Hot and Sweet Orange Glazed Chicken Tenders

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a blissfully simple meal that I occasionally make for the Silver Fox when I'm pressed for time and have to get dinner on the table quickly. It requires a handful of ingredients that I usually have in the pantry, and I keep a package of tenders in the freezer just for those nights when I need a dinner that is fast and easy to prepare. While this is a simple recipe, the chicken is delicious and looks good enough to serve to guests. Pepper jelly is the base of the pan sauce that is used to glaze the chicken and it adds kick and color to what would otherwise be a bland dish. I like to serve these tenders and their sauce with a quick side of rice or couscous. I have an arsenal of thirty minute meals, but this one is one of my favorites. The sauce gets me every time. I hope you'll give it a try. Here's how the chicken is made.

Hot and Sweet Orange Glazed Chicken Tenders...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/4 lbs chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons green onions or shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons pepper jelly
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

Directions:
1) Combine flour, salt and pepper on a plate and stir with a fork to combine. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
2) Lightly dredge chicken in flour. Working in two batches, add tenderloins to pan and cook until they are light golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3) Lower heat and add onions and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add orange juice and pepper jelly, stirring until jelly melts and mixture is well combined. Stir in red bell pepper.
4) Return chicken to pan, turning pieces several times to coat with sauce. Cover and cook until sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately: Yield: 4 servings.

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Three Years Ago Today: Guacamole

Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a simple, but festive, holiday sipper for those occasions when you want to provide a non-alcoholic alternative for children and guests who are teetotalers. It is really simple to make, and while it was first prepared for a large gathering, you can reduce the quantity of ingredients and serve it for a family holiday brunch. This is best prepared several hours before serving. While it can be poured immediately, time gives the ingredients a chance to blend and mellow, and greatly improves the flavor of the finished punch when it is warmed. You can add spices to taste, but be careful to limit the amount of cloves you use. They can add a bitter taste and will spoil the punch if you use them too freely. I think those of you who try this will enjoy it. It would be a perfect drink to serve at a tree trimming party. The recipe appears below. Before I close, I wanted to thank the very special folks who are responsible for the photo blog, Knapkins. They have created a beautiful site and taken away the need for participating blogs to submit photos for publication. They do the hard work and free us to concentrate on our own blogs and recipe creation. It's like having a second pair of hands to help with the work. I really hope you pay them a visit and see how tastefully they do what they do. You can visit their site, here.

Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 cups apple cider
6 cups cranberry juice
3 cups orange juice
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
Optional: red food coloring

Directions:
Several hours before serving, combine all ingredients in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit at room temperature for several hours. Reheat before serving. Yield: 20 to 24 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Miso Soup















Two Years Ago Today: Rosettes

Carrot and Fennel Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...At risk of life and limb, I'm throwing tradition to the wind and plan to serve a non-traditional feast on Thanksgiving Day. I'm not jaded or blase, I'd just like something different for a change. At some point before the holiday, I'll stuff and roast a turkey. That will guarantee the aromas of the holiday grace my kitchen and assure leftovers for midnight sandwich raids, but the big day itself is going to feature new dishes that we've tried and found to be exceptional. My intent, please God, is to prepare a meal where every course has the socks of the assembled guests going up and down. I plan to start with a soup that was new to us this year. It has quite a pedigree. Amanda Hesser created a chunky version of the soup for The New York Times Magazine and Molly Wizenberg featured a pureed version of it on her blog, Orangette. It is wonderful either way, but I'm going with the pureed version of it for the holiday. I have lovely small cups for creamed soups that I like to use as starters for holiday meals and they are perfect for serving small portions of this vibrant, nearly creamless, soup. It is, of course, delicious, but it has the added virtues of being cheap and easy. While my description is a bit inelegant, it is apt, and the soup is a perfect starter for special meals. It has bright and layered flavors and can be made a day or two ahead of serving, so please hold on to your socks. You are going to love this one. Here's the recipe.

Carrot-and-Fennel Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Amanda Hesser and Molly Wizenberg

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced; fronds reserved
1-1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
2 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 to 4 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1) In a large heavy saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter until foamy. Add fennel slices and cook, stirring, until softened. Add carrots and garlic and cook another minute or two. Pour in 4 cups of vegetable stock and season with salt. Simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.
2) Remove soup from heat and stir in orange juice, sour cream and reserved fennel fronds. If you have an immersion blender puree soup in pot, otherwise puree in batches using a food processor or blender. If soup appears too thick, thin with reserved vegetable stock. Adjust seasoning to taste. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.









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