October 2009 Cooking Demo--Three One-Pot Chicken Dinners

At our October meeting, I (JaneAnne P) gave a demo of three easy dinners starting with chicken thighs and onions. In the course of the demo, I was able to demonstrate some useful techniques for building flavor.

Note for all recipes in this post: I used homemade chicken stock with no added salt. If you use purchased chicken broth, even low-sodium, you will need to add less salt at each stage than you saw me do in the demo.

Chicken & Dumplings
adapted from Everyday Food
serves 4 hearty eaters

3 T unsalted butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 oz)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin (I like to use a mandoline I bought at Target for about $10; it's now available at Amazon)
1 C flour, divided
a few sprigs fresh thyme* (optional)
a few carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
4-6 C chicken broth (I use broth reconstituted from my homemade chicken stock)
1 3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t table salt
1/2 C milk
chopped fresh dill (optional)
1-1 1/2 C frozen petite peas
additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat butter in dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming begins to subside, arrange chicken in pan, with space in between. Let brown without moving for several minutes. Check pan periodically and adjust heat so butter doesn't get too brown. When chicken is nice and brown, flip it to brown other side (it should release fairly easily if it's brown enough, and if the pan was hot enough at the beginning). Transfer browned chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Put onion in pan, add a little salt and pepper, and sauté until translucent but not yet really browning, scraping brown bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan as you go. Add thyme sprigs if using, stirring just until they start to become fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add 1/4 C flour and stir to coat (if the flour is coated in the butter, it won't make lumps when you add the liquid).

Pour in chicken stock, scraping bottom of pan to lift all fond, then stir in chicken and any juices released into bowl, carrots, and more salt and pepper. Cover pot and increase heat to high to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to keep pot simmering. Let simmer about 20 minutes.

Whisk together remaining 3/4 C flour, baking powder and table salt (and dill, if using) in a small bowl. Stir in milk until just incorporated. Drop tablespoons of batter into broth, spacing as evenly as possible. Replace lid and simmer 10-15 more minutes.

Remove pot from heat and carefully add frozen peas between the dumplings, stirring without breaking up dumplings. Adjust seasonings and serve.

*Thyme is easy to grow in a pot or in the ground. It's a woody perennial requiring very little care. Don't ever use dried thyme, or most dried herbs. If you can't grow your own, come snip some of mine--I have plenty.

Moroccan Couscous
adapted from The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman
makes 6-8 servings, depending on how many vegetables you add

a few tablespoons butter or olive oil or a mix of the two
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 oz)
1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 T peeled and grated fresh ginger root
1 large pinch saffron threads or 1/2 t ground turmeric
1/8 t cayenne, or to taste (I usually use not more than a pinch)
1 t ground coriander*
3 cloves
1/2 t ground cinnamon
2-4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 lb butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into one-inch chunks
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and then cut into half-inch slices
4-6 C chicken broth or mix of chicken broth and water
one 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 C golden raisins
Couscous, prepared according to directions, substituting chicken-vegetable cooking liquid for half of the water

Heat butter and/or oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the butter's foaming starts to subside, or the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and let brown, without stirring, for several minutes, adjusting temperature as needed. Flip chicken to brown other side, then transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the onions (and bell pepper, if using) and a little salt and pepper. Scrape up fond from the bottom of the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are quite tender, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, saffron, cayenne, coriander, cloves and cinnamon and stir and cook until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the broth and chicken to the pot, along with additional salt and pepper and the carrots. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Add the squash 10 minutes later, and the zucchini 10 minutes after that. Cook until the all the vegetables are tender, about 10 more minutes. Add the garbanzos and raisins and cook about 5 minutes more.

Prepare couscous according to package directions (I like this couscous, which can be found at some stores in town), only substituting hot liquid from the pot for half the water. Taste sauce and adjust the seasoning, then serve immediately over the couscous.

*If you use spices more than occasionally, and you can afford it, purchase a small burr coffee grinder and use it only for grinding whole spices, bought in bulk (don't pay for the packaging!). I use mine mostly for coriander and cumin, and the flavor difference is astonishing. Do not use it to grind stick cinnamon, however--stick and ground cinnamon come from different parts of the tree, and the taste won't be the same.

West African Chicken-Peanut Soup
adapted from The New York Times
serves 6-8, again depending on how many vegetables you add

2 tablespoons oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 12 oz)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon garlic, pressed through a garlic press
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 C roasted and shelled peanuts (I found unsalted roasted peanuts in the bulk section at Freddy's), crushed slightly
6 cups chicken broth
2 garnet sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one-inch chunks
15-oz can diced tomatoes, or half a box of Pomi tomatoes (freeze remainder for another use)
1/2 pound collards or kale, washed, stemmed, and cut into 3/8" ribbons
additional vegetables (butternut squash, baby potatoes, zucchini, as desired)
1/4 to 1/2 C peanut butter, chunky or smooth

Put oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat; when oil shimmers, add chicken and let brown, without stirring, for several minutes, adjusting temperature as needed. Flip chicken to brown other side, then transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, cayenne and salt and pepper and sauté an additional 30-60 seconds, until fragrant. Add 1/2 cup peanuts.

