Weeknight Indulgence - Roasted Chicken With Orange Tarragon Butter

Me and Chicken, we've got a complicated relationship going. Arguably America's favorite meat, Chicken has just never done it for me. I know, I know, you don't agree - I've heard it all before - but admit it: Chicken needs embellishment to be interesting. Sure, you can serve it slathered in barbecue sauce or bread and fry it, but no one, no one, is going bonkers for a plain old Chicken Breast. And please, don't even think about preparing it skinless (why!?). No matter how good a cook you are, you may as well ask me to gnaw on a piece of cardboard. Really, no thanks. 

In summary, my chief complaint about Chicken is this: on its own, it is just not a particularly flavorful meat. If you don't agree, compare Steak or Lamb, meats that require minimal enhancement to be interesting. Just a little Salt and Pepper and you're good to go. But not Chicken - Chicken needs a little more zhushing. But if there's a silver lining to Chicken's woeful blank slate status, it's that it does take flavor exceptionally well, and when seasoned nicely and prepared with care, it can really be something special. 

Roasted Chicken With Orange Tarragon Butter, Photo: NK 

Today's easy and surprisingly indulgent weeknight dinner is an excellent example of Chicken at its finest. Flavored with a bright, tangy Orange Juice and Zest combined herbaceous notes from the Tarragon ( a favorite herb of mine that has a twinge of Licorice in its scent) it's tasty but understated.

Roasted whole Chicken also incorporates my two other rules for great Chicken:  if you prepare it bone-in, it will always be juicier. The second rule is to leave the skin on, because, hello, that's the good stuff. Even if you take it off prior to eating (why?!!) cooking Chicken with the skin on will make for a moister, more delcious bird. 

Note: This dish has a longer prep time than our normal weeknight meals - it will take about 10 minutes to prepare and an hour and a half to cook, plus ten minutes to rest. You will, however, find that if you can start early enough, the recipe is practically effortless. Barely any prep time at all - maybe five minutes, tops! The Orange Tarragon Butter that makes this recipe so decadent could certainly be made ahead, providing you build in some time to bring it to room temperature. 


Easy Orange Tarragon Roasted Chicken
Serves 3-4 adults 

Orange Tarragon Butter, Photo; NK

Ingredients: 
One 4.5 to 6 Pound Roasted Chicken, giblets removed and brought to room temperature
3 Tablespoons Salted Butter, room temperature
1 small Yellow or White Onion, halved 
1 large Navel Orange, Zested and halved
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Tarragon plus a few sprigs for garnish
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 with the rack in the middle.

Bring Chicken to room temperature by letting it sit out about a half an hour.

Mix the Butter and Tarragon together in a small bowl. Add all the Orange Zest and the juice of half the Orange. Mix again until well incorporated. It's ok if some of the Orange Juice remains separated.

Stuff the Chicken's cavity with the two Onion Halves and/or the other unjuiced half of the Orange. Place the bird in a roasting pan. 

Season the bird liberally with Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. Next, cut a hole into the skin just above the neck, so that you create a pocket between the skin and bird. Carefully pull the skin up from the body as you stuff it with some of the Orange Tarragon Butter, smooshing it around as best you can. 
Finish by coating the outside of the bird with all the remaining Flavored butter. 

Place in the oven on the middle rack and roast for about an hour and 20 minutes (for a 4.25 lb bird) to an hour and a half (for a large bird), basting several times with the pan juices. Place the Chicken on a platter and pour the pan juices over it. Serve with orange slices (from the second half of the Orange) and sprigs of fresh Tarragon. 

Enjoy! 

Festive & Foolproof - White Chocolate Orange Truffles (+ Coconut)

Guittard White Chocolate Chips, Photo: NK

There are two kinds of people in this world - the ones that like white chocolate, and the ones that don't. 

To find out who was who, I took a little informal poll at my office. My colleagues are always willing to not only serve as my very own recipe focus group, but also, to sample my cooking and baking and provide useful feedback. They're really a great bunch. I should feed them more! 

