - a spice mix. It's imported from Hungary, although everything on the can is in English. The brand is "Pride of Szeged," "The World's Best Chicken Rub." It contains garlic, basil, paprika, oregano, salt and "spices." It can be purchased at some specialty grocery stores. The recipe on the back of the can suggests the following:

• Mix 1/4 cup of seasoning mix with 4 T. oil. Add 2 T. lemon juice or vinegar. Brush entire mixture on chicken [it doesn't say how much chicken]. Grill, bake or broil. For best result, refrigerate chicken in seasoning for 2-6 hours.

When I'm in a hurry I do nothing but sprinkle the spice mixture on chicken pieces and pan fry them in a bit of olive oil. That's it. Sometimes after the chicken has browned on both sides, I'll pour in a splash of vermouth, or red wine, sometimes a squeeze of lemon juice, as suggested in the above recipe. Then I may put a lid on the pan to just steam the chicken completely. Serve.

This time I had boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and some Siciliana Sauce (a sweet and sour, cold, chunky tomato based sauce I blogged about last year) that is absolutely great with chicken. Our friends, Sue & Lynn, brought some over when they came for dinner a week ago. But I've often served the chicken with nothing but this rub.

I bought the chicken rub at a German deli (in 2005), but I've seen it other places. And I did find it online also at a mailorder site. There is a website for the product, but it's not displaying. Don't know what that means. The company also makes other rubs, but this is the only one I've found. I'm not posting a printer friendly recipe for this since it's so simple. As long as you have the spice mix.

For your information, I served this with brussels sprouts that I cut in half and simmered in a bit of chicken broth and thyme. They were ready at the same time the chicken was ready. From start to finish I had dinner on the table in about 25 minutes.

Mustard-and-Herb Chicken

Here's the mustard and herb chicken as it was served on the plate, on a bed of red onions, with cauliflower on the side.


Here's the chicken after baking. Note bread crumb crust.

Those of you who regularly read my blog will remember that a few days ago I felt so proud of myself after spending many hours clipping and filing recipes. It needed doing. Then yesterday I went into our laundry room, which has two tall shelves that are completely full of kitchen equipment that won't fit in my kitchen. And I went to a 8-inch stack of handouts from cooking classes I've been to, and was hunting for a specific recipe that was lacking a topping. Out came the stack and I set it on the washing machine and began looking for the Joanne Weir class where she served that particular dish. And what did I find in this stack? Oh my. More recipes that had been torn out of magazines and newspapers. From about 2004 and 2005.

And yet again, one recipe floated its way to the top and said "fix me." I've only begun sorting and piecing together recipes in this new stack.

Sometimes the simplest of recipes are just over-the-top good. That's the story about this recipe. It came together in less than 30 minutes, and while the chicken was baking I was able to throw together some pan-sauteed cauliflower to serve with it. And to saute the onions that served as the bed under the chicken. The recipe came from Food & Wine, February 2006. According to F&W's website, this was a "staff favorite." I understand why.

You make a crumb crust from fresh bread. The recipe calls for 2 slices of country bread. Well, we don't have country bread on hand in our house - I buy good multi-grain bread at the Corner Bakery every week or so and slices are individually wrapped and frozen. So I used one slice of that bread plus some panko crumbs to make the topping, which also contains Parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh rosemary (I dashed outside, in the dark, mind you) and a bit of olive oil to hold it together. The chicken thighs (I only had skinless, boneless, not what's called for in the recipe) are seasoned, then browned briefly in a large saute pan that can go in the oven. Once you flip them over you slather them with some Dijon mustard, then carefully mound the crumb mixture on top before popping the pan in the oven at a high temp to bake for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile I started the cauliflower, and about 7-8 minutes before the chicken was done I sauteed the onion, sugar and lemon juice mixture that goes underneath the chicken. DH and I both just l-o-v-e-d it. Really l-o-v-e-d it. I'll make this again and again. The thighs were perfectly cooked. And the onions were still just slightly crunchy, which we both liked. The best part is that it came together in 30 minutes.

Cook's Notes: The recipe says it served two (two thighs each) but for us, one thigh, with the onion bed, and another veg on the side was plenty. So for me, I'd say it served 4 if the thighs are moderate sized. I used a red onion. Any kind would likely work.

Mustard-and-Herb Chicken
Recipe: Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, Food & Wine, 2/06
Servings: 4
1 slice country bread -- crusts removed, bread torn
1/4 cup panko [my addition in lieu of a 2nd piece of bread]
2 whole garlic cloves -- minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary -- finely chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- finely grated
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 whole chicken thighs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion -- thinly sliced [I used a red onion]
1 Pinch sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a food processor, pulse the bread until finely shredded. Add the garlic, [panko], rosemary and Parmesan, season with salt and pepper and pulse until combined. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil olive and pulse just until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. In a medium, ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken and spread the skin with the mustard. Carefully spoon the bread crumbs onto the chicken, patting them on with the back of the spoon. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for about 15 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and crisp and the chicken is cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and sugar, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 2 minutes longer. Spoon the onion mixture onto 2 plates, top with the chicken and serve. NOTES : This recipe makes a strong argument for using fresh bread crumbs. Unlike store-bought ones, which can be powdery, fresh bread crumbs get toasty and crispy in the oven, making them especially delicious as a coating for these mustard-smeared chicken thighs.
Per Serving: 425 Calories; 36g Fat (75.3% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 98mg Cholesterol; 271mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 5 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Shiitake-Crusted Chicken & Mushrooms

Sorting through recipes the other day I came across about 10 recipes (out of the 3-inch high stack) that I would like to fix real soon. I set those aside (this recipe among them). The rest got filed into my recipe binders.

