Arroz con Pollo
Recipe from Try This at Home by Richard Blais
Serves 4

This Latin staple is a dish that everyone loves! Chicken, peppers, tomatoes and saffron rice are cooked together to make a comforting and hearty dinner. Richard Blais serves his with yogurt, which we think is a genius compliment to the dish.

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
3 jarred piquillo peppers, sealed and chopped, or
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, halved, seeded, and chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon ground Espelette pepper, cayenne pepper, or hot paprika
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup basmati rice
1 small packet (1 1⁄4 teaspoons) Sazón seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon saffron threads
3 cups store-bought low-sodium broth
Hot sauce, such as Crystal, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt for serving
Lime zest (optional)

1. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large straight-sided skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until rippling. Sear the chicken thighs, turning once, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Drain half the oil from the pan and return the pan to the heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, piquillos, garlic, tomatoes, Espelette, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it begins to caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the rice, Sazón, and saffron and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and nestle the chicken thighs skin side up in the rice. (Try not to submerge the skin, so it stays crisp as the rice cooks.) Cook, partially covered, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. If the chicken skin is not crisp, place the pan under a hot broiler until the chicken is crispy and golden brown on top.

4. To serve, remove the bay leaves, sprinkle the cilantro and parsley over the rice, and gently stir to incorporate. Serve directly from the pan, with the yogurt sprinkled with lime zest and the bottle of hot sauce on the side.

Avocado bits, sliced red bell pepper, and crisply baked tortilla strips add texture and color to a soup everyone will love. Packed with flavor and nutrition, this recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup will definitely become part of your weeknight repertoire.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Recipe excerpted from The American Heart Association Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook
Serves 4

1½ cups per serving
Slow cooker size/shape: 3-to 4½-quart round or oval
Slow cooking time: 6 to 8 hours on low, or 3 to 4 hours on high

Soup:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, all visible fat discarded, cut into
½-inch cubes
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
2 cups fat-free, no- salt-added chicken broth, such as on page 31
1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ancho powder
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon salt

Garnishes:
2 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into ¼-inch- wide strips, and 1 6- inch corn tortilla, torn into pieces divided use 2 to 4 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped avocado
¼ medium red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips

In the slow cooker, stir together the chicken, corn, broth, tomatoes with liquid, onion, sugar, ancho powder, garlic, and salt. Cook, covered, on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Arrange the tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Let the strips stand for about 15 minutes, or until cool. Transfer to an airtight container and set aside.

When the soup is ready, transfer 1 cup to a food processor or blender. Stir in the tortilla pieces. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute so the tortilla pieces soften. Process until smooth. Stir the mixture into the soup. Stir in the cilantro.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the avocado, bell pepper, and reserved baked tortilla strips. cook’s tip: Adding the processed soup and tortilla mixture to the rest of the soup gives the finished product more body and distributes the tortilla flavor.

Ashley Phillips is an associate editor at Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House. Originally from Mississippi, she’s lived in New York City since 2008 and loves exploring the city’s restaurants, cooking and baking for friends, and running the loop around Central Park.

Finally, Alex Guarnaschelli’s first cookbook, Old School Comfort Food, (Clarkson Potter, April 2013) is out! I’ve been excited for this book, both because she’s a super talented chef and her upbringing sounds like one big cooking play land (her mother is a well-known cookbook editor, thus their home was centered on the kitchen), and because the dishes are irresistible. Her “old-school,” personal recipes in this book exhibit the scope of her skills and experience, while also hitting that soft spot in each of us where food is comfort.

A couple of weekends ago, I invited some friends to dinner and chose two of Alex’s recipes for the meal: Braised Chicken Legs and Thighs with Ginger and Tomato, and My Favorite Rice Pilaf. For a while now, I’ve been really into savory recipes that call for spices such as cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom, as well as fresh ginger and garlic, and these dishes certainly scratched that itch. One of the best things, too, is that, while the recipes call for whole spices, you don’t need a spice grinder. The green cardamom is the only one you have to do anything to: put a little pressure on the green pod, the sides will pop open, and you take the little black seeds out, discarding the pod.

