Crunch, munch...the hunch worked.

Crunch, munch…the hunch worked.

Chicken / August 5, 2014

I’m a mixologist at heart and I work hard to create new food experiences by simply building a hierarchy of textures, flavors and colors. Perhaps it’s because I love to write, and part of the writing exercise is to create columns of words that are foreign in theme, and then see if putting them together achieves the melodic result you desire. One of the most recent “oh yeah…” moments came when the bright, stinging flavor of ginger helped mesh all the Asian flavors I had on hand into a hot but cool, sweet but sour, and fresh but pre-made sensation.

Savoy cabbage was the muse, which I blended overtly with onion, green pepper, carrot and strawberries, and a handful of cilantro. The dressing carried the umami notes with a dash of sesame dressing and 2 knobs of fresh grated ginger. Once this came together, it was the perfect bed for seared chicken thighs, which were finished with braising them in a little chicken stock, and then simmering them with bottled mango habanero sauce and Kraft honey mustard dressing. A sprinkling of sesame seeds and voila! Hunch, turned to lunch, turned to a BUNCH of table applause. Get the recipe for both the chicken and the slaw here.

Honey Mango Habanero Chicken

Served over Savoy Strawberry Ginger Slaw

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken thighs, patted dry
3 T canola oil
1/3 C Kraft Honey Mustard Dressing
1/3 Ginger People Mango Habanero Sauce
Salt and Pepper
½ C low sodium chicken broth

Direction:

In a large fry pan, heat oil. Place chicken in hot oil and salt and pepper, and sear on each side until browned, about 2 minutes each side. Add stock and cover and let reduce on medium low until only a little moisture remains and chicken is cooked through. Only about 7 minutes. Remove lid, cover with mixture of Mango dressing and Honey Mustard dressing. Serve over a mound of my Savoy Strawberry Ginger Slaw.

Savoy Strawberry Ginger Slaw

Ingredients:

1 small head Savoy Cabbage julienned
½ green pepper thinly diced
2 small carrots grated
4 large slices of red onion chopped small
5 large strawberries sliced
1 T sesame seeds
½ C roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:

¼ C apple cider vinegar
Just a bit less than ¼ C canola oil
Two inch square peeled and finely grated knobs of fresh ginger
Splash of sesame oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Assemble all ingredients, whisk dressing until combined, pour and mix until slaw is moist (you may have leftover dressing but it’s perfect for marinating chicken!), then serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.