Chicken – Page 5 – The Pajama Chef

Kale Fried Rice

April 29, 2013May 3, 2013 Sarah

I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I first saw this recipe posted on Kristin’s blog. I mean, fried rice is great and so is kale, but the two together? Kinda weird, eh? Umm, no. Turns out, most definitely not.

This is our new favorite dinner!! Well, maybe not our but most definitely mine. Ben likes it, but I devour it. What can I say? I know what I like. And I like this… this salty-sweet, nutty, garlicky, chewy fried rice starring everyone’s favorite healthy green–kale–and just enough egg and chicken ~~to make your manly man happy~~ for some filling protein.

I am hard-pressed to tell you just what’s so great about this dish. The sauce is pretty phenomenal. Made up of white cooking wine, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and… wait for it… MAPLE SYRUP [also known in our house as may-PELLL sir-RUUUUP. Yes, we are weird. Thanks for asking.], this sauce is pretty much incredible. It’s unmistakably Asian, but with a bit of unexpected sweetness. Totally craveable, I can see this being a great marinade for grilled chicken, tofu, or even some fish. Maybe add a little crushed red pepper… mmm, mmm.

Beyond the sauce, though, fried rice is a great easy weeknight dinner. It’s super quick, especially if you make the rice ahead of time [see the note at the end for details!]. Plus, it’s practically a one-skillet meal. The original recipe didn’t call for chicken or eggs, but I added them to make it a bit more filling. Totally not necessary though–it’s great without!! No matter how you make it, I seriously can’t get enough! I’ve made this for dinner two weeks in a row, and it’s on the menu plan again this week. I am hopelessly addicted. There are worse addictions, right? 🙂 Enjoy!!

P.S. If you missed it, be sure to check out my birthday post from Saturday… I turned 28 and have big culinary goals for the next 2 years in my 30 before 30 project. 🙂

Kale Fried Rice [adapted from Iowa Girl Eats]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups brown rice
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 cups water
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken, shredded [I used some from a roasted chicken]
4 tablespoons white cooking wine
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
sesame seeds, for garnish
sliced green onions, for garnish ,

Directions:

Prepare rice in chicken broth according to package directions.***

After rice is almost done, bring water to boil in a large skillet or wok. Then add kale and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 4-5 minutes until tender. Drain kale in a colander set in the sink and leave to cool.

Return skillet to stove then heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, use a spatula to press as much water out of the draining kale as you can. A few presses against the side of the colander should squeeze out a lot of water.

After onion is soft, add garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add kale and chicken, and saute for 2 minutes.

Next, whisk together wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup.

Reduce heat to medium, then dd rice to skillet and toss to combine. Pour in sauce and toss again. Cover and cook until rice is heated through, about 5 minutes [note: this step is not necessary if rice has not been refrigerated.]

Lastly, make a hole in the center of the rice mixture and pour in the eggs. Quickly stir eggs into the rice mixture to incorporate, then cook for another 2 minutes to ensure eggs are fully cooked.

Serve with lots of sesame seeds and green onions as garnish!

Time: 20 minutes [if you make rice ahead of time], 60 minutes [if you make rice fresh].

Yield: 4 servings.

***Note: I usually make the rice a day or so ahead of time, as day-old refrigerated rice tends to work better for fried rice and this step takes 40-45 minutes.

Linked with: Weekend Potluck.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Sweet and Sour Chicken {Repost}

March 20, 2013March 17, 2013 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. Last fall, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

this post is originally from October 13, 2011

Chinese is Ben’s favorite ethnic food, so I’m constantly on the look out for ways I can surprise him with some special dinners at home. First it was Healthy Fried Rice, next it was Sweet and Sour Chicken. Before I tried any of these recipes, I expected them to be really difficult. But you know what? Making Chinese food at home really isn’t that hard. It’s actually pretty simple; all it takes is a bit of effort.

In almost no active preparation time at all, you can have restaurant-quality Sweet and Sour Chicken on your table for everyone to enjoy. We loved how sweet and tangy this dish was, as well as the freshness and healthiness factors. Because nothing beats the impressiveness of homemade!

Sweet and Sour Chicken [from Mrs. Schwartz’s Kitchen]
click to print

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pineapple chunks or tidbits
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
brown rice, for serving
stir fry vegetables, for serving
sesame seeds, for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Put cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Crack eggs into another shallow bowl, and beat slightly with a fork. Season chicken with salt and pepper then dip in cornstarch and egg.

