Braised Chicken with Tomatoes, Zucchini and Mushrooms

Posted on August 19, 2010 by admin

Thankfully I write this in Word first. Tumblr didn’t actually post my entire post with photos and all!

Continuing on a cheap dinner theme, I bought 4 Springer Mountain chicken thighs on sale for under $3. They aren’t perfect, but fairly good chickens- no antibiotics and humanely treated. I wish they were outside getting greens and bugs, like I said, they aren’t perfect.

Anyway, I decided on a dreary summer day that stewing or braising the chicken in a tomato based sauce would be perfect. My youngest had picked out wagon wheel-shaped pasta, so I thought this would go well with it. Since I still had some ratatouille left I knew it would go great with the chicken, but how to have it so all the kids would eat it… I added only about 1/2 cup full toward the end. It added a wonderful subtle smokiness to the dish. So, also using a CSA zucchini I’d forgotten that I had put in the fruit drawer since I had no more room elsewhere in my fridge and mushrooms I bought, I made a wonderful meal that everyone loved. And since all of this was made in one pot (besides boiling the pasta), it was an easy clean-up.

Chicken Zucchini and Mushrooms

4 Chicken thighs (I used with skin & bones on)

1 large (or 2 small) zucchini- sliced

1 cup shiitake and crimini mushrooms- destemmed and sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 shallot (or 1/2 white/yellow onion), minced

1/3 cup white wine

1 tsp chicken base (Knorr Roasted Chicken Base)

1/4 cup water

2 cups chopped tomatoes

2 Tbsp fresh thyme- chopped

1 Tbsp parsley- chopped

olive oil

salt and pepper

Optional: I added 1/2 cup of grilled vegetable ratatouille that I had left over.

Heat olive oil in hot pan, brown the chicken (seasoned with salt and pepper) skin side down first for about 4-5 minutes each side. Set aside. Pour off excess fat. Sauté shallot, garlic and mushrooms (if necessary add a little more olive oil) over medium high heat and set aside when done (not brown). Keep stove on med-high and pour wine into pan and let boil off for a minute. Scrape sides of pan to get chicken bits and then add chicken base and water. Stir well. Add chopped tomatoes, herbs, shallots and garlic. Add chicken so that skin side is down, cover with sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Cover pan and reduce heat. Let simmer for 30 minutes, giving it an occasional stir. Add zucchini and mushrooms (and ratatouille if you have it) Cover. Simmer another 10-15 minutes. You can either take chicken off the bones or leave whole.

Serve with pasta or rice. We took ours off the bones (since there were 4 pieces but 5 people) and also added the pasta to the pan.

This can be done with various different vegetables and without mushrooms. It’s very delicious the next day too! My middle son whined so long that he didn’t want it. I even tried to record him… he loved it and finished it without fuss.

They all did!

20 Minute Dinner- Start to Finish

Posted on August 8, 2010 by admin

This is one quick chicken dish I’ve come up with for when I’m at a loss for inspiration and time. Throw a little Adobo seasoning powder or some Penzy’s Singapore Spice (black pepper, lemon peel, garlic, onion, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, cloves, cayenne pepper— all in one!!) on cut up chicken breast pieces, toss them into a hot pan with olive oil, flip around a bit until they’re cooked. If they’re small enough it’s only a matter of minutes. (Be careful with the Adobo seasoning as it’s very salty and you need only a little.) Add a simple salad, green beans and 3 Grains Blend from Trader Joe’s…dinner in 20 minutes!

The salad contained Romaine lettuce, red cabbage, cucumber, tomato, basil and green bell pepper. All but the Romaine were from our local CSA. I used my go-to prepared salad dressing: Briannas French Vinaigrette. (I’ll post some homemade salad dressing recipes soon, promise.) The beans, also local, were coooked in rapidly boiling water for 3-4 minutes and cooled in ice bath. Reheated with butter, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. The grains took a little longer than I thought, but still were simple to prepare.

I wasn’t stressed out—boys got a nutritious and tasty dinner after a day outside in the hot sun. I set up the living room table as a dining table and they got to watch a movie. It’s at most a once-a-week treat. I prefer to eat at the dining room or outside table, but when they’ve been going full-on all day outside, I don’t mind the occasional retreat in front of the TV.

