Persian Chicken

In keeping with the Middle Eastern Palooza going on in the world these days, I decided to cook with some flavors from that region.
This one's a keeper. The yogurt/olive oil marinade keeps the chicken juicy, the saffron, cumin and garlic give it lashings of flavor, and the lemon adds zing. 
Perfect for a barbecue.

1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 fat cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons hot water for 10 minutes
1/2 teaspoon roasted coriander powder
1 whole chicken cut up, OR 6 bone-in breasts, OR 10 boneless, skinless breasts

1) Mix the yogurt marinade ingredients together, then slather over chicken and set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but over night is better.

2) 30 minutes before you are ready to grill, remove the chicken from the fridge and lay the pieces on a large tray or platter. Salt all sides of the chicken, then grill, getting some nice char marks on the meat.

Chicken-Stuffed Shells with Sharp Cheddar Cheese Sauce

This is a great dish for a family dinner night. It can be made ahead and held in the fridge until ready to bake. Kids and adults like this one.

1 and 1/2 cups low fat or skim cottage cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Handful of fresh, chopped herbs, (basil, parsley, or dill-- or your favorite)
1/2 cup chopped, fresh tomatoes (seeds squeezed out before chopping)


3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts-- cooked and cut into small cubes
salt and pepper to taste
20-24 jumbo shells
Cheddar cheese sauce (recipe below)

1) Whiz the cottage cheese and egg in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender. Add in the Parmesan and herbs and whiz again to incorporate. Mix this with the chopped tomatoes and cooked chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.


2) Cook shells until just al dente-- do not overcook, as they will cook again when baking. As they are cooking, make the cheese sauce. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water, drain well again and stuff with the chicken mixture. Spoon the cheese sauce over top of the stuffed shells and bake in a preheated, 350F oven until golden and bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Cheese Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons Wondra or all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (full fat, low fat or skim)
Dash of nutmeg
6 ounces shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, the stronger the cheese, the better the flavor
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

1) Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the shallots and cook until soft, then pour in the wine and bring to a strong bubble. Cook for a minute or two then shake the milk and flour together in a jar and pour into the saucepan. Bring this all to a very gentle simmer and bubble away for three minutes-- stirring often. Remove from the heat and add in the shredded cheese, stir well, taste and season with salt and a dash or two of cayenne pepper. Allow to cool a bit, then pour over the shells and bake.

Serves 6-8

Bang Bang Chicken (Salad)

  This is a great salad if you are trying to eat healthfully in the new year; It's got TONS of flavor, and the only fat is from the tahini in the dressing. The dressing tastes sort of like peanut satay sauce. 
Use tofu rather than chicken to make this a vegan dish.
The whole recipe can be made ahead of time-- perfect for entertaining.




Bang Bang Dressing
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 and 1/2 tablespoons Vietnamese garlic.chili sauce (spicy)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

1) Mix the vinegar and sugar together until the sugar dissolves, then whisk in the soy sauce and chili sauce. Now whisk in the tahini until smooth. If you find it difficult to get the dressing smooth, use an immersion blender to whip it all together. Stash in the refrigerator until ready to dress the salad.
Makes 3/4 cup dressing, enough for 4 entree salads.

Salad
1 English cucumber, cut into match sticks
Big handful of shredded carrots
4 green onions, sliced thin up to the dark green part
1 head Romaine lettuce, sliced very thin
Handful chopped, fresh coriander
Equal parts fish sauce and lime juice (optional)
1/2 chicken, poached or roasted, or 3 cooked chicken breasts, meat shredded, cold

Lay the vegetables nicely on four plates, drizzle the fish sauce/lime juice over top (if using). Lay the shredded chicken on top and spoon over the dressing.

Serves 4 entree salads

Asian Poached Chicken with Noodles

This dish is as simple to make as your Granny's old fashioned chicken and noodles recipe. It's just as comforting, too, but more delicate and delicious. 
Top with steamed or sauteed vegetables, like: Asparagus, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, snap peas, edamame, grated carrots, bok choi, etc.
Using whole grain pasta amps up the health benefits to this.


