Chicken Stoup Provencal

Veggie 911
The last few weeks have been full of merriment, which has left me and mine way too full. Don’t get me wrong, we had a lot of fun. But, to be frank, there weren’t too many vegetables on the buffet table unless they were paired with cream and butter. And, our bodies are feeling, well, sluggish.

It goes without saying that I have been making lighter more veggie-forward meals since Christmas (With a brief pause for more gluttony on New Year’s Day). Even the kids were on board. This tells you something since my dudes are usually all meat all the time.

The first thing I made was this Chicken Stoup Provencal recipe inspired by Rachel Ray. I have made it a few times and every time it is a hit. She calls it a stoup, a cross between a soup and a stew since there is less liquid than in a soup but more than in a traditional stew.

The use of Herbs de Provence is what makes this recipe. And it is non-negotiable. The stoup comes together quickly for a weeknight meal to warm your bones. Something most welcome after the recent rains…

Chicken Stoup Provencal
Adapted from Rachel Ray and The Food Network
Yields 4 to 6 servings Read more…

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala Two Ways
I have a new favorite pasta. Normally, I swing back and forth between tomato-based pasta dishes and olive oil or garlicky ones. Last night I took one of my favorite recipes for chicken marsala and turned it into a really good mushroomy bowl of pasta.

There is some magic that occurs when you mix mushrooms, butter, and wine. The flavor just can’t be beat. This is why chicken marsala, (or veal if you want to go traditional) is such a good dish. It seems so fancy—but really, it is simply good comfort food.

The recipe below is the marsala recipe I use when I want to do it straight. (I did add garlic to it). Last night, instead of pounding the chicken breasts into cutlets, I cut them into chunks and browned them before moving on to the rest of the instructions as written. I still added my garlic to the pan with the prosciutto and I may or may not have added just a bit more butter than was asked for.

When everything was all done, I spooned the marsala, sauce and all, over some lightly buttered pasta. It was a flavor bomb of umami awesomeness and a perfect start to the new month. Next time I make this I might try to double the amount of liquid and toss everything together.

Definitely try to get a decent bottle of Marsala wine. It will make all the difference.

Chicken Marsala Recipe
Adapted from Tyler Florence and the Food Network
Yields 4 servings

Here is our adapted version of the original recipe (with garlic!). You can also try it over pasta with the variation at the bottom of the recipe. Read more…

Grilled Chicken Satay

Word on The Street
I love to travel. With my kids getting older and moving out, I am looking forward to having more opportunities to explore what lies beyond our windows. Of course, for me, that means trying new foods as well as new cultures. The world is full of really great places to eat but not all of them include white tablecloths. To really get to experience a different culture you need to try the street food.

I am sure that there are people who will disagree with me when I say that the U.S. does not really have street food. We tend to bring other cultures’ street food to us. (Boba tea, anyone?) I mean, I guess we do have street food to a degree. The hot dog carts in New York for example. And sure, the folks selling cut fruit at the corner sprinkled with Tajin (so good!) count also. We have plenty of regional specialties but, in my opinion, and I would be pleased to be proven wrong, the closest we come to true street food culture here in the U.S. would be the rise of the food trucks.

Some of the best things I have tasted came from a vendor selling their fare on the side of the road. From Kabobs to Al Pastor Tacos to Churros to Yada Pav there is a world of flavor waiting to tempt your taste buds.

Not all street food is on the street though. The hawker centers of Singapore are world-renowned and have been on my travel bucket list for some time. Remember that food scene in the movie Crazy Rich Asians? That’s my idea of heaven. And, since my calendar seems to be opening up, hopefully, we’ll get there soon. I’ve heard you can find almost anything you could desire in Singapore, though my first stop would be the grilled chicken satay as a warmup for later rounds. You can never go wrong with grilled meat on a stick.

Grilled Chicken Satay Recipe
Adapted from recipetineats
Yields 13 to 16 skewers Read more…

Brazillian Garlic Marinade

Chicken legs on a hot grill with Brazillian Garlic Marinade

Just Grillin’
I grill a lot of chicken. Rain or shine—but mostly shine. Though this past week I’ve been dodging raindrops. It would be easy to say that I grill chicken at least once a week. Sometimes more. Of course, that could mean many things.

Chances are I’m grilling chicken breasts for tacos https://piedmontgrocery.com/citrus-marinated-chicken-tacos/. It would be an even better bet that I am grilling Teriyaki Chicken Thighs for a rice bowl. Or, I’ve been craving these lately, a Bahn Mi. That type of grilling is for use as an ingredient.

If I am grilling chicken to eat on its own, I always go with chicken legs. And, I’ve got a wide range of marinades to match my moods.

It would be hard to pick my favorite grilled chicken recipe. But, I can tell you this, if I am straight-up grilling chicken for dinner, you better believe that the marinade is going to have a lot of garlic, lemon, and white wine. I don’t know why I gravitate towards this particular combination. But, I do. And, I know that it is cuisine-adaptable in that when you add more to it, you get a wide variety of global flavors. For example, if you add fresh oregano, thyme, and rosemary to it, the result is a very Greek or Mediterranean flavor profile. Add Dijon mustard and thyme and you are speaking French. Go with some hot smoked pimenton, and you find yourself in Spain…

My most recent favorite is this one which has Brazilian roots. There’s something about this Brazillian Garlic Marinade that just screams warm weather grilling. (Assuming we ever get warm weather.) This recipe swaps the lemon for lime, adds some vinegar for zing, and brings the heat with some Malagueta pepper hot sauce. The hot sauce can be a challenge to find so feel free to swap it out for Piri-Piri, Tobasco, or whatever your favorite hot sauce might be. Read more…