Mexican Chicken Stacks

There is no such thing as Mexi-can’t food.   There is only Mexican.   Cheesy? Yes.  But there must be something about the word, “Mexican”.  Put it in front of any other type of food and it’s as if you can’t go wrong.  It reminds me of good mash-up music.  Overlay two separate things and somehow it becomes a perfect union.  How else could Mexican lasagna, Mexican burgers, Mexican ice cream, or Mexican pizza work so well? With a best friend visiting for the weekend, it was time for my own Mexican mash-up. 

I started with a slice of warm cornbread right from the oven.   This would be my cornerstone – I could build from here.  Cheese acted as the melty mortar for my Mexican stack.  Then brick-red Chili Tomato Sauce added a touch of crimson color and a fiery heat.  But I was careful to cool things down before they burned down the house.  The Lime-Grapefruit marinated chicken and even a few slices of avocado would be perfect touches.  Finally, I added the arugula, which made for a peppery, crunchy roof for this now towering Mexican Chicken Stack.   

Each bite was a symphony of flavors.  A full chorus of tastes and textures sang wildly as I dug through my stack.  It looked much like a deconstructed Taco Casserole, but tasted so much more gourmet.  I could taste every different section of the stack on its own, but all the parts worked so harmoniously with the whole.  I would recommend this to anyone who craves freshness and values making food from scratch. 

Mexican Chicken Stacks

- The layering really depends on your preference.  Mine went as follows: cornbread, cheese, tomato sauce, chicken, and arugula.  However, next time I think that I would switch the chicken and arugula and add avocado slices or sour cream to the very top.  I have also considered adding chipotle peppers to the Chili Tomato Sauce.  I have included my recipes for the Chili Tomato Sauce and the Lime-Grapefruit Chicken.  The cornbread I used was from Smitten Kitchen.  There is lots of room for variation in this recipe, so be creative!

Chili Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

½ cup onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

4 T ground chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper, ground

1 (28 oz) can tomatoes, diced (do not drain)

1 cup chicken broth

Instructions:

1.        Heat a large pot over medium heat until hot, add oil. 

2.       Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, or at least until onions are translucent.

3.       Add garlic; continue to sauté over medium heat for about 3 more minutes. 

4.       Add chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.   Stir until aromatic – about 1 minute. 

5.       Add tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. 

6.       Reduce temperature to medium heat. 

7.       Reduce the sauce down by about half, or until the sauce thickens (about 15-20 minutes).

Lime-Grapefruit Chicken

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of 2 limes

Juice of 1 grapefruit

1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely diced

Salt and pepper

Sugar or honey, to taste

Jalapeno, finely diced

2 green onions, finely sliced

2 chicken thigh and leg quarters, bone-in

Instructions:

1.       Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. 

2.       Use half of the marinade to add to the chicken; reserve the other half for a sauce for the chicken after it has been cooked.

3.       Marinade chicken for at least 30 minutes.   

4.       Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350˚ F.

5.       Bake chicken until juices run clear, about 30 minutes. 

6.       Remove chicken from bone, and shredding it.

7.       In a medium sized bowl, add the reserved marinade to the cooked chicken and refrigerate, covered, until ready to eat (up to one day).   

Polynesian Chicken Salad

There are few things that say “quintessential American tea-time hor d’oeurve” like chicken salad.  Mayonnaise, grapes, walnuts, celery…you know the drill.  These dainty sandwiches and porcelain tea cups were what made 10-year-old life seem antique and classy.  But a decade later, I want something more original and exotic than that ol’ go-to recipe. 

 I settled on a Polynesian theme for my experimental chicken salad.  Polynesian flavors incorporate the sweetness of natural fruits like pineapple, mango, bananas, and coconut, into other ingredients like rice, beans, chicken, and sweet potatoes.  Sweet and sour sauces, made from soy sauce, sugar, and white vinegar, can also used.  This gives me a good amount of inspiration. 

