Trinidad Stewed Chicken - Caribbean Green Seasoning

Trinidad Stewed Chicken with Trinidad fry rice

Green seasoning is a very popular sauce, used throughout the Caribbean, for all types of meats. It has a wonderfully, unique taste, that cannot be substituted. It's reminds me of salsa verde, but much more complex. Traditionally, you should use fresh herbs, for the green seasoning, but I have used dried herbs, and it was still awesome. This is even better, if you make the green sauce, a day or two ahead, and let it blend in the fridge.
Called browning, caramelized sugar is widely used in Caribbean cooking, and adds yet another distinct flavor. If you try just one Caribbean dish, this would be my pick.

Ingredients:
1 cut up chicken
2Tbl. oil
2Tbl. brown sugar
1Tbl. ketchup
1Tbl. soy sauce

For the green seasoning: (Exchange 1tsp.dried herb for 1Tbl. fresh.)
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
1Tbl. minced garlic
ripe hot pepper (1/2 of a scotch bonnet, if you can take the heat, or 2-jalapenos)
1/4cup sliced green onion
1 diced tomato ( I use a green tomato, if possible)
1 rib celery-sliced
1 diced onion- in addition to the green onions 
1Tbl. cilantro
2tsp.thyme
2tsp.tarragon
1Tbl. basil
1Tbl.parsley
1tsp.salt
1Tbl. ketchup
1/2tsp. black pepper
1Tbl. vinegar
1Tbl olive oil
shot of spiced rum
a little water if needed
Combine everything in a blender, and pulse several times, to make a coarse sauce. I usually don't need to add water, but if it's too thick to come out of the blender, just add 1or2-Tbl.

Make the green seasoning, pour it into a large dish. Toss the chicken in it, and let it marinate, at least 2 hours. (overnight is better)
Heat a skillet on high heat, add 2Tbl. oil, and 2Tbl. brown sugar, and cook it until the sugar caramelizes, to a  deep golden brown.
Stir in 1Tbl. each of ketchup soy sauce.
Remove the chicken from the green seasoning, shaking off the excess. Reserve the green seasoning.
Add the chicken To the skillet. Turn to coat.
Lower the heat, and simmer, turning often, to keep it from sticking, and the sugar from burning, until, most of the chicken juices have evaporated, and there is a thick sauce in the bottom.
Pour off as much oil, as you can.
Add the reserved green seasoning.
Simmer 30-minutes, turning often. Serve drizzled with the sauce.

Marinate the chicken, in the green seasoning, at least a couple of hours.

Heat 2Tbl. oil and 2Tbl. brown sugar, in a skillet, on high heat.

Whisking constantly, let the sugar become a deep golden brown. It will smoke a bit. Please use caution, the worst burn I ever had, came from caramelized sugar.

Stir in the ketchup, and soy sauce. Add the chicken, and turn to coat. reduce the heat to low, and simmer until most of the juices from the chicken, have evaporated. About 1 hour, or more.

This sauce is a bit deceptive. There is a thick layer of oil, that forms over the top, making it appear that there is still a lot of liquid. When I begin to smell sugar caramelizing again. I remove the pan from the heat, and drain off as much oil as I can. What's left, is a syrupy sauce.

Stir in the reserved green seasoning, and cook an additional 30-minutes, on low heat. It's ready to serve.

Corn Dogs

Corn Dogs, everyone's favorite.

 This batter sticks really well, so there is no need to coat your hotdogs, with flour or cornstarch.
The batter is enough for 12-14 hotdogs.

Ingredients:
1cup flour
1cup cornmeal
1/2tsp. salt
2Tbl. baking powder
1tsp. chicken bullion or base
1/4cup sugar
1cup milk
1 egg
12-14 hotdogs- with skewers
oil for frying

Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Whisk the milk and egg, until well combined.
Add the milk mixture, to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
Dip  the hotdogs in the batter, Putting the batter in a drinking glass makes it easier to coat them. Twirl until well coated, allow some excess batter to drip away, but letting it drip too long, will only give you a thin coating.
Fry over a low/medium flame, until golden. I prefer to make these ahead, then reheat them in the oven, they taste better, and some of the oil cooks out of them.