Filing is one of my least favorite activities, along with ironing and gardening. Back when I was a new college grad and went to work in a job that required me to file now and then, the filing piled up for months on end. The same thing happens here at home now, 40+ years later. I mean, I'm retired, for goodness' sake, and still the filing doesn't get done. As bills are paid I save the statements. I used to file all of them regularly, every month, then when tax time came around I'd pull them all out for the next year. But a couple of years ago I had a busy year and the entire YEAR of statements ended up in one single pile. Uh, do you want to know how high it was? Nah, you don't really, do you? Well, it was about 18 inches. Since we own two homes and two rental homes, we have a sizable amount of paper that traverses our household from mailbox to a sorting area in our garage, to piles for him and her (90% goes into mine), then they get dispersed to the pile, or other places for saving. I'm the one who pays the bills, saves important paperwork, does the tax prep work too. I've had to buy two 4-drawer file cabinets for our garage just to store old records. But ever since that year when I didn't file, I don't file bills at all anymore. They just accumulate into an 18-inch stack. Then I sort and toss a good part of them.

Recipes are another to-file item. And no, they're not even in the same room as the bill-paying department. I read a lot of magazines, and clip a lot of recipes. I try really hard to only clip recipes I truly think I'm going to prepare. But still, every month I have many new recipes I think I'm going to make. At what age I wonder will I stop doing this? At what point in my life will I decide I have enough recipes, that I don't need more? At what age will I decide I don't need more cookbooks? Same problem. One part of me says I'll probably continue to clip recipes as long as I'm still able to cook and have a kitchen to cook in. And I'll likely be interested in cookbooks for the same reason. When I'm gone, probably my kids will look at my files of untried recipes (of which there are multitudes) and toss every one of them in the trash. What appeals to one person doesn't always appeal to another. Well, philosophical things to ponder.

Well, so here we are at this recipe. It had been hanging out in a stack of recipe clippings for oh, let's say it's been 9 years. (I have filed in that interim, but I don't know why this particular recipe hadn't been. A quandry.) It's from a 1996 Gourmet Magazine. And the other day I decided I really, REALLY had to do something about the pile. So, I sorted all the recipes into category piles (appetizers, salads, sides, pork, breads, etc.), then filed them away.

The project took hours. And hours. My back was a-killin' me when I was done. But, at least it's DONE. And this recipe came popping up to the top. I had all the ingredients (particularly important are the shiitake mushrooms), and it didn't take too long to make. It was good. Very good. I probably will make this again.

Here are my breading/dipping pans. Available from Williams-Sonoma, they have been a great addition to my kitchen equipment. They come as a set of three, and one edge hooks onto the next one, so the grouping stays in place as you work. In this case I dipped the chicken breasts in flour, then in egg, then in the shiitake mushroom and panko mixture before browning them very briefly, then baking for a short time in the oven. While the chicken bakes (about 10 minutes), you can whip up the mushroom sauce.

Cook's Notes: Next time, I'll make more sauce - it's amazing how little sauce you end up with once mushrooms cook down. If you don't have white wine (like vermouth), use sherry instead. This recipe had been posted to Epicurious, and a comment by several people included a suggestion to chop up the shiitake mushrooms more than you think - the recipe says coarsely. I probably diced them and they were fine. They need to adhere to the chicken, and if they're too big they simply won't stay attached to the chicken when you brown the chicken in the skillet. I also added a bit of water to the sauce (to make more), then ended up sprinkling a smidge of flour into the sauce (from the breading pan) to help it thicken up. Don't overcook the sauce - it's better if the mushrooms still have some definition.


Shiitake-Crusted Chicken with Creamed Mushrooms
Recipe: Gourmet Magazine, April, 1996
Servings: 4
FOR COATING:
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 ounces shiitake mushrooms -- stems discarded and caps chopped coarse (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs -- fine grind [I used panko]
1/3 cup all-purpose flour -- seasoned with salt and pepper
1 large egg -- beaten lightly
2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts -- (about 1 1/2 pounds) halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
FOR CREAMED MUSHROOMS:
1 large shallot -- minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms -- stems discarded and caps chopped coarse
1/2 cup dry white wine [or sherry]
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary -- chopped, or a rounded 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled [I used thyme instead]
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Prepare coating: In a shallow baking pan drizzle oil over shiitakes and toss to coat. Roast mushrooms, stirring once or twice, 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Keep oven at 450°F. Mince roasted shiitake and in a shallow bowl stir together with bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Have ready in separate shallow bowls seasoned flour and egg. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off excess, and dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Coat chicken with mushroom mixture, gently knocking off excess, and transfer to a plate. Chicken may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead and chilled, uncovered, on a rack.
3. In a 12-inch non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté chicken until golden, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer chicken with tongs to baking pan and roast in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until just cooked through. [If you use thick chicken breasts, it may take longer to bake.]
4. For Creamed Mushrooms: Make creamed mushrooms while chicken is roasting. Wipe out skillet and cook shallot in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add shiitake and salt and pepper to taste and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are softened and browned lightly. Stir in wine, vinegar, and rosemary and boil until all liquid is evaporated. Add cream and simmer, stirring, until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with creamed mushrooms.
Per Serving (assuming you consume all the dredging flour, dredging egg, which you don't): 746 Calories; 27g Fat (31.5% calories from fat); 41g Protein; 91g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 170mg Cholesterol; 198mg Sodium. Exchanges: 5 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 5 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Mulligatawny Soup

