With spring just around the corner it seems fitting to spend some time doing a little spring cleaning! Now I don’t mean your cupboards, closets or attics…I mean spring cleaning those tired and, perhaps now a little boring, chicken recipes. I think on average many people have about 10 recipes that they recycle over and over — and with the average family, many of those dinner recipes involve chicken. With spring rapidly approaching now is a great time to branch out and explore some new and exciting chicken recipes that are still just as easy to make as your old favorites but will wake you up out of your winter slumber with exciting flavors and aromas.

First a word about purchasing good quality chickens…after all if you don’t start with great ingredients the taste of your final dish can be compromised. Free range chickens are chickens that are raised unconfined (by definition, a minimum pen size of 3 feet x 3 feet). Typically they are also not injected with preservatives to increase shelf life (although that doesn’t define a "free range chicken"). Who would think that would have a significant difference in taste and texture? Trust me it does. If you compare the taste and texture of free range versus commercially processed chickens you will immediately notice that the commercially processed chicken tastes as if it was injected with bleach and often the outcome is very dry meat — unlike the juicy, tender and flavorful free range chicken. Free range chickens are more and more readily available at many grocery stores and most butchers. So, the next time you are looking to have chicken for dinner, give a free range bird a try — you will never go back!

So now that we have the right chicken, let’s explore some new and exciting chicken recipes that will wake up your family’s taste buds and get them excited about "what’s for dinner" again!

Chicken & Peanut Salad

Don’t let the long list of ingredients intimidate you…this is really worth the effort of simply chopping and mixing the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup carrots, julienned
• 1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon gf soy sauce, plus 3 Tablespoons gf soy sauce, divided
• 3-1/2 teaspoons sugar, divided
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro plus about 1 Tablespoon for garnish
• 3 Tablespoons gf peanut butter
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, scallions, 1 teaspoon gf soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

In a food processor, process garlic and ginger. Scrape sides of work-bowl and add 1/4 cup cilantro; chop thoroughly. Scrape down sides of bowl again and add peanut butter, 1 tablespoon water, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 3 tablespoons gf soy sauce and 2-1/2 teaspoons sugar. Process until well combined. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.

Season chicken breasts with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place chicken in hot skillet; cook for about 2-3 minutes per side or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm; let chicken rest for 5 minutes.

Slice chicken into 1/4 inch strips and place in a large bowl. Squeeze cabbage mixture well and add to bowl containing chicken. Pour in dressing and toss well to combine. Add half of chopped peanuts; toss.

Divide salad among four salad plates and garnish with remaining peanuts and a few sprigs of cilantro. (Serves 4)

Lemon-Tarragon Roasted Chicken

This dish is a cinch to prepare and the chicken comes out very juicy with amazing flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small handful of Italian parsley
• 1 small sprig of tarragon, stemmed
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 whole free range chicken

Directions:

Place the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and olive oil in a blender and process just until the herbs are finely chopped and the mixture is somewhat emulsified. Once blended add a pinch of salt and a about _ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

Holding the chicken upright, cut down one side of the back bone, then repeat on the other side of the back bone (save the back bone for making chicken stock at another time). Lay the chicken skin-side down open it up to expose the breast bone. Cut down the center of the breast bone. You should end up with 2 chicken halves, less the back. Place the chicken halves in a shallow dish or put them in a large zip lock bag. Pour the marinade all over the chicken halves, rubbing it into every nook and cranny. Cover the chicken or seal the zip lock bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let the flavors develop — you can cook the chicken right away but the flavors will richer if you let it marinate.

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Place the chicken halves on small shallow roasting pan (large enough to accommodate the halves without them touching each other or the pan sides). Cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork and the exterior is golden and crisp. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. (Serves 4)

A delicious roasted chicken with an Asian flair.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons gf soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:

Wash and dry a whole chicken.

In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Rub mixture on inside of chicken cavity and let marinate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Set chicken in a baking pan. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour this mixture over chicken and place chicken in oven.

Baste chicken with pan juices every 15 minutes. Bake for about 1-1/2 hours or until internal temperature reaches between 175 and 180 degrees F.

Cut chicken and serve with white rice. (Serves 4)

- Glutenfreeda