Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday

This is a fantastic recipe and just what you need to get you over hump day. Roasting concentrates the flavor of the tomatoes which literally burst with earthy goodness. The arugula is peppery so adds another layer of flavors. You can substitue spinach if you'd like but look for the milder baby leaves.

Penne with Chicken, Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes and Feta

3 12-ounce bags cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups shredded roasted chicken breasts without skin (from purchased roast chicken)

8 ounces penne pasta

6 cups arugula leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Mix cherry tomatoes, oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes are soft and beginning to brown in spots, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer tomato mixture, including any juices, from sheet to large skillet. Add chicken to skillet and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Ladle out 1/4 cup pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain pasta; return to pot.

Add tomato mixture, arugula, and reserved 1/4 cup pasta cooking water to pasta; toss over medium heat just until arugula begins to wilt, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.

Per serving: calories, 478; total fat, 15 g; saturated fat, 5 g; cholesterol, 71 mg; fiber, 5 g

Makes 4 servings.

Bon Appétit, March 2003

Flavor from bacon

Funny thing about pork chops these days. The pigs they come from are bred to be so lean, there's hardly any flavor in the chops. I've been avoiding a couple packs of pork chops in my freezer for this very reason. To make them taste like anything at all, we have to douse them with barbecue sauce.

And heaven forbid you overcook them. Then you're eating shoes. Actually, shoes might taste better.

Bacon-flavored greens helps save the day for pork in this recipe. Plus the meat is spiced with marjoram and allspice. If you don't have them in your spice cabinet, stop by a natural food store and buy just what you need. No point in spending $3-plus on a bottle of spices you might not use again.

Roast Pork Chops with Bacon and Wilted Greens

2 1 1/2-inch-thick rib pork chops
3 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
8 cups (packed) wide strips assorted greens such as mustard greens and red Swiss chard, stems discarded
5 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar, divided
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of pork with 2 tablespoons marjoram, allspice, and generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pork and brown well, including edges, turning with tongs, about 7 minutes. Transfer pork to small rimmed baking sheet; reserve skillet. Roast pork in oven until thermometer inserted into center of chops from side registers 145°F, about 9 minutes.

Meanwhile, add bacon to oil in reserved skillet. Sauté over medium heat until brown, about 3 minutes. Mix in garlic. Add greens. Cook until just wilted, turning with tongs, about 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Using tongs, transfer greens to colander to drain, leaving some bacon pieces in skillet for sauce. Add broth, mustard, and 4 teaspoons vinegar to skillet. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Mix in 1 tablespoon marjoram. Season with salt and pepper.

Mound greens on plates; top with pork. Spoon sauce alongside and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: Bon Appétit, April 2005

Monday fiesta

I'm back!!! Was working out of the office last week so I trust everyone found something good to cook. If you stumbled on any great recipes, I'd love to hear.

This is the sort of trashy recipe that always tastes good. It's simple to make and I use turkey to dial back the fat from the usual ground beef. Also, a can of black beans brings more fiber and flavor.

If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, you could cook the ground beef and other ingredient in any skillet you have and then dump it into a shallow baking dish before you put the corn bread mix over the top.

Fiesta Taco Skillet
1 pound ground turkey
1 can (11 oz.) Mexican-style corn, drained   
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup water   
1 packet (1.25 oz.) taco seasoning mix   
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese   
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour   
2 tablespoons granulated sugar   
2 teaspoons baking powder   
3/4 teaspoon salt   
1 cup evaporated milk
1 large egg lightly beaten 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook Turkey in well-greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in corn, black beans, water and seasoning mix. Cook over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture thickens. Top with cheese.

Combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine evaporated milk and egg in small bowl; mix well. Add milk mixture to corn meal mixture; stir just until blended. Spread over top of meat-cheese mixture.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Source: Carnation

Taking a week off

Stir Crazy will be eating out this week. I am working on a special project so I hope you'll be able to do without recipes this week.

I'll see you back on Monday with plenty of ideas for dinner!

Soup on a Friday

They say the mind is the first to go and I am thinking about that this morning. I can't remember if I've shared this recipe with you before but it's really tasty and with another arctic blast coming down on us tonight, this soup will warm the soul.

I was at a dinner party last night and the guest of honor had just flown in from Indiana. Our cold was nothing in comparison to her cold up there. Sort of felt silly complaining ...   

This recipe calls for prosciutto which isn't cheap. If you want to, substitute tavern ham from the deli. Ask for it to be sliced super thin and when it's diced it will just fall away into the soup, adding lots of flavor.

