Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Chicken

I’ve had this recipe cut out since 2007. And have been waiting and waiting to make it ever since. I finally had all the ingredients in my kitchen, and decided that we were going to eat this chicken for dinner. I’m glad I made it! The sauce was really spicy and sweet, and the spice just goes really well with the flavor of cilantro.  Continue reading

Coriander Chicken With Hammered Cauliflower

Ah, one-pot meals! I love them. And I’ve been looking for some easy do-ahead meals, as well. So when I saw Anne Burrell make this chicken and cauliflower dish, I decided it was the perfect thing to make for dinner…It was delicious! The chicken had a strong flavor from all the coriander, the texture of the veggies was great due to the nuts I added, and it was so easy to get dinner on the table. Continue reading

Chicken with Rice and Veggies

Another baby recipe by Tyler Florence! And another one-pot all-in-one meal! Can’t go wrong here. I think I’m just trying to work my way through this cookbook until I find my favorite recipes. Why? Not only are they healthy recipes geared towards your family’s eating, they’re also SO easy and quick to make. And easy but still super delicious recipes are my favorite! Continue reading

Artichoke Chicken

Shabbat shalom!

Here’s a great Shabbat main dish for you, complete with two bottles of wine, in case you’re entertaining a bunch of friends who can’t agree whether to drink red or white wine.

When I sent this dish over to Gary at Royal Wine Corparation, he told me that artichokes are hard to pair with wine, and sent me an unoaked Chardonnay (Binyamina Reserve) and a fruity and acidic red (Ramon Cardova Rioja).

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Tomato Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Or Chicken as the Farmer’s Wife Would Make – or – Polla al la Contadina

I love Mario Batali. Yes, he wears Crocs and high socks and talks so quickly it’s hard to understand him, but his use of simple ingredients and fresh flavors to make the most amazing meals is truly a talent. Plus he went to Rutgers (just like Stephanie!) and used to work at Stuff Yer Face in New Brunswick. Best yet is that he didn’t forget about his roots! Oh, and he sports a red beard. Continue reading

Mustard Chicken Salad

If you’re making meat for Shabbat lunch and want an easy and light dish, look no further than this mustard chicken salad. Yeah, I know, people will probably go crazier over the chulent you made, but this dish is simple, refreshing, and did I mention simple? You can serve it on top of a bed of romaine, like I did, or arugula, like Ina did. Or you can shred the chicken and cut the veggies a bit smaller and serve this in sandwiches, my favorite way to eat chicken salad. No matter how you do it, it’s a great Shabbat lunch. Continue reading

Engagement Chicken

AKA Jeffrey’s Roast Chicken.

Apparently we’ve been on a chicken kick lately! But all of these recipes serve different purposes, and really, you can never have enough chicken recipes! Here’s our latest obsession from our favorite Ina Garten:

There aren’t many recipes that are this easy and yield so much flavor like this roast chicken. Ina definitely knows how to take simple ingredients and add that wow factor! This chicken was moist and juicy, with just the right amount of aromatics to make bring the flavor of this chicken to the next level. Next time you’re having company, impress them with this roasted chicken. You won’t be sorry. Continue reading

Harissa Chicken

I’ve never had harissa before, but when I saw Anne Burrell make it, I decided I wanted to try it. I’ve heard about it on food shows and seen it on menus, but never really knew what was in it. So when I saw her toast the spices and grind them, I realized that I could make it very easily! I already have all those spices in my pantry, and knew that the combination would make for a very spicy and flavorful chicken. After making the harissa, marinating my chicken in it overnight, and baking, I knew I had to make this meal a menu staple. I also thought it would be a great idea to share my homemade harissa with Stephanie. I delivered my leftover harissa to her apartment and shared the chicken cooking instructions with her. The photos of the cooked chicken are from Stephanie’s kitchen. The ones of the harissa-making are mine. Continue reading

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey and mustard are a classic combination, and while I don’t like the taste of either of them plain, they are both good at making other things tastes better! I am happy to dip my apples in sugar rather than honey on Rosh Hashana, and I never put mustard on my pastrami sandwich! But honey in tea? mustard in salad dressing? Yes, please!

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Cashew Chicken

For some reason I was really craving Chinese food. So I found this recipe, printed it out and hung it up on my fridge. I went to Trader Joe’s and I bought a bag of cashews. I found kosher hoisin sauce. I defrosted some chicken cutlets that had been hanging out in my freezer. And now dinner for the next night was planned and prepared, so I went out for dinner with some friends. When I came home, I discovered that David cooked the chicken for dinner tomorrow! And we didn’t have any more cutlets, but we had plenty of chicken! So I didn’t want to shop for more chicken. So I gave up, the rest of the ingredients all sat unused and unloved in the kitchen and the recipe stuck to my fridge. Until one day I decided to buy chicken cutlets again and make cashew chicken for dinner!

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did. Make this chicken! It comes together really quickly, it’s healthy (add more veggies when cooking to make it even healthier!) and the leftovers make a great lunch.

Next time I have a craving for something new, I think I’ll try sweet and sour chicken.

Cashew Chicken slightly adapted from Thyme for Wine

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” cubes
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 ancho peppers, cut into 1” pieces
  • 5 leeks, cut into 1” pieces (I only had leeks, so I used those instead of scallions, which would make more sense)
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup toasted cashews (4 oz)
Directions:
  1. Toss the chicken in the cornstarch in a medium bowl until coated. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing for about 3 minutes until browned. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Add remaining oil and chicken to the skillet, along with the garlic, green pepper, and leeks. Cook, tossing for another 3 minutes until chicken browns.
  4. Return first batch of chicken to the pan. Add vinegar; cook for about 3o seconds until evaporated. Add hoisin sauce water; cook another minute tossing until chicken is cooked through.
  5. Remove from heat and stir cashews.
  6. Serve immediately over rice.