Chicken Salad

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: “Salada de Frango”

Summer is here and so is the desire for lighter and cooler foods. This salad can be made ahead and the dressing added only when served.

2 chicken breasts skinned (about 500g)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

½ cup pecan nuts

½ cup nuts

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup yoghurt

1 tbsp dried tarragon

1 cup grapes, halved

A few lettuce leaves

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.

Split the chicken breasts in half and place them on a baking sheet and brush with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Let it cool and cut into cubes.

Meanwhile place the nuts in a separate tray and place in the oven for about 7 minutes until golden. Set aside.

Prepare the dressing: In a small jar mix mayonnaise together with yoghurt and season with salt and pepper and half of the tarragon. By using a jar, any dressing that is leftover can be easily stored.

In a large bowl place the cubed chicken, nuts and grapes and pour some of the dressing on top. Mix well. 

Place over a bed of lettuce and sprinkle remaining tarragon.

Enjoy!

Foil Wrapped Chicken with Potato Cubes

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: “Frango no Papelote com Batatinhas”

  

2 chicken breasts

1 tsp paprika

1 small onion, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced (2 + 2)

2 tbsp butter

2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

75ml olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 190ºC.

Cut a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the chicken. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika. Place half the onion and 1 minced clove of garlic onto the middle of the aluminum foil.

Place the chicken breasts on top, then remaining onion and 1 minced clove of garlic and butter. Fold the edges of the sheet together wrapping the chicken into a small parcel. Place parcel in a baking tray. Season potatoes with salt and pepper and place them beside the parcel. Spread 2 cloves of minced garlic over the potatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.  

Oven Baked Chicken with Garlic and Lemon

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: "Frango Assado com Limão e Alho"

1 chicken cut into pieces

10 unpeeled cloves of garlic

2 lemons cut into eighths

2 tbsp thyme

3 tbsp olive oil

150ml white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 160°C.

Put the chicken pieces into a roasting pan and add all the ingredients. Mix everything together well and spread out the chicken pieces making sure they are all skin side up. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven to cook for 2 hours.

Remove the foil from the roasting tin, turn up the oven to 200°C and cook the uncovered chicken for another 30 minutes. By this time the skin on the meat will have turned golden brown. If you choose to make the "Delicious Oven-Baked Potatoes" as a side dish for the chicken, then place the potatoes in the oven half an hour before the first 2 hours are up.

Mini Chicken Pies

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: "Empadas de Galinha"

1 recipe “Basic Pie Dough”

½ chicken cut in pieces

2 onions (1+1)

1 clove garlic

1 bay leaf

2 carrots

½ cup peas

¼ cup white wine

2 tbsp butter

1 ½ tbsp. flour

½ cup milk + enough to brush pies

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

Prepare the “Basic Pie Dough” as indicated (click on link or search blog files), and let it rest in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
Place the chicken, 1 onion cut in quarters, garlic, bay leaf, wine, carrots and peas in a pot and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place on high heat and when it starts to boil lower the heat and let it cook for about 15 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are cooked through. Remove chicken to one side and carrots and peas to another and let cool. Measure ½ cup of the stock to use in the béchamel. Save remaining stock in the refrigerator to use as a base for soup.

When chicken is cold enough to handle, remove from bones and cut meat in small pieces. Discard bones and skin. Dice carrots. Prepare the béchamel: Place butter and olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced onion and parsley and stir fry until onion becomes transparent. Stir in flour. It will thicken quickly so keep stirring. Add milk and ½ cup of stock where chicken was cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly until thick and creamy.

Add chicken, carrots and peas and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 210ºC.

Roll out dough and cut in circles so they fit the muffin tins. Cut smaller ones for lids. Line muffin tins with larger circles.

Place spoonfuls of chicken filling in lined tins, top with lids and seal tightly so filling doesn’t escape during baking. The edges can be decorated in many ways. Here are some suggestions:

flatten with a fork to create dents

with a spoon create waves

with index finger and thumb from one hand and index finger of the other pinch edges to create a crimped edge

or just leave it simple

Brush tops with milk and with the tip of a knife or using a fork make a few holes in the lid so the steam can escape during baking. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden. 

Great! If you’ve made it up to here then you deserve to rest. Relax in your favourite chair with a couple mini-pies and a glass of “Lemonade” or better yet, because  you really deserve it, a glass of "Sangria with Sparkling Wine and Berries"! Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Legs – Simple and Delicious

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: “Pernas de Frango no Forno – Simples e Deliciosas”

I thought about not publishing this recipe because it was so simple. But then after second thought I decided to share this recipe precisely because it is simple but so full of flavour! Here goes:

2 chicken legs

Garlic powder to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

A drizzle of olive oil

Pre-heat the oven at 190ºC.

In an oven-proof dish grease the bottom lightly with olive oil. Place the chicken legs and season top side eith salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the legs over and season the other side same as before. Place in the oven for a further 30 minutes.

They are so good and effortless to make!

Chicken and Vegetable Pie

 Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: “Bolo de Frango com Vegetais”

Dough:

2 cups milk

2 cups flour

2 tsp cornstarch

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp tarragon

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Filling:

1 chicken breast, cooked and diced

½ cup/50g peas, cooked

¼ cup/25g corn, cooked

¼ cup/25g carrots, cooked and diced

200g ricotta cheese, broken into small pieces

½ cup/50g olives, pitted

Place all the ingredients for the dough in the thermomix bowl and set 15sec/speed 4. Set aside.

In another bowl mix all the ingredients for the filling.

Pour half of the dough in a rectangular greased pan. Spread the filling over the dough and then pour the remaining dough over the vegetable filling. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

Stuffed Tortillas

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: Tortilhas Recheadas

You can stuff tortillas with whatever ingredients you prefer. I particularly like this combination I’m sharing with you. Hope you like it as much as I do.

1 recipe “Mexican Tortilla Flatbreads” (check the blog archive)

1 recipe “Asian Chicken” (check the blog archive)

 1 recipe “Garlic Sauce” (check the blog archive)

1 carrot, grated
½ head of lettuce, cut in strips

Place a tortilla on a plate and spoon some chicken onto the center. Layer some lettuce and carrot on top. Dollop generously with the garlic sauce. 

Roll the tortilla with the seam down, or…

…don’t, and leave it open pizza style, or…

…place another tortilla on top – quesadilla style (but without the cheese), or…

…fold the bottom tip upwards, then the left end to the right, and the right end overlaying the left end resulting in a sort of funnelled envelope. Wrap the bottom part with a paper napkin to help secure the tortilla and make it easier to handle. 

Asian Chicken

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: Frango Asiático

I have indicated the times and temperatures to make this recipe using either the Thermomix or Mycook.

500g chicken breasts
80g olive oil

2 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 red pepper
1 tsp cummin
20g soy sauce
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
30g white wine
2 tbp flour
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Cut the chicken into strips (aprox.3cmx1cm) and set aside.

Place the olive oil in the bowl/jar and set for: TM 5min/varoma/speed 2 (Mycook 2min/120º/speed 1).

Add onions, garlic and red pepper and chop: TM 5sec/speed 4 (Mycook turbo x 2). 

Then cook: TM 5min/varoma/speed 1 (Mycook 5min/120º/speed 1).

Add chicken and remaining ingredients and set: TM 15min/100º/reverse/gentle stir (Mycook 15min/100º/speed 1). Serve with white rice and salad.