Poultry Recipes

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

November 24, 2013 by Renee

It’s near 20 degrees in NYC today and the girls and I spent the day in the city at a blogging holiday party. We had tons of fun and afterwards, we wandered up Fifth Avenue to check out the holiday windows of the large department stores. They are always so lovely! But sadly, the cold was just too much for us and we had to call it quits before we turned into ice pops.

We made our way back to Penn Station and headed home shivering the entire time!

The best cure for cold weather is serious comfort food. Knowing that we are having roast turkey and mashed potatoes later in the week, we opted for a stew instead. But I didn’t want beef. Chicken and Dumplings seemed to be the perfect next choice and it was!

My aunt, in North Carolina, made the best Chicken and Dumplings growing up. She is a real down home, Southern kind of a lady and makes everyone feel welcome the moment they arrive, sweet tea in hand. Not only was her fried chicken the best, but the homemade bacon that they cured in their smokehouse was out of this world and I have never had better. But the real treat was her Chicken & Dumplings. I remember how she rolled out her dumplings thin and cut them like pasta rather than dropping balls of dough by spoonfuls into a boiling cauldron of chicken stock. The result was a hearty stew with bite fulls of dense, dough, creamy sauce and chunks of herbed chicken. A very filling and a very comforting bowl.

I don’t have her recipe but I’ve been making them this way for years and they are reminiscent of the ones she made. I may not remember or know if they are as good as hers, but my family loves them and a 6.3 quart French Oven yielded just enough tonight that there was only one small bowl left over. But next time, I’ll have to make more dumplings- because that’s the first thing to go as everyone spoons them out of the pot and it’s good to have some leftover because the dish is always better the next day!

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour 45 mins

Total time

2 hours 15 mins

Chicken and Dumplings

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

For the Stock:

1 3-4lb Whole Chicken ((You can use ¼'s or ⅛'s as well))
2 stalks Celery (Chopped in large chunks)
2 large Carrots (Chopped in large chunks)
1 medium Onion (Diced)
2 Bay Leaves
2 sprigs Thyme (Leave whole)
2 sprigs Rosemary (Leave whole)
2 sprigs Sage (Leave whole)
3 cloves Garlic (Finely chopped)
Salt and Pepper (To Taste)
Water (To Cover)

For the Dumplings:

3 cups Self Rising Flour
1½ cup Chicken Stock (Use the just made stock)

Method

For the Stock. In a large pot (I used a 6.3 French Oven) over high heat, add the chicken, herbs and chopped vegetables. Add enough water to cover and submerge the chicken. Bring to a boil and lower the flame to medium-low heat and simmer for an hour and a half or until the chicken is fork tender. At this point, remove the whole chicken from the broth and set it aside to cool. Leave the broth on the low flame to continue simmering.
Once you are able to touch the chicken, go ahead and remove the meat from the bones. Set aside the meat and discard the carcass.
From the broth, remove the stems and stalks of the herbs. If you want, you can now also skim the top of the broth to remove any impurities. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For the dumplings. Remove 1½ cups of stock from the pot and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, add the self-rising flour* and the stock. With a fork or your hands, knead the liquid into the flour to form a dough. Continue kneading until all the flour is incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it's about ¼" thick. Cut the dough into 2" squares with a knife.
Turn up the heat on the stock and once it is boiling, drop the squares of dumplings into the pot, stirring so they do not stick together.
Return the chicken pieces to the pot and stir to combine. Continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through and the stock has thickened some.**
Serve in large bowls.

Notes

* Self Rising Flour- If you don't have, you can make your own. For every 1 cup of ap flour add 1½ teaspoons Baking Powder and ¼ teaspoon Salt and mix well.

** If your sauce is not as thick as you would like, in a separate bowl, make a slurry consisting of 2 teaspoons Corn Starch and a 2 tablespoons of Stock. Mix well to remove any lumps and add this mixture back to your stock which should continue boiling for another minute or so. Keep stirring to combine. Lower the flame back to a simmer and the sauce will become thicker as it continues to cook.

Enjoy and Stay Warm!

Arroz con Pollo Mole Recipe and Giveaway for Hispanic Heritage Month

October 3, 2013 by Renee

Tonight I made Arroz con Pollo Mole (Mole Rice and Chicken) courtesy of IMUSA in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Some of you may already be familiar with IMUSA. They are an international cookware company that is well-known for their Hispanic cookware and housewares.

Recently IMUSA teamed up with McCormick and sent me a Southwest/Mexican themed package containing IMUSA’s lava rock molcajete, salsa dishes, a tortilla warmer and an assortment of McCormick seasoning packets and spices to try. There was a recipe mix for Taco’s, Enchiladas and Tinga de Pollo, plus Cumin, Chili Powder and Black Pepper.

In case you were not aware, Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18. So this month, in addition to celebrating their independence, we celebrate the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Mexico and the Spanish speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. During this time, we recognize the important contributions made and the important presence of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States.

