Frozen Chicken Thighs for Dinner

This has been one of my go-to meals this year. Mostly because I'm both tired and lazy; and after work, I just want something simple without a lot of prep. Thank goodness that the Ninja Foodi still works after two years. This uses the stainless steel rack insert that the NF comes with.

In the NF, insert stainless steel rack and add 1 cup of water.

On the rack, place frozen chicken thighs.

Season to your liking. I use sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and garlic powder.

No pre-heating needed.

NF settings: 10 minutes on HIGH. Natural release 20 minutes.

Stab with meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. Should read at least 165 F. If not, flip the thighs over and set NF to air crisp settings (390 F) for 5 minutes.

You can use the same prep time doing other things while the chicken is cooking; such as preparing a vegetable dish stovetop or a salad or whatever.

You can cook rice at the same time; though I have not tried this because the chicken needs that water to pressure cook & steam to perfection; the rice also uses the same amount of water to cook. The remaining liquid is essentially chicken broth and can be used or consumed.

Side note: when chicken thighs (bone-in with skin) are on sale ($0.99/lb or BOGO) at my local Fred Meyer grocery store, I buy . .  a lot. Half gets baked or grilled, then eaten in meals for the week. I freeze the rest in 2 thighs per resealable quart bag.

Let's say that you did nothing at meal time with the leftover chicken broth. You could add more water and add uncooked rice to make a congee for breakfast tomorrow. Or, you could add more water to that the liquid volume is back to 1 cup and make a batch of pressure cooked steamed rice (1 minute on HIGH, 10 minutes natural release).

Ninja Foodi: Sriracha BBQ Chicken Wings (from raw frozen!)

This was the first item I made in the Ninja Foodi using both the pressure and air fryer features. In retrospect, it tastes as though I should have marinated the frozen chicken wings first, as they were bland and tasteless without the BBQ sauce that I added later in the air crisping step of this recipe. The crazy part is cooking frozen meat to perfectly cooked in the Ninja Foodi.

The cooking times on this recipe needs additional testing. After the pressure cooking phase, the wings were done. Any air frying would have added additional heat and time, making these somewhat dried out but "looking" the part of being broiled or fried. Total cooking time is too long if you want the outcome to be tender but crispy chicken wings.

TheFoodening Blog - Ninja Foodi Sriracha BBQ Chicken Wings

Recipe adapted from the basic Ninja Foodi cookbook that came with the unit.

Recipe: Fail

This is a fail because total cooking time is 40+ minutes -- the same amount of time that an oven-based recipe uses to get chicken to a minimum 165 F.

The original recipe calls for frozen chicken breasts which much denser than chicken wings. The cook time could have been halved for each step: PC and AF. And, the chicken, while frozen and raw, could have been marinated at least a half hour before cooking. The "fixed" directions, time, and temps are noted below.

Ingredients

2 lb raw chicken wings
1-2 c BBQ sauce (I used Trader Joe's Sriracha BBQ sauce)
1 c water
additional sriracha sauce, optional for more spicy

Add 1 c of bbq sauce and chicken wings to a resealable plastic bag or food storage container. Let the wings marinate for 30 minutes or longer in the fridge. In my first attempt, I did not marinate before cooking and applied the sauce at the Air Crisper step.

Pressure Cooker Directions

Place fry basket in pot. Add water to pot and chicken to fry basket. Select "Pressure" and "Hi". Set timer for 10 minutes. Start.

10 minutes natural release, then quick release.

Remove pressure cooking lid.

Air Crisper Directions

Select "Broil", Temp to 400 F, and Time for 10-15 minutes.

Toss or use a silicone pastry brush to apply more BBQ sauce to the wings.

Check at 5 minute intervals to see how crispy the wings are getting. Serve with additional BBQ sauce.

Broiled Lemon Chicken

This recipe is for those of us who don't own outdoor grills. This is the second, successful time I've cooked chicken this way. The timing is everything, and maybe also the level of heat and the distance from the flames (if you also have a gas oven). Let's just say that the first time I did this and used the cook times one would use on an outdoor grill, the chicken turned out a bit more charred than I would have liked. I used two packages of chicken drumsticks, or roughly 10 drumsticks. Also, my oven has an adjustable heat setting for the broiler.

