Chicken Mole

Mmmmmm, Mole! That spicy, Mexican flavoring that combines the heat of peppers and the bite of chocolate into one savory meal sure to please the senses. I've made moles before, the most notable was back in like 6th grade when I was supposed to make a Mexican dish for some school potluck which turned out just terrible. I think I got a little overexcited by the chocolate and I hadn't quite mastered the whole cooking thing just yet. I've also used it as inspiration in a past Platinum Chef entry.

As I stated back then, this is not a dish made by grounding up small ground-dwelling mammals. This is a Moe-LAY- much different. And this time it was fairly traditional and oh so tasty! It had a great low heat that built up and was unexpected. I'm sure if I were going full traditional, I would have been roasting all sorts of peppers all day and pulled out about 20 spices, but this was something a little easier. I mean, c'mon, how many exotic peppers can I get my hands on here in Maine anyway!

I served this over white rice with some sweet potatoes that I roasted with a little brown sugar and olive oil. It would have also been great in corn tortillas or just on its own!


Chicken Mole
Based off various recipes at AllRecipes.com

• 1.5 Lbs. Chicken (I used breasts, but thighs or other parts would be fine!)
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Tomato, chopped
  
• 1 tsp. + 1 tsp. Cumin
  
• 1/2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
  
• 1/2+ tsp. Cinnamon
  
• 1/2+ tsp. Paprika
  
• 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp. Cilantro
  
• 1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano
  
• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
  
• 1+ Tbsp. Chipotle Powder
  
• 1 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• 1/2+ C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1/2 tsp. Sesame Seeds, plus more for garnish

1. Cut the chicken up into large chunks, the kinds that would take 2-3 bites to eat. Season with 1 tsp. of cumin. (I actually did this once the meat was in the pan.) In a large pan, brown the chicken over medium heat, flipping occasionally to get all sides.
   
2. Add in the onion, garlic, and tomato. Continue to cook over medium heat so the onions and garlic gets delicious and aromatic, and the tomato starts to break down.
   
3. In a small bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients to make the sauce. Add it in to the pan and bring to a low simmer.
   
4. Cover and let it cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
   
5. Remove the lid, stir, and let the mixture simmer for another 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken up.
   
6. Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle with some sesame seeds, and serve warm!

Spanish Skillet Chicken

Have you visited my friend Thatgirl's blog? You really should. She is smart, witty, and an excellent cook. She also puts my blog to shame with the sheer quantity of blogging she does- I mean, I was lucky to get what I did in this month, and she's posting like every day! Show off... I kid, I KID!

One of the best things about a number of her recipes is that they are simple. She uses good ingredients and lets them shine, and the meals are quick to prepare. And when this one popped up in my blog reader, I knew it was a keeper. In fact, I made it only about a week or two later to rave reviews. (Did I mention she's a lot better at posting than I am?)

This was perfect- my only tweaks were eliminating the parsley (that I didn't have on hand) and the addition of avocado. Which I can't believe she didn't add- she LOVES that green creamy fruit! It is so totally making a comeback to our kitchen, maybe in the dead of winter when we need a little of that Spanish sun feel!


Spanish Skillet Chicken
From Paved with Good Intentions

• 1 Chicken Breast
  
• 2 Tbsp. Butter, divided
  
• 1 Shallot, chopped
  
• 1 Clove Garlic, chopped
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
  
• 3/4 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 2-3 Tbsp Green Olives, chopped
  
• 1 Avocado, cubed

1. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook chicken, flipping once, until it is browned on each side. Remove from skillet and keep warm with foil on top.
   
2. Add shallot, garlic, and vinegar to skillet and bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.
   
3. Add broth and return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until broth is reduced to 1/2 cup.
   
4. Remove from heat and stir in remaining butter.
   
5. Serve chicken over couscous. Drizzle sauce on top and generously sprinkle olives and avocado for a delicious complete meal!

Fiesta!

Many years ago my mom hosted a Pampered Chef party after attending one herself. She purchased a few things, including my first chef's knife and a pizza stone. Over the course of time, she upgraded to a better stone and I inherited her old one, as well as a random PC cookbook. The only thing I've ever made out of that little 30 page booklet is the Fiesta Tortilla Stack, known more commonly at our house as just Tortilla Stack. (I mean really, how many different variations could I have that warrant different names?) I probably first made it 7 or 8 years ago when I first got the stone and it is in fairly regular rotation in my kitchen.

This thing feeds us for days, is gooey on the outside and crunchy on the inside, and is a nice change of pace for dinner. It is also heavy as a bag of bricks and a bit labor intensive to put together, but honestly it's worth it. My husband loves this meal and was so excited when I told him I was making it. We hadn't had it in ages and it totally hit the spot. With all the great ingredients though, how can you go wrong!


Fiesta Tortilla Stack
From Pampered Chef, 'Season's Best Recipe Collection 1999 Fall/ Winter'

• 5-6 Large Burrito Sized Tortillas (I always buy flour and don’t know if corn would be good.)
  
• 2/3 Can Refried Beans (I use fat-free or vegetarian style.)
  
• 1/2 C. to 3/4 C. Sour Cream (Again, I use fat free.)
  
