2frugalfoodies » chicken

Authentic Chicken Tacos

2frugalfoodies — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:14:59 +0000

One of the new staples in our kitchen these days is chicken tacos. We had them at a friend’s house recently and then tried to recreate the recipe at home. Simply put, you make a big pot of delicious chicken goodness, and then use that as a base for really tasty soft tacos with guacamole and other “fixins.”

We went to the local mexican market to get some of the ingredients, which was a fun experience. We found dried chiles much, much cheaper than the local grocery store, and some tomatillos and tortillas that were super yummy, too.

Here’s a picture of the chicken stewing away.

And here’s a picture of my chicken taco right before I wrapped it up and devoured it.

This recipe really turned out well – it tastes just like something you’d find in a good Mexican restaurant (or even south of the border!) thanks to the dried chiles and spices. Try it and let us know what you think!

Recipe: Authentic Mexican Chicken Tacos

P.S. – Don’t think for one second that we purchased that guacamole. It’s homemade: Avocado, cilantro, garlic, red onion, salt and pepper, a dab of mayonnaise, a squeeze of lime and a food processor.

Butter Chicken

2frugalfoodies — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:39:23 +0000

Indian food is one of the food genres that we know very little about; there are numerous regions and cultures within India that each have an accompanying set of flavors and spices to differentiate their cuisine. As much as we love the lunch buffet at the local Indian restaurant, I couldn’t tell you what came from where, much less what’s in it.

Given that claim of expertise, aren’t you glad you came to us for an Indian recipe?! There are a few things we do know about Indian food – some basic spices (curry blends, coriander, cumin, etc.), some basic ingredients (dried lentils are now a staple), and an expectation to try new and different things.

As we’re exploring Indian food, however, we’re taking it slow and trying recipes that are more on the beaten path before breaking off into uncharted territory. Today, we have a recipe for butter chicken, a delicious dish that you can probably find at most Indian restaurants. We didn’t create this recipe ourselves, so don’t worry about our disclaimers above about our personal knowledge. This dish is perfect with a fresh plate of rice and some homemade naan bread – let us know what you think!

Recipe: Butter Chicken

Braised Chicken with Dates

2frugalfoodies — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:32:14 +0000

The first time I ever had dates was in cereal – Post Selects Great Grains, to be exact. It wasn’t a raisin, much tastier and more exotic than that… it was something different and (I still think) better in the cereal context. What if instead of Raisin Bran, we also had Date Bran? I would definitely buy it.

Dates, of course, have far more uses than just in cereal. As we learned from Melissa and Matt’s wedding last summer, dates wrapped in bacon are just about the best hors d’ouevres ever. We’ve also tried stuffing those bacon-wrapped dates with blue cheese, and we really liked that result as well.

In the recipe posted today, dates play a primary role in a dish with exotic Moroccan spices and a really rich, unique flavor. To adjust the dish to make for two, we used a cornish game hen instead of chicken, but you could do either depending on how many you want to serve. Just don’t skimp on the dates!

And, just because I can’t help it, may we recommend this dish for a date night with that someone special…?

Recipe: Braised Moroccan Chicken with Dates

Oh! Where to get dates? We got ours at Trader Joe’s – a large pack of fancy medjool dates there is only $4.95 – it was enough for this recipe and the blue-cheese stuffed, bacon-wrapped appetizers.

Roasted Chicken made with Blue Moon

2frugalfoodies — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 12:46:16 +0000

You can ask anyone in either of our families- chicken is rarely something that we get too excited about. One of the running jokes is to ask, “Do y’all want chicken for dinner tonight?” We don’t have to answer, because the asker already knows that the answer is no.

We give chicken a hard time, and our families are very patient with us. One thing that we do love, though, is a whole roasted chicken. It’s a dish we like to save for a night when comfort food is needed, and it’s a great go-to meal for guests. With fall coming up, we thought something warm and hearty, but with a faint memory of summer, would be a good recipe to try.

As we mentioned on Friday, we sometimes like to construct our own variations on the basic roasted chicken recipe. This one came about because we wanted our usual recipe, but we didn’t have any of the ingredients. So, we decided to improvise, using the herbs we had, and substituting Blue Moon for white wine. In the end, a gravy, rather than a pan sauce, also seemed more appropriate.

Apparently, this weekend is a major renaissance period for the chicken on 2frugalfoodies- enjoy it while you can!

Recipe: Blue Moon Chicken

Same Roasted Chicken, Only Prettier

2frugalfoodies — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:17:11 +0000

How often do you roll your eyes when you see that your favorite product at the grocery store has the byline “New Look, Same Great Taste!”? I usually think that kind of thing is pretty silly, unless the new box looks really great. That’s one of the reasons we shop at Trader Joe’s all the time- same look, same great taste.

Well, for all of us new-look-haters out there, 2frugalfoodies just joined the fray. Sorry. The thing is- we’ve learned so much over the course of this blog that pictures we posted last spring just don’t look as good anymore. For one of the most fundamental recipes of the blog, it’s a little embarrassing that the picture has looked like this for almost a full year and a half:

Roasted Chicken AFTER the Oven!

