Chicken – TasteFood

Chicken, Curries, gluten-free, Main Course, one-pot, Soups and Stews

Curried Chicken Stew

A curried holiday time-out

Do you need a holiday time-out? When we are in the eye of the storm, a.k.a. the lull between December and New Year celebrations, it helps to step off the conveyor belt of planning, cooking, baking, and entertaining. Take a break and fix up something easy, healthy, and decidedly (not) holiday inspired. Make a fragrant warming curry and call it a culinary break.

I use the term “curry” loosely since this recipe is hardly authentic. An authentic curry consists of a mountain of whole spices and aromatics, carefully and lovingly toasted, ground, sautéed, and coaxed to create a potent paste that forms the base of a stew which simmers for an ample amount of time to infuse its flavor. (I highly recommend doing this, by the way, but suggest you wait until after the holidays.)

This yellow curry rendition gets its name thanks to a generous short-cut dump of curry powder into the soup, which in the category of quick meals does the trick. It’s a healthy soup, brimming with vegetables and thickened with coconut milk, and it’s a one-pot wonder, prepared in about 30 minutes. During a month of roasts, bakes, sauces, and icings, this soup is a spicy and refreshing hiatus, guaranteed to warm and restore before you get back to the business of any holiday festivities.

Curried Chicken Stew

Active Time: about 35 minutes
Total Time: about 35 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 to 1 1/4 pounds chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced 1/4–inch thick
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (not light)
2 cups coarsely chopped curly green kale, Tuscan kale, or spinach leaves (tough stems removed)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves plus more for garnish
1 red or green jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook over medium heat until the chicken colors on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. (The chicken will not be fully cooked at this point. It will continue to cook when added to the stew.)

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the onion to the same pot. Sauté over medium heat until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and peppers and sauté until the carrot brightens in color and the peppers begin to soften, about 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the curry powder, cumin, and coriander, stirring to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spices for about 15 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

3. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale or spinach. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the leaves wilt, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the 1/4 cup cilantro and taste for seasoning.

4. Ladle the curry into bowls. Garnish with additional cilantro and the jalapeño slices.

Chicken, gluten-free, Main Course, one-pot

Sheet Pan Chicken with Wild Mushroooms and Cippolini Onions

Featuredby Lynda Balslev

Sheet Pan Dinners are Sheet Pan Comfort:

Sheet Pan Comfort: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Onions and Wild Mushrooms

Bone-in chicken thighs are perfect for sheet pan cooking. They are almost impossible to overcook, and the succulent meat does not dry out, allowing the time needed to tenderize and brown additional ingredients, such as sturdy root vegetables, sweet onions, and earthy mushrooms. In this recipe I use cipollini onions. Cipollini onions are small, flattened red and yellow onions. They are sweeter and milder than their larger yellow, red, and white brethren, making them great for roasting and caramelizing. Mushrooms are also a key ingredient this dish. As they roast, their juices impart a rich umami flavor to the pan juices. Any mushroom will work, but try to choose a selection of wild mushrooms, if possible. I used a mix of shiitake, beech, king trumpet, and crimini mushrooms in this recipe. Be sure to cut them into large bite-size pieces of similar size.

Sheet Pan Chicken with Wild Mushrooms and Onions

Serves 4
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes, plus marinating time

Marinade
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 chicken thighs, bone-in with skin
1 pound red or white cipollini onions, peeled, halved crosswise
3/4 pound assorted wild mushrooms (or crimini mushrooms)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
3 rosemary sprigs, plus more for garnish

1. Whisk the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Heat the oven to 375°F.
3. Combine the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Nestle the chicken thighs, skin-side up, among the vegetables. Scatter the thyme and rosemary sprigs around the pan.
4. Roast in the oven until the chicken is cooked through (a meat thermometer will register 165°F when inserted in the thickest part not touching the bone), about 35 minutes. If the skin is not golden yet, turn on the oven broiler and continue to cook until the skin is golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes more.
5. Remove from the oven and discard the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Taste the mushrooms and season with additional salt if desired. Serve warm with the pan juices and fresh thyme or rosemary for garnish.

