Man Pleasing Chicken (Applies to Moms, Women or Wives, too)

For those of you who haven't jumped on board with Pinterest, I'll give you fair warning-- Pinterest can become a time drain. It's a fun one, but I've had to detox myself--considerably-- from my addiction.  Seriously.  Never heard of Pinterest?  Pinterest is, a website that has an infinite number of mouthwatering photos that countless fellow food lovers (myself included) have "pinned" onto our personalized "boards".  Essentially, it's my way of, categorically, saving recipes onto my bucket lists "boards". I've also discovered some great food blogs, this way.

I won't live long enough to make all the recipes that I've pinned, but I'm slowly working my way through them.  It's interesting how one particular Pinterest photo can make a recipe go viral.  My own "Best Meatloaf Recipe" received 25,000 hits in one day!  This chicken recipe became a hit with Pinterest, and the original blogger is "Witty in the City".  (The recipe was adapted from the "I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook"). "Witty" has received over 400 comments for that recipe!  After making it, I can see why.  It's that good.

You only need three ingredients, plus chicken.  Fortunately, I always have those ingredients on hand: Maple syrup (not pancake syrup), Dijon Mustard and Rice Wine Vinegar.  Fresh rosemary makes a perfect garnish.  The name of the recipe speaks volumes.  I've made this recipe three times, already, because my men love it. 

The original recipe uses 1/2 cup of Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar.  Dijon mustard can be overpowering, in my opinion and I wanted the maple syrup to shine through--- so I used 1/4 cup Dijon mustard and 1/2 cup maple syrup.  Love.

Round #1: I used chicken thighs, bone-in.  After seasoning the chicken with salt & pepper, I poured the sauce over the chicken, and coated it.

In a 450F preheated oven, I baked the thighs, basting them with the sauce halfway through,  until it reached 165F-- about 30 minutes.  Garnish with fresh chopped rosemary, and it's perfect!
NOTE: There was a lot of fat on the surface, that I carefully drained out. Served with brown rice, it was a big hit at the dinner table. My men spied my plate, hoping for more.

ROUND TWO:

Chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in: Using a little olive oil, I seared them until golden brown, then drained the fat and baked them at 450F.   I got less fat, and delicious.

ROUND #3:  I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  I still got a little fat on the surface, but nobody complained.  I also started lining my baking dish with foil, for easier cleanup.

TASTING NOTES:  No matter how you choose to prepare this recipe, it's going to be good. I no longer measure when I make the sauce.  Adjust the flavor to your taste buds liking, to balance the Dijon to Maple ratio.  I think this sauce would be delicious with pork chops, and I'm going to test that theory.  This is the perfect quick meal to make, after a long day at the office.  

Today, I need to get busy packing and doing last minute chores, as Craig and I are flying to Bozeman,  Montana to spend eight days exploring Yellowstone National Park, and the Grand Tetons.  I have a busy day ahead of me, so I'm staying off Pinterest!  I don't need a time-drain!   I might post more recipes, if I can.  If I don't, it means we are too busy exploring the beauty of Montana and Wyoming!

A printable recipe card is at the very bottom of this post. Or, click here if you can't see it.

 

Apple & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I have a confession to make. It has to do with "stuffing". I'm specifically talking the kind of stuffing that we cram inside our Thanksgiving turkey.  I've been told that I make delicious stuffing, but I wouldn't know.  You see, I'm one of those Un-Americans who doesn't like stuffing.

There. I said it.  I don't get what's so good about goopy, soggy bread, a bunch of onions and vegetables-- maybe oysters, or nuts... slathered with gravy.  Every year, I take a bite and I'm still not impressed.  Pass me the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, and I'm happy. I'm sorry. I just can't get excited about stuffing!

 

Until, a couple weeks ago-- I saw a recipe for "Apple Stuffed Chicken Breasts", on Mel's Kitchen.  I looked at the bowl of apples  that I keep stocked for lunches, and  realized that apples would make a good pairing with chicken.  I had  chicken breasts, waiting to become dinner. Then it hit me-- I have lots of fresh French tarragon in our herb garden, and I decided this would compliment the chicken (parsley or sage would work, too).  The next thing I knew, I grabbed some shallots, for extra flavor and I preheated the oven to 425F.

I admit that any kind of measuring, flew out the window.  I eyeballed about 1 cup of grated Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.

One peeled and sliced apple went into the bowl, and about one cup of breadcrumbs, and a little garlic salt.

 

After cutting a slit into the boneless chicken breast, I began to cram the stuffing in.

Then I pondered, how to keep all this stuffing from falling out...

..and I grabbed the kitchen twine and problem solved!

I much prefer to sear and roast my meats, whenever possible.  This method has proved succesful for me, in that my meats remain moist. After seasoning each breast with coarse salt & pepper,  I seared each chicken breast in a bit of olive oil, in an oven-proof skillet.

