Sauteed Chicken with Tomato Pan Sauce

Since I could cook, I have been pan frying chicken.  The most basic one I ever did was frozen chicken breast pan fried with a little oil or butter...just enough so it wouldn't stick and then fried until there was a delicious pan sauce.  Since I have learned a bit more since then I have discovered that this is a great way to cook to make an even better sauce to serve with the chicken, but I use more than just chicken to achieve it.  I am particular to adding wine to get all those good cooked on bits up and keep their flavor for the sauce.

This recipe is yet another based on one from the book Keepers by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion.  I have made quite a few things from their book, but I want to try even more.  As I have mentioned before, they are great meals to cook during the week as they come together quickly and most don't have a ton of ingredients.  I love a quick meal which tastes great too, which is my ideal during the week.

Sauteed Chicken with Tomato Pan Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 -1 1/2 pound chicken breast cut into portions or smaller pieces (as you like)
salt and pepper
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used cherub sunsweet tomatoes)
1 1/2 teaspoons chives, chopped (or fresh basil, oregano, thyme)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter over medium high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Once the butter has melted, add the chicken until it is golden brown (depending on thickness about 4-5 minutes).  Turn the chicken over, reduce heat to medium and cover the pan until the chicken is cooked through (again depending on thickness about 5-7 minutes).  Remove the chicken to a plate and cover while you make the pan sauce.

Pour off all, but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the chicken and return the heat to medium.  Add the onion and cook until fragrant.  Add the wine and scrape any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the diced tomatoes.  Once heated through, remove from heat and add the chives (or fresh chopped basil, oregano, thyme) and the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.  Check seasonings and add salt or pepper if needed.  Serve the chicken with the pan sauce over it.

Tomato Pie

During my last year of high school I was an exchange student to New Zealand.  One of my friends there was from Sweden.  One night she invited me for dinner, and she had made a recipe from Sweden - tomato pie.  I was in heaven.  My grandma taught me to love tomatoes and I frequently eat them as she does - only with salt.  So when I had this tomato pie, I fell in love.  I am sure I asked her for the recipe, but I never made it and have since lost the recipe.  When I visited her in Sweden some years later, she made it for me again....and again I was in love.  So when I saw this recipe from America's Test Kitchen, I knew it was time that I tried to make it.  I still long for the recipe my friend gave me all those years ago, but this one was a very good replica even if it didn't have the wonderful memories attached to that Swedish tomato pie.

Summer Tomato Pie

Double crust pie dough  (see below)

2 pounds tomatoes (I used roma), thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

4-5 scallions sliced

Double crust pie dough

2 1/4 flour

8 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

cold water

Directions:  Mix flour with cold butter and salt until the dough resembles small crumbs.  Add cold water until a ball of dough comes together.  Divide into two pieces for a top and a bottom dough.  (Refrigerate until you roll it out.)

Layer the thinly sliced tomatoes on paper towels/cutting boards to drain off as much water as possible.  Sprinkle with salt to avoid for more weeping.  Press dry with paper towels.  Roll out your dough and place one round in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Roll out the top round as well and also place that in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 450F.  Spread a layer of shredded cheese on the bottom of the pie dough.  Mix the mayonnaise, cornstarch, and remaining cheese in a bowl.  Place a third of the tomatoes on top of the cheese.  Then sprinkle half of the cheese and mayonnaise mixture over the tomatoes.  Place another layer of tomatoes over the cheese.  Sprinkle the last of the cheese on top and place the remaining tomatoes on top.  Sprinkle the scallions on top (or between each layer if desired).  Arrange the crust on top of the pie and press the edges together.  Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 10 minutes.  Then reduce the heat to 325F and baked until the crust is golden brown, about 50-60 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack until room temperature.  Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.  (The next day I put it in the microwave for a minute just to slightly warm it up and bring out the flavors.)