Asian, Chicken, gluten-free, Main Course, Soups and Stews

Khao Poon: Chicken, Red Curry, and Lemongrass Soup

Featuredby Lynda Balslev6 Comments

Dip into this Lao soup for a winter escape:

Are you feeling the winter doldrums? January can be a blue time, post-holidays, when the dust settles and winter stretches ahead. It’s tempting to daydream about far-flung escapes to steamy destinations, away from the cold, snow, and darkness. Reality, of course, keeps us home for many practical reasons. So, as the saying goes, instead of cursing the dark, it’s time to light a candle – or in this case, the stove. If we can’t travel away, then we can bring the taste of travel home to our kitchen.

This is a perfect bowl for a winter day. Khao Poon is a traditional Lao soup with red curry and rice noodles, fragrant with lemongrass and coconut. It’s light, spicy, and aromatic, finished with a shower of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and chiles to create a meal in a bowl. Chicken is frequently added, but it’s wonderfully flexible with proteins, including pork and fish, as well as tofu for a vegetarian option. And, if that’s not enough to lift your spirits, Khao Poon is a traditional celebratory soup served at Lao weddings and other festive events. So dig in to your bowl and vicariously join the party.

Chicken, Red Curry, and Lemongrass Soup with Rice Noodles

Serves 4 to 6
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

8 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
1 pound chicken thighs, cut into chunky bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped, about 1/4 cup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons prepared Thai red curry paste, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 to 6 cups chicken broth
1 stalk lemon grass, cut into 3 to 4-inch pieces, lightly smashed
1 (15-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons Asian hot sauce, such as Sriracha
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 red jalapeño or hot chile pepper, sliced (optional)

1. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.
2. While the noodles are cooking, heat the oil in a soup pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot, without overcrowding. Cook until colored on all sides, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon (the chicken will continue to cook later in the soup).
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from the pot. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir in the curry paste and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Whisk in 4 cups chicken stock and lemongrass. Taste the stock, and if you prefer a spicier soup, whisk in 1 to 2 more tablespoons of the curry paste.
4. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, and hot sauce. Taste for seasoning. At this point you can dilute the stock with more chicken stock if desired. Bring to a boil and simmer until the soup is heated through.
5. Divide the rice noodles between serving bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles. Garnish with the bean sprouts, cilantro, and red chiles. Serve with lime wedges and additional hot sauce.

Appetizers, Chicken, Condiment, gluten-free

Tomatillo Salsa and Chicken Stew

Featuredby Lynda Balslev

If you’ve had a green salsa or salsa verde, then you’ve had a tomatillo.

For a long while I steered clear of tomatillos, not because I had an aversion – I simply didn’t know what do with them. Well, I am here to tell you that tomatillos are easy to use and a delight to eat. Their flavor is tart and vegetal with a hint of fruit, and they add pucker-y brightness to salsas and stews.

Tomatillos are in fact classified as a fruit (like tomatoes) and are a member of the nightshade family. They are wrapped in a papery husk, which, when removed, reveals a crab apple-sized green fruit that resembles a tomato. Tomatillos are native to Central America, which helps to explain why they are a prominent ingredient in salsas.

A fresh tomatillo should be firm, unblemished, and bright green in color. They can be eaten raw or cooked. When eaten raw, their tartness will be pronounced. Roasting tempers their acidity, coaxing out their natural sweetness, while adding a smoky charred note. To prepare a tomatillo, remove the paper husk and wash the fruit to remove the sticky film that coats the surface. When roasting, halve the tomatillos crosswise and broil, cut side down (or grill skin-side up) to get a light char on the skins. You want those skins in the salsa for the extra flavor.

The salsa in this recipe can be enjoyed straight up on a chip, spooned over tacos and casseroles, and dolloped over grilled meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables. In this recipe it’s the base for a simple and bright chicken stew. For extra depth of flavor, I’ve marinated the chicken in citrus and herbs to amplify the salsa.

