Balsamic Chicken Caprese

This one came together sort of... off the cuff. But really, we're combining some great concepts here, so it was bound for greatness!

Ingredients:

• 4 thinly sliced cuts of chicken breast
• 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 4 T olive oil
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 c chicken stock
• 2 roma tomatoes, halved and sliced
• 1/2 c baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 c fresh mozzarella pearls
• 3 T pesto
• 1/2 lb linguine

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Prepare linguine according to al dente instructions on package.

2. Heat olive oil on medium in a saute pan. While oil is heating, lightly dredge chicken in flour. Saute chicken for 3-4 minutes on both sides, until golden brown. Set chicken aside, keep warm.

3. Saute onion and garlic (in the same pan used to saute chicken) for 5 minutes, until tender.

4. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar, whisk gently for a minute, then add chicken stock. Stir and cook down on med-high heat for ~5 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken.

5. Add chicken and mushrooms, simmer on low an additional 3 minutes.

6. In a separate bowl, combine tomato, mozzarella pearls and pesto.

7. Remove chicken and sauce from heat, toss in pasta, tomatoes, and mozzarella pearls coated in pesto.


Voila!

Fontina Shells and Cheese

"This mac and cheese changes you... 4 stars. 5 stars. 6 stars!" -Joe B

I made Ina Garten's mac and cheese with a few substitutions :)


Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound medium shells
• 1 quart milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 ounces Fontina, grated (4 cups)
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

2. Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.


3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.



4. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Butternut Squash Pasta

Thanks for the cooking challenge, Jo!

This is a beautiful, easy and healthy dish. Feel free to add other veggies to the mix, but I think the simplicity with just the squash is ideal. This will keep in the fridge for a day or two as well.

Butternut Squash Pasta

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, cubed into pieces approx 1-inch in size (I cheated and used pieces already cut up from the grocery)

1 box of whole wheat angel hair pasta

Olive oil

Nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Rubbed sage

Parmesan cheese

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash in a buttered or spray-coasted pyrex pan, lining the bottom of the pan. Drizzle a coating of olive oil over the squash. Sprinkle heavily with nutmeg. Cover with a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Cook squash for 25-30 minutes or until soft and mushy.

3. When you have 3 minutes remaining, start boiling your water for the pasta.

4. Boil your pasta (should take about 5 minutes).

5. While your pasta is cooking, in a small sauce pan heat (low heat, just to warm and meld flavors) about 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, one tablespoon of rubbed sage and two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.

6. Drain pasta, toss with hot olive oil mixture.

7. Spoon squash into dish. Toss.

8. Heavily top with Parmesan cheese. Toss.

9. Yields a huge bowl of pasta, so eat with friends. Or a hearty appetite.

Enjoy! I served it with a spinach salad and a sauvignon blanc.

Pesto! (With shrimp and veggie farfalle)

Glorious!

I got an unreasonable amount of pesto from work today. The ladies where I work have a little garden behind the building, and someone planted way too much basil without any actual intention for it. Someone asked me today, "So what do you put basil in?" at which point I felt free to help myself to the basil. I got enough for 3 batches of pesto and some fresh left over. Don't worry, there's still plenty of basil at work- and I'm taking some pesto back to help enlighten them.

Once my delicious fresh pesto was put together, I whipped up some pasta using the veggies in my fridge, some shrimp, and a crusty loaf of french bread. What a great summer dinner!

Ingredients:

• 2 c basil, packed
• 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese (puh-puh-puh-PLEASE don't use the Kraft pre-grated nonsense!)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 c pine nuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine all of these ingredients in a blender or food processor.
2. Press- "Blend" and wait for 30 seconds- 1 minute.

3. Mix in a few spoons full with whatever delicious pasta and veggies you have, and store the rest in a jar or tupperware in the fridge.

