Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Pasta with Chicken and Zucchini

Today was one of those days when I had no idea what to do with the two chicken breasts I defrosted for dinner. There is work being done outside our condo so it's a pain to get to the grill right now and it's been so hot that I didn't want to turn on the oven. After a quick peek in my fridge, freezer and pantry I came up with this. It's so simple that I wondered if it was blog worthy. It's basically a chicken and veggie saute served over pasta. Not that impressive but very delicious. If you notice in the photo there are two different types of pasta there. I had a little bit of penne in an open box and a little gemelli in another. So I used the cooking times on the back of the box. I threw the gemelli in first and then a minute or so later added in the penne. It was fine that way and I've done it before. If you just put it in at the same time you may end up with some pasta that's over cooked or some pasta that's not cooked enough. Different shapes have different cooking times.

If you don't like zucchini or artichoke hearts substitute them with something else. Cannelini beans would be great here, chick peas, eggplant too. Use your favorite combo or try something new!



Chicken with Zucchini and Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients:

1 pound of short pasta, penne, ziti, rigatoni, etc.
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium zucchini, quaretered lenthwise and then cut into chunks
10 frozen artichoke hearts
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
handful of frozen peas
handful of fresh basil, torn
handful of kalamata olives
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbsp tomato paste
chicken broth
extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder, saute in mixture of butter and a little oil until brown. Remove and set aside. Add in a little more oil if your pan is dry and saute onion in olive oil, add zucchini and leave it a lone for a minute until it browns a little, add garlic and let cook for a minute or so and then add artichoke hearts. They won't really brown but will soften. (*See Note) Add tomato paste and stir, let it cook for a minute. Deglaze pan with wine and scrape up any browned bits that stuck to the pan. When liquid reduces add chicken broth a little at a time to get the consistency of sauce you want. Add kalamata olives, salt and pepper and let cook for about 20 minutes. Add cooked chicken and peas to the pan and stir. Chicken is already cooked so just let it simmer for a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

While sauce is cooking, boil water for pasta, season well with salt. When sauce is almost ready drop the pasta. When pasta is al dente toss with sauce and serve.

*note - I used some fresh tomatoes but they weren't ripe enough and didn't do anything for the dish so I didn't put it in the recipe. However, if you have beautiful ripe plum tomatoes you could add them here.




Pasta with Chicken and Zucchini

Today was one of those days when I had no idea what to do with the two chicken breasts I defrosted for dinner. There is work being done outside our condo so it's a pain to get to the grill right now and it's been so hot that I didn't want to turn on the oven. After a quick peek in my fridge, freezer and pantry I came up with this. It's so simple that I wondered if it was blog worthy. It's basically a chicken and veggie saute served over pasta. Not that impressive but very delicious. If you notice in the photo there are two different types of pasta there. I had a little bit of penne in an open box and a little gemelli in another. So I used the cooking times on the back of the box. I threw the gemelli in first and then a minute or so later added in the penne. It was fine that way and I've done it before. If you just put it in at the same time you may end up with some pasta that's over cooked or some pasta that's not cooked enough. Different shapes have different cooking times.

If you don't like zucchini or artichoke hearts substitute them with something else. Cannelini beans would be great here, chick peas, eggplant too. Use your favorite combo or try something new!



Chicken with Zucchini and Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients:

1 pound of short pasta, penne, ziti, rigatoni, etc.
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium zucchini, quaretered lenthwise and then cut into chunks
10 frozen artichoke hearts
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
handful of frozen peas
handful of fresh basil, torn
handful of kalamata olives
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbsp tomato paste
chicken broth
extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder, saute in mixture of butter and a little oil until brown. Remove and set aside. Add in a little more oil if your pan is dry and saute onion in olive oil, add zucchini and leave it a lone for a minute until it browns a little, add garlic and let cook for a minute or so and then add artichoke hearts. They won't really brown but will soften. (*See Note) Add tomato paste and stir, let it cook for a minute. Deglaze pan with wine and scrape up any browned bits that stuck to the pan. When liquid reduces add chicken broth a little at a time to get the consistency of sauce you want. Add kalamata olives, salt and pepper and let cook for about 20 minutes. Add cooked chicken and peas to the pan and stir. Chicken is already cooked so just let it simmer for a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

While sauce is cooking, boil water for pasta, season well with salt. When sauce is almost ready drop the pasta. When pasta is al dente toss with sauce and serve.