Italian Potato Pie

When I first met my husband I discovered that he really loved Italian food.  Since I love to cook, I wanted to impress him with cooking good food for him, however, his family does not make Italian food from Italy, they make immigrant Italian food.  Once I realized the kind of food he loved I searched for a cookbook to give me ideas of what I could make for him that would be more similar to the food he was accustomed to eating.  I came across a recommendation for an out-of-print cookbook called Elodia Rigante's Italian Immigrant Cooking.  Never before have I read a cookbook that sometimes measures garlic in cups (see below).  However, everything which I have tried out of this cookbook has turned out very good.  Watch the portion sizes though as this states that it serves 6, but I really think it would serve 8 especially if you have other things to eat like a nice green salad.  This will also reheat well as long as your Parmesan or Romano cheese is thinly shredded instead of big pieces.

Italian Potato Pie

Crust: 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

3 tablespoons water

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt.  Work the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the flour mixture is in small crumbs.  Add the water and mix to form into a ball.  Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.  Roll out the dough and then press into a large pie dish.  Set aside.

Potato Layer:

6 cups potatoes, cubed

1 cup cream, 2% milk, half & half

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

Cover the potatoes with water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and boil until tender.  Pour the potatoes into another bowl and whip them with the half & half, olive oil and butter until fluffy.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.   (As an alternative you can use an immersion blender and save a bowl.)

Tomato Layer:

6 cups tomatoes, diced

2 1/2 cups diced Mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon oregano

2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Stir all ingredients together and set aside.

Bread Crumb Layer:

4 cups fine Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 cup olive oil

1 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

1/8 cup minced garlic

1/2 cup parsley

2 eggs

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients.  Set aside.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375 F. 

Spread one half of the whipped potato mixture over the pie crust.  Add half of the tomato mixture, then one half of the bread crumb mixture.  Repeat the layering in the same order with the second half of each mixture.  Bake the pie until the crust and the bread crumbs are golden brown, which should be about 30 minutes.  Slice and serve hot, though this does reheat well.

Serves 6

Red Bean, Tomato and Beef Chili

There are as many types of chili out there as you can possibly think of to make.  Actually, I went to a chili cook-off this year and I was quite surprised at some of the combinations people used to make chili.  This basic red chili started from a recipe a friend gave me.  I never made red chili often as my husband loves my white chicken chili.  I was never very thrilled to make this recipe as I thought just throwing stuff in a pot wasn't all that great and the flavors weren't coming through like they should.  Since then I have made this chili and started to change things up to it is more to what I like in chilli.  The flavors have started to come out which has turned this chili from a bland, canned chili to one much more outstanding.  I think I will continue to tinker with this recipe until it has the perfect union of spice, bean and meat.

Red Bean, Tomato and Beef Chili

1 pound ground beef

2-3 cloves minced or finely chopped garlic

3 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon spicy Hungarian paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 15 oz. can red kidney beans (drained)

1 15 oz. can pink kidney beans (drained)

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with celery, onions and green pepper

1 10 oz. can tomatoes with green chiles

12 oz. tomato paste

2 cups water (more if too thick)

Brown hamburger with cumin and minced garlic.  Once browned drained the fat and add to a stock pot.  Add the 5 canned ingredients, 2 cups water and additional spices to the stock pot.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low.  Let simmer for at least 30 minutes over low heat, though this is better the longer it has to simmer as the flavors will come together better.  Serve with corn bread or corn chips.

Summer Farro Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Basil

Summer Farro Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Basil

In the past year or so, I have come to love farro.  A few years back, I was visiting a friend of mine in Maryland.  We went out to breakfast and she ordered a porridge, but instead of the traditional oatmeal, it was made with farro.  I am not a fan of oatmeal as it seems like a bowl of mush without any flavor to it.  However, the farro was a different texture and held it's form, so therefore I was curious.

A few years later, I came across a simple bean stew which served the beans over cooked farro.  This was the first time I cooked it.  (That recipe is also on this blog....here.)  The white beans and farro complimented each other well.  The beans soft and the farro gave it some chew for better texture.  So recently when I came across farro as a cold salad, I thought I have got to try it.  This recipe is based off of one from The Kitchn's blog.

