Talk about comfort food. Chicken and Biscuits is the quintessential America comfort food. I had never made it or even tried it before I took the plunge with this recipe yesterday. When I read the recipe to start cooking the Chicken and Biscuits it was already around 5:30 pm so I did not have two hours and 20 minutes to spend cooking a whole chicken. Instead, I used chicken breasts. I not only had some on hand but I knew it would take a whole lot less than an hour to cook them. I left out the mushrooms because I don't like them. My boys would have probably loved it if I had used them. Sorry guys. I also reduced the amount of salt and I used dried tarragon because that is what I had. The broth for the chicken and biscuits is so delicious. I was skeptical about using cayenne pepper but it turned out well. The recipe comes from www.about.com and it was posted there by John Mitzewich. Good job, John!
As John says, don't let the ingredient list fool you, this chicken and biscuits recipe is very simple to make and almost impossible to mess up!
Makes 8 portions of Chicken and Biscuits
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
1 large chicken (about 4 pounds)
2 quarts water or broth
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 whole clove
3 carrots, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
3 ribs celery, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
6 mushrooms, quartered
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cream or milk
1 package (8 portions) buttermilk biscuits, baked according to the package directions.
Preparation:
Rinse the chicken and place it in a Dutch oven or other large pot with a lid. Add the water, bay leaf, garlic, and clove. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Skim foam from the surface, cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Carefully remove the chicken to a bowl to cool. Strain the broth into another bowl and reserve. Discard bay leaf, garlic, and clove.
Place the pot back on medium heat, and add the butter, carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Saute the vegetables in the butter for 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the flour, and cook stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the flour begins to smell like cooked pie crust.
Add the reserved broth and whisk into the flour and vegetable mixture. Add the salt, pepper, herbs and spices. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
In the meantime, remove all the cooled chicken from the bones, and tear into large chunks. When the vegetables are done, stir in the cream, and the chicken. Bring back to simmer, and cook for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through. More liquid can be added in this step if the gravy is too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve hot in bowls, topped with a buttermilk biscuit.
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicken. Show all posts
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Southern Fried Chicken - Musings
Last Monday was my baby boy's last free day before he started 6th grade. He decided that he wanted to go for a picnic. We decided to have our picnic at Piney Run Park. It is a beautiful location with a nice lake and picnic tables. My thought was to have southern fried chicken and sides. I already told you about my problems with potato salad so I planned to buy the side dishes but make my own southern fried chicken. Everyone knows who the Queen of Southern Fried Food is -- Paula Deen, of course. That's why I used Paula's recipe for SFC. The recipe was taken from www.recipezaar.com but is attributed to Paula. I didn't use the hot sauce because I was pretty sure D wouldn't like it. Also, I don't like messing with chicken on the bone so naturally I decided to make southern fried chicken strips ala Paula Deen. My tastebuds were so ready for 'em!
I got going early Monday morning. I poured a combination of safflower and canola oil in a deep pan about half full. I didn't want to put too much oil in the pot for fear of it -- HOT OIL! I am not comfortable with hot oil (i.e. grease). It isn't my favorite medium. I don't own a fry baby or deep fryer. I'm afraid that if I did own one I might start frying all kinds of things that really shouldn't be fried. But, let's face it, I'm not a southern gal. I'm Italian. I don't know squat about deep frying stuff in hot oil. It is scary. Shortly after I got the oil nice and hot, I heard the unmistakable beeping of our smoke alarm as the house started to fill up with smoke! Yes, that's right. Smoke. I never really thought, "hmmm, maybe I should put on the fan over the stove so I don't smoke up the house." That just never entered my mind until I heard the smoke alarm blaring. My darling husband starts opening windows and doors and fanning the smoke around. Then D walks by and says, "hey, mom that chicken looks overcooked." Yes, at age 10 he is a fried chicken expert. No, really. I mean he doesn't like anything that is brown. When I make grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs on the grill or anything that could potentially get dark brown he freaks. So, I instantly pulled those chicken strips out of the hot oil. I dutifully placed them on layers of paper towels and breathed a sigh of relief that they were done.... or so I thought!
Once we got to our picnic table on the edge of the lake, we pulled out all yummy looking food. Then I took a fork and knife and cut open one of the pieces of chicken. It was RAW! Yikes. Yes, raw!! I was so upset, depressed, sad, scared, offended, embarrassed! You name it. Luckily it was just me, my hubby and my baby boy. Then and there my boy says, "Mom, at least the lemonade is good." He was trying to be sweet but it missed its mark.
