Penne A La Vodka With Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.

Mushroom Risotto

Recipe from The Best Ever Low Fat cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 fresh sage sprig, finely chopped (I omitted because I didn't have any sage)
generous 1 1/4 cups risotto rice
1/2 cup white wine
8 oz./ 225 g cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 cups hot vegetable stock
4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions:

• Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and pour in the boiling water to cover. let soak for 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Using a sharp knife, chop the mushrooms and strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter paper or cheesecloth-lined strainer.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom pan. Add the onion, garlic, and sage and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook over low heat, stirring constantly to coat the grains and with the oil, for 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated. Stir in the porcini and cremini mushrooms, the mushroom soaking liquid and a large laddleful of the hot Vegetable Stock. Let simmer, stirring constantly, until all the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding the Vegetable Stock and stirring in this way for 20 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still firm to the bite.
  
• Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the risotto between 4 warmed serving plates, garnish with shavings of Parmesan cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

Chicken Thighs In Mushroom Sauce

I found this recipe on The Food Network. Gotta love Rachael Ray!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/rosemary-grilled-chicken-thighs-and-wild-mushroom-sauce-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• 3 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
  
• 1 cup chicken
• 1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
  
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry red wine

Directions

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Drizzle chicken thighs with oil, season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Grill chicken 5 minutes on each side and remove from heat to rest for 5 minutes.

Place stock in a small bowl and cover. Heat in microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove stock from microwave with oven mitt. Add dried porcini to the dish and replace the cover. Steep porcinis in stock 5 to 10 minutes to reconstitute mushrooms. This may also be done on the stovetop. Simmer broth, and mushrooms for 10 minutes over low heat.

In a medium skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, saute pancetta, crushed garlic and chopped shallot over medium heat for 3 minutes, to crisp pancetta at edges. Add sliced portobello mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 10 minutes, or until dark and tender. Add flour and cook 1 minute. Add red wine to the pan and reduce by 1/2, about 1 minute. Add reserved stock and porcini mushrooms to the pan and simmer together 1 to 2 minutes longer to combine.

Slice chicken thighs and fan out on a plate. Ladle thick mushroom sauce down over sliced chicken and serve.

Chicken Parmigiana

I use my homemade tomato sauce for everything Italian that I make. I had some sauce left over in the freezer so I decided to make Chicken Parmigiana. You can find my recipe for sauce under Meat Sauce Spaghetti here on my blog. Sometimes I make it with meat in it and sometimes I just omit the meat and make tomato sauce. Here is how I assemble my Chicken Parmigiana.

Ingredients:

Flour (I use whole wheat)
2 Eggs
Breadcrumbs I prefer an Italian seasoned (Vigo brand is the best). If you can't get them just add some Oregano & Parmesan cheese to them.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast pounded down to about 1/4 inch in thickness
Olive Oil
Spaghetti (I used linguini because that is all I had on hand)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Put the flour, eggs (beaten with a little bit of water), breadcrumbs in individual containers.
Season flour and eggs with salt and pepper
Start to heat your oil on the stove over Medium-High heat
Also start heating your water for your spaghetti and cook it al dente
Take a piece of chicken and dip it in the flour (shake off excess)
Dip the floured chicken into the eggs
Finally dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs and make sure they are well coated
When your oil is hot, fry each piece of chicken until golden brown
Remove the chicken from the oil and place it on a rack with paper towels underneath
When all your chicken is cooked and your spaghetti is done, mix some tomato sauce to coat the spaghetti well.
Place spaghetti into a 13 X 9 greased (with cooking spray), top with tomato sauce
Put the chicken cutlets onto of the spaghetti and top each piece with tomato sauce, then cheese
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is brown

Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
4-6 Bell Peppers (color of your liking)
1 pound Ground Beef (in the picture the peppers are made with shredded chicken)
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 cup Cooked Rice
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoon Grated Romano Cheese
2 Eggs
1 can Tomato Sauce (I use my own homemade sauce)
Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil

Directions:
* Cook rice and set it aside to cool off
* Cut peppers long ways & clean out the peppers
* Wash the peppers & let them dry
* Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
* Combine, ground beef, garlic powder, eggs, cooled rice, cheeses, and salt/pepper; mix well
* Stuff each pepper with the meat mixture
* Pour bread crumbs onto a plate
* Heat some olive oil in a skillet on medium/high
* Dip each pepper with the meat mixture side down into the bread crumbs
* Saute each pepper meat mixture side first in the skillet until golden brown
* Flip the peppers and saute on the outside for another minute
* In a 13 x 9 dish place the peppers breadcrumb side up and pour tomato sauce over them
* Fill the dish with water until it fills the pan halfway up the peppers
* Cover with aluminum foil and bake in your preheated 375 degree oven and bake until the peppers are fork tender, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Enjoy!

Korean Fried Chicken with Chicken Fried Rice

I saw this recipe on my favorite Korean food blog on You Tube and had to try it. I had some leftover chicken in the freezer that I wanted to use up so I made some Chicken Fried Rice to go with it.



