not your average chicken sandwich

Posted on January 18, 2012 by natalie @ wee eats

Close your eyes, wait don’t do that or you won’t be able to read this. Read this, then close your eyes and imagine, if you will, grilled ciabatta with basil mayo layered with warm, grilled chicken breast, asiago cheese, roasted red peppers (see, told you you’d need these), arugula and red onion. Do you see it in your mind’s eye? Can you smell it? Taste it?

For some reason I NEEDED this sandwich. I woke up with it in my head, had all of the ingredients on hand, and my brain was just repeating over and over “grilled chicken sandwich”, “asiago”, “roasted red peppers”, “ciabaaaataaaaaa”…. Which really isn’t a normal thing for it to repeat, normally it’s more along the lines of, “CHOCOLATE CAKE”, “PEANUT BUTTERRRRR”.

My brain (and stomach) were being held hostage, so I had no choice but to make it happen, and it was every bit as delicious as I imagined.

Ok, now wipe the puddle of drool off of your desk and go get the ingredients and make this sandwich. Now.

Oh, and you can serve it with some roasted red pepper soup and asiago croutons. For this meal, I just doctored some Trader Joe’s Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup with a little chicken stock, asiago, basil, and croutons. It was a match made in heaven.

I’m not really one to brag, but this meal just really hit the spot for me. Warm, comforting, homey, and filling…. just wow.

As much as I loved this sandwich, I can’t end this post without mentioning how much I love my new light box (thanks BF!). This thing is amazing. Of course, natural light reigns supreme for photos, but I am in a serious state of shock when I can take photos like the ones here on a day like this:

Gross, right? Without this light box I would have been screwed. Royally screwed. These photos wouldn’t have even been an option. My only wish is that it had come with more backdrops, but no biggie. I can easily fashion my own backdrops with a little cloth and some velcro. I just need the time… and motivation.

*Update – I’ve been using leftover ingredients from this sandwich to make wraps for lunch during the week …. still delicious 🙂

Asiago Chicken Sandwich – serves 2 (but can easily serve more)

[Printable Recipe]

For sandwich:

1 (½ lb) chicken breast, cooked and sliced
1 red bell pepper, roasted
½ small red onion, sliced
4 slices asiago cheese
handful arugula
1 small loaf ciabatta, sliced in half
basil mayo (recipe follows)

For mayo:

¼ cup mayo
bunch of basil, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Make your basil mayo by combining the ingredients in a small bowl or food processor. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

2. Roast your red pepper(s) if you haven’t already, peel off the skin, cut to desired size and set aside until ready to use.

3. Cook your chicken breast as desired. I marinated mine in some stock, salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, and thyme. Then grilled it over high heat for 6 minutes each side, then rest tented with foil for ten minutes. Set aside.

(You can do everything up to here a day ahead of time, and save grilling the bread for last. Or, don’t even grill the bread and have a tasty cold sandwich instead 🙂 )

4. While the chicken is resting, spread basil mayo on your ciabatta (you won’t all of the mayo). Grill over medium high to high heat until toasted (alternatively, you can toast it in a nonstick skillet, or under the broiler).

5. Assemble sandwiches however you like (some people like the toppings on the bottom, some like them on top, whatever you do, just get them in there)

chicken parmesan

Posted on September 23, 2011 by natalie @ wee eats

Chicken parmesan gets a bad rep for a number of reasons. Your usual chicken parmesan will arrive either soggy, drowning in sauce and cheese or dry and deep-fried – thrown on top of some pasta. This chicken parmesan is neither soggy, nor dry, and especially not fried. This chicken parmesan allows you to achieve a crispy chicken that is still tender, and has no melty cheese or sauce on top (except that last shaving a parmesan you see on top of mine – melted ever so slightly by the heat of the still-warm chicken).

Most breaded items are dredged in flour, then egg, then breading. I got the idea of dipping them in garlic butter from a recipe I saw over at simply recipes. It was rather ingenius, if I do say so myself. If you prefer the old-fashioned way, go ahead, but you’ll save a dish if you do it this way.

It’s baked, not fried, which means that you have time to clean up your mess, set the table, sit back and relax – whatever you like for the time that the chicken is in the oven. Using thin-sliced chicken helps it to cook faster, and if you’re a breading freak (like yours truly) make sure you use panko to get them extra crispy, and cut them into “nuggets” to get a higher breading-to-chicken ratio. The nuggets also make it a little more ‘kid-friendly’ – just serve them with the tomato sauce to dip in on the side. 🙂

Chicken Parmesan

[ Printable Recipe ]

1 lb thin-sliced* chicken breast (cutting into nuggets is optional)
1/2 stick butter
2 cloves garlic
1 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly-grated parmigianno-reggiano (or a mix of parm & pecorino)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
a few grinds of the pepper mill

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Melt butter in small bowl. Add garlic and stir to combine.