Also, the recipe calls for canned northern bean to be dumped in undrained. That's going to up the sodium quite a bit. I'd drain off the liquid into a large meauring vessel and rinse the beans. Then sub an equal amount of water or even more chicken broth (low-sodium of course.)

Bundle up! See you back on Monday.

Sausage & White Bean Soup 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage, in the casing
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto ham, minced
2 medium onions, in medium dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and in medium dice
2 medium celery stalks, in medium dice
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 (15.8 ounce) cans great Northern or other white beans, undrained
1 quart chicken broth (carton or can)

Heat oil in a large, deep saute pan or soup kettle over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add sausages; cook, turning once or twice, until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. (Sausage will not be fully cooked at this point.) Remove from pan. When cool enough to handle, cut into slices 1/4-inch thick.

Add prosciutto, onions, carrots, celery and thyme to the empty skillet; cook, stirring often, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mash one can of beans with a fork into a chunky puree. Add broth, whole and mashed beans, and sausage; cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, partially covered, to blend flavors, 20 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes; serve.

Source: www.allrecipes.com
 

Rotisserie Chicken lasagna

I am working on a lasagna story for next week's Taste section and a colleague told me about a chicken lasagna she makes. Seems tailor-made for rotisserie chicken, doesn't it?

This version uses jarred spaghetti sauce, but you could noodle around with it and use a white sauce, like a bechamel. With these oven-ready noodles, you have to make sure, though, that you've got enough liquid in the sauce. Make sure the top layer of noodles are covered with sauce otherwise they won't cook.

This is a chicken delight!

Lickety Split Lasagna

2-1/2 cups shredded chicken
26 or 28-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
8 oz. can tomato sauce, Italian seasoning
1 Tbs. minced garlic
I box frozen spinach
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
9 no-boil lasagna noodles

Combine the chicken, sauce, mushrooms and tomato sauce in a large bowl. Add garlic and mix well.

Thaw and drain spinach, squeezing it as dry as possible. Add it to the ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses in a large bowl.

Spray a 13 x 9-inch pan with nonstick spray. Spoon a third the mixture into the pan and cover with three of the noodles. Layer a third of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles.

Repeat the layers two more times, starting with the chicken, then noodles and ricotta. Finish with a layer of chicken.

Combine the cheeses and sprinkle on the top of the lasagna. Cover with pan with a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with nonstick spray to prevent the cheese from sticking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, covered, then remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Source: "Rotisserie Chickens to the Rescue!: How To Use the Already-Roasted Chickens You Purchase at the Market to Make More Than 125 Simple and Delicious Meals" by Carla Williams (Hyperion, 2003)

Times flies

Sorry to leave you hanging for a couple of days. Honestly, where does the time go? Anyway, I got mired down in a few things and just didn't get to post.

This is really an interesting recipe using pork tenderloins which are lean and cook quickly. The sauce is a parsley-almond pesto which I quite like.  This dish with be nice with some buttered noodles or new potatoes and green veggies, for color and nutrition.

Oven-Roasted Pork Fillet

Serving: 4
2 pork tenderloin fillets, about 13 ounces each
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces blanched almonds
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Trim off any gristle from the pork fillets, cut them in half crossways and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan and fry the meat for 2 to 3 minutes until browned on all sides. Transfer to a roasting dish and cook in a preheated oven, 375 degrees, for 15 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the oven, wrap in foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, dry-fry the almonds in a clean frying pan, stirring until browned; allow to cool slightly. Place in a food processor with the garlic, parsley, remaining oil and salt and pepper. Blend to form a fairly smooth paste. Stir in the Parmesan and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Slice the pork, arrange it on plates with any pan juices and serve it with boiled new potatoes and salad drizzled with spoonfuls of the pesto.

Source: "15-Minute Feasts" by Tonia George, Sara Lewis and Louise Pickford. © 2005 Octopus Publishing Group Ltd.

Spicy and quick

Good morning. This fog outside is reminding me of my hometown in Northern California. We call it tule fog after the tule reeds that grow along the Delta. Anyway, it hangs low and doesn't burn off ... for days at a time. If you ever see a satellite photo of California in the winter and you notice a big white patch over the central valley of the state, well that's the tule fog.

I like this recipe a lot because it's quick and a little different. It calls or 1/4 cup vodka which adds an interesting but hard-to-pinpoint flavor. If you don't want to use, just add more chicken broth. I'd serve this with yellow or Spanish rice.

TGIF ... tomorrow.

Spicy Chicken Cutlets
4 thinly-sliced chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup vodka
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeno peppers
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a plate and dredge the chicken breasts through it, lightly coating both sides. Set aside.

In a large skillet heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the breasts and cook 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to an oven-proof plate and place in the oven to keep warm.

