NOTE: The one-and-half-pounds of ground chicken breast and other ingredients in this recipe provide about 6 to 8 or more portions (depending on portion sizes)—and since dish keeps well in the fridge for 10 or more days, it saves time, energy and money to prepare enough for leftovers.
Feel free to improvise—we call that “jazz cooking” and find it exciting and fun. Use organic ingredients whenever possible—they taste better, are certainly best for your health and appearance and all things considered, are even more economical.
Ingredients:
1 and ½ lbs organic ground chicken breast (or turkey breast, if preferred)
1 and ½ slices of any organic bread
1 medium fennel bulb
¾ cup olive oil (more if needed)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup chopped red onion
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
A pinch of powdered ginger (optional)
1 tablespoon dry tarragon
½ teaspoon dry basil
½ teaspoon dry parsley
¼ teaspoon sweet red paprika powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper—or more if you prefer it hot
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce of preferred)
2 whole eggs, raw
Combine & Bake
1) Place ground chicken in big bowl.
2) Soak sliced bread in chicken or vegetable broth, squeeze out most of the liquid and add bread to the bowl.
3) Cover the bottom of a Pyrex glass baking dish with a generous amount of olive oil and pour the rest into the bowl.
4) Slice the fennel bulb into rings and spread them, covering the bottom of the baking dish.
5) Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well with the chicken (using your hand to knead it all together is most efficient). If it seems dry, add a bit more olive oil.
6) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7) Spread ground chicken mix over the sliced fennel in the baking dish, forming an evenly distributed loaf that approximates the shape of the baking dish—but making sure it does not touch its sides.
8) Place baking dish into the center of the oven and bake for 40-60 minutes—checking periodically to see if it is baked through, with no raw spots left, by slicing into the thickest part of the loaf, parting the two sides or even lifting out a small piece for closer inspection. Do not let loaf get dry by baking it too long.
Note: When serving the chicken loaf, make sure to include a few fennel pieces for crunch and flavoring.