chicken – Page 11 – Gastography

Spring Orzo with Mint, Olive, Feta and Spinach

April 28, 2013October 18, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

This is one of those recipes I read the ingredient list for and was off running before I even remembered to save the recipe, let alone print it. Something about the combination of olives, feta and spinach really intrigued me. I’m glad I made it. This dish is creamy from the feta, briny from the olives, and earthy from the spinach – pretty much everything you could want out of spring.

Spring Orzo with Mint, Olive, Feta and Spinach

1/2 c. orzo (use a gluten-free pasta to make this dish gf)
4 c. water
1/4 c. parsley
1/4 c. mint
1/4 c. cucumber
1/2 c. black and green olives
2 cloves garlic
6 ounces baby spinach
2 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 ounces feta
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbsp. garlic infused olive oil
2 big pinches red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

Add the orzo and water to a medium pot over high heat. Add a palm full of salt and bring to a boil. Boil 6 minutes or until tender. Drain and add back to the warm pot. Add the spinach, pop a lid on, and let wilt (stirring first to get things going).

While the orzo is cooking, chop the parsley, mint, olives and garlic. Dice the cucumber. Set aside until the orzo is done and the spinach has wilted a little. Add to the pot and stir well to combine.

While that is all going, chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks and sautee with regular olive oil in a large pan over medium heat until browned. Season well.

Add the chicken to the pot, stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add the feta, lemon juice and a big pinch red pepper flakes. Stir. Taste for seasoning. Add the garlic infused oil and second big pinch red pepper flakes.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

‘Undressed’ Poppyseed & Orange Chicken Salad with Green Beans

April 13, 2013December 29, 2014Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

Perfect for a picnic or any sunny day, this chicken salad leaves the mayo behind.

Gluten-free; easily made paleo if you switch the green beans out for something like crispy cauliflower nuggets or broccolini.

‘Undressed’ Poppyseed & Orange Chicken Salad with Green Beans

2 chicken breasts
1/2 c. celery
1/2 c. pecans
1/4 c. chives
12 oz. haricots verts
Juice of 1 orange
2 tsp. dijon (grainy to be whole30 compliant)
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 c. grapeseed oil
2 big pinches grey salt
Other citrus juice (optional)
3 Tbsp. coconut oil

Chop the chicken into roughly 1 inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sautee until golden brown and delicious looking.

Pull out your haricots verts, and chop into roughly bite-sized pieces.

In a separate pan, heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil until melted. Add the haricots verts and cook until blistered and wilted.

While all that is working, slice the celery into thin half moons, toast the pecans in a dry pan until starting to brown and become fragrant, and chop or snip the chives. Add each new prepped ingredient to a large bowl as it is ready.

In a separate smaller bowl, make the vinaigrette. Whisk the orange juice, dijon, poppy seeds and grapeseed oil together until an emulsion forms. Taste. Add a big pinch of grey salt and taste again. If the flavors aren’t already sparkling, add another big pinch of salt. If your orange is still kind of dull tasting, hit it with a squirt or two of other citrus juice until the flavors sing.

When the chicken and/or green beans are done, add to the large bowl and toss to combine. Add half of the vinaigrette and toss. I was fine with the dressing level here; if you need to, add the rest.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice

December 17, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

This dish is tasty. Like deeply tasty, with layers of flavors, which is good ‘cuz it isn’t quick. It is however, fully satisfying and filled with stealth veggie goodness. Paleo & gluten-free.

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Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice

Adapted from Mark’s Daily Apple’s Sesame Chicken and “Rice” with Fiery Ginger and Chile Sauce

For the chicken:

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 per serving)
2 cloves garlic
4 slices ginger
4 scallions
2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp. shallot
Salt & white pepper to taste

For the rice:

1 head cauliflower
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
5 shallots
5 cloves garlic
3 c. chicken stock
Salt & white pepper to taste

For the chili sauce:

2 Tbsp. sambal olek
3 Tbsp. ginger
3 Tbsp. shallot
3 cloves garlic
3 limes
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. chicken stock
Salt & white pepper to taste

Garnish:

1/2 cucumber
Big hand full parsley
Sesame oil

First, let’s prep the massive amount of shallots and garlic you’ll need. You will need roughly 7 shallots in total, all minced. Mince those babies up, dividing into 3 separate bowls (one for each component of the dish). Mince and divide a total of 2-3 inches fresh ginger and 10 cloves garlic. Divide these as well by component.

