Food Junkie : III. Chicken Dance

Chicken is one food that is very hard to resists. It is also the kind of food which you can create various menus - from the famous deep fried chicken (popularized by leading food chains such as McDonalds, Jollibee, KFC), to the locally made "inasal" ( thanks to Mang Inasal restos), and who would have thought that roasting is exclusive only to pigs, the term "lechon manok" was coined in the Philippines' food history (thanks to the emergence of Andoks, Chooks to Go, Senor Pedro) chicken roasting became a part of our food cuisines. Today, different chicken recipes was created by famous Chefs and restaurants all over the world to meet consumer's unending demands for savory and  qualitative tasting.

Lucky for you readers, I have found five easy and interesting chicken recipes you can try at home when most in the family are too "sawa" to the common chicken adobo or fried chicken you've been cooking for years now. It's time to try something new but tasty. 

Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients

·         Cooking spray

·         1 1/3 cups crispy rice cereal

·         2 1/4 cups bagel chips or Melba toasts

·         5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

·         3/4 teaspoon hot paprika

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

·         1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt (2%)

·         1 teaspoon dijon mustard

·         4 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs or halved bone-in breasts (about 6 ounces each)

·         2 bunches scallions

·         Harissa, chili sauce or ketchup, for the sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Set a rack on a foil-lined baking sheet and generously coat the rack with cooking spray.

Finely grind the cereal and bagel chips in a food processor and transfer to a large resealable plastic bag. Add 3 teaspoons olive oil, the paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste and toss.

Whisk 1/2 cup yogurt and the mustard in a shallow bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat, then transfer to the bag; seal and shake to coat. Place the chicken on the rack and mist with cooking spray.

Toss the scallions with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and place alongside the chicken. Bake until the chicken is crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160 degrees F, about 30 minutes.

Make the dipping sauce: Mix the remaining 1 cup yogurt and harissa to taste in a bowl. Serve the chicken and scallions with the sauce.

Per serving: Calories 369; Fat 13 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 86 mg; Sodium 1,274 mg; Carbohydrate 33 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 30 g

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

Fontina Risotto with Chicken

Ingredients

·         4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

·         5 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         1 medium onion, finely chopped

·         2 1/2 cups arborio rice

·         3 sprigs fresh thyme

·         1 cup dry white wine

·         Kosher salt

·         1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

·         Freshly ground pepper

·         1 cup coarsely grated fontina cheese, plus more for garnish

·         8 ounces deli-smoked chicken breast, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

·         1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Bring the broth and 4 cups water to a simmer in a saucepan; keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion; cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and thyme; cook, stirring, until the rice is glossy, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Add 1 teaspoon Kosher salt. Ladle in the hot broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, allowing all of the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. Continue until the rice is just tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the thyme. Stir in the parmigiano, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in the fontina and chicken. Reserve about 2 cups risotto for Risotto Cakes. Divide the rest among bowls; top with parsley and more fontina.

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

Chicken Salad Pita with Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients

·         1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

·         3 teaspoons dried mint, crumbled

·         3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

·         2 cloves garlic, finely minced

·         Kosher salt

·         4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

·         4 chicken scallopine (4 to 5 ounces each)

·         1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

·         1 unpeeled kirby cucumber, chopped

·         Freshly ground pepper

·         4 pocketless pitas

·          

·         1/2 cup baba ghanoush (eggplant spread, sold near hummus in the refrigerated section)

·          

·         2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mint, red pepper flakes, 1 clove garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and marinate about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes, cucumber and the remaining 1 clove garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Toss with the vegetables.

Brush the pitas with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until marked. Place a pita on each plate and spread with baba ghanoush. Top with lettuce and chicken salad and drizzle with any juices from the bowl.

Per serving: Calories 342; Fat 15 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 74 mg; Sodium 587 mg; Carbohydrate 24 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 29 g

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

Tangy Barbecued Chicken

Directions 

Simmer 1 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons each molasses and brown sugar, 1 tablespoon each dried mustard and soy sauce, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup water, and kosher salt and pepper to taste until thickened, about 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to medium-high on one side. Season 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves with salt andpepper. Grill over direct heat until golden and crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 cup of the sauce. Place on the cooler side of the grill; cover and cook, basting once, until the meat is glazed and reaches 165, 25 to 30 minutes.

Photograph by Tina Rupp

Peppercorn Chicken with Lemon Spinach

Ingredients

·         3 tablespoons dijon mustard

·         3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 pounds)

·         2 to 3 teaspoons coarsely ground mixed peppercorns

·         3/4 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary

·         Kosher salt

·         3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·         2 shallots, thinly sliced

·         1/3 cup brandy or red wine

·         1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

·         2 cloves garlic, chopped

·         1 pound spinach

·         1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush 1 tablespoon mustard all over the chicken. Sprinkle with the peppercorns, rosemary and salt to taste, patting gently so the seasonings stick.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a baking dish (set aside the skillet for the sauce); bake the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the shallots to the skillet; cook over medium-high heat until just soft. Remove the pan from the heat, add the brandy, then return the pan to the heat and scrape up any browned bits. Add the broth, bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons mustard and the parsley.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic; cook about 30 seconds. Add the spinach, season with salt and cook until wilted; add the lemon zest. Slice the chicken and drizzle with the shallot sauce. Serve with the spinach.

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

recipes courtesy of food network.com