What is a chicken cutlet?  It’s a boneless, skinless chicken breast that is pounded down very thinly to tenderize the meat.  It is then dredged in a mixture of flour, eggs and breadcrumbs before it is fast-fried in a skillet.  This method of cooking is a great way to save time on those busy nights!

What you’ll need:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Plastic wrap
• Cutting Board
• Pounding mallet
• Eggs, lightly beaten
• Bread crumbs
• Flour
• Oil

Instructions:

1. Place eggs, flour and breadcrumbs in their own shallow plates.
2. Place chicken breast between two large pieces of plastic wrap.
3. Pound with the flat side of the mallet until chicken is ¼ inch thick
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.  Adjust the heat if the oil gets too hot.
5. First dip the chicken breast in the flour, making sure to cover both sides evenly
6. Dip the chicken into the eggs to coat both sides of the chicken
7. Dip the chicken into the bread crumbs to coat both sides of the chicken
8. Cook the coated chicken in the fry pan for about 2-3 minutes per side until the coating looks golden and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

You can jazz up the flavour by adding your favourite herbs and seasoning to the breadcrumbs before coating the chicken.  I like to add oregano, fresh cracked pepper, a little salt and some grated parmesan cheese.

Note: the same technique is used for chicken parmesan, except the chicken is cooked in the oven with tomato sauce and cheese.

Check out our “How to Make Chicken Cutlets”  video here!

It may be BBQ season but sometimes you just need to get out of the heat!  These chicken wings are an awesome and effortless way to enjoy chicken while keeping cool indoors. 

What you’ll need:

• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Large sealable plastic back
• Chicken wings
• Seasoned breadcrumbs
• Baking sheet

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (170°C)
2. If you are working with the full chicken wing, you’ll need to use a sharp knife to split it at the joint.  If you’re pressed for time, you can get them pre-cut.
3. Place seasoned bread crumbs in a sealable plastic bag along with the chicken wings and shake the bag until each wing is well coated.
4. Place the wings on a baking sheet and then into the oven.
5. Bake 20 – 25 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Tips:

If you can’t find seasoned bread crumbs, you can buy regular bread crumbs and season them yourself by using your favourite seasonings.

If you like your chicken wings in sauce, simply toss them in your favourite chicken wing sauce, or try getting creative with seasonings and sauces.  Think Indian flavours for seasoning or a maple syrup BBQ sauce.  I personally, always reach for the hot sauce while my husband prefers honey garlic. I think it’s time I whip up a batch of chicken wings and be a little more imaginative.

Want to see how they’re made? Check-out our video on “How to Bake Wings” and let us know what your favourite chicken wing topping is in the comments!

Braising chicken is a great way to lock in moisture and flavour!  The braising method starts with browning (or searing) cuts of meat and then simmering them in liquid until they are perfectly tender. 

When braising chicken, you should use bone-in, skin-on pieces such as chicken legs or thighs.  Not only will they brown up nicely with the skin on but these darker cuts of meat will be moister than the white cuts.

Here’s a recipe that you can use to master the basics of braising.  Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can start experimenting with different flavours.

What you’ll need:

• 1 chicken in pieces (bone-in, skin-on)
• About 2 cups of vegetables (carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and onions), chopped
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of braising liquid (wine, juice or broth)
• 1 large oven-safe pot
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp oil

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (170°C)
2. Add oil and butter to the pan and melt over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken pieces to the ban and brown in batches.  Set chicken aside.
4. In the same pot, add the vegetables and place the chicken pieces on top.
5. Pour in the braising liquid, cover pot with lid and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Check out our “How to Braise Chicken” video here.

You already know that chicken is a good lean source of protein but did you know that cherries provide many health benefits as well?

They are high in antioxidants which protect your body's cells from damage and  they are also high in potassium which is needed for proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs.  They contain vitamin C which is also a powerful antioxidant and vitamin K which helps maintain strong bones.

Of course, there are many other fruits and vegetables that provide the same health benefits, but cherries are in season right now, so they are at their peak.

Try pairing them with chicken by making this tasty Chili Cherry BBQ Sauce and slathering it on your favourite cuts of chicken while they sizzle on the grill.

Do you have a chicken and cherry recipe that you’d like to share with us?  Let us know in the comments!

Last Friday was our last day of shooting our new series of “How-To” videos.  Everyone was in a great mood, with the weather in our favour and knowing that the weekend ahead was looking promising for more of the same!

We started off the day with “How to Make Your Basic Chicken Meatballs” and then on to“How to Make Chicken Tournedos”.  Both of these shoots went really quickly and we managed to move onto“How to Blacken Chicken” by late afternoon.

I have to say that on the last day of the shoot I was a little sad because I really enjoyed working with such an amazing group of people.  We all worked hard but we also had a lot of fun and some good laughs.

