Showing posts with label Chicken and Poultry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken and Poultry. Show all posts

Sunday, November 24, 2013

The Whole Enchilada: Turkey Enchiladas And Yellow Rice


This is hands down my families favorite leftover, I usually serve it two days into munching on things like Turkey and Cranberry Paninis, and once we need to diversify our palette. Flavors that pack a punch,  recreate turkey into something "south of the border". Nothing like, what we have enjoyed for the last few days, but grow weary of. Enjoy!









Turkey Enchiladas and Yellow Rice

1 medium Onion, diced
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
3 Diced Oven Roasted Chilies, Or (1 can mild fire roasted chilies)
1/4 cup Sliced Black olives(optional)
8 tbs Butter
1/4 cup all-purpose Flour
1 cup Sour Cream- divided to 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
2 cups Turkey stock, (see Making Turkey Stock) if not, use storebought chicken stock
3 cups Turkey, White and Dark Meat; boned, meat shredded or cut into small pieces (or chicken)
1/2 tbs Salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Ranchero Sauce, see below (or canned Mild Red Enchilada Sauce)
10 large flour tortillas
1/2 pound Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded

Chopped tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Ranchero Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
5 teaspoons red chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
6 ounces tomato paste
2 1/4 cups water
salt and pepper

Yellow Rice, recipe follows

Warm oven to 350 degrees F

Filling
Melt butter in large pan, as soon as melted add onions. Cook until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic in last minute. Melt other 6 tbs butter and stir in flour. Cook the "flour taste" out of the flour over medium low for about 2 minutes. Add broth and stir briskly, bring up heat over medium to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let sauce thicken. About 7 minutes. Mix sauce with chicken in large bowl. Let cool a bit. Add chopped chilies and 3/4 cup sour cream.  Stirring until combined.

Assembly
Take a large baking dish (preferably 9x13) and cover the bottom with some of the 1/4 of reserved red sauce. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved red sauce coating both sides(this step can be skipped but sometimes to prevent any exposed tortilla I do this to prevent drying out). Put a scoop of the shredded turkey and white sauce on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold about 1/4 of bottom of the tortilla over the filling and then roll the sides like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over the remainder of the red sauce covering all exposed tortillas, and top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake
Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly. Garnish Options: Red Onion, Shallots, Sour Cream, Salsa, cilantro and tomato.

Yellow Rice
2 cups long-grain rice
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2-1 tablespoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf

Put all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Chicken Parmesiana















Chicken Parmesan is so satisfying, not only for the diners, but me as I hear "mmmmmm mmm" from every corner of the table! Really it's such a simple offering but the flavors never seem like you barely just entered, and now left the kitchen in 30 minutes!

Chicken Parmesiana
30 minutes

4-6 Panko Baked Chicken Breasts
        1 1/2-2 cups panko
        salt, pepper
        1/4 tsp garlic powder
        3/4-1 stick melted butter
4-6 Slices mozzarella, or buffalo mozzarella
2-3 cups Simple Tomato Sauce (Recipe Below), or pre-made marinara 
4 tsp Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix panko, garlic, salt and pepper. in flat dish. Pat chicken breast dry. Melt butter and dip chicken into butter then panko, pressing panko firmly to adhere. Bake for 30 minutes in oven proof dish or cast iron skillet.

Meanwhile, prepare Simple Tomato Sauce. In the last 5 minutes of baking, spoon sauce over chicken and lay a mozzorella slice on each breast. Sprinkle entire pan with parmesan.  Bake the remaining 5 minutes. Let sit for 5 more uncovered, and serve.

Depending on the season can be served over fresh greens with a lemon vinaigrette, in a toasted hoagy role as one of the best sandwiches out there, or  simply whole grain noodles and the remaining tomato sauce.

Simple Tomato Sauce

        1 jar (25 oz) Eden Crushed Tomatoes
        1/2 onion
        1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
        2 cloves garlic, chopped
        Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
       1/2 tsp dried basil, thyme, and oregano
        2 dried bay leaves

Combine all ingredients in medium size pan. Bring to boil,  reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 25 minutes at a low boil.

Oven Baked "Fried" Chicken

Super Moist, Crispy, Juicy Panko Baked Chicken, is one of my families favorite salad toppers, and starter to many an amazing, deeply enticing, winter feasts.

Have you heard of panko?  It's a Japanese bread crumb that is so amazing in retaining a light crispy coating! It uses very little, and still seems to coat the entire portion.  I use it exclusively now on fish, seafood and chicken.  It's available in most grocers, but I like to find ones with bulk food sections (read Winco) as it can be pretty spendy in specialty aisles.




Oven-Fried Panko Chicken
30-40 minutes

1 1/2-2 cups panko
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 stick (8 tbs) butter
1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into pieces such as breasts, thighs, legs, etc.
OR
6 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together panko, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Whole Chicken pieces- Rub butter all over chicken pieces, dip in panko pressing firmly into to help them adhere.  Transfer skin up into baking dish or cast iron pan. Using a meat thermometer in deepest part of thigh, bake until 170 degrees or juices run clear, around 30-40 minutes

Breasts- Melt butter, dip chicken in butter and then coat thoroughly in bread crumbs. Place in baking dish or cast iron pan. Bake until browned about 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes and serve.


Friday, December 2, 2011

Mandarin Chinese Chicken Salad

Mandarin Chinese Chicken Salad

Light, refreshing, fresh, sweet, tangy, crisp and crunchy all at the same time! I can't resist! Loaded with grilled or BBQ'ed chicken this salad has the slight smokey flavor and the delicate mandarin sesame dressing!

This is so good! And frankly good for you! This is an all year salad in my house!







Under 30 Min.

SALAD COMPONENTS

2 cups baby spinach
2 cups shredded romaine
1/2 cup slice toasted almonds, or whole roasted salted cashews
2-3 fresh satsuma mandarin oranges, peeled and sliced (or canned sliced mandarins)
OR
1 navel orange peeled and and sliced
1/4 cup green onion, finely diced (optional)

2 cups shredded Smokey Beer Can Chicken -OR-
2-3 sliced Chicken Breasts- Simply Baked, Roasted or Pan Fried (I add a dash of cajun seasoning)

DRESSING
(In a jiffy I use Soy Vay Toasted Sesame Dressing found at most stores! It's Delicious!)

Zest of 1/2 orange (1/4 cup
1 tsp ginger
Juice of 1 orange(medium)
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp honey
1 tbs soy sauce

4 tbs canola oil

Mix all ingredients well with a whisk or blender. Slowly add oil to mixture.

Add lettuce and spinach to salad bowl or dish separately, and toss with dressing. Top with Chicken, Oranges, Almonds, and Green Onions. Serve and Enjoy!

The options are endless depending on what is in season! Even Sliced apples, diced dried apricots, fry up some crunchy wonton strips...