Chicken Tamale Casserole

With the cool weather settling in on Chicago, I decided it was a perfect time to make a casserole. I love to put everything together and then bake it up in the oven - making the house smell so great. I found this recipe for a Chicken Tamale Casserole in an email I received from Cooking Light highlighting casseroles.

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed in this recipe - not the taste, but the ingredients. I'm not a big fan of using processed products. This recipe calls for a lot of pre-packaged items (corn bread mix, creamed corn, canned chilies, etc.) and I used a rotisserie chicken which I purchased at the grocery store. Of course that made it very easy to prepare, but I felt a bit unhealthy while I was making it. And coming from Cooking Light I guess I expected a bit healthier of a recipe.

I thought the leftovers of this was tastier than when it was fresh out of the oven. The bottom of the casserole tasted a bit sweet at first so I think it tasted alot better after the flavors melded. I'd let it sit about a half an hour if you can.

To make this casserole taste a bit more homemade and also to make it more of a meal than just putting a piece of casserole on an empty plate, I placed it on to of some red leaf lettuce and then I topped it with a bit of chopped onion, sliced black olives and diced avocado. Those extra flavors made a big difference. We served this with Tortilla and Butternut Squash Soup and it was a very filling meal.

Chicken Tamale Casserole Serves 8 1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided 1/3 cup fat-free milk 1/4 cup egg substitute 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White) 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained Cooking spray 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso) 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Garlic-Braised Chicken with Olives and Mushrooms

Can anything with at least 16 cloves of garlic be bad? I say no - especially if it's roasted. And even through it's braised, the garlic turn out soft and sweet, just like it was roasted. In fact, one of my family members said "I like the little white mushrooms" because they aren't used to eating whole cloves of garlic and didn't recognize them. But it was the garlic and I agree, it added alot of nice flavor. And of course the house smelled wonderful too.

I was a bit curious about this recipe because it is a braising technique but uses so little liquid. But it turned out just fine. I did end up having to cook the chicken closer to 30 minutes, maybe because I didn't have the burner turned up high enough.

The flavors are gentle but super tasty. I left the olives whole because it looked prettier that way. And there is a wonderful sauce so make sure to serve this with some type of side or crusty bread to soak it up. We ate it with farro.

Garlic-Braised Chicken with Olives and Mushrooms Serves 4 1 small chicken (about 2½ pounds), cut into pieces Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 heads garlic (at least 16 cloves), smashed and peeled 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and halved ½ cup white wine ½ cup green olives (preferably picholine), pitted or left whole 1/3 cup chicken stock

Heat a large straight-sided skillet (about 12 inches) over medium-high heat. While it's heating, season chicken with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and swirl. Add chicken, skin side down. Let brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; set aside.

Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan, followed by garlic and mushrooms; let brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add wine to mushrooms and garlic and bring to a boil, then cook for 1 minute. Return chicken to pan.

Add olives and chicken stock to pan; bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover; simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Spring Chicken & Barley Soup

There is snow on the ground but the sun is out. That's Spring in Chicago! So today I made a batch of this Spring Chicken & Barley Soup for lunch. This is definitely one to make on the weekend because it too about 90 minutes from start to finish. But it is really flavorful and I have a batch of leftovers that I can take for a healthy lunch throughout the week.

I love the ideas of fresh asparagus and crisp peas in this soup. It is different that regular "chicken noodle" types. But the really stand out part is the sprinkling of basil, orange zest and raw garlic on top. That bit of orange really made the freshness pop.

Spring Chicken & Barley Soup Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup finely chopped onion ½ cup finely chopped celery 2 cloves garlic, divided 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 large bone-in chicken breast (10-12 ounces), skin removed, trimmed 1/3 cup pearl barley 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 cup trimmed and diagonally sliced asparagus (¼-inch thick) 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas ½ tsp. coarse salt Freshly ground pepper to taste ½ cup lightly packed torn fresh basil leaves 1 strip orange zest (½ by 2 inches)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 4 minutes. Grate or finely chop 1 clove garlic; add to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, chicken and barley. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon. Return the broth to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, shred the chicken or cut into bite-size pieces; discard the bone.

When the barely is done, add the chicken, tomatoes and juice, asparagus, peas, salt and a grinding of pepper; return to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes more.

Coarsely chop the remaining garlic clove. Gather basil, orange zest and the garlic and finely chop together. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a generous pinch of the basil mixture.

Coq au Riesling

Tonight I had a taste for something hearty. I pulled out a few cookbooks and the first one I opened was Nigella Express. I haven't made too many recipes from this one and I knew that her food would be perfect on a cold winter's night. I didn't have to flip through too many pages before I saw her recipe for Coq au Riesling and I left for the store right away.

Wow! My house smelled amazing while making this one. Something about the bacon and chicken simmering together... It is a very easy recipe and besides slicing up the bacon and some veggies, everything just gets dumped into the pot.