Voila! That was so stinkin quick and easy :)

Herbed Faralle and Steak Salad

FUHGETABOUTIT! This salad rocked me, and it could rock you too if you just follow these easy steps...


Joe's Review:"That's why I put a ring on it..."

• The Dressing
• 1/2 c lemon juice (fresh squeezed with a little pulp is perfect)
• 1/4 c grapeseed oil
• 1/4 c finely grated parmesan
• 1 clove garlic smashed and chopped
• a few dashes of cracked black pepper

 Combine all of these ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Set aside in the Fridge.

__________________________________________________

• The Salad

• 1 c chopped romaine
• 1 c chopped spinach
• 1/2 c chopped cabbage and carrots (cole slaw mix... for crunch!)
• 1/4 c chopped basil
• 1 wedged tomato
• 6 quartered mushrooms
• bleu cheese crumbles
• 1/2 lb farfalle pasta

Combine all chopped ingredients in a salad bowl and toss. Prepare pasta as directed, drain and rinse in cold water. Combine salad, pasta and dressing; toss.

_______________________________________________

• The Steak
• 1 12 oz New York Strip Steak
• 3 T cajun spice
• 1 T salt

Using high heat, heat a cast iron skillet on the stove top. Season both sides of steak, season pan with additional salt. When it is very hot, cook the steak for 2 minutes on each side for a total of 8 minutes. Then let it sit for 7 minutes, so the juices stay in the steak when you cut it. There's something really rewarding about cooking your steak just right. This steak was perfect! Don't over think it and let it rest after cooking. You'll probably be spending 7 minutes fanning the smoke detector with an oven mit if you're anything like me... Be sure to crack a window!

Add the steak to the salad, top with bleu cheese crumbles. Enjoy this hearty summer delight!

Steak juices mix with the salad as you eat and make the whole experience so savory and delicious! This dish was fun to make and a total treat to eat :)

*Happy birthday to my big bro! He loves to eat my food :)

Stacey's Polish Pasta (or Poor Girl’s Pasta)

Thanks for letting me post on this lovely, lovely blog! Unfortunately, I don't have pictures - but I can update next time I make it.

I first developed this recipe when I started my first job, had my first solo apartment and had to cook for one on a tight journalist's budget. I love fresh veggies but they can break the bank. So this allows you to incorporate whatever you have left over or whatever you use for your daily lunch.

Purpose is to throw together whatever you have in your fridge and call it a gourmet, Italian meal. Make it your own.

Ingredients:

Whatever veggies you have in your fridge – red bell peppers, mushrooms, baby spinach leaves seem to work best

Olive oil (3-4 tablespoons, depending on if you're making it for one or more)

Pasta – mixing two different types is encouraged

Few cloves of chopped garlic

Italian seasonings: Onion (powder or chopped), basil, oregano, etc.

A number of spoonfuls of parmesan cheese (or whatever white cheese you may have)

Cooked Boca crumbles (optional, but one of my favorites!) or cooked bits of bacon (optional)

1. Boil water for the pasta.
2. In a saucepan, throw in about two tablespoons of oil olive, garlic, veggies and spices, and sauté. Add in Boca crumbles or bacon if so desire. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes, depending on temperature (and how much time you have).
3. Cook pasta.
4. Combine veggies with pasta, drizzle olive oil to liking. Top with cheese.
5. Serve with garlic bread or a side salad if you want, but not necessary

- Stacey Skotzko

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

Eureka! At last! Sweet sweet, blog-ready, macaroni perfection...

Time and time again my mac and cheese has come out too spongy, too dry, too crispy, too flour-y, too... something. We've "suffered" through it with the help of Frank's Red Hot, but we shall suffer no more! Finally I've nailed down a recipe for creamy, gooey, delicious macaroni and cheese, and here it is for your enjoyment :) I'm glad to report that Frank stayed in the cupboard during dinner this evening.