Brine Roasted Chicken

Brine Roasted Chicken

You know those rotisserie chickens from the market?, they are soaked in a brine, before being cooked, then patted dry, and rubbed with a mixture of oil and herbs. This recipe is based on that principle, with a Mexican flair. The brine gives the chicken an incredible flavor, tender and juicy.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2cups water
1/2cup coarse salt- like kosher or pickling salt
2Tbl. minced garlic
1Tbl. oregano
2Tbl. ground chilies ( I use chipotle)
3-limes
1can of frozen pineapple juice concentrate-thawed
a roasting pan with a rack
Preparation:
Heat the water and salt, on the stove, until the salt has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl or pot, larger than the chicken, (The chicken has to be completely submersed) juice the limes and put the skin and juice in the pot.
Stir in the spices, pineapple juice, and cooled brine.
Put the chicken in the bowl, adding more water if needed, to cover it. Set a saucer on top of the chicken, for weight, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 375*  in a roasting pan with a rack, until crispy and cooked through. 1-1/2 to 2 hours

Mix the brine ingredients, in the bowl, submerse the chicken, adding more water if needed.

Set an inverted saucer over it, for weight. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

 I decided to roast it, this time, upright, on a clean empty beer can. I think I liked it better, this way, but I wound up with a bit more charring, than the rack method. It still tasted great though.
 

I discovered a  chicken and brine will fit in a gallon storage bag. If you remove the air, before you seal it, the chicken will be completely submersed. Set it in a bowl, in the fridge.

Chicken Parmesan

                                               Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless chicken breasts-thawed
2eggs-beaten
2cups bread crumbs
oil for frying
8oz. shredded mozzarella
1/4cup grated Parmesan

For the sauce:
29oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
1tsp. garlic powder
1/2tsp. basil
1tsp. dried minced onion
2Tbl. tomato paste or ketchup
1tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Combine all sauce ingredients in a pot, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer about 20-minutes, or until thickened.
Meanwhile, flatten the chicken, between 2 pieces of plastic or in a storage bag.
Dredge the chicken thorough the breadcrumbs, dip them in the egg, then through the breadcrumbs again.
Fry over a medium flame, until cooked through and golden. Drain on a paper towel.
Place the chicken in a 13x9-inch baking pan, cover with sauce, mozzarella, then Parmesan.
Bake until the cheese melts, and is beginning to brown.

Red Wine- Beer Can Chicken- In the Oven

                              Red Wine Beer can Chicken In the Oven

It's a little bit Country / and a little bit Francais.
You can use any wine, or seasoning combination, that suits your fancy.
I really like the Merlot and Montreal seasoning combination.
I don't usually plug a product, but I discovered a brand of wines last year, that are not only great in my cooking, but are very drinkable too. Barefoot wine-merlot  every variety, of their wine, I have used, has been wonderful, so far. It's no wonder, they've won so many awards. Cheap too.
This would be easier, if you invest in one of those, beer can chicken racks. (About $5.00) The one I have, holds two chickens, and won't fit into a roaster. I usually grill this, but wanted to try it in the oven.

 Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 clean, empty aluminum can
Red wine
Any seasoning you prefer

Here are some of the seasoning I use.

Dry adobo rub

Bourbon street spice rub

Pauls beef rub

Montreal seasoning

Cajun seasoning

Fill the can 3/4 full of red wine. Slide the chicken, onto the can. I leaned my chicken, against the side of the pan, for support.

Bake until golden brown, and the juices run clear. ( about two hours) I had a good laugh... The chicken fell over twice, while baking, but didn't spill any of the wine. Sound familiar?

Baked Chicken Nuggets with French Fried Onion Breading

                     Chicken Nuggets with French Fried Onion Breading

These are really good. I once made 5lbs., for a large pot-luck... they were devoured in 15 minutes, and they were looking for more. They're very easy to make, because they're baked. (But taste fried.)
I've used them in place of fried chicken in Fried chicken salad. too.

