Tonight's Dinner: Chicken and Dumplings

Tonight, I had an oldie but goodie for dinner. I used a leftover rotisserie chicken, homemade broth (I make my own and freeze it) and homemade dumplings to create Tyler Florence's Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings. When I ran the recipe in the blog before, I used chives in the dumplings, but the recent snowfall killed my chives outside, so I used parsley instead. Delicious dinner and great way to use up the leftover chicken!

Shirley

Hoisin Chicken--and Writing Chat tomorrow!

Tonight's dinner was a HUGE hit with DH. I love Food Network Magazine and absolutely LOVE their cookbook. It's filled with the past year's recipes from the magazine, and 99% of them are super easy and really good. This one was no exception. I served it with my own fried rice, and also made the cucumber salad in the recipe.

A couple tips: be sure your grill is really well oiled (I found out the hard way :-) and reserve some of the marinade for basting. The cucumber salad is perfect--not too tart, not too sweet--and I highly recommend it.

Here's the recipe. I read in the reviews that some people tried it on pork, something that's on my to do list for sure :-)

I served it with my own tried-and-true fried rice recipe. If you chop all your ingredients beforehand, Chinese food isn't so tough to make :-)

Also, tomorrow, I'm doing a writing chat on Twitter--ask me anything you want to know about writing. My twitter name is @shirleyjump and the chat hash tag is #ARWchat. Chat starts at 11:30 am EST, which I've been told is 4:30 pm UK time. All chatters will be entered to win an Amazon gift card and a copy of one of my books!

Shirley

What's Cooking Tonight: Chicken Canzanese



Chicken Canzanese



Dinner tonight is a favorite in the Jump household: Chicken Canzanese from America's Test Kitchen. I've blogged about it before and just love this recipe. Easy to make, and something that just cooks away in the oven. I'll probably make carrots and also smashed potatoes to go with it.

I love braising...and this is my favorite dish to do that with. Tell me, do you have a favorite braised beast (lol) recipe?

Shirley

Easy Crockpot Chicken

I had a long and busy day today, and wasn't going to be home till after 5:30, so it was definitely a crock-pot dinner night :-) This one was an easy one--I love those dump and walk away type recipes. It's a variation on Chicken and Dumplings (I made a vegetarian one last week and then have this Tyler Florence one that is a stand-by favorite in my house).

I didn't make this quite the way the recipe said, at least the dumpling part. They said to put biscuits or dumplings in the bottom of the bowl and pour the stew over it, which would be okay, but I'm more of a tear-my-bread-and-dip person, so I did it that way instead. And I only had four Grands type biscuits left (hmm...I suspect the family is sneaking them!) so I used these whole grain rolls instead.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Stew

3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
8 chicken thighs (or breasts cut into small pieces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
To add at the end:
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a 4 or 6-quart crockpot, mix the carrots, celery and onions with the flour. Layer the chicken on top, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Pour the wine and broth over it all, then cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 to 6 hours (or 3 hours on high). Remove the lid, stir in the frozen peas and cream and cook 5-10 more minutes, or until heated through. Serve with biscuits or rolls.

That's it! My family liked it, so it'll go on my list of dinners-for-a-busy-day. I'd love to do dumplings on it, and I might try that next time.

Shirley

Chicken Canzanese and Marmalade Carrots with Candied Pecans

I'm a huge fan of the show America's Test Kitchen. It's on PBS and is filmed in a kitchen in Vermont. Kind of quirky people, who test everything to death, ensuring you get a pretty darn foolproof recipe in the end.


I've made this Chicken Canzanese twice now and I have to say, it's one of my favorite chicken recipes. My mouth waters just thinking about it, no kidding. It's made with chicken thighs, which makes it economical, too :-)


It uses a technique called braising--which is basically searing, then simmering in the oven in a sauce. The chicken stays tender, the sauce gets thick and everything gets all yummy. The recipe is here (and has a video and everything). One of the things the recipe doesn't tell you is total cooking time. It usually takes me a little over 2 hours (there's an hour and 15 in there of in-oven time). So don't start this one late in the day ;-) It makes a great presentation, so it's on my guest menu, too.


You do need to have a Dutch Oven for this one. I have the Martha Stewart one, which is okay and cheaper than the Le Creuset, which I covet ;-).


Registering for America's Test Kitchen is free, and I definitely recommend that. Also, try to catch the show on your local PBS channel. Mine runs on either Saturday or Sunday mornings (I forget; the DVR just tapes it automatically for me). I have bought a few things they recommended on the show--a chef's knife, a vegetable peeler, a garlic press. Love them all.


When I made this tonight, I used center cut bacon since I was out of prosciutto. I never seem to have whole cloves on hand, so I use ground. I've been growing rosemary in my kitchen (I truly have no green thumb, but have yet to kill the rosemary) so I had that fresh. It does make a difference to use the fresh ingredients, particularly things like garlic--chopping your own is a HUGE difference in taste over using the jarred stuff. I served it with Marmalade Carrots with Candied Pecans, which were delicious. :-)


Marmalade Carrots with Candied Pecans

For the pecans:

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

dash salt

For the carrots:

2 pounds baby carrots

4 tablespoons butter, divided

3/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons orange marmalade (I made my own today; look for it in a future blog post)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

dash kosher salt

In a small saucepan, prepare the pecans. Melt the butter and add the sugars. When the sugar melts, stir in the pecans and cook until syrupy, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool in a dish or on a plate.

In a separate large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add orange juice, marmalade, brown sugar, salt and carrots. Cook 12-15 minutes or until carrots begin to soften. Remove from heat, toss with pecans and serve.

This one was a huge hit with the whole family (my son calls it his favorite chicken). The vegetarian teen only had the carrots and liked those :-) So it's all on my keeper list! :-)


Shirley

Perfect for a Snowy Day...

We got our first real snowfall of the season this weekend. Not a ton of snow--just enough for DH to break in the new snowblower and to dust everything with a pretty coating of white. And just enough to make my White Chicken Chili the perfect dinner for today :-)

I've run the recipe before on the blog, but thought it was a good time to run it again. I added my notes for what tweaks I made today.

White Chicken Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeno (comes in a jar in the Mexican food aisle), chopped (NOTE: I didn't have any of that on hand today, so I used a small can of diced green chilies)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or regular; I just prefer to cook with kosher)
2 cups chicken broth (I used the homemade broth I make)

2 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained
1 pound cooked chicken, shredded (I didn't have any already cooked, so I poached a couple breasts in some water seasoned with salt and pepper)
1/2 cup whipping cream (I use half and half)

Heat oil in a large pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper and jalapeno. Saute about 4 minutes, until soft and onion is translucent. Add garlic and spices. Cook for one minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add vegetables, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. Add beans and chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cook until heated through.

Shirley

Baked Coconut Chicken Nuggets

I've had two dinner winners this week, according to my youngest. This recipe, Baked Coconut Chicken Nuggets served with a cherry chutney (leftover from another dinner) was a huge hit. My oldest was disappointed not to find any leftovers the next day. Everyone had at least two helpings, maybe more. They are sweet, but not too sweet, and let me use up a lot of the buttermilk from the Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings (why doesn't buttermilk come in tiny containers, like heavy cream????).

These ones are quick and easy, and if you don't have cherry chutney, I'd recommend any other kind of sweet topping--cherry preserves, a raspberry chutney, whatever you have on hand. The sweetness really made the dish and made me think of the amazing Monte Christo sandwiches I used to get at Magic Pan a thousand years ago. That restaurant is no longer there, sob sob, but they made a great sandwich and awesome pea soup.

Anyway, I digress ;-)

Baked Coconut Chicken Fingers

(note: the chicken marinates for an hour so leave time for that)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips (a tip: freeze your meat for a half hour before slicing it. You'll get much cleaner cuts and with less effort!)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon curry powder (which I was out of, so I used this substitute: a dash of cumin, coriander and tumeric)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish or zip-type bag. Chill ONE HOUR. Then drain chicken.

Preheat oven to 475 degress. Place baking sheet in the oven to get it nice and hot. In three bowls (I prefer pie plates), put flour in first one, beaten eggs in second, and all remaining ingredients in third. Dredge the chicken in flour, then eggs, then coconut mixture.

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Lay chicken on hot cookie sheet, in a single layer. Bake at 475 for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until done.

Serve with a cherry chutney :-)

Shirley

Thai Mango Chicken, Glazed Carrots and Coconut Rice

I must be in an Asian mood lately because I've been making all kinds of Thai-inspired meals lately (my oldest, who loves Asian food, is in heaven). I made the Spicy Thai Shrimp and Mango Salad twice this week (sooo good that I want to have that one every day) and tonight I made Thai Mango Chicken, Glazed Carrots and Coconut Rice. A hearty thumbs-up from the the kids and me (DH won't be home till later).

I've made the Thai Mango Chicken before, and my son (who loves the recipe) requested it when he saw I had mangoes in the kitchen. This time, I got to take a picture before everyone ate ;-)

Thai-Mango Chicken Stir-Fry

Chicken:

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mango Sauce:

2 fresh ripe mangos, chopped

3/4 teaspoon chili sauce

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons fish sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 thumb-size piece ginger, minced (use a microplane)

3 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
zest of 1 lime

Also:

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 to 1 mango, cut into chunks (to finish the dish)
Optional: 3-4 Tbsp. coconut milk OR water

Put the chicken pieces into a zip-type bag. Sprinkle with rice vinegar, then cornstarch. Close bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated. Set aside.

In a food processor or blender, mix all the ingredients for the mango sauce and blend until mango is pureed. Set aside

Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry, a few minutes per side, until cooked on all sides. Take chicken out and put it on a plate or paper towel. Clean out wok/skillet, then reheat it and add the mango sauce and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until red pepper is softened. If it's too thick, add the coconut milk (I did). Put in the chicken and extra mango chunks and cook until heated through. Top with cilantro and serve on top of coconut rice.

