Chicken recipes are always a welcome dish any time of year.  There are many varieties of recipes.  However, chicken recipes have been the basis of many of our favorite dishes from the beginning.  As far back as you remember, you probably were eating chicken.  So naturally chicken recipes have evolved into one of our own cultural foods. 

 

Cornmeal Chicken Wings

 

Ingredients:

• 10 chicken wings
• 2 tbsp margarine
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup blue or yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

How to:

• In a large bowl, mix the lime juice, oil and red pepper
• Cut each chicken wings at the joint (make about 3 pieces)
• Cut off and discard tips and excess skin
• Place winglets into oil mixture, stir to coat
• Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours (no longer than 24 hours)
• Stir occasionally then drain, discard mixture
• Heat over to 425 degrees
• Melt the margarine in a pan, in oven
• In another bowl, mix cumin, flour, salt, black pepper, cornmeal and mix well
• Coat chicken wings in new mixture then onto baking pan with margarine
• Bake uncovered for 20 mins then turn
• Bake for another 20 to 25 mins longer or till juice is clear and wings are cooked

 

 

Chicken with Fruits and Vegetables

 

Ingredients:
• 1 whole chicken (cut into pieces)
• 2 large tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 medium Spanish or red onion (sliced into rings)
• 2 large zucchini (cubed)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 pineapples slices (cubed)
• 2 apples (peeled, cored & cubed)
• 2 large bananas (unpeeled & sliced into rounds)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt
• pepper

How to:

• Preheat the oven to moderate
• Place the chicken on a baking dish
• Cover with the vegetables and fruit
• Drizzle oil all over the dish
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Cover the baking tray with aluminum foil
• Bake till chicken is done and fruit are cooked but still crisp (45 mins to 1 hour)
• Serve hot with rice

 

Chicken with Walnut Sauce

 

Ingredients: 

• 3 whole chicken breasts (skinned, boned, halved, cut into slices)
• 5 tbsp peanut oil
• 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 3 dried chilies anchos
• 1 large onion (chopped fine)
• 2 cup walnut (broken into pieces)
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup chicken stock (home-made or canned)

 

How to:

• Make the chicken first, heat 3 tbsp oil in a large skillet
• Sauté 1/3 of garlic till just golden brown
• Add in chicken breasts and sauté 5 mins on each side
• When chicken is done, remove and set aside
• Keep warm in a low oven
• To make the sauce, add the remaining 2 tsp oil to skillet
• Sauté the onions and remaining garlic till onion becomes translucent
• Transfer onions and garlic to food processor
• Add rest of ingredients (except chicken) and process to smooth puree
• Return puree to skillet and bring to a simmer
• Cook for 5 mins, stirring constantly
• Sauce should be the consistently of heavy cream, if too thick, add more chicken stock or a little water
• If sauce is too thin, cook a few mins longer to reduce
• Place breasts in sauce, cook and simmer for 3 more mins or till breasts are heated through

* Preparing chilies anchos: To prepare the dried chilies, break them into pieces and placed in a boiling pot of water.

Remove from heat, allow chilies to dry. Using rubber gloves, remove the veins, stems and seeds. Place the flesh into

a blender or food processor with enough liquid to make a smooth paste. Do a big batch and refrigerate in the fridge

and use as needed.

 

Chicken Stock and Soup

 

Ingredients:

Chicken Stock
• 1 whole chicken (cut into serving bite sizes)
• 10 cups water
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 whole carrot
• 1 tbsp salt
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 small spring parsley
• 1 small onions (quartered)

Chicken Soup
• 1/4 cup canned chickpeas (or cooked chickpeas)
• 1 chayote or choko (peeled & quartered)
• 2 carrots (sliced thick)
• 1 large potato (peeled & cut into chunks)
• 2 ears cobs corn (cut into 3 pieces)
• 1 cup cabbage (sliced)
• 2 springs coriander
• 1 spring spearmint
• 1 cup cooked long-grain rice
• 3 limes (sliced)
• 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
• 4 chilies serranos (seeds & membranes removed, chopped)

How to:

• How to make Chicken Stock: Rinse chicken and giblets
• Place them in a large pot
• Add water, whole carrot, garlic, salt, peppercorns, parsley and onion
• Bring to a boil, skim surface for scum, cover and cook over medium heat for 1 hour
• Let cool, remove chicken and degrease stock
• How to make Chicken Soup: Add chickpeas after stock has cooked for 30 mins
• Cook 30 mins more then discard parsley, onion and whole carrot
• Add in the chayote, potato, corn, sliced carrots, cabbage, cilantro and spearmint
• Cover and cook over medium heat for 30 mins or till vegetables become tender
• To serve: Put a piece of chicken and some vegetables in each bowl
• Add rice (optional) and pour hot broth over
• Pass lime slices and chopped chilies and onions separately

TIP: Use chicken parts such as the back and neck for stock.

 

Chicken and Oranges

 

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 chicken pieces
• 1 orange (sliced)
• 1 onion (cut into wedges)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds (sliced)
• 1 tbsp capers (drained)
• 2 garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• Ground saffron (optional)

How to:

•  Remove skin from chicken if desired
• Rinse chicken, pat dry
• Using a blender, combine the onion, cooking oil, salt, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and garlic
• Blend till a paste form
• Rub paste over chicken parts
• In a baking dish, place all chicken
• Slowly add the orange juice, raisins, capers and saffron (if using)
• Cover and bake for 20 mins
• Uncover and bake extra 20 to 25 mins or till chicken is tender and not pink
• Serve chicken on platter garnish with orange slices and almonds

 

Oregano Chicken

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 large chicken (4 lbs) - cut into pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 tbsp oil
• 500 g tomatoes verdes (husks removed and chopped)
• 1/2 onion (chopped)
• 2 pickled chilies chipotles (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 5 tbsp piloncillo sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano)
• 1 cup chicken stock

How to:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper
• Heat oil in a large skillet
• Add chicken and sauté but do not brown
• Remove chicken and pour off excess oil, leave only 1 tbsp of oil in skillet
• Add tomatoes verdes, onion, chilies and garlic to skillet
• Sauté over low heat, stirring constantly till onions turn transparent
• Add piloncillo or brown sugar, oregano and stock
• Simmer till mixture thickens slightly
• Correct seasoning, adjust
• Add chicken, cover and cook for 30 mins till tender

If you are unable to find piloncillo sugar, use brown sugar instead

 

Oven Barbequed Chicken Chihuahua 

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 chicken (cut into serving pieces)
• 1 large onion (chopped fine)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• zest of 1 orange
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 6 cloves garlic (quartered)
• 1 tbsp achiote (annatto) seeds
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

How to: