Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with Cous Cous

For the last two weeks I've been feeling under the weather. When that happens, you get sick of soup pretty quickly. Instead of the normal chicken noodle and tea, I was craving some serious ginger and garlic. This quick stir fry was the perfect immune booster (or so I convinced myself). Simply slice red peppers, onions, mushrooms, and chicken breast into thin strips. Chop ginger and garlic. Heat some oil in a wok. Saute the ginger, garlic, and vegetables until softened, but still retaining some bite. I removed them at this point, then sauteed the chicken, adding the vegetables back in at the end.

I served this with whole wheat cous cous, for a quick, delicious, healthy meal.

Chicken Breast with Chive and Mustard Sauce

I can't explain why I got the urge for chicken with a creamy mustard sauce. In my memory I have never had such a dish. But, the urge came on and I found many recipes to try. The one I opted for was from Gourmet (2004) on Epicurious.com. I served this with garlic mashed potatoes and salad, although any starch would be a good side (you want something to soak up the velvety sauce). Rice, cous cous, risotto, or buttered noodles would all go well. Or even just some crusty bread.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Four 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, slightly pounded, and flattened
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup brandy, apple brandy, pear brandy, or Kentucky bourbon
1/2 cup dry white wine 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock, or store-bought low sodium chicken broth (I only used 1 cup, which was plenty).
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Directions

1. Heat the butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan until it begins to melt and foam. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the breasts to the pan and brown them on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn them over and cook them until well browned on the other side, about 6 more minutes. The chicken is done when it is firm to the touch and the juices run clear. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

2. Add the shallots to the same pan and sauté until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat, move the pan away from the flame, lean away from it, and carefully pour in the brandy, taking care not to let it flame. (If it does flame, cover with a pot lid until the brandy cooks out.) Continuing to be mindful of potential flare-ups, return the pan to the stove and let the brandy evaporate over low heat.

3. Add the wine to the pan, raise the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. Whisk in the mustard and let reduce for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

4. Stir in the cream and bring just to a boil. Stir in the chives. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer gently until the stock has reduced and thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.

5. To serve, put 1 chicken breast in the center of each of 4 plates and spoon some sauce over the top.

Notes from the kitchen:

• Although this is not a very vegetarian-friendly recipe, I'm sure it could somehow be adapted for tofu, which would soak the sauce right up. Yum.
• I used Jim Beam, since that's what I had on hand. Although the alcohol cooked off you could definitely still taste the whiskey a little. Next time I would like to try it with Brandy, just to see.
• I reduced the amount of chicken stock and think the liquid could even be reduced slightly more for a thicker sauce.
  

Bronx Thanksgiving Recipes - Roast Chicken

Since I will be having turkey on Thursday, I decided to make a roast chicken for the meat-eaters at the potluck (definitely in the minority). Sarah had sent me a recipe not too long ago that I wanted to try, so this is adapted from her. It turned out moist and delicious!

Ingredients
1 Chicken (mine was 8.5 lbs)
12 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 lbs red bliss potatoes, quartered
2 large parsnips (4 carrot-sized ones), sliced
1 large onion, cut into large pieces
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
rosemary
thyme
3 tbs butter, cut into small pieces
3 cups water

Directions
Preset oven to 425.
Wash the chicken with water. Take out the bag inside the cavity. Reserve for soup or discard.
Put the chicken in a roasting pan. Rub the chicken skin with peeled garlic and salt.

Cut little holes in the skin and put in fresh cloves of garlic throughout, including a few pieces in the cavity. Rub the skin with butter and place small pieces of butter under the skin and in the cavity. Sprinkle fresh rosemary and thyme all over. Salt and pepper too.

Around the chicken put parsnips, potatoes, onions, mushrooms and remaining garlic (or any vegetables you have around). They roast wonderfully, and they give the chicken a nice flavor. You can also put some inside the cavity to roast. Alternately, you could put stuffing inside.

Add water all rround so that the chicken and vegetables are sitting in about an inch of water.
Put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 and cook another 2 1/2-3 hours until the inside of a leg can be cut open without pinkness or colored juice. Baste every 10 minutes or so as it cooks. Add more water as needed.

Since it is a large chicken it took longer than I thought to cook. When it was done, however, the skin was golden brown and crispy and the inside was moist and delicious. There was an incredible aroma of butter and roasted vegetables that almost turned a few vegetarians back to the dark side.


Evan did a stellar job carving the chicken like a pro. The chicken turned out delicious and a big hit - there wasn't a scrap left. The vegetables were frickin awesome too.

Gnocchi with Cannellini Beans and Roasted Broccoli

Gnocchi with Cannellini Beans and Roasted Broccoli

I made this recipe a few nights ago based on ingredients that I had on hand. It turned out to be very hearty and delicious! It also made great leftovers. Vegetarians can simply leave out the chicken.

Ingredients:
1 Head Broccoli, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 Spanish Onion, halved and sliced
2 Chicken Breasts (1 1/2 - 2 Lbs), cut into pieces
1 Lbs Potato Gnocchi (Such as DeCecco)
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Can Cannellini Beans
1/2 Cup White Wine (I used Pinot Gris)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400º and put a pot of water on to boil.
Toss broccoli with 1/4 cup olive oil and spread it in a baking sheet. Put it in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, tossing midway through.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pan (I used a stir-fry pan, but any large pan with sides would work). Cook onions and garlic on medium heat until onions are almost translucent. Add chicken and beans; stir. Add wine and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook, covered, until chicken is almost cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

Uncover pan and let the liquid cook down. Meanwhile, remove the broccoli from the oven. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions until soft but not mushy. Drain the gnocchi and mix with the onion, beans, and chicken. Add the broccoli. Serve in a large bowl with fresh grated Parmesan on top.