• 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
  
• 2 tsp. Cumin Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  
• 1 C. Cooked Chicken, chopped
  
• 1 Medium Onion or 3-4 Stalks Green Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Red/ Orange / Yellow Pepper, chopped
  
• 1 Small Can Sliced Black Olives, drained
  
• 1/2 C. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
  
• 1-2 C. Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
  
• 1 Large Tomato, chopped
  
• Olive Oil

1. I always start by cooking the chicken. I will cut up 2 chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and then cook them in water in the microwave. About 3-5 minutes in the zapper and my chicken is ready.
   
2. Pre-heat oven to 375.
   
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, refried beans, and spices and beat manually until smooth.
   
4. In a large bowl, mix together all the veggies and chicken and cilantro and cheese.
   
5. On a pizza stone or large baking sheet, place a single tortilla in the middle.
   
6. Here is where I can never decide which I like to do first- bean mixture or veggie mixture. It can go either way, so I'm just going to flip a coin... heads- bean spread!
   
7. Ok, so slather on a quarter of the bean dip and spread it all over the bottom tortilla, getting it very close to the edges.
   
8. Pile on a quarter of the veggie/ chicken mix on top of the bean spread. Again, try to push the goodies as close to the edges as possible. On the bottom layers it is most important to get everything out to the edges so the top layers don't slouch down.
   
9. Top bottom layer with a tortilla.
   
10. Repeat the process- bean spread, veggies, tortilla- for another 3 layers. On the very top layer, you may want to save a nice heaping tablespoon of bean dip stuff to use as "glue" underneath the top tortilla.
    
11. Drizzle a little olive oil (just a little!) and use your fingers to spread it out across the top and along the edges.
    
12. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tortilla is golden brown and the mixture is lightly bubbling along the edges.
    
13. Remove and use a sharp, large knife to cut slices. Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Eat to the Beat II: Purple Rain

Eat to the Beat is back!



You remember, right? The event that challenges food bloggers to make a recipe inspired by a song? I'm psyched it is back, but I had kind of hoped we'd have some constraints this time. However it is another open free for all, so I went with an idea I came up with after last round. Something 80's inspired...

I'm more of a 90's alternative or pop or jazz or classical or techno girl- 80's are not my style. Last round I went with the alternative angle with Hell cupcakes. They were fun to make and I loved that I had to challenge myself and got to be really creative.

So like I said, this time I went to the 80's for inspiration, specifically, Prince. I'm not a big fan of 80's music, and Prince is right up there in things I generally dislike. But thinking about his song "When Doves Cry" I found an idea.

Chorus:
How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold?
Maybe I'm just too demanding;
Maybe I'm just like my father- too bold.

Maybe you're just like my mother,
She's never satisfied.
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry.

The idea of doves with a bold flavor, or maybe salty like tears,- sounded good. I looked through a cookbook I have called Perfect Chicken Dishes and found something perfect! It called for Cornish hens- doves? It called for a unique stuffing- bold? And it had port and grapes- purple! Perfect!

My submission for Elly's Eat to the Beat Summer '08 is below! I hope I made that weird little rocker man proud!


When Doves Cry Cornish Hens with Port Sauce & Grapes
Modified from Perfect Chicken Dishes

• 2 Cornish Hens
  
• 1/2 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
  
• 1/2+ C. Port
  
• 1 C. Purple Grapes
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2/3 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
  
• 2 Tbsp. Water
  
• 1/4 C. Heavy Cream
  
• 1 C. Couscous
  
• Toasted Almond Slices
  
• Chili Powder

1. Prepare the Cornish hens to be roasted in a slow cooker; remove innards, rinse and pat dry the skin, and rub in the salt and pepper on the skin and in the cavity.
   
2. Place Cornish hens in the crockpot with the 1/2 cup of broth. Cook on low heat for about 6-7 hours until tender and cooked through.
   
3. 30 minutes before the chicken is ready to come out, heat the port on medium heat to a low simmer in a small pot. (That's a lot of size adjectives, huh?!) Simmer it down to a little more than half.
   
4. Place the grapes in the pot and stir them around to coat with the port reduction and to soften a little. After 2-3 minutes, remove the grapes with a slotted spoon and set aside.
   
5. Add the butter to the sauce and melt. Slowly add in the chicken broth, stirring continually. You will want the heat to remain on medium and the mixture to keep simmering. Boil until it is reduced by about half.
   
6. Mix together the cornstarch and water in a tiny bowl until smooth. While the sauce boils, slowly drizzle in the cornstarch mixture and stir. This will thicken the sauce up.
   
7. Turn the heat down to low and blend in the cream until the mixture is smooth and rich!
   
8. As you are finishing the sauce, boil 1 cup of water for the couscous. The couscous gets added to the boiling water, is covered and removed from the heat. It is cooked after about 5 minutes. You can then add the chili powder and almonds. Truthfully, my side dish was the weakest part of the meal, and you should make whatever you think is appropriate!
   
9. Serve the hens on a pool of sauce, with the grapes and couscous (or whatever) on the side. I also added some steamed broccoli to finish off the plate.

Keep on rockin' on in the kitchen all! And Eat to the Beat!

Chicken with Thyme Cream Sauce

Yummmmmm! One of the best things about the food blogging craze is discovering new recipes that real people have made, documented, and reviewed. No more worrying about if those smarmy, know-it-all Food Network stars are lying to you about just how great their recipes are!

