2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup ranch dressing
½ cup hot sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Crackers, to serve
Sliced vegetables, to serve (cucumber, peppers, carrots, broccoli)
Preparation Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing, hot sauce and cheddar cheese. Mix well to combine. Scrape mixture into a 9” glass pie dish or equal sized oven-proof container.
3. Place in oven for 20 mins or until bubbling and golden. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips or sliced vegetables.
Here’s a perfect meal for a summery dinner, festive lunch, and it even works for those New-Years-resolution low-fat, low carb diets! Plus, if your kids are like mine (kinda fussy), they’ll eat it! Mine loved wrapping up their chicken in the crunchy lettuce leaves.
Ingredients
1 lb ground chicken
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1″ piece of lemon grass, chopped (or if you find it frozen, 2 tsp)
1″ piece of ginger, chopped or grated
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 c chopped cilantro
4-6 mint leaves, chopped
1-2 chopped thai chilis (optional)
For the garnish:
lime wedges
large leaf lettuce, like boston, or leaf lettuce
diced or sliced cucumber (1/2)
diced or sliced red peppers
sliced chili peppers
hoisin sauce
sriracha
mint leaves
coriander leaves
chopped peanuts (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok. Don’t let it smoke. Add ginger, garlic and lemon grass, and cook 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t brown. Add chicken and brown (about 7-10 minutes). Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and soy sauce. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes to make sure chicken is cooked throughout. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and mint.
To serve, arrange leaves and vegetables on a platter. Use one large leaf, add sauces (hoisin and sriracha), 1 large scoop of chicken, top with cucumber, peppers, herbs and chopped peanuts. Roll as best you can, and enjoy!
This is one of those recipes that I often make, but never with an actual recipe! It’s a no-fail favorite with friends and family!
Ingredients
8 oz (1 package) sliced mushrooms- cremini works best!
50g pancetta- diced
10 pearl onions
1 tsp butter
1 tsp fresh thyme
2 tbsp butter
9 chicken thighs
1/4 cup flour
1 bottle red wine
Preparation Instructions
Melt 1 tsp butter in a heavy bottom pan. Brown mushrooms, pancetta and pearl onions. Remove from heat. Dredge chicken in flour. Brown in additional butter. Add fresh thyme. Return mushrooms, pancetta and onion to the pan. Add wine. Turn heat down and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through and soft.
Although it’s not the traditional way to serve it, I love serving Coq-au-vin on cheesy egg noodles. I find Gruyere or Emmenthal cheese has the best flavor to accompany the sauce, but swiss cheese works just as well!
There is a soup from the Provence, in the south of France, that is made by boiling garlic in chicken stock, and then serving the mashed garlic on a toast floating in the soup. It’s a traditional winter soup that I loved as a kid. I’ve adapted this to the North American chicken soup we all love, and thrown it all in the slow cooked for simplicity. I’m happy to report my kids love it too!
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, breasts removed (I save them for another dish- they just don’t add much in the slow cooker)
2 small turnips, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2″ cubes
1 large potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small onion, peeled
1/2 head of garlic, cloves removed but not peeled
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 tsp ground
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp dill
2 whole cloves
(you can add 2 pieces of celery if you like- I actually don’t like the taste of celery!)
salt
8 slices of toasted baguette, or artisanal crackers
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preparation Instructions
Place the chicken into a slow cooker. Add turnips, carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and spices and 6 cups of cold water. Cook 6 hours on high. Let cool.
Take out the peppercorns, coriander and cloves from the soup. Remove the chicken, and pull the meat off of the carcass, the return the meat to the soup. Mash the garlic cloves, (you can just slip them out of the their skins and squash them with a spoon) and return to soup. Season with salt.
To serve, heat soup, and ladle into bowls. with meat and vegetables. Top each bowl with one slice of baguette, toasted with 2 tsp of parmesan cheese over top, or crackers, and cheese sprinkled on top.
Note: I add a squeeze of Sriracha to the soup too! But I like strong flavors!
My french grandmother made the very best “couscous” in the world. She would work for days preparing everything, slowly steaming the semolina before rubbing it with butter between her fingers. I’m not sure she would approve of my slow cooker adaptation of her recipe! But why spent 10 hours doing something when you can get it done in 30 minutes with equally delicious results?!
Ingredients
1 chicken, cut up into pieces, or two breasts, two legs, bone in
2 lamb shoulder chops
2 tblsp olive oil
1 leek, whites only, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 carrot, peeled cut into large chunks
2 turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
2 zucchini, cut into large chunks
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 small can of chick peas
1 tblsp and 2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Brown chicken and lamb and then place in slow cooker.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leeks, garlic, carrots and turnips. Fry for about five minutes. Add spices, continue to cook while stirring 5 minutes.
Add broth, stir, and pour contents into slow cooker.
Set slow cooker on high for 4 hours. After 2 hours, open slow cooker and add zucchini and chick peas.
Serve on a bed of cousous (I prepare it by placing it in a shallow bowl and pouring hot water over top, letting it sit then fluffing it with a fork. A dash of with “Harrissa” spice (if you can find it, otherwise chili powder would work) on top is delicious!
Our friend and cookbook author Norene Gilletz of Gourmania.com has contributed this recipe that is perfect for the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, or any festive meal where you need to feed a crowd. In Sept 2008, this recipe was featured on Martha Stewart Living radio when Norene was interviewed by Mario Bosquez. It’s from her book Norene’s Healthy Kitchen (Whitecap books).
