Lemon White Wine Chicken Over Rice

I made a thick lemon wine sauce for some chicken tenders to eat over rice pilaf.  This way it felt like the sauce had substance, but it used lighter ingredients and flavors to be a little more subtle.

First up, I sauteed my veggies (garlic, onion, mushrooms) in a little olive oil (butter works well too).

Once softened and a little browned, if there is no oil/butter left in the pan, add about a tablespoon more and add some flour (1-4 tbsp depending on how thick and what quantity of sauce you want).  This will act as the thickening agent.  Stir everything well and you've got yourself a roux.

To the veggies/roux, add your white wine.  (Broth is also acceptable, or a combination of the two for a subtler wine flavor).  I used a pinot grigio, but chardonnay works well too (just use what you like/have).

As you stir, the sauce will thicken as the wine combines with the roux.  At this point you can add about a tablespoon of lemon juice.  This is when I added my (still raw) chicken tenders, so that they could cook in the sauce, but if you feel more comfortable using precooked chicken, that is also fine.  I put the lid over this to allow the chicken to steam in the sauce and to avoid too much evaporation.

Once cooked through, I plated the rice, added the chicken on top, then continued cooking the sauce over medium heat to get it to the desired consistency.  You can add a little more lemon juice here if you want that flavor to pop out, or more wine if you lost a lot of liquid volume while cooking.  Fresh herbs (like parsley, tarragon, thyme) would be a great addition here (I added pepper and dried tarragon because I didn't have any fresh).  If you want it to be a real cream sauce you can also add maybe a quarter cup of heavy cream or a tablespoon or two of butter.  I did not do that this time.  But once I poured the sauce over the chicken I did garnish with freshly grated parmesan.

Stuffed Cabbage

I inherited some cabbage awhile back and not having used it before, I decided to follow some Russian influences and make some stuffed cabbage.  The key for this dish is to boil the cabbage first so the leaves are malleable as you go to stuff them.  Then what you stuff them with is entirely up to you.  I used chicken, rice, and veggies for mine.

So first up, cut the cabbage in half and add the halves to boiling water.  You will lose the integrity of some of the leaves for wrapping, so some wraps may involve 2 leaves instead of 1.  But do be sure you split the cabbage in half lengthwise (so the stalk gets cut in half, otherwise every leaf will be cut in half.

Meanwhile, prepare your filling.  I cooked brown rice according to package instructions, and sauteed some red onions, mushrooms, and garlic in a little olive oil.

Once softened I removed the veggies to the sauce pan containing the rice and sauteed my chicken which I had chopped into 1/2 inch cubes.

Once the chicken was fully cooked, I transferred it too to the rice and veggies and made sure everything was nicely mixed.  I also added diced fresh tomatoes, chopped scallions, salt, and pepper.  

By this point, the cabbage was fully boiled (at least 20 minutes, but longer depending on how cooked you like your cabbage).  Carefully remove the hot cabbage from the water and when cool enough to handle, separate the leaves into individual "bowls" for stuffing.  To each leaf I added a spoonful of my stuffing and topped with freshly grated cheese.

At this point, roll them like a burrito and the next step is at your discretion.  I placed them seam-side down back into the skillet to char a little bit, but also heat through.  You could also put them in a baking dish and put them in the oven for 10-20 minutes.  I added a little broth to get a little steaming action going on, but if you have a sauce prepared, such as a tomato sauce, creamy bechamel, or something else you prefer, you can cook the wraps in the sauce.

To serve, I plated my wraps and added a dollop of sour cream (which is often served with stuffed cabbage at Russian restaurants, only it is a slightly different consistency than the sour cream available in US supermarkets).

Halal Style Chicken and Rice

As a new New Yorker, I was unaware of the phenomenon that was the halal cart on practically every street corner in Manhattan until moving here a few months ago.  So tonight's dinner is inspired by the chicken and rice you can buy off the street for $5 a pop, 24/7, with that oh-so-divine yet oh-so-mysterious "white sauce".