1 whole chicken (giblets, neck removed)
1, 3" piece ginger, not peeled, cut in half
1/4 cup miso paste (I used the light, shiro miso)
2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass-- 1 or 2 stalks
1/2 lime
1/2 lemon
3 cloves garlic, peeled, halved
3 tablespoons fish sauce
Handful of chopped green onion

1) Trim any excess fat from the chicken (if you want to remove the skin, that's cool, too). Place the chicken into a deep pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add in everything except the fish sauce and green onion, cover and bring to a gentle simmer, then crack the lid and continue to simmer very gently.

2) After 90 minutes, check the chicken, it should be faling apart, if this is the case, remove the chicken, ginger pieces, lemon and lime halves. Allow the chicken to cool then shred the meat. Set aside.

3) Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add in 1 pound pasta. Cook until just al dente, then remove from the heat-- do not drain. Toss the shredded chicken and sliced green onions, as well as the fish sauce into the noodle/soup. Serve up a bowl of noodles with broth and chicken and top with cooked vegetables.

Serves 8

Arroz Con Pollo Verde

A Peruvian dish, this 'green rice with chicken' is a knock-out for flavour. My husband request this dish regularly and three of my four children love it; the youngest, is the exception, I caught her holding her nose as she ate it for dinner last night.
There is a synergy that comes when cumin and fresh cilantro (called coriander in Europe) are brought together. This dish makes great left-overs, too.

1 large bunch cilantro (2 packets fresh coriander in the UK/Europe), most stems removed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" chunks
2 cups long grain rice
4 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/4s
1 cup frozen (or fresh) green peas
Salt to taste

1) Whiz the fresh cilantro/coriander with the water in a food processor, to make a 'sauce'-- you should have 1/2 cup. Set aside.

2) Over medium-high heat, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil, until soft. Add in the chicken and continue to cook for just a minute or two, then add in the rice, stir well, then pour in the chicken broth, stir, add the cumin, stir, then the potato, stir.

3) Cover the pot and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and gently cook the arroz con pollo until the liquid is almost absorbed-- about 20 minutes-- then add in the green beans, frozen peas and cilantro/coriander sauce, stir and cover again. Cook for 15-25 minutes longer, over medium-low heat. When the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, the dish is ready. Taste and add salt (I also add cayenne pepper). Serve at once.

Serves 8

Dinner for the night after Thanksgiving

This deceptively easy. Just the ticket for the day after Thanksgiving chaos.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium, yellow onion, chopped
8 ounces (220 grams) Jerusalem artichokes/Sunchokes-- peeled and chopped
2 cups (2 big handfuls) shredded left-over turkey (or chicken)
Sea salt, black pepper
Dry oregano
1/2 pint (8 oz/220 mls) cream

1 pound dried pasta

Have a very large pot of salted water boiling. When you place the pasta in to boil, begin the sauce.


1) Pour the olive oil into a large saute pan, set over medium high heat and add in the onions. Saute until soft, then throw in the Jerusalem artichokes and continue to saute for a minute or two longer.

2) Now chuck in the shredded turkey or chicken, season with salt and a few hefty pinches of oregano. Toss. Pour in the cream and bring to a simmer, allow it to reduce, simmering as the pasta continues to cook.

3) Just before the pasta is cooked, scoop out one or two ladles of cooking water (depending on the size of the ladle) and pour it into the sauce, stir to incorporate. Taste again and add more salt, oregano or black pepper. Drain the pasta well and toss with the sauce. Serve with Parmesan.

Serves 6

Crockpot Chicken Chili

This is simple and makes your house smell delicious! Great for parties or for when you will be out most of the day. If you don't have a slow cooker, simmer very gently (covered) on the stove top for a couple of hours.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion (any color), minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds/1 kilo ground chicken
1 pound/500 grams spicy chicken sausage (squeezed from their casing like toothpaste) Make sure it is raw, not smoked or partially cooked-- it should be squishy.
3, 4-oz/122 grams tins chopped green chillies, mild or spicy, not drained
1 pound/500 grams fresh or tinned tomatillos, chopped
3 teaspoons cumin powder

1 pint chicken stock

3 tablespoons Wondra or regular flour
2, 15oz/420 grams tins white beans (canellini, navy, northern, garbanzo) not drained

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro/coriander

Pickled jalapenos, chopped
Sharp white cheddar, shredded
Fritos or tortilla chips

1) Turn the crock pot on high. In a very large pan, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil for just a minute or two then add in the ground chicken and chicken sausage-- breaking the meat up as you go. You are simply getting this stuff hot, not thoroughly cooking it. This is the safest way to cook with a crock-pot-- have everything HOT when it goes in. Add the chillies, tomatillos and cumin to the pan to heat through. Now, shake the chicken stock with the Wondra flour, then pour in the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring often.

