chicken – My Whisk and I

Soy Chicken with Pickled Cucumber

May 25, 2023May 18, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
60ml apple cider vinegar
5ml salt
5ml sugar

60ml soy sauce
30ml honey
4 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2,5ml ground coriander

For the pickle:
Add the sliced onion and cucumber to a bowl and pour the vinegar over.
Sprinkle over the salt, sugar and a few grindings of black pepper.
Mix through, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

For the chicken:
Add the soy and honey to a shallow bowl and stir to combine.
Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.
Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil.
Add the garlic and coriander and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Take the breasts from the marinade and cook for 3 minutes per side. It is important to regulate the heat as the chicken can burn easily at this stage.
Add the reserved marinade and 60ml water to the pan.
Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover with a lid and cook the breasts for 15 minutes, turning half-way through the cooking time.
Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.
Cook the chicken for another 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced and the chicken is shiny and glazed.
Serve with steamed rice, pickled cucumber and the sauce.

Thick Chicken Soup

May 1, 2023April 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you need to speed things up in the kitchen you may make this soup with store-bought stock and rotisserie chicken.

45ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
a small bunch of salad onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1l chicken stock
2 eggs
60ml fresh lemon juice
375ml cooked rice
500ml cooked chicken breast, shredded

Place a saucepan on medium-high heat and add the oil, onion and salad onion.
Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to the boil, turn down the heat and leave to simmer.
Add the eggs, lemon juice and 60ml of the rice to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Keep the blender running and slowly pour in 250ml of the hot stock.
Now pour this mixture into the stock mixture in the saucepan while stirring.
Add the rest of the rice and the shredded chicken.
Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, on a low heat (do not let it boil) until thick.
Spoon into bowls and serve immediately.

Saucy Chicken

April 3, 2023April 1, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g bacon, diced
4 chicken breasts, skin removed
125ml flour
60ml panko breadcrumbs
5ml salt
60ml vegetable oil
60ml butter, cubed
60ml flour
625ml chicken stock
80ml milk
10ml Worcestershire sauce
5ml onion powder
5ml dried tarragon
2,5ml salt

Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on medium heat.
Add the bacon and cook until crispy and browned. Remove from the pan.
Place the chicken breasts on a flat surface and halve them horizontally so that you have 8 thin chicken portions.
Mix the flour, breadcrumbs and salt together in a shallow dish.
Coat the chicken generously with the flour mixture.
Pour the vegetable oil into the saucepan and allow it to warm up.
Fry the breasts for 3minutes per side, remove from the saucepan and set aside.
Remove the oil from the saucepan and wipe it clean with paper towel.
Now add the butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir around until it forms a paste. Cook for one minute while stirring.
Gradually pour in the chicken stock and milk and whisk continuously.
Now add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and tarragon.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken back into the sauce.
Sprinkle over the bacon and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.
Serve the chicken and the sauce on creamy mashed potatoes.

Italian Herb Chicken

February 26, 2023February 24, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is one of the most rewarding meals and it is put together in LESS THAN 30 MINUTES!!

6-8 chicken breasts, bone- and skinless
125ml olive oil
half an onion, chopped
60ml lemon juice
30ml apple cider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
125ml cup packed with basil leaves
60ml cup packed with mint leaves
15ml rosemary, chopped
3 anchovy fillets/15ml anchovy spread

Preheat your oven to 220℃.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet and drizzle over some olive oil. Rub the oil all over the breast and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes, remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil to rest. Set aside.
For the herb dressing:
Add the oil, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, herbs and anchovy to the cup of a blender and blitz at high speed for one minute.

Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and spoon over the herb dressing.

Apricot Chicken

February 14, 2023February 13, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

8 skinless chicken breasts
250ml mayonnaise
250ml apricot chutney
300ml water
15ml mild curry powder
250g dried apricots
45ml thyme leaves

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Place the chicken in a large oven dish, spacing them so that they aren’t crowded.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mayonnaise, chutney, water and curry powder into a jug and whisk together.
Pour over the chicken.
Chop half the apricots and sprinkle on the chicken.
Cover the oven dish with aluminium foil and place in the oven to cook for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and scatter the rest of the apricots over.
Cook the chicken (without the foil) for another 15 minutes. Spoon the liquid over the chicken from time to time.
I serve this dish on couscous which is great for absorbing the abundance of sauce. A tomato and basil salad is the perfect pairing for a great weekday dinner!

