A Life, Lived

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

I had some broccoli that needed to be eaten or tossed (and I hate tossing veggies). When I was planning the menu I realized that I hadn't made a stir fry in some time. I turned to google and this recipe from a food blogger I recently discovered popped up.

I was a bit worried that there would be no flavour because the sauce consists of mostly water. That being said, anything I have made from this blog turned out well so I decided to give it a try.

This is a quick and easy recipe for a chicken broccoli stir fry that has just about the least number of ingredients you can get away with but still deliver a dish tastes delicious. Yes, it has plenty of savoury homemade stir fry sauce which is great - we really like a saucy stir fry so that the rice is soaked in deliciousness.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp soy sauce, all purpose or light
1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Mirin or Sherry if unable to find Mirin
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
Dash of white pepper (sub black)
2 tbsp oil , peanut, vegetable or canola
1/2 onion , sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
500g/1 lb chicken thighs or breast, thinly sliced
400g/ 14 oz broccoli florets, broken/cut into small bite size pieces (2 medium heads, ~5 cups)
1 1/4 cups water

Steam or boil the broccoli using preferred method until cooked to your taste. (I microwave steamed it for 3 minutes on high.) Drain well.

Mix cornstarch and soy sauce, then mix in remaining ingredients.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add garlic and onion, stir for 10 seconds until garlic starts to go golden.

Then add chicken and cook for 2 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through.

Add broccoli, Sauce and water. Stir well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the Sauce thickens and becomes glossy, and coats the ingredients.

Serve over rice.

Braised Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

This is one of my favorite Italian braised chicken recipe. The chicken is first seared until the skin is crispy then gently simmered in a delicious tomato, olive and caper sauce. The chicken becomes super flavorful and tender. . . and delicious!

So much so that you'll likely forget that this is a healthy dinner choice. Unlike some other healthy dinner choices, this is a healthy dinner recipe you don't want to miss.

We served it with a rice pilaf and tarragon green beans.

Next I'm going to play around with this recipe in my Instant Pot to see if I can perfect a pressure cooker version.

Enjoy.

Braised Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 whole cut-up chicken, or about 3 pounds parts, bone in, skin on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (with juice)
½ cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 cup Niçoise or kalamata olives, pitted
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Put the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the chicken, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook undisturbed, adjusting the heat so the chicken doesn’t burn, until the pieces are browned on the bottom and release easily from the skillet, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue cooking, turning the chicken every few minutes, until it’s brown all over, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Add the onions and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes; cook until the mixture starts to bubble and the tomatoes thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and let the mixture bubble for another 2 minutes.

Add the olives and thyme, and return the chicken to the skillet, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles gently but steadily, then cover the skillet. Cook, turning the chicken every 10 minutes or so and adding a splash of stock or water if the sauce looks too dry, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 155 to 165). Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the parsley, and serve.

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

This is one of those 'keepers' - a quick 20-minute chicken dinner that’s simple enough for midweek but elegant enough for company. The creamy mushroom sauce is served with a lightly crusted chicken breast. It’s as tasty as it looks and is very, very, very good!

Chicken breasts can be boring on the plate with little flavour in the lean meat. The sauce brings richness, flavour and in fact, a real WOW factor. It’s a notch above the usual basic mushroom sauce recipes, thanks to a splash of white wine, parmesan and chicken stock/broth.

Because the sauce is so delicious you want a vehicle to gather up the flavour - mashed potatoes, butter noodles or rice. Of course, some warm bread would serve you well in this regard.

A crisp salad or green vegetable would round out the plate.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts, large (boneless skinless, ~600-700g / 1.2 – 1.4 lb total)
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Mushroom Sauce:

2 tbsp unsalted butter
10 oz mushrooms, sliced (button or Swiss brown)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
1 cup heavy cream, full fat (light cream or milk will curdle)
1/2 cup parmesan, finely and freshly grated

For serving:

2 tbsp chives, finely sliced (optional) – sub parsley, green onions, or omit

Cut each breast in half horizontally to form 4 thin steaks in total<

Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with flour and use your fingers to spread it all over the surface.

Melt 15g butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook each side for 2 1/2 minutes until golden brown and just cooked through. Remove from pan, cover and keep warm.

In the same frying pan, add remaining butter and increase heat to high. Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown on the edges.

Then add garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another minute until both garlic and mushrooms are golden.

Add white wine. Cook for 30 seconds, scraping the bottom of the pan, until wine is mostly evaporated and the alcohol smell is gone.

Add chicken stock, cook vigorously for 1 minute so it mostly evaporates. Then add cream, lower heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes until it reduces and thickens slightly.