Working in two batches, brown the chicken, tossing every so often so that all sides crisp. Remove chicken to a large baking dish and arrange in a single layer, using a paper towel to degrease if necessary.

In a medium bowl, stir the sugar, pineapple, ketchup, vinegars, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper together until sugar dissolves and sauce is fully mixed. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Then pour half of the sauce over the chicken and toss to fully coat.

Bake the chicken for 60 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. [This would be a good time to start your brown rice, if you haven’t already.]

Meanwhile, pour remaining sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat to low and simmer to reduce, about 20 minutes.

Serve chicken over rice and vegetables and top with additional sauce and sesame seeds.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Time: 90 minutes [30 minutes active].

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches {Repost}

January 28, 2013February 12, 2013 Sarah

from July 14, 2011…but BBQ is good in January too, for a taste of summer, of course 🙂

About a month ago, my parents, sister, sister’s boyfriend, [edited to add…they got married on December 28, 2012… YAY!] and grandfather came for a visit. Yup, that’s right–seven people in a two bedroom, 1000 square foot apartment. Pure craziness, at least in terms of space. As I do with any visitors, I wanted to be sure to prepare a fantastic dinner that everyone would love, but with several caveats: we couldn’t grill out (apparently outdoor grills in “multi-family dwellings” are now illegal in the state of Indiana) and I didn’t want to spend all night in the kitchen.

So what’s a girl to do?

Use the crock pot, of course!

When Ben and I got married two years ago, I was a total crock pot skeptic. I thought crock pots were for lazy cooks and that nothing good ever came out of them. I vowed I would never use the crock pot we received as a wedding gift (in fact, we only registered for it at Ben’s insistence). I totally ate my words on that one! Aside from my KitchenAid mixer (fortunately inherited from my grandmother), my crock pot is probably my most-used kitchen appliance. I love it for making soups, applesauce, and large hunks ‘o meat.

As I was brainstorming what to make, I kept coming back to this recipe I had seen on Tasty Kitchen for Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches. The combination of sweet pineapple with vinegary, tomato-y BBQ sauce intrigued me to say the least. So I threw the ingredients together in my crock pot, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best

And “the best” delivered. Many a sandwich were devoured by all that night, and the sweet yet savory BBQ just couldn’t be beat. This is definitely a recipe to make again and again. It’s so easy, so delicious, so tasty, so why wouldn’t you? Enjoy!

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches [from MyRetroKitchen via Tasty Kitchen]
click to print

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless chicken, thawed
1 large onion, cut into chunks
1 – 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice
1 – 18-20 ounce bottle BBQ sauce [I used KC Masterpiece]
hamburger buns

Directions:

Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Cover with onions. Drain pineapple, reserving juice (see note) and add over top. Pour in BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. About an hour or two before it is finished, shred chicken with two forks, stir to incorporate the sauce, and let cook for the rest of the allotted time.

Serve on hamburger buns. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, try these: they are quite easy and really tasty! Enjoy!

Note:

For an extra sweet sauce, the recipe recommends a BBQ sauce like Sweet Baby Ray’s (which is so great) and the addition of up to 1/2 cup of the reserved pineapple juice. I didn’t add any juice to mine and it was plenty sweet for us, but others might feel differently. I just chose to drink the juice! 🙂

Shared with the Made with Love Linky Party and Weekend Potluck.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie

January 9, 2013January 14, 2013 Sarah

So, when I shared my Chicken Tinga Tacos on Monday, I also mentioned that I made some pretty awesome leftovers with them. But here’s the catch: this doesn’t look like leftovers!! Score! Because, who really likes leftovers, anyways? I tolerate them, [though some are pretty tasty]… but seriously. It’s always more fun to make something new. This Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie does not resemble leftovers to me at all though. Not one bit. I mean, come on. Look at it! It’s a whole new meal, baby. Would this fool you? It’s just so beautiful! And it tastes good too. 🙂

Think spicy, juicy meat plus crisp vegetables, and flavorful black beans. That’s like, all my favorite things right there. But you know what really took this leftover makeover from tolerable to fabulous? That thick, cheesy layer of cornbread smack dab on top. Ohhh yes. I’m kind of on a cornbread kick lately. We made a batch for a party last Thursday, and it was all gone [except three sad little pieces, which I promptly ate immediately] by the time we got home, so when I was searching for dinner ideas on Friday, cornbread was my first thought. Problem was, I had used up all the honey for the cornbread the day before!! Oh man. What kind of cornbread doesn’t require honey?!? Oh, that’s right. CORNBREAD pot pie topping! Much better than regular ‘ole crust, and probably healthier for you. Or something like that.

