Tag: chicken recipes for one person

One Pot Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Adapted from a Jacques Pépin recipe, chicken with balsamic vinegar sauce is an easy and satisfying one pot meal.  There’s also a secret ingredient you might not expect (especially from someone known for French cooking).  It’s…ketchup! It deepens the flavor and provides just a little hint of spice and sweetness.  The balsamic vinegar adds a slightly tart, fruity tang that complements the sweetness of the ketchup and the cooked onions.

He used chicken breasts, but I find those tend to dry out (unless you’re really careful). Not to mention they’re costly, and don’t pack nearly as much flavor as chicken thighs do. So chicken thighs it is. Changing the type of chicken I used also meant altering the cooking method a bit. Instead of baking in an oven, I did a fricassee, meaning brown the chicken, add the liquid, and then let it cook on the stove top.

Chicken thighs have to cook longer than breasts do.  However, doing it my way means you only need a single skillet.  There’s no putting anything in the oven and no need to use two different pots (or worry if your skillet is oven safe).  That also means there’s a lot less cleanup. Less cleaning up is always a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.

Two more slight twists. The original recipe called for shallots. I never have those around, and I wasn’t about to buy them for one recipe (you know how I hate that). So, I cut up some garlic and onions instead (since they’re kissing cousins so to speak). If you have shallots, or don’t mind buying them, go right ahead and use them. He also said to sprinkle the chicken with chives. I didn’t have that either, so I used some fresh rosemary.

As I type this, I’m wondering if I’m spiraling into Internet recipe comment territory: “Great recipe! I changed X, and Y, and Z, and then I didn’t follow the directions at all, but it turned out great!” Well, it did turn out great, so I guess it’s OK.

The whole thing is done in about 35 minutes, so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal when you don’t want to fuss (because you just want dinner).




More Chicken and Balsamic Vinegar Recipes

balsamic vinaigrette chickenBalsamic Vinaigrette Chicken For One

Just two ingredients, and you have dinner. I got this idea from a friend’s old sheet pan recipe.  Lots of flavor, very little work.

 

strawberry balsamic grilled cheeseStrawberry Balsamic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

A sophisticated new twist on an old childhood favorite. This grilled cheese sandwich adds strawberries for sweetness and balsamic vinegar for a fruity tangy bite. Delicious. And easy too.

strawberry spinach salad with balsamic dressing and feta cheeseStrawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Feta Cheese

Fresh strawberries, lots of veggies, a zesty dressing, and no cooking. Perfect if you are in a hurry, or it’s too hot to stand in front of the stove.

 




Jewish Chicken Curry Chitarnee

I just learned to cook this Jewish chicken curry chitarnee recipe recently from an  online cooking friend.  It’s (to the best of her knowledge) a Sephardic Jewish recipe, but it doesn’t have the usual flavor or ingredients we tend to associate with “Jewish” cooking in America. Here “Jewish” cooking is usually Ashkenazi (from Eastern Europe). It tends to feature lots of noodles, brisket, and chicken soup.

Ashkenazi food is generally flavorful, but the spiciest ingredients are onions and garlic.  Not too many chilis! And definitely no cardamom. But Jewish people are part of every continent’s and every country’s population.  So, local recipes get adopted, and adapted (if needed) to make them conform to the dietary rules (for those that follow them). Pork gets replaced by chicken, oil is used with meat instead of butter, and so on. And voilà, some local Indian dish gets transformed into Jewish chicken curry chitarnee.

This recipe, for example, has a bit more snap than standard Eastern European fare. It’s not super-spicy though.  There’s onion, garlic, ginger, mild chilis, and cardamom. The garlic, onion, and ginger get cooked down slowly so they become more sweet and mellow than sharp.  The cardamom is aromatic and herbal rather than strong or spicy.   Lots of fresh lemon juice and some white wine vinegar add a piquant tang.

Azlin suggested a variation on this recipe to make it vegetarian, by replacing the chicken with bell peppers, eggplant and potatoes.