It was a great experience for me to be on-site for the making of these videos and being able to see first-hand how much work was put into each video.  The dedication and creativity of the team was very inspiring and I can’t wait to do it again!  Until then, back to my office setting, which I also enjoy very much.

When I arrived on-site on Thursday morning, the crew was already set-up and ready to go.  We decided to start the day off with the "What the Heck is Spatchcocking and How do You Do it?" video shoot.

Spatchcocking chicken is not a technique known to many but it is becoming more-and-more popular.  So what is spatchcocking and how do you do it?  Essentially it's chicken that is prepared by first cutting out the backbone with kitchen shears and then pressing down on the breastbone until the chicken becomes flattened - it's almost like butterflying a whole bird..  It actually makes for a super presentation when serving it to your family or guests.  
That video shoot took up most of the day.  It isn't that spatchcocking is difficult, it's that we had to do more video shots on this particular technique than the others.

In the afternoon we started on the "How to Make Beer Can Chicken".  We really lucked out on the weather!  It was hot (maybe a little too hot?) and sunny so we all got a good dose of vitamin D but made sure stay hydrated by drinking tons of water.

The day went long for the crew and they worked through until the late evening but everyone seemed to be having too much fun to even notice.  Once everyone was packed up, it was off to a good night sleep to have everyone up and ready the next day for day 3 of our "How To" videos!
 

Stay tuned for day 3 of the shooting of our new video series!

Day 1 – Wednesday July 13, 2011

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of being on-site for my first time ever to see how our “how-to” videos are filmed.  It was amazing to see how long it took to create a short, 1-minute video with the numerous takes, the skill and detail that is involved!

This will be a three-day process and I’m really excited to be here!

Just to give you an idea, we started our morning with our “How to Make Chicken Paté” video. What a process this was!  It took us all morning, and into the late afternoon!  To be fair, it was definitely one of the more detailed videos because of the process and sheer number of steps involved in making paté. 

We also managed to get our “How to Make a Decent Chicken Chilli” how-to make a decent chilli and “How to Make and AWESOME Stir Fry” videos completed, too!

By the time I left the scene, I was drooling from all of the aromas filling the air.

Stay tuned to find out how the rest of the week went and have a great weekend!

In a hurry for a healthy meal with what’s on hand? Chicken is an easy answer, and by adding just five ingredients you can whip up a variety of delicious meals in minutes.

• I always keep some grilled chicken on hand - you can easily make in the toaster oven, or in a grill pan on the stovetop. Steam some broccoli, cauliflower and carrots and serve with couscous. It’s easy to put together, totally nutritious and tasty.
• An easy recipe that doesn’t require a lot of measuring is a good stir fry. Use your favourite vegetable or whatever is in season. Add a lean protein like a chicken breast, cut into strips.  Serve it over brown rice with soya sauce. It’s a great dinner, satisfying and colourful.
• One of my favourites is a pasta bowl. Take any cooked long pasta and add roasted chicken and a marinara sauce. Serve it with a salad and you’ve got a tasty, quick, balanced meal.
• Try a chicken chilli supper. Cook ground chicken with some tomatoes and beans and serve it over a baked potato. Add a green salad and it’s another healthy, fast, satisfying supper.
• ‘Kitchen Sink Pasta’ takes advantage of the food you’ve already got in your kitchen. Cook a variety of vegetables with garlic, basil and salt-free broth then toss with cooked curly pasta and cooked chicken. Delicious!

These are some easy, go-to-meal ideas to add to your weekly meal plan. You can mix and match ingredients, depending on what you have on hand. Use these ideas to take advantage of seasonal vegetables and try a variety of whole grain pastas in all different shapes and sizes. These ideas all come together quickly and easily, making them perfect for weeknight meals.

Until next time, keep well,

Judy Foodie (Judy Scott Welden)

Have you checked out our “How-To” videos?  If you haven’t, you should.  Our series of how-to videos will teach you everything from poaching chicken to carving a whole chicken, just to name a few.  And we’re not done yet because next week, we’ll be creating 10 more videos to give you practical step-by-step instructions on how-to do almost everything chicken!

They are:

1.      What the Heck is Spatchcocking and How do You Do it?

2.      How to Make Chicken Tournedos

3.      How to Make Beer Can Chicken

4.      How to Make a Wicked Nacho Dip

5.      How to Blacken Chicken

6.      How to Make Your Basic Chicken Meatballs

7.      How to Make Chicken Paté

8.      How to Make an AWESOME stir fry

9.      How to Make a Decent Chicken Chili

10.  BBQ Sauces and Rubs – DIY

I’ll be on-site for the filming and will fill you in on the details of how it all went.  In the meantime, take a look at the videos that are currently available on our web site.

