Chicken Francese and Wilted Spinach

I was really excited about trying this recipe. I loved the ingredients, and there aren't that many. I love cooking fresh spinach, I can't stand that stuff in the can, and the frozen kind is only good for putting into recipes with other ingredients in my opinion. 


So I got into the kitchen with Kevin and went straight to work. Well, Kevin went straight to work actually. Since he has become my sous chef I don't do much prep work. Something I think I have been taking for granted a bit. He has been sick for the last three days so I have been on my own to cook. I realized how much help he is and how much I love being in the kitchen with him.


With all the prep done we got down to the business of cooking which ended up becoming a problem. The recipe calls for you to add a crushed clove of garlic to the pan as the oil and butter heats up. I realize after the fact that it was just to "perfume" the oil and butter with garlic, but the recipe wasn't clear on that fact. It never calls for you to remove the garlic from the pan. The little voice inside my head told me to remove the garlic, but I of course ignored that smart little voice and left the garlic in as I cooked the chicken.


The chicken cooked beautifully. This recipe calls for chicken cutlets and you know by my previous posts that I like using cutlets a lot. They were a perfect golden brown and we couldn't wait to eat them. I liked the fact that you only use a light coating of flour. The chicken wasn't heavily breaded, just that nice little crispy.


After the chicken was done the recipe called for the addition of wine and a few other ingredients to the pan the chicken was cooked in to create a sauce for the chicken. I added everything it called for but when I went to taste it all I could taste was burnt garlic. UGH! Thank goodness the flavor didn't taint the chicken, but the sauce was tragically unable to be salvaged. Now I am in a spot. Chicken is cooked perfectly and ready for a sauce but there was no sauce to use. I quickly washed the pan out to get rid of that awful burnt taste and threw together a sauce of my own. I used butter and garlic (unburnt this time), added some flour to the mix to make a quick roux. To that I added white wine, chicken stock, salt and pepper and threw in some parsley at the end. It came out great THANK GOD!! The meal is saved!


I quickly wilted the spinach and called everyone to get their food. I was very nervous to see what they would think of my on the fly sauce. I began to here mmmm's so I knew I had gotten away with it. Woohooo yay me!


So this was a growing experience for me. I used to stress out over making sure everything was perfect and there was a day when I would have thrown my hands up in the air and had no idea what to do after the mishap. But now I am able to think clearly and shoot from the hip if I have too. It felt really good. I guess I really turned this recipe into one of my own by changing the sauce so drastically. That is a nice feeling too. If anyone makes this one could you please let me know how your sauce turns out. And for goodness sake don't forget to remove the garlic before you cook the chicken!


This is recipe #84

Chicken Francese and Wilted Spinach

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (half a palmful)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (eyeball it)

2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk

a splash of milk or half and half

4 tablespoons EVOO

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, 1 crushed, 2 chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine (a couple of glugs)

a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 pound triple washed spinach, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg (eyeball it)

Preheat a large nonstick over medium to medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Dredge the chicken in flour. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolk with milk or half and half and season with salt. Add 2 tablespoons of EVOO to the skillet. Then add 2 tablespoons of the butter cut into small pieces. When the butter melts into the oil, add the crushed clove of garlic to the skillet. Wen the garlic speaks by sizzling in the oil, coat the chicken in the egg mixture, then add to the hot pan (remember to take the garlic out of the pan before you do this).Cook the chicken on both sides until just golden, 6 to 7 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil to retain the heat. Add the wine to the pan and deglaze by whisking up the drippings. Reduce the wine for 1 minute, then add the remaining tablespoon of butter and parsley to the pan. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Return the skillet to the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, then add the chopped garlic and let it come to a sizzle. Wilt the spinach, turning it to coat in the EVOO, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Serve the spinach alongside the chicken francese. Pass crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

  

Chicken Francese



Wilted Spinach

Veal Scallopine with Dijon Sauce, Asparagus, and Avocados

Well, as you can see by my lack of posting, I was in fact coming down with a bug. And what a bug it was! I am finally coming out of my Nyquil haze and there is actually sunshine in my little corner of Washington! Imagine that!! I am hoping Spring has sprung here but ssshhhhh don't say it too loud, I don't want to scare it away.