Summer Farro Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Basil
1 medium vidalia onion, chopped
olive oil (I used a Greek extra-virgin from bikos.org)
1 cup farro
2 cups chicken stock
1/8 red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
 1/2 pint cherub cherry tomatoes (or other sweet cherry tomato), quartered
1/3 English hothouse cucumber, chopped into similar sized pieces to the cherry tomatoes
hand full of basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and add the chopped onion.  Cook for a couple of minutes.  Do not brown.  Add farro and cook for a minute; coat each grain.  Add chicken stock and stir.  Bring to a boil and cook until farro is chewy. (Mine took about 15 minutes.)  Let the farro cool.  Add the red wine vinegar and olive oil.  Add the tomatoes, cucumber and basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.  

Serves about 4

Timballo Pasta with Fresh Ricotta

Timballo Pasta with fresh Ricotta

Like the chilaquiles, this recipe is based off of heart of the artichoke by David Tanis.  I was intrigued by the pasta bake and started to read about it.  Then I discovered even the tomato sauce was homemade for this recipe.  I took it one step further and made my own ricotta cheese as well as it is quick to make and tastes so good when made at home.  Plus, it is much cheaper than buying a pound of ricotta which has been in the store for who knows how long.  This dish also reheats very well, so leftovers are great for lunch the next day.  It does make a lot given that it is based on a pound of pasta.  I used elbows, but the original recipe states anelli which are rings, but I could not find them.  Once you have the sauce and the ricotta, this dish is quick to assemble and bake, so makes a good weeknight meal also.

Timballo Pasta with fresh Ricotta

1 pound pasta
olive oil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
4 cups tomato sauce
1 pound fresh ricotta, room temperature
pecorino, grated
basil leaves, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and boil your pasta for 12 minutes or as needed to reach al dente.  Drain and put in a large bowl.  Add some olive oil and season with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Heat the tomato sauce.  In a large oven-proof cake pan, spoon half the tomato sauce and half the ricotta.  Pour in all the pasta.  Then pour the rest of the tomato sauce and ricotta on top of the pasta.  Sprinkle with the grated pecorino.  Heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until hot all the way through.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with more pecorino and fresh chopped basil.

Tomato Sauce
1/8 cup olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 pounds ripe tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
basil (a spring or small hand full of leaves)

Heat the oil in a heavy pot.  Saute the onion until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic, salt, pepper and cook for about a minute.  Add the tomatoes and basil and let the sauce come to a boil for about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat and cook for 75 - 90 miuntes.  The sauce will be done when it is not too thin, nor too thick.  Remove from heat.  Puree with a hand blender until appropriate smoothness.  This sauce is able to be frozen for later use.  (Makes about 4 cups)

Pan Bagnat (Wet Bread)

Pan Bagnat literally means wet bread.  The wet bread is not soggy bread that has been sitting around, but wet bread which has soaked up the flavors of the sandwich stuffing.  When I saw the sandwiches in Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier, I knew they were destined to come into my kitchen and be made.  Today I ventured forth and made this one.  Since it has to sit in a cool place for a couple of hours to gather flavor, I made these sandwiches just after breakfast.  I was dreaming of eating this sandwich yesterday as I wandered through the grocery store selecting each stuffing for the sandwich.  The end product is also a beautiful mesh of different colors culminating in a scrumptious lunch.

 

Even if you are not a sandwich person, I would highly recommend to try this sandwich out.  Not only is it easy to assemble, but it is quick to do as well.  If each of us had one of these in our lunch box, we would all eat a healthy, tasty lunch.

 

Pan Bagnat from Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier

Focaccia Bread (2 small rounds or 1 large round)

Extra virgin olive oil

2 medium tomatoes

Garlic

Salt and pepper

Red wine vinegar

Green onions

Kalamata Olives

1 can tuna packed in olive oil, drained well

Basil

Spring greens

Slice the bread in half to start building the sandwiches.  Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on each half.  Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and place on the bottom portion of the focaccia bread.  Press garlic on top of the tomatoes and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Also drip a little red wine vinegar on top.  Add the green onions, olives, tuna and basil.  Place spring greens on top.  Cover with the top of the bread and wrap tightly in plastic.  Refrigerate from 2 to 12 hour until just before eating as you would like the sandwich to be room temperature before eating.