Grilled Chicken with Indian/Asian Spices

Posted on July 31, 2010 by admin

I was browsing through Jamie Oliver’s recipes when I came across a marinated and grilled chicken dish. I took the idea but adapted it… I do that sometimes, depending on what I have in the house, what I like, and/or what I think might work. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t. This time was a big winner. Love when it happens. Especially when all three kids and I like it!

Mix together into paste:

1 tsp garam massala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander seed (first toast in pan then grind with mortar/pestle)
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 ground garlic
juice of one lime
2 Tbsp pureed tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil

Coat boneless, skinless chicken thighs on both sides and let sit in refrigerator for one or more hours. Grill until done about 5-8 minutes each side depending on thickness, should read about 140F before you take off and let sit 5-10 minutes before serving as it will keep cooking. (For safety reasons chicken should be cooked to 165F)

I served it with brown rice (cheated— Trader Joe’s 3 minutes in microwave, baby!), steamed kale and broccoli from our CSA.

Kids really loved it and I found a new dish that I can also cut into small pieces and serve as appetizers at parties. Woo-hoo!

Late, late night dinner!

Posted on July 21, 2010 by admin

I’m reading Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver at the moment and not that I think I have the will to go completely local like she did in the book, but I do try to make a conscious and conscientious effort to buy locally. And one of those decisions led to us joining the CSA at a farm in town. Well, one of my friends went away this week and I got to reap the rewards. I got her CSA bin. And this week’s bin was chocka-block full of kale, basil, green beans, purple beans, sugar snap peas, mustard greens, arugula, kohlrabi, beets, green onions, herbs and flowers. So many delicious fresh vegetables! Actually a bit too many for us to use while fresh and lovely with all that is planned, so I gave some arugula to another friend.

I decided to continue on my buying-local streak since I needed some eggs and milk so I went to our regular egg farm, Stietzel’s but it just closed so I rushed up to another wonderful farm, Holbrook’s, before they shut. Problem is when I go here it’s like I’m in a local produce and dairy shopaholic’s heaven. Sort of like when I go shoe shopping. I need to just back away from those gorgeous gladiator sandals that I can’t afford right now. I don’t need them. Just like, I didn’t need all the offerings at Holbrook Farm—and they have a lot to offer.

Since I had my bounty of veggies from the CSA, I wasn’t tempted by the vegetables here, but I got some local milk, sausage, yogurt, and I really went a little overboard and bought a chicken from them. Not that I don’t want to buy local or didn’t want to buy a chicken, but i was shopping for that night’s dinner. I thought I’ll roast it (it was raining and seemed like the perfect thing to make for dinner on a dreary night) EXCEPT that it was already past 6 when we got there. I don’t know what I was thinking. By the time we got home, dressed the chicken, etc… Needless to say, we ate very late.

I was lucky enough to get a headless chicken so preparing it was relatively easy. I stuffed the cavity with celery and garlic scapes. I put sea salt, pepper, chopped fresh sage (about 1 Tbsp), chopped fresh thyme (about 1 Tbsp) and olive oil on the chicken. Then I lay it on a bed of garlic scapes and put it in a 450 F preheated oven for 20 minutes. I turned the oven to 325F and it continued for about an hour plus until it read 165F with instant-read thermometer.

I threw in some new potatoes to the roasting dish about 45 minutes into it. They were simply coated in olive oil, salt and pepper.

Well, I had this gorgeous bunch of kale to start. Last few weeks there hasn’t been enough of it to feed 4 or 5 of us so I add it to other things, but this week there was heaps and I got the added benefit of my friends harvest. I stripped the leaves off the stalks with finesse, I had the steamer all ready, but once it was in, I got a little distracted by one of my sons and I overcooked it. Kale Fail! Kale takes longer than spinach, chard, beet greens to cook, but I mean when the lovely silver-sage green is now a khaki olive-brown you know it’s long gone. I tried fixing it with some soy and sesame which my eldest took to, but my youngest two hated it and I don’t blame them, so did I.

At least my kids enjoyed the chicken, beans and roasted potatoes. They went to bed very late but we had a great dinner all from local farms (ok, the kale wasn’t so great).

Note to self: Next time, save the roasting chicken for when there’s time and pay attention to the kale!

Compromise Without Acquiescence

Posted on June 17, 2010 by admin

Sometimes dinners are a struggle. Keeping the kids in their seats until they’re finished; getting them to eat all their food, or at least a satisfactory amount; getting them to try the food they refuse, but you know is good for them and that they might actually like; making sure they use their manners; etc. Well it seems like when a grandparent visits it’s extra stressful because they’re much stricter about the kids staying seated during the whole dinner and eating all that they’ve been given.

