Category — Chicken Recipes

On Easter this year we had turkey and ham. Lucky us! Of course, this is way too much food for 7 adults and 4 picky kids, but that didn’t stop me from roasting an 18 pound bird. Can you say “leftovers?” Well, that’s not such a bad thing, I suppose.

As soon as we started cleaning up, I plopped the turkey carcass in a huge pot of boiling water and I added a pared carrot, some onions (with skins), celery, thyme, and peppercorns. I let that cook for several hours and made one heck of a stock. I cannot tell you how much better this tastes than anything you’ll buy at the store. It’s a little work, and you gotta have a big ol’ stock pot, and someplace to store the stock when you’re done… but if you have the option you really need to make some. No need for me to tell you how to do it, since these directions are very well done.

Since I have all this stock and leftover turkey to use up, I decided to dig out an old recipe I have titled “Chicken and Noodles.” Now, these noodles remind me a lot of dumplings, but they are cut like noodles - and call them whatever you want, they are beyond tasty. These are a little work, maybe a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10, but completely worth the effort.

There are a lot of pictures here, so as you won’t be intimidated by the dough; mixing it, rolling it out, flipping it, and cutting it. I promise you can do it!!

If you don’t have a pastry board or a large cutting board, you can use your kitchen counter. Just make sure it’s super clean and sprinkle flour directly on the counter. You also can make these without a rolling pin. A large cup or glass works; again, just sprinkle it with flour.

If you mix up the dough and it’s not sticky and is super easy to roll out - and you’re thinking “Cool! I didn’t even need to add that much flour to roll this out!” that’s great, but you need to add extra flour anyhow. Sprinkle the flour on like it tells you to in the directions. The flour is what thickens the stock, so you need at least an extra half of a cup added through sprinkling it over the dough or turkey.

Chicken and Noodles

14 cups chicken or turkey stock (that works out to about eight 14.5 ounce cans of stock)
1 1/2 pounds of shredded chicken or turkey
6 egg whites
1 egg yolk
3-4 cups flour, divided
3 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup milk

In a large stock pot bring stock to a boil.

While stock is coming to a boil, mix 3 cups of flour, egg whites, egg yolk, salt, and milk.

Add flour (if needed) until you get firm ball.

Place dough ball on a floured pastry board. Flatten the ball and flip the circle over. Flour the dough, flatten, and flip it over again. Keep flipping dough until it is fairly thin. When the dough has been flipped several times you can roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you have the thickness you desire (I recommend 1/8-inch).

Generously sprinkle the dough with flour and roll it up like a newspaper roll.

Cut the roll, in strips, to thickness desired (I like about 1/4 inch).

Unroll the strips, and cut them into shorter pieces, if desired.

Place the noodles in a bowl and add another sprinkle of flour. Try to use at least a total of 1/2 cup of flour when rolling out the noodles.

Carefully add noodles to the boiling stock and stir gently to seperate the noodles.  (Yes, I did say to be careful because I burnt the you-know-what out of my fingers doing this).

Add the shredded meat and stir to mix.  If you need to add a little more flour you can sprinkle over the meat, like I have done here.

Return to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and stir often.  Season with salt and black pepper. 

See my new baby sized pepper grinder?  I thought it was so cool looking, I just had to have it.  Turns out, baby sized pepper grinders look great, but don’t work great.  Well, at least I was able to warn you.  I guess that’s the silver lining, right?

Simmer for an hour, or longer if desired.  Stock will thicken as it cooks.  I like to serve mine over mashed potatoes!  Now, quit licking your screen and go make your own!