How to carve a whole chicken

How to poach chicken

How to brine chicken

How to stuff a whole chicken

How to braise chicken

How to make chicken cutlets

How to marinate chicken

How to bake wings

How to know when chicken is cooked

Enjoy!

You don’t have to be a master chef to come up with your own tasty chicken burgers recipes.   By using some of your favourite seasonings and ingredients, you can create a low-fat burger that will have you enjoying our short-lived Canadian BBQ season.

I like to experiment with different toppings and seasonings when I make my burgers, then when I find a favourite, I add it to my recipe repertoire.  This weekend, I’m going to get creative by using seasonings like curry or tarragon, or maybe I’ll create a Hawaiian chicken burger using grilled slices of pineapple.  The possibilities are endless!

Here’s my take on a Mediterranean flavoured burger which is not only delicious but reheats well so make plenty to have for leftovers the next day.

Spinach and Feta Chicken Burgers

• 2 lbs ground chicken
• 1 cup chopped cooked spinach, well drained
• 1 large shallot finely minced
• 1/3 cup feta, crumbled
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Toppings: Hummus and grilled vegetables like zucchini, red pepper and portabella mushrooms.

Whether you top your burger the classic way or add your own pizzazz, chicken burgers are always a delicious meal choice!

Need more chicken burger ideas?  Here are a few from our recipe database at www.chicken.ca

Saucy Mozzarella Chicken Burgers - http://chicken.ca/recipes/view/saucy-mozzarella-chicken-burgers/

Easy BBQ Chicken and Bean Burgers - http://chicken.ca/recipes/view/easy-bbq-chicken--bean-burgers/

What’s your favourite chicken burger recipe?  Let us know in the comments.

Chicken is a popular healthy choice for dinner, and its versatility makes it the perfect go-to-starter for many meals. Why not try:

• Chilli cooked with ground chicken, black beans, stewed diced tomatoes and seasonings (pick your family’s favourite).
• Pan-fried chicken cutlets, served with a baked potato and broccoli.
• A pasta bowl of steamed veggies, such as broccoli with cauliflower, carrots, garlic and basil – tossed with whole grain pasta and cooked chicken
• Tacos with cooked shredded chicken, lettuce and tomato with taco sauce

Time saving tip: keep your family’s favourite recipes in a binder or folder that’s easily photocopied.  Keep a copy in your car so when you’re dashing into the grocery store during the week , you can just glance at it, pick up what you need and you’re set.

Many families switch up their go-to recipes four times a year. In the summer life is more casual, and it’s easy to barbeque.  In September, it’s back to school – menu planning can really help you get back into more of a routine. You really have to plan ahead, making sure you can use leftovers in some of your meals.

Make it easy on yourself! That way it’s much faster to get dinner on the table, get everyone fed and enjoy your time together before it’s on to sports practice, homework and everything else that needs to be done to be ready for the next day.

Until next time, keep well,

Judy Foodie (Judy Scott Welden)

No time for shopping today? No problem. Take this basic recipe and mix it up with whatever food is lurking in your cupboard:

Heat a 12 inch non-stick frying pan and add a little bit of canola oil. Stir in some ground chicken. When it’s fully cooked, add a drained and rinsed can of kidney beans, a can of tomato sauce, a cup of frozen corn kernels and whatever seasonings you like. Try a teaspoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of chilli powder for a Mexico-inspired flavour. Bring it all to a boil and cook for about five minutes. Before serving, you can sprinkle some non-fat grated mozzarella over the top and let it sit until the cheese melts. You probably won’t have to call the kids for dinner because the savoury smell will already have attracted them to the kitchen.

The beauty of this basic recipe is you can easily change it up. If you don’t want to use frozen corn, try some frozen carrot coins or even frozen green beans. Tired of kidney beans? Then experiment with garbanzo, romano or any other type of canned beans. You can easily swap out the mozzarella for cheddar, Monterey Jack, or if your family is adventurous, some jalepeño havarti.

These are all essentially variations on a chilli, but it’s so easy to switch it up depending on what’s in your cupboard - and there’s no need for a special shopping trip! As a nutritionist, I really like that you can sneak in more veggies! Don’t be afraid to try something new as the flavours of garlic and tomato can help disguise the taste of most veggies, even when they’re not your family’s favourite.

Until next time, keep well,

Judy Foodie (Judy Scott Welden)

We’ll be back next week because today we’ll be celebrating Canada Day at Major’s Hill Park for our 19^th annual Great Canadian Chicken Barbecue where we’ll be serving up a tasty Royal Gala Sandwich! If you can’t join us for this fun-filled event, then you’ll want to read all about it next week on our blog! Stay tuned and here’s wishing you all a Happy Canada Day!