Most nights I am alone with my kids while my husband’s at work. Yes, I cook the dinner but also eat with them, clean up, bath them, make sure teeth are brushed, get them into pajamas, have homework completed and read them stories in bed. So, sometimes, my table rules might be relaxed and now that can carry over into when others are here as well.

The other night we were going out and had their grandparent babysitting. We prepared the left over chicken that I’d marinated for the satay. It was sautéed with Napa cabbage, orange bell peppers, scallions, garlic scapes, cilantro and served over rice. The marinade made a nice sauce (just have to make sure it’s brought to temperature since it had raw chicken in it). I also sautéed a side dish of Crimini mushrooms for my youngest. The older two just had sushi before dinner, so I served small portions.

Well, my eldest, who’s normally the best eater of all three of them, flat out refused to eat the dinner; no amount of pleading would change his mind. We believed he’d like it, but he dug in his heels. It became such an ordeal, I couldn’t leave to go. I didn’t want the grandparent to have to deal with any unruly children. I offered him some of my three-year old’s mushrooms; no. Then my husband gave him a dish of beets and my son was so excited he dug into them with gusto and then actually started eating a little of the dinner I prepared. That just sent the grandparent into a tizzy. “You shouldn’t give them treats!” (the mushrooms and beets) For us it wasn’t a treat, but an appetite stimulant and something to calm the situation (to relieve the stress, get him to comply, and allow us to leave). They were getting dinner and — and it was healthful and homemade, but to the grandparent we were giving in to obstinate behavior.

Sometimes you have to choose your battles… sometimes you have to compromise on what/how much they eat. I didn’t think of it as acquiescing. My son still had to eat all the cabbage, most of the rice, two pieces of chicken, few pieces of peppers and all the beets. I wasn’t making different meals or letting him go to the fridge and eat snack food instead. He wouldn’t have been allowed to eat dessert or any other food once he was up from the table. Yes, my children need to modify their behavior and make sure their grandparents will enjoy eating with them.

But, sometimes, we need to relax some rules for peace’s sake. My eldest has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and forcing him to eat the dinner that he’s got into his head that he won’t like is just not going to have positive consequences— for anyone. Parents don’t need to dig in their heels as well. No matter the personality of your children, I think having some flexibility will get beneficial long-term results. Yes, stick to your goals but understand that sometimes you’re not going to win the battle and realize it doesn’t have to be an all-out war.

Chicken & Mushrooms

Posted on May 21, 2010 by admin

My youngest, 3, loves mushrooms and even asked me to sauté him some the other day for lunch. Just mushrooms, nothing else. But my middle child would often say, “I don’t like mushrooms unless they’re in your cream sauce.“ The last few times I’ve served mushrooms in anything besides the cream sauce, he exclaims that he “does like them!“

Actually most dinners are accompanied by a whine (from him) of “I don’t want this” and/or “I don’t like …” but every dinner he sits down with the rest of us and eats. And tonight was no exception, “But I don’t want mushrooms, I don’t want chicken, I just want plain pasta.” He ate everything on his plate. He did try to sneak a piece of broccoli onto his brother’s plate so he could have dessert faster, but I caught him before it could happen.

So my tip here is don’t pay any attention to those whines. I’m not saying don’t ever feed your kids what they want, just that it has to fit in with what is good for them as well. I am not going to stop what I’m making and cook them something they’d rather eat instead. And I am not going to cook 2 separate meals, one for me and my husband and one for them. (Exception is when we’re having something extremely spicy and it is just too hot for their palates.) My children get to make recommendations for what they’d like, just not after the meal is made. My eldest is craving sushi lately and it even got into a story he wrote today about a raccoon trying to steal his picnic dinner. After the sword fight he tossed some sushi to the raccoon who had a great meal. So, I’ll be making or buying some sushi soon. Oh, and some seaweed salad too because he loves it and likes to bring the leftovers to school as a snack.

A friend asked me recently what chicken nuggets I’d suggest because she wasn’t sure the brand she was buying was “real” chicken or at least good cuts. I didn’t know one because as I stated before I don’t really buy them. I have bought some from Trader Joe’s and I have purchased some from the supermarket, but it’s so rarely and not at all in the past 6 months so I just can’t tell anyone what/who to buy. Instead I told her about my homemade ones and how delicious they are and how she and her husband would enjoy them as well. Then she went on to tell me she doesn’t have time to do that. After I told her how quick they were, and pointed out that she’d save time by not making 2 different meals (which is what she does daily), she agreed but said she won’t change. Oh well.

