Murder Most Fowl: Balsamic Chicken by Ang Pompano

ANG POMPANO: Hi, everyone! I’m so excited to officially join the crew here at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen!

Some of you might remember me from guest posts, but if we haven’t met yet, I’m Ang Pompano. I write two mystery series: the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency and the Reluctant Food Critic. I’m also a co-publisher at Crime Spell Books and one of the editors of the Best New England Crime Stories anthology.

Now I get to add “blogger at Mystery Lovers' Kitchen” to the mix and I couldn’t be happier. Huge thanks to my fellow bloggers for the warm welcome. I already feel like part of the family.

What can you expect from me? I love good food, but I leave the fancy stuff to my wife Annette, she’s the great cook. Around here, at Mystery Lover’s Kitchen, I’ll be sharing easy, down-to-earth recipes. Comfort food often with an Italian twist, just like my characters enjoy.

Before you try the chicken, don’t forget to read all the way to the end and leave a comment to be entered in my giveaway. I’m giving two commenters a copy of either When It’s Time for Leaving or the second in the series, Blood Ties and Deadly Lies.

In today’s post, I’m sharing Balsamic Chicken from my Blue Palmetto series. Al DeLucia makes it for Maxine, though in the book, he forgets to turn on the oven, and… well, let’s just say the plot thickens. But don’t worry, I’ll remember to turn it on this time. In fact, let’s get that oven pre-heated to 350° while we gather the ingredients.

 Ingredients

4 large boneless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

1 clove of garlic peeled and crushed 

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of pepper jelly 

fresh basil  to taste

oregano to taste

1 medium red Bermuda onion

3 red, green, or yellow peppers

6 small potatoes sliced in half

12 compari tomatoes cut in half

1 cup chicken stock

4 tablespoons of  olive oil

1/8 cup toasted pignoli (pine nuts) 

This is the same balsamic chicken recipe Al DeLucia whipped up to impress his P.I. girlfriend, Maxine, in When It’s Time for Leaving. It didn’t quite win her over but follow these steps and you’ll have them coming back for seconds.

Steps

Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste

Crush the garlic and brown in 4 tablespoons of oil to flavor the oil then remove. (note: I’m not a garlic fan so I use only one clove and remove it. You may want to use more  or none. Your choice.)

Partly-pan fry the chicken breasts 2-3 minutes on each side in the oil (do not cook through. Remove the chicken and set aside.)

Brown the potatoes first as they take longer to cook.

Add the chopped Bermuda onion and peppers to the pan and brown. You may need to add a bit more oil.

Add the tomatoes, herbs, 1 cup chicken stock and ¼ cup vinegar to create a sauce.

Add a heaping tablespoon of hot pepper jelly.

Fold the chicken back into the pan and bake at 350° for ½ hour.

Garnish with basil and pignoli

Enjoy with a side of your choice and a nice Chianti.

Thanks so much for joining me for my first post on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen. I'd love to hear from you! Don’t forget to leave a comment and enter the giveaway!  My new book, Blood Ties and Deadly Lies, releases on July 1. You can pre-order it here. Also, please follow me on Facebook and visit my website at angpompano.com. 

Ang Pompano is an Agatha Award-nominated author, editor, and publisher. He writes the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency series and the Reluctant Food Columnist series. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, an artist who cooks even better than he does, and their two rescue dogs, who love his cooking but are only mildly interested in his writing.

Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

I love recipes that are quick, easy and yet have that little something "extra" to them.  I thought this recipe fit the bill so I decided to try it.  I made a few changes to it so I'll give you the original recipe plus the options I came up with!  It was a big hit with both me and hubby, and I'll definitely make it again.

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 large boneless, chicken breasts cut in half horizontally (I used four boneless chicken thighs instead)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half (I used half a pint and it was plenty in my opinion)
2 minced cloves garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
basil leaves, sliced

First make the balsamic glaze.  Put the vinegar in a small pan over medium high heat.  Reduce until the consistency of a syrup. (I over reduced and got an almost jam like consistency. Easily fixed by adding a bit of water and reheating it.)

Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat the oil until very hot.  Add the chicken and let brown for about one minute. Turn the breasts and brown the other side.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook for approximately ten minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken to a serving dish and keep warm.

Turn the heat back up to high and reduce liquid in pan until it is syrupy.  Reduce heat to medium and add the onions.  Saute until the onions are soft.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add the tomatoes. Cook for two minutes (I wanted my tomatoes cooked more so I cooked them longer than that.) 

There were so many lovely browned bits in the pan that I decided to deglaze it with a tablespoon or two of water at this point but that's optional.

Spoon onion/tomato mixture over chicken and drizzle balsamic glaze on top. Sprinkle with basil.

This was a little too thick--I had to add water

Chopped veggies ready to go

Brown chicken

Saute veggies

Enjoy!

Listen to my Podcast!

I just recorded a fun podcast with the lovely Jenny Wheeler of Binge Reading about reading and writing cozies!  You'll love her delightful New Zealand accent!

https://thejoysofbingereading.com/peg-cochran-cozy-mystery-queen/ 

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But the townspeople get more than just the excitement of hayrides, tractor pulls, and cotton candy when Shelby’s neighbor and volunteer fireman, Jake Taylor, extricates the body of Zeke Barnstable instead of a dummy during a demonstration of the Jaws of Life. The fact that Jake and Zeke were known to be at odds plants suspicion in the minds of the police. As evidence against Jake grows, Shelby knows she has to plow through the clues to weed out the true killer and save her friend.

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Orange Chicken

What with friends coming and going, somehow I found myself with a considerable amount of orange juice left over. In my experience, it can be tricky cooking and baking with orange juice simply because the flavor fades. It's not that it's bad, the flavor just doesn't pop like I would like.

I love Orange Chicken. That nice glaze and sauce are yummy. But my efforts at recreating it have largely been edible flops. When I hit the Internet for recipe ideas, I found a lot of them called for using orange marmalade. Basically you coat the chicken with the orange marmalade and bake. I bet it's delicious but where's the sauce for the rice?

As I continued to peruse recipes, I found several that were what I had in mind. And they were all based on a recipe from one of my favorites - America's Test Kitchen. It was a dead giveaway each time because they all used 1 1/2 cups of orange juice. Of course, most of them gave credit to America's Test Kitchen, and then said they had modified the recipe to suit them. I never did find the original recipe, but the basics were the same, so I winged it with my own version.

I have to admit that it was great. I'll definitely be making it again. Next time I'll try adding a tablespoon of soy sauce for a little bit of saltiness. Otherwise, I wouldn't change much at all. The sauce turns into a lovely thick glaze that clings to the meat. Exactly how it should be. No cornstarch needed! The big plus is that it makes quite a bit of sauce. Too often I find I'm scraping the pan for a little bit more sauce. Not with this recipe! I started with 2 cups of orange juice and reduced it a little bit to boost the orange flavor.

I made this with the weird cut-up chicken available at my grocery store. Weird because it has two breasts (with the bones) and four legs. I'd like to see that chicken! You could make this with just about any chicken parts that you like, even boneless breasts, but watch the cooking time. I was surprised that it only took a little over 20 minutes for the legs to cook. Plan accordingly. Boneless breasts might be done quite fast depending on their thickness.

Orange Chicken

inspired by various bloggers and based on America's Test Kitchen recipe

2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (not powder)
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used balsamic but white would do)
2 tablespoons olive oil
flour (about 1/4 cup)
1 chicken cut up or 8 chicken thighs or legs (see note above)
3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 400.

Pour the orange juice into a pot and bring to a low boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook without a lid until reduced by one-fourth. Add the corn syrup, garlic, mustard and vinegar and whisk to combine. Simmer.

Heat the oil in an oven-safe pan just large enough to contain all your chicken. Dredge the chicken pieces through the flour and brown in the pan on both sides. Remove the browned chicken from the pan and pour the orange juice mixture into the pan and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Simmer the sauce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Return the chicken to the pan. Slide the pan into the oven (uncovered). TIP: Hang kitchen mitt on the oven door so you won't be tempted to reach in and grab the pan without it. After 10 minutes, turn the chicken pieces over. Cook another 10 - 20 minutes depending on the cut and thickness of your chicken. (Note, I'm guessing that small boneless chicken breasts might only need 12-15 minutes TOTAL.)