And because I am geeky this way, here’s a NUMBERS FACT BREAK-

According to the 2010 Census, 50.5 million people or 16% of the population are of Hispanic or Latino origin. The Latino population grew 43% since the 2000 Census- accounting for more than half the nation’s total population growth! Hispanics actually accounted for ALL population increases in Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts,New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island in the last 10 years. (1) Wow!

Also, despite the recession, the buying power of Hispanic Americans continues to increase. Projections show that Hispanic buying power will increase to $1.5 TRILLION dollars by 2015, having grown 50% within five years. This rate of growth tops that of all other racial/ethnic groups and buying power growth overall. (2) Amazing! Oh, and with 86% of Latina women at the helm of purchasing decisions in households, the times are changing and economic power is shifting.

Hispanic women represent a key growth factor of the U.S. female population and are expected to become 30 percent of the total female population by 2060. The non-Hispanic white female population is expected to drop to 43 percent.

But what’s really cool is that by 2060, there will be no single dominant ethnic group. Instead, the female (and total) population will comprise a diverse ethnic plurality where Latinas (and Hispanics in general) play a sizable role. (3) Isn’t that awesome?

NO SINGLE DOMINANT ethnic group.

With that, I tip my hat…

So, in addition to their many great contributions to our nation (Nobel Prizes, Pultizers, Sports, Theater, Film, and so much more. (See Famous Firsts by Hispanics for more)) They have given us their food.

I love Spanish Food. Mexican, Salvadoran, Colombian, Puerto Rican, you name it…I love all of them. So naturally, in addition to what they sent me, I went out and bought an IMUSA tortilla press and an IMUSA Comal to attempt to make tortillas. The flour ones turned out much better than the masa ones, so I think they will be a work in progress. But I am happy to have masa in the house to make Pastelitos and Pupusas.

I was really thrilled to receive an IMUSA’s lava rock molcajete. I make guacamole at least once a week, as it’s a favorite snack amongst my kids with a bowl of tortilla chips (or plain with a fork for my oldest daughter), and this will make it that much creamier. Plus it’s great for crushing spices! We shared some guacamole for our appetizer while the chicken cooked.

This recipe is adapted from George Duran, chef, entertainer and author of Take This Dish and Twist it. George is known for his Food Network show Ham on the Street and most recently host of TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off. Check out his website at www.georgeduran.com. There is such an array of flavors, sweet and spicy with hints of cinnamon and chocolate.

If you happen to have an IMUSA Caldero you can use that or use a very large French/Dutch oven.

Arroz con Pollo Mole Recipe

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Author: Renee

Ingredients

2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. mild chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
1 chicken, cut into ⅛ths
½ cup flour
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 red pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups rice, uncooked
2 6-oz. can tomato paste
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
Curly parsley, finely chopped, for garnish

Method

In a small bowl combine the first five ingredients. Set aside.
Dust chicken pieces with flour and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in your dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook them until they are golden browned, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook bacon until browned but not crisp.
Add the onion, red peppers and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the rice, tomato paste, and chocolate.
Add the mixed spices you set aside earlier and stir everything to combine well.
Add in the chicken stock and mix to combine again. Leaving the lid off, allow the rice mixture to come to a slow gentle boil while stirring. Cover tightly with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Continue simmering for 25 minutes.
Uncover, gently mix the rice and return the chicken to the pot by placing it on top of the rice. Cover and continue simmering for 30-35 more minutes or until the chicken and rice are cooked through, all the liquid absorbed and the chicken is fork tender. While unlikely, if needed, add more chicken stock until rice is done. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

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Now you can WIN a similar package from IMUSA and McCormick. I’m giving away a Cuban/Caribbean Package containing: IMUSA’s wood mortar and pestle, a tostonera, and assorted McCormick spices including Black Pepper, Garlic Salt, Curry Powder, Paprika, Cinnamon, Oregano, Black Peppercorn Grinder, Chicken Bag ‘n Season, and Black Beans & Rice Mix.

All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me what Spanish dish you like to cook or a dish you’d like to learn how to make. It’s that easy!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

For More Info-

McCormick Spice on Facebook

McCormick Spices on Pinterest

Disclosure: I received one Southwest/Mexican tool and spice package from IMUSA and McCormick to try. IMUSA also supplied a recipe for me to test. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any other way for this post.

The giveaway is brought to you by IMUSA and McCormick and they may substitute prize contents at their discretion. All prize packages will be sent out by their PR firm and I am not responsible for any loss or damage as a result of non-delivery or delays in prizes. I will however assist the winner with emails and phone calls in the case where a prize is not received.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

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Research Sources:

1. Pew Hispanic Center, “Census 2010: 50 Million Latinos,” Mar. 2011

2. Sam Fahmy, “Despite recession, Hispanic and Asian buying power expected to surge in U.S.”, Terry College of Business UGA, Nov. 2010, http://www.terry.uga.edu/news/releases/2010/minority-buying-power-report.html

3. Nielsen, “Latina Power Shift”, 2013, http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/reports/2013/latina-power-shift.html

Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken with Lemons

January 22, 2013 by Renee

Spatchcocked Chicken with Lemons

There is nothing better than a simple roasted chicken. Especially a juicy bird with crisp skin and lots of flavor. This Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken with Lemons is very flavorful, juicy and has a delightful crisp skin. I often roast a whole chicken, rubbing butter (or oil) onto the skin and coating with whatever herbs I have handy, or I’ll place leaves of sage under the skin and fill the cavity with vegetables (that I later discard) then truss the legs and set the entire bird to cook for an hour or so. But more often, I spatchcock the bird which yields a very crispy skin, lots of flavorful pan drippings and has the added bonus of a reduced roasting time.

