Tag Archives: chicken

Foodie Friday: Simple Yet Delicious Crispy Company Chicken

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#FoodieFriday- SIMPLE YET DELICIOUS%0ACRISPY COMPANY CHICKEN from Beeyoutiful.com

Thanks to this recipe, roasted chicken has become a favorite easy dinner at my house! It’s simple enough to make anytime with some advance planning, and beautiful and delicious enough to serve to guests.

During the week I might pair a bird with easy roasted potatoes and carrots, or for a weekend company meal perhaps dress it up with mashed potatoes and gravy along with fancy green beans.

No matter the side dishes, this recipe with its combination of brining and roasting produces savory moist chicken with crispy skin every time. Serve it up as a family meal, then pick the rest of the meat off the bones for chicken salad or a casserole a few days afterward. Don’d forget to use the carcass to make a pot of nourishing bone broth for later, too!

#FoodieFriday- Simple Yet Delicious Crispy Company Chicken from Beeyoutiful.com

Crispy Company Chicken

Use a cup of freshly boiled water to mix and dissolve 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup brown sugar or Rapadura. (If substituting a different kind of salt, use half as much.)
Place chicken in a pot or lidded container large enough to submerge the entire chicken. Add at least two quarts (8 cups) of cool water, then pour in the salt/sugar mixture. Add more water as needed to submerge chicken.

Add to the pot the juice of half a lemon or a splash of apple cider vinegar. If desired, add a few bay leaves, a few whole allspice, about a dozen whole peppercorns, several sprigs of rosemary, or any other whole spices (ground spices aren’t recommended, as they’ll cloud the brine and discolor the chicken).

Cover the pot and place in the refrigerator. If starting with fresh or thawed chicken, brine for 3-8 hours. If starting with a frozen chicken, brine until the chicken is completely thawed. (Avoid brining too long, as it may result in mushy chicken.)

Drain off brine and discard spices. Use baker’s twine to tie legs together and place chicken in a roasting pan.

Pat chicken dry and rub with a few tablespoons of softened butter, coating the skin thoroughly. Sprinkle generously with more kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

Place chicken in a 425 oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat and roast at 350 for 20-25 minutes per pound. After one hour, carefully remove the pan from the oven and baste the chicken in its juices. Return chicken to oven until time is up and chicken is cooked through.

​Notes:

This recipe works for chicken parts, too! Shorten the brining and baking times for smaller pieces.

You can multiply the salt/sugar solution and spices if brining several chickens at once. Use a very large container and be sure all parts of the chicken are covered with water. Lengthen baking times to allow for more mass in the oven.

Brining results in moist, flavorful meat. Buttering the skin, starting the oven at high heat, and basting partway through are the keys to getting a delicious golden crispy skin.

Don’t throw away the chicken carcass! Use it to make tasty bone broth. If you don’t have time to make it right away, freeze the chicken bones for later.

Share this recipe with a friend; maybe they’ll take the hint and invite you over for dinner!

shop Beeyoutiful.com

Crockpot Chicken Tacos and On-The-Go Cooking

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Crock Pot Chicken and on-the-go CookingWhen traveling, it is nice to have a few tasty and quick meals to eat on the fly. Crockpot Chicken Tacos are a favorite whether we’re at home or on the road, and leftovers (if there are any!) make a great topping for Taco Salad.

To make the process easier, I prepare my slow cooker meals before we leave home and then freeze them in large zip-top bags. They travel well this way in a good cooler, and then they can thaw in the mini fridge in the hotel. Clean up is easy and I don’t have to worry about bringing seasonings and extras since they’re already in the bag! Just dump into the crockpot and go.

chicken taco recipe from Beeyoutfiful.comCrockpot Chicken Tacos

1 lb of Boneless Chicken Breast, cut in chunks
1 cup Chicken Bone Broth
3 -4 Tablespoons of Taco Seasoning (see recipe below)

Place ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred with a fork when the meat is cooked through.

We bring either salad fixings for taco salad or taco shells for traditional tacos. Toppings can be shredded lettuce, tomatoes, olives, cheese, salsa, and avocados or guacamole.

Taco SeasoningTaco Seasoning Recipe with Spices from Beeyoutiful.com

¼ c Chili Powder
1 tsp Cayenne Powder
1 tsp Red Chili Flakes
2 tsp Turmeric
3 tsp Paprika
¼ c Cumin
3 tsp Oregano
2 Tbs Salt
3 tsp Garlic Powder
3 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Arrowroot Powder (Optional; helps prevent clumping and makes a smoother sauce)

Mix thoroughly and store in an air-tight container.

