365 More Ways to Cook Chicken (365 ways) (51 page)

3.
Add drained pasta to wok and toss to coat with sauce. Add cheese and toss again. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 5 to 6 minutes Serves: 4 to 6

The richness of the peanut butter is nicely balanced with the lime juice.

• 3 garlic cloves
  

• ⅔ cup chunky peanut butter
  

• ⅓ cup lime juice
  

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  

• ½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
  

• 1 cup chicken broth
  

• ¾ pound vermicelli
  

• 6 ounces snow peas (about 2 cups), trimmed and halved if large
  

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
  

• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  

• ⅔ cup chopped scallions
  

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  

1.
With machine on, toss garlic into feed tube of a food processor. Add peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and hot pepper and process until blended. Pour broth through feed tube slowly and process until smooth. Set sauce aside.

2.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook vermicelli until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes, adding snow peas to water during last 30 seconds of cooking. Drain pasta and snow peas into a colander.

3.
While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and stir-fry until chicken is white throughout and pepper is crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove wok from heat.

4.
Add noodles, snow peas, and peanut sauce to wok. Toss gently to combine. Serve noodles with scallions and cilantro sprinkled on top.

Ground chicken, like ground turkey, is a wonderful hamburger alternative. Because it is softer than ground beef, I’ve found that adding some bread crumbs gives ground chicken the body it needs to make good burgers and meat loaves. In chili or pasta sauces, it can usually be substituted measure for measure for ground beef, pork, or veal.

These days, ground chicken is widely available in the supermarket and is often a mix of white and dark meat—the latter a plus for extra flavor. Depending upon the blend, some chicken skin may also be added to give a little fat to the mix. If you wish to make really lean ground chicken, grind your own from skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Cut the breasts into chunks, then pulse in a food processor just until ground. Be careful, though, or the chicken will be pureed to a paste in no time. This is desirable for recipes such as the chicken and vegetable terrine, but will lack good texture for burgers.

Use these recipes as your guide, but experiment with substituting ground chicken for beef in your own favorite recipes as well.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 45 minutes Serves: 4

This is a modern adaptation of one of my favorite childhood suppers. Serve over egg noodles.

• 4 small green bell peppers
  

• 1 pound ground chicken
  

• ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
  

• 1 small onion, chopped
  

• 1 large garlic clove, minced
  

• 1 egg
  

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  

• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 4 cups marinara sauce
  

1.
Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds and ribs. In a mixing bowl, use your hands to gently but throroughly combine ground chicken, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, egg, oregano, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Divide stuffing in 4 parts and fill pepper cavities, mounding and rounding tops.

2.
In a nonreactive saucepan just large enough to hold peppers, bring marinara sauce to a simmer. Add peppers, cover pot, and simmer over medium-low heat until peppers are tender and filling is white throughout, about 45 minutes.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 12 to 15 minutes Serves: 4

Served open face, these are rather like a Scandinavian sandwich.

• ¼ cup sour cream
  

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  

• 1 pound ground chicken
  

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
  

• 1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
  

• ½ cup chopped scallions
  

• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 4 thick slices of whole wheat bread
  

• 4 leaves of red leaf lettuce
  

1.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill. Lightly oil grill rack or coat with nonstick vegetable spray.

2.
In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon of mustard. Cover mustard sauce and refrigerate. In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, egg, bread crumbs, scallions, dill, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 tablespoon mustard. Mix with your hands to blend well. Form into 4 patties, each about 3 inches in diameter.

3.
Grill chicken patties, turning once, until white throughout but still juicy, about 12 to 15 minutes. About 2 minutes before chicken is done, grill bread, turning once until lightly toasted.

4.
To serve, spread mustard sauce on toast. Add lettuce and then burgers.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 12 to 15 minutes Serves: 6

Grilled Italian bread with tomato and basil is the classic bruschetta. Add a grilled chicken patty and it turns into a whole meal.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
  

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  

• 1 large garlic clove, minced
  

• ¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
  

• 1½ pounds ground chicken
  

• ½ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
  

• ¾ teaspoon salt
  

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 6 slices of mozzarella cheese
  

• 6 slices of Italian bread, cut ¾ inch thick
  

• 6 thin slices of sweet onion
  

• 6 slices of tomato
  

• 12 fresh basil leaves
  

1.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a barbecue grill. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and hot pepper. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands to blend well. Form into 6 patties, each about 4 inches in diameter.

2. Grill patties, turning once, until white throughout but still juicy, about 12 to 15 minutes. About 2 minutes before patties are done, top with cheese slices to melt. Grill bread until lightly toasted on both sides, about 1 minute. Liberally brush one side of grilled bread with flavored oil.

3.
Place onion and tomato slices on brushed sides of toasts. Drizzle with any remaining oil. Add patties, then basil leaves, and serve.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 18 to 22 minutes Serves: 4

The original version is named for Dr. J. H. Salisbury, who in the late nineteenth century recommended eating beef three times per day. We like his recipe but prefer chicken these days.

• 1 pound ground chicken
  

• ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
  

• ¼ cup chopped parsley
  

• ¼ cup minced onion
  

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  

• 1 egg white
  

• 3 tablespoons flour
  

• 1 tablespoon butter
  

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  

• 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
  

• ½ cup dry white wine
  

• ¾ cup chicken broth
  

1.
In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to lightly but throroughly combine chicken, bread crumbs, parsley, onion, thyme, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and egg white. Form into 4 patties, each about
½
inch thick. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of flour onto a small plate. Dredge patties in flour to coat lightly.

2.
Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add patties and cook, turning once with a spatula, until browned outside and white throughout, 10 to 13 minutes. Remove patties to a platter.

3.
Add mushrooms to drippings in pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Pour in wine and broth and bring to a boil, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce and mushrooms over chicken patties and serve at once.

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 10 to 13 minutes Serves: 6

Any extra seasoning mix you make here will keep on the shelf for a couple of months if you store it in a tightly covered jar.

• 1 tablespoon paprika
  

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
  

• 1 teaspoon onion powder
  

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  

• 1 teaspoon salt
  

• ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  

• ½ teaspoon cayenne
  

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  

• 1½ pounds ground chicken
  

• ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
  

• 1 egg white
  

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
  

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
  

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  

• 6 sourdough sandwich rolls
  

• 6 lettuce leaves
  

• 6 slices of tomato