Chicken David

I am not sure where the origin of this recipe is derived from.  All that I can tell you is that it's a winner.  What's not to love?  Chicken sauteed in a Sherry Cream sauce with proscioutto and salami......like I said what's not to love!  Not to mention it's super easy.  I didn't have mushrooms on hand, so we did without this time.  Will add them the next time.
3 tablespoons butter

1onion, chopped

8 fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 clove garlic, chopped

1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips

1/4 pound thinly sliced hard salami, cut into strips

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry sherry

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

 

1.)  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until soft and translucent. Stir in mushrooms, garlic, prosciutto and salami.

2.)  Dredge chicken in flour, and place in pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 5 minutes on each side.

3.)  Pour in sherry, and cook until liquid is reduced by half.

4.)  Stir in chicken broth, cream and marinara. Simmer until sauce is reduced to your preferred consistency. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with basil.

 

Hash brown quiche - can be made Vegan

I found a recipe for this and thought, wow!  I've got to try that!  It's pretty darn good and if you hate making pie crusts, this is the recipe for you!  To make this you will need:

3 cups hash browns (you can buy frozen and defrost)

1/4 cup melted butter (Vegan -  Earth Balance)

1 small onion diced

3 ounces of prosciutto diced (Vegan -Veggie Bacon

4 eggs (Vegan - Firm Tofu drained well)

1/2 cup milk (Vegan Soy Milk)
1/2 cup Sour Cream (Vegan - Tofutti Sour Cream)
1-1/2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese 

 

1.)  Heat  oven to 375ºF.

2.)  Pat hash browns dry with paper towels; place in 9-inch pie plate. Add butter; mix lightly. Press onto bottom and up side pie plate. 

3.)  Bake 20 min. or until golden brown. Meanwhile, saute the onion and the prosciutto until the onions are transculent.  Whisk eggs and milk in medium bowl until blended. Stir in sour cream, then cheese and finally add in the onions and the proscuitto.

 4.)  Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF. Pour filling into crust. Bake 30 min. or until center is set and crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 min. before serving. 

 

   

Cioppino

We just love a good seafood stew.  Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day, which in the dish's place of origin is typically a combination of crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid mussels and fish. The seafood is then combined with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce, and served with toasted bread.  I don't care for mussels or clams, so this is my version of Cioppino.  To make this dish you will need:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 stalks of celery, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Sea salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon

3  spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

2 cups white wine

1/4 cup tomato paste

2  cups low-sodium chicken broth 

2 bay leaf

5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 small package of bay scallops

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons flour (if you want your sauce thicker)

1.)  In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery, garlic, onionss, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes.

2.)  Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth, bay leaf and the sprigs of thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

3.)  If you like a thicker sauce, spoon out some of the sauce, mix it with the flour until smooth.  Slowly stir back into the sauce.

4.)  Uncover the pan and add the shrimp, beans, and basil. Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Pasta and Chicken in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce - (Can be vegan)

This was so creamy and delicious.  With a comfort food feel to it.  It's a little bit of prep, but well worth the endeavor.  To make this you will need:

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (Vegan Vegetable broth)

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

Sea salt

1 pound farfalle pasta (bow ties)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One bag of baby spinach leaves

1 container of Philly Cooking Cream - Savory garlic (Vegan Tofutti Cream Cheese)

2 chicken breasts, (roasted) diced into 1/2-inch pieces (You can buy rotisserie)(Vegan Morning Star Farms Chicken Strips)

 

1.)  If you are making your own chicken breasts, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with Pam.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.  Once they have cooled, dice them.

2.)  In the meantime, Chop the mushrooms in the bowl of your food processor.  Boil the broth and mushrooms over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat and allow the mushrooms to soften in the liquid, about 20 minutes. Reserve.

