Chicken and Cranberries
While shopping yesterday I picked up a bag of fresh cranberries. It seems a bit late in the season for cranberries to still be so plentiful. I don't know if I just haven't been paying attention or I'm noticing them more because everything else is looking so bad. Weather in Florida and California is really wreaking havoc on produce right now - and I'm sure prices are going to be reflecting it soon.
But I digress...
I picked up cranberries with the thought of making a cranberry sauce for some chicken breasts and leftovers for ham sandwiches. Love hose versatile sauces!
Cranberry sauce really is the easiest thing in the world to make. Really. I had sparkling cranberry juice and dried cranberries in the house so I made a really simple triple cranberry sauce.
Triple Cranberry Sauce
- 1 cup sparkling cranberry juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
Mix cranberry juice and sugar in medium saucepan. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Add both cranberries and cook until cranberries pop and sauce begins to thicken a bit - about 10 minutes.
Cool and chill.
As I said - easy.
The chicken was a simple boneless, skinless breast that I sauteed in a bit of butter and then finished off in the oven. The only thing I did was add salt and pepper. No other seasonings. I didn't want anything to compete with the cranberry sauce tonight.
Green and yellow Italian beans - salt, pepper, butter - and plain white rice finished the plate. The simple rice also worked well capturing the runaway cranberry sauce.
It was one of those meals with really simple flavors but also one where every flavor was noticed. I like moving back and forth between using every spice in the cabinet and showing restraint. I mean... restraint is not a word that is often associated with me. It's fun to step outside of the box now and again.
I'm also thinking that the sauce can be reworked into a dipping sauce for some hors d'oeuvre or another on Sunday. We have a biannual dinner with dear friends and while the main dish (a lobster pasta) and dessert (a big ol' cheesecake) are already planned, the hors d'oeuvres are not chiseled in stone. But as I sit here, I think a mini-fritter of sorts with a spicy cranberry dipping sauce may be fun. I really love that deep fryer!
I made the cheesecake when I got home today because it really needs to set for a few days. Not an easy thing to allow to happen, but it's for a special occasion. We'll deal with it.
And I need to figure out what to do with the veal chops for our New Year's Eve dinner tomorrow night.
The stress.
Monday Monday
The Blizzard of 2010 kept me indoors today. Not that we had a blizzard at our house. Maybe 6" of snow. Maybe.
But it was enough to keep me from wanting to go out and deal with all the morons who like to drive like it's mid-July. We could have gone shopping and we could have come up with a pasta dish with what we had in the house, but we decided to take a Pasta Monday Break.
It was more fun watching old movies and doing nothing.
Victor did his Italian magic in the kitchen with Chicken Cutlets with homemade sauce and fontina cheese and green beans with homemade sun-dried tomato pesto.
Everything but the cheese came out of the freezer.
He was originally going to cook gnocchi as well, but decided if we ate less pasta for dinner we could have more cookies for dessert.
I like his way of thinking!
It's been a fun couple of days. We were never snowed in, didn't lose power, and had lots of goodies to eat. The perfect way to deal with Mother Nature.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. It's back to the real world tomorrow.
Oh well.
Chicken Florentine with Boursin Sauce
I really like Boursin cheese. Not necessarily as a stand-alone cheese, but for all the things it can be used for.
My two favorite ways to use Boursin is in mashed potatoes (outrageously good) and as a sauce. A bit of Boursin melted with a bit of heavy cream or milk makes the perfect sauce for vegetables, beef, chicken... Outrageoulsly good.
For tonight's dinner I started by sauteing a small chopped onion with some finely chopped mushrooms. When the onions were properly wilted, I added a bag of frozen chopped spinach, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
While that was heating, I took one whole boneless chicken breast (both halves) and pounded it to a uniform thickness.
I spread about a third of a cup of ricotta cheese on top and then about a cup or so of the spinach mixture.
I rolled it up, put it in a greased pan and into a 350° for about 40 minutes.
To serve, I placed more of the spinach filling on the plate, put slices of the chicken on top and then added the Boursin sauce. Whole-grain rice finished the plate.
And I bought dessert tonight because for the remainder of the evening I am going to be playing with my brand-new Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection. 15+ programs I will never fully know how to use. But I'm gonna have fun with it no matter how much I don't know!
Be afraid. Be very afraid!
Chicken Parmigiana
There's something about a breaded chicken cutlet that just makes my tummy smile. I like them in just about any fashion or mode. Highly seasoned, simple with sauce, plain, fancy. With cheese, without. I'm not that picky. I like 'em.
But when a chicken cutlet gets hooked up with homemade sauce and slices of parmesan cheese under a blanket of melted mozzarella... well... my tummy does more than smile - and the rest of me is pretty happy, as well!
That was tonight's dinner. Served with ravioli and broccoli drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I used the cheesy sauce in the pan for the ravioli. We waste nothing!
Very simple. Very quick. Very good.
I made a Pear and Raisin Pie for dessert tonight, too!
I bought a frozen crust.
More on that, later...
Chicken and Pumpkin
What to do when you have lots of pumpkin puree in the house? Start using it in fun and creative ways! Like a Pumpkin BBQ Sauce.
I really went international with this one... I started with the pumpkin puree and added a bit of Banana Sauce from the Philippines and Matouk's Calypso Sauce from Trinidad and Tobago. To round things out, I added a bit of Gate's BBQ Sauce from Kansas City.
It was spicy hot. The Calypso Sauce is a scotch bonnet mustard sauce, the Banana Sauce is a sweeter-than-ketchup sauce but with a similar flavor profile, and the Gates BBQ Sauce is just good BBQ. It made for a great combination.
I schmeared it all over the chicken and then oven-roasted it for about 30 minutes at 425°. They were big breasts.
Brussels sprouts - the last of the stalk - were oven-roasted with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. They were perfect in their roasted simplicity. Red whole-grain rice finished the plate.
The sauce really was good. Even with the heat of the calypso sauce, the pumpkin came through.
It's given me an idea about a pumpkin chipotle bbq sauce.
Stay tuned.
Baseball Food
Giants baseball.
Words I do have to admit I'm not used to saying in late October. But I'm saying it loud right now! Damn, this is fun!
We had season tickets to the Giants for years - from Candlestick to Pac Bell Park and loved going out to the games.
So now we're 3000 miles away, watching on TV - seeing our former season ticket seats on the telly - and wishing we were there in person to root on the home team.
But we aren't.
So... next best thing is to make up some San Francisco Ball Park food for dinner.
And the perfect excuse to use our new french fry/appetizer holders from our friends Kate and Lori!
The Giants are famous for their Garlic Fries. There is not a vampire around that ballpark for miles and miles. And miles. And what else says San Francisco Ball Park Food like the Stinking Rose's 40 Clove Garlic Chicken Sandwich?!? I don't know the exact ballpark recipe, but I have the restaurant's recipe, so I adjusted it for putting between bread.
The Stinking Rose 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
You heard it right. 40 cloves! But don’t let that number scare you, because they add just the right amount of zest and aroma to make this one of The Stinking Rose’s most popular dishes!
- 1 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2-3 lbs. Roasting Chicken, washed and cut into pieces
- to taste Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper
- 4 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
- 1 Cup Flour
- 40 Cloves Garlic, Peeled
- 1 Cup Dry White Wine
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1. Heat butter and olive oil in a deep, heavy skillet.
2. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and rosemary. Toss in flour.
3. When the pan is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken, skin side down.
4. Sauté chicken until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan.
5. Add garlic cloves and sauté until light brown.
6. Add white wine and chicken stock. Return chicken to pan.
7. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Remove chicken and keep warm, turn heat to high and reduce liquid by 66%. Remove to blender, add cream and puree sauce. Adjust seasoning and serve over chicken.
I did it slightly different...
I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips. I browned them, took them out of the pan, added the garlic, then chicken broth, cooked it down, added the cream, cooked it down, added the chicken, put it on rolls. I didn't need to add the flour and didn't add any wine, either. It was for a sandwich.
For the fries, I bought frozen garlic fries. Cheating to a degree, I'll admit, but we don't really care for the garlic seasoning that comes with them, so I minced garlic, sauteed it with a bit of olive oil and when the fries were done, coated them with the homemade garlic. It wasn't nearly as gooey, sticky, and smelly as the ball park version, but they worked.
And the fry holders worked really well, too! They are also deceptively large! You can fit a lot of fries in one of those cups. They're a lot of fun!
So it's minutes away from the start of game 2 of the World Series. Last time the Giants won a World Series was 1954. I was only a few years old and they were still in New York. They have never won as a San Francisco team.
This is their year!
Go Giants!
Pico de Gallo
One of the things I picked up at Atlantic Spice on Saturday when we were up on The Cape was a bag of pico de gallo. Pico de gallo is generally a salsa of sorts, made with tomatoes, onions, peppers, lemon juice, cilantro... The ingredients vary from area to area and it can be firey hot or fruity mild.
The bag I bought was a blend of spices and seasonings. While I usually don't buy a lot of spice blends, I thought what the heck. Actually, I just think that I don't buy a lot of spice blends... when I opened the spice cabinet to figure out how I was going to fit yet another item in there, I noticed just how many spice blends I don't buy.
I can't believe how many I don't buy.
I decided I needed to do something vaguely Mexican tonight. I had chicken already cooked from the bird I cooked yesterday for the soup, pico de gallo spice... An idea started forming.
My first thought was to do something like a gordita or an El Salvadoran pupusa. (A woman I worked with years ago at San Francisco General Hospital made the best pupusas!!! Alicia, I miss you and your cooking!)
But... I made more of a tamale dough than a pupusa or gordita dough. Much softer and lighter.
So, I decided to make something open-faced.