First things first, I put the rice into a bowl of water. Alex says that whenever she works with basmati rice, she soaks it for at least 30 minutes. I’d never heard that before, but heaven knows I need help in the rice department, so I was intrigued by her tip. I think I ended up soaking it for more like an hour, distracted by other things. (Spoiler alert: it worked perfectly!! No burning whatsoever.)

Then, I got going on the chicken. The process is very simple: brown the chicken, caramelize the onions, stew it all together without the chicken, add the chicken to finish. Make sure you give proper time to each step, because the magic is in flavor development. The more the onions caramelize, the deeper their flavor. The more thoroughly you reduce the wine and cook down the tomatoes, the richer the sauce.

While the chicken finished up, I started the rice. Alex says that lightly toasting the spices in the oven “awaken[s] the flavors” before cooking, and you could tell how much more fragrant they were afterward. The rice didn’t take long to make, and it was neat to watch cook, as the rice sort of bubbled up in a ring as it absorbed the liquid.

Everything was a hit! This meal was one of those where you can’t believe how tasty everything is. The braised chicken and rice really are perfect matches; if you’re tempted to skip the pilaf recipe and serve with plain rice, please don’t! Well, I’m sure it would taste good, but the pilaf is worth the extra attention (it’s really not hard work!).

Braised Chicken Legs and Thighs with Ginger and Tomato
Recipe from Old-School Comfort Food by Alex Guarnaschelli
Serves 6 to 8

3 tablespoons canola oil
6 large whole skin-on chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks separated
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 large white onions (about 1¾ pounds total), halved and thinly sliced
1 (2-inch) knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated (1 tablespoon)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 cinnamon stick
2 dried bay leaves
2 cups dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Brown the chicken: Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet and season the pieces with salt and half of the red pepper flakes. Turn the pieces on their other side and season with more salt and the remaining red pepper flakes. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, carefully add the pieces to the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan; work in batches if necessary. Resist the temptation to move or turn the chicken and allow the pieces to brown on their first side, 5 to 8 minutes. Use tongs to flip the pieces over and brown, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large plate or baking sheet.

2. Make the sauce: In the same skillet, strain off the oil and wipe out any burnt bits. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, add the cumin and stir rapidly to give the seeds a quick roast, 5 seconds. Add the onions. Season with salt and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn light brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the ginger and garlic and add the cinnamon and bay leaves. Pour in the white wine and gently boil until reduced by half to allow the raw taste of the alcohol to cook out before adding any other ingredients, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer to allow the flavors to come together, 10 minutes.

3. Cook the chicken: Add about 1 cup water to the skillet and arrange the chicken pieces in the sauce. Use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes. Keep the heat low and simmer until the pieces are cooked through and the meat can be pulled off with a fork, 30 to 45 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick or begins to stick to the bottom of the skillet, add a little more water. If it’s too thin, transfer the chicken to a tray, bring the sauce to a boil, and simmer to the desired consistency. Stir the butter into the sauce. Return the chicken to the sauce, if need be. Discard the cinnamon and bay leaves before serving.

My Favorite Rice Pilaf
Recipe from Old-School Comfort Food by Alex Guarnaschelli
Serves 8 to 10

2 cups basmati rice
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 green cardamom pods, lightly
crushed, black seeds removed, pods discarded
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
12 whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 bay leaves
1 large red onion, finely diced (about 12 ounces)
Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 250ºF.

2. Prepare the rice: Put the rice in a strainer and rinse quickly in cold water. Put the rice in a bowl, add 4 cups cold water, and let soak for 30 minutes.

3. Make the spice mix: On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the cumin, cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Put in the center of the oven to lightly toast the spices and awaken the flavors, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan and allow the spices to cool.

4. Cook the rice: Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter, bay leaves, and onion. Season with salt and cook until the onion is translucent but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the spices. Drain the rice but reserve the soaking water. Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes, until you hear it crackling. Lower the heat if needed. Then add the reserved water. Stir gently. Season with a generous portion of salt and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the rice over medium-low heat, uncovered and undisturbed, for about 8 minutes. Take a fork (so as not to damage the rice) and flake a few grains off and taste for doneness. It may need another 2 to 4 minutes until cooked. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to rest for 10 minutes before fluffing it gently into a bowl and serving. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon if desired.

