Chicken

Ingredients
8 ounces soba noodles (If you can’t get soba noodles whole grain angel hair is a great substitute)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
¹⁄₃ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 head napa cabbage, shredded (Other cabbage will also work well)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12-ounce bag fresh vegetable medley, such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas

Instructions
1. Season chicken well with salt and pepper and toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Heat grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat; cook chicken until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and chop, shred, or dice.  

2. Cook pasta in boiling water until not quite tender, about 1 minute less than specified in the package directions. Add vegetables and cook until the pasta and vegetables are just tender, 1 minute more. Drain.

3. Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, water, and remaining oil in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken, noodles with vegetables, cabbage, and green onions; toss gently to combine and serve warm, cool, or chilled.  

Comments
This is an amalgamation of many different peanut noodle recipes.  I ended up finding something I liked about each of 3-4 different recipes and combining those things to make this recipe.  Due to Lance’s peanut allergy, I can only make this when he’s out of town, but it’s a nice treat when I can have it.  If you don’t want to use a vegetable medley bag, you can use a similar amount of fresh non-packaged veggies.

Person - Gwen

Ingredients
For Tandoori Chicken
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¹⁄₃ cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons half and half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground turmeric

For Butter Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1-inch stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
2 black cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the pod (If not available, use extra green cardamom pods)
5 to 7 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the pod
10 whole cloves
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
6-8 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
1-3 fresh green chili peppers, such as Serrano or jalapeño, coarsely chopped
5 large tomatoes (about 2 ¹⁄₂ pounds), coarsely chopped OR 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground paprika
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 ¹⁄₂-3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup half and half

For Assembly
1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
2-4 fresh green chili peppers, such as Serrano or jalapeño, split into eights
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Note: This recipe requires 10-26 hours for chicken marination and another hour and a half or so for cooking and recipe assembly.  Plan accordingly or switch to Quick(er) Butter Chicken Curry. 

To cook chicken:
1. Cut chicken into cubes and place in an oven safe container.  

2. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice and salt and pour it over the chicken, stirring well. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and marinate in the refrigerator about 2 hours.

3. After the chicken has marinated, in another small bowl, mix together the yogurt, half-and-half, ginger, garlic, garam masala, and cumin.  I use the Braun spice grinder for this because I use whole cumin and it makes everything easier.  

4. Heat the oil in a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Remove from the heat and add the paprika, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. Mix the spiced oil into the yogurt mixture. Add the yogurt to the container with the chicken and stir well. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and marinate in the refrigerator, at least 8 and up to 24 hours.

5. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and cook, covered, for about an hour.  Stir the chicken every 20 minutes for even cooking.  When chicken is fully cooked, drain in a sieve and set aside.  

Note: You could leave the chicken breasts whole and grill them, or tandoor them, or even use a whole chicken and cook it as you desire.  This is my preferred method.  

To cook cream sauce:
1. Heat the butter in a large nonstick wok, skillet or saucepan over medium heat and cook the cinnamon, bay leaves, black and green cardamom pods, cloves, garlic, ginger, and green chili peppers, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes (or tomato sauce), paprika, nutmeg, and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are very soft and the volume reduces by about half, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Let cool and pass through a food mill or fine-mesh strainer and discard the fibers. (Add an additional ¹⁄₂ cup water to extract maximum pulp.) Return to the pan, add the salt, and cook, stirring as needed, over medium-high heat about 10 minutes. If there is too much spluttering, cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook an extra 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Add the half-and-half and simmer over low heat another 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

To assemble Butter Chicken Curry:
1. If chicken is not already in small pieces, cut or shred it into bite size pieces.  

2. Add chicken to the butter cream sauce and stir to coat.  Cover the pan and simmer about 10 minutes to blend the flavors.  Transfer to a serving dish.  

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the ginger and green chili peppers, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the chicken and swirl lightly to mix. Serve hot.

Comments
This recipe looks overwhelming.  It all boils down to this: Marinate chicken overnight, cook chicken, make sauce, and combine everything.  On the day you prepare it you’ll need about 2 hours but that time is largely unattended.  I cannot stress enough how worth the time this recipe is.  I love Butter Chicken in Indian restaurants and I prefer this hands down.  I would make this once a week and my family would cheer if I only didn’t have so many other (recipes that I love and want to prepare!  