Tips for Hotel Cooking

  • Buy a set of cheap cutlery and store in a plastic shoe box with a lid (or disposable utensils are nice, too). Don’t forget serving spoons and a can opener. Bring two sharp knives for any cutting needed. Wrap in a thick dishtowel and store safely in the box with the cutlery.
  • Use a small plastic box as a “pantry” with basic seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne, etc.) to spice up any meals that might need an extra bit of flavor.
  • A small baking sheet can serve as a tray to prep your meal. The lips around the tray keep any messy liquids contained.
  • A few sheets of parchment paper are easy to pack can be used for meal prep surfaces on a counter or desk and are super easy to clean up and throw away in a hotel room.
  • Stow several dishrags and a small container of dishsoap in a large zip-top bag, along with several smaller plastic bags.
  • Make sure to bring extra bags or storage containers for any leftovers or to stash damp dishrags.
  • Bring along a good supply of disposable plates and paper towels!

What’s your favorite travel-friendly cooking tip?

Spicy Chicken With – Winter 2008-2009 Catalog

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Spicy Chicken With Quinoa

This is one of my family’s favorites! This spicy dish warms you up on a chilly evening and we think the leftovers are even better the next day.

1 medium onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

5 Tbsp butter, divided

3 cups chicken broth

2 cans (15 oz. each) tomato sauce

2 cups chopped green onions

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp ground cumin

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

Cooked quinoa (or brown rice)

Sour cream

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of butter until tender. Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, cayenne, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate container, combine the salt, garlic powder, pepper, basil and cumin; mix well. Add chicken and toss to coat. In a skillet, sauté chicken in remaining butter until juices run clear. Add chicken to tomato sauce; simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over quinoa or rice. Top with sour cream.

-Candi D.

Chicken and Rice Soup- Fall 2008 Catalog

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Chicken and Rice Soup

All organic if possible:

2 cloves garlic

3 chicken breast, cut up

4 carrots

3 celery stocks

1/2 onion

1 green pepper

1/2 small cabbage

1 1/2 cups rice

Chicken soup base (no msg)

Whatever other seasonings you want

Add celery, carrots, onion, garlic, chicken, soup base, and other seasonings to pot filled with water. Cook 1 hour on med. Then add rice, green pepper and cabbage and cook for 20 min. or put all into crock pot, fill with water and cook all day. Serve with tortilla chips.

-Debbie D

Deviled Coconut Curry Chicken- Summer 2008 Catalog

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Deviled Coconut Curry Chicken

Chicken pieces cut into bite-sized pieces.  (I prefer to cook in a cast iron skillet until lightly browned.)

1 large onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp lemon rind

1 cup tomato sauce

1 Tbsp sucanat or organic turbinado sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp soy sauce

1 can coconut milk

Sauté chicken until golden and then add onions and garlic to sauté. Add tomato sauce, coconut milk, lemon juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Stir in dry ingredients and simmer on low for 10 minutes. I serve this over brown rice (soaked and cooked according to Nourishing Traditions) with a green salad.

– Jennifer B.

Chicken, Potato, Carrot with Herbs

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Lemon-Herb Crock-Pot Chicken

1 roasting chicken (3 – 4 pounds)

Cooking spray or 2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 Tbsp lemon zest

2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped finely

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 1/2 tsp fresh sage leaves, chopped finely (optional)

1 whole onion

Juice from one lemon

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in slow cooker with a small roasting rack underneath if desired. Squeeze juice of the lemon all over the chicken. Save the squeezed-out lemon halves. Put onion and left-over lemon halves inside the cavity of the bird. Mix zest, parsley, salt, pepper, sage and thyme. Sprinkle or rub mixture all over the top of the bird. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. When meat thermometer reads 180 degrees on inside of thigh, remove chicken and let set for 10 minutes or until cool enough to cut. Strain drippings into a stovetop pan and remove some of the fat with a spoon. Bring to a boil and thicken with flour or cornstarch slurry.

Mustard-Herb Mashed Potatoes

5 lb bag cooking potatoes (Idaho)

salt

4 whole garlic cloves (peels removed)

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup milk

sweet onion mustard OR Dijon mustard

fresh sprigs of dill (at least 1 Tbsp)

fresh sprigs of parsley (at least 1 Tbsp)

pepper to taste

Scrub, peel (if desired) and chop potatoes. Place in large cooking pot and cover with water. Add prepared garlic cloves and onion from cavity of bird. Add salt to water (a few large pinches) and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain cooking liquid, add butter and 1/2 cup of milk, then mash. Add more milk as needed. When you reach desired consistency, add 3 Tbsp of mustard, snip in fresh dill and parsley. Add pepper.

Quick Maple Carrots

1 bag julienne cut frozen carrots

water

real maple syrup

salt

Put carrots in a saucepan and put enough water on the bottom to steam the carrots. Add 2 Tbsp of maple syrup and sprinkle with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until desired tenderness. 7-10 minutes.

I gathered these recipes using herbs from my herb garden. It turned out really good, so I thought I would share! I love making chicken in a crock-pot. The meat turns out so moist and flavorful. You just can’t mess it up! The gravy from the chicken has a lovely tart-lemon flavor that really compliments the herbs and mustard in the mashed potatoes. The carrots lend a sweet flavor to the meal and add a pop of color to the plate. Garnish with lemon wedges and herb sprigs and celebrate spring. Enjoy!