Tag: Chicken
Broccoli Chicken Divan
If you’ve ever read old-fashioned novels or had a grandma who kept a formal living room, you probably know that a “divan” is a fancy piece of furniture not unlike a chaise lounge. “Divan” is originally a Persian word that entered the English language in the 16th century, meaning a court presided over by a sultan, or the hall where such a court was held. Eventually, the word came to signify the Persian-style low lounging couch we Westerners enjoy today (probably a case of the Victorians trying to co-opt the mystique of the Near East in furniture form). And yet….here we are with a recipe for something called Broccoli Chicken Divan. Every time I think of this recipe, I get a funny mental picture:
There you have it: Broccoli Chicken Divan! My work here is done.
Just kidding. In reality, the food version of a “divan” is a broccoli-chicken casserole named for the restaurant where it was created: the Divan Parisienne, a fine dining hot spot in early 20th century New York. As a home cook, I first tried chicken divan years ago in a phase where I relied heavily on condensed canned soups. The dish is one of those comfort food classics that’s warm, creamy, savory….and apparently nearly impossible to make without using a condensed canned soup. When I wanted to make this recently, I had to search high and low for a recipe that did not call for something out of a Campbell’s can. (I’m not gonna get all uppity about canned soups–I just like the idea of using more whole-foods-type ingredients.) Eventually I discovered this version from Eating Well (almost always a good resource!). Instead of using canned soup, this recipe makes its own creamy sauce with chicken broth, milk, flour, and leeks.
Yep, leeks–you know, that weird onion-type vegetable that looks a little girl’s bike handlebars with streamers on it.
Also known as The Vegetable You Have to Throw Out Most Of…because unfortunately, that whole top green part (the “streamer” part) is not considered desirable for eating. As for the white/light green part (the “handlebar” part), it imparts a piquant flavor that I think really makes this recipe. Between the leeks and the other wholesome ingredients, I was super pleased that this recipe made a chicken divan that was 100% homemade, 100% delicious, and 100% NOT a chicken and a broccoli on a couch.
Broccoli Chicken Divan
(Adapted from Eating Well)
Ingredients:
2 c. cooked shredded chicken
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 c. diced leek (white and light green parts only)
1/2 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
14 oz. chicken broth
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. half and half
2 Tbsp. dry sherry or dry white wine
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 c. frozen broccoli florets
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced leeks and salt and sauté until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add flour and stir to coat. Add broth, milk, half and half, sherry, thyme, and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
- Add broccoli, return to a simmer and cook until broccoli is warmed through. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 c. Parmesan, mayo, and mustard.
- Spread half the broccoli mixture in the prepared dish, top with shredded chicken, then spread remaining broccoli mixture on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered until bubbling, 20-25 minutes. Serve over rice, orzo, or pasta.
Serves 6 generously.
Turkey Bean Chili {Stovetop or Crock Pot}
This fall semester is–woohoo!!–my last semester of classes for my nutrition program. I’m currently enrolled in one semi-blowoff online class (I have to take it to cross off a checklist), and Anatomy and Physiology in person. Taking A & P has been truly awesome so far. As a person of faith, every lecture and lab is a chance to marvel at God’s incredible attention to detail in creating our bodies, and how every little piece of them is orchestrated for our benefit. (Latest meditation: isn’t it amazing that we have butts? I mean, to sit on? Like, what would we do if we had a pointy, metallic triangle there instead of a nice, fleshy cushion? THERE WOULD BE PROBLEMS.) So I have been altogether enjoying this class. When I leave lecture on Thursday, I think, I can’t believe I have to wait until Tuesday to do this again. The only problem is…….those Tuesdays. I happen to have a break of about an hour and a half between my lecture and the corresponding lab, meaning I generally rush home and try to get stuff done AND shove some lunch down my throat before heading back to campus again. Which is what happened this week.
Having ridden my bike to school, I was naturally sweaty and disgusting by the time I got home. So in the hour I had at home, I knew I had to 1.) Shower, 2.) Study for my upcoming lab exam, and 3.) Get dinner pre-made for my family. (It was a craaaaazy afternoon and evening, so there was no time later.) Mmmm, yeah, that’s a lot to get done in an hour. Thankfully, I had this chili recipe to rely on! In 15 minutes, this went from a hodgepodge of ingredients to rocking it in the Crock Pot. I’ve made this recipe several times before, so I knew–or at least hoped–that that’s about all the time it would take. Annnnd success! I stripped off my sweaty biking clothes and made this in my underwear (don’t tell my family) before hopping in the shower. There was even time to do a little anatomy and physiology studying. And that evening, when we were pressed for time, I didn’t have to worry about how to get dinner on the table. Turkey bean chili for the win!
