Chicken Tabbouleh

Chicken Tabbouleh

(Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style, 2002)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup bulgur wheat

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

olive oil

kosher salt

1 whole (2 split) chicken breast, bone in, skin on

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup minced scallions (green onions), white and green parts (1 bunch)

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch) *Ina uses 1 cup

1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)

1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and medium-diced

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl pour boiling water over the bulgur wheat. Add the lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour.

Meanwhile, place the chicken breast on a baking sheet. Rub it with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until done. Use a thermometer!!!! Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into medium dice.

Add the chicken, scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the bulgur wheat. Gently mix. Season to taste.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. The flavors improves as it sits.

Notes

• This was eaten over three days. It tasted fantastic each day.
• It made an excellent sandwich. I wish I would have had pita bread to stuff with this Tabbouleh.
• I love that you can make it ahead of time. It tastes better the longer it sits! 

Chicken Paella

Chicken paella is one of my favorites. Betty Crapper could eat several platefuls quite happily.

It's not the quickest meal to put together, but requires minimal effort once you have the chicken and chorizo browned. I find the hardest thing about the dish is removing the casing from the chorizo. Betty Crapper really hates getting chorizo under her fingernails.

You will need chicken broth, chopped tomatoes, white rice, peas, olive oil, salt, pepper, turmeric, saffron, chopped onions, minced garlic, sliced chorizo, and cut up chicken thighs. 

Don't skip the saffron. Buy it because you will make this dish again. It's good. Betty Crapper would not lie to you.

Once you have everything chopped, sliced, minced, and measured you are ready to go. 

Brown the chorizo, followed by the chicken. Let them hang out in a plate while you saute the onions and garlic.

The hard part is done. Add a little chicken broth to the pan and scrape up all the browned bits. Return the chicken and chorizo to the skillet and add the rest of your ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven. After 25-30 minutes it's done. The rice will be hiding under the chicken, chorizo, peas, tomatoes, and olives. I promise.

Stir it all together and it will look like this:

Betty Crapper would not lie to you. Trust me, she is a horrible liar.

Chicken Paella

(inspired by Ellie Krieger's So Easy)

2 tbsp olive oil

3 ounces Spanish chorizo, casing removed, sliced into 1/4 in rounds

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

5 ounces frozen peas (half package)

1  cup uncooked white rice

1 large ripe tomato, chopped

1/4 cup sliced green pimento-stuffed Spanish olives

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to season chicken

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to season chicken

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

small pinch of saffron

Preheat oven to 375 F. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper, set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large, oven-proof skillet with lid. Brown chorizo and remove to a plate (about 3 minutes). Next, brown chicken in batches and remove to a plate (about 5 minutes each batch).

Add remaining oil to skillet. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft and translucent (about 3-5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add some of the chicken broth to pan and scrape up all the brown bits. Return chicken and chorizo to skillet and add the remaining ingredients (rest of broth, peas, rice, tomato, olives, and spices). Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook 25-30 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir and serve.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Tips/Notes

• Don't forget to season your chicken with salt and pepper before browning. I have made this recipe without seasoning the chicken, as Ellie Krieger wrote her recipe, and have found the chicken pieces to be tasteless in the finished dish. 
• My recipe has half the amount of peas called for by Ellie Krieger. When I made the dish with 10 ounces of peas, the peas were overwhelming.
• Use caution when removing the skillet from the oven. Betty Crapper once (ok twice) absentmindedly reached into the oven without protection and burned herself. Oops! That handle sure does get hot.
• This recipe doubles very well and makes great food for a party. Just make it in a large Dutch oven.

Chicken with Warm Tomato Corn Salad

This dish is perfect for summer. It cooks quickly so you don't have to sweat very long in a hot kitchen. It's also light and perfect for the night before you need to fit into a bathing suit. 

All you need are cherry tomatoes, corn, garlic, scallions (green onions), cilantro, limes, olive oil, salt, pepper, and chicken breasts. I feel healthy already.

Don't forget to season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Betty Crapper has made this mistake before. I don't recommend you skip it.

Once you've preheated your skillet, brown your chicken breasts in a little olive oil. Remove chicken to a plate and get started on that yummy tomato corn salad.

Add some more olive oil to the skillet. Saute the scallion whites, followed by the garlic. Toss in your tomatoes and corn. Stir and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Cook for a few minutes, until tomatoes and corn soften.

Add the scallion greens and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve sprinkled with fresh lime juice and cilantro.

Chicken with Warm Tomato Corn Salad

(adapted from Ellie Krieger's book So Easy)

1 1/4 lbs chicken breasts, cut thin

salt 

pepper

4 tsp olive oil

4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pints grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen)

3 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. Add the scallion whites and cook for about 1 minute. Stir frequently. Add the garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and corn to the pan and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the scallion greens and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When serving, sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro.

Tips

• This dish is so quick to put together, I definitely recommend prepping all the ingredients before you start. 
• It is a really light meal. I serve mine with white rice to make it more substantial. 
• If you are serving white rice, start the rice before you begin chopping and everything should be done at the same time.

Peach Chicken

Peach chicken has been in heavy rotation at my house since my mother in law gave me Ellie Krieger's book So Easy. I love that I almost always have the ingredients on hand. Peach chicken is quite tasty and the toasted almonds add a nice crunch to the dish. 

You will need chicken, peaches, soy sauce, rice vinegar, canola oil, orange juice, chicken broth (not pictured), brown sugar, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and sliced almonds. That's it.

Begin by whisking orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chicken broth, and brown sugar. Set this aside and prep your chicken.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat and grab your chicken with confidence. Betty Crapper used to fear raw chicken. With time, Betty Crapper overcame her fears. Take a deep breath, you can too. Rinse and pat dry your chicken with paper towels. Slice chicken cross-wise. Season with salt and pepper. How much salt is up to you and your doctor.

Add 1 tbsp oil to skillet. Brown your chicken in batches. Do not crowd your pan and have patience. When browned set chicken on a plate.

As chicken browns, grab your garlic and ginger. Don't be afraid of fresh ginger. Snap off a little piece and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Use a micro-plane and grate about 1 tsp. 


I dare you to taste the ginger. Do it. You know you want to. 


Peel 2-3 cloves of garlic and mince. Betty Crapper loves her micro-plane and garlic press. The best kitchen tools EVER.

Once chicken is browned and all on a plate, add 1 more tbsp of oil to your skillet. Add ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds with no time for pictures.

Add your liquids to the skillet and scrape up all the lovely browned gunk on the bottom of your skillet. This layer of yum is the base of Peach Chicken's delicious sauce. Add your peaches and stir. Cook uncovered for about 6 minutes to reduce slightly.

Nestle chicken into your yummy sauce. Cover and lower heat.

Toast your almonds for about 2 minutes.

Baby cried. Betty Crapper walked away and came back to...

Betty Crapper was lucky she had more almonds and toasted some more...

Peach Chicken

(adapted from Ellie Krieger's book, So Easy)

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp canola oil

1 1/4 lbs boneless chicken breasts

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 large firm but ripe peaches, sliced into 1/4-inch slices, or two 10-ounce packages frozen peaches

2 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chicken broth until the sugar is dissolved. Set liquids aside. 

Prepare your chicken. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Slice cross-wise to make thin, if desired. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. 

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once oil is hot, add chicken to the skillet and brown both sides. Only turn chicken once. (Chicken unsticks from skillet when browned!) Brown the chicken in batches and transfer to a plate. 

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the same skillet. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the liquid mixture and scrape up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon/spatula. Add the peaches and stir. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the peaches soften, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the chicken is done, about 5 minutes. Serve the chicken with brown rice and toasted almonds.

Tips

• Conventional peaches have high pesticide residue. If at all possible try to buy organic. My regular supermarket does not carry frozen organic peaches. Whole foods sometimes has frozen organic peaches. The package must say "365 organic", not just "365." They carry both kinds. When they have them in stock, I buy several bags for my freezer. 
• Do not walk away from your stove when roasting almonds.
• Start your brown rice first and it will be ready by the time you are done making peach chicken.
• Have patience when browning chicken. Your pan must be preheated. The chicken will unstick when it is browned. Only turn chicken once.

Betty Crapper's ten month old loves peach chicken (without the almonds). I feed her little pieces off my plate.

Chicken Piccata

Giada's chicken piccata was incredibly quick and easy to make. The meal was prepped and on the table in about 30 minutes. It turned out quite tasty and was deemed worthy of an encore, with slight modification.

Recipe

(Adapted from Giada de Laurentis's Everyday Italian)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved crosswise

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour for dredging

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

1/4 cup drained capers, rinsed

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

This recipe is definitely not low fat. Yes, that is butter.

Salt and pepper your chicken. Dredge the chicken in flour to coat lightly. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

 

Now for my favorite part. Stand back. Add the broth, lemon juice, and capers to the same pan. Betty Crapper hates a face full of steam. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Conclusion

We were not sold on capers. Hubby thought the dish would be excellent without capers. Betty Crapper is not sure. Does chicken piccata have to include capers? Maybe next time I'll only add half. What do you think?

