Have you ladies considered chicken?
Why, no, I was thinking more along the lines of
having a Chippendale dancer pop out of a large cake...
By Cynthia Bowan
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Between fighting with my ISP because we are having problems with connecting to the Internet and sometimes, with staying on, and the high heat we've been having recently, I want to cook easy things (since eating out every night is not really a good idea <GBG>). Fortunately, I have a husband who doesn't make a big deal out of things if I serve a chef's salad for dinner, or other cool-type meals.
I had a friend once whose husband refused to eat leftovers. One time, she ended up giving me a half of a ham, because one ham meal for him was enough! Another friend's husband would eat a chef's salad and ask where the rest of the meal was!
But I digress from my culinary path. <G>
I was heading towards chicken, actually. Chicken, always a reliable choice, is one you can use in many ways. And with summer weather here, chicken is great on the grill, in sandwiches or salads, oh, lots of wonderful things. We can get a large freezer bag of boneless, skinless chicken breast halves at a very reasonable price at least once a month or so at our local grocery store. Sometimes I marinate or use a glaze on them, or just simply grill several at once. Then I have the meat portion of a meal handy in my refrigerator for the next day or so.
Chicken also has been a source of culinary jokes etc. because it is so reasonably cheap, making it handy to feed a large number of people, like at banquets, retreats, reunions and more. When I was active in women's clubs, it was a given that club years ended with a banquet. So when those of us on the committee would go to a local restaurant to make arrangements, we used to get a chicken menu - okay, that is a stretch. You see, I dreaded all
this because I knew the chicken would most likely be served with a fruit cup; a small tossed salad with one green olive and one black one, a tomato wedge, cucumber slice, and neon orange "French" dressing and/or Italian, one roll, Argo peas (the army-green colored, 10 to a can veggie) or French Green beans with almond slivers.
I assure you, the first words out of every banquet manager's mouth were a form of "Have you ladies considered chicken?"
Why, no, I was thinking more along the lines of having a Chippendale dancer pop out of a large cake.
Back to reality: He would then rattle off a list of chicken dishes, with one or two being their "specialties"… This phenomenon wasn't restricted to women. My DH and I put together some dinners for his professional association group, for church groups, retreats and more throughout the years, and yes, chicken was at the forefront.
Throughout the years, though, I've come to enjoy chicken more - as long as it doesn't come with Argo peas (do they even sell those any more???). I have no clue as to how many different ways I've served chicken, but served it I have, including a church dinner for a couple hundred folks (see Lemon Chicken following <G>) and gourmet groups…
We
all know the basics, but it's good to go over a few things again.
You should never leave raw or frozen chicken at room temperature. Raw chicken should be kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator and used within 2 days (otherwise, freeze it). Frozen chicken can usually be stored for up to one year. Thaw frozen chicken in the refrigerator (about 24 hr. or so for a whole and up to 8 or 9 hr. for parts) or in a cold water bath.
Rinse the chicken with cold water, inside and outside before patting dry with paper towels before you begin to prepare it. And please, thoroughly clean everything that comes in contact with the raw chicken: plates, cutting boards, knives, silverware, utensils and yes, your hands. Use warm, soapy water. Do not let the chicken come in contact with any raw or cooked food. (On a personal note, a few years ago, I ended up with Campylobactor food poisoning. My friend and I had eaten the same lunch, and she never got sick. Consensus was that someone in the restaurant kitchen had handled raw chicken and then plated my food or touched the food that was on my plate. I went through nine days of horror...)
At any rate, cook chicken until it is well done. Use a meat thermometer - you can get good ones that don't cost an arm and a leg. These are the readings you should look for: internal temperature
should reach 180F (82C), chicken breasts - 170F (77C), and ground chicken - 165F (74C). You can also pierce or make a small slit in the thickest part of the meat to see if the juices are clear - if so, your chicken is done.
Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, no matter how long you plan on marinating it. And DO NOT use that marinade to baste the chicken while cooking, unless you have taken the used marinade and boiled it for 2-3 minutes to kill any bacteria that might be lurking. Or safe test of all, make another batch of marinade to use as a glaze.
Don't leave cooked chicken out on the stove or counter - or even in the microwave - for more than a couple hours. BTW, a whole cooked chicken can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, while cut-up cooked chicken (again, well covered) can be refrigerated for about 2 days.
Years ago, friends of ours in the Navy Medical Corps would actually boil their chicken for a while before grilling it. They knew what germs could do also. I've never done that, but I make sure I follow all of the above, using a dishwashing soap with antibacterial properties on my cutting board (unless I've used those disposable paper cutting boards, which I also love). Once you've had food poisoning, you change the way you used to do things...
I
hope all of this has not turned you off to chicken…it's just common sense to do our best to take care of those we love, and that starts in the kitchen.
I hope you will Enjoy! the following recipes, and as always, CYH - consider yourself hugged.