OK, this is recipe #189. I actually made this on the 14th. It was my daughters birthday and as usual I asked her what she wanted for her birthday dinner. That is the routine with my kids, and has been for years. She surprised me by telling me that whatever I wanted to cook was fine with her. She even told me to try the veal recipe if I wanted. I was shocked! She was really kinda nervous about trying veal. Like I said she is my Miss Picky. But I pointed out to her that she likes lamb so she agreed to try veal.


The first thing that surprised me when I started prepping to cook the recipe was, when I removed the the veal scallopine I bought from it's packaging it was in thin strips. I have never cooked veal scallopine before, but I was expecting something more along the line of thin steak shaped pieces of meat, or rounds. That was just odd to me, but I kept on prepping. I was really surprised at how easy this was to make. The name makes it sound so, well, complicated I guess. Fancy name = lots of work, right? Nope, not true. Once I started cooking my biggest fear was overcooking the meat and making it tough but I cooked it just as is says in the recipe and it was perfect. 


I followed the recipe to the letter, like a good girl, and everything came out just as it was supposed to. I wasn't sure how to place it on the plate so I did the best I could with Rachael's instruction. Hopefully I was right. You can let me know how the picture looks.


As for the reviews, Jessi disliked it immediately. I think that could have been mostly in her head. She got herself psyched up that it she wouldn't like it, I am not sure. Kevin and I were both on the fence with it. I liked the veal, but wasn't jumping up and down about it. Kevin said he didn't like it. He did love the sauce with the avocados and asparagus though. I kind of thought this was a weird combo when I was making it, but really when you eat it all together it really was good. I am thinking about playing around with this sauce and the avocados and some other meats. 


If you like veal you will love this recipe. Rachael says "this dish is one buttery, delicious, edible ode to spring" and it really was very buttery. Like I said, I liked it but just that, liked it, wasn't head over heals in love with it. 

Veal Scallopine with Dijon Sauce, Asparagus, and Avocados

Ingredients

 Coarse salt
1 lemon
1 pound very thin asparagus tips
2 ripe Haas avocados
EVOO for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/4 pounds veal scallopine
Coarse black pepper
1 tablespoon all purpose flour, plus more for dredging
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup cream or half and half
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives


In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Salt the water. Add a couple of curls of rind from the lemon and the asparagus tips. Cook the tips for 3 minutes, then drain and reserve.


Cut into and around the pits of the avocados. Scoop the flesh from the avocados, and slice. Dress the slices with a little lemon juice, a drizzle of EVOO, and a pinch of salt, reserve.


Preheat your largest skillet over medium heat. Season the veal with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the scallopine in a little flour. Add the two tablespoons of the EVOO and the two tablespoons of the butter to the hot skillet. WHen the butter melts into the oil, add the veal and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until evenly light golden in color. Place the veal on a platter under a loose tent of foil.


Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the tablespoon of flour to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the wine and scrape up the pans drippings. Whisk the stock into the wine and add the thyme, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir in the cream, then remove from the heat.


Arrange the asparagus and sliced avocados over the veal and pour a line of sauce over the top. Garnish the dinner plates or platter with chopped chives and serve.


Serves 4

Veal Scallopine



Asparagus



Avocado

Halibut Soup or just call it Epic Yumminess in a bowl!!

Kevin and I got back from Vegas on Friday but I didn't cook until last night. It seems we are much older than we obviously thought we were and we required a rest from our vacation. Seriously it was bed, hot tub, and TV for this girl all weekend long!


Monday comes along and I realize that I have taken a week off from my duties and I dove right back into the book trying to find some goodies for us this week. I was sooooo excited to find this recipe! Halibut is one of my all time faves PLUS it was on sale (thank goodness) this week, so my pound and a half didn't cost me an arm and a leg.


Yesterday morning I had to take Jessi to have a lump removed from her left thumb so that took up much of the morning. I left there at 10:15 with a guarantee from the nurse that Jessi would not be ready to be picked up from her surgery for at least 2 to 3 hours. I rushed home to make my shopping list and hit the road hoping to get my shopping done before I had to pick up my girl. No such luck, I got the call as I was getting some gas on the way to the grocery store. I told them I would be right there. Once I got there and got Jessi loaded up in the car I asked her if she felt up to going shopping with me or if she felt too woozy and just wanted to go home. The trooper that she is said she would be fine. Once we got to the store she asked me if she could drive one of the little carts. I don't know what possessed me to think it would be safer for a person coming off of anesthesia to drive something rather than walking, but at the time it sounded right. An hour later and several bruises on the back of  my legs I began to question my logic. But at  least the only thing she ran over was me. The reason I am telling you all of this is to attempt an excuse for again not having everything I needed for the recipe.....did it work?


