This dish is interesting due to the delicious combination of lemon and herbs along with loads of garlic. It is a great dish as a family meal or a Sunday brunch.

Recipe 1:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 tablespoons of lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp of dried thyme leaf
• 1 tsp of dried parsley
• 1 tsp of Creole seasoning
• 6 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1 quartered chicken ( 3 ½ pound)
• Freshly ground pepper
• Salt

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Combine the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning.
3. Wash and dry the chicken.
4. Sprinkle the chicken with herbs.
5. Mix the chicken thoroughly with the first mixture and place it in a roasting pan.
6. Roast for around 1 ½ hour. (remember to turn the chicken so that it is thoroughly cooked)
7. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Note: You will know that the chicken is done when the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork.

Recipe 2

Preparation time: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 roasting chicken ( 5 to 6 pounds)
• 1 large bunch of thyme
• 4 lemons
• 3 heads of garlic, cut in half
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• ½ pound bacon (sliced)
• 1 cup of white wine
• ½ cup of chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F
2. Clean the chicken and rinse it inside and out.
3. Remove the excess fat and pat dry.
4. Place the chicken on a pan for roasting and sprinkle salt and pepper liberally inside it.
5. Stuff thyme, 1 halved lemon and two halves of garlic in the cavity of the chicken.
6. Spread butter on the chicken and sprinkle salt and pepper.
7. Tie the legs of the chicken together and place the wings underneath the body.
8. Cut 2 lemons into quarters and scatter them and the remaining garlic around the chicken.
9. Lay the bacon over the chicken to cover it.
10. Roast the chicken in the oven for 1 hour then remove the bacon and keep aside.
11. Continue to roast the chicken for around ½ an hour more or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
12. Place the chicken to a platter and cover it with aluminum foil.
13. Remove the fat from the pan, leaving two tablespoons of it behind.
14. Add wine and chicken stock to it and bring it to boil.
15. Make the heat low and let it cook for 5 minutes or till the liquid is reduced by half.
16. Cut the chicken into quarters.
17. Garnish the chicken with the bacon, leftover thyme, a sliced lemon and garlic. Pour the gravy on top and serve.

Recipe for Chicken Stock:

Ingredients

• One 3 ½ pound chicken (cleaned)
• 2 carrots cut in large chunks
• 3 celery stalks cut in large chunks
• 2 large quartered onions
• 1 head of garlic halved
• 1 turnip halved
• ¼ bunch of fresh thyme chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp of whole black peppercorns

Preparation

1. Place vegetables and chicken in a large stockpot over a medium flame.
2. Pour only enough water to cover the stuff. ( Too much water will make it taste weak)
3. Add the thyme, bay leaves and peppercorn and let the broth come to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to a medium0low and allow the broth to simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours partially covered.
5. While it is cooking, remove any impurities that may rise to the surface. If necessary, add little more water to keep the chicken covered while cooking.
6. Carefully transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When it has cooled enough, remove the skin, bones, and hand-shred the meat and place it in a storage container.
7. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot. (This removes the vegetable solids).
8. Use the stock immediately. If you are planning to store the stock then place the pot in a sink of ice water and stir in order to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for one week or freeze.

- Karnika Ray

Skillet Chicken is relatively easy to cook and requires very little time. There are many variations to the recipe, of which three are shown here. The second and third recipes require chicken broth so, a recipe for that has also been provided to make your task simpler. This is not a high calorie dish.

Recipe 1:

In this recipe skillet chicken is cooked with potatoes, carrots, rosemary, orange juice and other seasonings.

Cooking time required: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 to 3 ½ pound pieces of chicken
• ½ a lemon
• 1 ½ tsp of salt
• 1/8 tsp of pepper
• 1 tsp crumbled rosemary leaves
• ½ cup of orange juice
• 4 to 6 potatoes, medium sized
• 6 to 8 small carrots (peeled)
• Fresh chopped parsley

Preparation

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry.
2. Squeeze a lemon so that the juice dribbles over the chicken. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and rosemary and rub them into the chicken pieces.
3. Put the chicken in a Dutch-oven or a kettle.
4. Pour the orange juice, water and add the potatoes and carrots.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover it and reduce the heat.
6. Let it simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken and vegetables are tender.
7. Attractively arrange the chicken and vegetables on a serving platter and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Recipe 2: Curried Chicken Skillet Dinner