Try this recipe and make sure you cook the chicken long enough. My friend, S happened to make Southern Fried Chicken last week and hers turned out overcooked. You just can't win....
Southern Fried Chicken
by Paula Deen
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Southern Fried Chicken:
4 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup hot red pepper sauce
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon pepper
House Seasoning
2 1/2-pound chicken, cut into pieces
Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil
To make the House Seasoning, mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the House Seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.
Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp.
Dark meat takes longer than white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.
Good luck!
The Creative Cook
I got going early Monday morning. I poured a combination of safflower and canola oil in a deep pan about half full. I didn't want to put too much oil in the pot for fear of it -- HOT OIL! I am not comfortable with hot oil (i.e. grease). It isn't my favorite medium. I don't own a fry baby or deep fryer. I'm afraid that if I did own one I might start frying all kinds of things that really shouldn't be fried. But, let's face it, I'm not a southern gal. I'm Italian. I don't know squat about deep frying stuff in hot oil. It is scary. Shortly after I got the oil nice and hot, I heard the unmistakable beeping of our smoke alarm as the house started to fill up with smoke! Yes, that's right. Smoke. I never really thought, "hmmm, maybe I should put on the fan over the stove so I don't smoke up the house." That just never entered my mind until I heard the smoke alarm blaring. My darling husband starts opening windows and doors and fanning the smoke around. Then D walks by and says, "hey, mom that chicken looks overcooked." Yes, at age 10 he is a fried chicken expert. No, really. I mean he doesn't like anything that is brown. When I make grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs on the grill or anything that could potentially get dark brown he freaks. So, I instantly pulled those chicken strips out of the hot oil. I dutifully placed them on layers of paper towels and breathed a sigh of relief that they were done.... or so I thought!
Once we got to our picnic table on the edge of the lake, we pulled out all yummy looking food. Then I took a fork and knife and cut open one of the pieces of chicken. It was RAW! Yikes. Yes, raw!! I was so upset, depressed, sad, scared, offended, embarrassed! You name it. Luckily it was just me, my hubby and my baby boy. Then and there my boy says, "Mom, at least the lemonade is good." He was trying to be sweet but it missed its mark.
Try this recipe and make sure you cook the chicken long enough. My friend, S happened to make Southern Fried Chicken last week and hers turned out overcooked. You just can't win....
Southern Fried Chicken
by Paula Deen
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Southern Fried Chicken:
4 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup hot red pepper sauce
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon pepper
House Seasoning
2 1/2-pound chicken, cut into pieces
Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil
To make the House Seasoning, mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the House Seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.
Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp.
Dark meat takes longer than white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.
Good luck!
The Creative Cook
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Honey Tequila Lime Chicken
Last week, I spent two days taking D and his friend J back and forth to cooking camp in Frederick at The Kitchen Studio Frederick (it was an awesome camp per D and J). J's mom, Miss B and I talked quite a bit during the week. She mentioned that she had bought some turkey or chicken that was marinated in tequila lime sauce. She told me that she had mistakenly used this marinated tequila lime chicken/turkey when she made some BBQ in her crock pot. According to Miss B, her BBQ turned out great! I'm going to have to try making BBQ chicken/turkey because I always BBQ pork or beef. After hearing about the tequila lime chicken, I decided that I was in the mood to try making some. I've never had it before and it sounded like something that would be a yummy summer dish.
While researching recipes for this dish, I found out that Applebees serves a Tequila Lime Chicken dish but this is NOT a copycat recipe for their tequila lime chicken. The copycat recipe for that contains sour cream and lots of other ingredients. It didn't sound like what I was yearning for so I skipped that recipe and tried one that I found on www.recipezaar.com. All the comments for the recipe were positive. It turned out great. I cut down on the chili powder. My husband agreed that it was perfect with only two tablespoons of chili powder but D and my cousin V said they would have liked it better with more chili powder. I'll try it that way next time, maybe.
Honey Tequila Lime Chicken
By: NetDiva Amy
1 cup tequila
6 limes (1 cup juice)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 lbs chicken breasts or chicken thighs or fish fillets
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients, except cilantro and meat in medium sauce pan.
2. Simmer over medium heat about 15 minutes or until onions are soft but not clear.
3. Cool completely. (Instead of adding water above, I add ice cubes at this stage).
4. Place chicken in a baking pan and pour mixture over the chicken.
5. Marinade at least 1 hour, preferably over night. If the sauce doesn't completely cover the meat, turn it over half way through.
6. If baking, pour out half the liquid and cover with finely chopped cilantro.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is cooked through (depending on type of meat and size of pieces).