This chicken dish from Eva’s Kitchen (Clarkson Potter, 2011) by Eva Longoria is so easy and so flavorful that you will make it all the time. The trick is to work fast once the chicken is cooked and add the salt and lemon as soon as you get the chicken out of the pan. Don’t worry if it looks like too much lemon juice—when the chicken is hot, the juice soaks through the crispy coating and adds fabulous flavor to the chicken.

Lemon Fried Chicken
Recipe from Eva’s Kitchen by Eva Longoria
Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 1¼-pound packages thinly sliced chicken breasts
4 large eggs
3 to 4 cups panko
1 cup vegetable oil or as needed
Kosher salt to taste
3 lemons, halved

1. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Lay them on a work surface between two layers of plastic wrap. Gently pound with a meat tenderizer until they are about 1⁄8 inch thick.

2. In a large, shallow dish, beat the eggs. Pour the panko in another large, shallow dish. Working with one piece at a time, coat the chicken on both sides with egg. Let the excess run off and then dredge both sides in the panko. Place the chicken on a large baking sheet or platter and continue with the remaining chicken.

3. Line 1 or 2 large platters or baking sheets with paper towels. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmery and hot but not smoking. Place as many pieces of chicken as can fit without crowding. Fry until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to prepared platters. Immediately sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt and squeeze over a generous amount of lemon juice from a halved lemon. Repeat until all of the chicken is cooked, adding more oil to the pan if necessary. Serve.

This recipe for Chicken Hash with Sweet Potatoes from Fifty Shades of Chicken: A Parody in a Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2012) by F.L. Fowler needs no introduction. It takes hardly any time to whip this up, so make this perfectly hearty breakfast for the morning after with a special someone.

Chicken Hash with Sweet Potatoes
Recipe from Fifty Shades of Chicken by F.L. Fowler
Serves 4

1¼ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked, diced chicken meat
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 scallions, white and green parts sliced, for garnish (optional)
Fried eggs, for serving (optional)
Ketchup, for serving (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the sweet potatoes. Par-cook until halfway done, about 5 minutes. Drain, then spread out on a clean dish towel to dry.

2. Melt half the butter in a large skillet and add the sweet potatoes and half the salt and pepper. Let cook without stirring, until the potatoes brown on one side, then turn and brown well on the other side, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic until tender and golden around the edges, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté until the chicken starts to brown. Return the potatoes to the pan and sauté until everything is well mixed and golden, taking care not to crush the potatoes too much.

4. Serve the hash topped with scallions and a fried egg and ketchup on the side, if you like.

America’s love affair with Chinese food dates back more than a century. Today, such dishes as General Tso’s Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Egg Rolls are as common as hamburgers and spaghetti. Probably at this moment, a drawer in your kitchen is stuffed with Chinese takeout menus, soy sauce packets, and wooden chopsticks, right?

But what if you didn’t have to eat your favorites out of a container?

In The Chinese Takeout Cookbook, Chinese food blogger and cooking instructor Diana Kuan brings Chinatown to your home with this amazing collection of more than eighty popular Chinese takeout recipes—appetizers, main courses, noodle and rice dishes, and desserts—all easy-to-prepare and MSG-free.

Recipe for Kung Pao Chicken
Excerpted from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook

This highly addictive stir-fried chicken continues to be one of the most popular Chinese dishes in America as the succulent, complex sauce of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors is hard to pass up. For years Americanized versions often left out the Sichuan peppercorns because of an import ban, but now Sichuan peppercorns are once again easily found in Chinatown shops and even gourmet chains such as Whole Foods.

Serves 4 as part of a multicourse meal

Marinade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes

Sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar, or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
8 to 10 dried red chilies
3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1. Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice wine, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken and stir gently to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the sauce: In another bowl, combine the black vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, and Sichuan pepper. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved and set aside.

3. You may need to turn on your stove’s exhaust fan, because stir-frying dried chilies on high heat can get a little smoky. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates on contact. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the base. Add the chilies and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, or until the chilies have just begun to blacken and the oil is slightly fragrant. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce and mix to coat the other ingredients. Stir in the peanuts and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle the scallion greens on top, and serve.