I didn’t want to make it fully vegetarian (though you certainly can if you want).  But, I thought, well why not just add potatoes to the chicken version. Then it’s a one pot dinner. That way, there’s no extra rice to make on the side and it will all cook in the same pot in the same amount of time. Fewer pots to clean is always a good thing!




Tools and Ingredients for Jewish Chicken Curry Chitarnee

garam masala spice blend

Garam Masala Indian Spice Blend

Garam Masala is a blend of warm, aromatic spices that gives a great flavor punch to many recipes. It’s not spicy though. It’s made with nutmeg, coriander, cumin, cloves, and seven other spices. It’s great on eggs, chicken, or to make your own chai (spiced tea). You can also add it to desserts (think pumpkin spice with a bit more flair), or hot drinks.

green cardamom

Green Cardamom Pods

I confess when I first heard of cardamom I thought it would be spicy and overpowering. It isn’t! Instead, it adds an aromatic, slightly minty, herbal flavor to your food. Put it in your coffee as a “sweetener” without sugar. Or add it to dessert recipes (I’m thinking it would be great in a pear tart). Or toss one or two pods in with your rice for a flavor boost.

tea ball

Tea Ball

This is technically supposed to be used for brewing tea. However, I find they’re great for cooking.  Trying to fish out a bay leaf is a pain.

With the tea ball, instead of splashing through a pan of chicken, or a pot of soup to find a bay leaf, cardamom pods, or whole cloves you aren’t going to eat, put them in a tea ball, and drop that into the pan, and hook the end on the side of the pot. That way, the spices are easy to remove, and you don’t have to worry about biting down on a clove!

More Chicken Recipes

royal chicken in yogurtIndian Royal Chicken Cooked in Yogurt

Fit for royalty, but easy enough for a weeknight. You mix up the sauce, bake the chicken, and then watch the raisins transform back into grapes.

 

one person chicken curryEasy Chicken Curry Recipe

Chicken, some pantry spices, an onion plus yogurt add up to a delicious meal that’s ready in minutes.

 

Chili Garlic Chicken Thigh Recipe for Onechili garlic chicken thigh

Why bother with wings when you can make this instead? Much easier, and less messy too. Also more budget-friendly.

 

chicken with tomatoes and olivesChicken with Olives and Tomatoes for One

Rich, flavorful, and made with basic pantry ingredients like ginger, briny olives, and sweet canned tomatoes. It’s got a hint of spice, but not overpowering.

 




Stovetop Coq au Vin Chicken with Red Wine Sauce

Coq au vin (or rooster in wine) is a classic French dish.  It’s flavorful, it’s rich, and it takes a lot of time and effort to prepare.  First, you season the chicken, let it sit overnight, then brown it, add vegetables, and braise it slowly.  Authentic coq au vin also requires lots of pots,  lardons, which are thick matchstick strips of bacon, glazed pearl onions, croutons, and finally toast points! It takes hours to prepare it properly.  It’s wonderful, but it’s also a major undertaking, and highly impractical for a weekday dinner.  In contrast, this stovetop coq au vin takes about half an hour to make.  Much better!

I have adapted this recipe from Pierre Franey’s 60 Minute Gourmet Cookbook. Being French he called it “Poulet Sauté au Brouilly” (or chicken sautéed in Brouilly wine). I say stovetop coq au vin or chicken with red wine sauce and mushrooms works just fine.

And, once you finish a bit of chopping and browning, stovetop coq au vin mostly cooks itself. You don’t have to fuss with it,  you don’t need to use half the pots in your kitchen, and you don’t have to clean them up either.  This version only requires a single skillet.

When choosing the red wine, look for one that’s fruity and flavorful, but not too tannic.  Wines such as Zinfandel, Brouilly, Beaujolais, or Merlot are fine (I used Merlot).  On the other hand, a Cabernet Sauvignon would be overpowering.




Stovetop Coq au Vin Substitutions and Variations

  • If you want, cook a few strips of bacon and add that to the chicken
  • Make it more colorful with some chopped carrots
  • Try different varieties of mushrooms, or a mixture
  • Use shallots instead of the onion/garlic
  • If you use the bacon, saute the onions/garlic/shallots in the bacon fat

More Chicken Recipes

crispy lemon chicken thighCrispy Lemon Chicken Thigh Recipe for One

Three kinds of lemon, and a smidge of brown sugar add lots of flavor to this chicken. It almost tastes like it’s fried (but it’s not).  Great hot or cold.

