Chicken Korma

Chicken Korma

Karma is one of my favorite indian dishes, well at least of the ones I have tried. The bold flavors and the creaminess makes me happy every time. And when you serve korma with my kryptonite bread, as naan bread and rice, it can't get any better in my world.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 4 large chicken breasts (about 2¼ pounds/1kg)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons garam masala

• 2 teaspoons curry powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Sauce:

• 2 onions, peeled and quartered

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled

• 250 ml (1 cup) water

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 teaspoons curry powder

• 2 teaspoons turmeric

• 2 teaspoons garam marsala

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 red dried chili, minced (use less if you don't like spicy food)

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 can peeled tomatoes, diced

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

• 85 g cashews, ground

• ⅔ can of coconut milk

• 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

Topping:

• cilantro

Directions:

Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a ziplock bag, and set aside.

Cut the chicken breasts up into bitesized cubes. Add the chicken to the marinade, massaging it, to cover it all with the spices. Let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat some oil in a large pot, I used my dutch oven. Brown the marinated chicken. Remove the chicken, and set aside.

Blend onion and garlic with water, until you have a smooth puree. Heat the olive oil in the pot, Add the pureed onion mixture and cook for a few minutes, until it begins to darken in color. Add tomatoes, ginger, ground cashews, coconut milk, yogurt, red chili, and spices. Turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add the chicken and yogurt to the sauce and let it simmer another 10-15 minutes, while you cook the rice, and the chicken gets cooked through. 

Serve with rice and naan bread.

Enjoy! 

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I have been experimenting with stuffing chicken breasts for years. I wanted to stuff cheese and some kind of vegetables. Most cheeses will melt and disappear during the cooking process, but somehow goat cheese works perfectly, and the flavors from the scallions and bell peppers pair well with the chicken and sage.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons goat cheese
• 5 scallions, finely sliced
• ¼ red bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2-4 sage leaves
• 6 slices prosciutto
• 100 ml white wine
• a splash cream, optional

Directions:

 Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Mix the goat cheese with scallions, bell pepper and water, so you have a paste. Place a chicken breast on the cutting board. Cut a pocket into the breast horizontally from the side. Place half the cheese mixture into the pocket you just made. Place a sage leave on top of the chicken breast. Wrap 2-3 slices prosciutto round the chicken breast, to lock the mixture inside. Place chicken breast in an ovenproof dish. Repeat with the other chicken breast.

Pour the wine and cream into the dish, and cook the chicken in the oven for 40-45 minutes. 

Serve the chicken with pasta and a nice salad.

Enjoy!

Ginger Chicken

Ginger Chicken

I love clean thai dishes with few ingredients and this it a hit in my book. The ginger is a lovely bright flavor and it pairs perfect with the oyster sauce and the chicken.  It will be back on the menu in my house again soon. Nadia you are a star.

Recipe adapted from Foodfanatic Thai.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, diced 

• 250 g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1-2 onions, depending on size, cut into small wedges

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 40 g ginger, cut in thin sticks

• 100 ml (about ½ cup) oyster sauce 

• 100 ml (about ½ cup) chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 teaspoon palm sugar, or regular sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

• oil for frying

• 5 scallions, sliced

• 1 chili, thinly sliced for topping

Directions:

Wash and slice all the ingredients, so you have everything ready to go in the wok/pan. 

Heat oil in a wok, add the garlic just to get fragrant a few seconds, then brown the chicken, while stirring. Add the onions and cook until almost translucent, it takes a few minutes. Add, mushrooms, ginger, oyster sauce, sugar, pepper, fish sauce and stock. Cook for a few minutes until all the ingredients are tender and the chicken is just done. Finally add the scallions, and let then just warm before serving. 

Serve the ginger chicken over rice or cauliflower rice, sprinkle with chili to add some heat.

Enjoy!

Slow Roasted Chicken in Clay Baker

Slow Roasted Chicken in Clay Baker

The clay baker or a Römertopf was a popular item in the late sixties to early seventies. My mom had a clay baker like this, but I have never seen it being used. I think my mom thought that it was a bit of a hassle to soak the clay baker before use. But if she had know that how moist and juicy a slow roasted chicken gets, I'm sure she would have used it. 

The clay baker has got a renaissance in the last few years. You can make a lot of different roasts in it, but you can bake bread in it too.

Avoid drastic temperature changes with a clay baker. Always presoak baker for 30 minutes and always allow to cool before cleaning.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 1 large whole chicken
• 1 red onion, cut in chunks
• 6 carrots, cut in chunks
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 lemons, zested and cut or sliced
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 200 ml white wine
• 800 g fingerling potatoes
• salt

Directions:

Completely submerge top and bottom of the clay baker in water and let soak for minimum 30 minutes prior to cooking. 

Zest the lemon, and mix it with the butter together with the chopped rosemary.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with salt inside and put the chopped up lemon inside too. Gently loosen the skin from the breasts and drumsticks, using your fingers. Rub the butter under the loosen skin, set aside.

Put onion, carrots, garlic, 1 rosemary sprig and the wine in the bottom of the clay baker. Place chicken on top, and rub the chicken with salt. Put lid on the clay baker.

Place clay baker in a cold oven and then turn temperature to 300℉ (150℃). Bake covered for 2 hours, then add the potatoes round the chicken. Cook covered for another 45-60 minutes. If the skin isn’t crispy by now cook the chicken uncovered for about another 15-20 minutes at 430℉ (220℃), until skin is browned and chicken is done.

Remove the chicken from the clay baker at let it stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Drain the liquid into a saucepan, cook it for 10-15 minutes or until reduced to half. You can thicken the liquid if you like it, so you have a sauce. 

Serve the chicken with the potatoes and vegetables and a green salad.

(I'm not using a regular rubber band for my cooking, I use Stretch Cooking Bands. They are easy to use, and easy to remove after cooking.)

Enjoy!

Høns i Asparges - Chicken & Asparagus in tartlets

Høns i Asparges - Chicken & Asparagus in tartlets

Høns in asparges or Creamed chicken and asparagus in tartlets is an old Danish classic dish. Normally it will be served as a part of the traditional christmas and easter lunches. For sure this is old school Danish food, called mormor-mad (Grandmother food). And mormor-mad is peasant food, and not on the healthy side. But if you loose the tartlets and serve the dish with boiled potatoes, boiled carrots and some bread, you can have a regular meal. Creamed chicken and asparagus in tartlets is kinda the same thing as chicken potpie, if you serve it upside-down. 

Creamed chicken and asparagus was a big favorite in my house growing up, but wasn't served on a regular basis, so it was a rare but special treat.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 25 g butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• ½ cup (1 dl) chicken stock

• ½ cup (1 dl) milk

• asparagus water,

• salt & white pepper to taste

Filling:

• 1 jar white asparagus in water, save the water for the sauce

• ½ chicken, the meat prepared (I used the left over meat from my chicken noodle soup)

Tartlets:

Use  Tarteletter, savory tartelettes or make your own with puff pastry homemade or store bought. 

Directions:

Sauce: 

Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add the flour and a sprinkle of salt, stirring constantly, until all the flour is incorporated with the butter. You don't want it to get a golden. First whisk in the hot chicken stock, making sure to not to have any lumps left, then whisk in the milk, asparagus water and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and shiny, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick.

Cut the asparagus and chicken into bitesize pieces. Gently fold in the filling in the sauce, and season with salt and white pepper.

Serve the creamed chicken & asparagus in tartelettes, with boiled potatoes or with a slice of a good bread.

Enjoy!