Chicken Meatballs with Parmigiano Reggiano

I'm still here!  We took our first group vacation since 2020 with good friends and, since then, it's been a mixture of various commitments, a little procrastination and lack of inspiration.  However, after enjoying a delicious appetizer of chicken meatballs served in a wonderful savory sauce at a local restaurant we enjoy, I was determined to try and replicate the recipe at home.  Inspiration found! 

I adapted this recipe slightly from one I found on Skinny Taste.  It's basically a riff on Chicken Romano and Chicken Piccata and it's wonderful!  I wanted to use chicken thigh meat but couldn't find any already ground. So, I used my Kitchen Aid meat grinder attachment and ground my own.  Any ground chicken will do, so don't feel you have to grind your own or ask your meat department to grind it for you. 😉

The meatballs have all the standard meatball ingredients of bread crumbs and egg, along with Parmigiano Reggiano, herbs, seasonings and garlic.  I have a large container of Parmiginao Reggiano from Costco which makes putting these together easy. 

After browning the meatballs in batches (don't crowd them), they are set aside while you make the sauce, which is a delicious combination of shallots, garlic, chicken broth, white wine and lemon. It's amazing! Feel free to add capers if you like them. 

This recipe is light, delicious and perfect for spring (which has been slow to arrive this year!)  Serve with rice, pasta, a salad or simple vegetable and enjoy!

Tip: When you harvest your herbs this season, be sure to freeze plenty.  I used frozen chopped parsley from my freezer for this recipe and all my frozen herbs throughout the winter. I harvest parsley (both Italian and curly), oregano, chives, thyme (I freeze the whole stems), and rosemary. Use your salad spinner to clean, then either chop them or put whole into freezer bags.   You'll be glad you did next winter!  

Chicken Meatballs with Parmigiano Reggiano

Printable Recipe

Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken (chicken thighs preferred)

1 large egg, stirred with a fork gently

½ cup bread crumbs

⅓ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried basil

½ teaspoon fresh or dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

Sauce

1 small shallot, diced (about 1 tablespoon

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine, like chardonnay

2 cups chicken broth

1 lemon, preferably organic, sliced

1 tablespoon capers, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken with the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, dried basil, oregano, pepper flakes, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until just combined - don't overmix. Shape the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and return to the bowl.  Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

 

Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the meatballs in a single layer without crowding, browning on all sides, cooking about 5 to 6 minutes in total. You can do this in batches if you have a small skillet.  Just brown them and remove - they will finish cooking in the oven.  Transfer all browned meatballs to a large plate. 

In the same skillet over medium heat, add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Add the chicken stock and lemons and simmer gently for about 5-10 minutes until slightly reduced.  Add the meatballs to the sauce in the pan.  

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs cooked through.  Serve with pasta, rice or a vegetable.

Sunshine Chicken Salad

How about a tasty chicken salad to welcome the first day of spring?  Even though we have no snow on the ground here, the first day of spring definitely came in like a Lion with chilly temperatures (about 32F as I type) and lots of wind (meaning a wind chill of 20F).  Glad I didn't put away my warm coat yet!  On the day I made this last weekend, it was a mild 57F.  The wild ride of March :)

This delightful chicken salad idea came by way of a Penny at Lake Lure Cottage who happened to mention the great chicken salad sandwich she and her husband enjoy at a restaurant in New Smyra Beach, Florida.  No recipe, just a list of the ingredients, so I decided to try and recreate it.  The apples, dried cranberries and orange mayonnaise sounded delicious together.  And, since it's from a restaurant in Florida, I named this Sunshine Chicken Salad :)

This was also a great opportunity to use the pea shoots that I started indoors last month.  I was anxious to see something green growing so just put a small handful of pea seeds in some seed starting soil and look what I have now! They added another wonderful and flavorful dimension to the salad.

Serve it on a bed of greens, add some avocado slices, as I did, or eat it on a buttery croissant, the way the restaurant in New Smyrna Beach serves it! Enjoy!

Sunshine Chicken Salad

Printable Recipe

Serves 2 as a main course salad

Add as much of each ingredient as you like, according to your preference!

