Chicken Piccata Pasta

 

Looking for a simple meal that's easy to put together, and fast?  Chicken Piccata Pasta is just that, making it a delight on all fronts.  It is a classically delicious dish.  

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 1/3 lb chicken breast tenders, cut into 1" pieces

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 1/2 Tbsp butter, divided

4 Garlic cloves, minced

2 shallots, chopped

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white wine

1 lemon, juiced

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 lb penne rigate pasta, cooked and warm for serving

Chives, chopped for garnish

Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Season the chicken with the salt and pepper.

Add the chicken to the hot oil and sauté until the tenders are cooked through, about 5 - 6 minutes.

Transfer the chicken from the pan and reduce the heat to medium.

Add the remaining olive oil, 1 Tbsp of the butter, the garlic, and the shallots to the pan and sauté until the mixture is golden, about 3 minutes.  

Add the flour to the garlic mixture and cook until golden, about 2 minutes.

Whisk the win into the garlic mixture and cook until it reduces, about 1 minute.

Whisk the lemon juice and the broth into the sauce mixture. 

When the liquid starts to bubble, add the remaining butter and the chicken to the sauce and cook until the meat is heated through, about 1 - 2 minutes.  

Toss the pasta with the chicken and the sauce.

Taste the sauce and season with the salt and pepper as desired.  

Top the chicken piccata with the chives and serve.  

Cilantro Lime Grilled Shrimp Bowls

Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning and dressings are ingredients I use often, and I always have them in my fridge and pantry.  I discovered this gem on their website a few weeks ago and it does not disappoint.

For four servings:

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tsp HVR seasoning mix

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 small avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced thin

1 cup of corn salted and cooked

1 cup Hidden Valley Cilantro Lime Ranch dressing

Sliced green onions, for garnish

Season the shrimp with the HVR seasoning mix, plus a little bit of salt and pepper.

Preheat your grill pan over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp to the pan and grill for 2 - 3 minutes; then flip and cook 1 - 2 minutes more.  Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.  

To assemble, place 1 cup of lettuce and a half cup of cooked brown rice in each bowl.  Top with the shrimp, sliced avocado and corn.  Drizzle with Hidden Valley Cilantro Lime Ranch dressing.

It's so good!

Baked Cod with Mango Salsa

I've said many times that I don't like fish that smells or tastes fishy.  Cod is one of a few types of fish I actually like.  Add mango salsa and we have a winner.

4 cod fillets, frozen or fresh

1 tsp paprika

salt and black pepper to taste

Mango Salsa

1 Mango, peeled and diced

1 Tomato, diced

1/2 Red onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp fresh Cilantro, minced

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray

Place cod on baking sheet and sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper

Bake for 22 - 25 minutes or until fish is cooked and separates easily with a fork

Combine mango, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl.  Stir until combined.  Season with salt to taste.

Just before serving, top each filet with mango salsa

 

Dijonnaise

Extremely quick and easy to make, this is a flavorful condiment.  It can be used in salads, dressings, dips, marinades or as a spread.  It is particularly delicious on burgers and other sandwiches. 

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, or to taste

1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch pepper

1 pinch paprika

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice.  Stir until well blended.  Add spices and stir again.  Taste and adjust if needed.  

Cover and refrigerate until needed.  Makes 1/2 cup.

 

Great Grilled Chicken Breasts

Grilled chicken breasts are a staple in my kitchen.  I found the "Science" of great grilled chicken in an issue of Cook's Illustrated and now it's the only way I prepare grilled chicken breasts.

Pound - Flattening the breasts to 1/2" thickness ensures that they cook through at the same rate.

Boost Umami - A brief dunk in a saltwater solution spiked with fish sauce creates rich umami savor without imparting a distinct flavor (as soy sauce would) - or making the chicken taste fishy - and keeps the meat supremely juicy over the hot fire.

Sweeten (A little) - A couple of spoonfuls of honey play a big role too.  Its readily browning fructose and glucose help the chicken develop a tawny exterior before it overcooks.

Oil - Coating the breasts in oil just before grilling keeps them from fusing to the grate or grill pan.

1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1/3 cup water

3 Tbsp fish sauce

2 Tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Pound chicken gently with meat tenderizer until 1/2" thick.  Whisk water, fish sauce, honey, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.  Transfer mixture to 1-gallon sealable bag.  Add chicken, press out air, seal bag, and turn bag so contents are evenly distributed.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

Remove breasts from the marinade.  Coat with olive oil and cook over medium-high heat on your grill or grill pan.

