Need More Hands, and Honey Mustard Chicken!

I’ve been remiss in my blogging, but that’s only because I’ve been SO busy designing, charting, knitting up samples, then writing patterns.  

No time to spin or weave, and barely enough time for housework!  I figure if the bathroom and kitchen are kept clean, the rest can wait until one of us can get to it.  

Cooking, however, I don’t take shortcuts on, as we have been eating only home cooked meals for many years, esp. as I need a very low salt diet, but also, eating out is pricey, and neither of us is into eating junk food.  Today’s dinner recipe is below.

Just yesterday, we were out doing a few errands and trying to find hubby a new easy chair, as his is worn down enough to make him uncomfortable, and as he has enough pains, it’s important to alleviate body stresses where we can.  

As he’s driving, and we’re chatting, I mentioned how much I love to chart new color designs, which he likened to being a kid who loved to color.  Perhaps, although charting software means we can create many versions until we find the one(s) we like best, without ever having to erase anything.   I never tire of it!

So, as soon as I got dinner on a simmer and took photos, it’s back to the computer, until I need to rest and get my feet up, then I knit on new design samples.

Honey Mustard Chicken
This has become our new favorite chicken dish.  One day I was trying to think of something new to cook, as although shake and bake chicken is easy, I am now needing my chicken ro be softer. What came to mind is the honey mustard viniagrette I make for summer green salads, even on chopped salads, and I thought, “why not?”

The recipe is easily adjusted to a smaller or larger # of chicken thighs.

Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, skin removed and trimmed of fat
1/2 lg sweet onion, like Vidalia, rough chopped
a handful of flour with S/P mixed in
olive oil
honey
mustard - we tend to have spicy brown mustard on hand, although I prefer Dijon
no-salt or low-salt chicken stock, almost a quart, bought or made
lemon juice - bottled is fine
white wine - optional, we can sometimes have a semi-sweet Riesling on hand
thyme, chives, parsley, garlic powder
cornstarch

Easy Homemade Vegetable/Chicken Stock
We always have a gallon Ziploc on the freezer door, to hold fresh or already cooked chicken bones, and veg scraps, always onion skins, carrot ends, and celery trimmings, sometimes also zucchini and mushroom trimmings.  When the bag is at least half full, into a stock pot they go, then cover with filtered water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer at least 30 mins.  Strain.  If I’m not using it all that day, it gets refrigerated until the next day, then  poured into ice cube trays to freeze, then into a freezer bag.

Toss the chicken in the flour mix, shake off excess and sauté in a generous amount of olive oil. (A splatter screen helps.)  Brown both sides.  Remove temporarily to a clean bowl.

Add the chopped onion, lower the heat a bit and sauté until somewhat softer and browned.

Pour in the stock - stand back as you pour into a hot pan!  Add a good squirt of lemon juice and a splash of white wine.

Scrape up any brown pan bits, add the honey and mustard - several TBLs of each, and the herbs and garlic powder, all to taste.  Don’t add the cornstarch.  Stir to blend.

I like a lot of flavor in the sauce, especially when pouring it over egg noodles, which soak up the flavor!

Add the chicken back to the pan, replace the splatter screen or a lid if you prefer, and simmer for 30-40 mins.

To thicken the sauce - put 1 heaping TBL cornstarch into a cup or small bowl, add a little filtered water (not hot water), then stir into a slurry.  Drizzle it into the pan a bit at a time while bringing the pan to a boil. Stop when it’s thickened to your liking.

Bon Appétit!