Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
2-3 split chicken breasts (4-5 if they're the thinner fillets)
8 cups of water
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
4-6 chicken bouillon cubes (to taste)
26 oz chicken stock
½ C all-purpose flour (can substitute corn starch or rice flour)
1 pkg (8 oz) dumpling noodles
14 oz (3 cups) frozen mixed vegetables
½ tsp coarse ground pepper
1 tsp tarragon
2 tsp kosher salt or to taste

  

Directions:
In a stockpot, add minced garlic and kosher salt to the 8 cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Add chicken breasts, let cook for at least 20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly through. Remove from pot and set aside in a covered container to cool. Keep water boiling; add bouillon cubes, tarragon, and pepper. Let boil until bouillon is dissolved. While water continues to boil, make a slurry by whisking flour together with chicken stock until flour is completely dissolved and there are no lumps. Set aside.

Add dumpling noodles to boiling water, let boil for about 7-8 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently so noodles don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add frozen vegetables. Veggies will lower the liquid temperature significantly, so it will take at least 5 minutes before the liquid is boiling again. While liquid is warming up again, shred chicken using two forks to desired size & thickness.

Add to stock pot. Stir frequently. When liquid is at or near boiling again, add in stock/flour slurry. Stir constantly.

Once soup has reached boiling point, turn heat down to low.  Cover and let simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes.  Ladle chicken & dumplings into bowls and serve hot.

Makes about 12 servings.  Soup can be stored in an air-tight container and frozen for up to 6 months.

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GBAdams
04/02/2014

Tasty Chicken Salad

This is very much a to-taste recipe.  You don't have to follow it to the letter...if you don't like something, omit or reduce it, or substitute with something else.

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Ingredients:
3 split chicken breasts
3-4 Tbsp kosher salt
1-2 garlic cloves, finely diced
4-6 C water

¼ C finely chopped celery
¾ C red and/or green grapes, cut in half
1 apple (can be sweet or tart), diced thinly
3-4 oz candied walnut or pecan pieces
¼ C dried cranberries (optional)
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp garlic salt, or to taste (can also substitute with 2 tsp garlic powder)
2 C Miracle Whip light mayonnaise

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring water to boil with kosher salt and garlic.  When water is boiling, add chicken.  Let boil for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through; keep a close eye to make sure water does not boil over. Turn off heat, cover, and set aside to cool for at least 2 hours.

When chicken is completely cooled, remove chicken from saucepan and place on plate or cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. After pulling apart, dice meat so that there aren't any super-chunky or long pieces. Place in a large bowl. Sprinkle chicken breast with garlic salt (or powder) and mix thoroughly. Then add celery, halved grapes, diced apple (first cut apple into slices, then cut cross-section those slices into no more than ½-in thick pieces), nuts, cranberries (if desired), paprika, and Miracle Whip. Blend together well until the mayonnaise is spread evenly throughout. Fork onto multi-grain bread (for a sandwich) or lettuce leaves (for a salad) and serve.

Makes 5-7 servings

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GBAdams
05/19/2014

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

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Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, finely diced into ½-in or smaller cubes
3 - 32 oz cartons of chicken stock (not broth)
3 C sliced carrots (¼-½ in thick, depending on how big the carrots)
2 C sliced celery
1 C diced onions
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2-3 Tbsp kosher salt (or to taste)
1 Tbsp parsley
2 tsp tarragon
1 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 pkg (12 oz) egg noodles

Directions:
Pour chicken stock into crock pot. Add spices and salt; stir well.

 

 

Add diced chicken breast, carrots, celery, garlic, and onions.  Cover.  Turn crock pot on. Cook 6-7 hours on low, 4-5 hours on high.  An hour before serving, add egg noodles and stir well.  Cover again.  Soup is done when noodles are limp and cooked through.