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tsp of sugar (brown)
• 2 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp of dry mustard
• ¼ tsp of pepper
• 4 halves of boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 ¾ cups of chicken broth
• 1 ½ cup of orange juice
• 1 ¼ cup of uncooked long grained rice
• 10 ounces of frozen peas

Preparation

1. Combine the brown sugar, curry powder, mustard and pepper
2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of seasoning mixture over the chicken and coat it thoroughly.
3. Put the orange juice, chicken broth, rice and the remaining seasoning mixture in a skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Now add the chicken.
5. Reduce the heat, cover the skillet and let the mixture simmer for around 15 minutes.
6. Now add the peas, stirring continuously. Cover the skillet again and let it simmer for around 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Recipe 3: Chicken and Rice Dinner in a Skillet

Ingredients

• 4 legs of a chicken
• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• 1 cup of canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1 ½ cup of chicken broth
• ½ tsp dried basil
• 1 chopped onion
• ½ tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the chicken and cook for around 10 minutes till all the sides are browned. Now remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
3. Drain the excess fat from the skillet leaving 1 tablespoon of it behind.
4. Add the basil, oregano, rice and onion.
5. Stir over medium heat for around 3 minutes till the rice is browned.
6. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes, bring the mixture to a boil. (Remember to scrape the brown bit from the bottom)
7. Pour the chicken over the rice, cover the skillet and keep the heat low.
8. Let it simmer for around 30-40 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
9. Sprinkle green pepper or peas on the top, cover and let it simmer for 3 minutes till the peas or pepper are tender.

Recipe for Chicken Stock (Broth)

Ingredients

• One 3 ½ pound chicken (cleaned)
• 2 carrots cut in large chunks
• 3 celery stalks cut in large chunks
• 2 large quartered onions
• 1 head of garlic halved
• 1 turnip halved
• ¼ bunch of fresh thyme chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp of whole black peppercorns

Preparation

1. Place vegetables and chicken in a large stock pot over a medium flame.
2. Pour only enough water to cover the stuff. (Too much water will make it taste weak)
3. Add the thyme, bay leaves and peppercorn and let the broth come to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to a medium0low and allow the broth to simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours partially covered.
5. While it is cooking remove any impurities that may rise to the surface. If necessary add little more water to keep the chicken covered while cooking.
6. Carefully transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When it has cooled enough, remove the skin and bones and hand-shred the meat and place it in a storage container.
7. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot. (This removes the vegetable solids).
8. Use the stock immediately. If you are planning to store the stock then place the pot in a sink of ice water and stir in order to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for one week or freeze.

- Karnika Ray

Chicken and Shrimp dishes are generally a part of the main course.

Nutritional Information: Amount per serving

Calories – 1082
Total fat – 47g
Cholesterol – 355mg

Garlic Chicken and Shrimp Recipe:

Serves : 4 to 6 persons

Ingredients:

• 1 pound i.e two to three pieces of boneless chicken breast
• 1 pound of large shrimp
• 6 tablespoons of butter or margarine
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 4 to 5 cloves of garlic cut and mashed
• 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped basil (or 1 tsp of dry basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
• Half tablespoon salt
• Half tablespoon Creole seasoning

Preparation:

1. Place chicken in between two plastic sheets and lightly pound to give even thickness.
2. Cut the chicken into strips 1″ wide.
3. Melt the butter and oil in a lagre pan.
4. Add the garlic, chopped basil, parsley, salt and garlic.
5. Keep the heat at medium and add the chicken and shrimp.
6. Keep cooking the chicken and shrimp, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes till it is fully cooked. (If the shrimps are small the you are advised to add them a few minutes after adding the chicken)
7. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Note: You may serve this dish with hot pasta as they make a great combination.

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya Recipe:

Jambalaya is a dish which has Spanish and French influence. There are two types of Jambalaya; the ‘red jambalaya’ which contains tomatoes and the ‘Cajun jambalaya’ which does not contain tomatoes.