Yes I really think I am somehow a bit recipe challenged, but I thought I would point out how crazy my morning was to show that my little scattered brain was much more scattered than usual. When I got settled down and ready to cook I realized I somehow completely overlooked the fact that the recipe clearly called for 1 medium zucchini and the juice of one lime *sigh* I thought "Here we go again"!


Luckily for me this is an AMAZING recipe. Do I think the zucchini and lime juice would have made it better? Sure, but don't worry, even without them this one is so yummy you won't care.


Last night was recipe #55 Halibut Soup. I again fell short of my duties by forgetting to take a picture. I could smack myself because it looked so good in the pot and in the bowl. But I had Seth and Melissa over and they both got their bowls and were going on and on about how good it was that I just flat forgot what I was doing and jumped right in to get my bowl too. 


Minus the missing pieces of the recipe, this is how it went. I did use double what it called for in garlic, but my cloves were so small I felt it needed more. I also cooked my veggies for about double the time it called for and covered the pot to help sweat them down. I wanted to make sure the veggies were good and soft. I pretty much just poached the fish in the hot soup broth, I never brought it back up to a simmer after I put the fish in. I left it on low (#2 on my stove dial) and put the lid back on it for the 5 minutes. The good thing about cooking it this way is that the fish won't over cook. Kevin was doing yard work and I wanted the soup to be ready for him as soon as he got in but not over done. It was perfect. Even little Miss Picky said the fish was cooked perfectly. Oh and she said to say she gave the recipe 1 1/2 thumbs up since the bandage kept her from using her thumb. She is a nut!


I used andouille sausage instead of the chorizo and I didn't remove the casings. Why you ask? Well the darn things just wouldn't come off! I also thought that the andouille would add a bit more spice and I was right. With the andouille and the poblano pepper it was at a nice spice level but not too spicy. I added about 2 cups more chicken stock and I used both the parsley and the cilantro. Plus I used a bit of lemon juice in place of the lime. Like I said, it wasn't perfect, at least in my mind, since I didn't have all of the ingredients. But everyone else said they loved it just the way it was. We all agreed this one is a keeper, and you can bet next time I will remember to pick up ALL of the ingredients!


Oh, make sure and get some nice crusty bread to mop up all that yummy broth!!




Halibut Soup


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1/2 pound chorizo or andouille sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into half moons
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine (3 or 4 glugs)
• 1 quart chicken stock (I used a quart and a half))
• 1 15 ounce can of hominy (I used the white hominy)
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh halibut, cut into two inch chunks
• 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into half moons
• 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leave (a generous handful), chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
• juice of 1 lime

Directions


Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO (twice around the pan). Remove the sausage casings and slice the sausage thinly. Add the sliced sausage to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, poblano, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, sirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, bring up to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. You want the soup to be at a gentle simmer when you add the fish so, if necessary, turn the heat down a bit. Add the hominy, the halibut, and the zucchini. Gently simmer for 5 minutes. Finish the soup with the parsley, cilantro (if using), and the lime juice.


Serves 4

Halibut Soup

Spanish-Style Pork Chops with Chorizo and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Green Beans

Howdy do to all my blogging buddies. Hope you are all having a great day. Only one more day until the weekend so hang in there! I know I haven't been a very good girl the last few days, and left you guys hanging with no recipes. Monday night I had no one here to cook for, and since the point of this little adventure is to get opinions on the recipes so I can let all of you know, I figured I would just take a night off. I will also take this time to let you know that I will not be posting any recipes next week, I know, it will be hard to make it through without me right? I feel the same way. However, my dear sweet boyfriend is taking me to VEGAS so, although I will be heart broken not posting to you all, I think you can understand how EXCITED I am for next week to get here!!


Now, lets get down to business. Sunday night was recipe #218 Spanish Style Pork Chops with Chorizo and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Green Beans. If you read the last post you will realize that the other meat in the bag that was left behind at the grocery store by your truly was the pork chops for this recipe. So I felt some added pressure that this better be a good meal since poor Kevin had to drive all the way back to the store to get the main ingredient.


