White Chili

Although thigh meat would be a tastier choice of chicken for this dish, Lovey won't have it.  He's got to have boneless, skinless chicken breast.  To alleviate a tasteless, rubbery piece of breast meat for the chili, I brine them first. 

White Chili

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled, and diced

1 to 1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, brined, rinsed, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)

4 (15 ounce) cans white beans (Great Northerns or Cannellini) - drained and rinsed. 1 can reserved and mashed 

2 cups chicken broth (boxed or homemade) + extra if you want to add to your liking

Salt to taste

1/4 cup heavy cream

Suggested Garnish: Avocado chunks, crisp tortilla strips, oyster crackers, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped cilantro

Method:

In a 3 quart dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion has softened, ~ 3 minutes.

Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is lightly browned on all sides and no longer pink in the middle. (Add a little more olive oil if necessary)

Add the garlic and the spices to the pot and toss with the chicken. Add the corn, beans (not the reserved mashed beans), and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. At this point, taste the chili to see if you need or want to add any salt.  I usually do not add any salt because the brined chicken and chicken broth season it to our liking.

Add the reserved mashed beans to the pot. Stir in the cream. Allow the beans and the cream to warm up. Serve up and garnish if desired.

Chicken Webster

This is such an easy, quick and tasty dish to make for dinner; especially if you are short on time.  We named it after Lovey's best friend who made it for us one evening.  We also make this using cod.


In fact, this is such an easy recipe I am not going to write a 'formal' recipe below.


Crush up a couple handfuls of potato chips.  Whenever I get down to the bottom of a bag of chips that are mostly crumbles, I save them in a baggie.  Most times when I plan to make this dish I already have my potato chip crumbles ready to go.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt several Tbsp. of butter in a baking dish.  Pat dry boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (preferably without the rib meat, or that little tenderloin - it sometimes makes the breast a little too thick).

Coat both sides of the breasts in the butter.

 

Dredge both sides of each breast in the potato chips

Place the breasts back in the buttered baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

That's it.  Dinner in no time at all.

Bacon Latice Blanket

A certain turkey basting technique has been popping up in magazines and on the Internet and Lovey and I both have come across it lately.  Bacon is woven into a lattice-work 'blanket' then draped over the breast of the turkey. I made a rather tiny one since we had a small roasting chicken.  I used a high quality, thick-sliced smoked bacon.  The bacon we selected was very short slices but it worked for our chicken. Using normal sized slices will make your blanket larger for a turkey


 
I decided to try this new-to-me technique. 

Start by covering a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Begin 'weaving' by placing about 7 to 8 slices of bacon horizontally, sides touching, on the parchment paper.  

Starting with the top slice, from the left side fold the top slice back half way. Repeat with every other piece of bacon.  Now, lay a piece of bacon vertically against the left edge of the horizontal pieces.  Fold the horizontal pieces back over the vertical piece.  

Now, beginning with the horizontal second from the top, fold that back from the right edge over to the left.  Repeat this with every other horizontal piece under that slice. Place a vertical slice up against the first vertical slice.  Fold the horizontal pieces back over into their normal position.

Repeat this beginning with turning the top horizontal slice from right to left, and repeat with every other slice.  Tuck a vertical piece up against the previous slice, then fold the horizontal slices back to their normal position.

Repeat this process until you have a tightly woven blanket.

This is how our little blanket turned out.

I have also used it as a top to a quiche.  I baked the "blanket" before placing it on top of the quiche.

 

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata is one of my favorite dishes to order from a good Italian menu. Southern Living provides a great recipe for this classic chicken-lemon-caper dish.  This is an excellent recipe for Veal Piccata as well.



When I can't find thinner-cut breast cutlets, I halve a chicken breast half to make a thinner cutlet. Pound the chicken breast cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.  Pound to a thickness of 1/4 inch


Prepare the flour, seasoning with the salt and pepper, and lightly beating an white for dredging

Squeeze your lemon juice. This is the primary flavor and ingredient in the sauce.

