Chicken Tacos with Quick Pickled Poblano Strips with all recipes

Chicken Tacos with Quick Pickled Poblano Strips

Why this Recipe works: Poaching is an ideal way to cook chicken breasts since it produces meat that’s tender and moist. For robust flavor, we call on Worcestershire sauce, with its bottled blend of vinegar, molasses, cloves, tamarind, and other potent ingredients. Chipotle chiles give our poaching liquid a smoky, full-bodied flavor, and orange juice, instead of chicken broth, lends a touch of sweetness. We use butter to sauté the garlic and chipotle; it adds richness to both the chicken and the sauce, which we make by reducing the leftover poaching liquid.

Ingredients: serve 4

½ cup cider vinegar

Breaded Herbed Chicken Fingers with all recipes

Breaded Herbed Chicken Fingers

Why this recipe works: We look classic breaded chicken breasts and gave them a festive twirl by opting for chicken tenderloins and serving them with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. There’s no  need to turn on your oven for this recipe: The chicken tenderloins cook so quickly in the skillet that the first batch doesn’t even have time to cool down before the second batch is done. Adding a combination of parsley and tarragon to the panko coating boosts flavor and gives the chicken a more sophisticated taste. The simple to make dipping sauce has just the right balance of sweet, tart, and spicy flavors. With just three ingredients, it can be assembled in minutes, leaving plenty of time to bread and cook the chicken. The sauce can be made a head of time and refrigerated, but we like it served at room temperature. Add the hot sauce in increments, tasting after each addition, until the dipping sauce reaches the heat level that you prefer.

Ingredients: serve 4

½ cup apricot preserves

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 – 3 teaspoons hot sauce salt and pepper

¼ cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 cup panko(Japanese style bread crumbs)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon

1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins

½ cup vegetable oil

Procedures:

1. Combine apricot preserves, mustard, and hot sauce in small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Spread flour in shallow dish. Beat eggs in second dish. Spread panko and herbs in third dish. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each tenderloin in flour, dip in eggs, and coat with panko, pressing to adhere.
3. Heat ¼ cup oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook half of chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining oil and chicken. Server chicken with apricot and mustard dipping sauce.

Quick Prep Tip: Breading Chicken 101

Coat the tenderloins liberally with flour before tapping the excess off, leaving only the barest film. Using tongs, dip the floured chicken in the egg, taking care to coat the entire surface before letting the excess drip back into the dish. Toss the chicken in the crumbs to coat and then press with your fingers for an even distribution.

Glazed Grilled Chicken Skewers with all recipes

Glazed Grilled Chicken Skewers

Why this recipe works: we love the way the sweetness of the kecap manis, or sweet soy sauce, turns this marinade into a delicious sweet and savory glaze. You can make your own sweet soy sauce if kecap manis is not available. Simply bring ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup soy sauce, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, turn the heat down to low, and simmer the mixture until it is thick and syrupy, about five minutes. Be sure to select plums that are ripe yet still firm; if they’re overly ripe, they’ll be too soft to effectively skewer. Plus, the plums look nicer in the salad when they’re not mushy. When choosing sesame seeds, buy them already toasted. If you need to toast them yourself, put them in a dry pan over medium – low heat until they turn slightly golden and have a toasted aroma, about five minutes.

Ingredients: 4 serving

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds), cut into 1½ inch chunks

6 plums, stones removed, 4 plums sliced into quarters, 2 plums sliced into ¼ inch wedges

   Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 bunches watercress, trimmed

Procedure:

1. whisk honey, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and sesame oil in large bowl. Transfer half of glaze to small bowl and set aside. Toss chicken and plum quarters with glaze remaining in large bowl. Thread four 14 – inch metal skewers with marinated chicken and plums, reserving glaze. Transfer skewers to plate and season with salt and pepper.
2. Grill skewers over hot fire until chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes, brushing frequently with reserved glaze from large bowl. Transfer skewers to platter. Sprinkle skewers with sesame seeds and tent with foil.
3. whisk remaining lime juice and vegetable oil into reserved small bowl of glaze and season with salt and pepper. Toss watercress and remaining plums in dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with chicken and plum skewers.

Smart Shopping: Sesame Seeds

Sesame sees are considered to be the world’s first recorded seasoning, mentioned in Assyrian records from 300 B.C. The seeds were brought to America by African slaves, and they subsequently became popular in Southern Cooking. Sesame seeds come in a variety of colors, from creamy white to black, through the creamy white ones, and the toasted versions of them, are more common in our supermarkets. When they are used whole in cooking, their high oil content contributes a rich, nutty flavor; they are also sometimes ground into a paste, such as tahini. Sesame seeds also yield sesame oil commonly used in Asian cuisines. When used whole, they can be baked into or onto foods, such as hamburger buns, or sprinkled on top as a garnish. Because of their high oil content, sesame seeds turn rancid relatively quickly. They can stored in an airtight in a cool, dark place for up to three months, refrigerated for up to six months, or frozen for up to a year. 

Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken thighs with all recipes

Grilled Spice Rubbed Chicken thighs

Why This Recipe Works: chicken thighs are a fatty cut, so be sure to trim off excess fat and skin before applying the spice rub. This step will help reduce flare –ups while grilling. If flare –ups do occur, simply move the chicken to another part of the grill until the flames die down. Chicken thighs contain dark meat, which must be cooked to a higher internal temperature than delicate white meat. To cook the thighs through without singeing the exterior, we start cooking over medium heat, then we adjust the burner setting as needed depending on how quickly the chicken is browning. To accentuate the corn’s sweetness, we pair salty Cotija cheese with savory spices.  If Cotija is not available, try Pecorino Romano. Coleslaw or potato salad also makes great accompaniment for this dish.

Ingredients: serves 4

1½ tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon cayenne

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 ears corn, shucked

1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted

8 bone – in, skin – on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), excess fat trimmed sour cream or mayonnaise

½ cup crumbled cotija cheese

Procedure:

1. In small bowl, combine chili powder, sugar, paprika, mustard, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Brush corn with butter and sprinkle each ear with about ½ teaspoon spice rub. Season chicken thighs on all side with remaining spice rub.
2. Grill chicken over medium fire until skin is charred an crisp and chicken registers 175 degrees, 18 to 20 minutes total, adjusting heat as needed and turning thighs frequently to prevent scorching. Meanwhile, grill corn over medium heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 15 minutes.
3. Spred corn with sour cream or mayonnaise, then sprinkle with cotija cheese. Serve with grilled chicken.

Smart shopping: Cotija Cheese

Made from either cow’s milk or goat’s mil, Cotija is also know as queso añejo and queso añejado. It comes semisoft to very hard, and since it’s very salty, is mainly used to season Mexican – style dishes. It takes its name from Cotija de la Paz, a town in the Mexican state of Michoacan. It is now being produced in the United States as well.

Quick prep tip: Husking Corn

Like many people, we love corn on the cob but hate to do all that shucking. Here’s the fastest way we’ve found to get the job done. From the top of the cob, pull down approximately 1 inch of the husk (with its silk), leaving the pulled husk attached. From here, just snap off the stalk and remove the entire husk, silk and all, with just one tug.

Vietnamese – style Noodles with chicken

Vietnamese – style Noodles with chicken

Why this Recipe Works: this simplified version of bun cha, a quintessential Vietnamese street food offering, gets its bold flavor from boneless, skinless chicken thighs that have been coated in an assertive marinade. The thighs cook quickly and, thanks to a fair amount of fat, remain moist. Their succulence adds richness to an otherwise fat-free dish. If desired, cilantro leaves can replace the mint leaves, or you can try a mixture of both.

Ingredient: 4 serving

7 tablespoon fish sauce

7 tablespoon sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon pepper

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds), trimmed of excess fat

1/3 cup lime juice

5 tablespoon water

8 ounces rice vermicelli

4 cups shredded romaine lettuce leaves (6 to 8 leaves)

2 cups bean sprouts (about 6 ounces)

¾ cup shredded fresh mint leaves

½ cup chopped roasted salted peanuts

Procedure:

1. Combine 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 table spoon sugar, garlic, and pepper in medium bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat.
2. In small bowl, combine remaining 5 tablespoons fish sauce, reaming 5 tablespoons sugar, lime juice, and water and stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Remove from heat, add vermicelli, and let stand until vermicelli are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in colander and rise vermicelli with cold running water until cooled. Drain well.
4. Divide lettuce, bean sprouts, and mint among 4 individual bowls. Top vegetables with vermicelli, dividing evenly.
5. Grill chicken over medium – hot fire until charred and chicken registers 170 degrees, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Cut chicken crosswise into ½ - inch strips. Place chicken on top of vermicelli and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve, passing sauce on side for pouring over individual servings.

Smart Shopping Rice Vermicelli

Asian noodle nomenclature can cause confusion in the grocery store. For this recipe, look for thin rice noodles called rice vermicelli – they are also some times labeled as rice sticks or as mainfun. But be warned: other rice noodles are also labeled as rice vermicelli and rice sticks. Always look closely at the noodles themselves – for this recipe and other like it, purchase the fine, wiry noodles in strands that resemble angel hair pasta. To add to the confusion, there are no standard weights for rice vermicelli packages – some contain 6.75 ounces of noodles, others 8.8 ounces. Both of these sizes should be enough to serve four, but if you’re less than 7 ounces, consider supplementing the dish with additional vegetables just to be sure. 

