Category Archives: Poultry
Easy Citrus Chicken
Here is another yummy, healthy chicken dish. This particular one has Latin flavors. I started with marinating the chicken- I do think it is the key to amazing flavor every time. I marinated the chicken in orange juice, lime juice, agave, smoked paprika and garlic. I later made a sauce out of the left over marinade- always a good idea! To thicken the sauce, I dredged the chicken pieces in a bit of flavor before cooking. The dish came together in no time at all and it was delicious.
I served the healthy chicken breasts with citrus broccoli and some sweet potato oven fries.
- 3 to 4 chicken breast filets, boneless, skinless and pounded thin (about ½ inch)
Marinade
- 1 cup orange juice
- Juice of one lime
- 1 to 2 tablespoons agave
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
Add the orange juice, lime juice, agave, salt, paprika and garlic in a small bowl and mix well. Add the marinade and chicken to a zip lock bag and marinate for 3 to 4 hours in the fridge.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Take the chicken filets out of the marinade and dredge in flour and salt (save the marinade for later). Brown the chicken on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Take the filets out and add the marinade into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Add the chicken filets and cook on a medium flame until chicken is done (time will vary according the chicken thickness). Serve hot with pan sauce on top of the chicken.
Chicken and Chorizo Paella
- 4 to 5 chicken thighs, with bone, skinless
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Sprinkle the salt and smoked paprika all over the chicken thighs and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup dried chorizo, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon Spanish saffron
- ½ cup tomato puree
- 2 cups short grain rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 small tomato, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes each. Take out and add the chorizo. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, pepper and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minute. Add the bay, saffron and tomato puree. Saute for a minute. Add the chicken thighs and cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take out and let cool. Add the rice and mix well. Add the chicken broth and check seasonings. Add salt. Bring to a boil and in the meantime, take the chicken meat off the bones and shred. Add the shredded chicken to the pan and mix well. Cook the rice on a simmer for 5 minutes, lower the heat and cover till rice is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add the peas and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes till the peas are warm. Stir in cilantro and parsley and serve warm.
Chicken and Mushroom Ragu
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound dark meat ground chicken
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- ½ pound cooked pasta
- Salt
Heat a large frying pan with olive oil. Add the ground chicken and separate with a wooden spoon while sautéing over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic and shallots. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and add the wine. Mix well and scrape the bottom. Add the marinara sauce and cook for ten minutes on a simmer with the lid on. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Check for seasonings and serve hot.
Mexican Style Turkey Breast with Ancho Chili
Compound Butter
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- Zest of one orange
- Zest of one lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
Mix the butter with orange and lemon zest, garlic and salt.
Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon acho chili powder
Mix all the spices together and set aside.
- ½ cup chili barbecue sauce
- 1 7 to 10 pound turkey breast
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 orange, cut into eight pieces
- 1 lemon, cut into eight pieces
- 2 cups turkey or chicken broth
- Salt
- Pepper
Have your gravy ready either the day before or the morning of. Transfer it to a large saucepan and keep aside.
Preheat convection oven to 325 degreed F.
Place the turkey onto a rack in a roasting pan. Turn the turkey over and place the cut up orange and lemon inside the cavity. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally and turn it breast side facing up. Loosen the skin and carefully spread half the compound butter. Spread the rest all over the skin. Sprinkle the spice rub all over the top. Pour the broth to the bottom of the roasting pan. Keep aside.
With a brush add the chili barbecue sauce (recipe below) all over the turkey. Roast the turkey glazing every 15 minutes. Roast till internal temperature reaches 158 to 160 degrees F. Take out of the oven and place onto a platter and cover with foil to rest for at least 20 minutes. While the turkey is resting, take the drippings from the bottom of the pan and pour them into a small glass bowl. Let the fat separate, remove from top and pour the liquid into the prepared gravy and bring to a boil. Check for seasonings and heat the gravy through. Serve with the turkey.
Chili Barbecue Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds discarded and cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 14 ounces can diced tomatoes with chilies
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- Juice and zest of 3 clementines
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ancho chilies, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, zest, juice and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer on a low flame for about 20 minutes. Take off heat and transfer to a blender and blend till a smooth sauce is formed. Check for seasonings and take out into a small bowl.
Chicken Korma
- 1½ skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½ inch pieces
Marinade
- 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup low-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup half and half
- ½ medium yellow onion, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 inch ginger, grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix the yogurt, sour cream, half and half, onion, garlic, ginger, salt and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours if not over night.
- ½ cup cashews soaked over night in ½ cup hot water
Blend the cashews with the water into a paste. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds (shaahi zeera)
- 2 green cardamoms, crushed
- 1 ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 3 to 4 cloves, crushed
- 1 large or 2 small yellow onions, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a deep saucepan with the oil. Add the cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Cook on medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the onions, garlic, cashew paste and cook medium heat for at least 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken with the marinade and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Check every 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Take the lid off and turn the heat up to medium high and let the excess moisture evaporate- another 10 minutes stirring constantly. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.
Palak Murgh- A Spinach and Chicken Recipe
- 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 green cardamom pods, skin off
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Juice of one lemon
- Salt
Marinate overnight or at least 2 hours.
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- Salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 cups frozen chopped spinach- thaw the spinach in the bag and process it in a processor until smooth.
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
In a large, wide frying pan heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and sauté 30 seconds or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves and black cardamom. Add the onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes on medium heat. Add the crushed tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the salt, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, processed spinach and the chicken with the marinade. Cook on medium for 10-15 minutes or till all the moisture has evaporated. Taste for seasonings and add garam masala for garnish.
Turkey Meatballs with Zucchini
- 1 pound ground dark meat turkey
- 1/3 cup prepared pesto
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ pound whole-wheat spaghetti, al dente
In a large mixing bowl, add the turkey meat, pesto, zucchini, eggs, breadcrumbs and salt. Mix well with fingertips and keep aside for an hour.
In the meantime, in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes and add the tomato sauce. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes and turn it down to a simmer.
Form medium sized meatballs and begin adding to the simmering sauce. Once all the meatballs are formed, cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Serve on top of al dente spaghetti.
