Sunday, March 13, 2011

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore
Pioneer Woman

Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 1 Hour15 Minutes Servings 6 Difficulty Easy
Ingredients

* 1 pound Pasta Or Egg Noodles
* 8 whole Chicken Thighs, Skin On (can Use Any Whole Piece Chicken)
* Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
* ½ cups All-purpose Flour
* 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 1 whole Medium Onion, Halved And Sliced
* 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced (not Too Thin)
* 2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced (not Too Thin)
* 5 cloves Garlic, Diced
* 12 ounces, weight Mushrooms (white Or Crimini), Sliced
* ½ teaspoons Ground Thyme
* ¼ teaspoons Turmeric
* ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
* Red Pepper Flakes, Crushed, To Taste (optional)
* ¾ cups Dry White Wine
* 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Or Diced Tomatoes (with Their Juice)
* Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
* Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

Cook pasta according to package directions. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.

Salt and pepper both sides of the pieces of chicken. Dredge chicken in flour. Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin down in pan, four pieces at a time. Brown chicken on both sides, then remove to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining chicken. Pour off half the fat in the pan and discard.

Add sliced onions and peppers, as well as the garlic. Stir around for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stir around for 1 minute. Add thyme, turmeric, and salt. (And crushed red pepper flakes if you like things a little spicy.) Add extra black pepper to taste. Stir, then pour in wine. Allow to bubble.

Pour in canned tomatoes and stir to combine. Add chicken back into the pan, skin side up, without totally submerging the chicken. Place lid on the pot and put it into the oven for 45 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to 375 degrees. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven. Remove chicken from the pot and place it on a plate. Remove vegetables from pot and place them on a plate. Return pot to burner and turn heat to medium high. Cook and reduce sauce for a couple of minutes.

Pour cooked, drained noodles on a large platter or in a big serving bowl. Add vegetables all over the top, then place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. Spoon juices from the pot over the chicken and pasta (amount to taste.)

Before serving, sprinkle on chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Pioneer Woman

Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 1 Hour30 Minutes Servings 8 Difficulty Easy
Ingredients

* 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
* 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
* ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
* ½ teaspoons Salt
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1 cup Diced Onion
* ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
* ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
* 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
* 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
* 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
* 4 cups Hot Water
* 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
* 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
* 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
* _____
* FOR THE GARNISHES:
* Sour Cream
* Diced Avocado
* Diced Red Onion
* Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
* Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
* Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Pantry Pasta for Two

Pantry Pasta for Two
Pioneer Woman


Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 20 Minutes Servings 2 Difficulty Easy
Ingredients

* 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* ½ whole Red Onion, Diced
* 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 1 can (14.5 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
* ⅓ cups Assorted Olives, Pitted And Roughly Chopped
* ⅓ cups White Wine
* 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Pounded To Even Thickness
* Kosher Salt
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1 Tablespoon Butter
* Grated Parmesan Cheese
* ½ pounds Linguine, Cooked Al Dente And Drained
* 1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Preparation Instructions

Heat medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil. When warm add diced red onion and stir. Cook slowly for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, then stir and cook for one minute. Pour in diced tomatoes with their juice. Add chopped olives. Stir and cook for a minute or two.

Splash in wine, then stir and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While sauce is cooking, sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper over the chicken breasts. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a separate skillet. Cook on both sides until golden brown and done. Set aside.

Toss cooked linguine in olive oil and arrange on a small platter. Spoon 3/4 of the sauce over the pasta. Place chicken on top, then spoon remaining sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle on grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Pioneer Woman

Prep Time 45 Minutes
Cook Time 30 Minutes Servings 8 Difficulty Easy
Ingredients

* 1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
* 1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter
* 16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced
* ¼ cups Dry White Wine
* Kosher Salt And Pepper
* ¼ cups Flour
* 2 cups Chicken Broth (reserved From Chicken Or Canned)
* 1-½ cup Whole Milk
* ¼ cups (additional) Dry White Wine
* 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
* 1 cup Whole Black Olives, Chopped
* 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or To Taste
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper
* Extra Cheese, For Sprinkling
* 1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Preparation Instructions

Place chicken in a pot of water and boil on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly. Keep broth in pot.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente. Remove meat from bones and shred until you have 2-plus cups of shredded chicken.

Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.

Add mushrooms, chicken, and chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Bake at 350 degrees or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with salad and warm, crusty bread.

Pastor Ryan’s Mexican Lasagna

Pastor Ryan’s Mexican Lasagna
Pioneer Woman

Prep Time 45 Minutes
Cook Time 35 Minutes Servings 8 Difficulty Easy
Ingredients

* 4 cups Unprepared Rice
* 6 cups (to 8 Cups) Low Sodium Chicken Broth/stock
* 4 whole (to 8) Tomatoes (up To You)
* 2 whole (to 3) Onions (up To You)
* 8 cloves (to 14 Cloves) Of Garlic (up To You)
* Butter
* Taco Seasoning (or Chili Powder, Paprika, And Cumin) To Taste
* 1 can (to 2 Cans) Black Or Pinto Beans (up To You)
* 3 pounds Lean Ground Beef
* 2 jars (16 Ounce) Salsa Verde
* Flour Tortillas
* 3 packages (16 Ounces) Mexican Cheese Blend
* 1 jar (16 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
* 3 cans Corn, Drained
* Sour Cream, to taste
* Cilantro, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Begin by preparing rice with chicken broth/stock. Once prepared, salt to taste.

Chop up tomatoes, onions, and garlic as small as you prefer. Saute in pan with a tablespoon or so of butter. Add approximately 3 tablespoons chili powder, and 1 ½ tablespoon of both paprika and cumin. Stir until nicely combined.

Feel free to add beans if you like them… no need to drain. Mix cooked rice together with tomato/onion/garlic mixture.

Brown the ground beef using about 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 ½ tablespoon, paprika and 1 ½ tablespoon of cumin and salt to taste with about 4-6 ounces of water to create the taco beef.

Spread one container of salsa verde in the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Layer on tortillas covering salsa verde. Some overlapping is expected.

Divide your rice mixture in half and spread it over the layer of tortillas. Divide cheese in half and layer it on top of the rice layer. Approximately 24 ounces of cheese per layer.

Add another layer of tortillas on top of your cheese layer. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and spread it out evenly.

Add layer of browned ground beef. Add 3 cans of corn (drained) on top of beef layer. Then the remaining amount of rice mixture on top of corn layer followed by the remaining jar of salsa verde, on top of which you will add the remaining cheese (approximately 24ounces) to the top…this is our final layer of ingredients. Sprinkle top with some taco seasoning or cayenne pepper.

Bake at 375ยบ for 25-35 minutes until cheese has melted and begins to brown a bit.

Enjoy!

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Martha Stewart

Prep: 35 minutes Total: 1 hour

Each baking dish serves four; bake one tonight, and freeze the other for a ready-made dinner later on. When ready to cook, bake it straight from the freezer.

Ingredients

Serves 8.

* 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
* coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 pound penne rigate
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 6 cups whole milk
* 10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
* 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)
* 1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with cup Parmesan.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
6. Prepare through step 4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.
7. Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Escarole Salad with Parmesan Dressing

Escarole Salad with Parmesan Dressing
Mad Hungry

If the head of escarole is large, use half for the salad and store half in a resealable bag in the refrigerator for another recipe.

Ingredients

* 1/2 head escarole, tip and tail trimmed, sliced lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
* 1 head radicchio, thinly sliced
* 1/3 cup thinly sliced dates
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus several shavings
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* Freshly ground black pepper


Directions

1. Combine the escarole and radicchio in a large salad bowl. Toss in the dates.
2. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice, mustard, grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and black pepper. Shake well to combine. Pour over the salad and toss.
3. Grate more Parmesan on top and serve.