2) Dump this whole mess into the hot crock-pot, cover and bring up to a gentle simmer, then turn the pot down to low, keep covered and cook for a few hours.

3) 1 hour before you would like to serve, add in the undrained beans, stir to combine. 15 minutes before service, stir in the cilantro/coriander.

Serve with chips, chopped jalapenos and cheese along side. Makes about 8-10 bowls.

Herby Chicken

Just a quick idea: After roasting, grilling or sautéing chicken pieces, toss them (still hot) with equal parts chopped fresh herbs-- chives, dill weed and parsley. Serve immediately.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Burgers

I have a new favourite burger. This will be, hands down, the most awesomest Memorial Day burger in your neighborhood.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Burger..? You had me at 'stuffed'


350 grams (12 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, roughly chopped
350 grams (12 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, roughly chopped
3 large green onions (spring onions), white and light green part only, roughly chopped
1 fat clove garlic, roughly chopped

Optional olive salad garnish (you could also simply use lettuce)
1 cup cabbage, sliced very thin
handful of green olive, chopped
1 small dill pickle, chopped

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Salt
Bottled Buffalo sauce (whichever brand you prefer)
4 large tablespoons (dessert spoons) blue cheese (whichever kind you like to eat-- I used a divine Oxfordshire blue)

Prepared Ranch dressing (I used homemade, but use whatever you like to eat)

1) Place the onions and garlic into the bowl of a food processor and chop until finely minced. Now add in the chicken and pulse until well chopped, but not paste-like. Place into a bowl, cover and stash in the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill and firm up.

2) Make the olive sauce, but simmering the cabbage for just a minute, then draining and mixing with the chopped olives and pickle. Set aside.

3) When you are ready to eat: Fire up the grill of preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Wet your hands with cool water and gather 1/8 of the chicken mixture. Shape it into a sort of nest and place 1 tablespoon of blue cheese into the center, then cover with 1/8 more chicken and shape into a patty. Repeat with the remaining chicken. You will have 4 burgers. They can be placed back into the fridge for up to a day (in which case, turn the oven off), or cook immediately. Drizzle a scant amount of veg oil over both sides of the burgers and a light sprinkle of salt then grill evenly on each side, basting with Buffalo sauce or bake for 15 minutes, douse both sides with Buffalo sauce and flip the burgers. Continue to bake for 15 more minutes.

This recipe is easy to double or triple. Serve on a soft bakery bun with olive sauce (or lettuce) and Ranch dressing. Be prepared for a gush of melted blue cheese when you reach the center of the burger...Mmmmmm

Gumbo

Gumbo is one of the hardest recipes to get down on paper. It seems as if there are no two gumbo recipes alike, and everyone has an opinion on what makes a good gumbo and, if you are talking to someone form the deep south, they use their great-great granny's secret Creole recipe. Gumbo can be intimidating to make, until you realize that the most important aspect of making a really good gumbo is to cook with your heart, not your head. That sounds trite, but in no dish is it more important to follow your heart, than in making a rich pot of gumbo. 

Put into the gumbo what you like—shrimp, crab, fish, chicken, sausage, duck. Use roux if you like (I do), but skip it if you want to and thicken the gumbo with okra or filé powder (one or the other, never both). I think good stock is important, but many recipes call for water instead.

Below is my recipe for gumbo—feel free to change it around and make it your own. If you've got a favourite gumbo recipe, I'd love to see it-- post it in the comment box!