I did have to make a few substitutes though. I couldn't find a leek at the store so I substituted green onions. I don't think I tasted them so I would definitely like to try this with a leek. Also, I didn't write down the amounts for the bacon or the mushrooms. I ended up with enough bacon but not enough mushrooms. I got some kind of chef's mix which has some oyster mushrooms and some other types as well. I do wish I got twice as many because the mushrooms were really great in this.

Unlike Nigella's suggestion, I ate this one as soon as it was ready and I did indeed add the cream. She's right and it probably would have tasted better the next day, but it was still really good and my entire family really enjoyed it. I did serve it with buttered German egg noodles and that was a really good combo. But there was so much amazing juice in the pot it might have been good enough to serve this in bowls with big hunks of crusty bread.

Coq au Riesling Serves 6 2 tablespoons garlic-infused oil 1 cup cubed bacon 1 leek, finely sliced 12 skinless chicken thighs or 2¾ pounds thigh fillets 1 750-ml bottle Riesling wine 10 oz. oyster mushrooms, torn into strips (4 cups) 3 bay leaves salt and pepper to taste heavy cream, optional 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill

Heat the oil in a casserole or large wide pan and fry the bacon until crisp.

Add the sliced leek and soften it with the bacon for a minute or so.

Tip in the chicken thighs, wine, mushrooms, and bay leaves.

Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil, cover the pan, and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, stirring in the cream for the last couple of minutes if you want. Like all stews, this tastes its mellowest best if you let it get cold and then reheat the next day. But it's no hardship to eat straight off. Whichever, serve sprinkled with dill, and with some buttered noodles on the side.

Grilled Basil-Lemon Cornish Game Hens

Okay, the weather was great this past weekend so I needed to bust out the grill for the first time this year. And what is a better Spring-y thing to make than Cornish Game Hens? I made them with Grilled Summer Squash and Crushed Potatoes with Olive Oil, Parmesan and Basil and it was an amazing dinner. Well amazing even though the hens turned out kind of raw because I have no idea how to grill... but baby steps! Thank the heavens for microwaves! But really, this recipe is great and super impressive. If you are interested in grilling Cornish Game Hens, I strongly suggest you give them a try. And make sure you do the Myer Lemon Salsa if if Myer Lemons are in seasons because they are neat to work with.

Grilled Basil-Lemon Cornish Game Hens Makes 8 servings 1 cup lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil ½ cup grated lemon zest ¼ cup basil ¼ cup chopped mint 2 tbsp minced red jalapeno 8 Cornish game hens, halved 2 Tbsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 cup Meyer Lemon Salsa (below)

Combine the lemon juice, oil, lemon zest, basil, mint and jalapeno to make a marinade. Place the game hens in a large, shallow pan. Pour the marinade over the top, and turn the hens to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high; leave one burner off. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of white ash. Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill. Clean the cooking grate.

Remove the game hens from the marinade and brush off any excess marinade. Season with the salt and pepper.

Grill the game hens over direct heat until marked, about 4 minutes per side. Move the hens to indirect heat and continue to grill, covered and turning as needed, until cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes more.

Serve the game hens on a heated platter or plates with the salsa on top.


Meyer Lemon Salsa
Makes 2 cups

1 Meyer lemon
1 cup minced shallots
¾ tsp salt
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp Meyer lemon juice, optional

Cut the whole lemon, unpeeled, into crosswise slices about 1/8 inch thick. Remove the seeds and cut the slices into 1/8-inch dice. Place the diced lemon in a mixing bowl.

Add the shallots and salt to the lemons, and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Add the parsley, and gradually whisk in the oil until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add additional lemon juice if desired.

Grilled Chicken Thighs

Have you ever grilled oranges? Putting fruit on the grill is a great idea. They were featured as a garnish in photo accompanying the recipe for Grilled Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Sherry Vinegar-Orange Sauce. Just cut in half, brush a little oil on them and throw them on the grill. They add a lot of drama and color to the dish you serve them with and they actually taste good too.

The page for this recipe Bobby Flay's Grill It! is covered in grease spots. That must mean I had a lot of fun preparing it, right? I like almost all recipes using chicken thighs so I definitely wanted to try grilling them.

Most people may just throw their chicken on the grill or use a store bought marinade, but it is well work preparing this sauce to go with the chicken. My family members were gobbling it up like it was candy! I served this with some Rice-A-Roni and Marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Green Olive and Sherry Vinegar-Orange Sauce Serves 4 4 Tbsp. olive oil 2 shallots, coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped Grated zest of 1 orange 2 cups orange juice (not from concentrate) 3 Tbsp. aged sherry vinegar 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus extra for garnish 3 Tbsp. honey Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs 1/2 cup picholine olives, pitted

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and lightly golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the orange zest and juice and the vinegar and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broth and rosemary and simmer until reduced by half and slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Strain the sauce into a bowl, stir in the honey, and season with salt and pepper. The sauce can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat before using.

Heat your grill to medium.

Brush the chicken on both sides with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the thighs over, close the cover of the gill, and continue cooking until just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes longer.

Remove the thighs to a platter and drizzle with some of the sauce. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Scatter the olives around the platter and garnish with rosemary sprigs. Serve additional sauce on the side.

Moroccan Pesto Chicken with Tomato Chickpea Salad

This is my year to learn how to grill. I picked up the Grill Every Day cookbook at a few weeks ago. I made a few thing out of this book for dinner: Cumin-Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Moroccan Pesto and Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad. The chicken was great and even the my family was cautious of "ruining" the chicken breasts with pesto, they did go ahead and try it and gave it two thumbs up. The lemon and garlic in the pesto made it really zesty which is unique for pesto. I sliced the chicken breasts and served them all on a platter so that the four chicken breasts would go further (and look like more food) because an extra person showed up for dinner.

The chickpea salad didn't get as good of a review. I found out that my family members like pure vegetable salads and are not wile about chickpeas. I love them though so I had lots of good leftovers. I thought the salad was really fresh and the feta cheese made it very rich as well. The only thing I was not happy with was that the recipe calls for canned olives. I'm not sure if I bought the wrong kind of olives or something, but I got the only kind of green olives that came in a can. They had NO FLAVOR! I suggest you regular Spanish olives that come in a jar to ensure that the olive taste comes through in the salad. If I ever make this again I will probably use kalmata olives because I think that flavor would go really well with the rest of the ingredients.

Cumin-Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Moroccan Pesto 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup Moroccan Pesto

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on medium-high.

Remove any pieces of fat clinging to the chicken breasts and place the breasts in a shallow baking dish or bowl. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub the chicken breasts on both sides with olive oil and then rub them with the spice rub. Set aside until the grill is ready.

Oil the grill grate. Place the chicken breasts directly over the medium-hot fire and sear on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and sear on the other side until the juices run clear when the thickest part of a breast is pierced with a knife, or an instant-read thermometer registers to 165 degrees, about 4 minutes longer.

Divide the chicken breasts among warm plates and drizzle with the pesto. Serve immediately.

Moroccan Pesto 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 large cloves garlic 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper and process until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped. With the machine running, pour the lemon juice and olive oil through the feed tube and process until the sauce is combined. Use immediately, or transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad Dressing: 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 large clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 can (6 ounces drained weight) pitted ripe olives, halved 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, olives, tomatoes, parsley, and feta. Add the dressing and toss gently to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs

I LOVE chicken thighs. And I LOVE preparing dinner in my slow cooker. So when I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs Jamaican Rice and Peas on the Food Network's website I just knew I had to try it. And I'm glad that I did. I made this on a very cold Friday night. I had been snowing non-stop for the previous 36 hours. Three of us ate it and we all loved it. Adding the chopped avocado and lime wedges finished it off perfectly. The chicken was so tender it basically fell apart. The rice was a bit plain but it worked perfectly with the juices leftover in the crock pot. What a perfect winter dinner!

Cubano Chicken

I enjoyed making this recipe for Cubano Chicken Legs with Peppers, Tomatoes and Citrus from Daniel Boulud's Braise for several reasons. First of all, the recipe includes the chicken recipe as well as the accompanying Cucumber, Jicama and Avocado Salad - so you get an entire meal all put together. Second, you do most of the work for the chicken part the night before. And finally, I was excited to try something from Daniel Boulud.

A few of the ingredients in this recipe are a bit exotic. Cuban oregano, which is purple, was impossible for me to find. But I just substituted with regular fresh oregano. The piquillo peppers were really hard for me to find. They ended up being available at the olive bar at my local Whole Foods Market. They are really small and I don't see how the four little ones really added any flavor so I suggest giving this recipe a try even if you can't find the piquillo peppers - just leave them out.

I fed this to my mother and her boyfriend and they both raved about it. My mother rarely eats chicken because she had so much of it while she was raising her children. She was wrinkling her nose when I told her I was preparing chicken for dinner. To my pleasure she was so surprised and how tender and flavorful the chicken turned out. I was pretty confident we would all like it because of the combination of marinading over-night and cooking them slowly. Also, I absolutely love chicken legs/thighs. But it was the vegetable combination was what was really fantastic. I know this one will be asked for again and again.

As for the braising, I am excited to have an entire cookbook dedicated to the technique. Braise has recipes for so many different types of meat that I know I will not get sick of it. Even the seafood section looks promising!

Cubano Chicken Legs with Peppers, Tomatoes, and Citrus (makes 4 servings) 4 chicken legs, thigh attached (about 2 pounds) Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced paper-thin (use a mandoline, if you have one) Finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 2 large oranges Finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, preferably Cuban 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped 1 large onion, peeled and chopped 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, drained 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise 4 piquillo peppers, sliced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves Cucumber, Jicama, and Avocado Salad (see additional recipe below)

The night before you plan to serve this dish, season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a nonreactive pan (Pyrex is perfect for this). In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, the orange and lime juice and zest, and the oregano and pour the mixture over the chicken legs to coat them evenly. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Heat the oil in a medium cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken legs from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Pat the legs dry and sear until well browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. When the chicken is golden brown, transfer to a platter. Add the bell peppers and onion to the pot and cook, stirring until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pot, along with the reserved marinade and the chickpeas, plum tomatoes, and piquillo peppers. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven to braise until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with the Cucumber, Jicama, and Avocado Salad.


Cucumber, Jicama and Avocado Salad
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small unpeeled English cucumber
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 small head iceberg lettuce, cored and chopped
1/2 pound jicama, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks
1/4 cup celery leaves, taken from the heart of the celery

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lime juice. Season to taste with sale and pepper and set aside until needed.

Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the cucumber into paper-thin slices and place in a medium bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the avocado into thin strips and add to the bowl, tossing with a bit of the vinaigrette to keep the avocado from darkening. Add the lettuce, jicama matchsticks, and celery leaves and toss to combine.

To serve, whisk the vinaigrette and pour over the salad, tossing until the vinaigrette coats the salad evenly.

Chicken with Caramelized Shallots and Honey

I finally got to crack open Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey & Lebanon. It has been sitting at the bottom of my cookbook stack for a while. It's so pretty I've wanted to play with some of the recipes in there, but I have been working on other cuisines. I pulled it out to find a recipe for Monthly Mingle #9: Arabian Nights hosted by Meeta at What's For Lunch Honey? I didn't get very far flipping through recipes before I decided to try Chicken with Caramelized Baby Onions and Honey which is on page 85.


While the recipe calls for an entire chicken, I decided to use about 8 chicken thighs because those are my favorite part. I purchased the thighs that still have the bones and skin on them so that I would get all of the true flavors from the chicken.

This recipe takes a while to prepare. Preparing the ingredients and cooking the chicken takes about an hour. Caramelizing the onions at the end took way longer than I expected. I think I had to boil them at least a half hour before the water cooked off. But my house smelled wonderful the entire time . . . onions, saffron ginger and cinnamon - yum! And it gave me time to prepare the rice which I forgot to make.

Chicken with Caramelized Baby Onions and Honey Djaj Bil Assal (servers 4) 1 pound shallots or baby onions 1 onion, chopped 4 tablespoons sunflower oil good pinch of saffron threads 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 chicken, cut up in 6 or 8 pieces salt and black pepper 1 to 1/2 tablespoons clear honey To garnish: 1/2 cup blanched almonds or a handful of sesame seeds (optional)

To peel the shallots or baby onions, blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and when cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and trim the root ends.

Saute the chopped onion until softened in the oil over a medium heat in a pan or casserole large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer. Stir in the saffron, ginger, and cinnamon, then put in the chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper, and turn to brown them lightly all over.

Add about 1 cup water and cook, covered, over a low heat, turning the pieces over for 15 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are done. Lift out the breasts and put them to one side. Add the shallots or baby onions and continue to cook, covered, for about 25 minutes, or until the remaining chicken pieces are very tender. During the cooking, turn the chicken pieces and stir the onions occasionally; add a little water, if necessary.

Lift out the chicken pieces and set to one side. Stir the honey into the pan, check the seasoning. You need quite a bit of pepper to mitigate the sweetness. Cook, uncovered, until all the water has evaporated, and the onions are brown, caramelized, and so soft that you could crush them, as they say in Morocco, "with your tongue."

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, spoon the onions on top of them, and heat through. A few minutes should be enough. Serve, if you wish, sprinkled either with blanched almonds fried in a drop of oil until they are lightly golden, or with toasted sesame seeds.

Nuevo Laredo Tlalpeño Soup

I brought my newest cookbook, Cowgirl Cuisine, up to Chicago for my Easter visit so I could read through it on the plane. I also thought I might find a side dish to make for Easter dinner. However we went to my aunt's for Easter Brunch and didn't feel hungry enough to make dinner before I had to catch the flight back to Tampa.

There looks to be a lot of good recipes in Cowgirl Cuisine and I decided to start with Nuevo Laredo Tlalpeño Soup. The cookbook focuses on Tex-Mex ranch style food. I went down to Laredo, TX a couple of years ago when visiting my sister in San Antonio. One of her friends has a real ranch down there where the boys go hunting. We did a little shopping in Laredo and got some really neat iron pieces. This recipe reminded me of this trip just because of its name.

Overall this recipe is for a pretty standard chicken soup. I realize that I have never made chicken soup from scratch before. I followed the recipe and made my own stock and all. I made the stock one evening and the soup the next day. My house smelled so awesome. It rained today and was a bit cool so that yummy chicken soup was so awesome.

What makes this recipe a bit different are the garnishes. Fresh avocado, fresh squeezed lime and chipotle peppers really gave it an awesome twist. It was fresh and spicy and comforting all at the same time.

Nuevo Laredo Tlalpeño Soup (Serves 8) chicken stock (makes about 10 cups) 1 whole young chicken (about 4 to 4 1/2 pounds) 1 onion, quartered 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 2 fresh bay leaves 6 peppercorns 2 to 3 cloves 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt soup 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 leek, thinly sliced 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, chopped 10 cups chicken stock 2 15-ounce chicken cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3 cups shredded chicken breast (about 1 whole breast) freshly ground black pepper for garnish lime wedges chopped avocado chopped cilantro chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Instructions
Rinse the chicken, place in a large pot or Dutch oven, and add water to cover (about 10 cups). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and skim any fat the rises to the top. Add the onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves and salt. Reduce the heat and gently simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour. If serving immediately, remove the chicken and skim and strain the stock. If not, refrigerate the chicken overnight, then skim the fat the next day (it will be easier to remove) and strain.

