Recipe: Apple cinnamon stuffing and orange marmalade chicken by David Theiss

Lately I’ve been asked a lot of questions about chicken and how they’re grown and processed. A lot of misleading information is out there about chicken. How they’re grown, what they’re fed, how they’re handled, are chemicals or growth enhancers used, how they’re processed — all great questions.

There’s an extensive amount of information out there on chicken, all pretty much saying the same thing. Chicken grown in the United States has been restricted from using any growth hormones for the last 50 years. In fact, chicken, turkeys, duck, and all pork processors have also been under that rule. So the fact meat companies say no added hormones on any labeling is just general knowledge, it also must be accompanied by a USDA disclaimer that says “federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones” on each package.

Gluten-free is also misleading. All fresh chicken along with fresh beef, pork, turkey, to name a few, are all gluten-free.

“All natural” statements on packaging simply means there are no artificial ingredients, coloring, or chemical preservatives, and processed minimally; most fresh chicken falls under this description.

“No antibiotic” statements listed on packaging with meat products may be used if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to the agency demonstrating the animals were raised without antibiotics.

And chicken labeled and sold as organic must be strictly grown within these criterion: the birds must be raised organically no later than two days after they hatch, they must be fed certified organic feed for their entire lives. Organic feed can’t contain animal by-products, antibiotics or genetically engineered grains and can’t be grown using persistent pesticides or chemical fertilizers. It’s also prohibited to give drugs, antibiotics and hormones to organic birds. And all birds must have outdoor access.

There’s a lot of great chicken products produced in the United States. We sell the best chicken available on the market today.

Chicken, a great source of protein, is lean and a versatile meat, and it can be used in all kinds of cooking. My recipe today is a favorite of my family’s. It’s easy to assemble and delicious. Enjoy!

Apple cinnamon stuffing

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup green onions

7 1/2 ounces unseasoned bread cubes

1/4 cup minute rice (if you need to use regular rice, measure 1/2 cup precooked white rice as a substitute)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 apples, peeled, sliced, cored, and cubed finely

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/4 cups apple juice

Instructions:

In a frying pan combine olive oil, butter, celery, green onions, and sauté until tender. When this mixture is tender, add apples and cinnamon, stir for two minutes. In a mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients and toss. Let sit covered in your refrigerator for at least an hour. You may make this stuffing up to 24 hours in advance. This is the same stuffing I use for stuffed pork chops.

Orange marmalade chicken

Ingredients:

4 half breasts of chicken, flattened

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 jar orange marmalade

Instructions:

Buy the four half breasts of chicken pounded flat. Ask you butcher to pound these out until they’re approximately 3/8 of an inch thick.

With each breast, salt and pepper one side of the chicken and then apply stuffing mixture over entire chicken breast, about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick; make sure it’s flat across the whole surface. Roll like you would make a cinnamon roll. Place in a baking pan with sides, and pour over the top orange marmalade, and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or until chicken comes to 160 degrees and serve.

David Theiss is owner of Butler Gourmet Meats in Carson City.