chicken | Adventures in Thyme

Chicken for game day

February 4, 2016 by Dan Leave a Comment

Chicken

Sports and hot wings are almost a cultural obsession. Our house doesn’t really warm up to either – don’t hate us! But dipping chicken (and veggie) into a condiment of choice DOES appeal to our foodie nature. So, if you want chicken for game day but want something a bit healthier than wings – here you go. Chicken breast strips breaded and baked.

Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

1/2 cup Corn Starch
3/4 cup Corn Starch
1 cup Flour
5 Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup fresh grated Pecorino Cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 or 4 large chicken breasts

Preheat your oven to 425 degree F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a good sized cooling rack om the baking sheet.

Put 1/2 cup corn starch into a large zip lock bag. Place 3/4 cup corn starch, flour, grated pecorino cheese and salt and pepper into another large zip lock bag and shake to mix well. Beat all 5 eggs in a wide shallow bowl.

Wash chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the chicken breasts into 1/2 inch thick pieces, something close to the size of chicken wings.

Place a few pieces of chicken in the bag of corn starch. Shake to coat evenly. Remove from the corn starch and shake off the excess. Place the chicken in the egg and coat evenly. Place the chicken in the second bag with the flour mixture and shake to cover well. Remove the chicken from the flour and dip in the egg again. Place on the rack on your baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken is coated.

Bake at 425 for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden grown and the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the rack and place in a bowl, a few pieces at a time. Toss with your favorite wing sauce, I used teriyaki. Serve with strips of carrot and celery or whatever vegetables you prefer. Add some extra dipping sauces and your set for the big game- or a quiet evening at home, as the case may be. 🙂

Non-dairy Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

May 15, 2015 by Ginger Leave a Comment

Chicken Soup

Our Spring weather has been decidedly cold, wet and snowy lately – the perfect time to try a non-dairy version of an old favorite so everyone in the house could enjoy it!

This recipe takes a little extra time, making it on a weekend is best, but it has made wonderful meals I could take to work or reheat in the microwave when I didn’t feel like cooking again.

Ingredients

1 Idaho Potato
1 Quart Organic Chicken Broth
6 Organic Chicken Thighs*
1 Celery Stalk sliced
10 Baby Carrots sliced
1 Shallot finely diced
1 Cup wild rice mix
1/2 Tsp dried Savory
1/2 Tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp salt
2 Cups Almond Milk (plain, unsweetened)
Optional: Cilantro garnish

* I chose organic meat (and bone in) chicken thighs so I could get the most bang for my buck – “bone broth”. You might have memories of a beloved auntie or grandmother that always cooked soup with bones added in, I do, and the health benefits FAR exceed the time it takes to use and dispose of them.

Into a large cooking pot add the broth, celery, carrots, shallot, savory, thyme and salt and turn heat to medium high. On a cutting board I removed the chicken meat from the bone and diced into bite size pieces – add everything to the pot. Don’t worry about any remaining meat on the bones. Bones are added right into the pot with the chicken and during the cooking process will either cook off the bones or your can easily remove the meat with a spoon. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

About 45 mins or an hour before you intend to eat, peel and dice your potato and add to a small pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil then reduce to medium (or just enough so it doesn’t boil over). As the water boils off, keep adding a bit more so the potato is always covered, and until the potato pieces are tender. Remove from heat and in the same little pot (don’t pour off the water) mash the potato well and add into your chicken soup.

At the same time you put your potato to boil add the cup of wild rice mix to your chicken soup. As the potato cooks, so will the rice and they will get done at approximately the same time. After the potato is added to the soup pour two cups of almond milk into the soup and increase the heat to medium. Once the soup is back to a gentle boil, reduce heat and serve.

This recipe is non dairy but you can easily add a pat of butter to your bowl if you need that “mouth feel” and aren’t allergic.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken with Figs

April 22, 2015 by Ginger Leave a Comment

Crockpot Chicken with Figs

After a long day at work, I love entering my house and smelling dinner. A poll in 2011 found that 83% of the American population owned a crockpot so I’m not alone in wanting to walk thru the door and have dinner waiting! Today’s recipe takes advantage of dried figs, a recent addition to our local Costco’s offerings.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth
1/2 Teaspoon dried Tarragon
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
4 Chicken Thighs (rinsed to remove any bone chips and feathers)
12 Figs, halved
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar + 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar mixed together
1 Sweet Potato, diced
1 Turnip, diced

Into your crockpot add the ingredients in the order listed, then set the crockpot to 6 Hours (or at least that’s what I do when I leave for work, it auto sets to “Warm” after that).

