Picky Eater's Grilled Chicken

So we had some neighbors over for dinner on Saturday night. Somehow we ended up in a neighborhood of people who are absolutely nothing like us, which is just fine by me. All of our immediate neighbors are empty-nesters, mostly native to TN. This actually turns out to be an ideal situation because most of these people have lived life enough to be decidedly un-fussy.

I happen to know the male half of the couple that came to our place for dinner is very picky and has pretty different taste than us. His wife teases him because he thinks Italian food is exotic. What the heck was I going to feed him. We eat almost exclusively foreign-inspired cuisine, don't eat much meat, and almost never make southern food. Plus, I didn't really want to cook indoors.

So, I went with grilled chicken, which seems pretty universal for non-vegetarians at least.

This recipe, Peruvian Grilled chicken, is from Gourmet. I felt like the ingredients were fun enough to satisfy B and myself, but tame enough for the non-adventurous neighbors. It was, indeed, delicious. It'd be great for kids.

Ingredients
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika for a little oomph)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), quartered

Accompaniment: lime wedges

Instructions
Marinate chicken:
Blend soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and oil in a blender.

Put chicken in a large sealable bag and add marinade. Seal bag and marinate, chilled, 8 to 24 hours.

Grill chicken:
If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom and lid of grill. Light a large chimney starter full of charcoal (preferably hardwood). When coals are lit, dump them out along opposite sides of bottom rack, leaving a space free of coals (the size of the quartered chicken) in middle. When you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill rack directly over coals for 3 to 4 seconds, coals will be medium-hot.

If using a gas grill, preheat all burners on high, then reduce heat to medium-high.

Discard marinade, then pat chicken dry. Oil grill rack, then grill chicken over area with no coals (or over a turned-off burner), skin side down first, covered, turning over once, until cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes (add charcoal to maintain heat).

Cooks' note: If you aren't able to grill outdoors, chicken (quartered) can be roasted in middle of a 500°F oven in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan with 1 cup water 30 minutes, then tented with foil and roasted until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes more.

Chicken / Veggie / anything you want fried rice

Alrighty folks. Let's talk about home made fried rice. This is a fantastic time of year for fried rice because it is a quick, adaptable dish that you can make without turning on your oven. If you're like me and are the recipient of lots of seasonal veggies, either from your garden or a CSA, you'll be looking for some fun things to do with them.

BUT, you need to remember that I am Croatian / Hungarian / German / English. This is SOOOO far from authentic, but good none the less. The method for making fried rice couldn't be simpler, the key is good ingredients, of course. I'll show you what I made tonight going through step by step, but please be creative and use any veggies, protein, spices that you like.

Ingredients for tonight's rice
1 cup dry jasmine rice cooked according to directions on package
canola oil
1 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed small (omit if want vegetarian)
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
two crookneck yellow squash, cut into small cubes (use anything on hand: carrots, cabbage, peppers, etc)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 eggs
0.5 cups frozen green peas
Tamari
kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons butter

Instructions

1. Cook rice on stovetop according to directions

2. Pre-heat large wok or skillet over medium-high heat

3. Salt cubed raw chicken liberally

4. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to wok, add chicken.

5. When chicken is brown and cooked throgh, remove from skillet
and set aside

6. Add another tablespoon canola oil to wok, add onions, garlic,
and ginger. Sprinkle with pinch of salt and cook until translucent.

7. Add squash to wok, cook about 2-3 minutes.

8. Add red pepper flakes.



9. Push veggies to exterior of wok, add two beaten eggs and cook,
stirring, until just scrambled and solid.


10. Add in froze peas, give a good stir to distrubute.






11. Add cooked rice and chicken to wok.

12. Sprinkle with good quality soy sauce (I use tamari) until top layer is coated well. Stir well.

13. Finish rice off with 1-2 teaspoons butter.

Tomatillo-Sauced Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms

Source: Rick Bayless Mexican Everyday

This recipe is phenomenal. Make this recipe, that's all I can say. Also, you can omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make it vegetarian. Neither really add much to the flavor, they just beef up the protein content. The key of the dish is really the yummy yummy sauce.