Heat: 500 F
Time: 10 minutes one side, 15 minutes other side
Distance: 2nd rack slot from the top

Marinade Ingredients

juice of one large lemon plus its zest
1/4 c olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-2 lbs organic chicken parts, with or without skin on

Marinade chicken for 20 minutes or longer. Place chicken in a single layer on a foil-covered baking tray. Reserve marinade. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, Flip the chicken over and brush/spoon marinade on top of chicken. Return to heat and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until a meat thermometer reads 160 F in the thickest part of the chicken.

Sweet Garlic Grilled Chicken

Yes, two sets of directions on the same recipe means that I've done this recipe twice. Once on an outdoor gas grill and again using a gas oven broiler.

TheFoodeningBlog - sweet grilled garlic chicken

Chicken Marinade

6-8 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c brown sugar
2 tbsp raw honey
1/3 c light soy sauce
3 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 c water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs organic chicken parts (I used drumsticks)

Marinade chicken for 30 minutes or overnight. 

The leftover marinade is quite watery. You can reduce it to a 'sauce' by adding 1-2 tsp cornstarch and simmer it until it thickens. Then use this sauce to baste the chicken as it cooks.

Heat: 300 F
Time: 30 total (15 minutes each side)

Above heat/time is for an outdoor gas grill.

To broil in a gas oven:

Heat: 500 F
Time: 10 mins one side, 10-15 mins reverse side
Distance to flame: 2nd rack from the top

Baked Sesame Chicken

I envisioned something different. But alas, this is the best that it gets when it's baked and not deep fried. Visually, not terribly appealing. It tasted okay, but I don't think I'll be making this again any time soon. It does not even come close to the sesame chicken you'd get at a Chinese restaurant.

TheFoodeningBlog - Baked Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

2-3 lbs chicken body parts (drumsticks, thighs, wings, etc.)
1/4 c white sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch of fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp soy sauce 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

1. In a 9 x 11 x 3 baking dish, add soy sauce and tilt the dish so that the soy sauce covers the bottom evenly.

2. In a shallow dish, combine sesame seeds, flour, salt, and black pepper together. Dredge each chicken piece in the dry ingredients. Lay chicken in a single layer in the baking dish.

3. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken measures 160 F on a meat thermometer. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe starts off as though making chicken stock with the addition of both the chicken parts and flour-based dumplings. I have omitted the onion part, but you could always put it back in. This is the second time I've made this recipe; though probably the first time I've taken a photo of the dish. I used 1 lb of chicken thighs (skin-on and bone-in) and 1 lb of chicken drumsticks.

TheFoodeningBlog - Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs chicken parts
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

2 stalks organic celery stalks, diced
4 organic carrots, sliced
1-2 small onions, diced (optional)
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 2 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves

1/2 c all purpose flour + 2 c stock (from the pot)

10 cups filtered water

Dumpling Ingredients

2 c all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 c buttermilk
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and fry chicken parts in batches on medium-high heat, 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to a plate and reserve pot.

Add to the: celery, carrots, thyme, cloves, bay leaves. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes until softened. Add chicken, bay leaves, and 10 cups of water.

Simmer for 25 minutes. Discard bay leaves and transfer chicken to a plate. Shred chicken and return to the pot.

Whisk 1/2 c all purpose flour with 2 cups of cooking liquid (stock), pour into pot and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

To make the dumplings:

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper. Stir in butter, buttermilk and parsley. Form into small balls or divide into 8 large spoonfuls.

Reduce pot to low and drop in the dumplings. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Serve hot.

Oven Broiled Chicken Thighs

Fire + Meat = Good

I would like to believe that adding fire to the cooking of meat somehow brings us back to our more primal nature of being apex predators with intelligence. Plus, I love a meat that bastes in its own fat.

The Foodening Blog - Broiled Chicken Thighs

A woman's alternative to not having a grill is using the oven broiler to achieve a similar effect. Charred meat (and peppers). Some nutritionists out there would have you believe that a single serving of meat is less than 4 ounces, without the skin. I suppose I should save the bones from this in the freezer to make broth later.

My simple gas stove/oven allows you to set the temperature of the broiler. Since I already roast chicken at 425 F it seemed like a good temperature to broil chicken at which is how I got to using that temperature for broiled chicken parts.

The most basic preparation is as follows:

sea salt and black pepper on both sides
squeeze of fresh lemon or lime (optional)

Broil bone side up for 10 minutes. Flip chicken over. Broil skin side up for 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Internal temp should be at least 160 F.

Kitchen Notes: Cornish Game Hens

I can't believe the price of a game hen these days. Today's price is what whole 4-5 lb chickens costed at the supermarket several years ago. When they were on sale, you used to be able to buy them for 2 for $5. Now each is nearly $5.

Cornish Game Hens also called rock hens, Cornish hens, or poussin, aren't full sized chickens. Despite the name, it's not a game animal (not hunted) and the bird is a hybrid, and commercially bred as food. Also, while hens typically refer to female chickens, a Cornish hen can be male or female. The USDA describes these birds as an immature chicken less than five weeks of age and less than two pounds. These are usually 22 oz at the grocery store and are always in the freezer section. 

I found them randomly at my local Costco, also in the freezer section. Buying at bulk retail would drive the cost down to $3/hen, but who has room in their own freezer for six birds?

It's been a while since I last roasted one.

Read more?
Modern Farmer - The Cornish Game Hen is a Liar

Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken

While enjoyable to eat, the food prep and wait times are not. The best part of this is that the chicken cooks in its own fat. Having made this twice now, I thought I should write it up. This recipe ratio is adapted from Epicurious.

Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken

Marinade Ingredients

chicken body parts
1 c cultured buttermilk per pound of meat

Coating for chicken

1 c homemade bread crumbs
1 c corn flake cereal, pulverised into crumbs1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
smoked paprika
garlic powder
chili powder
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
onion powder (optional)
parsley (optional)

Directions

In a shallow bowl or sealable container, add chicken parts. Pour buttermilk and lemon juice over the chicken. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 F. 

Take each piece of chicken and dip it into the coating mixture until it is completely covered. Repeat until all the chicken is coated.

Place chicken in a single layer on a Silpat-lined baking tray or in a lightly oiled glass or ceramic baking dish. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 40-45 minutes. Turn chicken over at the halfway timer mark.

A digital thermometer in the thickest part of the meat should read 165 F (for poultry) when done.

Steamed Black Bean Chicken

I don't know why I haven't tried steaming chicken before. The meat turned out very tender and delicious. This could just be one of those 30-minute meals. I imagine that a slightly longer cook time would be needed for thicker cuts of chicken, such as the thighs. For this attempt, I used chicken drumsticks (1 lb 7 oz).

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs chicken parts
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp chili black bean sauce -or- 2 tbsp fermented black beans

Directions

0. Remove chicken from package and rinse with cold water. Place it in a heat-proof bowl that is large enough to accommodate the chicken. Pour boiling water on the chicken and blanch for 1 minute. Discard the water in the bowl.

1. To the chicken: add garlic, ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce, and chili black bean sauce. Mix thoroughly so that the chicken is coated with everything.

2.  Bring a large pot of water to boil, large enough to fit both a steamer basket and the heatproof bowl.

3. Cover the pot and steam chicken for 30 minutes, until the juice runs clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, or the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

For this amount of meat and time, the thick part of the drumsticks measured between 175 F and 185 F (a bit overcooked, oops).

Five Spice Powder Roasted Chicken

This came out decent and a tad undercooked in the thigh area; more or less edible straight from the oven. This is adapted from my dad's roast duck recipe. If I do this recipe again (the first time I never wrote it up), I'll have to try the slower roasting method. Most poultry roasting recipes call for 50-60 minutes of unadulterated time in a very hot oven, with temps ranging from 400 degrees F to 450 degrees F. A slow roast would involve dropping the oven temp to 275 degrees F but increasing the time to roast to 3-4 hours. That would definitely not be a weekday meal unless I started it on a weekend.