Without the pictures:

Chicken and Noodles

14 cups chicken or turkey stock  (that works out to about eight 14.5 ounce cans of stock)
1 1/2 pounds of shredded chicken or turkey
6  egg whites
1  egg yolk
3-4 cups flour, divided
3 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup milk

In a large stock pot bring stock to a boil.
While stock is coming to a boil, mix 3 cups of flour, egg whites, egg yolk, salt, and milk. 
Add flour (if needed) until you get firm ball.
Place dough ball on a floured pastry board. Flatten the ball flip the circle over.  Flour the dough, flatten, and flip it over again.  Keep flipping dough until it is fairly thin.  When the dough has been flipped several times you can roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you have the thickness you desire (I recommend 1/8-inch).
Generously sprinkle the dough with flour and roll it up like a newspaper roll.
Cut the roll, in strips, to thickness desired (I like about 1/4 inch).
Unroll the strips, and cut them into shorter pieces, if desired.
Place the noodles in a bowl and add another sprinkle of flour.  Try to use at least a total of 1/2 cup of flour when rolling out the noodles.
Carefully add noodles to the boiling stock and stir gently to seperate the noodles.
Add the shredded meat and stir to mix.
Return to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and stir often.  Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer for an hour, or longer if desired.  Stock will thicken as it cooks.

Remember this picture from the other day?

 I thought you might.  That’s one incredible looking piece of pizza, isn’t it?  Well, I thought about wimping out on you and just leaving up the post that said “we had this” and the picture and not coming back and posting the recipe.  But, I decided that wouldn’t be very nice - on two counts. 

• One, because I said I would come back and do it and even though I’m lazy, and it’s Sunday night, and I rented a movie, and I’m tired, and I want to go to bed - I don’t want to be a flake, so here I am.  I love you guys that much.(Actually, it may also be because I’m an only child who thrives on approval from others.  But, I do still love you guys.)
• Two, it’s probably the best alternative pizza I’ve ever had.  I’m not just saying that.  Hubby said it too -in between bites of pizza, that is.  I think he literally ate 8 pieces.  It really was that good.

What’s alternative pizza you ask?  Pizza that listens to 10,000 Maniacs and R.E.M. - DUH!  (Oh, and it doesn’t have any tomato sauce on it.)  This pizza uses Caesar Dressing instead of tomato sauce. 

One of my early kitchen jobs was in a pizza shop.  You know, there’s a real art in making pizza.  My kids love watching me toss a pizza dough.  Fun stuff.  Someday I’m going to tell you all how to do it, but for now, I’m going to get right to typing up this recipe, because I know that you want to go make one.

For this pizza to be superb you need excellent dressing and a first class crust.  You can use bottled dressing and premade crust, and it will be tasty.  But, but you should buy the best you can find and know it only gets better when you have the time to use homemade versions.  What I’m saying is, if you need to use a Boboli, I’ll understand, but don’t come whining to me that you didn’t really like the recipe afterwards.  O.k.?

For extra fun serve with an Orange Julius.  My kids had no idea what an Orange Julius was.  What! Was! I! Thinking!  Making them wait this long to try it out was just a crime.

The Ides of March Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

1  recipe pizza dough or ready made pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 ounces colby jack cheese, shredded
1 cup caesar salad dressing
8 ounces chicken breast, diced (one large breast)
2 roma tomatoes, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 green onion, sliced with green sections
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
Preheat oven to 500º.  Or, use your pizza oven.  I love my pizza oven!!  If you make pizza as much as I do, you should think about getting one!

Cut chicken into pieces and saute in olive oil.  Coat lightly with 1-2 Tablespoons of dressing.
Add one clove garlic to pan and stir.

Prepare dough on pizza pan or stone and brush lightly with olive oil.

Spread 1/4 to 1/2 cup salad dressing over crust.
Top with remaining clove garlic, spreading evenly.
Sprinkle parmesan over crust to lightly cover.
Put 1/2 colby-jack cheese on top.
Spread chicken on top.

Top with remaining Jack cheese and more Parmesan, if desired.

Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. (If using your pizza oven, follow the directions for homemade pizza for times.  Same goes for using a premade crust.)  See my oven, isn’t it cool??

Meanwhile, toss tomatoes, lettuce and green onions in large green bowl (or whatever color bowl you have).
Mix with additional salad dressing.
Serve each pizza slice with a serving of caesar salad on top.