Remove the chicken meat from the carcass. Use a fork to shred the breast meat for the soup and reserve the dark meat for another use.

To prepare the soup, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and leek, stir to coat with oil, and then cover and allow them to steam for about 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the celery and carrot and cook, stirring, for a few more minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chickpeas and chicken and simmer another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle the soup into large, wide bowls and garnish with lime wedges, chopped avocado, cilantro and chopped chipotle peppers in adobo.

Dong'an Chicken

Fuchsia Dunlap, author of Revolutionary Chinese Cooking, states that Dong'an Chicken is one of Hunan's most famous dishes and may date back as far as the 8th century, during the Tang Dynasty. According to legend, it was invented by three old ladies who ran a restaurant.

One evening, so the story goes, some merchants called and demanded dinner at a time when the women had sold out of almost everything, so they had to slaughter a couple of chickens and rustle up a new dish on the spot. The resulting recipe was so extraordinarily delicious that the merchants spread the word far and wide, and the dish entered the canon of classic Hunan delicacies.

Unfortunately, this did not turn out as well as many of the other recipes I have tried from Revolutionary Chinese Cooking. But that is my own fault. The recipe clearly lists a free-range or corn-fed chicken. I couldn't find one so I just bought a regular chicken. To me it tasted like plain boiled chicken, which is kind of boring. I wanted there to be a bunch more sauce. I was surprised since all the other recipes in this book have been so amazing, but then I realized that if I would have used a free-range chicken it would have made all the difference. This dish uses such simple seasonings that the taste of the chicken itself is really the highlight. I can't wait to try it again, this time with a fresh chicken!

Dong'an Chicken dong an zi ji About 4 qt. water or chicken stock 1 free-range or corn-fed chicken, about 2 3/4 lbs. 1 3/4-inch piece fresh ginger, unpeeled 3 scallions 1 fresh red chili 3 dried chilies (optional) 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine 2 Tbsp. clear rice vinegar 1/2 tsp. Sichuan pepper oil or 1/2 tsp. whole Sichuan pepper Salt to taste 1 tsp. sesame oil 4 Tbsp. lard or peanut oil for cooking

Bring the water or stock to boil in a large saucepan over a high flame. Add the chicken and return the liquid to a boil, skimming the surface as necessary. Crush half the ginger and one scallion with the flat side of a cleaver or heavy object, then add to the pan with the chicken. Reduce the heat and poach the chicken for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and allow it to cool; reserve the cooking liquid. The chicken should be about three-quarters cooked.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the flesh from the carcass and cut as far as possible into bite-size strips, along the grain of the meat.

Cut the fresh chili in half lengthwise and discard the seeds and pithy part, then cut into very fin slivers about 1 1/2 inches long. Peel the remaining ginger and cut it into slices and then slivers similar to the chili. Cut the green parts off the remaining 2 scallions into slivers of a similar length; set aside.

Heat the wok over a high flame until smoke rises, then add the lard or peanut oil and swirl around. When the oil is warming up but before it is smoking hot, add the fresh chilies and ginger, along with the dried chilies and Sichuan pepper, if using, and stir-fry until fragrant, taking care that the seasonings do not take color or burn.

Add the chicken and continue to stir-fry. Splash the Shaoxing wine around the edges of the chicken. Add the vinegar, Sichuan pepper oil, if using, and salt to taste. Add up to 1/2 cup of the chicken poaching liquid (if the chicken is very juicy no additional liquid will be necessary), bring to a boil and then turn the heat down a little and simmer briefly to allow the flavors to penetrate the chicken, spooning the liquid over.

Add the potato flour mixture to the liquid and stir as the sauce thickens. Throw in the scallion greens and stir a few times. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve.

Tandoori Chicken with Date-Nut Couscous

I haven't made anything from Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine in a while. I found this recipe for Tandoori Chicken with Date-Nut Couscous in the April, 2007 issue. This recipe was part of a feature in an article about buying in bulk - like at Costco or Sam's Club. I'm a big fan of roasted chicken legs and also couscous so I knew I needed to try this out.

I chose to marinade the chicken over night because that is just easier since I have a full time job and hectic work weeks. So it ended up being pretty quick to throw everything together. I love when quick and easy dinners during the week end up having so much flavor - and this definitely did. Using yogurt as a marinade is new to me, so that was fun to experiment with something new. I ended up halving the recipe and I had enough food for dinner, leftover lunch and a bit for the dogs.

You can find the recipe for Tandoori Chicken with Date-Nut Couscous on the Every Day with Rachael Ray website.

