Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Debbie Barnett Dineen

  • 2 C ricotta cheese
  • 1-10    oz, package chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 C grated Swiss cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 6-8 chicken breasts, boned, but skins intact

Combine all ingredients except chicken. Carefully pound chicken breasts. Separate skin from chicken and stuff with cheese mixture. Secure with toothpick. Dot with butter. Bake with skin side up at 350 for about 45-50 minutes. Baste 2-3 times while baking.

by Tim Dineen

Sonora Chicken Casserole

Margie Scanlon Dineen

  • 4 whole chicken breasts
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can (15 oz.) chili without beans
  • 1 can (7-1/2 oz.) salsa
  • 1/2 C milk
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 lb. jack cheese, shredded
  • 12 corn tortillas

Wrap chicken breasts individually in foil. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour at 350. When cool, slip meat off the bones and cut in 1 inch pieces.

Mix together soups, chili, salsa, milk, and onion. Tear tortillas into small pieces.

Put half of the chicken on the bottom of a large casserole dish. Top with half of the tortillas, half of the soup-chili mixture, and half of the cheese. Repeat layering, ending with cheese.

To bake immediately, bake at 350 for 45 minutes. If you freeze, bake 90 minutes at 350. Check the middle of the casserole before serving. When done, let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

by Tim Dineen

Seasoned Chicken

Mary Dineen Jankowski

  • 6 chicken breasts
  • 8 oz plain yogurt
  • Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • ½ c margarine

Dip chicken breasts in yogurt, then in seasoned crumbs. Place on cookie sheet. Drizzle melted margarine over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Gravy:

  • 8 oz plain yogurt
  • cream of chicken soup
  • ½ c broth
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • garlic salt
  • lemon juice to taste

Cook to almost boil.

by Tim Dineen

Italian Chicken and Artichokes

Kate Kelly Hodsdon

  • 1 c chopped onion
  • 1 c sliced mushrooms
  • ½ c chopped green pepper
  • ½ c chopped carrot
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 T olive oil
  • ½ c flour
  • ½ t pepper
  • 3 lbs chicken parts, whole chicken cut up or boneless pieces
  • ½ c dry white wine
  • 1 – 14 or 16 oz can stewed tomatoes
  • 1 – 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
  • 1 – 8oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 t dried Italian seasoning

In 12″ skillet cook onion, mushrooms, green pepper, carrot and garlic in 1 T hot oil til tender but not brown. Remove vegetables from skillet; set aside. In medium bowl combine flour, � t salt and pepper. Add chicken pieces, a few at a time, coating on all sides. Brown chicken in remaining hot oil over medium heat 10minutes, turning occasionally. Sprinkle any remaining flour mixture over chicken before browning. Return vegetables to skillet and undrained tomatoes, artichokes, tomato sauce, wine and Italian seasoning. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered 35-40 minutes or until chicken in tender, stirring once or twice. Transfer chicken to platter; keep warm. Boil sauce gently, uncovered, 5 minutes or til desired consistency. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked pasta or rice. Garnish with fresh shredded Parmesan.

Easy company dish!

by Tim Dineen

Oven Fried Chicken

Margaret Dineen Prendergast

Mix in a bag:

  • Crushed wheaties
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Shake to mix. Brush chicken with Miracle Whip and dip into bag to coat. Put chicken in a pan with 2 tbsp melted margarine. Bake in 425° oven for 30 minutes. Turn down oven to 375� for 15-20 minutes longer until chicken is tender.

by Tim Dineen

Amaretto Chicken

Tim Dineen

  • 5 boneless chicken breasts
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 frozen orange juice concentrate, 6 1/4 oz
  • 1 cup amaretto

Mix the can of frozen orange juice with a half can of water. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic salt. Coat chicken with this mixture. Heat oil and butter in skillet and saute chicken until brown. Remove and put in casserole. To skillet, add mustard, orange juice and Amaretto. Increase heat and boil, stirring constantly, until thick. Pour sauce over chicken and bake, covered, for 45 minutes. This can be frozen and reheated later.

by Tim Dineen

Chicken with a Champagne and Truffle Sauce

11-14-truffles

Don't ya just love it when you have house guests who bring you $699.99/lb French Truffles?  What to do, what to do, what to do?!?