Ingredients
garlic cloves, peeled
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (I used 2 serranos, 1 jalapeno would work too), stemmed and quartered
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters
3/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, olive oil, or bacon drippings
2 cups chicken or veggie broth
8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 large red onion, thin sliced
10 ounces spinach
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (optional)
Salt
12 corn tortillas
3 tablespoons Crema, sour cream, heavy cream or creme fraiche
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 cup Queso Fresco or feta

Instructions

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. With a food processor or blender running, drop in the garlic and chiles one piece at a time, letting each piece get finely chopped before adding the next. Add the tomatillos and cilantro; process until smooth.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil or bacon drippings in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add the puree and cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of thick tomato sauce, about 7 minutes. (The more you cook it the richer and sweeter it will be). Add the chicken broth and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

While the sauce is simmering, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil or drippings in a very large skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring nearly constantly, for a couple of minutes, until they begin to brown. Add about three-quarters of the onion and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for another minute or two, until the onion looks translucent. Add the spinach and optional chicken and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or so, until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt. Cover to keep warm.

Lay out the tortillas on a baking sheet and spray or brush lightly on both sides with oil or bacon drippings, then stack them in twos. Slide the tortillas into the oven and bake just long enough to make them soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and stack them in a single pile; cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Stir the crema into the sauce. Taste and season with salt (add the sugar here too if you’re using it). Holding a tortilla by the edge dip it into the sauce, then lay it on a plate. Spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons filling down the center, roll up and lay seam side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with 2 more tortillas, arranging them on the same dinner plate. Douse the enchiladas with about 1/4 cup of the warm sauce, sprinkle with a quarter of the crumbled cheese and garnish with some of the reserved onion and cilantro sprigs. Assemble the rest of the servings, and carry to the table without hesitation.

Chicken Salad Balsamic

I believe that my grad school roommate, Brandi originally found this recipe to take on a picnic. It is a really nice alternative to standard chicken salad because there is no mayo to spoil in the heat. It's light and refreshing, perfect for summer.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

3 cups diced cold, cooked chicken

1 cup diced apple

1/2 cup diced celery

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, apple, celery, onion and walnuts.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and oil and pour over the salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes, mix again and chill.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

As much as I don't like mayonnaise, I do love a good chicken salad. I tend to like my chicken salad with just enough dressing to moisten the salad, and I like a little bit of acidity. This is a pretty basic recipe. I've taken Martha Stewart's classic chicken salad and adapted it a bit. Serve on good whole wheat bread or over a bed of mixed greens.

Ingredients
4 cups poached chicken breasts, cooled and shredded
1/2 cups green onions, diced
2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
1 cup diced celery
2 Tbsp fresh diced tarragon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Mix chicken, onion, grapes, celery, and tarragon
2. In another bowl, mix dressing ingredients
3. Add dressing to chicken mixture
4. Add salt and pepper to taste

Spicy City Chicken

Source: Food tv

This is one of those recipes I would have never tried. On the food network, it only has two reviews, one of which is not great. And, the sauce is rather rich with some butter and cream. So, I have to give credit to Bernardo for finding and making this one. It has become in high enough favor to enter our normal rotation.

The chicken is very basic, but the sauce makes the dish. It has a flavor I would not have predicted from the ingredients list. It is very complex and aromatic with just enough acid from the vinegar. Serve over a bed of basmati rice with grilled pineapple. As I sit here entering the recipe at 8:55 am, I am hungry just thinking about it. Warning, this is a weekend meal. The sauce takes quite a bit of preparation.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 shallots, diced
4 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped with seeds
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 cups chicken stock or canned broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 pounds boneless chicken breasts and thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 scallionsMake the sauce by melting butter in a skillet. Cook shallots and mushrooms until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add cilantro stems and 1/2 the leaves, jalapeno peppers, and cumin, lower heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock. Turn heat to high and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream and return to a boil. Remove from heat. Puree in a blender, strain, and return to heat.

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and vinegar together in a small bowl. Pour one cup pureed sauce into egg mixture to temper. Then combine egg mixture and puree, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick and smooth. Keep warm.

Preheat broiler or prepare grill. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper, since sauce will be spicy. Mix oil and lime juice in a small bowl and brush chicken and scallions with it.

Broil or grill thighs about 12 minutes, breasts about 9 minutes, and scallions about 2 minutes per side. Always grill chicken skinside down first.

Arrange grilled chicken over a bed of Basmati Rice and spoon sauce over all. Garnish with the remaining cilantro leaves and scallions, and serve immediately.

Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots, and Jalapenos

Hopefully, this is what we're having for dinner tonight. This recipe is from our favorite American-born Mexican cuisine chef, Rick Bayless (Everyday Mexican). It's always funny to me that my husband is native Mexican, and we go to a white dude from the midwest for authentic Mexican recipes. Anyway, we love this recipe because it is easy, heathy, and has an awesome balance of sweetness, spicey-ness, and acidity. It's one of our weeknight go-to recipes. We serve this with roasted red potatoes.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
Salt
3 (2 pounds total) chicken breast halves, bones and skin intact
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 large white onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 large carrots, peeled if you wish and sliced 1/4 inch thick on a diagonal
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/4 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar is traditional)
2 to 4 canned pickled jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth

Instructions
1. In a small bowl, combine the black pepper, allspice, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the chicken breasts.
2. Heat the oil in a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Lay in the chicken, skin side down, and cook, turning once, until richly browned, 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.
3. Add the sliced onion and carrots to the skillet and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is browned, abut 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute, then add the remaining seasoning mixture, the vinegar, jalapenos and broth.
4. Nestle the chicken pieces skin side up in the onion mixture, cover the skillet (a cookie sheet works if your skillet doesn't have a lid) and simmer gently over the medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Taste the broth, and season with additional salt if you think it’s appropriate.
6. Transfer a piece of chicken to each dinner plate, spooning a generous portion of the juicy vegetable mixture over the top. Dinner’s ready.

(Photo is from www.greatfood.ie)

Chicken Caesar Salad

Technically speaking, this is not a traditional caesar salad. There is no raw egg or anchovies in the recipe, but the vinagrette works really well. It's a much healthier version of the salad as it gets its creaminess from emulsifying the mustard with lemon, worcestershire, and olive oil and then mixing it with some parmesan. The saltiness of the anchovies is substituted by worcesteshire, which has anchovies in it (Sorry to the vegetarians who had been eating wocesteshire under the belief that it is vegetarian. It is not.)

You won't believe how yummy this is. Everytime we make it, Bernardo and I say "Holly Cow. How can a salad be so delicious?".

FYI, Bernardo is credited with finding this recipe in Cooking Light.

Ingredients
Salad:
1 (2-pound) whole roasted chicken, skinned
11 cups torn romaine lettuce (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 cup red bell pepper strips

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 cups plain croutons
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions
To prepare salad, remove chicken from bones; shred with 2 forks to measure 3 cups meat. Combine chicken, lettuce, and bell pepper in a large bowl.

To prepare vinaigrette, combine oil and next 7 ingredients (oil through garlic) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Pour over salad; toss well. Sprinkle with croutons and cheese; toss gently to combine.

Cajun Jambalya

I'm not normally a huge Emeril fan, but he is the king of cajun so I use his recipe for Jambalaya. I purchase the spice mix. Most grocery stores carry his line of spices. Serve with a side of cornbread.

Ingredients
12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
4 ounces chicken, diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
Salt and pepper

Directions
In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Creole Seasoning
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Chicken with Lemon-Caper Sauce

This is one of our standbys. Fast, yummy, and healthy.

