Food Myths

Myth
Yellow-skinned chicken has more fat than lighter skinned chicken.


Truth
Differences in skin color are caused by different feeds. Skin color does not affect nutritional value, flavor, tenderness or fat content.

Vietnamese Style Chicken Salad




This salad is perfect as an appetizer or a light lunch.




1 piece (2 in.) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nuoc nam or nam pla)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Asian red chili paste or dried hot chile flakes
6 cups very finely shredded cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups water chestnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded English cucumber
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds


In a 4- to 5-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 quarts water, ginger, and salt to a simmer. Add chicken and half of the garlic. Adjust heat to maintain simmer, and cook until chicken is slightly pink in the center (cut to test) about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then lift chicken from water. When cool enough to handle, shred or slice into bite-size pieces.

In a large bowl, mix lemon juice, honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, and chili paste. Add cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts, cucumber, green onions, celery, cilantro, mint, and chicken; mix well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

4 to 6 servings

Chicken Soup

Moments before a famous Shakespearean actor was to perform Hamlet to a packed house in New York, he dropped dead. The house manager solemnly went onstage and announced, "We are sorry to bring you this news, but our performance tonight has been canceled due to the untimely demise of our featured performer."

From the back of the theater a voice cried out, "Give him some chicken soup!"

Startled, the stage manager cleared his throat and replied, "I apologize if in my grief I have not made my solemn message clear. The man is deceased."

Once again, but more emphatically the voice rang out, "Give him some chicken soup!"

Having had about enough, the manager bellowed back, "Sir, the man is dead. Giving him chicken soup couldn't possibly help."

To which the voice replied, "It couldn't hurt!"

Farfalle Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Spinach

Look for high-quality fresh sausage; the casings will be easier to remove. Ricotta salata is available at specialty food stores and well-stocked supermarkets; if you can't find it, substitute 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese,

12 ounces dried farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion (8 oz.) peeled and chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4-5 white mushrooms thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes
8 ounces chicken sausages, removed form casings and
crumbled
1 pound ripe tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and chopped
8 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 3 packed cups), rinsed
4 ounces ricotta salata cheese, thinly sliced or crumbled


1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, add 4 quarts water, add salt and bring to a boil. Put in pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch frying pan or a 4- to 5-quart pan over medium high heat, melt butter and then add the oil to the melted butter. Add onion and stir often until very lightly browned around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another minute.

3. Lower heat to medium and add garlic, chili flakes, and crumbled chicken sausages. Stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up sausage if necessary, until meat is beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes; if garlic begins to scorch, lower heat.

4. Add tomatoes and spinach; stir until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, mix pasta and sauce to coat; top with ricotta salata.

About 35 minutest to prepare
4 to 6 servings

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

This delicious side dish is a unique large grain couscous seasoned with a light lemony-mint yogurt dressing.

Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt
2 bunches of fresh mint, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 lemons, juiced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup large grain couscous, found at specialty or organic stores
2 cups roasted leg of chicken, cut into 1-1/2 inches cubes
1 tomato, coarsely chopped.
Garnish with fresh ground black pepper, lemon slices and mint sprig

Directions
Dressing:
Whisk together the yogurt, chopped mint, chopped parsley lemon juice and olive oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste.

Place 1 cup of couscous in a medium pot and pour 1-1/4 cups of boiling water. Simmer over a medium-low heat for about 5 to 6 minutes or until al-dente.

Transfer to a serving platter and mix in cubed chicken chopped tomato and yogurt dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Fast Chicken Dinner

Serves 4

Ingredients
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
a pinch of tarragon
two medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions:
In a medium skillet, heat the oil and garlic over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper, then add to the skillet and cook for 7-10 minutes. Add the white wine and tarragon. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a platter. Sauté the tomatoes in the skillet until tender. Place the tomatoes over the chicken and cover with the pan drippings and sprinkle with parsley.

How To Cut Up A Chicken

A quick and easy way to carve a chicken or turkey.

For more food preparation videos go to:
http://www.lookinatcookin.com/

Mole Negro de Oaxaca

From
Ceja Vineyards
http://www.cejavineyards.com


Ingredients:
· 24 uncooked chicken pieces (legs, thighs, or chicken breasts cut in half)
· 10 chiles negros
· 10 chiles guajillo
· 10 chiles pasilla
· 2 toasted tortillas
· 2½ round tablets of Mexican chocolate (e.g. Ibarra brand)
· 4 tomatoes
· 10 peeled tomatillos
· 1½ onion · 2 heads of garlic
· 2 tablespoons peeled pumpkin seeds
· 2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts
· 2 tablespoons walnuts
· 2 tablespoons peeled almonds
· 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
· ¼ teaspoon marjoram
· ¼ teaspoon oregano
· 1 teaspoon thyme
· 1teaspoon anise
· 1 teaspoon cumin
· 6 whole pepper corns
· 6 whole cloves
· 1 peel of cinnamon stick
· One slice of Mexican sweet bread
· Chicken broth (about 10 cups)
· Salt to taste
· 10 tablespoons manteca (lard) (I substituted a light olive for the lard and it worked very well)

Directions:

For Chicken:
· To a large pot of gently boiling water, add the washed chicken pieces, one onion, one unpeeled garlic head and one tablespoon of salt.
· As chicken cooks, spoon out foam and cooked blood that accumulate on the surface (you want to end with a clear and delicious broth).
· Boil gently until tender-do not overcook. Separate chicken from broth and discard onion and garlic head.

For Mole:
· Cut the stems off the chiles negros, guajillo and pasilla and take out the seeds (save the seeds). Wash the chiles and pat dry with a towel.
· In a pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil, sauté chiles a few at a time until crispy but not burned-set aside.
· Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil and sauté pumpkin seeds, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, chile seeds and one layer of the cinnamon stick until golden-set aside.
· Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté Mexican chocolate until softened-set aside.
· Toast slice of Mexican pan dulce-set aside.
· Over a grill, toast the tortillas until golden.
· Mix together all the sautéed ingredients, toasted tortillas, Mexican bread, marjoram, oregano, thyme, anise, cumin, whole peppers and cloves.
· In a blender or food processor, process the above mixture a little at a time with chicken broth (about 6 cups) until smooth-set aside.
· Over a grill, fire roast tomatoes, tomatillos, ½ onion and 1 head of unpeeled garlic until blackened but not burned.
· Process fire roasted ingredients with 2 cups chicken broth until smooth.
· To a heated large pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, add the tomatoes mixture and simmer for about 15 minutes-stir frequently.
· Add processed sautéed mixture to simmering mixture and continue simmering gently (add broth to desired thickness of mole sauce)-stir continuously for one hour. (Serves 12)

To Serve:
Distribute mole sauce on plate and place two chicken pieces on it. Add mole sauce across chicken pieces and serve with warm corn tortillas. ¡Salud!

Suggested wine: Ceja Carneros Pinot Noir, Ceja Merlot and Ceja Vino de Casa