Although you can eat this meal as is when it’s ready, I served with quinoa and a gravy made from removing about 2 cups of liquid from the crockpot and thickening with cornstarch.

A side of cornbread can also add to the yummy factor. Enjoy!

Do It Yourself Chicken Soup

March 4, 2015 by Dan Leave a Comment

Chicken Soup

Simple meals can be the best meals. Tonight’s recipe is really a canvas upon which your guests, or family, can create their own masterpiece. By providing hot stock and a selection of ingredients it allows for more time at the table enjoying lively conversation and togetherness. No meal is truly complete unless it can be shared with those you care about, and that my friend is nourishment for the spirit!

For this dish you’ll need:

Chicken stock (2 boxes, 3 if you are feeding more than 4 or are really hungry)
One box of your favorite pasta
Whatever vegetables look good or you are growing in your garden (We used Sweat Potato, Turnip, Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli, Carrot and Mushrooms)
Chicken (a roasted chicken from the grocery store works great)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Green Onion
Parsely

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut your vegetables into bite sized or smaller pieces, toss with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper. Place on a cookie sheet and roast 20-30 minutes (longer for bigger pieces) or until they begin to brown and get soft.

While the vegetables are roasting place one box of chicken stock in a large pot, add at least an equal amount of water and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender. (You may need to add water while they cook, just keep an eye on the level of your liquid). Cooking in the stock will give the noodles some flavor of their own!

Place your remaining boxes of stock in a pot and heat to boiling, reduce the heat and keep simmering until the rest of your ingredients are ready.

While everything is cooking, strip the meat off of your chicken and cut into bite sized pieces. You can separate white and dark meat if that is important to your guests and simple enough to do!

Once everything is cooked, place the vegetables and chicken on a plate or in separate bowls, as you prefer. Place the noodles in a large bowl. Now for the fun part. Put all of the ingredients out on the table. Let your diners assemble their soup and add the stock. Top with green onion and or parsley.

Enjoy.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie

January 21, 2015 by Dan Leave a Comment

Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie

It’s 5:00pm. It’s been “one of those days”. Your butt would be dragging except it’s cushioned in the car seat and your on your way home. Thoughts soon turn to dinner. You want something easy, but it needs to be healthy too!

Such was our situation as we ambled into the grocery store. We walked out with the fixin’s for a one dish dinner that satisfied all our needs – and it’s non-dairy!

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken from the grocery store (we chose “Savory” spiced)
1 bag of your favorite frozen vegetables
2 to 3 cups mashed potatoes (Instant are fine as are left overs, we used mashed white sweet potatoes – WAY better fiber and vitamin content)
3 cups chicken stock
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

Over medium low heat, pour 3 cups of chicken stock into a large skillet and add one beaten egg. Whisk to combine well, then mix in 2 tablespoons flour. Stir frequently until it starts to bubble and thicken.

If you don’t already have leftover mashed potatoes, it’s time to get your potatoes going too – and instant is well, nearly instant! Get ’em ready, they’re going to be needed shortly.

Next add the bag of vegetables (they’ve been defrosting on your counter, but if they’re still hockey pucks you can place the bag in lukewarm water to thaw a little). While the mixture comes back to a simmer, strip the meat off of your chicken and cut into bite sized pieces. We remove the majority of the skin from the pieces, true enough the skin has the most flavor, but it also has the majority of the fat – but if your long day calls for chicken skin then roll with it!

Add your chicken pieces to the skillet. When the mixture comes back to a simmer taste a wee bit to see how much salt and pepper to use then add accordingly. Stir well. Turn off the heat and put the mixture into a 9 x 9 baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes and cook at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Be sure to put a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch the liquid that is likely to bubble over. Turn your oven to broil and broil until lightly browned on top.

Enjoy!