Chicken With Pumpkin Seeds And Popcorn Recipes

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 WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS AND POPCORN

Steps:

• Toast almonds in a dry skillet over low heat, shaking until golden. Add pumpkin seeds and toast for a few minutes but don't burn.
• Place nuts and seeds in a food processor with popcorn, garlic, chilies, salt, chile powder, cocoa, coriander and pepper. Grind to a fine textured paste.
• In skillet, heat 3 T sunflower oil over medium high heat. Add chicken that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown chicken and remove from skillet.
• Add sliced onion to pan with chicken broth. Heat to boiling and slowly whisk in nut paste to make a gravy styled sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened and reduced. Whisk from time to time so that the nut paste does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Add chicken pieces back to pan and simmer over low heat for 20-40 minutes until cooked.
• To reheat: I left this in the skillet, covered it with foil and refrigerated it. Then I brought this back to room temperature, and reheated it covered in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until gravy was bubbly. If you do want to reheat it, err on the side of chicken being a touch under cooked when you remove it from the stove top.

CHICKEN TENDERS WITH PUMPKIN, SESAME AND POPPY SEED BREADING

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a separate large baking sheet with paper towels and a wire rack.
• Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix the flour with 2 teaspoons of the seasoned salt in a large shallow bowl and set aside. Whisk the egg in a large shallow bowl and set aside. Combine the panko, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds in a large shallow bowl and set aside.
• Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (it should be about 1 inch deep) until it registers 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• While the oil is heating up, bread the chicken in small batches. First, place the chicken in the flour mixture, coating each tender evenly and dusting off any excess flour. Then place the chicken in the egg wash, making sure each tender is covered. Place the tenders in the panko mixture, rolling the chicken so each tender has a nice coating. Be sure not to overcrowd the bowls with chicken, as you want each tender properly coated. Place the breaded chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Cook the chicken until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 4 to 6 minutes on each side. If the chicken is browning too fast, lower the heat. Place the cooked chicken on the wire rack and serve hot.

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.