Perfect Grilled Chicken Tips

Grilled chicken is one of my favorite Memorial Day Weekend foods. We grill it year-round-- rain, snow or shine.  If you are starting up the grill after a winter hibernation, here are a few reminders to get that perfect grilled chicken the first weekend of the summer instead of the last.

Chicken Grilling Basics

• Pick the best chicken you can afford.  Keep it cold until it is ready to put on the grill.
• If you marinate (in the refrigerator), wipe off excess so that oils do not drip into the flames.  We  prefer a dry method of seasoning the poultry and like to salt and pepper the pieces well, cook then add sauces and chutneys afterwards. If you want to add barbecue sauce, wait until the chicken is almost cooked, brush sauce onto one side, turn to allow it to caramelize a bit and repeat on other side.
• Grill bone-in with skin intact to preserve moistness and impart the best 'chicken' flavor. You can remove skin after cooking (if you must).
• Cook chicken on medium low heat for even and thorough cooking.  Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F. We use a charcoal grill and let the coals develop a nice ash before starting to cook.  This provides a moderate, even temperature.
• Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature.  This is the most important tip on this list.  No amount of pressing on meat for tenderness can match the accuracy and safety of a good thermometer.
• Use a grill cover to help the chicken meat cook on the inside while it is developing that lovely crisp skin on the outside.  
• Dark meat, like thighs and legs, take a little longer to cook but stand up better to high and varying heat levels. They can stay on the grill to a temperature of 175˚F.  Chicken breasts need a little more care.  Provide even heat on the lower end of medium-low.  Chicken wings are high in fat and thus behave more like dark meat on the grill.  
• Start chicken skin side up.  Turn chicken breasts when the breast's 'chicken tender' piece begins to split away from the larger muscle.  This takes about 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the piece. Turn thighs and legs when you see nice browning occur.  Start checking after 10 minutes.  These pieces can be turned a few times. 
• Keep chicken fat out of the flames.  This causes flare ups and excess skin char which is not tasty.  Watch thighs in particular and move them to a cooler spot on the grill until they calm down.  Placing a cover on the grill, thus dampening oxygen flow, helps dampen the fire too.
• Let the chicken rest after it comes off the grill.  Give it at least 10 minutes while you get the rest of the meal inside and served.  
• Bonus tip: If you are charcoal grilling a different meat for dinner, pick up some chicken parts to put on the grill afterwards.  It is a great way to use the heated charcoal after the steak or burgers come off the grill.  Cooler charcoal takes a bit longer to cook chicken so put the pieces on, cover the grill and enjoy a leisurely meal, checking the chicken now and then.  (Use that thermometer.)

Lastly, cook enough to have cold grilled chicken leftovers.  After all, this is a holiday and we have important things to do, like thanking our lucky stars and the families of those who have bravely kept us safe.

Happy Memorial Day.

Our Favorite Chicken Sandwich Sports Watercress & Avocado

Chicken and watercress sandwiches on brown bread are a specialty of downtown Scranton, PA's PJ Scanlon's Restaurant.  They've moved around the city's square but still attract the courthouse and professional crowd alongside tony shoppers.  For years we did our best to imitate the original whenever watercress was in season.

Thinly sliced poached chicken breast on a light whole wheat bread-- just warmed-- and a schmear of mayonnaise to hold in a handful of peppery watercress.  We thought this lily could not be gilded. Then one day we added a few slices of avocado.

Perfection.

Our new favorite springtime chicken sandwich.

Thank you PJ Scanlons.  We never miss going back for the original to remind ourselves of how great, pure food should be made and served with joy.

Sweetheart Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is easy to make at any time of the year and especially welcome as the days begin to get longer.  The recipe stands on its taste alone but also gets points for heart health.  It has no mayonnaise, uses lean chicken breast meat and delivers antioxidants via dried cherries and pecans.  Cap that off with a little fiber from the pears and celery.

Serve it on warm rolls, wrapped in lettuce cups or alongside some cottage cheese (the pears form a nice taste bridge to cottage cheese).

You can use fresh, poached or roasted pears in the recipe.  We love it with our roasted pears recipe and our 20-minute poached pears recipe but you can use canned pears in juice.  (Rinse them off if in syrup.)

Sweetheart Chicken Salad
Serves 3

2 cups  cooked, chopped skinless chicken breast
2 small pears, peeled and chopped (canned, roasted, poached or raw)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Dressing:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Method

1. Place all chopped ingredients in a large bowl-- chicken, pears and celery.  
2. Roughly chop cherries if large.  Add to mixture with pecans.
3. Make dressing: combine vinegar and mustard in small bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and whisk to emulsify.  Slowly add remaining oil as you continue to whisk to create a creamy dressing.  Stir in salt and pepper to taste.  Use a heavy hand with the black pepper; it compliments the tart cherries and mustard.  Pour over the chicken mixture and toss to coat.  
4. Let chicken salad stand about 15 minutes to meld before serving.  Recipe can be made up to a day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.

Valentine's Day note: If you are poaching or roasting fresh pears, make a few extra for dessert.  Drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve with some vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt for a sweetheart dessert. 

Denver Versus Carolina Wings

Super Bowl recipes are everywhere and I am no different in wanting something fun to serve while watching the "big game."  This year it's chicken wings with two sauces: one to celebrate Denver and the other for Carolina.

For the Broncos, it's got be chili verde wings. Denver residents, including my brother, put their famous green chili sauce on everything from breakfast to through dinner. We all know the Carolinas are famous for several types of great barbecue so for the Panthers we'll toss the wings in a thin vinegar-hot sauce that reminds me of little of Buffalo wings.

Get ready-- it's game on.

And by get ready, I mean the cook should enjoy the party too.  The wings are cooked right out of the freezer, drained then finished in their sauce.  You can even make them ahead. 

  

Denver Versus Carolina Wings

Recipe makes enough sauce for 3 dozen wings and can be doubled or tripled.