The final product was tasty, and although it combined unexpected flavors, the chicken salad was overall quite good.  A few dollops of mayonnaise made up the base (as in most traditional chicken salads), but I sweetened it with pineapple juice and counter-balanced it with some lemon juice and soy sauce.  Orange peppers and pineapple tidbits varied the texture, while Sriracha spiced up the original mildness.

 My main gripes with the recipe I created were that the sauce was too thin and still tasted too much like mayonnaise.  Once the salad was added to cold rice, the problems were not as blatant.  However, I am still wondering how I could keep a similar flavor profile and make the entire sauce thicker.  I tried a little corn starch, but that made the sauce awkwardly starchy and more pasty than creamy.  Overall, perhaps there is a reason that you stick to the “good ol’ recipes”, but where can we grow from there?

Anyways, this recipe isn’t quite ready to impress guests, but it is sure to satisfy you when you cannot tolerate the traditional chicken salad anymore. 

Polynesian Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups cooked chicken (I used chicken thighs)

About 3 T mayonnaise

2 T apricot preserves

1 T lemon juice

1 T pineapple juice

2-3 t Sriracha (Asian hot sauce)

2 t soy sauce

1 tsp ginger, freshly grated

½ cup cilantro

Salt and pepper

½ cup pineapple tidbits

1/3 cup orange or yellow pepper, diced

Instructions:

1.       In a small bowl, combine mayo, apricot preserves, lemon juice, pineapple juice, Sriracha, soy sauce, ginger, and cilantro.  Whisk until smooth – taste test for appropriate flavoring.

2.       In a Tupperware container with a lid, add chicken, pineapple, orange pepper, and mayo sauce.

3.       Chill for 4-6 hours.  Serve over rice, garnish with cilantro.

Dixie Chicken with Cayenne Spice Rub

What’s the deal with liquid marinades?  Ziplock bags have become the new badge of grill honor.  If you don’t bring your steak or chicken out in a Ziplock full of mystery liquid you have already lost grill-cred, bro.  Who cares what you threw in there (balsamic vinegar, ketchup and teriyaki, or Sriracha, olive oil and brown sugar).  If it’s not fully submerged, they say your dish won’t float.  

What about the dry rub method?  The meat is smothered with a dry coat of spices that gradually massages its way in.  I find that rubs are more of a holistic tenderization approach.   This particular rub I adapted from Bon Appetit 2004 produced a juicy meat and a crispy, caramelized crust of brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and other chili spices.  Rubs also do not require running for the paper towels to sop up any excess wetness before slapping your protein on the grill. Leaving a dry rub on during the cooking can boost your flavor even more.  

The spice butter that was brushed on just before serving was the icing on this cake.  It was better than sauce, gravy, or any possible seasoning combination.  Then again, it is butter-based.  When I combined all the ingredients for the butter, it looked like the consistency of honey mustard.  But boy, did it taste like heaven.   Although Virginia may not be Dixieland, I had a taste of it there that night by the grill.  The grilled chicken and potatoes, the bite of slaw I snagged from a friend, and the Triple Chocolate Pudding Pie that was waiting for me in the fridge all spelled Dixie to me. 

Dixie Chicken with Cayenne Spice Rub

Ingredients:

2 T salt

1 T coarsely ground black pepper

1 T packed golden brown sugar

2 t garlic powder

1 ½ t cornstarch

1 ½ t onion powder

1 t lemon-pepper seasoning

1 t chili powder

¼ t ground cumin

1 t cayenne pepper

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 pounds chicken (can be breasts, cut-up-whole-chickens, legs, wings, etc.)

Instructions:

1.       Combine first 9 ingredients in small bowl; whisk spice rub to blend well.

2.       Transfer 1 T space rub to medium bowl; add butter and mix well.

3.       Chill butter until well solidified.

4.       Sprinkle spice rub over both sides of chicken pieces.  Arrange on wax-paper-lined plate.  Let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours.  