*note - I used some fresh tomatoes but they weren't ripe enough and didn't do anything for the dish so I didn't put it in the recipe. However, if you have beautiful ripe plum tomatoes you could add them here.




Monday, August 24, 2009

Paella for the Sea Fearing - Coast to Coast Challenge 2







It's time for another recipe chosen for Bakespace's Coast to Coast Cooking! This time we chose Paella which can be made in so many ways to please all palates. If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that Steve and I are the rare few Italians that do not like seafood. We like fried calamari and sushi and I'll eat tuna salad but that's about it. So my version of paella contains chicken and chorizo. It's very similar to arroz con pollo but the chorizo gives it a totally different and fabulous flavor.



I learned a few things while researching paella recipes and ingredients. There are different types of chorizo, raw which is like Italian sausage, dried which is like soppresatta. They come hot and mild, portugese, spanish, etc. I used dried spanish sausage called Palacios. In my area this can found at Kings Supermarket, Wegmans Supermarket and Fairway Market. I used one package of it which I think was only about 1/2 pound. It's less than the recipe called for but was so flavorful that I don't think I would have needed any more. The rice that should be used is a short grain spanish rice called Bomba or Valencia. I could not find this anywhere so I used Italian short grain rice called Arborio. This rice is usually used for risotto. I'm not really sure why a long grain rice can't be used for this. I think that it would result in a drier rice which is what I was looking for. Next time, I will try it that way,



The recipe that we used is Paella a la Valenciana. This is a traditional paella recipe that we started with. As always in these challenges, we get to make these our own and change them in any way we see fit. I decided to look for another recipe that doesn't contain seafood and found one by Paula Deen. I followed her recipe and then threw in a chicken breast for Steve and some spanish olives at the end. I didn't use the lemon, I just didn't think I'd want to mask the flavor with lemon. I served this to Steve's family and it was a big hit. I'm glad I got to try this out!



Check out how all the other participants' recipes came out! Spryte and Dani even have guest bloggers who participated in the challenge. Click their links to see them all.



PhotobucketShane from Culinary Alchemy



PhotobucketSpryte of Spryte's Place



PhotobucketDanielle of Cooking for my Peace of Mind



PhotobucketMonica from Alaskan Dermish in the Kitch





Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Paella



by Paula Deen




Ingredients:



1/4 cup olive oil

1 chicken, cut legs, drumsticks and thighs

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

1 large onion, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 pound Spanish style chorizo links, cut into slices on the bias

2 cups short-grain rice (recommended: Valencia or Arborio)

Pinch saffron threads

1 cup fresh or frozen green peas

Lemon wedges, for service





Directions:



Heat a paella pan or very large, shallow skillet or pot, preferably with 2 handles over high heat.



Cook's note: A large cast iron skillet would work here.



Pour in the olive oil and let it heat up. Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper and paprika. Sear in the olive oil until browned all over. Transfer to a plate with tongs.



Lower the heat to medium and saute the onions and bell pepper until softened. Stir in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and chorizo. Bring the liquid to a boil and then stir in the rice and saffron. Add the browned chicken pieces. The rice should be completely covered with liquid. Cook the paella without stirring for 20 minutes. When the liquid has all been absorbed, pour the peas over the top of the pot, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a kitchen towel. Let stand 5 minutes and then serve with lemon wedges.





Paella for the Sea Fearing - Coast to Coast Challenge 2




It's time for another recipe chosen for Bakespace's Coast to Coast Cooking! This time we chose Paella which can be made in so many ways to please all palates. If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that Steve and I are the rare few Italians that do not like seafood. We like fried calamari and sushi and I'll eat tuna salad but that's about it. So my version of paella contains chicken and chorizo. It's very similar to arroz con pollo but the chorizo gives it a totally different and fabulous flavor.

I learned a few things while researching paella recipes and ingredients. There are different types of chorizo, raw which is like Italian sausage, dried which is like soppresatta. They come hot and mild, portugese, spanish, etc. I used dried spanish sausage called Palacios. In my area this can found at Kings Supermarket, Wegmans Supermarket and Fairway Market. I used one package of it which I think was only about 1/2 pound. It's less than the recipe called for but was so flavorful that I don't think I would have needed any more. The rice that should be used is a short grain spanish rice called Bomba or Valencia. I could not find this anywhere so I used Italian short grain rice called Arborio. This rice is usually used for risotto. I'm not really sure why a long grain rice can't be used for this. I think that it would result in a drier rice which is what I was looking for. Next time, I will try it that way,

The recipe that we used is Paella a la Valenciana. This is a traditional paella recipe that we started with. As always in these challenges, we get to make these our own and change them in any way we see fit. I decided to look for another recipe that doesn't contain seafood and found one by Paula Deen. I followed her recipe and then threw in a chicken breast for Steve and some spanish olives at the end. I didn't use the lemon, I just didn't think I'd want to mask the flavor with lemon. I served this to Steve's family and it was a big hit. I'm glad I got to try this out!

