Category Archives: Chicken

Chicken, Dinner, Main Dish, Recipes, Soups

Old Fashioned Chicken Soup (The Ultimate Comfort Food) – Soups and Stews Series #12

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[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”24″ size_format=”px” color=”#b31414″]Old Fashioned Chicken Soup [/typography]

Chicken Soup
Image by William Jones

Old Fashioned Chicken Soup is good for whatever ails you – and is truly the ultimate comfort food. This recipe (my mom’s favorite) is very simple and can be used as the base for a number of variations.  It can also be easily adapted to another favorite dish in my family, “Chicken and Dumplings.”

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
  • 1 small white onion, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery, cut on the diagonal into ¼” slices
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into ¼” slices
  • 3½ cups Homemade Chicken Broth; or two 14 oz cans chicken broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 chicken breast halves (10 to 12 ounces) – boneless
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes (optional)
  • Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Prepare the vegetables.
  2. Place the oil in a heavy four-quart saucepan and heat over medium heat.
  3. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes – until tender and lightly browned (stir occasionally).
  4. Reduce the heat to low, add the chicken, cover, and simmer until the chicken loses its pink color throughout – and carrots and celery are tender (do not overcook). (This should take approximately 8 to 10 minutes.)  
  5. Remove the chicken with tongs, place on a plate, and cool enough to handle.
  6. Taste the soup for flavor – add bouillon cubes if the flavor needs a little extra richness .
  7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Remove and discard the skin and shred the chicken. If pieces are too long, cut in half.
  9. Return the shredded chicken to the soup and simmer until heated through.

NOTE: Experiment with different herbs. I like to use small amounts of crushed basil, oregano and  a 1/2 whole bay leaf (remove before serving).



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Chicken, Recipes

Homemade Chicken Stock – Soups and Stews Series #10

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[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”24″ size_format=”px” color=”#b81228″]Homemade Chicken Stock[/typography]

Homemade Chicken Stock
Image by Julia Frost

The basis of great soup is usually fresh homemade chicken stock. Once you know how to make a good stock, you can use it for an endless variety of soups. This is my recipe for chicken stock that is easy to make, and always provides delicious flavor to my soups. I typically make extra, and freeze what I don’t use.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 whole chicken, about 2½ to 3 pounds
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut in 2” chunks
  • 2 celery stalks, cut into 2” chunks
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 1-2 sprigs fresh sage
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut the chicken up into pieces.
  2. Put the chicken, and the rest of the ingredients into a large kettle, and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 3 hours.
  4. Remove the chicken, and place in a bowl to cool.
  5. Pour the stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth, and chill.
  6. When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones, and freeze or refrigerate the chicken for another use.
  7. Skim the fat off of the stock – refrigerate, freeze, or use immediately.

Yield: About 6 cups of stock, about 4 cups of chicken.

Recipe Tips

Don’t feel constrained by the ingredients and amounts listed in this recipe. You can use other herbs for a different flavor. You could add ginger peels and lemongrass for an Asian flavor. Just let your imagination run wild.

Once you’ve learned to make this chicken stock, you can use it as a basis for many different soups… chicken noodle soup, cream of chicken soup, peanut butter soup… again, just let your imagination run wild, and enjoy the fresh flavor without any additives that are detrimental to your health.



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Chicken, Dinner, Healthy Eating, Main Dish, Recipes, Soups, Stews

Chicken Winter Stew – Soups and Stews Series #1

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[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”24″ size_format=”px” color=”#a81212″]Chicken Winter Stew [/typography]

This vegetable laden Chicken Winter Stew is especially good on a cold winter’s night. This old-fashioned chicken stew is very good, and hearty. One generous sized bowl will warm you up from head to toe. Served with chunks of warm crusty bread, who could ask for anything more?

