Midwestern Style Fried Chicken with Honey Roasted Garlic Greens

I've been missing in action for a while--I apologize! I am now 14 weeks into pregnancy, and I was not feeling much like cooking up until a couple of weeks ago.

This mouthwateringly crispy, tangy, recipe is inspired by Amy Thielen's recipe from the Food Network show, Heartland Table. I just couldn't pass it up--this is truly yummy and actually pretty simple to make. I think the most appealing aspect for me was that it requires much less oil than a regular fried chicken. Try it out!

Honey Roasted Garlic Greens Ingredients:

-2 heads of garlic

-3 tsp. honey

-3 tsp. olive oil

-2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

-2 tbsp. slivered almonds or pine nuts

-2 lbs. greens of your choice (kale, spinach, swiss chard, or collard cut up with the thick stems removed)

Cut the tops off of the two whole heads of garlic, just exposing the tops of the cloves. Lay both top side exposed in a snug basket of aluminum foil. Drizzle over 2 tsp. honey and 2 tsp. olive oil. Seal the package and place in the oven at 350F for about 45 minutes. At this time you can get started on cooking your fried chicken.

 When finished baking, take out the packet and pour all of the juicy contents into a bowl. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out of the cloves by pressing them out from the bottom, and discard the husks. Drizzle over the remaining honey.

When you are nearly ready to eat (when the chicken and gravy are finished), in a large pan, heat 1 tsp. oil over medium heat. Add your nuts and toast until golden. Then, stir in the greens a bunch at a time until they are all just wilted. Drizzle over the vinegar and saute for 1 minute. Lastly, combine the garlic cloves and all of the juices in the bowl. It seems like a lot of garlic, but the roasting took away all of the bite, and the honey made it creamy, smooth, and sweet. Sprinkle in salt to taste. Turn heat to low and cover until ready to serve.

Fried Chicken Ingredients:

-1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 2 packages of chicken legs, wings, breasts or thighs)

-1 cup buttermilk

- salt and pepper

-2 tsp. of fresh thyme or oregano (or 1 tsp. dry)

-4 cloves of garlic, smashed

-2 tsp. smoked paprika

-1.5 cups flour

-1 cup ground butter crackers (about a sleeve); you can whack these in a zip-lock bag with a rolling pin, or just toss them into the food processor

-canola or vegetable oil for frying

Combine buttermilk, 1.5 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, thyme, and garlic in a bowl with the chicken. Let marinate at room temperature for an hour, or overnight in the fridge.

When ready to fry, set a wide pan (a cast iron one is best) over medium-high heat and add 1 inch of oil. Keep your eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get too hot. Hint—if you toss a crumb into the oil and it immediately is covered in bubbles and is sizzling, it’s ready. If the oil starts to pop and crack or smoke, it is much too hot—take it off the heat for a few minutes to cool down. Also, preheat your oven to 350F and slide a cookie sheet inside.

While the oil is heating up, combine your flour, cracker crumbs, paprika, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper in a 9x13 pan. Dredge the chicken well in the coating, really packing it on, and set aside on a plate. You can also double-dredge if you are in the mood…then you would dip the chicken back in the remaining buttermilk mixture before dredging again.

When the oil is hot enough, carefully place the first few chicken pieces into it until the pan is comfortably filled. Flip the chicken after about 5 minutes, when the bottom is well browned. Once both sides are scrumptiously crispy, carefully take out of the oil and drain on paper towel. When all of the pieces are cooked, put them all on the pan in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, you can create a quick gravy, and work on your vegetables!

Gravy ingredients:

-2 tbsp. flour

-2 cloves of garlic, smashed

-1 bundle of fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, or sage

-2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

-salt and pepper

Pour off all but 2 tbsp. of the oil from the pan in which you fried the chicken. If there are any burned bits, be sure to remove those, too. Add the smashed garlic and the herbs to the pan. Heat over medium until the garlic turns golden brown, then add the flour and whisk until combined and bubbling. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking until each addition is combined. Heat until simmering and thickened. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a gravy boat.

Serve everything together!

Homemade General Tso's

A favorite Chinese food takeout dish...I set out to discover whether or not it was possible to create this delicious food without MSG (or any other mysterious ingredients) in a home kitchen. After a few tries, I believe I have been successful! It also has this richness which the normal stuff just cannot match.

Serve it with some delicious Botan rice(and maybe a vegetable or two) and there you have it!

