Happy National Chicken Month! Yes, we have another food holiday to celebrate and given that chicken is my favorite protein to cook (and eat), I have my party hat on!

According to an article published by the Huffington Post in January of this year, "Chicken is more popular than beef for the first time in 100 years."

In the 1950s, we Americans were eating about 16 pounds per person per year. Then the upward trend began: we were consuming about 53 pounds by the year 2000, and 12 years later, that number climbed to about 60 pounds per person annually.

It seems every culture eats chicken in some form. This week's column offers recipes from Thailand, Vietnam, France, Italy, Mexico, Greece, India, and the good old USA.

Thai Coconut Chicken

1 cup light coconut milk

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

2 tsp. Thai Chile paste

1/2 tsp. sugar

2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Combine coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, fresh ginger, Thai Chile paste, sugar, and sliced shallots. Reserve 1/2 cup coconut mixture; pour re­maining coconut mixture in a zippy bag. Add chicken and seal. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Cook chicken (in grill pan on stove top or on gas or charcoal grill) 6-7 minutes per side or until meat thermometer registers 160-165 F. Serve with reserved coconut sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

Vietnamese Chicken & Noodle Salad

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 oz. wide rice noodles

1/2 cup unseasoned rice-wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

2-1/2 tsp. sugar

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 English cucumber, halved, seeded and thinly sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup slivered fresh basil

1/2 cup finely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

Place chicken in a large skillet and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan and shred into bite sized strips.

Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Combine vinegar, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add chicken, noodles, cabbage, cucumber, carrot, basil and peanuts; toss to combine and serve immediately. Yield: 4-6 servings.

COQ AU VIN

FOR THE WINE REDUCTION:

3 cups dry red wine

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

6 sprigs fresh parsley

FOR THE CHICKEN:

1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

4 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided use

1 Tbsp. butter, divided use

FOR THE SAUCE:

5 strips bacon, chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped fine

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

12 oz. whole small mushrooms (cut in half if large)

1-1/2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

To prepare wine reduction: Combine wine, bay leaf, thyme and parsley in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low; cook until reduced to 2 cups. Strain and discard herbs. Set wine aside.

To prepare chicken: Cut chicken thighs into 4 inch pieces. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in mixture and set aside. Add 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp. butter to a Dutch oven or other large pan set over medium high heat. When hot, add half of the chicken pieces; cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Repeat, adding remaining 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp. butter to the pan to cook remaining chicken. Transfer chicken to a plate; keep warm.

To prepare the sauce: Add chopped bacon to Dutch oven set over medium high heat; cook until crisp. Remove from pan with slotted spoon. Drain bacon fat into a small dish and measure out 1 Tbsp. and return to pan. (Discard any remaining bacon fat.) Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter to drippings in the pan; when hot, add carrot, onion, garlic, mushrooms and pearl onions. Cook 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add wine reduction and tomato paste; stir to combine. Bring to a boil and add chicken stock mixed with cornstarch. Cook 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low; add reserved chicken and bacon and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Yield: 6 servings.

ChickEN with Pepperoni-Marinara Sauce

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

16 slices pepperoni, coarsely chopped

1/4 tsp. dried Italian spice blend

1-1/2 cups marinara sauce (purchased or homemade)

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 lb. chicken cutlets

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat broiler to high.

Put garlic and pepperoni in a medium saucepan coated with non-stick cooking spray set over medium high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add spice blend; cook 30 seconds. Add marinara sauce and increase heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in basil.

Add oil to a large ovenproof skillet set over medium-high heat. Season chicken with pepper and cook 3 minutes each side or until golden brown. Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella. Place under a preheated broiler (highest heat) for 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Yield: 4 servings.

Mexican Casserole

1-1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

1 lb. shredded cooked chicken breast

1 can (15-1/2 oz.) chick peas, rinsed and drained

1 can (15-1/2 oz.) kidney beans, drained

1 can (15-1/4 oz.) corn kernels, drained

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 cup prepared salsa (your choice of heat)

1 cup chopped red onion

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

1-1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 cup sour cream

5 green onions, diced

1/4 cup sliced black olives

Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; add crushed tortilla chips in an even layer. Set aside. Combine chicken, chick peas, beans, corn, tomato sauce, salsa, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place half the mixture evenly on top of the tortilla chips. Combine the 2 cheeses and then sprinkle half over the chicken mixture. Add the remaining half of the chicken and bean mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with tomatoes, sour cream, green onions and black olives for topping. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Spanakopita-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 small lemon, divided use

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided use

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 pkg. (10-oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 bone-in chicken breast halves

1/2 tsp. salt

2 lemons, halved

Squeeze 2 Tbsp. juice from small lemon; reserve. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 4-6 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Add spinach, feta cheese, dill, 1 Tbsp. of the reserved lemon juice, nutmeg, and pepper to skillet; stir to combine.

Using your fingers, gently separate chicken skin from each breast half along the rib edge to make a pocket. Season chicken with salt. Spoon one-fourth of the stuffing mixture under skin of each breast half; press down to create an even layer.

Place chicken, bone sides down, in a 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray; add lemon halves to pan. Combine remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and remaining 1 Tbsp. reserved lemon juice; drizzle over chicken. Bake, uncovered in a preheated 375 F oven, for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Yield: 4 servings.

Tandoori-Spiced Chicken

1-1/2 cups plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. grated onion

1 Tbsp. grated peeled fresh ginger (do not use dried ginger)

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine yogurt, onion, ginger, oil, cumin, cayenne, turmeric and garlic in a large zippy bag. Add chicken to bag and seal. Refrigerate for 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove chicken from marinade; sprinkle both sides with salt and place in a broiler-safe pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat broiler to highest temperature. Place pan in lower third of oven and cook chicken for 7 minutes; turn chicken and continue cooking for 7-8 minutes more or until cooked through. Yield: 4 servings.

GOOD OLD AMERICAN OVEN FRIED CHICKEN WINGS

6 Tbsp. butter

2/3 cup dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup buttermilk*

2 lbs. chicken wings

Put butter in a 15-1/2 by 10-1/2-inch roasting pan; place in a preheated 425 F oven until butter melts. Remove from oven and swirl butter to coat pan bottom. Combine breadcrumbs, flour, salt, and garlic powder in a zippy bag; close and shake to combine. Pour buttermilk into a small bowl. Dip each chicken wing into the buttermilk and then into the crumb mixture, coating all surfaces. Place wings in the melted butter, turning to coat evenly. Bake (oven still at 425 F) 30-35 minutes or until chicken wings are crispy and cooked through. Yield: 4 servings

*To make 1 cup buttermilk: Place 1 Tbsp. white vinegar or lemon juice in a 1 cup measure. Add enough milk to equal a total of 8 oz. Stir well; let stand 5 minutes. Use in any recipe calling for buttermilk.