Greek Cinnamon Stewed Chicked

My family has grown to love this recipe, and even the kids like it.  You can serve it over orzo pasta or rice.  If you simmer it on a little higher heat, you get some nice "burnt" crust on the bottom of the pan, which is actually really yummy.

Recipe
Adapted from Cat Cora on The Oprah Winfrey Show

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 8 pieces

2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion , peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 Tbsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Wet chicken will cause the oil to splatter while the chicken is sautéing. Mix the cinnamon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the chicken pieces on all sides with the seasoning.

Heat the olive oil in a large, nonreactive, deep skillet or dutch oven over high heat. A 12-inch skillet with sides about 2 1/2 to 3 inches high will allow you to brown all the chicken at once. If you don't have a skillet large enough, brown them in two batches using 1/2 the oil for each batch. What's important is that the chicken isn't overcrowded, which would cause them to steam rather than brown.

Add the chicken to the oil and brown for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn the pieces using a metal spatula, as they have a tendency to stick to the pan. Remove the pieces when they are well browned on all sides.

Mince three of the garlic cloves. Lower the heat to medium-high, and add the onions and minced garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onions have softened and are a rich golden brown. Add about 1/2 cup of the water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula or spoon to deglaze the pan, loosening any particles stuck on the bottom.

When the water has evaporated, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and remaining 2 garlic cloves, minced.

Return the chicken to the pan. The liquid should cover about 3/4 of the chicken pieces. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-high heat for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. If the sauce becomes too thick, it can be thinned with a little more water. Season the finished sauce with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serve over orzo or rice, cooked according to package directions, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Lemon Chicken Risotto

My hubby likes chicken and rice, so I try to have different combinations for a little variety. This is a good one that doesn't really need a side dish since the veggies are already in it.

Recipe
Adapted from Pampered Chef

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat
Salt & pepper
1 T olive oil
1-3 lemons, halved (depending on how much lemon flavor you like - I use 3)
1 medium onion, diced
1-3 garlic cloved put through a garlic press (we like garlic so I use 3)
2 packages pre-cooked rice, 8.8 ounces each (we use Uncle Ben's Ready Rice in the Brown Rice flavor)
1 medium carrot, julienned or chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
8 oz. (about 1/2 can) peeled, diced tomatoes, drained
2-2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup asiago cheese, grated (you can substitute parmesean)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced
2 ounces mascarpone cheese (optional)

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Arrange chicken and lemon halves, cut sides down, in the skillet. Cook 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once. Remove from skillet. Cool slightly and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Lightly spray same skillet with nonstick spray. Cook onion and garlic over medium heat until onions have softened.

Add rice and juice from carmelized lemons (be sure not to let the seeds in). Cook and stir 3-4 minutes.

Add carrot, zucchini, tomatoes and 2 cups of broth to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 4-5 minutes or until broth thickens slightly.


Stir in chicken and cook until heated through.

Remove from heat and add cheese and basil. Stir until cheese melts and sauce thickens (adjust consistency with additional broth if necessary). Stir in mascarpone, if desired.

Serve and eat.

40 Cloves and a Chicken

I love to watch Alton Brown on Foodnetwork and this is one of my favorite of his recipes. It is pretty fragrant, so beware - your house will smell like garlic all day. The roasted garlic comes out so soft and sweet. And, the saucy oil is the secret. I try to get a bite of chicken, a little soft garlic and some oil in each bite to get the best flavor. I use my enameld cast iron pot so I can brown the chicken and roast it in the oven in one pot.

Recipe
From Foodnetwork

1 whole chicken (broiler/fryer) cut into 8 pieces (or I buy the picnic pack and use 4 legs and 4 thighs)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 sprigs fresh thyme
40 peeled cloves garlic
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Toss with a 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan or skillet over high heat.

Remove from heat, add oil, thyme, and garlic cloves. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, carve, and serve.

Curry Chicken

This is one of our family's favorite meals. We have this at least every other week, and often once per week. There is a little heat to it for those with a delicate tongue like me, but if spice doesn't bother you, you won't have any problems. You can also control the amount of heat by cutting down on the spices a little.

Recipe
Adapated from Low Fat Low Cholesterol Cookbook

2 T vegetable oil
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. garlic powder
6 oz. can tomato paste (preferably no-salt variety)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground corriander
1/2 tsp. ground tumeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne
8 oz. light sour cream
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. garam masala
2 T. powedered fiber (optional)
(I like to add some extra fiber to some dishes, like powdered Benefiber, since we don't ever seem to get enough into our daily diets)

Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour oil and coat the bottom of the pan. Cook onion for 4-5 minutes until tender. Add garlic powder; cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.

Stir in the spices (cumin, corriander, tumeric and cayenne).


Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the sour cream. Add the salt and chicken and mix together thouroughly. If the mixture seems too dry, add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistancy. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the ginger and cook for 10-15 more minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from heat and stir in garam masala and fiber. Serve over rice (we like brown rice).