Remove from oven. Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to rest. Meanwhile, add remaining three tablespoons orange juice to the sauce and bring to a simmer for about four minutes. Plate the chicken and pour sauce over it.

Simmering sauce

Thickened sauce

Summertime Cherry Nectarine Chicken

A friend called me recently because she was looking for recipe ideas. Very specific recipe ideas. She comes home late and has to cook, but since it's late, she doesn't feel like starting up the grill. She wants dishes she can make fast, or even cook in advance so they're ready. She complained that it has become all too easy to swing by a takeout window, but that means eating food that isn't always healthy. She's looking for light summer fare, that is heart healthy and not loaded with fat.

Whew! Quite an order. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be a shame to miss out on all the wonderful fresh fruits and veggies that summer offers.

So then there came a day when I was beat. I'd been out running errands all day. It was already late, and I didn't want to cook on the grill because the air felt like a sauna. While running those errands, I had picked up boneless chicken breasts, gorgeous cherries, and nectarines. Could I do something with those? My first thought was to grill the chicken and make a little cherry nectarine salsa to go with it. That, of course, brought the grill and the heat back into the picture, so I nixed that thought.

Could I make a cherry nectarine sauce for the chicken? I gave it a shot. Had I made this in the winter, I would have used frozen cherries, wouldn't have had nectarines, and would have added brandy and maybe some rosemary. But this time, even though I was cooking the fruit, I wanted to preserve that fresh fruit flavor of summer. To be honest, I wasn't sure it would work, but the chicken was, to quote my mother, "like butter" and the fruit sauce had that intense fresh fruity flavor I sought. This is super easy and very fast. And note that, except for the fat that naturally occurs in the chicken breast, there is no added fat. No oil, or butter, or cream, so it's very heart healthy but still packs a punch of flavor. BTW, I should mention that on these soupy summer days when we're all thinking of iced tea and ice cream, this chicken and sauce is pretty good cold, too!

Normally, it's advisable to pound chicken breasts to a uniform thickness so the narrow end doesn't dry out. I didn't bother, and frankly, it made no difference. My chicken breasts were fairly thick, though, so you may find you need a bit less cooking time.

Summertime Cherry Nectarine Chicken

1 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and sliced in half
2 fresh nectarines
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Dice the nectarines and place in a large oven-safe pan with the cherries, balsamic vinegar and water. Bring to a boil and let simmer, uncovered, about ten minutes. The liquid should be a little bit thick.
Arrange the raw chicken breasts in the sauce, turning to coat. Cover the pan and slide into oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, turning once or twice and checking on doneness.
Slice each chicken breast and serve with the sauce.

Chicken and Prosciutto Skewers

First off, congratulations to our very own Krista Davis on the launch of the next Domestic Diva mystery:

The Diva Haunts the House!

Labor Day weekend has traditionally meant the end of various things.

For many children, it means the end of summer vacation (not down here in the South, though—we start school early.)

It’s supposed to mean the end of wearing white shoes (I tend to ignore this and wear white sandals as long as I possibly can. :) )

The outdoor pools usually close after Labor Day until Memorial Day the next year.

And…some believe it’s time to put away the grill after Labor Day is over.

But we don’t have to! We can keep on grilling while wearing our white sandals, poolside.

With that in mind, here is a fun recipe for the grill that’s great for entertaining.

Chicken and Prosciutto Skewers

Ingredients
Chicken breast (cut into thirds, lengthwise—or use already sliced tenderloins)
Balsamic dressing for marinade
Dates or figs
Prosciutto (enough to wrap each chicken strip)
Skewers

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Marinate the chicken in balsamic dressing for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Cut the dates or figs in half (pit the date first, if using dates). Wrap the Prosciutto around the marinated chicken breast and date/fig and thread onto skewer. Grill until the chicken is cooked, turning frequently (about 5 minutes for each side, or until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink).

