I have a problem.
I spend a good amount of my free time searching for new recipes. I read blogs, cookbooks, and magazines. I try to recreate dishes I've had at friends houses and restaurants. And I just don't think I'm capable of following a recipe.
No matter how yummy a dish looks, or how foolproof the recipe, I want to change it. I want to play around with the spices, omit ingredients, made additions. No matter if I'm cooking dinner or - gasp! - baking a cake I just can't help but mess around with it. But maybe that's the beautiful thing about cooking - that anyone can take any recipe and make it their own. What's a recipe, anyway, besides an idea with some instructions?
This recipe was the second in my dutch oven. Can you tell I love my dutch oven? I really do. I love that I can saute the chicken, then the onions, then make the sauce, then put it all together. Then put it in all the oven. Beautiful. The only one more excited than me is my resident dishwasher.
Madeira-ish Chicken
Adapted from here, adapted from Williams-Sonoma
6 chicken thighs, fat cut off
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 lb. sliced carrots
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil on med-high heat and brown the chicken on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion into the pan juices and saute until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine and Worcestershire sauce.
Return the chicken to the pan, nestle it in between the mushrooms and onions, cover and braise on medium-low heat until cooked through, 20 minutes. Once the chicken is done, put the pan into a pre-heated oven, uncovered, and broil for 5 minutes to re-crisp the skin. Adjust the seasoning in the sauce, stir in chopped thyme and serve.
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Rosemary Chicken Pot Pie
Screw Passover.
Well, no. Don't do that. But I'm forgetting about getting those recipes posted (maybe next year, right?) and moving on. To a holiday that happened before. What?
Pi Day.
In the past, my friends and I have gotten together to celebrate March 14th, 3/14. Its been going on since high school, and although we weren't able to get it together this year (we tried TWICE!) we still found ways to celebrate. Or at least I did. Because an excuse to make and eat pie should never be passed up.
I went a different route this year, with a savory pie. D and I were home the evening of the 14th, undecided on dinner and absolutely not motivated to leave the house. Thanks to a pretty well-stocked freezer and to luck, we had all the ingredients on hand for chicken pot pie.
The pot pie was perfect. It is comfort food at its finest - warm, heavy, and delicious. We will definitely be making this again.
Rosemary Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook
Pie dough, rolled into a round disk
2 1/2 lbs diced chicken - we used leftovers from a chicken we had roasted earlier in the week
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
3 celery ribs, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 cup chopped onion
5 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups boiling chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/3 cup cream
2 1/2 tbsp rosemary (recipe calls for fresh, we had dried - it worked)
Preheat the oven to 375.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the garlic, celery, onions, and carrots until tender, about 6 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and mix quickly with a whisk for 1 minute. Add the stock, milk, and cream. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce to moderate low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
Mix chicken, vegetables, and cream mixture. Place in a large baking dish. Place the rolled-out crust over the mixture and prick the top with a fork.
Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 2 tbsp water. Lightly brush the dough. Bake pot pie in oven for 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Well, no. Don't do that. But I'm forgetting about getting those recipes posted (maybe next year, right?) and moving on. To a holiday that happened before. What?
Pi Day.
In the past, my friends and I have gotten together to celebrate March 14th, 3/14. Its been going on since high school, and although we weren't able to get it together this year (we tried TWICE!) we still found ways to celebrate. Or at least I did. Because an excuse to make and eat pie should never be passed up.
I went a different route this year, with a savory pie. D and I were home the evening of the 14th, undecided on dinner and absolutely not motivated to leave the house. Thanks to a pretty well-stocked freezer and to luck, we had all the ingredients on hand for chicken pot pie.
The pot pie was perfect. It is comfort food at its finest - warm, heavy, and delicious. We will definitely be making this again.