One experience that certainly triggered my life long love of good food and cooking, was picking rosemary on a San Francisco hillside, early one morning, with the fog burning off the dew. I have loved rosemary ever since, and this is a great way to use it….
Grilled Rosemary Chicken
1 chicken, cut up in serving pieces
1/2 c. Canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. orange juice
1 tsp. dried rosemary or 2 T. chopped fresh
salt and pepper
Wash chicken and pat dry. Place in bowl or plastic container. Combine remaining ingredients, and pour over chicken.
Marinate 2-23 hours, or overnight. When ready to cook, remove chicken from marinade. Place on heated grill. Cook slowly, turning often, until chicken is tender, about 40 minutes. Brush frequently with marinade. Serves 4.
Ginger-Garlic Drummettes
1/4 cup Kikkoman soy sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup minced fresh gingerroot
4 small cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon balsamic or white vinegar
2 pounds chicken drummettes (upper part of chicken wings)
Combine first 7 ingredients in an 13x9" baking dish. Add drummetttes, turning to coat; cover and refrigerate 2 hrs, turning ocassionally. Remove from marinade.
Place drummettes on a lightly greased rack; place rack in broiler pan. Broil 5-6" from heat (with electric oven door partially opened) 7 minutes on each side or until done, turning once.
Yield: 8-10 appetizer servings.
Note: For a spicier flavor add Tabasco sauce to marinade to desired degree of heat.
Wild Rice Chicken Salad
2/3 C. mayonnaise
1/3 C. milk
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. tarragon
3 C. cooked cubed chicken
3 C. cooked wild rice
1/3 C. finely sliced green onions
1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts (drained)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 lb. seedless green grapes (1 C. halved)
1 C. salted cashews
Blend mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice and tarragon; set aside. In large bowl combine chicken, wild rice, green onion, water
chestnuts, salt and pepper. Stir in mayonnaise mixture until blended. Refrigerate covered 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving fold in grapes and cashews.
Sweet-and-Sour Grilled Chicken
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
Italian parsley (optional)
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, lime and lemon juices, brown sugar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Divide the sauce into thirds. Reserve one portion of the mixture for basting and one for dipping sauce, then add the chicken to the dish with the remaining portion and turn it to coat.
Grill the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until the juices run clear. During the last minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with the portion of the reserved sauce to glaze
it. Garnish with the chopped Italian parsley, if desired. Serve with the other reserved portion of the marinade for dipping. Makes 4 servings.
Summer Chicken
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 cups summer squash
2 cups zucchini
2 red bell peppers (for color)
2 medium tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh basil
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Use a wok or a cast-iron skillet.
Prepare everything as follows:- cut chicken into 1/2" cubes- slice or cube squash, zucchini, and the peppers- slice each tomato into 8 wedges.
Pour oil into heated wok. When oil is heated, stir-fry vegetables just until tender (about 10 minutes), then set aside. If more oil is needed in the wok, add just a T. or so. Add chicken to the wok, and stir fry until thoroughly cooked (15-20 minutes). Return vegetables to pan, add seasoning, and stir-fry for another 5 minutes. (For regular chicken use black pepper, to kick it up a notch use the cayenne pepper.)
To serve, spoon onto serving dishes and then sprinkle with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
Apple Chicken Salad
1/2 cup fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup apple jelly, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups finely sliced celery
3 apples, unpeeled and diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
In a large bowl, mix yogurt, orange juice, melted apple jelly and lemon juice. Add chicken, celery and apples. Toss gently to coat all pieces. Season with salt and chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with pecans and serve on a bed of romaine lettuce.
Makes 8 servings. (3/4 c. each)
Sesame Seed Marinade
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoon light or regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic; chopped
1/8 tsp. fresh black pepper
4 boneless or bone-in chicken breast halves
Combine all ingredients except chicken in a shallow dish. Mix well. Add chicken, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Remove chicken from marinade. Place the marinade in a small saucepan and heat to a boil, then cool. Place the chicken on the grill over medium-hot coals until chicken is done, and juices run clear. Turn and baste frequently with reserved marinade. The bone-in breasts will take longer. Serves 4.
Pineapple Chicken Tenders
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light soy sauce
2 pounds chicken breast tenders, raw
In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix pineapple juice, brown sugar and soy sauce. Remove from heat just before the mixture comes to a boil. Place the chicken tenders in a medium bowl. Cover with juice mixture, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate. Thread chicken
onto wooden skewers. Grill chicken tenders about 5 minutes per side, until no longer pink and juices run clear. They cook quickly, so watch them closely.
By Cynthia Bowan
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Grilled Rosemary Chicken |
Ginger-Garlic Drummettes |
Wild Rice Chicken Salad |
Sweet-and-Sour Grilled Chicken
Summer Chicken |
Apple Chicken Salad |
Sesame Seed Marinade |
Pineapple Chicken Tenders
