Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (12 page)

Preheat the oven to 500 to 550°F, or as high as your oven goes. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a baking rack on top if you have one; it's not necessary but use it if ya got it.

Place the yogurt in a shallow dish and stir in the ginger, 3 of the grated garlic cloves, the chili powder, coriander, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, cumin, and 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and coat in the sauce. Arrange on the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the juices run clear.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining grated garlic. Pulse or chop the chickpeas in a food processor, then add to the garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Mash with the chicken stock and tahini and reduce the heat to low.

In a bowl combine the red onions, bell peppers, chopped hot peppers and 2 tablespoons of the juice from the jar, cilantro leaves, the juice of 1 lime, the remaining tablespoon of EVOO, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the remaining lime into wedges.

Warm and crisp the pitas in the hot oven during the last few minutes the chicken is roasting.

Serve the chicken with lime wedges to squeeze over the top and the mashed chickpeas alongside. Top the chicken with the pepper and onion salad. Cut the pitas in half and pass at the table.

I love beef in burgundy sauce—a dish for which my mom holds the title of master craftswoman. But, I ask you, why should beef have all the fun? This chicken and white burgundy makes a hearty favorite appropriate for all seasons.

SERVES 6

Bring a pot of water to boil for the egg noodles.

Heat the EVOO in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and crisp for 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.

While the bacon crisps, scatter ½ cup of the flour on a shallow dish. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and toss in the flour to coat. Add the chicken to the hot bacon drippings, shaking off the excess flour as you go. Lightly brown the chicken, about 3 minutes on each side, then remove. Add the mushrooms to the same pan and as they cook, add the celery, carrots, and parsnips. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook the vegetables for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender, then scoot the vegetables off to the sides of the pan. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the well in the center of the pan, and when it melts whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk the wine into the roux, shake the pan to combine, then stir in the stock. Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the pearl onions. Simmer for 10 minutes, then adjust the seasoning. Stir in the reserved bacon.

Salt the boiling water and add the egg noodles. Cook to al dente, with a bite left to them. Drain the noodles and return them to the hot pot. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and toss to melt the butter and coat the noodles. Season the noodles with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste and garnish with the parsley.

Serve the chicken over the noodles.

Chutney and Cheddar–Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Bltp (Bacon, Leek, and Tomato Potatoes)

People often ask me where I get the inspiration for my recipes, and the truth is that it comes to me in all kinds of crazy places and crazy ways. Take this menu. I was reading a magazine at the hair salon—shocker, right? Anyhoo, I saw a bit of business about one of my favorite actors, Pierce Brosnan, who rattled off a few of his potato recipes. They inspired me to create these BLTPs. The chicken just came to me after that. And there you have it!

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Halve the potatoes and scatter them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Toss them to coat evenly and move them to one end of the baking sheet. Roast the potatoes for 10 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and scatter the tomatoes over the empty half of the pan. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Turn the potatoes with a spatula and return the pan to the oven to continue roasting for another 15 minutes.

Once the tomatoes go into the oven, place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and use a paring knife to cut a pocket into one side of each of them. Spread about 1 tablespoon of chutney inside each pocket and 2 slices of cheddar. Season each breast with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken breasts until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking the chicken, about 8 minutes.

Once the chicken goes into the oven, heat the remaining 1½ teaspoons EVOO in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the bacon starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until tender, another 3 to 4 minutes.

When the vegetables have finished roasting, transfer the potatoes to the skillet with the bacon and leeks, add the chicken stock, and stir everything up together. Fold in the roasted tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Serve up the cooked chicken breasts with a scoop of BLTP alongside.

Spanish Chorizo & Chicken Chili

John and I love this dish, sort of a cross between Spain and the Southwest. Why not serve it up at a tapas party? Fill espresso cups with the chili and garnish, and serve with a demitasse spoon.

SERVES 4 AS AN ENTRÉE, UP TO 12 AS A TAPA

Heat the EVOO in a large skillet or chili pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown it for 5 to 6 minutes then add the chorizo and cook 2 to 3 minutes more to render the fat.