We’ve gone back to our basic roasted chicken recipe from Anthony Bourdain many times. Sometimes we stick with the original recipe, and other times, we make new variations. (Tune in this weekend for Blue Moon Roasted Chicken…) It’s a great idea for a warm, comforting, delicious meal. Now when you want to come to 2frugalfoodies for your roasted chicken inspiration, we hope this gives you a little bit more to get inspired about:

Food & Wine or Saveur might turn us down, but we think it’s a pretty good improvement. (By the way- taking a picture of a full roasted chicken is difficult!)

(Same Delicious) Recipe: Roasted Chicken

Lemon Tarragon Chicken Drumsticks

2frugalfoodies — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:31:18 +0000

Sales are fabulous. I get excited about sales at my favorite clothing stores and on things like dog food and laundry detergent, but nothing makes Gardner happier than a sale in the meat section of Bloom.

Recently, Bloom (and Farm Fresh and Ukrops, actually) had a big sale on Chicken Drumsticks. They were something crazy like $0.78/pound. (Our general policy is that if something goes on sale for under $1/pound, we buy it.) If you can walk by, see, and ignore a deal like that, then you might be crazy.

Not only is this dinner dirt cheap, it is simple and remarkably tasty…AND it only has 4 real ingredients (do salt and pepper count as ingredients?). It takes about 5 minutes of actual work, and 45 minutes of oven time - this is what I like to call easy peasy.

bad lighting...sorry.

Recipe: Lemon Tarragon Chicken Drumsticks

Do you recognize the spiced sweet potato spears in the picture? We told you we’ve been eating them a lot…

Chicken Pot Pie

2frugalfoodies — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:27:49 +0000

I hated Chicken Pot Pie as a kid. Chicken Pot Pie was usually code for “babysitter” and a date night for my parents. And it usually came in a Stouffer’s box. Nothing against Stouffer’s, of course, but “babysitter” usually meant “Heather” and we hated Heather. So – needless to say, I’ve always harbored a bad association with Chicken Pot Pie. (Oh, and Heather, if you’re reading this, which I know you aren’t…. kids like games, not CMT.)

Gardner never had bad associations with Chicken Pot Pie – so, when we found ourselves buying heaping amounts of whole chicken (how can you resist when it’s $.99/pound on sale??) he wanted to make it. I knew that if I made the crust and he didn’t put too much fattening stuff in the filling, it’d be better than Stouffer’s, but I didn’t realize that I would come to LOVE Chicken Pot Pie. The recipe posted here is compliments of Cooks Illustrated, and is completely responsible for my change of heart.

Also – we’re looking forward to spring and the tulips that seem to cover every inch of Williamsburg during the spring months, but I think we might actually miss the deliciously hearty dishes we’ve grown accustomed to this winter…. so this post is the beginning of our farewell to the hearty dishes of winter. (I say beginning because, knowing Williamsburg, after today’s temperatures hit 50, we’re bound to see another snow flurry before the tulips are in full bloom.)

Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie

Poulet Basqauise

2frugalfoodies — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:21:32 +0000

It’s Anthony Bourdain time again! This, as best as we can translate, is Basque Chicken, commonly known as delicious. The recipe is one of the easier ones in the Les Halles Cookbook, and one that’s perfect for a winter night.

If you’re cooking for four, the original recipe in Bourdain’s cookbook is what you want to go for. If it’s just two of you, you’ll want to scroll down to the bottom of the recipe page for a 2frugalfoodies variation.

Pretty much of any of our recipes, by the way, can and should be adjusted to fit the needs of your gathering. Unless we mention otherwise, most of our recipes are for two (hence the title of the blog), but you’ll see, we do mention a lot of exceptions for fun gatherings.

Recipe: Poulet Basquaise

Delicious Dinners and You

2frugalfoodies — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:45:02 +0000

Though not always prominently featured on 2frugalfoodies, our ‘About You‘ page is one of our favorites. It’s fun to see your pictures of what you’re cooking and adding a new dimension to the 2frugalfoodies site. Just yesterday, we were excited to get some pictures of dinner from John, our gourmet friend and creator of the Mussels in White Wine Sauce recipe on our site.

Not only is John a great chef, but apparently he might also have a future in food photography! This meal looks good and is also healthy: Pita with olive oil, garlic, red onion, portabella mushrooms, and low fat Italian cheese mix topped with grilled seasoned chicken. Thanks John!!

John’s Pita on ‘About You’

New Roast Chicken Recipe

2frugalfoodies — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:53:16 +0000

Sometimes a roasted chicken is just plain and simple what would taste good for dinner tonight. The stumbling block there lays in the fact that it seems like it would go best in the fall or winter – a time when you need a warm, hearty meal after being out in the cold all day. That would be true UNLESS you were to make your roasted chicken with citrus and garlic! This is a great summertime variation on the roast chicken – enjoy it with some fresh produce on the side.

Recipe: Citrus Roasted Chicken