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts-cut into chunks and thawed
1cup plain bread crumbs
1 small can of french fried onions- crushed very fine
1/4cup cornmeal
1tsp. basil - I leave out the basil sometimes, and use parsley instead
1/2tsp. onion powder
1/2tsp. garlic powder
1egg beaten
butter flavored cooking spray

Preparation;
Preheat the oven to 375*
Spray a baking pan with butter flavor cooking spray.
Whisk together the bread crumbs, crushed onions, cornmeal, basil, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.
In a bowl, pour the egg over the cut-up chicken, and toss to coat.
roll, the chicken, a few at a time, in the breading, and place them on the baking pan. they can be placed close together, just not touching.
Spray the top of the chicken, with more butter flavor cooking spray, ( it keeps them from becoming dry.) and bake about 45 minutes, or until they are lightly crispy. Serve hot, as an appetizer or main course.

It's easier to cut-up the chicken, if it's still partially frozen. The baking time will depend, on how big you cut the nuggets. Once it has thawed, toss them in a beaten egg.

The french fried onions need to be crushed very fine, or it won't stick to the chicken.

                              They're great in Fried chicken salad.

Chicken and Homemade Noodles

                                  Chicken and Homemade Noodles

This is hands down, the most requested dish, I dread to make. I think it's because they are so messy. But they are really simple, just difficult to explain. So, bear with me.
I cook this about two to three, times a month, but twice a week would still not be enough, for my brood of 30, and counting. Every week I make a shopping list, and ask, what sound good, this week, someone always calls out, "Chicken and noodles", and they're met, with an icy stare. My epitaph will read "Her noodles will be missed."
If you laid, every batch of dough, I've rolled, end to end, I think I've rolled enough noodles to take me around the globe, at least once.
It's a curse, being Noodle Royalty.... My kingdom, for a pasta machine!

I've been putting off sharing this recipe, because I don't actually, use measurements. I just beat some eggs (36 at every holiday meal) throw in, a tiny amount of baking powder, then flour, adding more, until it 'feels' right. These are very, dense, thick, and almost, chewy. Just the way they like 'em., but you can roll them thinner, and cut them smaller, to suit your taste. They are very similar to Reames frozen noodles. I tried to sneak the frozen ones, in the pot once, but they could tell the difference. What the heck, noodle connoisseurs.  


Preparation:
I start out by stewing a chicken, as in the recipe for chicken and dumplings.
Add water to the pot of shredded chicken to fill a 4quart pan, half full. (this is enough broth, for one batch of noodles, but you could put this in a larger pot, add about 3quarts of water, total, and make two batches, if you like.)
Adjust seasonings, it usually needs more salt and pepper.
Make the noodles.(directions below)
Bring to a full, rolling boil, before adding noodles.
Drop them in, one at a time. Stirring them in, toward the end. (they cook almost instantly, and float to the surface, the last of the noodles need to be stirred or, pushed into the boiling broth.)
The broth cools as the noodles are being added. Once you've added them all to the pot, wait for it to come to a full boil, again, then turn off the burner. They're ready to serve. The flour from the noodles, dissolves and makes the broth, gravy-like.


Ingredients for noodles:
12 eggs
1tsp. baking powder
5-1/2 cups flour-plus more for rolling

Whisk together, the eggs and baking powder, until well beaten.
Stir in 3cups of the flour, beating with a spoon until it looks like a batter.
Stir in as much of the 2-1/2cups remaining flour as you can, kneading in the rest, until you have a firm dough, that is still a bit sticky, in the center. Set aside 30 minutes, to let the dough cure. (This makes it easier to work with) If you are opting for the no-roll method, The dough is now ready to be added to the boiling broth. If not, Sprinkle 1/2cup of flour onto a flat surface, Split the dough into 2 pieces. Roll out 1 piece into a 1/8inch rectangle.( It doesn't have to be perfect) Add more flour to the top, and run your hand across it to distribute it evenly. ( This keeps it from sticking together, when you roll it.) Roll the dough like a jellyroll. cut. I added photos to make a little more sense of my insane directions.

The no-roll method:
One holiday, I forgot about making the noodles, until the last minute. God forbid, I try to serve Turkey without noodles. WOOP WOOP! an alarm would sound, throughout the land. The first of the seven seals, will have been broken. ( F.Y.I.-Turkey makes the best broth, for noodles) I had absolutely no room, anywhere to roll them, so I devised a no roll, plan. I kneaded in enough flour, so the the dough wasn't sticky, then pinched off, little pieces of the dough, dropping them into the boiling broth. They tasted exactly the same, just shaped irregularly. They got their noodle fix, and I didn't have to clean up the flour, aftermath. I still make them this way occasionally, when I'm feeling lazy.

 Whisk the eggs and baking powder, stir in 3cups of flour, and beat into a batter.

Knead in as much of the flour as you can, to make a firm dough. Let it rest 30 minutes.

 Sprinkle1/2cup of flour onto a flat surface. (I use a large cookie sheet, easier to clean than a counter-top) Roll into an 1/8 inch rectangle. Sprinkle more flour on the surface, and use your hand to distribute it across the dough.

       Begin rolling one of the longer sides, toward the center. Smooth more flour across the folded dough. It takes a lot of flour, to keep the noodles from sticking together.

                Continue rolling and smoothing more flour, after each roll.

Cut the dough, unroll the noodle, and toss it in the flour on the rolling surface. Continue cutting and tossing them in flour.

I've found, the best knife to use, is a sharp bread knife, dipped in flour. As long as it has short "teeth?" Let the knife do the work, If you press too hard, it will crush the dough, and the noodle will stick together. Now they are ready to go into the boiling broth.

Orange Chicken

                                               Orange Chicken
I love anything from the Szechuan province of China. This is my all time (second) favorite dish, so close to my beloved General Tso's favorite chicken, (also Szechuan) This would be such an easy dish, if I weren't cooking for eight tonight. Not to mention, I hate frying! Not just because it's unhealthy, but having all that oil, floating around in the air, coating everything (including me) I always want a shower after cooking! Yet, here I am, frying 3lbs. of chicken breast, because this is so darn good!

Ingredients:

For the crispy chicken: This is an excellent crispy batter.
2-4 boneless chicken breast-diced and thawed
1 egg-white
1tsp kikkoman soy sauce
1/2tsp. sesame oil
1/4cup cornstarch
oil for frying

For the orange sauce:
zest of 1 orange
juice of half an orange
2Tbl. rice vinegar
1/2cup sweet chili sauce -or- Homemade sweet chili sauce
1Tbl. sugar
1Tbl. kikkoman soy sauce
1/4tsp sesame oil
1/2cup water
1Tbl. cornstarch
1/4cup scallions

You'll also need:
1tsp. oil
5 dried bird chilies-crushed
1tsp. minced garlic
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
Cooked rice

Preparation:
For the chicken, whisk together the egg-white, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the cornstarch, and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let stand 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce ingredients, in a bowl.
When the chicken is ready, heat oil for deep frying. Cook the chicken in several batches until golden brown, but not too brown. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the 1tsp. oil. When it's very hot, add the chilies, garlic and ginger. Cook 10 second, then add the sauce ingredients.
Cook a few minutes, until the sauce thickens. Then add the cooked chicken, and stir to combine.
Serve over rice.

Lemon Chicken Scaloppine

                                       Lemon Chicken Scaloppine


I used to cook Lemon chicken piccata, once in a while, until a few years ago I discovered this recipe, it is a much better version of that dish, but very easy to make.This recipe calls for pancetta but, I just sprinkle bacon, with  a tiny amount of fennel, nutmeg, black pepper and garlic powder, voila! "ghetto" pancetta. I picked up the ghetto phrase, from my sons, when they were teenagers, they would whip up something in the kitchen, and every dish they created, had ghetto for a prefix : "Ghetto peanut butter fudge" The funny thing is, we live in the country, out on the prairie, I guess, prairie pancetta would be more fitting. This recipe is supposed to be a copycat of TGI Friday's dish, but I've never had it, so I can't comment on that. I cook the pasta last, so it doesn't become overcooked or cold. Angel hair pasta cooks really fast. It also gets cold and sticky, really fast. I add a little water, when reheating leftovers, do re-hydrate it.