 

Old Bay Fried Chicken

I'm the first person to admit that I love fried chicken, but I'm not so good at making it.  This recipe takes some time and planning for preparation, but it turns out as crispy and delicious fried chicken.  

I've never learned how to properly butcher a chicken, so I generally buy my chicken already cut into pieces.
 

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning

8 cups vegetable oil

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup rice flour

Liberally season chicken on every side with Old Bay.  Leave it in a sealed container to marinate in the refrigerator, preferably overnight, but a minimum of 2 - 3 hours.

In a Dutch oven, heat oil until it reaches 250 degrees.

Set up breading station.  Pour buttermilk into shallow bowl.  In a different shallow bowl, stir together all-purpose flour and rice flour.  Submerge chicken in buttermilk.  Then dredge chicken in flour mixture and place on tray or plate until ready to fry.

Once oil is at temp, carefully lower chicken pieces into the pot, making sure not to overcrowd.  Fry chicken for 20 minutes, flipping pieces about halfway through, until cooked through.  White meat should reach minimum of 160 degrees at the thickest part.

Using tongs, carefully remove chicken from oil, and let chicken rest on wire rack or paper towel lined baking sheet.  Season chicken with a bit more Old Bay.  

Hot Lobster Rolls

I am a lobster fan, but I'm not a fan of cooking and shelling lobster.  It's just messy.  There are ready-to-eat lobster products on the market, and this recipe uses that.

1 cup salted butter

1 Tbsp finely diced shallots

14 oz cooked lobster meat

4 hotdog buns (top-sliced)

4 large pieces of leaf lettuce

4 lemon wedges

In a shallow pot over medium heat, melt butter.  Add shallots and sauté until soft, and fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add cooked lobster and sauté for about 2 minutes, until lobster is heated through.

Place frying pan over medium heat.  Butter outsides of each hotdog bun and toast each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.  

To assemble, line each bun with a piece of lettuce.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop, strain and spoon 3 1/2 oz of lobster into each lettuce-lined bun.  Garnish with a lemon wedge.  

Have your napkins handy.  This is delicious, but drippy.

 

Montreal Steak Butter

 

This is a tasty addition to any steak dinner.  I highly recommend it!

6 Tbsp butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Chill for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Grilled Flank Steak

How many times have you heard me say, I love a good steak.  Flank steak has a reputation for being tough.  But, done properly, it can be fantastic.  

The secret to this recipe is rubbing the flank steak with sugar and salt twice before gilling.  The first coat applied an hour before grilling, and the second applied just before grilling.  It caramelizes and adds more seasoning and a delicate crunch.
 

1 (1 1/2 lb) flank steak, trimmed

2 1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp pepper

Pat your steak dry with paper towels.  Cut steak in half lengthwise. Cut each piece in half crosswise to create 4 steaks.  Place steaks in 13 x 9" baking dish.  Combine salt and sugar in small bowl.  Sprinkle 2 tsp salt mixture on 1 side of steaks and press gently to adhere.  Flip steaks and repeat with another 2 tsp salt mixture.  Cover and let sit at room temp for 1 hour.

Sprinkle both sides of steaks with pepper and remaining 1 tsp of salt mixture.  Steaks will be moist, do not pat dry.  Oil your grill or grill pan and heat to medium-high heat

Arrange steaks on grill or grill pan and cook, flipping steaks every two minutes until desired doneness.  Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Slice against the grain as thinly as possible.  Transfer to a platter to serve.

This is particularly good with Montreal Steak Butter.  Recipe to follow.

Refrigerator Preserves

Have you found yourself with an abundance of berries or peaches and want a delicious way to use them up?  How about making refrigerator preserves?  They are delicious on toast, muffins, cornbread or biscuits.  They are sure to be a hit, and they're simple.

1 lb prepped fruit - any of the following will do:

    Strawberries, hulled

    Blueberries

    Raspberries

    Blackberries

    Peaches, unpeeled and thinly sliced

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Place your prepped fruit in a large saucepan and mash with a potato masher until mostly broken down.  

Add sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring often over medium-high heat.

Once the sugar is completely dissolved, boil mixture, stirring until thickened and registering 217 - 220 degrees.  Remove pot from heat. Cook time will vary anywhere from 8 - 20 minutes.  Just make sure it thickens.

Place two one cup jars into a bowl and run them under hot water until heated.  Shake them dry.  Use a funnel and ladle portions of the hot jam into the jars.  

Feel free to stir in vanilla or cinnamon.  Store in the fridge for up to 2 months.