My whole family loves chorizo, we lived in Southern California for most of my kids' lives, as well as my own. So chorizo and egg burritos on the weekends were something we all looked forward to. We are trying to initiate Kevin into the burrito fan club. You know the whole if you mix just about anything with eggs, cheese, and hot sauce, it goes great in burrito line of thinking? So far he is not buying it, but I am not giving up!


So we got the chorizo cooking and immediately I am happy with the smells coming from my kitchen. Then you blend the roasted red pepper sauce in the food processor and YUMMM it just made my mouth water. Kevin even said it smelled terrific.


I did stick right to the recipe on this one, believe it or not! The only thing is I feel I over salted a bit. I didn't take into account the salt in the chorizo, so make sure you taste the final sauce before you salt.


I was lucky that my grocery store had preground chorizo in their meat case. If your grocery store doesn't carry Spanish chorizo you could substitute the Mexican chorizo, just be aware that Mexican chorizo is fattier and melts into a sauce really, not like ground meat. You also could use linguica. 


I did the pork chops in a cast iron skillet and transfered them to the oven like it called for. But I feel the chops were a bit overdone going by the times listed in the recipe. Kevin felt the same, but Seth and Melissa said they felt they were just fine. Jessi by the way wouldn't even eat them so we have no input from Miss Picky Pants. I mentioned to the family that I felt it was over salted but again the kiddos told me they thought it was really good. 


So all in all it is an iffy review dear friends. I am not sure if I am much help if you use my information to guide you on whether or not you should make this recipe. On the one hand the roasted red pepper sauce was awesome, in fact I am currently trying to think up a recipe I can incorporate the sauce minus the chorizo in. I can say I think the pork chops should be cooked less time. I did get the inch and a half thick pork chops but it was just too much time. It would definitely be too much time for a thinner chop. We also felt the green beans should be cooked a couple of minutes longer.


Here is the finished product. I love it when you can see the steam coming off the plate.

Spanish-Style Pork Chops with Chorizo and Red Pepper Sauce and Green Beans 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons EVOO, plus some for drizzling
• 4 1 1/2 inch thick boneless center cut pork chops
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (half a palmful)
• salt
• pepper
• 1/4 pound chorizo, casing removed, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (from about 4 good sized sprigs)
• 1 16 ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained
• 1/2 cup flay leaf parsley leaves (a couple of generous handfuls)
• 1/4 dry sherry or dry white wine (eyeball it)
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed (available ready prepped in sacks at many markets)
• crusty bread, to pass at the table

Directions


Preheat oven to 350


Heat a large skillet over meduin-high to high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons EVOO. Season the chops with the paprika, salt, and pepper. Place the chops in the skillet and sear the meat to caramelize, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer the chops to a rimmed cookie sheet and place in the oven to finish off, 8 to 10 minutes, until the meat is firm to the touch, but not tough. Remove from the oven and let the chops rest, covered with a piece of aluminum foil, for a few minutes.


While the chops are in the oven, return the skillet to medium heat. Add the diced chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, for two minutes. Add the garlic, onions, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook chorizo and onions for about 3 minutes.


Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in another skillet with a lid.


Process the roasted peppers and the parsley in a food processor until smooth. Add the sherry to the chorizo and onions and stir, then pour in the roasted red pepper puree.Cook for another minute or 2, until the puree is heated through.


Place the green beans in the boiling water. Salt the water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the beans are just tender. Drain and dress the beans with a drizzle of EVOO, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper.


Place a chop on each dinner plate, top with the chorizo and roasted red pepper sauce, serve with green beans and crusty bread for plate mopping.


serves 4





Pork Chop

Chicken Cutlet Parmigiano with Warm, Fresh Grape Tomato Topping, Pesto, and Mozzarella

Hello my fine food loving friends! I woke up today in a wonderful mood. Possibly it was because there was actually a tiny bit of blue sky showing, or could it be that last nights dinner was an off the chart winner? Both help, but the latter made me so happy. I had the whole gang here last night and everyone, I mean EVERYONE, went on and on about how much they loved this meal! Jessi even went so far as to say it was two thumbs up and she wished she had three thumbs so she could really show how much she loved it.