If grilling, then grill and add the cilantro after cooking.
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook
While researching recipes for this dish, I found out that Applebees serves a Tequila Lime Chicken dish but this is NOT a copycat recipe for their tequila lime chicken. The copycat recipe for that contains sour cream and lots of other ingredients. It didn't sound like what I was yearning for so I skipped that recipe and tried one that I found on www.recipezaar.com. All the comments for the recipe were positive. It turned out great. I cut down on the chili powder. My husband agreed that it was perfect with only two tablespoons of chili powder but D and my cousin V said they would have liked it better with more chili powder. I'll try it that way next time, maybe.
Honey Tequila Lime Chicken
By: NetDiva Amy
1 cup tequila
6 limes (1 cup juice)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 lbs chicken breasts or chicken thighs or fish fillets
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients, except cilantro and meat in medium sauce pan.
2. Simmer over medium heat about 15 minutes or until onions are soft but not clear.
3. Cool completely. (Instead of adding water above, I add ice cubes at this stage).
4. Place chicken in a baking pan and pour mixture over the chicken.
5. Marinade at least 1 hour, preferably over night. If the sauce doesn't completely cover the meat, turn it over half way through.
6. If baking, pour out half the liquid and cover with finely chopped cilantro.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until meat is cooked through (depending on type of meat and size of pieces).
If grilling, then grill and add the cilantro after cooking.
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Crunchy Oven-Baked Chicken Toes!
Lately, D has been watching the Food Network non-stop. Apparently, he saw an episode of "Chopped" one night while he was home with his dad. Ever since, we have seen just about every Food Network Show. I don't mind except it gets D thinking about food constantly and eating more. He has been going on the treadmill more frequently, thank goodness.
On a lighter note, D decided that he wanted to make something out of Rachael Ray's Cooking Rocks! 30-Minute Meals for Kids cookbook. Probably because we were watching her show when he got home this afternoon. He picked the recipe for Crunchy Oven-Baked Chicken Toes. They were very tasty even with my substitutions. We didn't have any corn flakes so I had him use corn meal instead.
Crunchy Oven-Baked
CHICKEN TOES!
Makes 4 Servings
1 cup corn flakes cereal, any brand
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice (the SECRET ingredient)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders (2 packages),
cut into two inch pieces by GH (Grown-up Helper)
1/4 cup honey mustard, any brand
1/4 cup barbecue sauce, any brand
Have your GH turn on the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make the breading: pour the corn flakes into a pie pan or other large, shallow dish. Crush the cereal up with your hands. Mix in bread crumbs, brown sugar, salt, pepper, andn allspice (your SECRET ingredient; do not tell anybody what your secret ingredient is -- ever!).
Drizzle the vegetable oil evenly over the breading. Have the GH pour the oil out slowly. A vegetable oil bottle has a big opening, so 3 tablespoons will pour out pretty quickly, probably by the time you can count to 5, so watch the GH closely and count really loudly! Toss and turn it to mix the oil all through the bread crumbs and crushed-up corn flakes.
Pour the flour into another shallow dish, and the beaten eggs into a third. Turn the chicken in flour, then eggs, and then in the special crunchy breading. Arrange the chicken toes on a nonstick baking sheet. You and your GH should go and wash your hands now. Place the chicken toes in the oven and cook until crisp and brown all over, about 15 minutes.
When the toes come out of the oven, it's time to stir up the sauce for dipping them. Mix together honey mustard and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Dip your hot chicken toes into your honey mustard barbecue sauce.
We ate these chicken toes with broccoli and mashed potatoes but Rachael Ray suggests Creamy Salsa Dip and Veggies and Fuji Apples and Peanutbuttery Caramel Dip. Both recipes can be found in her Cooking Rocks! cookbook.
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook
On a lighter note, D decided that he wanted to make something out of Rachael Ray's Cooking Rocks! 30-Minute Meals for Kids cookbook. Probably because we were watching her show when he got home this afternoon. He picked the recipe for Crunchy Oven-Baked Chicken Toes. They were very tasty even with my substitutions. We didn't have any corn flakes so I had him use corn meal instead.
Crunchy Oven-Baked
CHICKEN TOES!
Makes 4 Servings
1 cup corn flakes cereal, any brand
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice (the SECRET ingredient)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders (2 packages),
cut into two inch pieces by GH (Grown-up Helper)
1/4 cup honey mustard, any brand
1/4 cup barbecue sauce, any brand
Have your GH turn on the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make the breading: pour the corn flakes into a pie pan or other large, shallow dish. Crush the cereal up with your hands. Mix in bread crumbs, brown sugar, salt, pepper, andn allspice (your SECRET ingredient; do not tell anybody what your secret ingredient is -- ever!).