Oh, I do adore soups. I'm sure I've gone on and on before about why I like soups - just the simple ease of them, they warm the tummy, great to freeze for another night when I don't feel like cooking, and you don't have to make all those different things . . . a protein, a vegetable, a salad, maybe a carb . . . you get it all right in the pot. Sometimes I serve soup with a side carb like a biscuit. Rarely do I make a salad, because a green salad doesn't always seem to go with a hot soup. Maybe a half a sandwich goes better with it, but I had had a half a sandwich for lunch. So, since there's rice in this soup, the meal is complete just the way it is.

I remember reading this recipe in a magazine back about 1971. It was probably Family Circle or something similar. I was still experimenting with curry powder back then, and this one doesn't have all that much curry in it, so it just has a faint hint of it. But it was the addition of apple that intrigued me. Somewhere around the same time I'd encountered a savory cold apple soup that became a regular on my summer entertaining menu. One of these days I'll post that one. I really enjoyed making things that surprised people. You just don't expect apple in a savory soup.

This soup comes together in a jiffy, actually. I had chicken √, celery √, carrot √, onion √, chicken broth √, rice √ and the spices √. Over the years I've adjusted the recipe quite a bit - more chicken, more curry, more onion, more carrot, more thyme. But the bones of the recipe remain the same. We went to see Atonement, the movie, the day I made this. It's a kind of a downer, although exceptionally well done. It made me want to get comfortable in front of the fireplace and be cozy. Soup fits in perfectly.

Mulligatawny Soup has its origins in India. Here's what wikipedia had to say about it:

• Mulligatawny is a type of Anglo-Indian soup. It is regarded as the national soup of India. A literal translation from Tamil is "pepper water" ('Millagu' is pepper and 'Thanni' is water). Despite the name, pepper itself is not a vital ingredient. Rice and noodles are commonly served in the soup; the real dish the Anglo-Indians call "pepper water" is closer to Tamilian rasam (pronounced Russ-um) than mulligatawny. Variations differ very much. Sometimes, the soup has a turmeric-like yellow color and is garnished with parsley and chicken meat, and is more soupy, which takes on its Anglo-Indian adaptation to be a thick, spicy meat soup.

Interestingly, curry is not a specific ingredient listed above. But think India-n food, think curry. I really like the addition, whatever version this is. And it's very low in fat and sodium, providing you use low-sodium chicken broth. You could eliminate the rice too, if you wanted to make this a low carb meal.

Mulligatawny Soup
Recipe: adapted from a magazine article, c. 1971, but I have no notes about it.
Servings: 4
1 whole onion -- diced
2 whole carrots -- diced
2 stalks celery -- diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons curry powder - I prefer about 1 tablespoon
4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup water
1/4 cup apple -- diced - I use half an apple
1/2 cup rice
1 cup cooked chicken -- diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup fat free half-and-half
1. Heat olive oil in a medium-deep pan, then add onion, carrot and celery. Stir and heat the vegetables, then sprinkle the flour over them, adding the curry powder as well. Cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add rice and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes. Add half of the apple and seasonings and simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Just before serving, add the remaining apple and the chicken, plus the half and half and heat until the soup just barely comes to a simmer again.
NOTES : One of the keys to this soup is the apple - you just don't expect it in a soup. It's important to use a tart, firm apple, not one that will turn into mush (so use a Pippin or Granny Smith only).
Per Serving: 298 Calories; 8g Fat (25.0% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 15mg Cholesterol; 1129mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat.

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Sauteed Chicken with Red Wine Vinegar Sauce

When my DH says this is a keeper, I listen up. He doesn't say those words all that often. He enjoys my cooking and does tell me all the time how much he appreciates this dish or that. But those particular words just don't come out of his mouth frequently. I heard them for this dish. He was intrigued enough by the appearance to ask me what was in it, how I cooked it. He keeps thinking that one of these days when he takes a several-day sailing trip on our boat, going out to Catalina, or one of the other islands within sailing distance of our shores, that he's going to cook a nice dinner for his crew. (I've probably mentioned it before, but I don't go on these jaunts because I get deathly seasick, or I'm so drugged up with Dramamine that I don't function much, or suffer from very blurred vision if I use the scopalamine patch. All in all, I just don't go. DH reminds me occasionally that he didn't marry me for my sailing abilities. That's for sure. He also didn't marry me for my dancing style, either, but that's another story.)

So anyway, he was curious about the chicken and nearly licked the plate. The recipe came from a restaurant out in our California desert - a French place called Cuistot. We've eaten there several times, and enjoyed the food. A reader wrote into the Los Angeles Times (December 12, 2007) asking them to get the recipe, which the chef provided. I believe the article said this is a common bistro kind of preparation. It's easy - from start to finish it took me about 45 minutes, with 25 of those minutes the chicken was in the oven. You heat the oven to a phenomenal 500 degrees F. Yikes. But it works. If you have a heavy-duty skillet that can withstand that kind of heat, go for it (that's what the recipe indicates). I wasn't sure enough to subject my Look brand nonstick skillet to that temp, so after browning the chicken pieces I popped them in an ovenproof pan. Then I deglazed the browning skillet and made the sauce while the chicken was baking. It sped up the dinner process since I was able to take the chicken directly from the oven to the plate and spooned sauce on it immediately with a bit of the drippings from the blazing hot pan.

This is the kind of dinner you could throw together quickly - providing you have shallots on hand and fresh tomatoes. Most home kitchens would have the garlic, butter, red wine, vinegar and chicken broth. I forgot to add the garnish in my haste to get the plates on the table.

Cook's Notes: I diverged just a little - I sliced the garlic (as usual, I didn't read the recipe real well when I started - sheepish grin here), but discarded it after baking, since it was for flavor, not eating anyway. I also used chicken thighs and breasts, because that's what I had on hand. Surely in my cache of vinegars I have cabernet vinegar, but in my haste I decided not to hunker down on the floor perusing for bottles behind bottles. And, I cooked the sauce longer than I should have - I kept reducing the liquid, but I'd already put in the tomatoes, so they weren't just flash fried and still fresh-looking. Tasted great, though. We had the leftovers for dinner last night. DH again mentioned this chicken was "wow" in his book. We both agreed, though, that more sauce is needed, so next time I'll double that part.

You see, I was late getting home - went to see Kite Runner at 3:55 and didn't get out of the movie until 6:15. And, oh my goodness, was that a movie! I'd read the book a year or two ago, right after it came out. The photography was excellent - even though it was filmed mostly in China. The bulk of the real story takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan and Pakistan, but it certainly looked authentic. The story is heart-wrenching to say the very least about it. Highly recommended. And, of course, the book is better, but I thought the movie was exceptionally well done.

So, after a 30-minute drive home, it was late for dinner before I even started. Bang, clang, and I served it in a jiffy. And now this will go into the KEEPERS file. DH even asked that the next time this is on the menu, he'd like to make it. Now that makes this a real red-letter dinner! He's never said that. Ever.

Sautéed Chicken with Red Wine Vinegar Sauce
Recipe: Cuistot Restaurant, Palm Desert, California, via the Los Angeles Times
Servings: 4
4 pieces chicken breasts -- skin-on chicken breasts or whole legs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter -- divided
4 whole garlic cloves -- skin-on
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
3 tablespoons red wine
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
2 whole plum tomatoes -- peeled, seeded and diced

Chopped chives or parsley for garnish
1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle each piece of chicken lightly on each side with one-eighth teaspoon salt and a grind or two of pepper.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the chicken, skin-side down, along with the garlic cloves. Sauté over medium-high heat, until the skin is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the chicken and repeat on the other side.
3. Place the pan, with the chicken skin-side up, in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through. The meat will be firm and the juices will run clear, and a thermometer inserted will read 165 degrees.
4. Remove the chicken from the skillet, cover and set aside in a warm place. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the pan, and return to the stove over medium heat. Add the shallots, cooking until they caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the red wine and vinegar and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, a few minutes. Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and stir to combine; adjust seasoning. Whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter, swirling to thicken the sauce.
5. Return the chicken to the sauce and heat 1 to 2 minutes until warmed through. Sprinkle with chives or parsley and serve immediately.
NOTES : Adapted from chef Bernard Dervieux of Cuistot in Palm Desert. The chef recommends Cabernet vinegar for the red wine vinegar in the recipe.
Per Serving (assuming you consume the chicken skin): 583 Calories; 33g Fat (52.7% calories from fat); 62g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 201mg Cholesterol; 443mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 9 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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Senegalese Peanut Soup with Chicken

The other day I was invited to a lovely ladies luncheon. A birthday celebration. It was great fun. The hostess, Robin, was gracious and full of laughter and humorous stories. She had prepared a delicious lunch for the 6 of us. I happened to have my little camera with me, so snapped photos of the soup. It was absolutely sensational. I can't wait to make my own batch.

I didn't know anything about Senegal (other than it's on the African continent) or its cuisine. Fortunately wikipedia had plenty of information:

• Because Senegal borders the Atlantic Ocean, fish is an important staple. Chicken, lamb, and beef are also used in Senegalese cooking, but not pork, due to the nation’s largely Muslim population. Peanuts, the primary crop, as well as couscous, white rice, bananas, sweet potatoes, lentils, black-eyed beans and various vegetables, are also incorporated into many recipes. Meats and vegetables are typically stewed or marinated in herbs and spices, and then poured over rice or couscous or simply eaten with bread.