 

chicken mango stir fryQuick Chicken Mango Stir Fry Recipe

A freezer-friendly quick dinner. Use frozen mango if you have it. If not, pineapple will do too (since this cooks quickly). Toss in the chicken and veggies, make a quick sauce and you’re done.

homemade chicken shawarma

Homemade Chicken Shawarma with Yogurt Sauce

If you can’t get your favorite Mediterranean takeout, make it yourself.  You don’t need a rotisserie or special equipment either. Just make it right in your oven.

 

chicken with mushrooms and tarragonSingle Serving Chicken Recipe with Tarragon and Mushrooms

A fancy French meal without going out (or paying a lot).  It takes only 30 minutes to make and uses a single pan. I confess even I wanted to lighten up the original recipe (which called for copious amounts of butter and cream). However, this version retains every bit of flavor!




Homemade Chicken Shawarma with Yogurt Sauce

I’ve been craving chicken shawarma ever since I first saw The Avengers movie (years ago!)  Since I’m in NY, and the city wasn’t really broken like in the movie, I even looked up the place where the last scene was filmed (when they were all sitting around eating shawarma).  But somehow, I never managed to get there.  I was re-watching the movie again recently and had the same craving again. Then I thought, wait, I know how to cook! Why go out and schlep all the way to midtown when I can make homemade chicken shawarma instead?

So,  I went to the Internet.  This dish is traditionally made on a spit or a rotisserie, but who has a roasting spit in their home? Not me, and certainly not in my tiny kitchen.  The oven works just fine.  If you want, you can roast the chicken first, and then fry it in a pan to make it crispier.  I prefer my chicken moist and tender, so I skipped that step.

You make this dish in two stages. First marinate the chicken, then make the yogurt sauce, and let both sit in the fridge. It’s best if it sits overnight, but allow at least an hour so that the flavors have time to blend together.

I put the chicken and the marinade ingredients in a plastic zip lock bag, shook it all up, and rubbed the sauce into the meat.  One less bowl to clean! The yogurt sauce went into a small ramekin.

There are hundreds of different ways to make the sauce: with za’atar or sumac, with dill, mint, basil, mostly mayo, yogurt/mayo, and on and on and on.  I’ve listed several different variations, just pick the one that suits your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand.

I left the more exotic options out of the instructions since they are a bit exotic in the US and I try to stick to ingredients that are readily accessible. The lemon zest, salt, and pepper that are in the recipe are a decent substitute for the sumac.  You can combine thyme, sesame seeds, sumac (or lemon pepper), plus salt and make your own za’atar substitute.

If you like, combine the dry ingredients for the marinade together and keep them in a spice jar.  Then, you just have to add fresh lemon juice and you’re ready to cook.

Serve this with a Greek salad, rice, olives, feta, or even (gasp) French fries. Fried or roasted eggplant would be great too.




 

Homemade Chicken Shawarma Substitutions and Variations

  • Serve with Persian or English cucumbers and fresh tomatoes
  • Top with feta cheese
  • Add chopped dill or mint to the sauce
  • Put za’atar or sumac in the sauce
  • Make the sauce with tahini
  • Serve with a Greek salad (olives, feta, tomatoes, and cucumber)

Tools and Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Shawarma

white ramekinsPorcelain Ramekins (set of 6)

These little ramekins are super-handy in the kitchen. I use them for dips, sauces, mixing up a quick salad dressing, nuts, slices of lemon to squeeze on fish, and olives. Use one for the olives, and another to hold the pits (works for cherries too). Or, you can even use them for spare change.

za'tar

Lebanese Za’atar

If you want to try actual za’atar, make sure to look carefully at the ingredients. Some of them have wheat (?!?) in them, and others are just thyme (which is the English translation). You want a mixture with sumac and hyssop. This one delivers what it should. Use it for the yogurt sauce, add it to roasted vegetables or fish, or sprinkle it into olive oil and serve with pita bread.

sumac

Ground Sumac

Sumac adds a pop of bright red color, as well as a citrusy, lemon flavor to food. It’s great with hummus, over fish, mixed in salads, or on potatoes. There’s no additives, salt, or other fillers in this jar, just sumac.