Tomatillo Chicken Stew

Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, plus marinating time
Serves: 4 to 6

Marinade:
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, halved

Salsa:
1 pound tomatillos
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small white onion, coarsely chopped
1 small poblano pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooked long grain rice
2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Marinate the chicken: Whisk the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Make the salsa: Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos. Rinse the tomatillos to remove the sticky film. Halve the tomatillos cross-wise and arrange with the jalapeños, cut-sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Place under the oven broiler and broil until the skins are lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly and then combine the tomatillos, jalapeños, and the remaining salsa ingredients in a food processor and pulse to achieve a salsa consistency.
3. Heat the oven to 350°F.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. In batches, cook the chicken on both sides to give them a little color, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
5. Pour the salsa into the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Nestle the chicken into the salsa. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
6. To serve, ladle the chicken and sauce over the rice. Serve garnished with the scallions and cilantro.

Chicken, Condiment, gluten-free, Main Course, Marinades, Poultry

Sheet Pan Chermoula Chicken and Cauliflower with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

Featuredby Lynda Balslev

Winner Winner Chicken (Sheet Pan) Dinner:

You’ve probably heard of sheet pan dinners. The term may be trendy, but the concept is not. It simply means arranging all of your dinner components on a rimmed baking sheet, coating them with oil and seasoning, then roasting in the oven – and, voilà, you have a complete dinner on a tray. While the emphasis is certainly on ease of preparation, with the right ingredients this cooking method ensures maximum flavor. Oven roasting coaxes out the flavors of vegetables and meats and is a sure-fire (no pun intended) way to cook to crispy, golden perfection. The key to building great flavor is the ingredients you use to coat and bind the dish. They can be as basic as olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, or more elaborate with aromatic marinades, spices, herbs, and citrus.

This recipe combines two ingredients that are well suited for roasting: bone-in chicken thighs and romanesco, a green brassica, which looks like a cone-headed cauliflower. Importantly, they both require a similar amount of cooking time, so they can happily team up on a baking sheet without one ingredient over-cooking while the other keeps on roasting. (You can also use white cauliflower in this recipe.) A potent, herbaceous chermoula sauce, robust with garlic, lemon, and spices, coats the whole lot and drives in flavor.

The finishing touch to this recipe – not required, but recommended – is a smoky red pepper sauce for swiping and drizzling. It’s inspired by Spanish romesco sauce (not to be confused with the romanesco vegetable!) and traditionally consists of roasted tomatoes and ground almonds or hazelnuts. This smoother rendition uses roasted red peppers to create a sweet and smoky condiment.

Chermoula Chicken and Cauliflower Sheet Pan Dinner

Active time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, plus marinating time
Serves 4

Chermoula Sauce:
1 1/2 cups Italian parsley leaves and tender sprigs
1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves and tender sprigs
1 cup fresh mint leaves
Juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 cup olive oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin

Red Pepper Sauce:
2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed, coarsely chopped
1 red jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed (optional), coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium head romanesco (or white cauliflower)
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
Lemon wedges for serving

1. Combine all of the chermoula ingredients, except the oil, in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to chop. Add the oil and pulse to blend. The chermoula should have a runny salsa consistency. If too thick, add more oil to loosen.
2. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Pour in the chermoula and stir to thoroughly coat, rubbing the marinade between the skin and meat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting.
3. Combine all of the red pepper sauce ingredients in the cleaned bowl of a food processor and process to blend. Taste for seasoning. (The sauce may be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
4. Heat the oven to 375°F.
5. Cut the cauliflower from crown to stem in 3/4-inch slices. Cut out the cores and cut the cores into bite-size chunks. (The cores are sweet and edible, so don’t discard them.)
6. Remove the chicken from the marinade and arrange, skin-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush the cauliflower steaks and pieces on all sides with the residual marinade and arrange around the chicken. Season everything with salt and black pepper.
7. Transfer the tray to the oven and roast until the romanesco is tender and the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (it should register 165°F when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part closest to the bone), about 30 minutes.
8. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken, Condiment, Grilling, Marinades, salad

Chipotle Chicken and Couscous Salad

May 12, 2020May 12, 2020by Lynda Balslev

Pantry essentials: Chipotles in adobo add sensational flavor to this grilled chicken and couscous salad.

Chipotles in adobo are a flavor bomb, packed with a soupy mix of whole smoked and dried jalapeños that are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, sweet tomato sauce. A little dollop adds smoky flavor and heat to robust marinades, sauces, and stews. In this recipe, the chiles add essential flavor to the chicken marinade, which does double-duty as a basting sauce.