Coconut Rice

2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice
1 cup good-quality coconut milk
2 cups water
2-3 Tablespoons dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
1/2 teaspooon salt

Put all ingredients in a rice cooker. Stir to mix. Then cook until done. When the cooker switches from Cook to Warm, let it cook a couple minutes more to thicken and make it stickier. Stir before serving.

Glazed Carrots

3 cups carrots, chopped on the diagonal into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

Put all ingredients in a pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 10-15 minutes, until carrots are cooked and sauce has caramelized. If you're in a hurry, you can microwave the carrots for 3 minutes with a little bit of water, then cook with the sauce...it only takes about 5 minutes then.

None of this was much work--a little prep, but with Chinese food, the key is to chop everything in advance. I did that earlier today, put everything in baggies and then just had to assemble and stir. Not bad at all :-)

Shirley

Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings

I've been craving this recipe for a while, ever since I saw Tyler Florence make this on "Tyler's Ultimate." I love chicken soup. Love dumplings. Love having all that in one big bowl :-)

The reviews on this recipe are raves, and I have to agree. It was so yummy...such simple comfort food. It was my daughter's first day of school today and I wanted to make something that said "welcome home, honey." This was it. She had two bowls (and so did I).

I already had homemade chicken stock (I use Ina Garten's recipe) but only had four cups in my freezer, so I cut down Tyler's recipe for stock a bit just to poach my chicken (I had some poached from making the Chicken Au Jus the other day (I used bone-in breasts instead of wings) so I only had to poach one more (instead of a whole chicken like the recipe called for).

Tyler Florences's Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings:

Chicken and Stock:
1 (3 to 31/2 pound) whole organic chicken
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
4 to 5 black peppercorns
1 head garlic, split through the equator
2 tablespoons salt

Buttermilk-Chive Dumplings:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Chopped chives, for garnish

I started this around 3:30, for eating a little after 5. It took a bit longer than I expected, but not much. Just a side note for folks :-)

Place the chicken and all stock ingredients in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour until the chicken is tender. Skim the surface of fat and scum as it cooks.

When done remove the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the stock and shred the meat into big pieces - the stock will be used for the sauce and the chicken will be folded into it.

NOTE: About 15 minutes before it's done, start the other steps. Otherwise, you'll be behind on the estimated time it takes to cook this.

Make dumplings. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, using a whisk, lightly beat the eggs, chives and buttermilk together; pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold. Mix just until the dough comes together; the batter should be thick and cake-like. (NOTE: I ended up using the full cup of buttermilk. This makes about twice as much dumpling batter as you need, but they're so darn good, I'm thinking about cooking all of it)

To prepare sauce: In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the butter and oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, (NOTE: I didn't have any frozen pearl onions so I chopped one onion and added it here. Also, I only had frozen pea and carrot mix so I skipped carrots here and added the bag of veggies at the end) and bay leaves and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. (NOTE: This is a critical step--do it one cup at a time so it has time to thicken. In the end, I did add a small amount of cornstarch slurry to thicken even more). Add frozen peas and pearl onions.

Let sauce simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. (NOTE: I don't always have heavy cream on hand but had half-and-half and that seemed to work out okay).

Fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce and bring up to a simmer. Using 2 spoons (NOTE: you do want to do it this way...scoop with one spoon, scoop off it with the other, scoop with first spoon one more time to drop the dumplings in), carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. The dumplings should cover the top of the sauce, but should not be touching or crowded. Let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy (NOTE: turn the dumplings over halfway through to cook on all sides). Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with freshly cracked black pepper (NOTE: I also seasoned with a little more salt) and garnish with chopped chives before serving.

This was really good and my daughter said should go in the "keeper" folder. Ina, Giada and Tyler never let me down when I cook their recipes, and this recipe is no exception. I'll be making it often :-)

One tip--you can make homemade chicken stock VERY easily and anytime you need it if you just keep the bones from your chickens in the freezer. Bring home a rotisserie chicken? Save the carcass in a freezer bag until you're ready to make stock. I usually double my stock recipe (using two chicken carcasses) and make enough to freeze the stock in 2-cup containers so I always have fresh stock on hand for cooking.

Shirley

Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleu

Tyler Florence is one of my favorite chefs on the Food Network. He's always got something supremely delicious cooking, and he always makes the prep look so easy (even when it's not, LOL). So when he made "Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleu," which is one of my top dinners, I had to try it.

Except, I had to mess with one part of the recipe ;-) He called for a Cranberry Chutney, and I made one out of Cherries instead that was SUPERB with the Cordon Bleu. Almost like having a Monte Cristo sandwich (you know, with the raspberry jam on the side).

I also made Tyler's Brussel Sprout Hash. His were...okay. I like my other recipe for Brussel Sprouts with Bacon better. I think his were just too complicated and I really wasn't a huge fan of the balsamic vinegar. I think I'll try the Brussel Sprouts with Bacon again...and add a few of the other veggies in Tyler's recipe. I served this dinner, BTW, with buttermilk biscuits I bought. Figured I'd done enough work, LOL.

