Almond Spiced Chicken Food

CHINESE ALMOND CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound breasts to approximately 1/2 inch uniform thickness. Pieces may be very large, in this case, cut in half.
• Place in a baking dish large enough for them to fit in a single layer. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cover with cooking sherry. Set aside until ready to cook, a minimum of 30 minutes.
• In bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons cornstarch with 4 tablespoons water until smooth.
• In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat chicken broth, shiitake mushrooms, dark soy sauce, unsalted butter and cornstarch mixture over low heat. Whisk until smooth. Sauce should start to thicken and mushrooms will cook down. Do not bring to a boil, whisk every 2-3 minutes while making the chicken. When it reaches a gravy consistency, remove from heat or place on a "warm" setting.
• In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk 6 tablespoons flour, baking powder and eggs. This mixture will be very thick. If it is so think you won't be able to dredge chicken through it, add a small amount of milk or water, but make sure it isn't too watery, you want it to stick to the chicken.
• In a shallow dish or bowl place the remaining 6 tablespoons all purpose flour and lightly season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat.
• Lightly coat each chicken breast in flour and then dredge in egg batter. Carefully lower into hot oil. Depending on size, chicken will take from 5-7 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Continue with remaining chicken breasts. The cooking time can vary considerably depending on the heat of the oil and size of the chicken. Chicken needs to be an internal temperture of 165 degrees. If the outside is cooking faster than the inside, remove and place into the oven to continue cooking.
• For plating, create a bed of iceberg lettuce, top with a piece of chicken, mushroom gravy, scallions and Chinese rice noodles.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!

SPICY ALMOND CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• In a small pot, loosen the almond butter over low heat, then add the stock, hoisin, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, Sriracha and lime juice, season with black pepper, bring to a bubble and simmer to let sauce thicken and flavors combine.
• Heat the oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add the leeks or onions, celery, carrots, chiles and snap peas and stir-fry to tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water chestnuts and toss to combine. Add the sauce and chicken and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat quickly over medium-high heat when you are ready to serve.
• To serve, cook the rice to package directions. Toast the almonds in a small pan until golden and fragrant.
• Serve the chicken with the rice; sprinkle with the almonds.
• Place the chicken in a large stockpot. Add the celery, carrot, onion, garlic, lemon, bay leaf, peppercorns and the herb bundle; season with salt. Cover the chicken with water and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to a low, rolling simmer. Simmer 60 to 75 minutes, then cool the chicken in its stock. Strain the stock. Remove the chicken in large pieces from the skin and bones. Cut half of the meat into bite-size chunks. Thinly slice or pull the remaining meat.

SPICED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a bowl.
• In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir the spices into the oil and cook, stirring until warm, about 30 seconds. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are warm and the spices are evenly distributed. Add the hot pepper sauce and stir to distribute. Remove the almonds from the pan and allow them to cool before serving.

SPICED CHICKEN & APRICOT PASTILLA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole dish and cook the onion and garlic for 8 mins until soft. Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds until aromatic, then add the chicken. Pour in the chicken stock and season. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 45 mins, or until the chicken is tender.
• Lift the chicken pieces onto a plate. Add the honey and almonds to the cooking liquid and simmer until thick and reduced by half, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, finely shred the chicken with two forks, discarding the skin and bones. Return the chicken to the sauce and stir in the lemon zest and juice, apricots and parsley, then leave to cool. Can be chilled for up to two days.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Unwrap the pastry, keeping any you're not working with under a damp tea towel so it doesn't dry out. Brush a 22-23cm springform or loose-bottomed round tin with a little oil. Push two pastry sheets into the tin to line the base, brushing them with melted butter and leaving a little extra up the sides. Repeat this with two more sheets across the other diameter of the tin so all sides are lined. Patch up any holes or thin patches with another sheet of buttered pastry.
• Spoon in the chicken mixture and pat down evenly. Sit another two sheets of pastry on top, brushing the melted butter between the layers again, and scrunching the edges of the pastry around the sides. Brush the top with a little more butter and bake on the heated baking sheet for 30 mins until crisp and golden brown. It's best eaten warm, so leave to cool for about 30 mins. Dust with a pinch of icing sugar and cinnamon to serve, if you like.

CHICKEN, RED PEPPER & ALMOND TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the chicken, onions, potatoes and peppers in a large bowl and season. in another bowl, mix together the garlic, spices, oil, and lemon zest and juice. Pour this over everything and spread the mixture between 2 baking trays.
• Roast for 40 mins, turning over after 20 mins, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the almonds for the final 8 mins of cooking. Serve in bowls with a big dollop of Greek yogurt and some chopped parsley or coriander.

CHINESE ALMOND CHICKEN

Steps:

• Marinade chicken pieces in garlic,ginger,soy and cornstarch for 15 to 20 minute.
• Mix sauce ingredients together in small bowl, set aside.
• Heat wok with 1 tablespoons oil and stir fry almonds until lightly browned; set aside.
• Heat wok with 1 tablespoons oil; add water chestnuts and snow peas and stir fry for 30 seconds, remove and set aside.
• Heat wok with 2 tbsp oil and stir fry chicken pieces until they turn white and firm ( about 2 minutes).
• Add cooked vegetables and almonds to cooked chicken in wok; mix and add sauce mixture.
• Stir together until sauce thickens slightly.
• Serve with rice or noodles.

CHINESE ALMOND CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix the soy sauce, salt, cornstarch, and sherry in a large bowl. Stir in chicken; cover and refrigerate.
• Heat 1 1/2 cups of the peanut oil in a large, deep skillet. Fry almonds in the oil until golden, about 1 minute. Drain fried almonds on a paper towel.
• Drain all but 3 tablespoons of oil from the skillet. Stir in the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, celery, onion, and water chestnuts. Cook and stir vegetables for 1 minute. Remove from skillet.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in the skillet. Cook and stir the marinated chicken in hot oil until no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cooked vegetables, chicken stock, and reserved soy sauce mixture; simmer until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in fried almonds before serving.

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKEN WITH ALMONDS AND DATES

Steps:

• Coat chicken with flour.
• Heat oil in large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add half of chicken; brown about 5 minutes per side.
• Remove from skillet.
• Repeat browning step with remaining chicken, adding onion.
• Return all chicken to skillet.
• Combine cinnamon, cumin, ginger and turmeric in small bowl; add to chicken.
• Stir to evenly coat chicken and onions with spices; saute 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in broth, lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Stir in dates and almonds and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Uncover and simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve over cooked basmati rice.