I must admit it is a dilemma I have never before experienced.  I have never owned real, fresh black French truffles in my life.  Ever.  Hell - even the hotels I used to work in usually used canned peels and pieces.  I have eaten my share of truffles over the years - thin shavings on salads, in fabulous sauces over ridiculously tender cuts of beef, with foie gras, and even in scrambled eggs.  I have never cooked with them at home.  Ever.

This is a new culinary experience for me.  I'm loving it!

So tonight I decided we would start simple - with a champagne and truffle sauce thickened with egg yolk.  (That early French training back in my misspent youth actually comes in handy now and again.)

We have those four gorgeous truffles and, while that is way too much for one meal for two, the rice they were stored in would make a perfect side dish.  (An excellent way to store truffles is buried in rice - it absorbs any moisture and also infuses the rice!)  I took the cup of rice it arrived in and set it aside for dinner.  I then took arborio rice and put it in a mason jar with the truffles and vacuum-sealed it and put it in the coldest part of the refrigerator.  I see a truffle risotto in our future!

11-16-truffle-champagne-chicken

Tonight was about simple flavors.  The only spices I used were salt and pepper - I wanted the flavors to stand independent of one another and not compete with other flavors.

Chicken with Champagne and Truffle Sauce

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • flour for dredging
  • olive oil and butter for frying
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 2 oz mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 cups champagne (a split works perfectly)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/2 black truffle, julienned
  • salt and pepper

Dredge chicken in flour and set aside.  Heat oil and butter in saute pan and brown on both sides.  Remove chicken to plate.

In same pan, saute shallot and mushrooms.  Add champagne and bring to boil.  Add chicken, cover, and simmer until chicken is done - about 15 minutes.

Remove chicken and set aside to keep warm.

Lightly beat egg yolks in small bowl.  Add a bit of the hot cooking liquid to temper them, and then add back to the pan.  Stir and simmer until thickened.

Strain into a small saucepan and add truffles.  Simmer to infuse flavors.  Taste and add salt and pepper, as desired.

Serve over chicken.

The rice was made with the infused rice and 2 cups of mushroom broth.  It came out perfect.  Absolutely perfect.

As did the chicken and sauce.  The combination of champagne and truffles was perfect.  The dry wine and the rich earthiness of the truffles just went really well together. It really worked.  And yesterday while we were talking about how we all usually eschew single-use kitchen gadgets, I found our French green bean cutter.  They don't get much more single-use than that.  So... I had to make French cut green beans, as well.  Simply steamed with salt, pepper, and butter.

I'm really pleased that my first experience went so well.  It has definitely given me the confidence and motivation to go forward!

In going through one of my Julia Child cookbooks, I found a recipe for a Madeira Truffle Sauce.

I'm thinking tenderloin of beef and turned potatoes.

And I'm thinking what wonderful friends we have.....

by Tim Dineen

A Food Fest

We have friends in town.  It's 6pm...  We've been eating since yesterday...  There's still more to come!

It started with New England Clam Chowder yesterday.  I was so excited to have them here I forgot to put the potatoes in the chowder.  So much for pretending I know what I'm doing!

11-14-salad-1

And I forgot the cukes for the salad...

11-14-chowder-2

Breakfast this morning was our spin on Eggs Benedict - poached eggs on whole wheat English muffins, with andouille sausage and langostino, topped with a jalapeno hollandaise sauce...

11-14-benedict-1

11-14-benedict-2

We skipped lunch so we could start dinner at 3pm. We invited Victor's mom over to meet the girls and have dinner with us; Brasiole, Italian sausage, meatballs, pork, rigatoni and sauce, salad, tomato basil bread... and later tonight a puff pastry and apple dessert...

11-14-brasiole

Brasiole...

11-14-brasiole-cooked

Meatballs and the homemade Italian sausage

11-14-sausage-meatballs

Pork

11-14-rigatoni

Rigatoni

11-14-sauce

The simmering sauce...

11-14-table-1

Fresh-baked croissants and omeletes tomorrow for breakfast...

