The Chicken Man

A family tradition at our house this summer has been to watch the entire series of Breaking Bad.

My Man started watching the show on AMC network a couple of years ago, and slowly but surely, we are all now hooked.  Season 5 is the last season of Breaking Bad, and new episodes are on Sunday nights on AMC.


Breaking Bad is filled with twisted people and twisted plots.  The main character is Walter White, initially an unassuming high school Chemistry teacher with a disabled, teenage son and a pregnant wife.

 

He eventually develops cancer and decides to provide for his soon-to-be-fatherless family by "cooking" crystal methamphetamine.  Walter feels like he doesn't have anything to lose.

The title of the series comes from the American Southwest slang phrase "to break bad," meaning to challenge conventions, to defy authority and to skirt the edges of the law. The series is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Source: Wikipedia)

The distributor of Walter's product is/was Gustavo (Gus) Fring, aka The Chicken Man.

This seemingly mild-mannered Latino owned a chain of restaurants called Los Pollos Hermanos  (The Chicken Brothers) which was actually a front for the largest crystal methamphetamine operation in the Southwest.  He was a well-respected businessman and philanthropist to most of the community, but to Walter and his assistant, Jesse, Gus was a sort of mob boss who you didn't want to cross.  Or else.


Today, My Man is The Chicken Man.  With the amount of chicken he bought today, I think we could open our own Los Pollos Hermanos!  He found a fantastic deal on whole chickens (33 cents a pound!) and went a little wild, purchasing a dozen of them.  Really?!    When he was twisting "arms" and breaking bones of a different type, I shot a video which will hopefully give you insight into how to cut up a whole chicken.  This was one of the first kitchen skills my mom taught me before I left home, but since My Man is the prep cook now, I hadn't done it in awhile.  He refreshed my memory today, so I cut up two and he handled the other ten.

The Dark Side

When we had chicken for dinner when I was growing up, there was always a little tussle over who would get the coveted white meat.  Back then, chickens weren't bred to be as freakishly large as they are now, so there was less white meat to be had.  Drumsticks were always the last to go in my house.

Old habits die hard: I still favor the white meat.  But I've recently ventured to the dark side.  I've discovered that chicken thighs are pretty darn tasty, too.  They stay moist and don't have as gamey a taste as I remember from my childhood days.  Or maybe my tastebuds have changed.  Anyway, I have found boneless, skinless thighs for the same price as the breasts lately and decided to use them in this delicious, one-pot meal.  The original recipe is for a slow cooker, but I cooked it on the stove top.

Latin Chicken
From allrecipes.com
(click here to print)

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can yellow corn
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 1 cup salsa (heat level to your liking--I used medium)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• lime wedges, for garnish
• 
  
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro over the chicken thighs; brown the chicken in the frying pan, 3 to 5 minutes each side.
• 
  

Add the sweet potato chunks, red bell peppers, and garlic.

Combine the chicken stock, remaining cilantro, salsa, and spices and add to the chicken and vegetables, stirring gently.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables and chicken are tender.  Add the black beans and corn last and stir to incorporate.

I served this over quinoa for a healthy, colorful, and delightfully different meal.  A squeeze of fresh lime really adds brightness to the overall dish.

Linking to:

Zing is the Thing

I love lemons.  They're pretty and perky and bright.  The color alone makes you think of sunshine.  And summertime.

Today I was craving some lemon chicken.  I found a recipe on Food Network that got good ratings and decided to give it a try.  I did change the original recipe slightly by sauteing "naked" chicken (no flour coating) and omitting the honey.   This was very flavorful and zingy.

Baked Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Adapted from a recipe by Food Network Kitchens
(click here to print)

3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, patted dry
lemon pepper and salt (I used Penzey's Sunny Spain salt-free blend)

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Season the chicken with salt and lemon pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes.

Add the lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and chicken broth to deglaze the pan and bring to a simmer.

Use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer the onions to a 9- by 13-inch ovenproof baking dish.  Place the browned chicken on top, skin-side up.  Pour the liquid over the chicken.

 Bake for about 45 minutes total, basting every 15 minutes, or until tender.

Serve the sauce as a gravy over rice or potatoes.  Imagine you're in the Mediterranean when the flavors make your belly dance.

Linking to:

Chinese Wrap and Roll

I enjoy the lettuce wraps at Pei Wei (a sister restaurant to PF Chang) but have discovered a way of making something similar at home.  They're not an exact match, but they're still darn good, and healthy, too!  My whole family loves them.

Light, healthy and delicious!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 (click here to print recipe)

1 T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken breast (you can substitute turkey, if you desire)
1/2 small red bell pepper, minced
3-4 green onions, chopped finely (make sure to use the green tops for color)
2 garlic cloves, minced
 
Stirfry Sauce
3 T. lite soy sauce (I like Kikkoman brand)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. grated, fresh ginger root
2 T. brown sugar


Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the ground chicken and stir to break up the lumps and until the chicken loses its pink color, about 10 minutes.

Add the bell pepper, onions, and garlic cloves and stir until they are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the sauce ingredients. Cook for an additional five minutes or so, or until the mixture is hot and fragrant.

Serve with butter lettuce leaves and bottled hoisin sauce (if desired).

I put the components of this meal on the table and let everyone wrap and roll their own!  As my daughter said, these are messy but fun to eat!

I linked this to: