CHICKEN IN CREAMY £ Safron Sauce

Chicken in creamy saffron sauce. My mouth is watering. Chicken is so versatile. Enter books have 
been dedicated to numerous recipes for this feathery friend. I will admit, right off the bat, safron is a favorite of mine. It’s expensive I know, but it is so delicious and delicate. By the way, in my book, you can’t go wrong with cream.

Make chicken in creamy saffron sauce on a weekend, to share with your family or friends. Although it sounds fancy you can make this meal in about one hour. Really! Now, I will admit that saffron is kind of expensive, but a little goes a long way. I often get asked: Why is saffron so darn expensive? Is there a substitute? Well, it’s so expensive because it has to be harvested by hand. It takes about 70,000 stems to get a pound of saffron. Holy cow!!! Yup, that’s a lot of stems, and a lot of picking.  Now, as far as a substitute? Sorry, but no! No spice or herb is a good substitute for the delicate taste of saffron.

The word saffron is of Arabic origin: Za’fran,  meaning yellow. Interestingly enough, the Spanish word for saffron is azafran, almost identical to its Arabic counterpart. The deep reddish threads (stigma) of the crocus turn a deep yellow when they come in contact with water. Saffron features prominently  in Persian and Mediterranean cuisine. You can’t possibly make a paella (the typical Spanish seafood and rice dish) or an Adas Polow ( a Persian dish consisting of rice, lentils and raisins) without saffron.  Apart from its use in savory dishes, saffron is also used in cakes and other sweets. More on that later.

Saffron has often played a prominent role in world history.  In ancient Egypt for example, it was used as an additive to perfume, as a dye, and also as medicine. It also had a religious use: saffron cakes were used as offerings the gods.  In ancient Mesopotamia saffron was used as both an aromatic and as an aphrodisiac.  And, in the profitable spice trade of the Middle Ages, it was considered among the most desired spices along with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. According to Greek mythology, the god Hermes accidentally struck his friend Croco lethally wounding him. In the spot where blood dripped, Hermes touched his sword and flowers began to grow.  These flowers were, well… crocuses! Another reference to saffron in Greek mythology has Zeus sleeping on a bed of saffron.

Saffron also appears in the social rituals of antiquity. Saffron was allegedly scattered at the feet of Roman emperors; not surprising given the excesses that characterized the Roman Empire. Along the same vein, saffron is supposed to have been sprinkled on the couches of fashionable homes so guests could breathe in the sweet aroma. I just hope the couches were not white!!!  It was also thrown on the beds of newlyweds in Ancient Rome (Remember saffron’s aphrodisiac use in ancient Mesopotamia?.)

So now that you know more about saffron than you ever thought possible, I think you will enjoy making this delicious chicken in creamy saffron sauce. After all, saffron is a winner in my book, and chicken? Well you can never go  wrong with chicken, or cream! right? If you’re interested in more recipes containing saffron, be sure to check them out on my blog.

            INGREDIENTS

• 2½ lbs. chicken breast
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• ½ tsp. cracked pepper
• ⅛ tsp. nutmeg
• 2 egg beaten
• 1 cup flour
• Vegetable oil for pan frying.
• For the sauce:
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ tsp. saffron
• 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

.Preheat oven to 200'F

Cut each chicken breast half into two pieces width wise. Lightly 

pound each piece to about ¼" thickness

In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper and nutmeg

Place beaten egg and flour in two separate shallow bowls ( a couple of pie pans work very well)

Add salt mixture to flour and mix well

Dip the chicken breasts into the egg and then into the flour until they are well coated

Heat oil in a shallow frying pan. Use only enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan

Fry each chicken breast piece for about 3-4 minutes on each side. You might have to add some oil for every batch of chicken breasts you cook

Place the fried chicken breasts in an oven safe platter and place in oven to keep warm

:To prepare the sauce

In the same pan, on medium heat saute the shallot and garlic until shallot is translucent. Deglaze with wine. Scrape up the little bits and continue to cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the cream, and saffron. Cook sauce on low for about 5-10 minutes or until nappe consistency

.Remove from heat

Bring the chicken breasts out of the oven and pour saffron sauce over the chicken breasts

.Sprinkle with parsley

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Vanilla Pudding Sauce for Pancakes

Vanilla Pudding Sauce

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups milk

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 Tbsp butter

2 tsp vanilla

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk together milk and egg thoroughly, and gradually stir in. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, till mixture comes to a boil. (Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat; if it gets hot too fast, the egg will cook. And scrambled eggs in vanilla sauce would be bad. Really, really bad.) Boil for at least 1 minute, still stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm or chilled.

Notes:

-I sometimes use one whole egg instead of the yolks. I crack the egg into a small bowl first and pull off those white stringy things. (I think they might be called albumen, but I could be totally wrong.) Then I beat the egg really well. It is a little trickier, but I don’t have to waste 2 egg whites. I am cheap thrifty that way.

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cereal sauce

Let’s get right down to business today. Why? Because I’m slightly busy getting ready for a trip to Portland tomorrow. For what? To shoot Mama Pea’s second cookbook! For how long? A full week! Clothing, camera equipment, and random photography props, are currently strewn about the house. Does anyone ...

