Dinner with Julie

Erin’s DIY Chinese Takeout & a Chicken Recipe Roundup

You guys know your chicken, let me tell you. I was so inspired by your ideas that I had to make one of them right away. (In case you missed it, we had a chicken free-for-all, and also: if you live in Western Canada and want to come on a train trip from Calgary to Vancouver with Mike and I, through the Rockies and Whistler, Maple Leaf Prime is giving two trips for two away – including flights, two stays at schmancy Fairmont hotels and another in between, money to spend, and two days on the Rocky Mountaineer! Talk about the ultimate Free Stuff! But the contest ends Tuesday - you can find all the info and enter on their website. I so hope some of you will be joining us in May! I can’t wait.)

Because I managed to unearth a package of skinless, boneless chicken thighs from the deep freeze, tonight’s dinner was brought to us by Erin – this is her solution for sticky-sweet chicken that satisfies a craving for Chinese takeout. Erin, are you reading this? What do you think? Does it look at all like yours? I have to tell you I got six enthusiastic thumbs-up on this one.

I had bought a package of broccoli slaw in Tofino that I could not let go, and so I packed it to bring back home. (It was a whole dollar fifty, you know.) It turned out to be a perfect pairing – the spicy-sweet-soft chicken and crisp-crunchy-vinegary slaw.

Erin’s Sweet, Spicy, Sticky Chicken

(adapted a bit – you can see her original below!)

1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp. sambel oelek or sriracha hot chile sauce (or to taste! I’m a wimp)
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs – cut into bite sized chunks
1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat – brown rice flour would work well)
canola oil, for cooking

In a small saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and chile sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced and syrupy. Stir occasionally.

In a shallow bowl, dredge the chicken pieces in flour.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Pour the sauce over the chicken, stir to coat, then cover and cook for a few minutes, until it’s cooked through and covered with a sticky glaze. Serve immediately, with rice and veg or broccoli slaw.

Broccoli Slaw

1/3 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp. flax or sesame oil (optional)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar or honey
1 bag broccoli slaw
1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

Stir or shake together the oil(s), vinegar and brown sugar; toss with the broccoli slaw and toasted almonds.

And because I had a request to archive all these recipe ideas – I couldn’t just delete them – I compiled them all here, links and all. I love getting a peek into your kitchens, seeing the way you cook, and reading recipes that can be described in a few sentences – the way they used to be, before they got all wordy. Mix and saute and cook until done. Gotcha.

I’ll leave them up on the original free stuff page for a bit, but I’ll have to make room for more free stuff – the boys and I went shopping in Merritt, BC on our way home from Tofino, and picked up some great kitchen gadgets to share!

Linda: Easy chicken dish ever – roasting chicken washed and patted dry. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. Inside the cavity place a lemon halved (can add onion, garlic, rosemary, etc.). Cook at a very high temp – either in oven or BBQ (say around 425 degrees) for about an hour – an hour and a half — until done…..very, very moist chicken

Fareen: Hi Julie! My husband loves Indian food. This chicken and spinach curry is so easy to make, you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!

Jen: I just made chicken tortilla soup the other day topped with with fresh cilantro, avocado, Monterey jack cheese and toasted tortilla strips.

Vanessa: A huge fav in our house and so easy to make. I take a package of chicken breasts, cut into cubes. Dip chicken into your favorite bread crumb mixture (add spices to your taste preference) in skillet coil chicken until done. Add some apricot jam and let simmer until jam is mixed thoroughly. We usually serve with rice and mixed vegetables.

Michelle: Our family just discovered this recipe and everyone loves it (even my picky 6 yr old!). Chicken Tikka: 2 chicken breasts (I always make more) cut into bite size chunks. Marinade: 4 tsp curry powder, 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, 4 cloves chopped garlic, 1″ piece of grated ginger root, juice from 1 lime (I just pour in a bit of lime juice), 1/2 tsp salt (I always use less), 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour – up to 12 hours. Preheat oven to 375. Use slotted spoon to place the chicken into a glass baking dish. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear. Discard remaining marinade. YUM!!