4 ounces (about ½ cup) vegetable oil

4 ounces (about ½ cup) flour

8-10 cups good chicken, fish, or shellfish stock

2 tins chopped tomatoes (including juice)

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped

8 ounces smoked sausage (Andouille is the best, of you can find it), sliced

1 and ½ cups fresh okra slices (or frozen)

1 large onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

Seasoning: Cajun or Creole mix, or black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, bay leaves, mustard powder, paprika

1 pound raw shrimp, shelled

1) Combine the stock and tomatoes into a large stock pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Add in the chicken. While that is going on, make the roux: Whisk the oil and flour together over medium to medium-low heat. You must be vigilant—watching, and stirring your roux constantly until it is the color that you like—I prefer a light roux and this takes close to 45 minutes-- the darker you like it the longer it will take-- and don;t take your eyes off that roux! Once it is the color that you like, dump in the chopped veg (the holy trinity-- green bell peppers, onion and celery), to stop the cooking process and soften the vegetables. Stir the vegetables around for a bit, off the heat (if the roux is threatening to burn), then add this mess into the pot of stock/tomatoes/chicken and bring to a simmer, stirring. This will flavour and thicken the gumbo.

2) Cook the sausage in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray (or a bit of oil) until just browned up a bit, set aside. In the same pan, dry cook the okra until not stringy (this will get the slimy goo out of the okra), set aside. You can skip this step, just make sure to cook the okra in the gumbo for at least 60-90 minutes to render it goo-less.

3) Whew! Now add the sausages and okra into the gumbo, stir and add in seasoning to your liking and any salt you may want. Last, add in the shrimp and simmer, gently until they are just pink and cooked—anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. This is the last step and should not be done until everything else in the pot is cooked to your liking and you are ready to serve up the gumbo-- cooking the shrimp for too long will make them tough.

Gumbo is best made a day ahead, ‘cured’ in the refrigerator overnight, and reheated the next day (or day after that). Serve with white rice, chopped green (spring) onions and hot sauce. Serves 8

Chicken Cacciatore

Growing up, my favorite part of Thanksgiving (which has always been my favorite holiday) was sneaking a piece of crispy, salty, Heavenly skin from the roasted turkey before dinner. It was like crack and I was a junky willing to cheat, steal or lie my way into more of the golden good stuff.  

When I was 22 I worked in a posh, little bakery/prepared foods shop on Cape Cod. Ahead of its time, really. One of the dishes it was known for was its chicken salad. I would get into work at 6am, six mornings a week and begin my day by roasting dozens of chicken breasts. When the chicken was perfectly roasted, and the sea salted skin was blistered and screaming my name I would rip all the skins off (eating several for breakfast) and chop the meat up into fat chunks to make the famed luncheon salad. I would stash two or three crispy skins aside, before (sadly) throwing the rest away into the trash bin.

At lunch I would retrieve my beloved chicken skins from the refrigerator, pop them into the oven to crisp up, then slather two, thick pieces of homemade white bread with cold sour cream and a sprinkling of freshly crack black pepper. I'd place the hot, crispy skins in between the bread slices and, sitting on the back porch alone, I'd dig in, sincerely enjoying every mouthful. It was the best sandwich ever, and I ate it almost ritualistically every day that summer. 

Curiously, I did not gain weight during those few, blissful months, but I chalk that up to the fact that, because I was to report to work at 6am every morning, I was not out drinking beer with friend the night before. 

That was the summer of sedate, solo gastronomy.

Sometimes-- very rarely-- I think that poultry skin is superfluous. This is one of those recipes. I see no point in keep ing the skin if it will simply become soggy in the braising liquid, so I remove it before cooking.

This was originally a Jamie Oliver recipe, and I DO love his recipes. I've tweaked this, removing several steps (as well as the chicken skin), and added capers. It is really delicious and very hands-off, but you do need to think ahead with this one, as there is ample marinating time and it is a slow-cooking dish. Get the chicken marinating tonight for a fabulous dinner tomorrow.

1 chicken, cut into 10 pieces (cut the breasts in half)

1/2 bottle Chianti

2 twigs rosemary

3 whole cloves garlic, peeled

3 bay leaves

2 tins chopped tomatoes

6 anchovy fillets (just do it, you do not taste anchovies in the finished dish)

1 tablespoon capers

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Handful of good quality olives (that you would like to eat)

1) Place the chicken pieces into a re-sealable plastic bag, or Tupperware container. Pour in the wine and toss in the rosemary, 3 garlic cloves and bay leaves. Close the bag or container and slosh around, then stash in the refrigerator and forget about it for a day (over night or up to 24 hours, but at least 2 hours).