A few weeks ago for dinner we went to The Olive Garden with another couple.  We don’t go there very often, mainly because it is a couple of towns away, and because Hubby isn’t over the moon about Italian food.  I, on the other hand, really enjoy good Italian food.  Unfortunately, the Italian eateries in our area are not much to talk about, so we’re stuck with Olive Garden.  

Anyhow, while we were there Hubby ordered the Venetian Apricot Chicken, which really was better than anything I’ve ordered at Olive Garden in the past.  Seriously.  Good.  Stuff.  Poor Hubby, he was the only one who ordered it - and he probably got to eat less than half of his own dinner.  The rest of us were trying this bit and that bit.   I figured after I kept saying things like “Wow, the apricot sauce is yummy.” or “Gosh, could I just have one more taste of the apricot chicken?”  “I love these tomatoes with the apricot sauce over them.”  “Honey, I need to taste the chicken once more, so I’ll know how to make it.” that I better take some notes on the recipe so that I could actually try to make it.  I began jotting notes on the back of a receipt I’d culled from my purse on the flavors, ingredients, and methods they had possibly used when the waiter said “I know there are copies of that recipe online!”.  When I came home and checked, sure enough, it is on line!  The problem is, the recipe is written for use in a commercial kitchen, which doesn’t always translate well to cooking at home.  Forty-seven dirty pots and pans later you might have something close to the dish you tried at a restaurant, but the mess isn’t really worth it. 

So, I proceeded to make this dish tonight, and I was pretty apprehensive about the directions.  I wrote them out to make sense for me and so that I wouldn’t be at it for 3 hours.  I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this . . . but I’m just the tiniest bit slow sometimes.  Actually, that’s just a lie.  I’m a lot slow at everything.

Here’s what I can tell you about the copycat version of this recipe.  It does create a lot of dirty dishes AND it didn’t taste nearly as good as The Olive Garden’s version.  So, I’ve tweaked it a little here and there and made it more home kitchen friendly, and hopefully just as tasty.  My second attempt was much better.  Although, I do have to say after making it twice, I might be doing pots and pan duty for a month.  I would say that the directions on this recipe could be very intimidating, but honestly, it looks worse than it is.  Also, I would rate this “moderate” in difficulty, not because it’s difficult to make, but because there are lotsa steps.

Venetian Apricot Chicken

1 bunch asparagus
1/2 pound broccoli florets, trimmed
1/2 pound Roma tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (if you don’t have scales, this worked out to be about 3 medium Roma tomatoes)
3 basil leaves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound boneless,skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup apricot preserves
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
Chopped parsley, to garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Wash and snap the ends of the asparagus.

Blanch the asparagus by placing it the boiling water.  Let the water return to a boil and cook for three minutes. 

Immediately remove the asparagus and place it in a bowl of ice water.

Blanch the broccoli in the same manner, also placing it in the bowl of ice water.  Leave the broccoli and asparagus in the cold water and set aside.

Place the tomatoes, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, and Italian seasoning in a bowl and mix gently.  Set aside near the asparagus and broccoli.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat add 1/2 the olive oil.  Add the chicken and cook for 1 minute (do not brown).  Turn the chicken over and cook for an additional three minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate, keeping warm.

In the same pan, whisk together chicken stock and apricot preserves to make the apricot sauce.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Bring this to a boil and reduce heat.  Return chicken to the pan with the apricot sauce and let this simmer until the chicken is done (165F degrees internal temperature).

Meanwhile, in a second sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat.  Drain the broccoli and asparagus and add them to the pan.  Sauté the veggies until crisp tender, and heated through.  Place the veggies in a serving bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Mix gently.

Add the tomatoes to the same pan you used for the broccoli and asparagus.  Heat the tomatoes until hot.

When chicken is done, place it on a serving tray and cover with the hot tomatoes.  Garnish with chopped parsley.