Fight back against the end of summer! :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Finger Lickin’ Dead (Riley Adams)
Progressive Dinner Deadly ($2.99 on Kindle—Elizabeth Craig)

Grilled Chicken with Tomato and Onion Topping #Recipe @PegCochran

 

This is the perfect recipe for summer when tomatoes are growing in everyone's garden, appearing at farmer's market and still on the vine in the stores and when everyone wants to be outside grilling.  The recipe came in an email from Food and Wine.  There were specific quantities and I think there might have been an ingredient (an herb?) that I didn't have so this is my version.  The quantity of anything depends on what you like, have on hand or how many you are serving.  And while the recipe called for chicken, I think you could serve this over anything--fish, beef or even go meatless with pasta.

Chicken breasts, brined and pounded
Ripe tomatoes--regular tomatoes and grape tomatoes
Red onion
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Garlic clove
Salt & pepper to taste

I like to brine my chicken breasts in water mixed with some kosher salt.  It doesn't have to be for long--30 minutes will do it but it results in much more tender chicken.  I also pound them to even out the thickness for even cooking.

While the chicken breasts are brining, prepare the topping.  Slice the tomatoes and cut the grape tomatoes in half. Thinly slice the red onion and mince the garlic.  Place the vegetables on a platter or plate, pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over them, sprinkle on the balsamic vinegar, mix in the minced garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave vegetables to marinate for up to a couple of hours.

Grill chicken on a gas grill, charcoal grill or inside on a grill pan.

 

Serve chicken topped with vegetables. 

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Chicken Papaya Salad #recipe from author @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl:

I love a light salad for summer nights. And we're definitely moving into summer.

Where has the time gone? I know where mine has gone - writing a new Cookbook Nook mystery (turning it in in 2 weeks) and doing PR for my upcoming French Bistro Mystery releases. Yes "s" - 2 - as in A Deadly Éclair and A Soufflé of Suspicion, the first two books in the series. The first came out in hardcover last November, but it comes out again in trade paperback on June 12. The second comes out July 10. I'm doing a couple of cozy book tours for each. I hope you'll join me on the adventure. I'll also be doing release parties and such. My Facebook author page will tell you just about everything you want to know about where and when.

FYI, the e-book version of A Deadly Éclair is on sale until the paperback release for $1.99  (and $1.20 on Amazon!) I'm not sure how I make money, but I hope you'll take advantage of the offer.

In the meantime, back to light salads. I adore papaya. I adore avocado. I think they pair perfectly. Maybe it's because they are "sort of the same" on the inside. Seed(s) in the center. Scoopable flesh from their ovoid shell. And both have a delicate, smooth texture. Yum! 

🥑

I also love the vitamins provided by both. Avocado: One-third of a medium avocado has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it a great nutrient dense food choice. Papaya: is rich in fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants, which prevent cholesterol build-up in your arteries. If knowing a salad is good for you don’t “rock your boat,” then how about appreciating the color? If you’re not an aficionado of these fruits, at least try the dressing. It’s to die for. Enjoy.

  

Chicken papaya salad with honey balsamic dressing

Serves 2

Salad:

1 large chicken breast, pounded

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 papaya, sliced lengthwise

1 avocado, sliced lengthwise

4 cups fresh spinach, stems removed

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

salt and pepper

Pound the chicken on a cutting board.  In a large sauté pan, heat the 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. When it’s really hot, add the chicken breast. Quick fry for 1-2 minutes. You might want to put a lid or “splatter guard” over it. (*Love mine) Flip the chicken and cook another 2-4 minutes until you know it’s cooked through. Set on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Meanwhile, get ready to construct the rest of the salad and dressing.  Slice the papaya and avocado. On two plates, mound fresh spinach. Slice chicken. Alternate papaya, avocado, and chicken on top of the spinach.

Make the dressing.  In a measuring cup, mix all the ingredients and whisk until incorporated.  Drizzle over the salads.

 

 

Savor the mystery!


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A SOUFFLÉ OF SUSPICION, the 2nd French Bistro Mystery, coming July 10
Can Mimi prove her chef innocent before the chef gets dusted?
Click here to order.