Christina: One of my favorite things to do with chicken is chicken enchiladas!! I mix the chicken with onions and green peppers and bottle of taco sauce (I usually add some of my own spices too) then fill my wraps with the filling. I then pour a jar or two of enchilada sauce overtop and add cheddar cheese on top. Bake until bubbly and enjoy! It’s a family favorite at our house … After writing this I think I may have to make them tonight! Hahaha.

Rachael: One of my favourite dishes to make is chicken pesto pasta. First I put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta (I prefer bowtie). I cube chicken breasts and brown them in a tsp. of olive oil. Once they are cooked through, I take them off the heat and combine with a couple of heaped tablespoons of my favourite pesto sauce (or I make my own) to the chicken in the pan. I add sliced sun dried tomatoes and mix the chicken, pesto, and tomatoes with cooked pasta. Add freshly grated parmigiana cheese. YUM!

Donna J: A favorite in our house is chicken strips made with chicken breasts. In one bowl pour in olive oil, a ton of pureed garlic and a dash of hot sauce. In another bowl mix bread crumbs (Panko works great) with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Dip chicken into oil mix then into crumbs and bake. They turn out nice and crispy and garlicky (is that a word?. we serve them with homemade honey mustard. Hmmm, I think I know what we are having for supper tonight.

Lisa R.: I discovered this recipe a few weeks ago…it is amazing. Because of the chicken cooking in foil, it stays very moist and delicious! I love the Mexican tastes, and soo good with a dollop of sour cream and some garden corn on the side. Yummy!

Roxanne: We love this Parmesan chicken recipe from Barefoot Contessa – whole pieces for adults and then on skewers for the kids. An easy dish to make, even for a crowd and tastes great in a sandwich the next day!

Megan: This is my friend’s recipe for baked chicken pieces that tastes just like southern fried chicken. So yummy! I call it Kim’s baked fried chicken. (I just cut and paste it from her email.)

“Ok, here it is. I finally grabbed the cookbook and am typing it out for all.

Now I must tell you, that I also add Pete’s spicy rub mixture into the mix so this recipe is minus that therefore, will be a little less “zippy!”

1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Dry mustard
8 chicken breasts, legs or thighs

In shallow dish mix together dry ingredients. Rinse chicken under water and coat chicken in flour mixture. Place on greased rimmed baking sheet.

Cook in 375 oven basting occasionally with pan drippings until golden and juices run clear (about 1 hour.)

Enjoy!

Heather: My all-time favourite dinner is Siamese Chicken Curry from the Frog Commissary Cookbook (you can see an adaptation of the recipe here). I love Thai curry, but loathe coconut milk, so I love the fact that this recipe uses a bechamel sauce instead. I’ve made it lots for guests, and everyone asks for the recipe.

Trinh: I like to stuff chicken breasts with chèvre and asparagus, then bbq or bread it with panko and bake.

Courtney: One of my favourite chicken recipes that ends up on my dinner table every couple of weeks is from the Best of Bridge. It’s chicken breasts cooked in butter, honey, mustard and curry. Yum!

Nurse Jenn: My favourite chicken recipe would have to BBQ chicken. I have memories of my Dad out in the rain/snow BBQ’ing because that is what we wanted.

Favourite BBQ Chicken:

4-6 chicken breasts – skin removed
2 cups apple juice (for marinade)
1/2 apple juice (for BBQ)

Marinate thawed/fresh chicken in apple juice for 1-2 hours.

Grill, spreading the 1/2 cup of set aside apple juice on each side after turning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Outside will have a bit of caramelized look/taste thanks to the apple juice.

We usually served this with a stuffing made of bread crumbs, baked and chopped apples and a few tables spoons of apple sauce/apple juice mixed in. Delicious with a side of green beans. Yum … only wish I had a BBQ to use. Cheers!

Shelley: My favorite chicken recipe is something that my family calls “Joanne’s Chicken”, I have no idea who Joanne is, but it’s been around as long as I can remember.

Mix together:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 pkg onion soup mix
- 1/2 cup water

Pour over chicken pieces and cook in the slow cooker or in a 350 degree oven. We like it with rice or couscous and vegetables. It’s not the healthiest recipe, but it’s delicious!

