Chipotle Chicken Club

I haven’t blogged for a while. Every once in a while I find it good that I take a break. It usually leaves me refreshed and ready to blog although I never stop cooking.

Here’s an easy sammie for those hot nights where you just want to throw something on the grill. If you don’t feeling like grilling, you can always throw the chicken into the oven. It’s spicy and juicy from the chicken and the sauce but the cheese and tomato help to tone that down. It’s really fast and easy.

Here’s how I made it….
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
Slices of fontina cheese
3/4c chipotle salsa – recipe follows
1/2c mayo
Zest and juice from 1/2 lime
4 strips of thick cut bacon cooked and cut in half to make 8
8 slices of tomato
Lettuce
8 slices of sourdough bread

Place chicken thighs in a bowl and toss with 1/4c of the salsa, salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 – 1 hour. Place on a grill over medium heat and cook for about 6 minutes on the first side depending on size. flip and place the cheese on the chicken. Cook an additional 6 minutes or so. Internal temp should register 165. If baking in an oven, I would set the oven at 400 and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Place the cheese on the chicken during the last few minutes of cooking. Set aside while you make the sammie.

In a small bowl combine the mayo, lime zest and juice, and salsa. You can either toast the bread first or not. Spread some of the chipotle spread on both sides of the bread. Lay a piece of chicken down on the bottom bread, top with bacon, tomato, lettuce and top with the other slice of bread. (I like to season the tomato once it’s on the sammie.) Enjoy!!!

If you have avocado, you could add that for some richness and creaminess.

Chipotle Salsa
1 chipotle from the can
4 medium size tomatillo husks removed and rinsed cit in half
2 cloves garlic still in their jackets
1/4c water

Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat. When hot add the tomatillos and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes until softened and browned. Turn every few minutes. Set aside to cool a bit. Take the skin off the garlic. Place the chipotle, tomatillos, garlic and water in a food processor or blender with a 1/2t salt and blend for a couple minutes. Let cool or refrigerate.

Lemon and Garlic Chicken

Well the weather here took a temperature dive so it was perfect for another braised chicken dish. I had some lemons I needed to use so I decided to make a lemon and garlic chicken with a Spanish spin. The chicken comes out so juicy and tender that it just falls off the bone. To infuse more lemon flavor, I cooked the chicken on top of the lemon slices which infused the lemon flavor into the chicken. It is really easy to make and can be done in less than an hour. I served it with a simple rice pilaf and green beans sauteed with tomatoes. It just might be a go to dish for your family. Here’s how I made it……

* Wanna get the kids involved. Have them help prep ingredients by having young ones measure and the older ones slice the lemons and peel the garlic. Then have them help with the actual cooking so they can learn how to saute, braise, etc.

Ingredients

2T oil
8 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1/2c flour
2 sticks Spanish chorizo
1 onion chopped
8 cloves garlic sliced
1t sweet paprika
1t dried oregano
2 lemons sliced
2 bay leaf
1/2c dry white wine
1c chicken stock
Salt and pepper
1/4c chopped parsley

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet that has a lid. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and dredge the chicken through the flour. Place in the pan meat side down and brown on both sides. Remove. Add the chorizo and brown. Remove. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook until soft. Add the garlic slices and spices and cook a couple minutes to bloom the spices. Deglaze with the wine and cook until almost all gone. Lay the slices of lemon on the onions and nestle the two bay leaves into the onions. Lay the chicken pieces on top of the lemon slices and add the chorizo back to the pan as well. Add enough stock to cover the chicken half way. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook about 20 minutes until cooked through. Uncover and add the parsley.

Simple Rice Pilaf

1/4c orzo pasta or broken spaghetti
1c rice
2c chicken stock or water
Salt and pepper

Toast the orzo in a teaspoon of oil in a small pot. Once toasted add the rice and toast for a couple of minutes. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook about 15 – 20 minutes until tender.

Juicy Tender Grilled Sticky Chicken

The weather has been so gorgeous lately, you can’t help but want to grill outdoors. First, there’s nothing better than smelling food that is being grilled. Brings back spring and summer memories of bbqing with family and friends. Second and best of all, there usually isn’t much of a mess in your kitchen.

I’ve got a super easy and flavorful sticky chicken recipe for you to try. You only need about an hour before hand to marinate the chicken and that’s it. It comes out deep brown and finger licking good. Give it a try on a busy week night. Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients

8 skinless chicken thighs or a mix of drummers and thighs
1/2c soy sauce
1/2c orange marmalade
1/4c honey
2T worchestershire sauce
1T sambal or chili sauce of your choice
3 cloves garlic minced
Salt and pepper

Mix above ingredients (besides chicken) in a dish. Lay the chicken meat side down in the marinade and let sit at least 30 before turning. You can do it overnight for more intense flavor. Cook over a medium grill. When you put the chicken on the grill spoon or brush a thick coat of the marinade on the chicken.

I served it with jasmine rice and grilled squash. Simple and easy.

Easy Garlic Rosemary Chicken

I took chicken thighs out last night to grill on the bbq because it was beautiful day in the morning but those plans quickly changes. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I hate the wind and guess what was to blame for the change of plans? The wind so I had to come up with a quick idea for the chicken thighs.

I had seen Anne Burrell make a garlic chicken earlier in the day so I decided to come up with my own quick version of a garlic chicken. I decided I would try to combine garlic, rosemary and white wine with the thighs although you can use chicken breasts if you prefer just be careful not to over cook or it could come out dry. Here’s how I made it…..

Ingredients
8 skinless chicken thighs
2T xv olive oil
1/2c flour
6 cloves garlic minced
2T chopped rosemary
1/2c dry white wine
1/2c to 1c chicken stock
1 lemon zested and juiced
1/2c chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil over medium heat. Salt and pepper the flour and dredge the chicken through the flour and shake excess off. When oil is hot, add the chicken and brown on both sides. Remove from pan. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook one minute. Deglaze with the wine and reduce down by 3/4s. Put the chicken back in the pan, add the stock, lemon juice and half of the zest, half of the parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes or so until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate, top with sauce and remaining parsley.