Chicken Cacciatore

I recently read a book about four women who entered a cooking contest in World War II England. One of the contestants had met an Italian POW who told her about Italian cuisine (virtually unknown in England at the time) and taught her how to make chicken cacciatore.

The book was just okay but the recipes were fascinating, what with dealing with rationed food and all sorts of shortages. One woman used whale meat for her entree; the contestant who planned to make chicken cacciatore actually used rabbit.

In addition, I realized that it had been years, maybe more than a decade, since I cooked chicken cacciatore.

I got out my old recipe, and, like the wartime home cooks who learned to be flexible because ingredients were difficult to get, I made a few changes based on what I had at hand. I only had grape tomatoes; had fresh parsley but not fresh basil or oregano. I was minus a bell pepper (which we don’t love anyway), and whereas my original recipe called for red wine, I had a bottle of white open, so I used that instead.

The result was a complete success.

Here is the recipe with flexible ingredient options. Might be a nice change of pace for Shabbat chicken.

Chicken Cacciatore

• 1 broiler-fryer chicken cut into 8 pieces (or use 4 large breasts or whole legs)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cut into bite size pieces

• 3 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes (or use 4-5 plum tomatoes, chopped)

• 1 small bell pepper, seeded and chopped, optional

• 1/2 cup wine (red or white)

• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs: parsley, oregano, basil (or use 2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil)

• cooked pasta, rice or polenta

Coat the chicken pieces with some flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Cook the chicken pieces a few at a time for 5-6 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they are lightly crispy. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes and bell pepper, if used, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened. Pour in the wine and stock. Add the herbs. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer the ingredients for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Serve on top of cooked pasta, rice or polenta.

Makes 4-6 servings

Braised Chicken in Coconut Curry

Braised Chicken in Coconut Curry

Our family does not observe the lunar new year but that’s no reason not to feel happy for those who do. A new year on any calendar brings hope for a happy, healthy, safe and meaningful year to come.

Everyone can relate to that!

So, in honor of the Year of the Tiger, here’s a dish inspired by my travels to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

BRAISED CHICKEN IN COCONUT CURRY

•  One chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or use 4 large chicken breast halves or 4 whole legs)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chili pepper

• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped lemongrass

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1-1/2 cups coconut milk (13-15 ounce can)

• salt to taste

• chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Wash and dry the chicken pieces. Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken a few pieces at a time, turning them occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili pepper and lemongrass and cook, briefly, stirring constantly. Whisk the tomato paste, curry powder and coconut milk together until thoroughly blended. Pour the liquid into the pan. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives or parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili

When the weather starts to get cold I make hot, filling food. Like chili. I have lots of recipes because the basics are the same but the the recipe is so versatile that I can change it depending on my mood and on what ingredients I have.

For example:

1. the beans: red kidney, white cannelini, black beans are all fine — or any other. Dried and reconstituted or canned.

2. I usually choose ground turkey but you can use any ground meat (or chopped meat); best are: beef, veal or poultry. But you can make it meatless: try firm tofu or just use more beans, maybe two kinds.

3. make it spicier with chopped fresh chili pepper or less spicy with a mild chili powder

4. serve it with chips or mashed avocado (or sour cream for meatless)

Have it your way. It’s all good. Also — it lasts, so you can make it 2-3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge.

Note: a version of this recipe was originally published in The Jewish Week Food & Wine.

Turkey Chili

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 serrano (or other hot) pepper, deseeded and chopped, optional

• 16-20 ounces ground turkey

• 28 ounce can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, undrained

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 15-19 ounce can white beans, drained

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and serrano pepper and cook briefly. Add the turkey and cook, stirring to break up the pieces, for 3-5 minutes, until the meat has turned color. Add the tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, water, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Stir in the beans. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemongrass and Ginger

Ever since Ed and I travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia several years ago, I have been trying to prepare some Vietnamese/Cambodian specialties.