Janice: I love to make chicken cacciatore in the crockpot! I use chicken thighs and for the sauce I use a jar of tomato sauce, some balsamic vinegar, a little brown sugar or honey and some coconut oil along with some peppers chopped and added in. Mmm….
We also always have some chicken breasts or thighs marinating in home made Italian or Balsamic vinaigrette ready to thaw and throw on the BBQ.

Erica B.: We love our chicken around here. Some of our favorites are chicken chili, sloppy joes(using ground chicken in place of beef)and I make chicken empanadas in a big batch and freeze half for later.

Heather: I like this recipe. The sauce is super nummy.

Brooke: For a broke university student a super easy and cheap chicken recipe wins over friends. So here’s my Mama’s Pillsbury country biscuits Chicken pot pie!

-Season and brown 2 chicken breasts, steam until barely pink.
-Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
-Put 2 cups of frozen veggies in to the same pan that the chicken was in.
-Add 1 can of cream of potato soup and 3/4 cup of milk.
-Heat mixture on medium heat until veggies thaw (don’t boil)
-Spray a 9×11 glass baking dish with Pam.
-Put chicken and veggie mixture into dish.
-Top with 1 can of Pillsbury COUNTRY BISCUITS that have been cut into quarters.
-Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.
Always tasty, best cooked with lots of fresh garlic! Goes great with a cheap bottle of blush wine too!

Erin: This is a quick and easy way to satisfy a Chinese takeout craving with less fat and calories and for a fraction of the cost. It turns out quite spicy, but feel free to adjust the hot sauce amount to taste. Serve with rice to help tame the heat.

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons sambal olek hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs – cut into bitesize chunks
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1.Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and hot sauce in a saucepan. boil until reduced and syrupy. Stir occasionally.
2.Mix together flour salt and pepper. Lightly flour the chicken pieces.
3.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken and simmer for a couple minutes just until it’s well coated with the syrup.

Kim: My favourite way to eat chicken is to grill it with a spicy honey mustard that I make from a combination of buckwheat honey, grainy dijon mustard, and sriracha.

Janet: We grow alot of rhubarb in our yard, and so am always looking for ways to use it in cooking. This recipe from the food network makes a delicious chicken smothered in rhubarb…..YUM! We love it.

Laura: My Chicken Biryani. I almost hate to give this out, as it is my go-to company dish, and we also have it just because… You can do this in the slow cooker or the oven.

6 tbsp flour
4 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter (or more if needed)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 600 g total)
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup raisins, seedless golden or regular
1 tsp sugar
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted
4 scallions coarsely chopped

In a plastic bag, combine the flour, 2 tsp of curry powder, salt and pepper and shake to mix. Add the chicken and shake to coat lightly. remove chicken and reserve extra flour.

Preheat oven to 325F (if making in oven)

In a large oven-proof skillet warm the butter in the oil over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the chicken and brown all over, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cut into approximately 1? cubes. Cover loosely to keep warm.

Add 2 tbsp of the reserved dredging mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the flour is no longer visible, about 1 minute.

Stir in the chicken broth, tomato paste, raisins, remaining 2 tsp curry powder and the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over med-high heat. Add a little sugar if it still is too tart. Coarsely chop the apricots.

When the mixture has come to a boil, stir in the apricots. Return the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet. Stir and bring to a boil, then cover and place in the oven for 1/2 – 3/4 of an hour.

Before serving, stir the scallions into the pan, sprinkle the almonds on top of each serving.

This is awesome with basmati rice and a strawberry-spinach salad.

Barbara: For a special treat we like to make Persian rice with chicken, Morg Polo. This recipe is very similar to the recipe we like from Maideh Mazda’s cookbook In a Persian Kitchen.

KariLynn: At our house we love this kid-friendly Chicken Masala that I found on Epicurious. My 4-year old devours it, and it’s great for company too…..

Jessica: I love butter chicken and orange chicken in the crock pot. A good corn flake chicken strip is great as well

Carmen: We love butter chicken and I’ve tried a lot of different recipes, my latest favourite is from “Eat, Shrink, and be Merry”.

Mairi: Wow…looks like I’ll be eating A LOT of chicken in the next while to try all these yummy dishes.
My “go to” chicken is Michael Smith’s “Beer Can Chicken” on the grill.
Substituting ginger ale for beer works well too. One warning – it is a bit tricky to remove the beer can by yourself or without getting your oven mitts filthy. But hey, they should probably be washed more often anyway.