Stir in the stock, scraping up browned bits. Add the chicken, bring to a boil, and turn heat down to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently. After about 10 minutes, add the sweet potatoes. When sweet potatoes are just starting to be tender, after about 10-15 minutes, stir in tomatoes and greens, then cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is starting to fall apart, about 10 minutes more.

Stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter. Taste, adjust seasoning (you may want to add more peanut butter at this point) and serve, garnished with remaining peanuts.

October Holiday Prep Activity

October's Enrichment dinner and activity was loads of fun. We had delicious soups, artisan bread (from Pearl Bakery and Grand Central Bakery), and traditional holiday desserts, and got an introduction to our preparedness focus for the coming year from our ward's resident preparedness expert, Pascal S. After dinner we had five different holiday prep activities: Halloween ghosts (made from tissue paper spray-glued to leftover aluminum screen), tealight holders made from baby food jars, Day of the Dead sugar skulls, upcycled gift wrapping, and holiday makeup tips from our ward's resident makeup expert, Kay G-H.

The blank sugar skulls and pastry bags of brightly-colored royal icing:


The sugar skulls I decorated at home later using the leftovers:


The gift-wrapping table (you can see the pattern for the Chinese takeout box--I printed it out and enlarged it with a photocopier, and then we cut boxes out of poster board left over from another project).



The potluck soups and desserts were delicious. Here are a few recipes.

Horst Mager's Original Lentil Soup
prepared by Allison P.

in a large double boiler or a large saucepan add:
3 oz salad oil

Add the following to the oil:

3 oz diced bacon
3/4 C diced onion
3/4 C diced carrots
3/4 C diced celery

Sauté the above mixture until the onion and celery are transparent. Stirring constantly, add

3/4 C flour

When the flour has blended with the above mixture, slowly add 3 1/2 qts. of water, stirring constantly. Then add:

1 C lentils
1 t white thyme
2 t Salt
2 T beef base
2 bay leaves
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of white pepper
3/4 C diced potatoes

Simmer approximately 3 hours.

Tuscan Vegtable Soup
Taken From: "The Food You Crave" by Ellie Krieger
prepared by Jessie M

1 15-oz can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 C)
2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 C)
2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 C)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 C)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 t dried)
2 t chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 t dried)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
32 oz low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 14.5-oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 C chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan, optional

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more. Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

Butternut and Ham Bisque
from Family Fun magazine
prepared by Melissa K

2 T unsalted butter
1 very large sweet onion, chopped
½ t dried rosemary leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 C peeled, diced butternut squash
1 C peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
5 C chicken stock
1 t salt
black pepper to taste
½ C light or heavy cream
1 ½ C diced cooked ham

Melt the butter in a medium soup pot or a large saucepan. Stir in the onion and rosemary. Partially cover the pan and cook the onion over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the squash, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Cook the soup at a low boil for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat.

Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids and a ladleful of broth to a food processor (do this in batches if you processor is small).* Puree the vegetables, then stir them back into the broth. Stir in the pepper, the cream, and the ham, heating for several minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.
*I never do it this way. I use my hand-held drink blender right in the pan to purée the entire pot of vegetables and broth.

Buffalo Minestrone
prepared by Melissa K

This soup is typical of some of our Sunday dinners. I’ll use up what I have in the house and make substitutions with things I actually have instead of what is called for in the recipe. Sometimes it turns out good, sometimes not.

2 patties frozen ground buffalo meat
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried oregano
2-3 C fresh baby spinach, chopped
5-6 C beef stock (I used “better than bouillon” and water)
2-3 C peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
1-2 carrots, diced
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 12-oz can V-8
2 cans red beans, drained
1 C small shell pasta
salt and pepper to taste

Microwave the frozen patties on 30% for a bout 3 minutes to thaw. Cook them in a large pot, chopping as they brown. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Stir in the oregano and spinach and cook about a minute. Add the stock, potatoes and carrots, tomatoes and V-8 and simmer about half an hour. Stir in the beans and macaroni. Cook about 15 minutes more to cook the pasta.

Sara's Bread Pudding
prepared by Sara McC

1 1/2 lb loaf white bread (like Wonder Big Loaf), or any other desired bread
1/2 C raisins or craisins (soak for a few minutes)
2 1/2 cubes of unsalted butter, melted
3 C sugar
10 eggs
2 12-oz cans evaporated milk (may use skim)
2 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Tear the bread into 2-inch pieces and place half the bread in the bottom of the pan. Top with raisins or craisins. Top with the remaining bread. Place the melted butter in a large mixing bowl and slowly add the sugar, using an electric mixer to mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the evaporated milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well. Pour the mixture carefully over the top of the bread, being sure to cover all of it. Let sit to absorb for 5 to 10 minutes. Place baking pan in a water bath (I use a broiler pan or a jelly roll pan and fill it with water). Bake for 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes or until bread is light brown and spongy. Cool. Serve with English Custard, below.

