Birds of a Feather

Chicken Salad is one of those things that I have loved since I was a kid and have pretty much tried it every place I get the chance.  For the most part I am a purest and don't like a lot of things added to it, until most recently.  I have discovered that fruit and nuts enhance the awesomeness of the chicken, so here is my take on a classic.

Ingredients:
3 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 to 12 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup of pecans
3/4 cup red seedless grapes
2 to 3 Tablespoons of Mayo
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons of tarragon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place chicken in a baking dish that has the bottom coated with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Season the chicken with Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Scatter all of the garlic cloves over the chicken
Drizzle with EVOO

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (until the skin is golden and the juices run clear)

Once the chicken has been cooked and cooled (I like to cool mine over night in the fridge, not required)

Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces

Rough chop the pecans (not minced or diced)

Wash, dry and cut the grapes in half lengthwise

Add grapes and pecans to the bowl of chicken
Start with 2 Tablespoons of Mayo (add more if needed)
Add 1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
Add 2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh tarragon
Mix well and incorporate all ingredients (if too dry add a little more mayo)
Taste for proper seasoning (IE: does it need more salt or pepper)

At this point in the game you can go many different directions, this is great on crackers or over a salad; but in my world this chicken salad is longing for some warm, toasty bread.  I went with a honey wheat that I had picked up at the Farmer's Market.

After the bread has been toasted I add a handful of either baby spinach or spring mix and a sliced of sharp Vermont cheddar cheese



Now at this point you have a perfect roasted chicken salad sandwich that is sure to make your mouth very happy.  Give this one a shot and you won't be sorry, enjoy food friends!

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

So even the greatest cooks will tell you (if they are honest) that there are some areas in the kitchen that they are not as gifted in.  For me that would be the baking department, now I love a good dessert just don't always have the patience to measure everything out to accomplish the task at hand.  Well this recipe is a perfect summertime go to that is a real crowd pleaser and very easy on your swim suit figure! Over the years I have come to think that things in a trifle bowl just seem to taste better, this is no exception.

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

1 full size angel food cake (I prefer the kind at Publix, its delicious, light and fat-free)

3 pints of fresh strawberries (the frozen ones are a little too watery for this dish)

3 cups of cool whip (I use the fat free kind, you can't even tell the difference)

1 cup of Triple Sec (or Pineapple Juice if you don't have or want to use liquor)
Instructions:
Quarter the strawberries and place them in a bowl with the triple sec to marinate (between 15 and 30 minutes is plenty of time)
Cut the angel food cake into bite sized pieces

At this point you will begin to layer everything in the trifle bowl, always start with the angel food cake on the bottom to provide a strong foundation, next layer strawberries (use a slotted spoon so you leave most of the juices behind, a little is good for flavor just don't use too much or your trifle will be soupy),

then add a lay of whipped cream

Now repeat steps until the bowl is full

Reserve a few strawberries to decorate the top and viola, you have a beautiful custom dessert that looks like it took you hours.  Sometimes semi-homemade is the way to roll.  I have made this for several different groups and it is always a real crowd pleaser, so do yourself a favor and try this dish out.  Enjoy!

Chicken Picata with Caprese Salad

Manga! Manga! Somewhere in my late teens I grew a deep desire for something more at dinner time, now to say more would mean, more than some mystery helper or the latest $0.99 craze at the local drive-thru.  I have since discovered that there very well may be a small Italian grandmother living in my food soul; she yearns to feed all those around her an is never too far from a bundle of fresh garlic or a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.  On this night Chicken Picata was the star of the show.

Chicken Picata:

2 to 3 large chicken breasts (washed, trimmed and butterflied)
1 cup of all-purpose flour (for dredging)
4 to 5 leaves of fresh basil
6 Tablespoons of chopped parsley
3 cloves of fresh garlic
1 lemon zested

Once the chicken has been washed and trimmed season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

On a large plate pour out your all-purpose flour and add all of the following items.
2 Tablespoons of chopped parsley
3 cloves of grated garlic
Zest of one lemon

Lightly dredge (fancy word for dip or coat) each breast in the well incorporated flour mixture - shake off the excess flour

In a large non-stick skillet heat 2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Oil Oil and 1 Tablespoon of Butter
(My skillet as able to hold 3 breasts at a time without overcrowding, this is very important or the chicken will not cook properly and pink chicken is definitely a party fowl!!)

