Chicken Scallopine

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH, 2009

4 stars (out of 5 - even though I had some problems: see modifications to make this even better)

I ran across another delicious looking recipe on the PW's website for chicken scallopine. It looked simple enough, so I tried it out for the first time when PTL came over for dinner. The original recipe can be found here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/03/chicken-scallopine/. In the end, this recipe was very good and SB even rated it highly. However, I must say to proceed with caution, as I had quite a bit of difficulty with it (curdled a bit, runny), with the sauce ultimately being saved by PTL.

Ingredients:

1 package linguine
4 whole Boneless, Skinless, Trimmed Chicken Breasts
Salt and pepper
Flour (approx. 3 tbsp)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
1-2 packages of white mushrooms, thinly sliced*
1 cup dry white wine
1 lemon
½ cups half & half* (see note)
1 tsp (heaping) capers
Fresh parley, chopped
Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

{*Note. I used 4 chicken cutlets, plus one Chick'n breast, and it was enough sauce. The original recipe calls for heavy cream; I tried to be a bit more healthy and use Half & Half, and it was not worth it (see below). I strongly recommend using the heavy cream instead, otherwise the sauce was runny and I needed to add some butter to thicken it. Finally, I used only 1 package of white mushrooms, but the sauce could have ultimately used more. I would add an additional 1/2 package if I was making this again}.

1. Before I started anything, I first cut up the white mushrooms into thin slices.

2. I then prepared the parsley, so that I could just throw it in when everything was ready.

3. I then prepared the chicken: First, I put a generous portion of salt and pepper on each side...

4. ... and dredged each side in flour. This way, I felt that everything was in place for me to start cooking.

5. I then started the water for the pasta, and cooked according to the package. While this was cooking, I prepared the rest of the meal:

6. First, I heated the butter and oil in a frying pan. When it was hot, I added the chicken. You want a nice golden brown colour on the outside. When done, I set these aside.

7. Added the mushrooms to the pan...

8. ... and then immediately added the wine and the lemon juice from 1/2-1 lemon. I cooked this vigorously until it reduced. Apparently in 1 minute, but mine took much longer.

9. At this point, I ran into a bit of trouble. Here, you are to reduce the heat and add the cream. I don't know if it was the half and half I used or what, but mine curdled a bit. In the end, it was fine, but about here I started to panic and not feel so happy. At this point, you also want to make sure it is salty enough, and add some more pepper.

10. Eventually, PTL and myself fixed this by adding more butter to thicken (healthy!) and letting it reduce on it's own. We then added it to the pasta and stirred in the parsley.

11. Finally, the chicken was placed on the plate, and the pasta + sauce heaped over top, and sprinkled with lots of Parmesan cheese.

My Chick'n Version:

In the end, it was actually pretty delicious which makes me want to make a second attempt in the future. SB particularly liked the chicken and the way it was cooked. I probably wouldn't try this out when company is coming over... at least not until I figure out what went wrong. Next time, I will use heavy cream and see if it's better. I will post any updates on here. I would say that overall I wouldn't afraid to try this recipe with the heavy cream, even if I did have some difficulty: despite the problems I encountered, it ended up being a pretty delicious meal!

Eggplant-Feta Rolls - Appy

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH, 2009

4.5 stars (out of 5)

This was another great recipe shown to us by my sister during her visit last September. I think that they're a fabulous addition to my appetizer collection, and provide some very unique flavours. They are a bit time-consuming, but worth it in the end!

Ingredients:

1-2 large eggplants, cut into thin slices (~10 slices each eggplant)
1 red chili, cut into tiny pieces*
2-3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
3/4 container of feta cheese, crumbled
Juice of one small-medium lemon
Olive oil
Black pepper

{Note. We could not find a red chili, so we substituted this with 1 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to your own level of spiciness). Also see the previous post about how we used this recipe as part of the main course}.