Ingredients

1 whole fryer chicken, cleaned and giblets removed

2 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp red Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher sea salt
1 c filtered water

Directions

Place chicken breast-side up into a 9" x 13" baking dish (or roasting pan, if you have one).

In a bowl, combine five spice powder, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, and water.

Use a spoon or basting brush to cover the chicken (all sides) with the five-spice sauce.

Roast for an hour in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Baked Chicken with Kimchi

This dish is quick, easy and requires just a little preparation. I use an oven safe stainless steel skillet for this. It does not reheat well by stovetop or oven; so keep that in mind when planning for leftovers. Depending on the saltiness of the kimchi, there is no need to salt this dish. At the same time, you could make oven baked rice to complement the chicken. I've been using chicken thighs and other cuts could be used instead, except for skinless chicken breast. It has a different cook time than bone-in chicken meat.  If you want to be extra creative, you can reserve the chicken bones from this recipe to make chicken stock later. Simply gather all the chicken bones and freeze them until needed.

I've had mixed results cooking with skinless/boneless chicken meat. If you are using skinless chicken, you may just want to stir-fry the chicken meat (cut into 1/2" pieces) with the kimchi instead of baking.

Ingredients

1 lb raw chicken parts, with skin and bone-in
1 c homemade kimchi

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1. In a skillet, add kimchi to the bottom then arrange chicken in a single layer on top.

2. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a meat thermometer measures 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the chicken.

3. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Plate with oven baked rice or baked sweet potatoes (these also cook for the same amount of time at the same heat setting).

Dumplings for Chicken Fricasse

This ingredient ratio was adapted from the Pacific Northwest the Beautiful cookbook and was used in a chicken fricassee recipe of the same book. When the stew is done, eat the dumplings first. Imagine hot and steamy bread-based dumplings drenched in a hearty chicken stew and that's what it tastes like. The dumplings are not as good through multiple reheatings and become rather dense. They are pretty much as good as they're going to get when made fresh the first day. There usually isn't as much stew liquid leftover to accommodate more dumplings.

Chicken Fricassee (imagine fried then braised chicken,
served up in its own broth)

Ingredients

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c half n half

additional water, optional if the batter is too dry

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together. Add milks and stir gently to combine.

2. Drop by rounded tablespoons into simmering broth. Cook for 15-20 min, until puffy and dumplings float to the top.

The finished dumplings after cooking in the broth.
I removed them from the pot so that they could
be evenly distributed in bowls.

Moroccan Roasted Chicken

This, like many in the cuisine, is a multi-step process which involves a fair amount of time for the ingredients to marinate. This batch marinated for a few days in the refrigerator; though it could probably be used as early as the next day. The lemon-onion chutney sauce that goes with it is probably better when eaten in a very hot and dry climate. At 50 degrees F and damp in the Pacific NW in late May, the sauce was far too salty. The original recipe calls for a whole chicken and has a much longer cooking time.

Ingredients for Marinade

8 chicken bone-in, skin-on thighs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a resealable plastic bag or food-safe container. Gently rub the spices with the oil into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Line a shallow baking pan with a Silpat mat that will fit inside. Evenly space chicken pieces on the pan. A lot of fat will render out of the chicken skin, but don't worry, this will help the skin really crisp up later. Bake for an hour.

3. Using tongs, gently turn chicken over. It is possible, even with a Silpat, that the chicken will stick to the mat. Return chicken, skin-side up, for another 10-15 minutes, until the skin is very crispy. Remove chicken from baking pan and set in a covered glass dish. Serve hot.

Broiled Basil Chicken

This chicken entree was supposed to have more Thai flavor. The key ingredient of real Thai basil was the missing flavor essence from the marinade. I used boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs for this dish. I suppose you could use other cuts of poultry, and the cook times will be different. Better Homes and Gardens has an easy to use time table by cut for broiling.

broiled basil chicken, hot from the oven

As far as meal prep goes, this one is pretty simple if you have all the ingredients on hand. I used a large resealable container to marinade the chicken.