Rosemary Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook
Pie dough, rolled into a round disk
2 1/2 lbs diced chicken - we used leftovers from a chicken we had roasted earlier in the week
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
3 celery ribs, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 cup chopped onion
5 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups boiling chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/3 cup cream
2 1/2 tbsp rosemary (recipe calls for fresh, we had dried - it worked)
Preheat the oven to 375.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the garlic, celery, onions, and carrots until tender, about 6 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and mix quickly with a whisk for 1 minute. Add the stock, milk, and cream. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce to moderate low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.
Mix chicken, vegetables, and cream mixture. Place in a large baking dish. Place the rolled-out crust over the mixture and prick the top with a fork.
Make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 2 tbsp water. Lightly brush the dough. Bake pot pie in oven for 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Chicken Tortilla Soup
As the weather has been cooling down here in Southern California... wait... no, that can't be right. It was 70 here today. I love where I live :)
Despite the temperate climate, there's no doubt in my mind that its officially fall. Thanksgiving is coming, then Christmas - I LOVE Christmas - and this really is the most wonderful time of the year. Its also the time of year for soup! Yum.
On one of our Friday night dates, D and I ventured to this little hispanic place. It was an interesting combo of Mexican classics - tacos and such - and El Salvadorian meals. We had an order of arepas, which were quite delicious, and shared a big bowl of chicken tortilla soup. Since that night I'd wanted to recreate the fresh simple flavors of that soup at home, and here it is.
This is, as usual, a mish mash of a few recipies tweaked to suit my tastes. I like soups with a lot of stuff in them - this soup is a meal in and of itself. Each time I make it I play around with the ingredients based on the season and what I have in my crisper - I'll add potatoes in the winter, tomatoes in the summer, etc. Its never quite the same but always delicious.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Olive Oil
1 lb chicken breast
2 onions
Minced garlic
2 peppers of any color
3 carrots
2 zucchini
16 oz chicken stock
16 oz peeled crushed tomatoes
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro
salt and pepper
dash cumin
red pepper, to taste
spicy peppers, to taste (I use a big can of green chiles)
Monterey Jack Cheese
Avocado
Tortilla Chips
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a stockpot. Brown chicken breasts - I usually cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to ensure nice even cooking. Don't worry about cooking the chicken all the way through, it will simmer later. Remove from pan.
In the same pan, saute chopped onions and minced garlic until onions are soft. Add peppers, carrots and saute until soft. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Add remaining veggies; season to taste.
Shred chicken into bite sized bits and return to soup. Add juice of 2 lemons and lots of chopped cilantro. Let simmer until flavors blend and chicken is cooked through.
Serve topped with cheese, avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.
Despite the temperate climate, there's no doubt in my mind that its officially fall. Thanksgiving is coming, then Christmas - I LOVE Christmas - and this really is the most wonderful time of the year. Its also the time of year for soup! Yum.
On one of our Friday night dates, D and I ventured to this little hispanic place. It was an interesting combo of Mexican classics - tacos and such - and El Salvadorian meals. We had an order of arepas, which were quite delicious, and shared a big bowl of chicken tortilla soup. Since that night I'd wanted to recreate the fresh simple flavors of that soup at home, and here it is.
This is, as usual, a mish mash of a few recipies tweaked to suit my tastes. I like soups with a lot of stuff in them - this soup is a meal in and of itself. Each time I make it I play around with the ingredients based on the season and what I have in my crisper - I'll add potatoes in the winter, tomatoes in the summer, etc. Its never quite the same but always delicious.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Olive Oil
1 lb chicken breast
2 onions
Minced garlic
2 peppers of any color
3 carrots
2 zucchini
16 oz chicken stock
16 oz peeled crushed tomatoes
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro
salt and pepper
dash cumin
red pepper, to taste
spicy peppers, to taste (I use a big can of green chiles)
Monterey Jack Cheese
Avocado
Tortilla Chips
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a stockpot. Brown chicken breasts - I usually cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to ensure nice even cooking. Don't worry about cooking the chicken all the way through, it will simmer later. Remove from pan.