• Popular fresh juices are made from bissap, ginger, Buy (pronounce bouy) which is the fruit of the baobab tree also know as "monkey bread fruit", mango, or other fruit or wild trees. Desserts are very rich and sweet, combining native ingredients with the extravagance and style characteristic of the French impact on Senegal’s culinary methods. They are often served with fresh fruit and are traditionally followed by coffee or tea.

So, this soup dish utilizes a number of the staples of the Senegalese cuisine: sweet potatoes, peanuts, and chicken. Robin got the recipe from the food network site, and it's an Emeril recipe from 2006. Usually I'm not inclined to try his recipes - purely a silly reason - I think Emeril appears to be more hype and entertainment than he is a good chef. But I have nothing to back up my claim. Just that I dislike his talking and demonstration style. So, thanks, Robin, for sharing this soup with us!

Senegalese Peanut Soup with Chicken
Recipe: Emeril Lagasse, 2006
Servings: 6
3/4 pound sweet potatoes
5 tablespoons peanut oil
8 whole Roma tomatoes -- halved and seeded
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup onions -- julienned
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk -- unsweetened
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast half without skin -- boneless, diced into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves -- chopped and blanched
2 tablespoons peanuts -- chopped
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Coat the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and place in an oven-proof pie tin. Place the pie tin in the oven and roast the sweet potatoes for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are fully roasted and fork tender. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the potatoes and discard them. Reserve the sweet potato flesh until ready to use.
3. Place the tomatoes in a small mixing bowl and coat with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Lay the tomatoes on a baking sheet, skin side up, and season with salt and pepper. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the tomatoes until the skins are caramelized and wilted, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the oven, discard the skins, and set the tomatoes aside until ready to use.
4. Set a 1 gallon stockpot over a medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the curry powder to the pot and toast for about 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the cayenne pepper and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Add the roasted sweet potatoes and tomatoes to the soup. Add the peanut butter and coconut milk to the pot and stir to blend. Let simmer for 10 minutes, and blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a bar blender until smooth. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and, if necessary, more pepper.
6. Season the chicken pieces with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the white pepper, and sear in a hot saute pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil for 5 minutes. Add the seared chicken to the pot. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
7. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra cilantro and the chopped peanuts.
Per Serving: 554 Calories; 36g Fat (56.7% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 53mg Cholesterol; 1318mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 6 Fat.

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Roasted Lemon Chicken

Since I'd bought a Kosher chicken at Trader Joe's the other day, I wanted to do something different. I mean, a roast chicken is a roast chicken, but we get tired of the same old sliced chicken. I wanted it to be succulent and juicy, not dry and stringy. What to do?

I turned to my America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The recipes are never overdone. They're not fancy. But they've worked out these little details to make something ordinary like meatloaf - or roast chicken - better. I've learned to trust this cookbook when I've used it. This time was no exception.

Just the title, Roast Lemon Chicken, grabbed me. I'm a sucker for anything lemon, and had one Meyer left. The recipe suggests you brine the chicken. Well, if you buy a Kosher chicken, it's already brined. Yea! I didn't follow the recipe down to the letter. I didn't whisk in the additional butter to the sauce which is mentioned in the recipe below. The book recommends using a V-rack. I have a V-rack, but it's for a turkey, and I didn't feel like retrieving the large roasting pan to put it in either, for this small little chicken. I just used a regular rack and put it on a piece of foil. And since I had just one lemon, I had to put some of it in the cavity and the rest was squeezed for the juice called for in the pan juices. I knew the juice was a necessary ingredient for the sauce. The recipe suggests baking the chicken for 40 minutes at 350. Then you turn the pan around and hike up the heat to 450. Laziness had set in and I didn't move down the rack in my oven, so the skin got a bit charred, but the meat underneath was still succulent, likely because of all that herb butter that seeped into it.

I also used my new little heat-resistant silicone bands (looks like a rubber band on the legs above) for both the legs and the wings. They worked like a charm. And the finished dish? Delicious! I'll make this again.

Roasted Lemon Chicken
Recipe: adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Servings: 4
4 pounds whole chicken
1 whole lemon -- quartered
6 whole garlic cloves -- peeled and crushed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary -- minced, or parsley, tarragon or chives
1 tablespoon fresh thyme -- minced
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice Salt and pepper
1. Either buy a kosher chicken, or brine the chicken before proceeding.
2. Drain chicken, rinse under cold water and pat completely dry. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Place the cut-up lemon and garlic inside the chicken cavity. Tie up legs and wings.
4. Combine 2 T. of the butter and all the herbs, with a bit of salt and pepper. Using a spoon, put pieces of the butter under the skin of the chicken breast and press on the outside to spread it over a larger area. With any extra butter mixture, spread lightly on the outside of the skin. Sprinkle entire chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Spray a rack with oil spray and set in a roasting pan. Place chicken on the rack, breast side up. Pour one cup of the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan. Roast the chicken for 40 minutes.
6. Increase oven temp to 450, and turn pan in the oven and continue to bake until the breast meat registers 170, about 20-30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and using heavy-duty utensils, tip chicken so the juices inside spill out into the roasting pan. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil for about 20 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, skim any fat from the juices and stir in remaining chicken broth, scraping up any brown bits. Pour these juices into a saucepan and simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened, and measures about 1/2 cup. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, one piece at a time. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Carve the chicken, discarding the lemon quarters and garlic from the chicken cavity. Spoon some sauce over the chicken slices and serve.
Per Serving (includes the additional butter added to the sauce, and assumes you consume the skin): 824 Calories; 62g Fat (66.8% calories from fat); 64g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 321mg Cholesterol; 245mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 8 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 7 1/2 Fat.