You will also need some thinly sliced lemon rounds.


 

Chicken Piccata is not Chicken Piccata without these briny little flower buds.  I love capers and I prefer the smaller-sized ones. 

Measure your oil and butter for cooking the chicken, as well as butter for the sauce.



Roughly chop the parsley for the sauce.
 

After dredging in the egg white and flour, brown the chicken, two cutlets at a time. Once the first two cutlets are done, transfer to a plate and wipe the skillet clean. Repeat with the 2 more Tbsp. butter and the remaining olive oil and remaining 2 cutlets.

Transfer the final two cutlets to the holding plate.  After the last two cutlets, don't wipe out the skillet.
 

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and capers to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat.  Scrape up the fond on the bottom of the skillet. Add the lemon slices to the sauce. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.  Whisk in parsley.

Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve immediately. I served the chicken with pasta and spinach soufflé

Chicken Piccata
Adapted from Southern Living Magazine
Serves 4 

Ingredients:
4 (5 to 6 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (or 2 breast halves, sliced to make 2 thinner cutlets)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsps. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
6 Tbsp. salted butter, divided
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. brined capers, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Mise en Place:

• flatten chicken cutlets
• prepare flour seasoned with the salt & pepper and egg white in dredging dishes
• measure butter and olive oil for divided uses
• measure chicken broth
• squeeze fresh lemon juice
• slice some thin slices of lemon
• drain and rinse capers
• chop parsley

Method:
Place each chicken cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.  Dip each cutlet in the egg white and dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter with 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Wipe skillet clean and repeat process with 2 Tbsp. butter and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and remaining 2 cutlets.  Move the cutlets to the holding plate. discard drippings but do not wipe skillet clean.

Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers to skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet to loosen the browned bits (fond). add thin lemon slices. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes.  Whisk in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Whisk in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately with pasta. 

Cream of Chicken Soup

I normally make this when I have leftovers from a roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken. It's one of Lovey's favorite leftover dishes. Especially when it is a cold day; like it is today.



Dice the onion, carrots and celery into 1/4" pieces.  It's a plus to use celery stalks with the leaves; the leaves add an enormous amount of flavor. Mince the clove of garlic and set all this aside.

 

 Cut or tear your left-over chicken into bite-size pieces 

Measure out chicken broth (store bought or homemade)




 and the flour

 

bundle the herbs and tie into a bouquet garni.  I usually wrap these up in a piece of cheese cloth but I just threw it in there bare today.

 

Now you are ready to create your soup.  Melt a stick of butter and sweat the vegetables.

Add the flour, mix well and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the broth and gently whisk until the broth and roux are combined. Bring to a boil



and throw in the bouquet garni. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the chicken and return to a boil.

 

 

Remove soup from the heat and add the cream and sherry (make sure the Sherry is Dry, not Cream).

NOTE:  Sometimes I like to add rice to my bowl. Steam up a little rice or use left-over rice.


Cream of Chicken Soup
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion
2 stalks celery, with leaves is a bonus
3 medium carrots
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cups chopped chicken, leftover roast chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. dry sherry

Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish
cooked rice (optional)

Mise en Place:

• chop onion, celery and carrot into 1/4" pieces and  set aside
• mince garlic and add to other vegetables
• Measure out flour
• measure out stock
• gather parsley, thyme, and bay leaf into a bundle and tie into a bouquet garni
• chop chicken into bite-size pieces
• if using garnish, roughly chop the 2 Tbsp. parsley
• cook rice if using

Method: 
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes.  Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 more minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the bouquet garni. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and return to a boil.  Remove from heat.

Stir the cream and sherry into the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serves up nice with a side salad or sandwich. We like grilled cheese.

If using rice, place 1/4 cup cooked rice in bottom of bowl and ladel soup over rice.       

Roasted Chicken Breasts with Apples and Fennel

Tonight's dinner was inspired by a recipe from Betty Fussell's book Food in Good Season.  She is a good read on eating seasonally and on the history of foods.

