Lazy Sunday Roast Chicken With Lemon And Thyme

In my house, Sunday's are for cooking and baking, and there is nothing better on a cold Sunday evening than a roast chicken.  I love roast chicken because of it's ease of preparation.  It really couldn't be simpler.

I take an organic chicken and salt it inside and out, return it to its plastic bag and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. Next, I stuff the cavity with bunches of thyme and rosemary, a garlic head, and one lemon, quartered.  Lastly I melt unsalted butter and brush it all over, finishing it off with a small sprinkling of salt and pepper.

One hour and ten minutes later, my gorgeous chicken comes out of it's 410 degree oven perfectly cooked and juicy.  There really is nothing better on a lazy Sunday evening.

Lentils With Breaded Chicken and Fried Egg

Yum yum chicken dinner. I make this with pre-made lentils and breaded chicken breasts from trader joe's. Super easy and delicious. The egg yolk is runny and mixes with the lentils and chicken and is just scrumptious.

recipe in second part of post...

Ingredients

1 cup cooked green lentils
2 small cooked breaded chicken breasts, I use trader Joe's frozen breaded chicken breasts
1 egg
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat lentils until warm. Add minced garlic to lentils and mix. Set aside. Heat breaded chicken breast in olive oil until crispy. Take chicken breast and shred with a fork. Add balsamic vinegar to chicken and allow to marinate for a few minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and fry egg until yolk starts to set. Sprinkle salt and pepper over egg. Add shredded chicken on top of lentils and place fried egg over chicken. Enjoy!

Quick No-Cook Chicken Dinner

By Danny

Warm Roast Chicken With Arugala Salad and Lemon Caper Vinaigrette

When I get home from teaching the last thing I want to do is cook an elaborate meal. I also don't want to eat crap, so I've experimented with TEQUILA LIME CHICKEN TACOS using GROCERY STORE ROAST CHICKEN, but I wasn't really in the mood for that today...

Full recipe in the second part of post...

I've recently been reading Nancy Silverton's book, "A Twist Of The Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals With Ingredients From Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes", which has tons of delicious recipes that can be made in a snap, and so I decided to come up with my own quick, no-cook chicken dinner. This recipe is great because most of the ingredients are already in my PANTRY and it really whips up in minutes! It was surprisingly delicious!

Recipe below makes one serving

Ingredients

1 cup cooked roast chicken, lightly heated...you want the chicken to be warm, not hot
2 cups arugala
1 slice toasted sourdough bread

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon drained capers
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Warm chicken in microwave so that it's thoroughly warm but not hot. Toast slice of sourdough. Mix all ingredients for vinaigrette in separate bowl until emulsified and well combined. You can adjust the amounts of salt, garlic, and lemon juice depending on your taste. Toss Arugula in bowl with dressing so that it is well coated. Place slice of bread on plate. Pile chicken on top, and add arugula salad on top. Voila! Enjoy!

Easy Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

Perfect Comfort Food

Chicken and dumplings stew is quintessential comfort food. Dont get me wrong, I love CLASSIC MACARONI AND CHEESE, but sometimes a nice stew does the job like no other! This dish is perfect for these cold winter nights. I make a big pot of this and have it for dinner the rest of the week! This is an extremely easy recipe to make, so give it a try!

Chicken and Dumplings recipe in the second part of post...

This recipe is adapted from Elise's recipe over at Simply Recipes

Ingredients

Stew

• 5 cups of prepared chicken stock
• 1 whole chicken, in parts (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts)
• 3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 boiling onions, peeled and halved
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, or chicken fat from the cooked chicken
• 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or vermouth (optional)
• 1 Tbsp of heavy cream (optional
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• Ground black or white pepper

Dumplings

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour (can sub all-purpose flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup minced fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives, and tarragon (optional)

Directions

Poach the chicken in the stock.
Add skinless chicken parts (legs, thighs, breasts), 2 bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat; continue to simmer, partially covered, until broth is flavorful and chicken parts are just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken parts from the pan and set aside. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones in 2-inch chunks or strips. Place a strainer over a large bowl and pour the broth through it, straining out the solids from the broth. Discard the solids. Skim and reserve the chicken fat from broth (a fat separator works great for this task) and set aside 5 cups of broth, reserving extra for another use.

While chicken is cooking, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add (optional) chopped fresh herbs. Add melted butter and milk to the dry ingredients. Gently mix with a spoon until mixture just comes together. (Note: do not overmix! or your dumplings will turn out too dense.) Set aside.

Heat reserved chicken fat (or butter) in the pan you had used to make the stock over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and thyme; cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add sherry or vermouth, then slowly add the reserved 5 cups of chicken stock; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vegetables, simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and optional cream; return to a strong simmer. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Drop dumpling batter into the simmering stew by heaping teaspoonfuls, over the surface of the stew. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Once you have covered the pan, do not uncover while the dumplings are cooking! In order for them to be light and fluffy, they must steam, not boil. Uncovering the pan releases the steam. If after 15 minutes they are still not cooked through (use a toothpick or skewer to test) cover pan again, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Gently stir in peas and parsley. Ladle portions of meat, sauce, vegetables, and dumplings into soup plates and serve immediately.