While we’re on the subject, let’s also just establish the point that everybody knows how they like their chili, and it’s probably a little different for every person. Well, every American, probably. I’m not sure if, say, Pakistanis or the French are real particular about their chili. I know I am very persnickety about what I look for in the perfect chili. Here’s how I like mine: more like a stew, with enough liquid to savor, plenty of spices, and more beans than meat. That’s what you’ll find in this bad boy. But whether you crank it together on the stovetop or let it simmer for hours in a slow cooker, I think everyone can find something to enjoy about this recipe–if only the fact that it’s so quick and easy to prepare. As cooler weather (hopefully) and tailgating season (inevitably) are upon us, I hope you’ll agree this chili is the one to beat!
Turkey Bean Chili
(Adapted from Real Simple)
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. ground turkey
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 heaping tsp. cumin
2 heaping tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
pinch paprika
pinch ground red pepper
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 15-oz. can kidney beans
1 15-oz. can black beans
shredded cheddar and/or sour cream for serving
Stovetop Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4-6 minutes.
- Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and all spices (cumin through black pepper) and cook an additional 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes and their juices, broth, and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 12-15 minutes. Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired, and serve.
Crock Pot Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4-6 minutes.
- Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and all spices (cumin through black pepper) and cook an additional 1 minute.
- While turkey cooks, pour tomatoes and their juices, broth, and beans into Crock Pot. Add turkey-onion mixture to Crock Pot and stir to combine.
- Cook on Low about 6 hours or High about 3 hours. Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired, and serve.
Veggie-ful Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
As I’ve alluded to in the past, I’m not really into the hiding-vegetables-in-your-kids’-food trend. In my book, the ideal is for kids to learn to enjoy the veggies themselves, if humanly possible. Hiding vegetables in an unsuspecting child’s dinner puts feels a bit like a sneaky parlor trick, and I’d rather not feel like a con artist when putting dinner on the table. But sometimes a recipe comes along that so effectively incorporates vegetables in an unexpected place that I find it fools even me. This slow cooker salsa chicken does just that. I would not normally put carrots and celery into a salsa-based dish (would you?), so when I first tried this recipe, I was a little wary. Carrots and celery in combination remind me of soups or pot pie, something warm and brothy and probably originally from the East Coast–certainly not anything Mexican. So it’s kind of shocking how seamlessly they blend into this tomato-y, chili-spiced shredded chicken. Makes me wonder where else I could add veggies without them being overpowering (and without them being “hidden” to fool unwitting children).
Another other reason I love this recipe (in addition to how easy it is–did I mention that, too?) is its all-purposeness–it has made appearances in burritos, wraps, nachos, and on salad at our house. I’m even contemplating making a dessert with it–bad idea? It’s pretty much perfect for one of those days you know you want something homemade but can’t be home for very long to get it ready. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed with its spicy-yummy goodness, and your kids, if you have them, won’t be freaked out by its subtle vegetables (especially if you wrap it up in a tortilla–that’s not too sneaky, right?).
Veggie-ful Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
(Adapted from Sparkpeople.com)
Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (preferably homemade–see here for an easy recipe)
1 c. salsa
1 c. petite diced tomatoes with green chilies (fire-roasted are especially good!)
1 c. onion, diced
1/2 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. carrots, shredded
Directions:
1. Place chicken in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Season on both sides with taco seasoning.
2. Layer salsa, diced tomatoes, onion, celery, and carrots on top of the chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours.
3. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Return to slow cooker and drain the liquid from the entire mixture with a fine-mesh strainer. Serve with tacos, nachos, tostadas, wraps or in a taco salad!
Serves 8.
Coconut Curry Chicken
I freely admit that I kinda feel like a phony making Indian food. I am about the furthest you can get from Indian. In fact, here is a picture of my family of origin:
More or less. My dad’s family is primarily from Switzerland and my mom’s side is primarily from Germany, and the family trees actually converge if you go far enough back. As in, my parents are fourth cousins. Seriously. (No, I don’t have any genetic abnormalities….that I’m willing to divulge publicly.) Once stateside, my forebears settled in central Illinois and I ended up being raised here in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix. So about the closest I’ve ever come to India is half-heartedly watching Ghandi on Netflix while working on a cross-stitch sampler. Even so, I very much enjoy Indian food. A good chicken tikka masala can bring me to a When Harry Met Sally diner scene level of enjoyment. So I should really find a solid recipe for that. But in the meantime, let me share with you this fantastic coconut curry chicken.