Fennel is a vegetable I don't use often enough.  I don't know why.  It's crunchy raw and slightly sweet cooked.  As a bonus it's high in vitamin C and it's a really good source of fiber, folate and potassium.


 

The breast halves are rubbed with the softened butter then seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides.  You'll begin baking the breast halves skin-side down for 15 minutes

 

Then turn them over for another 15 minutes


 

Pile the fennel, apple and green onion mixture around the chicken


 

Pour the cream over the chicken then you'll cover the chicken with foil to roast for the remainder of the time.

 I wondered what in the world that little dab of cream would contribute.  Once the chicken, apples and fennel are removed from the pan you're left with a sauce that is both flavorful and light; and the cream was that ingredient that transformed the bland, ho-hum drippings to a smooth sauce that had been nicely flavored by the apples and fennel.

 
 

I initially considered the fennel and apples primarily as flavoring for this dish.  It turned out to be a really good side dish.  The recipe suggests that you can add lemon juice if you think the apples and fennel are too sweet.  I did not find that to be the case this time.


 

Chicken was moist and flavored nicely by the apples and fennel.  I put the sauce in individual small bowls to dip the chicken in.


Roast Chicken Breasts with Apples and Fennel
 Adapted from Food in Good Season by Betty Fussell
Serves 4


Ingredients:

4 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp. salted butter, softened
salt and pepper
2 tart apples - 4 if they are small
2 green onions

1 large head fennel
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 small lemon (optional)


Mise en place:

• rinse chicken breasts and pat dry
• core, pare and thickly slice apples
• chop green onions
• trim fennel of outer layers, cut in half from root to top then slice crosswise thinly

 Method:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Rub chicken breast halves with the softened butter.  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts.  Place chicken breasts skin side down in a baking dish.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn the breast side up and roast for another 15 minutes.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss the apples, green onions and fennel.  Pile this mixture around and over the chicken breasts.  Pour the cream over the chicken.  Cover with foil and bake 35 to 40 minutes until interior temperature of chicken is at least 185°F.

If the apples seem too sweet, add a squeeze of the lemon.

Chicken Pot Pie

It's a definition for comfort food; that's what this is.

When I was living in Midland, Texas during the early 1980's, a co-worker passed her CPP recipe on to me.  The original recipe had more vegetables, like mushrooms and corn kernels, but this was tailor-made to Lovey's liking; and it hasn't changed since.  Oh, I've tried to slip things in that I thought would make it even more superb, but Lovey always called me out on it.  So, this is Lovey's chicken pot pie. 



Begin by cooking your chicken.  This will also be the beginning of your broth that will become the base for your sauce.

I use 3 or 4 large chicken breast halves.  You can use whatever pieces you prefer.  Thighs will actually produce a broth that is a little more flavorful but, as I've said, this is Lovey's pot pie and white meat he'll get.

Make your broth with carrots, celery with leaves, an onion, bay leaf, garlic cloves, thyme  and whatever else you might have in your vegetable bin that would add a depth of flavor to your broth.

Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Skim off the foam then sprinkle some poultry seasoning over the top.  Add a Tablespoon of salt, cover, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes.



While the chicken is cooking chop the onion, carrots, and potatoes

When the chicken is done remove from broth and allow to cool.  Strain the broth and discard the solids.  Pour the stock back into the pan and bring to a boil.  Add the chopped onion, carrots and potatoes and boil for about 3 to 4 minutes.  You don't want them (especially the potatoes) to cook through and be mushy; they'll finish cooking in the oven.


 
With a large slotted spoon remove the vegetables from the broth and set aside in a large mixing bowl.  Return the broth to the stove top and bring to a boil.  Reduce broth to 1 cup and reserve in a measuring cup.  It will be so nice and rich.

Bone the chicken and cut into bite-size pieces.  Add the chicken to the large mixing bowl with the vegetables.

Rinse the frozen peas and add them to the mixture in the large mixing bowl.

