Cuban Mojito Chicken with Black Beans and Yellow Rice

My hubby was fortunate enough to go on a mission to Cuba a few years back.  He came back with a great fondness for the Cuban people, and this chicken dish.  He said  there was a version of it on every Cuban restaurant menu.  I tried many times to duplicate it...but it was hard to match "it was chicken with spices and orange".  After much experimentation, I found a recipe on Epicurious that I adapted.  This is the result.  It is tasty, and very different.  I would love to hear from any Cuban food experts out there to find out if this is authentic.  Excuse the messy presentation, but they guys grabbed their plates so quickly, this was available to photograph. :)

Ingredients:
8 pieces of chicken
1 C marinade (recipe below)
1 large onion, sliced
Cilantro
Accompaniments:
Cilantro leaves, orange and lime wedges for garnish
Cuban Black Beans (recipe follows)
Mahatma yellow rice

Marinade:
Ingredients:
1/4 C garlic, minced
1/2 C onion. chopped
2 C fresh orange juice
1/2 C fresh lime juice
1/2 C olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 TBS cilantro, chopped

Instructions:
Mix garlic, onions, citrus juices in a bowl.  Heat olive oil in large saucepan.  Carefully slide contents of bowl into pan.  Be very careful because liquid might splatter.  Simmer until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients.  When marinade is cool, pour into a blender and pulse three or four times to blend.  Put in covered container and refrigerate.  Marinade keeps for about two weeks.  I make my marinade a day or so in advance to allow the flavors to fully develop.  To prepare chicken, pour marinade over the it, and rub some under the skin.  Marinate for about 4 hours, or overnight.  When ready to cook chicken, spread onion slices over the bottom of a baking dish; lay chicken on top of onions,  skin side up.   Roast about 1  hour and 15 minutes at 375F, until the chicken is golden brown.  Place chicken on serving platter, pour some pan juices over it, and garnish with fresh cilantro, orange and lime wedges.  The fresh citrus squeezed on the chicken at the table adds flavor.

Cuban Black Beans
Ingredients:
I had never cooked black beans before, so I found this recipe from Saveur, and modified it.
Ingredients:
1 1/2# dried black beans (1 bag)
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 ham hock
1 tsp. cumin
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Onion, chopped for garnish

Instructions:
Sort and clean beans to remove any small stones or particles; rinse under cold water.  Saute' vegetables in a little olive oil, then add beans and all ingredients, and cover with 3-4 inches of water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook about 2 hours, or until beans are tender.  Add water as needed, but don't make the broth too soupy.  Remove bay leaf before serving, and garnish with freshly chopped onion.

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Easy Chicken and Dressing Casserole

This dish is perfect for a night that you need dinner in a hurry, or are just too tired to make something complicated and time consuming.  It is a tasty dish.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, cooked, skinned and deboned

2 C chicken stock

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can Cream of Celery Soup

8oz. Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Stuffing

1/2 C butter, melted

½ C onion, diced

½ C celery, diced 

Instructions:

Cook chicken, then bone and skin it, cut in bite sized pieces.  Mix stock and soups.  Mix stuffing and melted butter; saute celery and onion until soft, then add all ingredients together.  Spread into casserole dish.  Layer chicken on top, and then pour soup gravy over top.  Bake at 350* 30-45 minutes.

Chicken Florentine Puffs

This is from One Lovely Life, and is delicious!

Ingredients:
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed and rolled out
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 (10oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
1 roasted red pepper, diced
4oz cream cheese, softened
1c gruyere, grated
2-3 TBS. fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
1 TBS water
Parmesan cheese (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine chicken, spinach, red pepepr, cream cheese, gruyere, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss until well combined and cream cheese is completely mixed in.  Make an egg wash by beating egg with water.Roll out puff pastry. Slice each sheet into 4 pieces (for 8 squares total). Divide filling among the 8 squares. For each puff, place filling in the center. Brush the edge of one half with egg wash and fold in half diagonally to form a triangle. Press down the edges with a fork to seal. Brush the top of the puff with egg wash and sprinkle with a bit of fresh Parmesan, if using. Make 2-3 small slits in the top to allow steam to escape during baking.  Place puffs on two baking sheets lined with parchment or sprayed with nonstick spray (I recommend using parchment).  Bake at 300 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until golden.  Makes 8 generously-sized puffs.  *To re-heat frozen puffs: place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake at 400 degrees 15-18 minutes or till heated through.