Once all this mise is done, split your scallions in half and slice into small moons. Juice your limes. Dice your cucumber. Chop your parsley. Gather the rest of your ingredients and break your cauliflower down for easy adding to your food processor.

Let’s start with the “rice”, since this takes the longest to cook. Add your broken down cauliflower to your food processor a little at a time and process until it looks like crumbly rice. This may take a few batches.

Add the coconut oil to a wok or large pan over high heat. Add the shallot and garlic (from your separated cauliflower rice bowl of mise) and stir-fry until beginning to brown and fragrant. Add the cauliflower and stir fry about 4 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add 3c. chicken stock and cook 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Salt & white pepper to taste and set aside if the rest of the meal isn’t done yet.

While the “rice” is going, make your chicken. Cut the thighs into 1 inch cubes. Heat 2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the ginger slices, chicken portion of shallot & garlic and chicken cubes and stir-fry until cooked through and beginning to brown. Add your scallions and stir-fry 2 minutes more. Season with salt & white pepper.

On to the sauce. Add the sambal olek, chili sauce portion ginger, shallot & garlic, lime juice, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl of a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until a paste is formed. Add the chicken stock and whiz again to combine. Season with salt to taste.

When all your components are done, add the “rice” & chicken to a large bowl and toss to combine. Top with the cucumber and parsley and toss again. Add half of the sauce and taste. Add more if needed. To serve, place in bowls and drizzle with a little sesame oil to finish.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch with a little extra sauce.

No Bread Chicken Salad

June 2, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

This quick and tasty lunch whips up quickly (with leftovers) and is flavorful enough that you won’t miss the bread. Serve for lunch, dinner, or at a party.

No Bread Chicken Salad

1/2 c. beluga lentils, cooked (or any other sturdy lentil that doesn’t turn to mush)
1/2 c. cooked chicken (I used shredded leftover baked chicken)
1/2 apple, chopped (use your favorite kind – mine is Fuji or Gala)
1/2 rib celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
2 Tbsp. mayo (I use the olive oil type)
1 tsp. capers
1 Tbsp. Horseradish Relish (see recipe below)
Handful hazelnut gremolata
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve chilled or room temperature alone or with an accompaniment.

Horseradish Relish

2 Tbsp. beet horseradish
1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and grated
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
Salt & pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together. Salt and pepper to taste. Goes great with steak, chicken, or fish. Since making it as a steak condiment, I have been tossing a Tablespoon or so in here and there almost everywhere. This relish has a great bright, tangy heat that brings a lot of kick to any party.

Party Dumplings 3 Ways

May 25, 2012December 29, 2014Life, Recipes3 Comments

These are the closest approximations I can come to for a dumpling spread I made to celebrate a good friend’s graduate school graduation. These suckers all went lighting quick – especially the beef version – and were generally raved about by the crowd. I also made a dipping sauce, and kind of just threw everything that looked Asian-y in the pantry & fridge together and added mayo for thickness (olive oil mayo, fish sauce, soy sauce, key lime juice, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, rice wine, and ketjap manis). I have no idea on the quantities involved. I just squirted, shook, and tasted as I went. Next time I might add yogurt as a base – I had wanted something thick (hence the mayo), but it didn’t really work out like that.

– I know, the picture is just riveting. I completely spaced on taking a picture either before or during the party. Luckily, for some unknown reason, I snapped a shot of the dumpling assembly line aftermath.

Basil Beef Dumplings

Inspired by the Thai Basil Beef Balls from Health-Bent

1 lb. ground beef (I went lean here)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp jarred red pepper spread from Trader Joe’s
2 Tbsp. soy sauce (or coconut aminos for paleo)
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce
1 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
Big pinch sesame seeds
2 green onions, minced
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
Breadcrumbs (leave out if making paleo)
Wonton wrappers (leave out if making paleo)

Mix all ingredients (minus the breadcrumbs and wonton wrappers) together in a bowl. I mix by hand just like I’m making meatballs. Combine well. Add bread crumbs until the mixture becomes less gooey and more like a cohesive meatball. I added by shakes of the container – maybe about a half cup to a cup?

Line your wonton wrappers out assembly-line style. I did 30 at a time, and that worked just fine. Put a small dish of water within reach.

Start filling your wontons by placing a small ball (mini meatball or nickel to quarter-sized) slightly off center on each wrapper. You might want to just start with one and fold it to make sure you have the ball size right.

