Grilled Chicken with Tamarind Chutney and Basmati Rice

The husband and I recently enjoyed a tasty meal at a local Indian restaurant. One of our favorite appetizers, yes there were more than one, was ragda patties with tamarind chutney and chickpeas. Of course I had to make an attempt to replicate the taste at home.

I found this recipe online and made a few tweaks to it. The original recipe calls for a lot of sugar and we found it to be a bit too sweet so I'll be cutting it back next time I make this and I reflected that cut in my recipe below. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of basmati rice
1 3/4 cups of water

Tamarind Chutney
3/4 cup of white sugar
3 tbsp tamarind paste
2 cups of water
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder

Chicken Marinade
1/2 white vinegar
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder

*A word about tamarind paste: You can find it at most Asian food markets. If you can't find the paste, you can purchase a block of tamarind and make your own paste. That's what I did for this recipe.

To make the paste you need to soak the block of tamarind in an equal part of water. In this case I soaked 14 oz. of tamarind in 14 oz. of warm water for fifteen to twenty minutes. Once the tamarind is soft you squeeze the block with your hand until it forms a liquidy paste. You then need to strain the paste to remove the pods and seeds. The remaining liquid is your tamarind paste.


Directions

Mix marinade ingredients together in a glass dish. Add chicken breasts and set aside for 30 minutes. Pre-heat grill to medium high heat.

In a medium saucepan soak rice in water for 20 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Toast for 2 minutes to release flavors. Add water, tamarind paste and sugar, stir until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Sauce will reduce and thicken, if not thick enough for your preference you can make a cornstarch slurry and add to the sauce.

While tamarind sauce is boiling, bring rice to a rapid boil then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken breasts to hot grill and cook thoroughly, discard marinade. Once chicken is cooked, slice into 1 inch chunks.

To plate, pile rice in middle of plate. Nestle chicken pieces into rice bed and top with tamarind sauce.

(A delicious warm piece of naan would make a generate utensil to eat this.)

Italian Chicken Panini with Parmesan Fries

I'm not quite sure how I came up with this idea but it works!

Ingredients
1 loaf of ciabatta bread
2 chicken breasts, sliced into 4 cutlets
8 slices of provolone cheese
1 roasted red pepper, sliced
1/4 cup of Italian dressing
3 tbsp of light mayo
1/2 packet of Good Seasonings Italian dressing mix
2 cups of spring mix, spinach or arugula
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 package of frozen french fries
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Marinate the chicken breasts in dressing for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook chicken in dressing marinade for 35-40 minutes. (Alternatively, you can grill the chicken.) Place fries on a cookie sheet and place on rack below chicken in oven and cook for the same length of time.

While chicken and fries are cooking, mix mayo and dressing mix together. Set aside.

Optional step: If you want to roast your own red pepper, it's very easy. Turn your gas burner on medium high heat and place pepper directly on the burner grate. Cook each side for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. The pepper will hiss and make noise, fear not. Remove the pepper, let it cool and slice.

In the last 5 minutes that the fries are cooking, sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over fries. Once fries and chicken are finished cooking remove from oven. Slice bread lengthwise and then into four sections. Separate the bread, you should have 8 pieces of bread. Spread each slice with mayo. Place chicken cutlets on 4 pieces of bread; top each cutler with 2 slices of Provolone cheese. Top remaining slices of bread with spring mix and peppers. Top each chicken half with a spring mix/pepper half.

Heat a cast iron skillet or flat top grill on medium high heat. Brush with tablespoon of olive oil. Add sandwiches to pan. Press down with a bacon press or a brick wrapped in aluminum foil. Toast sandwich until golden brown; repeat on other side.

Serve each sandwich warm with fries.

Southwest Quesadilla

I was inspired to make these when I came across a recipe for Southwest Egg Rolls at Annie's Eats. They were delicious and I made a quick spicy ranch dipping sauce for them. (It's just hot sauce and ranch dressing.)

Ingredients

1 pound of cooked shredded chicken (I cooked the chicken in my Crock Pot during the day and seasoned it with garlic powder, onion powder and cumin. You can easily use leftover roast or grilled chicken.)
1 - 8 oz can of whole kernell corn, drained
1 - 10 oz chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 - 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups of Colby Jack shredded cheese
4 tbsp garlic powder
4 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp cumin
tortillas
vegetable cooking spray

Directions

Mix chicken, corn, spinach, and beans in a large bowl. Season with garlic and onion powders and cumin.