English Custard (my friend Anne's recipe from London)

1/3 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/8 t salt
2 C milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 T butter, softened
1 t vanilla

Blend sugar, cornstarch & salt in a 2-qt saucepan. Combine milk and egg yolks. Gradually stir into sugar mixture, then cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Chocolate Pecan Pie (a Kentucky Favorite)
prepared by Natalie C

1 unbaked pie shell (9” deep dish)
3 eggs
2/3 C sugar
½ t salt
1/3 C butter, melted
1 C light corn syrup
1 C pecan halves
1 ½ C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and syrup. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell and bake until set, about 40-50 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Papa Hadyn's Banana Cream Pie à la Harris (hope this makes sense)
prepared by Annette H

Graham cracker crust:
11 whole graham crackers, crushed
5 T butter,melted
1 T sugar

Combine ingredients till crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, then let cool. Melt approximately 3 oz dark chocolate. Paint the bottom of the crust with the melted chocolate. Let cool completely.

Then prepare Cream Filling:

5 T cornstarch
1 C sugar
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 C milk
3/4 C half and half
3 egg yolks
2 T butter
1 t vanilla

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a 3-qt saucepan. Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. Pour small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; blend thoroughly, then pour back into saucepan. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

Slice 2 bananas into pie shell. Pour the filling over the bananas. Chill 3-4 hours.

Chocolate Mousse:

7 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 C, plus 2 T heavy cream, chilled
2 T water
2 T sugar

Put 2 inches water in a medium saucepan and bring pot to bare simmer. Combine the chocolate and 2 T of heavy cream in a stainless-steel bowl big enough to rest on top of the saucepan. Place the bowl over the simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Heat, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from the heat, stir in the 2 T of water and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

In a medium sized bowl using an electric mixer, whip the remaining 1 C heavy cream and sugar together until the cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Layer the chocolate mousse on top of the cream filling in pie pan. (you will probably have leftover mousse, darn, as this is enough mousse for an entire pie).
Chill pie for 3 hours. (You don't have to chill the cream filling for an entire 3 hours before adding the mousse layer. I typically chill it for as long as it takes me to make the mousse and then chill it for 3 hours after I've added both layers.)

Finally, whip up 1 C of heavy cream into stiff peaks to top the pie. I do not add sugar to this, as I feel the pie has enough sugar and it becomes too sweet.

Crinkle Top Cookies
prepared by Janie D

Disclaimer:
These are once-a-year cookies at my house, because they are made with
shortening (which is soooo bad for people!). I have tried substituting
butter for the shortening, and they turn out OK, but not great. If you
do use butter instead of shortening, you'll need to chill the dough
before forming into balls and rolling in sugar. Bake for an extra
minute or so -- 9 - 10 minutes, rather than 8.

3/4 C vegetable shortening
2 C granulated sugar (divided)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C dark molasses
1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground cloves
2 C all-purpose flour
1 C raisins

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, 1 C sugar and egg. Add molasses. Combine salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and flour; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in raisins. Form into walnut-sized balls, roll in remaining sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet, leaving a bit of room for cookies to spread. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to overbake. Better to undercook than
overcook - they should be chewy. Remove to rack after baking.

Janet's Hazelnut/Sweet Cherry Baklava with brandied syrup
prepared by Janet A

Ingredients:

1 lb pkg Filo (phyllo) pastry leaves at room temperature (thawed per package directions and left out of refrigerator for at least 4 hrs)
1 C butter, melted (no substitute)

Filling:
1/2 lb hazelnuts, ground or chopped fine
1/2 lb dried Bing or other sweet cherries
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

Syrup:
1 C honey
1 C sugar
1 C water
2 T dried cherries
1 T brandy flavoring
1 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix filling ingredients in food processor (note that you can chop the hazelnuts first). Unroll pastry leaves and place under a slightly damp clean towel. Butter a 17"x12"x2" baking pan and set next to your work space. Take 6 sheets of Filo and brush every other sheet with butter. Spread 1/4 of the filling to within 1" of the end, lengthwise on this stack. Fold in the ends and roll up. With a very sharp knife, score the roll in 1" intervals. Brush with butter. Repeat until the filling & Filo are rolled & scored (you should have about 4). Drizzle a little butter over each roll and place in oven. Bake at 350 F for 1/2 hr, then reduce to 300 F and bake for another 1/2 hr.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: heat and stir all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, then boil slowly for 20 minutes. Strain syrup and drizzle over the baklava rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool until rolls can be touched, then slice at score marks all the way through. Serve warm or cold. [Note: Janet uses only half the syrup and saves the rest. Refrigerate in a jar and use for pancakes, waffles or another batch of baklava.]