Chicken Enchiladads Verde

Since I am still stuck on Pam Anderson's Perfect One Dish Dinner cookbook, here is another easy to prepare recipe for chicken enchiladas. I really love enchiladas and though this is simple to prepare, I think I need to tweek it a little next time as I like it spicier than this version. I should have tried out the salsa verde before I made it with them, but oh well. You can always spice it up afterward with some lovely chipotle tabasco sauce or just some spicier salsa which is what I did. I also think that if the chicken is cooked in advance, letting it sit in salsa over night or for a little while before throwing it all together would help the flavors mesh together better.

4 cups cooked chicken

4 cups green chile salsa

1 can diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions

8 ounces cheese, I prefer sharp cheddar for more flavor, but you can use a milder one as well

Fresh cilantro (I like a sprinkle, but you can add more if you like the flavor)

Corn tortillas (16 or more to fit your pan)

½ onion, chopped

Sour cream for garnish

Heat oven to 400F. Mix chicken with diced tomatoes and onions. Add half the green chile salsa and stir together well. Add 1 ½ cups cheese, sprinkle of cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Spread one cup salsa in baking dish.

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high until warm, about 30-45 seconds. Spoon in chicken filling and roll. Place seam side down into your baking pan. Fill the rest of the tortillas. Spread another 1 1/2 cups salsa over the tortilla rolls, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking oil to prevent sticking. Bake for about 30 minutes or until heated throughout. Sprinkle onion slices and a little more cilantro. Let stand for a few minutes and then serve with sour cream and salsa.

Cassoulet-Style Italian Sausages and White Beans

After not posting for a while, I am back and determined to keep this up with some regularity. Where have I been you might ask? I spent some time in Hong Kong, eating and relaxing. Then once I returned home, I decided that I better get in some training runs for my up and coming races. With one half marathon completed yesterday in the drizzle and 39F once I returned to the car (and I have no idea how cold it was at the start), I thought I would take some recovery time to post. Thinking about protein and easy to prepare meals, this one is very good on both accounts.

Cassoulet-Style Italian Sausages and White Beans come from Pam Anderson's Perfect One-Dish Dinner and below is my version of it. This book contains meals which are easy to prepare with delicious results. I like to tweak things to make them to my tastes, so here is my version of it. The roasted sausage in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar is divine. Try it and enjoy!

1 pound spicy Italian sausage

1 pound cherry tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes with onions and peppers

1 medium onion, cut into about 1 inch pieces

2 teaspoon diced garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 bay leaves

3 canned white bean (I used great northern and pinto)

Preheat oven to 425F. Mix sausage pieces, tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, thyme, bay leaves and sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper in a roasting pan. Roast until sausages are brown and tomatoes have thickened. This takes about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, stir in white beans and roast until everything is heated through. Remove from oven, remove bay leaves and serve. Serves 6-8.

Long Pause - Salad without lettuce

After a month of random friends and family staying, eating and socializing, I am back to my blog.  First up really should be the most wonderful recent salad that I threw together this weekend when I was craving fresh vegetables.  I really can't wait until summer comes with all the great fresh ingredients.  In the meantime, I looked to see what I could find that would satisfy such a salad craving.  When I questioned my boyfriend if he wanted to join me in salad eating, he informed me that it wasn't a salad if it didn't have lettuce in it.  While I disagree with him, I explained what I was making and he whole-heartedly ate it with me.  This is a twist on the classic caprese salad since I wanted to balance the colors with the fresh veggies in my refrigerator.

Twisted Caprese Salad

 Since I didn't have large slices of tomatoes, I cut everything into the same sized pieces.  So I chopped the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and cucumber into bit-sized pieces.  I chopped fresh basil for the top and added a touch of salt and pepper.  Then a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil later, this salad was ready for the eating.