Chicken

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 ¹⁄₂-inch pieces
8 ounces fully cooked sausage, such as andouille, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
¹⁄₄ cup all purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 (14 ¹⁄₄-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound okra, sliced
1 cup white rice
Cayenne pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sausage and sauté until brown, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer meat to bowl.

2. Add onion and bell pepper to pot. Sauté until soft and brown, about 6 minutes. Add flour and stir until golden, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, then diced tomatoes with their juices. Bring to boil. Mix in chicken mixture, okra and rice. Reduce heat to medium; cook uncovered until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

3. Season to taste with cayenne, salt and pepper.

Comments
One of the classic things to do with okra is gumbo.  Having never made gumbo, and not particularly caring for shellfish, I turned to Epicurious.com and found this recipe.  It’s sort of a mix of gumbo and jambalaya.  We all enjoyed this for dinner although, sadly, the leftovers didn’t really hold up well.  It was nicely spicy from the sausage and the okra vanishes into the rest of the dish.

Internet - Epicurious

Ingredients
8-10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and quartered
4 cups chicken broth

Filling
16 ounces sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons chili powder
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cumin, ground
20-30 corn tortillas (6 inch)
32 ounces enchilada Sauce (I use store-bought, I’m sure homemade would be great if you make your own)

Instructions
1. Place chicken, onion, garlic, jalapeño, and chicken broth in a large pot.  Cover the pan, bring to a simmer, and poach the chicken for 12 to 14 minutes or until the chicken is completely done.  Remove the chicken from the pot and discard remaining ingredients.  Once the chicken has cooled, shred or chop it into small pieces in a large mixing bowl.  

2. Combine the sour cream, cream cheese, chili powder, and cumin. Add the cheese mixture to the chicken and combine until well incorporated.  

3. Place 5 tortillas on a plate and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until flexible.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.  

4. Place a heaping spoonful or two of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla, roll, fold, and place in a large baking dish.  (I tend to use two 9x12 baking pans for this.)  

5. Top the enchiladas with the sauce, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Serve with additional salsa, sour cream, or other toppings as desired.  

Comments
This makes a lot of food.  It’s one of our go-to meals when we need to cook in bulk.  It’s one of Art’s most requested meals when I’m away from home for a few days as a result!  It’s easy to prepare and absolutely fantastic.  Easy to serve with Spanish rice or a simple salad.  The only problem with them is that I rarely get to have any myself thanks to everyone in the house devouring them!  

This recipe fills two 9x12 baking dishes when I make it – a single layer in each.  I’m sure that, if you didn’t want to discard the poaching liquid, you could strain it and use it for making rice or any other Mexican flavored dish where chicken broth would be appropriate.

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Ingredients
1 large egg, beaten
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

For the sauce
2 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons soy sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced (about 1-inch)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons dry sherry

3 ¹⁄₂ cups peanut oil, for frying
8 small dried chili peppers
1 bunch green onion, finely sliced
3-4 cups broccoli, cut into florets

Instructions
1. In a bowl, mix together the egg, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Add the chicken pieces, mix to coat and marinate for at least 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and reserve.  (I skip chopping the garlic and ginger, put all the sauce ingredients in a hand blender cup, and blend away.)  

2. Heat a wok over high heat for 40 seconds. Add the peanut oil and heat to 350*F. Place chicken into the oil, trying to separate with your fingers. Deep fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken is browned, crisp and cooked through. Turn off the heat. Remove the chicken with a Chinese strainer and drain over a bowl. Pour off all but 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons of the oil from the wok.

3. Heat the wok over high heat for 20 seconds. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add the chilies and stir for 15 seconds. Add the green onion and stir for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and stir until tender-crisp.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir the sauce mixture, pour into the wok, stir well, and cook until the chicken cubes are completely coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, transfer to a heated dish, and serve.

Comments
I’m not entirely sure which cookbook this originally came from, but based on the ingredients I’m guessing it’s from one of Eileen Yin-Fei Lo’s excellent books.  

I’ve never actually had General Tso’s Chicken in a restaurant so I’m not sure how this compares.  That said, no one has ever not wanted seconds, so I consider it a success regardless of its similarity to the restaurant version.  You can easily adjust the heat of the dish by adding fewer (or more) of the red dried chilies.  Feel free to use vegetables other than broccoli depending on your tastes and, if you like a saucier dish, the sauce ingredients are quite simple to double or even triple!

The Chinese Way

Ingredients
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into strips (or use chicken tenders to begin with)
Buttermilk, enough to cover chicken plus ¹⁄₂ cup
1 ¹⁄₂ cups flour
2 teaspoons seasoning (I used Emeril’s Essence, you can use whatever blend of seasoning you like)
Oil for frying (I used peanut oil)

Instructions
1. Place chicken in a container and cover with buttermilk.  Marinate for at least 20 minutes.  

2. In shallow container, combine flour and seasoning. Mix together. Add ¹⁄₄-¹⁄₂ cup of buttermilk and stir lightly with a fork while adding. Your goal is to form small lumps in the flour.  

3. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat.

4. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, pressing flour to ensure it adheres well. Cook strips a few at a time for about 1-2 minutes per side.

5. When golden and crispy remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with dipping sauces of choice.  

Comments
This is a recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  The technique of mixing some buttermilk with the flour worked perfectly to create a lovely, crispy coating.  These were fantastic and I can’t wait to make them again.