More Middle Eastern Recipes

shakshouka for oneShakshouka for One

Poached eggs layered over a tomato sauce punched up with spinach and sweet bell peppers.

 

israeli chopped saladChopped Israeli Salad for One Person

An easy, healthy side dish with no cooking required. Or, serve with olives, plain yogurt (or lebne) and pita and call it breakfast like the Israelis do.

 

vegetarian eggplant sandwichVegetarian Eggplant Sandwich for One Person

See that Israeli salad above? Add some pita bread, fried eggplant, hummus, spinach, and a hard boiled egg, and it’s now a sandwich!

 

spicy lamb and lentils

Spicy Lamb and Lentils

Lamb and lentils are a classic Middle Eastern combination. This one is flavored with cumin, garlic, and just a pinch of red pepper flakes. It’s flavorful, but not spicy. And fast too.

 




Chicken and Mushroom Skillet Recipe

If you’re hungry, chicken thighs are a great answer to the age-old question, “What’s for dinner?”  You can get this chicken and mushroom skillet recipe from walk in the door from work to ready to eat in about half an hour.

And, it only requires one pot! Less clean up is a good thing, in my book.  You don’t have to marinate the chicken, or leave it overnight, or fuss with it.  Pan fry the chicken, slice the mushrooms, onions, and garlic, and let it simmer.

There’s no separate gravy to prepare either.  It creates its own sauce right in the pan.

The funny thing is, I “invented” (or thought I’d invented) this recipe one night from ingredients I had lying around.  It turns out that it’s nearly identical to a recipe in one of Jacques Pépin’s cookbooks.  I don’t pretend to be his equal, but if you’re going to “borrow” an idea from someone, start at the top!

Although, I will say that his recipe requires two pots and mine only needs one.  Yes, I do count the washing up necessary to make something (it makes a difference when you don’t have a dishwasher).

Serve the chicken with rice or crusty bread to sop up the sauce. The vegetables in the photo were just some frozen mixed vegetables that I microwaved with salt and lemon pepper.




Chicken and Mushroom Skillet Recipe Substitutions and Variations

  • stir a splash of dry white wine into the sauce (or use the wine instead of the chicken broth)
  • add 1/3 cup of frozen broccoli to the mushroom mixture
  • cut up the chicken and serve it over noodles
  • add some sliced bell peppers

More Chicken Recipes

crispy lemon chicken thighCrispy Lemon Chicken Thigh Recipe for One

Crispy (like fried without the frying), citrusy, and wonderful either hot or cold. Perfect for a picnic (make extra).

 

chicken mango stir fryQuick Chicken Mango Stir Fry Recipe

Asian-inflected with lots of colorful veggies and sweet mango. This is a quick stir fry that takes only a short time to prepare.  If you can’t get the mango, use pineapple instead.

chicken with basil peaches and gingerChicken Thigh Recipe with Peaches and Ginger

Sweet, juicy peaches offset by warm/spicy ginger and summery basil. Toss it all in a pan and bake. Super simple (and delicious).

 

chicken with mushrooms and tarragonSingle Serving Chicken Recipe with Tarragon and Mushrooms

Creamy, rich, and tastes super-indulgent (but it isn’t). It’s like going out to a fancy restaurant (without actually having to go out).

 




Chicken Chili Verde Recipe

Two of my friends have been raving about this chicken chili verde recipe for years.  I finally decided to try it myself, and they were right.

Ideally, this should be made with Hatch chiles.  Unfortunately, while New York is a wonderland of food, fresh Hatch chiles are a bit scarce.  So, I had to make do with the canned variety.  If you can get them fresh, by all means use them! Instead of regular canned tomatoes, I used tomatoes mixed with green chiles.