Serves : 4 people

Ingredients:

• Medium sized shrimp – 1 pound
• Boneless chicken breast halves – 2
• Chopped onion – 1 cup
• Chopped celery – ½ cup
• Medium sized garlic cloves chopped and minced – 3
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
• Smoked sausages (Andouille or Polish) ¼ inch slices – 8 ounces
• Chopped green bell pepper – ½ cup
• Chopped spring onion – ¼ cup
• Diced tomatoes – 14.5 ounces
• Worcestershire sauce – 1 tablespoon
• Dried thyme leaf – ¼ tablespoon
• Ground cayenne pepper – ¼ tsp
• Rice – 2 cups

Preparation:

1. Boil the shrimp over high heat in a large saucepan till they turn pink in about two minutes.
2. Clean the shrimps (peel and devein) keeping the shells and the shrimps separately.
3. Take a large saucepan. Add the chicken breast halves, the shrimp shells, four cups or water, ½ cup of chopped onion, half the chopped celery, 1/3 of the garlic and 1 tsp salt.
4. Bring the mixture to simmer at medium-high heat.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook till the juices of the chicken show dark yellow when pierced with a fork after about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan.
7. Place a strainer over a large bowl and drain the cooking fluid and discard the remaining shells and vegetables. (If necessary add enough water to make around 4 cups of chicken broth). Chop chicken and keep it with the shrimp.
8. Heat the oil in a heavy kettle. Add the sausages, spring onion, the remaining onion, remaining celery and the remaining garlic and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes(or till lightly brown), stirring at intervals.
9. Stir in the cooking fluid, remaining salt, tomatoes, Worcestshire sauce, thyme and cayenne pepper.
10. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Break up the tomatoes with a spoon.
11. stir in the rice and cook over a medium heat with the lid tightly shut for about 25 minutes or till the fluid is absorbed.
12. Remove the kettle from the stove and stir in the chicken and shrimp, cover and thoroughly heat.
13. Garnish with spring onion or parsley before serving.

- Karnika Ray

Baked chicken with beer is generally a main course dish. This dish does contain a certain amount of alcohol but it is not harmful to children. It is relatively easy to cook. This dish is consumed mainly in the Southern States of America.

Recipe 1:

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bacon, diced
• 3 to 3 ½-pound chicken pieces (leg or thigh)
• 4 medium onions, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• ½ tsp ground marjoram
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp leaf thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 12 ounces of beer (room temperature)
• 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar

Preparation:

1. Fry bacon until crisp in a large saucepan or a Dutch oven.
2. Drain the oil from the bacon and place them on paper towels.
3. Brown chicken pieces in the bacon drippings over a medium flame turn it brown on all sides. Remove and place on a separate plate.
4. Add onions to the saucepan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
5. Drain off extra fat.
6. Add thyme, pepper, salt, sugar, flour, marjoram and garlic.
7. Stir in the beer. Cook over a medium flame, stirring constantly, till the mixture is thick and bubbly. Then stir in the vinegar.
8. Add the chicken back to the pot. Sprinkle with bacon.
9. Cover the pot and bake for 55 to 65 minutes at 350°C or until chicken is tender. (if necessary transfer to a large baking dish)
10. Garnish with chopped thyme and serve.

Recipe 2:

This is a beer cracker chicken potpie. There are three parts in it. The shell, crust and filling and then finally baking. Each part will be done separately. This recipe is not advised for amateurs.

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:

Shell

• 2 cups of finely crushed Club or Town House crackers
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter

Crust

• 2 cups of flour
• ¾ cup of Crisco
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ cup of boiling water
• 1 tsp of parsley flakes

Filling

• 1 to 2 lbs chicken sliced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (extra-virgin preferred)
• 1 bottle of beer (or 12 oz of white wine)
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp Lipton Onion Soup mix
• 1 can of condensed cream potato soup
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 1 tsp salt (to taste)

Preparation:

Shell

1. Pour the melted butter into a 4X9 casserole dish.
2. Distribute the crumbs over the butter and mix well in order to saturate the crumbs.
3. Press down cracker mix to cover the bottom evenly.
4. Place the covered dish into the fridge to cool while preparing the chicken.

