4th of July Hawaiian Chicken
Ok, Ok. I know it is not July 4th. But I have been a little busy lately and am just now getting around to writing about my holiday. We had a great day. We invited some of my in-laws over for an impromptu meal and had a really good time. We grilled steaks (that I marinated in balsamic vinegar and spices) and hotdogs, had pasta salad and coleslaw. We ate outside on the deck while the kids played and the sun shone, mostly. We did get a pretty good shower while the coals were heating up for the grill, but it passed quickly and we were able to resume our meal making ritual. I hope you all had a great 4th and that you enjoyed some good cooking and great friends.
A side note. I have been formulating a recipe and served it the day before the 4th to some relatives who enjoyed it enough to ask for the recipe. I am thinking of possibly turning it into a "pot pie". I would start by cutting the chicken into bite size pieces boiling the sauce down till it is thicker put it in a deep dish and cover it with delicate strips of phyllo dough. Oh, and omit the rice. But here it is in original form.
Hawaiian Chicken with Apricot Studded Rice
Serves 4
salt
black pepper
1/2 c. flour
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 Tbls olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 c. chopped red pepper
1 can pineapple chunks, drained, reserve liquid
½ cup white wine
Sauce:
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. catsup
2 Tbls orange marmalade (smuckers)
2 Tbls duck sauce
1 Tbls brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chicken stock
Juice from canned pineapple
1 Tblsp lemon zest
2 scallions thinly sliced Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in flour, shake off excess. Brown in skillet w/ 3 Tbls oil. Remove from pan. Add onion, pineapple and pepper, saute in remaining 1 Tbls oil till onion becomes soft. Add white wine and deglaze pan. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add chicken back to pan and pour sauce over mixture. Simmer for 25 minutes. Serve with apricot studded rice. Top with scallions.
Apricot studded rice1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup diced dried Apricots
1 cups long grain rice
Bring water, OJ and broth to a boil. Add dried apricots and rice to pan. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Here are the ingredients. Chicken, Apricots, Garlic, Brown Sugar, Lime, Red Pepper, Can of Pineapple tidbits, Scallions, Balsamic Vinegar, White Wine, Ketchup, Nutmeg, Chicken Broth, Onion, Apricot or Peach Perserves, Duck Sauce, Rice.
The Ziploc bag has flour, salt and pepper in it. I diced the chicken into bite size pieces and added it to the bag. Then tossed it up to coat the chicken. I shook off the excess then added it to a hot pan with 3 Tbls oil.
Cook till the chicken is browned on all sides.
Then add the onions, red pepper, pineapple, and garlic. Saute a few min till the onion and pepper is soft.
Now see these bits of browned goodness on the bottom of the pan?
Lets add the wine to that and scrap'em up. After that I add the rest of the liquid ingredients to the pan down to the chicken broth and pineapple juice. Zest the lime and add the juice from the lime to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the zest. Serve over apricot rice. Top with scallions.