Check out how all the other participants' recipes came out! Spryte and Dani even have guest bloggers who participated in the challenge. Click their links to see them all.

PhotobucketShane from Culinary Alchemy

PhotobucketSpryte of Spryte's Place

PhotobucketDanielle of Cooking for my Peace of Mind

PhotobucketMonica from Alaskan Dermish in the Kitch


Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Paella

by Paula Deen


Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 chicken, cut legs, drumsticks and thighs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 pound Spanish style chorizo links, cut into slices on the bias
2 cups short-grain rice (recommended: Valencia or Arborio)
Pinch saffron threads
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
Lemon wedges, for service


Directions:

Heat a paella pan or very large, shallow skillet or pot, preferably with 2 handles over high heat.

Cook's note: A large cast iron skillet would work here.

Pour in the olive oil and let it heat up. Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper and paprika. Sear in the olive oil until browned all over. Transfer to a plate with tongs.

Lower the heat to medium and saute the onions and bell pepper until softened. Stir in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and chorizo. Bring the liquid to a boil and then stir in the rice and saffron. Add the browned chicken pieces. The rice should be completely covered with liquid. Cook the paella without stirring for 20 minutes. When the liquid has all been absorbed, pour the peas over the top of the pot, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a kitchen towel. Let stand 5 minutes and then serve with lemon wedges.


Thursday, August 20, 2009

Greek Meatballs and Lemon Couscous with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Every once and a while I like to dig through my cookbooks and old cooking magazines to see if anything sparks an interest. The more I experiment with cooking and step out of my comfort zone, the more I find I like. If 5 years ago you tried to get me to eat a piece of sushi, I would have ran as far away as I could. 10 years ago I would have stuck up my nose at feta and couscous. I didn't know any better. I knew Italian food and I only knew the Italian food I grew up on. That was all great but there were so many things I didn't know, there was a whole other world of Italian food and of course, other cuisines I've never even seen. So going through these old magazines again are like going through them for the first time with a new set of eyes and a new set of taste buds. I found this particular recipe in a 2005 issue of Cuisine at Home. I used to get a subscription and I'm starting to think I should order it again. There are tons of great recipes and tips and no advertisements. It's about 50 pages of just recipes and photos!

This recipe was definitely a winner and I had all the ingredients so I followed the recipe exactly. Remember, if you don't have everything here you can still make this, it will just taste slightly different depending on what you substitute. However, I do want to recommend that you use the feta and the kalamata olives. They are excellent together and bring all the flavors together. I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I mixed oregano, scallions and feta into the meatballs. What would my grandmother think?! She'd definitely be horrified but she was so set in her ways that she wouldn't be able to understand that not all meatballs are Italian.

Greek Meatballs

from Cuisine at Home
Issue No. 52
August 2005

Makes 12 Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp scallions, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb ground chuck
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted, halved
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
6 cups tomatoes, quartered or 2 cans whole tomatoes (28 oz. each)
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cucumber
lemon zest
Lemon Couscous, see below
Feta Yogurt Dressing, see below

Directions:

Combine Crumbs milk, feta, parsley, scallions, salt, oregano and egg in a mixing bowl.

Stir in the ground chuck and mix lightly but well. Shape the mixture into balls about 2" in diameter.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add meatballs and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add olives, garlic and pepper flakes to the pan and saute 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, return meatballs to pan, and simmer 5 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serve over couscous, topped with feta dressing and garnished with cucumber and lemon zest.


Feta Yogurt Dressing

Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and stir well. Cover and chill until ready to use.


Lemon Couscous

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup dry plain couscous

Directions:

Bring broth, lemon juice, butter, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add couscous, stir, and cover. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.