Start with the Wings:
Ingredients

36 frozen chicken wings  (about 3 pounds)

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. 
2. Line two roasting pans with tin foil.   
3. Place half the wings in each pan and roast for 15 minutes then drain wings.  While wings roast, prepare sauces. 

...for the Denver Wings

Chile Verde Sauce

2 Poblano or Anaheim peppers (canned is OK according to Denver residents)

1 jalepeño chili pepper

1 medium tomatillo*

½ medium onion

1 clove garlic

½ teaspoon oregano

¼ teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

handful fresh cilantro

¼ cup water

*If you cannot find tomatillos, substitute a seeded tomato and a tablespoon of lime juice

1. Roast, peel and seed fresh chilies if using.  If using canned, skip this step.   
2. Roughly chop chilies, onion and peeled garlic clove.  (You may use jalepeño without roasting.  Seed and remove veins before chopping.) 
3. Add chopped vegetables, spices and cilantro to a food processor.  Pulse to create a puree.   
4. Add water by tablespoonful if pulp is very thick.  You are looking for a thick but pourable sauce.

...for the Carolina Wings

Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup (or brown sugar)

2 teaspoons hot sauce (or ketchup if you do not want spicy wings)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a jar.  Seal the jar and shake well.

Finish Wings:

1. Pour the Chili Verde Sauce in one pan and the Vinegar Barbecue Sauce in the other.  Toss each sauce with the wings to coat completely.   You may have a little leftover sauce. 
2. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes.  Halfway through turn the wings over in the sauce and switch their positions in the oven.  Wings  are ready when they reach a temperaure of 170˚F.  Serve immediately or cool and store covered.  (If using fresh wings, check after 20 minutes.)
3. If you want your wings to have crisp skins, turn each wing so that it is sitting skin side up. Turn the oven to broil and place the roasting pan on the top rack.   Broil for 5 minutes, watching carefully.

Wings can be served plain or with dippers like sour cream, guacamole or buttermilk based dressings or drag them through some bean or beer-cheese dip. The Carolina wings also taste good with blue cheese dressing inthe style of Buffalo wings.

Store cooled wings covered in the refrigerator.  Reheat wings uncovered in a preheated 325˚F oven for 15-20 minutes.  Wings can be reheated in the microwave  with a cover --like a piece of paper towel to absorb any slattter.  They do not crisp up as well in the mircowave as in the oven.

If you have a litttle more time and care about the amount of fat associated with chicken wings you can roast the wings for 15 minutes, drain the fat and then combine the wings with their respective saauce.  Cook another 10-15 minutes until the wings reach a temperaure of 170˚F.

Weeknight Paella

Is Paella possible on a weeknight?  Yes, if you just think of it as enhanced chicken & rice and don't worry about cooking it in the traditional wide paella pan over an open flame.

Basic chicken and rice (or Arroz con Pollo) is simple.  In a large pot, cook two cups of uncooked rice in 4 1/2 cups of liquid seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. I like short grain brown rice but regular rice is acceptable and also faster cooking.  Use water, chicken broth or a combination of both as your liquid. Sometimes I add a little tomato paste or chopped tomatoes, especially if they are very ripe and need a good home.  During the last fifteen minutes add cut up boneless chicken pieces and a cup of frozen peas. Cover and cook until the chicken is done.

Turn this into weeknight paella with the following enhancements (complete recipe is below). If you have saffron, add a few threads to your rice.  If not, try a combination of smoked paprika and turmeric instead.  Add bottled clam juice to your rice liquids.  Substitute clam juice for all or most of the water.  I use half chicken broth; half clam juice. 

While the rice cooks, sauté an onion, some red bell pepper and celery in a separate skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  I also add chopped carrots and sliced green beans.  Add these ingredients to the rice when the rice is halfway cooked.

When your rice is almost tender and has about 10 minutes left to cook, add cut up boneless chicken pieces, peeled raw shrimp and slices of chorizo sausage.  Now is the time to add frozen artichoke hearts and frozen peas.  Check the liquid.  Add more broth, clam juice or water.  At this stage I usually add about 1/2 cup more liquid and carefully bury the new ingredients in the hot rice mixture. 

When the chicken and shrimp are completely cooked, garnish your paella with some black olives and fresh chopped parsley and dish into wide bowls. 

Here is the recipe.  The ingredient list is longer than I usually use for weeknights but you can mix and match vegetables to keep it easy. To me the key flavors in paella are saffron, red bell pepper, poultry, seafood and garlicky chorizo.  Most vegetables work well so pick some your favorites from the group listed. 

Weeknight Paella
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups rice (short grain brown rice preferred)
5 cups liquid (chicken broth, clam juice and/or water)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
pinch saffron threads
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
optional: 2 carrots, peeled and chopped, 1 cup green beans, sliced, 1 medium zucchini sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless chicken— breasts or thighs, cut in bite sized pieces
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 box frozen artichoke hearts
1/2 pound Chorizo sausage*, sliced (about 12 slices)
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup black olives 
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Method

1. Combine rice, 5 cups liquid, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano and saffron in a large covered pot.  
2. Bring rice to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook covered. (Brown rices will take 45-50 minutes; white rices will take about 30 minutes.)
3. While rice cooks, sauté onion, red bell pepper, celery and any other fresh vegetables you like in two tablespoons olive oil.  
4. Add vegetables to rice when rice is abut halfway done.   
5. About ten minutes before the rice is finished, taste the rice to see if it is done.  It should be hard in the center but you will be able to bite through it.  At this point a bowl of paella is about 10 -15 minutes away! Add chicken, shrimp, chorizo, artichokes and peas.  Give the pot a good stir to bury the new ingredients and check your liquid to make sure the bottom of the pot is not dry.  If needed, add 1/2-1 cup extra liquid to ensure rice is wet enough to share a little steam with the chicken and shrimp.  
6. Cover and cook paella on low until chicken and shrimp are cooked through.  Taste the rice and adjust seasoning as needed with a little extra salt, pepper or paprika. Serve topped with black olives and parsley.

And… some of us add a little extra virgin olive oil from Spain and a squeeze of lemon to paella at the table.  