Sear the chicken breasts on both sides until you reach a deep golden color, saute until they are cooked all the way through. Repeat until all chicken has cooked, remove from pan and place on a clean plate. Leave all drippings in the saute pan,
add 1/2 cup white wine (pair it with a nice bottle you would like to accompany your meal)
1/4 cup fresh Lemon juice
2 teaspoons of fresh grated garlic
4 Tablespoons of brined capers (drained and rinsed)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat to a boil and allow to thicken and reduce, making sure to scrape all of the goodness from the bottom of the pan
Return the chicken to the sauce, add 2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes

Serve over a bed of freshly prepared angel hair pasta

Salads and my husband are not always the best of friends, however this is a definite favorite of his.

Caprese Salad:
1 pound of FRESH mozzarella cheese
2 to 3 medium vine ripened tomatoes
8 to 12 fresh basil leaves
Extra Virgin Oil for drizzling
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Lay the slices of mozzarella out on a platter
One basil leaf per slice of cheese
Add one tomato to the stack
Drizzle with EVOO
Salt and Pepper to taste

That's it, super simple, elegant and delicious.  Ciao Bella foodies!!

South of the Border...(NOT TACOS!)

When most people go out to dinner and have a fantastic meal they are thinking about when they can come back and experience everything all over again; me on the other hand is tasting every ingredient to find a way to log it into my "food memory banks" so I can recreate the amazingness at home.  This was the case a few weeks ago as we were celebrating a family birthday at a local bistro (amazing food, horribly overpriced) and my husband ordered skirt steak with chimichurri.  One bite in and by the look on his face I knew we would be working our magic on this at home.  If you are not familiar with Chimichurri, it is a hugely popular sauce/condiment in Argentina, almost the national sauce of the country (that's my kind of country, sauces are my weakness!)  This sauce is very much a Latin infused pesto, very simple to make and delicious on pretty much anything you can imagine.  Often we think of Latin-American food and our minds go straight to sub-par Tex-Mex or ground beef tacos, please hear me shouting as I type this....IT IS SO MUCH MORE!!

Chimichurri Sauce
(This is a single recipe, however; I doubled the recipe because I used half to marinate the steaks and the other half as a sauce)

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of Lemon Zest
3 Tablespoons of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

6 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

4 Tablespoons of zested garlic
3 Tablespoons of minced shallots
1 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

This is a deconstructed picture of the ingredients before they get blended into something muy delicioso!

Once all of the ingredients have been chopped, minced, zested and diced you want to pour them into the blender or food processor and pulse until well blended (but do not puree).  At this point I took half of the chimichurri (remember that I doubled the recipe) and I poured it over these beautifully marbled skirt steaks.

As with most marinades it is better to allow the flavors to hang out overnight, if that is not an option then give them at least a couple of hours.

The remaining chimichurri should be placed in a non-reactive bowl (aka not a metal bowl) and covered with plastic wrap.  It can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Once you are ready to cook the steaks there are many options. I went with an indoor, electric skillet for many reasons. 1. there is a large, open cooking surface 2. I will not loose any of the chimichurri essence in the grill grates. We like steaks medium in our house, this means they were cooked 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Allow the steaks to get a good sear and try to only flip the steaks one time.

Now as we discussed in the last post men (many woman do too, this one included) love a good meat and potatoes dinner and while we were eating Latin infused beef I though we might as well go the same route with the mashed potatoes.  My family shares an almost unhealthy obsession with Abuelo's Mexican restaurant (seriously the food there is like an incredible sexual experience!) So I take no credit for this side dish, other than being the vehicle to recreate them.

Abuelo’s Papas con Chile™
3 lbs. red potatoes
3 oz cream cheese – cut into 2" squares
½ cup heavy cream
10 oz Velveeta – cut into 2 " squares
½ TBS salt
¾ tsp granulated garlic
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup diced red bell peppers
½ cup diced green bell peppers
2 cans chopped green chiles
½ cup chopped green onion tops
2 TBS of finely chopped jalapeño – seeds removed

1.Wash and scrub potatoes until clean
2.Place potatoes in a pot covered with water and boil until soft.
3.Drain potatoes
4.Add the rest of ingredients and mash. Be sure all ingredients are incorporated.

