Chicken Stock

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The backbone of any good soup is a good stock. Whether it’s chicken, beef, seafood, of vegetable – it’s key. When I was first learning to cook, I had the hardest times with soups. It seemed so easy, yet, I kept messing it up. It was always too bland, or too overly seasoned. Thankfully, after a few bunk batches, I got the feel for it. It is almost too easy in it’s simplicity. Some chicken scraps, carrots, celery, onion – combined, transform into liquid gold.

You could easily substitute a turkey carcass, if you happen to have one lying around. It’s quite possible a few of you might! I like to make the stock a day ahead, and refrigerate overnight. That way the fat separates to the top of the stock, and I can skim it right off before reheating to make the whatever it is I might be doing with the stock. I find that poultry, more than anything, renders a ton of fat. So, I always like to remove as much as I can. I don’t even bother peeling the onions or the carrots. I literally stumble to the stove in the morning in my PJ’s, throw the stuff in the pot, and call it a day. Doesn’t get much easier than that, folks!

Chicken Stock

chicken carcass (and any extra bones or skin)
2 onions, halved
3 carrots, cut into 1″ pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1″ pieces
10 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon kosher salt
handful fresh parsley (stems are great for this application!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 quarts water

Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute for about 5 minutes – until onion starts to brown around the edges. Add the chicken carcass to the stockpot, then add enough water so the chicken is submerged in water. Add the salt, peppercorns, and parsley. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for at least 5 hours – longer, if you have the time.

Place a large bowl in the sink, and place a large colander in the bowl. Strain the broth through the colander to remove the solids. Let the broth cool on the counter for an hour or so before placing it in the refrigerator to chill overnight. When ready to use the broth, remove the fat deposit layer from the top with a spoon and discard. Don’t be alarmed that it looks like chicken Jell-O. That’s normal, and precisely what you want. Heat broth over medium heat to bring back to it’s liquid state, then use however you like.

Kung Pao Chicken

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How has this week flown by so quickly? It seems that now that cooler weather has arrived, and the days are getting shorter…there just aren’t enough hours in the day. On the day I made this dish, I was pooped (a preschooler and an infant have a tendency to do that to you). I was severely tempted to bag it, and call in take-out. But, I garnered the strength to make dinner. So glad I did!

Easy? Check. Quick? Check. And, delicious to boot! I love cooking Chinese take-out dishes at home. They come together pretty quickly, are (usually) relatively healthy, and pack a punch of flavor. This Kung Pao chicken definitely held up it’s end of the bargain. It’s not a dish I ordinarily order from the local Chinese joint, so I don’t have any base comparison, but everyone really enjoyed it. I changed a couple things around from Nikki’s recipe. I diddn’t have peanuts on hand, so I used cashews. Also, I added some Sriracha sauce instead of hot pepper flakes simply for the fact that I’m currently infatuated with the stuff. I think it added an extra depth of color to the stir-fry, which is always nice with simple dishes like this.  I had a couple of cans of water chestnuts lurking in the pantry, so I tossed some of those into the mix as well. A new favorite to add to the menu rotation for sure!

Kung Pao Chicken

1lb boneless-skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
1 (8 oz) can water chesnuts, drained
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup dry roasted cashews

Combine chicken and cornstarch in a small bowl and toss to coat. Heat oil in wok (or large deep-dish skillet) over medium heat, add chicken and stir fry 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from wok.

Add green onions, garlic, Sriracha, water chesnuts, and ginger to the wok and stir fry for 15 seconds or until fragrant.

Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and add the sauce to the wok.

Return chicken to the wok and coat with sauce. Stir in roasted cashews. Heat thoroughly. Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over white rice.

Source: adapted from Pennies On A Platter

Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Herb Pan Sauce

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I’ve been wanting to try this recipe all summer. Several of my favorite blogs had posted it over the past couple of months and everyone raved about it. We had it for dinner earlier this week, and I can finally say I see what all the hype was about. It’s great because I usually have most of the ingredients on hand, so I could see it being a “go to” meal when other dinner plans did not pan out for whatever reason (which happens fairly often around here). I also have an over abundance of fresh oregano and marjoram in my herb garden right now that I’m trying to use up before we get our first frost in a month or so.

The dish was a breeze to put together. I did make a few changes from the original recipe. Since Hurricane Irene pretty much did away with the vegetable garden, I had to buy cherry tomatoes…and, they just weren’t the best. They diddn’t release very much liquid when they burst open, so I added some vermouth to help compensate and deglaze the pan. It imparted a definite flavor into the pan sauce, which wasn’t a bad thing. However, I felt like it distracted from the flavor of the tomatoes a bit. I’m looking forward to trying this dish again soon with some better quality tomatoes. I would play it by ear, and if you feel like you need a little more liquid, add a splash of white wine.

Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Herb Pan Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
3/4 teaspoon fresh marjoram, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes (12 ounces)
1/4 cup vermouth or white wine (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, oregano, marjoram, and paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to lowest possible temperature. Using a mallet or heavy skillet, pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness in between two pieces of plastic wrap. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Measure the flour onto a plate. Working with one breast at a time, press both sides into the flour. Shake gently to remove excess flour and repeat with remaining breast.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the oregano butter with the 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet set over high heat. Reduce to medium-high when the butter stops foaming. Lay the chicken breasts in the skillet and sauté until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a small pan or oven-safe plate and keep warm while preparing sauce.

Increase heat to high and add tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes. Add remaining butter. Crush tomatoes slightly to release their juices and continue stirring until butter has melted. Add vermouth/wine to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen the browned bits. Remove chicken from oven and add any juices that may have accumulated. Slice chicken and top with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Source: adapted from Cook Like A Champion, originally from Bon Appétit

Cashew Chicken

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cashewchicken

I’ve always been a fan of stir-fries. Crisp veggies, tender strips of various proteins, savory sauces, rice – the perfect one dish meal. I came across this recipe when browsing old issues of Cook’s Country Magazine. I love their recipes because they are usually very easy. Wonderful on those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking!

I’ve always got a cache of boneless skinless chicken breasts, and we adore snow peas in this house…so I knew this one would be a winner.

On another note – can anyone believe it’s November already? This year has just flown by. I’ve signed up for a cooking class at the local community college. I have to wear a chefs jacket and hat – it’s so much fun! It is an International Cuisine course. This semester is mainly focusing on Asian and Caribbean cuisine. I have another 3 weeks of class, and I’m looking forward to signing up for another in the spring. Hoping to make a few “foodie” friends in the area. Not many of my friends really enjoy cooking, so I’d certainly like to find some who do!

Anywho, enjoy the cashew chicken. Really was a great dinner!

Cashew Chicken

Serves 4

Marinade and Sauce

1/2 cup mirin

6 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp + 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp + 4 tsp cornstarch

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Stir-Fry

2 tbsp vegetable oil

8 oz snow peas, halved crosswise

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 (8 0z) can whole water chestnuts, drained and sliced

1 cup toasted cashews, half of them roughly chopped

1. Whisk 3 tbsp mirin, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, and 2 tbsp cornstarch in large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

2. Whisk broth, Worcestershire, remaining mirin, remaining soy sauce, remaining sesame oil, and remaining cornstarch in separate bowl and set aside.

3. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Repeat with additional 2 tsp oil and remaining chicken.

4. Add remaining vegetable oil to empty skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook snow peas until bright green, about 1 minute. Add ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes to pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in water chestnuts and reserved broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Return chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to skillet and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in cashews. Serve.