Elegant Life Leftovers: Weeknight Paella can be frozen for another easy night.  Cool completely in the refrigerator then pack into serving sized freezable containers or freezer bags.  Reheat in the microwave on a low setting or pop the serving out and into a pan with a few tablespoons of water.  Reheat over low heat. 

Natural is Trending

Food predictions make good filler on 24-hour news cycles at this time of year.  Darlings like kale, foam garnishment, bacon on everything, and more to come all have their moment.  Food theories and lifestyles open debate about the relative importance of Atkins protein diets, the role of calories, the mystery of gluten-free success for non-celiac sufferers, the merits of veganism and more.

It's complicated and changes all the time. 

That's why I had to smile when I heard that 'natural' will be trending in 2016.  The idea is that food companies will be helping us out by adding more natural ingredients to prepared foods because consumer interest in the topic has grown to influential numbers.  Also expect to see less than natural ingredients replaced with better counterparts.

Until this trend is a reality, plan on making your own trend and creating your own more natural diet.  It only takes one guiding principle--- Eat Real Food.

That's what every recipe posted on the Pure Foods Project blog for the past six years has been offering.  Every meal, snacks and even desserts can and should be real.  When you eat pure, real foods you will be satisfied sooner.  You will enjoy every bite more.  You will feel good.  Flip through the categories on this blog for recipes that use real ingredients so you can eat more pure food.

Deputy Ron Kelley 

You do not have to seek out organic foods only, turn to veganism or grow sprouts to feel better and stronger in 2016. Don't fuss over food trends.  Just eat what you know but insist on it being real.  If you make this your habit, you will find the best brands for you, the best shortcuts to cook your favorites from scratch and the best way for you to eat that allows time for life's other pursuits. 

Two caveats to the Real Food Rule:  If you are hooked on sugar or salt (and if you are eating a lot of processed and packaged foods you may well be), make the effort to cut back severely here.  Your taste buds will adjust quickly and you will taste all the others flavors in the universe that salt and sugar have been masking.  That is what eating real food can do for you.

Happy New Year! 

Photos: Pennsylvania Game Commission deputies know how to treat game properly and safely.  Above, the crop of a ruffed grouse shows the bird's natural diet.  Left, local deer processors make a local favorite, kielbasa, using a venison base.  Ron's tip for kielbasa- steam the delicate meat.  Deputies deserve to eat pure food!

Jalepeño Popper Chicken Casserole

There are several ways to prepare the jalepeños for this dish.  I like to grill them the night before but you can also dry-saute them in a cast iron skillet before making the rest of the dish.  If the peppers are very spicy, it may keep the fumes down to roast them as you prepare the cream cheese filling, as described in the recipe below.  In a pinch you can use canned green chilies and skip the cooking the peppers but the dish will not be as spicy. 

Jalepeño Popper Chicken Casserole
Yield 6-8 servings

Ingredients
8 jalepeños, halved and cored
4 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, divided
2 packages thinly sliced chicken breasts (about 10 pieces)
1 egg
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for pan

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Line a small baking dish with 1-2 inch sides with tin foil.  Oil lightly (or use spray oil.)
3. Roast jalepeños in prepared pan until wilted and a bit charred, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove jalepeños and allow them to cool.  
4. In a food processor mix together the cream cheese,  shredded cheddar and one tablespoon mayonnaise to form a thick cheese paste.
5. Lay chicken breasts out on a platter and cover each with a layer of the cream cheese mixture.  Use the back of a large spoon to spread the cheese evenly.  
6. Lay one-two jalepeños on each chicken breast and roll up.  Place rolled chicken breasts in the roasting pan.
7. Mix together one egg and the other tablespoon of mayonnaise in the bowl of the food processor or small mixing bowl that the cram cheese was in.  Spoon this sauce over the chicken breasts and sprinkle panko bread crumbs evenly over the top of the rolled chicken breasts.
8. Bake at 425˚F uncovered for 30 minutes.  Lower the heat to 325˚F and cook another 10 minutes.  A thermometer stuck into the center breast meat portion should read 170˚F.  Remove the pan from the oven and let casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 This dish may may be cooked ahead, cooled completely and frozen.  

Summer Crock Pot Poached Chicken and Mushrooms

Chicken cooked low and slow in a crock pot (aka slow cooker) comes out tender and keeps the kitchen cool.  The slow cooker is a great option on nights when it is too hot to turn on the oven. 

The 'secret' to the rich yet light suace is dried mushrooms. They reconstitute alongside the cooking chicken. 

If you do not have time to make this meal for tonight's dinner, make it alongside a quick to prepare one and enjoy a pre-cooked meal tomorrow night or take poached chicken to work the following day.

For this recipe, select skinless chicken breasts with the bone-in.  Once the chicken is cooked, remove and cool for a few minutes before pulling away the bone. Slice and return to the vegetables and broth to serve over rice.  If you are using boneless chicken breasts expect the dish to be ready about 20 minutes sooner.

Summer Crock Pot Poached Chicken and Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients

6 carrots
4 ribs celery
1 medium zucchini
1/2 ounce dried Porcini mushrooms2 large* skinless chicken breasts, bone in preferred
1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme and basil
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth
 optional: 1 cup green beans

*if using smaller breasts on boneless ones, cut back the cooking time but about 20 minutes.  

Method

1. Peel carrots and cut in half crosswise.  If very large, split down the middle to create large pieces that are of uniform size.  Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Cut celery and zucchini into large chunks. Add to the carrots in the pot.
3. Scatter dried mushrooms over vegetables.
4. Place chicken breasts on top of vegetables.  Cover with salt and pepper.
5. Pour chicken broth over chicken and vegetables. 
6. Turn slow cooker on high for 2 1/2 -3 hours.  Check chicken at the 2 hour mark.  If it has reached 165˚F degrees, remove and leave vegetables to finish cooking.  Vegetables are ready when you can cut a carrot with a fork.

Serve over brown rice or egg noodles.  

