How To Defrost Chicken Quickly & Safely

This might be a no-brainer for most people, but I didn't know about this method until my Mother-In-law introduced me to it a couple years ago. My Mom always used the countertop method of thawing meat, but it may not be the safest method available and it is also not quite as quick as the method I will describe below.

 

To thaw chicken safely and quickly follow the steps below:

1. Run a sink full of cold water - you need to use cold water here to avoid potential bacteria growth associated with warm/ hot water. Place chicken in sink.
2. Change water every 30 minutes and replace with fresh cold water until chicken is completely thawed.

Some important notes:

• 1 lb of chicken will defrost in 1-2 hours using this method
• Don't use the sink for any other purpose during this time - this will help avoid contamination
• When chicken is done thawing rinse your sink out thoroughly with hot water and a good multi-purpose cleaner to kill any bacteria that may have accumulated
• This method works for any type of frozen meat - defrost times may vary depending on type and amount of meat

 

This is a pretty straightforward and efficient option for thawing frozen meat. A lot of people use their microwaves to thaw meat when they're in a hurry, but doing so can actually be dangerous as heating the meat during the defrost process gives bacteria a chance to grow and accumulate. As a result I would encourage you to use this method of thawing meat quickly and safely!

How do you usually defrost your frozen meat? What do you do to ensure you do it safely?

Kabobs: Thai Coconut Curry Pork Kabobs & Satay Chicken

I've never made kabobs before. Don't get me wrong - I like a good kabob, and I've tried a few of the recipes before, but I've never actually gone to the effort of actually cutting up the meat and threading it onto skewers. I'm torn about whether I would go through with the effort again. It was kind of neat, but I'm not that excited about eating off a skewer - I'm find with little chunks of meat that I can just eat with a fork. So you can decide what you want to do with these recipes - you can cut the meat up, marinate and then cook, or thread it onto skewers and cook it that way!!

We'll go easy on the blabbing today because I have two recipes to share with you!! Hope you enjoy.

Pork Skewers with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce
Recipe from the Guy Can't Cook by Cinda Chavich

Ingredients:

• one 398ml can light coconut milk
• 2 tsp hot asian chili paste
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pork tenderloin (about 500g), cut into long, thin strips

Method:

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the coconut milk, chilipaste, cilantro, oyster sauce, curry powder, brown sugar, and garlic. Whirl until pureed.
2. Place the pork strips in a ziploc bag and add half of the marinade. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for several hours. Cover the remaining marinade and refrigerate.
3. Thread pork, accordion-style onto wooden skewers. Grill pork over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, turning several times, until its just cooked. Be sure to soak your wooden/ bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking so they don't burn on the grill.
4. Meanwhile, put the reserved marinade into a small pot and boil for 10 minutes to thicken. Brush some of the curry sauce over the pork as it comes off the grill. Serve the pork skewers over basmati rice, drizzled with the remaining curry sauce and sprinkled with more fresh cilantro.

This one was definitely my favorite - I just can't resist a yummy thai curry sauce (actually, pretty much any thai food is irresistable to me).

Satay Sticks with Peanut Sauce
Recipe from the Guy Can't Cook by Cinda Chavich

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, sinless chicken, pork, or lamb, cut into thin strips
• Marinade:
• 1/4 cup kecap manis (sweet indonesian soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp honey
• Peanut Sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp kecap manis
• 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 tsp asian chili paste

Method:

1. In a large ziploc bag, combine the meat with the marinade ingredients. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Drain the marinated meat and thread onto skewers. Grill over medium-high heat until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes in total.
3. To make the sauce, whisk the garlic, peanut butter, kecap manis, chicken broth, lime juice, and chili paste together in a small bowl.
4. Set the sauce in the center of a round platter, and arrange the skewers like spokes around the edges if you are feeling artistic & fancy.

Both of these recipes are quite simple, just be sure you allow time for the meat to marinade because that's where the flavour comes from. You could probably bake the kabobs in the oven too if your weather conditions don't allow you to grill outside. :) Bake on a fairly high heat and broil a little at the end to get a little bit of browning on the meat.