I went through a bunch of saved recipes last month and decided to make a delicious looking recipe from my friend Nicole's blog, Ginka's Goodies. Although she had a mishap with dried vs. fresh thyme, I learned from her slip-up and thoroughly enjoyed her Chicken with Thyme Cream Sauce. Yum, yum, yum!

It has been a while since I actually made this, but I seem to recall I followed the recipe pretty closely and that it was relatively quick to make and very very tasty. I served it with fluffy white rice and raw spinach- both of which were excellent with the sauce coating them.


Chicken with Thyme Cream Sauce
From Ginka's Goodies

• 2 Chicken Breasts
  
• 2 Green Onions, chopped
  
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
  
• 1/2 C. Chopped White Mushrooms
  
• 2/3 C. White Wine
  
• 1 1/4 C. Heavy Cream
  
• 1/4 C Fresh Thyme & Parsley (The thyme is so small compared to the parsley, but I was generous with my portion.)
  
• Salt & Pepper

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat and add the chicken.
   
2. Cook for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once so that it is a golden brown color on both sides.
   
3. Reduce the heat some and cook the chicken for around 10 minutes more or until is it cooked through completely. Remove from the pan and set aside.
   
4. Add the green onions and garlic to the pan and cook gently, stirring until the green onions are softened not browned.
   
5. Increase the heat back to medium high, add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes.
   
6. Add the chicken back into the pan and then pour in the wine. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until most of the wine is evaporated.
   
7. Add the cream and gently mix the ingredients together. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Stir the herbs into the sauce and season to taste.

Chinese Take-Out Style Orange Chicken

YUM!!!!!!!

Oh, sorry, I was just a little excited about this recipe! I love Chinese take out food. I know it's rarely an authentic recipe from China, nor is it usually healthy, but I love it. So to be able to recreate that flavor in my kitchen- while knowing what I'm putting into the meal- it fantastic!

Now I'm gonna tell you, this isn't exactly health food. I mean, there is a half cup of brown sugar in it! But I know there isn't a ton of salt, fat, or MSG, so I'm ok with it.

Adam also agreed this was delicious. We served it over white rice with some steamed broccoli- yummmmm! This could totally be modified to be a pineapple/ pepper recipe too by subbing in pineapple juice and chunks and sauteing up pieces of green pepper. But I don't like that dish, so I'll stick to the orange chicken with a dash of sesame seeds on top and a garnish of sliced oranges!


Chinese Take-Out Style Orange Chicken
Modified mostly from A Baker's Dozen

• 1.5 Lbs. Stir-Fry Cut Chicken (or breasts cut into very thin, long strips)
  
• 3 Tbsp. Flour
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• 1/4 tsp. Orange Zest
  
• 2-4 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
  
• 1 Large Garlic Clove, minced
  
• 2 Green Onion Stalks, chopped
  
• Juice from 3/4 Orange
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
  
• 1/4 tsp. Grated Fresh Ginger
  
• 1/8 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  
• 1/2 C. Brown Sugar (This is a nice amount. I halved the original amount, and if you want, you could bring it down to 1/3, maybe even 1/4.)
  
• 1/2-1 C. plus 1/3 C. Water
  
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
  
• Sesame Seeds

1. In a large ziplock bag, mix together flour, salt, pepper, and orange zest. Add in chicken and shake to coat all the meat.
   
2. In a large saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. When it is hot, add in as much chicken as will comfortably fit and brown on all sides. I had to cook the chicken in 2 batches.
   
3. When the chicken is cooked, remove to a plate with a papertowel to drain. Keep warm. (I only did this with one batch as my sauce was ready when the second batch was finished.)
   
4. While the chicken pan is heating and the chicken is cooking, get a medium saucepan going over medium heat with a dash of olive/ veggie oil.
   
5. Saute the garlic and green onions for a minute or two until the garlic is soft, but not browned.
   
6. Add in the ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, OJ, and red pepper, 1/2 C. water. Stir and bring to a gentle boil.
   
7. Stir in the brown sugar until it melts. Continue letting the sauce simmer, thickening up.
   
8. Mix together the remaining 1/3 C. of water and the cornstarch. Stir into the sauce to make it a nice thick consistency.
   
9. Taste the sauce and add more water as you see fit to get the flavor and texture you desire. I put in enough water so that the consistency was thick enough to coat, but thin enough that it flows and that it wasn't overly sweet.
   
10. With the sauce and chicken both done, put the chicken back in the large saute pan over low heat. Pour in the sauce and stir to coat the chicken.
    
11. Plate the chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Devour!

Chicken Piccata

Warm weather is on the way everybody! Which means my meals are going to take a lighter turn and are going to bring in all the fresh flavors of spring and summer. Delicious!

One of the flavors I associate with spring is lemon. That tart and bright flavor just exudes sunshine, don't ya think? Chicken piccata is a great classic recipe that is both hearty and lemony. Plus it has capers- and we do love our capers here at our house!

So this recipe was... ok. It was both too lemony and too bland. I made this a couple of weeks ago, but I'm also pretty sure it didn't make a ton of sauce, which wasn't a big deal since I thought it was too tart! That's not to say it was bad... it just needed something more. Maybe garlic- garlic makes everything tastier! We had this with some nice balsamic sauteed zucchini.


Chicken Piccata

• 2-3 Chicken Breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to make very thin
  
• 1/3 C. Flour
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1/3+ C. White Wine
  
• Juice of 1/2 Large Lemon
  
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 1+ Tbsp. Capers

1. Be sure your chicken fillets are nice and thin, pounding them thinner if necessary. Rinse the breasts and pat dry with paper towels.
   