The Light Big Breakfast: Ground Turkey and Egg Tostada

Can breakfast be substantial and still feel light?  If you have an important morning ahead of you or want to serve something a little more exciting for a Sunday breakfast, a tostada is an easy option that doesn't take much more talent or effort than scrabbled eggs.

That's because the recipe is made with eggs stirred into cooked ground turkey.  The turkeu is lightly seasoned but you can up the heat easily with extra jalepeños and hot sauce.  To mimic the flavor of chorizo sausage, add a pinch of smoked parpika with the other spices. 

The recipe is flexible and invites variation based on what you have in your kitchen.  The lightness come from ricotta cheese folde into the eggs and ground turkey but if you don’t have ricotta in the house, you can use another soft fresh cheese like cream cheese, goat cheese, queso fresco or even cottage cheese. 

I like corn tortillas but if flour ones are your favorite, that’s fine too.  This dish is even good without the tortilla for those cutting back on carbs.  Use the recipe as a launching off point and you won't go hungry.

Ground Turkey & Egg Tostada

Ingredients for one:
¼ lb. lean ground turkey
¼ jalapeño, diced (seeds removed)
1 egg
2 T ricotta cheese (or other fresh soft cheese like farmers cheese)
Pinch cumin, coriander, marjoram
Salt & pepper to taste
1 corn tortilla (toasted or fried)
Toppings: extra cheese (grated cheddar, jack), sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream, hot sauce or salsa

Ingredients to serve four:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 jalapeño, diced (seeds removed)
4 eggs
½ cup ricotta cheese
½ teaspoon each cumin, coriander, marjoram
Salt & pepper to taste
4 corn tortillas (toasted or fried)
Toppings: extra cheese (grated cheddar, jack), sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream, hot sauce or salsa

Method

1. Brown the turkey over medium heat.  Whne cooked thoroughly, drain any fat.  
2. Add diced jalapeños and spices. Cook for a minute more.  
3. Meanwhile crack egg/s into a small bowl and scramble with a fork.  Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Pour eggs over hot turkey in sauté pan.  Lower heat and stir to start cooking eggs.  Top with ricotta cheese by small spoonfuls.  
5. Use a spatula as the eggs begin to solidify to turn the egg-turkey mixture and incorporate the cheese.  Do not mix the cheese in completely.  When eggs are set but still soft, cut portions with a spatula and slide onto warm tortillas.  
6. Top with your favorite add-ons.

Good enough-- and fast enough- to be dinner too.

Lazy Stuffed Cabbage made with Thanksgiving Leftovers, Brussels Sprouts & Turkey

Last year Elena Mahohnko and her mother Ewa Michalik co-authored a compendium of Russian and Polish cooking that is a treasure chest of recipes that manages to be both familiar, exotic and very much in reach of the everyday cook. My post-Thanksgiving casserole with Brussels sprouts gets inspiration from a classic that the mother-daughter team call Lazy Golubsky. You may know it as stuffed cabbage. 

The Food and Cooking of Russia & Poland describes how to make stuffed cabbage the Polish way, in a sweet-sour tomato sauce and the Russian way, sauced with beef broth that's been thickened with smetana (similar to sour cream or creme fraiche).  A note at the bottom of this recipe refers to  Lazy Golubsy (Lazy Stuffed Cabbage), a deconstructed and much faster way to make the dish. 

In our recipe, leftover Brussels sprouts create the top layer over cooked turkey mixed with creamy mascarpone cheese and chicken broth.  A layer of buttery rice forms the base.  The essence of Russian stuffed cabbage without much effort and without boiling and rolling cabbage leaves.

The simplicity of the dish, adding mascarpone cheese and rice to leftover turkey and vegetables makes for a fresh redux of typical Thanksgiving fare.  You can also add leftover creamed onions to your turkey mixture to make this very Lazy Golubsy.

Of course you can make this from scratch with ground turkey as we did if you do not want to wait until Thanksgiving for leftovers.  Brussels sprouts are in season at farmers markets now and want you to take them home.  Cream cheese can stand in for the mascarpone.

Lazy Stuffed Cabbage with Brussels Sprouts & Turkey
Serves 4

Ingredients
14 oz can low sodium chicken broth
8 ounces water
2 tablespoon butter, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked rice
1 pound cooked, ground turkey (or 2-3 cups finely chopped leftover cooked turkey
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
2-3 cups leftover, cooked Brussels sprouts
salt & pepper

Method

1. Cook the rice.  Measure 8 ounces of chicken broth and combine with water in a pot. Bring to a boil and add rice, one tablespoon butter and salt.  Lower heat to simmer and cook until rice is tender, about 25 minutes for regular rice, 15-20 minutes for basmati rice.  
2. Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Butter or lightly oil a 3 quart, shallow casserole dish. 
3. While rice cooks, prepare turkey mixture.  In a medium bowl, combine the cooked turkey with mascarpone.  If you are adding creamed onions, stir in at this point. Add chicken broth as needed to create a very moist mixture.  For ground turkey, you may need most of the remaining chicken broth. If using chopped cooked turkey, you will need a bit less.  Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt or pepper.
4. If they are whole, slice brussels sprouts in half.  
5. When rice has cooked,  pour the hot rice into the buttered casserole and pat down with the back of a spoon to form the bottom layer. 
6. Add the turkey-cheese mixture as a the middle layer. 
7. Top with Brussels sprouts  arranged so that the cut side is facing up.  Dot with remaining tablespoon of butter.  
8. Bake, uncovered, at 350˚F for 30-45 minutes, until casserole is heated through, to 165˚F.*
9. Optional: run casserole under broiler to brown and crisp the the top layer.  You may be tempted to add some mild grated cheese at this stage.  Make yourself happy. 

*It is always important to heat foods like turkey and any leftovers to a safe and hot temperature, 165˚K.  Use a thermometer to check that the casserole has reached 165˚F before removing from oven.  Be sure to test the middle of the casserole, without hitting the sides of bottom with the thermometer. 

