Chicken In Pueblan Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce Recipes

CHICKEN IN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a pot with just enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt, and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, quartered onion and herb bundle. Bring to a low boil, and then reduce the heat and poach the chicken until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, straining the stock, and then wipe the pot clean and return to the heat. Peel the skin off the chicken breasts and cover to keep warm until the sauce is ready. Dry toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until puffed and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the toasted seeds for garnish. Puree the remaining seeds in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of the stock, the chopped onion, EVOO, cumin, epazote, if using, cinnamon, tomatillos, lettuce, garlic and chiles. Transfer the pumpkin seed puree to the pot with 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the reserved chicken stock and simmer to develop flavor and thicken, 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnishreserved toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with warm corn tortillas, for wrapping, and minced red onion, for topping. If you would like to serve with a vegetable, steamed or sauteed zucchini is perfect.

PUMPKIN SEED-CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toast the pumpkin seeds and ancho powder in a saute pan on medium high heat. Remove, crush in a mortar and pestle, and place in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.
• Stuff the goat cheese underneath the chicken skin of the breast, then dredge the chicken on both sides in the mixture and remove. Heat a saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil. Place the chicken, skin side down into the pan.
• When it becomes golden, flip the chicken and place into the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with a green salad or favorite vegetables.

CHICKEN IN PUEBLAN GREEN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• What to Do 1.Poach a chicken. Strain the broth, discarding the solids, and spoon off any fat that rises to the top. 2. The pumpkin seeds: In a skillet set over medium heat, spread out the pumpkinseeds and toast, stirring regularly, until all have popped and turned golden (no darker); once they start popping, about 5 minutes. Cool on a plate; reserve some for garnish. 3. The sauce: In a blender, combine the cooled pumpkinseeds with the remaining half of the onion and garlic, the cilantro, romaine, radish leaves and green chiles. Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and blend to a smooth puree. Heat the oil in a (4-quart)saucepan over medium. Add the puree and stir constantly until very thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the broth, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes; the sauce will look coarse at this point. 4. Scrape the sauce into a blender, blend to a smooth puree; if necessary add a little extra broth to give the sauce a medium consistency. Rinse your saucepan, return the blended sauce to it, taste and season with salt. Add the chicken and warm (but don't bring to a simmer) over medium-low heat, about 10 minutes.

SPICY GRILLED CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN-SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add pumpkin seeds; cook, stirring often, until puffed, about 5 minutes. Add lettuce, vinegar, and 1 cup water; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until lettuce is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a blender; add cilantro. Blend on high speed until sauce is very smooth, about 3 minutes. Thin sauce with 2 to 4 tablespoons more water, if needed (it should be pourable).
• Meanwhile, heat grill to medium high; oil grates. Rub chicken with remaining tablespoon oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with sauce.

CRISPY CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SPINACH-AND-GREEN-PUMPKIN-SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the sauce: Bring a large kettle 2/3 full of lightly salted water to a boil and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Immediately drain and plunge the spinach into a large bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, drain the spinach and squeeze it with your hands to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a blender and add the seeds, tarragon, parsley, garlic, zest and stock. Season with salt and pepper and process until very smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Set aside.
• To make the chicken, halve each breast. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of each in 3 places and sprinkle each breast with a pinch of red-pepper flakes and salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 large, heavy skillets, preferably cast iron, over high heat until very hot. Spray or brush skin side of each breast with olive oil and place skin-side down in one of the skillets. Spray the top of the breasts with oil and place the second skillet on top of the breasts, weighing it down with a foil-covered brick or a similar weight. Lower the heat to medium and cook until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes depending on thickness.
• To serve, gently heat the sauce over low heat. Pour a pool of sauce on each of 4 dinner plates. Slice the chicken breasts on the bias and fan the slices over the sauce and serve immediately with mashed beans or mashed potatoes.

GREEN PIPIAN

Steps:

• Heat a heavy Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Wait until you hear one pop, then stir constantly until they have puffed and popped, and smell toasty. They should not get any darker than golden or they will taste bitter. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
• Place the cooled pumpkin seeds in a blender and add the tomatillos, chiles, lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cover the blender and blend the mixture until smooth, stopping the blender to stir if necessary.
• Heat the oil in the Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a bit of the pumpkin seed mixture and if it sizzles, add the rest. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. It will splutter, so be careful. Hold the lid of the pot above the pot to shield you and your stove from the splutters. Add the remaining chicken stock, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. For a silkier sauce, blend again in batches.

PUEBLAN GREEN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large 12-inch heavy skillet set over medium heat, spread out the pumpkin seeds and toast, stirring regularly,until all have popped and turned golden. About 5 minutes. Spread out on a plate to cool; reserve a couple of tablespoons for garnish. In a blender, combine the cooled pumpking seeds, onion, garlic, the cilantro, romaine, radish leaves and green chiles. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and blend to a smooth puree. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the puree and stir constantly until very thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 more cups of the broth, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes; the sauce will look coarse at this point. Scrape the sauce into a blender, loosely cover and blend to a smooth puree; if necesary add a little extra broth to give the sauce a medium consistency. Rinse the saucepan, return the blended sauce to it, taste and season with salt. Sauce may be prepared a couple of days ahead Ladle over MARGARITA CHICKEN and decorate with the additional pumpkin seeds and cilantro sprigs.