Roast Chicken with Peaches & Herbs

Cooking with fruit in season is cheap, just like this Chintzy Chef ! I went to my local Latin market (Superior Grocers) and they had a huge bin of peaches for 69 cents per pound - I left with a bag full.

They had a nice color although the flesh was not ripe. But they are good enough to cook with, after letting them ripen for a couple of days. Normally you want to eat a ripe peach that's soft to the touch, but a firm peach is fine for my  Roast Chicken with Peaches & Herbs.

It's like when you make an apple pie, you want to bake with firm apple slices, so it doesn't turn to complete mush after baking. Of course, you can use a ripe peach for my recipe, I just didn't want to wait a week before digging into this dish.

My latest cheap$kate entree is loaded with taste. From sweet roasted peaches, to tender and moist chicken. I even add extra flavor with a splash of white wine and a sprinkle of herbs. You can use any favorite broth or fruit juice instead of white wine.

 (And this is a versatile recipe, so go ahead and leave out the herbs if you don't have them on hand, or just want to strip my recipe down to basics - it will taste just as good.)

I used 2 whole peaches and 2 chicken leg quarters, that is, 2 chicken thighs and 2 legs. I cut thick slices of peach, so you get meaty bites. And I found a great deal on boneless and skinless chicken, at 88 cents per pound! Well, you know I now have a freezer full of inexpensive poultry.

I like these kind of recipes, because there is so little work or preparation. Just slice a peach and add the chicken and fruit to a baking dish. Finally add a little liquid and seasoning, then start roasting and walk away for about an hour - couldn't be simpler. One pot entrees are the best.

A sweet nectar of white wine, chicken and peach juices are released when roasting that you will want to spoon-over a dry side dish like: rice, pasta, couscous, or quinoa.

My Roast Chicken with Peaches & Herbs is a delicious confluence of flavors and ingredients, mixing and complementing each other. Once you try my fruity entree, you'll definitely make it again....and again.

Roast Chicken with Peaches & Herbs - Video

Play it here, video runs 2 minutes.

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

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 chicken leg quarters - okay to use any chicken pieces you like or find on sale. I used skinless and boneless, that is 2 thighs and 2 legs total.
• 2 peaches - I used firm peaches. Depending how large, it got 6 slice/wedges per peach. I like to keep the slices thick at the wide end. You can use other fruit like sliced apples or whole grapes.
• 1/4 cup of white wine - okay to use a favorite broth, apple or orange juice, or just add water.
• Herbs - about a teaspoon fresh chopped. I have a herb garden, so I used a mix of basil, oregano and parsley. You can also use favorite dried herbs or mix of herbs, like an Italian Mix. For dried herbs use only half of a teaspoon, total. (This recipe tastes good without herbs, too.)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
Usually I will leave skin on and bone in the chicken pieces for this recipe. You can use skinless and boneless leg quarters or white meat fillets. (Reduce cooking time by 10 minutes or so, as boneless chicken will cook faster.)

Add wine (broth or water) and herbs. A little bit of liquid helps steam the peaches. It will cook away and replaced by chicken juices. If you are cooking breast meat then you may want a 1/2 cup of liquid to help keep the breast from drying out.

Add the chopped or dried herbs. Salt and pepper the chicken.

Wash and slice 2 peaches. I got 6 wedges per peach. I picked a firm peach. It will soften and sweeten when roasted. But ripe peaches will taste fine, they will just be more mushy.

Arrange the peach slices under, on top, and around the chicken pieces. That way you get different textures with the peaches. In the liquid they will be softer and will be flavored with the chicken juices and wine - while on top, they will brown more and stay somewhat firm.

Roast chicken uncovered, until done, about 45 minutes to an hour at 375 degrees. Depending how large the chicken pieces are, especially breast meat, you will want to check for doneness. Just pierce or slice into the thickest part of chicken with a knife. Juices will run clear when cooked through. If you are cooking with boneless chicken then reduce the time by 10 minutes, or so.

I roast the chicken uncovered so the skin gets brown and crackly, and some of the peaches caramelize.

And save some of juice to add to the plate, especially if you have something that sops up the sweet peach/chicken broth.

And for the fun of it here's the soul music couple Peaches & Herb singing "Reunited."

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 !
.

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.

Spinach in White Wine with Sauteed Mushrooms

Six ounce spinach packs and and five ounce containers of mushrooms are frequent purchases of The 99 Cent Chef. A delicious combination. Sauteed mushrooms go with anything, especially spinach steamed in 99.99 cent white wine. This vegetarian side is quick and easy to assemble. For an extra decadent flavor (vegetarians, stop reading) sautee mushrooms with a couple of slices of bacon and crumble bacon over the finished dish.

Ingredients
6 oz. package of spinach (or one bunch - remove stems and wash)
5 oz. container of button mushrooms
2 tbsp. 99.99 cent white wine
2 tbsp. 99.99 cent olive oil blend
Salt and pepper mushrooms to taste
Directions
Season and sautee mushrooms in two tbsp. 99.99 cent olive oil blend over medium heat for about five minutes until tender. In a separate pot, add 2 tbsp. 99 cent white wine to 6 oz. spinach leaves, cover and steam for five minutes over medium/low heat. When both are done, drain excess liquid from spinach, combine mushrooms and serve.

Bloggers 99.99 Cent White Wine Tasting - Video

The Chef does not get out to Monrovia often, except when bloggers call. On a pleasant California afternoon, from Baldwin Hills, it's an easy 25 minute drive northeast against minimal freeway traffic.

What to bring to this bloggers picnic get together? A 99.99 Cent White Wine Tasting, of course. The Chef struck white liquid gold at his local 99.99c only Store yesterday; an abundance of wine "Deals of the Day". There are 5 different white wines to choose from right now -- from "Yelcho" Chilean Sauvignon Blanc to "Lindon Estates" North Coast (California) Chardonnay. For the wine winning results you have to watch the Chef's wine tasting video. Special 99 thanks to hosts Arron "The Proc" Proctor and Frazgo, the brave blogging 99.99 cent wine tasters and Monrovia's Aztec Hotel and Brass Elephant for hosting the event.

Reviewed white wines are: Yelcho, Chilean Sauvignon Blanc - Queen of Hearts, Los Alamos Chardonnay - Linden Estates, North Coast Chardonnay - Thirsty Fish, Central Coast Chardonnay.

Blogger Wine Tasting Video

Play it here. The video runs 4 minutes 45 seconds.

The 99.99c Wine Tasting Bloggers:

Debbi Swanson Patrick -- altadenaaboveitall.wordpress.com
Kelly -- West Coast Grrlie Blather (grrl.wordpress.com)
Lizzie
JSF -- valley-of-the-shadow.blogspot.com
Frazgo -- frazgomeanders.blogspot.com and frazgofeasting.blogspot.com
Arron "The Proc" Proctor

Go here to embed or view video at youtube.