Bacon Barded Woodcock

I learned about bird hunting when I lived in Vermont during the early 1990's. I wanted to walk in the woods during the fall and needed to understand things like safety zones, wearing orange and what game was in season so I could be visible on hunting days.

My friend Randall asked one of her friends to take me along next time he went bird hunting but our schedules never seemed to mesh.  In the end, my neighbor Margot mentioned her brother would take me.  I'd known them both since childhood and knew her brother would make a great guide.

I learned a lot that first day and later married that man.  I also went on to take a hunter safety course taught brilliantly by our local vet who encouraged parents, especially mothers, to stick around for his entertaining lectures to learn about gun safety in their homes. 

Birds in our Pennsylvania woods are few and far between.  Grouse and woodcock are the most sought after but their preferred cover has become less abundant as more houses are built, edging out fields and forest.  The electric power company in our area will be yanking out some good bird cover nearby in the coming months to lay high voltage transmission lines, the most profitable activity for them despite questionable local need. 

It's been years since I walked gun in hand so I needed a quick primer to recall the basic safety moves before joining my husband for a walk in the woods last week.  Trying to remember where I'd filed my hunter safety card, one requisite for a hunting license, took slightly less time and thought.  We planned a short hunt with low expectations.  Just a little walk.  We were both frankly surprised to come home with a fairly large-sized woodcock.

Woodcock are classic game birds.  They are lean  and they are distinguished by their dark-meat breasts, actually darker than the meat on the petite thigh-leg section.  Wrapping the plucked and drawn bird in bacon cocoons the meat so that it cooks evenly without becoming dry. You can use this same method on other game birds or a boneless skinless chicken breast.

Bacon Barded Woodcock
Ingredients
For each woodcock:
1 strip bacon
1/2 apple, thinly sliced
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley
salt and pepper
optional: two toothpicks

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.  
2. Place bird on a foil lined sheet.  
3. Salt and pepper inside cavity and skin.  Stuff with apple, lemon and celery.  Wrap in bacon.  Use two toothpicks to hold folded legs in place.  
4. Roast 15-20 minutes. Temperature of breast should read at least 140˚F.  
5. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest a full 15 minutes before serving. 

Hunting is controversial in our country.  I had mixed feelings about it growing up; I could see it for another era, but not for mine.  But hunting in the time of large scale food factories changed my mind.  I was surprised to find that the counter-intuitive notion that most hunters are better caretakers of our environment than most is true.  Like the best conservationists, they recognize and mourn the loss of habitat and species and will take measures to preserve the environment.  Not because it means dinner on their plate, but because they have allowed themselves to become part of the ecosystem, no longer distant observers out for an eco-tourism walk in the woods.  They see the changes, season to season and year to year as the woods and streams bear road salt runoff, power line clearing with herbicides and tree-downing development.

Coconut Peanut Butter “BBQ” Sauce

I’m making up quick recipes this month, ideas that add a hit of pure flavor with minimal time.  We’re still grilling outside and as the weather turns cooler our new go-to will be this Coconut Peanut Butter “BBQ” sauce to en-robe chicken.  The coconut milk sends the meal in a far east direction and you can adjust the spiciness to suit your tastes or skip the hot chili pasta entirely.    The sauce gets complexity from everyday pantry items including a touch of honey and a scoop of peanut butter. If you don’t have fish sauce, add a salty note with some soy sauce. 

Brush Coconut Peanut “BBQ” Sauce onto cooked chicken just before it leaves the grill.  It will melt a bit as it warms.  Turn the coated chicken and let chicken absorb the sauce away from direct flame.  

Serve extra sauce at the table as there will be plenty of dipping.  You can also bake skinless, boneless chicken breasts right in the sauce if you need an easy baked chicken dish.   Serve over rice; basmati rice would be perfect.    

Coconut Peanut “BBQ” Sauce

Makes a little over one cup

1 14-oz can coconut milk (unsweetened)

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons peanut butter

Juice of 1 lime

1-2 teaspoons chili paste (sriracha, sambal are great or shake in some ground cayenne)

1 teaspoon fish sauce (or 2 teaspoons soy sauce)

Method

1. Combine coconut milk and honey in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half.   
2. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients.  Stir to create a smooth sauce.   
3. Brush on grilled and cooked chicken or pork. 

   

   While this qualifies as a "white BBQ" sauce, chili paste casts a pink tone. 

Tandoori Chicken Pitas

Next time you are grilling, marinate a few chicken thighs in a Tandoori yogurt-spice mixture using spices you probably already have on hand.  Grill the thighs alongside or after your main meal is cooked.  The next day you'll have fragrant chicken to slice and stuff into pita pockets with some cooling salad ingredients.   We stuff cucumbers and radishes or sliced tomatoes and onions in with the chicken and add chopped cilantro and lettuce leaves.  Eat as is or add a fiery mango chutney and/or a cool spoonful of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Here how to make Tandoori Chicken Thighs for tomorrow's pita sandwiches.

Tandoori Chicken Thighs
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 ounces plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh, grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon each: cumin, tumeric, coriander, paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1. Place the chicken thighs in a large resealable plastic bag.   
2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.  
3. Marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.  
4. Grill things over direct heat, 4-5 minutes per side.  The chicken cal be roasted in the oven at 425˚F for 15-18 minutes.  Thighs are cooked when internal temperature registers 170˚F. 

Company Chicken Salad

Grill an extra chicken breast or two for this really nice chicken salad with mango chutney, raisins and sliced almonds.  You can use poached chicken breast or any other leftover cooked chicken for this recipe.

Major Grey's Mango Chutney mixed with mayonnaise is the sweet secret ingredient in the salad.  If you do not have a mango chutney around, you can get a similar flavor with a tablespoon of apricot jam or fruit spread and 1/8 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. If you like curry, you can add a sprinkle of your favorite blend in as well. 