Spatchcocking is nothing more than a chicken that has been butterflied. Its a very simple technique to master but depending on your ~~weapon~~ tool of choice, will determine how much time it actually takes you to complete. First you must remove the backbone. The easiest way would be to remove it with a pair of poultry shears by cutting along each side of it, pulling it off and setting it aside for stock. But since we don’t actually own poultry shears or scissors strong enough to cut more than construction paper I used a sharp chef’s knife. This method of de-backboning takes some brute strength and patience. (Neither of which I have much of!)

Start with a chicken that has been cleaned (remove the neck and innards!), washed and patted dry with a paper towel. Set the bird breast side down on a large board with the legs up and facing you. Insert your knife into the cavity with the blade tip starting at the neck and running to tail along one side of the back bone. With the heel of the blade apply a lot pressure and cut through the small bones all the way up along the side of the backbone. Repeat on the other side of the back bone and remove the entire thing. It usually takes me a while to get through all the small bones so this is where it may take you some time as well and use up some bone breaking energy! Once the backbone is removed you can set it aside and use it to make stock or pitch it. Up to you! (This particular chicken was comical as I had to stand on a chair to get enough leverage and downward strength to force the knife through…even that was not enough and I ended up hitting the knife with the meat tenderizer! I need the shears!)

Once the backbone is removed, then you can flatten the bird out by pushing down on the breasts and pulling the wings and legs out to each side.

Now it’s ready for butter/oil and herbs. But first, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. You want to roast the bird at a high temperature to get a crisp on the skin and then reduce the heat to cook the chicken through.

One of my favorite ways to make roast chicken is to use a lot of sliced up lemons, shallots and herbs. For this chicken I sliced four lemons leaving the seeds in and on a well oiled sheet pan, I placed the lemons in a small layer and placed my chicken directly on top of them. Then I carefully pulled back the skin and slid several slices into each piece.

After the lemons were inside, under and around the bird, I rubbed the entire skin with butter. Then I salt and peppered the bird liberally and added some minced rosemary, thyme, tarragon and sage from my garden (you can use dried as well.) For an extra kick, I also added some garlic powder.

From here the chicken goes into the hot oven to roast for 20 minutes. While this is happening peel and slice 8-10 small shallots in half and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil.

At the twenty minute mark, reduce the heat to 400 degrees F, place the shallots all around and on top of the chicken and roast for another 30 minutes or until the thickest part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Once the chicken reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the oven, but let it rest on the pan for ten minutes. Cut the chicken up into 8 or 10 pieces (depending on if you want to split the breasts) and arrange on a serving platter.

The very best part of the entire dish is all the crispy shallots and the pan drippings on the sheet pan. I arrange some of the roasted lemons around the platter and scoop up as much of the pan drippings as I can to drizzle over the top of each piece.

Serve with roasted potatoes or rice and a simple vegetable (broccoli or asparagus) and you will have a quick and healthy mid-week meal.

Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken with Lemons

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

Author: Renee

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 3-4lb chicken, cleaned with backbone removed and flattened
4 medium lemons, sliced
butter
Sprigs of rosemary, thyme, tarragon and sage, minced
2 tsp. Garlic powder
Salt & Pepper
8-10 small shallots, minced
olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. You want to roast the bird at a high temperature to get a crisp on the skin and then reduce the heat to cook the chicken through.
Slice four lemons leaving the seeds in and on a well oiled sheet pan, place the lemons in a small layer and lay the prepared chicken directly on top of them.
Carefully pulled back the skin on the chicken and slide several lemon slices into each piece.
Rub the entire skin of the chicken with butter. Salt and pepper the bird liberally and add some minced rosemary, thyme, tarragon and sage. For an extra kick, add some garlic powder to the skin.
From here the chicken goes into the hot oven to roast for 20 minutes. While this is happening peel and slice 8-10 small shallots in half and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil.
At the twenty minute mark, reduce the heat to 400 degrees F, place the shallots all around and on top of the chicken and roast for another 30 minutes or until the thickest part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Once the chicken reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the oven, but let it rest on the pan for ten minutes. Cut the chicken up into 8 or 10 pieces (depending on if you want to split the breasts) and arrange on a serving platter.
The very best part of the entire dish is all the crispy shallots and the pan drippings on the sheet pan. Arrange some of the roasted lemons around the platter and scoop up as much of the pan drippings as you can to drizzle over the top of each piece.
Serve with roasted potatoes or rice and a simple vegetable (broccoli or asparagus) and you will have a quick and healthy mid-week meal.