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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Braised Hunter-style Chicken with Buttered Quinoa

Quinoa has made a come-back on Rookie Cookie. Why? Because it really does a body good. Serve quinoa in place of rice in dishes like this. It cooks quicker than rice and you can serve it with anything. You can even have quinoa for breakfast with milk and maple syrup. Keep cooked quinoa in the fridge and add it to anything. Have it plain or in soup. Throw it in a green salad. You can feel good knowing your body is getting protein AND fiber and it even tastes good.

I have had people ask me what quinoa tastes like. I would say it tastes like rice, but a little nuttier. It is a seed after all. As for the texture, think of a cross between couscous and sesame seeds.

I have never seen quinoa in a regular grocery store. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough. If your regular grocery store doesn't have it, you can get it at health food store in the bulk grains section. While you are there, pick up some steel-cut oats as well (it's cheaper at a health food store) and make some slow cooker oatmeal for breakfast. It will shock you that oatmeal has the audacity to taste that good.



For the chicken:
3 lbs chicken, whatever parts you prefer, skinned
Kosher salt and pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 8 oz package button mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 15 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
A handful of chopped fresh parsley

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. In a large skillet over medium high, heat olive oil. Once oil is shimmering and runs quickly in the pan, add the chicken in batches. Brown on each side, but not cooking through, about 3 minutes each side. Remove from pan and set aside in a bowl. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Once chicken is browned, add onion, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Stir and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Stir and allow to come to a simmer. Add chicken and season with additional salt and pepper.

Cover pan and put into the oven for 30-35 minutes. Cook until chicken internal temperature reaches 170 degrees for breasts and 180 degrees for legs and thighs.

Serve over buttered quinoa and sprinkle with parsley. Make sure you drizzle some of those yummy pan juices over the quinoa.

For the quinoa:
4 cups water
2 tsp salt
2 cups quinoa, rinsed in a mesh strainer REALLY REALLY REALLY well
3 Tbsp butter
Kosher salt and ground pepper
1 tsp dried oregano

In a medium saucepan, add water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa. Cook uncovered until most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is sputtering, about 10 minutes. Turn heat to low and simmer until all liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add butter. Season with salt and pepper and add oregano. Serve with braised chicken.

Yields 6 servings.

4 comments:

Jaime and Jen DISH said...

What does Hunter Style mean?

Sue said...

Testimonial:

I'm Rookie Cookie's (RC) mom. For those who may be wondering if the RC actually does cook the food she posts, I am offering this testimony to bear witness that what you see on this blog, is actually what I got. (Check out the ever increasing size of my butt for proof.)

The RC and her little family are momentarily living with us while her husband recovers from some major foot surgery and revised life plans. She loves to be in the kitchen as much as you might guess based upon her commentaries.

Her food creations taste as good as they look. If something doesn't work, she goes at it until it does. She makes lists, follows recipes, and will sometimes make things we cannot touch until she has taken a picture of them for her blog. *grrr*

RC is the real deal. You can trust that what you see here actually came out of her brain and was crafted by her hands.

Ma Sue

Donna-FFW said...

I love the sound of this recipe. I must try it. Your site is lovely. Just discovered it. Il be checking in!!

Jess Hammond said...

I made this last night. It was the quinoa that drew me in. It is pretty available in Chicago and my sister in-law uses it a lot so I thought I would take a crack at it.
I really like it.

Next time I make it I think I will try it over toasted Israeli Couscous. Trying to be all fancy and stuff.

Yum, thanks for the recipe.