Chicken Casserole - Tavuk Gratin

Chicken Caserole - Tavuk Gratin

This is a very healthy, tasty comfort food. No mayonnaise, no canned soups in the sauce. Just chicken, veggies and home- made white sauce similar to Béchamel sauce (no milk) and some cheese. Kids of all ages love it. It goes well with rice or pasta on the side. 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium whole chicken
• Water for boiling chicken
• 1 package frozen peas and carrots
• 1 cup water for cooking peas and carrots
• 1+1 teaspoons paprika
• 2 heaping table spoons flour
• ½ stick of butter
• 3 cups grated jack cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Clean and rinse chicken inside and outside. Place chicken in a large pot, add water, about 5-6 cups, making sure it covers the chicken. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Reduce to low-medium heat when it starts to boil. Remove foam that forms on the surface of the boiling chicken. Cook until very, very tender. Carefully transfer chicken to a separate bowl, set aside to cool.

Using a strainer, pour the chicken stock into a bowl or a pot. About 2 cups of this will be used to make the sauce, the rest of the stock can be used to make rice or soups.

Rinse and strain frozen peas and carrots. In a small pot, combine 1 cup of water with peas and carrots, bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Strain and set aside.

When chicken is cool to touch, remove skin and bones. Shred it to small pieces. Place chicken evenly in an oven safe dish (14”x10”).

For the sauce, melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly over medium heat about 4-5 minutes. Slowly add about 2 cups of chicken stock left over from boiling the chicken, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. You may need to add more or less than 2 cups. It should have the consistency of yogurt. Bring to a simmer , remove from heat. If the sauce is lumpy, you can use a hand mixer to make it smooth.

Add strained peas and carrots to the white sauce, gently stir with a spoon, making sure the vegetables mix in the sauce evenly.

Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the mixture. Evenly distribute grated cheese on top of the dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Bake until the cheese melts, about 20-30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake until the top is golden brown.

Serve hot. It goes well with rice.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Shredded chicken placed in an oven safe dish

Peas and carrots cooked, strained

Peas and carrots mixed with the white sauce

Peas and carrots mixture spread over the chicken

Grated cheese sprinkled over the dish

Chicken Caserole, ready to be served

Uzbek Pilaf with Chicken - Tavuklu Özbek Pilavı

Uzbek Pilaf with Chicken - Tavuklu Özbek Pilavı

Uzbek Pilaf is traditionally prepared with lamb browned in butter or lamb fat. I've modified the recipe by using chicken instead of lamb and by olive oil with a touch of butter instead of using butter or lamb fat. Simmered in a rich stew of chicken, vegetables and spices, rice absorbs all the flavors, making this pilaf a favorite main dish by itself.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice
• 1 small or medium onion, chopped
• 1 lb chicken, cut into byte size pieces (about 4 small thighs or breasts)
• 2 medium carrots, julienne cut
• 2 table spoons olive oil
• 1 table spoon butter
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 table spoon currants
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Soak rice in hot tap water for about 15 minutes. Sauté chicken in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add onions, saute for 2 more minutes, add carrots, saute for another 3 minutes. Add boiling water, butter, cumin, currants and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Drain rice and add to the pot. Simmer over low heat until rice is cooked, about 10 minutes.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Julienne cut carrots, chopped onions and currants

Boneless, skinless chicken cut into small pieces

Chicken and onions sautéed

Carrots are added

All ingredients are in ...cooking

Uzbek Pilaf cooked, ready to be served

Uzbek Pilaf with Chicken - Tavuklu Özbek Pilavı

Mom's Chicken Soup - Tavuklu Şehriye Çorbası

Chicken Soup - Tavuklu Şehriye Çorbası

Oh, the comfort of mom's chicken soup on a cold day! Whether it is a cold day, or you  have a cold, or even when you just don't feel good, I believe chicken soup has a way of soothing your senses...

This version made with orzo, a form of pasta shaped like a large grain of rice. Kids of all ages love it. Try it!

Ingredients:

• 1 small chicken, boiled
• 4 cups chicken broth (home made by boiling the chicken)
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 1 heaping teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 cup orzo (rice shaped pasta)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tea spoon butter (optional)
• A few wedges of lemon (optional)

Directions:
In a large pot, boil chicken with plenty of water and a dash of salt. I use smallest organic chicken I can find. Smaller the chicken, more tenter the meat. After it starts to boil, foam will form on top of the broth. Remove the foam, discard it. Boil the chicken until it is fully cooked and the meat comes out easily when you insert a fork into it. Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool.

Using a strainer, take 4 cups of the boiling chicken broth and put it in a pot. Add tomatoes, orzo, butter(optional) and salt and peper to the boiling broth. Cook over low to medium heat until orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Remove skin and bones from the chicken. Take desired amount of meat. Cut it into small pieces and add the chicken to the soup. Gently mix with a spoon. Some like it with a touch of lemon juice, so, serve hot with a wedge of lemon (optional) on the side.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit 

Orzo- rice shaped pasta

Chopped tomatoes and tomato paste

Chicken soup cooking

Boiled chicken cut into small pieces

Chicken added to the soup

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Circassian Chicken Salad – Cerkez Tavugu

Circassian Chicken Salad - Cerkez Tavugu

This is one of classical mezes (appetizers) of the Ottoman Cuisine. It originates from the Caucasus Mountains where the Circassians live. It is an excellent alternative to mayonnaise based chicken salads.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 slices of day-old bread, crusts removed
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup walnuts, crushed
• 4 tablespoons (2 + 2) extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
• A few sprigs of parsley
• Handful of walnut halves for garnishing (optional)

Directions:

In a pot combine chicken breasts with 4 cups of water, bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, skim the broth to get rid of the foam that forms on top. Simmer until chicken is cooked, about 40-45 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a platter and let it cool. Continue to cook the chicken broth until it is reduced to one third. Save broth. When chicken is cool enough to handle, tear the meat into shreds.

Cut bread slices into pieces. In a shallow bowl, pour 1 cup of water over the bread to soften it. Then squeeze dry.

In a food processor, coarsely crush 1 cup of walnuts.

In a large bowl, combine crushed walnuts, crushed garlic, softened bread, 2 table spoons of olive oil, 1/2 cup of chicken broth, red chili powder (optional). Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir with a spoon until it is well mixed into a puree. Add up to 1/2 cup more chicken broth to obtain desired consistency. Transfer into a serving dish. You can refrigerate at this stage until ready to use.

In a small saucepan, heat remaining 2 table spoons of olive oil over low heat. Add paprika, gently cook until it starts foaming, about 1 minute. Drizzle the paprika infused hot oil over the chicken salad. Garnish with walnut halves and parsley sprigs. Serve at room temperature.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!

Pulled chicken and crushed walnuts

Chicken, walnuts, bread mixed into a paste

Circassian Chicken Salad - Cerkez Tavugu