2 cooked chicken breasts halves (roasted, poached or rotisserie chicken breast), diced
1 organic Gala Apple, cored and diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted pecans, broken into pieces
1-2 green onions, sliced thin, saving some of the green part for garnish
1/2 cup Hellmans or Best Foods mayonaisse
2 teaspoons concentrated orange juice, or use freshly squeezed
1/2 teaspoon grated organic orange rind, optional
Small bunch of snipped pea shoots, optional
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook chicken breast, allow to cool and then dice.

In a small saute pan, melt a little butter and add the pecans. Toast, tossing them around in the pan until fragrant and beginning to brown, slightly. Add a pinch of salt and toss. Place on paper toweling to cool.

Make the orange mayonnaise by adding the orange concentrate or fresh orange juice and zest, if using. Stir thoroughly to combine and taste test. Add more orange juice, if desired.

In a large bowl, combine the diced chicken, diced apple, cranberries, pecans, and sliced green onions.

Add the orange mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and toss to coat, adding more mayo, if necessary.

Cool for at least 1 hour to let the flavors combine and serve on a bed of lettuce and top with additional green onion and pea shoots, if available.

Chicken Chorizo Empanadas

Recently, good friends hosted our gourmet group and the theme was "Una Noche Española", a Spanish night.  Among other things, we enjoyed a wonderful seafood Paella, and this delicious appetizer, which was our assigned contribution to the meal.  See below for my first experience eating Paella :-)

An empanada is a stuffed pastry filled with a combination of meat, cheese, potatoes and other ingredients, which are either baked or fried.  Served in many parts of Spain and Latin American, the name is derived from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap. Hot pockets, Strudel, Knish, Calzone, Pasty, Pierogi, Samosa, Borek, Kibbeh, are just a few other names for similar recipes from various parts of the world. Some of you may know more examples to add to that list.  

Even though the entire recipe was received in our 'menu packet', I did quite a bit of research on dough recipes, empanada fillings and how to made the beautiful fold around the edge of the empanada (you can find a great tutorial here).  I wanted to 'lighten' the recipe just a bit and was able to find chicken chorizo sausage at a specialty poultry store nearby that makes a variety of sausages using fresh, ground chicken.

I had never made empanadas before so this was a delicious learning experience for me!  I made my own dough but you could certainly save a lot of time by buying pre-made empanada discs or refrigerated pie crust and cutting your own circles.

 

The blender avocado sauce that was included with our recipe was really delicious!  There is quite a bit of lime juice in it that so I think you could easily prepare it a day ahead.  It was very creamy and fresh tasting and would taste wonderful in many recipes.

If you feel like spending Una Noche Española, I highly recommend these empanadas!  There are many do-ahead components if you plan ahead.

Although I never had empanadas in Spain, it was where I first ate and fell in love with Paella which was the first dish I learned how to make after a trip to the Costa del Sol a few years before I met my husband. Long ago :)  From top left, the beautiful hillside village of Mijas, the obligatory photo with a flamenco dancer in Torremolenos, overlooking a fountain inside the beautiful Alhambra in Granada, and a horse-drawn carriage outside of La Malaguena in Marbella. 

Chicken Chorizo Empanadas

Printable Recipe

Makes 12 Empanadas, which will serve 4-6 people as an appetizer. 

Dough:

Note: You may also use Goya pre-cut empanada dough or even a box of pre-made refrigerated pie crust purchased from your grocer if you need to save time.

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or plain vodka

Place sifted flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender (or your fingers) until it resembles coarse the mixture resembles small, pea-size lumps.

With a fork whisk the egg, water, and vinegar or vodka together in a small bowl. Add this to the flour mixture, stirring with the fork just until incorporated.

Turn out dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press together. Gently kneed with heel of your hand two or three times to bring dough together. Flatten dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap or zipper bag. Chill at least 1 hour.

Dough can be made a day ahead.

