Chicken | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: Chicken
- Cornish Game Hens in Champagne Sauce
  
  Posted at 10:04 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 5th
  True Cornish game hens are young female Cornish chickens weighing about 2 pounds. They make an elegant single serve entry. And they are easy to roast like a chicken. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a smaller dinner party.
  
  I am a big fan of spices and seasonings when I cook, using very little salt relying on fresh and dried herbs and spices to flavor food. When I was young I would help my grandmother who immigrated from Italy harvest her vegetables for winter canning. We’d sit for hours at her red and white enamel kitchen table and I’d watch her braid fresh garlic and tie peppers together, then she would hang them in her cellar to dry. As soon as you stepped into the cellar the pungent aroma assailed your senses.
  
  CORNISH GAME HENS IN CHAMPAGNE SAUCE
  
  2 Cornish Hens
  
  1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  
  fresh thyme sprigs
  
  fresh rosemary sprigs
  
  2 whole garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
  
  1 lemon, sliced in half
  
  2 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
  
  1/2 cup dry champagne or sparkling wine, at room temperature
  
  salt and pepper
  
  1 cup baby carrots
  
  Preheat oven 375 F
  
  Rinse hens and pat dry. Stuff each hen cavity with half of the cranberries, next thyme, and rosemary, then cloves and finish with the lemon half. Truss the hen legs. Combine butter and champagne. Pour over hens. Season with salt and pepper. Place baby carrots around the hens.
  
  Roast the hens in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. Baste hens every 15 minutes. Remove the hens from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving or serving.
  
  Serve over Israel couscous.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Chicken, Easy recipes, entertaining, Food | Tagged Cornish Hens, Easy recipes, romantic dinner
- ROASTED CHICKEN CACCIATORE
  
  Posted at 12:21 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Mar 24th
  Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian. In cooking, cacciatora refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style” with onions, herbs, usually tomatoes, often bell peppers, and sometimes wine. Cacciatore is popularly made with braised chicken or rabbit. Growing up in an Italian American family with a mother who was an excellent cook I learned to make Chicken Cacciatore at a young age. My mother who is now 97 didn’t have a written recipe she just created as she cooked. I’ve tried to recreate her recipe adding porcini mushrooms her favorite. This recipe also double very well for a larger group. A few tips that I learned from my mother: Always soak chicken for about 10 minutes in salted water to clean. Then pat dry before cooking.
  
  INGREDIENTS
  - ½ ounce dried mushrooms, like porcini (1/2 cup)
  - 2 tablespoons olive oil
  - Salt and freshly ground pepper
  - 2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone, halved crosswise
  - 2 chicken thighs with skin
  - 2 chicken legs with skin
  - 1 small onion, minced
  - 1 large red pepper, sliced
  - 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  - 2 tablespoons fresh minced Italian parsley
  - 1 heaped teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
  - ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  - ½ pound mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
  - ½ cup red wine
  - 1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes in juice, put through a food mill. I use Cento.
  PREPARATION
  1. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl or heat-proof glass measuring cup and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 15 to 30 minutes, until mushrooms are softened. Drain through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel and set over a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms in several changes of water, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside. Measure out 1 cup of the soaking liquid and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 375F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown, in batches, for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken pieces a roasting pan. Pour the fat off from the pan and discard.
  3. Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining oil and the onion and pepper, as well as a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and aromatic. Stir in the fresh and dried mushrooms, turn the heat back up to medium, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a little and smell fragrant. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid that you set aside.
  4. Poor mushroom mixture over chicken. Bake at 400˚F uncovered for 45-55 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp) and the sauce is bubbling.
  5. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve with pasta or rice.
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Chicken, family meals, Main Dish, Main Meal | Tagged Cento San Marzano tomates, chicken cacciatore, sunday dinner
- Ina Garten’s Chicken Marbella
  
  Posted at 5:19 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Mar 9th
  Ina Garten’s Chicken Marbella
  