Stir in parmesan, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Return chicken to sauce for 30 seconds (to warm through slightly.) Garnish with chives and serve as-is in the pan, for people to help themselves (or transfer to serving platter, if you prefer). Alternatively, serve a portion of chicken onto each plate, spoon sauce over and garnish with more chives.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

This is another of those dead easy sheet pan dinners. The ingredient list seems long but it isn't really - don't be intimidated! This is basically chicken, veggies, tossed in olive oil and a spice mix. It does not get much easier than that.

We both thought that the fajitas were delicious.

It would also be great as a fajita salad!

It makes a lot. Tonight we are enjoying sheet pan fajita mix used in the basis for baked enchiladas.

Enjoy!

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
6 (8-inch) flour or corn tortillas, warmed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons pepper.

Place chicken, bell peppers, onion and garlic in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Stir in olive oil and chili powder mixture; gently toss to combine.

Place into oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through and the vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.

Serve immediately with tortillas.

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

This amazing marinade and glaze comes together quickly. It sizzles with the flavors of brown sugar, ginger and soy sauce. People who blog about this recipe say it reminds them of being on Hawaii. I've never been so I will take their work for it. Huli means "turn" in Hawaiian.

I had a busy day on Friday with back to back Zoom interviews. On a 15 minute break I raced to prepare the marinade. Proof that it comes together quickly. Unfortunately because I was rushing I wasn't as careful as I should have been when pouring the marinade over the chicken in a ziplock bag. Whoosh - over the floor! I can say from experience that this marinade is both sticky and slippery. SIGH

This chicken is amazing with some grilled pineapple as well.

I imagine that this sweet and savory glaze is fantastic on pork chops, too.

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
2-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
24 boneless skinless chicken thighs about 4 pounds or 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

In a medium bowl, whisk together juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, broth, ginger and garlic until combined. Reserve 1-1/3 cups marinade for basting. Cover and refrigerate. Divide remaining marinade between two large resealable plastic bags. Add 12 chicken thighs to each; seal bags and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.

Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink; baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes. Yield: 12 servings.

Vietnamese Chicken Wings

With the Labour Day Weekend approaching you may be looking to up your grilling game. You can't go wrong with these delicious wings.

These chicken wings are marinated overnight in a quick to prepare Vietnamese lemongrass marinade that is packed full of flavour, then grilled to perfection on the BBQ. You can also cook them in the oven, but I am partial to the grilling flavours!

The marinade for these wings is a classic base for many Vietnamese dishes and is a great balance of sweet, salty, spicy and tang that epitomizes the food of this cuisine. Lemongrass is a herb that is commonly used in many Vietnamese dishes. It has a very unique smell, lemony but with a distinct earthiness and turns an otherwise ordinary marinade into something really special.

Vietnamese Chicken Wings

2 lb / 1 kg chicken wings , cut into wingettes and drumettes
Oil for grilling
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 stalks lemongrass
1 birds eye chilli , finely chopped
Coriander leaves

Bruise the lemongrass using the side of your knife (or a pestle). Slice the white part only into 0.5cm / 1/4" slices, thick enough to pick off later if any stick to the wings.

Combine lemongrass with the rest of the marinade ingredients and mix well.

Combine marinade with wings in a ziplock bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal. Massage marinade into the wings to evenly disperse.

Marinate for at least a few hours, preferably overnight.

When ready to cook, pour the wings and marinade into a large bowl.

Lightly oil the grill and preheat on medium low. The grill side cooks the wings more evenly than the hotplate side.

Remove wings from marinade and grill until cooked through. Do not cook on a high heat otherwise the sugar will burn before the inside of the wings are cooked.

Just before the wings are ready, remove the wings from the grill and put them back into the bowl and toss in the marinade, then put back on the BBQ and sear quickly on both sides.

Serve garnished with coriander leaves and chilli slices (optional).

To cook in oven

Preheat oven to 180C/350F and put the rack in the top part of the oven.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and place a rack on it.

Remove wings from the marinade and spread out over the rack.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top side is golden brown, then turn the wings and baste.

Return to oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until the wings are a dark golden brown.

Turn again, baste and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

Basil Turkey Burgers

I'm a big fan of turkey burgers but it is difficult to find a recipe that has both flavour and moisture. We had an oversupply of ground turkey in the freezer (don't know if it was COVID19 hoarding or just bad supply organizing of the freezer. In any event, I needed to use some up and with this hot weather grilling burgers seemed to be the way to go.

I found this recipe on the Taste of Home website.

I liked that it had basil in the burger itself but also in the mayo that is brushed on the burger bun. Other than that the ingredient list is short making this a good addition to a weeknight dinner.

The end result is a delicious, moist turkey burger. Perfect for summer grilling.

The only change I made to the recipe was to add a slice of Havarti cheese just before I took the burgers off of the grill. Don't you think we all need some nice, melty Havarti in the middle of this damn pandemic?

Basil Turkey Burgers

1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound lean ground turkey
4 hamburger buns, split
4 lettuce leaves
1 large tomato, sliced

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon basil. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

In a bowl, combine the milk, onion, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining basil. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.

