chicken – Page 6 – The Pajama Chef

Sweet ‘n Spicy Apple BBQ Chicken & Slaw

September 23, 2013September 26, 2016 Sarah

Ben and I are big barbecue fans. Seriously, major barbecue fans. It’s one meaty dish we can both agree on. Ben loves a good brisket or pulled pork while I’m more partial to chicken but occasionally can be swayed to a more “hearty” meats. In our four years’ of married life, we’ve enjoyed barbecue in many, many ways… at restaurants, homemade, semi-homemade, and store-bought. Homemade has always been the best, because seriously. Indiana. Not exactly a state renowned for its barbecue. BUT wait. I just realized that my homemade might not be quite as good as what’s available locally anymore. Even though this homemade Sweet ‘n Spicy Apple BBQ Chicken & Slaw is pretty darn fabulous.

Why, you ask? Because Ben and I are moving down south! To Nashville, Tennessee. On Friday! As in, later this week. Ahhhhhh. [Cue frantic packing… because who is ready to go any sooner than they have to be? Not me. Ha!] Now, I know that the politics of barbecue, or barbeque, or BBQ, or whatever you call it run deep, and vary by region, cooking method, etc. And I realize that true barbecue connoisseurs might not consider this “real” barbecue because it’s made in just an hour or so, in the oven. To them I say “bah.” Or rather, Ben says “bah.” I just say it’s good. It’s sweet, spicy, and utterly addicting. If I do say so myself, adding an apple to the chicken as it cooks was an utterly genius move.

Speaking of moves, we’re moving because I accepted a position earlier this month at a university library in Nashville. It’s been a crazy few weeks of packing, finding a new apartment, trying to sublet our current apartment, saying goodbye to friends and family and our favorite local Bloomington spots, and a myriad of other details… some fun and others not so fun. But we are so excited for this new adventure. There’s no one I’d rather share it with than this guy!

Ben is simply the best. 🙂 As is this barbecue. If you make it, don’t forget the slaw. It’s the perfect tangy, crisp accompaniment to the sweet ‘n spicy chicken. Kinda like I am to Ben. Or he is to me? I’m not quite sure that comparison is valid, but my mind is muddled from all this packing. So there you have it. Our big move, aka the reason I haven’t been blogging much lately. I have a few posts scheduled over the next couple weeks so I shouldn’t disappear for long, and then once we are settled and have the kitchen ready to go, things should be back to normal here. 🙂 If you have any Nashville recommendations, be sure to send ’em my way. Have a great week! Enjoy!

one year ago… 1970s Style Tacos
two years ago… Honey-Lime Fruit Salad
three years ago… Sweet and Spicy Blueberry Pork

Sweet 'n Spicy Apple BBQ Chicken & Slaw

Servings: 4-6
Time: 2 hours
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Ingredients:

for the chicken

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small apple, chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 pounds chicken thighs
6 ounces BBQ sauce of choice [I used a local Spicy Apple BBQ Sauce, but for something similar you could use this recipe]
freshly ground black pepper
extra sauce for serving

for the slaw

2 cups red cabbage, chopped/shredded
2 cups green cabbage, chopped/shredded
1 small apple, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 stems basil, leaves torn [~ 1/4 cup]
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
a couple dashes Sriracha
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in an oven-proof Dutch oven or pot with tightly fitted lid. Add onion and apple and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add garlic and cook for another minute. Add chicken and BBQ sauce and toss to coat. Season with pepper. Remove from heat, cover, and place in oven for 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the slaw. Toss together cabbages, apple, celery, and basil. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, and Sriracha. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture [you may not need it all] and season with pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When chicken is done cooking, shred with two forks carefully in the pot, or remove to a cutting board to shred. Return chicken to pot and then serve with slaw and extra BBQ sauce as desired.

Note: For more tender chicken, reduce heat to 200 degrees after it has fully cooked and leave chicken in oven, covered, for another hour. The chicken is still delicious after 90 minutes but it does shred a little easier later on.