Return the empty skillet to the burner. Increase heat to high and add the chicken broth and vodka to deglaze the pan. As the liquid bubbles, scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Add half of the lime juice and the jalapenos and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
In a small glass, mix the cornstarch with the water, then add to the skillet.

Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in remaining lime juice. Arrange each chicken breast on a plate and top with pan sauce. Garnish with cilantro.
Makes 4 servings.

Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday

Healthy, low-fat and tasty? Can it be? This salad fits that bill pretty well, especially if you've got a flavorful vinaigrette. I like the deep flavor of balsamic vinegar in my salad dressings.

This recipe calls for only white meat so you can save the dark from your rotisserie chicken for lunch tomorrow. Or what the heck, use both on this salad.

Warm Spinach and Chicken Salad

6 ounces baby spinach
1 cup canned chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked white meat chicken, chopped
1/2 cup jarred roasted peppers, chopped
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
Vinaigrette of your choice

Place spinach in a large microwavable dish, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and microwave on high for 30 second intervals until wilted. Toss wilted spinach with chick peas, chicken, jarred peppers and tomatoes.

Toss again with a low fat or fat free dressing of your choice. Or make your own dressing by whisking a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil with 1 tablespoon of water, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and a tsp of Dijon mustard.

Serves 4.

Source: www.about.com

Chicken Casserole

I've given you recipes from columnist and cookbook author Linda Gassenhiemer before. She's really good at scaling super-fattening recipes down. This one is still pretty loaded so you can imagine how it was before she skinnied up some of the ingredients.

To complete the meal, she suggests, arranging a sliced, ripe tomato on each plate, drizzling with 1 tablespoon low-fat dressing and sprinkle with pepper.

Macaroni, Cheese and Chicken Casserole

4 ounces small elbow macaroni (1-1/3 cups)
Olive oil spray
1 cup chopped or diced onion, frozen
1 cup chopped or diced green bell pepper, frozen
3/4 cup nonfat ricotta
6 ounces (1-½ cups) reduced-fat shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (divided use)
4 ounces cooked boneless, skinless, chicken strips, cut crosswise into cubes
Pinch of teaspoon cayenne
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place a large pot with 3 to 4 quarts water over high heat. When it boils, add macaroni and cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, spray a 10-inch nonstick skillet with oil spray and saute onions and green pepper 2 minutes to defrost.

Combine ricotta, 3/4 cup Cheddar and the chicken. Stir in cayenne, onion and green pepper. Drain macaroni and add to cheese mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Return the mixture to skillet and sprinkle remaining Cheddar evenly over the top. Cover with a lid and let sit on medium-low heat 10 minutes. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 554 calories (15 percent from fat), 9.3 g fat (4.3 g saturated, 2.1 g monounsaturated), 88 mg cholesterol, 54.5 g protein, 61.6 g carbohydrates, 8.4 g fiber, 688 mg sodium.

Chili for a chilly night

Darn it, if it isn't cold again.

If you aren't completely and totally sick of football food, I recommend making this chili tonight. It'll take less than an hour to make this quick version and you can freeze what you don't eat. (Cool it in the fridge first.)

Sorry for leaving you hanging late last week but other duties got the best of me. This week should be better. Any recipe requests? Any specific type of food you're hankering for?

Weeknight Chili

2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large carrot, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large stalk celery, peeled to remove strings and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 to 4 teaspoons mild chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/4 pounds ground beef (80 percent lean)
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce (may substitute 1 cup homemade tomato sauce)
One 15- to 16-ounce can red kidney beans with liquid
1 cup water
1 dried bay leaf, preferably imported

4 to 6 slices day-old crusty Italian or French bread, for serving (optional)
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and cook about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Resist the urge to stir frequently, so the vegetables will caramelize rather than steam. Add 3 teaspoons of the chili powder, the salt, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper and the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Push the vegetables to the outside edges of the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and place the ground beef in the center. Use the edge of a wooden spatula or spoon to break the meat into 3/4-inch pieces. Sear the beef until it begins to brown on the bottom; don't stir it until the beef sears and you see steam rising. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink.

Add the tomato sauce and the beans and their liquid. Rinse the tomato sauce can (or container from leftover sauce) with 1 cup water and add it to the pot along with the bay leaf. Bring the chili to a rolling boil, then quickly reduce the heat to low. Taste; add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a spicier chili or 1 teaspoon chili powder for a deeper flavor. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the largest pieces of carrot are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
If serving over bread, tear 1 slice of bread into 3/4-inch pieces and place in the bottom of each wide, shallow soup bowl. Ladle the chili on top; serve hot.

Makes about 2 quarts (4 to 6 servings).

Source: Washington Post