Internet - Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons chives, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon Caribbean Curry Powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 can coconut milk (Lite is equally delicious.  Make sure you use the unsweetened stuff)
¹⁄₂ cup half and half

For Rice
2 cups rice of your choice
4 cups water (or the correct amount of water to prepare your desired rice)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

Instructions
1. In a large bowl or container, combine chopped onion, two cloves of minced garlic, chopped chives, 2 tbsp fresh parsley, curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and vinegar.  Add chicken and toss until chicken is thoroughly coated with spices. Let this stand in the refrigerator for one half hour.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the entire seasoned chicken mixture from bowl. Stirring often, cook until chicken is cooked through. Gradually add coconut milk and continue stirring. Once sauce has begun to thicken, add cream. Continue stirring until sauce has reached desired thickness.

3. For the rice, prepare as usual, adding garlic, butter, salt and parsley.   Serve curry over rice. 

Comments
I found this recipe about a year ago in a cooking community I belong to.  I’ve been making it on a semi-regular basis ever since.  (Semi-regular for me is probably once a quarter.  Heh.)  Everyone in the house loves it.  I love that, once you make the curry powder, it’s extremely easy to throw together.  This is a basic, delicious, flavorful curry.  The heat level is mild which means it’s also a good “starter” curry for the uninitiated.

Edit: It has been determined that this recipe should always be doubled.  Otherwise, it doesn’t make enough for leftovers and that makes everyone sad.

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Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
3-4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets or not, as desired

Instructions
1. Toss chicken with tarragon and mustard. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

2. Using a grill, griddle, or grill pan cook for 5-10 minutes a side, depending on thickness of meat.  

Comments
This recipe is from the 10th Anniversary Edition of Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.  Nice, simple, quick and flavorful.  The tarragon and mustard go very well together.  

Shown here with Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte with Parmesan.

How to Cook Everything (10th Anniversary)

Ingredients
1 pound cut spaghetti, or other short pasta, or spaghetti broken into thirds
1 tablespoon olive oil
24 ounces mushrooms, sliced
¹⁄₂ cup butter
¹⁄₂ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half
¹⁄₄ cup dry sherry
4 cups chicken (or turkey), cooked and cubed
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Cook pasta for 1 minutes less than directed by packaging and drain.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute mushrooms until they release their liquid and brown. 

3. Melt butter in Dutch oven over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly.

4. Stir in broth and half and half, heat until just boiling. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in sherry, spaghetti, chicken (or turkey) and mushrooms.

5. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until bubbly in the center.

Comments
I’ve been making this recipe for years; I believe it originally came from one of those checkout-aisle grocery store cookbook things.  This is some of my ultimate comfort food and it’s what I look forward to every time I cook a whole bird in some manner.  This time, I used leftover chicken from Slow Cooker Honey Roasted Chicken with Rosemary and Dijon but it’s just as tasty with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.  Once in a while, I even cook up some chicken breasts just to be able to make tetrazzini.  

This has been a family favorite since I was a kid and I’m sure it will continue to be so for many more years to come!

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Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¹⁄₂ cup pesto
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375*F.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread half of the pesto in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread with remaining pesto.

3. Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

Comments
This is an extremely simple dish.  I used pesto that I’d made the previous week but I’ve made it with store bought pesto in the past with great success.  

Shown here with Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Herb Sauce.

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Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make cutlets or pounded flat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ cup white wine
¹⁄₂ cup half and half
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium heat.

2. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Add green onions and garlic to same skillet. Sauté quickly and add white wine. Boil rapidly and reduce to syrup. Add half-and-half and mustard, stir. Return chicken breast to pan and simmer gently until just heated through.  

Comments
This recipe is from foodnetwork.com.  The flavor of the sauce was great and it paired very well with the Honey-Glazed Wax Beans that are shown in this picture.  This chicken would also work well served with rice or egg noodles.

Internet - Food TV

Ingredients
2 pounds large tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved (If you haven’t got two pounds, make up the difference with tomatoes)
1 ¹⁄₄ cups chicken broth
10 cloves garlic. peeled
2 cups green onions, sliced
2 cups fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped and packed
1 large Serrano chili, sliced (Or other similar hot pepper)
18 5- to 6-inch corn tortillas
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I sautéed mine for 10 minutes a side)
1 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into strips or shredded
1 cup half and half

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix tomatillos, tomatoes if using, chicken broth, and garlic cloves in large saucepan. Cover and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently until tomatillos are soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer hot mixture to food processor. Add sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and sliced chili; blend mixture to coarse puree. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Overlap 6 tortillas in 13x9x2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Top tortillas with half of chicken strips and half of mozzarella strips. Pour ¹⁄₃ of the tomatillo sauce evenly over. Top with 6 tortillas, chicken strips, and mozzarella. Pour another ¹⁄₃ of the tomatillo sauce over.  Top with remaining 6 tortillas and remaining tomatillo sauce, then whipping cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Cool enchiladas 10 minutes.

Comments
I found this recipe on Epicurious.com while looking for something delicious to do with my tomatillos.  Sadly, I didn’t have two pounds of them, so I supplemented my sauce with tomatoes.  This turned out really well.  I was a bit concerned about the mozzarella and cream, but all the flavors worked well together.  I did make a few modifications to the recipe and I’m pleased with how it turned out.  

I just wish it plated a bit nicer since this is the first recipe photo with my new camera!

Internet - Epicurious