  I’m a big fan of Ina Garten collecting all her cookbooks. I opened her new cookbook, Cook Like a Pro: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks, a Christmas present from my husband Chris, eager to try her variation of Chicken Marbella. When the Silver Palate cookbook was all the rage I made Chicken Marbella and wasn’t very impressed. So I approached Ina’s reinvention with trepidation planing on being disappointed. I made the dish and served it for a family Sunday dinner. Much to my surprise and delight we throughly enjoyed Ina’s Chicken Marbella. I found the flavor more intense than the Silver Palate recipe created by the addition of more prunes, olives, garlic, caper juice and less sugar. I will definitely make this recipe again.
  - 1/2 cup good olive oil
  - 1/2 cup good red wine vinegar
  - 1 1/2 cups large pitted prunes, such as Sunsweet
  - 1 cup large green olives, pitted, such as Cerignola (see tip)
  - 1/2 cup capers, including the juices (3 1/2 ounces)
  - 6 bay leaves
  - 1 1/2 heads of garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and minced (see tip)
  - 1/4 cup dried oregano
  - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  - 2 (4-pound) chickens, backs removed and cut in 8 pieces
  - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  - 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
  INSTRUCTIONS
  - Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the marinade. (You can also place the chicken and marinade in a 2-gallon plastic storage bag and squeeze out the air to make sure the chicken is fully covered with the marinade.) Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally to be sure the marinade is getting into all of the chicken pieces.
    Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    
    Place the chicken, skin side up, along with the marinade in one layer in a large (15 × 18-inch) roasting pan, sprinkle with the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, and pour the wine around (not over!) the chicken. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken is 145 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the chicken, prunes, and olives to a serving platter, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with the pan juices.
  RECIPE NOTES
  
  Pro tip: You can’t buy good-quality pitted green olives. I buy whole olives and pit them with a cherry pitter.
  
  Pro tip: To peel a lot of garlic quickly, separate the cloves and blanch them in boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds, depending on the size of the cloves — the peel slips right off.
  
  Reprinted from Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks. Copyright © 2018 by Ina Garten. Photographs by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publisher
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Chicken, dinner, entertaining, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Main Dish, Main Meal | Tagged Chicken Marbella, Ina Garten, sunday dinner
- TUSCAN CHICKEN WINGS
  
  Posted at 5:41 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 25th
  TUSCAN CHICKEN WINGS
  
  I love my Phillips Air Fryer. Chicken wings made in the air fryer are crispy on the outside while remaining moist inside. And the wings are healthy since they are not fried. My recipe calls for crushed red pepper which gives the wing a little kick. If you don’t want the heat you can eliminate the crushed red pepper from the recipe without impacting the flavor.
  
  2 pounds chicken drumettes or party wings
  
  juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1/4 cup
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  
  1 tablespoon dried oregano
  
  2 springs fresh rosemary, stripped and roughly chopped
  
  1 teaspoon crushed red pepper*
  
  2 teaspoons sea salt
  
  In a large bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, pepper, and salt. Add chicken wings and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.
  
  Drain and put the chicken in the basket of Phillips air fryer. Cook on 375 F for 20 minutes or until browned.
  
  *If you want less spice use 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Chicken, Easy recipes, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy | Tagged chicken wings, Easy recipe, Philips Air Fryer, quick
- Slow Cooked Chicken Casserole
  
  Posted at 1:36 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 27th
  SLOW COOKED CHICKEN CASSEROLE
  
  September is here and fall is in the air in New England. Mornings are cool and leaves are turning burnished shades of autumn. Time to pull out the warm sweaters for a brisk walk in the woods. Summer meals are replaced with hearty casseroles flagrantly scented with fresh herbs still flourishing in the garden. I made this chicken casserole in a low oven and you could use a slow cooker too. Either method produces tender chicken that just pulls away from the bone, melting in your mouth!
  
  6 pounds of mixed chicken pieces, breasts, legs, and thighs.
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1 large onion chopped
  
  4 cloves garlic minced
  
  8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  
  1 tablespoon minced rosemary
  
  1 tablespoon minced thyme
  
  1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  
  1 cup dry white wine
  
  2 tablespoon flour
  
  Preheat over to 275 F. Heat oil in a pan to high. Add chicken pieces searing to brown on each side. One browned remove chicken placing in dutch over. I love Le Creuset from France. Expensive yet so worth the price as they cook food beautifully and last forever. Cook onion in the pan until translucent. Add garlic; cook for a few minutes then add mushrooms stirring until juices evaporate. Add rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper combine for a minute before adding wine. Bring to boil then simmer adding flour mixture to thicken the sauce. Pour over chicken in the dutch oven and slow cook for two and a half hours.
  
