Chicken Breasts With Pumpkin Seed Crust Food

CHICKEN TENDERS WITH PUMPKIN, SESAME AND POPPY SEED BREADING

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a separate large baking sheet with paper towels and a wire rack.
• Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix the flour with 2 teaspoons of the seasoned salt in a large shallow bowl and set aside. Whisk the egg in a large shallow bowl and set aside. Combine the panko, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds in a large shallow bowl and set aside.
• Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (it should be about 1 inch deep) until it registers 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• While the oil is heating up, bread the chicken in small batches. First, place the chicken in the flour mixture, coating each tender evenly and dusting off any excess flour. Then place the chicken in the egg wash, making sure each tender is covered. Place the tenders in the panko mixture, rolling the chicken so each tender has a nice coating. Be sure not to overcrowd the bowls with chicken, as you want each tender properly coated. Place the breaded chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Cook the chicken until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 4 to 6 minutes on each side. If the chicken is browning too fast, lower the heat. Place the cooked chicken on the wire rack and serve hot.

PUMPKIN SEED-CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toast the pumpkin seeds and ancho powder in a saute pan on medium high heat. Remove, crush in a mortar and pestle, and place in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.
• Stuff the goat cheese underneath the chicken skin of the breast, then dredge the chicken on both sides in the mixture and remove. Heat a saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil. Place the chicken, skin side down into the pan.
• When it becomes golden, flip the chicken and place into the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with a green salad or favorite vegetables.

CHICKEN IN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a pot with just enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt, and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, quartered onion and herb bundle. Bring to a low boil, and then reduce the heat and poach the chicken until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, straining the stock, and then wipe the pot clean and return to the heat. Peel the skin off the chicken breasts and cover to keep warm until the sauce is ready. Dry toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until puffed and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the toasted seeds for garnish. Puree the remaining seeds in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of the stock, the chopped onion, EVOO, cumin, epazote, if using, cinnamon, tomatillos, lettuce, garlic and chiles. Transfer the pumpkin seed puree to the pot with 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the reserved chicken stock and simmer to develop flavor and thicken, 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnishreserved toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with warm corn tortillas, for wrapping, and minced red onion, for topping. If you would like to serve with a vegetable, steamed or sauteed zucchini is perfect.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN SEED SALSA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with the cumin, coriander, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spiced oil all over the chicken pieces and place on a foil-lined shallow-rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest parts registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, toast the pepitas in a large dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the cilantro, lime juice, chiles, onions, remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt and toss together.
• 3. Arrange the chicken pieces on a platter and serve with the bowl of salsa on the side, accompanied by Mexican rice and black beans.

PUMPKIN SEED CHICKEN MOLE

Steps:

• In a dry cast-iron skillet toast pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, pepper and oregano over a low heat, shaking the pan occasionally. Heat until aromas are released, about 5 minutes. Remove before seeds begin to brown and set aside to cool. In a blender grind mixture until a powder forms. In blender or food processor puree tomatillos, serrano chile, garlic, lettuce, cinnamon, cilantro, radish tops, onion and salt until smooth. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan heat olive oil over a high heat. Carefully, pour in pureed tomatillo mixture, and let sizzle for 30 seconds. Stir in stock. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in ground nut mixture and remove from the heat. Puree in a food processor or blender, in batches, if necessary. Pass through a fine strainer, pressing with the back of a ladle to extract all the juices, into a 13 x 10-inch flameproof baking dish. Place the chicken breasts in the sauce and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve the chicken and sauce over a bed of white rice. Sprinkle radish slices over the top.

SPICY GRILLED CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN-SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add pumpkin seeds; cook, stirring often, until puffed, about 5 minutes. Add lettuce, vinegar, and 1 cup water; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until lettuce is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a blender; add cilantro. Blend on high speed until sauce is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Thin sauce with 2 to 4 tablespoons more water, if needed (it should be pourable).
• Meanwhile, heat grill to medium high; oil grates. Rub chicken with remaining tablespoon oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with sauce.

PUMPKIN-SEED PIECRUST

Steps:

• Place pepitas in a food processor; pulse until chopped. Add flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some blueberrysize clumps. Add ice water and pulse until incorporated, about 10 times more. Squeeze a small amount of dough to make sure it holds together. If dough is too dry, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap, forming each into 1 disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough to just under 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim excess, leaving a 1-inch overhang; fold edges under and set aside. Roll out remaining disk of dough to just under 1/4 inch thick, cut out small leaf shapes, and mark veins with a knife, if desired. Brush edges of piecrust with egg wash and apply leaves. Freeze at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush pastry leaves with more egg wash. Line piecrust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and bake until entire crust is golden, about 10 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN & CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Peel the pumpkin, remove any seeds and fibrous bits and cut the flesh into bitesized pieces. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon and the chicken pieces and cook for 3-5 minutes, turning to brown them slightly all over.
• Add the tomatoes, sugar and harissa, season and stir well. Add the chickpeas, pumpkin pieces and 4-5 tbsp water. Cover and cook for 20- 30 minutes or until the chicken and pumpkin are tender (the pumpkin releases its own water, but if it becomes too dry, add a drop more during the cooking to give you a juicy sauce). Stir in the chopped coriander before serving.

AMAZING CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
• Mix cheese-flavored crackers, French-fried onions, Italian bread crumbs, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
• Wash and pat chicken breasts dry. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of each piece and place mayonnaise-side down in the cracker mixture. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the other side of the chicken and cover with the cracker mixture, patting firmly into the chicken. Place chicken breasts on the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cracker mixture on top; lightly spray the chicken with cooking spray.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 35 to 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).