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Thursday Recipe Exchange: Braised Italian Chicken
Happy Thursday. I don’t know about you, but I could have used the weekend two days ago, it’s been that kind of week. Let’s get right to tonight’s ingredients: chicken and vegetables. This was really just my excuse to be able to test drive a recipe I’ve been thinking about for a while. I came across a recipe for an Italian braised chicken in a white wine sauce served over pasta and my first thought was, I wonder if you could do that with a traditional red sauce? I love chicken cacciatore, but the texture of the chicken leaves a lot to be desired. I could go with a traditional chicken parmesan, but that isn’t quite the same, the meat isn’t permeated with sauce flavor in the same way. This recipe gave me just what I was looking for, a nice textured chicken packed with flavor.
In case Italian chicken isn’t a favorite, I posted two other chicken recipes this week: Barbecue Chicken with Spinach and Grilled Lime Chicken. Next week: I’m taking requests. What would you like?
Now for tonight’s recipe:
Braised Italian Chicken
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
- Olive oil
- Flour
- Dried: basil, oregano, rosemary, cayenne pepper, pepper, salt, thyme
Sauce:
- 6-8 green onions, chopped
- 1 small zucchini cubed
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 4-6 button mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 2 tsp crushed garlic or equivalent
- 1/2 cup good red wine
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 14 oz can of diced tomatoes or equivalent (I use unsalted)
- 2-15oz cans of tomato sauce (again, I use unsalted)
- 2 tsp dried basil (or fresh equivalent)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (opt)
- Pinch of rosemary
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 10-16 oz of favorite pasta (I like angel hair with this dish)
Bowl, Saucepan, Skillet, Baking dish or Dutch oven
In a bowl, mix together about 2 cups of flour and a good amount of the spices. Wash and dry thighs. Dredge in flour and fry in large skillet in about 1/2 cup of olive oil (I start with skin side down and do not touch it until it moves easily when I nudge it with a fork, then I flip it). When browned on both sides, remove to a plate with paper towels to drain a bit. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add diced vegetables, cook until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute, then add wine, stirring to deglaze the pan. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to mix well. Let simmer, covered, on the stovetop while chicken browns.
In baking dish, add enough sauce to come 1/2 way up the side of the baking dish. Nestle chicken in the baking dish, skin side up. Now here is the important part, ladle additional sauce AROUND the chicken as needed, but DO NOT cover the top. Leave enough room for the browned top of the chicken to remain above the sauce. This lets it braise and the skin still stay crispy. Bake, UNCOVERED, for 1 hour and 30 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, check to make sure the sauce is barely bubbling, if it is boiling, reduce heat to 300 degrees. Chicken is done when it gives easily, but not falling off the bone.
Leave remaining sauce on the stove to simmer on low while the chicken cooks, you’ll probably want extra for the pasta. Prepare pasta just before chicken is done. Serve with salad or green beans and a nice deep red wine.
Prep time is a lot on this meal, so I suggest it for weekends or special guests. I also doubled the sauce and froze 1/2 for another meal.
Tonight we also get a glossary: What is braising? What is deglazing?
Arrivederci!
I don’t normally worry about disappointing my waiter. Our final dinner in San Diego, it was clear I might have done just that and my gushing over my dinner was not going to sway him.
Arrivederci Ristorante is a neighborhood restaurant, which is always the best kind. We stumbled upon it after aborting another dinner plan on the way to the airport. It was charming and the staff was friendly and very good at their craft.
The wine was excellent and the food was impressive.
It was clearly a local hangout and quite busy on an early Sunday afternoon. We had two hours before our flight and I was not all that hungry, even though the menu held many temptations. My original order was for what looked like an excellent soup. It must have been, because they were sold out.
I then went with my standby. I’m from a very traditional Italian family. Good sauce on good pasta with a great bread is really all you need. Meatballs or sausage are an option, not a necessity. (I look at pizzas much the same way – if your crust and sauce are not excellent it doesn’t matter how much stuff you throw on top, you’ll never overcome that deficit.)
You’d be surprised how badly most restaurants do this simple dish, treating it almost as a throw away. They put all their effort into fancy pastas, cream sauces and sun-dried tomatoes topped with fancy cheeses and multiple additions. Often they are good, very good, but I really judge an Italian restaurant on the basics. A great sauce is a requirement. I’m quite often disappointed.
Arrivederci looked promising. The dipping sauce they served with the most excellent bread was fresh, tangy with just the right amount of spice. It was kissed with fresh basil, so it didn’t overpower the delicate tomato flavor. They took it seriously.
So when the soup was unavailable, I knew exactly what I wanted. A simple pasta, sauce and meatballs. I was not disappointed. The sauce was fresh, well spiced, light and served on top shelf linguine that was perfectly al dente. The meatballs, which are quite often done poorly, were perfect. Moist, filled with flavor, not filler, a good complement to the sauce.
So how did I come to disappoint my waiter? I was only able to eat about a quarter of my plate (as you can see from the picture above, I could have served 4 with it) and since we were about to board a plane I couldn’t take leftovers with me. I assumed TSA would frown on a doggy bag. No matter how he tried to convince me, I could neither clean my plate nor take leftovers with me – though I would have really liked to have them at lunch today at work. No matter how much I raved about my meal, I don’t think I convinced him how wonderful I found it. The face he made when he walked away was priceless. It was sweet. I’d go there again in a heartbeat.
They also have a pizzeria down the street which I can only assume is some of the best pizza anywhere.
My friend had one of their gnocchi plates, which was equally delicious – and the gnocchi was light as a feather and the sauce was delicate, not overpowering as some cream sauces can be. We finished the meal with a really good coffee. Dark, rich with a chocolate finish (we’re coffee fanatics and love a good brew). From staff to atmosphere to food and drinks, there was nothing to disappoint here.
Thursday Recipe Exchange: Vegetarian Delights
Cross posted at Balloon-Juice
I’m travelling, en route to San Diego, so you’re on your own – no keggers and try not to riot. Tonight we’re going vegetarian with two recipes. I’m often asked for vegetarian recipes, so I’m always on the lookout for good ones, can’t wait to see what you guys come up with. Next week: Fruit Desserts
I love black bean burgers, but the frozen ones can leave a lot to be desired. So I’ve been looking around for a good recipe. I found this one, but cannot tell you where, sorry to say. I’ve changed up few things, made it a bit spicier and a bit moister. Grill or fry on medium heat to keep the burgers from drying out. Makes 4 good sized burgers, though you may want to double the recipe to serve 6-8 people.
Black Bean and Cheddar Burgers
- 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained, or dry equivalent
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded (about 1-1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs soaked in 1 to 2 tbsp milk
- 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped, pickled jalapeno
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsps minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Serve with:
- 4 hamburger buns
- Tomato and avocado slices for garnish
In a mixing bowl, with a potato masher, mash half of beans into coarse puree; add remaining ingredients. Work mixture together by hand until it holds together easily. Shape mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties. Oil a large piece of aluminum foil, place on a grill set to medium heat and place burgers on the foil. You can also fry these on medium heat in a covered, well oiled skillet. Cook for about 8 minutes per side or until browned on outside and heated through to center. Serve on buns, topped with tomato and avocado.
The pasta caprese has appeared here before. I make it both vegetarian and gluten free, so it’s my go-to recipe for company. From one of our Thursday Night Menus (link includes my favorite chocolate cake):
Pasta Caprese
- 9 oz dry pasta
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 4 oz cubed mozzarella
- salt & pepper to taste
saucepan and large serving dish
Prepare pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, mix remaining ingredients together. Drain pasta completely (dab with paper towels, if necessary) then add to tomato mixture. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors blend. Serve warm or you can refrigerate and serve cold. Add a nice loaf of bread for a complete dinner.
I use a fairly expensive mozzarella for this dish because it’s softer, tastier and absorbs more flavors. Any locally produced mozzarella would work. Also, my local farmers’ market has a pasta vendor, who hand-makes many flavors of pasta. This dish works very well with flavored pastas – fire roasted chili, lemon pepper, tomato basil, red bell pepper – the list goes on. You can also change-up the cheese to a Queso Blanco (again, use a fairly expensive or locally produced one), use cilantro instead of basil and use a chili flavored pasta for a whole new dish. The possibilities are endless.
Thursday Recipe Exchange: Portuguese Beef and Pasta
Years ago, when I was first learning to ski, I was very frustrated by the amount of time I spent on my ass and not skiing. Someone told me that if I wasn’t spending a lot of time picking myself up, I wasn’t really skiing. I needed to push my limits to get better. In other words, it was all good. I find that information works for a lot of things in life. Cooking is no exception.
