Chicken Breasts With Pumpkin Seed Crust Recipes

PUMPKIN SEED BAKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place first five ingredients and 3 tablespoons of the pumpkin seeds in a shallow bowl. Finely chop remaining pumpkin seeds; stir into cracker mixture. In another shallow bowl, whisk together egg, honey and lemon juice. Dip both sides of chicken in egg mixture, then in crumb mixture, patting to adhere., Bake on a greased baking sheet until a thermometer reads 165°, 30-35 minutes.

PUMPKIN SEED CRUSTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Chop the pumpkin seeds finely or add to a food processor with salt, parmesan, oregano, and paprika. Transfer to a plate.
• Brush or rub roughly 1 tablespoon of oil on each chicken breast. Coat the chicken in the pumpkin seed mixture, pressing to adhere. Place the crusted chicken onto a plate. Repeat for all the chicken breasts.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, doing in batches if too crowded, cooking for 5 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked depending on the thickness of chicken.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve immediately.

CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN-SEED MOLE

Steps:

• Place chicken in a 4-quart pot, and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, and cover.
• Place serrano and poblano chiles directly over the flame of a gas-stove burner on high heat. Roast, turning with tongs, until blackened all over. (Alternatively, broil chiles on a baking sheet, turning often, until skin has charred.) Transfer chiles to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand for 15 minutes. Peel chiles, and remove stems, seeds, and ribs.
• Process roasted chiles, onion, garlic, cilantro leaves, 1/2 cup pepitas, cumin, oregano, and 1/2 cup stock in a blender until a coarse paste forms.
• Heat oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add paste, and cook, stirring constantly, until very thick, about 9 minutes. (Reduce heat if mixture begins to scorch.) Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups of stock into paste until incorporated. Let mixture cool slightly, then transfer to blender. Add salt and lime juice. Process until sauce is smooth.
• Place chicken in a clean 4-quart pot, and cover with sauce. Cook over medium-low heat until just heated through, about 10 minutes. (Do not simmer.)
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Distribute evenly among plates, spoon sauce on top, and garnish with cilantro sprigs and remaining 2 tablespoons pepitas. Serve with rice if desired.

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.

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.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN SEED SALSA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with the cumin, coriander, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spiced oil all over the chicken pieces and place on a foil-lined shallow-rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and crisp and a thermometer inserted into the thickest parts registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, toast the pepitas in a large dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the cilantro, lime juice, chiles, onions, remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt and toss together.
• 3. Arrange the chicken pieces on a platter and serve with the bowl of salsa on the side, accompanied by Mexican rice and black beans.

CHICKEN WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS

Steps:

• Put chicken in a pot in which it fits snugly, with salt, pepper, carrot, onion, celery and water to barely cover. Cover, bring to boil and adjust heat for a steady simmer. Cook until chicken is almost done, about 40 minutes. (It's all right if some traces of blood remain.)
• Meanwhile, toast seeds, if not already toasted, in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking and stirring constantly for a minute or two, until seeds start to puff. (Overcooking will make sauce bitter; seeds may pop.)
• Remove chicken; strain and reserve stock. Cool chicken, remove meat from bones, shred by hand. (This can all be done a day or so in advance.) Soak chilies in 3 cups of hot stock until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove stems and seeds and put the flesh in a blender, with pumpkin seeds, garlic and enough stock to let machine work; purée.
• Combine the sauce, chicken, the liquid in which the chilies soaked, and about a cup of the remaining stock (or a little water) in saucepan and cook gently until heated through and thick, 10 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and, just before serving, some lime juice. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with white rice.

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.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PUMPKIN SEED CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing and stirring, until they have a wonderful toasty smell, start to brown, and pop around in the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes. When the seeds are completely cool, put them in a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces, or put them in a plastic bag, and pound them lightly with a rolling pin. Put the chopped pumpkin seeds in a pie plate. Add the cumin, mix, and reserve. 2. Put each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, one at a time, to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper, and rub about 1/2 teaspoon of oil over each breast. Coat the smooth side of each chicken breast with the chopped pumpkin seeds, and place seed side up on a plate. Press the seeds firmly with the palm of your hand to help them adhere to the chicken. 3. Heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet, over medium heat, and cook the chicken breasts, seed sides down, until the meat appears white all around the outside edges, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken carefully with a spatula and cook until no longer pink in the thickest part, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve hot.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PUMPKIN SEED CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing and stirring, until they have a wonderful toasty smell, start to brown, and pop around in the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes. When the seeds are completely cool, put them in a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces, or put them in a plastic bag, and pound them lightly with a rolling pin. Put the chopped pumpkin seeds in a pie plate. Add the cumin, mix, and reserve. 2. Put each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, one at a time, to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper, and rub about 1/2 teaspoon of oil over each breast. Coat the smooth side of each chicken breast with the chopped pumpkin seeds, and place seed side up on a plate. Press the seeds firmly with the palm of your hand to help them adhere to the chicken. 3. Heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet, over medium heat, and cook the chicken breasts, seed sides down, until the meat appears white all around the outside edges, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken carefully with a spatula and cook until no longer pink in the thickest part, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve hot.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.