Deviled Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Green Beans

This is a sheet pan supper recipe that was in a booklet sent to me by my health insurance provider. I can't find the exact recipe online so am putting it here for future reference. It was so good we licked the pan...

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (Note: I had boneless, skinless thighs and they worked just fine)
5 tsp. olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
6 tbl. Dijon mustard (Note: I was out of Dijon and used spicy brown mustard)
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1 tsp. hot sauce
1-1/2 lbs. small new potatoes, halved
1 lb. green beans, trimmed

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Place potatoes and green beans in a single layer on an 18" x 12" rimmed baking sheet
Drizzle with 4 tsp. olive oil and sprinkle with half the salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, shallots, hot sauce, and the remaining 1 tsp. olive oil. Mix well.

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the remaining salt and pepper. Spread the mustard mixture on both sides of each chicken piece, then nestle the chicken pieces among the vegetables.

Note: I also sliced up an apple (next time I would use two) and spread the slices on one end of the pan to cook along with the chicken and vegetables.

Roast until the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 30-35 minutes; then broil for about 3-5 minutes until a deep golden brown. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serves 6.

*****

Nutrition per serving in the original recipe, not counting the apple slices I added. There would be less fat if you used skinless thighs, as I did:

Calories: 244
Total fat: 8.2 g.
Saturated fat: 1.6g.
Cholesterol: 47 mg.
Sodium: 429 mg.
Carbs: 25 g.
Dietary fiber: 4g.
Sugars: 4g.
Protein: 17g.

Chicken and Fruit Salad

Use the amounts that make sense to you.

Cubed cooked chicken

Chopped apple
Canned pineapple, chopped (reserve juice)
Seedless grapes, cut in half

Grated carrot
Chopped celery

Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
Golden raisins
Pumpkin seeds

Optional: Salt to taste, minced onion

Dressing: Mayonnaise thinned with the reserved pineapple juice and seasoned with curry powder.

Toss all together, cover and chill.

Chicken Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

This recipe originally appeared on Delish. I'm very proud to say that our granddaughter made it for her family when her mom was recovering from surgery. What a good daughter! Yay, Isabella! Get well soon, Aimee! The photo was taken by Isabella and is used with her permission. This looks yummy.

1 lb. lasagna noodles
3 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 c. milk
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c. grated Parmesan
2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 lb. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 15-oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped
2 pints skim ricotta
4 c. shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain and transfer to a sheet pan to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then add flour and whisk until golden brown, 1 minute more. Pour over milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let thicken, 2 to 4 minutes. Add Parmesan and stir until creamy, then add shredded chicken, spinach, and artichokes and stir until combined.

Assemble lasagna: In a large baking dish, spread a thin layer of the sauce mixture. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping each, a layer of ricotta, a layer of the chicken mixture, and a layer of mozzarella. Repeat for three layers, ending with mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake until warm and bubbly, 35 minutes. Broil until cheese is golden, 2 minutes more.

Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

My friend, Jean, tells me that this is her favorite chicken recipe ever. It comes from Martha Stewart, and this version (with photos) can be seen on Cooking San Francisco.

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (about 3 pounds)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
4 cloves garlic, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Toss potatoes with the olive oil in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Scatter asparagus, lemon, and garlic around chicken. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Serves: 4

Chicken Breasts Supreme

6 chicken breasts

For marinade, mix together:

2 cups sour cream

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. celery salt

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 tsp. pepper

Salt to taste

1 tsp. paprika

Crushed cornflakes

1/4 cup butter

Cover breasts with marinade and chill overnight. Dip in crushed cornflakes.

Bake in a buttered shallow pan for 45 minutes at 350〫

Turn pieces over and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Chicken Tandoori

From Bucksnort's ancient recipe box.

2 chicken legs

2 chicken breasts

Mix together:

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. whole cumin

juice of one lemon

turmeric

cinnamon

fresh or dry cilantro

salt

pepper

coconut

1 cup plain yogurt

Pour yogurt mixture over chicken in a greased casserole. Bake covered at 400〫for 45 minutes or until done. Serve with rice.

Panko Chicken

Beez has never been a fan of chicken, but he will eat this dish with something approaching vague enthusiasm. It's really delicious and is similar to Chicken Dijon.

2 boneless chicken breasts, washed & patted dry

1/4 c. butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. Dijon mustard

1/2 c. panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp. parsley flakes, or some minced fresh parsley

Mix melted butter, garlic and mustard. Set aside.