This recipe was a bit of a pain at first though and I was wondering if I really even wanted to make it. Let me explain, I normally shop at the local Albertson's. I knew I had seen turkey breasts and turkey cutlets there in the past so I was not nervous about finding the ingredients I needed. Boy was I wrong. I went to do my shopping and could not find a package of turkey ANYTHING in the store. I also could not find a couple of things for other recipes but I will stick to just this story for now.


So off I go to the other side of town. Even though I don't live in a very large town I will still complain. I get to QFC and they don't have turkey breast anything either! Ggrrrrr why do they have to make it so difficult? I tell myself I have all week to get them so I go on with my weekly shopping, putting my quest for turkey cutlets on the back burner.


Now fast forward to yesterday, yes I waited until the last minute, and Kevin and I are back at Albertson's. I found whole turkey breasts and turkey legs, but still no cutlets. I know one of the guys that works in the butcher block so I asked what was up. He asks around. All the info I can get is they used to carry turkey cutlets, which I already knew, but for some reason they no longer do. Now I am in a pinch knowing I am scheduled to make this recipe that night. I look down and see chicken cutlets. Ok, not much difference except size really, so I grab them and we get on with the rest of our shopping.


We get home and both grab bags and put the items away. When the time comes to start dinner I go searching for the chicken cutlets and can't find them anywhere. I call Kevin to the kitchen so I can ask him if he put them somewhere, and he didn't bring them in either. He searched the car and then we both realize we had to have left them at the store. Kevin jumps in the car and heads back to Albertson's. Of course they are no longer there. Someone not only got 2 pounds of free chicken cutlets, but they got 4 1 1/2" center cut boneless pork chops too!


Poor Kevin calls me to tell me this and to ask what exactly I needed because the butcher was going to cut it for me. He picked up what we needed and headed home. He is so wonderful!


Anyway, now you can see the fiasco this recipe started out as. All of that aside, as long as you have all of your ingredients and don't leave them behind anywhere, you should be fine. This recipe is a bit more work than the last few, but it isn't really that much work, as it is so worth it!


Ok, we are on recipe #57 for those that have the book. I of course made a couple of slight changes, but not much. I sliced my grape tomatoes in half so they would cook out more and be like a sauce. It might not have been necessary, but with non tomato lovers in your family, you have to try to get tomatoes as close to sauce as possible. As it goes I really could have made them the correct way because Jessi just asked me to leave the tomatoes off of hers.


I also kept the onion, garlic, tomato topping simmering for pretty much the whole time I was cooking. I think it came out fabulous as did everyone else. Possibly the other way will give you more of a fresh tomato flavor (as the recipe suggests) but we liked it this way. Next time I may try to get the tomatoes closer to a fresh flavor.


Kevin helped as I cooked the cutlets and we ended up with a little assembly line from flouring to placing them on the cookie sheet to broil in the oven. Here is what they looked like at this point.

Don't they look good? I was so excited by this point I almost wanted to eat one before it went in the oven!

I made a simple side of asparagus and dinner was ready!! I think next time I will make my homemade pesto instead of the store bought though. Fresh just has much more flavor. 

Just looking at the picture makes me want more but Seth took the last one home with him last night. I had to make do with left over Italian Style Garlic Shrimp for lunch. Poor me right?

Turkey Cutlet Parmigiano with Warm, Fresh Grape Tomato Topping, Pesto, and Mozzarella

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (lighter than EVOO), plus some for shallow frying.
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs (three overflowing handfuls)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (a couple of handfuls)
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (a generous handful), chopped
• 2 pounds turkey breast cutlets
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, red or yellow or a mix
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
• 1 cup store bought, good quality pesto sauce (the refrigerated stuff)
• 1 large ball fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or grated

Directions

For the grape tomato topping, preheat a medium size skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, set up the breading station for the cutlets. Place the flour in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, thoroughly beat together the eggs with a splash of water. In a third shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmigiano, and the parsley. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides and turn lightly in the flour. Thoroughly coat the cutlets in the egg and then in the breading, and add to the hot oil. Cook the cutlets in a single lasyer, in 2 batches if necessary, for 3 or 4 minutes per side, until the juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned. Remove the cooked cutlets to a plate lined with a paper towel.

To the skillet with the onions, add the grape tomatoes and white wine or stock. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to burst and the wine has reduced by half.

Preheat the broiler.