Grilled Turkey Sausage with Fennel Salad

Grilled Turkey Sausage with Fennel Salad

Why this Recipe Works: Supermarket turkey sausage is a great choice for a summer dinner: It’s  inexpensive, easy to find, cooks up quickly, and tastes great hot off the grill. Plus, it comes in a variety of different styles, with numerous flavoring and seasoning combinations. For this recipe, we like mild, Italian style turkey sausage, since its flavors pair well with the fennel salad. But any fresh, uncooked sausage will work, so fell free to be creative. The salad is a study of familiar yet contracting textures are flavors: apples and oranges, fennel and olives, scallions and cider vinegar. We use a sparse amount of oil cured olives, chopped up, to get a subtle but recognizable hit of intense briny flavor in each bite. If you’re using another, less assertive variety of olive, up the amount form ¼ cup to 1/3 cup. We recommend using a mandoline to slice the fennel into thin, even ribbons. The thinner the slices, the more tender the fennel becomes and the easier it is to eat. While the mandoline is out, go ahead and use it to slice the apple – there’s no better way to cut even, thin slices quickly. And don’t peel the apple; the green flashes of peel add visual interest to the dish. The sweetness of the orange is key to the flavor profile of this particular salad, so be sure to remove all of this particular salad, so be sure to remove all of the bitter, white pith from the orange segments. If you don’t the oranges less pleasing bitter qualities will carry over into the salad.

Ingredient: 4 serves

2 fennel bulbs, cores removed and sliced very thin on mandoline

1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced thin

2 oranges, peel cut away and segments removed

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

4 scallions, sliced thin

¼ cup oil cured olives, chopped salt and pepper

1 ½ pounds turkey sausage

Procedures:

1. Toss fennel, apple, oranges, vinegar, oil, scallions, and olives together until combined. Season with salt and pepper
2. grill sausages over hot fire until golden brown and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve with fennel salad.

Quick prep tip SHAVING FENNEL

Because of its awkward bulbous base and feathery foliage, working with fennel can be tricky. Here’s how we handle this oddly shaped vegetable in the test kitchen. We cut off the stems and the feathery fronds on top and then trim a very thin slice from the base of the bulb. Next, we slice the bulb in half lengthwise from top to bottom before cutting out the tough, triangular – shaped piece of the core located on the bottom of each half. Finally, we carefully run the fennel, cut side down, down the length of the mandolin. Since the blade of the mandoline is very sharp, many mandolins come equipped with a safety device that elevates your hand away from the blade. 

Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken Meatballs

Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken Meatballs

Why this Recipe Works: How exactly do you make a creamy, rich soup without any cream? The answer is by using an egg liaison – a mixture of egg yolks and lemon juice – as a binding agent. To avoid scrambling the eggs, we don’t add the yolk mixture directly to the hot soap; we “temper” the liaison first by slowly adding some of the hot broth to the yolk mixture and then whisking the warmed yolk mixture back into the soup. At this point, there’s a gentle simmer will both cook the yolks and thicken the soup. Whit rice can be substituted for the orzo. The mixture for the meatballs will be fairly wet and loose. To tighten the mixture up, we use panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs). We found that they absorb more moisture than regular bread crumbs do.

Ingredient:

8 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 pound ground chicken

1 small onion, grated(about 1 cup)

½ cup panko(Japanese-style bread crumbs)

3 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

3 large egg yolks and 1 whole egg salt and pepper

1 cup orzo

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch rounds

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Procedure:

1. Bring broth to boil in large saucepan. Cover and set aside. Combine chicken, onion, bread crumbs, mint, dill, parsley, whole egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Knead mixture until well mixed. Shape mixture into 1 inch meatballs(mixture will be soft).
2. Add meatballs, orzo, and carrot to broth and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until meatballs are cooked through and orzo is tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Gently whisk lemon juice and yolks together in bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually ladle 1 cup hot soup into egg mixture, then stir egg mixture back into soup, again whisking constantly. Gently simmer soup on low heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Quick prep tip

TEMPERING THE EGGS WITH THE SOUP

Whisking constantly, pour the hot broth in a slow, steady stream into the beaten egg yolk mixture. Once the broth is fully incorporated, slowly pour the warm egg yolk mixture back into the soup, again whisking constantly. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer and cook until the soup is slightly thickened. 

Chicken adobo aloha

Chicken adobo aloha

Ingredients

400g chicken cut into serving portion

1 pouch (115g) Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits drained (reserve syrup)

6 cloves garlic crushed and fried to brown

Marinade

3 cloves garlic crushed

1 ½ tbsp Del Monte Red Cane Vinegar

1 tbsp Datu Puti Soy Sauce

¼ Peppercorns crushed

            Pineapple syrup

Procedure

1. Marinate chicken for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve marinade.
2. Fry chicken in oil until brown
3. Combine chicken with marinade, then, simmer until chicken is tender. Season with sugar to taste.
4. add DEL MONTE Pineapple Tidbits. Top with fried garlic.

Make 4 servings.