It’s easy to put together, can be assembled ahead of time and doubled should your guest list keep growing the way mine tends to!
Ingredients
2 whole chickens (3 lb/1.4 kg each), cut into pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or a mixture of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary)
6 to 8 cloves garlic (about 2 to 3 Tbsp minced)
3/4 to 1 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/2 cup dry-packed, sun-dried tomatoes, halved or coarsely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation Instructions
1. Rinse the chickens well and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the excess fat. Place the chickens in a large roasting pan sprayed with cooking spray. Season the chickens inside, outside, and under the skin with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Add the apricots, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. (The dried apricots and sun-dried tomatoes will plump up during marinating and cooking.)
2. In a measuring cup, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Drizzle evenly over the chicken mixture; mix well so that the chicken is thoroughly coated. Pour the wine around the chicken and add the bay leaves. Cover the pan and refrigerate for several hours or for as long as 2 days.
3. When the chicken is marinated, remove from the refrigerator, uncover, and bake in a 350°F oven for 11/4 to 11/2 hours, basting often. When done, the skin will be golden and the juices will run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken mixture to a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the pan juices and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Place the remaining pan juices in a gravy bowl, skim off the fat, and serve alongside the chicken.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings. Keeps for up to 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator; reheats well. Freezes well for up to 4 months.
Find and even healthier variation on her site, www.gourmania.com. Thanks Norene!!
1 (2 1/2-3 lb) broiler-fryer chicken; cut up
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp cooking oil or shortenting
Preparation instructions
Rinse chicken pieces; pat dry with paper toweling. In a plastic or paper bag combine flour, salt, paprika, and pepper. Add a few chicken pieces at a time; shake to coat.
In a 12 inch skillet heat oil or shortening. Add chicken, with meaty pieces toward center of skillet. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Reduce heat; cover tightly. Cook 30 min. Uncover; cook 10-15 minutes more. Chicken is done when it is easily pierced with a fork. Drain chicken pieces on paper toweling.
Crisp fried chicken:
Prepare skillet-fried chicken as above, except after the browning step, continue to cook chicken, uncovered, till chicken is tender. Turn occasionally. Drain on paper toweling before serving.
Pan-and oven fried chicken:
Prepare skillet fried chicken as above, except brown chicken pieces in a 12 inch oven-going skillet. Transfer skillet to a 375° oven for 35-45 min. or until chicken is tender. Do not turn chicken pieces during baking time. Drain.
1 (5-6 lb) stewing chicken or 2 (3 lb) broiler-fryer chickens
Water
4 stalks celery with leaves, cut up
Preparation instructions
In a large Dutch Oven combine one 5-6 lb stewing chicken, cut up, or two 3 lb broiler-fryer chickens, cut up, and enough water to cover (about 6 c.) Add celery, carrot, onion, salt and pepper. Cover; bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 2 to 2 1/2 hours for stewing chicken or about 1 hour for broiler-fryer chickens, or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken; strain broth. Let chicken and broth cool.
When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat, discarding skin and bones. Store chicken and broth separately in tightly covered containers in the refrigerator. Lift fat from broth when chilled. (Broth and chicken may be frozen separately.)
Stewed Chicken (from stewed chicken recipe)
1 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp snipped parsley
1 beaten egg
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 c. flour
Preparation instructions
Prepare dumplings when stewed chicken is almost tender.
For dumplings; combine 1 c. flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt; stir in parsley. Combine egg, milk, and oil. Add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork only till combined. Drop dough from a tbsp directly onto chicken in bubbly broth. Return to boiling and cover tightly. Reduce heat; do not lift cover. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes. Remove dumplings and chicken to warm serving platter; keep warm. Strain broth.
To thicken broth for gravy;
In a saucepan bring 4 c. broth to boiling. Slowly stir in 1 c. cold water into the
1/2 c. flour; gradually add to broth, mixing well. Cook and stir till bubbly. Cook and stir 2 more minutes. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Pour some sauce over chicken and dumplings’ pass remaining.
Olive Oil
2 ounces pancetta (about 1/4 inch thick slice)
4 Mushrooms, Sliced
diced into 1/4 inch cubes
Flower for dredging (about 1/2 gup)
4 thin chicken breast cutlets, about 1/2 pound total
Course salt
Freshly ground black pepper, preferrably on the course side
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
2-4 tablespoons heavy creme
minced fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)
Preparation instructions
Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and set it over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until just crisp and lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leave the fat in the pan, and set aside. Put the flower on a plate. Pat the cutlets dry. Season them on both sides lightly with salt and amply with pepper. Heat the skillet with the pancetta fat over medium high. Add more olive oil, if needed, to get about two table spoons. Fatten the pan. When the fat is hot, dredge a cutlet through the flower on both sides. shake off the excess flower and immediately put the cutlet in the pan. Do the same with as many cutlets as the pan will hold without touching. Sauté the rest, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer these to the plate as well. Pour off the excess fat. With the the pan over medium high heat, add the Marsala and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the Marsala is reduced by about a quarter. Stir in the creme and boil until you get a nicely thickened sauce. Add mushrooms and stir. Return the chicken and pancetta to the pan and turn the cutlets over to coat. Let them reheat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve with the sauce and a sprinkling of parsley, if you like.