I know this recipe isn’t original [though I proudly didn’t consult any recipe, except that off the side of the corn meal packaging]. I know my photos were taken in the waning daylight, and are not all the impressive. I know that the veggies are frozen and maybe not the most gourmet. But this is just good food, people. And I think you should try it soon! That’s all.

Enjoy! 🙂

Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie [cornbread adapted from the Kroger package of corn meal]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded cooked chicken [I used this recipe]
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup water
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons corn meal
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 egg white
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10 inch round baking dish with cooking spray.

In baking dish, combine black beans, chicken, and vegetables. In a measuring cup, mix together water and taco seasoning. Pour water over the black bean mixture.

Next, stir together corn meal, flour, sugar, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk with the egg white, then add oil. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then spoon over black bean mixture.

Top with cheese, then bake for 25-30 minutes or until cornbread is golden. Serve immediately.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Note: If you don’t have leftover shredded chicken, you could just cook up a chicken breast and shred it for this recipe, then mix in some salsa or spices for some extra flavor.

This recipe is linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

SRC: Chicken Tinga Tacos

January 7, 2013January 5, 2017 Sarah

Whoa, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a recipe post! Since before Christmas, in fact. Between Christmas, and my little sister’s wedding[!!!], and a quick trip to Chicago with my parents and Ben for New Years’… I’ve been busy. And got sick. 😦 But now it’s back to real life… and that means plenty of recipes! To start off the new year, it seems fitting to begin with a dose of the Secret Recipe Club! We took a break in December, but I’m so happy to be back in the swing of things. I absolutely love being part of the SRC. It’s a fun way to try new blogs and recipes and be part of a great community. If you’ve missed my past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

This month, my assignment was for Holly’s blog, PheMOMenon. Holly is a mom of three, and uses her blog as an outlet to “conquer [her] world, one recipe at a time.” Sounds like a good thing, if you ask me!! I had a hard time deciding which recipe to choose, because it’s no lie to say that everything I looked at sounded so amazing! If I had my act together and made this recipe in December, before I OD’d on sweets, I probably would have made these crepes or this Sugar Plum Puff Pastry. YUM. Definitely pinned.

Instead of sweets, I decided to make a flavorful, spicy taco dish as our first home-cooked meal of 2013. Holly’s Chicken Tinga Tacos are absolutely incredible, and so super easy. I had never heard of chicken tinga before, but I had a suspicion that it was something legit, so I turned to the powers of Google to learn that it is a traditional Mexican dish of shredded chicken in a tomato and chili chipotle sauce. The source of that knowledge, Muy Bueno Cookbook, is definitely a site to check out too. But back to Holly.

Normally, to make a shredded/marinated chicken dish like this, I would throw these ingredients in the crockpot to marinate and cook all day long. In fact, I’ve made many similar Mexican-inspired shredded chicken recipes that way…and they are good. But sometimes the crockpot leaves everything tasting kinda the same, if you know what I mean. Or is that just me? Regardless, there’s just something to be gained by preparing this meal on the stove.

Instead of all day like a crockpot would take, the whole meal came together in less than an hour, most of which was idle simmer time. The taco meat was smoky, juicy, and pretty much perfect. And while our first-day tacos were super, I must say the leftovers may have been even better, as these flavors got better over time. As a special bonus, I’ll be sharing one of my leftover recipes on Wednesday… so be sure to come back for Mexican Cornbread Pot Pie. It is so good! Enjoy!

Chicken Tinga Tacos

Servings: 6-8
Time: 60 minutes
Print

from PheMOMenon as appearing on Smart Balance’s blogger recipe contest on Facebook

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chipotle salsa or 2 chipotles in adobo, pureed with a 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts [Holly used thighs]
tortillas
lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, etc. for serving as desired

Directions:

Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven set over medium heat. Then add onions and garlic, and season with black pepper before cooking until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Next, reduce heat to low and add salsa and chicken broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add chicken to the pan.

Spoon salsa mixture completely over the chicken, then cover pan with a lid. Simmer, covered, for 35 minutes or until chicken can be easily shredded with a fork.

Shred the chicken in the sauce with two forks, then simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve in warmed tortillas with toppings of your choice.

Be sure to check out the other fabulous recipes posted today [click below] for this week’s SRC reveal. Have a great day!