Grilled Chicken and Peaches Salad

So I kind of stole from was inspired by my cousin's yoga/health/beautiful blog for this recipe, which looked so simple that I thought there had to be a catch to it.  I made it and was really pleased with the bright, fresh mix of flavors.  There's sweetness from the peaches, a little bite from the onion, some tang from the blue cheese, and some pepperiness (is that a word?  my spell check doesn't think so) from the arugula.  Put it all together and you've got yourself on seriously good, filling, summer salad.

You can cut up the chicken breast into cubes and serve it in the salad, or leave the breasts whole and serve the salad as an accompaniment.  I used baby arugula, but if you're using fully grown, remove the hard stems.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches Salad


ingredients for one serving (multiply as necessary)

• 1/2 fresh peach, sliced
• 2 slices of red onion, rings separated
• 1 chicken breast, pounded flat and even throughout
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 handful arugula 
• blue cheese crumbles, to garnish

Place the peach and onion slices in a bowl.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and a little salt and pepper, and stir to coat evenly.  Place on a hot grill and cook, about 2 minutes a side or until soft with obvious grill marks.  Remove them and place them back in the bowl, allowing the juices to collect at the bottom.  Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and gently stir to combine with the juices and coat the peaches and onions.  Add a little more olive oil if desired.

Coat the chicken breast with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Cook on the grill, about 4-5 minutes a side, or until done in the middle.  Take the chicken off the grill and coat evenly with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.  Add back to the grill for about a minute on both sides.

Top the arugula with the peaches, onions, and a little blue cheese.  Serve with the chicken breast.

Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms

I have had this dish at least one bagillion times in my life.  I just never really knew that it had a name.  It has been a constant at work lunches, banquets, etc.  It was only recently while I was staying in a Little Italy part of the city for a convention that I learned what the name was.  We wandered into a quaint little Italian market with a restaurant attached, and I looked at the menu.  I was sold at "caper, lemon, butter sauce."  Yes please.

Well, I had to get through the salad and spaghetti first (this place was a legit Italian eatery, let me tell you).  And then came a beautifully golden, thinly-sliced chicken breast topped with capers and mushrooms.  In my mind I said "Eureka!" which is the perfectly normal thing to say in situaitons such as this.  I just spared my dinner guest the inevitable awkwardness of my running through the streets naked yelling it, as legend says it originally was.

I have removed the breading from the version I had, thinking that a pan-seared chicken breast has a better consistency to it, and a little less weight to it.  Cooking the capers in the oil first distributes their distinctive taste throughout the entire dish, giving it a little more briny kick.

Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms

• 4 thinly-sliced chicken breasts (or 2 breasts, butterfly-cut in half)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of one lemon
• 2/3 cup chicken stock
• about 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Parmesan cheese, to garnish
• salt and pepper

Place the chicken breasts between sheets of aluminum foil and pound with a mallet until evenly thin throughout.  Salt and pepper both sides generously.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the capers and stir for about 2 minutes.  You don't want them mushy--just a little seared.  Remove the capers, retaining as much of the oil as you can.

To the same pan, add the butter.  When melted, add the chicken breasts (you can do 2 at a time: don't crowd the pan).  Sear until golden brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Remove, and keep close.  Retain as much butter and oil in the pan as possible.

To the drippings and butter in the pan, add the garlic and saute for about a minute.  Then add the lemon juice, zest, and chicken broth.  Let simmer for a few minutes, until reduced by about a third.  Add back the capers, as well as the mushrooms and parsley.  Stir until the mushrooms are slightly soft.  Place the chicken breasts back in the pan, and spoon over the sauce for a minute or two, until heated through. 

Serve on top of your favorite pasta with Parmesan cheese. 

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Kids, these don't even pretend to be authentic. Not even a little bit. I'm just shooting for "good." These enchiladas pack a creamy punch, let me tell you. Perhaps a little too creamy (if such a thing is possible), so be judicious with the sour cream.

I chose to use chicken thighs rather than the traditional chicken breasts, because I liked the richer flavor of the dark meat. However, with the richness of the sauce, you may prefer all white meat. Do whatever you want; I trust you.

