bourbon chicken

In the mall-days of middle school I used to love trolling by the chinese food section of the food court to accept free samples of the chicken on a stick. Gross, I know, you don't need to tell me, I'm well-aware. Doesn't change the fact that I still crave that taste...but with better quality meat of course. That's where my recipe for bourbon chicken comes in!

Ingredients (4 servings with sides served):
1 lb organic boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup bourbon 
1 tbs vinegar
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder 
splash of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375F. Dredge chicken cubes in flour and evenly spread on a baking sheet or a shallow pan. Pop in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

  

 
2. Meanwhile heat remainder of ingredients (soy sauce, bourbon, vinegar, brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder and a splash of Worcestershire sauce) over medium-high heat until fully-mixed and it begins to bubble.

 

 

3. Remove chicken from the oven and pour the sauce mixture all over the chicken. Return to preheated oven for another 6 minutes to fully coat.
 

 

4. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve with extra spoonfuls of sauce over rice with a side of green veggies!
 

 

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chicken cacciatore

I can't believe I never posted about chicken cacciatore! I meant to, I really promise, I did mean to, but I must have forgotten. I've been having chicken cacciatore since I was little, and I still crave it to the day, I actually made it 2x this month. Simmering healthy chicken with onions, mushrooms, garlic, herbs & cheese creates the most tender moist filling meal even on it's own. To make it even better, make some whole-wheat pasta to absorb all of the saucy goodness.

Ingredients (for 3 dinner-servings):
1 tbs olive oil
1 lb organic free-range chicken breast, cut into small chunks
1 onion, diced
1 container of button mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup grated fresh parmesan
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp oregano
28oz crushed tomatoes
1 cup water

 
Directions:
1. Add olive oil to a large pan, heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken, onions, mushrooms, a pinch of salt & pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and stir to coat.  Cook until bubbles subside and chicken begins to brown, about 12 minutes.

 

 

 

2.  Add garlic, cheese, pepper flakes, parsley flakes, and oregano, along with another another pinch of salt & pepper.

 

3. Stir to fully mix, add tomatoes and water. Lower heat, cover & simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

4. Make pasta & serve with ladles-ful of the chicken, mushrooms, and sauce. Uncover the sauce to thicken if desired. Enjoy the most tender chicken in the world!   

 

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caramelized chicken wrap

I like to put honey, rock salt, and garlic all over my whole roasted chickens to make a supa crispy blackened outside. Not having a whole chicken on hand (shucks), but craving this combo, I decided I would settle for a whipped up caramelized chicken wrap. Turns out I didn't settle and this was aaaamazing.

Ingredients (for 5 tortillas-worth inspired by this recipe):
1 lb organic chicken breast, sliced
1/4 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbs olive oil  
rock salt & pepper
1 cup water, divided
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
1.5 cups rice pilaf
5 tortillas
Creme fraiche for topping

Directions:1. Cut chicken into slices and place in a bowl or a ziploc bag directly. Add honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and rock salt & pepper. Mix and stir to coat. Transfer to a ziploc bag or cover with clingwrap and place in fridge for 20 minutes.
 

2. Heat a pan (or this nifty pan that lets liquid pool in the cracks) over medium-high heat.
 

3. Add chicken and marinade to the pan, squeezing every bit of marinade out onto the pan. Let cook over medium-high heat while marinade bubbles underneath and browns the chicken until dark (shown in last picture of this instruction).

 

 

 

 

4. Add 4 tbs water to the pan to sizzle and stick the sauce to the chicken.  Cook until water is gone. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm, but let breathe to not overcook while sitting.
 

 

5. Add tomatoes to the pan over medium-high/high heat. Add remainder of water to the pan and shake to coat. Cook until tomatoes begin to squish and split, about 10 minutes.
 

 

6. Add squished tomatoes to the chicken plate, arrange wraps in the order of tortilla, rice pilaf, chicken, tomatoes & a dollop of creme fraiche.
 

 

 

 

*Of note for leftovers: chicken and rice saves well in the fridge, 

tomatoes & creme fraiche do not*

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simple weekend recap: edition 22

The weekend started early with a Young Professionals night hosted by the Animal Rescue League of Boston and Masa. The evening started with a tour of the shelter, which opened in 1899 under the main philosophy that "Kindness Uplifts the World".  Each animal has plenty of space and there is also a 27-acre shelter in Dedham! With ample play time and care provided by the attached Boston Veterinary Care free of charge, these animals are all treated with kindness & love before finding their forever homes. Find more information on this amazing group here. It took a lot for me not to try to walk out with one beautiful 9-month old pit bull mix with a tail that never stopped wagging!

After the tour, the group moved to Masa for some sangria and tapas.

 

 

Saturday we went out for some celebrations, starting at Drink for snacks & cocktails.

 

 

 

 

Next we hit some tourist spots outside of the Children's museum...

 

 

 

...and made our way to Trade for a late dinner.

 

 

 

 

Their appetizers are alright, their cocktails are better, and their flatbreads are the best.

 

 

 

 

 

We wrapped up the night in Brookline with a few more stops before calling it a late night. In the morning I whipped up some homemade crepes with bananas, sugar-cinnamon, and syrup (recipe for crepes tomorrow).

 

 

Sunday night dinner I made the first dinner I can remember ever making by myself: onion-cornflake crusted baked chicken (recipe Wednesday!).

 

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