Spring Chicken Salad
Serves 2

6-8 ounces leftover, cooked chicken- skinned and coarsely chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mango chutney
2 tablespoons raisins (or other dried fruit like cherries or chopped apricots)
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, roasted 
salt and pepper

Method

1. Combine chicken and celery in a medium bowl.  
2. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chutney and raisins.  (Note: This is not a lot of sauce and allows the chicken in the salad to stand out.  If you'd like, you can double the mayonnaise and chutney amounts for a more moist salad.)
3. Add chutney mixture to chicken mixture and fold to coat chicken well. 
4. Stir in raisins and nuts, reserving a little of each to top chicken salad as a garnish.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  
5. Cover chicken salad and let sit for at half an hour to allow flavors to meld.  

Serve over lettuce, in sandwich rolls or pita.

Mexican Cobb Chicken Salad

Buried under the bright green tomatillo salsa, crema and chopped avocadoes is a layer of sliced, cooked chicken and lettuce.  Also lined up in this Mexican-inspired Cobb salad are crumbled bacon, chopped tomatoes and two kinds of cheese, cheddar and queso fresco. 

Actually, we didn't have either queso fresco or its cousin farmer's cheese when we made this so we sprinkled in a mild feta.  A few blue corn tortilla chips did double duty as garnish and scoopers. 

Tomatillo salsa lends a bright lime flavor and crema adds a mellow note.  You can also pass some plain vinaigrette around for those who like a more dressed salad. 

Here's how to make the tomatillo salsa and crema to create your own masterpiece dinner salad.  You can use any fresh salsa instead if you are in a hurry but you will see from the various cooking methods provided that you can prepare this salsa alongside whatever you are cooking tonight whether stove top, grilled or in the oven and enjoy it the rest of the week.  Leftover Tomatillo Salsa can be used as base for a quick guacamole (add chopped avocado) or instead of your favorite hot sauce on burgers, tacos or grilled chicken.  Stir a few spoonfuls of Tomatillo Salsa into plain chicken soup to give it a serious lift.  

Tomatillo Salsa
Yields about 1 cup

Ingredients

1 pound tomatillos (about 6)
1-2 jalapeños  (two will make the sauce very spicy, OK to use 1/2 of one)
juice of one lime
1 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional: 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or water 
Method

1. Peel tomatillos and rinse them and the jalapeños in water.  
2. Cook tomatillos and jalapeños by any one of these methods: cover with water in a medium pot, bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes OR lightly oil tomatillos and jalapeños with vegetable oil and grill alongside anything else on the grill, turning as they char and remove when softened OR roast at 425˚F in a oiled roasting pan until softened.  
3. Once cooked, cool vegetables.  
4. Remove seeds from jalapeños.  
5. Place tomatillos and jalapeños in a food processor or blender with remaining ingredients.  Pulse until well blended to a puree.  
6. If mixture is very thick add a little water or olive oil.  Taste for seasoning, add more salt if needed. 

Crema
If you cannot find crema in your grocery store, combine some sour cream or plain Greek yogurt with a little cream to create a pouring consistency. 

What Are Tomatillos, Anyway?

Tomatillos are in the nightshade family (as is the tomato).  They have a citrus flavor, pretty tart with a nice crunch.  Tomatillos are showing up in grocery stores more frequently.  You will find them near avocados and tomatoes or with international produce. They look like small green tomatoes with grey-green papery husks.  We use them raw, chopped up in a salsa where the lime juice breaks them down or we use them cooked as in the recipe above.  FYI: Tomatillos are the key ingredient in most enchilada sauces. 

Potato Chip Chicken

The secret is unsalted potato chips.  You know from past posts how we feel about this versatile snack.  Spain’s famed chef Ferran Adrià uses crisp potato chips to make the fastest and tastiest Spanish Tortilla possible.  American chips can be very salty so unsalted ones allow you to salt the tortilla properly, especially important if you are adding a salty meat like sliced Spanish chorizo to the recipe.  You can use them to create your own BBQ chips or create your favorite flavored chips with real ingredients rather than the questionable list you see on packages. 

Now the unsalted version bakes up crispy chicken for you. This gluten-free coating will remind you of the satisfying crunch panko gives baked chicken.  Crush the chips in a food processor for the full recipe.  Or if making only one or two chicken breasts, place the chips in a baggie and crush with your hands or a rolling pin.  

Potato Chip Chicken
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless*
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 cup crushed potato chips (about 3 cups uncrushed)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.  
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and coat with spray oil or a little vegetable oil.  
3. Place chicken breasts on pan.  Lightly salt and pepper each.  
4. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each chicken breast.  
5. Cover the mayonnaise layer with a layer of crushed potato chips.  Note that since they already have oil on them, they will crisp up without additional oil or butter.  You may sprinkle on a little more salt, pepper and other seasonings (like paprika, dried oregano or basil) before placing chicken in the oven to bake.  
6. Bake 20-30 minutes until juices run clear and an internal temperature of 170˚F is reached. 
7. Remove chicken form oven and allow to rest five minutes before serving.

*Tip: Pounding boneless skinless chicken breast before starting the recipe will give you uniform thickness and more even cooking.

Fried Chicken Tenders and a Buttermilk Smoothie

Buttermilk Smoothie
This one is 1 cup buttermilk, ½ banana, ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), ¼ teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.  Puree in the blender and enjoy.  This is a pure and simple way to get buttermilk, a fermented food into your digestive system today. 

Recipes using buttermilk, especially cake recipes, often use just a ½ or ¾ of a cup yet buttermilk is most often sold in quart containers.  Having a few easy recipes like a smoothie or Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders to use up this valuable food item will make buttermilk a more frequent staple in your refrigerator. 

Using chicken tenders is what makes this buttermilk fried chicken dinner easy to make.  The thin strips of chicken brown quickly. Placing the fried tenders in the oven to finish also keeps the fuss to a minimum.  Serve the chicken over a salad of sturdy lettuce like iceberg or romaine.  Drizzle with buttermilk dressing (recipe below).