When using the chipotles, remember that the whole chiles have a good amount of heat, while the tomato sauce is milder and slightly sweet. So, spoon a balance of whole chiles with sauce in the food processor when making this recipe. Alternatively, separately process the entire can of chiles to get a smoother purée with a balance of heat and sweet. Either way, you won’t use the entire can, so don’t throw out the leftovers! They can easily be stored for future use. Transfer to a glass container and refrigerate for up to one month, or freeze for up to 6 months. This way you’ll have your own stash for dipping into.

In this recipe, I cut the chicken into large chunks to expose more edges to the marinade and drive in flavor. I also like to accompany the salad with hummus, which is optional.

Chipotle Chicken and Couscous Salad

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes, plus marinating time
Serves: 4 to 5

Marinade:
1/4 cup chipotles in adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut in 2 to 3-inch chunks

Couscous Salad:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced, finely diced
1 small jalapeño seeded, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1/4 cup
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges for serving

Marinate the chicken:
Process all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons for basting. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Add the remaining marinade and turn the chicken to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or up to 24 hours.

Make the couscous:
Place the couscous in a large bowl. Add the water, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt and stir once to blend. Cover the bowl and let stand until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and gently mix to combine. Taste for salt and seasoning.

Preheat the oven broiler (or prepare the grill). Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Broil or grill over direct medium heat until the chicken is charred and beginning to crisp in spots and thoroughly cooked through, basting with some of the reserved marinade, 10 to 14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. (The internal temperature should register 165°F with a meat thermometer when fully cooked.)

Spread the couscous on a serving platter and arrange the chicken on top. Garnish with fresh mint and/or cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken, gluten-free, Main Course, Marinades

Braised Moroccan Spiced Chicken Thighs

September 26, 2019April 13, 2020by Lynda Balslev1 Comment

Transport yourself to Morocco with this fragrant spice-infused chicken dish:

Craving comfort? These spiced and braised thighs will do the trick. Braising chicken thighs is an easy way to get a warming, flavorful meal without the time involved to slow-cook stew meat. Dark chicken meat is inherently flavorful – and forgiving – and happy to mingle with stock, tomatoes, and a heady smear of spices without compromising the meat’s flavor or drying out. The Moroccan-inspired spice paste in this recipe is crucial to the flavor of the chicken, which is braised in a sweet and spicy slick of onions and tomato. While you can easily prepare this meal in one hour, you can also take the time to let the chicken marinate in the fragrant spice rub for several hours or even overnight. It’s worth it.

Braised Moroccan Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes, Ginger, and Honey

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, plus optional marinating time
Serves: 4 to 6

Paste:
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 (6-inch) cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon honey or light brown sugar
2 teaspoons harissa paste (or red chili sauce, such as Sambal Olek)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Chopped fresh Italian parsley or cilantro for garnish

1. In a small bowl, combine the paste ingredients. Rub the paste all over the chicken and between the skin and flesh. (The chicken can marinate for up to 24 hours. If not proceeding with cooking, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before proceeding.)

2. Heat the oil in a casserole or braising dish. In batches, arrange the chicken, skin-side down, in the skillet without overcrowding. Brown the skin and then flip the chicken and briefly cook until the meat takes on color, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Heat the oven to 350°F.

4. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet (if skillet is dry, add 1 tablespoon olive oil). Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon stick, brown sugar, harissa, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, and then taste for seasoning.

5. Return the chicken to the pan and nestle into the sauce, skin-side up, without submerging the skin. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.

Barbeque, Chicken, gluten-free, Grilling, Main Course, Marinades, recipe

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

July 9, 2018July 25, 2018by Lynda Balslev2 Comments

Beat the heat with Caribbean-style Jerk Chicken:

Jamaican Jerk is a thick and heady Afro-Caribbean marinade chock-a-block full of ingredients. Don’t let the lengthy list of spices and aromatics deter you. All you need is the fire of a grill to unify the flavors and create a spicy-sweet finger licking dinner – perfect for a summer barbecue. The heat in the marinade traditionally comes from Scotch Bonnet peppers (super hot). I’ve modified that with jalapeños – but feel free to go all out with a scotch bonnet (carefully seeded with gloved hands!) if you dare. And remember – as with most meat marinades, the longer the chicken can soak in the marinade, the better the flavor.