Ingredients for sauce:

1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh minced garlic
3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup sweet white wine or sake

1  cup hot broth or stock

1-2 tsp chili pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1/4 cup cornstarch, blended with 1/4 cup water

Chopped scallions (optional)

Ingredients for chicken:

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, excess fat removed, cut into bite-sized chunks (can use steak tips or pork for this, too)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (it's packed full of umami flavor! Don't skip)
1 egg
1/2 cup cornstarch

Vegetable or canola oil (for frying)

Blend the sauce ingredients together, except the cornstarch mixture--keep that separate. Set aside.

Blend your meat ingredients together until fully coated and set aside. Heat about 1/5-2 inches of oil in a pot or high-sided pan over medium-high heat (the deeper the oil, the faster the cook time). Be sure the temperature rises to 375F with a kitchen thermometer. Don't let it get any hotter! 

Begin to add your chicken to the oil in batches, being careful that the pieces don't stick together. Each batch should hold about 6-9 chicken pieces, depending on the size of your pot. Once you add them in, check your thermometer. The temperature will have dropped to about 325-350F. Raise the temperature carefully back up to 375 while the batch is cooking. Once the pieces are a deep, golden brown (about 3-5 minutes), drain on a pan covered in paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. 

Once all of the meat is cooked, take your pot of hot oil off of the heat to cool down. Then, preheat a wok or non-stick pan to medium-high. Pour in your sauce and bring it to a simmer. Pour in about half of your cornstarch mixture and cook down until it begins to thicken. If you want it thicker, add the rest of your cornstarch mixture. Once you've got a thick, but still pour-able, sauce, add your fried chicken into the wok and toss. Sprinkle in chopped scallions to garnish.

Serve with rice and (maybe) some broccoli!

(My version with beef)

Murgh Musallam (A Curry)

If you're an Indian food fan, you know it's tough to make it at home...really tough. There is just a certain amount of umami that it is impossible to purvey without a tandoor and some Hindu magic.

But....

This one is pretty good. Yes, you need a bunch of spices, but if you head over to your nearest Indian market, you can find them for pretty cheap. Keep them in zip-lock bags, in a Tupperware container, in a dark cabinet--yes, that sounds like Storage Inception, but trust me. It's a necessary step to keep the flavor (and the powerful smell) from drifting out of the pantry. Try to get whole spices rather than ground ones. The whole ones last a few years. Ground spices start to lose their flavor and "pizzazz" over the course of a few months. 

Ingredients for Chicken Marinade

5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. fresh pepper
1/2 cup curd or plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 onion chopped

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. coriander powder

6 chicken thighs, on the bone

Ingredients for Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1.5 large onions (finely chopped)

2 tsp turmeric powder

2 bay leaves

4 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods

2 tsp roasted coriander powder
-2 tsp. salt

1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 lb crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 1/4 cups water

3 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

1/2 tsp saffron strands

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 Day Ahead:

Combine chicken and marinade in a zip-lock bag or Tupperware container. Shake really well until well covered. Let sit in the fridge for 24 hours. 

To Cook:

-Preheat the oven to 400F.

-Pan sear the chicken (and any remaining marinade) in a large, tall-sided pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with some olive oil. Brown on all sides and remove from pan. 

-Add butter to the same pan. Once melted and bubbling, add 1 of the chopped onions, turmeric, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, coriander, and SALT. Saute until softened and golden, about 7 minutes. 

-Add the tomatoes, Greek yogurt, and chili powder to the pan.

-Mash or blend the last bit of onion with the cumin seeds until it forms a paste. Rub this all over the chicken pieces and lay them in the sauce. 

-Pour over the water, cover with a lid, and place in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. 

-Sprinkle over the cilantro, saffron, and garam masala before serving.

-Serve chicken with lots of sauce, basmati rice, naan bread, and some Bollywood!

Macedonian Chicken with Spiced Roasted Carrots and Cucumber Tomato Salad

This month's issue of Bon Appetit magazine was a little flaky--full of that "all natural" heavy-on-the-grains, bee pollen (?) and "nutritional yeast" stuff that appears to have become all the rage in LA and New York (frankly, I am utterly shocked that somehow all this hippy food has ended up in a fancy culinary magazine!). It's a hemp-lover's dream...that's for sure.

...However, there were a few gems I spotted that were rather inspirational: a new take on good sauce reductions and an interesting blend of spices for roasted carrots. I felt the wheels turning, bringing together a series of flavors that are both confusing and mind-blowing. Try this out. You won't regret it!