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
   
3. In a bowl, mix together the flour and salt & pepper and then dredge the chicken lightly through the dry mixture.
   
4. Saute the chicken in the hot oil, flipping once to cook to a golden brown finish on both sides. It will not take long to cook as the fillets are thin- about 10 minutes or so!
   
5. Remove the chicken and place somewhere where they can stay warm, such as a toaster oven.
   
6. In the saute pan, add in the wine, lemon juice, and butter. Bring to a very gentle boil, reducing the liquid down. Add in the capers towards the end to heat through.
   
7. Serve chicken with a drizzle of the sauce and a nice veggie side dish and maybe a nice crusty bread or side of noodles.

Shrimp Jambalaya in the Crockpot

Wednesdays are usually crockpot dinner days. I have handbell choir rehearsal and don't get home until around 8- far too late to just start thinking about dinner! Hubby Adam isn't big on cooking and is too busy with schoolwork, so he can't deal with dinner either. And so every since we got the slow cooker for Christmas, it's gotten a workout on Wednesdays.

This week I asked Adam to pick something out for us to have that wasn't too labor intensive and wasn't tomato based. I can't say he succeeded in either of those requests, but the dinner he chose was in fact really good. And he helped with it!

We ended up with shrimp jambalaya which had a nice amount of spice and was quite the hearty meal. This was good just as is, but would also be great to play with the flavors for something different. The sausage was really really good and tender, and all of the flavors and ingredients blended beautifully. But isn't that why folks love their slowcookers?!


Shrimp Jambalaya
Slightly modified from the Rival Cookbook that came with the crockpot

• 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• 6 Andouille Sausages, cut into bite sized sliced
  
• 1 Red Pepper (it was supposed to be green), chopped
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 2 Large Stalks of Celery, chopped
  
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 14 oz. Can of Whole Tomatoes
  
• 1/3 C. Tomato Paste
  
• 1 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1 T. Dried Parsley
  
• 1 1/2 tsp. Dried Basil
  
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
  
• 1 Tbsp. Tabasco Sauce
  
• 1 tsp. Cayenne Powder
  
• 1 tsp. Black Powder
  
• Dash of Salt
  
• 1 lbs. Raw Shrimp, peeled with no tails
  
• 2-3 C. Cooked White Rice

1. Mix together the chicken, sausage, tomato products, veggies, and spices in a slow cooker.
   
2. Cook over low heat for 8-10 hours. (Cooking time can be cut in half by cooking on high, but we never do that.)
   
3. With about 30 minutes left on the clock, add in the shrimp to the crockpot.
   
4. When finished, serve over a big helping of rice.

Cranberry Apricot Chicken

As many of us out there are trying to do, Adam and I make a point to eat healthy most of the time. And eating healthy means chicken shows up on the menu a lot. I mean, quite a bit. And we get sick of the same flavors over and over.

My boss, Leslie, has helped me combat boring chicken with a great and easy recipe. When you are sick of creamy, spicy, tangy, limey, smokey, and savory poultry, why not give sweet a try! Generally Adam isn't a big sweet for dinner kind of guy, whereas I was raised on applesauce, corn, and cranberry sauce. (I wouldn't eat my veggies and my parents would feed me anything if it was remotely produce related!) But happily, hubby really liked this, as did I.

It is supposed to be made with fresh, raw cranberries, but sadly, it is March in Maine and fresh local fruit is hard to come by. As in I couldn't find ANY raw or frozen berries in the 2 stores I looked. I had to sub in dried, but the issue with that is they coat them in sugar. But you make do with what you've got available, right?

I think the best part of this were the toasted almonds. They added a great crunch and complimented the fruits wonderfully. Don't leave them out or I think you'll lose some of the delight of this meal. I served this with a nice side of fresh spinach and Mom's Rice Pilaf.


Cranberry Apricot Chicken
From Manager Leslie

• 4-6 Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
  
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Sage
  
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste
  
• 1 14 oz. Can Apricot Halves, with syrup
  
• 1/2 C. Cranberries
  
• 1/2 C. Sliced Almonds, toasted

1. Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with the sage, thyme, and S&P.
2. Heat a few Tbsp. of olive oil in a large saute pan on the stovetop. Place the breasts in the pan and cook almost all the way through, flipping once to brown both sides. (I should have browned mine at a higher heat. They were a little pale, but I couldn't wait any longer to continue or my chicken would have been way over cooked.)
   
3. Pour in the can of apricot halves and the syrup. Stir in the cranberries as well, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the syrup thickens some.
   
4. Serve chicken and fruit warm with almonds sprinkled on top of the dish!

Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Chicken

It’s been a while since I dug into my Google Reader for a dinner recipe and I was looking for something new and exciting to make this week. I perused my starred recipes and found something delicious looking from Lani. It has multiple foods that we love- artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken. How could we go wrong!?

We couldn’t- it was delightful! I modified her recipe just a bit- subbed in heavy cream for butter, reduced the amount of chicken, and didn’t bother with the flour. We served this over egg noodles and loved it. My husband kept saying how much he liked the tomato flavor!

