Tastes like chicken
Am I the only one in a chicken mood?
I’m in a chicken mood this week, thanks to the power of the Internet. When I started clicking around recipe blogs, it seemed like everyone had gotten together and decided that chicken would be on the menu. Maybe it’s National Chicken Week or something? Regardless, now I’ve got chicken on the brain — and I bet you will, too, by the time you’re done reading this.
Fried chicken has always been a favorite guilty pleasure of mine, so I can’t wait to try this chicken with spinach and warm bacon vinaigrette. Even with 8 ingredients, Jenny Rosenstrach says this recipe is quick and easy, and I love the sound of fresh spinach cooked in vinegar, wine and a little bit of bacon grease. (Dinner a Love Story)
If the very idea of frying in bacon grease sends you straight the treadmill, try not to get discouraged. Deb Perelman says oven roasted chicken can be just as flavorful as the fried variety. Her secret: Let the chicken pieces marinate for a full day in a brine of buttermilk, garlic, paprika and other spices, then drizzle with olive oil and roast for at 30 least minutes. Prep time is all of five minutes, but the day-long soak leaves the chicken “unbelievably tender and flavorful,” Deb says. (Smitten Kitchen)
Can’t finish up all that roasted chicken? Throw the leftovers into a stock pot and whip up this farmhouse chicken chowder that’s thickened with heavy cream to “add a touch of indulgence.” Besides the chicken and the cream, I count at least 15 different vegetables and spices in this recipe, so you can pretty much clean out your entire refrigerator all in one fell swoop. (Cinnamon Girl Recipes)
Leftover chicken is also great for casseroles, and I especially like the sound of this green chile enchilada bake, which takes just one dish and 5 minutes of prep time. With enchilada sauce, salsa verde, black beans and corn tortillas, this casserole has a definite south-of-the-border flavor — and if you’ve already had enough chicken for the week, you can substitute turkey, instead. (Picky Palate)
Okay, I’m sure you’ve gotten your Recommended Daily Allowance of chicken by now, so let me switch gears and leave you with a couple of recipes from the fruit-and-vegetables food group. Brooke McLay says she’s trying to nudge her family toward a healthy vegetarian diet, and her first step was this “seriously rich and hearty” veggie pot pie soup. It’s made with 16 ounces of gnocchi plus 6 different veggies, and Brooke says even the carnivorous teenager in her house couldn’t help asking for seconds. (Cheeky Kitchen)
Finally, even if you have absolutely no intention of making dessert this week, you at least need to check out the photos of this berry and mascarpone tart. Bree Hester says she makes these tarts whenever she needs a dessert “that looks super fancy and impressive, but really is not.” Besides all the big, plump, colorful berries, Bree’s secret to a photo-worthy tart is apricot jelly, which she melts and brushes on top to make the fruit “shiny and beautiful.” (Baked Bree)
Hmm, I wonder if that trick would work with chicken?
Photo credit: artpipi via iStockphoto