Total Cook Time: 1 hr
Active Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 small chicken breasts, chopped (I used some that were marinated in barbecue sauce... yummy!)
• 1 glug olive oil
• 2-3 c broccoli florets
• 1/2 of a large white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 T four
• 1 c chicken stock (fat free, low sodium)
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 2/3 lb elbow macaroni
• 2 c milk
• 2 c finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (dairy or soy cheese)
• 2 t salt

Directions:

1. Prepare macaroni according to directions on box. In the last 2 minutes of cooking the pasta, drop the broccoli into the boiling water and let it cook with the pasta.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and chicken. Saute 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked and your whole house smells yummy...
3. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. It will thicken over 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the milk to the sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the cheddar cheese and remove from heat. It should turn into a nice creamy sauce instantly :) Stir in the salt for taste.
5. Combine the pasta/broccoli, chicken/onions/garlic, and cheese sauce in a large baking dish and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes. (Honestly, you don't have to bake it... but I like the way baking it makes the cheese sauce set up).
6. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Shimp Linguine al Diablo

This one can have as much or as little "devil" in it as you like and it's delicious either way. I was experimenting with a Bonnet hot pepper that I haven't tried before, so I only used half. Next time I'm going to do its name justice and use the whole damn pepper...

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb linguine
• 1/4 stick of butter
• 1 glug of olive oil
• 1/2 lb peeled raw shrimp
• 1/4 of a small zuccini
• a handful of broccoli
• a few chopped mushrooms (crimini or baby bella)
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (I used "garlic and herb" flavored)
• 1/2 c heavy cream
• 1 dried hot pepper

Directions:

Look at all of that goodness just simmering together!

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add linguine. Cook 10-11 minutes.
2. Melt butter and olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.
3. Add veggies, saute 2 minutes.
4. Drain some liquid off from the canned tomatoes, but leave about half of it in there. Add tomato and remaining liquid to pan. Add the cream and crumbled dried pepper. Stir.
5. Add shrimp, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes (until pasta is done). Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Drain pasta, remove saute contents from heat, and combine it into one big happy family.

Uova al Purgatorio, i.e. Eggs in Purgatory

This is one of my favorite ways to use up what's left in my fridge for an easy and filling meal, perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Since this was my dinner, I added ground turkey to my sauce, but for a lighter dish you can nix the extra protien and add fresh vegetables like peppers, spinach or fresh basil.

You'll find that I'm not very good at written recipes, I should probably take more pictures, but I'm easily distracted. Here's the step-by-step sans visual aides:

1/2 Pound ground turkey

2 Cloves garlic, minced

2 Cups red sauce

4 Eggs

Salt & Pepper

Pasta of your choice

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. Brown turkey with minced garlic in a sautee pan, I used my iron skillet.

2. Reduce heat to medium low, add red sauce and simmer.

3. Use a spoon create four wells in the sauce and crack a raw egg into each. Top with fresh cracked salt and pepper.

4. Cover and cook on low until egg whites have cooked through completely and yolks reach desired level of firmness. Leaving them a bit overeasy gives the dish a nice creaminess.

5. Spoon sauce and egg over al dente pasta and cover with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Wondering where this delicious meal finds its origins? Well that's up for debate, but many like to believe that it arose as a tribute to the great Italian poet Dante as a reference to his description of Purgatory in The Divine Comedy. However, it is a more widely accepted that the dish came as a result of popular vegitarian Italian diets as a way to combine the delicacy of eggs with the simplicity of traditional red sauce. Either way, the combination is "divine".

Acorn Squash stuffed Ravioli :) Whoa!

There's something about ravioli that I really really like. I must like it so much that I continue to eat ravioli without actually liking what's inside. I have honestly ever bitten into about 3 raviolis that had insides worth raving about. Let's face it, inside of a little carb-castle is the per-fect location for something awesome, so why bland meat and gritty cheese all the time?