5.       Prepare grill; lay the chickens on the areas of the grill that receive medium-high heat. 

6.       Grill about 15 minutes, turn chicken over. Grill until skin is deep golden, about 10 minutes.  **Cooking times varying depending if you have boneless or bone-in chicken; boneless chicken cooks faster.  Sometimes you may need to finish the chicken in the microwave to make sure that it does not dry out but is cooked through**

7.       Brush chicken with butter before serving.  

4 servings  

A Comfortable Combo: Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Leeks

Leeks, kin to the garlic and onion family, taste like a mild onion-tinged cucumber. They look like giant green onions. When cooked in butter they melt into a silky texture. Overlooked and undervalued, leeks are seldom appreciated outside of creamy potato soup recipes. Goat cheese is soft white cheese, softer even than even cream cheese, but with a tarter, milkier finish. Tonight, I would combine the smooth buttery quality of leeks with this soft, milky goat cheese as a stuffing for chicken braised in white wine and broth.

My first bite had already relaxed my mouth into a creamy grin, as this rich dish enveloped me senses with a soft blanket of warm, comforting flavor. Each bite entailed a heaping forkful of cheesy stuffing oozing from a juicy, tender chicken breast alongside a velvety mushroom risotto. This meal was cozy. A classy comfort food, it made you slow down, snuggle up, and melt into a couch afterwards. It was the perfect transition into a lazy movie night because I was so full. But I only ate half my chicken breast! Seconds for dinner tomorrow night? It’s better than any frozen dinner us college kids can afford.

Chicken Stuffed with Leeks and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

2 T butter

2 leeks, rinsed and chopped

1 clove garlic

Salt and pepper

1 tsp thyme

½ cup goat cheese

2 large chicken breasts; cut for stuffing

2 T olive oil

½ cup water

¾ cup white wine

1 cup broth

Instructions:

1. In a skillet, melt butter over medium high heat until bubbly.

2. Add in leeks and garlic, cook until soft about 8 min.

3. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Let cool.

4. Mix in goat cheese.

5. Stuff with goat cheese and leeks, secure with toothpicks.

6. In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat.

7. Sear chicken on all sides until lightly browned – about 5 min a side.

8. Add water, white wine and broth. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 min or until chicken is cooked.

3 Meals for the Price of One Rotisserie Chicken, ft. Tortilla Soup

“We don’t sweat, we glisten”: should be the sign out in front of Rotisserie chickens. All you see is a succulent, big breasted chicken, slow-roasting in a rotating tanning booth, juices slowly dripping from her glistening-crisp, golden brown skin. She defines full body flavor. When Miss Rotisserie steps of her butter bath, spritzing herself with aromas of salt and spices, just try and ignore her. Is your menu is looking for a nice white meat? For $8, it can dine with Miss Rotisserie for at least three nights. Ready to eat as soon as you get home, Rotisserie chicken will set your dinner off right, as she lends herself well to most any recipe.

The first meal utilized the most underrated part of the chicken: legs and thighs. This delicious dark meat went into Rick Bayless’s Tortilla Soup [included below]. This tomato and chicken broth based soup soared into my top meals list within the first bowl. Dried ancho chilis brought some heat, but not the fire. Ripe avocados, Monterey Jack cheese, and sour cream were the only things I needed to buy, but they were welcomed, creamy additions. By the third bowl, stacked high with crushed tortilla chips and dollops of sour cream, only the expanding food baby that I once called my stomach stopped me from eating more. The best part of this soulful Mexican soup is that it’s simple without being ‘everyday’ – each bite tastes five-star.

The next dinner used only one of the breasts, which I shredded into a Chicken and Quinoa Pilaf. Tired of rice, but still in the mood for some cheap eats? Try quinoa. I would liken it to a tasty whole grain couscous that makes a little ‘snap’ sound when you eat it. The third meal is still in the works, but I am definitely incorporating some fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes and fresh thyme from a nearby garden. Yep, it’s that warm, stick-to-your-sides potato dishes.