Chicken Roll-Ups

October 18, 2022October 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

These roll-ups are the kind of food we graze on in summer. Pack a huge platter full of them, mix an exotic cocktail and sit back and relax.

4 tortilla wraps
250g cream cheese
190ml pickled sweet peppers, chopped
500ml grated cheddar cheese
625ml finely shredded chicken meat (leftovers are perfect!)
a small bunch of chives, chopped
salt and pepper

Add the cream cheese, pickled peppers, cheddar, chicken and chives to a mixing bowl and mix together.
Divide the mixture between the four wraps and evenly spread it right to the ends so that it is completely and evenly covered.
Roll the wrap as tight and evenly as you can and slice into discs.
Arrange on a platter to serve.

Chicken Salad

September 19, 2022September 17, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

There is one sauce that doubles up as marinade and dressing!!

500g chicken breasts

Marinade/Dressing:
30ml olive oil
juice of 2 lemons (60ml)
30ml water
30ml apple cider vinegar
30ml chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
5ml dried origanum
5ml salt
black pepper

Salad:
lettuce
tomato, chopped
cucumber, chopped
red onion, sliced
avocado pear, sliced

Add all the ingredients for the marinade/dressing to a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour half of the mixture into a jug and keep aside as the salad dressing.
Place the chicken breasts in the marinade for 30 minutes.
Place a pan on medium-high heat and add the chicken breasts. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes before flipping them over and cooking for another 4 minutes. Rest the breasts in the pan, with the lid on for another 5 minutes.
Arrange the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion and avocado on a serving plate.
Slice the chicken and place on the salad.
Drizzle with the salad dressing and serve.

Honey Mustard Chicken

September 1, 2022August 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

6 chicken breasts, skin and bone removed
30ml vegetable oil
5ml salt
2,5ml garlic powder
2,5ml onion powder
2,5ml dried thyme
2,5ml onion seeds
2,5ml smoked paprika

Sauce:
125ml honey
60ml butter, melted
60ml wholegrain mustard
20ml hot sauce
5ml apple cider vinegar

Pat the chicken breasts dry and brush them with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, onion seeds and paprika in a small bowl.
Season both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoning – rub it all over. Set aside.
Add the honey, butter, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Place a cast iron pan/skillet onto medium heat and wait for it to heat up.
Add the breasts to the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes without moving the meat around.
Flip the breasts over and pour the sauce over.
Place a lid on the pan and cook for 10 minutes, basting the chicken once or twice as it cooks.
Remove the lid and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Serve the chicken on couscous or rice.

20-Minute Orange Chicken

August 9, 2022July 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4-6 chicken breasts
45ml olive oil
45ml balsamic vinegar
150ml fresh orange juice
150ml chicken stock
30ml finely chopped rosemary
30ml sugar
a knob of butter

Place a chicken breast between two pieces of plastic film and flatten it slightly by gently bashing it with the flat bottom of a pan. Flatten all the breasts in this way so that they are slightly thinner and has an even thickness.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the chicken for 3 minutes before flipping it over and frying for another 2 minutes.
Pour half of the balsamic vinegar over the chicken and add the orange juice and stock to the pan.
Sprinkle the rosemary over and season the chicken with salt.
Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken while simmering and turn halfway through cooking.
Now stir in the sugar, butter, the remaining balsamic and cook for a few minutes more – you want a reduced sauce that is beautifully glossy.
Serve the orange chicken on couscous to soak up the wonderfully fragrant sauce.

Chicken Gyros and Flatbread

July 25, 2022June 21, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

9 chicken breasts, skin removed
Marinade:
125ml olive oil
juice of one lemon
5ml salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
15ml oregano leaves, chopped

Slice the chicken breasts into strips and place them in a mixing bowl.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic and oregano and mix together.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
Heat a cast iron pan and cook the strips for about 6 minutes, turning occasionally.

Yoghurt Flatbreads: (makes 6)
500ml self-raising flour
2,5ml salt
435ml yoghurt

Mix all the ingredients together to form a sticky dough. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.
Divide into 6 equal portions.
Flour a work surface and roll each portion to a 20cm diameter circle.
Heat a cast iron pan until very hot.
Add one flatbread to the dry pan and cook for a minute. Flip it around and cook for another minute or so. Repeat with the rest of the flatbreads.

Serve the chicken gyros on the flatbread with Greek Salad and Tsatziki sauce.

Search this site for the recipe for Tsatziki as well as Soft Flatbreads, which offers an alternative recipe.

Tag: chicken