  You can make this ahead the day before and warm up to eat.
  
  Serve with rice or butter noodles.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Casserole, Chicken, Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, slow cooker, Weeknight dinner | Tagged chicken. casserole, Easy recipes, family meal, le creuset, Mushrooms
- Chicken, Mushroom and Wine Casserole
  
  Posted at 1:18 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  May 20th
  Chicken, Mushroom and Wine Casserole
  
  I love to make ahead meals that can be easily heated to have a home-cooked meal quickly. Many a Sunday you will find me in the kitchen cooking meals for the coming week. And what could be tastier than a chicken, mushroom and white wine casserole fragrantly flavored with fresh thyme. The chicken tender separating from the bone without even using a nice. Serve over Arborio rice enjoying as you dip crusty fresh bread into the wine sauce.
  
  3 pounds of split chicken breast
  
  salt and pepper
  
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  8-ounce sliced mushrooms
  
  1 leek, thinly sliced, white part only
  
  1 shallot, chopped
  
  2 cloves, chopped
  
  1 cup wine
  
  2 cup chicken broth
  
  2 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
  
  1 dry bay leaf, crushed
  
  2 springs fresh thyme, finely chopped
  
  Heat oven to 350F. Salt and pepper chicken. In a casserole pan, I use a Le Creuset casserole, heat olive oil. Add chicken breasts cooking on each side until lightly browned. Remove from pan and place on a dish. To casserole pan add mushrooms, leeks, shallot, and garlic. Cook for 5minutes while stirring or until all the juices are gone. Add wine, chicken broth, parsley, bay leaf, and thyme. Remove casserole from the stove and place it in over baking for 30 minutes. Garnish with more thyme.
  
  Serve over Arborio rice.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Casserole, Chicken, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Meal | Tagged chicken. casserole, easy, le creuset, Mushrooms, wine
- Chicken Veronique
  
  Posted at 8:29 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Mar 31st
  This is a wonderful country french chicken dish that I have made for years. It can be made earlier in the day and reheated before serving. I dress this dish down or up depending on the occasion. If I want to make it more Sunday or company fancy I use split chicken breast, or for every day I use an assortment of chicken pieces. Either way, it is an easy and wonderful meal that will be enjoyed by everyone.
  
  Chicken Veronique
  
  An assortment of Chicken pieces ( Split breast, thighs, and legs) about 3 lbs total or 6 Split Breast
  
  1 tablespoon butter
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
  
  2 leeks, thinly sliced( Use just the white part of the leek)
  
  2 garlic cloves, crushed
  
  2 tablespoon flour
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  
  1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
  
  1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  1 bay leaf, crushed
  
  1 can (10 3/4-oz size) chicken broth( I use low fat, low salt)
  
  1/2 cup dry white wine
  
  1 1/2 cup of seedless green grapes
  
  A small cluster of green grapes for garnish
  
  1. Rinse chicken and wipe with a damp paper towel
  
  2. Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy skillet, brown chicken, a few pieces at a time, turning on all sides. Remove chicken as it browns. When finished browning chicken remove any excess drippings except 2 tablespoons.
  
  3. Add mushrooms, garlic, and leeks to skillet and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes until cooked.
  
  4. Wish together flour, wine, and chicken broth add to mushroom mixture. Add salt, rosemary, thyme, pepper, bay leaf, and grapes to the pan.
  
  5. Bring just to boiling, stirring. add browned chicken: reduce heat and simmer covered, until tender – about 30- 40 minutes: turn occasionally.
  
  6. I like to serve this over couscous but you can serve over white rice. Cook couscous according to package instruction. Place couscous in a large casserole dish. Place chicken on top and then pour the sauce over. Garnish with a cluster of green grapes.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Casserole, Chicken, company dinner, family meals, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Stew, Uncategorized | Tagged chicken stew, Easy recipe, grapes
- Chicken with Wine and Mushroom
  
  Posted at 7:13 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 26th
  Growing up I was fortunate to have a wonderful cook for a mother. My mother is one of those intuitive cooks who effortlessly just knows how to marry spices for the most flavorful food. I learned how to cook watching my mother in her kitchen making her magic from cooking to baking. A solitary cook my favorite time to cook is when I am alone in my kitchen channeling my mother remembering my special time spent with her so long ago.
  