Greek Meatballs and Lemon Couscous with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Every once and a while I like to dig through my cookbooks and old cooking magazines to see if anything sparks an interest. The more I experiment with cooking and step out of my comfort zone, the more I find I like. If 5 years ago you tried to get me to eat a piece of sushi, I would have ran as far away as I could. 10 years ago I would have stuck up my nose at feta and couscous. I didn't know any better. I knew Italian food and I only knew the Italian food I grew up on. That was all great but there were so many things I didn't know, there was a whole other world of Italian food and of course, other cuisines I've never even seen. So going through these old magazines again are like going through them for the first time with a new set of eyes and a new set of taste buds. I found this particular recipe in a 2005 issue of Cuisine at Home. I used to get a subscription and I'm starting to think I should order it again. There are tons of great recipes and tips and no advertisements. It's about 50 pages of just recipes and photos!

This recipe was definitely a winner and I had all the ingredients so I followed the recipe exactly. Remember, if you don't have everything here you can still make this, it will just taste slightly different depending on what you substitute. However, I do want to recommend that you use the feta and the kalamata olives. They are excellent together and bring all the flavors together. I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I mixed oregano, scallions and feta into the meatballs. What would my grandmother think?! She'd definitely be horrified but she was so set in her ways that she wouldn't be able to understand that not all meatballs are Italian.

Greek Meatballs

from Cuisine at Home
Issue No. 52
August 2005

Makes 12 Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp scallions, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb ground chuck
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted, halved
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
6 cups tomatoes, quartered or 2 cans whole tomatoes (28 oz. each)
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cucumber
lemon zest
Lemon Couscous, see below
Feta Yogurt Dressing, see below

Directions:

Combine Crumbs milk, feta, parsley, scallions, salt, oregano and egg in a mixing bowl.

Stir in the ground chuck and mix lightly but well. Shape the mixture into balls about 2" in diameter.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add meatballs and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add olives, garlic and pepper flakes to the pan and saute 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, return meatballs to pan, and simmer 5 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serve over couscous, topped with feta dressing and garnished with cucumber and lemon zest.


Feta Yogurt Dressing

Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and stir well. Cover and chill until ready to use.


Lemon Couscous

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup dry plain couscous

Directions:

Bring broth, lemon juice, butter, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add couscous, stir, and cover. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.












Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Chicken Marsala with Ravioli and My Cooking Philosophy

Ever since watching The Next Food Network Star and Julie and Julia I've been thinking a lot about what makes my cooking style unique. I wondered what I would say if I was asked what my culinary point of view is. It became very clear to me when reading a really great comment someone left on my blog. It's something that is always in the back of my mind but when I really thought about it, it was clear as day. As you know, my blog was originally created to help me learn to make the recipes my grandmother made and share it with my family and friends. This has evolved into something even more. Through the years I've learned what flavors go well together, what ingredients can be substituted for others, how to work with what I have and the budget that I have. Sometimes things worked well, sometimes not so much, but that's okay. That seems to have become the theme of this blog and that's what I want readers to learn. I want someone to read my blog and think, hey, I can do that. It doesn't matter if you don't have prosciutto today, or that you don't have the specific wine this recipe calls for or even if you are a vegetarian. I want people to learn to view recipes as a guide, an idea that worked, not something written in stone. Take that idea and run with it, change it up, make it work for you. It may not turn out exactly like the picture in a book or like a photo on a blog but that's okay because hey, it could end up even better. What is important is that you are in the kitchen, that you fill your home with wonderful aromas, put meals on the table that bring your family together and enjoy yourself. It doesn't matter if it's a hit or a flop, what matters is that you tried and you didn't give up. The more you get in the kitchen you will learn what you like and what flavor combinations work for you and your family. Before you know it, you'll have more hits and less flops. As long as your ingredients are good and fresh you'll win every time. I hope that I can help give you the courage to be creative, try something new, and be comfortable and confident that you can create a wonderful meal no matter how limited your pantry is.

Today's recipe is an example of how my cooking philosophy works. When I saw this recipe I loved it. To me it seems like a combination of chicken marsala and saltimbocca, two of my favorite dishes. Marsala is a simple mushroom sauce made with marsala wine and fresh mushrooms. Saltimbocca's key ingredients are prosciutto, sage and spinach is usually served with it or under it. For me this recipe would really be a marriage of those two dishes if it was served with spinach ravioli or with some spinach tossed in. Today, I happened to have the spinach ravioli but unfortunately I didn't have the prosciutto and sage. I didn't let it stop me, we needed to eat dinner anyway! It wasn't the same as the photo in the magazine and it wasn't a true combination of both dishes but still very delicious. As always, I use cremini mushrooms in place of button mushrooms and I used garlic in place of the shallots, and added garlic powder in addition to the salt and pepper when I seasoned my chicken. The dinner was excellent, Steve and I were both very happy with it. Next time I will love to try the recipe with prosciutto, sage and definitely some spinach. Use your imagination and change it up according to what you have in your pantry, you never know, you may find a new family favorite!

