By Lisa Golden Schroeder

I’ve talked before about cleaning out my wild collection of condiments that seems to multiply like Easter rabbits. It’s easy to think about them as a bunch of partially empty jars and bottles, but I view them as my own kitchen crew—the hard-working staff that a chef leans on to prepare the complex sauces and seasonings for their nightly restaurant magic. With just a spoonful of tangy mustard or a splash of seasoned vinegar, I can transform a sautéed chicken breast into something more than dinner in a dash.

Think about strategically building your own pantry of kitchen magic—a collection (defined as a gathering of organized objects!) of ingredients that taste really good to you and your family. Condiments (again, by definition, something that flavors food) that in interesting combinations add more color, texture, aroma to basic ingredients, like chicken, pasta, sandwiches, or whatever you throw on the grill. And what you chose can instantly transform dishes into whatever global cuisine your family loves—it doesn’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time.

So here’s are a handful of my own takes on condiment cuisine for quick chicken dishes—adding bold flavors, ones you’ll find on the dining tables or in cupboards all over the world.

Spiced Salsa Chicken: sauté boneless chicken breasts until golden; stir in tomato salsa, a spoonful of honey, a sprinkle of ground cumin and cinnamon (this is a long-time favorite riff on a cooking contest winner).

Deviled Drumsticks: coat chicken with Dijon mustard, then roll in dry bread crumbs or panko seasoned with a pinch of lemon pepper and garlic salt.  Drizzle with olive oil and roast at 400˚F for about 40 minutes or until no longer pink at the bone.

Smoky Honey-Glazed Chicken: mix 1/3 cup honey with a tablespoon of smoked paprika (easy to find, terrific for adding a smoky flavor boost); brush onto a cut-up whole bird during the last 15 minutes of grilling.

Sweet ‘n Tangy Chicken Thighs: sauté boneless thighs or breasts until browned; stir in apricot or peach preserves with a spoonful of balsamic vinegar. OR try some raspberry jam + a spoonful of red wine vinegar—the vinegar cuts the sweetness and adds a different layer of flavor. Or try orange marmalade + some soy sauce + chopped green onions…

Quesadillas Verde: spread a layer of refried black beans on small flour tortillas; top with shredded leftover roast chicken or quickly sautéed chicken tenders, crumbled feta or some shredded pepper Jack cheese, and a healthy spoonful of jarred salsa verde. Top with another tortilla; brush with olive oil. Bake at 350˚F or cook in a skillet until golden and cheese is melted.  Cut into wedges. (Chicken thighs baked with salsa verde and feta cheese are really a treat, served with warm buttered corn tortillas…)

Orange Curry Chicken: mix 3 tablespoons red curry paste with ½ cup orange juice concentrate. Brush on a whole chicken while it roasts at 425˚F. Another twist? Mix bottled teriyaki or hoisin sauce, some almond or peanut butter, a splash of orange juice and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Chile Chicken Salad: mix leftover roasted chicken with some jarred mayo, a squeeze of Sriracha chile sauce or a large spoonful of chopped up canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (a spiced vinegar blend), chopped red onion, maybe a bit of celery. Spoon into a crusty roll or make chicken melts on English muffins, topped with juicy tomato slices and smoked Mozzarella.

Lisa Golden Schroeder

Just about every cuisine has a traditional version of a dish centered on chicken and rice. With the rice part being the inexpensive carrier of flavorful bits and pieces—chicken or other meats if it’s available and affordable, herbs, spices, or whatever else is plentiful. These dishes range from extremely humble to extravagant spreads taken to a high art, like the Indonesian rijsttafel (which means “rice table” in Dutch). I know I’m most familiar with good old American-style baked chicken and rice (yeah, the one with canned cream of chicken soup), but because of my western roots, Spanish-style rice dishes were a staple when I was growing up.