Chicken Salad With Apples and White Wine Vinaigrette

By Danny

Classic Chicken Salad With a Twist

I love making quick and delicious versions of classic recipes. We were on our way to the beach this weekend when I decided to whip up some Chicken Salad Sandwiches for lunch. This recipe differs from classic Chicken Salad because it doesn't contain mayonnaise, and it has bits of apples and sage...Yum!

Quick Chicken Salad after the jump...

Chicken Salad With Apples and White Wine Vinaigrette

Recipe makes two sandwiches

2 cups cooked chicken. I use grocery store bought roasted chicken.
1/2 cup red onions
3/4 cups of chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp chopped sage
1/2 cup chopped apple
3 tbs good olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Shred the chicken in a bowl. Mix all of the vegetables, garlic, sage, lemon zest, and apples. Make vinaigrette. Whisk together the oil, mustard, and vinegar until emulsified. combine vinaigrette with chicken, add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! we had it on sourdough bread and a bit of mesculin, but you could have it with crackers, on a bed of greens, etc.

3 Easy Chicken Dinner Tips!

By Danny

Quick Dinner Ideas

Now that Summer is over, I've returned to work and my once luxurious Summer schedule has turned into hectic, back-to-school madness. So when I get home from teaching, the last thing I want to do is cook! The problem is that I also don't want to eat crappy food. Hence, my easy chicken dinner tips!

3 Easy Chicken Dinner Tips after the jump...

Grocery Store Roasted Chicken

Pre-roasted chickens from grocery stores are your friend! Believe me, they are wonderful. I started buying these pre-roasted chickens in graduate school. They are just really convenient. I'm all about home made and making things from scratch, but picking up a warm, roasted chicken that costs me $8 bucks is just too tempting to pass up!

Convenient AND economical!

Not only are they convenient, but they are cost effective! I usually manage to make about 5 meals out of one chicken! Talk about economical! First thing I do when I get home from the grocery store is take the chicken apart and place all of the meat in a tupperwear container. When the chicken is fresh from the store and still warm it is really easy to tear apart.

Easy Dinner Tip #1

Make Chicken Tacos. Use corn tortillas, grilled onions, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. Super easy and super yummy. One of our most popular posts was for Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream. I used store bought roasted chicken in that recipe!

Easy Dinner Tip #2

Make Chicken Salad. This is more of lunch, but I sometimes have chicken salad for dinner. Tear up some of the chicken and chop in some onions, parsely, garlic, lemon zest,and a bit of mayonnaise. I even add apples, and walnuts sometimes. Very yummy!

Easy Dinner Tip #3

Make Chicken Noodle Soup. Saute some onions, celery, and carrots. Add some chicken stock and boil noodles. Add the chicken and a bit of lime juice. Voila!

Do you have any other quick chicken dinner tips? Leave a comment and let us know!

And don't forget to Stumble or Delicious our posts if you like them!

Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream!

By Danny

Chicken Taco Recipe

I made this quick recipe last night. I wanted something easy to make that wouldn't be boring, or terribly filling. Looking through our fridge I noticed a stack of tortillas and half a ROASTED CHICKEN. Perfect, I thought! I'll make Chicken Tacos!

Recipe after the jump...

Homemade Chicken Tacos

Once I figured out WHAT to make, I had to rack my brain as to how NOT to make it boring! I came up with a Tequila Lime glaze for the chicken and to counter the tartness of the lime, caramelized onions. The combination was heavenly!

Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos with Caramelized Onions

This recipe makes 2 tacos

1/2 cup of cooked, roasted chicken
1/2 cup of white onions
2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of tequila
1 Teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 Teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 Teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons of sour cream
2 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro
1/2 Teaspoon of salt
2 corn tortillas

Begin by cooking the onions in a little bit of olive oil over medium low heat. While onions are cooking prepare glaze. Combine the lime juice, tequila, red pepper flakes, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside. Onions should be barely starting to brown at this point. Add the sugar to the onions and continue to cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Prepare chicken. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a separate heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat and add the garlic. Add chicken and cook for about 2 minutes. Once chicken has begun to cook, add the tequila lime glaze and stir. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until chicken is warmed through. Do not over heat chicken....it is already cooked, so you just want to warm it up. Once chicken is done, add the balsamic vinegar to the onions and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes. Time to assemble! Heat the tortillas in the microwave or directly on the burner(my personal preference)and add the chicken. Top with some onions, 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of cilantro. Sour cream and cilantro ARE NOT OPTIONAL! These two ingredients are key and round out the flavor profile of this dish! Enjoy.

Braised Chicken with Spanish Olives and Capers

By Danny


Here's another recipe to add to the braising obsession. This one comes straight from my mom. She makes this dish all of the time, and it's one of my favorite mom dishes. The technique is fairly straight forward Mexican cuisine, but the flavors always seemed very Spanish to me.

Recipe after the jump...