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Thai Chicken & Chile Soup

Talk about a sensational soup! This is it. Maybe we were just in the mood for something different, and maybe it was just because we were with friends that this soup hit the spot. At around lunchtime, we stopped to visit our good friends Russ & Stacey (pictured down below with one of their two children) in San Jose. They'd just returned from a trip the night before, yet Russ, who loves to cook but so often doesn't have time, made this great soup for lunch. It didn't look difficult, as long as you have all the ingredients. That may be the tough part - finding the lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. And the Thai chiles too.



There's a photo of the chiles that I found on the internet - they can be both red or green. They're HOT little devils, I'll tell you. But they add a great punch to the soup. You likely could substitute other kinds of chiles in this preparation, but the red color definitely adds beauty to the finished soup bowl. Galangal is not something that's stocked at my local grocery store, so will have to search it out. Same for the kaffir lime leaves and the lemongrass stalks. But I will be on the hunt. Soon. We have several Ranch 99 markets in our area (Asian foods), and I assume I'll be able to find all of those items there. I'll be making this soup and putting up a stock of it in my soup library. The recipe came from a cookbook I'm not familiar with - called Red Hot Chili Pepper. It contained lots of beautiful photographs, and a variety of recipes using chiles. Russ served this with a side of white rice, which you could add to the soup, or not. But the rice helped temper the heat.


When I make this soup, I may not add the little bit of hot chiles at the end, as they are so very hot. Burned my mouth and throat. But I think if they had been added to the soup earlier they would have dispersed some of their heat. I may consider adding just one chile. But heat is such an individual thing. I'm just warning you, in case you're sensitive to chile heat, that these little guys pack a punch. Thanks, Russ (and Stacey), for the fun visit with you, and for this great recipe!


Thai Chicken & Chile Soup
Recipe: Red Hot Chile Pepper, consulting editor Jenni Fleetwood
Servings: 6
4 stalks lemongrass -- trimmed
29 ounces coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 piece galangal
2 small red Thai chiles -- (very hot)
10 whole peppercorns -- crushed
10 whole kaffir lime leaves -- torn in pieces
11 ounces chicken breast -- cut in thin strips
1 1/2 cups mushrooms -- button or oyster, or your choice
1/2 cup baby corn -- canned, drained, quartered lengthwise
4 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce -- nam pla
GARNISH:
3 scallions -- minced
4 tablespoons cilantro -- minced
1. Cut off the lower 2 inches of each lemongrass stalk and chop those. Bruise the remaining lemongrass.
2. Bring coconut milk, lemongrasses and chicken stock to a boil. Meanwhile, peel and slice the galangal, and peel and mince the red chiles. Add galangal and HALF the chiles, peppercorns, half of the lime leaves to the soup mixture and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain this mixture into a clean pan. Heat, then add the chicken, mushrooms and corn. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add lime juice, fish sauce and remaining lime leaves. Bring back to a boil, then serve hot, garnished with the additional chiles, green onion and cilantro.
Per Serving: 472 Calories; 38g Fat (68.9% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 28mg Cholesterol; 771mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 7 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Old Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings

You're really missing out on something wonderful if you don't make chicken and dumplings once in awhile. My mother used to make this on a regular basis (never as good as this version, however), when I was young. She grew up in an era, the depression, when they basically only ate meat on Sundays, and often it was a chicken chased down in the coop on the farm.

So, one day a year or so ago, in reading The Orange County Register, the Food Editor Cathy Thomas wrote up all the joys and virtues of chicken and dumplings. It set my mouth to watering, and I promptly made hers. Oh my. Was it ever GOOD. Actually, the chicken was Jamee Ruth's version, from the book The Cookware Cookbook (had never heard of it, actually). It's relatively simple, although it calls for ingredients I don't often have on hand (6 leeks, for example and 6 shallots). The gravy/broth is just delicious, helped along with the addition of apple juice of all things. This is worth a trip to the grocery store. A good recipe for a chilly winter's evening. I like to remove the chicken from the bones (and remove all the skin too so DH won't eat it). Just reheat briefly.

Serve it in a wide soup bowl, with the light dumplings on top. And I highly recommend Marion Cunningham's recipe for Feather Dumplings which has fresh bread crumbs and onion in them. The minced onion gives a nice little crunch in the dumpling. Something a little different, but they're worth making. From her book Lost Recipes: Meals to Share with Family & Friends. Although surely this dish is one you ordinarily think of as homespun, it would be wonderful to share with family, and good friends. Here it is in the bowl with the dumplings.

If you have leftovers, when reheating, put the chicken mixture in a saucepan, heat just to a low simmer, then gently lower in the leftover dumplings. Top with a lid and allow to simmer very slowly for just a few minutes, then serve. I also find that the broth/gravy can have some added water. When I made the chicken and dumplings this time, after completing all the cooking (except the dumplings), I ladled out about 7/8 of the leeks with some broth and whizzed them up in the food processor. That made the gravy a bit thicker, which is a good thing.