When ready to made empanadas, roll out dough into an 18-inch rectangle.  Using a 3" round cutter, cut 12 discs from the dough.  Place on a baking sheet in a single layer, using parchment paper to cover and separate discs.

Filling:

1 tablespoon grape seed, corn or other neutral flavored oil
1/2 white onion, finely diced – about 1 cup
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced - about 1/2 cup

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 Bay Leaf

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lb. chicken chorizo, or pork, if preferred
12 ounces of grated Monterrey Jack or Mexican Blend cheese
4 ounces of crumbled queso fresco cheese

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Remove the chorizo from the casings and drop into the pan and separate with a wooden spoon while sauteing until cooked through and crumbled, about 10 minutes.  Remove the cooked chorizo from the pan with a slotted spoon as set aside.  Add the diced onion and red pepper and cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, bay leaf, oregano and salt and stir to combine.  Add in the cooked chorizo sausage and stir together.  Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended.  Remove from heat and cool then remove bay leaf. 

This mixture can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered, until ready to assemble empanadas.

Mix the grated Monterrey Jack or Mexican Blend cheese with the crumbled queso fresco. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Can be made a day ahead.

Avocado Sauce:

3 ripe avocados
4 limes, juiced – a little over ½ cup of juice
1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and white veins removed
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a blender; it helps the blending process if the avocados are in small chunks and the cilantro is lightly chopped. I also recommend crushing the garlic before putting it in the blender to ensure no one gets a surprise large piece of garlic.
Blend until you have a smooth sauce. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Can be made a day ahead.

Assembly:

Roll out dough as indicated in dough recipe above.


See this video for how to fold classic empanadas.

Preheat oven to 400F.

To assemble the empanadas, hold one disc in your left hand (if you are right-handed). Brush outer edge on the upper half of disc with plain water. Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture in the center of the disc and then top with a spoonful of the chorizo mixture. Fold the top and bottom edge of the gently and seal edges with your fingers. Twist and fold the edges with your fingers or use a fork to press down on the edges as you would a pie crust.

Chill the empanadas for at least an hour to help them prevent leaks.

When ready to bake, brush the empanadas with egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve the empanadas with avocado sauce.

Adapted from Laylita, and Epicurious

Honey-Lacquered Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

I love when a recipe saves your culinary spirit.  After a couple of flops in the new-recipe-department last week, I was feeling a little low and upset about wasted time and ingredients.  Luckily, I found this recipe that saved me from a three strike failure. This easy-to-make roasted chicken is perfect for a cool, autumn evening.

The original recipe uses small, whole chickens but I used some large, locally-raised, antibiotic-free chicken legs instead because we love chicken legs. Since I wasn't stuffing whole birds with the lemon, garlic and rosemary, I placed them on the baking pan underneath the chicken legs.

The chicken parts are brushed with a honey/lemon/balsamic mixture and roasted in a hot oven to produce the beautiful lacquered skin and then finished at a lower temperature.  Chicken is so versatile that any side dish you like would be wonderful.  Roasted potatoes, squash, or grilled eggplant, which is what we had.  I found this beautiful, Italian eggplant at the Farmers' Market, which we sliced, brushed with olive oil, seasoned with some Italian herbs and grilled. 

So far, fall has been kind to us and I still have quite a few things blooming in the garden.  These photos were all taken in the past several days.

Two of my favorite fall-blooming flowers are the Colchicums, or autumn crocus, in the first photo along with Japanese Anemone and Tricyrtis or toad lily, above, with some favorite dahlias.   

How is Fall in your area?  Although the trees are changing color, we are behind in both color change and leaf drop compared to last year.

Honey-Lacquered Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

Printable Recipe

*Please see My Notes below

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or glaze
Whole chicken legs
Salt and Pepper
6 small rosemary sprigs
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/3 of a lemon, cut into slices

Preheat the oven to 450°. 

Rinse with cool water and dry chicken with paper toweling.

In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and balsamic. Scatter the rosemary sprigs, garlic and lemon slices over a baking sheet. Set the chickens pieces on top of them. Brush two-thirds of the honey glaze over the chickens and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in the middle of the hot oven for 20-30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. 