Oh, there was one horrible thing about this meal, and it has nothing to do with the recipe. So I needed canned artichokes- great, I had 2 cans of Reese Artichoke Hearts in the pantry. These are good quality, large artichoke hearts that have a good flavor and seem pretty fresh. I opened up a can and pulled out 5 hearts to include in this recipe. I would slice each one in half, and then cut each half into a few pieces. La dee da, I get to the 4th one and slice it in half. Something catches my eye and I think it is a mini artichoke bud inside the middle- you know, like what green peppers start to grow along the stem when you let them sit too long?

I am so very very sad to say it was not a mini artichoke growing inside, though it was organic. It was a dead green caterpillar!!!!!! EW EW EW EW!!! Hubby was there when I was picking it out with my fingers to see what it was and we both proceeded to do the icky icky gross dance after I dropped the misplaced insect onto the cutting board. EW EW EW!!!!! Thank god I didn’t cut the thing in half- I might have barfed. This thing was folded/ curled in half and was at least an inch long if I had stretched it out. EW. Needless to say, we threw out the bug and the artichoke it came from. We went ahead and ate the other ones from that can, figuring (praying?) any grossness would be cooked off. Still, ew.

Don’t let that dissuade you from trying this recipe though- just check your ‘chokes!


Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Chicken
Modified from Lani’s Pleasure Cooker

• 1 Large Chicken Breast, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• Olive Oil for sautéing
  
• 1/2 C. White Cooking Wine
  
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
  
• 1 C. Artichoke Hearts, drained, sliced, and de-wormed (EW!)
  
• 1/3 C. Julienne-cut Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  
• 6-8 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 C. Heavy Cream
  
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
  

1. In a large sauté pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat and cook the chicken. Do not overcook it though, as it will continue to sit in the hot pan while the rest of the ingredients are incorporated.
   
2. Add in the white wine and cook over medium-high until it reduces, about 2-3 minutes.
   
3. Stir in the lemon juice, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and stir those in with the salt & pepper. To get the leaves off of fresh thyme, hold the leafy end of the sprig in one hand with your thumb and finger. Using the thumb and finger of your other hand, gently and quickly snap the leaves off, moving from the top of the sprig to the bottom. This reverse directional motion with your fingernails should pop off the leaves- and leave your hands smelling lovely!
   
4. Stir in the cream to the mixture and let it simmer for a couple of minutes, again to reduce the liquid.
   
5. Just before serving, stir in the grated cheese so that it all melts into the recipe. Serve over egg noodles, other pasta, or even rice or bread for a hearty meal!

Mediterranean Eggplant & Chicken

Do you ever get sick of the same flavors over and over again in your meal rotation? I do. We eat a lot of italian, mexican, and american inspired foods. Out of the ordinary is asian or greek. But even those get old!

I bought an eggplant recently with no real plan for it. When it came to find a recipe for it that wasn't the boring ol' standards, I came across an interesting recipe at AllRecipes.com. It was mediterranean and had lots of great ingredients- so I gave it a whirl with some modifications.

Oh my, yes! This was the change I was looking for! The sauteed eggplant flavor was subtle and really really good. Then with the feta, olives, and chicken- very tasty! I highly recommend this one if you're looking for something to break the cycle.


Mediterranean Eggplant & Chicken
Inspired by AllRecipes.com

• 1 Eggplant, sliced lengthwise
  
• 1 Tomato & 2 Tbsp. Water, or 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
  
• 1 Small Onion, chipped
  
• 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
  
• 2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• 1/4 C. Feta Cheese
  
• 1 Small Can of Whole Black Olives (or Kalmata olives would be great!)
  
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
  
• 1/2 C. Water
  
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1. Lightly salt both sides of the eggplant slices and place them in a colander in the sink. Let them stand for 25-30 minutes so the eggplant will "sweat" out the bitterness.
   
2. In the meantime, chop the tomato and saute in a large pan over medium heat with the 2 Tbsp. water until it is reduced. When reduced down, remove from the pan and set aside.
   
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
4. Rinse the eggplant slices when they are done sweating. Drizzle some oil in the saute pan and heat on medium. Cook the eggplant slices in a single layer until browned- flipping once to cook the other side. Cook in batches if necessary.
   
5. As eggplant finishes cooking, place the slices in a large casserole dish, layering on the bottom.
   
6. In the saute pan, cook the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add in the chicken pieces and continue to cook until the chicken is about half cooked.
   
7. Stir in the 1/2 cup of water, oregano, balsamic vinegar, and reduced tomato. If using tomato paste, add it in now. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked and sauce is thickened. Stir in drained black olives.
   
8. Sprinkly a generous amount of feta on top of the eggplant layer. Then pour on the chicken and sauce on the top.
   
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot straight from the casserole dish. I served it with green beans and spiced cous cous, seasoned with middle eastern spices and OJ.

Breaking in the Crockpot - Lemon Chicken

I exchanged a second fondue set I got for Christmas for a big ol' slow cooker this year. I was adament about not ever having a slow cooker- it just didn't seem like the thing for me. I'm a stove top cooker, I don't make roasts and chilis and stuff like that. Why do I need one of these things that everyone raves about? And where am I going to store it?!?

Ok, so I store it in the basement since it doesn't get used that often. But I'm impressed with what it's produced. I'll admit, my first attempt at chili- using my regular recipe with no changes- didn't go so well. But this, what I'm calling the real maiden voyage, was in fact quite delicious!

