Tag: chicken

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken

Sarah

Even though Ben and I can get herbs every week from our CSA, I bought several plants at the farmer’s market early this spring to grow on our porch. Some have failed–like our cilantro and most recently, our basil, but others have thrived and are now officially out of control… such as our mint plants. Yes, plants, plural. We have a regular mint and a chocolate mint plant, neither of which I really know what to do with except use for Honey-Lime Fruit Salad and to flavor water. So when I found this simple Honey Mint Glazed Chicken, I was super excited. It sounded so refreshing and flavorful that I just had to try it. And it did not disappoint.

I used this sweet glaze to amplify already flavorful chicken thighs, but feel free to use any cut you’d like. The original called for a whole chicken, cut into parts, so anything would work. The only change I would make is patting some of the oil off the chicken before cooking on an indoor grill, as marinating in olive oil causes a lot of splattering. This is definitely a winner of a chicken dinner that will make an appearance on our table again and again. If this isn’t a reason to buy your own mint plant next summer, then I don’t know what is.

Reader Question ~ What else should I make with fresh mint? I’ve got to use it before winter comes along!

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken [from Simply Recipes]
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup white vinegar
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Directions:

Mix together vinegar and oil in a medium bowl, then add chicken and allow to marinate for 30-60 minutes. Next, stir together honey, mint, and a little water to create a good basting consistency. Set aside.

When chicken is almost finished marinating, preheat grill to medium-high heat. I used a George Foreman, but any grill should work. Remove chicken from marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook for two minutes on each side, then baste with the honey mint glaze and cook for another two to three minutes per side. Chicken is done when juices run clear when cut and internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.

Yield: 2-3 servings.

Time: 90 minutes [30 minutes active].

Candy, Chicken, Desserts, Main Dishes, Recipes

Saturday Dinner: Football Style

Sarah
when you can't have Chipotle... make your own!

Dinner: Homemade Chipotle Bowls

  • Spinach
  • Chipotle Lime Rice
  • Black Beans
  • Spicy Rubbed Chicken [boneless, skinless chicken breast rubbed with chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, freshly ground lemon pepper, and garlic… drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and baked at 325 for about 30 minutes]
  • Fresh Tomatoes
  • Fresh Avocado
  • Sour Cream
  • Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
  • Trader Joe’s Smoky Peach Salsa <— the best jarred salsa I’ve ever had!
  • Cilantro
  • with green Tabasco sauce for Ben!
yum!

Dessert: Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

recipe to come… but pretty similar to these delicious treats 🙂

Hope you’re all enjoying your weekend!

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Tangy Chicken Pasta

Sarah

If there is one thing that joining a CSA has taught me about my culinary skills is that I am not well versed in cooking greens. Aside from the usual lettuce and spinach, I never really ate greens of any type growing up. No mustard greens, collard greens, or kale to speak of. In recent years I have had kale and mustard greens a time or two, but that’s about it. That’s why I was so excited about how one of my latest pasta dishes turned out.

It all started the night before our CSA pickup where I decided I had to use up some mustard greens, garlic, and lemon thyme that had been hanging around our fridge for the past six days. It was seriously getting ridiculous, so I just threw together a marinade for some chicken, closed my eyes and said a prayer, hoping for the best. You know how some combos are really, really bad? Well, this one was anything but.

My impromptu Tangy Chicken Pasta incorporates a double dose of lemon in fresh lemon thyme and lemon juice, as well as spicy black pepper, sweet garlic, and rich olive oil in the marinade. As the chicken cooked, I steamed the distinctively unique peppery mustard greens and cooked up a batch of noodles to serve as the vehicle for my tangy feast. At the end, I tossed in some broccoli florets as the pasta cooked to bump up the veggie content and mixed everything together with a pseudo lemon-balsamic reduction glaze.

The results? Incredible levels of flavor and depth. For best results, make and serve the same day, but if there are leftovers be sure to add some extra lemon-balsamic glaze to make the flavors pop once more. Enjoy!

Tangy Chicken Pasta
printable version

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken breasts, chopped into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh lemon thyme, roughly chopped + more for garnishing
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups loosely packed mustard greens, stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 5 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 pound small noodles, uncooked [I used mini farfarelle]

Directions:

Whisk together 1/3 cup lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, lemon thyme, and black pepper in a small bowl or ziploc bag. Place [raw] chicken in mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes and no more than 24 hours to marinate.

When ready to prepare, bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Pour chicken and marinade into skillet and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until each piece is cooked through. You could add additional olive oil, but I found it unnecessary due to the marinade. When chicken is cooked, remove to a large bowl, reserving liquid in pan.

While the chicken is cooking, set a third [yes, I know!] pot on the stovetop and fill with several inches of water and a steamer insert. Add mustard greens, cover, and heat to medium. Steam mustard greens until just tender. Remove from heat and spoon out into the bowl with the chicken.

After mustard greens are in the pot, turn back to the pasta water–it should be boiling by now. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. But… one minute before pasta should be done, add the broccoli to the water and blanch. Immediately remove from heat and drain well, then add to mustard greens and chicken. Toss well.

Lastly, pour 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar into the skillet where the chicken cooked. Over medium heat, stir constantly, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan. When mixture has thickened, remove from heat and pour over pasta mixture and toss to coat. Garnish with additional lemon thyme leaves and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Pantry Pasta for Two

Sarah
compression socks
Hanging out in the cool compression socks on Saturday! These things work!

