Mystery basket ingredients for the main course were not all that weird this past airing.  They were whole chicken, malted soda, dried goji berries and raisin bran muffins.  Thus, the first thing I thought of was stuffed chicken, using the goji berries and muffins.  The malted soda could be used as a marinade for the chicken or part of the stuffing.  All one needed to do was to add some spices and vegetables, along with sides.  Pretty simple and that is what I might consider doing the next time I have guests over for dinner.

A raisin bran muffin could be an excellent stuffing for chicken

For my fantasy creation, I’ve decided to make mustard crusted chicken with a bran muffin, dried goji berry and malted soda stuffing.  First, I’d skin the chicken and then rub it with salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano.  In a separate bowl, I’d mix together various mustards: a tablespoon each of maple, apple, grainy and balsamic.  It will then be rubbed all over the chicken.  The chicken is then placed in a larger bowl, covered with plastic wrap and placed in the fridge for at least two hours.  While the chicken is sitting in the fridge, I’ll get the stuffing started.  The muffins are broken down into small pieces, mixed with the berries and a little bit of malted soda.  A bit of dried herbs are added to the mixture.  The chicken is then removed from the fridge and placed in a 375 F oven for two hours (or until it reaches an internal temperature of 185 F).  While the chicken is cooking, I will prepare a simple side dish of sautéed rapini and mushrooms with a bit of stewed tomatoes to give it a pop of colour.

The dried goji berries will give the stuffing a bit of tartness

Once the chicken is done, I will use the pan juices, along with some mushroom broth and chickpea flour to make a gravy.  Voila, dinner.

Image credits: Raisin bran muffin: BW Folsom; Dried goji berries: grafvision