As someone with very little experience with Indian cooking, this recipe makes me feel like a pro…or at least like someone who could tell you that the capitol of India is Mumbai not Mumbai, but rather New Delhi. Or maybe like someone who can pronounce the word “ghee” without sounding like a redneck about to make a romantic advance. With relatively few, non-ethnic grocery store ingredients, the chicken in this dish turns out tender and the stewed sauce of tomatoes and coconut milk amalgamates into a velvety spiced tomato gravy. While it takes some time to reach this apex of deliciousness, the recipe really isn’t labor-intensive and the result is worth the wait. I must warn you, though, that it will make your house smell like curry for 24 hours after cooking it, so if you’re, say, throwing a Cinco de Mayo party or something the next day, just be advised. Otherwise, you’re in the clear to enjoy both the taste and the fragrance of this simple-but-terrific Indian meal.
Coconut Curry Chicken
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz. light coconut milk
14 oz. petite diced tomatoes
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp. white sugar
Directions:
1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat vegetable oil and curry powder over medium-low heat. Stir and cook 3 minutes, then increase heat to medium-high and add onion and garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add chicken, tossing to coat with oil and curry, and cook 7-10 minutes or until the pieces are no longer pink in the center.
3. Add coconut milk, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar, stirring to combine. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens to your liking.
Serve over rice.
Serves 4.
Turkey Taco Calzones
Well, after that first post of the year declaring how great it is to eat meatless 50% of the time, how about….a recipe with meat? Ha! Albeit a recipe for meat in which one pound of ground turkey stretches to serve eight. Plus, it’s turkey instead of beef, so hey, props for that, right? And really, it’s not that there’s anything wrong with meat in moderation–as I should have mentioned in my half-vegetarian manifesto, in the world of dietetic science, meat is considered a “high biological value” protein. This is a measure of how well our bodies utilize the protein in a food for protein synthesis in our cells. Protein from animal sources gets the highest rating.
I dreamed up this meat-containing recipe as our family was on a road trip last weekend. Sitting in the car with no one asking me to play with them/check their homework/wipe their bottom gave me the chance to ponder what new and interesting dinner I might try in the coming week. I’ve been wanting to make calzones, and got to wondering how they would taste with a little Tex-Mex treatment. The answer, I discovered, is delicious! These came out super hearty, a little spicy, and excellent with a Mexican-style green salad. They also reheat well the next day.
As for our road trip, it took us to Payson, AZ, where we had a near-perfect snow day. The sun was shining and it was nice and warm, but snow still thickly covered the ground, providing plenty of fodder for snow ball fights,
snow forts,
and even a king-sized snowman (which gave my husband a Parkour-style workout hauling the boulders of snow on top of each other).
We are so thankful to live in the great state of Arizona, where we can easily visit the snow (but it doesn’t have to visit us).
Turkey Taco Calzones
A Love Letter to Food Original Recipe
Ingredients:
2 1-lb. packages refrigerated whole wheat pizza dough, like Trader Joe’s
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground turkey, 93% lean
2 1/2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (I always make my own, recipe here)
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
1 1/4 c. fresh salsa (or canned, if fresh is unavailable)
8 oz. shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
1/3 c. chopped green onion
Salsa and sour cream for serving
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Remove pizza dough from packaging and follow directions for rising (Trader Joe’s dough rises for 30 minutes, which is just about what you need to prepare the calzone filling).
3. Prepare the filling: heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil for 1 minute, then add ground turkey and cook until browned. Drain any excess liquid from pan. Add taco seasoning and stir until well combined. Add black beans and salsa, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes.
4. Grease 2 rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. Spread 1 risen pound of dough in the bottom of each baking sheet. Spread turkey mixture crosswise on the lower halves of the dough. Sprinkle with cheese and green onion. Fold the empty upper half of the dough over to cover the filling. Crimp the bottom and sides together.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the dough is brown and fully cooked, about 18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then cut into slices and serve with salsa and sour cream.
Serves 8.