To assemble quesadillas, heat a griddle pan and spray lightly with vegetable cooking spray. Place a tortilla on the griddle. Sprinkle 1/8 cup of cheese on half of the tortilla. Spoon 1/4 cup of chicken mixture on top of cheese. Sprinkle an additional 1/8 cup of cheese on top of the chicken mixture. Fold tortilla over on itself. Press firm with a spatula. Cook for 1 minute and flip cooking other side for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Cut quesadilla into fourths and serve hot.

Creamy Chicken Marsala

First off, I apologize for the craptastic picture above. I was too lazy to get my camera and just snapped this with my camera. It takes much better than it looks I promise.

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets
1 shallot, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp butter
Flour for dredging
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions

In large shallow skillet, pour enough olive oil to just coat bottom. Heat over medium heat. Season cutlet with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet into flour, tapping off excess. Fry each cutlet in the oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes each. Drain and set aside.

Once all the cutlets are cooked add shallots to pan and saute until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for an additional minute. Pour wine into pan and scrape up brown bits. Let the wine reduce by half. Stir in chicken stock and heavy cream. Let thicken slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted.

Add cutlets back to pan and warm thorough. Serve each cutlet with sauce on top.

Chicken Pot Pie

We live in New Jersey which is notorious for it's clusterfuck weather. It can easily be 90 degrees one day and 50 degrees the next, this was exactly what happened to us this weekend. We had the air conditioning on up until Friday and today I was bundled up in sweats and was debating turning on the heater. On top of the cooler temperatures it was raining all day, I clearly needed something to warm us up. This meal is an easy and delicious one but time consuming. It's completely worth the effort but don't try to rush it.



Ingredients

2 - 15 inch premade pie crust, room temperature
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
8 oz of frozen mixed veggies
1 yellow onion, rough chopped
16 oz chicken broth
4 - 5 tbsp flour
3 tsp dried sage
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a dutch oven, heat chicken broth. Cut two circles from the pie crust dough large enough to cover the bottom of two small souffle dishes. Place both dishes on a cookie sheet and bake in over for approximately 7-15 minutes, until just flaky, remove and let cool. (If edges get too brown before dough is cooked, cover edges with tin foil.)

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Transfer brown chicken and onions to broth. Add in frozen veggies, sage, and thyme. Bring to a vigorous boil and cook for 15 minutes, allowing the liquid to reduce slightly. Whisk flour with 2 tsp of hot broth in a separate dish, once flour is dissolved add back to chicken mixture. Continue to boil for another 5 minutes, mixture will thicken.

To assemble the pot pies, spoon chicken and veggies into each dish, add desired amount of broth to each dish. Cut two additional circles from the second pie crust. Top each dish with one circle of dough. Pinch edges closed. Cut slits in top of the dough to vent steam. Place both dishes on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for an addition 7-10 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Chicken Terriyaki

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, diced
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp garlic powder
salt
pepper

Directions

Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in a 9 x 13 dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken and coat with marinade; refrigerate for one hour or overnight.

Heat a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and marinade to skillet. Cook chicken thoroughly, about 10-15 minutes. Add peppers to skillet, coat for an additional minute.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Lemon Chicken

Recently I have been all about citrus. I cannot get enough of it and I keep finding different ways to use it in my cooking. I grabbed some lemons and made this delicious and simple lemon chicken. It was fresh and flavorful.

Ingredients

4 chicken cutlets
1 14 oz. can of low sodium chicken broth
2 lemons
2 tbsp olive oil
flour for dredging
4 cloves of roasted garlic, smashed into a paste (you can substitute fresh garlic, half the amount)
salt
pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet set to medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour until lightly coated. Saute chicken in hot oil until just cooked through (5-7 minutes for the first side; 3-5 for the other side). Remove from pan and place on a paper towel or tray for any excess oil to drain. Heat garlic in pan for 3 minutes. Add the juice from both lemons to the pans along with chicken broth. Let sauce reduce by half. While sauce is reducing, slice lemons. Once sauce is reduce add the chicken back to the pan along with the lemon slices. Cook until just warmed.

Serve hot with sauce and lemons as garnish.