Sarah: Given the sponsor of this FS, I almost hate to admit that our current favourite super easy chicken recipe is the Maple Leaf Prime marinated flattened chicken. We had it last night and it was delish. Perhaps made more so because my husband was able to make it and dinner was ready to go when I walked in. I will definitely be expanding my repetoire with all of these “go to” dishes.

Kathy: I do a Crockpot Chicken Tagine that is usually well received.

Jane: This is one of my six year old daughter’s favorite dinners. She calls it broccoli and sauce. It is from the Best of Bridge.

Jen: One of my favorite ways to use leftover chicken is a curry chicken salad. I saw a chef make it on Cityline several years ago…so don’t know who the credit goes to. Diced leftover chicken, mayo, curry paste, diced green apples; Spoon onto a tortilla or into a pita; top with fresh cilantro and bean sprouts; wrap up. Yum!

Bonnie: One of our favorites is the Simply Saucy Chicken from kraftcanada.com- the one with red pepper, olives and feta. I usually use plain feta (and much more than the recipe calls for). Can be made with thighs although the recipes calls for breasts. Serve with rice to soak up the sauce- yummy!

Kyla: This one is for the lovers of spice; smoky, spicy Southern bbq style chicken sandwich topped with slaw. And don’t think you can just cut down on the hot stuff and mellow this baby out; you need something to cut the vinegar if you want to do that, I suggest something sweet (more honey or some brown sugar) and maybe a little ketchup. This one will make you sweat.

Diane: I like Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, which I first saw on Good Eats.

Erin: My favourite is America’s Test Kitchen’s high roast butterflied chicken. You brine a chicken, then butterfly it, stuff some flavoured butter under the skin, plop it on the top of the roasting pan that comes with your stove. On the bottom of the roasting pan, put some sliced potatoes tossed with olive oil and salt and pepper. Put the whole thing in a 500 degree oven until it’s cooked. The fat from the chicken drips on to the potatoes as they cook – delicious!!!

Julia M.: Right now, my favourite chicken recipe is this BBQ Chicken Pizza from the Pioneer Woman. It’s so good!!

Rebecca:: Hi Julie! I can’t qualify for the prize, but thought I’d share a chicken recipe anyway because it seems up your alley. (There is an “official” recipe around somewhere for this but I, like you, prefer to wing (ha ha! no pun intended)it. It pretty much goes something like this.
Slice up some chicken, s&p it, and add a bunch of paprika, and saute until browned and almost cooked through. Remove to a plate (or if you’re lazy, just push it to the side of the pan).
Slice up some onion and mushrooms and saute in same pan with salt and pepper until cooked through. Sprinkle with flour and stir until the flour is browned.
Add in chicken broth and cook until a nice gravy is created.
Chop up a drained can of artichoke hearts (marinated or un-; your choice) and sprinkle over the top. Throw the chicken back in if you took it out.
Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the artichokes are warm.

We like this over smashed potatoes. Or rice. Or noodles. Or really, anything.

Shauna: I’ve been loving barbequed chicken recently (covered in BBQ sauce to get a nice flavorful char), and using it in everything. Salads become phenomenally better with shredded bbq chicken added, but my very favourite is a super quick dinner of a flat bread chicken pizza.

Smear some pesto on a small tortilla, cover with shredded BBQ chicken, spinach, roasted garlic or caramelized onions if you have them.. any other roasted veggies.. pretty much anything goes! Top with mozzarella and bake for about 10min at 425F.

Evelyn: If I roast a whole chicken, I usually have enough leftover for a second meal of butter chicken.

Margaret: This is a favorite in my house and is easy to make.
Italian Baked Chicken
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Dip chicken into the mayonnaise mixture, then into the bread crumbs to coat. Arrange coated chicken on a baking sheet.
Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken juices run clear and coating is golden brown.

Cathy: One of our favourite chicken recipes is the Cranberry Mustard Chicken from High Plains by Cinda Chavich:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. seasoned flour:1/2 tsp. each salt, ground pepper and thyme
2 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 c. minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. white wine
3/4 c. chicken broth
3 tbsp. grainy Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp. water
1/4 c. dried cranberries

Toss chicken in seasoned flour. Heat oil in skillet, saute chicken until browned, 8 – 10 min. Set aside.