White rice? Betty Crapper was raised in a Cuban household. Cuban's eat lots and lots of white rice. Betty Crapper had no pasta and served her Chicken Piccata with white rice. What would you serve chicken piccata with?

Balsamic Chicken over Brown Rice

I love brown rice. Making brown rice is not difficult. I promise. Do not be afraid. All you need is a covered pot, stove, and TIME!  Brown rice takes a loooooong time to cook. That time is worth it because TIME yields nutty, flavorful perfect brown rice.  

I really like the flavor of organic brown basmati. The basic recipe is no secret. It is on the back of the bag.

I think rice made without salt is not worth eating. I also use olive oil, not butter in my rice. Follow the cooking instructions on the bag. 

M's Brown Rice

1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

I do the following. Combine rice, water, salt, and olive oil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil. Stir and cover with lid. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 50 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand in covered pot for 10 minutes. Resist temptation and DO NOT OPEN! 

You may have to play with the temperature setting of your stove the first few times you make brown rice to yield perfection. Why? ... because all stoves and cookware conduct heat differently. Betty Crapper says so. 

Betty Crapper is bossy. Just ask her sister.

Brown rice takes about one hour. Start the rice then begin prepping the rest of your meal. 

I have a nine month old. 

Sometimes, it takes all day to prep for dinner, but I digress...

You will need balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, and chicken breasts. 

I will spare you the picture of raw, naked chicken breasts. I am recovering from raw chicken phobia. I understand it is pretty common. Know that I used organic, free range chicken. Yes, it is more expensive; however, antibiotics and hormones do not belong in my family's food. 

One day I will learn how to make chicken broth.  Must not be afraid. Must NOT be afraid!

I like to chop and measure everything before cooking. Makes my life easier, especially with a nine month old.

Rinse and dry your chicken breasts. I like to slice the two breasts in half and cut them up. It makes the meal seem bigger. 

If I had a meat tenderizer (hint, hint!) I would have pounded the pieces to make them  flat. One day.

Salt and pepper both sides. How much is up to you.

 

I can handle that picture because the chicken is not naked. I have made progress.

It is now time to get this party started. 

Preheat your skillet. I used medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add some olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, begin browning your chicken. My first batch took ten minutes to brown and my second batch took five minutes.

It took me a long time to learn how to brown chicken. I had many, many betty crapper moments learning how. Here is what I do to achieve 

• Chicken must be bone dry. Use paper towels and pat the chicken dry.
• Skillet must be pre-heated. Same for the oil.
• Resist the temptation to touch the chicken while it is browning. Walk away. I usually wash dishes and do laundry while I wait at least five minutes before checking the first batch.
• If the chicken is stuck to the pan ... it is not brown yet, keep waiting. It will unstick when it is browned!
• Only turn once.
• Brown chicken in batches. Do not let the pieces touch. Didn't you know chicken had personal body space?

Once chicken is browned remove from pan to a plate. When you are done browning the chicken, the pan will look gross. In your head, you think this pan will need serious elbow grease to clean.

You will hate Betty Crapper right now. 

Betty Crapper does not care.

Lower the heat to medium low. Add a little more oil to the pan. Saute the chopped shallots for a few minutes. Add the minced garlic. Have I told you how much I love my garlic press? Saute for about one minute.

You really, really hate Betty Crapper because at this point your pan really, really looks icky. Note, it should not be black and burnt. If it is, your pan was too hot before you added the shallots and garlic.

I promise you are about to love Betty Crapper.

Add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and chicken broth to the pan.

Now scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. That's where all the yummy flavor is. I like to use a wooden spatula to really scrape everything up. Turn up the heat to medium and let that sauce reduce for about five minutes. 

Even if the above didn't yield the most yummy sauce ever, it does mean no scrubbing when you clean the pan. 

See, I told you Betty Crapper was loveable.

Add your browned chicken to the pan. Cover and reduce heat to low. I let mine sit for about ten minutes until my brown rice was done. 

M's Balsamic Chicken

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 minced garlic cloves

1 chopped shallot

2 chicken breasts

salt

pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat skillet on medium heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to skillet and heat. Brown chicken in batches. Remove chicken to a plate. Lower heat to low if too hot. Add a little more olive oil to skillet. Saute chopped shallots for about two minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for one minute. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and vinegar to skillet and scrape up all the brown bits. Raise heat to medium and allow sauce to reduce for about five minutes. Return chicken to skillet and cover. Lower heat to low until chicken is cooked through and dinner is ready to serve.