Pasta Primavera

need a good recipe for valentine’s day? i think this might be it, it was for me.  it has a rainbow of vegetables, lean chicken, and pasta.  serve with a side salad and crusty bread.  but don’t forget to leave room for something amazing for dessert like brownie pudding!

pasta primavera
3 garlic cloves
2 cups carrots, cut into strips
4 small zucchini, cut into half moons
2 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 pound pasta
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced into bit size pieces
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup parmesan
fresh basil for garnish

preheat oven to 375 degrees. on a large baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, and pepper. arrange evenly over the baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, tossing half way through.

meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

toss the pasta with the vegetable mixture, chicken, reserved cooking liquid, juice of 2 lemons, and parmesan in a large bowl. season with salt and pepper, to taste. sprinkle with the basil and serve immediately.

Chicken Not So Noodle Soup

while the rest of you were eating nachos, chicken wings, and artichoke dip on sunday.  i got a request for chicken noodle soup, and i got excited.  soup nights are full of healthy vegetables and great crusty bread to dunk in the broth (i love to get the roasted garlic ciabatta bread from stop & shop).  and while noodles are great in things like lo mein, i think small cut pastas actually work better.  so here’s my chicken not so noodle soup:

Chicken Not So Noodle Soup
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium carrots, sliced in bit size pieces
3 celery stalks, sliced in bit size pieces
1 tsp rosemary, minced
salt and pepper
2 tbs white wine
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup peas
1 tbs parmesan cheese
12 ounces ditalini, cooked seperately
2 cups chicken, cooked seperately

heat a large soup pot over medium heat with butter and olive oil.  once butter is melted added the onion, cook until softened, about 10 minutes.  add the garlic, and cook for another minute.  then add carrots, celery, rosemary, and salt and pepper.  cook for 5 minutes.  add wine and release the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with your spoon.  once the liquid has dissipated, add the chicken stock then cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. once up to a boil reduce the heat to low, add the corn, peas, and parmesan cheese, and let simmer for 5 minutes.  then add pasta and chicken to heat through for another 2 minutes. serve and enjoy.

Chicken Parmesan

classic italian cooking can be some of the easiest dishes for any beginner cook to master.  you will quickly learn that parmesan cheese is used in lots of dishes as a seasoning more so than a main ingredient.  tomatoes are the king of all vegetables.  and chicken breasts pounded thin, or chicken cutlets are used quite frequently.  here is a staple, chicken parmesan.

chicken parmesan
4 chicken breasts, pounded till 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten with a splash of water
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup shredded parmesan
1 1/3 cup tomato sauce
fresh basil for garnish

put the flour in a large plate and season with salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. in a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, and beat. put the bread crumbs on another large plate, season with salt and pepper.  turn the oven on to broil.  heat 2 tbs of olive oil over medium heat in a large sautee pan.  lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. once the oil starts to ripple place the chicken in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.  then place in a baking dish and top with 1/3 cup tomato sauce, 1/12 cup parmesan, and 1/8 cup tomato sauce.  then place under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until cheese starts to brown.  serve with pasta.

Lemon Chicken

it’s been a while since i last posted.  unfortunately a stomach bug got the best of me, needless to say writing about food didn’t feel like the best thing to do.  but the good news is that i’m back and better than ever.

i’m going to be quite frank with you…i’m not very good at writing my own recipes.  what i am good at is taking other’s ideas and transforming them into something else.  sometimes that something else will be a close relative to the original, while other times you can’t even see the slightest trace from the first dish.  so when i had chicken starring back at me, i thought back to yesterday’s Today show.

Ina Garten presented a simple, but surely flavorful lemon chicken.  i could have taken the recipe as is, but instead i looked at what it could become.  all the ingredients were cleverly chosen, and i knew better than to mess with them…besides this is Ina we’re talking about.  it’s the process that i tinkered with.

i chose to marinate my chicken.  i find chicken breasts can be a little tough; lemon juice is a sure way to combat any of those issues.  i discarded the sautéed garlic and used fresh uncooked instead.  once it goes in the oven the garlic will perfume the chicken and oil.  to make it easier i also thought to change how the ingredients were listed.  i hope you like this as much as i did.

lemon chicken
1/2 c olive oil
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 c white wine
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
salt and pepper

in a large baking dish add the garlic, white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. marinate for 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

pat the chicken skins dry then brush with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. cut one of the zested lemons in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. if the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

something about chicken pot pie just reminds me of tv dinners.  maybe it’s all the marie callendar commercials; she always seemed like the queen of chicken pot pies when i was growing up.   back in those days yak backs were in, along with skip its and trolls.  and sometimes for our own benefit we realize the best thing to do is just move on.  but it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t go to youtube to revisit you’re greatest childhood memories (like bug juice), and it definitely doesn’t mean you forgo chicken pot pie.  try this pot pie to make your own new memories at home…

chicken pot pie
2 tbs butter
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 tbs thyme
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c flour
2 c chicken broth
1/4 c water
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 1/2 c frozen mixed vegetables
2 prepared pie crusts
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs water

warm the butter over medium heat in big saute pan, once warmed add the onion and carrots.  then add the thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until soft, 10 minutes.  add flour and mix with veggies to cook for 2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.  then add the broth and water allowing the liquids to come to a bubble and thicken.  once thick add cooked chicken and veggies.  spray a pie dish with non stick cooking spray then unroll a pie crust and lay flat in the dish.  add the chicken mixture over the crust and add another crust on top (at this point you can place the pie in the refrigerator for later or go ahead and bake now).  preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   combine egg and water then brush over the pie and wrap the edge of the crust with aluminum foil. bake for 30 minutes then remove the foil and finish cooking for another 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Mozambique

for the first time in a week i was home for dinner.  my mom suggested pork chops, but when she asked if i’d rather have chicken mozambique i said yes.  it’s one of those dishes that i don’t have all too often, but it’s special when you do.  i usually get shrimp mozambique when  i go out for portuguese food, and this is the same dish but with chicken. if liking something that is a little spicy is wrong, i don’t want to be right…

Chicken Mozambique
2 1/2 lbs chicken, cut into cubes
20 pieces garlic, peeled
2 tbs olive oil
2 cans beer
2 sticks butter
4 packages goya seasoning
5 oz Franks hot sauce
4 cups white rice

heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat, once hot add chicken and garlic, and sprinkle with goya seasoning.  once cooked through, remove from pan and set aside.  in the same pan add butter, beer, and hot sauce.  bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  then add chicken and heat just till warmed through and serve over white rice.