I digress. Often. So, chicken with mushrooms in a white wine cream sauce.

I got d’Artagnan organic chicken thighs with the bones and skins. You can buy boneless and skinless or remove either, but I didn’t. You’ll need one container of mushrooms, sliced. (I prefer baby criminis and/or shiitakes for this dish.) Fresh thyme, 1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup white wine, 1/2 cup chicken stock or base, 2 cloves garlic, shallots (optional), salt and pepper. Sauté garlic and shallots in tsp olive oil, then add chicken (if it’s skin is on) until browned, add white wine and chicken stock, reduce heat to med-low and cover (stirring occasionally). (If it’s boneless/skinless you can add the chicken after the liquids.) In a separate pan sauté the mushrooms with tsp olive oil and butter. Add some fresh thyme leaves (strip at least 2 stalks and crush in fingers or chop to release aromatic), salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat when cooked through. Cook chicken for 25-30 minutes in liquids, add mushrooms, black pepper to taste and heavy cream, stirring well. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Check for doneness especially with thigh bones. Taste it before adding more salt as stock or base can be salty.

I served mine tonight over fusilli pasta, but you can use rice, other pastas, noodles, or grains. And my kids loved it! I served a side of fresh broccoli, which I steam and shock (run cold water over it to stop it from cooking) then reheat with pat of butter and tiny bit of sea salt and fresh ground pepper (Trader Joe’s organic butter is my favorite— and there is NO margarine in this house, ever).

I do recommend everyone watch Food Inc and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and sign the petition for healthful school lunchesI want to get people to pay attention to what they’re feeding their kids and see that it’s doable to feed them well.

Chicken “Nuggets” with Homemade Bread Crumbs

Posted on May 20, 2010 by admin

Necessity is the mother of invention… I was watching a girl friend’s children and it was near dinner time. I’ve had unfortunate experiences trying to feed one of them (and that child was probably traumatized as well) so I thought, how can I compromise— good food I know they will actually eat without gagging? Chicken nuggets!! Well, I don’t often have prepared ones on hand (it’s just not our thing) but I did have some gorgeous fresh Bell & Evans chicken breasts and thought, this should be easy enough. Well, sometimes we have bread crumbs in the pantry, but they were used. Boy am I glad. I made the most delicious bread crumbs to coat the chicken, that not only did my kids and her kids gobble it up… I had enough to feed both parents and their friend when they came to pick up. And everyone loved it- kids included!

In a Cuisinart I took yesterday’s baguette, a few end pieces of whole grain sandwich bread, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Penzy’s “Mural of Flavor” spice mix. Mural of Flavor is a combo of Western Mediterranean spices and herbs, which is perfect for chicken. (I often coat drum sticks in it and roast them for an easy meal), it can be purchased online http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html if you don’t have a store near you. We have one in Norwalk near Stew’s. If you can’t do either— a blend of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, garlic salt, dried onion, lemon pepper and chives would produce a similar product.

I pounded the chicken breasts so they were about 1/4-1/2 inch thick, soaked them in milk and coated them with the rough breadcrumbs. I cooked them in the oven, turning once, at 350 F until done but still moist, only 10-15 minutes (it depends on the thickness, you can always take one and slice it, if it’s no longer pink and solid its done). I cut them into nugget size and served them with buttered noodles, spinach and broccoli. You can cut them smaller before you coat them for a more traditional nugget.

Tips for spinach: Baby Spinach only takes a few minutes to prepare— one of the easiest fresh veggies to serve! In sauté pan add 2 teaspoons water and organic baby spinach. Heat covered on high until wilted. (Steaming is fine too!) Drain any excess water. Keep off heat until ready to eat, then add pat of butter, pinch of sea salt and a couple of twists of black pepper. Reheat, stirring in the added ingredients until coated and serve. You can also sauté garlic in a little olive oil and/or butter then add spinch(Garlic powder for those really quick meals).

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Gallery

Posted on May 20, 2010 by admin

This gallery contains 4 photos.

Mussels appetizer and Moroccan Chicken Main (said I was making it for my husband since he didn’t try it yet). He made the mussels and always does it better than me. Tonight I found out why…

My Kids Really Eat This

getting kids to eat well in the real world

Tag Archives: chicken