Arrange the cooked cutlets on a cookie sheet. Top each cutlet with a little of the warm tomato topping, top that with a little pesto, then top that with 2 slices of mozzarella cheese. Place the cookie sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheese warms and melts but has not browned. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 (very hungry people)

Italian Style Garlic Shrimp, Or In Other Words YUMMMMM!

Please forgive me dear friends for missing Friday nights recipe. I would hang my head in shame however, I had an amazing date night with Kevin so I can't feel bad. Sometimes a girl just has to have fun. I will tell you that I had some fantastic scallops with a bacon onion sauce that I will figure out the recipe for if it kills me! For those of you that follow my other blog, Bobbi's Bitchin' Kitchen, it will be there soon I promise.


But back to the reason we are here. I picked up last night where we left off and made recipe #147 Italian Style Garlic Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and Thin Spaghetti. I have to admit I was a bit nervous. I have really never cooked shrimp before. I have done all kinds of fish, clams, muscles, scallops, but for whatever reason I have never cooked shrimp. I knew that if you overcook it they are rubbery and awful, so I just was a bit worried. But this is a recipe that, if you follow the directions, you can't mess it up. It was great! My nerves gave way to a very hungry tummy as I was cooking.


I had a houseful last night. Kevin, Jessi, Seth, and Melissa were all here for dinner. Everyone gave this recipe their seal of approval, even Jessi, my pickiest eater. My Dad just doesn't like seafood so he was out of this one. All of us, except Jessi of course, thought the addition of some red pepper flakes would be fantastic in this. But as it stands it is still a terrific meal. You know we just like things a bit hot in this house.


I actually followed the recipe very closely, believe it or not. Like I said I was nervous so no going crazy for me this time. The only things I did were, used two pounds of shrimp instead of one. Which if you do make sure and double the lemon zest and juice. I also used grape tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes because I think they are sweeter. I think I have told you that I am not the biggest fan of tomatoes, at least raw tomatoes, but grape tomatoes are great.


So in my wrap up here I will say MAKE THIS RECIPE!! This was a master recipe too and the variations sound just as yummy, Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp, and Greek Style Garlic Shrimp......stay tuned for those, I know I am excited!


Oh, and I know that you are not supposed to use cheese with seafood, but I sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on mine and it was fabulous!

Italian Style Garlic Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes and Thin Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 pound thin spaghetti
• 1 pound small shrimp, deveined and peeled, tails removed
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest plus the juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1/4 cup EVOO (4 times around the pan)
• salt
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 4 scallions
• 1/4 cup white vermouth or 1/3 cup dry white wine (eyeball it)
• 2 handfuls flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 20 fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded
• course black pepper

Directions
Heat a large pot of water for the pasta, when the water boils, salt it and cook the pasta al dente.


Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a little salt. Add the EVOO to the the hot pan and then the shrimp. Cook for a minute, then add the garlic, tomatoes, and scallions and toss, cooking for another minute or two until the shrimp are firm and pink. Add the white vermouth and the herbs. Turn off the heat. Drain the pasta well and add to the sauce. Toss and combine the sauce with the pasta and season with salt and black pepper.


Serves 4 (very very hungry people)

Couple-of-Minute Steaks and Potato Ragout

Hhhhmmmmm what to say about this one? I had never made "minute" steaks before, or even knew what they were. I had cube steak before and wasn't real fond of it so that was why I opted for the "minute" variety. Although after I cooked them last night my Dad told me he had always heard cubed steak called minute steak so who knows?


All I can say about minute steaks, at least the ones we had, which were eye of round, they are meat. Edible meat? Not so much! I cooked them medium rare but seriously could not even chew one bite and get it down. They were so tough and so chewy with absolutely NO flavor. They also were super small so there is no way this recipe would feed 4 people. At least not the people in my house.


Now those of you that have been reading for a bit know how Kevin feels about any steak other than ribeye. It is simple, he feels there IS no other steak besides ribeye. After last night he is more sure of that than ever!


The potatoes were good though. Maybe if I had gotten some small thin cut ribeyes it would have been a good meal, but a meal of just potatoes? Bad, bad, bad...


I will suggest that if you make the potatoes, which I think you should, make SURE you dice them small. The recipe says 1/4 inch dice and I didn't listen so well. Many of mine were closer to 1/2 inch and they just weren't done all the way through, but the flavors were great. Kevin said this was a keeper as a side dish recipe. I used little yellow tomatoes in place of regular cherry tomatoes. I cut them in half and let them sit face down on the pan surface for a bit to make them really sweet. That was a good idea.