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Chicken Taquitos!

 I have been meaning to make these for a long time. I originally saw them on Tracey's Culinary Adventures a while back (think March - yep I've been procrastinating for a while), but then I totally forgot about them with the busyness of life. Well, lucky for me, Tracey posted a New Years post roundup of all of the favorite recipes of 2011 and these made the list. That was all the motivation I needed to make these Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos. You could easily make these on a weeknight - just buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store so you don't have to cook your own chicken and you can whip these up in under 45 minutes.

I've made a couple of changes, but the recipe is mostly the same as Tracey's because it is really delicious and flavourful without an arm-load of ingredients. I served mine with a green salad, spanish rice and guacamole, salsa & sour cream. It made for a tasty and filling meal. You could totally serve these up as part of a dinner party if you wanted - make up a pitcher of margaritas and serve some cold Coronas and you've got yourself your own little mexican fiesta party!

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos
Recipe adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4  cup salsa verde
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped green onions
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded montery jack cheese
• 8-12 flour tortillas (recipe called for corn tortillas, but I couldn't find them in my grocery store!!). Corn tortillas will make it so these crisp up more and brown more evenly in your oven.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a baking tray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, salsa verde, lime juice, chile powder, cumin, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, green onions and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Add chicken and cheeses and stir until evenly distributed. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon 2-3 tbsp of the filling onto the lower third of the tortilla, and then roll tightly. Place seam side down on prepared baking tray. Repeat until all filling is used.
4. Spray taquitos with cooking spray and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake 15-20 minutes until tortillas are crisp and filling is hot. Delicious served with salsa, sour cream and fresh guac!

Yum, yum, yum!! What are your favorite Mexican recipes? If you have one you really like, I'd love to hear about it. Mexican cooking is fairly new to me and I would love to have some tried and true recipes to start out with. Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Santa Fe Chicken Salad

Here is a delicious summery salad for you! When the weather gets hot, make this. It won't heat your kitchen up because you don't even have to turn on your oven. :) BBQ the chicken, chop everything else up, shake up the dressing, and you've got yourself a delicious summer meal fit to serve to guests, family or just yourself!

Santa Fe Chicken Salad
Recipe adapted from Mennonite Girls Can Cook
Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless


• chili powder &/or cajun seasoning


• 8 cups mixed greens


• 1 - 14 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed


• 3/4 cup corn kernels


• 2 avocados, halved and sliced


• 1/2 cup feta cheese


• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped


• Peanut Lime Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe follows)

Method:

1. Prepare the salad dressing (recipe and instructions follow).


2. Prepare the salad ingredients in separate containers.


3. Rub chicken breasts liberally with the chili powder and/ or the cajun seasoning until well coated. Grill chicken until cooked through. Let chicken breasts rest before slicing while you plate the salad.


4. Assemble the salad ingredients on plates - start with a bed of greens, sprinkle with beans, corn, avocado, feta, sliced chicken and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped toasted peanuts.


5. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Peanut Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

Recipe Adapted from Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup lime juice


• 1/2 cup olive oil


• 1 tbsp peanut butter


• 2 tsp dijon mustard


• 1 tsp lime zest


• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Method:

1. Using a blender, mix lime juice, olive oil, peanut butter, and mustard. Blend until emulsified. Stir in lime zest and finely chopped peanuts. Use as directed in Santa Fe Chicken Salad recipe (above).

This salad is pretty easy to whip together. Make your hubby BBQ the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients and you'll have dinner on the table in no time (thats why I did!). Hope you've been having a fantastic weekend. I sure have - we have had some beautiful summer weather, I did some shopping for my upcoming vacation, and did a little celebrating at finishing a big exam on Friday afternoon. :)

Happy Cooking my Friends!

The Ultimate Chicken Wings with Curry-Lime Butter

Looking for a quick and easy appetizer recipe with a bit of gourmet flair? Try this recipe for Chicken Wings with Curry-Lime Butter! You could also serve the wings with some rice and salad and you'd have yourself a nice and easy week night dinner! This recipe makes a lot of chicken wings - like enough to feed an army, but the good news is that the recipe is easy to half so feel free to give that a try if you don't want to be eating a million and one chicken wings in one sitting.