If you have the time, prep the buttermilk marinade  .a few hours ahead and let the chicken strips soak and tenderize.   When you are ready to cook, you can start at the flour dredging stage.  If you have less time, let the pieces soak for about 15 minutes before flouring. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons hot sauce*
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional: dash or two of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (or boneless chicken breasts cut into strips)
1 cup flour
¼ cup corn starch
¼ teaspoon each salt, pepper, paprika
½  cup canola or grape seed oil for frying

*These are spicy.  If you want a less hot version, omit the hot sauce and use ½ teaspoon each paprika and dried dill weed.

Method

1. In a re-sealable plastic bag,  mix together buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, black pepper and cayenne, if using.  Place chicken tenders in bag and refrigerated at least 15 minutes, preferably a few hours.  
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400˚F degrees.  
3. Mix together in a shallow bowl the flour, corn starch salt, pepper and paprika.  
4. Turn on the stove’s exhaust fan.  Pour the oil into a deep skillet and heat on medium-high until it reaches 375˚K.   
5. Dip 5-6 soaked chicken tenders in flour mixture and carefully lay in hot oil.  Do not crowd your pan (a pound and a half of tenders should take 3-4 batches).  
6. Turn chicken tenders after 2 minutes or when lightly browned.  Fry another 2 minutes and place on a baking sheet.  
7. Put baking sheet in the oven while you fry the next batch.   Bake chicken in oven about 6-8 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.  

Serve over a chopped salad.  Drizzle with buttermilk dressing.

Variation
Buttermilk-soaked chicken can be grilled or baked too.  Just wipe away some of the marinade and cook as your recipe directs

Pure Buttermilk Salad Dressing
This dressing uses fresh herbs for a bright taste.  If you are using dried herbs, measure 1/3 the amount (1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon fresh) and be sure to allow the mixture to rest at least ½ hour for the dried herbs to hydrate and flavor the dressing.

½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

More Buttermilk Ideas
The easiest ways to use up buttermilk is to swap it for milk in recipes:

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Substitute all or half the milk in mashed potatoes with buttermilk. Or use half buttermilk and ½ low sodium canned chicken broth. 

Buttermilk Biscuits
Swap out all or part of the milk in any mix or recipe from scratch for biscuits.  This works for any fruit cobbler recipe too. 

Buttermilk Pancakes
Again, you can use buttermilk for all or part of the milk. 

Chicken-Apple Breakfast Sausage Patties

Snow bound but the power is still on.  On days like these, shovelers and snowblower drivers deserve a really good second breakfast when they make it to the end of the driveway and back.  Easy to make, homemade Chicken-Apple Breakfast Sausage Patties are the answer.  They are good on their own, next to some eggs or, my favorite, topping a piece of toast slathered with cream cheese.  (I earned my chicken sausage patty shoveling the back porch.)

This mixture, like all fresh sausage recipes, likes to sit overnight before forming patties and cooking but is fine to mix up before you head outside and cook up quickly after the snow moving work is over.  There are generally two types of chicken sausage – lean and regular. For these, I use regular which is a mixture of breast and thigh meat.  It yields a moist, rich flavor assisted by the grated apple and a light touch of maple syrup in the recipe.  You can use a lean ground chicken mixture for this as well. If so, add a little more apple tot he recipe to prevent it from getting dry when cooked. 

Chicken-Apple Breakfast Sausage Patties
Yield: 9-10 patties

1 pound ground chicken
½ peel and grated apple
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
¼ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

To make sausage patties:

1. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Use a fork or your clean fingers to ensure spices are well distributed.  
2. Test mixture for seasoning. Form a small meatball with a teaspoon and place in a small bowl or ramekin with a few teaspoons of water.  
3. Microwave for 30 seconds to cook through.  Allow to cool before sampling.  Taste for sweet, salt and spice.  If you like your sausage spicier add more black pepper or a pinch of cayenne. Adjust with a light touch; herbs and spices will be more flavorful when they are fully absorbed into the meat after resting. 
4. Cover bowl and refrigerate an hour or overnight.  
5. Form small patties (about 2 inches across) and cook as directed below. 

To cook sausage patties:

1. Lightly oil a skillet and heat to medium-high.  
2. Place patties on skillet in tow batches.  Cook on first side 3 minutes.  
3. Turn patties and cover pan.  Cook an additional 2 minutes and check temperature (should read at least 165˚F) and have no trace of pink.  
4. Remove patties to a paper towel lined plate and cook remaining patties in the same manner. 

Did I say the snow clearing is over?  I meant we are resting.  Good thing there are more chicken sausages.  Five more inches expected today.  Chicken-Apple Breakfast Sausage Patties freeze well for the next storm and reheat easily in the microwave (no need to defrost).  If it ever stops snowing, this is pure quick breakfast component.  Store cooked patties in the freezer.  Microwave and wrap in a roll or tortilla before heading out the door. 

Blackberries Three Ways

Blackberries are more available than they used to be but if you don’t see fresh ones that look good, you can make these recipes with frozen blackberries.

Blackberries are great on their own.  We love them with a touch of cream on top for a really simple, pure dessert.  But did you know that blackberries (and berries) can add a sweet-tart element to roasted chicken or pork? Think of a plum sauce but even more colorful.  In fact, if you have a child who loves blue and purple food, this is one to try that uses actual food rather than food dyes.

We also seen berries in all types in bottled salad dressings and there is no reason why they cannot be made from scratch.  You will know exactly what is in every pure ounce.  And blackberies can star in really old-fashioned desserts like the one below adapted from Scotland's famous oat-stippled creamy classic, Cranachan.

Blackberries pack in the vitamin C,K plus folate and manganese.  They are also proportionately high in fiber. 

Strain the seeds or leave in for  extra fiber.

