Food For Thought

August 24, 2011

Flavoring Chicken and Pork With Mustard

In the food world, mustard is amazingly popular and is paired most often with meats and cheeses, and is commonly used in recipes like deviled eggs, potato salads, dressings and dips. Most of the time the seeds are ground down and mixed with a combination of ingredients to make it a smooth very strong yellow condiment, or a smokey dark Dijon. Mustard seeds often have a strong pungent odor. The English style is made using mustard flour, water, salt and sometimes lemon juice, but never with vinegar. French mustard or Dijon has vinegar and other additives for a milder flavor, and German mustard is the mildest of all. Some people choose to add in ground seeds for a spicier blend. It is found on our sandwiches, on our burgers and hot dogs, and even in our potato chips!

Mustard seeds, ground mustard seeds, table mustard with turmeric, a Bavarian sweet mustard, a Dijon and a coarse French mustard made mainly from black mustard seeds

Mustard Crisp Chicken by Better Homes and Gardens

Mustard Chicken Barbecue by Better Homes and Gardens

Mustard Crusted Pork Chops by Bonnie Walton

Three lovely recipes for your to consider for the upcoming Labor Day Weekend Menu. The next time you visit your market take a good look at the complex blends some companies have come up with. The shelves are packed with choices of mustard for every diner and cook.

Click here to see ten HHM Member Recipes using mustard!

January 7, 2010

Super Easy (and fast!) Chicken

Filed under: Quick Meal Tips — Tags: , — Anne Coleman @ 5:00 am

1_06_2010 042It’s no secret that the most searched-for recipes on the internet are chicken based. Not only is chicken healthier than its meat counterparts, but it generally cooks quicker, too.

This recipe serves up delicious chicken and a sauce on the side – all in one pan and in under 20 minutes!

Our entire dinner this evening (except the bread) was very quick and simple, but so good that all of the kids asked for seconds. I served this chicken with steamed Brussels sprouts and orzo (which the kids can never get enough of) and there were clean plates all around.

The versatility of this is another reason I like it so much. Change up the liquid to just about anything, wine, stock, juice – and you can change the flavor of the entire dish very easily and still have great results. I made a sauce with an Asian influence tonight, but often I use orange juice in place of the soy sauce and add a bit of white wine. Use your imagination with this one.

Super Easy (and fast!) Chicken
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

4 chicken breast halves, pounded to an even thickness or butterflied and cut the whole way through
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
4 Tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Mirin

1. Stir together flour, salt and garlic in a resealable bag. Toss chicken in the bag and seal. Shake the bag to coat the chicken pieces well.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides – about 5 minutes for each side.
3. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
4. Add stock, soy and mirin to pan and stirr up all the browned bits. Continue stirring until sauce is slightly thickened (the flour from the chicken will do this well) and add the chicken back into the sauce. Coat each piece and cook for a minute or two before serving.

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