Makes 8-10 servings (can be frozen up to 6 months in an airtight container)

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GBAdams
02/04/2014

Vietnamese-style Grilled Chili-Lime Wings

This is one of those dishes that try my patience.  Not because it's hard to make, but because it's easy.  Easy to prepare, easy to marinate, easy to ruin.  The high sugar content of this dish, due to both the honey and the brown sugar, lends itself to burning quite easily if you're not careful or impatient.  Therefore, don't try to force the chicken to be done right quickly, or you're liable to end up with charred skin on the outside and raw poultry on the inside.  The key to this is to cook it slowly, over indirect heat.  And to pack some patience in your back pocket, because this should be marinated overnight, and takes about an hour to cook.  But if you do it right, you will be in heaven.  ;)

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Ingredients:
Marinade --
1 C lime juice
2 C soy sauce
¼ C Thai chili sauce (NOT the same as Sriracha ... this is sweeter and not as hot)
½ C honey
1-2 Tbsp garlic (3-4 cloves), finely chopped
¾ C brown sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
Approx. 20 wings, cut up into sections (can also use a whole fryer chicken)

Finishing/Dipping Sauce --
1½ C warm water
½ C sugar
2 Tbsp Thai chili sauce
2-3 Tbsp fish sauce

Directions:
Whisk all the ingredients for the dipping sauce together.  Pour into an air-tight container and set aside.

Whisk all the liquid ingredients for the marinade except the honey together.  Warm the honey in the microwave about 30 seconds, then add to the rest of the marinade and whisk well until fully incorporated.  Immerse wings (or chicken pieces) in the marinade overnight in an airtight container, turning over once after at least 6 hours and at least 4 hours before cooking time.

Preheat grill.  If using a gas grill, turn on all burners on high so that it gets nice and hot inside.  If using charcoal, use a large amount so that it gets really hot.  When grill is ready, move charcoal to one side, or turn off one set of burners on a gas grill.  Place wings on the side that no longer has direct heat.

Cover.  Let cook for 20 minutes, then flip and cook for another 25 minutes.  Be sure heat is an even temperature and does not cool off too much, or else it will take even longer to cook.  After the 45 minutes are up, wings (or chicken pieces) should be a nice caramel-brown color.  If there's still some pink in the chicken, flip and keep on the heat another 5-10 minutes. Place the wings over the side with the heat, 4-5 minutes, then flip and continue another 4-5 minutes.  Do not let the chicken burn, which is easy to do thanks to the high sugar content.

How a whole fryer looks after marinating and grilling.

Remove wings (or chicken) from heat and serve with the finishing sauce for dipping.  Ideal with grilled or roasted vegetables, plain rice or noodles.

Served with a side of roasted sweet potatoes with diced onions and bacon.

Mmm...mmm...tasty!

Serves 5-6 people (depending on how hungry they are!)  ;)

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GBAdams
06/05/2013

Crock Pot Roasted Chicken

This recipe is perfect for the family who spends most of their day out of the house, such as a working couple with kids.  It's perfect because you can prep this dish, place it in the slow cooker, and go about the rest of your day, even if it's a long one.  When you get back, a perfectly roasted chicken will be waiting for you.  Of course, even if you spend the day in your home, you can make this dish...just no guarantees that the aroma as it cooks through the day won't drive you crazy!  ;)

When prepping this dish, be sure to place the roaster breast-side down.  That way the breast becomes immersed in its own juices as it cooks and doesn't dry out.  With such a lengthy cook time for the dish, this little detail is very important. ;)  You can also prep the chicken with the rub the night before and place the whole thing (crock pot and all) in the fridge. Take pot out at least 15 minutes before plugging it in and turning it on.  Because this recipe calls for a low heat, it should gently warm up the stoneware and not risk cracking it.

Hope you enjoy!