Braised Chicken with Spanish Olives and Capers

4 Chicken Drumsticks
4 Chicken Thighs
2 Tomatoes
1 Potato, diced into large pieces
1/2 Yellow Onion
1 Garlic Clove
1 Cup of Spanish Olives
5 Capers

In a large cast iron dutch oven, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sear the chicken pieces until all sides have a brown, crisp sear. While chicken is searing, cut the tomatoes and onion into large chunks, place in blender along with the garlic, and blend until it forms a thick sauce. Once Chicken is done searing add the sauce and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and lower the temperature. Simmer for two hours or until the chicken becomes tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Poached Chicken Tostadas with Marinated Onions

This is a simple lunch recipe perfect for a hot summer day because it doesn't involve much cooking. My mom always makes these during a hot Sunday afternoon!

1 Chicken breast
1 can of pinto beans
1 avocado
salsa
bunch of cilantro
Marinated onions
Cotija Mexian cheese
tortillas
chicken stock

Poach chicken in chicken stock until cooked. Cool chicken and shred. Heat beans. Fry tortillas in vegetable oil until brown. Take tostada, fill with beans, salsa, and chicken. Top with avocado, cheese, cilantro, and marinated onions. Enjoy!

Honey-Dijon Baked Chicken

Oven Roasted Chicken Recipe

I love roasting whole chickens, but sometimes they can get a bit boring. I recently tried a variation on a roasted chicken and it was fantastic. With this variation, you first truss the chicken, season it with salt and pepper, and then sear it in a cast iron dutch oven.


Once the top and bottom have a nice brown sear, you place the pan in the oven with the top on, making sure the chicken sits breast side down. Bake chicken for 90 minutes at 375 degrees. Half way through the roasting, take the top off, flip the chicken and smear the honey-dijon mixture over the chicken and finish baking. It is a fantastic and easy dish to make.

Honey Dijon Baked Chicken

1 whole chicken

For Honey-Dijon Sauce

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Honey

How To Truss A Chicken

I'm always making recipes that call for trussing a chicken even though I don't really know how to do it. Today I decided to end this gap in my culinary knowledge. Below is a link to this great video that shows you exactly how!

Featured Post - Chicken And Dumplings!

By Danny

Perfect Comfort Food

Chicken and dumplings stew is quintessential comfort food. Dont get me wrong, I love CLASSIC MACARONI AND CHEESE, but sometimes a nice stew does the job like no other! This dish is perfect for these cold winter nights. I make a big pot of this and have it for dinner the rest of the week! This is an extremely easy recipe to make, so give it a try!

Chicken and Dumplings recipe in the second part of post...

This recipe is adapted from Elise's recipe over at Simply Recipes

Ingredients

Stew

• 5 cups of prepared chicken stock
• 1 whole chicken, in parts (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts)
  
• 3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 boiling onions, peeled and halved
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, or chicken fat from the cooked chicken
• 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry or vermouth (optional)
• 1 Tbsp of heavy cream (optional
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• Ground black or white pepper

Dumplings

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour (can sub all-purpose flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup minced fresh herb leaves such as parsley, chives, and tarragon (optional)

Directions

Poach the chicken in the stock.
Add skinless chicken parts (legs, thighs, breasts), 2 bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat; continue to simmer, partially covered, until broth is flavorful and chicken parts are just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken parts from the pan and set aside. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones in 2-inch chunks or strips. Place a strainer over a large bowl and pour the broth through it, straining out the solids from the broth. Discard the solids. Skim and reserve the chicken fat from broth (a fat separator works great for this task) and set aside 5 cups of broth, reserving extra for another use.

While chicken is cooking, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add (optional) chopped fresh herbs. Add melted butter and milk to the dry ingredients. Gently mix with a spoon until mixture just comes together. (Note: do not overmix! or your dumplings will turn out too dense.) Set aside.

Heat reserved chicken fat (or butter) in the pan you had used to make the stock over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and thyme; cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add sherry or vermouth, then slowly add the reserved 5 cups of chicken stock; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vegetables, simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and optional cream; return to a strong simmer. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Drop dumpling batter into the simmering stew by heaping teaspoonfuls, over the surface of the stew. Cover and simmer until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Once you have covered the pan, do not uncover while the dumplings are cooking! In order for them to be light and fluffy, they must steam, not boil. Uncovering the pan releases the steam. If after 15 minutes they are still not cooked through (use a toothpick or skewer to test) cover pan again, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Gently stir in peas and parsley. Ladle portions of meat, sauce, vegetables, and dumplings into soup plates and serve immediately.

Lemon Blackened Chicken

Smoky and Tart

This grilled chicken is one of the best I've ever tried! It's a Barefoot Contessa recipe and as always, really simple to make!

Ingredients

1 3 1/2 pound chicken, flattened (get your butcher to flatten a whole chicken by removing the back and breast bone)
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a glass dish just large enough to hold the flattened chicken. Add the chicken, and turn to coat. Cover dish with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for least 4 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.

Prepare grill and place chicken on grill for 12 to 15 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and place chicken on plate and cover with aluminum wrap and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.