This recipe is from Tyler Florence's book Tyler's Ultimate. He has so many delicious recipes... and one of the best parts is how he always opts to use really fresh, not-processed ingredients. It always makes me feel so great to know that the ingredients I'm putting in my food aren't full of processed chemicals and preservatives.

The Ultimate Chicken Wings with Curry-Lime Butter
Recipe from Tyler's Ultimate

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs whole chicken wings


• extra-virgin olive oil


• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened


• 2 tsp thai red curry paste


• zest and juice of one lime


• 1 tbsp honey


• splash of soy sauce


• cilantro leaves for garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.


2. Rinse the wings under cool water and pat dry. Put the wings in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Spread the wings out on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, until the skin gets crisp and brown and the meat is tender.


3. While you wait, throw the butter, curry paste, lime zest and juice, honey and soy sauce into a blender or food processor. Season with salt and blend to mix. Scrape the curry-lime butter into a big bowl. When the wings come out of the oven, slide them right into the bowl with the butter. Give them a toss to coat them evenly and you're done. Scatter the cilantro leaves on top and serve.

And its that easy to have deliciously flavoured chicken wings not from a box or a restaurant! These wings have such a unique and delicious flavour, I promise you won't be disappointed. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did! I can't wait to make it again.

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Chiang Mai Chicken Jungle Curry

Wow! It is such a beautiful day here! Definitely a nice break from the dreary overcast days that we have seen so much of here in the Southern part of British Columbia. If you saw my post from a couple days ago about the Green Beans with Sticky Soy Cashews, then you'll be excited for this post. This curry goes so great with those green beans, so be sure to make them together and you'll have a divine meal for you and your friends and family. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day for me! I've got to be up bright and early so that I can make the trek to downtown Vancouver to participate in the Vancouver Sun Run. The Sun Run is a 10km run that brings out over 50,000 participants! It is quite the event and the downtown area of Vancouver is just packed full of people of all kinds. Since tomorrow is going to be so busy, I got some cookies baked today and have planned out my dinner menu for tomorrow so that I don't have much left to do tomorrow other than enjoy the run. Hopefully this beautiful weather carries over to tomorrow so that the run will be enjoyable too. :) Do you have anything exciting planned for the remainder of this weekend? Chiang Mai Chicken Jungle Curry Adapted from Meals in Heels by Jennifer Joyce Ingredients:

• 2 tsp vegetable oil


• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar


• 100g tamarind puree (or you can mix equal parts of lime juice, soy sauce and brown sugar and add that instead)


• 2 tbsp fish sauce


• zest and juice of two limes


• 800 ml coconut milk


• a coupe chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces


• toasted coconut shavings and cilantro leaves for garnish


• 2 long red chillies, seeds removed and chopped


• 1 1/2 inch knob of ginger, peeled and chopped


• 2 garlic cloves


• 6 lemongrass stalks, bottom inner third only, finely chopped


• 1 tbsp curry powder


• one bunch cilantro stems roughly chopped

Method:

1. Place the red chillies, ginger, garlic cloves, lemongrass stalks, curry powder and cilantro in a blender (or food processor) and blend until a smooth paste forms.


2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown until almost cooked through. Add the curry paste and stir continuously for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the sugar, tamarind, fish sauce, lime zest and juice and coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened. Scatter over the toasted coconut and cilantro leaves and serve with rice & Green Beans with Sticky Soy Cashews.

I hope you enjoy this one! It really was delicious and authentic tasting. I think the key is making the homemade curry paste. It was so aromatic and flavourful. The original recipe calls for using prawns instead of chicken, but hubby is allergic to prawns so I sadly could not make it with the prawns. :( Oh well, I usually get my fix of prawns when I go out of town! Feel free to try it with whichever you prefer. I'm sure with chicken or prawns it will turn out delicious.

Happy Cooking my Friends! I hope you enjoy this recipe & the rest of the weekend.