I love roast chicken, but it takes so long to cook and I don't have the energy at the end of my work days. But lo and behold, the crockpot takes all the work out of it. And it is even moister and tastier than from the oven.

I'm a convert!


Slow Cooker Whole Lemon Chicken

• Whole Chicken, around 4 lbs.
  
• Heavy Splash of White Wine/ Chicken Broth
  
• 2 Lemons
• 1-3 Garlic Cloves, partially smashed
  
• 1-2 Green Onion Stalks, chopped
  
• 1-2 Tbsp Butter, chopped
  
• Dried Thyme
  
• Salt & Pepper

1. Place chicken in slow cooker. I believe I placed mine breast down, but I can't even figure out which way is up, let alone remember what I did a month ago!
   
2. Pour wine/ broth in the bottom of the slow cooker.
   
3. Slice up one of the lemons and place the slices in the cavity. Add the crushed garlic to the cavity as well.
   
4. Carefully lift up the skin of the roaster chicken and place pieces of butter under the skin. Try to push it down and all around. Any excess that you don't want to put under the skin should be placed on top.
   
5. Zest some of the remaining lemon onto the chicken. Cut in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken and into the bottom of the pot.
   
6. Sprinkle chicken with green onion, thyme, salt and pepper.
   
7. Cook on low for 8-10 hours until good and moist. The chicken may dry out on top and split, but the meat will be tender and moist!

Seafood Paella

To continue our Spanish feast for New Years Eve, we tried our hand at seafood paella. Wow, what a feast- we were SO stuffed! We spared no expense either- we had lots of meats and I bought the ever expensive saffron. It was a perfect team effort- lots of chopping and stirring and timing decisions to be made. Tons of fun!



Seafood Paella

• 2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• 1 Spanish Churizo Sausage, cut into slices
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Green Pepper, chopped
  
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  
• 2 C. Arborio (Risotto) Rice
  
• 4 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine
  
• 1/2 tsp. Saffron Threads
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• 1/2 C. Frozen Peas
  
• Shrimp, Clams, Scallops (large and/ or small), Tilapia (or other white fish- about 1/2 Lbs.)

1. In a large stock pot, saute the onions, peppers and garlic in a generous amount (3Tbsp or so) of olive oil until nice and aromatic.
   
2. Add in chicken and chorizo. Saute until almost cooked through.
   
3. Pour in the rice and stir to coat with oil. Pour in broth and white wine, bringing to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, add in the saffron, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
   
4. Stir the rice occasionally to make it creamy.
   
5. As it the rice starts to get soft, add in the seafood. First add in the tilapia, then the shrimp and clams, and finally the scallops. You don't want to cook any of the seafood too long or it will get tough.
   
6. When the rice is tender, remove the bay leaf and any unopened clams. Stir in the peas. As soon as the peas are warmed through, serve hot.

Chicken and Potato Croquettes

My mom used to make croquettes from leftovers when I was a kid, but then they fell out of circulation. Was it the deep frying she was avoiding? All the messy effort? I don't know, but with a fridge full of leftover chicken and a desire for something a little bad to eat, I found a new recipe.

Now I had Mom's old version, but hers calls for deep frying and I didn't have enough ingredients for the whole recipe. Instead I went out on the web and found some recipes, eventually taking everything I liked and making it my own.

In the end I had small pan fried medallions of chicken and mashed potato that were quite tasty, especially with the roasted butternut squash and raw spinach to counteract the fried part!

Chicken & Potato Croquettes

• 1 C. Mashed Potatoes (don't hate me, but I used instant potatoes!)
  
• 1/4 C. Onion, chopped and sauteed
  
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Parsley
  
• 1/4 tsp. Dried Thyme
  
• 1/2 C. Panko Breadcrumbs
  
• 1 Egg
  
• 1 Tbsp. Prosciutto, cut into small pieces
  
• 1 C. Cooked Chicken, cut into small pieces
  
• 2 Tbsp. Grated Romano Cheese
  
• Olive Oil

1. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients.
   
2. In a skillet, heat about 2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil over medium high heat.
   
3. While pan heats up, roll a 1 1/2 (or so) Tbsp. of the mixture into a ball with your hands, and then flatten slightly. Place medallion into the hot pan, being careful not get burned by hot oil, and let it cook on one side.
   
4. Repeat making medallions until the pan is full, leaving about 1/2" space between each croquette.
   
5. As each croquette cooks, flip gently when original side is well browned. Cook other side until similarly browned.
   
6. When croquettes are done, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. The medallions will stay relatively warm to cook the 2-3 batches on the stovetop. If you need more oil, pour it in 1 Tbsp. at a time and only allow it to heat briefly as you do not want the oil so hot that it burns the food without warming through first.
   
7. Serve warm. A dipping sauce would be excellent with these- anything from creamy to tangy to sweet would be appealing.

Hearty Wild Rice Soup & Rosemary Biscuits

A while back the second round of Homegrown Gourmet was held with the theme being Soups. It was right at the start of autumn and there were some really great looking entries. One caught my eye and I had it saved for a while before I got around to making it. It was Carrie's Wild Rice Soup. (Apparently Northern Wild Rice is the national grain of Minnesota.)

Now, I should tell you that my darling Adam usually turns his nose up when I suggest soup for dinner. He doesn't think it is enough for a full meal. (He seems to have a hollow leg that he fills up every meal!) This recipe however has changed his mind. He LOVED it- I mean, he has brought it up a couple of times since I made it at the start of December saying that I should make it again. This is crazy and a huge compliment to Carrie and her mom, the originator of the recipe!

