365 More Ways to Cook Chicken (365 ways) (35 page)

3.
Toss pasta and snow peas with chicken, peanut sauce, and
½
cup scallions. Serve at room temperature, with remaining scallions sprinkled on top

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 19 to 20 minutes Serves: 4

I like dressing with a crusty edge, so the frying pan goes under the broiler at the end for a few minutes in this dish. An old-fashioned cast-iron skillet is a good choice.

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts
  

• ⅛ teaspoon salt
  

• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 1
  ½
  teaspoons dried thyme
  

• 3 tablespoons butter
  

• 1 medium onion, chopped
  

• 1 celery rib, chopped
  

• 1 tart apple, peeled and chopped
  

• ¾ cup chicken broth
  

• 1
  ½
  cups packaged corn bread stuffing mix
  

1.
Preheat broiler. Use your hands to flatten chicken to an even thickness. Season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of thyme.

2.
In a large frying pan with flameproof handle, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until white throughout, about 12 minutes. Remove to a plate.

3.
Melt remaining butter in pan. Add onion, celery, and apple and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining
½
teaspoon thyme, broth, and stuffing mix. Cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 30 seconds.

4.
Return chicken to pan along with any juices that have accumulated on plate. Spoon stuffing on top of chicken. Place pan under broiler about 4 inches from heat. Broil until stuffing is lightly browned and crisped, 1 to 2 minutes.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 13 minutes Serves: 4

Sesame seeds give a flavorful crunch to the coating for pan-fried chicken.

• ¾ cup milk
  

• 1 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
  

• 1 pound thinly sliced chicken cutlets
  

• ¼ cup cornmeal
  

• ¼ cup flour
  

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
  

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  

• ½
  teaspoon salt
  

• ½
  teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• cup vegetable oil
  

• ½
  cup dry white wine
  

• Parsley sprigs, for garnish
  

1.
In a shallow dish, combine milk and Tabasco. Add chicken; turn to coat completely. In another shallow dish, combine cornmeal, flour, sesame seeds, parsley, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken in cornmeal coating, patting onto chicken with your hands.

2.
In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken and cook, turning once, until white throughout, about 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and repeat with remaining oil and chicken.

3.
Stir wine into pan drippings, scraping up browned bits clinging to bottom. Simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Season with additional salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 23 minutes Serves: 4

Since all of the vegetables here except for the frozen pearl onions and peas are precut and can found on any supermarket salad bar, the preparation time is practically nil. Feel free to use other vegetables of your choice.

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  

• ¼ teaspoon salt
  

• teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 1
  ½
  teaspoons poultry seasoning
  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  

• 1 cup baby carrots or sliced carrots
  

• 1 cup sliced celery
  

• 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
  

• 1
  ½
  cups chicken broth
  

• 1 cup broccoli florets
  

• ½ cup frozen green peas
  

1.
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and
½
teaspoon of poultry seasoning. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.

2. Add carrots, celery, and onions, stirring to coat with oil. Add broth and remaining 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.

3.
Add broccoli and simmer 3 minutes. Add peas and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium-high, and boil 2 minutes to reduce broth slightly. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve chicken, vegetables, and broth in shallow soup bowls.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 21 to 24 minutes Serves: 4

• 12 pitted prunes
  

• 1 cup zinfandel or other full-bodied red wine
  

• ½
  teaspoon crumbled dried leaf sage
  

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  

• ½
  teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 2 tablespoons butter
  

• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  

• ½
  cup chicken broth
  

1.
In a nonreactive medium saucepan, bring prunes, wine, and sage to a simmer. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until prunes are plumped, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.

2.
Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until golden and nearly cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

3.
Add shallots to drippings in pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add mustard, broth, and reserved prune cooking liquid, stirring up browned bits in bottom of the pan. Return chicken to the pan and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is white throughout but still moist, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve chicken with sauce with prunes spooned over it.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 15 to 20 minutes Serves: 4

Serve with cranberry sauce and frozen mashed potatoes for a quick taste fix when Thanksgiving is still months away.

• 1
  ½
  cups corn bread stuffing mix
  

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  

• 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
  

• 3 tablespooons butter
  

• ½
  teaspoon crumbled dried leaf sage
  

• ½
  cup chicken broth
  

• ½
  cup half-and-half or light cream
  

• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

1.
In a food processor, crush stuffing mix to make crumbs. Use your hands to flatten chicken to an even thickness. Dip chicken into egg, then into stuffing crumbs.

2.
In a frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning carefully once or twice with a spatula, until crust is a rich golden brown and chicken is white throughout, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

3.
Add sage, broth, and half-and-half to pan drippings. Bring to a boil, stirring up browned bits clinging to bottom of pan. Boil, stirring often, until gravy is lightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon gravy over chicken and serve.

Prep 10 minutes Cook: 15 to 20 minutes Serves: 6

Good red wine vinegar is the secret to this simple recipe.

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  

• ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
  

• ½
  teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
  

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
  

• 1 (14
  ½
  -ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
  

• 1
  ½
  cups chicken broth, preferably reduced-sodium
  

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  

• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
  

• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
  

1.
Season chicken with rosemary, salt, and pepper. In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from pan.

2. Add garlic to drippings in pan and cook 30 seconds. Add drained tomatoes, broth, and vinegar. Return chicken to pan and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is white throughout but still moist, 7 to 9 minutes.

3.
Remove chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Boil sauce over high heat until lightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and swirl in butter.

4.
Pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Serves: 4

This is one good thing to do with leftover roast chicken and mashed potatoes. You can also start with deli rotisserie chicken and frozen mashed potatoes. High-temperature baking finishes this dish off quickly.

• 1 medium onion, chopped
  

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
  

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  

• 2 (14½-ounce) cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes
  

• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken (about ¾ pound)
  

• 4 cups room-temperature leftover mashed potatoes or prepared frozen mashed potatoes
  

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  

1.
Preheat oven to 500°F. In a large ovenproof frying pan, cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat until just softened, about 3 minutes.

2.
Stir in tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, 7 minutes. Stir in chicken. Spread mashed potatoes over chicken mixture, spreading almost to edge of pan. Sprinkle cheese on top.

3.
Bake until filling is bubbly hot and potatoes are tinged with gold and heated through, about 10 minutes.

Here are two of America’s favorite foods, married in a variety of sauces and flavorings. Teamed together, they offer an unlimited wealth of delicious opportunities as well as the best of low-fat protein and complex carbohydrates.

Precisely because of the versatility of both chicken and pasta, the following recipes are starting points in which you can personalize a dish to fit your own taste and needs and what you have on hand. Just remember to stay within a category. For example, if a recipe calls for boneless chicken thighs, you can use boneless breasts just as easily. If bone-in skinless breasts are called for, bone-in skinless thighs or drumsticks will work just as well. The same applies to the pasta. If spaghetti is listed, vermicelli or linguine or any other long-strand pasta can be used. If rigatoni is the ingredient, penne or another short stubby pasta will work, too. In the case of both the chicken and the pasta, cooking times may need to be adjusted slightly in the variations, but the dish will work. I’ve chosen the chicken cuts and pasta shapes specified because I like them best in each dish, but on any given day (or depending upon what I have in the refrigerator or on the shelf), I might change my mind, too.