2) Two hours before you want to serve: Pre-heat the oven to 180C (375F). Pour the chicken and all of the marinade into a very large roasting pot and add in the tinned tomatoes, anchovies, caper and garlic. Cover and braise for 1 hour. After 1 hour add in the olives, cover and continue to braise for 30 minutes more.

Taste and adjust seasoning (salt/pepper, if desired). Serves 4.

Tarragon Roast Chicken Salad

Seems like every family has one or two exceptionally crazy days overloaded with activities. For us, it is Thursday. The girls have ballet class, netball practice (similar to basketball), German class and life-guard instruction. Jeff belongs to a running club. I play chauffeur/chef. 
With everyone coming and going at different times it is hard to find a dinner that the family can eat between activities.

It was with this chaos in mind that I came up with this recipe.

One roast chicken can satisfy lots of different tastes.

As I waited to ear dinner with Jeff when he came through the door at 9pm, I ate the crispy, salty skin off the roast chicken. All of it. 

1 free-range chicken

1 bunch tarragon

12 small, new potatoes

½ shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 sprigs from the bunch of tarragon (leaves only)

2 teaspoons white wine (or plain) vinegar

½ cup mayonnaise

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

Healthy pinch of sugar

Healthy pinch of salt

Salad greens

Boiled green beans, if you’ve got them

1) You can use a roasted chicken from the grocery store if you are in a pinch for time. Otherwise, place most of a small bunch of tarragon (keeping aside 2 sprigs for the salad dressing) into the cavity of the chicken, sprinkle the skin with sea salt and roast at 200C (400F) for about 45 minutes, until crisp, tender and juicy.

2) While the chicken is roasting, simmer the small potatoes, whole in salted water until just tender (about 10 minutes simmering time, depending upon their size). Drain and cool slightly until you can comfortably handle them—then slice into halves or quarters.

3) While the potatoes are simmering and the chicken is roasting, make the dressing: Put the minced shallot into a small bowl with the vinegar. Allow it to steep there for a few minutes while you chop up the tarragon leaves (the vinegar will take the bite out of the shallot). Now, chuck the salt and sugar into the vinegar, too and whisk for a second to help dissolve the granules. Finally, whisk in the mayo, mustard and chopped tarragon. Pour over the potatoes (doing this while they are still warm is fine), toss to coat evenly.

4) Assemble the salad: Lay salad greens on a plate and arrange the potatoes around. Rip the chicken into large chunks and arrange along side the potatoes. Do the same with green beans, if you are using. To make it extra delish, separate the fat from the roasting juices of the chicken. Discard the fat and drizzle the juices over the top of the salad, as well.

Serves 4 with extra chicken left over. I roasted the chicken, boiled the potatoes and served my children that simply with chicken juices drizzled over the potatoes—made up the salad for Jeff and I to eat later.

Chicken de la Maison

House chicken, that sums this recipe up. Using common ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen produces a simply delicious dinner. It’s easy to make, yet a real crowd pleaser. Good recipe to keep on hand.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

150 grams (just under 6 ounces) smoked bacon, cut into small pieces

1 small onion (whatever you have on hand), chopped

2 fat cloves garlic, minced

6 chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks—on the bone, skin removed

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup beef stock (or chicken stock)

1 large tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 pound tiny, new potatoes (or bigger ones cut into large chunks)

150 grams (roughly 6 ounces) small button  (or brown) mushrooms, washed, trimmed and left whole

Chopped, flat leaf (continental) parsley

1) Pre-heat the oven to 175C (350F). Warm the olive oil in a large pan. Place in the bacon and sauté until almost crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving in up to 1 tablespoon oil/drippings. Brown the skinless chicken pieces in the pan in batches—you are not cooking, just getting color. If the pan gets dry, add more olive oil. Remove the chicken and toss in the onion and garlic, stirring well and sauté for a minute or two, then pour in the wine and stock—scrape the bottom of the pan to get up all the fond (brown bits of loveliness stuck to the bottom).

