Crunchy Chicken

When I was a younger mother and cook, I devised my own recipe for chicken like "Shake & Bake". This is my middle son's favorite dish, and we had it for dinner tonight. These measurements are an approximation because this dish is so old-hat for me. Also, this is not for the cholesterol-watchers because the crunchy skin is so delicious.

6 chicken leg quarters
5 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
2 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Special equipment: 2 one-gallon zipper bags

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil. If the chicken legs are particularly fatty, place a flat rack or broiling rack in the baking pan and cover the rack with foil; poke holes in the foiled rack for the fat to drip through.
2. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Beat rapidly with a fork or whisk. Beat in the lemon juice. Pour this mixture into one zipper bag.
3. Pour the breadcrumbs and the rest of the dry ingredients into the other zipper bag. Shake thoroughly to mix the seasonings.
4. Place one chicken leg quarter in the egg bag and seal tightly. Shake or massage the egg mixture to coat the chicken leg. Remove the wet leg to the breadcrumb bag and seal tightly. Shake, shake, shake, shake until the leg is completely coated with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the coated chicken leg in the baking pan, skin-side up.
5. Repeat Step 4 for the remainder of the chicken leg quarters. Space them evenly in the pan so they do not overlap or touch each other, if possible.
6. Bake chicken legs for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crunchy on the outside. You can turn the oven off at this time and let the chicken remain in the cooling oven for another 10-15 minutes for more tender chicken and less fatty skin.

Serves 6 adults.

White Chili

This one's made on the stove, but you could easily adapt it for the crockpot*.

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons minced garlic
6 teaspoons ground cumin
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground chicken
1 lb ground turkey
4 cups chicken stock
1 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
1 15-oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons dried summer savory

Hot pepper sauce
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Garnishes: chopped green onions, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream

1. Heat vegetable oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add veal, chicken, and turkey and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until no longer pink, 8 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock, jalapeños, beans, marjoram and summer savory to meat mixture. Stir well. Add hot pepper sauce to taste. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until chili is thick, about 1 1/2 hours.Serve chili with green onions, cheese and sour cream.
   

Serves 8 with lots of leftovers. Chili is always better on the second day, so make a batch and refrigerate it overnight. Serve white chili over turkey or chicken hotdogs for another meal.

*Crockpot notes: If I were making this for the crockpot, I'd sauté the meat first and put it in a 6-quart crockpot. Do not cook onions or garlic, just add them to the meat and stir. Stir in the jalapeño, beans, herbs and cumin and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Season with hot pepper sauce before serving.

Chicken With Creole Mustard-Orange Sauce

This dish is adapted from one made with duck at Brigtsen's in New Orleans. I serve it with brown rice and a tossed green salad, although green beans would go well, too.

5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup orange juice
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup Creole or whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
Kosher salt
Black pepper

1. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side.
3. Add orange juice and broth to skillet. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
4. Add mustard, honey, and pepper sauce to skillet. Increase heat and boil until sauce thickens, whisking occasionally, about 7 minutes. Sauce should coat a spoon when ready.
5. Return chicken to skillet. Simmer until heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer chicken to plates; top with sauce and serve.

Serves 5. Can be made in 45 minutes or less.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ramblin' Mom asked for some crockpot recipes to get her through her busy season at work. Hope you won't find these unnecessarily "taxing".

2 medium onions, sliced thin
8 oz. mushrooms, quartered
3 lb. chicken, cut up or 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. canned plum tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 lb. spaghetti

Special equipment: 6-quart slow cooker

1. Place onions and mushrooms in the bottom of the crockpot.
   
2. Place the chicken pieces on top of the onions. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Crush the plum tomatoes in your hands and add them over the chicken. Add the garlic, tomato sauce, herbs and wine or stock.
4. Cover the pot and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
5. Just before the chicken is finished cooking, boil water for the pasta. Cook the pasta and drain.
6. Serve the chicken with its sauce over the pasta you have prepared.

Serves 4.

Turkey Meatloaf

3 lbs. ground turkey or chicken, or a combination of the two
1 medium onion
1/2 green or red pepper
8 oz. mushrooms
3/4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon curry powder
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
   
2. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Dice the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and add to the bowl. Mix.
3. Add the breadcrumbs, curry powder, salt and pepper and mix well. Add the eggs and mix, preferably with your hands, just enough to blend the eggs into the turkey mixture.
4. Roll turkey mixture into a large ball and place on the baking sheet. Mold into a long, uniform loaf.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Serves 6 with plenty of leftovers. Makes great sandwiches the next day: spread the bread with mayonnaise and a little Dijon mustard.