chicken – Page 10 – The Pajama Chef

Chicken Noodle Soup

January 25, 2012January 27, 2017 Sarah

Warm & cozy homemade chicken noodle soup. This recipe used rotisserie chicken so it’s SUPER easy! I also added some nontraditional veggies but you can omit them if you like. SO good!

My poor husband is sick in bed at home today. While it’s no fun to be sick, what better way to get well sooner than a warm, cozy bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup?

It’s a good thing that I made some of this classic comfort soup recently and stashed the leftovers in the freezer, since I can’t stay home all day and take care of him. At least I’ll be able to be here all day in spirit through each bite of light, savory chicken broth filled with tender chicken, slurp-able noodles, and hearty vegetables. Nothing sates sickness quite like old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup, and I’m hoping it’ll do the trick in our house today!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Servings: 10-12
Time: 70 minutes
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Ingredients:

10 cups chicken broth [I used homemade, but if I wasn’t, I would recommend low-sodium.]
1 medium yellow onion, chopped [about 1 cup]
3 large stalks celery, chopped [about 1 1/2 cups]
6 medium carrots, scrubbed and chopped [about 2 1/2 cups]
1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped [about 3/4 cup]
4 small turnips, chopped; optional
2 small radishes, chopped; optional
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken [I used a combination of white and dark meat, from my whole roasted chicken, but use whatever you prefer.]
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
6 ounces extra broad egg noodles, uncooked
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried dill
2 teaspoons dried basil
crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

In a large stockpot, combine chicken broth, onion, celery, carrots, parsnip, turnips, radishes, garlic, and chicken. Stir in pepper and the bay leaf, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the chicken is hot and the vegetables are tender. Then, discard the bay leaf and add the noodles, dill, and basil. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until noodles are cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, and serve with crusty bread.

Note: As you might be able to see in the photo, my noodles broke up pretty quickly after they were cooked. My only explanation for that was that I used no-yolk egg noodles, which have a slightly different texture than regular egg noodles… just keeping it in mind for you!

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Lime Chicken Rice Bake

January 18, 2012 Sarah

Maybe it’s because I’m from Indiana, maybe it’s because I’m sorta lazy and am not always the biggest fan of making a main dish and several sides to complete a meal, but the truth is… I’m a big fan of casseroles and other one-dish meals. Not the kind with random cream-of …. soups or mystery meat or canned vegetables drowning in salt water. But the kind with fresh ingredients and tons of flavor from herbs and spices. Like this Lime Chicken Rice Bake that I created on a whim one night when I was trying to use up some leftover rice and black beans.

The punch of flavor in this dish comes from limes and chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, which I keep in a small container in my freezer. An unexpected ingredient–pumpkin–gives this dish a bit of creaminess without adding tons of fat and calories. We enjoyed this for dinner several times on it’s own and also remade into nachos another night. Any way you serve it, Lime Chicken Rice Bake is a warm, comforting dish that is healthy, sure to please, and will certainly make you rethink your opinion of casseroles for good!

Lime Chicken Rice Bake
click to print

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown rice
1 3/4 cup black beans/15 ounce can, rinsed and drained
15 ounce can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, chopped and 1-2 tablespoon adobe sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon lime balm, chopped [or zest of 1 lime]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spay. In a large bowl, stir together rice, beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, chicken, corn, and 1/2 cup cheese. In a smaller bowl, whisk together chipotle peppers and adobe sauce, garlic, oregano, lime juice, milk, and lime balm/zest. Stir this mixture into the rice mixture then spread into casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot. Then remove from oven and top with last 1/2 cup of cheese. Return to oven and cook for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Time: 35 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 8 servings.

Appetizers, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Thai Peanut Ginger Chicken Wings

November 25, 2011November 21, 2011 Sarah

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

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Ah, it’s that sweet time of year again. The air is aflutter with the sounds of helmets crashing, pads popping, players trash talking, fans whining, and coaches alternating between tirades and smug silence. Football season has returned (and sadly, is now closer to being over than beginning) and with it, so has OTT. And I’m here to bring you recipes you might not otherwise find around these parts. Recipes that embrace manliness. Like these chicken wings.