2) Place the bacon and chicken back into the pot, cover and place into the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully stir and place the potatoes in the pot. Cover and cook again for 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven, stir and toss in the mushrooms—replace lid and continue to cook for a final 30 minutes.

Arrange everything on a platter, scoop the glorious juices over top and finish with chopped parsley. Serves 6

Grammy’s Chicken and Noodles

Is there any dish more universally comforting than a steaming bowl of chicken and noodles? Long ago (and still in some areas of the world) it was a celebratory dinner made when the tough, old hen stopped laying eggs (poor dear) and, after a long, gentle bath in aromatic water was transformed into the most beloved, savoury supper. In Asia, the addition of a knob of fresh ginger or a stalk of lemon grass may be added, and in Slavic countries it would be more likely served with dumplings rather than noodles. In any case, at it’s heart, a slowly simmered chicken strikes the same ring of nostalgia in our stomachs—Home.

I love my mom’s chicken and noodles. She uses the same simple recipe that her mother used (and her mother’s mother before her). Very few ingredients and several hours of hands-off cooking, yields the most sublime finished dish. It is a classic.

1 Chicken

Chicken stock or bouillon cubes and water

1 yellow onion, cut in half, skin left on

8 ounces (220 grams) fine egg noodles (or noodle of your choice)

1 tablespoon, freshly chopped tarragon

1) Place the chicken into a deep soup pot and cover with chicken stock or water with equivalent chicken bouillon cubes, and the halved onion (leaving the skin on the onion will produce a more golden stock). Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook ever-so gently for about two hours—but cook longer if you like, topping up with more water or stock as needed. This can all be done in the crockpot, on high setting, starting with boiling stock, and cooking all day (your house will small divine!).

2) Carefully pull the chicken (which will probably have fallen apart by now) out of the soup pot. Make sure to get all the onion, bits and bones left behind. Allow the stock to cool, then skim off the fat from the top. Pull the meat from the bones, shredding by hand as you go—discard the skin, bones and onion.  This can all be done ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a day.

3) Bring the skimmed stock to the boil and add in noodles. Bring back just to a simmer and cook according to package directions until al dente. Add the chicken meat back in to the soup along with the tarragon and season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Serves 8

Chicken Empanadas

First in Spain a million years ago (okay, so not a MILLION, but a really long time ago), empanadas were then carried to other Latin countries, including those as far away as in Latin American and the UK (where do you think Cornish Pasties came from?). Every country, even many regions within countries, have their own version of an empanada, but suffice it to say the universal empanada consists of seasoned meat or vegetables stuffed into a pastry of some sort, folded into a pocket and fried or baked. They can be eaten hot, warm or cold and are delicious!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 and ½ pounds boneless chicken thighs (or breasts), diced small

1 and ½ teaspoons American chili powder (the type that is not hot)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ beef bouillon cube, crumbled

¼ teaspoon smoked, sweet paprika (or spicy for heat)

200 grams (6 ounces) tin of tomato puree (if you can get Chair de Tomate, use it)

6 thin spring onions, sliced

12-18 pimento stuffed green olives (I love Tabasco’s spicy green olives), sliced

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Small handful chopped cilantro (coriander)

Packaged, pre-rolled short crust, pie or pizza dough—enough to make about 40 small empanadas.

1) Heat the oil in a large sauté pan then add in the chicken and sauté until just done. Alternatively, use cooked chicken, chopped up, and just cook the sauce then add the chicken to it. Pour the tomato puree and everything else except the boiled eggs, cilantro and olives (and dough…duh). Stir and allow to simmer—it should be the consistency of chili. Remove from the heat and stir in the eggs, cilantro and olives. Allow to cool at room temperature, then stash in the refrigerator to get cold.

2) Lay the pre-rolled pastry or dough out and cut into 4” by 4” squares or use a large coffee mug to trace circles onto the dough. Fill one side of the dough square or circle with 1 heaping tablespoon of chicken filling, then fold the other side over top and seal—crimp edges, use egg wash, whatever gets the job done.

Brush with egg wash and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C (400F) until golden.

Makes about 40 empanadas. Heat up any left-over filling and spoon over salad greens for a killer salad!