Ingredients:

For the scaloppine 
4 boneless chicken breasts- sliced into 2 thinner pieces and pounded flat.
1cup flour
1tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
2 slices of bacon
oil for frying

For the sauce:
2 slices of bacon- diced
1Tbl. butter
2Tbl. capers
8oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1small onion-minced
1tsp. minced garlic
juice of two lemons
1cups-dry white wine (I use pinot grigio)
3cups heavy cream with 1tsp. cornstarch dissolved in it
1can of artichoke hearts-chopped
1 lemon-sliced into wedges
1tsp.salt-actually I think I use more
1/4tsp. pepper

You'll also need:
12oz. angel hair pasta

Preparation:
For the scaloppine, Whisk together the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, leaving the drippings in the pan. add about 1/2inch of oil to the drippings. Heat on medium.
Dredge the chicken through the flour, shaking off any excess, and fry until golden brown, on both sides. (Cover and keep warm) Make the sauce.

In a large saucepan, fry the diced bacon, on medium, until crisp. Add the butter and capers and fry 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Fry until the bottom of the pan, begins to brown, quickly add the wine and lemon juice, to de-glaze the pan.
Cook until the wine has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add the cream, lemon wedges and artichokes. Salt and pepper to taste, You'll need quite a bit to offset the lemon. Cook until the sauce thickens a bit, about 5 minutes.
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
I prefer to dip the chicken in the sauce, and set aside, then add the remainder of the sauce to the pasta.
Or you could Serve the pasta, topped with the sauce  place the chicken on top adding a bit more sauce if you like. I've also cut up the chicken, then added it to the sauce.

        I slice the partially frozen chicken in half, to make two thinner slices.

Once it's thawed, pound it flat between two pieces of plastic. I've found, a gallon storage bag works best, less messy too.

                           Fry until golden brown. Cover and keep warm.

Fry the bacon, butter and capers. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic. Fry until the liquid has evaporated, and the bottom of the pan begins to form a brown glaze. Quickly add the wine and lemon juice. Cook until the wine has nearly evaporated. Add the cream, lemon wedges and artichokes.

Cook until the sauce thickens a bit. About 5 minutes. Cook the pasta. I dip the chicken in the sauce, then add the remainder of the sauce to the pasta, and serve the chicken on top. But You could serve it any way you prefer.

I chased my 1year old grandson Shaun, out of the kitchen, several times. I was making the sauce, and turned around, to find him sleeping on the floor behind me. Poor little guy, I guess I was taking too long. He's sleeping on an inflated plastic toy, it must have been comfy.









 

Spicy Chicken Sandwich

                                         Spicy Chicken Sandwich.
This recipe is for a 3lb. bag of boneless chicken breast, but it's easy to divide. I bake them in a roaster with a rack, but you could also place a cooling rack, or similar in a baking pan, or fry them.

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken breasts-split in half
1-1/2cups buttermilk with 1Tbl. hot sauce added to it (more if you want it hotter)

For the breading:
1-1/2cups plain bread crumbs
1tsp. garlic powder
1tsp. paprika
2tsp. cayenne
2tsp. onion powder
1Tbl. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375*
Whisk together the breading ingredients in a bowl.
Dip the chicken breasts in the buttermilk, allowing any excess to drip.
Roll them in the breadcrumbs, and place them on the rack of a roaster.
Bake about 1 hour, or until cooked through, and the breading has browned.
Serve with lettuce, tomato and mayo.

While the chicken is still partially frozen, I lay it on it's side and slice them to make two thinner pieces. Perfect sandwich size.

Slow Roasted Chicken on Grilled, Herbed Sourdough with Creamy Basil Sauce

Slow Roasted Chicken on Grilled, Herbed Sourdough with Creamy Basil Sauce..Jeez, that's a mouthful... I'll bet it would look better in French... 
Lente Poulet rôti aux herbes sur Sourdough grillé avec sauce au basilic crémeuse...Mmhm, Just what I thought, everything looks better in French.

 I feel a bit silly, giving instructions for building a sandwich. But, I've taught a lot of people how to cook, over the years, and try to write every recipe, as if  I were addressing a beginner cook. (I start teaching them around 7 or 8 years old.) I'm always afraid that It may seem condescending.  So I'll throw in a few, xoxoxo and a big :D.....there, aaallll better! Seriously though, I just think this is an awesome sandwich. This is the only reason I slow roast a chicken. It reminds me of those rotisserie chickens sold at the market.

