We eat a lot of chicken.
It’s one of the cheaper meats to buy organically and it’s a kid pleaser.
We are lucky enough to have a local farmer who has beautiful organic, free range, pasture-fed chicken at a great price. If you are not so lucky, Woolworths and Coles usually have organic chicken. Please, at least try to get free range. It’s just nicer for the chookies.
These are our three favourite go-to recipes to jazz up our chicken pieces.
Okay, so this is what you do:
I like to make up the mix and marinate in the morning or the night before for better flavour, but you don’t have to. Use any chicken pieces you like. If you have drumsticks, I put two slashes in the meaty part. It makes the chicken cook quicker and it helps get the flavour into the meat. I like to massage the marinade into the meat with my hands to really get it well coated (and maybe it feels a bit therapeutic as well!). These marinades are good for about 500g – 700g of meat. Any more than that, double the recipe.
At dinner time, just whack your chicken in the oven and while they are cooking, steam some fresh veges or knock together a salad. I use either a pyrex lasagne dish or a rack on a biscuit tray, both uncovered.
How long it will take to cook depends on the cut of chicken you use. I find chicken breast or thigh fillets take about 10-15 minutes and chicken on the bone, about 25-30 minutes. I usually cook it on 200º celsius, as this gives a nice brown, caramelization on the chicken. Baste a few times with the marinade if you like.
I always make extra for lunches the next day. The chicken is really beautiful sliced cold on top of a salad or in a sandwich or wrap. You could also use the extra to put on top of pizzas for the next night’s dinner. Get creative and save yourself time in the kitchen!
Healthy, wholesome food, dead easy!
Sticky Pomegranate Chicken
This one (pictured) is simply 1/2 cup of tomato relish or chutney and 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses. When I am organized, I make my own tomato relish with rapadura sugar in the thermomix. When I am not, I just use the Macro organic one from Woolworths. Just check the one you use has no numbers! If you can’t get pomegranate molasses, balsamic glaze is also really nice in this recipe. Yes, there is a bit of sugar in these products, but you are only using a little bit and it makes it nice and sticky and appealing to kids. The excess marinade left in the pan also makes a nice little bit of sauce to go over the chicken.
Spicy Yoghurt Chicken
Mix together really well, 1/2 cup of natural, organic greek yoghurt with 1 tablespoon of organic spice blend or 1-2 tablespoons of curry paste. I really like the Five AM brand of yoghurt – there are no fillers or anything artificial added. For spice mix, we like Your Inspiration at Home blends. You could also try the mild curry rub from Artisse Organics or the blends from Gourmet Organic Herbs. If you are clever, make your own blends! I just find that using a blend is easy and it gets used up quickly, rather than having heaps of spices in the pantry.
Use more or less spice, depending on how much your kids like. Or you can make up a very mild batch for them and make an extra-spicy adult batch. I like to cook this one on a rack so the chicken doesn’t go too wet and gloopy, but goes nice and dry and crispy.
Maple Mustard Chicken
This is a beautiful combination – sticky and flavoursome. Just mix 1/2 cup of dijon mustard with 1/4 cup of maple syrup. You can now get organic mustard from the Woolworths Macro range. Always buy real maple syrup, not imitation maple flavoured syrup – it’s loaded with artificial stuff! This recipe is also really tasty if you wrap the chicken pieces in some good quality organic bacon first. Mmmmm yummy. I like to cook this one one a rack too, but you don’t need to!
Okay, so they are just some of the ways we like to jazz up our chicken. I have a few more ideas up my sleeve I will share with you in the coming weeks.
How do you jazz up your chicken? Leave me a comment or a link!
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Any headline with the word ‘jazz’ in it, is a dead set winner in my books. I’ll be trying out the pomegranate chicken – I’ve got a bottle of molasses in the cupboard and only 1 recipe to use it in!
I wanted to say joojsh but I have no idea if that’s how you spell it or if anyone knew what the heck I was trying to say! lol
yum yum yum yum yum……what more is there to say!
let me know what you think (when you get off the raw!)
Where do you get the pomegranate molasses from?
I got it at my local gourmet deli ! First time I had seen it. It’s yummy and a little bit tart 🙂
Chicken is so gonna get a makeover in this house! Thanks for the awesome easy tips!
thanks Bren – so easy it’s almost embarassing, but anything that is homemade and quick is a winner around here!! let me know what you think 🙂
Okay, I admit it! I am so boring when it comes to chicken! Thank you for the inspiration x
Um… ! didn’t you just appear on Brenda’s blog with a yummy chicken recipe?? Please leave a link – that one is on my list xx
Are any of these recipes suitable for freezing? I’m needing new ideas to bulk batch and stock up the freezer..
I haven’t tried any of them in the freezer sorry Lisa. I don’t think the yoghurt one would go so great, but the other two should be fine 🙂
I had no idea about slashing the chicken. Great tip hun – thank you 🙂 x
I am sure I got it from a cooking show!! 😀
These recipes look amazing xxxx
thanks Nicola!! Let me know what you think !
Thanks for these recipes! I did the maple and mustard one tonight. So easy and delicious! I did enough chicken for two nights – tonight we had it with roast veg and for tomorrow night I’m thinking I will slice up the rest and chuck it on a salad of baby spinach, roast pumpkin, maybe a bit of red onion and feta… or pine nuts… or something! Either way, I’m already looking forward to it!
yum! you have got the good idea Anna – less cooking is a win!! 😀
I love the sound of these, they sound really simple but are combinations that I would never be able to think up myself. I’m happy with just plain chicken or pork, but every now and then it’s great to jazz things up 🙂
Thanks Mon! Yes, simple is good in our house around dinner time. They also work well on fish!
I am into joojshing too! I do chicken pieces – fillets or with bone and skin on – brushed with whatever chutney i have going at the time…atm we are using spicy peach – soooo yummy! Bake in oven for 20-30 mins until browned. So easy & no marinating required! (Also delectable on lamb chops…!)
Also I have just discovered this recipe from Kelly the Kitchen Kop http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2014/02/parmesan-garlic-chicken-gluten-free.html
It is positively delicious & husband thinks its a real delicacy! I use fresh herbs instead of dried. It is DEAD easy!
I also cook a stack of either quick chicken joojshes for Quirky Jo’s wraps for the next days lunch with some salad… another awesome joojsh! Love it!
Oh & fresh garlic too for Parmesan chicken – nothing like fresh garlic. I just use a clove. 🙂
that sounds fabulous – peach chutney!! nom!
Just tried the maple and mustard one, wrapig each chicken thigh in a slice of “naked” bacon – was absolutely delicious! And smelt amazing.
Threw in some cubed potatoes to bake at the same time and then had lightly stir-fried zucchini, capsicum and spinach alongside. My fussy eater was the first to finish her plate!
Oh awesome Catherine – great hack! I’m going to do that very soon. xxx