Monday, March 16, 2020

Sous Vide Chicken for Salads and other dishes.

I joined a new blogger group, called Multicooker Monday.    I actually missed the first month, sigh.  But I'm totally joining in this month.
I got a Sous Vide a couple of months ago, and am playing with it, and learning the ins and outs of a new toy.

Couple of things to note with a Sous Vide- you need to plan ahead, way ahead.  Cause everything takes hours to cook, but on the other hand, even though you can cook something for hours, the temperature you set the Sous Vide at, is exactly the temperature the protein or item you're cooking will go to.

I'm still learning my beef temps, but the last shoulder roast I cooked, was so tender, but was also a touch too rare for my DH, perfect for me though.  And the meat was so tender. OMG, it was good.

However, I like cooking up chicken breasts and having them in either the fridge or freezer for a quick meal, either as part of the salad or to top some greens or one of my favorites, Chicken Quesadilla.

So, as my contribution here, I present some Sous Vide Chicken Breasts.

I seasoned them very lightly, actually I used a dry chicken soup base which has no salt in it.
I like keeping this on hand, it's called Herb Ox and makes a quick cup or so of chicken flavored boullion for when you're in a hurry.  I also use it to season chicken or to add a little more oomph to my home made chicken stock.  It's a good flavour booster.  

Now that the chicken has been cooked, it's time to transform them.

I want to note, that I cooked 2 chicken breast halves, for 2 hours from frozen.
Yup, frozen.   See that's one of the fun things about a Sous Vide.  You can just plunk your frozen meat into a bag, season it, seal it, taking all the air out of the bag, then cook it and walk away for a period of time.  I'm told that chicken can cook at 145 degrees in the water for up to 4 hours, but it can get mushy after that.  From everything I read, optimum is 2 hours.

After cooking the chicken, you can freeze it in the bag you cooked it in, and then just take it out when ready.
I generally do a meal plan for the week, and take out any protein to thaw in the fridge every couple of days.
But for this time, I chopped one of the breasts up and used them in some Chicken Quesadillas for dinner. 
and here they are in their lovely melty goodness.  I didn't get a shot of the Creme Fraiche I also had on the plate, but I usually serve these with some salsa on the side. 
And here's a few more ideas for you to look at, from Instant Pots to Slow Cookers to Sous Vide.

Multicooker Monday
Recipes for Instant Pots, Slow Cookers, Sous Vide and More!
March 2020 Recipes
Pressure Cooker & Instant Pot Recipes:
Slow Cooker Recipes:
Sous Vide Recipes:
Tell your friends about #MulticookerMonday! We post each month on the third Monday with trusted recipes for your favorite small appliances!
Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

10 comments:

  1. Such a great idea to cook the chicken up and plunk it straightaway into the freezer.

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    1. I've been cooking chicken and freezing it for years to use in a later meal, the Sous Vide kept the chicken breast nicely moist and tender.

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  2. Love ideas like this to have such a versatile ingredient cooked up and ready to go whenever you need it!

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    1. It's always nice to be able to reach into the freezer and grab something to make a quick meal out of.

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  3. I am glad this group started as I knew very little about sous vide prior to these recipes.

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    1. I'm still learning this new to me, method of cooking but I think I like it. Just gotta plan ahead a little. I'm loving learning about Instant Pots as well, I may have to look at getting one.

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  4. Oh goodness those quesadillas look incredible. Welcome to the group!

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    1. Thanks, they were good, one of my faves. And thanks for the welcome, I'm looking forward to learning more.

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  5. One of the cuts of chicken I rarely use is boneless skinless chicken breasts because they so easily dry out. As you discovered, using a sous vide cooker solves that problem! Your chicken would be great to add to a stir-fry or top a salad as well. Or to make chicken salad!

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    1. Bonus when doing it Sous Vide, you can just freeze the chicken right in the bag, no need for additional packaging. And... the chicken stays nice and moist. Just need to plan ahead when using a Sous Vide.

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