Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Pulled Chicken

3 TBS olive oil
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 large onion, quartered & sliced thin
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 celery stalk cut into 6 pieces
1/2 c. whole baby carrots
1 TBS coarse sea salt

4 c. chicken broth, warmed

Heat oil in large Dutch oven/cast iron pot; add chicken breasts & cook, turning often, until all sides are seared. Add onions, garlic & salt and cook until onions just begin to look transparent.

Pour warmed broth over chicken mixture; heat to boiling. Add celery pieces & carrots. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover & simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 3 hours. Add more broth if necessary to keep meat evenly covered.

Turn off heat; remove chicken one piece at a time. Shred (you should be able to just pull the meat apart) & place in large mixing bowl. Pour enough of the cooking broth over the shredded meat to keep it moist.

Serve with warmed tortillas, shredded Monterey Jack cheese & green sauce.

Note:
For Pulled Barbecued Chicken, add 1/2 c. of your favorite BBQ sauce to the Chicken broth & omit the celery & carrots.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Basic Meatballs (Oven baked)

1.5 lb. extra lean ground beef (sirloin, or other >15% fat)
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan & Romano cheese blend
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
fresh ground pepper
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Combine ground meat, bread crumbs, Parmesan/Romano blend, basil, oregano, marjoram, parsley, ground pepper & egg using hands until well blended. Form into 3/4 inch size meatballs; place on large ungreased cookie pan. Bake for 12 - 17 minutes, until no longer pink.

Add to your favorite pasta sauce, soup or freeze for later use.