3.)  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until tender about 11minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup pasta water.
4.)  Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saute pan. Add the onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the onion are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
5.)  Remove the pan from the heat and add thePhilly Cooking Cream. Stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the mushroom mixture, chicken and the reserved mushroom-cooking liquid to the pasta. Add reserved pasta water if necessary. Toss until all the ingredients are coated and serve.

Spinach Chicken Skillet

Super easy to make on a weeknight.  It's also quite healthy.  To make this dish you will need:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup Ken's Sun Dried Tomato Dressing (low fat), divided
2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, slice into half moons
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup white wine
1 141/2 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
8 cups spinach leaves
2 cups cooked rice (brown rice makes it healthier!)
1.)  Cut the chicken breasts in half, horizontally.  Pound to 1/4" thickness.  In a plastic baggie add the chicken and a 1/4 cup of the dressing.  Allow to marinate.  (if you can do this in the morning, all the better).
2.)  Turn the oven to 200 degrees.  Heat the olive oil in a large nonskick sillet on medim-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook 2 - 3 minutes on each side or until done (165 degrees) Drizzling with the marinade for the last minute.  Transfer to low oven to keep chicken warm.
3.)  In the same skillet, add the onions and cook until the onions are translucent.  Add the minced garlic and the 1/4 cup white wine.  Allow this to reduce until almost absorbed.  Add the diced tomatoes, the salad dressing, and the basil.  Allow this to reduce to half.  Add the spinach and cook on medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until the spinach starts to wilt.  
4.)  To plate, put some rice on the plate.  Top with chicken and spoon the spinach mixture.

Spaghetti ala Carbonara

This is an old classic.  Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish, based on eggs, cheese, bacon and black pepper.  Spaghetti is the most commonly used pasta but you can use fettuccine, rigatoni or even bucatini.  To make this recipe, you will need:
Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 pound spaghetti
8 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup grated pecorino
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

1.)  Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over medium heat.

2.)  In a large skillet over medium heat add about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the prosciutto and the onion and cook until it starts to color and become crisp. Turn off the heat and reserve.

3.)  Drop the pasta into the salted boiling water and cook it according to the package. 

4.)  While the pasta is cooking, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the grated cheeses and season with salt. Whisk vigorously. Season generously with black pepper.

5.)  Before you drain the pasta, reserve a cup of the pasta water.  When the pasta is just about done, return the pan with the prosciutto and onions to medium heat. Add the peas.   Remove the pasta from the cooking water. Toss or stir the pasta into the pancetta to coat the pasta with the remaining fat in the skillet. Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately vigorously stir the egg mixture into the pasta. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the egg mixture looks like a cream sauce.  If your sauce is not creamy, slowly add some of the reserved pasta water.  Toss in the chopped parsley and serve.

 

Chicken and Gnocchi with Spinach Pesto

My husband discovered Gnocchi with pesto while we were in Florence.  He ate it everyday while we were in Florence.  He just couldn't get enough of it!  So here's a version that I started making when we came home.  It's always a hit on Gnocchi and Pesto night!  To make this dish you will need:
1 package of thin sliced chicken breasts (should be 4 or 5 cutlets)
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup egg beaters
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
Pam
2 packages of Gnocchi

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup walnuts

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1.)  Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

2.)  Put the egg beaters in a bowl.  On a paper plate, mix the Panko and Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray the surface.

3.)  Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, then dredge into the breadcrumb mixture so that it's well coated.  Place on cookie sheet. When all the chicken pieces are coated, lightly spray with the non-stick cooking spray.   Bake for about 20 minutes until just cooked through. (these will dry easily so try not to overcook.

4.)  In the meantime, cook the gnocchi according to package directions.

5.)  To make the pesto put the spinach leaves, parsley, walnuts, parmesan cheese, garlic olive oil, salt and pepper and process to a fine paste.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

6.)  Reserve a half cup of the pesto.  In the pan you cooked the gnocchi, combine the pesto with the warm gnocchi.

7.)  To plate, spoon some of the gnocchi into a bowl.  Top with a chicken cutlet and a bit of the reserved pesto.