kosher chicken

Cauliflower and Chicken Salad

Makes 4-6 servings.

This is definitely a non-traditional chicken salad. I like it because it has so few ingredients and those ingredients complement each other. It is simple to make, it is nutritious and by serving the dressing on the side you can gauge how much or little you like. Both the chicken and the cauliflower have a distinct flavor.    

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium cauliflower
  • Leaves from 10 tarragon sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons water.
  • Arugula or a mixture of different greens 

DRESSING:

  • 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat oven to 450F.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Place the chicken skin side down (where the skin would have been) in an oven-proof dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper and scatter leaves from 5 tarragon sprigs.
  3. Cut the stalk and leaves off the cauliflower and discard. Cut the head into small florets and rinse. Place the cauliflower in an ovenproof dish, salt and pepper lightly, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons water. Scatter the remaining tarragon leaves.  
  4. Place the chicken and the cauliflower in the oven, side by side.
  5. Roast the chicken for about 12, minutes, turning it once. The chicken should be pink on the inside. Take it out of the oven and cover it with foil; it will continue cooking. Remove the foil after a few minutes, let the chicken cool completely and cut it into 1 inch strips.
  6. Roast the cauliflower for about 30 minutes; turning it once. It should be almost soft.  Let it cool as well.     

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:

  1. Coursely chop the garlic on a cutting board. Sprinkle with the salt and crush it with a knife until it becomes a paste.
  2. Place in a small dish and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
  3. Pour into a sauce dish.

TO SERVE:

Place the greens into a large bowl. Top with the cauliflower and the chicken with the accumulated juices. Serve the dressing on the side.

You can also pre-plate the salad.

 
 

Roast Chicken

Makes 4 servings.

I like to roast the chicken with nothing more than a few herbs and a lot of lemon. The chicken is moist enough that if you wish you can serve it with or without the pan drippings. 

INGREDIENTS

  • One 3 pound organic chicken (broiler)
  • Small bunch thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, quartered
  • 1½ lemons
  • 3 tablespoons extra –virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Rinse and dry the chicken inside and out. Discard any fat or hanging skin.  
  3. Place the thyme, garlic and half of a cut up lemon into the cavity. 
  4. Grease a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place the chicken in it.
  5. Grease the chicken with the remaining olive oil and brush with the juice of 1 lemon. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Tie the chicken legs together, tuck the wing tips up and under the back of the neck.
  7. Roast the chicken breast side up for 20 minutes (if you find that the bottom of the roasting pan is beginning to burn add ¼ cup of water). Turn the chicken over and roast breast side down for 20 minutes.
  8. Turn the chicken over again, breast side up and roast for the final 20 minutes.
  9. To test for doneness, pierce the leg joint with the tip of a knife, the juices, should run clear, not pink.
  10. Remove the chicken to a carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
  11. While the chicken is resting, prepare the pan drippings.  Discard all of the particles from the cavity. Tilt the chicken so that all the juices will pour into a small pan. Also when carving the chicken, collect all of the juices released from the bird and add to the pan juices. Place the juices in the freezer for a short while to allow the fat to rise to the top. Discard the fat. Heat the juices and pour over the chicken if you like. 
 
 

Chicken with Chestnuts

Makes 4 servings.

Chestnuts in winter are so inviting and festive.  This dish is light, nutritious and so easy to prepare. You may want to bake it in an attractive casserole so it can go directly from oven to table.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 boneless, skinless, organic chicken thighs, each portion weighing 6 ounces each (See Note)

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 scallions, including green part, thickly sliced

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 1 inch piece ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped

  • One 14.8 ounce jar peeled, roasted chestnuts

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons low- sodium soy sauce

  • ½ cup chicken broth

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.

  2. Pat chicken dry with paper towel and season lightly, on both sides, with salt and pepper.

  3. Place skin side down (even though there is no skin) in an ovenproof dish in a single layer.

  4. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan add the scallions, garlic and ginger. Sautee over low heat for about 3 minutes, or until scallions are wilted. Add the chestnuts, sugar, soy sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and pour over chicken.

  5. Cover the dish with heavy foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, turn the chicken over and bake for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

NOTE

Organic chickens tend to be small, therefore in order to get 6 ounce portions per person, I use 2 thighs for each serving.

If you prefer to cook the chicken without boning it, allow more cooking time.

If you are not cooking the chicken right away, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time and let it cool before pouring it over the meat.

 
 

Chicken Loaf

Makes 4-6 servings.

This chicken loaf is easy to make and easy to pair with salads and vegetables. It also keeps well refrigerated. The number of servings will depend on your side dishes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing the pan.
  • 1 onion, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 1½ pounds blend of ground chicken; half white meat and half dark meat
  • 1 baking potato, peeled and cut into large pieces
  • 2 tablespoons, low sodium soy sauce
  • ½ cup tightly packed flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F
  2. Line a 9 x 5-inch Pyrex loaf pan with heavy foil and brush the foil generously with oil.
  3. In a medium skillet heat the oil, add the onion and garlic and sauté, over medium heat, stirring from time to time until lightly golden and soft.
  4. Place the onion, garlic and potato in a food processor. Pulse until very smooth.
  5. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the chicken, soy sauce and parsley.
  6. Mix very well with your hands until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
  8. Bake in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes. The meat should be lightly brown on top.
 
 

Chicken Rolls with Orange Sauce

Makes 4 servings.

I serve this dish as the main course for dinner or as one of several dishes on a buffet table.  This recipe first appeared in my cookbook, Helen Nash's New Kosher Cuisine.

ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each (Ask the butcher to butterfly the chicken breasts and pound them thin.)
• 12 large spinach leaves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

TO MAKE THE ROLLS:

1. Lightly salt and pepper each chicken breast on both sides and place it on a piece of cling wrap.

2. Remove the stems from the spinach leaves and flatten the leaves so they will roll easier.

3. Line each breast with 3 spinach leaves and one-fourth of the filling.

4. Starting with the narrowest end, roll the breast up (not too tight!) until it looks like a log. (I use the cling wrap to facilitate the rolling.)

5. When the breast is rolled and completely enclosed in the cling wrap, twist the sides and close them with a metal tie. Refrigerate if not using right away.

TO COOK THE ROLLS:

1. Bring the chicken rolls back to room temperature, if necessary. Place them in the basket of a bamboo steamer.

2. Set the basket over a large pot or wok, whose bottom third has been filled with water. Bring the water to a rolling boil.

3. Cover and steam over high heat for 9 to 10 minutes, turning the rolls once. Cook until the chicken has turned pale pink inside.

4. Turn off the heat and let rest, covered, for 1 minute.

Filling

ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw sushi rice
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place the sushi rice and water in a small saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

4. Season with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cool.

Orange Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 3 to 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Bring all the sauce ingredients to a boil in a small enamel-lined saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.