As any good home chef I did make one modification, once all of the peppers and jalapeño were diced and seeded I sauteed them with the chiles in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil until them were tender.  Seriously these potatoes are AMAZING and could probably be served as an entree all by themselves. So this is my humble take on a little Latin American Cuisine, I hope you try these recipes and enjoy them as much as my family did.

The Classics with a twist

So we all know the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and usually that will involve a large slab of some sort of meat and a potato; well I have found a slight variation on this and there certainly weren't any complaints coming outta my kitchen.  Flame seared ribeye and mashed cauliflower.

1 Large head of fresh cauliflower (core removed and cut into florets)
1 1/2 cups of Chicken Stock (homemade or your favorite stock in a box)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of Fat Free Half & Half (depends on the amount of cauliflower)
2 Tablespoons of butter
4 cloves of roasted garlic (mashed into a paste)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chives to garnish (Optional)

Bring cauliflower and chicken stock to boil until fork tender (10-12 minutes)
Most of the liquid should be evaporated by this point
Mash the cauliflower (smooth or chunky - its your choice)
Add butter, cheese, garlic paste, 1/4 cup half & half (more can be added if needed), salt and pepper
Stir until well incorporated
Garnish with chopped chives (optional)

Steak recipes have thousands of variations and cooking methods, pair this cauliflower with the steak of your choice.  We usually go with a juicy Ribeye that has spent the night in a bath of garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.

This is a super simple meal that is nice variation of the norm, hope you enjoy it a much as I did!

Ring 'O Goodness

Chicken is one of my most favorite cooking ingredients; due in large part to its versatility.  Its a blank canvas that can be dressed up, simplified or even turned into a comfort classic.  The Lemon Herbed Chicken Ring was something that I had experienced years ago in Boston and have recently revisited and turned into a family favorite.

3 full chicken breasts (cooked to your liking, keep the seasoning simple as to not clash with the dish)
1/2 cup diced Red Bell Pepper
1/2 cup diced Green Bell Pepper

5 Tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley (Fresh is the way to go, but if using dried cut down to 2 1/2 T)

2 large lemons (zested and juiced) - third lemon needed for garnish

4 cloves of garlic (I prefer to zest my garlic to avoid large chunks - best way if to use a microplane)
1 cup of shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Fresh Mozzarella will NOT work here, its too wet)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Mayonnaise (your choice, I prefer Hellman's or Duke's - depends on the sale that week)
4 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
3/4 cup of Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 packages of refrigerated crescent rolls (to cut a few calories I use the reduced fat)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Shred cooked chicken
Place chicken and diced peppers into bowl, add lemon zest, juice and grated garlic
Finely chop parsley and add to chicken mixture, along with mayo (start with a 1/2 cup and add more if needed) and 2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning
Add 1 cup of Mozzarella Cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
Stir till well incorporated (add additional mayo if needed, you want the filling moist but not soupy)

Unroll crescent rolls, separate into 16 triangles
Spray your pizza stone with cooking spray (you will appreciate this when its time to serve)
Arrange rolls on a pizza stone, slightly overlapping in a circle (wide edges 4 inches from stones edge; points will hang off the edges)

Spoon chicken mixture evenly over the dough ring
Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under dough at
center to form a ring. (Filling will show.)
Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese and Italian Seasoning over the ring

Bake at 350 degrees for 28 to 35 minutes (until dough is fully cooked and the top is golden brown)

Remove from oven;
garnish with lemon slices and remaining parsley.

This sounds like a complicated dish, but its really just a few steps til you reach delicious lemony chicken goodness.

ENJOY!!

Changing the relationship people share with their food...

FOOD:

Is it something you love or loathe?  Do you think about food during the day, dreaming up your next culinary creation or is food just a means to an end for you?  I believe that there is a special relationship people share with food and my goal is to help enhance your journey.  I have so many friends that love to eat, yet are afraid to take a chance in the kitchen. What's the worst thing that can happen, you hate the dish and start all over again?  We aren't talking about ending world peace here; its just dinner.  Now I am a firm believer that dinner is a very important part of the day, not just because of the food, but because it provides an opportunity for people to reconnect at the end of the day.  Be willing to take more chances and remember the fresher you can get the better it will taste.  Thanks for all the love and support and please share with us your greatest 'Food Epiphany'!