Caribbean Style Chicken Tenders

other good finger foods usually involve chicken fingers.  some are sweet with honey mustard, while others are spicy like buffalo tenders.  these beauties have both…

Caribbean Style Chicken Tenders
2 1/4 c bread crumbs
3 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
24 – 1 oz chicken tenders

in one dish combine the bread crumbs with the garlic powder, red pepper flakes, cumin and salt.  in a separate bowl beat 2 eggs.  and in another dish spread the flour.  then dip the chicken tenders first in flour, then in egg, and finally in the bread crumb mixture.  in a skillet heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat and cook the tenders for 3 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear.  then coat with the sweet buffalo bbq sauce, recipe follows.

Sweet Buffalo BBQ Sauce
1/2 c bbq sauce
1/4 cup Franks Red Hot sauce
1/4 cup mango juice
2 tbs butter – melted

combine together in a bowl.

tips

• serve with mango salsa.  you can buy premade salsa in your grocery store’s prepared foods section.  if you want to make your own combine mango, red onion, serrano or jalapeno chile, lime juice, and cilantro.
• for a crispier crust try japanese panko bread crumbs.
• skewer for easy serving at cocktail parties.

Orange Chile Glazed Chicken

with my schedule it’s often that i’m alone for dinner.  and it doesn’t stop me for a second from making what i want.  i’ve had this idea for a while, and i finally got a chance to make it.  it was inspired by a scallop dish i had at Not Your Average Joes.  i never got that recipe, but this is my chicken version.

Orange Chile Glazed Chicken
1 chicken breast, butterflied
1 tbs oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
juice of 1 orange,
1/4 tsp orange zest
1 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tbs honey
1/2 tsp chiles in adobo
salt and pepper

heat the oil over medium heat and season the chicken with salt and pepper. once the oil starts to smoke add the chicken and let cook 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook for 3 minutes or until the juices run clear. while the chicken is working heat the orange juice in a small pot over high heat. let the juice reduce until you are left with a tablespoon or two. then add the rosemary, chili sauce, and chilis in adobe, and season to taste; heat for 3 minutes. when the chicken is cooked pour the glaze over the chicken and serve.

tips

• butterflied chicken cooks more evenly and quicker than a traditional piece.  watch this video for the method.

 

• the zest holds much more flavor than the actual juice because of the oils in the skin of the fruit. but we also need to use the juice to thin the honey.
• the honey makes the mixture a glaze as opposed to a sauce.  glazes are sticky: think of honey baked hams.  and sauces are more runny: think brown butter sauce.

try to recreate your own favorite restaurant style dish…email your outcomes to alliemarien@gmail.com

Leftovers

you made a huge meal, and now you’re stuck…with leftovers.  if you’re me, you don’t want to eat the same meal twice in a row.  it was good the first time, but now it’s time to move on.  the best way to reuse meat leftovers is to put the meat into dishes that normally require you to cook the meat separately first.  here’s some suggestions.

salads

asian chicken salad - romaine, chicken, mandarin oranges, crunchy noodles, cucumbers with asian dressing

taco salad – ground meat with taco seasoning, over a mix of greens, shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, with crunched doritos.

butternut squash salad

soups

curried butternut squash  - butternut squash, onions, celery, carrots, chicken broth, and curry powder

potato and leek – potatoes, leeks, onions, celery, carrots, white wine, chicken broth, and milk/cream

chicken noodle -  chicken, noodles, celery, carrots, onions, chicken broth, garlic

sandwiches

meatloaf - sourdough bread, meatloaf, and ketchup

chicken salad – chicken, celery, grapes, white wine, mayonnaise, on whole wheat

quesadillas – pork, provolone, mozzarella, pico de gallo, sour cream, tortillas

other

chicken pot pie – chicken, gravy, celery, carrots, onion, peas, corn, lima beans, pie crust

pizza – veggies, meat, pizza crust

zucchini boats – ground meat, tomatoes, zucchini, cheese

stuffed squash – meat, rice, tomatoes

stuffed peppers – meat, onions, corn, black beans, oregano, cumin, poblano pepper, garlic

this list should get your mind thinking and give you some new ideas to try.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

whenever i think of lemon chicken i think of the show “everybody loves raymond.”  lemon chicken was the first dish debra ever made for ray, and it was also the only dish she could make.  so if this was her “go to” you might want to keep it on hand for yourself.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbs fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems, chopped
1 tbs crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
salt and black pepper

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  put the chicken in a baking dish and add all other ingredients.  cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

tips:

• when you bring home fresh herbs from the grocery store you should take them out of their packages and wrap them in a damp paper towel and place in a plastic storage bag.  this will ensure that they stay fresh for a few weeks, so you can get your money’s worth.
• the zest of a fruit has much more flavor than the juice.  therefore make sure you use both the zest and juice.
• if you’re unfamiliar with rosemary: it’s a member of the mint family, looks and tastes like a pine tree, and has the tendency to dominate other flavors.  it’s best used for marinades on meats, with potatoes, and on breads like focaccia.