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°. Rotate the pan and brush with the remaining glaze. Roast the chicken for about 30-40 minutes longer, until the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced, basting with the pan juices at least twice. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving, and serve.

My Notes: I halved the glaze ingredients and used four whole chicken legs to serve two people.  The original recipe calls for soy sauce instead of balsamic vinegar and uses whole chickens which are stuffed with the garlic, rosemary and lemon.  Use 3 large sprigs of rosemary, 3 quartered garlic cloves, and 1/3 lemon if using whole chickens.  Increase roasting time if you are using whole chickens.

Recipe Adapted from Food and Wine

"Ancient" Chinese Chicken with Green Beans and Caramelized Shallots

I use the term 'Ancient' loosely here.  It's not an authentic ancient Chinese recipe but the name given the recipe in an old cookbook of mine from 1986 called "Noteworthy - A Collection of Recipes from the Ravinia Festival"  It's still one of my all-time favorite cookbooks and I love pulling it off the bookshelf every now and then to see if there's anything I may have missed. My original copy was so worn that the pages were falling out but I was lucky enough to find an almost new copy at the local used book store. 

FYI, the Ravinia Festival in northern Illinois is the oldest outdoor music festival in the United States, with a series of outdoor concerts and performances held every summer from June to September. It has been the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936 and the cookbook was the project of the Women's Board of the Ravinia Festival Organization. 

I was in the mood for some Asian BBQ chicken, and found this recipe in my cookbook.  I thought I might have a hard time finding the currant jelly and plum jam but luckily, no problem thanks to the popular store brand. The original recipe calls for chicken legs and breasts but I substituted bone-in chicken thighs because they stay so tender and juicy, even after a long cooking time.

Since my husband and I are trying to watch our carb intake during the week, I served the chicken with some sauteed mushrooms (to which I added a little of the chicken spice mixture) and my favorite recipe for green beans with caramelized shallots which I'll also share.  It's a fool proof method for getting tender but not over-cooked green beans, just like you'd get in a restaurant.

Did you know that Chinese New Year is starting on February 19!  It will be the Year of the Goat!  Some interesting facts on the Chinese Zodiac. 

I also want to thank my friend, Maris, at In Good Taste Magazine and Wüsthof for the opportunity to win two beautiful Wüsthof knives in December.  Thank you, both very much!  I am thrilled with them and the boning knife is perfect for cutting up chicken parts.

"Ancient" Chinese Chicken with Green Beans and Caramelized Shallots

Adapted from "Noteworthy - A Collection of Recipes from the Ravinia Festival"

Printable Recipe

Serves 6

12 bone-in chicken thighs trimmed of excess skin (you may use other chicken parts if you prefer)
1/2 cup Canola oil
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
2 teaspoons coarse salt (I like to use coarse sea salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Note: I ground the dry seasonings together in my spice grinder (which is a coffee grinder I use just for spices).  Save any leftover spice mixture to use on sauteed mushrooms or green beans.

For the Sauce:

1-1/3 cups ketchup
2/3 cup red currant jelly
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco (or Sriracha)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (or 1/2 teaspoon dry ginger)
1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup plum jam (strained if it has large bits of plum)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Arrange the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub the chicken pieces with oil and then sprinkle the lemon juice, Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper over chicken and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.

While the chicken is baking, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a heavy saucepan and whisk together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

When the chicken is done, remove from oven, uncover, and drain the juices.

Increase the oven temperature to 400. Baste the chicken generously with the sauce and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes, or until browned. Serve with remaining sauce.

You may also grill the chicken on a medium heat grill, basting frequently with the sauce until browned for about 10 minutes, turning frequently.

Serve with sauteed mushrooms, and,

Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots
Adapted from Epicurious

Serves 4

1 pounds slender green beans, stem ends trimmed
3-4 shallots
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves are even better)

Have a large bowl of ice water ready.

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil.  Add the green beans and return to a boil.  Cook until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer immediately to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in several layers of paper towels. Seal in plastic bag and chill.)