This chicken meatball recipe from Ten Dollar Dinners (Clarkson Potter, August 2012) by Food Network’s Melissa d’Arabian is a great use for chicken breasts that you might not have considered before. Just grind up the meat (it’s so easy) in the food processor with some big-flavor ingredients such as bacon for a smoky-salty richness and chili powder and cayenne pepper for a bit of kick, and you have the foundation for amazing meatballs. You’ll be surprised how easy it is, plus, you can introduce new flavors to your family in a familiar package. Turn the chicken mixture into patties for nutritious and delicious burgers with a fun twist!

Chicken Meatballs
Recipe from Ten Dollar Dinners by Melissa d’Arabian
serves 4
preparation time: 25 minutes (plus 45 minutes to chill)
cooking time: 20 minutes

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about ¾ pound), rinsed and patted dry, sliced into 1-inch cubes
1 bacon strip
3 slices sandwich bread, roughly torn into small pieces
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup whole milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling over the meatballs
¼ cup vegetable oil
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

1. Place the chicken and the bacon on a plate and freeze to chill for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the bread, chili powder, cayenne, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you have fine bread crumbs. Divide the bread crumbs between two medium bowls. Set one bowl aside and stir the milk into the bread crumbs in the other bowl.

3. Add half the chilled chicken and all of the bacon to the food processor and pulse to combine into a rough mixture. Add the milk-and-bread-crumb mixture to the food processor along with the egg, onion, garlic, and Parmesan and process until very well combined (the mixture will be almost creamy). Add the remaining chilled chicken cubes to the food processor and pulse just to combine. The mixture will be semi-smooth with small chunks of chicken. Using a 1-inch small scoop, divide the mixture into about 30 small meatballs. Place the meatballs on a parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the freezer and roll the meatballs through the reserved bread crumbs to lightly and evenly coat the surface. Return the meatballs to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat the broiler to high. Drizzle the meatballs with the oil and broil until they’re cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan and the parsley (if using), rest for 5 minutes, and serve.

A recipe that usually takes upwards of an hour to prepare can now be ready in 30 minutes with this simple yet flavorful recipe from Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking by bestselling-author Cybele Pascal. With Cybele’s focus on allergy-friendly food, this recipe that’s usually laden with super allergenic ingredients can also be enjoyed by all with the use of chicken broth and sausage instead of fish broth and shellfish.

Chicken and Sausage Paella

from Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking by Cybele Pascal (Ten Speed Press, December 2012)

serves 6

1  cup long grain basmati rice

2¹/₂ cups low-sodium chicken broth

1  pound chicken tenders, cut crosswise 
into 1-inch pieces

³/₈ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3  tablespoons olive oil

1  cup chopped yellow onion

8  ounces chorizo, andouille, linguica, 
or kielbasa, cut into ¹/₄-inch-thick rounds

1  red bell pepper, diced

3  cloves garlic, minced or pressed

¹/₄ teaspoon saffron, crushed

¹/₂ teaspoon dried oregano

1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

³/₄ cup frozen peas

1  tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 
plus more for garnish

Combine the rice with 1¹/₂ cups of the chicken broth in a microwave-safe container. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken tenders 
with the paprika and some salt and pepper. Heat 
2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until starting to shimmer. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to 
the pan. Add the onion and sausage and cook for 
5 minutes, stirring often. Add the bell pepper, garlic, saffron, oregano, and ¹/₄ teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add the remaining 1 cup chicken broth, bring to a boil, and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits along the bottom, 1 minute or so. Stir in the tomatoes, partly cooked rice, and chicken, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, loosely covered, for 8 minutes more or until the liquid is absorbed. Add the peas and heat through for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, toss with the parsley, and serve hot, sprinkled with a little more parsley.

For more recipes from Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking, see this excerpt:

Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking by Cybele Pascal – Recipes

Anna Mintz is a Publicist for Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, and is an editor for The Recipe Club. Originally from Atlanta, she now lives in New York City and loves exploring NYC’s restaurant scene and trying out new recipes in her own kitchen.

I’m always looking for an easy chicken dish, and my favorite flavor in the world is honey mustard. So when I needed a good recipe for a small group dinner, I was immediately drawn to this recipe for Crispy Mustard-Roasted Chicken from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof (Clarkson Potter, October 2012) by Ina Garten.

This recipe was truly foolproof. First, I prepared the crust for the chicken, which was made of savory panko crumbs, thyme, lemon zest, and a little olive oil and melted butter to keep it moist. For the coating, I simply whisked together ½ cup each of Dijon mustard and white wine. Ina explains that the wine-mustard mixture works the way you’d use beaten eggs as a binding agent for the breadcrumb crust. The chicken came out moist, crispy and super flavorful, and I served it with simple sides of roasted new potatoes and asparagus with parmesan cheese. Delicious!

Crispy Mustard-Roasted Chicken
Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten
Serves 3

4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup Dijon mustard, such as Grey Poupon
½ cup dry white wine
1 (3½- to 4-pound) chicken, cut in eighths

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the garlic, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the garlic is finely minced. Add the panko, lemon zest, olive oil, and butter and pulse a few times to moisten the bread flakes. Pour the mixture onto a large plate. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard and wine.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper. Dip each piece in the mustard mixture to coat on all sides, and then place skin-side down only into the crumb mixture, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken on a sheet pan crumb-side up. Press the remaining crumbs on the chicken pieces.

Bake the chicken for 40 minutes. Raise the heat to 400 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes, until the crumbs are browned and the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Slow cookers are a busy person’s best friend. Pop some ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning with just a few minutes of prep and the result is something that tastes like you’ve been slaving over the stove for hours. This Chicken and Fresh Fennel Cassoulet recipe from The American Heart Association Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook is sure to warm you and your family up on a cold night.

Lean chicken breast is cooked on top of fennel, garlic, onion and sun-dried tomatoes, and topped off with white beans and parsley. We drizzled some garlic olive oil and sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on the dish at the end, and that gave it an incredible burst of flavor!

Chicken and Fresh Fennel Cassoulet
Recipe from The American Heart Association Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook by The American Heart Association

Serves 4: 3 ounces chicken and 1 cup vegetables per serving
Slow cooker size/shape: 3-to 4 ½-quart round or oval
Slow cooking time: 4 to 5 hours on low plus 30 minutes to 1 hour on low (preferred), or 2 ½ to 3 hours on high plus 15 to 30 minutes on high

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, thinly sliced, and quartered
1 medium Vidalia, Maui, Oso Sweet, or other sweet onion, thinly sliced and quartered
¼ cup matchstick-size dry-packed sun- dried tomatoes
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces each), all visible fat discarded
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
¼ teaspoon pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
½ cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 15.5-ounce can no-salt-added Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1. In the slow cooker, make one layer each of the fennel, onion, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with the garlic. Place the chicken on top. Sprinkle the mixture with the oregano, pepper, and salt. Pour the broth over all. Don’t stir. Cook, covered, on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2. to 3 hours.

2. Pour the beans over the chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley. Don’t stir. Cook, covered, on low for 30 minutes to 1 hour or on high for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Cook’s tip on fennel: Although most recipes calling for fennel use only the bulb, there are uses for all parts of the plant. First, cut the fernlike fronds, or leaves, from the stems and the stems from the bulb. After discarding the tips of any fronds that seem coarse, use the fronds as a garnish or snip them to use as a seasoning (add just before serving the dish). The stems can be thinly sliced to use in salads, but many people find them too tough and use them primarily to season broths.

To prepare the bulb, which is used as a vegetable, trim the bottom, halve and core the bulb, then thinly slice it. Use sliced fennel raw in a tossed salad or slaw or with fruits, such as oranges and apples. Fennel also is tasty when you simmer or braise it, such as in soups, stews, pot roasts, or vegetable dishes. The aniselike, but milder and sweeter, flavor of fennel becomes more delicate with cooking.

Per serving:
Calories 268
Total Fat 4.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 73 mg
Sodium 283 mg
Carbohydrates 27 g
Fiber 10 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 30 g
Dietary Exchanges:
1 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 very lean meat