Ingredients

  • 8 slices quality bacon, cut into ½” pieces
  • 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless/skinless cut into 2″ pieces
  • 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 can (10 ¾ oz) chicken broth
  • 2 cups whole fresh mushrooms, trimmed
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup red wine (or chicken broth)
  • 8 small red potatoes, cut in halves or quarters
  • 8 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
  • 1 cup green beans, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • Salt to taste (optional)

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
  2. Prepare all the vegetables.
  3. Cut the bacon and chicken.
  4. Cook bacon over medium-high heat for 5 minutes in Dutch oven.
  5. Add chicken and garlic and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until chicken is browned (8 to 10 minutes).
  6. While chicken is cooking, whisk the flour and chicken broth together in a medium bowl.
  7. Stir flour mixture into browned chicken in the Dutch oven and blend completely.
  8. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to mix.
  9. Cover and bake for 75 to 90 minutes or until vegetables are tender when pierced by a fork.
  10. Adjust seasoning – add salt to taste.
  11. Serve with hot buttered biscuits or warm crusty French bread.

Servings: 8



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Appetizers, Chicken, Main Dish, Recipes

Three Spicy Chicken Wing Recipes

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[typography font=”Myriad Pro” size=”24″ size_format=”px” color=”#e04a4a”]Spicy Chicken Wing Recipes[/typography]

spicy chicken wings

Three Variations for Lovely Treats

Most people enjoy discovering spicy chicken wing recipes. (I apologize to those who are allergic or you just cannot eat spicy food.) BUT – for all the chicken devotees,  I want to share with you three hot n’ spicy recipes to try the next time you want to treat yourself to a very tasty meal. Although they have similar names, they are very different – so be sure to try all three.

Spicy Chicken Wings – Recipe #1

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large can Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cube butter
  • 4-5 lbs. chicken wings

DIRECTIONS

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F.
  2. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
  3. Melt butter in small pan.
  4. Cut up chicken wings and discard tips.
  5. Wash thoroughly in cold water and pat dry with clean paper towels.
  6. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl.
  7. Dip chicken wings in butter and roll in cheese mixture.
  8. Place on lined cookie sheet.
  9. Bake for 1 hour.
  10. Serve warm with your favorite dipping condiments.

 

Hot Chicken Wings – Recipe #2

INGREDIENTS

  • 3-4 lbs. chicken wings
  • Enough oil for deep frying

Sauce Ingredients

  • ½ cube butter
  • 1 bottle Durkee™ Hot Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 10 shakes Tabasco
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix all sauce ingredients in an 8 X 8 baking dish (heat in microwave to melt butter) – set aside.
  2. Cut up chicken wings and discard tips.
  3. Wash thoroughly in cold water and pat dry with clean paper towels.
  4. Heat oil in a heavy pan while preparing wings.
  5. Deep fry wings for 20 minutes.
  6. Drain excess oil and set in warm sauce.
  7. Remove and place on a wire rack to dry.
  8. Serve warm.

 

Hot-N-Spicy Chicken Wings – Recipe #3

INGREDIENTS

  • 5 lb. bag chicken wings (drumettes)
  • 12 fl. oz. Louisiana Pre Crystal Hot Sauce
  • 1-2 sticks butter

DIRECTIONS

  1. Fry chicken wings until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
  2. Mix hot sauce and melted butter and pour into deep pan.
  3. Add chicken wings to sauce and heat thoroughly.
  4. Serve warm.

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Chicken, Main Dish, Recipes

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe

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PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN RECIPE

Parmesan Crusted Chicken RecipeParmesan Crusted Chicken recipe is amazing.

Chicken and Best Foods® Mayonnaise – two of my favorites. Combined together they create a very tasty dish that you should try soon. The mayonnaise transforms the chicken into a juicy, crispy, most delicious meal.

I saw this on TV, found the recipe on the Best Foods Website, and served it to my family. They enjoyed so it so much that I had to share it with you. It is quick, easy and yummy.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (best if you grate it yourself)
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
  • 4 teaspoons Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Combine Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with Mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
  3. Bake until chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes.

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