New Chicken Recipes For 2018

“Can you give me a new recipe for chicken?” is the most frequent question I’m asked. Here are two of my latest chicken recipes.

Adding kale, pine nuts, and feta to a spinach stuffing created super delicious moist chicken breasts. I’ll be serving them often.

The aromatic marinade imparts an alluring flavored chicken and pan juices. Use the pan juices as the dressing for the crouton topped herb salad to coordinate the entire dish. Bon appétit!

Italian Sheet-Pan Chicken On Herb Salad(Serves 6)For the chicken:4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons Greek oregano

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Grated zest of one lemon, save juice for salad

3 tablespoons vegetable juice (V8)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1, 3- to 4-pound organic chicken, cut into 6 piecesFor the salad:About 3 cups whole-grained seeded rustic bread cut into small dice

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padana cheese

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

1/2 bunch fresh watercress, tough stems removed

About 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Optional: 1- to 2-ounce chunk Grana Padana for shavingTo prepare:Working in the bowl of a mini-chop or food processor, add garlic, fennel seeds, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon zest, vegetable juice, and olive oil. Puree until it forms a rough paste

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub the paste all over the chicken and marinate in a ziplock bag for four hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare a rimmed sheet-pan with parchment.

Transfer the chicken from the bag and arrange the pieces on the sheet-pan. Place in the middle of the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with oil and grated cheese until they are coated.

After 30 minutes, scatter the bread cubes around the chicken and return to the oven and move it to the top rack. Bake until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the chicken and the bread cubes are toasted, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in the bowl used for the bread cubes, toss the tomatoes, fennel, basil, parsley and watercress together. Drizzle with a light coat of oil, sprinkle with salt and lemon juice. Add toasted bread cubes and spoon pan juices over the salad and toss. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Serve the salad alongside the chicken.Chicken Breasts, 
Stuffed With Kale, Spinach And Pine Nuts(Serves 4)For the stuffing:1 large bunch kale, washed, tough stems removed and discarded, and leaves chopped

2 boxed frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained OR 2 pounds of fresh spinach, thoroughly washed, spun dry and chopped

4 large shallots, minced

About 3 tablespoons coconut oil

About 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

About 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2 ounces crumbled feta cheese or more according to personal preferenceFor the chicken breasts:4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

About 1/2 cup corn meal or Wondra flour for dusting

Coconut oil or avocado oil for sautéing

About 1/2 cup dry vermouth

2 lemons, one for juicing and one for garnish

Fresh spinach leaves for presentationTo prepare the stuffing:In a large skillet over moderate high heat, add oil and butter.

When the foam subsides and the butter becomes aromatic and takes on a medium brown color, add the shallots and quickly sauté, about 45 seconds.

Add the kale and sauté until tender, about five to 10 minutes.

Stir in the spinach until blended, adding more oil if necessary.

Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, reduce the heat and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes longer.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Remove from the skillet, let cool completely in a large bowl.

Just before stuffing the chicken, mix in the feta and pine nuts.To prepare the chicken breasts:Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly oil a baking/serving dish that will accommodate the chicken breasts in one layer.

Wash the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.

Place chicken breasts on cutting board. Remove all the fat or connective tissue and discard it. With the side of a meat cleaver, flatten each breast for even cooking.

Place one hand on top of the breast and a boning knife in the other hand; make a slit in the middle of the meat being careful not to cut all the way through, creating a “pocket.” Stuff about one to two tablespoons of the cold spinach filling into each pocket of the chicken breast. Press the edges together to “seal.”

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dust with corn meal or flour and pat off the excess.

In a large skillet over moderate-high heat, coat the bottom with oil and sauté the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides (about 3 to 4 minutes per side.) Remove the chicken and place in baking dish.

Deglaze the skillet with vermouth or stock, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the pan juices around the chicken breast, lightly tent with foil, and bake until the juices run clear when pierced with a two pronged meat fork, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken to a warm platter and pour the accumulated juices into a strainer set over a saucepan.

Bring the juices to a boil over high heat and cook to develop a rich flavor, about five minutes.

Arrange chicken on a spinach leaf-lined platter, garnish with lemon wedges and pass the pan juices at the table.