This week, I spent a lot of time on my figurative ass, playing with the new crock-pot making various recipes. There were epic failures. The first thing I tried was a slow cooker meatloaf. It called for a basic meatloaf recipe – I have a favorite – and then cook all day on low. The results were not stellar. More like steamed meatloaf. An unappetizing color and texture. Not the nice deep brown of a good baked loaf. I was able to salvage it by cutting it into thin slices and frying it up for sandwiches.
I'll stick to these scalloped potatoes from now on.
The next failure was the scalloped potatoes. This called for a slightly modified recipe, a bit more moisture than in the baked method. The flavor was fine, the texture was horrible. Kind of like if you reheated some that you baked. Rubbery and chewy. I’m not sure how you could modify the recipe to get a creamier texture. I’d love to hear any ideas in the comments.
The rest of the week was spent making traditional slow cooker foods – soups and a lovely pot roast. It wasn’t a total loss. I did learn that for a fool-proof slow cooker recipe it’s best to have a recipe that can cook, unattended, all day without risk of ruin. Both the potatoes and the meatloaf really could not have cooked any longer than they did. They would have turned out even worse.
So that was adventures in cooking this week. What foods do you use your slow cooker for successfully? Anything usual that we’ve never thought of? Hit the comments. Next week I think our theme will be Mardi Gras, and I’m hoping you’ll come prepared to share some favorite drinks as well as Cajun food recipes. Someone should bring the King’s cake recipe, too.
Here’s one of my favorite fool-proof slow cooker recipes:
Portuguese Beef & Pasta
This works best if you cook the pasta separately and either add it to the beef the last 15 minutes or serve the beef over the pasta. This is one of those slow cooker recipes that the longer it cooks, the better it gets, usually 10 hours minimum for best flavor.
- 1 lb round steak, cut into thin strips, remove excess fat
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2-14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- 8 oz dry macaroni**
Slow-Cooker and saucepan
Add beef, salt, pepper, onion, green pepper, garlic, paste, diced tomatoes, water, bay leaf & red pepper to Slow-Cooker. Cook according to manufacturer’s directions (usually 8-10 hours on low) until beef tears easily with a fork. In saucepan, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well (you don’t want any water in your beef mixture) and mix beef and pasta and serve.
**Ditilani works really, or any tiny pasta, like tiny elbow macaroni or tiny bow-ties.
Thursday Night Recipe Exchange: Spinach Recipes
Recipe Exchange cross-posted at Balloon-Juice.
I thought last week went really well. Thanks for playing along. This week we delve into spinach recipes. I used to hate spinach. This is probably because I am a child of the 70′s and the only spinach I ever saw was canned or frozen, with the consistency of slime. As an adult I discovered fresh, baby spinach and I never looked back. One of my favorite spinach recipes is Spinach Lasagna.
JeffreyW's stuffed manicotti with spinach
To get us started:
Spinach Lasagna
This is one of my most requested recipes. Every time I make it, someone wants the recipe. Since the prep time is long, I usually only break it out for special occasions. It freezes well, so you can make a double batch and freeze two 8×8 pans of uncooked lasagna for two more meals. Thaw the night before (in the refrigerator) and cook until heated through, about 45 minutes to an hour. This recipe is great vegetarian, or you can add ground beef and sausage if desired.
This recipe takes about an hour to prepare and another hour to cook. It easily serves 6 – 8
Sauce:
- 3-15 oz cans tomato sauce
- 2-6 oz cans tomato paste
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp oregano, crushed
- 3 tsp basil, crushed
- 3 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 medium carrot, peeled & finely grated
- pinch of sugar (reduces acidity of the tomatoes)
- Optional: ½ lb ground beef and ½ spicy Italian sausage, browned
Saucepan
Add all ingredients to saucepan on medium-high, stirring constantly until it begins to boil lightly. Turn to low and let simmer while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Lasagna:
- 1 pkg lasagna noodles (16 oz), cooked and placed in cool water until layering*
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 8 oz fresh baby spinach, washed and dried and chopped
- 1 egg
- 12 oz sliced mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
13×9 baking dish (I prefer glass), lightly oiled
To prepare: Mix ricotta, spinach and egg until well blended. Ladle a layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover in a single layer of noodles. Ladle sauce over noodles. Spoon ½ of the ricotta mixture evenly (if you place large dollops evenly like putting cookie dough on a baking sheet, fairly close together, it will spread as it cooks, no need to smooth it). Layer 1/3 of the mozzarella over the ricotta. Repeat: noodles, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, noodles. On top of the last layer of noodles, add remaining sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered – I like to place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any spills as it bubbles. Place knife through the center, if it comes out heated through, remove and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. If it needs more cooking time, you can cover with foil to keep the cheese from burning and cook 10 more minutes. Let stand uncovered before serving.