On Saturday, I ran 20 miles in the pouring rain and thunderstorm as part of my training for the Cleveland Marathon. [As the worst part of the storm hit, I decided to call it a day and finish up the last 2.5 miles on the treadmill.] I know I haven’t talked about it very much on the blog, but running and school have pretty much consumed most of my free time since January. I am so ready for this semester to be over with, and I can’t wait for my marathon to get here so I can see what I can do! Last weekend I ran a local half marathon in 1:39:32, which is a nearly 10 minute PR… so I have high hopes for the marathon! But aside from all of that… I’ve just been really busy and really tired lately, which is why posting has been down.  I hope to remedy that starting in May.

pantry pasta
plate of deliciousness

Moving on to yummy things… I made this pasta dish a few weeks ago [before my first 20 mile run this training cycle, actually] and was wowed beyond belief. I know the The Pioneer Woman can cook, but this was absolutely phenomenal. I was a brave little girl and picked up some Kalamata olives especially for the occasion [I am not an olive fan] and Ben was a brave boy and faced his arch-nemesis: the red onion. Results? Bravery is awesome! What we loved about this simple dish was the pop of each flavor. The sauce kept the best attributes of each component [onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives, wine] without letting any one item overwhelm and overpower the others. Each bite was flavorful and fresh, without the addition of a million herbs or vegetables. I love those things, but sometimes basic is best. One of the greatest parts of this dish is that I think it’s totally customizable. Leave out the chicken if you’re a vegetarian, swap the chicken for shrimp or steak. Use chicken or vegetable broth if wine isn’t your thing. The possibilities are endless! Plus… this totally makes more than enough for two. I had leftovers after my run and was fully satisfied!

Pantry Pasta for Two [from The Pioneer Woman]

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup red onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can [14.5 ounce] diced tomatoes with juice [salt free]
  • ⅓ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
  • ⅓ cups white wine
  • 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
  • ½ pounds linguine

Directions:

Bring a large stockpot to boil and then prepare linguine according to package directions. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to soften. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Stir in tomatoes with juice and olives until combined. Cook for an additional minute. Pour in wine and simmer, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate skillet. Season chicken with pepper and then cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.

Arrange cooked linguine on a platter or large bowl. Spoon 3/4 of the sauce over the pasta. Place chicken on top, then spoon the rest of the sauce on top of the chicken. Sprinkle on grated Parmesan or Asiago and serve immediately.

Note:

Feel free to play around with this recipe. Swap chicken for shrimp or steak, or leave out altogether. Use broth instead of wine. The possibilities are endless!

Click here for the printable version: Pantry Pasta for Two

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Chicken Pot Pie

Sarah
chicken pot pie
a warm bowl of chicken pot pie... mmmm

Yes, it’s warm out. [It was 75 here yesterday!!] But that doesn’t mean comfort food has to go away. I mean, why would you want to make those creamy, cheesy, warm casserole dishes feel sad and lonely? Then they might not be so willing to rush to your side come dark, cold, rainy, snowy, icy nights. As if all those conditions could align simultaneously.

Traditional pot pies [or at least the store-bought variety that many of us think are traditional pot pies] are heavy and filling, tiny vegetables and chicken bits bathed in a heavy sauce covered with a greasy crust. Well, this version doesn’t exclude the vegetables, chicken, sauce, or crust, but it is certainly lightened up and more real than any store variety. The chicken is pan-fried in herbs and spices, and veggies abound in every bite. The crust is light and buttery [my favorite pie crust ever] and is the perfect topping for the creamy filling. Wanna know the best part? Because my chicken pot pie isn’t heavy, it is perfectly acceptable to make on a warm spring day or throughout the heat of summer… perhaps with fresh vegetables from your local farmer’s market! See? You can enjoy your comfort food year-round… just gotta work it in. 🙂 Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 recipe All Butter Crust, prepared at least an hour in advance
  • olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup Fordhook lima beans [mine were frozen]
  • 1 cup corn [mine was frozen]
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground lemon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon tarragon
  • 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup fat free half and half, at room temperature

Directions:

Make crust. I use this All Butter Crust and only made a top layer, but you could do a dual layer if you want. Be sure to make this crust at least an hour in advance, as it needs time to rest in the refrigerator prior to rolling out. Alternatively, you could use store bought crust or puff pastry sheets.

In a large bowl, stir together carrots, celery, lima beans, and corn. Set aside.

Heat olive oil [just enough to go once around the pan] in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan then season with lemon pepper and tarragon. Toss to coat, then saute chicken until fully cooked. Remove from heat and drain oil, if necessary. Mix chicken into the vegetable bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook until golden brown and soft, about 4 minutes. Add flour and stir constantly, making a roux. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until roux darkens slightly. Slowly stir in chicken broth. Cook and stir for another 3 minutes or so while sauce thickens, then remove from heat and stir in half and half. Pour sauce over vegetable and chicken mixture, then transfer mixture to a large casserole dish [I used a 10 inch round casserole dish]. Dish should have a capacity of at least 2-3 quarts.

Roll out crust and gently place over filling, pressing the edges around the dish to seal. Brush top with a beaten egg for shine. Cut small slits in crust for ventilation, then bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, topping with foil halfway through. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Click here for the printable version: Chicken Pot Pie