Add Pizzazz To Chicken Dishes!
Chicken is a reliable kitchen standby, but dependable doesn't have to mean dull!
It's such a basic food that a lot of people mistake it for being boring, and missing out on great dishes. The nice thing about chicken is that it's so versatile.
And on The Early Show Thursday, Gail Simmons, special projects manager of Food & Wine magazine, demonstrated how to jazz up chicken, prepping a tasty Southwestern tortilla chicken salad using a whole roasted chicken, a pan bagnat (a specialty sandwich from the Provence region of France), and a grilled chicken breast with a grapefruit glaze.
She was sharing recipes from the Food & Wine's newly-updated, "Quick From Scratch Chicken Cookbook."
The best part about chicken is how well it compliments and enhances so many other foods, and the cookbook has 75 recipes, ranging from chicken and rice to grilled Cornish hens with sun-dried tomato pesto.
Recipes
Southwestern Tortilla Salad
This Tex-Mex favorite comes together in minutes. You'll be surprised by how quick and easy it is to make your own refried beans, and how much better they taste than the ready-made variety!
INGREDIENTS:
8 taco shells
5-1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups drained and rinsed kidney beans (from one 19-ounce can)
1/3 cup tomato salsa
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, cut into thin slices
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1 roasted chicken, bones and skin removed, meat shredded (about 1 pound meat)
1/3 cup black olives, such as Kalamata, halved and pitted
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 350°. Put the taco shells on a baking sheet and bake them until crisp, about 8 minutes. Break each one in half.
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the beans, salsa, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, mashing with a potato masher, for about 5 minutes.
In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, pepper, chili powder, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Add the remaining 4 ½ tablespoons oil, whisking. Add the cilantro.
To serve, spread one side of the taco-shell halves with the refried beans and put four on each plate. Top with layers of the lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, chicken, and olives. Pour the dressing over the salads.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Grilled Chicken Breasts with Grapefruit Glaze
Simply prepared yet special, these chicken breasts are grilled and basted with a bitter, tart, and sweet glaze.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest (from about 1/2 grapefruit)
1/2 cup grapefruit juice (from 1 grapefruit)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
4 bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 1/4 pounds in all)
METHOD:
Light the grill.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, grapefruit zest, grapefruit juice, oil, honey, salt, and pepper.
Grill the chicken breasts over moderately high heat, brushing frequently with the glaze, for 8 minutes. Turn and cook, brushing with more glaze, until the chicken is just done, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Remove.
In a small stainless-steel saucepan, bring the remaining glaze to a boil. Boil for about 1 minute, remove from the heat, and pour over the grilled chicken.
NOTES:
Menu Suggestion:
Since the chicken breasts don't have a lot of sauce, serve a juicy vegetable such as grilled or sautéed summer squash or zucchini alongside.
Variation:
Grilled Chicken Breasts with Citrus Glaze: Use a combination of citrus juices, such as orange, lemon, or lime, instead of all or part of the grapefruit juice.
Chicken Pan Bagnat
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large, crusty rolls, cut in half
1 large clove garlic, cut in half
8 large, crisp lettuce leaves, such as Boston
2 large tomatoes, sliced thin
1 roasted chicken, bones and skin removed, meat shredded
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
1/3 cup black olives, such as Kalamata, halved and pitted
8 anchovy fillets (optional)
METHOD:
In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Whisk in the 1/3 cup of oil.
Remove the soft centers of the rolls, leaving a 1/2-inch shell. Rub the garlic on the inside of each and brush with the 2 tablespoons oil.
Top the bottoms of the rolls with the lettuce. Layer with half the tomato slices and the chicken; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Top with half the slices of egg, onion, and bell pepper, and half the olives, and then drizzle with half the dressing. Repeat with the remaining tomato, chicken, 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, egg, onion, bell pepper, olives, and dressing. Top with the anchovies, if using. Cover with the tops of the rolls. If you have time, wrap each roll tightly in aluminum foil; let sit for 10 minutes. Otherwise, press down on the rolls firmly so that the dressing moistens the bread.
NOTES:
Menu Suggestion:
You really don't need anything with this, but roasted potato wedges would be nice.