Clothing, camera equipment, and random photography props, are currently strewn about the house.  Does anyone else like to make a to-do list with 584 things on it the day before they go out of town?

That would be me.

One thing I did today?  Made 4 new creations to share with you lovely people.

Inspired by Tom Haverfod and his hilarious food nick names.  Please tell me you watch Parks and Rec!! 

[source]

It’s been far too long since my last bowl of popped amaranth.  Surprisingly filling, and a cinch to make.  Well, once you figure out the proper heat setting for your stove, it’s a cinch.  It varies quite a bit but if your stove is hot enough the amaranth should pop within seconds.

Fluffy, crunchy, goodness.

And quite nutrient dense.

180 cals – 3g fat – 32g carbs – 4.5g fiber – 7g of protein for 1/4c [1 1/2c popped] – 21% iron

As an alternative to adding a handful of different toppings and pouring milk overtop, I’ve come up with a few cereal sauce recipes for you to enjoy.  

I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you pour this on popped amaranth or just slurp straight from the glass.

These are really quite simple and will take any bowl of cereal to the next level.

Pop 1/4c – 6T amaranth, which yields 1.5-2c popped amaranth.  Directions here.

Blueberry Banana Protein

• 3/4c blueberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1c milk
• 3T protein powder

Chocolate Cherry Chia

• 3/4c cherries
• 1T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1c milk
• 1T chia seeds

*If you refrigerate this for 5-10min after blending it will thicken substantially.

Cinnamon Banana Butter

• 1.5T almond butter
• 1/2T ground flax
• 1/2 banana
• 1c milk
• 1t cinnamon

Peanut Butter “Monster” [as coined by Angela]

• 2c raw spinach
• 1.5T peanut butter
• 1c milk
• 1t honey

1. For each recipe, blend all ingredients until smooth.

*Use frozen fruit for a thicker consistency.

Of course, you can add a crunchy topping if you like.

See you from the West coast!

Other cereal sauce recipes.

• pumpkin cream cereal
• molasses cream cereal
• strawberries + banana cream cereal

Ashley

What would Tom Haverford call “popped amaranth?” 

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5-Minute Thai Peanut Sauce Pour 3 1/2 cups of sauce

Ingrédients

Vegetarian, Gluten free

Conserves

• 1 13- or 14-ounce can Coconut milk, light or regular
• 3 tbsp Red curry paste

Condiments

• 1 cup Peanut butter, natural unsweetened creamy
• 3 tbsp Soy sauce, low-sodium
• 1/4 cup Sugar or honey

Huiles et vinaigres

• 1/2 tsp Sesame oil
• 2 tbsp White vinegar or rice vinegar

Liquides

• 1/2 cup Water

Before I begin, a quick note about an update to a very popular post on my blog. Several of you have asked for a quick visual on how I shape my bread dough into loaves in the comments of my step-by-step whole wheat bread post (the simple technique has changed a little over the years since the original post). I added a quick, 2-minute video to the very end of that bread making post in case you are interested. Because the video wasn’t preplanned, please bear with my little sidekick (and the quirky editing – I had to cut out the part where she threw a tantrum when I wouldn’t give her one of the bread pans).

If you’re the type that often digs into the condiments at a Thai restaurant with a spoon (are you looking at me?), you are going to love, super love, this recipe.

It’s not fancy, it doesn’t call for a million unpronounceable ingredients, but it is simple, fast and totally delicious.

Think of it as the cheater’s way to make a really great Thai peanut sauce. I’ve been whipping this up for weeks now and keeping it in my refrigerator in a mason jar. I pull it out when we feel like our fresh veggies need a little dipping action or when I want a more-than-PB&J-lunch or for a quick dinner (grilled chicken, rice or noodles and drizzled peanut sauce). As the saying goes: the options are endless.

Lately, for lunch, I take my friend, Lesli’s advice (she’s the one who sent me the recipe), and sauté up some cabbage, onions and maybe some chicken sausage with a bunch of other vegetables thrown in, like peppers and broccoli and kale, and drizzle it all with this peanut sauce. Lunch heaven, baby.

Add the curry paste according to how flavorful/spicy you want the sauce. Brands differ in heat - I often use the Thai Kitchen brand because I can easily find it in my grocery store and I use the full 4 tablespoons but I don't mind a touch of spiciness.

It's really important to use natural unsweetened peanut butter here. I've tried it using your every day creamy peanut butter (like Skippy or Jif) and the texture and flavor is overly sweet and just weird. You really want that natural peanut flavor to come through.

The recipe says to simmer the ingredients and that definitely deepens the flavor and thickens the sauce but as I mentioned in the post above, several times, I've skipped the stove step and just blended everything up and it's tasty, tasty.

INGREDIENTS

1 (13- or 14-ounce can) coconut milk, light or regular

3-4 tablespoons red curry paste (see note above)

1 cup natural unsweetened creamy peanut butter (see note above)

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup sugar or honey

2 tablespoons white vinegar or rice vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often so it doesn't scorch, for 2-3 minutes.

Let the sauce cool slightly. Transfer it to a container or jar, cover, and keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

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