1. First, we took our eggplants and sliced them length-wise into thin slices (see thickness in the second pic below).

2. As we heated a medium skilled over medium-high heat, we cut up the mint into small pieces. This is a bit time-consuming with a knife, so using kitchen scissors may be a good idea.

3. Then, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, we crumbled the feta, and added the lemon juice, mint, and red pepper flakes, and mixed well.

4. When the skillet was hot, added some olive oil and then grilled each side of the eggplant slices for about 2 minutes per side. You want them to be golden and medium soft (tender).

5. Once done, we added a heaping spoonful of the feta mixture to the end of each of the strips (do as they come off the grill).

6. We then rolled them up...

7. ...and stacked with the seam facing down on the plate.

Overall, these had such a different taste than many other appy's I have had, and spiced things up a bit. And they were very delicious! The only changes I would make was to use less oil (they were a bit oily sometimes), and to somehow make them easier to eat (quite messy, which might not be great at a party). We ended up eating them as appy's one night, and then as part of our main dish another night, and they worked well as both (see Caramelized Mushroom & Onion Mashed Potato post). Another great treat from Ash!

Caramelized Mushroom & Onion Mashed Potatoes with Green Bean Side

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH, 2009

5 stars (out of 5 - excellent twist on mashed potatoes!)

My sister visited last September and she honoured us with this recipe for mashed potatoes. I was a little hesitant at first, given my dislike of mushrooms, but we ended up asking her to make this for us at least 2 times during the week!! Sooo good!

Ingredients for Potatoes:

1.5-2 potatoes per person, peeled and cut
Milk and sour cream* (*as you like)
1 package mushrooms
1 onion
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
3 tbsp brown sugar
Butter and olive oil
Salt and pepper

Ingredients for Green Beans:

1 handful of green beans per person
Butter
Salt and pepper

1. First, we prepared the potatoes and added them to boiling water with a few sprigs of rosemary to taste.

2. As the potatoes were cooking, we prepared the mushrooms by washing and slicing them...

3. ... and dicing up the onion into large chunks.

4. We then cut up the rosemary (tip: kitchen scissors work well for this task!).

5. When the potatoes were almost ready, we melted some butter in a pan with olive oil (to prevent splashing and burning of the butter)...

6. ...and added the mushrooms...

7. ...followed by the rosemary...

8. ...and onions (the mushrooms were cooked for about 3-4 minutes longer than the onions).

9. Once the mushrooms and onions were soft, we added the brown sugar and stirred everything together.

10. We let this cook for a while, and at the end drained any excess liquid. This is what it should look like:

11. At this point, we had mashed the potatoes with the milk and/or sour cream and plenty of butter, salt and pepper. You can then either serve the mushroom mixture on top of the potatoes...

12. ... or stirred in. On top looks better, but stirred in tastes better!!

13. We served these with green beans, trimmed and boiled for 4 minutes with butter added.

14. Salt and pepper them and you have a super-easy but refreshing side dish!

The crew eating! Note that we served the mashed potatoes with the eggplant appy's (pictured at the centre of the table: http://etryingtocook.blogspot.com/2009/11/eggplant-feta-appy.html), which we used as a meat replacement for vegetarians. How versatile!

Overall, this was such a treat! A very very delicious meal that my sister showed me and that everyone loved. I love love love mashed potatoes, and this was such a great way to mix it up a bit. They were definitely the best mashed potatoes that I have ever had (and I don't even like mushrooms!). Thank you to MK and SB for helping out with this dish (and to Ash for showing it to us!). I have made these several times since her visit, and they have always turned out. I am thinking that the mushroom/onion sauce can be used to top other things, such as meat. Perhaps, I will try that in the future....

Honey-Dijon Chicken

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH, 2009

4.5 stars (out of 5)

I had a bit of time this afternoon (for once!), so I decided to use it to try out a new recipe. GV from my internship tipped me off about a website (pioneerwoman.com) which has recipes and photos at every step (very similar to mine, but much much better quality!) and I thought I would try one of the recipes there. It was great! Here is the link to the recipe (with better pics: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/ranch-style-chicken/).