The most I can say about this recipe is, thank goodness it is over. I will post it so you can get the potato part, and if you choose to make it please use a better cut of meat! Oh and I would recommend using McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning in place of the black pepper.


Couple-of-Minute Steaks and Potato Ragout


Ingredients
4 minute steaks or cubed steaks
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
black pepper
4 tablespoons EVOO
2 medium sized baking potatoes cut in 1/4 inch dice
4 sprigs of thyme leaves, chopped
1 sprig of rosemary leaves, chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter


Directions
Season the minute steaks with the Worcestershire sauce and some pepper. Let the steaks hang out while you start the potato ragout.


Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with about 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Add the diced potatoes to the skillet and spread them out in an even layer. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and let them brown for about 2 minutes, resisting the urge to shake or stir the pan. Once browned on one side, go ahead and give the skillet a stir and shake. Then leave it be for another 2 minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and chicken stock, bring the mixture up to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 6 minutes more.


Once the potatoes are almost tender, preheat another large skillet over high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO for the minute steaks. Season the steaks with salt and then add to hot skillet. Sear the steaks for 1 to 2 minutes per side.


While the steaks are cooking, add the cherry tomatoes and parsley to the potatoes. Toss and stir to incorporate. Heat the tomatoes for about 1 minute. Turn the heat off and add the cold butter, stirring constantly until the butter has melted. Serve the minute steaks with the potato ragout.


serves 4

Three is a Charm?

Hi gang, sorry I haven't posted! I know it has been three days. Fifty lashes with a wet noodle for me huh? No excuses, just put the laundry and house cleaning on the top of the list and didn't realize there was as much to do as there was! YIKES! Who's been making all of these messes?


Ok, now we have three recipes to go over. So look at it as a bonus right? Three is a lucky number!


Friday night was recipe #50 Big Thick Hearty Thighs. Only three of us ate that night, and I didn't get the report from Seth until the next day because he took it to work, he works nights, and ate it there. But when he does that I can always count on someone else from his work weighing in on how they liked the recipe. So far they are a nice crowd to feed!
Seth, as well as his boss, like this one. I felt I may have under salted it but for some reason my taster wasn't working very well and I just kept thinking it is missing something but couldn't put my finger on it. Usually I am Johnny on the spot when it comes to salt, and I salted and peppered the thighs liberally before I put them in the pan, plus salted again a bit later on. I just kept feeling like something was missing. But Kevin said he liked it and it makes a nice broth for sopping with some crusty warm french bread yummm can't go wrong with that right? I would suggest trying this recipe but just stay on top of the salt and see if that was my issue. 


Another nice thing about the recipe is it is inexpensive. So if you are like me, and don't have a lot of money to throw around for crazy recipes, this is a good one for you! I did add slightly more garlic than the recipe calls for. My family LOVES garlic, plus the cloves Rachael has on the show are always nice and big. Mine, well, not so much. I also added and extra tablespoon of thyme leaves.


Alas, I neglected my duties of taking a picture so the recipe will have to suffice. 


Big, Thick, Hearty Thighs


Ingredients
2 tablespoons EVOO
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt 
black pepper
1 small yellow onion
5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
3 medium to small red  bliss potatoes, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves chopped


Directions
Preheat a large skillet or wide soup pot over medium high heat and add the EVOO. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on both sides for about 3 minutes. Scoot the browned thighs to the edges of the pan, making some space in the center of the skillet. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently for 2 minutes.


Add the wine and the chicken stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the potatoes and stir everything together. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.


Remove lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the peas, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley, and cook for 1 more minute just to heat the peas through. Serve with crusty bread. 



Chicken Thigh

serves 4

Night Number 2

The next recipe is #7 Chipotle Mac-N-Cheddar. It is a twist on the Master Recipe #4 Mac-N-Cheddar with Broccoli.

Four out of the six people that I can be feeding any given night, enjoy spicy food. I expected this one to be a bit hot with the "C" word (chipotle) in the title. I am still remembering how hot the ribeyes were and a bit nervous about making things so spicy only a few of us can eat it. It is a fine tap dance I do but I try.

