Balsamic Fig Glazed Chicken

This recipe was originally published to the blog in 2016. I’m giving the post an update. The sauce for this recipe is sweet and tangy. You can make this any time of year using fig jam, but I like making it in fall, when I start craving richer meals.

You never know where inspiration will find you, and this recipe is proof: some years ago, on a road trip, we stopped at a grocery store for a quick meal. I ended up ordering balsamic fig-glazed chicken from the deli counter. My expectations of the deli counter meal were low, so imagine my surprise when I took the first bite and found the glaze to be complex and full of flavor. This make-it-at-home version is far better than that deli version, a perfect dish for a dinner party on a crisp fall evening. Serve with a spicy red wine and this salad from Saveur (I use Asian Pears rather than apples for extra crunch).

Balsamic Fig Glazed Chicken

Published October 6, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Breasts also work, but I prefer thighs because they tend to stay juicier; Chicken breasts tend to take longer to cook, so adjust accordingly)

2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil)

1 medium-sized shallot

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup fig jam

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper

4-6 slices of Provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Start the sauce: Mince shallots and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in saucepan. When butter is sizzling, add shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and sauté until shallots are translucent and starting to brown.
2. Pour 1/4 cup red wine into sauce pan. Bring to simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until liquid has reduced by about half. Add 1/4 cup fig jam and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and stir to incorporate. Simmer sauce, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Season chicken generously with salt. Cook the chicken: heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. When butter is sizzling, place chicken in pan. Cook on one side, without moving, for 5-6 minutes, or until chicken easily releases from the pan (if chicken sticks, it likely needs to cook a bit longer). Spoon about half of the fig sauce over the cooked side of the chicken, and continue to cook on the second side for 5 more minutes, or until and internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F. Spoon remaining fig sauce over chicken, and top each piece with a slice of provolone. Place lid on pan, and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until cheese is melted.
4. Transfer to serving plates, and season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper.
5. Note: You can also grill the chicken if that’s more your style. The cheese will melt very quickly if you go this route, so watch closely.

Tomato Basil Soup from Canned Tomatoes

This tomato soup uses canned tomatoes, which means that even before spring’s flowers have started to show, you can zip it together.

It goes without saying that there is a lot going on in the world right now, which means that even though spring officially started last week, comfort food is still in order. This recipe is the epitome of comfort and is easy to make with supplies you have on hand.

P.S., I have gotten very in to making homemade sourdough. I started with this recipe, which I highly recommend, and have been tweaking and exploring as I go. When you have a fresh loaf sitting around, it’s hard not to want soup for dinner, just because of the bread-dipping action.

Tomato Basil Soup from Canned Tomatoes

Published March 19, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 3-4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons flour (optional, makes a thicker, creamier soup)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 28-ounce (or 2 14-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2-3 cups vegetable broth

4 sprigs thyme

Salt

Pepper

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Optional: 1/4 cup fresh basil, cut chiffonade, with one tablespoon reserved for garnish

For serving: grated Parmesan, grilled cheese, croutons, etc.

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and diced onion, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.
2. Add flour to the pot, and continue to cook, stirring, until onions are coated and just starting to brown. Add tomato paste, and stir to incorporate. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add canned diced tomatoes, thyme, and broth. Season with a generous pinch of salt, a few cracks of freshly ground pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
4. Place lid on pot, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes to incorporate flavors.
5. Using a slotted spoon or fork, remove thyme from soup. Discard.
6. Purée the soup: if you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the soup until puréed. If you have a countertop blender, ladle soup into blender jar in batches, and purée. Ensure the lid is on very well!
7. Stir sliced basil (reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish) into soup. Taste, and season as needed with additional salt, and/or pepper.
8. Ladle into bowls, and serve to your preferences (i.e., topped with parmesan, with croutons, a grilled cheese, etc).

Chicken & Rice Soup with Ginger & Toasted Sesame

This recipe is a republish from 2016, originally inspired by a lunch at a little Korean shop, and long due for an update. If you hadn’t tried this one before, now’s the time! It’s bolder and tastier than ever.

Located in an otherwise uninviting strip mall, “A Cup of Peace” is one of the few places in Boulder serving Korean food. While I have no idea what they put in their recipe for chicken soup, one bowl was enough to inspire me to make my own. An extremely simple soup, the broth is robust with umami, in part because it is doused with soy sauce and sesame oil (which is like liquid gold in the kitchen, isn’t it?).

In a time where we all need a little added comfort in our lives, chicken soup seems like a sort of staple. A healing, cozy staple. Perhaps because I haven’t eaten much of it, classic chicken noodle soup has never been my thing. But the flavors here are very much my thing. (In case you forgot already, toasted sesame oil is liquid gold status in my cupboard).

Chicken & Rice Soup with Ginger & Toasted Sesame

Published March 14, 2020 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Active Time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch ginger, minced or finely grated

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon chili garlic paste (Sambal Oelek)

1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)

1/2 cup dry white rice

1 zucchini

1 summer squash

3 stalks green onion, green and white parts sliced (roots removed)

Drizzle of toasted sesame oil

Salt to taste (Note: depending on your broth, you may not need any salt)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and ginger, and sauté a few minutes, until golden.
2. Pour broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and (optionally) fish sauce to the pot, and stir.
3. Bring soup to a simmer, and add chicken breast. Continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. (If using Instant Pot, see note below)
4. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove chicken from the broth. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Then, add it back to the soup.
5. Slice zucchini and summer squash into half-moons. Add zucchini, squash and the dried white rice to the soup, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the vegetables and rice are tender, about 15 minutes.
6. While soup is cooking, toast sesame seeds: place in a skillet over low heat. Shake the pan every minute or two to stir the seeds. Watch closely to avoid burning, and remove seeds from heat once lightly golden. Set aside.
7. Remove soup from heat. Stir, and optionally season to taste with salt (depending on your broth, you may not need any salt!). Stir in half of the green onions, and drizzle with toasted sesame oil.
8. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with additional green onions and sesame seeds. Serve.

Note: If using an Insant Pot, saute ginger and garlic in bottom of IP using Sauté setting. Add broth, soy sauce, vinegar, chii garlic sauce, fish sauce, chicken, zucchini, summer squash, and dried rice. Turn IP to Manual and set to High Pressure for 7 minutes with valve closed. Allow to naturally release for 5 minutes, then open the valve.