 Ingredients:
Slow roasted chicken or Rotisserie chicken
2 Slices  Soft Sourdough bread
1 or 2 slices of your favorite cheese (Provolone and Muenster are great with this)
2 Slices tomato
2 slices crisp bacon

Parmesan Garlic Spread:
2Tbl. butter-softened
1Tbl. Parmesan cheese
1tsp. garlic powder
1tsp. dried parsley
1/4tsp. basil.
Combine. Use at room temperature.

Creamy Basil Sauce:
1/2cup yogurt
1/4cup honey mustard salad dressing- or-  Homemade honey mustard salad dressing
1Tbl. Parmesan cheese
1tsp. basil
1/4tsp. garlic powder
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp. sugar
Combine and chill.

Preparation:
Spread Parmesan garlic spread onto one side of each bread slice. Place spread side down, on a warm griddle.
 Top one slice with chicken and one slice with cheese. Leave open faced for now. Grill until lightly browned, and the cheese has melted. (As if you were making a grilled cheese sandwich.)
Place the open faced sandwich on a plate.
Spread the cheese slice with creamy basil sauce.
Top the chicken slice with bacon and tomato.
Flip the cheese slice onto the chicken slice. Serve.

                                          Creamy Basil Sauce

                                        Parmesan Garlic Spread

           I baked the sourdough bread in a loaf pan, for sandwich slices.

Slow Roasted Chicken

                                          Slow Roasted Chicken
What is it about slow roasting a chicken, that brings out such an amazing flavor, and becomes so tender it practically falls apart. I cooked a chicken this way, once, without any seasonings, and it still had that wonderful flavor. The whole house becomes filled with a Thanksgiving turkey-like aroma. The taste reminds me of those rotisserie chickens you buy at the market.
It's cooked in a roaster on a rack. If you don't have a roaster with a lid, and a rack. Wad up 1-1/2 inch balls of aluminum foil, and tuck them under your chicken, to keep it from boiling in it's own juices. then cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, to let the juices steam the chicken. I don't actually use a recipe, I just oil or butter a chicken, then sprinkle on a little of these seasonings, and rub them in.

sweet smoked paprika
thyme
basil
cayenne pepper
parsley
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper


Bake the chicken at 300* for about 3-1/2 hours.
Remove the lid or aluminum foil, turn the oven to 375* and bake another 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Piri Piri Chicken

                        Piri Piri Chicken with Roasted lemon potatoes


Pan grilled chicken and sweet peppers, simmered in a mildly hot, Portuguese-African sauce. I love this, quick and easy too. I've done a bit of research on this dish, and have been altering my original recipe, which, in turn, was altered from one of Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals. It has a much deeper flavor now. I'm removing the old post.

Piri is Swahili for pepper, particularly, the African birds eye chili. It is said that this dish originated in Mozambique. The peppers were believed to have been brought to Africa, by Portuguese settlers.  It always seems, the most complex sauces come from combining cultures, no matter what part of the world it happens. Such as the The Caribbean, Mexico, the Louisiana bayou, just to name a few. Many of my favorite dishes derive from these cross cultures.

I've made this using green bell peppers, it was almost as good, but the sweetness of ripe bell peppers really compliments the sauce. I think I'm also going to try: Grilling the chicken outdoors, then basting on sauce, like BBQ sauce. I let you know how it turns out.

Ingredients:
1tsp.-plus-1tbl. oil
boneless, chicken breast-thawed and flattened between two pieces of plastic-this sauce is enough for eight
1-to-3 Ripe bell peppers- julienne sliced (I use 1red,1yellow and 1orange, for a 3lb. bag of chicken breast.)
1/4 cup water

For the Piri Piri Sauce:
1 onion-diced
1Tbl. minced garlic
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
2 bird chili peppers- broken
2 red, ripe jalapenos-seeded and diced
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1/4cup white wine vinegar
1Tbl.Worcestershire sauce
1/4cup water
1Tbl. dried basil
1/2tsp dried cilantro
1/2tsp dried thyme
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. tarragon
1/2 of a bay leaf

Preparation:
Puree the sauce ingredients in a blender, until smooth.
Heat the tsp.of oil in a skillet. Saute the peppers until crisp-tender, remove the peppers from the skillet.
Add another Tbl. oil to the skillet, and turn the burner to a high flame.
Brown the chicken on both sides, cooking until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned. Most of the browning occurs at the end of cooking.
Add the 1/4 of water to the hot pan, to de-glaze the bottom of the pan. This adds more flavor to the dish.
Add the peppers back to the pan, along with the sauce.
Simmer about 3-5 minutes, to allow the chicken to absorb the sauce. Serve hot.