Then, I flipped them over and put them into a preheated 425F oven, for about 25 minutes (or until the chicken is at 160F).

I removed the chicken breasts, set them on a plate and loosely covered them with foil.

The pan sauce I made, turned out to be one of my best ones yet!  I started by deglazing the pan with some apple cider, then I added a splash of white wine.  This is Boiled Cider, and I buy it from King Arthur Flour.  The boiled cider really brings out the flavor in apple pie, and I'm finding it works great in so many recipes. I added a "splash" (about 2 Tablespoons), and about 1 cup of chicken stock.  Then, I let it reduce to about half-- about 7-8 minutes, on medium-high heat.

The aroma of this dinner cooking brought my husband out of his office, and anxiously waiting for dinner.  

The pan sauce was truly one of my best-- the sweetness of the apple cider, and a splash of acidity from the white wine-- perfection!

TASTING NOTES:  This is a stuffing I learned to love, at first bite.  Melted cheese and apples is a terrific combination.  The shallots and the mild anise flavor, of the tarragon, added a lovely savory element to the sauce.  My husband loved this dinner, and I have to say that I did, too.   The next time I make this, I think I'll butterfly the chicken so I can add a lot more stuffing, then roll it, and tie it with kitchen twine.   These could easily be prepared in advance, and then cooked when company arrives.    This recipe is a keeper. I promise you.

Who says that chicken gets boring?  Not this way!  I pretty much changed around the original recipe, but I still thank Mel's Kitchen for inspiring me to stuff chicken with apples and cheese--brilliant!

A printable recipe card is at the end of this post. If you can't view it, click here. 

 

Baked Coconut Chicken with Apricot Dipping Sauce

This week, I'm relishing a vacation with my husband.  We're not traveling far. In fact, we're enjoying the sights (and restaurants) in our own backyard.   When I'm "Stay-cationing", Craig and I will dine out more often than usual. We prefer a having a leisurely lunch in places like Big Sur, Carmel Valley or Pebble Beach.  We'll make a pit stop, or two, that are errand driven.

Yesterday, we had a busy day, and I was happy to arrive home by late afternoon so that I could catch up on reading magazines and new cookbooks.  Before I knew it, my stomach was telling me that it was 6:00 and I needed to think about making something for dinner.

 

I had some chicken breasts in the fridge, so I looked for inspiration on  Pinterest!   If you haven't come aboard on the Pinterest craze, be warned that it's an addicting website.  I have discovered all kinds of new blogs, and it's fun to see what my other blogger friends are pinning.  Thanks to my blogger friend Cathy, at Wives With Knives, she had pinned a recipe for Coconut Chicken (from Pennies on a Platter)  that looked easy and appetizing.

The recipe had simple ingredients, that I had on hand--  my chicken breasts were quite plump and large.  So I cut them in half, because I didn't want to wait 30-40 minutes for the chicken to be ready. NOTE: You could easily cut the chicken into bite-size bits, as appetizers

I had a bag (of rather outdated, to be honest) sweetened coconut, flour, salt & pepper and garlic powder.

I had one last jar of my homemade apricot-pineapple jam.  The recipe listed apricot jam, but my absolute favorite jam is apricot-pineapple.  I must make more, this summer.  Anyway,  I added two tablespoons of Dijon mustard, to 1/4 cup of jam.  I felt that was just a little too much Dijon for my liking as it overpowered the delicious flavor of the jam.  I simply added another 1/4 cup of jam, and all was good.  To be honest, I think just pure jam would have been just fine-- more on that later. I set it in the fridge to chill.

Preheat the oven to 400F.  

I beat two eggs (the recipe called for one, but I didn't want to run out) and then dip the chicken into the dry ingredients.

Coat each piece of chicken, and gently press the coconut mixture.

Place the chicken on either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  

The instructions said to melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter.  Necessity is the other of invention, because to my horror, I realized I was almost out of butter!  I melted my last 1/4 cup of unsalted butter and added 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil.  (I think that could be reduced.)

Then drizzle over each piece of chicken..

Done!

A little messy, but it's ready to go into the oven.  I set the timer for 15 minutes.

...then flipped them over.

They were lightly golden.  Can I leave well enough alone? No! 

I wanted extra-crunch, so I turned on the broiler and placed the rack on the highest position. Coconut can burn fast, so I watched the chicken closely-- after 2 minutes, I flipped them over.

I present to you extra-crispy coconut chicken.  In less than 45 minutes from start to finish-- including photographing, and wiping off flour and egg from my camera.

 This is family friendly.  Kids would love it, too.