The best part of any recipe featuring flavored rice and chicken is that it can be just everyday wholesome and economical, or be transformed into something more fanciful for guests—with the same amount of work. A big pan of paella, a wonderfully flexible rice-based dish from Spain, will feed a crowd and can be filled with chicken, seafood, chorizo sausage, vegetables, whatever you desire. And a few luxurious strands of saffron turn the rice golden, an enticing foil for the other ingredients. A pot of Asian fried rice, with crispy edges, is an addictive way to make sure you don’t have any leftovers in the fridge. While an Indian-style chicken biryani for supper allows you freedom to experiment in the spice cupboard.

Arroz con Pollo, a comforting one-skillet dinner, is probably the unofficial dish of many Latin American countries. This version is straightforward and reliable—with tender, smoky chicken drumsticks and a bed of rice nicely seasoned with chili powder and tomatoes and studded with corn and sugar snap peas.

“Arroz con pollo” just means rice with chicken—and variations on this classic combination are a staple all over Latin America. It’s economical and wonderfully flexible; switch up the seasonings as you like and add bits of vegetables or herbs to the rice that you have on hand. I personally loved smoked paprika, so use a good dusting in the rub for the chicken. But a dash of hot chipotle chili powder would give a nice jolt and smoky aroma to the dish as well. In Spain, a pinch of saffron is often stirred into the rice to give it a yellow color and lovely fragrance. If you decide to use brown rice you may want to add an extra ¼ cup broth.

ARROZ CON POLLO (Spanish Rice)

Makes 4 servings

CHICKEN

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 package (20 ounces) Just Bare® Chicken Drumsticks

RICE

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium white onion, chopped

4 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 medium jalapeño chiles, stemmed, thinly sliced

1-1/2 cups long-grain white or brown rice

2-1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup sugar snap peas, halved crosswise

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix 2 teaspoons chili powder, paprika, and salt in small bowl. Rub chicken with seasonings.
• Heat oil in a large cast-iron or 2-inch-deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté, turning once, about 10 minutes or until browned. Remove to a plate.
• Add onion, garlic, and chiles to skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add rice and remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes with juice, and corn. Bring mixture to a boil.
• Arrange chicken on top of rice. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook about 25 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink near bone. Stir peas in during last 5 minutes of cooking.

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

Okay, so what does sustainability really mean? As a word, it’s been tossed around almost as much as “green living” or “eco-friendly”. I’m working on what exactly I need to do to make a real impact in this new world of sustainability. There’s a passion (or obsession for some) behind the idea of what it all means—that all of our choices should relate directly to where and from whom we buy our food, and how its growth or production affects the environment, the economy, our communities, and everyone’s quality of life.

At the risk of sounding way too serious (or virtuous), I think sustainable cooking and eating is all about simplicity. Food is a basic necessity. It’s something we all deal with in some way everyday. But it’s pretty easy to find ourselves removed from what’s become a very complex process of food production. We rarely, if ever, sit around the dinner table discussing who grew our vegetables or how our meat was raised. But I know this should be part of my awareness. Maybe my kids don’t want to chat about it every night, but how about doing more role modeling?

So within the realities of busy life, what’s doable?

• Celebrate the beauty and great taste of local, seasonal ingredients. Nothing tastes better than food that’s eaten at its peak freshness—and costs a lot less than food that’s shipped in, often out of season.
• Learn about the source of ingredients—the way they’re grown, raised or caught. Buy from purveyors who use conservation practices that lessen their impact on the environment. I think, too, about the energy I use to store and cook food—and try to be as efficient as I can (I’ve got to stop turning the oven on to pre-heat, then get distracted and let it heat for much longer then necessary).
• Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this summer or work with a local farmer who can shower you with seasonal produce (gotta love unlimited fresh greens or fabulous root veggies, still a bit mucky with garden dirt). Head out to a farmers market or stop at a corner farm stand.
• Read labels; find out what ingredients or additives are in the food you feed your family. And vote with your dollars.
• Plant a garden and/or help set up a school or a community garden. And complete the cycle by composting and recycling.

