Kristen's Recipes

Shoyu Chicken

3/4 C. soy sauce (shoyu)

1 1/2 C. water

2 T. honey

1/2 C. packed dark brown sugar

One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1/2 Maui onion, peeled and cut into %-inch wedges

2 or 3 green onions, white and green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 1/2 T. cornstarch

3 C. steamed rice, for serving

In a heavy Dutch oven or pot, mix the soy sauce, water, honey, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic together. Nestle the chicken thighs in the sauce, skin side up, submerging the meat as much as possible. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. When the sauce comes to a boil, add the Maui onion wedges and green onion pieces and turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot with a lid and let simmer for 30 minutes. Using a pair of kitchen tongs, gently turn all the chicken pieces over. Cover the pot again and simmer for another 30 minutes. Check the tenderness of the meat with a fork; if you can easily insert the fork into the meat, the chicken is done. Remove the cooked thighs from the sauce, reserving it, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with V4 C. of the sauce until smooth, then add the cornstarch mixture back to the pot with the remaining sauce and cook over medium-low for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Broil the chicken thighs for a minute or two, watching carefully to make sure you do not burn the skin. The goal is to just quickly brown the skin. Serve the chicken with the thickened sauce and rice.

Honey Roasted Figs and Chicken

2-3 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6 to 8)

1 tsp. salt divided

1 tsp. pepper divided

2 T. olive oil

2 T. red wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup honey

pinch red pepper flakes

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 large white onion thinly sliced

2 large shallots thinly sliced

8 cloves garlic whole

2 T. fresh oregano leaves chopped, plus 2 T. whole leaves

8 fresh figs

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, honey, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. Set aside. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Heat a heavy 12 or 14 inch cast iron or ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil and place chicken skin side down. Brown until skin is deep golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over and brown other side, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from frying pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook onions, shallots until translucent, 5 minutes. Add whole garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add cornstarch mixture, chopped oregano, and remaining black pepper. Cook until mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Fry Pan Roasting: Set chicken skin side up in frying pan and add quartered figs. Roast in oven until figs soften and caramelize slightly and meat is no longer pink at bone, about 15 minutes, OR internal temperature is 165°F. Divide chicken, figs, and sauce among plates and top with whole oregano leaves. 9×9” Baking Dish: If doubling, use 13×9” baking dish. Pour onion, shallot sauce mixture on bottom of baking dish. Set chicken skin side up on top of onion shallot sauce mixture and add arrange quartered figs around chicken. Roast in oven until figs soften and caramelize slightly and meat is no longer pink at bone, about 15 minutes, OR internal temperature is 165°F. Divide chicken, figs, and sauce among plates and top with whole oregano leaves. Notes: With using fresh figs, trim stems, halve (quarter if large).  If using dried: Re-constitute by covering in boiling water by 1 inch and steep for 30 minutes, covered. Drain and use.

Seared Panzanella Chicken

1 cup olive oil

12 garlic cloves, peeled

4 boneless chicken breasts

4 boneless chicken thighs

16 good-size chunks day-old bread, drizzled with olive oil and coarse salt

1/3 cup pitted oil-cured black olives

4 cups chicken stock

Salt and black pepper to taste

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 bunch arugula, cleaned and dried on a clean dish towel

¼ cup sherry vinegar

¾ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a small pan, add one cup of olive oil and 12 cloves of garlic. Slowly caramelize the garlic until tender. In a skillet, pan sear the chicken pieces and place on a baking sheet until all pieces are seared. Place in the preheated oven to roast. Cut up chunks of day-old bread and drizzle with olive oil and salt (about four cubes of bread per person). Place in oven to toast. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan and keep warm. Discard oil from pan and add pitted olives, the garlic and chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the crust. Taste, then add salt and pepper and chopped parsley. Remove toasted bread and place on plates. Spoon the sauce over the warm croutons. Top with an arugula salad dressed with sherry vinegar, olive oil and sugar and warm roasted chicken.

Anchovy Chicken with Lemon and Capers

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 to 5 thighs)

1 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil

5 oil-packed anchovy fillets

2 T. capers, drained and patted dry

Large pinch of red chile flakes

1 lemon, halved

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Crusty bread, for serving

Heat the oven to 4OO°F. Season the chicken thighs with the salt and pepper. Mince one of the garlic cloves and set it aside for later. Heat a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, and then add the olive oil; it should thin out on contact. When the oil is hot, add the 5 smashed garlic cloves and the anchovies, capers, and chile flakes. Lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies, until the garlic browns around the edges and the anchovies dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken thighs and cook until nicely browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the thighs over, transfer the skillet to the oven, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. When the chicken is done, transfer the thighs to a plate (be careful—the skillet handle will be hot, so use a pot holder or oven mitt). Place the skillet over medium heat, and add the reserved minced garlic and the juice of one of the lemon halves. Cook for about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Return the chicken to the skillet and warm it in the sauce for 15 to 30 seconds. Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the delicious pan sauce.