We are having so much fun!

by Tim Dineen

More Brussels Sprouts

11-6-brussels-sprouts

It's Day Two of the Great Brussels Sprouts Marathon!

Tonight, I shredded them, fried them, and then mixed them with caramelized shallots.   I could have made a meal of these, alone!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Shallots

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 lb brussels sprouts
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • salt and pepper

Add butter to skillet and saute shallots until soft and lightly browned.  Add vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir until browned and glazed.  Set aside.

Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin slices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add sprouts and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Saute until lightly browned. Add 1/2 cup water and continue cooking until most of water evaporates.

Add reserved shallots, mix well, and enjoy!

They were so easy and just really rocked.  It's going to be hard to top this one!

The rest of the dinner was pretty good, too - if I do say so, m'self!

11-6-chicken-1

I oven-roasted a sweet potato with a huge apple, walnuts, and maple syrup.  (The maple syrup was for you, Ruth!  I almost did brown sugar and you popped right into my mind and said "Maple syrup will be better".   You were right!)

I just cubed the sweet potato and the apple, mixed them with a bit of olive oil and maple syrup, sprinkled in the walnuts, salt, and pepper, and then baked, covered, in a 400° oven for about 35 minutes.

The chicken breast was even easier - browned in olive oil and then into the oven to finish (along with the sweets).  The sauce was lingonberry jam mixed with hot German mustard.

Now...  can I actually do a third day of  Brussels Sprouts?!?

We'll see tomorrow...

by Tim Dineen

Con-Fusion

10-20-chicken

The sopitos the other night were so good, I thought we needed a replay.  But I didn't want to go Mexican, again.  I had seen Debbie''s post about a Mushroom Ragu Pasta and was inspired to do something a bit different.  I had chicken and I had mushrooms.  I had the shells.  I had an idea...

We also have lots of dried porcini mushrooms in the cabinet.  They're one of those things that I would buy, put in the cabinet and then forget about - and then buy, again.  After bringing home yet another container last month, I collected all of them and put them all into a quart mason jar where I can keep an eye on them.

But I digress...

I was looking for a bit of a creamy chicken and mushroom filling, without being, well... creamy.  (As in the heavy cream I would usually use to make such a thing.)  I decided that diced onion, diced crimini mushrooms, and diced chicken along with porcini mushrooms (and their soaking liquid) and a few herbs and spices would work really well in a corn cup if I just thickened it a bit with some cornstarch.

I also came really close to buying some fresh cranberries to make a cranberry sauce to go on top of the chicken and mushrooms.  And then I remembered we had LOTS of lingonberry preserves at home that would work even better.

Side story:  There's a small upscale grocery store in San Francisco called Andronico's.  They make (or, at least used to make) a fantastic smoked turkey sandwich on a whole wheat sourdough french roll with spicy-hot mustard, mayonnaise, and lingonberry preserves.  One of the best sandwiches in the known universe!

I knew the flavors would work here...

So...  I diced some mushrooms, onion, and chicken, sauteed it in a bit of olive oil, added some garlic, salt, pepper, and a bit of poultry seasoning, and cooked it all down.  I added the liquid from the mushrooms - maybe a cup - and when it was boiling, added a bit of cornstarch to thicken.

Into the cooked sopes it went, and then topped with the lingonberries.

It was really, really good!

I love sweet/savory combinations and this really worked well.  The sopes have a rich corn flavor and crunchy/chewy texture that - while very unique and with a decidedly Latin flavor - matched very well with a very non-Latin filling.  I can see a lot of uses for these - just about anything that could go atop a puff pastry shell would work.

The gastronomic wheels are spinning!

by Tim Dineen

Jamba-Paella

10-15-jambapaella

Winter hit this morning.  Cold.  Rain.  Wind.  All of my favorite things.  It actually caught me a bit by surprise!  I had been watching the weather closely this past weekend for our trip to DC - I really didn't pay any attention to it once we got back.  Surprise!!!  Cold.  Rain.  Wind.  Yuck.

So coldrainwind calls for something hot, spicy, slightly soupy and/or casseroley.  I didn't want a stew, I didn't want soup.  A jambalaya of sorts fit the bill.