To construct my "knockoff chicken and rice" I created a lettuce base, topped with saffron infused rice mixed with cilantro, and finished with my chicken and veggies.  But let's not forget the white sauce garnish.  We had "dined" at one of the halal carts a few nights earlier, so we had leftover white sauce in a to-go container perfect for adding to our own meals throughout the week. 

For this version I used romaine lettuce.  (Here's an unnecessary picture of the pre-assembled lettuce on the plate.)

 

I prepared the yellow saffron rice according to package directions but added in about 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro toward the end of the cooking.

For the chicken, I chopped some yellow onion, mushrooms, scallions, garlic, and chicken breasts.  Add a little olive oil to a skillet, saute the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until softened.  Throw in your chicken.  Now at this point I added my spices: cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper. 

I went for cooking over a dry heat with dry spices to mimic the fresh-off-the grill aspect of the halal carts.  I threw the scallions in toward the end to cook a little.  But ultimately, the chicken and veggies were quite darkened and had a nice kick to them. 

I scooped my rice on top of the lovely bed of lettuce showcased above.  Then came the chicken/veggies.  And finally what street food meal is complete with the sauce?  A little googling yieldss mixed theories as to the contents of this sauce.  Some say mayo/vinegar.  Some say cucumber/yogurt.  Our version of the sauce had many black specks in it (and no cucumber to be found), and the taste was reminiscent of ranch dressing.  So use whatever sauces/dressings you like.  The lettuce lets you pretend you're having a salad, while the rice reminds you that you're having a heartier meal. 

Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Today I have yet another delicious lunchtime sandwich option for you all.  I was craving some chicken pesto the other night, but decided it was more of an afternoon meal, so the next day I went to town.  Pretty much all you need for this is chicken and pesto sauce and the rest of the accompaniments are up to you.  I would've liked some avocado or maybe some lettuce or fresh tomato, but alas you use what you have, and here is what I made given the ingredients in my fridge.  Granted, it was still obviously a delicious and decadent sandwich.   

1. Toast your bread.  I went with sourdough. 
2. Cook your bacon.  I did this in a pan on the stove. 
3. Cook your chicken.  I used two chicken breast tenders which I first seared in the bacon grease, but then ultimately poached in a little broth/water combo.  This was to make sure it would cook through and remain moist.  When it was pretty much done, most of the liquid had evaporated so I spread a thick slab of pesto on top of the chicken, put the lid on the saucepan and cooked another 3-5 minutes.
4. Assemble.

On one slice of the bread I placed some red onion slices, covered with my bacon strips, and crumbled some herbed goat cheese on top.  On the other slice of bread I spread a coat of mayonnaise, placed my two chicken slices on top, and shaved some fresh parmesan cheese onto the still hot chicken so it would melt. 

Carefully flip over one of the sides of the sandwich.  Press together lightly, slice on the bias, and enjoy this cheesy, pesto-ey, meaty deliciousness. 

Chicken Pesto Crepes

 

The other night I was craving crepes, but not interested in going to a restaurant, so I obviously had to make them at home.  Turns out they're quite simple and quick.  Prepare your batter, then prepare your fillings.  Cook the batter, fill the crepe, eat.  

Crepe Batter: 1 egg, 1/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup milk

Fillings: Chicken, red onion, corn, pesto sauce, cheddar and goat cheese

That amount of crepe batter made 3 crepes.  Mix all the ingredients and make sure there aren't any lumps.  Then make sure your filling is completely cooked.  I sauteed the chicken, onion, and corn in a  skillet and then added pesto sauce.  Set aside.  

Heat your nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly butter the bottom.  Add 1/3 of your crepe batter and swirl it around the entire bottom of your pan. 

Once partially cooked, but obviously cooked through on the bottom (about 1 minute), flip. 

At this point, add your filling mixture.  Like with a quesadilla, I start with the cheese so that it will melt and then put my chicken mixture over it. 

Once melted, transfer to a plate by folding however you'd like.  I went for burrito-style rolls, but you can do triangles, folds, whatever your heart desires. 