TASTING NOTES:  I dedicate this recipe to my BFF of 35 years.  Patty loves coconut, and I am absolutely sure that she would love this dinner.  This dinner is really fast and easy to make. I loved the crunchy texture of the coconut.  The apricot-pineapple jam was perfect with each bite. Craig loved it, too.  For a moment, I thought that shrimp would be a great substitute, but I'd be afraid of overcooking it. There's nothing worse than rubbery over-cooked shrimp.  I'll stick to chicken, and I will definitely make this again.  Make this. Seriously. It's lip-smacking good with plain white or coconut rice.

Thanks "Pennies on a Platter" for sharing this recipe.  I love Nikki's blog, with her beautiful photographs and mouth-watering recipes. Had it not been for Pinterest, I might not have found her.

A printable recipe card is at the very end of this post.  If you can't view it (on Internet Explorer), click here to be directed to Key Ingredient. 

Enjoy!
 

Weeknight Roast Chicken With Lemon-Tarragon Pan Sauce

Oh, hi!  It's Friday. Amen.  It's been a wild week at work, and I haven't been able to post recipes for over a week. I've missed y'all!

It didn't help that I popped a rib, last weekend.  I won't get into the sordid details as to how it happened.   Let's just say that I slept about two hours, total, last Sunday night.   I was in so much pain, that I couldn't wait for the sun to come up so I could show up at my chiropractor.  After some painful deep massage , I could hear a "pop" as my rib went back into place.  Instant relief.

The rest of my work week kept me pretty busy, since I'm taking a few night classes.  This dinner turned out to be the perfect antidote, after a night or two of grabbing dinner on-the-run.  I wanted home-cooking.  Whole Foods had a special on whole chickens, so this 3-1/2 pound bird cost less than $5.00. Score!

I don't roast a whole chicken very often.  I'm not sure why, but it's most likely that I find them to be a little" Dullsville".   A week ago, I had recorded an episode of America's Test Kitchen, Season 2012.  Craig watched the episode, with me.  According to "ATK', this recipe promised to deliver flavorful and moist chicken-- without brining-- in under an hour.  Really? I'm listening.  That's when Craig told me that he looooves roast chicken.  Who knew?

The first step is to preheat a skillet in a 450 degree oven.  According to ATK, "preheating the pan and placing the chicken breast side up gave the thighs a jump start on cooking."  To prep the chicken, all I had to do was to tie the legs, slather the bird with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  I then transferred the  chicken, breast side up, to the preheated skillet in oven. I roasted the chicken until the breasts registered 120 degrees and thighs registered 135 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes.

Here's the twist--Turn off oven and leave chicken in oven until breasts register 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes. This technique was to prevent the evaporation of juices, ensuring moist meat.

While the chicken was roasting, I prepped the ingredients for the pan sauce. Shallots are a staple in my fridge.  They're much milder tasting than onions, and I use them often.  I love tarragon, and we grow it in our herb garden. Parsley would make a fine substitute.

The chicken is cooked to the perfect temperature, so I set it on a carving board and lightly covered it with foil.

There wasn't that much fat in the skillet, but just enough, so I added the shallots and cooked them until softened (about 2 minutes). Next, I stirred in the broth and mustard, scraping skillet bottom with wooden spoon to loosen fond. I simmered the sauce until it reduced to ¾ cup, about 3 minutes.

I turned off the heat, then added the lemon juice, butter and tarragon...

...and gave it a good whisk.

Last, a little pepper to taste... then covered, and kept warm.

We finally got the hang of learning how to carve a whole chicken (which could be part of the reason I rarely roast a whole chicken), by pulling out the leg...

...then learning how to cut the leg away, at the joint. Easy!

I served this with roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes.

I shot these photos in very dim light, but I hope you can see how moist the chicken was. It was juicy!

TASTING NOTES:  As promised, the dinner was ready in an hour.  The chicken was very moist. I loved the pan sauce, but how can one go wrong with lemon and tarragon?    I loved this meal. I loved the simplicity in preparing it, and the sauce was excellent.  The beauty of roasting a whole chicken is that it is cheaper than paying for cut-up chicken-- plus, the carcass became chicken stock, the next day. Double bonus!   America's Test Kitchen does it again-- another keeper recipe.

I have several recipes to share, but tomorrow I'm taking an all-day class.  That means, I'm headed to bed early for a Friday night.  My R&R won't begin until Super Bowl Sunday.  All my plans to make lots of finger foods and a spread of munchies, while my men watched the game,  will have to wait until next year.  Being a Northern California gal, the "9-ers" aren't playing, but it was a close and exciting playoff!  So, I'll make a pot of my famous Chili Con Carne (I have never blogged that recipe), kick up my feet and cuddle with my husband (hoping I won't fall asleep).  I've been very scarce at home, and we need "we time".  Hopefully, I can work on more recipes to share with you-- especially a cake that I baked last week that rocked my world!  Soon... I promise!

A printable recipe card is at the end of this post.