Glamorous Peruvian Chicken

Glamorous chicken? Is that a thing, Laura?

Yes, my friends. It is if your chicken looks like THIS:
 

Money shot

 This is the Peruvian Chicken I waxed poetic about in the Peruvian-ish Halibut post from a couple of months ago. This particular chicken looks extra glamorous because I spatchcocked it, which is a fun word for a brutal-sounding task - cutting the back bone out of the chicken so it lays flat. This isn't a delicate procedure, but it's totally worth it. The chicken cooks faster, more evenly, and you almost double the crispy skin. Moment of silence for the kitchen shears that snapped halfway through the spatchcocking process. 

I also whipped up the life-changing green sauce to spoon all over the chicken. It's just so good! You  may have read about this recipe back in Jan, but let's go through it one more time for old time's sake.

 For the chicken:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 2 limes
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
4-5 lb whole chicken, spatchcocked (see the original recipe linked above for cooking times if you choose not to spatchcock the bird)

Before

During

 

After

Combine all of the ingredients (except the chicken...please don't include the chicken) in a blender or small food processor, and blend until smooth. Remove the giblets from the inside of the chicken and pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. If you're spatchcocking your bird I suggest referencing this video - I can say with full confidence it is 100% impossible to spatchcock a bird and take photos at the same time! 

Using your hands, loosen the skin from the bird over the breasts and legs (try not to tear it if you can!) and spoon about 2/3 of the marinade as evenly as you can under the skin. Spread the rest evenly over the skin. Marinate in the fridge for at least six hours - overnight if you can! 

 When it's roastin time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and roast the chicken (skin side up) for 45-60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. At the end I like to crank up the broiler to high, move the oven rack to a few inches underneath the broiler, and broil the chicken until the skin gets super crispy - about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye during this part, because it can go from crispy to charred super quick! Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes before you carve (this part is hard but important). Carve the thighs off at the joint, and carefully carve the breasts from the bone.

Roasty

Roasty2.0

For the green sauce: 

3 jalapeño chili peppers, seeded and roughly chopped (keep 1/2 of the seeds if you want a medium-hot sauce)
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems 
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few cranks freshly grown black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and photograph in front of the Arnold Schwarzenegger poster in your kitchen. Blend until smooth, transfer to a bowl, and allow to thicken up in the fridge if desired. 

AHNOLD

Thing of beauty

 We had ours with some roasted sweet potatoes (thickly cut up 2 sweet potatoes, sprinkled with chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pep, and olive oil, and bake at 425 for about 20-30 minutes) and a handful of mixed greens - aka lazy girl salad. 

All day

Every day

Not-Laura Leek and Mushroom Chicken Skillet (with bonus ingredients!)

The other day I made my version of Iowa Girl Eats Leek and Mushroom Chicken Skillet. This recipe is really not me. It isn't spicy, there's no curry powder, and there isn't even that much garlic. I had to buy fresh tarragon. This is not something I would normally make.

leeks = fancy

But you know what? I got out of my comfort zone, and it was delicious! My good friend Kathryn recommended I try this out and I'm so glad she did. The pounded, almond-flour dusted chicken cooks quickly and has a delicious crispy crust. The leek and mushroom "pan sauce" seems fancy and indulgent, but is really just a quick chop of veggies in chicken broth. The fresh tarragon lent an unexpected, almost licorice-y flavor - and made me feel sophisticated, to boot. Wins all around!

I've gotten some feedback that my posts tend to have too many ingredients - this is because I don't know when to say when. I'm of the "more is better" mindset (SHOUT OUT MAMA J).  Going forward I'll try to differentiate between "gotta have" and "nice to have" ingredients to show when recipes can be simplified! I added sun dried tomatoes and bacon to this recipe, because why not?