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 chopped fresh basil, preferably Thai basil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp (up to 1 tbsp) chili sauce (I used a basic sirracha sauce)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

0. Combine all ingredients together in a resealable container and marinade for at least an hour, several hours, or overnight.

1. Place chicken on a broiling pan, or a lightly greased baking pan if you don't have a broiling pan.

2. If you need to move oven racks so that the meat is about five inches from the flame (if using a gas oven), you should do so now before turning the broiler on.

3. Let the oven heat up. Most modern ovens will tell you when the temperature is right. I have never measured the ambient oven heat when using the broiler, so the only test for doneness is by using a meat thermometer and checking the thickest part of the meat. Internal temp for thighs should be 180 degrees F, for breasts it is 170 degrees F, and for patties it is 165 degrees F. Keep in mind that the chicken will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.

4. Broil chicken thighs for 20 minutes total, 10 minutes each side. Remove from heat and serve with hot steamed rice.

Coronation Chicken for Salad or Sandwiches

Made this dish for an afternoon tea party I hosted on Saturday. It can be served by itself as a chicken salad or with bread as a chicken salad sandwich. The recipe comes from Brian Yarvin's The Ploughman's Lunch and Miser's Feast cookbook. The origin of this dish, according to the author, is that it was one of the dishes served on the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It looked like there was too much mayonnaise in it. I made adjustments after the fact and the updated recipe is below. 

Ingredients

3 c (1.5 lb) cooked chicken meat, chopped into small pieces
1 c apricot preserves
1/2 c dried apricots, finely chopped
3/4 c organic mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp mild curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions

1. In a small pot, cook onion in olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add curry powder, tomato paste, lemon juice, a bay leaf and red wine. Stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture forms a paste-like consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine onion mixture with the diced chicken, mayonnaise, cream, apricot preserves and chopped dried apricots. Season with salt and ground white pepper.

3. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Szechuan Stirfry Chicken

I thought I would post this one too. It came out tasting average. Decent enough for home cooking, not good enough to serve at a potluck or hosted dinner party. Good thing I only used a pair of chicken breasts for it. 

Also known as Sichuan pepper, Szechwan pepper, Szechuan pepper, or huajiao these are the dried berries of the prickly ash plant. It is not related to either the chili pepper plant or the black/red/pink/white pepper trees. The spice was banned from US imports from 1968-2005 due to a plant-based disease the raw, dried peppercorns carried that could potentially spread to citrus crops. In 2005, the USDA and FDA lifted the ban (source: NY Times) if the peppercorns were heated prior to import. This is one of the five spices that make up Chinese five spice powder, by the way.

I have not noticed the "numbing" sensation that this spices gives to the spicy-hot dishes it is often served with. Maybe my problem was that there weren't any spicy chilies in the dish.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, skin removed and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 c broccoli florets, cooked or blanched
1/2 c dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
2 green onions (scallions), diagonally sliced

2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
1-2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, whole (will grind later)
kosher salt, to taste
hot chili paste (optional)
1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water (optional, for sauce thickening)

Directions

1. Remove the skin from the chicken breasts, slice into small pieces and set aside. Cut the chicken into 1/2" pieces and set aside. 

2a. Heat skillet, wok, or frying pan until hot. Add Szechuan peppercorns and toast, gently shaking the pan so that the spice does not burn. If the spice burns, toss it out and try again. Remove peppercorns to a mortar and pestle and grind until it is a powder.

2b. In a small bowl, mix the ground peppercorns with chili paste (optional), soy sauce, and wine. Set aside.

3. In the skillet, add olive oil and heat until it is hot. Add garlic, ginger, green onions, and stir fry for about a minute. Add chicken pieces and chicken skin (if using) and fry until the chicken  has turned white and no longer shows pink, about five minutes. Next, add the shitake mushrooms and broccoli.