I’ve cooked Pho many times (it’s one of my favorite soups) but mostly have made lots of recipes using lemongrass and fresh ginger, which are ubiquitous in Southeast Asian cuisine.

The combination of these two ingredients, (which are easy to find these days), is refreshing, vibrant, citrusy, and they give a real boost of flavor, especially to mild foods such as chicken. Just a few teaspoons of seasoning makes a plain old chicken dinner really easy and yet so interesting and definitely not plain old.

Roast Chicken Breast with Lemongrass and Ginger

• 2 whole chicken breasts (or use 4-6 whole legs)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh lemongrass

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (or green scallion tops)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• sprinkle of cayenne pepper

• 1/4 cup white wine

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan. Brush the chicken with the vegetable oil. Scatter the garlic, lemongrass, ginger and chives over the chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast for another 40-45 minutes or until cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast will register 160 degrees), basting once or twice with the white wine. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Chicken: Soup to Salad

Every year before Passover I think about new ways to eat the chicken from the chicken soup that I cook for my Seder. I make the soup several days ahead, strain the liquid and freeze it. 

The cooked vegetables and boiled chicken do make a good, plain, old-fashioned meal for dinner, but we don't always want that. So, with the vegetables? Best bet has always been veggie burgers.

The chicken? Salad. Made all sorts of ways.

Here's one way. Fortunately ataulfo (honey/champagne) mangoes are in season and they are easy to peel and cut for salad; they’re also not stringy like some mango varieties. Bonus: I put aside some of the dill I use to season my chicken soup and it is a lovely seasoning for chicken and mangoes.

Chicken and Mango Salad with Dill

• 2-1/2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken

• 1 small (I used ataulfo) ripe mango, peeled and diced

• 2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

• 3-5 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the chicken and mango dice in a bowl. Sprinkle the dill on top. Mix 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar with 2 tablespoons olive oil and pour over the chicken and fruit. Toss. Season with salt and pepper. If you prefer a moister salad, add more olive oil and/or white wine vinegar to taste. Or fold in a bit of mayonnaise. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 2-4 servings

Chinese Chicken with Peanuts (Kung Pao Gai Ding)

It just so happens that Chinese new year and my husband’s birthday (February 12) fall on the same day this year. And that’s grand because there is nothing he would like better than to have Chinese food for his birthday dinner.

Kung Pao Gai Ding — Chicken with Peanuts — is one of his favorites, so that’s what he’ll be getting.

CHICKEN WITH PEANUTS

sauce:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon rice wine

• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 2 teaspoons water

the chicken:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 4-6 dry red whole chili peppers

• 4 large scallions, chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Mix the soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, kosher salt and sesame seed oil in a small bowl and set it aside. Mix the 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl and set it aside.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and place them in a bowl. Add the 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch and mix thoroughly to coat all the chicken pieces. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stirfry for 2-3 minutes or until all the pieces are white. Dish out the chicken and set the pieces aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in the wok. Add the chili peppers, scallion, ginger and stirfry briefly. Add the chicken and stirfry for about a minute, distributing the ingredients evenly. Stir the sauce and pour it into the pan. Stirfry for about a minute. Add the peanuts and mix them in evenly. Stir the cornstarch mixture and pour it into the pan. Stirfry until the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Turkey Pot Pie

Our Thanksgiving celebration this year won’t be like any other. No kids or grandkids. No extended family. Just my brother and sister-in-law, who have committed to stay more or less quarantined so the four of us can have as safe a Thanksgiving dinner as possible, distanced even in my house.

Nevertheless, I am still thankful. So far everyone is okay. And although we are sad we won’t all get together, we are all in accord that we remain dug in until it’s safe to do otherwise. We look forward to — maybe Passover?

Still — I will make a more or less classic Thanksgiving dinner. Including roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, baked cranberries, stuffing, Brussels sprouts and pumpkin pie.

And of course there will be more leftovers than usual this year.