This recipe makes enough to serve 6 people, which means that we all get a nice leftover serving later on in the week.  All of the spices except for the black cardamom I can find at my local grocery store.  I can find black cardamom at the specialty Indian store in town, but I omitted it the first many times I made this dish because I didn’t have access to it.  I don’t notice much of a flavor change with the addition of the black ones, so you’re good to go without them if you can’t get them.  

The original recipe this is based on is in 1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra.  If you love Indian food, and Butter Chicken especially, please give this a try.  You won’t be disappointed!  

Shown here with Chana Pulao.

1,000 Indian Recipes

Ingredients
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
¹⁄₂ cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup half and half
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dried marjoram

Instructions
1. Sauté the onion in the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until golden, about 8 minutes. Take care that they do not burn. Scrape the pan with a spoon to keep them from sticking.

2. Add white wine and simmer until reduced, about 4 minutes. Add the broth and coriander, and then bring to a boil.

3. Liberally season chicken with salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium and add chicken to pan. Cover tightly and allow chicken to simmer in liquid until fully cooked, about 4 minutes on each side.

4. In a small saucepan simmer half and half, honey, and marjoram until liquid is reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes.

5. Remove chicken from pan and set aside, covering to keep warm. Raise heat on skillet to a boil and reduce sauce by half, about 5 minutes. Add half and half mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Serve chicken with sauce.  

Comments
I’m not sure where I found this recipe, but I do know that it’s a great one.  The honey adds a nice sweetness and it’s a very flavorful dish.  I serve it with rice.  

This recipe also makes me realize that the most important bit of cooking knowledge I’ve learned in the past year is that, yes, it really is important to take the time to let sauces reduce.  In step 5, I reduce the sauce enough so that the onions are almost glazed with no extra liquid in the skillet.  You can also thicken the sauce with bread crumbs if it’s not thick enough for you in the end.

Shown here with Roasted Acorn Squash.

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Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Instructions
1. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt & pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken, and cook 6 minutes or until chicken is done.

2. Stir in balsamic vinegar, honey, and basil; cook 1 minute and serve.  

Note: If you’re serving this with rice or noodles, double sauce ingredients. Use 2 teaspoons of basil if using dried instead of fresh.  

Comments
I love this recipe, it’s simple and flavorful and comes together quickly.  The recipe as written yields nicely glazed chicken but I’ve increased the sauce from time to time in order to serve it tossed with broccoli and pasta.  If you decide to make this with vegetables like broccoli, steam them separately.  If you do it in the skillet with the sauce, the vegetables will absorb the vinegar and not be very tasty.

Shown here with Risotto with Peas and Prosciutto.

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Ingredients
For Moroccan spice paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons turmeric
3 tablespoons olive oil

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Instructions
1. Mix spice paste ingredients together in a small bowl or grind in a spice grinder.  Due to the turmeric, the spice blend will stain.  

2. Place chicken in a large bowl or container.  Spread spice paste over the chicken and chill for one hour.  

3. Grill or sauté chicken until done.  I used a grill pan on high heat and cooked the chicken for 8-9 minutes per side.  

Comments
I found this recipe on Recipezaar while looking for something to serve with Quinoa with Squash, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin.  The two recipes use most all of the same spices and this chicken complemented the quinoa dish perfectly.  It was very spicy and flavorful.  

Shown here with Quinoa with Squash, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin.

Internet - Recipe Zaar

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For steaming liquid
2 tablespoons sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 green onions, cut into 2-inch sections
2 slices fresh ginger

For sauce
4 teaspoons tahini
3 tablespoons shallots or garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
5 teaspoons hot steaming liquid
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons dry mustard, mixed with 2 tablespoons of hot steaming liquid

Instructions
1. Place chicken in a steam-proof dish. Add sherry, soy sauce, sugar, oil, green onions, and ginger, and toss well to coat the chicken. Steam for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. Turn off heat, remove chicken, and allow to cool. Reserve steaming liquid for use in next step.  (I use a 8x8 baking dish on a rack in a covered Wok for this step.)  

2. To make sauce, place tahini, shallots, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add the hot steaming liquid, and mix until tahini dissolves. Add oyster sauce, oil, soy sauce, and sherry and combine until mixture is smooth. Add mustard mixture and combine until well blended.

3. Hand shred chicken and add dressing. Mix thoroughly; making certain chicken is well coated. Serve.  

Comments
This recipe is from The Chinese Way by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo.  It’s very spicy thanks to the dry mustard!  I serve it with rice, or noodles, or even tortillas with cucumber and green onions.  

Shown here with Sesame Noodles.

