Black Pepper and Molasses Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I usually don’t get to cook much when my husband works late because my little guy isn’t so patient in the kitchen. But tonight I bribed him with a cup of water and some goldfish crackers and cooked as fast as possible! Hands on time for this recipe is minimal making it a great meal for busy people.

I took about a pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs and cut them into small chunks. I’m not even sure that was necessary but I suppose there was more surface area showing to get the flavor infused. I put the chicken chunks into a medium saucepan along with mustard, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, cumin, chili powder, freshly ground black pepper, ground ginger, and molasses. I brought it to a boil then covered the pot and reduced the meat to medium-low and let it simmer for 23 minutes. I stirred it only twice.

Then I just shredded the chicken with a fork. I served it on slider rolls with a pickle chip. I honestly wasn’t sure how it would taste since I didn’t find the combination of ingredients too appealing while I was tossing them in the pot, but it was really yummy! The pickle chip added a nice crunch and tang.

 

Since my son was enjoying his goldfish, I threw together an easy side too, oven baked sweet potato “fries.” No real recipe for this. I heated the oven to 450F, peeled some sweet potatoes and cut them into fries. I tossed them in a little olive oil then seasoned them. I should probably call them ‘spice rack’ fries because every time I make them they’re a little different depending on my mood and what seems interesting in my spice cabinet. This time I had one dish with sesame seasoning and garlic, one with Montreal steak seasoning, and one with some cinnamon and granulated honey for my son. Anyway, I bake them until they’re crispy, the time varies depending on the thickness of the fries but I would allow at least 30-40 minutes.

This meal was kid friendly (as my son would attest to if he could attest) and a nice healthy fast food substitute.

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Black Pepper and Molasses Pulled Chicken Sandwiches (adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2010)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch chunks
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard (I used Dijon)
1 tablespoon molasses
Apple cider vinegar
Cumin
Chili powder
Ground black pepper
Ground ginger
Rolls and pickle chips for serving

The Recipe
1. Add all of the ingredients from chicken to pepper to a medium saucepan and stir to combine.
2. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 23 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Shred chicken with a fork.
4. Serve atop a toasted bun with a pickle chip.

Peruvian Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Peanuts

A trip to Machu Picchu is definitely on my bucket list but it’s not going to happen right now with a toddler in tow. So I’ll just have to take myself to Peru through cuisine. I just made a quick dinner that I adapted from Cooking Light Soups & Stews Tonight! The house smelled great from the peanuts and we had a hearty meal, great for a fall evening. I apologize for the lack of photos along the way but I had my kiddo on my hip during much of the cooking process so didn’t have a spare hand for the camera. But check out the final product below.

I ground up dry roasted peanuts in my mini food processor. They weren’t quite at peanut butter consistency but seemed a little moist. I thinly sliced an onion and a half then prepped my sweet potatoes, cutting them (approximately 1 pound worth) into small chunks. I heated vegetable oil in the Dutch oven on medium-high heat, then browned the onions. I added in the peanuts, 6 cups of water, yellow cornmeal, some salt, cumin, ground allspice, and the sweet potato chunks. After bringing it all to a boil, I reduced the heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. I then added in a pound and a half of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces. I again brought it to a boil then reduced heat to medium-low and let cook for 10 more minutes. I tossed in a handful of fresh cilantro and dinner was ready. The broth was so tasty. I’d recommend seasoning the chicken, maybe with a little salt and freshly ground pepper, before cooking it, to add a little more flavor. But all in all, yummy stew that I’d definitely make again.

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Peruvian Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Peanuts (adapted from Cooking Light Soups & Stews Tonight!)

Yield: 6 servings

1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion (1 1/2 medium onions)

6 cups water

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1 pound of peeled sweet potatoes, diced into cubes

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bited-sized pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

The Recipe:

1. Grind peanuts in a spice grinder or food processor until chopped into fine/medium pieces. They will be moist appearing but not peanut butter consistency

2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned.

3. Add the water, cornmeal, salt, cumin, allspice, and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.

4. Add the chicken pieces. Bring to a boil again then reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

5. Stir in 1/3 cup of fresh cilantro, roughly torn.

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