Chicken Marsala Ravioli

from Cuisine at Home, Perfect Pasta

Ingredients:

For the Ravioli and the Chicken-

1 - 9 oz. package refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips and seasoned with kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 oz. prosciutto, chopped

For the Marsala Sauce-

1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1/2 cup dry marsala or dry sherry
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp minced fresh sage
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

*Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Coat seasoned chicken in flour. Saute in 3 Tbsp oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until chicken is brown, about 5 minutes. Add prosciutto; cook 1 minute. Transfer chicken mixture to a plate and set it aside.

Saute mushrooms in 2 Tbsp oil in the same pan over medium-high heat until mushrooms are brown, about 3 minutes. Add shallots; cook 1 minute.

Deglaze pan with marsala, scraping up any bits rom the bottome of the pan; simmer until liquid is nearly evaporated. Stir in broth, chicken mixture, cooked ravioli and sage. Simmer until ingredients are heated through.

Stir in butter. Sprinkle ravioli and chicken with parsley, and season dish with salt and pepper before serving.

* Note - In my experience the sauce can be made frist - just wait to add the chicken until you're ready. I don't like to let ravioli sit without sauce they'll stick together. I rather the sauce wait for the pasta than the pasta wait for the sauce. Otherwise, toss the ravioli with a little olive oil so they don't stick while waiting for the sauce to be ready.



Chicken Marsala with Ravioli and My Cooking Philosophy

Ever since watching The Next Food Network Star and Julie and Julia I've been thinking a lot about what makes my cooking style unique. I wondered what I would say if I was asked what my culinary point of view is. It became very clear to me when reading a really great comment someone left on my blog. It's something that is always in the back of my mind but when I really thought about it, it was clear as day. As you know, my blog was originally created to help me learn to make the recipes my grandmother made and share it with my family and friends. This has evolved into something even more. Through the years I've learned what flavors go well together, what ingredients can be substituted for others, how to work with what I have and the budget that I have. Sometimes things worked well, sometimes not so much, but that's okay. That seems to have become the theme of this blog and that's what I want readers to learn. I want someone to read my blog and think, hey, I can do that. It doesn't matter if you don't have prosciutto today, or that you don't have the specific wine this recipe calls for or even if you are a vegetarian. I want people to learn to view recipes as a guide, an idea that worked, not something written in stone. Take that idea and run with it, change it up, make it work for you. It may not turn out exactly like the picture in a book or like a photo on a blog but that's okay because hey, it could end up even better. What is important is that you are in the kitchen, that you fill your home with wonderful aromas, put meals on the table that bring your family together and enjoy yourself. It doesn't matter if it's a hit or a flop, what matters is that you tried and you didn't give up. The more you get in the kitchen you will learn what you like and what flavor combinations work for you and your family. Before you know it, you'll have more hits and less flops. As long as your ingredients are good and fresh you'll win every time. I hope that I can help give you the courage to be creative, try something new, and be comfortable and confident that you can create a wonderful meal no matter how limited your pantry is.

Today's recipe is an example of how my cooking philosophy works. When I saw this recipe I loved it. To me it seems like a combination of chicken marsala and saltimbocca, two of my favorite dishes. Marsala is a simple mushroom sauce made with marsala wine and fresh mushrooms. Saltimbocca's key ingredients are prosciutto, sage and spinach is usually served with it or under it. For me this recipe would really be a marriage of those two dishes if it was served with spinach ravioli or with some spinach tossed in. Today, I happened to have the spinach ravioli but unfortunately I didn't have the prosciutto and sage. I didn't let it stop me, we needed to eat dinner anyway! It wasn't the same as the photo in the magazine and it wasn't a true combination of both dishes but still very delicious. As always, I use cremini mushrooms in place of button mushrooms and I used garlic in place of the shallots, and added garlic powder in addition to the salt and pepper when I seasoned my chicken. The dinner was excellent, Steve and I were both very happy with it. Next time I will love to try the recipe with prosciutto, sage and definitely some spinach. Use your imagination and change it up according to what you have in your pantry, you never know, you may find a new family favorite!