Jambalaya can have the rice cooked inside as part of the dish or it can be served over rice.  I chose the former for this dish.  A Jamba-Paella!

This was a throw-together, but the concept is there... You can add or subtract ingredients, play with quantities, whatever.  You can also make it without the rice and just serve it over the rice of your choice.  This made a goodly amount.  Victor has lunch for the next few days!

Jamba-Paella

  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb andouille sausage, diced
  • 1 lb chicken (breast or thighs) cubed
  • 12 oz langostino tails, thawed
  • 1 can (15 oz)  diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1 cup rice (I used black japonica - takes 45 minutes to cook)
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tsp herbs d'Provence
  • 1/4 tsp boonie pepper (substitute cayenne, to taste)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

If you have a paella pan (a Le Cruset pan really rocks!) all the better.  A pan with a tight-fitting lid is rather important.

Wilt the onion and pepper in a bit of olive oil.  Add the garlic, andouille, and chicken, and brown a bit.

Stir in the rice, then add the tomatoes with juice, the broth, and the seasonings.

Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat.  Simmer until rice is tender - which will totally depend on the type of rice you used.  If mixture is too liquidy, uncover and increase heat to reduce a bit.

Right before serving, stir in the thawed, cooked langostino.  Heat through, check seasonings, and serve with crusty bread.

This particular rice has a habit of turning everything purple, but I really really like its whole-grain chewy texture.  You can use basic white rice  - which will turn a lovely shade of orange - or any rice of your choice.

You can even go crazy and use something like barley - or quinoa - or whatever you happen to have in the cabinet.  Just adjust the cooking time to the grain used.

And on the diet-front...

Victor is down 20 pounds as of this morning and I'm down 29!  I saw 211 on the scale this morning and did the happy dance all the way to work!

21 to go - and still eating well!

by Tim Dineen

Baked Chicken and Rice - Mexican-Style

9-28-chipotle-chicken

I think I'm doing reasonably well on my quest to lose some weight.  Less than 2 pounds to go and I'll have hit the half-way point of 25 pounds!  I'm already feeling the difference.  Clothes are fitting better - and in some cases, fitting, period!

So tonight's dinner is probably a little higher in fat than we've been doing, but it just sounded good.  While I am determined to lose a total of 50 pounds, I'm even more determined not to become one of those people who are afraid to eat.

Sorry - I really enjoy food, and when I can no longer freely enjoy food, I see no reason to keep drawing breath.  Seriously.

So tonight's dinner starts with a Baked Chipotle Chicken Breast.  Very simple.  (Of course I'm using real mayonnaise.  I won't have that other stuff in the house!)

Baked Chipotle Chicken

  • chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 3 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
  • salt and pepper

Blend mayonnaise and chipotle peppers and coat chicken breasts.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425°.

Mix salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin with bread crumbs.

Dip chicken into crumbs and place on pan.

Bake about 25 minutes. (Time will vary acording to size of your chicken breasts.)

The Chorizo Rice was a bit more time-consuming, but oh, so worth it...

Chorizo Rice

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 oz chorizo, sliced or crumbled
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 can diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • salt and pepper

Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add spices. Add rice; stir to coat with oil. Add broth, tomatoes with juice, then peas and corn; stir to mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer about 45 minutes.

The rice could have been served for dinner on its own!  It had all the qualities of a paella or risotto. It really was good.  Rich and creamy.  Yum.

And speaking of really good, today is the 24th Anniversary of Mike and Debbie's Wedding Cake Disater.

Okay...  It's really Debbie's birthday and their 24th Anniversary, but I made their wedding cake - and I hated it.  A lot.  24 years later and I can still remember it - which in and of itself is pretty amazing because I got really really drunk at the reception.  Really drunk.  So drunk that all of the illicit drugs I was also taking couldn't keep me on my feet.  (It was 1985 - recreational drugs were still pretty much legal.  It was just before the big pharmaceutical companies got everyone hooked on prescription drugs.)

But I digress...

Happy Birthday and  Happy Anniversary, you two!  What are you doing for your 25th?!?

by Tim Dineen