Chicken Piccata

Source:  Cuisine at Home, complimentary issue.  This is a very tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded into cutlets
salt and black pepper
all-purpose flour
nonstick spray
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c chicken broth
2 TBS. fresh lemon juice
1 TBS. drained capers
2 TBS unsalted butter
fresh lemon slices
chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.  Coat a saute pan with nonstick spray, add oil, and heat over medium-high.  Saute cutlets 2-3 minutes on one side.  Flip cutlets over and saute the other side, covered, 1-2 minutes.  Transfer cutlets to a warmed platter; pour off fat from the pan.   Deglaze pan with wine and add minced garlic.  Cook until garlic is slightly brown and liquid is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.  Add broth, lemon juice, and capers.  Return cutlets to pan and cook on each side for 1 minute.  Transfer cutlets to warm plates.
Finish sauce with butter and lemons.  Once butter melts, pour sauce over cutlets.
 Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Makes:  2 servings

Chicken Divan

                                                                               

Ingredients:

3 C cubed cooked chicken, I use white meat only

1 large pkg broccoli florets, microwaved for 3 minutes

2 TBS butter

Salt and pepper

1 can condensed mushroom soup

½ cup cream

½ cup white wine

1/4 cup of the broth from the chicken

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cups Kraft sharp grated cheese

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Grated Parmesan cheese

Paprika

Instructions:

Put lightly cooked broccoli in bottom of baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Dot with butter.  Heat soup, broth and cream in pot, when hot, add wine, cheese and lemon juice; add mayo after cheese melts, pour sauce over broccoli and chicken.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle with Paprika, if desired. Bake at 350* until sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes. 

Our family calls this Chicken and Trees, and it always disappears quickly.  I hope you like it!

My Grandmother's Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole cut-up chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Crisco solid shortening

Instructions:
Soak chicken in salt water for 1-2 hours; remove and pat dry. Put enough shortening in black skillet to reach about half way up the sides. Heat shortening to 350*. Salt and pepper chicken, then dredge in flour. Add to hot pan and cook about 10-12 minutes on each side, until done through, and golden brown. Drain on brown paper or paper towels.
My grandmother made the best fried chicken in the universe. It is a very simple recipe, I follow it, and my fried chicken is good. Even though I make it just like she did, it never tastes the same. Then one day it dawned on me: my grandmother got the chicken from her own yard, dressed it, soaked it in salt water...and fried it in LARD!

If you want gravy to go with the chicken, here's a recipe
Ingredients:
4 TBS pan drippings
3 TBS flour
3 C milk, approximately
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Stir flour into drippings until well blended and scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbly and medium brown. Gradually add milk, stirring with whisk. Cook until thickened and creamy, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Making gravy takes practice. Rarely does anyone get it right the first time. If it is lumpy, keep whisking; if too thick, add some water. Above all...don't panic!

Greek Chicken

I posted this a while back, but since I am making this for dinner tomorrow, and it is so good, I thought I would share it again.  I serve this with a Greek salad and crispy bread. Opa!
Seasonal Sundays
Mix it up Monday

Ingredients:
8 pieces chicken
1/2 C olive oil
Sea salt and freshly gound pepper to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil, rosemary, marjoram, oregano
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
Juice of 2 lemons

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350*. Clean and trim chicken and pat dry. Mix spices, garlic,lemon juice and olive oil. Coat chicken well with mixture.
Place chicken on a rack in roasting pan. Season potatoes with salt and pepper and spread evenly around pan. Pour remaining marinade over chicken and potatoes. Add 1 cup of water to pan. Roast uncovered for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until done. Baste the chicken every 15 minutes. If you want crispy skin, don't baste for the last hour.
I serve this with a Greek salad and crispy bread. Opa!

Honey, Soy and Ginger Chicken

Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs, skin on, trimmed
3 oz soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C minced ginger root
1/2 C honey
1/4 C orange juice
1/2 onion, sliced vertically )

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients except chicken and onion in small pot. Heat until honey melts. Put chicken, skin side down in baking dish. sprinkle with onion, then pour cooled soy mix over it. Cover with foil, and marinate overnight. Bake in 350* oven for 30-40 minutes, then uncover, turn skin side up and bake for 30 minutes more at 375*.
This is a very tasty chicken recipe that I adapted from one by
the Barefoot Contessa. I serve it with Asian Noodles and a Japanese style salad. My guys loved it!

My Grandmother's Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
Whole chicken, about 3#
1 box Swanson’s chicken stock
1 C water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 C Self-rising flour
¼ C Crisco
About ¾ C milk

Instructions:
Make biscuit dough using last three ingredients. Roll thin like a pie crust, and cut in strips with pizza cutter. Cut in opposite direction to make 1-2” rectangles. Let set until firm, so dumplings won't be doughy. Boil chicken in stock and water until done, probably about an hour. Cool chicken, and take off bones. Bring broth from chicken to a soft rolling boil. Drop in dumplings a few at a time, stirring frequently. Cook until done, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to soft boil. If broth gets too thick, and water or more stock a little at a time until desired consistency.
My grandmother, Ruby Hodges Yancey, was a true Southern cook. Simple dishes with fresh ingredients, and always delicious! I miss her every day of my life.