The Chinese Way

Ingredients
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₄ cup balsamic vinegar
³⁄₄ cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
¹⁄₄ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions
1. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sauté the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).

2. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms and garlic over the chicken breasts. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, and then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes or until reduced. Swirl in the butter and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

Comments
Sometimes I find myself cooking in other people’s kitchens.  Sometimes these kitchens aren’t well stocked and I don’t want to end up buying lots of things that will never get used.  This recipe has become my go-to recipe in situations like that.  It only requires one skillet, ingredients that will be completely used by the recipe, balsamic vinegar and thyme.  It also goes very well with rice which is easy to prepare and takes about the same amount of time as the chicken.  Then all you need is a salad and you’ve got a great meal.  

This recipe was passed my way by a friend when I was looking for easy things to cook in a kitchen other than my own.  It quickly became a favorite and I’d make it more often if there just weren’t so many other recipes out there to try!

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Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
3-4 cloves (one per chicken breast)
1 bay leaf, broken in half
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup white wine
¹⁄₂ cup sour cream

Instructions
1. In a large skillet, place butter and garlic and heat to medium temperature, about 2 minutes or until garlic is light brown.

2. Add chicken and cook, turning, about 10 minutes or until brown on all sides.

3. Place onion slices on bottom of pan under chicken.  Poke one clove into each chicken breast and add bay leaf to skillet.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; pour wine over chicken.

4. Cover, reduce temperature to low and simmer about 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

5. Remove chicken to serving plates and keep warm. Turn heat on skillet to high and reduce sauce for 5-10 minutes. Add sour cream and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes until warm but not boiling. Spoon pan sauce over chicken.

Comments
I’ve been cooking this recipe for a bit over a year now and it’s seen drastic changes from its original form.  The original recipe called for a mere single clove of garlic.  I’m still not sure how a recipe can get away with garlic in the title yet only have one measly clove!  Even the first time I made it we knew that the flavors would work, so I tweaked it until it turned into this.  This is super tasty and a nice, low-maintenance dish to make.

Shown here with a fantastically nutty Lundberg rice blend - Wild Blend.  It made the whole house smell edible while it was cooking.

Unknown

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise to make 2 cutlets each
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
4 thyme sprigs
2 ounces soft goat cheese
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Instructions
1. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

3. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until mixture is reduced to 1 tablespoon (about 1 minute). Add broth and thyme sprigs; cook until mixture is reduced to ¹⁄₂ cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat; discard thyme sprigs.  Add goat cheese and stir to melt.  Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.  

Comments
This is from Cooking Light’s 2006 Annual.  The first time I made it Lance had seconds and Art had thirds, so it’s safe to say that it’s a winner.  If you like thicker sauces, let the sauce reduce even more after adding the broth.

The first time I made this, I recall wishing the sauce was a bit thicker.  As you can tell from this picture, I think I made it a bit too thick this time!  Edit: I’ve since updated the picture to a sauce with a better consistency.

Shown here with Penne with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Fresh Basil.

Cooking Light 2006

Ingredients
4 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups bread crumbs, seasoned or plain
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat or cut lengthwise to make 2 cutlets each
¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
7 cups tomato sauce (I use two 26oz. jars of store-bought pasta sauce, usually Barilla)
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk with salt and pepper. Place the bread crumbs on a large plate. Dip the chicken in the egg and then dredge in the bread crumbs. Re-dip in the egg a second time and then dredge in the bread crumbs again.  (I’ve found that using a shallow container, such as Gladware, can work very well for this.)

3. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the double-dipped chicken in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels.

4. Pour about 2 cups of the sauce in the bottom of a large gratin dish or large ovenproof, glass baking dish. (I use a 9x12-inch baking dish.)  Place the browned chicken breasts on top of the sauce and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake on a rack in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the sauce and cheese are bubbling.

5. Serve hot with pasta, and sprinkle with parsley, if desired.  

Note: Feel free to add more or less sauce depending on your desired sauce level.  

Comments
When I was still figuring out Lance’s food likes and dislikes, I found this recipe online because everyone loves Chicken Parmesan, right?  All three of us did, indeed, love this and I’ve been making it ever since.  Chicken Parmesan is probably Art’s top comfort food and whenever I go out of town he requests that I make a double recipe of this so he’ll be able to have Chicken Parm every day I’m gone.  The picture shows the recipe made with four pounded breasts. 

I serve this with whatever long noodley pasta I happen to grab at the store.

Internet - Food TV