September 1, 2023

Muamba de Galinha

Posted by HI Cookery under 09 September | Tags: , , , |
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Muamba de Galinha

(Angola Chicken Stew)

September: National Chicken Month

Chicken stew is a comforting meal for many, including us. But we wanted to try something a little more “exotic” so we would not be eating the same old stew. As we continue to “cook our way through the calendar/countries”, we found a delicious recipe for chicken stew from Angola called muamba de galinha. It is a hearty stew filled with chicken and a variety of vegetables. The vibrant color comes from red palm oil and paprika. For something deliciously different, cook Angola’s national dish, muamba de galinha, during National Chicken Month.

Recipe
(Adapted from African Bites)

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken cut into pieces (we used chicken drumsticks)
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 + 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon, crushed into a powder
  • ½ + 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 + 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red pepper (chili or jalapeño), pierced
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • ¼ cup red palm oil
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 18-20 okra, sliced in half
  • 2+ cups of chicken broth or water
  • ½ – 1 pound of butternut squash, cut into cubes

Directions

In a large bowl, place the chicken pieces. Juice the lemon over them. Sprinkle with salt, a teaspoon of white pepper and thyme.

Sprinkle the powdered chicken bouillon, ½ teaspoon paprika and 3 minced garlic cloves. Toss and combine well. Pierce the red hot pepper and set aside.

Dice the tomatoes and slice the onions. Set aside. In a large pot, combine the red palm and canola oils and heat until sizzling. 

Brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. To the same pot, add the remaining 3 minced garlic cloves and onions to saute.

Stir in the tomatoes and sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of white pepper and 1 teaspoon of paprika. Mix the sauce well. Return the chicken pieces to the pot. Cover the chicken with enough broth or water. Add the butternut squash, red pepper and okra. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature to medium, cover the pot and simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the vegetables are cooked through. Adjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5-10 minutes before dishing out. 

Notes

  • Serve this muamba de galinha with white rice or a side of Angola-style corn and rice bread.
  • Search our blog for more chicken recipes.

 

June 1, 2023

Kotopoulo Skorthato 

Posted by HI Cookery under 06 June | Tags: , , , , |
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Kotopoulo Skorthato 

(Greek Lemon Garlic Chicken)

June: National Lemon Month

Toward the last year of our university studies, we befriended a new student from Crete. Christos H. was in the same education department as Islander and also went to our church. We would often go over to his rental house for Sunday dinners when our dorm cafeteria was closed. Fortunately, we got to partake in his homecooked Cretan and Greek meals, which often included the quick and affordable kotopoulo skorthato—chicken pieces baked in a lemony marinade with garlic, herbs and spices. Because Highlander had a lemon of a car, he was able to drive Christos to the grocery store to get the ingredients. Islander helped him in his kitchen and learned how easy it was to make this dish. More than three decades later, she still cooks this chicken on busy weeknights because it is simple to prepare and is tasty over rice or pasta. It’s a winner winner chicken dinner made with love and lemons! For National Lemon Month, cook up kotopoulo skorthato. 

Recipe

(Inspired by Christos C.)

Ingredients

  • 1-2 pounds chicken thighs and legs, bone-in with skin
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper, crushed
  • 2 lemons, divided use

Directions

In a large bowl, stir the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the oregano, thyme and red pepper. 

Zest and juice one of the lemons and add to the olive oil mixture. Toss the chicken in the bowl and coat it in all the seasonings. Layer the chicken pieces in a baking pan. Cut the second lemon into 8 wedges and place them in between the chicken. Pour the remaining olive oil mixture over the pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a platter and spoon the pan juices over the chicken. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve hot with rice or pasta.

Notes

  • This lemon chicken recipe is Greek, made with olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices. For the Chinese/local Hawaiian lemon chicken recipe, made of deep-fried pieces and a thick and tangy sweet lemon sauce, please click here.
  • Search our blog for other sweet or savory lemon recipes.
 

September 12, 2022

St. Mary’s Chicken

Posted by HI Cookery under 09 September | Tags: , , , |
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St. Mary’s Chicken

September 12: Feast Day of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In honor of Mother Mary, we have made a Stella Maris (Star of the Sea) and Mystical Rosette Ombre cakes in the past. Instead of something sweet, we tried something savory this time to cook on the Feast Day of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We found a recipe online called St. Mary’s Chicken created by nutritionist Scott Baptie who was doing his master’s degree in Applied Sports Nutrition at St. Mary’s University in Scotland at the time. It is a coincidence that his St. Mary’s University is the same name as the one where Islander’s brother had worked in Texas (when we lived in San Antonio, we made the Stella Maris and Mystical Rosette cakes for the students of his prayer group to celebrate this feast day). 

Mother Mary’s name is the inspiration for Mr. Baptie’s chicken recipe. It is very quick and easy to make, packed with protein and has a rich and tasty gravy. 

We adapted the original recipe and used bacon strips instead of lower fat bacon medallions because we could not find it at our grocery store. Thus, this dish is not as nutritious as the original but common bacon does add a nice flavor to the dish. Either way, this is a good savory recipe to make on any busy weeknight and on a Marian feast day like today!

Recipe
Adapted from “High Protein Handbook” by Scott Baptie

Ingredients

  • 4-6 strips of bacon, chopped (the original uses lower fat bacon medallions)
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (we used chicken tenderloins)
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • ½ – 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (we did not have this ingredient)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • ½ cup crème fraiche
  • 1 ¼ tablespoon cornstarch
  • Fresh thyme sprigs (optional garnish)

Directions

In a skillet over medium high heat, fry up the chopped bacon. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain the grease. Optional step: In the same skillet, brown the chicken in the bacon grease to lock in the flavor. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish.

In a bowl or cup, mix the chicken stock with mustard, thyme leaves, garlic, pepper, honey, crème fraiche and cornstarch. 

Pour the sauce over the chicken and bacon. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Stir the gravy and serve the chicken on a plate with a garnish of fresh thyme sprigs (optional).

Notes

  • Check out Scott Baptie’s websites and social media for other free recipes online. He also authored several health cookbooks and developed exercise and training programs for fat and weight loss.
  • The original recipe calls from bacon medallions, which we did not have on hand. They are basically back bacon rashers trimmed of fat. If using bacon medallions, there is no need to fry it up. Just place it in the baking pan with the chicken, pour the sauce mixture over everything and bake. Super simple!

 

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