Chicken - Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's double post deals with chicken, and includes Arroz Chaufa (Fried Rice With Chicken and Bell Pepper) and Stovetop Barbecue Chicken. Enjoy!

EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

This is from Eating Well. It begins, "These easy Mexican enchiladas are filled with flavorful, shredded slow-cooked shredded chicken. Placed on a bed of fresh lettuce, this delicious recipe is sure to be the hit of any dinner occasion."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Additional Time: 4 hours; Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes; Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/262838/easy-chicken-enchiladas/.

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 (10.5 ounce) can reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup mild salsa (lower sodium such as Newman's Own)

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 cups packaged baby lettuce mix

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed (see Tip)

1/2 cup shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend

Directions

Place chicken breasts in a 1-1/2 quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine soup, salsa, chiles, chili powder and cumin; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

Remove chicken and place in a medium, shallow bowl. Using two forks, shred meat. Add half of the sauce from the slow cooker to the shredded chicken, tossing to coat.

Line a serving platter with the lettuce. Place about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture and about a teaspoon of the shredded cheese down the center of each tortilla and roll up. Arrange enchiladas on the prepared serving platter. Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Tips

Tip: To warm tortillas, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Bake about 10 minutes or until heated through.

SLOW-COOKER ARROZ CON POLLO (CHICKEN & RICE)

This is from Eating Well, and begins, "This one-pot chicken dinner, inspired by the traditional dish of Spain and Latin America, comes together easily in the crock pot. The instant brown rice is added near the end, to keep it from overcooking."

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Additional Time: 6 hours; Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes; Servings: 8; Yield: 10 cups

To view this online, go to https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/269113/slow-cooker-arroz-con-pollo-chicken-rice/.

Ingredients

3 large red, orange, and/or yellow bell peppers, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15 ounce) can no-sodium-added tomato sauce

1 (15 ounce) can no-sodium-added diced tomatoes, undrained

1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon saffron or 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 cups instant brown rice, such as Minute Rice

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup chopped green olives with pimientos

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (Optional)

Directions

Combine bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, chili powder, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, cumin, and saffron (or turmeric) in a 6-qt. slow cooker. Nestle chicken into the mixture until submerged. Cover and cook on Low for 5-1/2 hours.

Stir in rice, peas, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes more.

Using 2 forks, shred the chicken in the slow cooker. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon olives and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Tips

Equipment: 6-qt. slow cooker

STOVETOP BARBECUE CHICKEN

This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ali wrote, "Nothing compares to live fire, but even if you don’t have a grill, you can make chicken that’s burnished and sticky with barbecue sauce. To achieve a similar smokiness on the stovetop, paint boneless, skinless chicken with some barbecue sauce and sear it so the sugars in the sauce caramelize and char. The sauce here leans tangy and spicy, but adjust it as you like. Once the chicken is cooked, let the sauce bubble until glossy enough to slather onto the chicken. Since that only took 30 minutes, consider your sides: perhaps a green goddess slaw, potato chips or pickles. (If you’d like to use bone-in chicken, try this oven method.)"

Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 3 to 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024169-stovetop-barbecue-chicken. While you're at it, sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, if you haven't already.

Ingredients

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

1-1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation

In a large bowl, stir together the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne.

Pat the chicken dry and pound to an even ½-inch thickness, if necessary. Season all over with salt and pepper, then add to the bowl of barbecue sauce and turn to coat. (You can marinate the chicken, covered and refrigerated, up to 2 hours ahead.)

Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Shake the chicken to remove excess sauce, then add to the skillet. Cook until cooked through and charred in spots, 6 to 8 minutes per side. (Some sauce might collect and brown in the pan; that’s OK.) Meanwhile, stir 1/4 cup of water into the remaining bowl of sauce, scraping the sides to get every bit.

Transfer the chicken to a plate, pour the sauce into the pan and scrape any browned bits off the skillet. Boil until the sauce is thick and glossy, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the chicken and any juices from the plate and turn to coat. If you find the sauce is too thin to coat the chicken, simmer it over medium-low. If it’s too thick to coat the chicken, add a tablespoon of water.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN FAJITAS WITH THE WORKS

This is from WW (formerly Weight Watchers), and begins, "Sheet-pan dinners are popular for a reason: They cook everything in one place and keep cleanup minimal. The pans can be surprisingly versatile too—here, we use one like a fajita skillet. The key to getting that signature sear on the seasoned veggies and meat? Heating the empty pan in the oven until it’s screaming-hot. This ensures the ingredients start sizzling the second they hit the surface."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Serves: 4; Difficulty: Easy; 9 points

View this online here.