First, we will start with the salad, since it needs some time to sit.

Cucumber Tomato Salad:

-3 large tomatoes, diced
-1 cucumber, diced
-1/4 cup white wine vinegar
-2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
-3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Combine everything, and let sit for about half an hour at room temperature.

Next, we will work on the carrots. Once they are in the oven, move to the chicken right away.

Spiced Roasted Carrots:

-1 lb. carrots, peeled and halved both ways, to form 4 inch (or so) pieces
-1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 7 tbsp olive oil
-1/2 tsp. onion powder
-1/4 tsp. garlic powder
-1 tsp. good quality curry powder or garam masala
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-Kosher salt
-juice of a lemon
-1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

Preheat oven to 425F.

Add half the yogurt, 1 clove of garlic, and 2 tbsp. olive oil to a bowl. Stir, add a sprinkle of salt, and set aside for serving.

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the turmeric and cook until fragrant. Set aside for serving.

Add the rest of the yogurt, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, curry, 1 clove of garlic, and 1 tsp. of salt to a bowl. Toss the carrots in this mixture and spread it on a cookie sheet that's covered with tin foil, making sure they aren't crowded.

Place in oven for 25-30 minutes, until crisp and dark in some spots.

Drizzle over the turmeric oil, yogurt, and a squeeze of lemon and serve.

As soon as you put the carrots in the oven, get started on the chicken. 

Macedonian Chicken:

-3-4 chicken breasts, evenly salted and peppered
-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
-zest of one lemon
-1/3 cup of white wine or homemade chicken stock
-1 knob of butter

Heat a stainless steel pan (not non-stick, or you won't get a golden brown crust or a good reduction) to medium-high heat. Once you wave your hand over and feel lots of heat, add a tablespoon of butter and of olive oil. Once it's sizzling and bubbling, place the chicken in. Cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the meat. Only flip once, this way you will get the best amount of browning on each side.

Once cooked through, or a thermometer inserted reaching 160F, set aside on a plate.

Keep the pan over medium heat and add the rosemary, lemon zest, and wine. Scrape up the brown bits and let bubble until reduced by about half. Add a sprinkle of salt, to taste. Take off the heat and add the chunk of butter and stir until melted and creamy. Drizzle over chicken.


Serve everything together.

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Creamy Lemon Soup)

 If you are looking for a new kind of soup to try, this is the one. It's tangy from the lemon, creamy from the egg, and protein-filled (for the men among us). This is my spin off the of original Greek recipe. See what you think!

The key to this recipe is homemade chicken stock. The flavor will stand out, as there really aren't any other heavy flavors involved. Keep it simple--just cook a whole chicken one night and then add the carcass into a stock pot or crock pot with an onion, some carrots, and some celery. Cover it all with water and simmer it for 8-12 hours. Strain through a fine mesh into a jug or pitcher. Boom, done. After it cools to room temperature, you may want to skim any fat off of the surface, but that's not a big deal.

Ingredients:

-1.5 lbs. chicken breasts or thighs (whichever you prefer)
-2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
-1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
-3 large carrots, shredded
-1 tsp. dried oregano
-7 cups of homemade chicken stock
-4 eggs
-1/2 cup lemon juice from good-quality lemons
-1.5 tsp. salt
-pepper
-2 tbsp. fresh dill

-1/2 cup dry orzo pasta (optional)


Preheat your oven to 375F. Cover a pan with foil and lay out your chicken. Drizzle each piece with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Rub it all in. When the oven is preheated, slide it on in and let them cook from about 20-30 minutes, until done.

In the meanwhile, chop your onion and shred the carrots. Set a soup pot over medium heat. Once it's hot, add in your butter or olive oil and then the onion and carrot. Let simmer away until it's softened and golden.

Once the chicken is done, set it aside to cool for a moment. Then, shred it up. Pour your chicken stock into the pot and add the oregano. Bring to a simmer. If you are adding the orzo, this is the time to do it, and then cover the pot and continue to simmer for about 8 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk up your eggs with the lemon juice really well, and when the orzo is cooked (if using) whisk the egg mixture into the simmering soup (not boiling!) in a slow stream. Yes, the whisk will probably get a bunch of veg stuck in it, but the world isn't over. The whisk is the best way to ensure that you don't end up with scrambled eggs. Do not bring the soup to a boil after this. Simmer for about 5 minutes, add in the shredded chicken, dill, and add salt and pepper to taste. Taste, and then serve. Make sure you turn the heat down to low so it doesn't curdle while you aren't looking.

Jamie's Empire Roast Chicken

Last week I was looking for an interesting roast chicken recipe. Normally I do an herb and garlic roast, and occasionally I add in some lemon. Then, I found this amazing curried roast chicken from Jamie Oliver. Here is what he says about it:

"Ask any British person what their two favourite meals are and I reckon most people would say their mum's roast chicken, and a curry. Well, welcome to Empire roast chicken, a combination of both of those things. Your friends and family are going to love it. I love it. You will love it."

Doesn't that sound beautiful? Of course I couldn't resist. The chicken was, of course like all of Jamie's recipes, fantastically flavorful. I documented the process in my pictures below. 

One thing: I would definitely be sure to use a smaller roasting pan than mine. I had an issue with some burned veg in the bottom of the pan :( The oven is suposed to be at 400F for this, which is very hot. I guess you could just check on it every once in a while and add in a little more stock when necessary...

Here is the recipe.

Check out that gorgeous pile of spices...I have lots of fresh Indian spices and made my own garam masala. We love Indian food.

 Look at that chicken! Be sure to rub the spices all over-inside and outside.

Whisking the flour into the Worcestershire and vinegar.  The beginnings of a great gravy.

 Post-roasting.

Chicken Tarragon with Lemon Kale, Roasted Parsnips, and Rice

 Chicken Tarragon is a classic. The first time I made it was in my parents' kitchen around age 16. I used the recipe in Delia Smith's cookbook, and it came out amazingly! Today, I came up with my own version, and I think it was up to snuff. I didn't incorporate a few things  from the original recipe, in keeping with my low carb diet, but I made rice (and ate a little bit) because you've got to have something with which to mop up that dazzling sauce.



Ingredients for parsnips:

-4 medium-sized parsnips
-olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F.
Peel your parsnips like you would carrots. Then, slice them in half longways and lay them on a pan covered with tin foil. Drizzle olive oil over them, and rub it all over. Sprinkle them with salt, and rub again, until evenly covered. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes, until deep golden brown. Turn halfway through the cooking time.


Ingredients for kale:

-2 bunches of kale
-1 lemon
-olive oil

Pull the kale leaves off of the thick stalk, Throw those stalks away! Next, chop up the kale in small pieces. This will improve the texture and make it entirely un-slimy. Add the kale to a salad spinner and wash it well. Next, toss it in a bowl with juice from the lemon, 2 tbsp. olive oil, and 1 tsp. salt. Put the kale in a pot and set aside.


Ingredients for chicken:

-2 chicken breasts
-2-3 tsp. dried tarragon (or 1 bunch fresh, leaves picked and chopped)
-salt
-pepper
-2 large garlic cloves
-2 tbsp. butter
-2 tbsp. olive oil
-1/2 cup white wine (something not too sweet, like a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio)
-1/3 cup heavy cream
-1/4 cup chicken stock

Preheat a pan to medium heat. Sprinkle salt over the top and bottom of each chicken breast. Be sure there is an even dusting--SALT IS FLAVOR!!! Next, add over a sprinkling of tarragon and of pepper on both sides. Peel your garlic cloves.

Add the butter and olive oil to the pan, once bubbling, place in the chicken and garlic. (If you are making rice, now is the time to turn it on).

Flip after about 5-7 minutes, once "half done," and you see white creeping up the sides of the chicken.

On the second side, let the chicken cook for about 4 minutes, then pour in the wine, put a lid on the pan, an turn the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes are up, test the chicken for doneness (prick and if the juices run clear, it's done. You can also use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature has reached 165F). Turn your kale's heat on to medium, and put the lid on.

Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside. Next, mash up the garlic in the pan. It should be buttery and soft. Add in the cream, the rest of the tarragon, and chicken stock. Turn up the heat to a simmer. Taste. Add salt as needed. Simmer until thickened.

Your sauce should be a nice golden color.

Toss the kale after 3 minutes, and continue steaming until softened to your liking.

To plate (the way I did it in this photo), pour a spoon of sauce into the center of a plate. Make a little "nest" shape in the center of a plate out of the kale. Pour in a scoop of rice. lay over some parsnips length- and crosswise. Rest the chicken breast on top. Drizzle sauce over the meat.

To plate the second way, just put the parsnips on top of the chicken instead of under it, and drizzle the sauce around the plate instead of making a pool--I liked the pool better, though. I'm never a sissy with my sauce! Load it up babe!