Mix panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Set aside.

Slice the chicken in 1/4" thick pieces. Coat the pieces in mustard sauce on both sides, then roll the pieces in the crumb mixture to coat.

Put the chicken pieces on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes*, turning pieces over halfway through.

This is my own variation of a recipe from Cooks.com.

*Important note re time and temp: I just got a new gas stove and this is too much time at too high of a temp. Just realize that you will need to adjust for your own cooking conditions. Don't worry though, it will be worth the trouble!

Curried Chicken Sandwiches

These sandwiches are quite simple to make, once you have baked the focaccia and chopped up some leftover cooked chicken. I suppose you could use some other kind of bread, but the results won't be quite as elegant.

Finely chopped cooked chicken

Salt, pepper, and curry powder to taste

A sprinkle of dehydrated minced onion

Optional: Finely chopped tart apple and/or nuts

Just enough mayonnaise to hold it all together

Mix the chicken salad ingredients and let sit, covered and refrigerated, for at least an hour. Add a good scoop of the chicken mixture to focaccia squares, which have been split horizontally, warmed, and spread with chutney.

Chicken and Rice with Choose-Your-Own Toppings

For some reason, the kids just loved this meal, probably because they could act as their own cooks-at-the-table. Here's how it worked: Everyone was served some steamed rice and some chunked-up cooked chicken. Toppings were placed all around the table in little bowls, and people could choose as many or as few as they wished.

Toppings:

Finely chopped green onions

Chopped peanuts

Thinly sliced celery

Toasted coconut

Chopped tart apple

Cooked green peas

Cream of chicken soup, thinned with a little milk and warmed

Chutney

Oyster Stuffing

I am such a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving that I never want to fool around with the menu. I like Sausage Cornbread Stuffing for the turkey, but if I ever chose to experiment I might try this recipe from Seasoned with Grace; My Generation of Shaker Cooking, by Eldress Bertha Lindsay. Making it would remind me of the lovely Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire that we visited when the kids were little.

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 cups bread crumbs, soft

1 pint oysters, chopped

2 - 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Pour milk and butter over crumbs. Add oysters and seasonings. Spoon the stuffing into the turkey and roast.

Shaker Village, Canterbury, NH

Chicken Dijon

Beez doesn't much like chicken, so I tend to order it a lot when out for supper. I had a version of Chicken Dijon many years ago and couldn't get over how delicious and how simple a dish it was. Here is a recipe from Cooks.com.

Chicken pieces
Dijon mustard
Italian style bread crumbs

Generous coat chicken pieces with Dijon mustard. Roll pieces in Italian style bread crumbs. Bake at 325 degrees on a cookie sheet for 1 hour or until chicken is tender and moist.

Orange Coconut Curried Chicken

This is quick to make and (finally!) is one of my recipes that actually serves just two, maybe three.

One whole chicken breast, skinned and deboned

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp. garam masala (if you have it)

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. ground ginger (fresh ginger would be nice, too)

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice and grated rind of one orange

3 tbl. orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup grated coconut

1/3 cup plain yogurt

Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch chunks. Brown the chicken, along with the onion and garlic, in a little olive oil. Make sure all the pink is gone.

Add the chicken stock and the spices, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the fresh orange juice and the concentrate. Simmer uncovered until the liquid in the pan has reduced somewhat.

Just before serving, stir in the coconut and yogurt, stirring well. Keep the heat very low and just heat through--do not bring to another boil.

Serve immediately with rice and chutney.

Chicken, Corn and Hearts-of-Palm Pizza

In January 2001, I stood in a parking lot in Carbondale, Illinois and flipped a coin. It landed on heads. I would travel west... The following adventure included an ice storm, a car accident, a train ride through the Rocky Mountains, a visit with my step-brother's family, and a miserable short-lived attempt to move to Los Angeles. It ended with me hanging out in Berkeley, California with Auntie Bucksnort, who was house-bound with a back injury. Over the next few weeks, we bonded, watched movies, ordered take-out and laughed a lot. A local pizza joint often delivered us a delicious pizza, which I have approximated here (using the dough from mom's recent pizza recipe). This is a recipe in progress! UNTESTED!! Auntie? Any amendments? (Makes 2 Pizzas)

--1 pound Chicken Breast, cut into small pieces
--Juice of 2 Limes
--2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
--2-3 Garlic Cloves, peeled and chopped fine
--Kosher Salt
--Fresh-Ground Black Pepper
--1 small can of Sweet Corn, drained
--1 small can of Hearts of Palm, drained
--Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

--1 tbsp Dry Yeast
--Tiny, tiny pinch of Sugar
--1/4 cup Warm Water

--1 cup Warm Water
--2 tbsp Olive Oil
--1 tbsp Sugar
--1 tsp Salt
--3 cups Flour

Place the chicken strips, 4 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice and garlic in a bowl to marinate. Add salt and pepper. Stir well and set aside while you prepare the dough.