Chicken & Puppies!

Okay, bet that title got your attention!! No eating puppies on this blog, but there are some cute pictures of puppies! You may have noticed that I have been a bit delinquent about blogging during the last week and a half... I have been busy dog-sitting & house-sitting for our friends who own our dog's sister. So we had two giant golden retrievers for 10 days while they went away on their spring break vacation. The puppies were great & my hubby was fooling around with the camera one day and got some great shots that I thought I would share with you. :) I also thought these photos would make up for the lack of photos I have of the chicken I'm going to tell you about! ;)

This chicken is some of the most flavourful, moist and delicious chicken I've ever had. Annnddd its super duper easy to make! Honestly, any one can make it.

Take about 3/4 cup of chicken broth and heat it in a medium size skillet until it boils. Turn down to simmer and add two chicken breasts. Simmer the chicken breasts for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat, slice and sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Now you have some amazing chicken to do whatever you want with, we put it on top of salad, but you could have it in some pasta, or make sandwiches with it, or you could just eat it with some rice or potatoes and some roasted veggies. Either way, its a delicious alternative to baking chicken and is just as healthy for you. :)

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Homemade Chicken Stock

Looks like a gross picture huh? Chicken bones? Well, all this yuckiness in that huge stock pot made the most delicious chicken stock. 10 times better than anything you can buy in the store and wayyyyy healthier. Far less sodium and no preservatives = a healthier, happier you (okay, maybe not happier, but hey, I felt pretty happy after I made this goodness!). Want another reason to try this recipe (as if the above isn't enough...) - its dirt cheap to make and you can feel virtuous for not wasting the chicken carcus! It really is a win win situation. :)

This recipe makes a lot of chicken stock, but thats no problem. You can freeze chicken stock for a couple months in the freezer. Freeze it in 4 cup portions for ease of use when you thaw it! And if you think you won't use lots of chicken stock, think again! Stock goes in everything and making your own soup can be a delicious adventure. Do try out this recipe, put your own twist on it and remember, this recipe is just a guideline! Be creative and enjoy the process and the amazing smell in your house as this stock simmers away!

Chicken Stock
Recipe from Anna Olson

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken carcus (some meat left on it is okay)
• 2 onions, cut in half, peel intact
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 whole peppercorns
• 1 sprig fresh parsley

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Slowly bring up to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat (no higher than medium). Once the fat and impurities start rising to the surfact, skim the sop of the stock with a spoon.
2. Keep the stock at a bare simmer, uncovered, for 2 1/2 hours from when it first starts to simmer. A vigorous boil would disturb the ingredients and the stock will come out cloudy. Strain the stock while its still hot. Discard the veggies, herbs and chicken bones.
3. Now that you have great stock, you can make amazing soups and sauces! Have at er!

So, thats it, pretty simple huh? Hope you get a chance to try this out at some point. You will be able to taste a difference - its that good!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Chicken with Creamy Pesto Sauce

I made this recipe a while ago and I am finally getting around to posting about it. This is a quick and easy recipe that is great to make on a weeknight after work. You'll be out of the kitchen in no time. Using a good quality bottled basil pesto will ensure your pasta has the best possible flavour. Evaporated milk instead of heavy cream adds creaminess without a lot of extra fat. Add some steamed vegetables to round out this dish and you've got yourself a quick and delicious weeknight meal.

I really enjoy the Classico Basil Pesto when I don't have time to make my own. Its flavourful and really reasonably priced in the grocery store. I know you're all busy and don't have time to read a rambling post, so I'll keep this one short and sweet. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. The leftovers are great tasting - it seemed like the flavours really married so nicely when the dish had a chance to sit overnight in the fridge.

Chicken with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Recipe from Canadian Living Everyday Favorites, p. 212

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 can (384 ml) evaporated 2% milk
• 2 tbsp basil pesto (or 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil)

Method:

1. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate.
2. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper; fry over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until no liquid from mushrooms remains, about 10 minutes.
3. Add wine; cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Whisk flour into evaporated milk; add to pan and cook stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in pesto.
4. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat. Simmer until no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.
5. Serve chicken over cooked pasta with steamed veggies.