Trim ends and peel shallots. Cut lengthwise in half, then slice thickly. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until shallots are browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Shallots can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature).

Add pre-cooked and drained green beans to the shallots in skillet and stir over medium-high heat until heated through, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
 

Grilled Chicken Pasta with Tomato and Eggplant Sauce

I still have an overabundance of homegrown ripe tomatoes with two large baking pans on my kitchen counter filled with them. Not a bad position to be in because we dearly love homegrown tomatoes but scary when it comes to using them all before they become overripe.  This year, I added San Marzano tomatoes to my garden just so I could make tomato sauce. 

I am also growing eggplant in a container on the patio for the first time.

I have many other eggplant recipes bookmarked, but the first one I wanted to make was this tomato and eggplant sauce to take advantage of all of those ripe tomatoes. The inspiration for the recipe is here.

This sauce can be used for chicken or fish alone, pasta alone, or for a combination of both as I did.  Even if you're not fond of eggplant, I think you will still love this recipe.  The eggplant adds just enough flavor but not so that it's overpowering. And, if you need further coaxing, eggplant is very healthy!  It's loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals and is very low in calories. 

When I asked my husband how if he enjoyed the recipe, he responded "We can have this anytime!".  High praise, indeed :)  This weekend, I'm planning on preparing the same sauce to serve over grilled salmon. 

Grilled Chicken Pasta with Tomato-Eggplant Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Scout

Printable Recipe

4 servings

This fast and easy sauce makes a delicious topping for grilled chicken and fish. It is also wonderful over pasta.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch thick

1 pound of pasta of your choice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups unpeeled eggplant, trimmed and chopped into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
4 cups (I used a little more) plum (or regular) tomatoes, trimmed and chopped into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces, along with their juice

Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil; rub with one minced clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon each chopped oregano and parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours. If you don't have access to the fresh herbs, you may substitute dried herbs but reduce to 1 teaspoon each.  If you have Mr. & Mrs. Dash Original seasoning it also makes a wonderful seasoning for grilled chicken. If using dried seasonings, also rub the chicken with oil before seasoning. 

Microwave chopped eggplant, in large microwave-safe bowl with 3 tablespoons water, covered, for about 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain excess liquid.

Cook the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet preheated over medium heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the chopped tomatoes, eggplant and remaining 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium-high to high heat 5 to 8 minutes or until eggplant is tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before serving.

Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and cook pasta of choice (I used Capellini or Angel Hair pasta) according to package directions.

Oil grill grate and heat grill. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or coals for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center, turning once. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. 

Place one chicken breast per person on a bed of pasta and spoon tomato-eggplant sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with a garnish a freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

Hearty Chicken Stew

Here is a creamy, satisfying chicken stew/soup to warm your body and mind while the stubborn cold and snow remain. I first tasted this soup at a ski lodge many years ago and I worked on adapting the recipe over the years into one my family's best-loved soups.

The recipe is easily adapted using freshly poached chicken breast, rotisserie chicken or with a nice chunk of turkey breast in the freezer from Thanksgiving as I did this time.  Add whatever veggies you like or have on hand. 

The key ingredients that should not be altered are the herbs which gives this thickened soup (or stew) it's distinctive flavor. I have used dried herbs but this year I am still using the herbs that I harvested and froze last fall. 

This is our family's favorite - make it yours too!

Hearty Chicken Soup

~ A Savoring Time in the Kitchen Recipe
Printable Recipe

2-3 chicken breasts halves, poached and diced (use rotisserie chicken breast for convenience)
1 large onion, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks celery, diced
8-10 small red potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks (russets may be substituted)
5 sprigs fresh thyme  (can substitute 1 tsp dried)

1 tablespoon fresh basil (can substitute 1 tsp dried)

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp ground pepper

4 tablespoons butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 32-oz container unsalted chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics brand or Kirkland's Organic - or homemade stock is always wonderful)
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, drained (I like Pomi brand)

1 cup frozen peas - thawed and drained

Water - as needed
1-2 teaspoons "Better than Bouillon" Chicken Soup Base, optional

Poach 3 chicken breasts in a large saute pan with a little water until done – about 15 minutes. I like to add 1 or 2 bay leaves to the poaching liquid.  Cool until safe to handle and cut into small squares. You may also use rotisserie chicken breasts or cooked turkey breast. 