                                        Puree the sauce ingredients.

                         Saute the peppers until they are crisp-tender.

     Pan grill the chicken until it is cooked through, and lightly browned.

De-glaze the pan with 1/4cup water. Add the peppers, chicken and sauce. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken and Dumplings-and Great-Grandma

                                        Chicken and Dumplings

I consider myself very lucky to have gotten to know two of my Great-Grandmothers, one lived to be 100 years old. I wish I had paid more attention when she tried to teach me how to make chicken and dumplings (Her signature dish), it took a couple of decades to figure it out on my own. I shudder to think of all the things she could have taught me, had I been inclined to learn.
She was born in 1889, and passed in 1990, Just imagine the huge changes that came to pass, all around her, but she was very spunky and fought them tooth and nail.
When I was a little girl she still used a hand pump for water, an out-house, and a wood burning stove, to cook on. One year my Grandfather piped in water and natural gas for her. She was OK with that, but they never heard the end of replacing her beloved wood burning stove with a gas one. She pretty much gave up cooking after that, saying she couldn't cook on that "blasted contraption". I can certainly understand that one, My husband has bought several expensive sets of pots and pans for me, as gifts, but I still cook on my old, original set. (30 years old, and looks it.) It is not possible for me to cook this dish, and not think of that feisty German lady.
Her Family came here when she was very young. The whole family was musical, and traveled around the country, performing in Vaudeville. That's how she met my Great-Grandfather ( a magician and violinist in Vaudeville) She was only 14 when they married. (that was common in those days) and stayed married their entire lives.
I think that alone is truly amazing. This isn't Grandma's recipe, but still a good one.

I think the best tasting dumplings and noodles, come from stewing a whole chicken. But not all families are as large as my brood, so it's not really practical for them. I make 4 batches of dumplings for an entire chicken.
Really, you only need the finished broth for the dumplings, You could save most of the chicken for a meal the next day, like chicken salad.
You can get pretty good results, from using a chicken breast or two in chicken broth and water, along with the celery and onion. You could also add vegetables if you like such as carrots, peas, and slice the celery.


For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
2 ribs celery- whole
1 small onion diced
1Tsp. salt (or more)
1tsp. pepper ( or less) 

Dumplings: Makes about 18
3 to 3-1/2cups flour
1-1/2tsp. salt
1Tbl. baking powder
1/2tsp. baking soda
1egg-beaten
1+1/3cup buttermilk
2Tbl. melted butter

Preparation:
Add the Chicken, celery, onion, salt and pepper to a 4 quart pot.
I cook the chicken until (literally) the legs almost fall off. Adding water as necessary. By this time the broth is very rich.
Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool. Remove the celery and discard.
Shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
Mix the dumpling ingredients. Dumplings are kind of tricky, they need to be the right consistency, or they fall apart. I added photos (below) to help.
You'll need at least 4-1/2cups broth from the stewed chicken. (Add more water if needed)
Bring the broth to a boil. Drop in the dumplings one heaping tablespoon at a time.
Don't stir or dumplings will fall apart.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, Cover with a lid. (no peeking)
It's really important not to lift the lid for 20 minutes. Once you add the lid, the broth will rise (like a pressure cooker, and cover the dumplings, if you lift the lid, the tops will be mushy.)
After 20 minutes, turn off the burner, and serve.

 Add the chicken, celery and onion to a 4qt pot. cook until the chicken begins to fall apart. 2-3 hours.

Add the chicken back to the pot, there needs to be at least 4-1/2 cups of broth in the pot, more is better.

After 3 cups of flour, this is still a bit sticky, add flour a little at a time, until it looks like the next photo.

Just right. It is possible to add too much flour, then they become dry on the inside, sort of like a biscuit. I think I've made every possible mistake, making dumplings, over the years. The worst mistake was, not enough broth in the pot, I had to throw out that burnt mess. But, as with cooking any recipe, it's a learning process, mistakes teach you something, so don't give up!