So: turkey pot pie is likely to be in the menu soon after the holiday.

Turkey Pot Pie

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 1 cup cut up broccoli (bite-size)

• 1 cup zucchini chunks (bite-size)

• 4 cups chopped cooked turkey

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 3 cups chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• pie dough or thawed frozen puff pastry sheets

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, celery and broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and turkey and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients and stir to mix it in completely. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the stock gradually, stirring constantly. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the ingredients, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into a baking dish. Cover with the pie dough or puff pastry. Seal the edges to the dish. Cut 2-3 slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 35 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Makes 4 servings

Lemon Oregano Roasted Chicken

I bought a ton of lemons recently for an article I wrote on Preserved Lemons for the Jewish Week Food&Wine.

So I’ve been cooking lots of recipes that use lemons.

This is one of the best, easiest and least complicated: Roasted Lemon-Oregano Chicken. I used chicken breast (though you could make it with any chicken parts). The fragrance is mesmerizing. It’s tasty without needing too many ingredients. You don’t need to use salt because the lemon juice adds the right amount of tang. It’s filling but not heavy.

I serve this with plain cooked rice or mashed or baked potatoes because the roasting juices are a perfect “gravy,” no other moisturizing fat needed.

Roasted Lemon-Oregano Chicken

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 1 lemon, sliced

• 2 whole bone-in chicken breasts, each about 1-1/2 pounds (or 4 whole chicken legs)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 6 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the onion and lemon slices in a roasting pan. Wash and dry the chicken breasts and place them on top of the onion/lemon slices. Brush the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano and pepper to taste. Roast for 10 minutes. Combine the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, white wine and garlic and pour over the chicken. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast for another 25-30 minutes, basting occasionally, or until cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast will register 160 degrees). Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

 Makes 4-6 servings

Apricot-Orange Sticky Wings

Chicken wings have been among my favorite things to eat for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, my mother always made sure my brothers and I got them because, she said, wings were the “best part” and she wanted us to have the best part.

So of course I am going to contribute some to the Superbowl party I’m invited to.

I have so many recipes for chicken wings! But these are the ones for the occasion:

Apricot-Orange Sticky Wings

• 2 pounds chicken wing pieces

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves

• 3 tablespoons orange juice

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh orange peel

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon Sriracha

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry the wing parts. In a large bowl, combine the preserves, orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, orange peel, garlic and Sriracha and mix to blend the ingredients. Add the wing pieces and toss to coat them evenly. Place the wings on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon any remaining sauce over the wings. Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning 2-3 times, or until the wings are golden brown and well glazed.

Makes 6 servings

Pomegranate Chicken Wings

I know that Labor Day is not the end of grilling season, but somehow it's a reminder that so much in our lives is about to change. In the month or so ahead, leaves turn to red and gold. School begins. There's a vague chill in the air at night. The sun sets earlier and nighttime comes sooner.

I also realize that many people continue to grill outdoors throughout the year.

I'm not one of them. If it's below 45 I don't feel like slaving over a hot grill in the cold night air.

So, knowing how way leads on to way, I am making the most of the grilltime that's left.

These wings will be on my menu soon, before I close up shop for the winter.

Fyi, you can use the glaze for other chicken parts and bake the pieces n the oven or broil them in an oven broiler. It’s also fine to use for basting a whole roasting chicken.

 

Pomegranate Wings

• 2 pounds chicken wings

• olive oil (about one tablespoon)

• 1/2 cup pomegranate jelly

• 2 tablespoons orange juice

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 scallions, chopped

• pinch or two cayenne pepper

• salt to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Wash and dry the wings and cut them into separate pieces. Brush with olive oil and grill, turning once, for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. While the wings are cooking, mix the pomegranate jelly, orange juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, scallions cayenne pepper and salt to taste until well blended. Brush this glaze on the wings and cook for another 10-12 minutes, turning the wings occasionally and brushing with remaining glaze, until crispy and fully cooked.

Makes about 24