Dissolve the yeast and the tiny pinch of sugar in the 1/4 cup of water. Set aside.

Mix the cup of warm water with the 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, and about half the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture. Beat well for a couple of minutes. Slowly add the remaining flour with the mixer on slow speed, using the dough hook. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide in half, roll out, and stretch each piece to fit a round pizza pan. Brush each with a little oil. Preheat oven to 450˚ Fahrenheit with the racks in the center or a little above center.

Saute the marinated chicken until all pink is gone (perhaps with a chopped sweet onion?). Don't overcook the chicken as it will have some time in a hot oven to finish cooking. Spread cooked chicken over both pizza dough rounds. Divide corn and hearts-of-palm over each as well. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.

Bake at 450˚ for 18-20 minutes.

Chicken Fajita Pizza

We're all about Southwestern style these days...

Long ago in New Hampshire, we drove through a small town one evening during lilac time. Both sides of the little main street were lined with huge lilac bushes and the scent at dusk was almost unbelievably delicious. We stopped to wander around a bit and found a little pizza place where I had my first chicken fajita pizza. I have been trying to reproduce the experience ever since.

Although we now live far away from New Hampshire, I've got my lilac planted out by the deck, waiting for it to bloom some spring. But the pizza part has been getting closer to the original over the years, although it has acquired a bit of southwest flavor along the way. We had this slightly New Mexican-style version for supper last night and I think it might have been the best pizza I have ever made.

1 whole uncooked skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

4 tbl. lime juice

4 tbl. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine

1 tsp. chile powder

1 sweet onion (Vidalia-type), thinly sliced

2 bell peppers--green, red, yellow, orange, or a combination; thinly sliced

Salsa (your choice of style and heat)

Grated cheese (Monterey Jack is really good on this pizza)

1 tbl. dry yeast

Tiny, tiny pinch of sugar

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup warm water

2 tbl. olive oil

1 tbl. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

Place the chicken strips, 4 tbl. olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and chile powder in a bowl to marinate. Stir well and set aside while you prepare the dough.

Dissolve the yeast and the tiny pinch of sugar in the 1/4 cup of water.

Mix the cup of warm water with the 2 tbl. olive oil, 1 tbl. sugar, salt, and about half the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture (this is in bold print because I have been known to forget this step). Beat well for a couple of minutes. Slowly add the remaining flour with the mixer on slow speed, using the dough hook.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide in half, roll out, and stretch each piece to fit a round pizza pan. Brush each with a little oil.

Saute the onions and peppers just until the onion is transparent and the peppers are glossy. Remove them from the pan and stir-fry the chicken mixture until all pink is gone. Don't overcook the chicken as it will have some time in a hot oven to finish cooking.

This would be a good point to turn on the oven. Preheat to 450˚ with the racks in the center or a little above center.

Spread each circle of dough with as much salsa as you like. I use about 4 tbl. per pizza. Divide the vegetables and spread those evenly on each pizza. Do the same with the chicken. Sprinkle all with your preferred amount of cheese.

Bake at 450˚ for 18 minutes.

Notes:

1) You can, of course, just buy prepared pizza dough and make a pretty good pizza out of it, but I won't have as much fun thinking of you making it that way.

2) I divide the dough in half, freeze one part of it, and make just one pizza at a time. As an empty-nester, it took me an awfully long time to learn to cut recipes this way.

Polish Chicken

Agatha is one of my best friends from college. We're nearly siblings at this point. During my junior and senior years at NYU, she'd invite my roommate Joe and I over for dinner, presenting us with mind-blowing fabulous Polish meals. We'd drink wine and talk for hours and hours, living the good life. It's impossible to describe correctly, but Agatha has the uncanny ability to cook "like mom." I don't mean MY mom or YOUR mom. Rather, Agatha's food tastes like love. That may sound cheesy, but it's a secret ingredient that every food-lover knows well. It's the taste of home. Here's one of her recipes, passed down from her mother. I can try making this a dozen times, but it will never ever taste as delicious as when Agatha makes it.