Ingredients

4 sprays cooking spray

1 pound uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

1 large onions, yellow, sliced

2 medium red bell peppers, sliced

1 large poblano chile, sliced

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp paprika, smoked

8 tortillas (6-inch), low carb, high fiber tortilla wraps

1 cup pico de gallo

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 avocado, medium, thinly sliced (optional)

1 medium jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)

Directions

Place a large sheet pan in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion, bell peppers, and chile. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and paprika and toss to coat.

Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and coat with cooking spray. Spread the chicken and vegetables into an even layer on the pan. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil. Place the tortillas in the oven to warm during the last 5 minutes of roasting.

Divide the chicken and vegetables among the tortillas. Serve with the pico de gallo, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, jalapeño, and lime wedges (if using).

Serving size: 2 filled tortillas

ARROZE CHAUFA (FRIED RICE WITH CHICKEN AND BELL PEPPER)

This is from Ham El-Waylly in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ham wrote, "After laborers flocked from China to Peru in the mid-1800s, a blend of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine known as Chifa was born. This simple version of arroz chaufa (fried rice) focuses on chicken thighs and red bell pepper, but other varieties might embrace sliced hot dogs, shrimp or strips of meat. The key to this recipe, and other fried rice recipes, is keeping the cooking surface hot. This is easy to achieve when using a powerful wok burner in a professional kitchen, but at home, this means cooking things in smaller batches. If you need to serve more people, multiply the recipe as needed, but make sure to cook the rice in several batches to allow it to crisp rather than steam. (You can hold the prepared rice covered in foil in a warm oven.)"

Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 2 to 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024042-arroz-chaufa-fried-rice-with-chicken-and-bell-pepper. While you're there, sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter (if you haven't already). Great stuff!

Ingredients

4 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed

2 large eggs, beaten

Kosher salt

1 medium red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, white and green portions separated

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)

2 cups cooked white rice, cooled

2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, plus more for seasoning

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Preparation

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil over high until shimmering. Add the eggs, season with a pinch of salt and cook until fully cooked, flipping over once halfway through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, roughly chop it into small pieces and set aside.

Return the pan to high heat and add another tablespoon of neutral oil. Add the bell pepper, season with a pinch of salt and cook, frequently stirring, until lightly charred along the edges and softened, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons neutral oil. Add the chicken, season with a pinch of salt and cook, frequently stirring, until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Add the ginger, garlic and scallion whites; cook, frequently stirring, until fragrant and softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin, white pepper, sugar and MSG (if using) and stir to combine.

Break up the cooled rice with your hands, so the grains are separate, then add to the pan. Stir frequently so all the ingredients are well incorporated and each grain of rice is coated in fat. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil along the outside perimeter of the pan and toss to combine. Cook, frequently stirring, until some of the rice starts to crisp and turn toasty, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the eggs, bell pepper and scallion greens to the rice; toss to combine.

Cook for another minute, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt, soy sauce and white pepper as needed. Serve immediately.

HAWAIIAN SHEET PAN CHICKEN

This is from WW (formerly Weight Watchers), and begins, "This easy, all-in-one meal hits all the right sweet and savory notes. A little convenient-and-delicious jarred teriyaki sauce pulls together the pineapple, red bell pepper, and onion, and turns them into a family-friendly veggie side plus a saucy accompaniment for the chicken. Leftovers make a great lunch on top of some brown rice."

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Serves: 4; Difficulty: Easy; 1 point

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 sprays Cooking spray

22-1/2 oz. uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (but you'll need to start with four 7-ounce skin-on bone-in split chicken breasts)

1 tsp table salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

1-1/2 cups pineapple, fresh chunks

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges

1/3 cup reduced sodium teriyaki sauce

2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped (or to taste)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper; place on one side of prepared baking sheet.

Combine the pineapple chunks, bell pepper, and onion on the other side and toss with teriyaki sauce. Sprinkle with black pepper. Roast until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender and browned, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro and more salt, if desired.

Serving size: 1 chicken breast (skin discarded) and 1/2 cup pineapple and vegetables