Wine Country Chicken Food

WINE COUNTRY CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt and mustard. Stir to combine. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, cranberries and apples. Stir in yogurt mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

WINE CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Take the chicken and wine out of the fridge and allow to come room temperature, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat: For gas grills (with 3 or more burners), turn all the burners to medium-high heat; after about 15 minutes turn off one of the middle burners (2 if you have a grill with 4 or more burners). For charcoal grills, bank one chimney starter-full of lit and ashed-over charcoal briquettes to one side of the grill. Set up a drip pan on the other side to avoid flare-ups. The grill should be around 400 degrees F so adjust the burners or air-flow vents as necessary to maintain that temperature. (Be sure to consult the grill manufacturer's guide for the best results.)
• Combine the olive oil, oregano, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a food processor and purée into a paste.
• Open the wine and pour off 1/3 cup for another use. Tuck the rosemary and thyme sprigs into the can. Rub the chicken all over, including the cavity, with the garlic-herb paste. Place the wine can on a baking sheet. Place the cavity of the chicken onto the wine can so the can is holding up the chicken and its legs act as a stabilizer. Carefully transfer the chicken and can onto the indirect side of the grill. Close the lid and grill until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the chicken and can from the grill and gently pull the chicken off the can. Tent the chicken with aluminum foil. Pour the remaining wine (about 1 cup) into a small saucepan. Add the peppercorns and set on the direct heat side of the grill. Bring to a boil and reduce by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until smooth.
• Serve the chicken with the sauce.

WINE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season the flour with salt and pepper, then mix together in a shallow bowl. Lightly dust both sides of the chicken with the flour, shaking off any excess.
• Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin is golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 4 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
• Add the mushrooms, shallot and fennel to the skillet and cook just until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the excess dredging flour and stir well. Add the white wine, chicken broth, garlic, rosemary, thyme and lemon juice, then bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken back to the skillet skin-side up and place in the oven. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Serve with Pistachio Pesto Pasta if desired and garnish with basil leaves, lemon zest and lemon slices.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
• While the pasta is cooking, make the pistachio pesto. Combine the pistachios, basil, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and juice and some salt and pepper in a food processor and process until well combined.
• Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with the pistachio sauce, thinning with the pasta water for the desired consistency if necessary. Serve with more Parmesan and basil leaves.