10 Minute Lunches, Couscous, Recipes, Sides

10 Minute Lunch #6: Italian Chicken & Veggie Couscous Bowls

June 11, 2013 Sarah

Eeeek! It’s been a long time since I’ve shared a 10 Minute Lunch, eh? Whoops. I’ve been eating a lot of leftovers for lunch on days I work from home, or have been snacking my way through the day, which is not a good idea because then I’m hungry for dinner at 3 pm. Ahem. #seniorcitizeninthemaking

But not anymore! I’m bound and determined to let this month be the month I get my lunch act together and actually eat a real meal for lunch everyday–not just on days that I’m on campus at work. Starting with this little number! 🙂 It’s totally simple, flavorful, and fast–perfect for the days that you have to deal with crazy computer drama with no time to cook. As I said yesterday, my MacBook has been acting up–not charging, randomly shutting off, resetting the date, etc. So now it’s back at the shop for the second time in a week, and thanks to my dramatic Facebook post, I had not one, but three offers of a loaner laptop until mine can be fixed or replaced. I have some generous friends, what can I say? 🙂

But laptop woes [and lunch breaks spent writing blog posts] aside, these couscous bowls are incredible! Quinoa is so popular and rice is so common that couscous [at least in my house] becomes the forgotten grain. You can bet I won’t forget it anymore! It is super fast to prepare and is so light and filling. Once you mix up the couscous, veggies, and chicken, just add a fresh Italian dressing to your bowl for instant flavor–minus the work of measuring and dicing herbs. Perfect! I can totally see so many variations–instead of chicken, beans! Instead of frozen veggies, a chopped tomato! Instead of Italian dressing, Caesar! I could keep going, but I gotta get back to w-o-r-k. What would you add? Enjoy!

Italian Chicken & Veggie Couscous Bowls
click to print

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 mini sweet peppers, finely diced [or ~ 1 cup diced bell peppers]
~ 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
~ 1 cup frozen vegetables
freshly ground black pepper
garlic powder [could substitute 1 clove minced garlic]
2 green onions, diced
large handful arugula, chopped [other light salad greens like spinach would also work]
Italian dressing–we are obsessed with this recipe from Macaroni and Cheesecake

Directions:

In a small pot, bring water and butter to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in couscous, and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the chicken and vegetables.

Heat olive oil in a small saute pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add peppers, chicken, and frozen vegetables, then season with pepper and garlic to taste. Saute for a minute, then cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes to heat everything up.

Next, add green onions to the chicken and vegetable mixture.

To serve, divide the couscous between two bowls, then top each with half of the chicken and vegetable mixture. Stir in green onions and arugula, then top with a drizzle of Italian dressing to taste. Enjoy!

Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: 2 delicious lunches!

Notes: To take this lunch to go, I’d recommend keeping the green onions and arugula separate and stirring them in immediately before eating and after heating it up. The dressing would be fine mixed in already, though!

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Apple Cream Chicken

May 16, 2013May 17, 2013 Sarah

So, you know those amazing chicken dinners that look complicated and time consuming and fancy and are definitely worthy of a special occasion? Like your husband’s birthday [two months ago]? Well, this is one of them. Except… this can be made in under 30 minutes and really isn’t that complicated at all! Score! Less time on dinner equals more time watching episode after episode of 24, more time making birthday pie for the birthday boy, and more time writing my thesis. Except wait!!! My thesis is turned in, done, submitted online, and accepted. And I am graduated! You can now call me Sarah the Pajama Chef, MLS, MA. Woohoo!

To celebrate from afar, you should totally make this chicken. It’s creamy and sweet and just so good! It comes together in a snap, and let’s face it–apple cream sauce is a much better way to serve boring ‘ole chicken. When sliced sauteed apples are added to the mix as well, it’s even better!

If you’re not a fan of sweet main dishes, then I wouldn’t recommend this recipe. But if you are… waste no time in enjoying it! I’ve made it several times over the past few years and we pretty much never have leftovers. It is that good! Enjoy! 🙂

Apple Cream Chicken [adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook]
click to print

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 small apples, thinly sliced [I used a Golden Delicious and a Gala]
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
hot cooked rice

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown chicken for 4 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, whisk together apple juice, lemon juice, rosemary, and pepper. Pour over chicken, then add apple slices to skillet.

Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and cover to keep warm.

Stir together cornstarch and half and half, then add to liquid and apples in skillet. Bring to a boil, then cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add dried parsley, then return chicken to skillet and heat through.

Serve over hot cooked rice.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Linked up with Weekend Potluck.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

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].