It helped that I accompanied the meal with rosemary biscuits. Anything with rosemary gets 2 thumbs up from my husband. And you can't say no to biscuits- even the Bisquick variety!


Carrie's Wild Rice Soup
Modified from Carrie's Cooking Adventures

• 3 Tbsp. butter
  
• 1 Tbsp. Onion, minced
  
• 1/2 C. Flour
  
• 4 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 2 C. Cooked Wild Rice
  
• 1/2 C. Carrots, finely grated
  
• 1/2-1 C. cooked chicken
  
• 1 Small Can Sliced Mushrooms
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Cashews (chopped)
  
• 1/2 C. Heavy Cream
  
• 1/2 C. Milk
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan or medium stockpot, melt butter over medium-high and saute onions until translucent.
   
2. Mix in flour and stir until smooth. Add in 1 C. chicken broth and whisk over heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As the mixture thickens, add in the remaining broth and stir. Allow to boil for about a minute.
   
3. Add in rice, carrots, chicken, mushrooms, and cashews. Heat through and let simmer for 5 minutes.
   
4. Stir in cream and milk and heat. If soup is too thick for your taste, add more water or chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to your tastes.

Rosemary Biscuits

1. Using a standard biscuit recipe or Bisquick, prepare biscuits as normal, but add in about 1-2 tsp. of dried Rosemary to the dough.
   
2. Cut with biscuit cutter and bake as usual. Serve hot with butter on the side.

Cream of Mushroom Chicken

Sometimes I want to cook a nice dinner that has a decent and newish flavor, but I don't want to take a lot of time at it. This was one of those meals. It was ok- nothing fantastic, but it got the job done. I made this about a month ago, and am going to guess on what I put in the sauce.

I'd say more about it, but let's face it, it's just a meal for a Tuesday! The sauce was good with the ziti and broccoli, and it was fast. And that's that!


Cream of Mushroom Chicken Bake

• 2 Chicken Breasts, sliced in half
  
• 1 Can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
  
• 1 Small Can Mushroom Pieces
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine
  
• Garlic Powder
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• Olive Oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil at medium heat. Salt and pepper the sliced-thin chicken breasts and brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side.
   
3. In a glass baking dish, mix together condensed soup, mushrooms, wine, and some garlic powder. Place chicken breasts on sauce and spoon some mixture over the meat.
   
4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
   
5. Serve with pasta or rice and spoon sauce over sides.

Greek Chicken Salad & Lemon Cous Cous

I mentioned in my last post, I have been a super slacker in the kitchen this week. I had to snap out of it last night- I mean, it is the weekend where I have tons of time to cook and I was once again out of ideas.

We did however have some great raw ingredients to work with, so I I pushed myself for a new dinner. Feta cheese, green olives, spinach, and Greek dressing worked together for a really great meal. Hubby can't make it through a meal without a starch, so along side the healthy salad, I made a quick cous cous meal. I wish I had more lemon juice- a little more tang would have been nice.

I'd like to put down on the record that hubby lit the grill and I went out and endured grilling in sub-freezing temperatures. That's right, I'm hearty New Englander baby!


As Grilled Chicken Greek Salad

• 1 Chicken Breast
  
• 1/2 C. Greek Dressing
  
• Fresh Spinach
  
• 3 Medium Tomatoes, cut into large slices
  
• Green Olives, cut in half
  
• Feta Cheese
  
• Greek Dressing

1. Marinade chicken breast in the 1/2 C. of dressing for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
   
2. Grill the chicken until cooked through but still moist. Remove from grill and when safe to touch, slice into long pieces to top salad.
   
3. Arrange the spinach, tomato, green olives, chicken, and feta on the plate. Drizzle with Greek dressing to taste.

Lemon Cous Cous

• 1 C. Water
  
• 1 C. Plain Cous Cous
  
• 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (either fresh squeezed or another 2+ Tbsp. would have made this better.)
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Pine Nuts, toasted
  
• Black Pepper to taste
  
• Olive Oil to moisten cooked pasta

1. Bring water to a boil. Stir in cous cous, remove from heat, and cover.
   
2. After 5 minutes, cous cous should be cooked. Stir in lemon juice, a splash of oil, pine nuts, and a grind or two of pepper.
   
3. Enjoy warm with some feta sprinkled on top if desired.

Cashew Chicken

Unlike the rest of the recipes from my 2 week "hiatus" from posting, I was a good girl for this one and [drum roll please] actually wrote down the recipe as I made it! I know, it's a modern miracle.

And I'm glad I did- it was really good! I don't often make Chinese or Chinese-American food at home. I don't have a good reason for that, it just doesn't come to mind. But I saw a recipe on Joelen's blog for something called Bourbon Chicken and it made me think of one of my favorite Chinese take-out recipes, Cashew Chicken. I reviewed her recipe as well as a bunch online and took all that info and made up my own.



I served this with brown rice. I haven't had it before and it was so freaking good with this. I'm sure white rice or fried rice would be a good match, but the brown rice just had the perfect added-depth flavor that worked. Yum.


Cashew Chicken

• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 1 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1 C. Fish Broth (I used lobster base.)
  
