Poaching a Chicken Breast - Video Recipe

I think everyone can do this one. Plus, a Poached Chicken Breast is so suited for many recipes.

I like Poached Chicken Breast in a mayo-based Chicken Salad with chopped celery and pickle relish. Add a few slices to your favorite green salad for extra protein. Use chopped Poached Chicken in a stir fry, or many pasta recipes - cold pasta or hot.

Plus as a bonus, you have a rich flavorful chicken broth for soups or pots of slow-simmering beans.

I poach chicken breast for half an hour, covered in water. A lot of poaching recipes call for the addition of salt, pepper, and a mirepoix, which is a chopped veggie mix of onion, carrot, and celery, plus aromatic herbs.

This version is simplified so the chicken flavor is front and center. To me, any extra flavors will come when chicken is added to your salad or other side dish/entree. It's easy enough to sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over Poached Chicken Breast before serving.

White meat is easier to handle than dark meat. For this recipe, I removed the skin and bone, but you can leave them on (you gain extra flavor, but also some fat - which is easy enough to skim off later.)

You can use cheaper dark meat if you like. Try leg plus thigh, or leg quarter. It takes more work to remove the bone so it's okay to just leave it in; add another 10-15 minutes of cooking time, too.

Poached Chicken is done when the internal temp is  165 degrees Fahrenheit. But I check for doneness by slicing into chicken and making sure there are no pink or red juices.

When chicken breast comes on sale, stock up and freeze an extra breast or two for later. Almost every grocery store around has sales on chicken, especially during holidays. I use poultry from my local Latin market, but you can use free-range, hormone-free from Whole Foods, or any favorite grocery.

Click on any photo to see larger.

My latest recipe video will come in handy for you, so do check it out. It can be used as the start of many recipes. Plus you can freeze Poached Chicken Breast to use anytime. And make sure to use the fresh and flavorful chicken broth too.

Poached Chicken - Video

Play it here. video runs 1 minute 30 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• 1/2 chicken breast - Okay to use cheaper leg quarter dark meat (cook an extra 15 minutes). Also okay to use a whole chicken breast (add another 15-20 minutes of cooking time).
• Water - enough to cover chicken breast. 
• Salt to taste - optional. About 1/8 teaspoon.

Directions
I removed skin and bone from the chicken breast. It's okay to leave both on. You gain flavor but also add fat. Of course, you can skim off fat if you leave skin on.

Dark meat usually takes a little longer to remove the bone. It's okay to poach chicken quarter with the bone but simmer an extra 15 minutes to cook all the way through.

Add chicken to a pot and cover with water. Season with a dash of salt and pepper if you like. I usually leave out seasonings and veggies. When Poached Chicken is used later you can sprinkle on salt and pepper. And when added to a stir fry, salad, or pasta, I'm sure there are plenty of veggie flavors then.

Bring water to a boil and low boil for 15 minutes. After fifteen minutes turn over the breast and low boil for another 15 minutes. You can cook the chicken with or without a pot lid on.

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After, remove the chicken and check for doneness. Poached chicken is done when the internal temp is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Or slice into the breast - there should be no red or pink juices. It is easy enough to let it simmer for another 5 or 10 minutes. It's cooking in water so the breast won't dry out.

When chicken breast is done remove and let it cool for for 5 minutes or so. You can store it in the refrigerator whole, or go ahead and shred or chop it up.

Use the Poached Chicken Breast in salads, pasta, or stir fry.

And save the chicken broth to add to a favorite soup or pot of beans. That's a lot of extra flavor.

Roasted Chicken with Portabella Mushrooms

Sometimes an entree is only skin deep, which suits my Roasted Chicken with Portabella Mushrooms just fine.

This earthy roast bird with mushrooms makes a delish dinner for the whole family, and if there is any leftover meat then shred it into a salad the next day.

And it couldn't be easier to make. Just slide thick sliced portabella mushrooms under the chicken skin, season the bird, and roast it until done.

While this cheap$kate recipe looks alien infected when it goes in the oven, the mushrooms cook down and the final presentation is a golden bird with brocade shapes of deep brown.

It's a tasty combination. Use my recipe as a leaping off point and substitute any type of mushrooms you find on sale, including plain white button mushrooms. The trick to to slice them thick, so they don't dry out while roasting.

Click on any photo to see larger.

For portabella mushrooms I like to scrape out the black powdery gills under the mushroom cap. Don't worry about getting it all out, though.