PRESSING THE ISSUE, the 6th Cookbook Nook Mystery.
The annual Renaissance Fair serves up a helping of crafty courtiers, 
damsels in distress, and medieval murder . . .
Click here to order.


A DEADLY ÉCLAIR, the 1st in the French Bistro Mysteries, coming in trade paperback June 12.

Can Mimi clear her name before the killer turns up the heat?

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FOR CHEDDAR OR WORSE, the 7th Cheese Shop Mystery is out!

Finally there's going to be a cheese festival in Providence!

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GIRL ON THE RUN, a stand-alone suspense.
When a fairytale fantasy night becomes a nightmare, Chessa Paxton must run for her life...but will the truth set her free?

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DAY OF SECRETS, a stand-alone suspense

A mother he thought was dead. A father he never knew.

An enemy that wants them dead.

Click here to order. 

Chicken Paprikash- decadent, delicious and more

Happy Saturday from Victoria Abbott!

We like chicken so much around here that we’re thinking maybe we should write a poultry series. After all, Sheila has apples and Avery has cheese—so how about Death is a Fine Feathered Thing, Murder Most Fowl and Cluck Off.  A good idea, but would it fly?  What do you think?  Oh well, even if it’s a bust, there’s plenty to do with chickens besides plotting.

 

For instance, there’s Chicken Paprikash. Always worth coming home to! Those of you who favor a low-carb lifestyle or who avoid gluten can enjoy this rich and delicious dish, no problem. 

MJ served this to the little mister after he returned from a grueling sixteen-hour overseas flight.  She knew he’d be revived if there was Chicken Paprikash with creamy, whipped cauliflower at the end of the day. 

It’s very rich and indulgent and yet, it’s been part of the low-carb diet plan this summer. Easy too. What’s that? Why yes, fourteen pounds so far, Thanks for asking!

Chicken Paprikash

Eight chicken thighs (with skin and bones)

Eight ounces of brown mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons of paprika

½ cup chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 cup sour cream

S & P (to taste)

Note: You could add sliced peppers too, but we didn't this time. 

Directions

Melt the butter in a heavy frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onions and mushrooms until mushrooms are softened and onions are brown. Remove to a plate.

Using the same pan, brown the chicken over medium heat, adding a bit more butter if the pan is too dry.

Mix the paprika with the chicken stock. 

 

When the chicken is nicely browned, pour the paprika/stock mixture over. 

Heat through and then reduce to simmer, cover

and cook for about 40 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove to a serving platter. 

Stir the sour cream into the liquid in the pan and blend thoroughly. Heat through without boiling.  It will curdle if it boils! 

Cauliflower purée 

 

Cut one medium cauliflower into florets.

Cook in boiling water until soft (about 15 minutes)

Drain and place in a food processor.

Process with 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, or with 3 tablespoons milk or cream and 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese until smooth. It should look just like mashed potatoes and is good enough to fool people!

Unfortunately, while Cauliflower Purée is delish, it isn't too photogenic on white dishes.  Just saying. Please use your highly developed imaginations.

Serve the Chicken Paprikash with puréed cauliflower (if you are low-carbing), or mashed potatoes or noodles otherwise. But the cauliflower is surprising delicious.

Eagle-eyed raders will not that there are more that 8 thighs here. Made more because it's popular!  And it's an easy recipe to double etc.

It’s very rich so we rounded out our meal with lovely fresh local tomatoes sliced and drizzled with balsamic.

Enjoy your decadent dinner, my friends, and do not fear your scale.

Victoria Abbott is a collaboration between Victoria Maffini and her mother,  Mary Jane Maffini (who insists this IS on her diet).. The Christie Curse, their first book collector mystery, launched in March 2013 and  The Sayers Swindle, the second in the series will be out in December. Please let them know how you like it!   You can pre-order from your favorite bookstore or click here http://tinyurl.com/lrht

There are lots of ways to reach them. Sign up for their newsletter at www.victoria-abbott.com

Pleaase note that Walter the Pug in the series is a dead ringer for Peachy, Victoria's new best friend.  

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