In large stock pot, over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the diced onion, carrots, celery and potatoes. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables (especially potatoes and carrots) are just barely tender when pierced with a fork. I place a cover loosely over the pot while cooking.

When the vegetables are just barely tender,  toss the flour over the vegetables and stir in. Add the chicken stock all at once and keep cooking and stirring occasionally until the broth is thickened.  Add more stock or water to make the broth thinner, if needed. 

Add all of the seasonings, drained tomatoes, peas and cut-up chicken. Add chicken soup base if a richer taste is desired. Cook until heated through and serve.

Options: 

• Add 1 or 2 chipotle chilis and crushed tortillas for a Southwest flavor
• Replace the potatoes with cannelini beans - add the beans at the end when adding the tomatoes (beans may be pureed and used as a thickener instead of flour also)
• Use turkey breast or a rotisserie chicken instead of poached chicken breast
• If you prefer it slightly 'thicker' add a 3/4 cup flour instead of 1/2 cup

Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken with Quinoa

 

Here is another quick and delicious meal that I prepared recently when we had our two little grandsons all day and our daughter came for dinner later.  I had seen it on two of my fellow blogger's sites - Highlands Ranch Foodie and Saving Room for Dessert and thought it looked delicious.  It was!

The recipe is originally from Cooking Light and called Honey Cashew Chicken with Rice but the Sriracha adds a nice kick to this dish so I renamed it Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken.  Rather than edaname, I used snow peas and instead of rice, I served it with quinoa which made it even more healthy.

I'm a firm believer in getting as many things done in advance as I can on our days with The Boys. I had the vegetables cleaned and cut and the chicken breast cut into pieces the night before. I measured the spices and kept those covered in little prep bowls.  I also had the sauce ingredients mixed together in advance. I made the quinoa in between play times :) All that was left to do was the saute part of the recipe and that is doing is a jiffy!

Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken

Adapted from Cooking Light

Inspired by Highlands Ranch Foodie and Saving Room for Dessert
Printable Recipe

Serves 4 (serving size: 1/2 cup quinoa or rice and 1 cup chicken mixture)
 
1 cup rice, or quinoa (I use Ancient Harvest brand because it does not need pre-rinsing)

2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 3 breast halves)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) (I used Snow Peas)
Water chestnuts - optional
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews, unsalted
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha

Cook quinoa or rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Combine chicken and next 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss to coat.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola and sesame oils. Add chicken mixture, and sauté for 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Increase heat to high, and add broccoli and the next 4 ingredients (through red bell pepper). Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews.

Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add vinegar mixture to chicken mixture; toss to coat.

Serve with cooked quinoa or rice.

Notes:  The serving sizes noted in the recipe are quite small so for 4 people you may wish to double this recipe.  I used a very large saute pan to accommodate all of the ingredients.

Coq au Vin for the Wine Enthusiast

 
I've been struck with a serious case of spring fever having felt the warm sun during a short trip and it's been so hard for me to get motivated again with this lingering winter weather!

Since winter wants to remain in full force, comfort foods are still high on the soul-soothing list.  My most recent comfort food dinner is this Coq au Vin I made this week.  This was a labor of love and it took redoing the recipe a couple of times to get a result that satisfied me.

My first attempt was the dreaded purple chicken due to all of the red wine.  I tried to brown the chicken really well before putting it into the red wine to no avail.  Anyone know how to avoid purple chicken?

Then, I decided to remove the meat from the bones so that it would be easier to eat. Even though the sauce made for great bread-dipping it was still kind of soupy and still didn't look appealing.

My daughter, who used to work at a local French restaurant, mentioned to me that she remembered the chicken being roasted after marinating in the red wine with herbs and that the sauce was reduced to a thick syrup.  Then, the chicken and sauce were served over mashed potatoes with just the mushrooms, bacon and pearl onions. That sounded delicious and was just what I was looking for - the wow factor! Even though this is a rustic dish, this version could be fit for company.

Coq au Vin

Adapted loosely from this recipe by Ina Garten with variations from a french restaurant. Printable Recipe Serves 4 2 tablespoons good olive oil 6 ounces good, thick bacon, cut into 1" pieces 8 chicken legs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 3 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 yellow onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1/2 cup Cognac or good brandy 1 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy 2 cups good chicken stock 10 fresh thyme sprigs 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used Wondra) 1/2 pound frozen small whole onions 1 pound baby portabella mushrooms, stems removed and cut into fourths Additional items: -Chopped parsley for garnish. -Your favorite mashed potato recipe to serve 4. Fennel mashed potatoes or garlic mashed potatoes would be good choices. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven (I used a large Le Creuset roasting pan). Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon. Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 6-7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the a platter and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside. Add the carrots, celery, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the chicken and any juices that collected on the platter into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for about 40 minutes. . Remove the pot from the oven and remove the chicken legs to a baking sheet.  Allow to cool slightly and pat dry with paper toweling. Strain the sauce, pressing through some of the solids and return to the pan. Add 4 tablespoons of water to the flour to make a smooth paste and stir into the stew. Place the pan over medium-high heat and simmer until reduced to a syrupy consistency adding more red wine, if necessary. In a medium saute pan, add the 2 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add the sauteed mushrooms, frozen baby onions and reserved bacon to the reduced sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste, cover and hold until the chicken and mashed potatoes are ready. Increase the oven temperature to 375F. Place the chicken legs back into the oven and roasted until the skin becomes crisped. To assemble, place a large scoop of mashed potatoes on the center of a plate. Top with the reduced wine sauce with mushrooms, bacon and pearl onions. Place two chicken legs on top and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pass additional sauce at the table.

My Top 12 of 2012

Since it's customary at the end of the year to look back and reflect on the highlights of the year, I thought it would be fun to look back to see which posts that I shared in 2012 were the post popular with viewers. You're looking at my four most-viewed recipes of 2012 above!

Starting with the my most viewed post of 2012, with an amazing 4465 page views, was my Grilled Rainbow Trout Tutorial.  I hope that means there was a lot of delicious fish on the grill last year ;...

The second most-viewed post was this Cauliflower Steak with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce with 2637 page views.  It is so pretty and so delicious:

Number three was a post on a very healthy and delicious Green Soup with 2504 page views.  I plan on making this again in January after the gluttony of the holidays are over.  Green is good!...

Coming in fourth, was this unusual combination of  Lemon Tart with Chocolate Almond Crust  (so delicious!) with 2357 page views:

Fifth was this sweet and savory Salad for All Seasons with 1285 page views:

Sixth was a fairly recent post featuring a cookbook that I had won - Mamma Agata's Eggplant Parmigiana with 1108 page views.  I see many more eggplants in my future after enjoying this:

 

Seventh and the last post to garner over 1000 page views was General Tsao's Chicken with 1085 views:

Eighth was Pork Schnitzel with Lemon-Caper Sauce with 992 views:

Ninth - Torta Caprese with Lemon Mascarpone with 957 views:

Tenth - Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction and Basil Oil with 926 views:

Eleventh was this very recent post which received a lot of interest in a very short time - Brown Sugar, Fig and Rosemary Walnuts with 925 views (addictive and delicious!):

Last, my twelfth most viewed post of 2012, was Clam, Halibut and Sweet Corn Chowder with 850 page views.  This is a delicious treat during fresh corn season:

After reviewing these 12 most-viewed posts of 2012, I was interested to see that there were only two dessert posts that made the top twelve, six were vegetable/salad/meatless, two were seafood, one chicken and one pork. If that means we are all eating healthier wouldn't that be a wonderful thing! 

I'd like to say goodbye to 2012 by wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2013!  May your kitchen be a source of fun and creativity where family and friends gather. Thank you again for your support and encouraging comments!   

~Susan