Mushrooms always show up at my local 99c only Stores and chicken is the cheapest protein -- so go hog wild with this recipe.

If leg quarters or whole chicken breast are on sale you can slide a few sliced mushrooms under the skin and bake them in an oven pan.

Moist mushrooms help keep breast meat from dying out, too. So next time you find fungi and poultry priced right, stock up and try my earthy Roasted Chicken with Portabella Mushrooms.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken - okay to use leg quarters or chicken breasts.
• 2 portabella mushrooms - depending on size. Thickly slice mushrooms. Okay to use button mushrooms or any you find on sale.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
Rinse off whole chicken and allow to dry for a few minutes.

Brush off any dirt on mushrooms. Thickly slice mushrooms. For portabella mushrooms, I like to scrape out the black gills underneath the mushroom cap. It is easiest to use a spoon. Be careful as mushroom cap will break. It's okay to add any mushroom pieces to chicken.

The trickiest part of this recipe is to loosen the chicken skin. Wash your hands, then use your finger(s)and carefully slide them under the breast skin nearest the chicken cavity. Move the fingers left to right and press them forward to middle of the breast meat. If the chicken skin splits, that's okay. Hold it together and keep on loosening. Okay to use a wooden spoon or plastic spatula.

The breast skin is extra-attached along the middle of the breast bone, from neck to the cavity. You can separate it there, or just loosen skin on either side of breast. You can also enter the skin from the neck. I got about 4-5 slices on the breast meat.

The leg meat is a little trickier. You can work your finger in at the base of the breast meat. You only need to loosen enough to get get one or two mushroom slices on the leg meat. If you can work your finger all the way to the thigh meat then add some mushrooms there, too.

Once you've loosened chicken skin once, it gets easier next time, and you will want to keep baking chicken with other tasty ingredients just under the skin, like: lemon slices (or almost any fruit,) herbs and garlic.

Bake chicken in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. To keep breast extra moist, cover it with foil for first hour, then remove foil, and finish cooking chicken until done.

Slice into dark meat to check for doneness. Chicken juices should run clear and the meat should not have any red showing.

Chicken Tinga - Mexican Chicken Stew

It's taco patio party time with my latest South of the Border recipe, Chicken Tinga. And it's here, just in time for summer. You'll want to bookmark this recipe. And, my Chicken Tinga recipe is wife-approved!

The ingredient list is short, so it's easy to make -- just saute some chicken pieces, onion, and garlic, and add dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Then simmer it all with canned tomato sauce and chipotle peppers. You do have to shred the cooked chicken at the end, but it's now tender and simple to separate.

This braised poultry dish is perfect on a warm corn tortilla or wrapped in a flour tortilla, with a little fresh chopped onion, cilantro, a slice of avocado, and topped with some shredded or crumbled cheese.

My Chicken Tinga recipe makes enough to feed the whole family and more. It's easy to keep warm on the stovetop for a taco party, too. Just lay out a tray of toppings and go to town chowing down on all the deliciousness. Let your guest do the work, I mean, have all the fun, building their own tacos.

This Mexican-style stew is even better the next day, when all the spicy flavors have merged and mellowed - so, you can do all the cooking ahead of time. Chicken Tinga freezes well to pack it later for a few work lunches.

For my Chicken Tinga recipe, I use a cheap 7.5 ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. A warning though, this small can packs a lot of spicy heat, just dip your finger in the sauce and taste it for yourself. But, it's the kind of heat that lessens once you've eaten a couple of Chicken Tinga tacos and downed a frosty, salt-rimmed margarita.

Notice it's spelled "Chilpotle" on the can, but "Chipotle" is commonly used.

You can cool down the heat by using half the sauce and chili peppers. And, if you think that's still too spicy, then leave out the can of chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, and use a small (14.5 ounce) can of plain enchilada or red chile sauce (similar flavors, with very little heat.) And go to the Hindsight section at the end of this post for all my mild versions.

Interestingly, most recipes I explored online call for boiling chicken breast separately and then adding it to the tomato/chipotle sauce. Why not just add the raw chicken to the sauce and cook it; That way you retain the savory chicken stock. And, if you brown the chicken skin - why that's double the flavor. Well, that's the way I'm doing it. Just keeping it simply scrumptious.

You can make this recipe with more expensive white meat or use cheaper dark meat. Remove the skin if you want a low-calorie stew.