This chicken was delicious and with how easy it is to make, you'll be relaxing in no time. And maybe your husband will like it so much he'll offer to clean up afterwards... haha Yeah Right!! Don't hold your breath.

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Tandoori BBQ Chicken

Save-on foods has these great bottled indian curry sauces in their ethnic foods aisle. Not only are they 1/2 the price of the brand name sauces (i.e. Patak's) they are absolutely delicious. I did something a little special with this one - I marinated the chicken in a yogurt marinade for a couple of hours prior to cooking it. It really enhanced the flavour. I then used this bottled sauce as the sauce for my cooked chicken. Simple and delicious.

Serve this chicken with a big pot of basmati rice and some naan bread and you have yourself a delicious meal.

First step: marinate the chicken for a couple of hours in the marinade recipe below:

Spicy Indian Chicken - Tikka Marinade

Recipe adapted from He Cooks She Cooks

Combine all of the following ingredients in a large bowl, add chicken and marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours. Then broil the chicken in the oven until it is cooked through.

• 1 cup of yogurt
• 1/2 TB of ground cumin
• 1/2 TB of ground coriander
• 1/2 TB of chili powder
• 1/2 TB of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cloves of garlic diced
• 1 TB of diced ginger
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

Step two: throw the cooked chiken into a large stir fry pan and empty a whole bottle of Western Family Classics - Tandoori BBQ Cooking Sauce onto the chicken. Heat through and stir well to coat all pieces of chicken. If desired, add a handful or two of frozen peas at the very end and cook until they're heated through. And voila - you have yourself a delicious and authentic tasting indian meal that is just as good as take out. If you want to feel like you're at the restaurant, sprinkle the finished dish with some chopped cilantro, brew up some milky chai tea and you're set.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and appreciate its weeknight simplicity. Happy Cooking my Friends!

Balsamic Chicken aka the Best Chicken You Will Ever Have

This is a recipe to make on the weekend, when you have a bit of spare time and want your house to smell amazing! Make two chickens if you're having company - people will like this chicken SO MUCH that they will eat ALL of it! :) Plus, you get to use red wine in this recipe and you know what that means? You get to drink the rest of the bottle! ;) Woot!

I have to apologize though, the last time I made this recipe, I took photos all the way through the prep stages, but I was so excited to eat it, I forgot to take photos of the finished chicken. :( So I'm sorry, you won't get photos of what the bird looks like when its cooked, but I can tell you what it looks like. It takes on a super dark finish on the skin from the red wine and the onions in the bottom of the pan carmelize and turn a really dark colour too - they taste sweet and delicious. I hate red onions, but I gobble these up because they taste THAT good! So you'll have to trust me on this one - its delicious and beautiful when its done. So please try this recipe out, despite my dismal attempt to photograph it!

Balsamic Chicken

Recipe from my Auntie Shannon

Ingredients:

• 1 5-6lb chicken
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coarse salt (yes, tbsp is correct - it brings out the flavour in the chicken and doesn't taste as salty as it sounds!!)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• black pepper
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 big red onions

Method:

1. In the morning (minimum 2 hours before cooking), combine rosemary, salt, garlic, black pepper in a bowl. Rub under chicken skin and inside of the chicken. Let stand covered in the fridge until ready to start cooking.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Finely slice red onions and layer on bottom of roasting pan. Place chicken on top of onions and pour red wine and balsamic vinegar over the chicken.
3. Bake for 2 hours (or 3 hours if doing 2 chickens). Baste with juices from bottom of pan and additional red wine every 1/2 hour. If chicken gets too dark, cover loosely with foil to prevent further browning. Remember to baste!!!

*This is excellent erved with garlic dill mashed potatoes!