Chicken Marsala Ravioli

from Cuisine at Home, Perfect Pasta

Ingredients:

For the Ravioli and the Chicken-

1 - 9 oz. package refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips and seasoned with kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 oz. prosciutto, chopped

For the Marsala Sauce-

1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1/2 cup dry marsala or dry sherry
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp minced fresh sage
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

*Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Coat seasoned chicken in flour. Saute in 3 Tbsp oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until chicken is brown, about 5 minutes. Add prosciutto; cook 1 minute. Transfer chicken mixture to a plate and set it aside.

Saute mushrooms in 2 Tbsp oil in the same pan over medium-high heat until mushrooms are brown, about 3 minutes. Add shallots; cook 1 minute.

Deglaze pan with marsala, scraping up any bits rom the bottome of the pan; simmer until liquid is nearly evaporated. Stir in broth, chicken mixture, cooked ravioli and sage. Simmer until ingredients are heated through.

Stir in butter. Sprinkle ravioli and chicken with parsley, and season dish with salt and pepper before serving.

* Note - In my experience the sauce can be made frist - just wait to add the chicken until you're ready. I don't like to let ravioli sit without sauce they'll stick together. I rather the sauce wait for the pasta than the pasta wait for the sauce. Otherwise, toss the ravioli with a little olive oil so they don't stick while waiting for the sauce to be ready.



Friday, August 14, 2009

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photobucket



My friend Catherine gave me this recipe last winter. She guaranteed that these cookies would be perfect every single time. She did not lie. Like Shane's Blondie recipe this is my go to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I made these on many Tuesday nights while watching Fringe. (Great show by the way!) I'm not sure where this recipe originated but I have seen it on numerous blogs and recognized it as having the same title as the one given to me. If this is your recipe please let me know so I can add a link to the original post, you certainly deserve recognition!

Photobucket



Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 18


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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My friend Catherine gave me this recipe last winter. She guaranteed that these cookies would be perfect every single time. She did not lie. Like Shane's Blondie recipe this is my go to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I made these on many Tuesday nights while watching Fringe. (Great show by the way!) I'm not sure where this recipe originated but I have seen it on numerous blogs and recognized it as having the same title as the one given to me. If this is your recipe please let me know so I can add a link to the original post, you certainly deserve recognition!

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Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 18


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Thursday, August 13, 2009

Cracklin' Cornbread



There were a lot of firsts this weekend and you know fried chicken was one of them. Cornbread was another one. I've never made cornbread from scratch. In fact, I've only ever used those little jiffy boxes and made corn muffins. They aren't very good actually. When I brought up my theme idea to my beeps (bakespace peeps - I know, I know, we're corny) they immediately had a ton of suggestions for me. One of them was cornbread and then to make it even better DD of DDPie's Slice suggested cracklin' cornbread. As soon as I saw that I knew it had to be on the menu. What is cracklin' cornbread you ask? Well, corbread with bacon in it, of course!

I followed the recipe that DD gave me and next time I'll only make two slight changes. The first would be to use the full amount of sugar. The recipe suggests 2-4 tsp and DD suggested that if I use the bacon I may not want it to be as sweet. I think I'd like the taste of sweet and salty together so I will try the full amount (I only used 2 tsp) next time. Keep in mind that cornbread isn't supposed to be as sweet as a corn muffin but I just like it sweeter. The second change I would make would be to take out the bacon and mix it with the batter and then pour it into the cast iron skillet. All the bacon stayed on the bottom and I imagined it throughout the cornbread. That's it. It was very moist, tasty and easy! Thanks DD!



Corn Bread

By: DD of DDPie's Slice

Ingredients:

1 cup Quaker or Aunt Jemima Yellow or White Corn Meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F

Place all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir together. In a seperate bowl, whisk together milk, egg and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk mixture. Stir together quickly.

Pour into a greased pan and bake in hot oven for 20-25 min until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For Cracklin' Corn Bread:

I always use my iron skillet for corn bread. I dice then fry about 3-4 pieces of bacon until crispy. I pour off excess grease, leaving only about 2 tbsp of the bacon grease in the pan with the bacon. Mix corn bread according to directions and immediately pour into the HOT skillet containing the bacon. Place in oven and bake accordingly.

FYI- if you are making regular corn bread, the key is the hot skillet. So when I'm doing "plain" cornbread, I put the skillet in the oven with a couple of tbsp of melted shortening in the skillet and let it get hot while mixing the corn bread. Then pour it into the hot skillet.