I’m back! Sorry for the long hiatus in posting. Life has just been beyond busy, and frankly, I’ve been suffering from a lack of inspiration so I’ve been cooking many meals which I’ve already blogged. I’ve been focusing my creative juices in some other places, some worthwhile, some not so much. Anyway, I sought out a few ideas on chicken mains on facebook tonight and wound up creating these Roasted Chicken Breasts over Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Orange Chili Sauce. Kathleen mentioned orange chicken which reminded me I have way too many clementines on hand. Cory is teasing me that Crushed Red Pepper Flakes seem to be my ingredient of the year. Which is perhaps true, but they just add such a surprising depth to any recipe, it’s hard for me to hold myself back. Also, I went with the chili flavor because orange juices tend to become so sweet when cooked and I have a strong animosity toward sweet flavors and meat or poultry. It’s a personal choice, not that there’s anything wrong with a sweet sauce, it’s just not my personal favorite.
I also had forgotten how much I love mashed potatoes. I used to make them all the time, in many variations. Back in my days of Sunday dinner, before we had children, my house was a revolving door with an open invitation to any and all friends for a Sunday meal. Mashed potatoes were a habitual side dish at these events. Garlic mashed potatoes, horseradish mashed potatoes, mashed with chives, etc., etc. Long ago I abandoned white potatoes in favor of sweet potatoes for optimal nutrition (lower glycemic index). Well, I’ve decided I hate sweet potatoes. I almost *never* want to cook them, so I’m welcoming back russets with enthusiasm. It’s a problem considering we have a football national championship looming and sweet potatoes are one of my staple burnt orange foods. Anyway, if you’re looking to lighten up these potatoes, you can totally use milk – even skim. I just happen to have heavy cream on hand and let’s face it, if you can afford the calories, it is better this way, but it won’t ruin them to use milk. I frequently make them that way when we don’t have cream.
Roasted Chicken Breasts with Orange Chili Sauce serves 3
3 chicken split breasts
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. fresh squeezed clementine juice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 tbsps butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian Parsley
Preheat oven to 425. In a heavy bottomed skillet, drizzle chicken breasts with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for approx an hour, until internal temperature reaches 165.
Remove chicken breasts to a cutting board to rest. Spoon off as much fat as you can from skillet, leaving any remaining juices. Saute garlic in juices over medium heat for about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits. Add chicken broth, and cook on medium high heat until reduced by 1/4 volume, about five minutes. Add orange juice and crushed red pepper, cook another two minutes. Stir in butter, then parsley. Serve chicken over garlic mashed potatoes, then top with orange chili sauce.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes serves 4
2 large russet potatoes
1/4 c. heavy cream
3 tbsp butter
3 large cloves garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Peel potatoes, then slice into 1 inch rounds then half each piece. Place in a pan and fill with cold water, covering potatoes by an inch and a half. Bring to a boil then continue to boil until potatoes begin to crumble. Drain, then use a potato ricer to mash potatoes.
Add cream and butter to potatoes, but don’t stir yet. In a small skillet, warm olive oil, then add garlic and saute on medium until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Add garlic to potatoes, then stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, then taste and adjust seasonings if desired.