Japanese Fried Chicken (Tori no Karaage)

Traditionally deep fried, this is such a tasty way to serve up chicken! 'Tori' means chicken and 'Karaage' refers to fried. Marinating in soy, mirin and sake make the chicken salty, sweet and succulent! I chose to oven-fry these, (so I guess they are not really Karaage)-- the chicken remains crunchy, but infinitely healthier. This was an instant family favourite!

1/2 cup good quality soy sauce (Kikomman is great)
2 tablespoons Mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 tablespoon Sake, or white wine
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 green onion, roughly chopped
1" piece ginger root, roughly chopped

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halved)

2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups good quality, unseasoned breadcrumbs (Japanese Panko would be best)


1) Mix all marinade ingredients up in a resealable tub or plastic bag. Dump the chicken pieces in and stash in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but up to 4 hours (better flavour).

2) When ready to bake: Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200C). Spray a baking tray with Pam or rub with a bit of oil. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the mustard. Have the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade). Dip a few pieces of chicken into the egg/mustard bowl, then dredge in the breadcrumbs, packing the crumbs onto the chicken. Place all of the coated chicken pieces onto the baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crunchy and just cooked through.

Green Chicken Enchiladas

Just back from a Tex Mex cooking class I taught. It seemed so right to make up some fiery, healthy chow awakening our dormant mid-winter taste buds.
I love my cooking class students. Half are Americans the other half Brits; we all help each other with cultural words that are at once, unknown and interchangeable. Today it was 'green onion' common to Americans, completely foreign to the English. I finally held one up and one of the British ladies shouted (at least as loudly as British people ever DO shout... more of a forceful clearing of the throat), anyway, Caroline, one of the most loyal of British attendees said, 'Oh! SPRING onion!'.
We also mused about 'toilets' versus 'bathrooms' ('Why would you call it a bah-throom? There is no bahth in it?' Point taken. But you kindly then explain, 'loo'?)
Below are the recipes I made and we all sat down together to enjoy; Brits and Americans, except for a few words, we're not that different, really. 

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
6-8 Cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Jar jalapeños, drained and chopped

4 Green onions, trimmed and sliced

1 Small container (320 grams/10 oz) half fat crème fraiche or sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Shred the chicken and mix it with everything else. Set in the refrigerator until ready to roll the enchiladas.


Green Sauce

3 green bell peppers

10 small mild green chili peppers

1 red onion, peeled

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 bunch cilantro (coriander)

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup plain, natural yogurt

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Roast the bell pepper, chilies and onion in a 400F (200C) oven. Remove the small chilies first—as soon as they start to blister, as they will be done quicker than the bell peppers. Remove the bell peppers and red onion as they blister and go limp. Place in a Tupperware container, seal and allow the skins to steam lose. Remove the skins and seed the peppers.

2) Now dump everything into a food processor and whiz. Pour into a saucepan and bring just to a simmer—cook until it thickens slightly. Stash in the fridge until ready to pour over the enchiladas.

Assembly

8-10 Large soft, flour tortilla wrappers

Lite Philly Cream Cheese

Shredded cheddar cheese

Prepared chicken

Green sauce

Spread a bit of light Philly cream cheese on the flour tortilla, place some of the chicken over top and roll into a burrito shape. Lay into a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray and continue until everything is used up. Now, pour the green sauce over top and finish with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake, covered  at 375F (160C) until the cheese is melted, then remove the cover and bake until the cheese is goldenmmm.

The sauce can be made up ahead of time, frozen even, the enchiladas wrapped up-- just spreading the sauce over top minutes before placing in the oven to bake.

Serves 8

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Hot and sour, healthy and nourishing—this is such a great soup to serve for dinner on the days that you're felling any of the following: Blue, bloated, healthy, skinny, apprehensive about bikini season, generally optimistic. It soothes and encourages all moods, and tastes like something you would pay top dollar for in a swanky restaurant.