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Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Chicken Rub spice mix
1 Tbsp finely minced garlic

Chicken Rub ingredients:
¼ C brown sugar
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp garlic powder
½ Tbsp paprika
1 tsp tarragon
½ tsp coarse ground black pepper

Directions:
Rinse & pat-dry a whole chicken.  (Don't forget to remove any giblets or innards from inside the cavity!)  Rub about a third of the spice mix on the inside of the chicken as thoroughly as possible.  Rub another third of the spices on the breast side, making sure to cover all crevices and surfaces, especially between the legs, thighs, wings and the body of the chicken. Place breast-side down in a crock pot.  Sprinkle remainder of spices on the back and over any un-touched surfaces. Spread minced garlic over top and massage it and the spices well into the skin of the chicken.

Cover tightly with crock pot lid.  DO NOT add any water or other liquid (such as chicken broth) to the pot.  Turn crock pot on low and let cook, undisturbed, for at least 10 hours.

Caution: chicken will be fall-off-the-bone tender when you're done!  ;)

See?

Serve with roasted or pan-sauteed vegetables, such as honey-butter baby carrots or Cripsy Smashed Potatoes.

*grin*

~~~~~
GBAdams
04/04/2012

Chicken Adobo by Germ

So here is yet another recipe I thought I had already posted on Mélange, but it turns out I was wrong.  I did publish it as a note on my Facebook page, but forgot to replicate it to my blog, once it was created.  Oops!

Filipino Adobo, unofficially known as the national dish of the Philippines, has its roots in Spanish cuisine, but its preparation and flavor is entirely Filipino. Although it also shares a name with some Mexican dishes, they are not the same by any stretch.

This is by no means the only way to cook The Philippines' national dish; this is just how I've prepared it since I was in college. There are so many varieties based on region and preference. Some more spicy, some with more savory elements (like fresh herbs, etc.). However, all share two main, basic ingredients: soy sauce and vinegar. It's the vinegar that sets this dish apart and gives it its unique flavor. I make it with sugar so it ends up a sort of adobo/sweet-and-sour hybrid. Very popular at pot lucks.  You can modify it according to your own tastes, either using less sugar or omitting it altogether.  Just don't take out the vinegar.  ;)

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Ingredients:
1 whole fryer chicken, cut up (about 8-10 pieces, depending if you cut up the split chicken breasts)
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 white onions, roughly chopped - larger slices
1 Tbsp peppercorns
3-4 Bay leaves
2 Tbsp sesame oil (or enough to barely coat bottom of pan or pot)
1 C soy sauce (use gluten-free variety to make this a GF dish)
1 C apple cider vinegar
1 C sugar
1 C warm water
White sticky rice

Directions:
In mixing bowl or large measuring cup, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water. Set aside.  In stock pot or dutch oven, heat to medium high, add sesame oil, then add chicken.  Brown one side.  Flip, then add garlic and continue to brown other side.  Add onions, soy sauce mixture, peppercorns and bay leaves.  Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for a minimum of 15 minutes, or until onions begin to turn translucent.  Serve with rice.

Serves 6-8.

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GBAdams
03/08/2010

Pancit Sotanghon

This is a recipe I culled partly from my memory and partly from what's out there on Filipino recipe sites; liked a little here, a little there, etc. Put it all together and you have my take on one of the staple noodle dishes of my culture.

Several things to note:  Honestly, this recipe is NOT difficult.  It is, however, very time-consuming.  It takes time to boil the chicken, cool, shred, cut up all the veggies ahead of time, soak the noodles, etc.  So as long as you stick close to the steps, you should be OK.  As with any Asian stir-fry dish, the key is to have everything cut up ahead of time so you don't have to think about it as you're stirring away...all you have to do is dump in the ingredients as you go.  Also, 99% of these ingredients can likely be found in your local grocery store (yes, even the fish sauce nowadays); I have not always seen bean thread noodles there, and especially not the Chinese sausage, so for these items you will probably need to go to a specialty Asian market.  Rice sticks or thin rice noodles can be substituted, but growing up my mom always used bean thread noodles, also known as lungkow, so that's what I use because I like to carry on many of her traditions.  :)