There are no beans, just chicken, peppers, a few spices, and chicken broth. It’s not too spicy, and easy to put together. The hardest part is waiting for it to simmer!



Substitutions and Variations for Chicken Chili Verde Recipe

  • Line a bowl with tortilla chips, add the chili and top with shredded cheese
  • Use pork and/or beef instead of chicken
  • Add a potato (peeled and cut into chunks) to the chili
  • Try some fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • Go for the Hatch chiles if you can get them (remove the stems and boil them for ten minutes first)

Tools and Ingredients for Chicken Chili Verde

ro-tel tomatoes and chilis

Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies – 10 oz

This can is just the right size for this recipe. No leftovers! It’s not too spicy (I think it comes in hotter versions too) and adds a lot of flavor.  You can also use it to make cheese dip.

el paso chilis

Old El Paso Chopped Chiles 4.5 oz Can

Amazon only sells this single can to Prime members (or if you have access to their fresh service), but if you do, then go for it. They’ve got the Hatch chiles too, but you have to buy an awful lot of them at once!

More Chicken and Chili Recipes

chili citrus chickenChili Citrus Chicken Thigh Recipe for One

Lime juice and zest add a sweet, citrusy tang, balanced by the heat of chili garlic sauce, and a hint of honeyed sweetness. Just marinate and bake.

 

spicy stovetop chiliSmall Batch Spicy Stovetop Chili Recipe

This chili packs extra heat.  Spicy, flavorful, and delicious. Sized for one! No giant pot to finish.

 

chili garlic chicken thighChili Garlic Chicken Thigh Recipe for One

Think wings with a lot less fuss and mess. No frying, you just bake it. And only four simple ingredients.

 

 

 




Stir Fry Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Why go out for chicken stir fry when you can make it easily at home?  This Thai-inspired stir fry chicken with peanut sauce recipe is ready in about 20 minutes. You get chicken, crisp-fried veggies, and a creamy peanut sauce over it all. 

It’s just enough for one person. I made it with rice stick noodles, but you can use plain rice or brown rice if you prefer.  I first tried a completely different recipe, from a usually reliable source, but I found it just lacked flavor. 

This one has peanuts (naturally), honey, hoisin sauce, and a generous squirt of lime.  The lime brightens up the flavor, and the honey adds a hint of sweetness.

I used freshly ground peanut butter (the sort of peanut butter they sell at health food stores), but the kind in the jar is fine too.  If you use the freshly-ground peanut butter you may need to add more oil. That will make it easier to mix the ingredients together. It should spread easily and you should be able to toss it over the cooked chicken and the vegetables.




Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, such as:  bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, or onions.  You can mix and match to suit your own taste.  Whatever you use, you’ll need about 1 1/2  cups.

If you’re making regular rice, start that first.  The rice stick noodles cook like pasta, just faster.  Bring the water to a boil and then cook the noodles about three minutes.

For the rest of the recipe, make the sauce first.  Then cook the chicken.  Once the chicken is done, set that aside and cook the vegetables.  Put the chicken back in the pan, and then add the sauce. Don’t let the sauce cook too much, just enough to heat everything up.

You can speed up the process by using mixed frozen veggies (not the bell peppers though, they tend to get soggy). That way, you save time cooking and chopping.

There is one “problem” though with this recipe. The kitchen still smells so good after you finish dinner that you want to eat it again.

Substitutions and Variations for Stir Fry Chicken with Peanut Sauce

  • Add some slivers of garlic and fresh ginger to the chicken when you cook it.
  • Make it spicier with sriracha or cayenne flakes.
  • Let the chicken cool, toss fresh, raw veggies in a bowl (use double the amount),  and eat it cold as a salad.
  • Skip the chicken, and just make it with the sauce, veggies, and rice stick noodles

More Chicken Recipes for One

sichuan chinese chicken and eggplant with garlic sauceSichuan Chinese Chicken and Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

If you can’t get takeout, make this Sichuan chicken right at home.  It’s faster (and tastier too).

 


chicken mango stir fryQuick Chicken Mango Stir Fry Recipe

An Asian-inspired stir-fry that’s ready quickly.  Meaty chicken thighs with crispy-tender veggies and sweet mango. It’s both colorful and delicious.