Jerk Chicken
Serves 6

Marinade:
6 garlic cloves
4 scallions, chopped
2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded (optional)
1 (2-inch) knob ginger, peeled, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 chicken legs and/or breasts with skin and ribs

Method:
1. Place the marinade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process to form a paste. Arrange the chicken in a large baking dish. Rub the marinade all over the chicken and under the skin where possible. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat. Grill the chicken over indirect heat until charred and golden brown and thoroughly cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes, depending on size and thickness. During the last few moments of grilling, move the chicken to direct heat to char the skin as needed.
3. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

Asian, Chicken, gluten-free, Soups and Stews

30 Minute Coconut Chicken Curry

January 8, 2018January 8, 2018by Lynda Balslev4 Comments

January weather invites slow-cooking and one-pot meals. When it’s crazy cold, icy, and wet outside, it’s a good time to hunker down and make a steaming pot of fragrant, spicy curry. This chicken curry is brimming with vegetables and napped with coconut milk. It’s rich, aromatic, and bright – a perfect antidote to the winter blues. It’s also a one-pot wonder, simply prepared in 30 minutes, which is perfect for a weeknight meal or a no-fuss apres-ski (or shoveling!) dinner. Feel free to switch up the vegetables to your taste. Chicken thighs may also be used in place of the breast meat – just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Coconut Chicken Vegetable Curry

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced 1/4–inch thick
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
6 to 8 leaves lacinato or curly green kale, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
1 red jalapeño pepper, sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook until the chicken colors on all sides, turning as needed, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. (It will continue to cook when it’s added back to the stew.)
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pot and then add the carrot and onion and sauté until the carrot brightens in color and the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the poblano and sauté until crisp tender, about 2 more minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spice, about 30 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes.
4. Serve the curry in bowls with basmati rice. Garnish with the jalapeño slices and fresh cilantro.

Chicken, Main Course, one-pot, Soups and Stews

Time Out Soup: Turkey and Farro Soup with Carrots and Shiitake Mushrooms

November 28, 2017July 16, 2018by Lynda Balslev

This is a Sunday soup (or, in this case, a Tuesday soup). It’s a perfect antidote to a long holiday weekend punctuated with big meals and late evenings. It’s restorative, healthy, and nourishing and a perfect time-out meal to enjoy on a relaxed evening with no social agenda. It’s also a simple way to use some of that leftover turkey lurking in your fridge. If you don’t have turkey, fear not, chicken works just as well, so if you’ve soldiered through your Thanksgiving leftovers you can easily use cooked chicken meat or a rotisserie chicken from your local store or farmer’s market. That’s why I often call this a Tur-Chicken soup.

There are two important ingredients I like to add to this soup. Shiitake mushrooms impart a slinky umami flavor to the stock, and farro, an ancient nutty wheat grain, lends satisfying heft to each slurp. Use pearled or semi-pearled farro for easiest cooking. Whole grain farro, while the healthiest option, requires soaking and a long cooking time of at least one hour, and has a distinct earthy flavor. Milder semi-pearled farro still retains some of its nutritious bran and germ but is scored to hasten cooking, and pearled farro is completely stripped, thus the least nutritious, but quickest to cook. If farro is not available, pearl barley is a good substitute.

Turkey and Farro Soup with Carrots and Shiitake Mushrooms

Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 to 50 minutes
Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 ounces small shiitake mushrooms, ends trimmed
6 cups turkey or chicken stock
1/2 cup pearled farro or pearl barley
2 thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken breast meat
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it softens without coloring, about 3 minutes. Toss in the carrots and mushrooms and sauté until the carrots brighten in color and the mushrooms begin to release their juices, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the farro and cook briefly, stirring to coat and lightly toast the grains, and then add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the farro is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the chicken (or turkey), salt, and pepper and top off with additional stock if needed. Simmer until the chicken is heated through. Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve hot, garnished with the parsley.