Wk 7/Meal 1: Fixing Leeks

It seems like chicken and leeks are flavor friends. There are a lot of recipes out there that use the same basic principle: chicken sauteed with leeks and white wine. I also saw a lot of recipes for "cockaleekie", but a) at this point I don't care enough about soup to spend a lot of time making it, and b) that name makes me cringe and I want to pretend I never saw it.

Rachael Ray (more cringing) has a good chicken recipe and the name isn't even that horrible.

She serves it over couscous but I still had zucchini left and was interested in trying a suggestion from my dear sister-in-law: using thin strips of zucchini in place of pasta.

My brother is sensitive to gluten and my sister has Celiac disease, so I've become aware of the risks of a high-gluten diet and try to use wheat-free alternatives when I can.

Leek-y Chicken

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 pounds chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 medium leeks or 1 large leek
1 cup dry white wine

Directions
1] Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the chicken in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 3 to 4 minutes.
2] While the chicken works, trim the tough tops and root ends from the leeks. Cut the remaining white and tender green parts in half lengthwise, then cut the leek into 1-inch half-moons. Place the leeks in a colander and run cold water over them. Separate the layers to release the dirt and grit. Rinse the leeks well, then drain.
3] Stir the leeks into the chicken and wilt for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and let it cook down by half, 3 to 4 minutes. The leeks should be tender, with some bright green color, and the chicken should be cooked through.

Zucchini Pasta

One large zucchini (serves two)

Directions:
1] Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini into long, flat noodles
2] Boil some salted water, and add the noodles to the water to cook for about 1 minute.
3] Take out and immediately blanch in cold water, or cold running water, to prevent overcooking

***

Verdict: While each of the two elements had its own merit, I'm not sure it was a good pairing.

I should have anticipated that the sauce of the chicken would be a thin, clear broth-- better suited for a side that would soak it up, like couscous or rice (+1 Rachael).

The zucchini pasta was easy and fun and pretty good. I think I overcooked it and it was sorta slimy and clumped together and lukewarm. If it was tossed with a heavy sauce --like a hearty marinara-- this would have prevented the clumping and sufficiently warmed it.

I'd make both recipes again... just not together. Cockaleekizucchi will not go down in recipe history.