Add onion, garlic to pan. Cook 1 min. Stir in wine. Boil for 1 min. Add broth, whisk in mustard, honey & thyme. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch solution & cranberries. Cook until thickened. Add chicken, cover, heat for 2-3 min.Serves 4.

Rose: Hi Julie. Our favourite chicken dish is Simple Moroccan Chicken.
Brown chicken with chopped onion and arrange in baking dish. Over top spread a mixture of 2 cups salsa, half a cup of currants, 2 or 3 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup tomato sauce and a bit of water to keep the consistency of salsa. Bake until chicken is cooked through. Arrange chicken with some sauce over couscous, rice or quinoa and sprinkle with toasted, slivered almonds. So simple and so good.

BC Sandy: My all time favorite is this sticky baked chicken. Saute onions. Over low heat add 1 cup marmalade,1 cup BBQ Sauce, couple tablespoons of soya sauce. Heat and stir till jam is melted and is mixed well.
Pour over chicken pieces..or which ever cut you prefer.
Bake 350 till done. Usually about 1-1 1/2 hours. Very nice over rice.

Kathy: Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken…this made me stop ordering take-out. From the Best of Bridge.

Cassie: I love to make chili lime chicken with an orange avocado salsa on top! Or tandori chicken (I used pataks paste and coconut milk) And I also love chicken parm. I make mind in panko bread crumbs with oregano and parm in the breading then top with marinara, Monterey Jack cheese and parm.

April 10 2011 | chicken & turkey | 11 Comments »

Pulled Chicken & Spinach Pizza and Hot Chocolate

Wow, you guys! I’m overwhelmed with chicken ideas. Thanks everyone! It’s going to take me awhile to eat my way through all of these, but you can be sure I’ll try.

(Click the cookie.)

Reading about chicken of course made me want to eat some. And I had some in the freezer. (Yes, I used our trip out to Tofino as an opportunity to clear out some freezer space. Turns out I not only pack car snacks, but ingredients and frozen stuff we haven’t managed to eat at home. Maybe we’ll eat it on the coast? Will its appeal improve when there is the option of fish & chips at a beach? Perhaps not.) I also, as I went through my cupboards and packed a cardboard box for our trip, mixed up a bag of hot chocolate mix to bring along. The fact that it’s April does not deter the boys one bit from wanting to frolic in the ocean, and so there have been many post-beach hot baths and mugs of hot chocolate this past week. To make your own hot chocolate mix, open a zip-lock bag and dump in about equal parts dark cocoa and sugar – maybe a little more cocoa. If you like, add a handful of mini marshmallows to save yourself a step. Seal and bring wherever you need to go. (To make hot chocolate, stir a spoonful into warmed milk, or many spoonfuls into a saucepanful.)

I also filled an insulated freezer bag with containers of frozen chili, some lamb shanks and a bag of frozen pulled chicken, which makes a pretty fantastic pizza, especially when you are charged with the care and feeding of two young boys.

Have I told you how easy it is to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker yet? All you do is jam it in (if you have one of those oval ones, you won’t even need to jam it), cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. It won’t be pretty. You won’t get crispy, golden skin. But you will get incredibly moist, juicy meat. After its long, slow cooking time you can pull it apart with forks, just as you would a pork shoulder, and moistened with barbecue sauce you have yourself pulled chicken. Hey, there’s more to pull than just pork.

For some reason, spinach goes very well on a chicken pizza. I had the last of a bag that was looking sad, so I wilted it and scattered it on, too.

Pulled Chicken Pizza

If you like, streamline the process with purchased pizza crusts, or use soft pitas or naan for individual pizzas. If you don’t have a slow cooker, roast your chicken whole, rubbed with oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper, at 375F for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear and the joints wiggle in their sockets. Remove the skin and chop or shred the meat before proceeding with the recipe.