Out of the Blue Chicken Cordon Bleu

Out of the blue (no pun intended) I was craving this. I scrounged around in the fridge and was able to find all the ingredients that I needed without having to run out to the market. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken cutlets, pounded thin
• 4 wedges of Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese (I use the low fat version)
• 4 slices of thin sliced ham (I used the ham we make our sandwiches with)
  
• 2 Tbsp of canola oil
• Flour for dredging
• Salt
• Pepper
• You'll need toothpicks to secure the chicken rolls
  

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread each cutlet with a wedge of cheese. Top with a slice of ham. Roll each cutlet up lengthwise and secure with two toothpicks. Heat oil in a large skillet. Season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge each roll in the flour. Once the oil is hot, place the rolls in the skillet. Brown each side (about 5 minutes a side). Remove from oil and place in an oven safe dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. (Always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. You're looking for a temperature around 145-150.) Remove and serve immediately.

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 – 10 oz. can of Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese Soup

2 tbsp Cheez Whiz

1/4 cup chunky salsa

1/4 cup of water

2 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp red cayenne pepper

4 burrito sized tortillas

cooking spray

Directions

Dice the chicken into 1/2″x1/2″ cubes. Spray a large deep skillet with cooking spray place over medium high heat. Add chicken and coat with spices. Stir chicken occasionally to avoid burning.

While chicken is cooking, mix soup and salsa in a small bowl. Once chicken is no longer pink, add water and soup mix to skillet. Stir until water and soup are thoroughly incorporated. Turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 10 minutes until bubbling and steaming.

In a small skillet over low heat, place a tortilla. Spoon a quarter the chicken and soup mixture onto half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over and heat thoroughly (about 1 minute). Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

Serve immediately.

Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breast

2 cups instant stuffing mix

1 – 10 oz. can of garlic cream of mushroom soup

1 – 8 oz. container of sour cream

4 oz. mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Fill a large stock pot 3/4 of the way with water, add chicken and poach just until chicken turns white. Remove chicken from water. While chicken is poaching preparing stuffing according to packaging instructions. Set aside.

Dice chicken into 1-inch cubes. In a 9″x13″ baking dish mix soup and sour cream together. Add chicken and mix to coat. Top chicken with prepared stuffing.

Cover dish with tin foil and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil top dish with cheese and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

Serve immediately.

BLT Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

1 package of thick cut bacon

1 bag of pre-washed spring mix salad

8 slices of deli style chicken

1 tomato

4 tortilla wraps

Mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Fry bacon in skillet until cooked through. Spread a teaspoon of mayo on one half of each tortilla. Place spring mix, tomato and two slices of chicken on the same half of the tortilla. Top with bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Roll the tortillas length wise.

Cheese Nip Chicken

I can’t take the credit for this recipe. I found it on Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations Blog yesterday while trying to figure out what I wanted to do with some chicken we had thawing. The picture of the bright orange chicken she had post was what actually caught my eye first. I was hesitant to make baked chicken because it seems like it always comes out dry but I think Mary Ellen hit the oven sweet spot by raising the temperature from the old standby of 350 to 400 degrees. It’s a higher heat that seals in the juices and crisps up the coating much better. I relied on my trustworthy meat thermometer to tell me when the chicken was done and it was hands down the best piece of baked chicken I’ve ever hand. Juicy on the inside and a crispy, tasty crust on the outside.

Ingredients

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

Laughing Cow cheese (we used the low fat original variation)

Cheese Nips

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Paprika

Ground mustard

Salt

Pepper

2 Eggs

Flour to dredge

Canola oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a large baking dish with canola oil.

Fill a large zip lock bag about a quarter of the way with Cheese Nips. Crush into fine crumbs (I used a rolling pin). Set up a coating station in this order: flour, egg, Cheese Nips.

Cut a pocket into the side of each chicken breast. Spread one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese into each pocket. Dredge each piece of chicken into flour, dip in egg, repeat, then coat in Cheese Nips. (You’ll be so happy you double dipped in the flour and egg.) Place in dish.

Bake uncovered for approximately 30-45 minutes (depending on how large your chicken is) (for best results use a meat thermometer).

We had steamed green beans and a brown rice with this chicken. You’ll notice how I have no pictures of the chicken because we ate before giving it a second though.

Enjoy!