Chicken and Dumplings
Recipes: Dumplings - Marion Cunningham; Chicken - Jamee Ruth
Source: Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register
Serving Size : 8
CHICKEN:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
4 pounds chicken pieces -- skin-on
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 whole leeks -- cleaned and sliced
6 whole shallots -- diced
5 whole carrots -- cut in 3" pieces
3 stalks celery -- diced
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup apple juice -- or pineapple juice
[Optional: green peas and mushrooms]
FEATHER DUMPLINGS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup onion -- finely minced
1 whole egg -- beaten
2 tablespoons butter -- melted
1 tablespoon Italian parsley -- minced
Black pepper to taste
1. Prepare the chicken (called the soup): In a shallow bowl or pan combine the flour, salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour. Melt butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot on medium-high heat. Cautiously add half of the chicken using tongs. Do not crowd the pieces. Brown nicely on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and brown remaining chicken and remove to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add leeks and shallots, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and starting to brown or caramelize. Add the carrots, celery and thyme. Stir and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add the broth and fruit juice and bring to a boil on high heat. Add the chicken on top, reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes (no more than that, or the chicken will dry out and get tough). Remove from heat and cool. The goal is to remove the fat from the broth, so you can separate the vegetables and put the broth in a flat pan to cool faster. Chill, remove fat, then you can reassemble the dish with the chicken on top. Reheat to a simmer.
3. Dumplings: In a small mixing bowl stir together the flour, bread crumbs, baking powder and salt. In another bowl lightly beat the milk, onion, egg and melted butter. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones to make a wet paste. Don't overmix. Add parsley and pepper and mix just until combined. Drop small spoonfuls (about 12) onto the top of the bubbling soup. [Add mushrooms here.]Cover and reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. [If adding peas, heat frozen peas under hot-hot tap water and add a few to each bowl. If you cook them in the stew, they turn gray/ugly.] Ladle soup, vegetables, chicken and a dumpling or two into wide soup bowls.
Serving Ideas : Serve this in a wide and deep soup bowl. The broth is just fabulous, which you want to consume with every bite.
NOTES : If you prefer, you can remove all the chicken from the bones - in which case it's not necessary to do the dredging, etc. Just brown the chicken pieces.
Per Serving (probably not accurate, too high): 445 Calories; 15g Fat (30.7% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 151mg Cholesterol; 1013mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Why I Buy Kosher Turkeys (and Chickens)

KOSHER TURKEY

Until a a couple of years ago I didn't know much about Kosher meats. Only that if you were Jewish and you wanted to consume meat within the dietary laws of Judaism, you purchased Kosher meat. And I thought a rabbi had been involved somehow in the butchering process, maybe that he said a prayer over it? I didn't know. We have Jewish friends who have meat shipped from somewhere in the Midwest because they believe it's much better meat than they can buy at their local deli that offers Kosher meat and foods. They don't keep a Kosher home - they even eat pork, but they really like the Kosher meat they buy.

Then, I went to a cooking class in which Tarla Fallgatter, the teacher, mentioned that the Kosher chicken at Trader Joe's was just really good. Because I'm always on the lookout for better chicken, I tried a whole chicken - Kosher - from Trader Joe's. OMGoodness. It was fantastic. It was better than any chicken I'd ever purchased before.

But still, that was the extent of what I knew about Kosher meats. Then I read an article in one of the food magazines about Kosher. About what they do to the meat. How it's butchered, and exactly what's involved in the process. It was a very interesting read, actually. And no, the rabbi doesn't pray over the meat. But had I not already tried Kosher chicken I probably wouldn't have even read the article. Since I'm not Jewish, I would have just gone right on by, not to give it another thought.

What makes Kosher chicken or turkey better is that it's already been brined or salted. The butchering process by rabinic law requires the animal to be slaughtered by a deep stroke across the neck and quickly draining the animal of its blood.

• Jews do not eat blood because the life of the animal (literally, the soul of the animal) is contained in the blood. This applies only to the blood of birds and mammals, not to fish blood. Thus, it is necessary to remove all blood from the flesh of kosher animals.

Even after slaughtering, the animal still has some blood contained within, so they must perform a second process:

• The remaining blood must be removed, either by broiling or soaking and salting. Liver may only be kashered by the broiling method, because it has so much blood in it and such complex blood vessels.

Since I'm a huge convert to the brining of lots of different meats, but particularly chicken and turkeys, I am relieved of having to DO the brining. The Kosher process does it for me. And since I've not perfected the ratio of water, sugar and salt so that a turkey doesn't come out too salty, I'm happy to let the Kosher butcher do all the work for me.

I will say, buying Kosher is more expensive. This year I went to Trader Joe's, who usually has them at Thanksgiving and Christmas, to buy my turkeys on Monday, the 19th. They were already sold out. I was absolutely devastated. I stood there in the middle of the store, with lots of people trying to get by me, and nearly cried. I talked to any clerk I could find. Nope, no Kosher turkeys. I went to the customer service desk. And very nearly cried. They shrugged. They told me all of the TJ's stores in Orange County were sold out by 10 am that morning.