Ingredients:
 

Ravioli Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons water

Ravioli Filling:

1 roasted acorn squash (peeled and chopped)

4 cloves garlic

¼ of a large onion, finely chopped

2 T butter

1 pinch of salt

2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pesto-Alfredo Cream Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons prepared basil pesto

sauce

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce

Egg Wash:

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

I know it's a lot of ingredients and pieces and parts, but we'll get through this together... I had a lot of fun making the pasta and trying something new.

Directions:

1. Mound the flour and salt together on a work surface and form a well. Beat the teaspoon of olive oil, 2 eggs, and water in a bowl. Pour half the egg mixture into the well. Begin mixing the egg with the flour with one hand; use your other hand to keep the flour mound steady. Add the remaining egg mixture and knead to form a dough.

2. Knead the dough until smooth, 8 to 10 minutes; add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. While the dough is resting, prepare the ravioli filling. Saute onion and garlic in butter on medium heat for 7 minutes (until the onions turn clear. If the edges start to caramelize before the onions turn white, turn the heat down.) Combine sauté mixture with squash and mix until the squash is mashed.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and pesto sauce and cook for one minute. Pour in the heavy cream, raise the heat to high, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.

5. At the same time, heat the marinara sauce in another sauce pan on low.

6. Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Roll out the pasta dough into thin sheets no thicker than a nickel. To assemble the ravioli, brush the egg wash over a sheet of pasta. Drop the filling mixture on the dough by teaspoonfuls about one inch apart. Cover the filling with the top sheet of pasta, pressing out the air from around each portion of filling. Press firmly around the filling to seal. Cut into individual ravioli with a knife or pizza cutter. Seal the edges.

7. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the ravioli, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the ravioli float to the top and the filling is hot, 4 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

8. Grease a baking sheet. Place the cooked ravioli on the sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven until brown, about 4 minutes.

9. Layer ravioli, red sauce, and cream sauce. :)

*Info on how to prepare the ravioli dough and sauce is from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/homemade-four-cheese-ravioli/detail.aspx

Joe's Review: "Two thumbs up... ...Three thumbs up."

 

Chicken Carbonara

This dish requires cardiac clearance prior to consumption. But it's so worth it after a long day of work (not to whine...).

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

• 3/4 lb. fettucini (I make the whole pound then set some aside for pasta salad or thai peanut noodles...)
• 4 oz. bacon, diced
• 1 med. onion, diced
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 2 chicken breasts, cut in strips
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 c. grated cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 egg yolks
• Some chopped parsley
*1/2 c peas (opt)
*1 c spinache (opt)

Directions:

Cook pasta in boiling water according to directions on box. Meanwhile, in large saucepan saute the bacon bits until golden. Drain off some drippings; add butter, chicken strips and onion, and cook until chicken is tender. Drain spaghetti and place into pan with chicken. Add cream, salt and pepper, stir well over heat until just boiling. Add the cheese and egg yolks. Turn off heat, stir well. Place on dish, top with chopped parsley; serve immediately.

Casey's Chicken Parm

You can tell that Jolene and I must be friends if we made the exact same meal on the same night and didn't even plan it! My chicken parm is a little different than hers as I used jarred sauce, breaded my chicken, and baked it in the oven after browning it.

I think the secret to chicken parm lies in pounding out the breast meat, breading the chicken, and using a meat thermometer so it does not get over cooked. For the recipe below I used Bertolli Sauce from a jar and Kraft mozzarella cheese. The Kraft cheese I used has the "Touch of Philadelphia Cream Cheese" in it and it was FABULOUS, a little more expensive than the Kroger kind but so delicious and creamy. However, you can substitute for any type of sauce or cheese you prefer. I also mixed Italian breadcrumbs with the panko so the mixture was half and half, for texture reasons.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

4 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water and seasoned with salt and pepper

2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 cup vegetable oil or pure olive oil

Tomato Sauce

1 pound mozzarella, shredded or thinly sliced if fresh

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Fresh basil or parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

Dredge each breast in the flour and tap off excess, then dip in the egg and let excess drip off, then dredge on both sides in the bread crumbs. There is a certain way that I like to bread my chicken which I think really helps. When you are dredging it in the flour, egg, and bread crumbs, only use one hand on the chicken. Use your other hand to sprinkle the flour and bread crumbs onto the chicken if it dosen't stick. Do not use your "sprinkle hand" hand in the eggs at all. If you do and it gets gooey, wash your hand before proceeding. The dryer you keep your "sprinkle hand" the easier it will be to flour and bread the chicken completely.