--1 whole Chicken, washed and patted dry
--4-5 cloves of Garlic, cut in 2-3 long pieces
--Any Fresh or Dried Herbs on hand (thyme, rosemary, etc)
--1 large Onion, sliced (any variety works)
--New Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes, boiled till they are half cooked and slightly soft
--Lots of Prunes, dried and pitted
--2 Apples, quartered (Macintosh are awesome, just avoid green or red delicious)
--Olive Oil
--White Wine

Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit. Cut small but deep slices into the chicken legs and breasts, 1 or 2 slices per section. Take pieces of garlic and stuff them into the holes you just made. Rub the inside of the chicken with herbs and stuff with sprigs of herbs, onion, potatoes, apples and prunes. Place chicken into a roasting pan and surround it with the rest of the fruits and vegetables. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with more herbs. Salt and pepper generously. Add a small amount of white wine (or water) to the roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil or a lid. Place in oven for 30-45 min until things start sizzling and cooking, basting the chicken with the juices. Once the chicken is about half cooked and the veggies are mushy, uncover the bird and let it roast until done.

Hungry Rancher-Woman Chicken

Quick, go to the Tasty Kitchen.com to see this recipe. It's from a real, live rancher-woman, Linda, who writes the wonderful blog called The 7MSN Ranch (Livin' and Lovin' Life 7 Miles South of Nowhere, New Mexico). You can see her post about the recipe here.

Chicken Soup

This isn't really a recipe, just an outline.

Make a pot of chicken stock.

Add any/all of the following:

Peeled and cubed potatoes or barley or rice

As many vegetables as you would like--I usually use carrots, celery, onions, peas, green beans--but you may have some other favorites. Turnips and rutabagas come to mind...

Cook until the vegetables, barley, rice, or whatever is tender.

Add some chopped fresh parsley, chives, and whatever else is growing in your herb garden.

Add the cooked, cut up chicken from making the stock

Season to taste.

Have another look around the fridge and dump in any likely leftovers you find. A little casserole! Salsa! Enchiladas! Who knows what's lurking in your fridge.

Chicken Pot Pie

If you have been reading this blog for a day or two, you will see a certain resemblance between this recipe and the one for Chicken and Dumplings. They are exactly alike, except that one is cooked in a pot and served with dumplings, and the other (this one) is baked with a biscuit topping.

Chicken stock

Potatoes, cubed

Celery, chopped

Carrots, peeled and sliced

1 tbl. cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Frozen peas

Optional: Small onions, peeled

Cooked chicken, cut up

Directions:

Simmer the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onions in the stock until done. Thicken the stock with 1 tbl. cornstarch mixed into 1/4 cup water. Cook for three additional minutes, then remove from heat.

Timing is everything here. While you are simmering the vegetables, prepare the biscuit dough below.

Add the peas and chicken to the stock/vegetable mixture and bring all to simmer.

Place the very hot chicken/vegetable mixture in an oblong Pyrex dish, 9" x 13". Top immediately with the cut out biscuits and bake in a preheated oven at 450˚ for 10 to 12 minutes.

If the chicken mixture isn't hot when you add the biscuits, they will be soggy.

Biscuit Topping for Chicken Pot Pie

2 cups sifted flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. sugar
½ cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once, stir only until dough follows fork around the bowl. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead gently ½ minute. Pat or roll ½ inch thick, cut with biscuit cutter. Follow directions above.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken stock

Potatoes, cubed

Celery, chopped

Carrots, peeled and sliced

Frozen peas

Optional: Small onions, peeled

Cooked chicken, cut up

Simmer the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onions in the stock until done. Add the peas and chicken. Bring it all to a boil, then drop dumplings (see below) from a tablespoon on top of the bubbling mixture. Cover tightly, bring to a boil. Don't lift the cover! Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until done.

Dumplings

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup milk

2 tbl. salad oil

Sift the dry ingredients. Combine the milk and the oil; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Follow directions above.

Chicken Stock: A Good Beginning

These directions will give you a start on any number of chicken recipes, which I will post on the days to follow. Strain this and you will have chicken stock.

1 stewing chicken (or a fryer), whole

1 cup celery, cut up

1 medium onion, cut up

Several carrots, peeled and chunked

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (just like the song)

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Put everything into a good sized stock pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the chicken is tender. It will begin to fall off the bones at that point.

Remove from heat, let cool slightly. Strain, discarding vegetables and bones and keeping the chicken.

Now you have some chicken stock, a base for many recipes.