Balsamic Fig Glazed Chicken

This recipe was originally published to the blog in 2016. I’m giving the post an update. The sauce for this recipe is sweet and tangy. You can make this any time of year using fig jam, but I like making it in fall, when I start craving richer meals.

You never know where inspiration will find you, and this recipe is proof: some years ago, on a road trip, we stopped at a grocery store for a quick meal. I ended up ordering balsamic fig-glazed chicken from the deli counter. My expectations of the deli counter meal were low, so imagine my surprise when I took the first bite and found the glaze to be complex and full of flavor. This make-it-at-home version is far better than that deli version, a perfect dish for a dinner party on a crisp fall evening. Serve with a spicy red wine and this salad from Saveur (I use Asian Pears rather than apples for extra crunch).

Balsamic Fig Glazed Chicken

Published October 6, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Breasts also work, but I prefer thighs because they tend to stay juicier; Chicken breasts tend to take longer to cook, so adjust accordingly)

2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil)

1 medium-sized shallot

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup fig jam

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper

4-6 slices of Provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Start the sauce: Mince shallots and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in saucepan. When butter is sizzling, add shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and sauté until shallots are translucent and starting to brown.
2. Pour 1/4 cup red wine into sauce pan. Bring to simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until liquid has reduced by about half. Add 1/4 cup fig jam and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and stir to incorporate. Simmer sauce, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Season chicken generously with salt. Cook the chicken: heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. When butter is sizzling, place chicken in pan. Cook on one side, without moving, for 5-6 minutes, or until chicken easily releases from the pan (if chicken sticks, it likely needs to cook a bit longer). Spoon about half of the fig sauce over the cooked side of the chicken, and continue to cook on the second side for 5 more minutes, or until and internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F. Spoon remaining fig sauce over chicken, and top each piece with a slice of provolone. Place lid on pan, and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until cheese is melted.
4. Transfer to serving plates, and season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper.
5. Note: You can also grill the chicken if that’s more your style. The cheese will melt very quickly if you go this route, so watch closely.

Rainbow Soba Noodle Bowls

You would think, with the full day spent at home, I would feel like I have plenty of time to spare now. But somehow, that’s not the case. When I think about my time two months ago, I find myself wondering how I did it all—schlepping from one place to the next. We have been staying busy, mostly with house projects, which has likely benefited my sanity.

Stir fry is a go-to for me when I need dinner fast, and stir fry doesn’t have to be served over rice. This dish is essentially a stir fry, but soba noodles transform it into something different. Quick and easy—but also full of colorful veggies—this has been a regular lately. Like most stir fries I make, this one is cooked with soy sauce, rice wine, and sambal oelek (that chili garlic paste you’ll find in the ethnic food isle in the grocery store). It’s a salty-acidic-spicy sauce combination that isn’t just limited to this recipe: use it any time you’re sautéing veggies and want a little extra punch.

Rainbow Soba Noodle Bowls

Published April 30, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

1/2 package soba noodles

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 zucchini, roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

2 large carrots, sliced into matchsticks

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch ginger, minced

1 1/2 cup shelled fresh or frozen shelled soy beans (mukimame)

4-5 leaves dino (or lacinato) kale, roughly chopped

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon cooking rice wine

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce)

1 green onion, sliced for garnish

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

1. Cook soba noodles according to instructions on package. When noodles are al dente, strain through a colander and set aside.
2. While noodles cook, sauté vegetables: heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. When oil glistens, add zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, ginger, and garlic, and sauté until zucchini just starts to turn become tender. Add soy beans.
3. In a jar, combine soy sauce, cooking rice wine, cornstarch, and samba olek. Shake or whisk to combine.
4. Pour half of sauce into skillet, and allow sauce to bubble for a few minutes. Sauce will begin to thicken.
5. Add cooked noodles to the pan, along with chopped kale. Using tongs, mix everything to incorporate the vegetables into the noodles.
6. Add remaining sauce to pan, and cook for 3-5 more minutes, staring occasionally to ensure everything is coated in sauce. Remove from heat, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve.

Chicken Piccata with Picholine Olives

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Today, I’m sharing an update to a a recipe that’s been on the blog for quite a while (since 2014!). This updated version still calls for olives, which is not a typical Piccata ingredient, but if you ask me, olives are rarely a bad idea.

When I think of chicken piccata, I don’t think of anything too bold or fancy. It evokes mental images of chain-style Italian restaurants. But that’s not quite right, because fresh home-style chicken piccata is bright. It’s surprising what a single lemon can do, and how briny capers awaken any dish. Bring an old classic back to the table—why not? Classics are classics for a reason, and this one is ready in under 30 minutes.

Chicken Piccata with Picholine Olives

Published April 21, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound chicken cutlets or chicken tenderloins

Salt

Black pepper

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lemon, plus additional slices for garnish

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons capers

1/2 cup pitted picholine olives or castelvetrano olives

1/4 cup minced parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Sprinkle chicken, on both sides, with salt and pepper.
2. Put flour on a plate. Coat each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. When oil is glistening, place chicken in pan. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, undisturbed. Chicken should be white around the edges and golden on the cooked side. Add garlic to pan. Flip chicken to second side, and cook for 3 more minutes or until golden.
4. Using a spatula or tongs, transfer chicken to a clean plate. Pour broth into pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Squeeze lemon juice into pan. Using spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan, scraping up the brown bits for added flavor.
5. Add chicken back to pan, and coat in sauce. Add capers and olives.
6. Serve chicken on plates, and sprinkle with parsley.