Roast Chicken Thighs Stuffed with Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese

5 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)

2 T. olive oil

1 tube goat cheese, sliced into 1/2″ medallions

1 T. dried parsley

1 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the thighs on a large baking sheet with 1″ sides. Use your fingers to gently pull the skin up from each thigh, creating a small pocket. Gently slide 1 piece under the skin of each thigh. (Eat any leftovers with crackers.) Drizzle the tops of the thighs with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley. Bake the chicken thighs for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 160°F in the meatiest part of the largest thigh. The cheese should start to ooze, and the skin should be golden brown and crispy. Let the thighs rest for 10 minutes before serving. Notes: Any kind of goat cheese will do! If you have plain goat cheese, try rolling it in your own mix of scallions, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, or even garlic powder. There are so many delicious flavor possibilities!

1 T. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 T. fresh lime juice, divided
4 (6-oz.) chicken thighs, skinned
3 T. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 T. white vinegar
2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 lime wedges

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir in 1 T. juice. Rub garlic mixture over chicken. Place chicken in a medium skillet. Combine 1 T. juice, chicken broth, and vinegar; pour over the chicken. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Wrap handle of pan with foil. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 180°. zremove chicken from pan; keep warm. Place pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/4 C. (about 3 minutes). Spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

Yield: 2 servings
Calories: 326
Fat: 10.4g
Fiber: .5g

Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
2 1/2 C. coarsely chopped onion
8 (3-oz.) skinned, boned chicken thighs
1/2 C. dry white wine
1/2 C. fat-free chicken broth
3 T. tomato paste
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. minced fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper
Dash of black pepper
Pepper-Spiked Polenta
Tarragon sprigs (optional)

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add chicken; sauté each side 3 minutes or until browned. Combine wine and next 8 ingredients (wine through black pepper) in a medium bowl; stir well. Add wine mixture to chicken mixture; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with Pepper-Spiked Polenta. Garnish with tarragon sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 2 thighs, 1/2 C. sauce, and 1 C. polenta

Calories: 372
Fat: 8.2g
Fiber: 4.4g

1 1/2 lb. chicken thighs, skin-on and deboned
Salt
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons melted butter
20 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed
1/4 cup white wine, beer, or champagne
1/4 cup water
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Italian Parsley
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Season the chicken with a little salt and black pepper. Heat up a skillet (cast-iron skillet preferred) on medium heat, add a little bit of butter. Pan-fry the chicken with the skin side down first, until both surfaces become crispy or nicely browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Add the remaining melted butter and sauté the garlic until light brown. Add the chicken back into the skillet, follow by the white wine and water. Lower the heat and let simmer. Add salt to taste and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Reduce the sauce a bit. Add the chopped parsley and top the chicken with Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and broil the chicken in the oven until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

3 tsp. clarified butter
8-10 oz. mushrooms, end trimmed, with stem intact
1 C. shallots
1 C. pearl onions, cut in half
4 cloves garlic
olive oil, if needed
8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
1/2 C. chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat your 2T. clarified butter on medium-high heat in a large pan that goes from stove to oven. Add mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes covered. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, add 1T. clarified butter, along with the shallots and pearl onions, and cook for 3 minutes. If sticking occurs, add a glug of olive oil. Then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove and set aside. Increase heat a bit and add another glug of olive oil. Sear the chicken until brown, about 3 minutes a side, making sure not to flip until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Place mushrooms on the bottom, then the onions, then place the chicken back in. Bake in the oven covered for 30-40 minutes. Remove top for the last 10 minutes to brown. Remove from oven and serve.

1 3/4 pound bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (this is 4 meaty thighs)
1 1/2 tsp. Gourmet Garden Garlic Paste (or 3 garlic cloves, finely minced)
1 1/2 tsp. Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste (or a 1 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. hot sauce

Heat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly mist an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Snip any large globs of fat off chicken and discard (I leave the skin on because I like it!), and place chicken in prepared dish. To a small bowl, add garlic, ginger, apricot preserves, soy sauce, chile powder and hot sauce, and stir well to combine. Spoon most of sauce over chicken, spreading to cover with the back of the spoon. Reserve a little bit of sauce (maybe ~ 4 tsp.) for serving time. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow chicken to cool for about 5 minutes. Serve, spooning remaining sauce over top if you like. Accompany with a green salad, another vegetable like carrots or broccoli, and rice or potatoes if you like.

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup basil leaves, chiffonade

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan, thyme, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet. Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with basil, if desired.