Out of six respondents (my oh-so-official poll consisted of me yelling questions over our office cubicles), four people shouted back that they do indeed enjoy white chocolate. This was all the confirmation I needed to try my take on a recipe for white chocolate orange truffles that I'd been eyeing for a while. The result was something just delightful. Of course, the leftover truffles made their way to my office today. I am happy to say that they were a hit!

White Chocolate Orange Truffles With Coconut, Photo: NK

For those of you who, like me, love dessert but don't like baking all that much, candy-making is a great solution. Whether you choose to make chocolate bark or truffles, as we will do today, candies don't require any oven time at all. One of my favorite treats as a little girl was something my grandmother used to call Chocolate Balls. She'd basically mix melted semi-sweet chocolate with condensed milk, roll the mixture into balls, and then dip them various toppings like nuts or powdered sugar. They'd come out just like delicious little truffles and it was all I could do to stop from eating every last one. If I think about it hard enough, I can still taste them. This is one of many good memories from my Mima's kitchen.


I chose to adapt today's recipe because I've always loved the combination of white chocolate and fruit flavors, particularly orange. Did you know white chocolate isn't really chocolate at all? I also had some leftover Bob's Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut that I suspected might make a great addition to both the texture and the look of the truffles. I was hoping these little guys would turn out looking like snowballs and they did! 

In the end, I was very happy with these rich white chocolate truffles featuring a nice dose of bright orange flavor. They taste very much like an orange creamsicle. If you're looking for an easy homemade holiday gift, these sweet little bites could do the job nicely. Requiring only about 5 minutes active time and about an hour to chill, they take almost no effort. Keep them in the freezer and allow them to come to room temperature before serving. As a matter of fact, I think they taste great straight from the freezer too! 

Anyone with a bit of sweet-tooth will love them. As a bonus, they're very versatile; roll out three truffles in gradually larger sizes and create a truffle snowman! Alternately, grab yourself some mini popsicle sticks and turn these into a little handheld frozen candy pops for a kids party. If you aren't a white chocolate fan, this recipe *should* work with dark or milk chocolate chips as well. You could experiment by incorporating nuts or even dried fruits. The possibilities are endless!
Enjoy!

White Chocolate Orange Truffles Rolled In Coconut 
Makes 14-18 Truffles
Adapted from Cooking Classy

Photo: NK

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Salted Butter
Zest of 1 large Navel Orange
3 Tablespoons Half & Half OR Heavy Cream
1 Cup good quality White Chocolate Chips
(we prefer Guittard)
1/2 teaspoon good quality Orange Extract
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flake
Equipment: a fine mesh sieve

Method:
1. Pour the white chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, start melting the butter and add the orange zest to it. Once butter has melted, pour in the cream or half and half and whisk gently until incorporated. Turn up the heat to medium and scald the mixture. It should come to a bubble for 30 seconds or so. 

3. Pour the hot butter and cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve over the bowl of white chocolate chips. Using a spoon, press down on the orange zest that collects in the sieve to release more of the natural orange oils. Discard the zest. Let the white chocolate chip and cream mixture rest for a minute before adding the orange extract. Stir vigorously until the chips melt and the mixture is smooth. 

4. Cover the bowl and remove it to the fridge to chill for an hour or more until the mixture is firm and able to be handled. 

5. When ready to assemble truffles, pour coconut flakes into a plate. Scoop out a teaspoonfuls at a time of the chocolate and form it into balls using your hands/palms. Roll the truffles in coconut if you like. 

Store truffles in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for about a month. Bring to room temperature before serving (I even like them straight out of the freezer!). 

Down Mexico Way - Ancho Chicken Tacos with Avocado Crema & Micheladas

Whenever I ask my husband if he's got any special requests for the next week's dinner lineup, he always responds (in a petulant child's voice he puts on for my amusement), "Tacos!!!" Really, I don't know why I even bother asking, as this is almost always his response. By now, it's a running joke in our house. One of the reasons Tacos are so universally loved is probably their amazing versatility. They really do offer something for everyone. We've surely explored the wonders of Tacos before on NK. As a refresher, check out our quickie version of Tacos al Pastor (my all time favorite Taco preparation, recipe HERE), and of course, my friend Marina's extremely delicious version Baja Fish Tacos - recipe HERE.

So I ask you, who doesn't love a good taco? 