Dip your finger in the water and dampen 3 corners of the wonton. Fold the dry corner over the meatball, forming a triangle. Pick up and pinch everything together so the air comes out and you have a triangle with a meat lump.

dampen one of the long pointy sides, fold over the triangle and join with the dry long pointy sides. Pinch together. You should now have something resembling a little hat.

If that isn’t working for you, just dampen 3 sides of the wonton and fold over to form a rectangle. It will still be fabulous.

After all your wontons are ready to go, heat a thin layer of canola or other high smoke point oil in your largest frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the wontons carefully spaced out enough so they aren’t right up against each other and fry until deeply browned (but not burnt) on the bottom.

With your lid held as a splatter shield, add a big splash of water, lower the lid quickly, and steam 5 minutes.

Serve whenever – I put all my wontons on foil overnight in the fridge and pulled them out 3 hours before the party. They were all served room temperature.

Makes about 30-40 dumplings.

These beef dumplings were the first to run out and were wildly popular with the party crowd.

Asian Chicken Dumplings

Inspired by the Asian Pork Meatballs with Dipping Sauce from Health-Bent

1 lb. ground poultry
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. sesame seeds
2 tsp. to a Tablespoon fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 green onions, diced
1 tsp. ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce
Handful parsley, chopped
1 tsp. sesame oil
Bread crumbs (leave out if making paleo)
Wontons (leave out if making paleo)

Pretty much follow the same exact directions as those for the Beef Basil Dumplings. I varied the way I folded these dumplings so they wouldn’t get mixed up when serving.

To fold: put your meatball in the center and dampen all the edges. Pick up, make a circle with your thumb and forefinger, and tuck the ball into the hole. Pinch the edges up and together until you have a little purse. Pinch and stick. Again, if that isn’t working for you, go the easy route. People will still be impressed and they will still taste awesome.

Cooking directions are exactly the same, as are the portions.

On to dumpling 3, because I’m not an overachiever and was worried about vegetarians.

Pea Dumplings

This is a riff on Heidi Swanson’s Plump Pea Dumplings on her blog 101 Cookbooks. I make these dumplings every single time we have potsticker night, and my DH said that this is my best batch ever. They were pretty frickin good.

1 bag frozen peas, thawed
1 c. ricotta (I will update if I find a good paleo sub here – I’m thinking some sort of cashew based cream would work nicely for thickness)
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
1/4 to a half tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
Big pinch or 2 citrus salt
1/4 tsp or so white pepper
A glug of extra virgin olive oil
Wontons (leave out if making paleo)

Add all ingredients to a food processor and let go until smooth (or mostly smooth). While the peas are working, toss in a glug or 2 of olive oil if things aren’t moving fast enough. Taste. Adjust seasoning as needed. I ended up adding more salt at the end and maybe a dash more pepper. You want this filling to pop and sing on its own before you stuff it into a dumpling. If you want to eat the whole bowl standing over the sink – screw the party – then you’ve got it right.

I folded these the lazy way. I plopped a teaspoon or so down the middle, dampened 3 sides of the wonton and folded over until I had a rectangle. Some squirted out the edges on each, but that is okay.

Cooking and portions are the same as the rest. I ended up having extra of each type of filling and have been using it in dinner recipes since. Last night was pea risotto with chicken meatballs. Recipe coming soon, that one was good (though the meatballs were slightly out of balance with the peas…).

Thai-Style Peanut Chicken Noodles

April 2, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

This Thai-inspired peanut stir-fry comes together in a jiffy for a healthy, satisfying weeknight meal.

Thai-Style Peanut Chicken Noodles

3 stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 carrot, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1/2 lb. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. whole wheat spaghetti, cooked until barely al dente

For the sauce

1/4 c. peanut butter
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. pomegranate molasses
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. chili garlic paste
4 Tbsp. rice wine
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. +1 tsp. lime juice
Water to thin

Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Add water, a Tablespoon full at a time, until thin enough to pour as a sauce (I ended up using 4 Tbsp.).

Heat 1 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil in a large wok over high. Add chicken and stir-fry until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside.

Add the rest of the oil, onion, celery and carrot. Stir-fry until beginning to brown.

Add garlic, stir-fry until softened. Add spaghetti and sauce. Remove from heat and toss to combine.

Serves 2 for dinner.

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