Recipe from "aeriskitchen" on You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/aeriskitchen#p/u/87/a4rbnr1a7qo

INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken:
1 Chicken Breast
1/2 Tbsp Cooking Wine
3 Pinches Salt
2 Pinches Black Pepper
Oil for Cooking

For the Batter:
1 Tbsp Corn Starch for covering
1 Egg White
4 Tbsp Corn Starch
1/2 Tbsp Water (I ended up having to add more water until the batter thins out like in the video)

For the Sauce:
2 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp Honey or Corn Syrup(I used Corn Syrup)
1 Tbsp (Sugar, Finely Chopped Onion, Cooking Wine)
1 tsp (Red Pepper Paste, Mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip), Sesame seeds)
1/2 Tbsp (Minced Garlic, Olive Oil)
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 Pinch Black Pepper

Directions:

*Cut the chicken breast into half-inch cubes.
*Mix 3 pinches of salt, 2 pinches of black pepper, and ½ Tbsp of cooking wine with the chicken. Set it aside for about 10 minutes.
*Add 1 Tbsp of cornstarch to cover the chicken. That will help the batter stick better to the chicken.
*To make the batter, combine 4 Tbsp of cornstarch, 1 egg white, and ½ Tbsp of water.
*Put the chicken into the batter and mix.
*To make the sauce, mix 2 Tbsp of ketchup, 2 Tbsp of honey or corn syrup, 1 Tbsp of sugar, 1 Tbsp of finely chopped onion, 1 Tbsp of cooking wine, ½ Tbsp of minced garlic, ½ Tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of red pepper paste, 1 tsp of mayonnaise, 1 tsp of sesame seeds, ½ tsp sesame oil, and 1 pinch black pepper.
*Fry the chicken twice to make it extra crispy.
*When the chicken pieces are light brown, remove them from the oil.
*Fry them once more.
*Fry until they become golden brown.
*Cook the sauce on medium heat. Once the sauce starts to boil, cook 1 more minute on medium heat.
*Add the fried chicken into the sauce, and mix it well.
*Add 1 tsp of sesame seeds. If you do not want sesame seeds, you can use chopped peanuts instead.

Yield: 2 Servings



Ingredients:

I will share both of the ways I cook my fried rice with you here. The first version is the one shown above.

4 cups Cooked White Rice "Sticky Rice"
(Just a little tip the older the rice the better the fried rice, usually I make rice in a rice cooker & then keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two) This time I made my rice and cooked the Fried Rice right away.
1 Large Onion (Sliced to your desired thickness)
3 Medium Carrots (Sliced on the diagonal)
Soy Sauce (I used low sodium)
Sesame Oil
Vegetable Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

*Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil in wok or big skillet
*Saute onions and carrots until onions are soft and browning a little
*Add garlic and saute for another minute until the garlic is fragrant
*Add cooked chicken and cook for another minute until the chicken or whatever meat you are using is warm
*Little by little add the rice to the wok and stir all ingredients together well
*Add soy sauce and sesame oil little by little and mix well after each addition
*Keep adding soy sauce and sesame oil until desired flavor, some people like it more salty and some like it with more sesame oil
*Add salt and pepper as needed

~This fried rice was just thrown together with stuff I had on hand. Another version is below.

A childhood friend of mine is Korean-American and I used to love eating over her house because her mother who is Korean is such a great cook! Her mother's fried rice is the best. I learned how to cook it but of course like any recipe you get from someone, it NEVER tastes as good as theirs. Taste if for yourself and see what you think.

Ingredients:

Meat (Pork or Chicken)cut into small cubes
Soy sauce
Sugar
Garlic Salt or Powder
Sesame Oil
Vegetable oil

1 Large Onion chopped finely
2-3 Medium Carrots chopped very finely (I put them in my food processor)
2-3 Green onions chopped
4 cups Cooked Rice

In a small container that you can seal, add meat, garlic salt/powder, salt, pepper, sugar (one teaspoon per handful of meat), soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add enough soy sauce and sesame oil to coat the meat well. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes but up to a day.

Chop all of your vegetables and have them all ready to go. Also have your rice on hand. Heat a little bit of vegetable oil in a wok, add the onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots and cook about 2 minutes. Remove carrots and onions and set aside. Put a little bit more oil in the wok and heat oil until hot, add meat and cook until it is done. Add green onion and cook for one minute. Add onions and carrots back to the wok with the meat. Little by little add the rice mixing well after each addition. When the rice is fully mixed add soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix a little at a time. Add salt and pepper. Keep adding soy sauce and sesame oil until the desired taste.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Shells

Adapted from Weight Watchers.

Ingredients:

12 shell(s) uncooked jumbo shells
1 1/2 cup(s) tomato sauce
(I make my own sauce,you can find the recipe on my blog under "Spaghetti & Meat Sauce" & omit the meat)
2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
1 3/4 cup(s) part-skim cottage cheese
(original recipe calls for ricotta cheese but I don't care for ricotta cheese so I substitute with cottage cheese)
4 oz Chicken breast, I boiled mine & then shredded it
3/4 cup(s) chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp ground oregano, or other Italian seasoning
3/4 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (shredded)
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cook jumbo shells in boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Set aside.

Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over bottom of pan and set aside.

For filling, in a large bowl, stir together egg whites, cottage cheese, chicken, spinach, garlic powder and seasoning. Stir in 1/4 cup each of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

To assemble, spoon cheese mixture into jumbo shells and place filled shells in a single layer in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake about 30 minutes.

Yields 3 shells per serving.