• 2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
  
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
  
• 1 T. Apple Brandy (next time I won't bother)
  
• 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  
• 1/2 tsp. 5 Spice Powder
  
• 2 Chicken Breasts, cubed into bite sized pieces
  
• 1 Package Frozen Stir Fry Veggies
  
• 1/2+ C. Raw Cashews

1. In a large saute pan with lid, saute garlic and onion in sesame oil over medium heat.
   
2. When onion is tender, pour in liquids, spices, and brown sugar. Stir and let simmer over medium heat for a few minutes.
   
3. Add in chicken pieces, stir, and cover. Allow pan to simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
   
4. With the heat still on medium, add the frozen veggies. I added them while still frozen. I had to keep them covered, repeatedly stirred to coat with the warm sauce, and turn the heat up to get them to cook. You could save time by mostly thawing them before adding to the pan.
   
5. Once veggies are hot, add in the cashews and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve everything over brown, white, or fried plain rice.

Beet Risotto, Sauteed Mushrooms, & Almost Marsala Chicken

Beet risotto is a menu item that comes up every now and again in our house. We always love risotto- so creamy and cheesy and rich. And we are some of the few people that really like pickled beets from the can. We like them hot, cold, or chopped up in risotto.

I paired this tasty dish with another standard and something I made up and really don't remember what I put in it. The standard was a sauteed mushroom dish- we love mushrooms. The other was a chicken dish that I whipped up. It is kind of like chicken marsala in that is uses marsala wine. Otherwise I just kind of made it up as I went.

That night dinner was delicious. The mushrooms were gone at the end of the night. However, the leftover risotto and chicken were not as good. The risotto was bland and I over nuked the chicken, killing the nice texture it had at first. I'll still make these all again though!


Beet Risotto
Printed from www.kbuxton.com in 2002!

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil or Butter
  
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
  
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Can Pickled Beets, finely chopped
  
• 1 C. Arborio Rice
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine or Vermouth
  
• 3+ C. Hot Chicken Broth
  
• 1/4 C. Grated Fresh Parmesan

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil or butter and saute the garlic and onions until soft.
   
2. Pour in rice and stir to coat with oil.
   
3. Add in wine and stir. Wine will evaporate as you stir.
   
4. Add in chicken stock about 1/2 C. at a time, stirring often. The risotto will slowly absorb the broth, cooking and becoming creamy with stirring.
   
5. About halfway through cooking the rice, add in the beets. This adds a wonderful color and lets the beet flavor absorb into the rice as it cooks.
   
6. When rice is tender (may not require all the broth), stir in the cheese until it melts throughout.
   
7. Serve hot with extra Parmesan on hand for grating on the plate.

Sauteed Mushrooms

• 1 Small Package of Sliced Mushrooms
  
• 3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
  
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  
• Olive Oil

1. In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in shrooms, soy, and garlic. Saute until cooked through and aromatic. Serve hot.

Caramelized Marsala Chicken

• 1/2 Red Onion, sliced into thin strips
  
• Olive Oil
  
• 1/2 C. Marsala Wine
  
• 1 1/2 Lbs. Chicken Breasts
  
• 1 tsp. Thyme (I think- maybe it was Rosemary)
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook red onions until they are soft and starting to caramelize, about 25 minutes.
   
2. Add in marsala wine and stir. Increase heat to medium-high and reduce wine a little.
   
3. Place chicken breasts in pan and spoon marsala and onion mixture on top of breasts. Sprinkle in the herbs and then cover the pan.
   
4. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. When turning, be sure to spoon more mixture over the chicken to keep the flavors melting over.
   
5. Serve warm with onions on top of chicken.

Non-Spicy or BBQ Chicken Wings

Howdy blog fans... it has been 2 weeks since I posted anything here. (I'm cheating the dates on Blogspot- it helps me keep things straight when I go back to recipes!) It's, uh, it's been busy. I have a relatively new job and I had a lot of work to put in for my first corporate class. So I did a little cooking, but there was time left for blogging- so sad.

The point of all of this is that the next few recipes I'm guessing about. I'm bad in the first place about measuring ingredients as well as writing things down as I cook, so there's a good chance I'm making some stuff up for a few upcoming entries, including this one. Just wanted truth in advertising, ya know?

Ok, so I think this recipe was made back on Sunday the 14th for watchin' football. I thought Adam would really enjoy some chicken wings and beer while enjoying the Pats tear the other team a new one. (I don't recall which team- with a perfect record and crushing against WA taking place as I type, I don't think it matters which one it was.) I don't like hot wings, so I found this kind of sweet, kind of rich marinade online. They were delicious! I may have halved the recipe- I don't remember. I didn't change much though!

However, it turns out Adam doesn't like wings. I guess I missed that somewhere along the way over the last 13 years. I ended up eating about 75% of them- in one sitting. Finger licking good, even if I do peel off most of the skin!


Mahogany Chicken Wings
From AllRecipes.com

• 1.5 lbs. Chicken Wings
  
• 1/2 C. Soy Sauce
  
• 1/2 C. Honey
  
• 1/4 C. Molasses
  
• 2 tsp. Tabasco Sauce
  
• 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
  
• 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a large ziplock baggie. Mush around to mix.
   
2. Add in chicken and refrigerate for 30 min to 4 hours.
   
3. Light the grill. Grill chicken on medium heat for about 20 minutes, turning once and watching that they don't go up in smoke with all that sugar in the marinade.