I made the dough:
- 1 cup masa harina
- 1/3 cup lard
- 1 cup warm water
- pinch salt
The filling was:
- chicken
- pico de gallo
- roasted red peppers
- chopped green chiles
topped with:
- quesso fresco
- cotija
Cotija is an aged Mexican cheese. Salty and dry, it's like a Mexican version of parmesan.
The topless gorditas were very soft, so I put the tray in the 'fridge for an hour for them to firm up. I never would have gotten them off the pan at room temperature.
I fired up the griddle and browned them really well and then stuck the griddle under the broiler to melt the cheeses and heat everything through.
I topped them with salsa verde and a few sliced black olives.
It may not have been the most authentic of Mexican meals, but it definitely hit the spot! I can definitely see some variations on this theme!
Chicken and Chorizo
The calendar is saying one more day to Fall. The thermometer is saying it's definitely still Summer.
So out to the grill we go.
A couple of chorizo sausages, a chicken breast, onion, and red pepper put onto a skewer. How easy is that?
And last night's rice mixed with a can of black beans and a can of chopped green chiles.
Seriously simple.
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
It's the chicken that keeps on giving - and it hasn't finished, yet!
Tonight was a gooey, cheesy, smoky, spicy chicken sandwich. Really messy. And really good.
I started off by sauteing a small onion along with a bell pepper and a clove of garlic. When it was all pretty well cooked, I added a chopped tomato from the garden and about a cup of BBQ sauce. (Gates Kansas City BBQ Sauce, to be exact.)
Into the simmering sauce I added a couple cups of shredded chicken and heated it all through.
Onto rolls it went with smoked cheddar on top. I popped it under the broiler to melt the cheese and dinner was served. With fries.
It really was a messy sandwich. It was perfect, though. I ate it over the fries and all the cheesy gooey filling that slid out went onto them. I had chickeny cheese fries with dinner!
And I used lots of napkins.
Creamy Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
I'm trying to rush fall, a bit. I'm ready for the fall foods. Grocery stores are all set up with butternut and acorn squash, gourds have appeared. Mother Nature is taking her time. It was sunny and 78° today. Actually, it was perfect weather. I'm not complaining. Really. I just want to make a pot of soup.
Yesterday, I boiled a whole chicken. I got a gallon of great broth for a few future projects and a full chicken for a few meals. Tonight, I took a bit of that chicken, a bit of that broth, a few mushrooms and some fried hot peppers and a dolop of mascarpone and made a creamy - and ever-so-slightly-spicy - chicken that I served atop mashed potatoes.
It was just the ultimate in comfort foods. Something my mother would have put together to feed the lot of us back in the day.
I hate to admit it, but I actually cleaned that plate.
It was really good.
Another Road to Morocco
Once upon a time I subscribed to a diet and nutrition magazine. I got the subscription because I read a copy in a Dr's office and it had a recipe for Pumpkin Polenta! (It was a hit. I've made it a couple of times.) But the magazine went totally digital and I lost interest - and kept a few of the printed recipes.
The recipe for the rice is a variation on a stuffed portobello mushroom recipe.
Moroccan Rice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup chickpeas
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups cooked rice
In skillet, heat 1 tsp oil. Add spices and cook about 1 minute to get rid of the raw taste. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix well. Heat through.
The chicken was a variation on a recipe from an old Gourmet magazine.
Moroccan Lemon Chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 small onion, sliced thin
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch cayenne pepper
- grated lemon zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup sliced olives
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 cup chick peas
Cook chicken in skillet until browned on both sides. Transfer chicken to a plate and reduce heat to moderate. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring, until softened. Add cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, and flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in broth, lemon juice and zest, olives, chickpeas, and honey.
Return chicken to pan and simmer, uncovered, until cooked through.
I think the locals would approve...
Chicken and Mushrooms with Marsala Wine Sauce
This recipe comes courtesy of Cooking Light. Well... The concept does.
I followed the guidelines, but my ingredient list was a bit different. I wanted to use up a few odds and ends in the 'fridge.
I liked the original recipe and will probably make a closer-to-the-original version one of these days. In the meantime, here's the recipe from Cooking Light with my changes following!
Chicken and Mushrooms with Marsala Wine Sauce
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1/2 cup sauce)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
- 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 4 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced button mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
- 2/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves
Preparation
1. Place porcini mushrooms in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Cover and let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse; drain well. Thinly slice.
2. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Combine 3 teaspoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture.
3. Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; cover and keep warm.
4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, red pepper, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, porcini, shiitake, button mushrooms, and oregano; sauté 6 minutes or until mushrooms release moisture and darken. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Add chicken and tomatoes; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, turning chicken once. Sprinkle with basil.
I used leeks instead of onion, and sliced up about 8 brussels sprouts and fried them with the leeks. I used the porcini mushrooms but used baby bellas instead of the shitake and button. I also lightly thickened the sauce with a bit of cornstarch. And my tomatoes were from the garden, not cherries.
It came out pretty good.