The last 2 years I've relied on TJ's Kosher turkeys. They're certainly not carried at any of my local grocery stores. Thank goodness for Whole Foods. Yes, they had Kosher turkeys, but each 14 pound bird was about $75.00. A whole lot more money than TJ's. But, these two were the most moist turkeys we'd ever eaten. And the brining was absolutely perfect - I could use the juice in the bottom of the pan - it wasn't too salty at all. Some of our guests were blown away by how juicy the breast meat was. I may have converted several people to buying Kosher next year.

So, your challenge is to find a Kosher market (or a TJ's) and try a Kosher chicken or turkey. you'll be amazed, I do believe! As a little aside, I notice that all of the Kosher chickens and turkeys I've purchased have still had some feathers attached. And the only organ meat included is the liver - no heart of gizard. That's part of the Kosher law. So, there's your little lesson today in Kosher!

Note: my Kosher info and facts for this posting came from Judaism 101.

Creole Chicken with Tomato Cream Sauce

Here's another great chicken (breast) recipe. Another recipe from Phillis Carey's cookbook, that I've talked about before. She's just such a wizard with chicken. This could be a "regular" night dinner, although I think it should be elevated to "company" status. It isn't exactly on the low cal side - it has some heavy cream in the sauce - and it isn't exactly quick, either. Fortunately I had two helpers (Dana, my daughter, and her daughter, 10-year old Taylor). They're all visiting us for the week (my daughter - and her two children - come to join her husband who's been with us for a couple of months while he works on a project here, locally). So, chicken seemed like the best choice for dinner. Chicken breasts were defrosted, and I found I had everything on hand to make these. It's nice when you do a dinner like that and you don't have to make a trip to the grocery store.


Cajun and Creole are two different things, just in case you didn't know. The cuisines are different, and although I'm not from the south (I'm actually a California native), we've visited enough times that I've learned not to mention to the N'awlins' folks that they might appear similar to the unknowing. Since I couldn't remember what the difference was, I looked it up on Wikipedia:

• According to an expression of the region, Cajuns live to eat, not eat to live. Outside Louisiana the distinctions between Cajun and Louisiana Creole cuisine have been blurred. However, Creole dishes tend to be more sophisticated continental cuisine using local produce. Cajun food is rural, more seasoned, sometimes spicy, and tends to be more hearty. Many well-known Cajun dishes were originally centered on wild game, rice and other local ingredients.

Likely the lines are a bit blurred in this recipe as well. Whatever it is, and whatever its roots, it's just gosh-darned tasty. I'd serve this to guests anytime, although I'd make double the sauce. There just never seems to be enough sauce to go around. And I like to serve this with pasta on the side, and the sauce goes just nicely with the pasta. I happened to have served it with green beans - the Green Beans with Garlic and Olive Oil that I shared a couple of months ago on the blog. This time I had some mushrooms on hand, so I added them to the Creole sauce. They weren't in the original recipe, so you decide whether you want to do that. The chicken breasts were pounded to an even thickness, then sort of stuffed with a cream cheese-green onion - Parmesan mixture, dipped in egg and bread crumbs (I used Panko), then baked for half an hour. Meanwhile you make the creole sauce and boil up some pasta. And whip up a bright green vegetable, perhaps a salad, and you're done.

Cajun Chicken Breasts with Creole Sauce
Recipe: Phillis Carey, cooking instructor
Servings: 4
CHICKEN BREASTS:
4 pieces chicken breast, no skin, no bone, R-T-C
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup green onion -- chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
1 whole egg
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
CREOLE SAUCE:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion -- finely diced
1/4 cup celery -- finely diced
1/4 cup green pepper -- finely diced
1 1/2 cups mushrooms -- sliced
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup dry vermouth
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes -- canned, drained
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon oregano -- fresh, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Trim chicken and pound to an even 1/4 inch thickness (between two sheets of plastic wrap). Season with salt and pepper. Combine the cream cheese with green onions and Parmesan cheese. Divide cheese into quarters and place one lump on each chicken breast. Fold in sides and roll up the chicken to enclose the cheese.
2. Whisk egg to combine in a bowl. Toss breadcrumbs with Cajun seasoning in another bowl. Toss breadcrumbs with Cajun spice in another bowl. Roll chicken in egg and then in bread crumbs to coat well. Transfer chicken to a shallow baking dish, seam side down and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cooked through. Do not overcook.
3. Sauce: melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, celery, mushrooms and bell pepper. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in Cajun spice and sugar, then add dry vermouth. Bring to a boil, then stir in tomatoes, hot sauce and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture reduces slightly and thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in fresh herbs. Season to taste for salt, pepper and hot sauce. May cook ahead up to this point, then reheat when ready to serve. Spoon sauce over chicken.
NOTES : If you have fresh tomatoes, use them rather than canned ones.
Serving Ideas : Definitely serve this with either rice or linguine, because you want the sauce to mix with the carb. You may want to make more sauce, as it's barely enough for the chicken servings.
Per Serving: 808 Calories; 44g Fat (49.4% calories from fat); 65g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 304mg Cholesterol; 1051mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 8 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 7 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
To print a PDF recipe, click title at top.