Getting Inventive with Chicken

March is the month when I usually start yawning in the kitchen. I’m tired of my same old meals, and the family is getting bored eating them. With the promise of spring around the corner, ideas for new recipes start popping up. It’s time to head to the pantry and fix those recipe doldrums.

Old Dish, New Taste?

How often do you find yourself making chicken during the week? Even if it’s a rotisserie bird grabbed off the shelf or a package of frozen nuggets, chickens get overexposed in our recipe rotation. And rightly so. Chicken is mild, can be doctored up hundreds of ways, and has a familiar texture that everybody in the family enjoys. But maybe it’s time for some new trends.

A little inspiration with sauces (that are quick for easy weekday meals) helps. Look in your pantry and see what’s available. Honey? Definitely. A jar of marinated artichoke hearts or roasted red peppers?  Go for it. Capers and olives are always flavorful. Even the regular breadcrumbs you might be using for breaded chicken cutlets can get spruced up with some herbs from your spice rack.  None of these have to be time-consuming to brighten the dinner table.

Thinking Outside the (Lunch) Box

Some of the items that go in our kids’ lunches can enhance a dull recipe. Dried apricots and raisins lend a touch of sweetness to bland chicken. Chopped nuts, such as almonds or peanuts, provide a crunchy texture, not to mention a good deal of flavor. Toasted and then thrown in at the end of a dish, nuts boost the character of a dish. 

Do the kids like chips? Head south of the border for a bit of Mexico and add some tortilla chips to your chicken dish. After a quick sauté of chicken tenders, throw in black beans and shredded Jack cheese, topped with crumbled tortilla chips. 

Play Around

There are no steadfast rules for any of these dishes. Look in your pantry and see what comes to mind. What are some of your favorite flavors? Have you ever wanted to try something new but didn’t know where to start? Chicken is so forgiving that it works with a variety of enhancements and sauces.

Pick something tried and true and change it up a bit. Add a little of this, a little of that, and see what happens to dinner. Use your imagination while waiting for spring to arrive. It’s only three weeks away!

Recipes 

All of the recipes below are for four servings and they all pair well with rice. If you like extra sauce, add a bit more chicken stock. A tip: You can thicken sauces with breadcrumbs. Stir them in at the end and you’ll get good flavor without lumps!

Chicken with Artichoke Hearts

4 bone-in chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 6-ounce jar of quartered marinated artichoke hearts
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 T breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400°.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish, skin side up. Arrange artichoke hearts on top of chicken and pour the marinade over the chicken. Pour the chicken stock over all. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. 

Honey Mustard Chicken with Dried Fruit

1 1/2 pounds chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 T Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted nuts, such as almonds or cashews, chopped
Salt and pepper

In a small bowl, whisk the honey, mustard and chicken stock together. Set aside. Cut chicken breasts into two-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan and sauté about two minutes per side. Add the honey mustard mixture and the dried fruits.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. Off heat, stir in nuts and serve.

Mexican Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
2 T olive oil
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed in a sieve
1 small jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 package of shredded Jack cheese
1 cup tortilla chips, broken into large pieces

Turn on the broiler in your oven. Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet and sauté the chicken strips for about two minutes per side. Add the black beans, red peppers and broth. Stir and bring to a boil, then take off heat. Sprinkle the cheese over all. Broil for about five minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Out of the oven, sprinkle chips on top for those who want them.