1 whole chicken
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce, or to taste, plus more
canola or olive oil, for cooking
1/2 bag baby spinach leaves
2 cups grated mozzarella, Gouda, havarti or Montery Jack cheese

Pizza dough (below)

Put the garlic cloves into the chicken cavity and place it in a 6 qt oval slow cooker. If you like, add a half cup of water or stock – this isn’t necessary, as the moisture is trapped inside the slow cooker as the chicken cooks. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When the chicken is done, remove the skin and pull the meat apart with two forks, or chop it roughly with a knife, discarding the bones. Transfer to a bowl (or keep it in the bowl of the slow cooker, with any juices that have accumulated) and toss with the barbecue sauce. Mash the garlic cloves into the mixture with a fork.

If the mixture is still hot, add the spinach and toss to combine well, then cover and let it sit until it wilts. Alternatively, heat a small drizzle of oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat and saute the spinach for a few minutes, until it wilts. Preheat the oven to 450F.

Roll out pizza dough (below) into two 10″ rounds on a floured, cornmeal-dusted or parchment-lined baking sheet. If you like, spread a little tomato sauce or extra barbecue sauce on your pizza dough, then spread the pulled chicken overtop (you may not need all of it – add it to taste) and scatter with wilted spinach. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Makes 2 large pizzas.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 pkg. (or 2 tsp.) active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar or honey
2 1/2 – 3 cups flour – all purpose, whole wheat, or any combination of the two (I usually use about 2 3/4 cups)
1 tsp. salt
a drizzle (1 tsp. – 1 Tbsp.) olive or canola oil

In a large bowl, stir the yeast and sugar into a cup of warm water; set aside for 5 minutes, until it’s foamy. (If it doesn’t get foamy, either your water was too hot and killed the yeast or it was inactive to begin with – toss it and buy fresh yeast or try again!)

Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour, salt and oil and stir until the dough comes together. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 8 minutes, until it’s smooth and elastic, adding a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat all over. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for half an hour to an hour, until doubled in bulk. If you want you can let it rise more slowly in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Makes enough for 2-3 large pizzas.

Thanks again to Maple Leaf Prime (who produces some mighty fine, juicy chicken if you’re in Western Canada) for the free chicken, and for supporting our worldwide potluck with $25 gift cards over a dozen of you are already doing great things with. I’ll report back soon with some stories of our good deed doers!

April 08 2011 | chicken & turkey | 8 Comments »

Panko Coconut Chicken Fingers

Chicken fingers again. As often as I make these for the boys, it occurred to me that I may not have relayed my standby recipe. I certainly haven’t passed on this new one – Panko coated chicken fingers spiked with grated coconut, making them reminiscent of those coconut battered shrimp that are so so yummy. You can take or leave the coconut, really – the technique is the same.

To make crunchy chicken fingers, all you need to do is cut chicken breasts into strips, douse them in Panko and bake or pan fry them. Generally what I do is soak them in buttermilk or dip them in beaten egg, but I’ve discovered that if you use marinated chicken breasts, like Maple Leaf Prime Dijon Mustard & Herb, not only do you get an incredible flavour boost, you also don’t need to add any extra ingredients to help the crumbs adhere. And they’ll be tender and juicy – no chance of drying out.

To coat, put some Panko in a shallow bowl, add a handful of shredded unsweetened coconut, if you like, and dip each strip of chicken in the mixture to coat them well. Place on an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes, or until pale golden and cooked through. See? Like so many other things, there’s no need to get them frozen in a box!

Speaking of Maple Leaf – if you’re in Western Canada, don’t forget they’re giving away two trips for two aboard the Rocky Mountaineer this May – with me!

March 26 2011 | chicken & turkey | 2 Comments »

Chicken Fingers on a Stick

W has finally figured out that chicken fingers are something every kindergartener loves. He was never big on them, but their appeal has finally broken through. He has been won over.

He begged for the frozen breaded kind, and we negotiated – chicken fingers without breading, but on a stick. He totally went for it. (The trick is to not call them satay in his presence, even though he does love satay – but to refer to them as chicken fingers on a stick.) He can still dip them, even.

We picked up some chicken breasts – although skinless, boneless thighs would work as well – and although it feels weird to name a brand here, I did pick up some Maple Leaf Prime chicken, because hey – did I tell you they’re sending me on a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY that they’re giving away two trips for two for the same trip? And it says so right on the front of the label, so I get all giddy each time I walk by the display? Talk about the ultimate in Free Stuff! Check it out – they even have me on their website! It would be incredibly cool to be able to go on an all-expenses paid trip with four of you, starting in Calgary, ending in Vancouver, and eating at all points between (plus on the train)! And a train trip across Western Canada is something I’ve always wanted to do. I can’t hardly wait.