So thats it - its a simple recipe - you just have to make sure you have time to put it on to sit for a bit before putting it into the oven. Dinner party guests will definitely be impressed when you serve your chicken with the carmelized onions and garlic dill mashed potatoes! Make this for your next Sunday dinner with friends or family, they will love it!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Hungarian Chicken and Dumplings in Creamy Paprika Sauce

While I was up north visiting my parents, I tried to cook a few of the meals to lighten the load on my mom. I wanted to make something different from what they normally eat, so I chose to make Hungarian Chicken and Dumplings in a Creamy Paprika Sauce. I have never made dumplings, nor have I ever made hungarian food, so this was definitely something new for me! It was surprisingly delicious and surprisingly easy - if you need to get out of a rut and try something new in the kitchen, I would encourage you to try this recipe out.

Hungarian Chicken and Dumplings in Creamy Paprika Sauce
Recipe from Cinda Chavich, p 90 The Guy Can't Cook

Ingredients:

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts/ thighs
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yelow onion, minced
• 2 bell peppers, sliced (1 red & 1 yellow)
• 1 tbsp sweet hungarian paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 12 oz (385 ml) can chicken broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup sour cream or heavy cream
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard

Dumpling Ingredients:

• 1 cup cold mashed potatoes
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 3/4 to 1 cup warm water

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into cubes and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken until it begins to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, saute the onion and peppers over medium heat for 5 minutes or until they start to brown. Stir in the thyme and paprika and cook for one minute or until fragrant. Add the vinegar and wine and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by 1/2. Whisk the broth and tomato paste and simmer for 2 minutes longer. Whick in the cream and mustard and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
4. To make the dumplings, in a large bowl use your hands to mix together the mashed potatoes, flour and salt until crumbly.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, and water. Make a well in the center of the potato mixture and add the egg mixture, gradually incorporating with a fork to form a smooth, soft dough. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Press about 1/4 of the dough through a spaetzle maker or through a colander with big holes. Simmer until the noodles float. Drain well before tossig with butter, salt, and pepper. Set aside on a warm platter. Repeat with remaining dough until all the noodles are cooked.
6. Return cooked chicken to sauce, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes to heat through. Spoon the paprika chicken over the noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

*Note: Be sure to use a good quality spanish or hungarian paprika. It will likely be called smoked in the store, but make sure it says sweet and not hot. If you use hot paprika in this recipe, you will burn your mouth off!

**Another Note: if you don't have time to make the dumplings or just don't like them, you can serve this dish over wide egg noodles, gnocchi or even just mashed potatoes.

This recipe was creamy, flavorful and delicious! Bon apetit!

Smoky Roasted Chicken and Corn Chowder

I don't make soup very often - I'm not really much of a soup eater, but it seems that sometimes I just have to make soup! I liked the sound of this low-fat corn chowder recipe, and knew that my hubby would love it, so I decided to give it a try. I found the recipe in my Eat Shrink and Be Merry cookbook put out by Janet & Greta Podleski (which is a really fantastic cookbook!!). The soup was creamy, thick and delicious and as a bonus really quick and easy to make!


Smoky Roasted Chicken and Corn Chowder
Recipe from Eat Shrink and Be Merry, p. 59

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1/2 cup each diced celery and diced red bell pepper
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (385 ml) fat-free evaporated milk
• 1 can diced tomatoes (540ml), well drained
• 1 can (398ml) cream-style corn
• 2 cups chopped roasted chicken breast (buy one of those roasted chickens from the grocery store to save yourself a lot of work and use the extra chicken for dinner the next night!)
• 1 tbsp hickory-flavored bbq sauce
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Cook chopped bacon in large non-stick soup pot over med-high heat until lightly browned, but not crisp. Stir in onions, celery, red pepper and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add thyme and flour. Mix well. Stir in broth and evaporated milk. Bring mixture to gentle boil and stir continuously until soup thickens slightly.
3. Reduce heat to med-low. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionaly. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

As you can see, this recipe is quite simple and quick to make. It is great served with some nice biscuits (you could make them from scratch if you're feeling ambitious - or just buy some nice buns from your local bakery!). More posts to follow over the next few days - I have so many things to tell you about from my vacation! In the mean time - keep on cooking and baking - would love it if you share some of your endeavours with me!