Bean thread noodles, aka "lungkow"

Veggies can be interchanged, depending on your taste.  Other vegetable ideas include but are not limited to: sliced white button mushrooms, julienned red & green peppers, zucchini (not a personal favorite), pea pods, bean sprouts, etc.  Also, I take a shortcut by buying pre-packaged shredded carrots instead of doing them myself.  It's neater, faster, and heck, why not?

One last thing worth mentioning: Calamansi (cah-lah-mahn-SEE) is a small citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia, and definitely prevalent in Filipino cooking.  Usually they are halved and then squeezed over things like fish & pork so that the citrus juice accentuates whatever dish it's being added to.  If you don't live in an area that normally has access to calamansi (such as where I live in Colorado), small limes or even lime juice can be substituted and used instead.

Good luck...and if you make this dish, please write back and let me know how it turned out for you!  :)

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Ingredients:

Boiled Chicken -

1 half split chicken breast, boneless & skinless

2 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless

2 Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp granulated chicken bouillon (or chicken broth and add kosher salt to taste)

6-8 C water

Noodle Mix - 

6 oz (½ a package, or 4-5 individual links) sliced Chinese sausage

6 oz chopped onions

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

½ head cabbage, roughly shredded (meaning not as finely shredded as for cole slaw or sauerkraut)

1-2 (about 5-6 oz) shredded carrots

1-2 C sliced green beans

2-3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil

8-10 oz bean thread noodles (1 package, or several smaller packages, depending on the brand)

Sauce -

1 C chicken broth

1/3 C dark soy sauce (not low sodium)

2 Tbsp fish sauce

Garnish - 

2-3 stalks of green onions, thinly sliced

5-6 calamansi halves OR 3-4 small limes, sliced into segments

Directions:

Bring water with garlic powder and bouillon to a rolling boil.  Add chicken.  When water comes back to a boil, bring down heat to high simmer.  Skim off any chicken "foam" as necessary.  Cook 15 minutes or until all pieces are cooked thoroughly. Set aside and cool.  (This step can be done well ahead of time.  I sometimes boil large batches of chicken, freeze them in sets, and thaw them out as needed.) When chicken has cooled, roughly shread (pull apart) meat.  Not as finely as for things like BBQ sandwiches or tacos, but don't leave overly-large chunks.

Mix broth, soy sauce and fish sauce in a bowl or large measuring cup; set aside.

Chop up all the vegetables and sausage, striving for even, uniform pieces as much as possible.

Before you start cooking, soak bean thread noodles in warm water and set aside.  Heat up a wok or other large, high-sided pan to as high of heat as possible; add vegetable oil. Start by sautéeing onions, then add Chinese sausage and garlic. When onions have started to take on translucency, add cabbage and carrots.  While cabbage & carrots have started to cook, set soaked noodles in a colander to drain.  Stir veggies & sausage in the pan vigorously until cabbage has also started to become translucent and wilt; add the green beans.  Keep stirring constantly so that nothing sticks to the side or bottom of the pan.

Place drained noodles into pan, then pour broth over noodles, covering as evenly as possible.  Using 2 utensils (spaghetti ladle and/or flat spatula), toss noodle mixture well, like a salad, in order to evenly distribute veggies and sauce within the noodles.

Garnish with finely sliced green onions and serve with calamansi or lime wedges.

How the pancit looks when placed into a serving tray...

...and how it looks, ready for a potluck presentation. :)

Serves about 10 people

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GBAdams

11/16/2011

Mexican Chicken