Most poultry eaters fall into two camps, dark meat or white meat lovers. I like dark meat because there is more texture and taste variety. Leg meat has a flavorful knob of meat while thigh meat is a big juicy slab. And it's hard to overcook - while white meat is easy to dry out (except in this stew.) Although, I see why white meat is usually preferred for its consistent texture and being lower in fat. Make my recipe with white or dark meat. Hey, go ahead and use both - can't we all get along?

So gather your family or favorite friends, and get to cooking my Mexican recipe of Chicken Tinga - it's always a fiesta in The 99 Cent Chef's cocina (kitchen.)

Chicken Tinga - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 4 minutes, 23 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (enough for a party, at least 20-30 small tacos, or about 6 bowls as stew)

• 2-3 chicken leg quarters - That's 4-6 pieces of dark meat. You can use breast white meat, about 2-3 half breasts.
• 7.5 ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - I used the whole can, but you can remove seeds from chiles and use half of the sauce, for less spicy heat. Okay to substitute with enchilada or red chile sauce from a 14.5-ounce can (it's easy to find and with no spicy heat.)
• 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes - diced, tomato sauce, or even whole tomatoes. Just break up tomatoes as they soften from stewing.
• 1/2 onion - chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic - chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano - or, one teaspoon of fresh oregano.
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin - optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
For dark meat with skin, saute in a large pan, skin side down, about 5-10 minutes over a medium/high heat. You want to brown the skin and get some charred bits as extra flavor.

Okay to remove skin for a lighter version. Use the same procedure for breast meat. No need to brown both sides of the chicken, or cook it all the way - you will simmer it later until well done. (Of course, keep semi-raw poultry on a different plate from other ingredients to prevent cross-contamination.) And, if you are in a hurry, you can skip this browning chicken part.

While chicken browns, chop half an onion. When one side of the chicken is brown, remove it and add the chopped onion. Stir onion and scrape loose the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Saute onion for about 5 minutes until soft.

Add garlic and saute for another minute. Now add spices and herbs.

Sprinkle in ground cumin, dried oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour in a can of chipotle peppers. For a less spicy version, add half of the liquid and peppers without seeds.

(To reduce spicy heat, substitute chipotle peppers in adobe sauce with a small 14.5-ounce can of enchilada or red chili sauce.) You can also only use tomato sauce with a tablespoon of dried chili powder.

Add a can of diced tomatoes or plain tomato sauce. Mix all the ingredients.

Finally, add the browned chicken pieces. Bring up liquid to a low simmer. Cover the pot and cook for about one hour, until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Remove chicken pieces from sauce and allow to cool for a few minutes. Slice into the thickest part of the chicken to make sure it's cooked all the way through. (This is a good time to break up tomatoes if you used large pieces.)

Remove the skin and meat from the bone. You can discard the skin and bones, it was just for flavor and a little chicken fat. Shred chicken pieces and mix the meat into sauce.

While meat heats up get all the taco ingredients ready. Heat up some corn tortillas. I like to top my tacos with fresh chopped onion and cilantro. Other toppings include - tomato, lettuce, avocado, cheese, and a squeeze of lime.

Chicken Tinga also goes with white and brown steamed rice, or your favorite grain or carb. (I have a Mexican Rice recipe here.) You can also make a Chicken Tinga Bowl with pinto beans (recipe here, or used canned) and rice, for extra heft. Make a Chicken Tinga Burrito, with your favorite fillings. Or leave out the carbs and just top a bowl of Chicken Tinga stew with fresh chopped onion, cilantro, a slice of avocado, and a squeeze of lime.

Hindsight
My Chicken Tinga recipe is easy to half. Use the same amount of tomato sauce and chipotle peppers, just add less chicken.  There is more sauce, but that's a good thing.

Use any cheap, tasty poultry parts you like: legs, thighs, or breasts. It's all good. Remove skin for a low-calorie stew.

I brown the chicken, but you can skip it and go right to cooking the chopped onion.

Substitute spicy chipotle peppers with enchilada sauce for a mild version.

For another simple non-spicy version just use canned tomato sauce and sprinkle on a tablespoon of red Chili Powder. Chili Powder is made from mild dried chilis. So you get that deep chili flavor without the chipotle heat.

This recipe makes plenty of Chicken Tinga, but it freezes well. Freeze in a couple of batches for later use. I like to pack a few tortillas with chopped onion and cilantro for work lunches. The stew and tortillas heat well in a microwave.