2. In a separate bowl (I actually like to use a paper plate, so I can just throw it away when I’m done), mix together bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings.

3. Dip chicken in melted butter, then bread crumbs, being sure to press it into the bread crumbs for maximum adhesion.

4. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and cook at 450F for 15 – 20 minutes until cooked through. If you have to brown it more, turn it up to broil at the end, but be sure to keep a close eye on it! You can flip them half-way through, if you like, for more even browning, but you will end up sacrificing some of the delicious breading.

*If you don’t want to buy thin-sliced (it does cost more), you can slice your own and/or pound it thin

garlic basil chicken with caprese salsa

Posted on September 1, 2011 by natalie @ wee eats

When it’s hot out, sometimes you just want something light and refreshing. Something that will fill you up without weighing you down. I realize it’s cooling down for the rest of the world, but here in AZ we’re still breaking triple-digit records. In fact, we just had the hottest August on record (go us). This dish fits the bill perfectly – the mozzarella salsa is simple and refreshing and tastes great alongside its basil chicken companion. I should have taken pictures of the dish assembled, or at least better pictures of the individual items, but it was an especially hectic day when we had this for dinner. Honestly, I am surprised I was able to snap any pictures at all.

Mom saw this recipe in Sunset magazine, and doggy-eared it for us to make together. I planned to pick mom up, stop by the store, and get to work cooking. Unfortunately, things don’t always go to plan. Mom decided she would meet at my house, so I went to the store solo after work. When I arrived home from the store, BF needed a ride to the car shop to pick up his car. When I called mom to tell her, turns out her hubby needed a ride to the Harley shop over there as well. So it turned into more of a pick BF up, pick mom’s hubby up, drop at respective shops, get home and then get to work… Oh crap, someone go pick up mom!

When I finally started cooking, I was already famished. I threw together a quick meat and cheese platter for me everyone to snack on while preparing dinner, since it was much later than we were used to eating. Thank goodness this meal came together so easily. It was surprisingly flavorful and filling, but without feeling heavy.

I halved the recipe because there were only four of us, and swapped boneless skinless chicken for the bone-in/skin-on that the original recipe called for. Also, since I was delusional with hunger, I only cut a few of the tomatoes and left the rest of them whole. Serve the salsa on top of (or under) the chicken, it’d also make a great caprese salad side all on its own.

Garlic Basil Chicken with Caprese Salsa
[Printable Version]
For the chicken:

1 cup fresh basil leaves
6 garlic cloves
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the “Salsa”

1 qt. mixed colors cherry and/or grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups (12 oz. drained) fresh mozzarella balls (or torn mozza if you can’t find them)
1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Make rub for chicken: Pulse basil, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor until roughly chopped and rub all over chicken. Let sit about 30 minutes (or just while you make your salsa).

Make “salsa”: Stir together tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to combine; let stand 30 minutes.

Grill chicken over med-high heat until cooked through (about 10 – 15 minutes) and transfer chicken to a platter. Tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve chicken on top of or covered in salsa.

[ Adapted from Sunset Magazine, July 2011 ]

spice rubbed chicken tacos

Posted on August 14, 2011 by natalie @ wee eats

I know it’s hard to believe, but humans cannot run on sugar alone. Despite my best efforts, once in a while I am required to actually make something of some nutritional value. It sucks, I know, but you gotta do what you gotta do I guess. And apparently my nutritional needs require more than just adding fruit to whatever I’m baking. (Darn!)

This recipe was actually recommended to me by my boss. Every week he has “taco night” with his family and they try out new taco recipes. On the weeks his wife cooks, she will usually bring me some of the tacos for lunch. His wife is the sweetest person in the whole wide world, but that’s another story.

Unfortunately, the other week it was his son’s turn to cook, which means no leftovers for me. 🙁 They made a Bobby Flay recipe with grilled poblanos and chicken; Tom came into work just raving about how good they were while I rocked myself back and forth with a weird tear/drool combination running down my face. It wasn’t pretty.

tacos are not the most photogenic food

I was intrigued by the recipe’s use of brown sugar and cinnamon… in tacos? Weird. But, I tried it out anyway and they turned out great! I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, but more or less used it as a jumping-off point. These tacos are spicy, but not hot, with just a slight hint of sweetness to them. Served with grilled poblanos and onions, these tacos were a hit.

I’ve been really into using slaw on my tacos, and pretty much everything lately. I spent the last 25 years of my life hating mayo and everything it touched. Just within the past year or so I started really giving it a chance. I really wish I hadn’t. All these things that I used to “hate” are things I should probably not be eating so much of anyway: butter, cheese, cream, mayo… Kind of makes me wish I was still picky.