*6 cups good quality chicken broth (homemade is best, but a good tinned type is okay, too)

1 stalk lemon grass, outer layer peeled off and discarded, the rest trimmed and sliced very thin

1 small red bird’s eye pepper (Thai pepper), sliced thin (keeping the seeds will add more heat, discarding them will give it less kick)

3 green onions (scallions, spring onions), trimmed then sliced thin

1 teaspoon salt (only if using no-sodium broth, if the broth already tastes salted, skip this)

2 teaspoons sugar

*¼ cup good quality soy sauce

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

Juice of ½ lime

2 heads Bok Choi (Pak Choi), sliced into thin strips

Handful of frozen, shelled edemame

2 parcels Udon noodles (or Soba—could also use angel hair)

18 Thai Chicken Meatballs (raw) 

* This ingredient is critical to the dish— Use the best quality you can get your hands on

1) Make the soup by placing the first 9 ingredients into a large pan or wok. Bring to a simmer and allow to gently cook, uncovered for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. May be made up to this point and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, then reheated.

2) Bring the soup to a strong simmer, add in the raw meatballs and the noodles, bring back to a simmer and cook for about 6 minutes, then add in the frozen edemame, bring back to a simmer and cook 2 minutes more, until the noodles are tender (the meatballs take only a few minutes to cook). Throw the bak choi (pak choi) into the soup, stir and cover with a lid. Turn off the heat and allow the greens to wilt in the soup for 5 minutes.

Ladle into large bowls, garnish with chopped mint or cilantro (coriander), if desired.  Serves 4-6

Thai Chicken Meatballs

OMG—LOVE these! There are some fairly freaky ingredients here, but you don’t taste any ONE of them—you don’t taste the fish sauce, or the mint, or the cilantro—they all meld together and you just taste GOODNESS. Seriously, serve these on a fancy skewer at your next posh cocktail party and you will be a rock star, or better yet, make them for your kids and they will thank God (and you) for being born with taste buds. These are the bomb in Thai Hot and Sour Chicken Noodle Soup, too.

6 green onion, trimmed, dark green tops discarded, the rest roughly chopped

2” piece fresh ginger root, peeled, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped

12 whole water chestnuts

A small handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

8 mint leaves, roughly chopped

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 1 pound each, chicken thighs and chicken breasts, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons Nam Pla—Thai Fish Sauce (yes, it stinks—just do it!)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon salt

1 and ½ tablespoons corn flour (corn starch)

1) Place the first 5 ingredients into a food processor and work until chopped. Remove to a large mixing bowl. Now add the roughly chopped chicken, working in batches, place the roughly chopped chicken into the food processor and process until well chopped. Place all the minced chicken into the same mixing bowl as the herbs.

2) Add in the Nam Pla, sugar, soy sauce, salt and corn flour and mix with your hands to combine well. When you are done, wash hands well in hot soapy water (derrrrr). Place a teaspoon size amount of the chicken mixture onto a microwave-safe plate and nuke for about 20-30 second, until cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired. 

Lop the chicken mixture into a re-sealable tub and stash in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but up to one day, until ready to cook. Roll them with wet hands, to prevent sticking, then cook as you would any ‘ol meatball—bake, sauté, steam or simmer.

Pizza Chicken

3 cups tomato sauce (homemade is easy and best—click here for a simple recipe)

1 teaspoon dry oregano

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Slices of pepperoni (if you like)

1 cup (or more, if you like) shredded mozzarella cheese

1) Pour the tomato sauce into a medium sauce pot and slide the raw chicken fillets in there. Cover and bring just to a simmer. Cook, simmering gently for 30 minutes.  This step can be done ahead of time, just remove the chicken from the sauce and keep both in the refrigerator).

2)  If baking immediately, preheat the oven to 375F (180C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray or smear with a bit of oil. Lay the chicken fillets in, pour enough sauce over top to come halfway up the sides of the chicken (you may have some leftover which can be used on pasta within 3 days). Scatter the oregano throughout the sauce and the chicken, sprinkle the Parmesan over the chicken, lay pepperoni slices over that (if using) then mound the mozzarella on top of the chicken.  This may be done up to a day ahead and held in the fridge. Bake uncovered until bubbly and golden, about 20-30 minutes if you are starting with all ingredients hot. If you have prepared it earlier and stashed it in the fridge, cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, removing the foil in the last 15 minutes to brown the cheese.

Serves 4. Serve with a side of buttered noodles and a tossed salad with crumbled blue cheese…