In the same pan, saute chopped onions and minced garlic until onions are soft. Add peppers, carrots and saute until soft. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Add remaining veggies; season to taste.
Shred chicken into bite sized bits and return to soup. Add juice of 2 lemons and lots of chopped cilantro. Let simmer until flavors blend and chicken is cooked through.
Serve topped with cheese, avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tom Kha Gai
One of our favorite restaurants in LA is a little hole in the wall Thai place near Hollywood. Its quite a drive from our little beach town so we don't go very often - usually only when we have guests in town - but it is deeeeeeeelicious. Last time we went was with D's parents (in town for the Greatful Dead concert!) and they introduced us to a few new dishes, including this one. Its a coconut and chicken soup flavored with lemongrass and hot peppers - so yummy!
Tom Kha Gai
1 can coconut milk
2 cups water
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
2 stems lemongrass, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 limes
1 jalepeno (not what you're supposed to use, but its available in LA)
small bunch chopped cilantro
Pour coconut milk, water, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and peel of 1/2 lime into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat.
Add fish sauce and juice of 2 limes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until chicken is done; about 10 minutes.
Add chile. Serve warm.
Tom Kha Gai
1 can coconut milk
2 cups water
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
2 stems lemongrass, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 limes
1 jalepeno (not what you're supposed to use, but its available in LA)
small bunch chopped cilantro
Pour coconut milk, water, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and peel of 1/2 lime into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat.
Add fish sauce and juice of 2 limes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until chicken is done; about 10 minutes.
Add chile. Serve warm.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Pollo con Espinaca
I like to cook on Sundays. Its relaxing, to be able to plan a meal, grocery shop, prep, cook, and of course eat everything. Its one of my favorite ways to end a nice weekend, and great to begin the week with because we always have leftovers!
One night a few weeks ago we were in the mood for something spicy. We also had a big bag of spinach that needed to be used up, so we decided on pollo con espinaca. Sounds easy enough, right?
This is D's favorite dish of maybe all time. Whenever we go out for Mexican this is certainly in consideration. To make things a little more interesting, I have never had pollo con espinaca before, so I had absolutely no idea what I was in for!
We followed a mish mash of recipes from one of my cookbooks and from various sources online. This is what we came up with!
Pollo Espinaca
4 Chicken Breasts
Fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
1 jalepeno, diced
1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I wanted to use crema mexicana or oaxaca, but its $$$)
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
We chose to grill our chicken, so we gave it a little olive oil rub and seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking.
Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Saute spinach until wilted.
Stir in softened cream cheese and plain yogurt. Allow to melt, stirring constantly to break up the spinach.
Add cheese and allow to melt. Continue stirring. Add jalepeno, salt and pepper to taste.
We served the grilled chicken and the sauce with rice and beans. Quite delicious, and healthy too! This will definitely be an addition to our regular dinner rotation.
One night a few weeks ago we were in the mood for something spicy. We also had a big bag of spinach that needed to be used up, so we decided on pollo con espinaca. Sounds easy enough, right?
This is D's favorite dish of maybe all time. Whenever we go out for Mexican this is certainly in consideration. To make things a little more interesting, I have never had pollo con espinaca before, so I had absolutely no idea what I was in for!
We followed a mish mash of recipes from one of my cookbooks and from various sources online. This is what we came up with!
Pollo Espinaca
4 Chicken Breasts
Fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
1 jalepeno, diced
1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I wanted to use crema mexicana or oaxaca, but its $$$)
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
We chose to grill our chicken, so we gave it a little olive oil rub and seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking.
Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Saute spinach until wilted.
Stir in softened cream cheese and plain yogurt. Allow to melt, stirring constantly to break up the spinach.
Add cheese and allow to melt. Continue stirring. Add jalepeno, salt and pepper to taste.
We served the grilled chicken and the sauce with rice and beans. Quite delicious, and healthy too! This will definitely be an addition to our regular dinner rotation.
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