Filling

1. To a frying pan, add olive oil, poultry seasoning, garlic, basil, onion soup mix. Stir well until well saturated with oil.
2. Add chicken and cook until browned lightly.
3. Add the beer, cream of potato soup and milk when the chicken looks as if it is ‘golden brown’.
4. Add the mixed vegetables and turn down the heat for about 20 minutes. ( This is done to minimize the liquids)
5. Remove from heat when the liquid appears thickened. Allow it to cool enough that you can touch it.

Crust

1. Add the ingredients to hot water and milk. Cut the Crisco into flour and milk mixture with a fork.
2. Form balls. Divide each ball in half. Roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap 1/8″ thin.(Minimize touching with hands)

Baking

1. Remove casserole from fridge and add chicken filling.
2. Peel plastic wrap off one side of the crust, fold the dough over the dish and then remove the other sheet of plastic wrap.
3. Pinch the sides of dough into the inside edge of the dish using fingers.
4. With a knife, poke several vent holes in the crust.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown over a cookie sheet at 425°F.
6. Garnish and serve.

- Karnika Ray

“Chicken! Yummy, Yummy!”

This is every non-vegetarian’s reaction to chicken. Add some wine and tomatoes to the dish and one is set for a delicious meal! This so familiar and exceedingly tasty dish is so very simple to make.

While planning and getting ready dishes such as these, must be knowledgeable of the ‘food and wine pairings’. Certain wines when coupled with certain food make for a heavenly combination.

For example, Chardonnay (wine) goes perfectly with chicken, fish and other seafood, as does Riesling. These mentioned wines are white wines. Red wines such as Merlot, Barbera are a good choice.

These, of course, are wines that can be served with the chicken. The ‘Chicken with Wine and Tomato’ recipe is cooked with Wine and Chicken:

Ingredients:

• Chicken: 1-2 kgs
• Salt and Pepper: To Taste
• Butter: 2-3 Tablespoons
• Olive Oil: 2 Tablespoons
• Mushrooms, in thin slices: 1 ½ Cups
• Onions, Finely Chopped: ½ Cup
• Garlic, Finely Minced: ½ Teaspoon
• Bay Leaf: 1
• Dry White Wine: ½ Cup
• Sprigs Fresh Thyme: 2
• Tomatoes, Cored and Diced: 2 Cups
• Tomato Paste: ¼ cup
• Chicken Broth: ½ Cup
• Sprigs fresh parsley: 2

Steps for preparing the dish:

1. Prepare the chicken by sprinkling with salt and pepper.

2. Put a heavy skillet on the stove, add butter and slide the chicken pieces into it, skin side down.

3. Let the pieces cook until they are golden brown on one side. This should take about 5 minutes. Then turn it and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Drain or pour off the fat from the skillet.

5. Then add the mushrooms by scattering it over the chicken.

6. Add the other ingredients – onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and let the whole thing cook for another 5 minutes.

7. Now, add the wine and stir it well

8. Next, add the tomato paste, the tomatoes, parsley and chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

9. Once it is ready, remove the skillet off the stove. Discard the herbs, arrange in a serving dish and voila – Chicken with Wine and Tomatoes is ready!

Serving:

After tastefully arranging the delicately cooked chicken on a suitable serving dish, you can prepare a salad bowl and a fresh-fruits basket to accompany the dish.

Select ripe, red tomatoes and cut them into round circles. Do the same with onions and lemon and arrange these on a dish. Fruits are the best natural desert and will make a healthy and very tasty finale to the whole meal.

For a romantic setting, you could pick fruits like strawberries, cherries, apricots and peaches along with dry fruits like walnuts and cashews.

More:

Chicken Marengo is a ‘Chicken with Wine and Tomatoes’ dish that is very popular in France. Italian and Greek cuisines have many variations of this dish.

In winters, any dish with wine in it or accompanying it is a good way to warm the body and increase metabolism rate. Chicken is, as everyone knows, high in fat and proteins. Tomatoes contain natural antioxidants and are considered to be effective in preventing cancer and in protecting against neurodegenerative diseases. Tomato consumption is also considered to benefit the heart.

All in all, this is a healthy and very tasty dish and is perfect for any season, occasion or festivity. It’s easily available ingredients and relatively simple cooking procedure makes it a popular and favorite dish among non-vegetarian food enthusiasts.

– Kavya Ashok Kumar