Divide the oil between 2 large saute pans and heat over high heat until almost smoking. Add 2 chicken breasts to each pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking dish and top each breast with some tomato sauce, a handful of shredded mozzarella, and a tablespoon of Parmesan. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes or until your meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil or parsley leaves.

Serve over pasta mixed with sauce, and garlic bread.

Jolene's Chicken Parmesan

I think Chicken Parm may be my all time favorite... I'm trying to nail down a recipe for red sauce. Today it came out kind of chunky + watery. I was looking for something a little smoother and more continuous. The flavor was aMAaAzing, but next time I'll try pureeing after cooking the sauce.

Chicken Parm takes: Red sauce, Spaghetti, Fried chicken, Parmesan cheese.

Red Sauce

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 2 hours
Makes: 6 cups red sauce

Ingredients:

• 15 tomatoes
• 1 sweet onion, chopped finely
• 7 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 1 hunk of pork (I used a pig foot)
• 1 glug EVOO
• 1/4 c red wine
• 1/4 c sugar
• 3 chopped green onions
• fresh basil
• 2 bay leaves
• salt, pepper

The Tomatoes 

1. Fill two large pots with water, bring one to a boil and add ice to the other. Set aside a large mixing bowl.
2. Once boiling, put each tomato in the boiling water for 30-45 sec (4-5 at a time). Remove the tomatoes from the hot water and place directly into the cold water.
3. While more tomatoes sit in the boiling water, transfer your cold water tomatoes to the mixing bowl. So on and so forth.
4. The tomato skins will either already be off or will peel right off.

The Saute Pan

1. Add one glug of oil to a pan on medium heat. Add the pig foot to the pan and cover for 5 minutes.  
2. Add onion and garlic, saute for 5 minutes.

The Sauce Pan

1. Put the tomatoes, saute pan contents and the rest of the ingredients into a large pan on medium heat. Really you'll just heap the wine, sugar, spices and pig's foot together with the peeled tomatoes and cover.
2.  Cover and let simmer on low for a half hour.
3. I take a wooden spoon and bust up the tomatoes after a half hour... it feels like it's speeding the process up.
4. Let it simmer and stir occasionally for the next hour or hour and a half. I think depending on the tomatoes you get, it will take varying amounts of time to cook the water off. Roma tomatoes have thick walls and less water, so they make sauce faster.
5. Once the sauce is cooked, let it stand while you make the chicken and pasta. Before serving, take half of the sauce and puree it. Combine it with the non-pureed sauce.

Fried Chicken 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c flour
• salt, pepper
• 2 t garlic powder
• 2 eggs
• 3 chicken breasts sliced in half.

1. Put a few of the half breasts into a large Ziploc bag and smash them up with a rolling pin. It's therapeutic for you and it startles your guests!
2. Begin heating some oil in a fry pan on medium heat.
3. Dip a breast into the egg, then into the flour.
4. Dip it again into the egg and again into the flour.
5. Repeat for all chicken breasts.
6. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. The oil should bubble up when the chicken hits the pan, so to tell if it's hot enough, drop a little flour goober into the oil. It should bubble and float.
7. Top each fried breast with parmesan or mozzarella cheese when it comes out of the oil, the cheese should melt on it.

Combine Spaghetti, Chicken and Sauce. Enjoy!

Joe's Review: "It smells like Olive Garden in here!" :)