  One of my favorite chicken recipes from my mother is chicken paired wine and mushrooms. Chicken is very versatile capturing flavor from the ingredient you add. I especially like rosemary added to chicken releasing a flavorful aroma to the sauce. After cooking in the oven for an hour and a half the flavors are perfectly combined with the chicken so tender breaking away from the bone.
  
  Chicken with Wine and Mushroom
  
  4 lbs. cut-up chicken, 8 pieces
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  8 oz sliced mushrooms
  
  1 shallot, chopped
  
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  
  8 oz. sliced mushroom. I like to use baby portobello
  
  1/4 cup flour
  
  2 cups white wine
  
  2 cups chicken broth, low salt
  
  2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
  
  1 teaspoon salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
  Preheat oven to 350F. Heat oil in a pan. Brown chicken in large sautéing pan or frying pan about 10 minutes on each side. Remove as pieces brown placing on a paper towel cover plate. Drain oil from pan leaving just one tablespoon. Add shallot and garlic sautéing until translucent do not brown. Add mushrooms cooking for another 5 minutes. Place chicken in dutch over, top with shallot, garlic, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Set aside why making the sauce. In sautéing pan add flour to drippings cooking to combine for a few minutes. Add wine and chicken broth bring to a boil. Lower heat simmer until thick. Remove from heat pour over sauce over Chicken. Bake for 1hour and 30 minutes. I like to serve over 1 lb. fettuccine tossed with olive oil or you can try egg noddles, rice, couscous. Saves 4-6.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Chicken, Easy recipes, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Main Dish, Main Meal | Tagged Chicken, chicken stew, family meal, Mushrooms, wine
- Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce
  
  Posted at 8:58 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 6th
  Perfect during the busy holiday season is his deliciously simple Enchiladas casserole. You add more heat to the dish by adding more hot sauce and 2, not one jalapeno pepper. Have fun adding your own spin to the meal.
  
  Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce
  
  1 pound boneless chicken breast or use Purdue short cuts
  
  2 tablespoon olive oi
  
  1 bunch scallions
  
  2 cloves garlic
  
  1 fresh jalapeño chile pepper, chopped
  
  1 cup tomatoes, chopped
  
  1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
  
  2 teaspoons Franks Hot sauce
  
  1/2 cup cream
  
  1/2 cup sour cream
  
  10 soft flour tortilla
  
  1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  
  Jalapeño wheels
  
  Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Place chicken breast in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Shred chicken and place in a bowl, set aside. Heat oil in a skillet, add scallions, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and tomatoes. Saute, stirring for 5 minutes then add cilantro and hot sauce continuing to cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside. Put tortilla between two paper towels and microwave for one minute. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and roll up tortilla. Place tortillas seam sides down, in baking dish. Combine cream, sour cream and spoon sauce over tortillas. Top with cheese and Jalapeno wheels. Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until bubbly and starting to brown. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Casserole, Chicken, Easy recipes, family meals, Main Dish, Main Meal, Mexican, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Chicken, easy, Mexican, spicy
- ROASTED TUSCAN CHICKEN WINGS
  
  Posted at 8:28 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 4th
  Chicken wings so versatile and delicious are also easy to prepare. For this recipe, I choose to do Tuscan themed chicken wings that are perfect as an appetizer. Dizzying lemon over the chicken wings brings out a zesty taste. You can make these wings ahead, freeze, ready for unexpected guests or easy casual drinks with friends.
  
  Roasted Tuscan Chicken Wings
  
  3 tablespoon olive oil
  
  2 clove garlic, crushed
  
  2 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
  
  1 teaspoon salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
  juice of one lemon
  
  Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary*, salt, and pepper in a large, resealable bag; seal and shake to combine. Add the chicken wings; reseal and shake to coat. Arrange chicken in a baking dish. Drizzle with lemon juice. Bake for 1 hour or until crisp and cooked through
  
  *Rosemary, a Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen favorite, adds a melodious flavor to the chicken wings. Rosemary in old cooking books is known for remembrance.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Appetizer, Chicken | Tagged Chicken, easy, wings
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