 
In the pot you reduced the broth in, melt butter and add flour to make a roux.  Cook for one minute.

Add the reduced broth and whisk.  Slowly add the half & half and stir until it begins to thicken.  Toss in some chopped fresh parsley.  Now taste your sauce to see if you want to add salt and pepper.

Gently fold the sauce in with the vegetable / chicken mixture.

Roll out bottom pastry and place in the pie plate.


Pour the filling into the pie plate and mound up towards the center.




Roll out top crust and place over filling and crimp the edges.  Cut an air vent in the middle of the crust.  I make a 'K' for our last name.  How cute. 



Bake for 30 - 45 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbly (you'll see it bubbling through the vent hole) and the crust is nice and brown.

After removing from oven allow the pie to rest for 10 - 15 minutes.

Serve a crisp green salad.

Chicken Pot Pie
Serves 6

Ingredients: 
for crust:
Use your preferred recipe for a 2 crust pie crust or use the refrigerated crust that you simply unroll. 

for chicken & broth:
3 - 4 large bone-in chicken breast halves
1 carrot, scrubbed and halved
1 yellow onion, washed & halved (skin left on)
1 celery stalk halved, preferably with the leaves
5 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
1 large bay leaf
1 small bundle fresh thyme sprigs (tied in a bundle)
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 Tbsp. salt

for the filling & sauce: 
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" slices
1 large onion, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 - 10 ounce package/box of frozen peas
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half and half
hand full of chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste 
1 tsp milk 


Method:
Roll out 1 pie crust and place in a 9" deep dish pie plate.  Put in refrigerator to chill.

Place chicken, carrot, onion, celery and garlic cloves in a 5-1/2 quart Dutch Oven.  NOTE:  you can add any other vegetables you want that will contribute to your broth.  \Cover with water.  Bring to boil.  Skim off any foam.  Turn heat down to a simmer and season with the poultry seasoning.  Allow chicken to simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is done (about 20 minutes).


While chicken is cooking prepare the potato, carrot and onion and set aside in a mixing bowl.

When chicken is done, remove the breasts and vegetables from broth with a large slotted spoon leaving broth in pot.  Throw vegetable solids away (unless you want to munch on them; especially the garlic, yum!) and set the breasts off to the side to cool.  Strain the broth and return to the pot.  Bring to a boil and add the bowl of cut up vegetables you had set aside.  Bring to a simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a large slotted spoon remove the vegetables from the broth and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Return pot with the broth to the burner and turn to high.  Boil until the broth is reduced to 1 cup.  Strain into a measuring cup and set aside

While broth is reducing & chicken has cooled de-bone and cut into bite-size pieces.  Add the chicken to the bowl with the vegetables.

In a colander, rinse the frozen peas and add to the vegetable/chicken mixture.  NOTE:  At this time you can add other things that you might like such as fresh mushrooms, frozen corn, etc.).  Gently fold all of your vegetables and meat together.

In the same pot you have been using, melt the butter or medium heat.  Add the flour and whisk together to make a roux.  Whisking, allow to cook for a minute to remove the flour-y taste.  slowly add the broth and whisk until smooth.  Add the half and half and stir until slightly thickened. Add the parsley and taste.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to slightly cool off.

Pour the sauce over the vegetables & chicken.  Gently fold until everything is thoroughly coated.

Remove pie plate from refrigerator and pour the filling into the bottom crust and mound in the center (if you do have filling that won't fit, just put it in small single-serving ramekins to freeze for the future.

Roll out the top crust and drape over the filling.  Fold edges under the edges of the bottom crust and crimp all around.  Cut slits in the center of the pie crust for venting.  With a pastry brush, brush the top crust with a light coat of milk.  Place in refrigerator for about 10 minutes for the top crust to chill a bit.

Preheat oven to 425°.  Place pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  After the 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 350° and bake until the crust is a nice golden brown (anywhere from 30 - 45 minutes).

Allow pie to cool on a cooling rack for 10 - 15 minutes before cutting.

Serve with the tossed green salad.