I've noticed on FB that many of my friends are into the crock pot trend that seems to have become popular recently. Which is a little amusing to me, since I've been using a crock pot almost since I learned how to cook...and that would be about 25 years ago.  (That hurt just to type! ;))  St. Patty's day meals, corned beef and cabbage, are mostly what I cook in the crock pot, but I've also done chili, pot roast, and various chicken dishes in it.  This is one of them.  Mentions of tortilla soup gave me the idea of doing a Mexican chicken-type of dish...not as a soup, but as a solid meal.  Hope you enjoy this one...I know you will probably really enjoy how your house will smell after a few hours.  ;)

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Ingredients:
6-8 pieces of chicken (cut-up whole fryer)
1 pkg Taco mix
1 pkg Fajita mix
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder (optional)
3 C chicken broth
1 medium onion, sliced by quarters
1 pkg frozen peppers
1 can refried beans
5-10 oz Spanish rice (2 pkgs of the pre-packaged variety, like Uncle Ben's)
shredded cheddar/monterey jack/mexican blend cheese
sour cream
medium flour tortillas (optional)

Instructions:
Place chicken into crock pot.  Add Mexican spice packets, cumin, and chili powder (if desired). Pour chicken broth over spices, making sure to dissolve all of it. Cover and set crock pot to high.  Leave alone for at least 4 hours, then add cut-up onion and frozen peppers. Continue to let crock pot cook for at least another 2 hours.

When close to serving time, prepare Spanish Rice according to directions on the package. Heat up refried beans in a microwave-safe dish (be sure to cover, or it will splatter all over) for 3-5 minutes, or until hot.  Serve rice and beans (with a little cheese sprinkled on the top of the beans) with the chicken and warmed tortillas. Garnish with sour cream.

Makes about 8 servings.

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GBAdams
11/08/2011

7-Up Can Chicken

I never tried doing a 7-Up can chicken before.  (Conventionally, this is called "Beer Can Chicken" because a beer can is used, but we hardly ever have beer in the house, so I experimented using the soft drink instead.)  I'd always heard that a chicken roasted this way makes it succulent and super-moist, and I was pleasantly surprised to find all the rumors were true.  ;)  I've made it many times, and while the skin is deliciously crispy, the meat practically overflows with juiciness.  Even the breast meat.  I hope you try this and enjoy it as much as we do!  :)

Couple of things to note: It's a good idea to use gloves (vinyl, latex, nitrile, etc.) when rubbing the spices into the chicken, on both the interior & exterior. If you have nails like I do, it will save discoloration of your fingernails from the paprika.  Also, I alternate the sides for this, from roasted-alongside veggies, to Cripsy Smashed Potatoes & Carrots.  They're both excellent & simple-to-make sides with this chicken.  Yum!

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Just a sampling of some of the ingredients needed...

Ingredients:

Dry rub--

½ C brown sugar

2 Tbsp Kosher salt

2 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp tarragon

1 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Can marinade-- 

½ can 7-Up

¼ C chicken stock

¼ C soy sauce

¼ rice wine vinegar

Directions:
Make chicken rub -- Using an an airtight container, mix all the sugar & spices by pouring into container, sealing, and then shaking. Makes enough rub for 2 whole chickens.  If only roasting one chicken, divide in half and store unused spices in an airtight container.

Preheat oven to 375°F and ensure that wire racks are placed as low as possible.  Empty ½ of the 7-Up so there is room for the other liquids in the can. Pour chicken stock, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar directly into the can so they're all mixed together.  Generously sprinkle about ⅓ of the spices inside the chicken cavity, rubbing it in as much as possible. Place the now-full 7-Up can in the middle of a shallow pan. Carefully place chicken onto the can by the cavity. Using the remainder of the rub mixture, cover the entire exterior of the chicken (including under the wings!) and massage the spices into the skin, coating evenly.

If desired, baby potatoes and other vegetables can be spread around the base of the pan around the chicken for simultaneous roasting.  Place pan (uncovered) in pre-heated oven on the lowest rack possible.  Roast for 1h 30m.

Let rest for at least 10 minutes after removing from the oven and before serving.  Serve with roasted vegetables, or can also be served with Cripsy Smashed Potatoes & Carrots.  ;)

~~~~~
GBAdams
09/20/2011