Coq Au Vin

Don't ask me how to pronounce it because I always butcher the name, but this is your classic chicken and red wine dish.  Wine sauces pretty much make anything taste classy and I often serve this over rice for nice dinners and the occasional weekend meal. 

There are many variations on how to prepare this, but I tend to follow a few standard procedures.  1st: acquire your wine.  NEVER use "cooking wine".  This is the most vile of all liquids and should never be used for cooking ever.  Now that I've cleared that up, make sure you always use wine you would be willing to drink (in this case it's ok to have bad taste, as long as it's wine meant for drinking).  I like to use the cheapest wine I can find (2 buck chuck?).  This time I used a nicer Italian red.  It doesn't matter, just cook with the taste you like. 

Begin by pouring an entire 750 ml bottle of wine into a bowl/sauce pan.  Add your raw chicken and any sliced veggies you will be using.  This time I used carrots, onions, garlic, and zucchini.  Throw in a bay leaf for flavor.  Heat this mixture on the stove for about five minutes and you'll end up with a lovely purple juice.  

Let this sit for up to a day in the fridge, or you can be lazy like me and cook everything right away.  Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat and add some bacon.  This is the best part of the coq au vin in my opinion, but you probably already knew that.  Remove your bacon strips, drain on a paper towel, and use the bacon grease to cook your chicken.  Drain the chicken from the wine, pat dry, and add to your pan.  Cook on both sides for about 5 minutes.  You can cook it entirely through, or not, since it will stew for awhile later. 

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan so you can chop it up.  Next, you'll want to drain the veggies from the wine, but don't discard the wine!  You'll then saute the vegetables in the remaining bacon grease (add more butter if you need). 

Once the veggies are good and cooked, push them to the side and add some flour to the pan to create a roux.  I added maybe about 1/4 to 1/3 cup.  Then slowly start adding your reserved wine marinade while stirring/whisking.  The sauce will thicken as it's added.  Once you have all the wine in the pan, add your chicken back and add any seasonings you want (I opted for tarragon and pepper). 

Let this stew for awhile until the sauce reduces by about half or more and the carrots are soft.  I was watching a football game while this reduced, so it maybe had 45 minutes on the stove before halftime.  At the end I mixed in the bacon that we had previously cooked and I ripped up into bite sized pieces.    Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or whatever else you like.  And feel free to add any other vegetables you want.  I often use pearl onions instead of chopped onions, and I love mushrooms in my coq au vin, but sometimes you just have to settle for what you have. 

Chicken Curry Soup with Rice

I was feeling quite under the weather last week, so obviously for dinner I had to make the quintessential chicken soup.  Opting for rice instead of noodles, and a bit of a kick to really help drain those sinuses (tmi?) this chicken curry soup was born.

I found a spice bottle in our spice rack with a hand-written label on it that said "curry powder".  There are lots of types of curries, all with very distinct flavors.  I didn't really know what I was getting, but I figured I'd never met a curry I didn't like, so I would have at it.  Turns out this one resembled the Indian curries I'm accustomed to.  It worked out.

So first I sauteed the garlic and shallot in a little olive oil, then added 1/2 cup of brown basmati rice (uncooked) to coat in the oil mixture.  Then I added the curry.  Probably about 1 tbsp (it's better to under-add the spices at first, then go back for more if you need them).  I mixed and heated everything through to really let that flavor infuse as much as it could.

Then I added the chicken broth (maybe 3 cups worth? sorry, i never measure) and sliced carrots.  This would allow the rice to cook in broth instead of water, and the carrots to soften. 

The rice would normally take about 20 minutes to cook, so after about 15 minutes I added the raw chicken.  I used sliced chicken breast meat.  I added this later because I worried that if it was stewing too long it wouldn't stay as tender, so closer to the end point was when I wanted to start it poaching.

Once done, the rice was falling apart, the carrots were soft, the chicken tender, and the broth with just the right amount of kick.  You can add more broth as you find necessary, and I added a little bit of pepper and dried tarragon.  Suddenly being sick didn't feel so bad. 