I think the connections become clear—a little gardening with kids, taking time to really cook, and buying regional foods—then we’re supporting strong local economies, maintaining and respecting community traditions, fostering land stewardship, and protecting the future of family farms. And with each step we gain momentum that does become self-sustaining—and we shouldn’t be too busy to slow down and take that first step.

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

One of my favorite stories as a kid (maybe this was a sign of my future life in the food biz) was the one about the village making Stone Soup. There’s something so poetic about the idea of every person bringing one ingredient to add to the soup pot, really just a little something to bolster the magic of the “soup stone.” Ending up with a savory mélange, swimming in a fragrant broth. Truly the sum being so much more than its parts. And that’s how I think of making my own huge pot of chicken broth (or stock—it’s just a matter of minor semantics as to the difference).

I’m a brewer (did you know that that’s what “broth” means?) of soups year ‘round—thick, robust mixtures in the depths of winter, then lighter potages in the spring and summer—but most begin with a nice, flavorful chicken broth. I do have some favorite off-the-shelf products, but having some of my homestyle broth in the freezer is like money in the bank. There’s really not much to the process of making your own—just a little time on a day when you’ve got other important projects at home, like starting your spring cleaning or doing your taxes (just kidding). Depending on the amount of time you have, you could consider making a dark, rich chicken stock—this relies on roasting chicken pieces or bones in the oven, before simmering them for a few hours on the stovetop. Or for the version I’m most fond of, I sauté some chopped onions in the soup kettle until they begin to brown, then add a chopped up whole chicken (which you could also brown in the pot before adding water), an assortment of aromatic vegetables, and a few herbs. Cover with water and start cleaning out that hall closet.

The latest, and coolest, idea I’ve seen for freezing those precious quarts of liquid gold is to pour the chilled broth into muffin cups. Once frozen, pop them out and put into 1-quart plastic bags. Then you’ve got about ½-cup portions that will thaw quickly and are just the right amount if you need a bit of broth for a sauce or a cup or two for a summer soup. If you think you’ll need larger portions, then freeze in rigid-sided freezer containers or in 1-gallon bags that can be frozen flat and stacked (this is a very organized solution that I have yet to do, but I encourage you to!) So hop to it so you’re ready for the next cold spell or when the early farmers markets open…and invite some friends to bring an ingredient to make that magical soup.

Making your own fresh chicken broth is just as easy as popping a pot roast in the oven on a Sunday afternoon—just figure you can go organize your pantry or read a book while it’s simmering away on the stove!

HOMESTYLE CHICKEN BROTH

Makes 2 to 2-1/2 quarts broth; about 3 cups cooked chicken

BOUQUET GARNI

4 large sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 spring fresh rosemary, if desired

BROTH

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 package (3.5 to 4 pounds) Just BARE® Whole Chicken, cut up

3 stalks celery, with leaves, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 medium carrots or parsnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 leeks, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

6 cloves garlic, peeled, lightly smashed with side of knife blade

8 black peppercorns

4 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

Coarse salt to taste (begin with 1 teaspoon)

About 3 quarts (12 cups) water (enough to just cover ingredients)

INSTRUCTIONS

• To make bouquet garni, tie herb sprigs together with kitchen twine.
• Heat oil in large stockpot (6- to 8-quart) over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until it begins to brown.
• Add chicken and remaining broth ingredients to pot, along with bouquet garni. Reduce heat to low, cover, and slowly heat until liquid is simmering (just below boiling). Uncover; skim foam off surface as it rises to the top. Simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• Lift chicken pieces from broth; cool. Remove skin and pull meat from bones. Return the skin and bones to the pot. Continue simmering broth, uncovered, for 2 hours longer. Shred or chop chicken meat; use in soups, salads, or sandwiches.
• After 2 hours, remove stockpot from heat; cool 30 minutes. Strain broth through a wire mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, discarding solids. Season broth with more salt, if desired. Cover and refrigerate until the fat in the broth solidifies on the surface.
• Lift off fat; refrigerate for up to 3 days (to make soup!) or freeze for 4 to 6 months.