4. Add the peppercorn sauce (in step 2b) and stir into the chicken, broccoli, and mushrooms. Remove from heat. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Chicken with Lemon and Olives

This recipe originates from Morocco; or at least that's what the Mediterranean the Beautiful Cookbook says. I've had Moroccan food before at a restaurant, and it involved eating everything (including the chicken) with my hands. This dish is intended to not replicate that experience but to use up a lot of preserved green olives that just happened to be on hand at the time.

The organic chicken from Trader Joe's was skimpy on giblets, so I wasn't able to take them or the chicken's missing liver to mash up into the sauce. The hardest part of the recipe was pitting the whole green olives using a cherry pitter. It's very hard work to do it by hand. Overall, this recipe process was very similar to making curry chicken. 

The original recipe called for preserved lemon, and I only had fresh lemons on hand. Using a vegetable peeler, I removed the peel of a lemon and sliced the peel thinly then soaked the peel in lemon juice with a pinch of salt and sugar; because if I had two extra days, that's how the preserving could have started. Anyhow. The peel doesn't go into the pot until 30 minutes of cook time has transpired.

This dish was served with Israeli couscous that was cooked in duck broth and lightly spiced with ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cumin, and freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients


1 whole organic chicken, cut into pieces
1 c white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c olive oil
2 c water (I used mushroom dashi that was leftover from a previous meal)
2 c good quality green olives, pitted
juice of two lemons
peel of one lemon, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Take a whole raw chicken and carve it into individual pieces (wings, thighs, drumsticks, etc). I thought the chicken breasts would have added too much meat to the recipe; so those were reserved for another dish. If you are going to trim off the excess fat, don't throw it out, toss it into the pot with the chicken.

2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Add spices and onion and stir until the oil is fragrant, a couple minutes. Add the chicken pieces (including giblets, if any) and turn the pieces over to coat with the spices and oil. Add water or a neutral broth to cover (approx 2 cups). Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add olives, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter. Serve hot.

Chicken Soft Tacos

I wrote in an earlier post that freshly made bacon grease can be turned into fresh flour tortillas. I prepared a nice salsa to go with it and some leftover chicken. Some fast food eateries stuff their soft tacos with lots of shredded lettuce, which is mostly a filler to make it look larger. I'd rather eat the lettuce as a salad.

Salsa for Tacos

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1 1/4 c. roma tomatoes, diced
5 green onions, white part only, thinly sliced
1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 c. chopped cilantro leaves, stems removed
juice of one lime
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients into a food storage container and shake until the lime juice evenly coats the avocado; the lime juice will keep the avocado from turning brown.

For this batch of soft tacos, I made two batches of soft tacos.. one made with unbleached all-purpose flour and the second with whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour tortillas tasted awful. Maybe it's because whole wheat is such a heavier-tasting flour. Preferentially, I enjoy the lighter texture and flavor of a white flour tortilla than say whole wheat or corn tortillas.

Another note on making the tortillas. Once you remove it from the cast iron pan and put it on a paper towel-lined plate, cover the tortillas with a kitchen towel moistened with water. This will keep the tortillas pliable until they are ready to eat. If you plan to eat them later, seal them in a ziplock bag and refrigerate.

Roasted Game Hen

This is probably one of my favorite types of poultry to cook. It is really easy to carve up and quick to roast with the addition of basic pantry ingredients and herbs. The meat is usually enough to feed one to two people. In this recipe, I used marsala wine. You could also use a dry white wine or chicken broth. For the poultry seasoning, I used Mrs Dash's Salt-Free Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning blend.

Ingredients

One raw Cornish game hen, carved

1/2 c. marsala wine

1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced and zested

sea salt, to taste

poultry seasoning, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

1. In an 8" x 8" baking dish, toss chicken with olive oil, garlic, salt, lemon juice and zest.  Place chicken pieces skin-side down. Sprinkle rosemary and poultry seasoning on top. Pour wine on top of chicken. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes.

2. Serve while hot over rice, pasta, or with crusty bread.