Rice and Beans

This was one of those "what can I throw together with existing ingredients, but that is very dense because I'm very hungry" meals.  Lacking tortillas, I figured I could make what I would normally put in a burrito, but eat it like a stew-y mush.

Rice and beans.  A good starting point.  I only had brown basmati rice, though, so we'll call this a bit of a fusion dish.  Basically I cooked the rice according to the directions.  In a separate skillet I heated a little olive oil to cook the garlic and onions.  Then I added a can of black beans, which I partially drained.  As the beans cooked, the liquid diminished, so I thought I'd maybe treat this like a black bean soup, and I added some chicken broth, which too cooked off eventually.  I added the sliced chicken to basically poach in the liquid, and once no longer pink I added the rice.  I now had a soupy mixture, so I added the juice of 1/2 a lime and cooked until the liquid was reduced completely (only about five minutes or so).  To finish it off I added a bunch of fresh cilantro and scallions, poured it in a bowl, and melted some cheese on top.  It definitely did the trick and filled me up.

Cilantro Chicken over Saffron Rice

I have dubbed this meal "Chicken Irene" in honor of last night's impending hurricane while the meal was being consumed.  Luckily there was no damage and my 6 gallons of bottled water did not need to be utilized.

So this is pretty simple.  Prepare saffron rice according to package instructions.  The package looks like this:

I then chopped 1/4 of an onion, about 10 mushrooms, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 large chicken breasts, and 1/2 cup cilantro.  Add some butter to a saute pan and cook the garlic, onion, and mushrooms first.  Once softened add your sliced chicken.  Cook until no longer pink and add a pinch of the cilantro, salt, and pepper, to the pot.

I added about 1/2 of the remaining cilantro to the fully cooked rice and mixed.  Plate the rice, then top with the chicken mixture, and garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro.  I was lacking any sort of sauce for this dish so for a little extra flavor we gave ourselves the option of mixing in hummus.  These portions served 3 people.

Cornish Game Hens with White Rice and Bacon

This recipe has been a mainstay for family dinners for as long as I can remember.  The best part about this is the rice.  It's buttery on the bottom of the baking dish, but the rice on the top gets crunchy and it's pretty fabulous. My mother hates to cook, but she makes good food, and this recipe is one she's perfected.  A quick phone call the other day to ask for proportions and tips, and we were ready for our feast. 

Ingredients: cornish game hens, white rice, butter, onions, salt/pepper, bacon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

This is a pretty simple dish, and you can obviously spice it up if you want other flavors, but we were going for simplicity.  So first, prepare the rice according to package directions.  I used long grain white rice, but you can use any rice you prefer.  I made 1 1/2 cups of rice which yielded 3 cups since my baking dish couldn't hold too much more than that.  For the last 5 minutes of cooking i added diced onions and a tablespoon of butter to the rice. 

When the rice is ready, spread about 1/3 of it on a baking dish.  Stuff the birds with some rice and place them on top of the rice in the baking dish. Fill the rest of the rice in the open areas of the baking dish. 

Now, butter these guys up.  Rub the birds with butter and place little cubes on/in the rice.  I used about 2 tbsp total for this part, but in retrospect I could have used more.  The final, though maybe unnecessary touch, is to drape a slice of bacon across the breast of each hen.  As we know, everything tastes better with bacon, and this adds a nice extra flavor.  But you certainly can roast these hens without it. 

Finally, season with salt and pepper, put in the oven, and bake for about an hour to an hour and a half.  I went for the longest time, just to make sure everything was cooked through, and the butter helped keep things moist.  To serve we typically cut the hens in half with kitchen shears and pile on the rice. 

Chicken Wellington

I invented this recipe a little over two years ago when I had leftover puff pastry in my freezer and wanted to make a spin on a chicken pot pie.  I may have also been inspired by Costco's Chicken Bake, but it's hard to know for sure.  I even created a legit recipe with amounts and instructions (as opposed to my usual "a bit of this" "as much as you want of that").