Actually this one was not hot at all. Just enough spice to make it warm and yummy, but not enough to burn your tongue off. Seth, Melissa, and Kevin all said it was great and would even suggest adding a bit more chorizo to the recipe. I had it but was afraid it would be too much. They said I could have even add an extra chipotle pepper. So if you want to warm it up a bit give that a try. I will say this recipe is a nice one for people looking for something other than *yawn* Mac-N-Cheese. I love most of Rachael's spins on Mac-N-Cheese and this was just another one to add to the list.

FYI a little hint for the chipotle peppers in adobo. This comes from Rachael so I can't claim it myself, once you open the can and use the peppers you need, place the remaining peppers and sauce in a snack or sandwich baggie and roll like a tube then pop in the freezer. The next time a recipe calls for chipotles in adobo BAM you drag it out of your freezer and grate a bit off with your cheese grater. Rachael says it is about 1 tablespoon per pepper.  

Again, I hang my head in shame, no picture for your viewing pleasure.

Smokey Chipotle Mac-N-Cheddar

Ingredients

• 1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, plus some for drizzling
• 3/4 pound chorizo, 1 package, casing removed and diced
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 chipotle in adobo and their juices, chopped or 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chili
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 cups shredded smoked Cheddar

Directions

Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni. When it boils, salt water and cook pasta until a little under done, just shy of al dente.

While pasta cooks, place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and chorizo. Brown the chorizo then add the canned tomatoes to the pan and heat them through. Remove from heat and reserve.

While chorizo begins to cook, heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, then add onions and chipotles and cook 3 to 5 minutes to sweat it out and turn the juices sweet. Raise heat up a bit, add the flour and whisk together until mixture bubbles up. Cook 1 minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat up a little more to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Once it bubbles, drop heat back to a rolling simmer sauce to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain macaroni or pasta. Add cooked pasta back to the large pot.

Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt, a minute or so. Stir in chorizo and tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over cooked pasta in large pot and toss to combine. Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish with chives and serve.

serves 4

Chipotle Peppers



Macaroni and Cheese

Night Number 3

Now we are on to recipe #74 Turkey (or Chicken) Croquettes with Spinach Mashers and Pan Gravy. This recipe right off the bat reminded me of Thanksgiving. That is because I used to always make turkey croquettes from the left over turkey. I wish I had found this way to make them a long time ago! I made them with a rue and then you had to grind the turkey and let it all set in the fridge....blah blah blah. This was like a little Thanksgiving party in my mouth.

I would suggest chopping the veggies very fine. I did the "rustic" chop and that made them too big. I also felt 1 pound of spinach was too much so I grabbed a 5 ounce container and I will say that is as much as I would want in the potatoes. But that is the only negative thing I will say about this recipe. If you like "Turkey Day" make this one!!!

And YAY!! I have a picture!

• Turkey or Chicken Croquettes with Spinach Mashers and Pan Gravy

Ingredients

• 3 large starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Coarse salt
• 1 package (about 1-1⁄3 pounds) ground turkey breast or ground chicken
• 2 celery ribs and their greens, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (eyeball it in the palm of your hand)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (from 5 to 6 sprigs)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (a handful)
• Coarse black pepper
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups plain bread crumbs
• 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil (eyeball it)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2-1⁄2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1⁄2 cup cream or half-and-half
• 1 pound triple-washed baby spinach leaves
• Prepared whole-berry cranberry sauce, to pass at the table

Preparation

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Put a lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. While the potatoes cook, make the croquettes. Place the turkey or chicken in a bowl. Add the celery, onions, poultry seasoning, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg yolk. Combine and form 8 patties. Coat both sides of the patties in the bread crumbs. Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side. Remove the croquettes to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat under the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet and melt, then whisk in the flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two. Whisk in 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Thicken for a minute or so and turn off the heat. Season the sauce with a little salt and pepper.

Drain the cooked potatoes and return to the hot pot. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock, and the cream. Mash and season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Fold in the spinach leaves until they wilt into the potatoes.

To serve, pile the spinach mashers on plates and top each portion with 2 croquettes and a spoonful of gravy. Pass the cranberry sauce at the table.

serves 4

I will update the menu page and then can't wait to report to you on all the great stuff coming up this week!

Chicken Croquettes



Mashed Potatoes



Spinach