Blackberry-Glazed Chicken Thighs
Serves 2-4

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken thighs (skin-on or skinless)
½ cup blackberries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey

Method
    1.    Place chicken thighs in a resealable bag.
    2.    Mix together blackberries, balsamic vinegar, one teaspoon of the honey and lemon juice.  Pulse mixture in a small food processor or crush berries using the back of a fork to release the juice. 
    3.    Place half the mixture in the bag and add olive oil. Marinate chicken for at least one hour (or up to 5 hours).  Add the two teaspoons honey to the remaining berry mixture and refrigerate.
    4.    Preheat oven to 425˚F.  Place a rack on a roasting pan that will fit all four chicken thighs.
    5.    Remove chicken from marinade and discard used marinade.  Let remaining blackberry glaze come to room temperature while chicken cooks.
    6.    Roast chicken at 425˚F for 20-25 minutes until thighs reach an internal temperature of 165˚F.  (If you are using bone-in thighs, you may need to cook them a little longer depending on their size.)
    7.    Remove chicken and brush cooked chicken with reserved blackberry glaze.  Allow chicken to rest five minutes before serving.
    8.    Serve with extra blackberry glaze and cracked black pepper.

Cranachan is a Scottish dessert made with double cream flavored with toasted oatmeal, whisky and raspberries.   It is hard to replicate stateside—whipped heavy cream is as close to double cream most people can get here and pinhead oats are not in everyone’s pantry either.

Click on photo for a close-up

This version uses either rolled oats or pinhead and substitutes bourbon for Scottish malt whisky.  To bring it further over the Atlantic we mix in blackberries macerated in maple syrup instead of raspberries in honey.  To give the whipped cream some rustic heft, a little plain yogurt is added in after whipping.  Finally, for a non-alcoholic version, apple cider replaces the wee dram of whisky or bourbon.

American Cranachan
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons pinhead oats or rolled oats
1 pint blackberries
2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or honey), divided
1 tablespoon bourbon or ¼ cup apple cider+ dash vanilla extract, boiled down to 1 tablespoon.
¾ cup heavy cream, very cold
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt

Method
    1.    Toast oatmeal in a dry skillet over medium heat.  Swirl and watch carefully.  If using rolled oats, be very careful not to burn them.  Remove from heat as soon as the color has darkened and you can smell a toasted oat scent.  You can leave them as is or chop them finely to absorb more of the cream when mixed in.  Set oats aside. 
    2.    Rinse and drain blackberries.  Place half of the berries in a small bowl and mash them with a fork.  Add maple syrup and set aside.  Berries will macerate and create a sweet berry syrup. 
    3.    Meanwhile, whip cream to a stiff peak.  Fold in yogurt. Add whisky or boiled down cider.
    4.    Set aside 2 teaspoons of oats for garnish.  Stir together remaining maple syrup and toasted oatmeal.  Fold into cream-yogurt mixture leaving most unmixed. 
    5.    Next fold in half the macerated berry mixture, again leaving large sections unincorporated. 
    6.    Place a layer of berry-maple syrup mixture in the bottom of a clear vessel—one bowl to share or four individual glasses—add a few whole berries.  Cover with a thick layer of the cream mixture.  Continue to layer until all ingredients are used.  Top with a few whole berries and sprinkle reserved oats on top.
Bonus: Heat up a little extra maple syrup to serve alongside American Cranachans.


Easiest Berry Salad Dressing There Is
Add pureed berries—raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, mixed berries—to any vinaigrette.  You can even add the pureed berries to a store bought oil & vinegar based dressing.  This is a great use for frozen berries mid-winter.  Use about 1/3 cup washed berries for each 1/2 cup of dressing.

Berry Vinaigrettes are nice on either plain salad greens or mixed salads with red onion, avocado, carrots and  spinach.  They really shine when any fresh fruits are added to the salad plate like pears and apples, dried fruits, tropical fruit and of course, berries.  

Pesto Chicken Shell Game

There are a lot of really great pesto pasta shell recipes on the internet.  One, with chicken, seems to have been copied about quite a bit.  

I use a different selection of cheeses in my Pesto Chicken Shells and add chopped broccoli.  Adding a vegetable helps to lighten the filling and who can deny that pesto loves broccoli?  It surprises me that more recipes don't include more vegetables in rolled, stuffed and ground dishes. 

Just last week I made a wonderful chicken enchilada with a pumpkin sauce that was crying out for mushrooms and zucchini in the filling.  Next time, I may skip the chicken and use all veggies plus black beans, one of pumpkin's best friends. 

Pesto Chicken Shells are very simple but take about 45 minutes to prepare if you are not using already cooked chicken, so plan ahead.  Other than that they are easy, you can recruit help for the stuffing stage and you can even freeze the un-sauced shells individually for a quick, pure dinner down the road.


Pesto Chicken Shell Game
Yield: about 20 shells

Ingredients
20-22 jumbo pasta shells
1 large chicken boneless breast (or 1 ½ cups leftover cooked chicken)
1 cup broccoli florets
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1 ounce cream cheese
1/2-3/4 cup pesto sauce

Topping
1-2 cups marinara sauce
1-2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
¼ pine nuts (optional)

Method

1. Poach chicken breast, cool and dice into small pieces. 
2. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until juts tender, 5-6 minutes.  
3. Cook pasta shells according to package directions, opting for the shorter amount of time listed in the package and when the shells are flexible enough to open without breaking but not fully cooked.  (Toss in a few extra shells in case any tear.)
4. While pasta cooks, combine the chicken, half the mozzarella, cream cheese and ½ cup pesto in a large bowl.  
5. Chop cooked broccoli to about the size of the chicken pieces and fold into chicken mixture.  
6. Taste and add salt and pepper or more pesto, to taste.  These are pesto shells so you want that flavor to stand out.
7. When shells are ready, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain thoroughly.  Using a teaspoon, fill each shell with about 2 heaping teaspoons of filling.  Set each filled shell in a lightly oiled baking pan. (and 8”X8” pan will fit the shells snugly).  
8. At this stage, you may freeze the shells. Once frozen, they can be repackaged into individual servings for later use.  
9. If enjoying tonight, preheat oven to 350˚F.  Pour marinara sauce over shells (use a light touch) and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.  
10. During the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle whole pine nuts over the cheese.  Allow the pasta dish to rest a few minutes out of the oven before serving.  This will help with a neat service.  Pass extra heated marinara if your family likes more sauce. 

Enjoy your vegetables and preserve your garden's bounty.  More ideas coming this summer.