I hate to say it, but the contest is only available in Western Canada, because the chicken is locally produced and only available here. Sorry.

Back to the chicken. Here’s a tip: strips of chicken, turkey or pork tenderloin can be frozen in marinade, which acts as insulation against freezer burn. The strips thaw quickly (place in a bowl of warm water to speed things up) when you need a quick meal to throw on the grill. We grilled a bunch up a couple summers ago to bring along on a picnic – perfect for those times you don’t want to bother with a knife and fork.

Chicken Fingers on a Stick

1 – 1 1/2 lb. (454-680 g) skinless, boneless chicken or turkey breasts or thighs, or pork tenderloin
1/4 cup (60 mL) plain yogurt
juice of a lemon or orange (2-4 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) canola or olive oil
1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme
2 garlic cloves, peeled
salt

special equipment: bamboo skewers

Cut the chicken into even strips and place them in a bowl or Ziploc bag; pour the yogurt, lemon juice and oil overtop. Pull the leaves off the rosemary or thyme and put them on a chopping board with the garlic and a pinch of salt; finely chop it all together and add to the chicken mixture. Stir to coat them well, or seal the bag and squish it around to combine everything. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

When you’re ready to cook, soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes. Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers, starting at the beginning of each piece, weaving back and forth in an S shape, and skewering the opposite end. Leave the chicken on one end, so that the other can be used as a handle.

Preheat your grill to high and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, just until cooked through. Serve immediately. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen chicken fingers.

Per chicken finger: 50 calories, 1 g fat (0.2 g saturated fat, 0.6 g monounsaturated fat, 0.3 g polyunsaturated fat), 9 g protein, 0.4 g carbohydrates, 22 mg cholesterol, 0 g fibre

March 17 2011 | appetizers and chicken & turkey and on the grill | 6 Comments »

Sweet & Sour Chicken with Fresh Pineapple

I’m in Jasper! I’m here doing some cooking shows for the Pajama Party, but it’s more like Christmas in November with the snow coming down and a frozen lake. And all the dancing and martinis last night. (Unfortunately for everyone here, I dance like Elaine on Seinfeld.)

So I’ll leave you with this recipe for sweet and sour chicken with fresh pineapple, which is one of the recipes I did recently for Co-op, from the series I’m doing to illustrate how inexpensively you can feed your family when you cook from scratch. Everyone in our house adores sweet & sour chicken, but the take-out stuff is battered and deep fried, with a day-glo sauce that sort of freaks me out.

But wait – speaking of chicken, guess what? I’m going on a trip across Canada this May on the Rocky Mountaineer! There is a connection, really – in the form of a contest – Maple Leaf is giving away TWO MORE trips for 2 on the same train! Which means YOU could come with Mike and I – we’re scheming already to leave W at home and have our very first trip away together. Anyone wanna babysit? If you’re not coming, that is.

I’ve always wanted to go on a train trip across Canada. (Western Canada is probably enough for one go.) This trip is billed as the “most spectacular train trip in the world”, and you get the entire package – it includes flights to Calgary (if you don’t live here already), accommodation at Fairmont hotels in Calgary and Vancouver (where we finish the trip) and Kamloops (in the middle of the trip – you don’t sleep on the train). We get 2 days on the Rocky Mountaineer to experience the “First Passage to the West”, breakfasts and lunches on board in the Gold Leaf Dining Room (prepared by their four on-board chefs), and $500 in spending money! Which covers some pretty fab dinners wherever we like (or some pretty fab shoes at Fluevog in Vancouver and some hot dogs from a stand).

It all happens on May 10-13. How am I involved? They’re not paying me, but I get to go on the trip. Pretty awesome, I think. (Look, they even put me on their website!) You can read all the fine print here, and learn about the Rocky Mountaineer here, and most importantly, because this is how you get the chance to actually go, enter the Prime Taste of the West contest here.

I’ll post the links under free stuff too. Good luck! I want to see some of you on board!

March 04 2011 | chicken & turkey | 19 Comments »