Apparently I need to make up for missing out on coleslaw all these years by eating it on anything and everything I can, tacos included. If you haven’t tried it yet – DO IT! The cool creamy slaw cuts through the spice just enough to give it the perfect balance of flavor, while adding just a hint of “crunch” to whatever you’re eating. It’s great on tacos, sandwiches, and just about everything in between.

Spice-rubbed Chicken Tacos with Grilled Poblanos and Slaw

Printable Recipe

Grilled Poblanos:

3 large poblanos (my store only had pasilla, they looked the same so that was good enough for me)
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coleslaw:

3/4 cup mayo
1 tablespoon oil (olive oil or vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Chicken:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Canola oil
8 tortillas
2 grilled sliced poblanos
Coleslaw

For the poblanos:

1. Rub poblanos with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat or broil in the oven until skin is blackened ( a few minutes per side ).

2. Once blackened, put in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit about ten minutes, this will allow the skin to soften enough to be removed.

3. Once the skin has softened, peel off skin and remove seeds from peppers. Slice or chop peppers to use for tacos. Set aside.

For the coleslaw

1. Whisk together all but the cabbage and onion. Add the cabbage and onion; stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Chill in fridge until time to serve.

For the chicken:

1. Mix together seasonings in a small bowl. Heat grill to high.

2. Rub chicken breasts with spice mixture and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil grill until it has distinct grill marks and a slight crust has formed, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over, close the lid and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 6 minutes longer. Once cooked through, tent with foil and rest 5 – 10 minutes.

3. While the chicken is resting, heat the poblanos and tortillas on the grill. (I put the sliced poblanos with sliced onions on foil and grilled until the onions were lightly browned).

TO serve tacos: put diced chicken, grilled poblanos and onions, and cole slaw on taco. Eat and enjoy 🙂

[ Adapted from Here ]

chicken tikka masala

Posted on June 30, 2011 by natalie @ wee eats

I was not a fan of Indian food when I first tried it. My college room mate and I ordered from a campus Indian restaurant one summer and I probably ate about three bites before I gave up. I have no idea what I ate that night (my guess: rice?), but many years later BF took me to Tandoori Times Too and introduced me to chicken tikka masala, and naan, and fluffy basmati rice, and how great Indian food really can be.

For those of you who haven’t had it, this dish starts with chicken that has been marinated in a yogurt mixture, which is then cooked, chopped, and added to a tomato sauce. But not just any tomato sauce. This sauce is creamy, spicy, and features the infamous Garam Masala. The garam masala is so integral to this dish that the average grocery store spice was not enough for me. I refused to make my tikka masala with anything less than authentic Indian garam masala. Lucky for me, my good friend Pooja had some from her home in India that she was willing to share with me. Ain’t she a doll? 😉

Normally the sauce is more brown than red, Pooja said that’s because I need to cook the onions longer next time. They should be brown and caramelized instead of translucent. (Oops – still not bad for my first try!) So make sure you brown your veggies very well so that you have lots of flavorful brown bits to scrape up from the bottom of your pan for both color and flavor. I know this tikka masala isn’t the most photogenic thing I’ve ever made- but I promise your belly won’t be disappointed.

Chicken Tikka Masala – Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Printer-Friendly

3 whole (to 4) Chicken Breasts
Kosher Salt
Ground Coriander
Ground Cumin
½ C plain yogurt
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled & minced
Garam Masala
1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
1 Tbsp sugar
1 – 1 ½ C heavy cream
2 cups Basmati Rice, cooked to package directions

OPTIONAL:

Chili Peppers
Turmeric

Place chicken breasts on a plastic cutting board or in a bowl. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lightly with coriander and cumin. Add yogurt and toss to coat.
Broil chicken 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side until it is slightly blackened. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat, add diced onion and saute until browned. Once the onions are browned, add the garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
Once combined, add 2 1/2- 3 tablespoons Garam Masala. Yes, I know it seems like a lot. Just do it. If you want spice, throw in a diced chili pepper.
Add tomatoes (juice and all) and continue cooking and stirring, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and allow the sauce to simmer about 5 minutes. (I tented mine with foil to avoid a tomato-y mess)
While the sauce is simmering, cook your basmati rice according to package directions. You can add turmeric or saffron if you wish.
After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, add in the 1 – 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. If desired, you can now puree the sauce in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender to make it smooth. Chop your chicken breast into desired size and stir into the sauce. Let simmer a few minutes longer.
When ready, serve with naan (I get mine frozen at Trader Joes), and/or basmati rice.

*TIPS

*Don’t be afraid to spice liberally, depending on your preference.

*My oven was being a big, fat jerk, so my chicken took longer to cook. Just use your eyes and your nose to know when it is done. Don’t forget to flip it half-way through!

*If you wanted, you could use leftover cooked chicken breast in place of the freshly-broiled chicken breast. No worries.

*I get my naan at Trader Joes in the freezer section, but many grocery stores have it located near the pita bread.

*Make sure to brown your onions!!!

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