 

Chili Garlic Chickenchili garlic chicken thigh

Clear your head and delight your taste buds with this spicy chicken. Think wings, but easier.

 

easy singapore noodles with chicken

Singapore Noodles

A simple chicken stir fry all mixed up with noodles and vibrant veggies.  It’s easy and flexible too. Use the veggies listed or swap them for your favorites.

 




Indian Royal Chicken Cooked in Yogurt

The beauty of this Indian royal chicken cooked in yogurt recipe is that it’s delicious and can be made fairly quickly.  You can just serve it with naan or make some rice to help soak up the sauce.  I have adapted this from Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick & Easy Indian Cooking, which is a great guide for making Indian meals that don’t require a lot of fuss. Plus, she wisely sticks to ingredients that are fairly easy to find outside of India. Her recipe is for four people, my version is dinner for one person.

I made a few other minor changes as well.  The original recipe calls for both dried and fresh coriander.  I don’t generally have fresh coriander (and if I did, it would spoil), so I used a bit more dried instead. 

Make sure to remove all of the whole spices before serving. You don’t want to crunch down on a clove or a cardamom pod!

She calls for slivered almonds, but all I had was ground almonds, so I used that.  I am a big believer in using what you have and not buying special ingredients for a single purpose.  You can substitute slivered, or blanched if that’s easier.  You might even use whole ones, or throw them in the mini-chopper to chop them up.

There’s also a fun bit of chemistry here.  When you add the raisins to the hot pan, they plump up and temporarily revert back to grapes!




Substitutions and Variations for Indian Royal Chicken Cooked in Yogurt

  • try it with ghee (clarified butter) instead of oil, sliced onions, and ginger paste (full recipe here)
  • add potatoes, curry leaves, tamarind paste, and coconut milk (recipe here)
  • make it Hyderabadi style with tomatoes, cashews, red chilis, saffron and turmeric

More Chicken Recipes for One Person

one person chicken curryEasy Chicken Curry Recipe

A super easy recipe largely with pantry staples. It’s got a rich, creamy sauce spiked with cumin, garam masala, and jalapeño peppers. Ready in about 15 minutes.

 

Chili Garlic Chicken Thigh Recipe for Onechili garlic chicken thigh

Buffalo chicken with a lot less mess.  The garlic adds zest and the chili brings the heat. Cheaper than wings too!

 

crispy lemon chicken thighCrispy Lemon Chicken Thigh Recipe for One

“Fried” chicken without the splatter.  It’s got three kinds of lemon and a touch of brown sugar. Good hot or cold.

 

chicken mango stir fryQuick Chicken Mango Stir Fry Recipe

A bright and colorful tangle of veggies and chicken. If you don’t have fresh vegetables, a frozen stir fry mix will work just fine. Just cook them a bit less.

 




Chicken Caprese Salad Panini Sandwich

Caprese salad meets the classic grilled cheese sandwich with a bit of roast chicken added and poof, you’ve got a chicken caprese salad panini. Perfect when you’re in a hurry and want something to eat fast! This chicken caprese salad sandwich feels rich and decadent, but you don’t need to invest a lot of time or effort to make it.  You don’t really even have to measure much of anything.

The market had some beautiful Campari tomatoes on sale, right next to the fresh mozzarella.  I couldn’t resist.  So, I put that together with some basil, leftover roast chicken, and a fresh loaf of ciabatta bread. Voila! The chicken caprese salad panini sandwich.

I started with leftover roast chicken, so I didn’t need to make the chicken.  If you already have cooked chicken, just pop it into the sandwich.  Some leftover rotisserie chicken would work nicely. All you have to do now is grill the bread, melt the cheese, and add the tomatoes and basil.

If not, see the substitutions and variations section below for ideas on how to cook the chicken.

The bread does tend to slurp up the olive oil, but really it’s worth it! The sandwich gets golden brown, and the cheese is gooey and melty. It’s your favorite childhood grilled cheese sandwich for grownups!