Chicken wings are quite manly in general. This is evidenced by the distressed look on my wife’s face when I came home with a 10 pound bag of chicken wings with the intention of shoving it in our already jam-packed freezer. Bigger is manlier. Meat covered in sauce is manly. These chicken wings do appeal to the ladies though too. Just a little bit spicy with an Asian twist. It doesn’t get much better than that. So without further ado, here’s the recipe.

Thai Peanut Ginger Chicken Wings
printable version

Ingredients:

1 can evaporated milk
1 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c soy sauce, divided
2 1/2 t ground ginger
2 t rice vinegar
1/2 t red pepper flakes (add more for a delightful increase in spiciness)
5 lbs frozen chicken wings

Directions:

Put the evaporated milk, peanut butter, 3 Tablespoons soy sauce, ginger, vinegar and red pepper flakes in a blender or food processor. Blend until it’s smooth and looking like something you’d want to lather on chicken. Combine 1/2 c of the blended sauce, the remaining soy sauce, and chicken wings in a large bowl. If you thawed the chicken wings, you can let it marinate for an hour. If you’re cooking them from frozen, then there’s not as much point. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two (probably) baking sheets with foil and coat with cooking spray. Put the chicken on the baking sheets and bake for 45 minutes thawed, or 55 frozen. Spoon the remaining sauce over the wings. Grab several napkins and turn on some football. Enjoy.

Time: 65 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 5 regular servings or 2 man-sized servings.

And in case you’re curious… the best kind of football you can turn on is THE Ohio State Buckeyes. You can do that tomorrow, if you wish. Beat Michigan!

Question of the Day — Recently, we visited the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. It was lots of fun watching big cats play with pumpkins filled with a surprise! I think my favorite (maybe, they were all pretty awesome) one there was a black leopard appropriately named Blackie. What’s your favorite type of exotic animal?

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Crockpot Saucy Italian Chicken

November 16, 2011July 27, 2015 Sarah

I have a love-hate relationship with my crockpot. On the one hand, it is might convenient for whipping up a delicious dinner in a flash, with little to no effort on my part. On the other hand, leaving a hot appliance [yes, even on the low setting it gets h-o-t] on all day on a kitchen counter within easy reach of the cat makes me nervous. I have a fear of fire and just get concerned. Using the crockpot also seems like an easy out sometimes, since it’s not “real” cooking. But alas. Sometimes, I put my fears to rest and pull out the crockpot for, dare I say, a quick and easy dinner.

My Crockpot Saucy Italian Chicken, despite how the taste may make you believe, was not the work of hours slaving away in the kitchen, pouring over complicated recipes. Rather, it was mixing pantry ingredients, spices, herbs, and chicken in the crockpot and hoping for the best. And boy–was it the best! I didn’t exactly use a specific recipe. I had some chicken thighs that I had previously frozen that needed to be used up, so I googled “chicken thigh crockpot recipes.” Problem was, many of those recipes used things like powdered onion soup mix, Italian dressing, and/or other packaged seasoning mixes that I certainly did not keep on hand, as the recipe creator assumed everyone did.

So, I thought about the flavors I was looking for and decided to wing it. The result was a flavorful blend of Italian-seasoned chicken simmering all day in a tomato sauce with olives, peppers, and onions. Right before dinnertime, cook up some noodles or rice for serving. You’ll know it’s time to do this when the smell is just so intoxicating that it gets to you and causes you to open the lid and take a big spoonful [even though you aren’t really supposed to open the lid of a crockpot early]. At this point, the chicken will be so tender that it falls apart with the touch of a spoon. The smell alone should be enough to get the family to the dinner table, so don’t hesitate. Make this today!

Crockpot Saucy Italian Chicken
printable version

Ingredients:

28 ounce can whole tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, drained
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
prepared pasta or rice, for serving
parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

Place tomatoes in a large crockpot. Using a dinner knife, cut each tomato in half. Add tomato paste, olives, pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs/spices. Stir to combine. Lay chicken out evenly over tomato mixture and stir to coat. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. Serve over pasta or rice.

Time: maximum of 8 hours and 15 minutes [15 minutes active]

Yield: 8 generous servings.