Hot Honey Turmeric Chicken

 

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Did you know that turmeric is a super food that does wonders for your health. The yellow color root, belongs to the ginger family, is anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant. It is a well used spice in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, mainly because it imparts a wonderfully exotic taste, fragrance and aromas to protein such as chicken.

With that being said, this honey turmeric chicken is a great recipe to introduce you to turmeric. The chicken moist, juicy, delicious, golden in color, with an intense aroma and absolutely mouthwatering. Serve the chicken with steamed rice or noodles. It’s really delicious and takes only and easy to make, from preparation to dinner table. Just remember that turmeric stains easily so make sure you use spoon and do not spill them over your counter top.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, skin-on
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon apple jelly
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce or soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, to taste
1 Tablespoon oil

Directions :
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Add the garlic, honey, apple jelly, oyster sauce, sriracha, brown sugar, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper and salt to a large bowl and stir to mix well. Add the chicken and completely coat with the marinade and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a cast-iron skillet and swirl  skillet  to evenly  coat the  bottom  of the pan.  Transfer the chicken to the skillet and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken thighs turn golden brown, crispy on the bottom and nicely glazed and browned on the skin side with a slight char. Dish out and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:
You may use chicken breast, chicken drumsticks or wings for this recipe.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives

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This colorful Moroccan stew offers deep spices, but stays light and bright with tart citrus, briny green olives and fresh cilantro. For the most authentic presentation, serve it in a  tagine, atop a bed of couscous.

Serves  4

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
2 Tablespoons warm water
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1/2 cup  coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus  more for garnish
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley,  plus more for garnish
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
6 Tablespoons olive oil
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 1/2 cups cracked green olives
2 preserved lemons, thinly sliced
1/2 cup  chicken broth

Directions:

In a small bowl, soak the saffron in the warm water for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the onions, the 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup parsley and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Add the cumin, ginger, turmeric, the saffron and its soaking liquid and the salt. Process to a pulpy puree. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag. Add the garlic and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chicken thighs, seal the bag and massage to coat the chicken with the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

Put the olives in a large, heavy fry pan and add water to cover. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the olives and set aside. Thoroughly dry the pan.

In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the lemon slices and sear until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess and reserving the marinade. Working in batches, sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to another plate.

Pour the broth into the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Stir in the reserved marinade and add the chicken and any juices. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 40 minutes.

Add the olives, the reserved lemon slices and the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the pan with the chicken. Cover and simmer until the chicken is falling-off-the-bone tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Garnish the stew with chopped cilantro and parsley and serve immediately.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

Persian Chicken with Pomegranate and Walnuts

Persian Chicken with Pomegranate and Walnuts

Photo Credit: Scott Phillips

The slow cooker makes this classic Middle Eastern dish a breeze, mostly because the spices mellow slowly into a sweet, aromatic sauce. The walnuts should be finely chopped into bits smaller than grains of rice, or even ground if you want a somewhat smoother sauce. Serve the chicken over long-grain saffron rice.

 

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon  ground turmeric
1/4  teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon  ground allspice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 cups toasted walnut pieces, very finely chopped or ground
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
Fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Long grain rice, for serving

Directions:
Mix the sugar, cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, allspice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and coat evenly. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the walnuts and continue cooking, stirring almost constantly, for 2 minutes, until the nuts are lightly browned.

Stir in the pomegranate molasses, then scrape the contents of the skillet into a 6-quart slow cooker. Spoon the spiced chicken on top of the cooked onion mixture, scraping any spices that cling to the bowl into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 3 1/2 to 5 hours. Season to taste with salt, stir in half of the pomegranate seeds, and garnish with the remainder.

Serve family style.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor