Poultry – Page 3 – TasteFood

Grilling, Parties, Pork, Poultry, Roasted Chicken, Summer, Vegetables and Salads, Vegetarian

Healthy BBQ’s for Labor Day

August 18, 2009July 31, 2014by Lynda Balslev4 Comments

OK, so it’s not Julie and Julia, but I am still very excited to share with you a video I made, courtesy of BlogHer’s The Juice with Jory Des Jardins. In honor of the approaching Labor Day Weekend, Jory asked me to share some healthy tips for grilling. Healthy grilling? You bet!

Grilling is a subject I am passionate about. Grilling makes almost anything taste great, it gets you cooking outdoors, and it’s very social and interactive. During the summer, it’s the cooking method of choice, keeping the heat out of the kitchen, and putting the bounty of summer on the grill. That’s right – those fruits and vegetables ripe in the garden and piled high in the markets at this time of the year? They taste great on the grill, and they are healthy to eat.

Grilled vegetables can be tossed in salads, salsas or side dishes. Grilled Ratatouille takes the traditional summer veggie stew and elevates it with a charred smoky flavor for a delightful grilled salad. Or grill just one component of the salad or dish to add a crisp and smoky bite. Fattoush Salad includes grilled pita bread, which adds a distinctive toasted flavor and crunchy texture.

If you want to wow your guests, yet still keep it easy, make Grilled Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches with Goat Cheese and Tomato Coulis. The eggplant is the star of the show and adds a creamy, charred flavor to the “sandwiches.”

As for grilling fruit, many types of fruit grill well. Remember that grilling fruit is not about cooking but flavoring. The heat of the grill caramelizes the natural sugars of the fruit, enhancing their flavor, leaving you wondering how anything can taste so sweet, so delicious and be so healthy, as with Grilled Nectarines and Apricots with Honey and Thyme.

And what about meat? Grilling doesn’t just mean burgers, dogs and heavily sauced meat cuts (as much as we love them!) Go with leaner pork and chicken. Instead of sweet, sticky sauces, try a dry rub on Barbecued Pork Spareribs or smoke roasting a salted, whole chicken for savory, spicy, succulent results. Fish is another healthy winner on the grill. Keep it light and simple with a Lemon-Dijon marinade for Grilled Halibut and Salmon Skewers.

The bottom line? Grilling is delicious and inspiring. It’s communal and primitive, perfect for entertaining and enjoying the outdoors. You can keep it down, dirty and simple, with paper plates and beer, or all dressed up with a decorated picnic table, cut flowers and posh cocktails. The important thing is to have fun, invite friends and enjoy fresh, seasonal food when you fire up that BBQ this Labor Day!

Barbeque, Chicken, Grilling, Main Course, Poultry

Moroccan Spiced Chicken under a Brick

March 4, 2009April 4, 2019by Lynda Balslev6 Comments

In the mood for a crispy, spicy, succulent chicken? Look no further. This recipe combines the aromatic spices of North Africa with a, er, brick. Chicken under a Brick is an easy way to get a crispy grilled chicken on the stovetop. Or, in my case, chicken under a Dutch oven, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Every week we roast a chicken in our house for dinner. It’s easy, flavorful, and resourceful; one chicken feeds a family and then some. Stock is made from the carcass, and any left over meat can be used later for lunches, a light dinner, salad or soup. This week, I bought a chicken, but decided not to roast it the way I usually do. I was craving something a little different – something crispy and spicy to launch us into a new rainy week. I asked my butcher to butterfly the chicken, which entails removing the backbone, and flattening out the chicken so it can cook evenly. This is where the brick comes in. The brick will weigh down the chicken, keeping it flat while it cooks, ensuring that more surface area will be in direct contact with the cooking element (grill) or pan. Why a brick? Because it’s heavy and can withstand the heat. In my case, I don’t have a brick, but I do have a heavy Le Creuset Dutch oven, that I placed directly on the chicken, which did the trick.

As for the spicing, I realize I am having a bout of wanderlust, because lately I have been dreaming of the far-flung destination of Morocco and its cuisine. While I don’t foresee a trip to North Africa in my immediate future, I can at least bring its flavors and spices to my kitchen table. Using lots of garlic, fresh coriander leaves, saffron, lemon zest and olive oil, I made a paste that I smeared all over the chicken and under the skin. Then I made a dry rub of paprika, dried cumin, cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkled it all over the chicken. The spices and flavors cooked into the skin and meat lending a subtly exotic flavor and heat to the meat and a vibrant color to the crisp-cooked skin.

Serve this dish with couscous or rice. Accompany with a green salad, or a Middle Eastern Salad consisting of chopped tomatoes, onion, cucumber, mint, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. No, we are not in Morocco, but close your eyes and picture yourself far away while you smell the aroma and enjoy the flavors of this delightful chicken.

Moroccan Spiced Chicken under a Brick
Serves 4

1 whole chicken (3-4 lb.), backbone removed, butterflied
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or to taste

Make the Paste:
Combine garlic, coriander, one teaspoon salt, lemon zest and saffron in a mortar with pestle. Smash to a paste. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and stir to combine. Alternatively, mince garlic and add to a small bowl with coriander, one teaspoon salt, lemon zest, saffron and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix together with a fork. Rub chicken all over with paste, including between skin and breast meat. Place on tray or platter, skin side up and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting.