And that’s not all that I plan to do with this chicken! With the leftover bones a new batch of chicken stock is in the works. So for $8, three meals and some stock is a steal – but don’t tell my grocery store that.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 large dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 quarts chicken broth
About 2 cups shredded cooked chicken [2 legs, 2 thighs]
1 large ripe avocado, slivered
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Some roughly broken tortilla chips for garnish
1/2 cup sour cream for garnish

Instructions:

1. Toast chile in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing it flat for a few seconds, then flipping it over and pressing it again.

2. Chop chile into pieces and put in a blender jar along with the tomatoes with their juice.

3. Heat oil in large pan, sauté onions and garlic until translucent, about 5-7 min. Stir constantly to not burn.

4. After cooling slightly and straining off most of the excess oil, transfer onions and garlic to blender as well. Blend until smooth.

5. Return mixture to pan. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened, stirring constantly about 6 min.

6. Add broth, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 min. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Add chicken to soup just before serving.

8. Add chips, cheese, avocado, and sour cream on top.

Enjoy about 6 bowls of soup! It will go fast.

More than One Way to Get Sauced: Barbeque Chicken Pasta Salad

Some like it hot. Others like it with a twang of vinegar or a smidge of smokiness. I like it sweet and buttery. I am a Southern Girl after all. Ah, can you smell that smoky charcoal burning? Hear the crackle of the flame? See the coals or chips turn from inky black to sooty white? This is a regular barbeque. The flavors of the grill mixed with the taste of slow roasted meats are enough to make you want eternal summer. Alas, most of us college kids don’t have a grill. Buzzkill, right? Now you’re craving barbeque, but you don’t have the means to make it happen. My suggestion: get sauced.

“Wait, what? It’s only noon!” No, no. I’m talking about barbeque sauce.

So you are in this cramped, closet-like dorm kitchen with little more than a mini fridge and an easy-bake oven. You definitely don’t have a grill; doesn’t matter. You can turn even a piece of rotisserie chicken into a barbequed bird by just beginning with the sauce.

Barbeque sauce has to be among the most variant food traditions I’ve come across. Unless you are buying it from the bottle, you cannot have the same type twice. Restaurants might have a “secret recipe”, but you know there is someone in back taste-testing it to her particular preference. Having a recipe may seem sacrilege for those barbeque-ers who cook with the soul, but it’s a necessary crutch we all need until find the barbeque sauce that speaks [to] our tongue.

The best thing about this pasta salad, surprisingly, was that it was cold. The sweet, juicy chicken smothered in buttery barbeque sauce, tossed with fried corn and fresh green peppers was enough to make your mouth say “mmmmm”. It’s the best of your backyard barbeque all made on your stovetop. And it can be eaten cold! What’s not to love? So, when you find yourself reminiscing about a summer forgotten, make yourself a batch of this Barbeque Chicken Pasta Salad.

Barbeque Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast

1 T olive oil

Salt and pepper

About 2 cups pasta

1 ear of corn/ ½ cup frozen

2-3 T butter

½-1 cup chicken broth or water

1 fresh green pepper, diced

Barbeque sauce [basic directions to follow]

Instructions:

1. In a medium pot, make pasta. Once cooked, rinse with cold water. Place in large container, set in fridge to chill.

2. In a skillet, high oil until hot. Salt and pepper the chicken. Pan sear – be careful not to overcook. Cook about 3-5 min a side [check inside, not pink].

3. Remove chicken after cooked, allow to cool. Then cut into bite sized pieces and add to pasta container.

4. In same skillet, fry corn and butter for about 5 min. Slowly add water, bring to a boil. Cover. Cook until corn is soft and cooked through.

5. Remove from heat. Toss corn and diced peppers with chicken and pasta. Store in fridge.

6. Make barbeque sauce. Mix all together, chill, eat!

Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients:

¾ c ketchup

3 T butter

3 T brown sugar

1 t Worcestershire sauce

1 T vinegar

2 t lemon juice

1 t mustard

2 T minced onions

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Mix all together in small saucepan over medium low until hot.

2. Taste test! See what you like.

3. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

4. Add to pasta salad.

5. Eat!