Do use the fresh mozzarella if you can get it. It’s far more flavorful (and I think it melts better) than the pre-packaged kind.




Substitutions and Variations for Chicken Caprese Panini Sandwich

  • Saute some mushrooms (do that first) and add them to the sandwich at the end.
  • Start with fresh chicken breasts (season with salt/pepper/balsamic vinegar/olive oil) then gently cook in olive oil
  • Or, season the chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Cook that in a bit of olive oil
  • Add some avocado
  • Get an extra serving of veggies and put in a few spinach leaves
  • Or, try cooking it in the broiler instead (less oil needed)

More Sandwich Recipes

bacon spinach tomato aioli sandwichBacon Spinach Tomato Aioli Sandwich Recipe

Remember the classic BLT? This one is a bit different. Besides the spinach, the plain old mayo is now a garlicky, lemony aioli. Fresher, brighter, and even more delicious.

 

three cheese grilled cheese sandwichThree Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Why settle for one kind of cheese when you can use three instead? I get the cut up cheese cubes (instant variety without more than I can eat).  Because who doesn’t like grilled, melty cheese?

 

vegetarian eggplant sandwichVegetarian Eggplant Sandwich for One Person

Take plain Israeli salad and turn it into an entire meal with tender eggplant, hummus, and pita.

 

 

strawberry balsamic grilled cheeseStrawberry Balsamic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Another twist on grilled cheese, this time with sweet berries and tangy vinegar.  It’s an unexpected combination that works surprisingly well.

 




Crispy Lemon Chicken Thigh Recipe for One

I adapted this crispy lemon chicken thigh recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook. If you love lemon, this is for you. It’s full of citrusy flavor from lemon juice, lemon pepper, and lemon zest. Even if you don’t love lots of lemon, don’t worry. The lemon is balanced by brown sugar for sweetness and a touch of paprika for a hint of bite.

It’s also quite versatile. Eat it hot right out of the oven, or make extra and have it cold for lunch the next day.  It’s also good for picnics when the weather is good.

I cut the original recipe down to serve one (instead of six), but also made a few other small changes.  The cookbook recipe called for lemon extract. It’s an ingredient I’m never going to use up (unless I make lots of lemon chicken). So, I increased the lemon juice a bit.

I then swapped the plain black pepper for lemon pepper. Lemon pepper is a bit exotic, but I do use it for other things (try it on string beans or broccoli). This way, I kept the lemony flavor without having to buy a special ingredient only to use a spoonful or two (which annoys me).

You end up with a crispy crust, almost like fried chicken, except there’s very little oil, and a lot less mess. You start it in a frying pan to get crispy and then finish by baking it in the toaster oven.

Incidentally, the recipe on the facing page of the cookbook is for Chicken Monterey, made with orange juice.  I haven’t done it, but I bet orange juice and zest would work for this too.  You might try a bit of orange juice concentrate, or upping the zest to substitute for lemon pepper/extract. I’d also reduce the brown sugar, since orange is sweeter than lemon.

For the best flavor, let the chicken marinate overnight (or all day) in the fridge. If you don’t have that much time, let it sit for at least half an hour.

If you can’t have flour (or gluten) substitute potato starch or rice flour instead.  It might even be good with almond flour.  That way it’s gluten-free (and Pesach-friendly).




More Chicken Thigh Recipes

chicken with tomatoes and olivesChicken with Olives and Tomatoes for One

Chicken, olives, garlic, and a bit of ginger add up to a rich, flavorful meal. This is a North African dish from a Jewish cookbook (really!)

 

peruvian roast chicken with green saucePeruvian Roast Chicken in Green Sauce Recipe

Juicy chicken, crispy skin and a tangy, spicy, garlicky sauce I just can’t stop eating.

 

chicken with basil, peaches, and gingerChicken Thigh Recipe with Peaches and Ginger

Juicy peaches balanced with spicy/warm ginger and summery basil. Just toss it all together and bake.

 

chicken with balsamic vinegar sauce

One Pot Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Tangy balsamic vinegar, mellowed cooked onions, and sweetness from an unlikely ingredient.  All in one pot.