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Tag: Chicken

  • Smoked Buffalo Chicken Wings

    This recipe was a late addition to our New Year’s Eve menu to say goodbye to 2020! It is also the first time we have attempted wings using the Traeger. We have certainly had great results with other chicken dishes on the Traeger, so we had all the faith these wings would be top notch.

    1 package of party wings (serves 4)

    1/4 cup corn starch

    1/2 cup of dry rub

    1/4 cup Heinz 57

    3 tablespoons butter

    1/2 cup Franks Red Hot

    Preheat Traeger to 375 degrees F. Wash chicken wings and pat dry. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch all over and then again with dry rub. Be diligent to ensure the rub completely covers each wing; this ensures each bite will have optimum flavor! Take the time here and you will taste the quality and care.

    Smoke chicken wings for 30 minutes on the Traeger at 375 F turning once about halfway through. Try to limit the amount of times you open the smoker lid.

    While wings are on the smoker, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat adding Heinz 57 and Franks Red Hot. Whisk frequently and continue to simmer to help bring the sauce together.

    After 30-35 minutes the chicken wings should be approaching an internal temp of 165 degrees – the minimum for poultry – so remove from smoker and place in a bowl and coat liberally with sauce from the sauce pan. Once the wings have been sufficiently covered, return to the smoker (still at 375 F) for 10 minutes; this will help ‘set’ the sauce. Keep the sauce from the bowl/saucepan so you can sauce one more time before service. This dish travels very well! Pull at this point and then re-sauce/re-heat at your destination.

  • Chicken Chipotle Nachos with Cilantro-Avocado Crema

    1/2 Cup chopped onion
    1 Tbsp olive oil
    1/2 Tsp cumin seed
    1/2 Tsp dried oregano
    1 Canned chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped
    2 Tbsp tomato paste
    1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
    1/2 Cup water
    2 Cups shredded cooked chicken
    ‘A couple dozen’ tortilla chips
    1 1/2 Cups shredded jack cheese (about 6 oz)

    Boil chicken in medium sauce pan for 8-10 minutes, remove from water and set aside to cool. Once cooled, shred the chicken using two forks and set aside.

    In a skillet heat olive oil and add onions and cook until they begin to brown. Add cumin seeds and oregano, stir for a minute, then add chilies, tomato paste, vinegar and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently stirring often to blend flavors, about 5-6 min. Add shredded chicken and stir until hot.

    Preheat oven to 450 and arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle equal portions of cheese on each chip, then spoon 1 tablespoon of chicken on top of each chip.

    Bake for about 5-6 minutes (should be slightly bubbly). When done, transfer to a serving platter and top each with 1 teaspoon of the cilantro-avocado crema. Garnish with a cilantro leaf and serve warm.

    For the cilantro-avocado crema:

    This can be made up to 2 hours ahead of time. Mix 1 ripe diced avocado, 2-3 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Add salt to taste.

  • Baked Chicken Thighs with Roasted Apples and Garlic

    5 Cups peeled and chopped apples (preferably Braeburn or Gravenstein)
    1 Tsp chopped fresh sage
    1/4 Tsp ground cinnamon
    1/8 Tsp ground nutmeg
    4 Cloves of garlic, chopped
    1/2 Tsp salt
    Cooking or olive oil mister
    8 Chicken thighs
    1/4 Tsp fresh ground black pepper

    Preheat oven to 475

    Combine apples, sage, cinnamon. nutmeg and garlic. Add salt and stir. Spread the apple mixture on the bottom of a pyrex roasting pan coated with olive oil or cooking spray.

    Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and arrange on the top of the apple mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is done and apples are tender. Remove chicken and set aside; use potato masher to slightly mash the apple mixture and serve with the chicken.

    Chicken Thighs with Roasted Apples
    Chicken Thighs with Roasted Apples

  • Grilled Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, Rosemary and Sage

    2 Bone-in chicken breasts (with skin)
    2 Sprigs of rosemary (or one large one halved)
    1 Clove of garlic
    1 Sprig of sage
    1 Fresh lemon
    1 Tbsp olive oil
    1/4 Tsp kosher salt
    1/4 Tsp freshly ground black pepper

    Prepare the chicken by trimming off excess fat. Slightly separate skin from flesh and lightly brush both breasts on the flesh with olive oil. Add salt, pepper and coarsely chopped garlic. Slice lemon into whole rings thin enough to slide under the skin. Insert rosemary and sage sprigs between the skin and the flesh and then add one to two lemon slices, press the skin and all ingredients to the flesh slightly to secure. Refrigerate for several hours if possible to increase flavor.

    Prepare charcoal for medium to medium-high heat or pre-heat your gas grill to medium or medium-high heat. Place breasts on the grill bone side down, positioning the thicker part of the breasts over the hotter portion of the grill. After about 5-7 minutes flip the breasts so they are skin side down and position the breasts so the thicker portion is still over the hotter portion of the grill. The skin should be fine, but in case it creates flare-ups it may be good to keep a spray-bottle full of water nearby to extinguish flare-ups. After 6 Minutes flip the breasts back to bone side down position and continue to grill them for another 8-10 minutes depending on thickness. On average you will need to grill medium sized bone-in breasts for 22-25 minutes. If the meat is charring slightly you can move the meat toward the cooler sections of the grill. Remove meat from the grill and let rest for several minutes. Remove skin before serving, leaving lemon and rosemary for presentation.

  • Domenick’s Chicken Marinara

    1 Package of 2 split breasts of chicken (though you can use your preferred type of chicken meat)
    2 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
    1 Small can tomato paste
    1 Tbsp of butter
    1/2 Yellow onion
    4 Cloves of garlic
    1/2 Tbsp of oregano
    1/2 Tbsp of basil
    1 Tbsp grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
    Pinch of red pepper flakes

    Pan-brown chicken with garlic and onions for about 5-7 minutes flipping midway through. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil; once boiling lower heat and cover to simmer for one hour. After an hour remove chicken and separate meat from bone and skin. Discard bone and skin and add pulled chicken back to sauce; also add oregano, basil, cheese and red pepper flakes and stir. Simmer the sauce for another 30-45 minutes.

    For pasta, fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and add a pinch of salt and a 1/2 tsp of olive oil cover and bring to a boil. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add pasta of your choice and lower heat. Stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook time will vary on the type of pasta, so be sure to read the directions on the pasta packaging.

  • Spinach Salad with Chicken and Wild Rice

    2 Pouches of Uncle Ben’s* brown and wild rice
    1 Cup halved cashews
    3 Cups shredded or diced chicken
    1 1/2 Cups fresh spinach
    1/4 Cup chopped green onions
    1 Red bell pepper diced

    Dressing:
    1 Tsp crushed garlic
    1/2 Cup rice vinegar
    1 Tsp Dijon
    1/2 Cup veg oil
    1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
    3 Tbsp soy sauce
    1/2 Tsp crushed red pepper

    *Dressing recipe makes more than enough dressing, so don’t use it all, you can save it for something else.

    Remove skin and fat from bone-in chicken breast and place in a medium sauce pan; fill pan with water until breast is completely covered. Bring water to a boil and lower heat to medium temperature (maintain boil) – boil the chicken for about 20-25 minutes for a medium sized breast. Once chicken is done, remove from water and set on cutting board to cool. Once slightly cooled, use a fork to shred the chicken and set aside.

    For rice, follow directions on the bag using a saucepan: cut slit in top of the bag and stand upright in boiling water for 90 seconds. Remove bag from water and set aside.

    In a separate bowl add all ingredients and toss together.

    *Near East Wild Rice or home made also work great.