You'll need:
1 lb chicken breasts, pounded thin
1/4 c all-purpose flour (I used almond flour)
Salt and pep
2 T butter, divided
Drizzle of olive oil
3-4 pieces bacon, chopped*
1/3 c chopped sun dried tomatoes (I like these from TJ's)*
6 oz sliced mushrooms
2 leeks, white and green parts only, thinly sliced (verbose but thorough leek cleaning & slicing tutorial)
1 shallot or 1/4 small onion, minced*
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c chicken broth
1 packed T chopped fresh tarragon
juice from 1/2 lemon
* = nice to haves

We begin by pounding the chicken. This is always a good idea so the chicken cooks evenly, and in MUCH less time. My preferred method is putting the chicken in a large Ziploc bag, sealing it, and wailing on it with the heel of my hand. This time I was a little more refined and used a tenderizer. 

Action shot

 Add 1 T butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish and dredge chicken breasts before adding to skillet. Make sure you allow the pan to come to temperature before you add the chicken! Or you will feel regret!

 Saute until golden brown on both sides, which took me about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Note that chicken doesn't need to be cooked through at this point.

Dredge thumbs up!

So golden, so brown

 
Now it's time to get to business. I highly recommend prepping the veggies prior to starting the pan sauce. Prepped? Ready? Onward!

Add the chopped bacon to the skillet and cook until almost crispy - about 4 minutes. Add the shallot, mushrooms, leeks, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and saute until mushrooms are golden brown and tender - the recipe says 5 minutes, but I think this took me more like 10. Don't forget to stir!

Leeks on fleek (too much?!?)

Add the other T of butter and the garlic and saute for one more minute. Disclaimer - this butter was totally gratuitous and you probably don't need it, but I had it out and was just feeling it. Add chicken broth and tarragon, then nestle (yes, nestle!) chicken back into skillet and simmer until sauce has thickened and reduced, and chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the skillet and stir to combine. 

Shown: nestled

To serve, I ended up removing the chicken from the pan, cutting into portions, and spooning the sauce on top. In the end...this isn't really a sauce. It's more like an awesome...hash? Veggie bacon compote? If you come up with an adequate description, please let me know! We had these with easy roasted brussels, but this would also be great with a simple salad, roasted potatoes, or just some crusty bread (crusty bread is always appropriate). Hope you like it!

gimme gimme

Rosemary-Sriracha Chicken

I trespassed on private property in the early morning hours to make this rosemary-sriracha roasted chicken. 

Allow me to elaborate.  

It's 6:15 in the morning and I want to make this marinade before I go to work, so the chicken can sit in it and get delicious all day. I have all of the ingredients, but no rosemary. At my old apartment I could hop over to the traffic circle across the street and take as much as I wanted (rosemary grows EVERYWHERE in Seattle). But in my new neighborhood I haven't seen any "public" rosemary...instead, the closest bush is in my neighbor's yard, bordering their front door entry.
  

Do I wait and pick some up from the store? Do I swing by the old hood and snip a few branches from a perfectly respectable public source? No...I throw my coat and shoes on over my PJs, grab some scissors, and sneak into my neighbor's yard. I creep up to their front door and breathe a sigh of relief that they don't have motion-activated floodlights. I keep my head down, snip a solid five rosemary branches, and then book it down their pathway, across the street, and back into the safety of my apartment. Isn't cooking exciting??? 

Worth it

Sometimes cooking chicken gets boring. Especially if you are trying to be healthy. ENTER: rosemary-sriracha chicken (adapted from here). It comes together quickly, has a delicious, earthy, and unexpected flavor, and can sometimes cause unexpected petty crime. Let's get on with it, shall we?

You'll need:
Bone-in, skin on chicken drumsticks, thighs, or breasts.  I always do drumsticks for myself and white meat for Curtis.
1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
4 T olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
4 T finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 T sriracha
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and peppa (about 1/2 t each)

Generously salt and pepper chicken and place in a large ziploc. Combine all ingredients (except chicken, silly!) in a medium bowl, and then pour into the bag. Do what you gotta do to make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Place in fridge and let marinade for at least an hour...as you can read from above, I prefer if the chicken is marinated for at least 8 hours/overnight.

Frantically thrown together before going to work

Forgot about the ziploc trick - more dishes for me

Preheat oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with foil (if you're smart and don't want to scrub dishes). Arrange the chicken evenly in a single layer - I recommend putting the bigger pieces on the edges, and the smaller pieces inside. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. At the end, broil on high for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and golden. 

