Chicken

The Great Greek Alfredo

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Chicken broccoli and ziti and pasta primavera are just two of the many dishes that use an alfredo sauce. It is full of cream and overly heavy. Often times people mess this sauce up because of the roux needed to thicken the sauce or the over reduction of the heavy  cream. Forget the overly complicated techniques. A quick and painless way to a creamier  alfredo sauce is using “Greek” Cream Cheese and Yogurt.

As with most of my recipes, they are easy and home cook friendly. Feel free to adapt the flavorings and ingredients to fit your personal preferences like this Chicken Pasta Primavera Recipe. It is such an inexpensive dish that is always a family favorite.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

  • 1 lb. whole wheat penne (use which ever pasta shape you like, and the whole wheat adds a really nice nuttiness to this dish)
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breast, small diced
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken stock (this amount is varied depending on how much sauce you like!)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4-6 ounces of “Greek” Cream Cheese and Yogurt (I say 4-6 because the more you put the thicker the sauce will get)
  • 1/2 onion, sliced thin
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, blanched
  • 1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced (any variety of mushroom will do, i also love oyster mushrooms)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 bunch white or green asparagus, blanched
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 lemon, zested

I seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and some Italian seasoning. Feel free to play with the amounts on these :-)

Saute the chicken in olive on medium heat until the chicken starts to get some color. Season with salt and pepper. (always important to season as you go) Add in your onion, mushrooms and garlic. Continue to saute these until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms start to gain some golden brown color.

Add in remaining vegetables and season to your liking. Pour in your chicken stock and let this come to a boil and reduce by 1/4. Stir in your “Greek” Cream Cheese Yogurt until combined and creamy. Feel free to reduce this if you want a thicker sauce. The cream cheese addition is lighter than adding all that heavy cream, butter and cheese. The tang from the cream cheese also sets this dish apart. Finish by adding the lemon zest and immediately serve. (this way the vest stays bright and aromatic)

*Go ahead and use any vegetables you want. The star of this dish is the sauce and is complimentary to most any vegetables or meat.

Roasted Chicken Demystified

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Roasted chicken can be one of those boring week night meals that everybody is sick of. Problem? They are not doing it right. I will teach you the easiest roasted chicken. The trick to a perfect bird is seasoning and cooking time.

Home cooks tend to take chicken out AT 165 degrees. Ding dong… it’s carry over cooking time calling.

Carry over cooking and resting any meat is essential to keep the it moist and let the juices rest. If cut the protein right away once pulled from the oven, all the juices will escape and you will have a dry product. Carry over cooking is the time when you pull the protein out of the oven until the time you cut it. There should be at LEAST a 5 minute resting period before you cut or serve your protein. Trust me on this… you will thank me. #yourewelcome.

 

Here’s what you will need to create the perfect roast chicken:

  • 1 5 lb. Chicken (patted dry…this will help create a crispy skin)
  • 1 Stick of Butter, softened (This will make massaging the bird easy)
  • 3 Sprigs Sage, picked
  • 1 Small bunch Thyme, picked
  • 2 Sprigs of Rosemary, picked
  • 1 Lemon, zested THEN sliced
  • Salt and Pepper

 

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the bird dry and season generously with salt and pepper. I mean get in there, season the wings, the legs, the breast, the underside and even the cavity.

In a food processor,combine the stick of softened butter, herbs and lemon zest. Pulse this mixture until combined. Take a few slices of lemon and shove them under the skin of the breast. Now take a few more and shove them into the cavity of the chicken.

Step 2:

Massaging time! Rub the compound butter all over the chicken to make an even layer of butter. This will not only help with the flavor but also the crispiness of the skin. (after all who doesn’t like a crispy skin?)

Place in the oven on a wire rack with a baking pan under neath. If you do not have either of these place the chicken directly on a cookie sheet (not the underside of the chicken prepare this way will not be as crispy…but equally tasty) Cook the chicken at 375 for 1 hour, then turn the oven up to 400-425 for an additional hour. Pull the chicken just after 2 hours and let rest for 10 minutes.

 

Take a look at the end result….notice the skin golden brown and crispy, the herbs and the lemon under the skin make for an unreal roasted chicken experience.

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