You can serve with guacamole and other south-of-the-border (referring to Canada's border) fixins'.


Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

• about 2 pounds chicken thighs, skin and bones still on (they cook better, I promise)
  
• a few tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 large, sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 soup-can of milk
• 2 large dollops sour cream
• several sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 10-13 medium tortillas
• A generous amount of shredded cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the chicken on both sides in a flat-bottomed saute pan in the olive oil over medium-high heat (a few minutes each side). Transfer the chicken to a 9 by 13 inch pan, and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden and juices run clear. Set aside.

While the chicken is in the oven, return the saute pan to the stove, and add the onions and green chilies. Saute until soft. When the chicken is done cooking, remove the flesh from the bone, and shred it into the onion and chilies in the pan. Season with salt and pepper

In a seperate mixing bowl, combine the soup, milk, sour cream, and cilantro. Whisk until smooth. Add about 1/3 of the mixture to the onions and chicken in the saute pan, and stir to coat.

Reusing the same 9 by 13 inch pan you used for the chicken, coat the bottom of the pan with some of the soup mixture. Scoop a few spoonfuls of the chicken and onions mixture into a tortilla, wrap, and place in the pan. Repeat until the pan is full (probably about 10-12 will fit). Pour the rest of the soup mixture over the top, and top generously with the cheese.

Return the pan to the oven, and bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast

Thanks to LacyLu for the inspiration for this beautiful, fancy, tasty little dish here. This flavor combination was inspired by a Hot Pocket (well, actually a lean pocket). This is (hopefully) a slightly more fulfilling, non-microwavable version taking slightly more than 90 seconds until piping hot, but hey, Mom says it's nice enough for company (and it's pretty dang good, too).






Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast

ingredients

• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped, marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 cup frozen, chopped spinach
• 1 shallot, finely diced
  
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
  
• 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
  
• 6 boneless, plump chicken breasts
• extra virgin olive oil, for sauteing
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1/2 lemon (I zested the other half in long strips to use as a garnish)
  
• a few tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the cheese, artichoke, spinach, shallot, and some salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Finely dice 1 sprig of the rosemary and 2 - 3 sprigs of the thyme, and add to the mixture.

Cut a deep slice into the sides of the chicken breast, forming a pocket inside (being ever so careful as to not cut through them completely). Evenly distribute the filling into 6 portions, and stuff the chicken breasts, closing off the edges with toothpicks, as needed.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a deep-sided frying pan over medium-high, and sear the chicken breasts a few at a time on both sides (about 3-5 minutes a side). Transfer the chicken to a 9 by 13 inch pan (retaining the juices in the frying pan), and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until juice run clear.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice,lemon zest, and remaining herbs to the pan with the chicken drippings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to reduce as the chicken roasts.

When the chicken is finished, pour any juices from the baking pan into the gravy. Thicken the gravy with a few tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in cold water, then added to the gravy. Stir until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken breasts with the gravy, and garnish with additional herbs and lemon zest.

You can serve it with roasted asparagus and some roasted red potatoes.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

There was a little Thai place in a city where I used to live that was pretty much the definition of a dive. It was just a few tables thrown into a small room, and the owner's little children just kind of wandered around the restaurant (and I'm pretty sure they stole my friend's chapstick once). However, I kept going back, and the soup was pretty much the reason why.

The first soup on the menu was listed as "sweet and intoxicating" (I think technically it was called tom kha gai, but I always just called it "sweet and intoxicating soup" and that was good enough for me.) It was a blend of coconut, vegetables, chicken, and other stuff that I'm not exactly sure of, but it was good. I know that there may be some out there who be offended at the decidedly American-looking list of ingredients: shouldn't it contain galangal and kaffir lime leaves and those little red chilies that will burn your eyebrows off and nam prik phao and lots of other stuff I can't pronounce? Well, it probably should, and if you're a Thai soup purist, I'm sorry. I don't believe in authenticity nearly as much as I believe in awesomeness. And this, my friends, is awesome.


Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

• 1 quart chicken broth
• 3-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced very thin
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed
• 3 tablespoons lemongrass puree
• Zest of 1 lime (finely zested)
• 2 cans coconut milk
  
• 1 pound chicken breast
• 1/2 medium sweet onion
  
• 1 can pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice
• scant 1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoons cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon basil leaves
  
• Juice of 2-3 limes
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• about 1/2 cup enoki mushrooms, roughly chopped
• salt, to taste
  

Place the chicken broth in a large soup pot with the ginger, jalapeno, and lemongrass. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes to flavor the broth, occasionally stirring vigorously with a whisk. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discard what's left in the strainer, and place the broth back in the pan.

Add the coconut milk, chicken, onion, pineapple, sugar, and herbs. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the chicken is cooked (about 10 more minutes, or so). Shred the chicken, then add back to the pot.

Add the lime juice, pepper, tomato, and mushrooms. Stir until warmed throughout. Season with salt as needed.

Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup was born of necessity on a cold winter day. I love chicken soup--I believe it heals what ails you--but it can get just a little on the bland and boring side. A few little twists give it a nice little kick. Also, this was an opportunity to try out a great little trick suggested by Sara Foster who suggested simply using sliced tortillas boiled for a few minutes to make dumplings. It works perfectly. I use about half broth and half water for the liquid, because I don't really like it strong: I like to be able to taste the vegetables and seasonings, so you can adjust the ratios of broth to water however you'd like. A word of explanation: I originally started making chicken noodle soup, so the picture has carrots and celery in it, which weren't bad, but I probably wouldn't suggest them in this version of the soup.


Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• About 2 - 3 cups chicken broth
• About 2 - 3 cups water
• 1 large uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
  
• 1 heaping tablespoon diced green chilies
• about 1/2 cup corn
• 1 large flour tortilla, cut into strips
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely diced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• shredded cheese, to top

Bring the broth and water to a boil in a large pot, add the chicken, onion, and chilies and simmer until the chicken is cooked. Shred the chicken breast, and add back to the broth. Add the corn and the tortilla strips. Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the strips plump up. Add the tomato, avocado, and cilantro. Stir and allow it to heat through. You don't want to cook these last additions--just heat them. Season to taste, then ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cheese.

Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

This one won awards, folks. Not kidding: the church chili cook off in-the-bag. Some would accuse me of stacking the judges in my favor. While vehemently denying that accusation, I will admit that I had a lot of friends on the panel, and there may have been some unspoken, implied pressure, I did nothing illegal or unethical, so I submit that the verdict stands.


Now, the sweet potatoes will certainly throw a few people, so just be ready for that. It's not your typical recipe, but I really love the flavor of it.


Sweet Potato Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet vidalia onion, diced
  
• 1 heaping teaspoon cumin
  
• 2 cans white beans (great northern or navy beans), with liquid
  
• 1 can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes, with liquid
  
• 1 can mild green chilies
  
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
• chili powder, to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
• up to 1 cup chicken broth
  
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
• the juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper, to taste
• splash of apple cider vinegar
• fresh cilantro leaves
  
• fresh sliced avocado
  

Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan, and saute the onions and the cumin until translucent and fragrant. Add to a slow-cooker with the beans, tomatoes, chilies, sweet potato, chili powder, and some of the broth. Cook on low for several hours. About an hour or so before serving, switch the heat to high add the chicken, lime juice, salt and pepper, and vinegar. If too thick, add some more broth. To serve, top with chopped cilantro and avocado.

Herb-braised Chicken Breast

This is heavily adapted from Sara Foster's tarragon chicken recipe. I didn't really realize how licoricey tarragon really was, and I'm not gonna' lie, black licorice is one of the few things around that I'm not really terribly fond of. So, a few quick substitutions, a few alterations, and whammo, here we have what is turning out to be among my favorite dishes to make for a party.

The original recipe called for a whole chicken, cut up, which I agree gives you a very "homey" feeling, but it sure is difficult to eat. I usually use boneless, skinless chicken breasts then cut them in half, because they're just easier to eat.


Herb-braised Chicken Breast

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or other chicken parts)
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  
• 4 shallots
• 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with some salt, pepper, and half of the thyme and rosemary. Heat the oil and butter in an oven-proof skillet to med-high heat, and sear the chicken on both sides until brown, about 3 minutes a side.

Pile all the chicken on one side of the pan, then in the drippings and oil, saute the shallots until brown. Then add the apple juice, mustard, and broth, and whisk together. Redistribute the chicken in the pan, spoon the sauce over the chicken, and transfer to the oven.

Cook for about 30-35 minutes, stopping every 10 minutes to spoon more sauce over the chicken pieces. When the chicken is done, remove from the pan, and whisk the cornstarch into the liquid (I usually mix the cornstarch into about a tablespoon of cold water before adding directly to the hot liquids). Whisk a few seconds until the gravy thickens, and then serve with the chicken.

Hawaiian Haystacks

It's entirely possible that those of you who have never lived in Utah have never heard of these before. I'm not gonna' lie, either, most of the ones (even the native Utah variety), while being "yummy" and filling, have left a lot of room for improvement. Typically they consist of cream of chicken soup with boiled chicken over rice, cheese, and some toppings. Well, some Thai-inspired tweaks and we had ourselves a party going on.



Hawaiian Haystacks

Ingredients
for the chicken

• 1.5 pounds boneless chicken pieces
• 1 small yellow onion
  
• 1 can's worth of pineapple juice (save the pineapple)
  
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• salt and pepper
  
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 - 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder

for the toppings

• 1 can pineapple tidbits
• 1 diced red pepper
• 1 bunch green onions, cut up
• 1 large can mandarin orange segments
• flaked coconut
• 1 cup blanched peas
• chopped fresh cilantro
• salted cashews

• White rice
  

Put the garlic, onion, chicken, salt, pepper, and pineapple juice in a crockpot on low for several hours (do it in the morning and forget about it until you come home). About an hour before serving, shred the chicken, then add the soup, coconut milk, and curry powder. Switch the heat to high, and let sit until ready to serve. Stir well, and add additional curry powder as needed for the desired level of kick.

Serve the gravy over a bowlful of white rice, then top with the toppings.

Chicken, eggplant, and polenta with roasted-red pepper sauce

Now, I've got to admit that with this one, there is a story. Once upon a time, after an evening of black-and-white silent movies accompanied by a live organist at a tiny little theater in Salt Lake City, we were off in search of something to eat. Now, I'm not gonna' lie to you, we weren't in exactly the hippest part of the valley, so our chances of finding some amazing place were probably low. Undeterred, we continued down the dodgy little lane, and there it was. Sitting on the side of the road, a rather dumpy little place boasting Greek, Mediterranean, and Persian food. Sounded promising, even though one of our group had spent several months on a cruise around the world with a Greek captain, so they had lamb and pasta every night (needless to say, she was a little sick of it). Inside, the decorations were tacky, Egyptian-themed, and seemed to have too many artificial flowers for a small building. The local clientèle had us convinced that this was a mafia hangout. However, we were inside and committed, so we sat down and perused the menus.

Then the fateful moment came: the waitress explained the daily special. I've been smitten ever since. I have tried to recreate this recipe multiple times, the only catch is, that event in the shady part of town was so long ago, I don't really remember how it tasted, but I still have fun playing around with this recipe.

I hear polenta isn't hard to make, but I just use the store-bought stuff because it eliminates one extra step in the multi-component meal. The hard thing about this recipe is you have to do about three things at exactly the same time right before you serve, but I have faith that you can do it.

Again, the recipe makes enough for a party (8 people), so adjust as needed.


Chicken, Eggplant, and Polenta with Roasted-Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped or minced garlic
• oregano, to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 chicken breasts
• 2 large eggplants
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 packages pre-made polenta
• salt and pepper, to taste
  
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling and sauteing
• feta cheese, for garnish
  

Remove the gree stem from the peppers, and cut them into 3-4 large, flat segments. Coat with a little olive oil. Place them on a hot skillet or grill, skin-side-down, for a few minutes until the skin is black and charred. Remove from heat. To help loosen the skins before peeling, place the peppers in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or foil, and let sit for a few minutes. When they're cool, peel off the skins and place the flesh in a blender or food processor with the tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, some salt and pepper, and a few good glugs of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Stir in the cream. This step can be done in advance, and the sauce can be placed in the fridge if you're going to do this earlier in the day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan, coat with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 10-12 minutes, until they have a nice, golden crispiness to the tops. Pull out of the oven and cover with the red pepper sauce.

Switch the oven to broil. Slice the eggplant into 8 slices each. Heavily salt both sides of the slices, and let them sit out for a few minutes. This will draw out some of the water and allow them to stay a little more firm when roasting. Wipe off the salt with a paper towel, and brush with a little olive oil (the eggplant absorbs the olive oil very easily, so just don't pour it on and expect to spread it around: use a brush). Lay them out on a baking sheet, and top with some pepper and Parmesan cheese. Broil them until the cheese is crispy and you have a crust on the top, just a few minutes! After you pull them out, quickly replace with the roasting pan of chicken and sauce to heat it up. This is the tricky part: keeping everything hot until you serve.

Meanwhile, cut the polenta into slices. Saute a little on both sides until warm in a pan on the stove. When they're ready, put a few on a plate, then top with a slice or two of eggplant, then one of the chicken breasts with plenty of sauce. Top with some feta, and serve immediately.

Hawaiian Chicken Pizza

I found out something most egregious lately: Papa Johns doesn't deliver to my neighborhood. To say I was livid is perhaps an understatement.

I really like good food, but there is a special place in my heart for pizza delivery. It just shows up, right when you want it. All those junior high memories of blissfully gorging yourself on pizza and soda without thoughts of obesity, diabetes, kidney failure, or high blood pressure just come flooding back (too bad that now I do worry about obesity, diabetes, kidney failure, and high blood pressure: it's sad what time and education will do to you).

So, angered that I couldn't just conjure up my instantaneous order of barbecue chicken pizza or whatever they call it at Papa Johns, I would just make up my own. Now, it wasn't really anything like delivery pizza, or really anything like almost any pizza. It ended up being much thicker than I anticipated (more fork-food than finger food), but liked it. Here it goes.


Hawaiian Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza dough (there are many great recipes for pizza dough out there: feel free to use another)

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 envelope yeast
• 2 cups flour (plus up to 1/4 cup more)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Topping

• 1 cup barbecue sauce (preferably a sweet sauce, like honey barbecue)
• 1 large chicken breast, cut into strips and grilled
• 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese (I buy a block and then cut it into coarse chunks)
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into rings or strips
• 1/4 red onion, cut into thin rings
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
• 1/4 cup crushed bacon strips (optional)
  
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)
• a few sprigs fresh cilantro (optional)
  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Pour the yeast into the hot water and let sit for a few minutes. Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar, then add the water/yeast and the olive oil. Stir until coated. Knead well in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on low for about 8 - 10 minutes, or by hand (you'll build some serious muscle doing it that way). Put the dough in a bowl coated with a little more olive oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit until the dough has risen to twice its original size (about an hour). Beat it down some, then spread it out on an oiled and floured pizza stone, cookie sheet, or pizza pan.

Top the dough the barbecue sauce, then start with all the rest of the toppings. You can do it however you want, but I kind of like to layer it. This is how I did it: put the chicken and pineapple onto the layer of barbecue sauce, then cover with the mozzarella cheese. Layer the pepper and onion on top of the cheese with the cilantro (if using). Cover with the remaining cheese, then put the bacon and almonds on top.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, checking regularly until the crust is golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the almonds have started to brown a little.

Better than Papa Johns. Vindication at last.

Albino Meat Loaf

This is another one of those, "shoot, what do I have in my fridge?" recipes that really turned out to be dang good. I'm rather proud of this one.

Albino Meat Loaf

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds ground turkey
• 1 beaten egg
• 3 slices white bread, processed to crumbs in a food processor
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced finely
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 - 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 -2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/3 cup chicken broth (this makes it really juicy)
• 1 tablespoon Italian herbs (whatever combo you want: parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil)
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Grated mozzarella cheese

I do this whole thing in a stand mixer, and it's very quick and easy. I just dump in all the ingredients except the Parmesan and mozzarella and stir until mixed. I don't have a loaf pan, so I used a pie plate: it makes it makes it thinner so it cooks a little faster. Press the meat mixture into pan, top with the cheeses and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (will vary greatly depending on the thickness and shape).