The Chicken Cordon Bleu was AMAZING. And his tips made it ten times easier. FWIW, when you watch the show, there are other steps included that the recipe person missed on the Food Network site. I swear the people who put up the recipes never watch the shows because they miss a lot of vital stuff. Here's the recipe--with Tyler's hints included. If you want the original recipe, it's here, but in the reviews you'll see that adding Tyler's extra steps makes all the diff.

(oh and I did make the Chicken Jus to go with it....and it was amazingly flavorful but not needed at all. The Cherry Chutney was AMAZING with this).

Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleu
(from the Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Ultimate Cordon Bleu

4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
8 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
1/2 pound Gruyere, grated (I used baby Swiss because I couldn't find regular Gruyere)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (I used about a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper total)
1 cup panko bread crumbs (these are in the bread crumb aisle. They're so much crunchier and better than plain ones)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced (HINT: Tyler grated his with a microplane, which makes it itty bitty and then you don't get garlic chunks on the outside of the chicken breasts)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil

PREP: START ONE to ONE AND A HALF HOURS BEFORE YOU WANT TO COOK (so serving at 5:30, start this around 3:30). Cook time all totaled is about 35-45 minutes.

On a cutting board, lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken. (HINT: This was a fabulous way to do it. The chicken gets all tight, like a sausage, and when you are done, REFRIGERATE THE BREASTS FOR 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR...that helps it all stay together later. No need for toothpicks!!!)

After removing chicken from fridge, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned. (MY HINT: I USE THREE PIE PLATES...MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO DREDGE)

Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Then lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

(The steps of refrigerating the breasts and also sauteeing them to brown them are omitted from the online recipe. These are vital...the chicken will dry out in the oven before it gets browned if you don't saute it, and it'll fall apart if you don't do the refrigeration).

Remove from oven, let sit five minutes. Serve with Cherry Chutney

Shirley's Cherry Chutney

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup wine (I used white, though I would have preferred red, just didn't have any red opened)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (I use a microplane)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (adds the right amount of spice to the chutney)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

dash red pepper

Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until mixture is thickened and cooked through--about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how big your cherries are and what you consider simmer ;-)

My tummy is full right now, but I'm already looking forward to leftovers at lunch ;-) My son loved this, DH loved it (DD was out for the night and missed this dinner). A hit all around, even if it's a bit of work.

Shirley

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry

I was in the mood for Asian food tonight, but not in the mood to pay or wait for take-out. I wanted a healthier option, something quick and easy, and this fit the bill. It's a recipe from Cooking Light that I tweaked, and served as lettuce wraps instead of on rice.

This was a bit spicy, so if I make it again, I'll tone down the spice a bit.

You can look at the original recipe, and then here is my changes:

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fish sauce
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 12 or 16-ounce package frozen Asian stir-fry vegetables, defrosted (I used a green bean, broccoli, mushroom mix)
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (use a micrograter; it's way easier)
3/4 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1 teaspoon Sesame oil

Heat half the oil in wok until it begins to smoke. Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides (about 5 minutes). Remove chicken. Add remaining oil, then add vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Put chicken back in the wok and cook for another minute or two, until cooked through. Add all remaining ingredients except Sesame oil and season to taste. Just before serving, drizzle on Sesame oil and toss mixture. Serve on rice or in Bibb lettuce wraps.

Spicy, but smelled FANTASTIC and tasted great, too. One of those things I'm sure I'll make again. :-)

Shirley

Mediterranean Night: Tandoori Chicken and Cauliflower Tabouli

With some dinners, you hit a home run on the first bite. That's how this Tandoori Chicken was--simply AMAZING. I can't wait to make it again and am so glad I made twice as much so I have leftovers :-)

The recipe called for cooking this in the oven, but I was still in grilling mode, so I did it on the grill, on medium-low. Worked out just fine and smelled divine while it was cooking. I also didn't use boneless, skinless thighs, which is what the recipe calls for (I'm really not a fan of chicken thighs or my own thighs for that matter, LOL). Instead I used bone-in chicken breasts. I'm sure you could use boneless, and I think I'll try it again with boneless next time. I just like how tender bone-in comes out on the grill.

I made the Tabouli a couple hours before dinner and it definitely tasted better after it had sat in the fridge for a while. The kids weren't so wild about it, but DH and I liked it. I sure wished I had some pita bread to serve with it, but didn't. Probably just as well--it would have ruined the whole "healthy dinner" thing ;-)


A couple tips--you can store ginger in the freezer in a zip-type bag. I buy one big piece and store it in between uses. Takes up very little space, and then you always have it around. I also store tomato paste in the freezer (in a zip bag) because I always seem to need a little bit at the weirdest times.


I served this dinner with Honey-Ginger carrots and some steamed rice.


Tandoori Chicken


6 bone-in chicken breasts (or boneless if you want to do that ;-)
juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt
1 small container plain yogurt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped (use fresh ginger, it makes such a difference)
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 3/4 teaspoons hot paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


Toss the chicken in a zip bag with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. In a mini or regular food processor, blend 2 tablespoons of the yogurt (reserve the rest), the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss the chicken in this mixture and marinade it for 15 minutes.