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1/3 cup extra-dry vermouth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper evenly over chicken. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from skillet. Set aside; keep warm.

Add 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, vermouth, lemon juice, and capers to skillet, scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 2 minutes). Stir in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken.

4 servings

Crunchy Vietnamese Chicken Salad

We made this salad from Food and Wine magazine's website last week using shredded grocery store rotisserie chicken, so it came together really quickly. I substituted romaine lettuce for nappa cabbage as I'm not a cabbage fan. I just loved it. Next time we make this, I'll probably buy rice paper rounds and turn the salad into sumer rolls. To prepare vegetarian, simply omit chicken and substitute fish sauce with soy sauce. It will still be delicious. Brandi if you're reading this, you would love this!

ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN
SERVES: 4

Chef Way The Banhs like to poach the chicken for this vibrant dish, then toss the salad with a homemade scallion oil.

Easy Way To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken and skip the scallion oil; the salad already gets plenty of flavor from the spicy, vinegary dressing and abundance of fresh herbs.

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
• 1 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 serrano chile with seeds, minced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• Salt
• 4 cups finely shredded green cabbage (from 1/2 small head)
• 2 carrots, finely shredded
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (from 1/2 chicken)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, water, chile and garlic and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let the dressing stand for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the shallots on paper towels; reserve the oil for another use. Sprinkle the shallots with salt and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, red onion, cilantro, mint and shredded chicken. Add the olive oil and the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with the peanuts and fried shallots and serve the chicken salad with lime wedges.

Slow-Cooked Chicken with Tomatillos, Potatoes, Jalapenos, and Fresh Herbs

This is another one of Rick Bayless's recipes from Mexican Everyday. If you are at all interested in authentic Mexican cuisine, I encourage all of you to buy this cook book. Rick Bayless has been traveling Mexico for decades learning of their regional cuisines. This book is his attempt to pair down the traditionally labor intensive dishes to dishes that are accessible to the home cook. Being a bit of a health nut, all of his dishes are very nutritious.

I'm a little bit ill right now with a cold, and this dish is exactly what I needed. Being one of the few slow cooker recipes I truly love, it is low maintenance and perfect for a weekend dinner. Also, the consistency of the dish ends up as somewhat of a thick stew. I love the balance of the tangy tomatillos with the rich chicken thighs, sweet onions, and velvelty texture of my favorite potato, the yukon gold.

It's time to bust out your crock pot and MAKE THIS DISH.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1.5-2 lbs. skinless chicken thighs (bone in or out)
1 cup cilantro leaves or 1/3 cup epazote leaves
4 medium red skin or yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick (I use yukon gold)
1 1/4 lbs. tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup sliced canned or jarred pickled jalapenos
2 TBLSP jalapeno pickling juice

Preparation
1. Spread the onion over the bottom of a slow-cooker. Sprinkle with salt.
2. Continue with layers of the potato slices, chicken thighs, cilantro or epazote, and then tomatillow sprinkling salt evenly over each layer before moving to the next (this is the only salt in the dish, so make sure to add enough).
3. Scatter the jalapeno slices over everything, then drizzle on the pickling juice.
4. Cover and slow-cook on high for 6 hours.

Tangy Chicken Fajitas

This is from allrecipes.com. It is one of a small handful of recipes that Bernardo found and makes himself. Authentic? No. Delicious? Yes. This is one of our go-to recipes. In reality, we don't marinate it for more than 20 minutes as it is usually an after-work meal. We serve with a full buffet of toppings: cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, rice, and sour cream.


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 (.7 ounce) packages dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large glass bowl combine the oil, vinegar, lime juice, and dry salad dressing mix. Mix together. Add chicken strips, onion and bell pepper. Cover dish and refrigerate. Marinate for 3 to 6 hours.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil. Remove chicken, onion and bell pepper from marinade and saute in oil until chicken is cooked through (juices run clear) and onion is translucent.
3. Serve on warm flour tortillas with toppings.