This week's Taco inspiration comes from a recipe I adapted from Cooking Light. These spicy Mexican-style Chicken Tacos have a ton a flavor and not a lot of fat. Ancho Chile Powder provides a real kick, and cooling Avocado Crema adds richness. Best of all, these are incredibly easy to prepare. 

Ancho Chicken Tacos with Avocado Crema, Photo: NK

Since nothing complements a Taco better than Beer, we'll also share our favorite recipe for an amazing, spicy Mexican Beer-based cocktail, the Michelada. 

Quick and Easy Ancho Chicken Tacos with Avocado Crema and Cilantro Slaw 
Adapted from Cooking Light
Serves 4 (2 Tacos each)

Ingredients:
1 Lb Organic Chicken Breast, boneless and skinless, cut into bite sized chunks
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil 
8 (6 inch) Corn Tortillas

Spice Rub, Photo: NK

For the Avocado Crema
1/4 Cup Light Sour Cream
1/2 Avocado, very ripe and cut into chunks
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1/4 teaspoon grated Lime Zest
1/8 teaspoon Salt 
2 Tablespoons Skim Milk

For the Spice Rub
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Salt 

For the Slaw

Preparing the Crema, Photo: NK

2 Cups Packaged Cole Slaw Mix
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice 
1/2 Cup Scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Method:
Prepare the Spice Rub by mixing all ingredients together. 

In a medium bowl, prepare the Slaw by mixing all ingredients together. Toss well and set aside. 

Slaw and Avocado Crema, Photo: NK

Prepare the Avocado Crema by mixing the Sour Cream, 2 Tablespoons of Lime Juice, 1/4 teaspoon Lime Zest, Salt and Skim Milk in a bowl. Next, add the Avocado chunks. Using a fork, stir vigorously mashing avocado as best you can into the bowl to break it down. When you have made the mixture as smooth as possible, it should be a pale green shade. 

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. 
Add 1 Tablespoon Canola oil. 
Toss Chicken pieces together with the Spice Rub until evenly coated. Add seasoned Chicken to skillet. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate, cover lightly,and set aside. 

While Chicken is resting, heat Tortillas according to directions. (We usually wrap 4 at a time in a damp paper towel and put them in the microwave for 25 seconds.)

To Assemble: Portion some Chicken in the middle of the Tortilla, drizzle with about 1 Tablespoons Avocado Crema, and top with a 1/4 Cup of the Slaw. Optionally garnish with a think slice of Avocado. Add your favorite hot sauce and enjoy!

Plus ~ A Bonus Leftover Idea for 2:
If you've got extra Slaw and Avocado Crema, just mix them together and save overnight in the fridge. The next day, chop up half an Orange or other Citrus and mix into the Slaw, squeezing a bit of the juice on top. Pick up an an extra Avocado, cut in half, and season with Salt and Pepper. Stuff with Avocado Crema and Orange Slaw. Makes a great side dish!

 Avocado Stuffed with Orange, Slaw and Avocado Crema, Photo: NK

Now for the drink:

Salt Rimmed Glass, Photo: NK

House Michelada
Adapted from Aida Mollenkamp
Makes 2 drinks

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ancho Chile Powder
1/4 Cup Bottled Lime Juice 
1 whole Lime, quartered
1 teaspoon Tabasco
+
1 teaspoon Cholula - (or instead of Tabasco and Cholula, two teaspoons hot sauce of your choice - less if you are spice averse)
1.5 Cups light Mexican Beer, we use Modelo Especial
2 teaspoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce (or 1 tsp Regular Soy)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
6 Ice Cubes

Method:
Put Kosher Salt on a plate and sprinkle the Ancho Chile Powder over it. 
Rub a fresh Lime quarter around the rims of each glass and place it rim down into the Salt and Chile Mixture until evenly coated. 

In a separate pitcher or large glass, mix Beer, Lime Juice, 2 teaspoons of Hot Sauce (or less if you prefer), Soy Sauce, and Worcestershire. Mix well. Place 3 ice cubes in each glass and pour Beer Mixture over. Garnish with a Lime Wedge. Cheers! 

Michelada, Photo: NK