Ingredients (for 6 chicken breasts... I halved this for 2):

1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Chicken breasts
Bacon
Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. First, I mixed together the dijon, honey, paprika, salt and lemon juice, and whisked until smooth. I also added just a few red pepper flakes to spice things up!

2. Next, I (or actually SB) took a mallet to the chicken to ensure it was an even thickness (this prevents overcooking).

3. I then marinated the chicken in a bowl (covered in the fridge) for an hour and a half (anywhere from 1-3 hours).

4. During this time, we had some appy's: olives and some dips with a fresh baked baguette (they sell these in the frozen section of the grocery store, and I highly recommend! Stick it in the oven for 14 minutes and voila! - you have a fresh baguette!).

5. Once I was ready to start cooking again, I prepared some asparagus by washing, salting, and covering in olive oil. I placed these in the oven at 425F for 7 minutes. I did this because our (convection) oven does not cook food that is on the second rack very well. This way, I cooked these first, and then put them on the bottom rack to keep warm. If you have a normal oven, just place them in the oven for 10 minutes (with the chicken, after it has cooked for about 3-4 minutes).

6. During this time, I also cooked the bacon (approx. 2 strips per chicken breast)...

7. ... and set aside, keeping approximately 1/2-1/4 of the bacon grease set aside. We kept it in the skillet, but as suggested in the original recipe, you may want to clean your skillet to prevent a lot of smoke once you cook the chicken.

8. Once the chicken was marinated, I removed the excess marinade and seared the chicken in the pan of bacon grease for a max of 1.5 minutes per side. You want it just blackened, but not the chicken inside cooked.

Veggie version:

9. I added the chicken to the oven, now at 400F for ~10 minutes (with the asparagus).

10. At this point the chicken was done and I added 1-2 slices of bacon to each breast...

11. ...and covered with cheddar cheese.

Finished asparagus:

12. I cooked this for another 3-5 minutes until the cheese was melted and the bacon hot.

Veggie version:

13. Served with the asparagus:

Overall, this was a very delicious meal, and SB loved it. The only downside is that it seems a bit fatty with the cheese and bacon. I am thinking that this will be reserved for special occasions, but that I will use the chicken and marinade for regular dinners as it was super tasty (and served with veggies and a salad, a fairly healthy meal). One other thing... with the bacon cooking and then the seared chicken, my place smelled soo good!

"Mexican" Lasagna

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2009

4.5 stars (out of 5 - simple and delicious!)

MB was coming for dinner, so I wanted to make something different from the other dishes I had made her and this old recipe popped into my mind. It ended up being the perfect thing to make, as it is a simple (non-finicky) recipe that I could cook while we chatted away!

Ingredients:

1.5-2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 cups green or red pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup salsa
2 tsp ground cumin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
7" white tortilla shells
1.5 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Low fat sour cream
Optional: 2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced; 1/3 cup chopped green onions

1. First, I added the onion, garlic, and red pepper to a large wok and cooked until they were softened (5-7 minutes).

2. I then added the tomatoes, salsa and cumin and brought the mixture to a boil and simmered (uncovered) for 10 minutes. After this time, I added the beans and heated them for a few minutes.

3. Once this mixture was cooked, I sprayed a 9x9 pan (although there is enough mixture for a 13x9" pan...my oven just isn't big enough!!) and started to layer. First, I added 1/3 of the bean mixture, covered with one layer of tortillas and 1/2 of the cheese. I then added another layer of the bean mixture, tortillas, bean mixture and top with the remainder of the cheese. I baked it for 35 minutes at 350F, and let cool for 10 minutes.

4. Here you can garnish with tomatoes and green onions, but I kept it simple and just served it with a dollop of sour cream.

Me and MB before dinner!

Overall, this recipe is simple, yet very different from a lot of other dishes I make. I had actually forgot how good it tastes! I will definitely have to remember to make this again in the future.