Drizzle the vegetable oil evenly over the breading. Have the GH pour the oil out slowly. A vegetable oil bottle has a big opening, so 3 tablespoons will pour out pretty quickly, probably by the time you can count to 5, so watch the GH closely and count really loudly! Toss and turn it to mix the oil all through the bread crumbs and crushed-up corn flakes.
Pour the flour into another shallow dish, and the beaten eggs into a third. Turn the chicken in flour, then eggs, and then in the special crunchy breading. Arrange the chicken toes on a nonstick baking sheet. You and your GH should go and wash your hands now. Place the chicken toes in the oven and cook until crisp and brown all over, about 15 minutes.
When the toes come out of the oven, it's time to stir up the sauce for dipping them. Mix together honey mustard and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Dip your hot chicken toes into your honey mustard barbecue sauce.
We ate these chicken toes with broccoli and mashed potatoes but Rachael Ray suggests Creamy Salsa Dip and Veggies and Fuji Apples and Peanutbuttery Caramel Dip. Both recipes can be found in her Cooking Rocks! cookbook.
Enjoy!
The Creative Cook
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Cuban Chicken
I am starting to think about the next teacher appreciation luncheon that I am hosting at my son's school on January 30. The theme of the luncheon is tropical and it is going to be a pseudo luau. I have a few leis to use as decorations and one of the teachers is lending me a coconut tree that she painted. It is amazing and almost life size "tree" that will serve as my decoration for the luncheon. I am trying to be economical in these times of job losses and housing market crashes but I have to be upbeat and fun, too. I decided that the theme was going to be a luau because it is so cold and wintry that I thought it would be fun to start looking ahead to summer. I am going to request a few fruit trays and definitely some tropical desserts. I am also going to offer this recipe to anyone who can't think of something to make but wants to make something tropical and fairly easy and inexpensive. The chicken is delicious. If you serve it over rice with some peas and carrots it is a very pretty dish also. I am sure the teachers will love it as much as my family did. The recipe comes from the June 17, 2008 issue of Woman's Day Magazine. I used only chicken drumsticks because I don't care for the thighs but go ahead and use both if you prefer.
Cuban Chicken
Serves 8
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 tsp chopped garlic (4 cloves)
8 each chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin removed (about 4-1/2 lbs)
1/4 cup each lime juice and orange juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro (optional)
1. Place onion and garlic in a 6-quart slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top.
2. Stir juices, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in measuring cup; pour over chicken. Cook on low 5 to 8 hours until chicken is cooked through.
3. Serve chicken over rice; spoon juices with onions on top. Sprinkle with cilantro, if using.
This is a really good quick dish to liven up any cold winter's day.
The Creative Cook
Cuban Chicken
Serves 8
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 tsp chopped garlic (4 cloves)
8 each chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin removed (about 4-1/2 lbs)
1/4 cup each lime juice and orange juice
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro (optional)
1. Place onion and garlic in a 6-quart slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top.
2. Stir juices, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in measuring cup; pour over chicken. Cook on low 5 to 8 hours until chicken is cooked through.
3. Serve chicken over rice; spoon juices with onions on top. Sprinkle with cilantro, if using.
This is a really good quick dish to liven up any cold winter's day.
The Creative Cook
Monday, August 25, 2008
Grilled Chicken & Creamy Corn
I made this recipe last night for dinner. The boys both loved it. It was quick and easy to make after getting home from the pool kind of late. I didn't grill the chicken on my gas grill, I used my George Foreman grill instead. Also, I didn't have corn on the cob so I used frozen corn (shhhh! don't tell). The recipe came from the Better Homes & Gardens website (www.bhg.com).
Grilled Chicken & Creamy Corn
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. smoked paprika
3 fresh ears of sweet corn
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup sour cream
Milk
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
Directions:
1. In a small bowl combine olive oil and paprika. Brush corn and chicken with oil mixture. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper. Grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F), turning once.
2. Carefully cut kernels from cob by firmly holding the corn at the top (using a kitchen towel, if necessary and slicing downward with a sharp knife. Transfer to bowl, stir in sour cream. Season with additional salt and pepper. Stir in milk to desired creaminess. Slice chicken breasts. Serve with corn, sprinkle shredded basil. Serves 4.
The Creative Cook
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