Thursday, April 21, 2011

Chicken Tonight

I cook chicken a lot. When I eat out I try to order seemingly exotic foods (depending on who you're talking too) like boar or duck or foie gras. (Apparently, what I label as exotic are those things I wouldn't normally cook...) Chicken is rather boring at face value, a cliche of satisfying food if you will. Everyone cooks chicken. But isn't that because everyone likes chicken? If it wasn't so good, it wouldn't be what it is.

OK. I'll stop the insightful thought process and just show you what I've made over the last couple weeks.

{Chicken Enchiladas}
Starring:
And:
The recipe comes compliments of here. I find it pairs well with a pair of these: You simply poach some chicken, let it cool, shred it and add it to a mix of 1 yellow onion that has been diced and caramelized, a can of green chillies, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Then add 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce to a large (or two small) casserole dishes. Roll 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in a soft tortilla and place fold side down in the dish. Top with the other 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and 1 cup of cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes covered in tinfoil and another 10 with the tinfoil off. Serve with sour cream and slices of avocado.
{Chicken Parmesan}
Of course.Classic. Staple. Go-To. Adam's favorite.With a lovely glass of Pinot Noir from 90 + Cellars. {Lemon Butter Chicken} with Roasted Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes and Asparagus.
P.S. How to properly juice a lemon:
I was definitely using it wrong last time! Who knew! Using the juicer the way it is meant yields so much more juice and much less mess. So glad I know the true way to handle this bad boy.The chicken is breaded and pan fried in melted butter at medium heat for about 7 minutes a side. As it is almost done I finished it off with the juice of a half a lemon and let it sizzle and soak in the flavor for another minute or two. The vegetables are tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I coated them a healthy doss of Parmesan cheese for some added comforting flavors. I paired this meal with a Robert Mondavi Riesling. It is bright and clean with ripe sweet fruit flavors. Some Riesling is too sweet for me, others not enough. This one is balanced and restrained with a crisp finish.

Made anything good with chicken lately?

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