Junshan Chicken with Silver-Needle Tea

Ah, back in my kitchen after vacation. I couldn't wait to get back to my Revolutionary Chinese Cooking cookbook. Tonight I made Junshan Chicken with Silver-Needle Tea. It looks bland because it is so white, but it is delicately tasteful. There is a slight tea flavored sauce which seems to enhance the tender chicken. I didn't want to eat this with rice because I didn't want the rice to over power the natural flavoring.

I have never prepared a food recipe with tea before, but it has been on my list of things to do. I visited Teavana this past week and purchased several types of loose teas, including silver needle (which is known to have a high amount of antioxidants).

Many of the recipes in this cookbook call for chicken with the skin on. I can not find it anywhere, be it the thigh or the breast meat. It's boneless and skinless or boned and with skin. So I either have to make the recipe without the skin or mess around cutting it up. Tonight I went with the boneless chicken so there is no skin. And it still tasted great.

This was a fun recipe for me to prepare. I liked that I got to "wash" the tea as I have seen in tea ceremonies. And it was also fun to "double" fry the chicken by cooking it twice. It probably isn't that good for the waist-line though because of all that peanut oil.

Junshan Chicken with Silver-Needle Tea jun shan ji pian 2 boneless chicken breast halves with skin 1 Tbsp. Chinese Yellow or Green Tea Leaves Salt 1/2 tsp. sesame oil 1 1/4 cup peanut oil for cooking for the marinade: 1/4 tsp. salt 2 tsp. Shaoxing wine 1 Tbsp. potato flour 1 large egg white

Holding your knife at an angle to the board, cut the chicken into thin slices. Put the slices in a bowl, add the marinade ingredients, and mix well. If there is any excess egg white that does not cling to the chicken, discard it.

Bring a kettle of water to a boil, and then let the water cool to 176 degrees before pouring 1/2 cups over the tea leaves. Strain off the water immediately, then add 5 tablespoons fresh water at the same temperature to the leaves, and leave to infuse.

Heat the oil over a medium flame until it reaches 275 degrees. Add the chicken nd swiftly separate the slices with a pair of chopsticks. When the chicken slices are pale but not completely cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Drain off all but 3 tablespoons oil and return the wok to a high flame. Add the chicken and salt to taste and stir-fry. When the chicken and salt to taste and stir-fry. When the chicken is just cooked, pour in the tea infusion, leaves and all, and when the liquid boils, add the potato-flour misture and stir as it thickens the juices. Immediately remove from the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and serve.

#43: Chicken in Amaranth Sauce

I love when the meals I cook surprise me. It is one of the best parts about cooking recipes. Sometimes they are negative surprises when you are sure that the ingredients will yield an amazing meal, but you become disappointed at the blandness or flavoring. But other times the results are much more positive. When I read the recipe for Chicken in Amaranth Sauce, I did not know what to expect, but it didn't seem like anything special. The only reason I made it was because I wanted to try something with Amaranth because it is listed as #43 on Food & Wine's 100 Tastes to Try.


I purchased the puffed amaranth from Nu-World Foods who sells a wide variety of amaranth products. I found this excellent recipe for Chicken in Amaranth Sauce on their website.

Puffed Amaranth is a nutritious, whole grain, gluten-free product high in quality protein, dietary fiber, polyunsaturates, Omega 3 fatty acids and a variety of vitamins and minerals including iron and calcium. Puffed Amaranth is a uniformly puffed white seed, 1/16” in diameter, likened to a micro-popcorn, which maintains its identity through typical processing.

All the onions in this recipe scared me. Two large onions! 4 chicken breast halves. I pictured the end result something like Chinese food that I order which has a little bit of meat and alot of onions and sauce. But the onions are sliced thin and they melt down. There is no strong onion taste at all.

Making the sauce was simple even though when I read the instructions I thought it would take a while to cook. I saved myself by purchasing diced tomatoes from the produce section. So all I had to do was toast the amaranth puffs and do a bit of measuring. The most work came from slicing the onions and spinach.

The end result was amazing. Tender chicken simmered in a spicy sauce. Those chipolte peppers really have some kick! I am not sure what ethnicity this recipe would fall under, but it reminds me of Indian food - mostly due to the sauce and heat. I loved it!

Soy-Marinated Roast Chicken Legs

Chicken legs are my favorite part of the chicken. I was excited when I found this recipe for Soy-Marinated Roast Chicken Legs in the Japanese Light cookbook. I made a double batch and used the extra chicken for leftover tacos and in a salad.

It may be a simple concept, but the process patting the chicken dry after marinating and then brushing with oil makes them extra crispy. It was perfect and I learned something new!

Soy-Marinated Roast Chicken Legs 4 chicken legs 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil for the marinade: 1/3 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons sake 3 tablespoons mirin 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 2 tablespoons sugar

Make 3-4 incisions on each chicken leg across the muscle tendon to help the marinade penetrate. Put the chicken in a bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients, and pour over the chicken. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take the chicken legs out of the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Mix the vegetable and sesame oils, brush the legs with them and roast for 25-30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the chicken inside until you are ready to serve. This way the chicken legs will be juicy and succulent.

