Chicken in Tomato Sauce

Makes 4 servings.

Flavorful, easy to prepare and nutritious, this dish improves with time and is good reheated.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs, each portion about 6 ounces (See Note)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper.
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• One 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 8 sun dried tomato halves packed in oil, cut into thin strips
• 2 tablespoon capers
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
• 5 oregano sprigs plus some leaves for garnish

PREPARATION:

1. Pat the chicken dry.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the chicken and sauté on both sides, briefly.
3. Transfer to a dish and season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat the rest of the olive oil, in the same saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, covered, until soft, about 4 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, capers, crushed red pepper, vinegar and oregano sprigs. Place the chicken, side by side into the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook gently, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 15 minutes; the chicken should be tender.  
6. Discard oregano sprigs.
7. Season the sauce to taste and garnish with oregano leaves.

NOTE:

Organic chicken thighs tend to be small, therefore in order to get 6 ounces boned portions per person I use 2 thighs.

Chicken with Honey and Lemon

Makes 4 servings.

This chicken dish is simple to prepare, well-seasoned, nutritious and delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chives, snipped with scissors for garnish

MARINADE:

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice,
• 2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons low- sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

PREPARATION:

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a glass or non-reactive dish. 
2. In a small bowl combine the marinade ingredients and coat the chicken. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for a few hours, turning the chicken once.
3. Preheat the Broiler.
4. Bring the chicken to room temperature.
5. Cover the whole broiling pan, which comes with most ovens, with heavy foil. Then I like to form a “shallow basket” with a piece of heavy foil, crimping it at the corners so that the juices do not spill out. Set the basket on the broiler pan, place the chicken skin side down (where the skin would have been) in the basket and spoon over the marinade.
6. Broil the chicken close to the heat source for 5 minutes.
7. Turn the chicken over and broil for another 3 minutes. The chicken will be slightly pink on the inside.
8. Remove from the oven, cover the chicken with foil and let rest for 1 minute. The chicken will continue cooking. 

TO SERVE:

 If you like, cut 3 partial incisions on the diagonal in the chicken and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with snipped chives.

Chicken Tagine

Makes 4-6 servings.

This North African nutritious chicken stew with rich layers of fruity and spicy flavor is generally cooked and served in a clay pot-called tagine. It is better to make it a day before for all the flavors to blend.

The dish can be a meal in itself served with couscous and warm pita.

Do not be taken aback by the number of ingredients. Most of them are spices which one has in the pantry.

I like to serve it in bowls, with abundant sauce which the couscous absorbs.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (6 pieces) each cut into 4 pieces
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (See Note)
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2 inches ginger, finely chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 14 ounces can crushed tomatoes
• ¾ cup dried apricots, quartered
• 1 small butternut squash, about 1½ pounds, (about 2 cups) peeled and cut into small pieces (See Note)
• 1 cup green olives, pitted, halved
• Zest from one lemon
• 4 ounces baby spinach, discard some of the dangling stems

SPICE PASTE:

• 1 generous teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

PREPARATION:

1. In a medium bowl combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and all the ingredients for the SPICE PASTE.
2. Dry chicken with paper towels, add to the bowl and rub to coat well with the paste.
3. In a heavy medium saucepan heat the remaining oil. Add the onion and the garlic and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the ginger, broth, tomatoes, apricots and squash. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook covered for 10 minutes. Add the chicken, olives and lemon zest. Cook gently, covered, until both the chicken and the squash is tender, about 25 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and bring to a boil.

NOTE:

If you find it difficult to peel squash, it is available already peeled.

I chop the onions and the garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Be sure to quarter it all first.

Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom

Makes 4 servings.                  

Tasty, easy to prepare with a depth of flavor, this chicken recipe is a nice oven to table dish that can be served with rice, and many vegetables including steamed sugar snap peas, snow peas, or stir fried bok choy.  

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 boneless, skinless, organic chicken thighs, about 6 ounces each (See Note)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons low- sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 3 scallions including green parts, cut into thick rounds
• 8 shiitake mushrooms
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

GARNISH:

• ½ cup tightly packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towel and season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Place skin side down (even though there is no skin) in an ovenproof dish (about 9 by 9 inches).   
3. In a small dish combine the garlic, ginger, oil, soy sauce, sesame oil and mirin. Spoon over the chicken and scatter the scallions.
4. Discard mushroom stems and wipe the caps with a damp paper towel. Quarter the caps and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Scatter over the chicken.  Cover dish with heavy foil and bake for 35 minutes.
5. Uncover, turn the chicken over and bake for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Serve with accumulated juices, and garnish with parsley.

NOTE:

Organic chickens tend to be small, therefore in order to get the 6 ounce boned portions per person I use 2 thighs.