On a lightly oiled grill rack, grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato and basil mayonnaise.

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad

Packed full of crispy, bright veggies all doused in a creamy dreamy dressing, this salad is about to become your new favorite lunch – or dinner! Whoever said salad was boring has not tried this one, believe me it has everything you’ve ever needed and more.

The ingredients are lots of fresh vegetables like napa cabbage, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, cucumbers, edamame and of course lots of chicken breast. I used some leftover chicken breasts I had grilled the day before. 

The key to success is the dressing. A surprise ingredient is a tbsp of miso paste which provides a fishy, salty and a bit nutty flavor to the dressing. The other ingredients in the dressing are the usual items that 'scream' Asian flavors to cooks, like sesame oil, soy sauce (be sure to use the low sodium one), ginger and garlic and a bit of lime juice. You put everything together in a blender and end up with a really nice and creamy dressing.

If you anticipate leftovers, I would leave the dressing off the salad and toss as needed. The veggies tend to get soggy after a day sitting with the dressing and are not as appetizing.

This salad will last 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad

2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp miso paste
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp fresh ginger grated
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 cups napa cabbage shredded
1 celery stalk chopped or julienned
1 cup carrots julienned
1 red bell pepper julienned
1 cup edamame
1/2 English cucumber julienned
2 cups chicken breasts fully cooked, chopped (about 2 )
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper or to taste</span
2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped

First make the dressing by adding the first 8 ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times until creamy, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large bowl, add the napa cabbage, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, edamame, cucumber, chicken breast and toss everything well together.

Add the sesame seeds, cilantro and the prepared dressing, then toss everything well together again. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Serve immediately.

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken is incredibly delicious, juicy and moist. This chicken is perfectly seasoned with herbs and spices and baked to a crispy perfection. The steam from the beer creates an unbelievably moist chicken, you’ll love it from the very first bite. 

I started making beer can chicken a few years ago and ever since then it’s been a favorite. I can honestly say that this chicken is probably the most juicy and delicious chicken and a million times better than the roasted chickens you get at the grocery store. The steam from the beer creates an amazing juicy chicken. 

This chicken is roasted at a pretty high temperature of 425 F degrees, it gets nice and crispy all around, no more soggy chicken on the bottom. Because this chicken stands up on the beer can, it cooks evenly all around giving you crispy skin and juicy meat.

Full disclosure here - I don't actually force the end of the chicken over a can of been and toss it on the grill ay more. I picked up this great pan at Williams Sonoma:

It has all of the benefits of the traditional beer can chicken technique plus it allows you to added veggies or potatoes to the roasting pan. They cook up wonderfully from the grill and have the added deliciousness that comes from the drippings from the chicken.

Enjoy

Beer Can Chicken

1 chicken whole, 3 - 4 lb chicken
12 oz beer can, I've used Sleeman's honey brown, Pilsner, Coor's light
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp tarragon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat your gas grill to medium-high heat, with all burners lit. Prepare the chicken as stated in the instructions with the spice rub and oil.

Make sure the beer can is open, and only half-filled with beer, don’t throw away the other half, drink it!

Lower the chicken onto the beer can, making sure the chicken sits upright

Mix all the rub ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the chicken on the grill, use the legs and beer can to support the chicken and keep it stable.

Cover the grill and let it cook. Check it after an hour, then every 15 minutes or so. As with the oven, it’s best to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken and make sure it reaches 165 F degrees.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Let it sit for 15 minutes before carving it.

 

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice is the perfect solution for a busy week night dinner! In a short period of time you can have a delicious home cooked meal on your table!

A couple of Friday nights ago I was exhausted when I came home from work. We were planning on a chicken and broccoli stir fry but I just didn't have the energy to chop up everything - stir fries may cook quickly but the prep . . . not so much.

This is a classic dump and cook recipe (well, except for browning the chicken first).

Broccoli can be tricky in the Instant Pot. For that reason I nuke it in a bowl with some water for about 3 minutes and added it in to the finished dish. this saves you from broccoli soup.

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

2 Tbls Butter
1½ - 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast cut into cubes
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Onion
1 Tsp Salt
3/4 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1⅓ Cups Long Grain Rice
1⅓ Cups Chicken Broth
½ Cup Milk
1½ Tbls Flour<
1-2 Cups Fresh Broccoli cooked
1½ - 2 Cups Mild Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Turn Instant Pot onto saute. Add butter and heat until hot. When hot, add chicken, onion, and garlic.

Cook chicken mixture until onion starts to get translucent. Add rice, broth and seasonings. Stir well.

Whisk together milk an flour and set aside.

Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer is up perform a quick release.

Immediately add milk and flour mixture and mix until it is well combined.

Add broccoli and cheese and stir until well combined. Serve immediately.