Numbing and Hot Chicken

I'm in love! In love with another cookbook. Thankfully my current favorite, On Top of Spaghetti, won't get too jealous. I can cook one dinner from each of them each week. The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province by Fuchsia Dunlap is really sucking me in. I spent a few nights before bed this past week actually reading this cookbook. I read the forward, the intro and about the Hunanese pantry and have learned alot.

While flipping through the recipes, Numbing-and-Hot Chicken was one of the first that caught my eye. Maybe it was the photo or maybe it was because the word "numbing" is in the title. The numbing attribute is intriguing to me. It ends up that this dish calls for sichuan pepper which I happen to have since sichuan peppercorns are #72 on Food & Wine's Top Tastes to Try in 2007. In fact, I heard about this book from the F&W 100 list. Hot Hunan Shrimp is #49 and the blurb recommended this cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlap.

Tonight is Chinese New Year's so I decided try this out tonight and make an event out of it. I had so much fun going to the Asian grocery store to stock up on ingredients. After I got home, I took a deep breath and went at it. I cranked up the music and went to chopping up my chicken and veggies but it didn't take nearly as long as I thought. My wok has been very under-used so it was very happy tonight double-frying the chicken and then stir-frying it all together.

I only got confused at one part in this recipe. "3 scallions, white parts only" are called for. But the instructions say to "cut them into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch pieces". Anyone who knows scallions know that is about as long as the white part is in total, let alone cutting in into pieces. And the picture had some green in it so I cut the greens into the 1 1/4-inch pieces and diced the whites into smaller pieces.

Numbing-and-Hot Chicken ma la zi ji Ingredients: 12 oz. bones chicken thigh or breast half, if you prefer, with skin 1 small red bell pepper, thin-skinned if possible 1 fresh red chili, or 1 tsp. dried chili flakes 3 scallions, white parts only 1 tsp. whole sichuan pepper 1 tsp. sesame oil 1 1/4 cups peanut oil for deep-frying For the marinade: 1 Tbsp. Saoxing wine 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1/4 tsp. dark soy sauce 1 Tbsp. potato flour mixed with 1 Tbsp. cold water For the sauce: 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. clear rice vinegar 1/2 tsp. potato flour 3 Tbsp. chicken stock or water

Instructions:
Cut the chicken as evenly as possible into bite-size cubes. Place the chicken cubes in a bowl, add the marinate ingredients and mix well; set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Discard the stem and seeds of the pepper, and cut into small squares to complement the chicken. If using a fresh chili, slice it thinly, discarding the stem and seeds as far as possible. It the scallions are slender, cut them into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch pieces, otherwise slice them on a steep angle. Crush the Sichuan pepper using a mortar and pestle. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the oil for deep-frying in the wok over a high flame to 300-400 degrees F. Add the chicken and stir briskly for about 30 seconds, until the pieces have separated and have become pale; remove from the oil with a slotted spoon. Allow the oil to return to 350-400 degrees F, then fry the chicken again until golden; remove and set aside. Drain off all but 3 tablespoons of the oil.

Return the wok to the heat and, working quickly over a high flame, tip in the red bell pepper, fresh or dried chiles, scallions, and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry briefly until they are wonderfully fragrant.

Stir in the chicken. Give the sauce a stir and tip it in to the wok. Stir briskly as the sauce thickens. Finally, off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.

Sauteed Chicken with Fresh Sage

Tonight I made Petti di Pollo alla Salvia (Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Fresh Sage). This is from Trattoria, one of my favorite cookbooks. It is a meal that I have not made in a long time. It's funny because after I first made it the first time I swore I would make it again and again. I am not big on repeating recipes because there are so many good ones out there still to discover. But this was one of the first "impressive" dinners I had ever made. Up until that point I had made a lot of spaghetti and broiled alot of meat. Accomplishing the recipe brought me alot of joy and pride. The first time it came out perfect. The second time I burned the sage leaves and the third time something was missing. So then I tired of it.

Now it is about twelve years since that last attempt and I am enjoying it again. It feels good to pull out a recipe from the past every now and then. I am as amazed as I was back then. The ingredients are so simple, but the chicken turns out with an amazing flavor. It's one of those things you can't believe that you made yourself. Sage is a gorgeous herb and it smells so wonderful when it is fresh. But while cooking it with the chicken it crisps up just a little bit. You can't believe how wonderful it tastes. I realize that even though the ingredients are simple, you should take your time making this. Don't cook it with too much heat because you may burn the butter or sage. Watch the chicken until it browns but do not overcook.

I hope you all try this one! Look for the roundup of Weekend Herb Blogging at Kalyn's Kitchen hosted this week by Kalyn herself.

Petti di Pollo alla Salvia (Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Fresh Sage) Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 28 fresh sage leaves 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 lemons, halved, for garnish

Instructions:
Marinate the chicken with the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil and the sage leaves. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat drive. Strain the marinade into a bowl and remove the sage leaves, reserving them.