(Note: the original recipe, from Food Network Magazine's May issue called for cooking this in the broiler. I hate using the broiler pan. The darn thing is impossible to clean. So my directions are for the grill :-). Preheat the grill to medium-low. Put the chicken on the grill, bone side down, and cook 15 minutes. Flip, cook for another 10-15 minutes, just enough to crisp that side, then flip back to bone side and continue cooking until done and internal temperature is 165 degrees. (For me, that was about 40 minutes total, give or take). When done, remove to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.


Meanwhile, combine the remaining yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Serve with the chicken. (I wished I'd doubled the sauce...I LOVED how it offset all the flavors just right).


Cauliflower Tabouli


When I was in Washington DC last year, I went to a Lebanese restaurant with some fellow author friends. We had the waiter choose a variety of dishes for us, and he did a great job. One of the menu items was Tabouli, and it was fabulous. This one wasn't as good as the restaurant one, but it was pretty darn good :-)


1 head cauliflower
2 plum tomatoes
2 chopped scallions
1 bunch parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons mint, chopped (the original recipe called for 2 tablespoons but to me, adding a bit more made the flavors more even)

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

salt and pepper


Grate the cauliflower on a box grater (on the biggest holes) and put in a large bowl. Dice the tomatoes, then the scallions, and add to the cauliflower. Stir in the parsley and mint. Mix the lemon juice, oil and soy sauce and toss with the cauliflower mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge before serving.


Not sure what else is on my menu this week. I'm thinking of trying a Japanese pork dish. Although I just bookmarked a bunch of recipes for the grill in the latest issues of my food magazines :-)


Shirley

An Easy Dinner

I wasn't feeling well today so I needed an easy, quick dinner. Yesterday we had some phenomenal steaks that we made on the grill, along with baked potatoes and a warm spinach salad with a bacon vinaigrette (which is easy--cook the bacon, reserve three tablespoons of fat, then cook some onions and garlic in it (I did one onion, chopped and one clove of garlic). When that's done, add 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Add the spinach and cook until wilted.)

No pics today -- I didn't feel well enough to mess with that--but for dinner tonight, I did a marinade (I was in the mood for one after watching them do marinades on Worst Cooks in America). The marinade was awesome--made the chicken very tender:

1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tangelo, juiced (you can use an orange, but I had tangelos on hand)
a dash of salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts

I mixed the marinade, then added it and the chicken breasts to a Zip-Loc bag, threw it in the fridge for a few hours. Later, I had DH grill the chicken. Very good stuff!

To go along with that, I made a white sauce, added fresh grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg, then tossed it with spaghetti noodles (was all out of cool, funky noodles like bowties), some blanched asparagus and some peas. Very good stuff there, too!

So an easy, quick dinner, and not much cleanup. My favorite kind ;-)

Shirley

Two Great New Dinners

I had pictures of these, but accidentally deleted them from my Blackberry before I sent them to myself (silly Shirley!). Trust me--they both looked yummy!

The first dish was from an Ocean Spray ad. They have this whole series of recipes created by Tyler Florence, whose recipes I always like :-). I made the Chicken Tenderloins with Cranberry Mustard Sauce, except I used chicken breasts instead of tenderloins (I really don't like tenderloins because they have that weird tendon thing running down the middle of them and when you try to cut it out, you end up with like zero chicken).

I had a heck of a time trying to find Craisins at Meijer. I don't know what is up with that store lately, but nothing ever seems to be in a logical spot. The Craisins weren't in the canned and dried fruit aisle. Weren't in the snack aisle. Weren't in the baking products aisle (although I found raisins...what was up with that?). They did have a display of raisins and some kind of industrial size bag of Craisins in the veggie section. I didn't need twenty pounds of Craisins, just a small bag.

Finally found them tucked in the dark corner behind the Starbuck's that's inside the store. Oh yeah. FIRST place I'd look.

Anyway, I made this recipe, just using slightly more of all the ingredients to account for the fact that I used six chicken breasts instead of the pound of tenderloins. The sauce was good--a tad mustardy, so next time I'd use just a tiny bit less. Like a teaspoon less. And extra Craisins would be good too. They were the best part, IMO.

Also, because I used chicken breasts instead of tenderloins, I browned them, then baked them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes while I made risotto to accompany the chicken. It's the same method I use to make Emeril's Pan Roasted Chicken. It works well and if you don't overcook the chicken, it stays moist.

The second recipe I made this week came from a Rachael Ray magazine. I love Chinese food and I love mangoes, so when I saw Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir-Fry, I thought it sounded really good.

Stir-fry, IMO, is one of those things that seems simple, but always involves more work than you anticipate ;-). This one doesn't have a ton of ingredients (pork, flour, salt, cabbage, oil, garlic, ginger, teriyaki sauce and mangoes) so it wasn't as involved as some things I've made.

I didn't put bean sprouts on top like the recipe called for because I hate bean sprouts, LOL. But other than that, I did it was recommended. It was good...but one of those dishes that you try and at first are like, eh, okay. Then you have another bite, and another, and before you know it you're...going back for seconds and thirds ;-) I ate way too much of this. It's the crispiness of the pork mixed with the mangoes that was great.

FWIW, I've found that cornstarch makes a good breading for Chinese food. I might try that next time.

Shirley

Chicken with Gnocchi Dumplings

A couple weeks ago, I made chicken with dumplings--the Tyler Florence recipe, which was highly rated by my whole family and definitely on my To Do Again list. So when I came across another type of chicken and dumpling recipe, I was a little hesitant to try it.



But it did use gnocchi, which is one of my all-time favorite things to eat (though not something I have made from scratch...at least with potatoes. For one, mashed potatoes rarely last long enough to become leftovers here, and for another, it just seemed like a lot of effort, LOL, when I can just buy them already made at Meijer). But I have made Ricotta Gnocchi, which I LOVE.



So I thought I'd give it a shot. DH had already cooked all the chicken (he barbecued it the other day), so although it was a tad barbecue flavor, it was ready to use. I just cut off the barbecued outside, to reduce the barbecue flavor.



I based my recipe off a Rachael Ray recipe I saw in the magazine. I adapted mine slightly just to use up what I happened to have in the fridge, and also to make it closer to the other recipe I had made before.



Chicken with Gnocchi Dumplings



1/2 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup flour
salt
pepper
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup half and half
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 small bag frozen peas and carrots
1 package already-made gnocchi
1 tablespoon fresh parsley



Cook the onion and pepper in 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the chicken and stir, until warmed through. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and then flour, and S&P to taste. Stir until everything is coated with flour, then add liquids and stir. Boil sauce one minute, until thick and bubbly. (I might have added extra broth...I don't really measure when I make a white sauce, I just add liquid until it's the consistency I want; so if it's too thick, add more broth).



Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt well. Add gnocchi and cook per package directions.



Stir peas and carrots into chicken mixture. Add cooked gnocchi. Top with minced parsley. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.


Serve! ;-)



I also made a great enchilada recipe the other day that was gone so fast, there were no pictures, LOL. I'll share that soon. I've got several other things on tap this week--chicken with cranberry mustard sauce, a stir fry, and rice pancakes. And maybe pork with blackberry sauce, depending on how much time I have to cook this week.



Shirley

Dinner Party Success :-)

I love having people over for dinner. For one, as DH pointed out, it's a reason for both of us to finally do a few of those pesky chores we keep putting off (like planting new flowers in the front planters, or putting away the suitcases from our CA trip), and for another, it's an excuse for me to go nuts cooking :-)

We had two couples over the other night, and considering I've been away most of the summer, I was pretty excited to get out all those pots and pans and make a nice meal. I went with a healthy Italian theme (and yes, there is such a thing; meaning none of that drenched in cream and butter sauce kind of thing). I served shrimp as an appetizer, because it was quick and easy, and put the time into the meal.

Caprese Salad--using Roma tomatoes that my friend Marci gave me from her garden (so fresh and SO good), and some chunks of fresh Mozzarella I picked up at the grocery store, I assembled a Caprese Salad. It's pretty darn simple--drizzle a good quality olive oil on the bottom of the dish, top with a layer of sliced tomatoes, some freshly ground salt and pepper, and a few chunks of fresh buffalo mozzarella (the white kind, not the yellow kind). Chiffonade some fresh basil, sprinke on top. Repeat the layers. Let it sit for a little while--half hour or so--to let the flavors marry.

Then I made Roasted Broccoli, which again is very, very simple. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Slice the broccoli florets in half (so they'll lay flat on the cookie sheet) and peel the stalks. Toss the chopped broccoli with a little olive oil, a teaspoon of sugar and a half teaspoon of kosher salt. Then roast for about 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through. Keep an eye on it--if your stalks are tiny, it might take less time.

The two dishes that took the most time were the main course and dessert (I followed Ina Garten's rule of thumb of only having one or two time-consuming dishes and making the rest easy to make so you have more time and aren't feeling insane kitchen pressure).

Chicken Saltimbocca: I used an America's Test Kitchen recipe for this one. Although they called for chicken cutlets (or pounding out chicken breasts, one of my least favorite things to do), I used tenderloins instead, making sure to cut out that one little tough tendon. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and put the oven on 200 degrees. Dredge the breasts in a mix of flour and a bit of pepper. Chiffonade two tablespoons of sage, and slice pieces of prosciutto to fit the breasts. Sprinkle the floured breasts with the sage, top with a piece of prosciutto, and fry, prosciutto side first, until golden. Flip and fry on the other side until cooked through, then put in a pan and keep the cooked pieces warm in the oven as you cook the others. (I apologize that some of my pictures aren't the best but I was trying to get dinner on the table, LOL).

When you're done, use the same pan to cook the sauce: Pour in 1 1/4 cups of white wine, and boil it down until it's reduced to 1/3 cup. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 4 tablespoons of cold butter, one tablesoon at a time, stirring after each addition. At the end, add one tablespoon of minced parsley. Drizzle sauce over chicken and serve. This was REALLY REALLY good. Most of our guests had two servings, so I'm figuring they liked it too ;-)

My piece de resistance was dessert: Ina Garten's Mixed Berry Pavolva. I followed this recipe exactly EXCEPT for the sweetened whipped cream. I just used Cool Whip. ;-) Sue me ;-). This was AWESOME. AMAZING. So good, I would have eaten the whole thing by myself if it wouldn't have been completely rude, LOL (and if I could have stopped people from going back for seconds). I will DEFINITELY make this again. Highly recommend it. It also makes for a pretty stunning presentation, and is VERY easy to make (meringue isn't all that complex), so if you want to impress your friends, go for this dessert.

All in all, a great night. Makes me want to have another dinner party :-)

Shirley

Herb Roasted Chicken and Smashed Potatoes

It's back-to-school time, which means back-to-routine, and back to cooking ;-). We've been gone nearly the entire summer (two weeks in Massachusetts, two weeks in California, nearly a week for me in Washington, DC), which meant I barely cooked all summer, and when I did, it was mainly throwing those Bertolli 9-minute meals into a pan. Don't get me wrong--those are pretty awesome and yummy.



But now I have that cooking bug again and am going to try to fit in a few new recipes among two very, very tight deadlines :-)



I had this recipe for an Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken with Tomatoes from the Food Network Magazine that I'd been wanting to try. Trouble was, I didn't have a whole chicken ;-). I only had chicken breasts. I knew the recipe would be infinitely better with a whole chicken, but I wasn't about to run out to the store just for a chicken. I had these fabulous and fresh tomatoes that my friend Marci had given me from her garden, plus plenty of herbs, so that part of the recipe was set. I didn't have walnuts, and don't really like them outside of salad, so I nixed those.

Instead, I pan-seared the breasts, smeared them with the herb mixture as the recipe indicated (tarragon, dill, cilantro, parsley, salt, pepper ), then roasted it at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Added the tomato slices, tossing them with the herb mixture, too, then roasted for another 10-15 minutes at 375. Served it with the sauce on the side, because my family isn't big on sauce, even if I am :-)

I also made smashed potatoes, which are way easier than mashed. Boiled my potatoes, then peeled them, and mashed them in the pan with some milk, 1/2 of an 8-ounce package of low-fat cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper to taste. DH was very happy to have real mashed potatoes (not that I even make boxed ones) and so were the kids.

Served it with Garlicky Green Beans, a perennial favorite around here. :-)

All in all, a great meal, and family was pleased to see home-cooked on the menu once again. Even after two weeks of restaurant dining in sunny California :-)

Shirley

Mexican Chicken Soup You'll Be Talking About

I love soup. Something about it...the simplicity of it, I suppose. I'm not always wild about making it. I mean, soup can have a lot of steps. Not all of them are just dump and walk away, KWIM?

This soup, which I have made several times, has lots of steps but let me tell you...

They are worth the work. This recipe is another Ina Garten one (my goodness, I think I'm turning into her clone ;-) and I have to say the end result looks better than my picture and hers. Go the extra mile and use homemade chicken stock. It's SO WORTH IT. And listen to the Barefoot Contessa and roast those chicken breasts. You'll be glad you did.

You don't have to roast them the day you make the soup. I often roast several chicken breasts at a time when I'm making dinner and freeze the extra. And when I make stock, I make a TON. I have this huge stock pot that is supposed to be for canning (though I have good intentions of getting around to canning, I never do, so I use it for stock making instead) and from that, I can get a good 20 cups of stock. I freeze it in small, varied size batches for different applications. Six cups for soup, one cup for other recipes, two cups for sauces.

I don't have coriander, so I don't put that in. It's one of those can't-ever-find-it-in-Kroger things, so I don't have it. I just use extra cilantro. And sometimes instead of one 28-ounce can of pureed tomatoes, I'll use two 14-ounce diced Mexican flavored tomatoes. Yeah, I know. I live dangerously ;-)

Get the fresh cilantro, and also do the fresh tortillas for a garnish. It really tastes super yummy. You'll be glad you did. In fact, I'm never sorry I splurged on a few fresh ingredients!

Now that it's warmer out, the stores are starting to carry potted herbs, so you can just buy a basil plant or a parsley, or a cilantro if you're going to use a lot of it...keep it in the window, it'll smell nice, look nice and be there when you need it!

I served this soup to guests for a Mexican night and it was such a big hit, they asked for the recipe and made it at their house a few days later :-)

Shirley

A Dinner Hit...and Miss

Not everything I make goes over with a "yum." Some things get a decided thumbs-down. But hey, it looks good on TV or gets good reviews, so I figured it would be a good choice.

Not always the case ;-)

Anyway, we had company for dinner a few nights ago and I had one Hit -- Emeril's Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Chasseur Sauce (definitely good, very easy and the presentation is very pretty, so it's really good for entertaining). And one Miss--Nigella's Double Potato Mash.

With Emeril's recipe, I didn't use bone-in chicken breasts. For one, I just don't like bone-in anything. I have this thing about finding bones in my food (hey, we all have our quirks). So I tend to use boneless meat in my recipes. The boneless chicken breasts worked out just fine (and FYI, the technique of searing and then baking at 400 degrees works great with all kinds of meat...I did it with steaks later in the week and it worked out fab).

