DEBBIE'S CHICKEN PICCATA

Image via WikipediaThis is my take on chicken piccata. I make it in my electric skillet.. One of my son's favorite dishes.


Ingredients

1/2 lb mini penne .
1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast pounded 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil .
1/4 cup butter cut in pieces .
flour for dusting .
seasoning salt and pepper .
5 cloves garlic crushed .
1 15 oz can chicken broth .
1/2 cup white wine .
juice of 1/2 lemon .
1 tsp lemon zest .
1 tbsp capers .
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
 Thin slices of lemon


How to make it

Cook penne in boiling salted water until al dente, drain and rinse in cool water
Combine seasoning salt and pepper with flour and dust the chicken
Heat electric skillet to 375
Heat olive oil in skillet until hot
Add chicken and brown well on both sides
Remove chicken from pan and keep warm,  add garlic  to pan and saute until fragrant
Deglaze skillet with white wine simmer until slightly reduced
Reduce heat to 350 add chicken broth , lemon juice, lemon zest, and  simmer on med-low for 10 minutes
Add cooked penne and simmer 5 more minutes until pasta absorbs some on the liquid
Add butter one piece at a time, stirring until combined with sauce
Add cooked chicken to reheat
Add capers and simmer 2 minutes
Serve chicken in bed of penne and top with chopped parsley and thin slices of lemon

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YUMMY IN YOUR TUMMY CHICKEN WINGS

Image by TheDeliciousLife via FlickrHere is another great recipe for your Super Bowl party... Hope you enjoy!

These wings really are yummy in your tummy!

Ingredients

5 lbs  chicken wing pieces
2 c sugar
3/4 c soy sauce.
1.5 oz whiskey(Southern Comfort or  Jack Daniels )
4 cloves garlic, minced .
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated .

How to make it

Par boil the wings for 10 minutes and let cool while preparing the sauce
Mix all other ingredients in a medium sauce pan and slowly bring to a boil
Don't leave the stove because it because it tends to boil over
Reduce heat to a simmer and stir until sauce thickens slightly
Arrange wings in a large disposable foil roaster (less clean up)
Pour sauce over wings and arrange on center rack in a 450 F oven
Bake for approx 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes until wings are dark, gooey and yummy

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NEENA'S GLAZED TURKEY MEATLOAF

Image by pcarpen via Flickr Now that the busy holiday season is over it's time again to focus on warming comfort foods for those cold winter nights.
This is a meatloaf that everyone will love.The grated apples keep it moist and give it a sweetness.  Mashed potatoes or mashed sweet  potatoes go well with it.


Ingredients

1 tsp oil 
1 cup chopped onions
1 stalk chopped celery
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 lb ground turkey
1 1/2 cups peeled grated apples
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs from firm bread
1 egg lightly beaten
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Glaze
1 tbsp cider vinegar 
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard 
How to make it

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat
Add onions and celery and saute 3 minutes until softened
Stir in thyme and sage and cool slightly
Combine onion mixture in large bowl with turkey, bread crumbs, apple, egg, parsley, mustard, salt and pepper
Mix well and pack into a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Pour off accumulated fat
Glaze
Combine glaze ingredients in small bowl and brush over top of loaf
Bake 30 minutes more or until golden and juices run clear when pierced

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LANE'S TURN IN THE KITCHEN

I’ve decided to change the format of the blog… I will be giving a little background on the recipes and will include step by step pictures when applicable… Hope you enjoy, Debbie
 
This past week, Lane sat down and said  ” Debbie I’m in the mood to cook, do you think you could pick up some Cornish hens at the market for Sunday?”That’s all he had to say, I could only imagine what was in store.. It totally exceeded my expectations!
For those of you who don’t know, Lane is a phenomenal self taught fusion chef.  He has turned  out some incredible meals, and I am the lucky person who gets to taste them!  Some of  these unbelievable recipes include, king crab legs, herb crusted tuna, smoked raspberry glazed turkey breast, coffee marinated  rib eye steaks, the most succulent meatloaf I have ever tasted…. You get the picture…
 So here is the delicious feast he prepared for us last Sunday, using our portable convection oven.The combination of the apple/ grape  mixture and the mojo marinade infuse the meat with a fruity/citrus flavor as well as helping to retain natural  juices.   I took pictures of each step so you all can prepare it too. Try it, I guarantee it will become one of your favorites

The finished product!

Lane’s  Cornish Hens Mojo Style
with Chanterelle Saffron Rice






  2 Cornish game hens about 1 ½ lbs ea
1 chopped apple
½ cup red seedless grapes
1 tsp dried juniper berries
3/4 bottle Badia Mojo Marinade
1 tbsp McCormick rub for chicken
½ cup dried chanterelle mushrooms reconstituted in boiling water ,save liquid
1 pkg Vigo or Mahatma yellow saffron rice
                                                                                                                                                                                 

Marinading hens

Fruit stuffing

Pour ¾ bottle of mojo marinade into large glass bowl, add hens, turning over and refrigerate for a least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees for 5 minutes then lower to 325
Stuff cavities of hens with apple/grape mixture
Place in a 13x9 in pan and rub both sides with chicken rub
Place breast side down in pan

Stuffing hens with fruit mixture

Pour remaining marinade over hens and add juniper berries and 2 tbsp  mushroom soaking liquid to bottom of pan
Roast at 325 for 45- 60 minutes or until done
(Low and slow)
Remove hens from oven and let rest for 5 minutes
Prepare rice according to package directions, adding 2 tbsp mushroom liquid and mushrooms, Serve with Cornish Hens

Hens in oven

Dried mushrooms

Rice and reconstituted mushrooms

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TASTY APRICOT CHICKEN

This dish goes together quickly.. Great for those busy nights! It tastes great with some jasmine rice and steamed broccoli with butter and lemon.




Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste
4 oz(1/2 jar) apricot preserves
3 oz (1/4 bottle) Russian dressing
1/2 pkg dry onion soup mix

Directions
Heat portable oven to 350F
Season chicken well with sea salt, pepper and granulated garlic
Place in an 8 in square casserole dish
Mix together the apricot preserves, Russian dressing and onion soup mix
Pour over chicken
Bake for 45 minutes or until tender

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CLASSIC RECIPES REVISITED

CHICKEN DIVAN
Here is a quick and easy classic that is still as tasty as it was back in the 80's



Ingredients
1 pound chopped fresh broccoli
1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of broccoli soup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat toaster oven to 375 degrees F
Place the broccoli in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Place the cooked broccoli in a 9 inch pie plate. Top with the chicken. In a bowl, mix the soup and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown

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CHICKEN VERONIQUE

This recipe comes from Woman's World magazine...It has become one of our favorites. Its easy, tasty and elegant!






1 tsp salt
½ tsp orange zest
¼ tsp pepper
4 thin sliced boneless chicken breasts
2 tbs butter
2 lg shallots, chopped
1 ½ c seedless red grapes, halved
1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
½ c cooked white rice
1 tbs chopped parsley

In a bowl combine ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp rosemary, zest and pepper. Sprinkle over all sides of chicken. Melt butter in electric skillet on medium heat, add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and just cooked through. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
To the same skillet, add shallots and cook stirring until softened, for 3 minutes. Add grapes, wine, salt and rosemary and cook until wine is reduced by half and the grapes are softened. Add cream and reserved chicken with any juices. Cook until heated trough and sauce has thickened
Serve over cooked white rice and sprinkle with parsley

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QUICK EASY AND DELICIOUS

SLOPPY JOES, BUFFALO STYLE

If you are in the mood for hot and spicy, this is oh-so-good!




2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken or turkey breast
1 carrot, peeled and chopped or grated
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup to ½ c Franks Wing It sauce (or any buffalo wing sauce you like)
½ cup ketchup
1 cup chicken stock
8 good quality burger rolls, split and toasted
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 large dill pickles, chopped

Heat an electric skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and break it up with wooden spoon, cook 5 to 6 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, onions and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cook 7 to 8 minutes more. In a bowl combine the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, wing sauce, ketchup and stock. Pour into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer until thickened. Pile sloppy Buffalo filling onto buns and top with blue cheese and chopped pickles.

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More Slow Cooker Comforts

SLOW COOKER STUFFING TOPPED PORK CHOPS

One of Lane’s favorites!
Serve with applesauce and a simple vegetable (buttered green beans or broccoli are our favs!)

2-4 center cut pork chops
Salt, pepper and garlic powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely minced
1 stalk celery finely minced
1 carrot finely minced
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tbsp tapioca mixed with ¼ cup additional chicken stock warmed in microwave
1 pkg boxed stuffing (either pork or savory herb flavor)
1 tsp fennel seeds

Sprinkle chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder
Heat oil in medium skillet on portable burner
Brown chops well and put in bottom of slow cooker
Add vegetables and cook until soft
Deglaze pan with¼ cup chicken stock and pour mixture on top of chops
Stir tapioca mixture into slow cooker
Cook on low for 6 hours

Prepare stuffing according to the directions on package, adding the fennel seeds
Form into ovals, approximately the same size as the chops and broil in the toaster oven at 450F until crisp on top, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours
One hour before serving, turn slow cooker to high heat, put stuffing on top of chops, cover tightly and cook one hour until heated through
Serve with drippings and veggies poured over top of chops
Enjoy!


WEST AFRICAN CHICKEN STEW
This is a tasty warm meal for a cool rainy night

Ingredients
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 medium zucchini sliced
2 cups chicken broth
1 6 oz can tomato paste
salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks *
2 tbsp butter (optional)*
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts

Directions


In a medium skillet on a portable burner, brown chicken in olive oil and set aside
Saute onion and garlic in remaining drippings until translucent then add to bottom of slow cooker along with chicken broth, tomato paste, curry powder, cumin and smoked paprika
Add chicken thighs put slow cooker on low heat for 7 hours
The last hour turn slow cooker to high and add zucchini
15 minutes before serving, add peanut butter and mix well
Serve garnished with chopped peanuts


*There are 2 options for the sweet potatoes
#1 Peel the sweet potatoes, cut into chunks and add to slow cooker after stew has cooked for 4 hours
#2 Microwave whole sweet potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender , scoop pulp into bowl, mash with 2 tbs butter and use as a bed for the stew
We have done it both ways, but we find adding the potatoes directly to the stew gives it a deeper level of flavor

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