I like to boil the remaining marinade and spoon over the chicken when it is done. The sauce looks pretty weird after it is boiled, but I promise it still tastes good!

Looks aren't everything???

I served this with some easy bacon-broc, which I'll post soon!

******Update: At the time this was posted, I have found a more appropriate neighborhood rosemary source that does not require trespassing.******

Asian-ish Lettuce Wraps

 Ah, Asian-ish lettuce wraps. These come together super quick and are great for a weeknight dinner. I usually end up making these a lot during Bachelor/Bachelorette season, because I can mindlessly chop while watching 24 year old nannies chase love. I toss the fixins in a tupperware so everything comes together even quicker the next day. Additional bonuses include:
1. You only need one pan
2. You can add a bunch of extra veggies or none at all
3. You don't HAVE to watch the Bachelor to make these
4. This is another adapted HungryMom recipe, so you know it's good
5. This is healthyish, so you might lose 3 lbs
 

Thank you, Chris Harrison!

You'll need:
1-2 T coconut, sesame, olive oil - whatever you have 
1 lb ground turkey or chicken (sometimes I go crazy and use half and half)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 inch knob of ginger, minced
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped  
1-2 cups assorted chopped veggies (think carrots, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms...let your imagination run WILD)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1 tsp chili-garlic sauce (Sambal Oelek or sriracha both work!)

to serve:
1/4 c fresh cilantro
lime wedges
Romaine hearts

 I don't have pictures of the process because it all just happened so fast. 

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the 2 Tbsp of oil and bring to temp, then add ground turkey and let brown for a few minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and the rest of the chopped veggies and continue to stir for another 5 minutes or so, until meat is cooked through and veggies are cooked to desired level. 
Sauce time! Heyo! Add in the soy sauce, hoisin, and chili-garlic sauce and stir to combine. Throw in the drained, chopped water chestnuts and some salt (for kicks). Ok, you're done! Serve these up on romaine leaves and top with fresh cilantro, lime juice, and more sriracha.
 

Neeeki, do you assept this lettuce wrap?

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

I lived at my friend Emily's parents' house for a period of time when I was poor. I had my own room in a beautiful house within walking distance to the Clarendon metro. I paid no rent and had no chores. I was a parasite from July 2009-April 2010. I am 99% sure the reason they let me stay is because every once in a while I would make this soup.

This soup - IS THE BEST. This is my spin on my sister Karen's recipe (posted 5 years ago tomorrow!), who adapted it from this Cooking Light recipe. It's bright, tangy, spicy, delicious, and more or less healthy. The ingredient list might be a little foreign (and long), but once you stock up on the ingredients they'll last forever in the pantry. The whole pot comes together in less than 30 minutes (if you're a fast chopper!).

Make this soup. Make it! Now! Do it!

You'll need:
2 tsp red curry paste (more if you like heat!)
1 thinly sliced small onion (white or yellow)
4 cloves chopped garlic 
1 inch knob peeled, minced ginger
2 diced chicken breasts
1.5 tsp ground curry powder
1.5 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander 
6 cups (1 carton) chicken broth
14 oz can of light coconut milk
3-4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 small can bamboo shoots
1 handful pad thai noodles
2 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl fish sauce
1 lime
1 handful chopped cilantro
crushed red pepper 

Heat oil (I use coconut) over medium-high heat in a large soup pan. Add red curry paste and let it "bloom" for a minute before adding onion, garlic, ginger, chicken, and the ground spices. Let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It'll look something like this:

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, pour in a can of light coconut milk. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

I thought if I poured this from up high it would make for a cooler picture. IT WORKED

After your soup is done a-simmerin, add in the spinach, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and pad thai noodles. Allow a few minutes to wilt/soften/cook. 

Wilt! Soften! Cook!

Finally, add in the sugar, fish sauce, lime, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Give that baby a stir. Now eat!

You're just too good to be true...can't take my eyes off of you...