I had my homemade chicken stock for this recipe (not his recommended dark chicken stock). I think homemade chicken stock, as I have said before, makes all the difference in the world. I also used a white wine I would drink, not one of those icky ones you just throw into a recipe because you wouldn't serve it to your worst enemy.

My daughter, who is not a big meat eater (AT ALL), had FIVE helpings of this chicken. I don't think she's eaten that much meat in her entire life, LOL. So this was a definite hit.

But the Double Mash Potatoes...well, those were enjoyed by two of the five people at the table. The rest weren't wild about them, diehard mashed potato fans that they are.

So here I was, stuck with a ton of leftover mashed potatoes. I had to figure out something to do with them. I wasn't going to throw them away, so I ended up (a couple days later), mixing them with a cup or a cup and a half of flour, then forming them into little pancakes and frying them in a little butter. Then I served the sweet potato pancakes (as I called them :-) with sour cream with diced scallions mixed into it.

The potato pancakes -- those WERE a hit. Everyone loved those, and the sour cream/scallion topping. So I know what to do with leftover sweet potatoes now :-)

Shirley

Mom's Quick & Easy Ziti Dinner & an airline rant

Here's a quick and easy ziti dinner that's a favorite with my kids, maybe because my mom always used to make it, and eating it brings up memories of dinners with her. Or maybe just because it's loaded with cheese, and my kids love cheese ;-)

I need a quick-and-easy dinner this week (in fact, I need a whole LOT of them) because I'm on deadline and Thanksgiving is coming, which means Christmas shopping is coming, and my life is INSANE. Ten million things going on at once, and only one me, who has to be writing all day long.

If I have time, I'll post all about the Crimebake conference later this week (and my apologies for missing the Writing Advice Monday post, but I was on a plane traveling back from Boston and just didn't get time between flights to post. Plus I had to get up at the ungodly hour of 4:30 to make my flight out of Boston. I'm an early riser, but NOT THAT EARLY, not anymore, LOL).

One quick story that really told me a lot about the awfulness of people. While I was at the airport, this elderly lady ahead of me (I was way back in the snake line, and she was up at the ticket counter), fainted and fell over, right on top of her luggage. Just...bam, dropped to the floor. There were, no lie, THREE American Airlines ticket agents standing there.

Not one helped her. Not one.

The first, the closest to her (and I mean, within inches), went right on entering the next customer's ticket info into the self-serve computer. Yes, the ticket agent saw the woman fall. She just looked down at her, and went right back to the computer. The other two were behind the desk, and they went on with their jobs. As if this woman was a piece of paper that had fluttered to the floor. No security people sprang forward, no airport staff. None of the people you expect to be in charge in an emergency did a thing. I had no idea what to do. I have all the emergency training of a houseplant, and didn't want to make the situation worse. I wished my husband was with me--he's the former Navy guy with all the knowledge about CPR and bandaging and stuff. My Go To guy in an emergency.

Anyway, a passenger who was a couple feet away from the woman, did rush to her aid. I think the rest of us thought she was a nurse, but after a minute of seeing her with the woman, I don't think she was. I think she was just a nice person. I was way back, in that snaked off line, and there were a good thirty people ahead of me. None of them moved. But this woman get out a tissue, cleaned up the cut on the other woman's head (did I mention she was BLEEDING?) and soothed her until her daughter came over.

The airline staff never did anything. Never. All the people in front of me were moved forward, AROUND the woman's legs (by that first ticket agent, who seemed completely annoyed by this mess on her floor in the way of all her ticket computers). We were all shuffled through the line. The daughter tended to her mother, who was still sitting on the floor when I was done. The airline people never called a doctor or the EMS people or anything.

Then I watch the news this morning when the attorney general collapses and wham, there's a whole slew of people helping him. You could argue he's the AG of the US, but that woman in the airport was just as important to her family as the AG is to the government or to his family.

I didn't fly on American Airlines for 10 years after a really horrible incident when I moved to Indiana. I wrote them a long letter, and got no response. I'll be writing a letter about this incident, too, and will once again not fly AA, not that my one protest will make a huge difference in their bottom line, but it will make me feel better.

Okay, I'm done ranting. I don't do a lot of that on my blog, so my apologies for those who came here just for a recipe. :-)

And now on to that recipe I promised.

Mom's Quick and Easy Ziti

1 pound ziti or penne, cooked and drained

16 ounces American cheese slices

1 stick butter or margarine

salt and pepper

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray non-stick cooking spray on a 9 by 13 pan. Layer one-third of ziti on pan, then top with 1/3 of tomatoes, 1/3 of cheese slices, 1/3 of butter (cut into little pats) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat layers, ending with cheese and butter. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

That's all there is to it. It's not exactly diet friendly, LOL, but it's really good with veggies. Pictured there are green beans I sauteed in a little olive oil, then added some Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing to, tossed in the pan until heated and cooked through. That was easy and tangy. A quick dinner -- the best of all worlds ;-)


Shirley