    Spinach Salad with Chicken and Wild Rice
    Spinach Salad with Chicken and Wild Rice

  • Chicken Masala with Cashews

    1 Cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or regular)
    1/2 Cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
    3 Tbsp olive oil
    1 Tbsp garam masala
    1 Tsp coarse kosher salt
    1 Large garlic clove, pressed
    1/2 Cup roasted, unsalted cashews
    1 Roasting chicken, or 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drum sticks (all bone-in)
    1 Large onion, cut into 1/4 inch rings

    For the yogurt option, you can use whatever your prefer. We used non-fat Greek, and you can learn more about the specifics here.

    Combine yogurt, cilantro, olive oil, garam masala, salt and garlic in medium to large rectangular pan or glass dish. Remove skin from chicken and trim extra fat. Add chicken to marinade one piece at a time, take care to coat each piece thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 + hours.

    Preheat oven to 400 and place onion rings on the bottom of a freshly oiled roasting pan and place individual pieces of chicken on top of the rings, spread evenly. Discard remaining marinade. Roast chicken for 50 minutes; serve chicken on top of onion rings from the pan.

  • Chicken Paillards with Clementine Salsa

    This is a recipe based on an original recipe seen in the December issue of bon apetit, but we added our own touch of spice by adding jalapenos among other things.

    4 Chicken breast halves
    4 Clementines, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)
    1 Cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
    1/2 Cup diced red onion
    1/2 Cup diced celery
    1/4 Cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
    1/4 Cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
    1/4 Tsp Salt
    1/4 Tsp Pepper
    2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    2 Tbsp lime juice
    1 Jalapeno, seeded, minced
    2 Tbsp olive oil
    1/2 Cup clementine juice

    Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of wax paper, separating . Using tenderizer or mallet, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

    Mix clementines, tomatoes, onion, celery, basil, cilantro, salt and extra-virgin olive oils in medium bowl. Cover; let stand at room temperature.

    Uncover chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until slightly browned and cooked through, about 3 -4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Add clementine juice to skillet and stir/scrape chicken bits from pan; boil until reduced for about 2 minutes. Drizzle sauce over chicken add salsa and serve.

  • Rachel’s Jambalaya

    2 cups of white or brown rice
    1 tablespoon of olive oil
    1 tablespoon of butter
    1 package of Pork Keilbasa
    1 cooked chicken breast, cubed
    1 onion, chopped
    2 ribs of celery, chopped
    1 tablespoon flour
    1 bay leaf
    Hot Sauce or Cayenne Pepper to taste
    1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
    1 14 ounce can of low sodium chicken broth
    2 teaspoons cumin
    1 teaspoon chili powder
    1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
    1 teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce

    In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with olive oil and butter, cook chicken until brown and cube, about 3 minutes.  Add sausage and cook 3 more minutes.  Add onion, celery and cayenne and cook for 2 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and broth.  Season with cumin, chili powder, poultry seasoning and Worchestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  Stir until thickened.

    Serve over rice or with rice on the side.

  • Chicken and Summer Squash Tostadas

    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
    2 teaspoons of canola oil
    12 ounces of chicken tenders
    1 cup of chopped red onion
    1 can of whole corn kernels
    1 cup of chopped zucchini and/or yellow squash
    1/2 cup of salsa verde (such as Herdez)
    3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, divided

    1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack or Jalapeno Pepper Jack Cheese

    Rub chicken with cumin, salt and pepper and grill on BBQ or cook on stove top in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat.   In another large non-stick pan, cook onion, corn, and zucchini/squash mixture.  Saute for 3 minutes or until soft.  Add cubed chicken from grill or pan.  Stir in salsa and cilantro and cook until water evaporates, about 5 minutes.  Stir frequently.

    Preheat broiler.  Layer two tortillas at a time on a pan.  Spray with cooking spray and broil for 3 minutes or until lightly brown.  When all the tortillas are broiled, spoon chicken mixture and a handful of cheese in the center of the tortilla and return to broiler for 2 more minutes or until cheese melts.  Continue with all of the tortillas.  Sprinkle tostadas with cilantro and serve immediately.

    Grilled Summer Tostadas
    Grilled Summer Tostadas