1.25 lbs Chicken Breast Tenders

1 14 oz can Chicken Broth

½ cup dry white wine

3 cups water

3 slices uncooked bacon, chopped

½ small brown onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic, minced

½ zucchini, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

3 oz cream cheese

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets

1 egg

1 tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  

2. Heat chicken broth, white wine, and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan.  Add chicken breasts to pan and poach until cooked through then chop into 1 inch pieces. (Careful, it will be hot).  Set aside in medium-sized mixing bowl. 

 

3. Heat medium-sized skillet over medium heat and add sliced bacon.  Once cooked, remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.    

4. Add onion and garlic to bacon grease remaining in pan.  Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then add zucchini and mushrooms.  Saute another 10 minutes until tender.  

5. Remove vegetables from heat and add to the chicken in the mixing bowl.  Mix in cream cheese and once everything is evenly covered, stir in scallions and bacon.  

6. Place Puff Pastry dough sheet on a nonstick cookie sheet.  Spoon chicken, vegetable, and cream cheese mixture into center of the dough sheet, leaving about 3 inches of uncovered dough on the sides and 1.5 inches of uncovered dough on the ends.  Cut ¾ inch strips in the exposed dough sheet sides at 45 degree downward angles.  Fold the strips of dough sheet onto the chicken filling in a crisscross pattern and pinch up the 1.5 inches of dough at the ends, underneath the strips.  

 

7. Prepare an egg wash with the egg and 1 tbsp water.  Brush egg wash over the prepared chicken-filled dough sheet. 

8. Bake in the preheated 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, until dough becomes golden brown. Remove from oven, slice, and serve!

Bibimbap, a Variation

I was inspired by Bibimbap the other night, but lacking the traditional ingredients, so I made this, my variation on the Korean dish.  I didn't have any beef, so I opted for chicken, and used the veggies I had in my fridge.

Ingredients: Rice, Chicken, Asparagus, Mushrooms, 1 Leek, Garlic
Sauce: Soy sauce, sesame oil, chili powder, salt/pepper

Chop your veggies and chicken and place the chicken in soy sauce and garlic to marinate for anywhere from thirty minutes to a few hours.  Add chili oil/any other relevant spices or sauces you may have. 

Prepare the rice.  I used white jasmine rice.  While the rice is cooking, heat some sesame oil in a skillet and add your veggies. 

Once they are well sauteed, add the chicken and it's sauce to the skillet.  Cook through and add more soy sauce/seasonings as you see fit.  When everything is cooked completely, put some rice in a bowl, add the chicken/veggies on top.  Finally crack an egg in the skillet you cooked the veggies in to fry it to your desired doneness.  Put the egg on top of the rice/veggie mixture.  To eat, mix everything together in classic bibimbap fashion or eat in portions, whatever you'd prefer.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

  

Another produce item in the fridge just asking to be used before it goes bad (again thanks to the roommate's CSA) so I was inspired to make lettuce wraps!  More sauces/ingredients would have been ideal (like hoisin, water chestnuts, carrots), but you work with what you've got when it's dinner time and you're not up for a trip to the store.  

So this rendition of lettuce wraps included: chicken (4 breast tenders) diced, sesame oil, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1/4 cup diced red onion, ~1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, dash of lemon juice, 1 tsp corn starch

Begin by sauteing the garlic and onion (and potentially any other veggies you have) in a skillet covered in a thin layer of sesame oil (~1 tbsp or so).  

Once suitably softened add your chicken.  You want to saute but also potentially get a little bit of crisp from the oil.  

Once cooked through, push the meat and veggies to the side and add the brown sugar to the pan and a tbsp of the soy sauce.  Stir in place to completely dissolve the brown sugar into the soy sauce, then stir with the rest of the chicken/veggies.  

Add other sauces if you have any (teriyaki, hoisin, oyster).  Again, pushing the meat to the side of the pan, add the corn starch to the skillet and some more soy sauce.  Mix thoroughly and watch as the sauce thickens.  Add your desired amount of soy sauce.  Splash with a little lemon, and when done, spoon into the lettuce (ideally Bibb, but use whatever you have).  And most importantly, make sure to eat with your hands!