Chicken Stroganoff - Video Recipe

A cheaper and tastier twist on Beef Stroganoff, this birdy entree is plucked from The 99 Cent Chef's nest of recipes. Try it, and see how much scratch you save! The cheapest chef is too chintzy to use beef in his Stroganoff. 

Originating in 19th century Russia, this creamy meat sauce has spread all around the world, with adjustments to local tastes. I make my own cheap$kate adjustments that still keep this dish flavorful.

And sauteed mushrooms with tender chicken make a decadent sauce when sour cream is added.

So, where's the beef? It's way over 99 cents per pound, and I've found that both chicken and ground turkey make a lighter and cheaper substitution.  I've made a scrumptious Salisbury Steak with ground turkey; and a round steak Southern classic, Chicken Fried Steak, with real ground chicken! So, you see, it's easy to cut corners and still create delicious budget recipes.

I often find whole (or split bone-in) chicken breast meat on sale for about 99 cents per pound. And, while this recipe calls for sour cream, you will only use 4 tablespoons, so you can get a small container.
 
As for mushrooms, my local 99c only Store carries white button, brown Crimini, and large Portabella varieties -- and most regular markets have sale days, offering small packages of mushrooms for around a dollar. If you don't want to spring for a package, just get a handful of loose mushrooms for this recipe.

 My Chicken Stroganoff is one lush entree. Some recipes leave out Dijon mustard, but you should use it if you have it - it adds a tangy level of taste to the cream sauce. I also used a small 99.99-cent bottle of white wine for some added sweetness -- you could substitute vegetable or chicken broth.

Another advantage of using chicken breast is that it cooks in a quarter of the time, and is much leaner. The typical cut of beef in a Stroganoff takes at least 30 minutes of simmering to tenderize.

My video recipe below offers easy step-by-step instructions. And, like my Beanie Weenies recipe from last month, I use stop-motion animation to amp up the visual playfulness: heaping spoons of rich sour cream - check; a line of dancing mushrooms - check; tender chicken breast meat peeled off the bone - check; animating chicken skin - yuck !
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Chicken Stroganoff - Video

Play it here. The video runs 2 minutes 42 seconds. 

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

• 1/2 to 1 whole chicken breast - cubed into bite-sized pieces. Okay, to use dark meat -- it's harder to remove from the bone, but on the plus side, dark meat is cheaper.
• 4 tablespoons sour cream - lite or regular. Add more or less to taste.
• 1 cup white wine - optional. Okay to substitute with water, vegetable, or chicken stock (or, a bouillon cube dissolved in one cup of water.)
• 5-ounce package of mushrooms - halved. I used brown Crimini, okay to use any local mushroom on sale.
• 1 whole small onion - white or yellow, chopped.
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard - or regular mustard.
• 1 tablespoon of oil for sauteing chicken.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Serve with Egg Noodles, pasta, rice, or steamed vegetables.

Directions
Remove chicken and chicken skin from the breastbone.  Okay to discard skin, although I like to sautee it with the chicken meat for extra flavor (I would discard skin after the meat is lightly browned.) Slice chicken meat into bite-sized cubes. Breast meat is easy to remove, just slice down the length of the center breastbone, and see how nicely the meat comes off.

Heat a large saute pan or pot to medium heat, and add oil. Cook chicken breast until lightly browned - no need to overcook it, as chicken breast dries out easily. Cook for about 5 minutes, depending on heat. You will finish cooking it at the last step when the wine and sour cream are added.

While the chicken is cooking, chop onion and mushrooms. I like to chop mushrooms in half, leaving the pieces large and meaty. Remove chicken after about five minutes, and add onions and mushrooms to the pan. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, until onions are starting to lightly brown and caramelize.

After the onions and mushrooms are softened, return the cooked chicken to the pan. Deglaze the pan with one cup of white wine, chicken or vegetable stock. Scrape the tasty caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Salt and pepper to taste (I would use very little salt if you use a chicken bouillon cube.)

Add 4 heaping tablespoons of sour cream, mixing well. Finally, add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard or a teaspoon of dried mustard. Allow Stroganoff sauce to heat up to a low simmer - don't boil sauce or sour cream will curdle and separate.  Cook at low/medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until the chicken heats up and finishes cooking. It's done when the largest chicken piece is cooked through -- just slice it into a piece to make sure there is no pink or red color.

Stroganoff is traditionally served over egg noodles, but white or brown rice is okay, too. I've also tried it over steamed veggies.