Melt the butter and 2 remaining tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until hot and bubbly. Add chicken and cook until one side is browned, about 5 minutes. Turn breasts and season the cooked side generously with salt and pepper. Tuck the sage leaves around the chicken and cook until the chicken is browned on the bottom and just white throughout, about 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to scorch the sage.

When done, place the chicken on a cutting board and season the bottom side with salt and pepper. Slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal into thick slices. Place them on a serving platter with the sage leaves placed over the chicken. Cover loosely with foil.

Discard the fat from the skillet and heat it over moderately high heat. Add the reserved marinade and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. The sauce will boil almost immediately. As soon as it reduces to a brown glaze (less than one minute), pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with lemon halves and serve immediately.

Potatoes, Chicken and Carrots . . . Oh, My!

I admit it. I ate dog food for dinner. It's not what you are thinking. I didn't open up a can of Pedigree and dig in. Each month Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine has a pet-friendly feature. This month the recipe was for an Orange Bowl. It is basically a stew with chicken, sweet potatoes and carrots.

When I got home from work I wasn't hungry so I didn't rush to make myself dinner. I had the chicken in the fridge and new I needed to use it up so I took a few minutes to cut everything up and put it in the pot. The dogs were starving once I got it done but they had to wait even longer so that it would cool enough for them to be able to eat. I did put it down for them after about twenty minutes but it was still kind of hot. They ate off the first layer but then it got amusing. They'd dip in to pick out a carrot or sweet potato and then drop it on the floor to cool and then sit patiently next to their bowl looking at the food before they tried that again.


This smelled so good because I love both cooked carrots. I just sucked into my computer and when I realized that I was finally hungry it was late. The big pot was just sitting there. So I made myself a bowl. It was pretty good! I just sprinkled on some salt.

Check out the round-up of Weekend Dog Blogging hosted each week by Sweetnicks.

Potted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Chicken (4 Servings) Ingredients: One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth 4 peppercorns 2 whole cloves 1 fresh or dried bay leaf Three 6-ounce chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks 3 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks One 16-ounce bag baby carrots Salt

Instructions:
Combine the broth, cider, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the chicken and vegetables, and simmer, skimming if necessary, until tender, about 20 minutes. Spoon out the peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf and discard. Season to taste with salt. Let the dish cool slightly before serving to pets.

Moroccan Stew: Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives

I decided to go Moroccan for the inaugural Waiter, There's Something in my . . . Stew hosted by Spittoon Extra. This is a fun new blogging event with a different foodie theme for each month. For my entry, I chose Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives from the January, 2007 issue of Cooking Light Magazine. A tagine, the food, is a rich Moroccan stew. Many tagines are vegetarian, but I also like ones with meat. The cooking method yields some wonder flavors making something really special out of vegetables.

A tajine (tah-zheen) is a Moroccan dish as well as a special pot for preparing this dish. The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a bottom which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome shaped cover that rests inside of the bottom during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensate to the bottom. With the cover removed, the bottom is open and shallow for easy serving at the table.

Tajine dishes are slow cooked at low temperatures, resulting in tender, falling-off-the-bone meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. The cover has a knob-like formation at its top to facilitate removing it. While simmering, the cover can be lifted off without the aid of a mitten, enabling the cook to inspect the main ingredients, add vegetables, move things around, or add additional braising liquid, if needed.

While a ceramic tagine is on my wish-list, I currently don't own one. I made this dish in deep pan on the stove. I have only prepared a tagine one other time in my life and it came out so flavorful and tender that I immediately fell in love with them. The smells in the house are so amazing while it is cooking and it is perfect for a comforting Sunday evening meal. The taste with the Moroccan flavors is always so different from my average meals that I feel all proud because it tastes as good as anything you would eat at a restaurant.

And, it was perfect meal for tonight because THE CHICAGO BEARS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!! They are my home team. I was in grade school the last time they went and watching the game tonight made me totally homesick . . . except for the fact that my house was all warm and yummy smelling like it used to be when I'd have friends over to watch the Bears games on Sunday afternoons in Chicago. It was always freezing cold and we'd all cuddle up on the couch and then we'd eat a good meal. Even though it's hot down here in Florida, watching it snow on TV and smelling a cold-weather stew made it perfect.

The recipe is good as it stands, but the only thing I suggest is to use olives from an "olive bar" that are found in a lot of supermarkets. The olives really make this dish and the ones out of the jar won't be as fresh. If you have to use jarred olives, make sure you buy large ones.

Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives Serves 6 (serving size: 2 chicken thighs and 1/3 cup sauce) Ingredients 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 12 skinless, boneless chicken thighs 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium) 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup pitted green olives, halved (about 12) 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
Combine juice and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Dredge in flour; sprinkle with salt, black pepper, turmeric, and red pepper. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet with high sides over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken; cook for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

Add onion, ginger, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Return chicken to pan. Add broth, olives, rind, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is tender. Discard the cinnamon stick; stir in cilantro.

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 240(34% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 1.6g,mono 4.4g,poly 2g); PROTEIN 28.6g; CHOLESTEROL 115mg; CALCIUM 27mg; SODIUM 612mg; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.9g