Prepare Chicken:
Preheat oven to 450 F. (225 C.)
Mix one teaspoon salt, paprika, cumin, black pepper and cayenne together. Sprinkle over both sides of chicken. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken, skin-side down, in skillet. Place brick wrapped in foil (or cast iron pan or Dutch-oven over chicken.) Cook chicken over medium-high heat without moving brick until nicely browned, 10-15 minutes, occasionally rotating skillet to ensure even cooking. Remove from heat and remove brick. Carefully turn chicken over in the pan with a large heavy weight spatula or thong without piercing the skin. Transfer chicken to the oven without the brick, skin side up. Bake until done, about 20-30 minutes, depending on size of chicken. Let rest, covered with foil, 10 minutes before carving.

Curries, Main Course, Meat, Poultry, Vegetarian

Simple Curry

February 24, 2009November 20, 2019by Lynda Balslev2 Comments

Perhaps inspired by the Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire, or perhaps because a little exotic flare and spice is befitting a rainy Monday evening, I am making a curry for dinner tonight. A curry is essentially a stew that begins as a base of simmered spices, oil and vegetables to which meat, fish or more vegetables are added. Some curries are thick and served with bread, while others are thin and served with rice. Geography, climate and regional foods influence curries which are found throughout India and parts of Asia.

The following recipe is a simple base to which you can add chicken, lamb, fish or vegetables. I prepared a vegetable curry, so I doubled up on the zucchini and added cauliflower. If you are adding protein, you can omit the cauliflower. Feel free to improvise.

Vegetable Curry
This is a basic recipe without too much heat. Add additional spices to taste. For more body, substitute one cup chicken stock with one cup coconut milk.

Serves 4

For the Curry Sauce:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger including juice
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground paprika
1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tomatoes, chopped
salt to taste, about 2 teaspoons

For the vegetables:

2 small zucchini (courgettes), sliced in 1/4″ rounds
1 large carrot, peeled, sliced in 1/4″ rounds
1 large yellow onion, peeled, halved horizontally, cut in wedges
1 small head cauliflower, ends trimmed, cut in 1″ pieces
2 cups (500 ml.) chicken stock or water

Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves for garnish

Prepare the sauce:
Heat the oil in a deep skillet or pan. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, one minute. Add coriander, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, garam masala and cumin. Cook, stirring, one minute. Add one cup water and tomatoes; cook at a simmer 20 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Once the sauce is ready add the chicken stock and vegetables. Bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat until vegetables are cooked to desired consistency. Serve in a bowl with basmati rice. Garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro leaves.

Note:
I prefer my vegetables chunky and more firm to the bite. Traditional curries often use vegetables cut in smaller dice. Adapt this recipe to your desired consistency.

For Chicken Curry: Add a combination of 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs to the sauce.
For Lamb Curry: Add 1 lb. (500 grams) stew meat to the sauce.
For Shrimp Curry: Add 1 lb. (500 grams) shelled (tails intact) and deveined shrimp to the sauce.

When the stock and vegetables are added to the sauce, include the chicken or lamb. Cook until done.
If you are adding shrimp, add the stock and vegetables, cook until vegetables are done, then add shrimp and cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Poultry, Soups and Stews, Thanksgiving, Travel

Holiday Timeout: Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard

December 31, 2008July 28, 2014by Lynda Balslev

I am going to slip this recipe right in. Flanked by a Christmas Eve house party with lots of gløgg and hors d’oeuvres and a looming New Year’s black tie dinner, I made this simple, healthy and restorative soup the other day for a gastronomique time-out.

In addition to a Christmas Eve party spread of food, we roasted a turkey for our Christmas Day meal. It may sound redundant on the heels of Thanksgiving, but for Thanksgiving this year we were graced with airport and airline food as we were in transit home from a trip to New York City. While we missed the traditional holiday, it was refreshingly civilized at JFK; we enjoyed a smooth glitch-free day of travel courtesy of the Thanksgiving holiday. We comforted ourselves with the thought of saving our turkey binge for Christmas Day, instead.

So, back to the recipe: I made this soup using the stock I made from our Christmas turkey, and filled it with vegetables left over from our party. While the recipe calls for turkey stock and turkey meat, chicken can easily be substituted. During the ever-so-festive-and-excessive holiday season, this homey soup is delicious, comforting and healthy. I cannot think of a better gastronomic time-out.

Turkey Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard
Serves 4-6

The chard adds heartiness to this flavorful soup. Choose either red or green chard; you will find the red chard will add a deep red color to the stock.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise, cut in thick slices
3 large carrots, sliced 1/2″ thick
4 celery stalks, sliced 1/2″ thick on the diagonal
8 cups turkey stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups Swiss chard leaves, shredded
2 cups cooked turkey meat, in large chunks

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 minutes. Add turkey stock, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Swiss chard and turkey meat. Simmer until chard is wilted. Discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.