*if you’d like to make your own noodles, here is the recipe I use:
Lasagna Noodles
When I do make the pasta, I make three, pan-sized noodles, rolled very, very thin. I place them uncooked in the dish, so they absorbed much of the sauce. I usually make a bit extra sauce to serve on the side with the lasagna.
- 3 cups unbleached flour
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
In a large bowl, add flour. Make a well in the center and add egg yolks, eggs and salt. Mix well with a fork. Mix in water, 1 tbsp at a time until dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a well floured board or pastry sheet. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Roll one ball out as thin as possible (I use a marble rolling pin, you can also use a pasta machine). Make sure to cover remaining balls with a damp towel until ready to use. Cut to fit pan. Repeat with remaining dough until you have 3 pan sized noodles. DO NOT COOK homemade noodles before putting lasagna together. Follow directions above for putting lasagna together.
Next Week: Favorite Super Bowl Food
What’s For Lunch?
I hear this question almost every day. Usually after I’ve heated my soup or leftovers. Especially the soups. Nothing warms an office like the smell of a hot, spicy soup on a cold fall day.
So what is for lunch today? How about a tomato vegetable soup? The key to keeping it fresh is how the pasta is cooked. I boil it separately, draining it when it is on the firm side of al dente. If I’m serving the soup right away, I add it the last 5 minutes and let it soak up the flavors without becoming mushy. If it’s for lunch, I bring the pasta and soup separately and combine before I reheat. You can use any pasta you like, but I think the mini-pastas work well – ditalini, tiny shells or tiny elbows – they hold their firmness the best.
Ditalini Pasta
Spicy Vegetable Soup
- 12 oz pasta, cooked al dente and drained*
- 1 lb lean ground beef or half ground beef, half ground Italian Sausage
- 2-14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups diced carrots (I use frozen)
- 1 cup green beans (frozen again)
- 6 green onions, chopped (including greens)
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 tbsp crushed garlic
- 3 tsp dried basil, crushed
- 2 tsp to 1 tbsp fennel
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
large saucepan
In saucepan, brown ground beef (and sausage). Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and bring to a low boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add pasta during the last 5 minutes. Serves 4-6 easily. Serve with garlic bread and salad.
*rinse quickly in cold water to stop the cooking process, but don’t over rinse and lose all that nice starch for the soup.
Mmm… Stuffed shells
I dithered about what to do with the ricotta we made yesterday until Mrs J mentioned stuffed shells. Perfect!
I didn’t have that much ricotta so I knew I would have to stretch it out with other stuff. I never measured the ricotta but the recipe I used mentioned 1-1/2 cups could be expected and that was pretty close. I added a cup pf shredded mozzarella, half a cup of shredded Parmesan, an egg, about 1/4 cup of chopped parsley, some red pepper flakes, and some dried oregano and basil with a bit of salt and a grind of black pepper.
These were arranged on top of some tomato sauce in a casserole dish.
Then topped with more tomato sauce, this time with some meat, and the rest of the ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
I covered it with foil and baked it at 350 for 30 minutes.
Then baked it for another 15 minutes, uncovered.
I will be making more ricotta. It’s easy, and the flavor and texture is better than any I have brought back from the supermarket.\
A Quick Dinner
Busy doing chores and packing for my trip. What to do for dinner? Especially when I’m trying to deplete my refrigerator of fresh foods that will certainly go bad while I’m gone. How about a quick pasta dinner (sorry no pictures, did I mention I was busy packing)?
I put the pasta on to cook. Meanwhile I placed some cleaned baby spinach in a plastic colander, diced up a couple of tomatoes and pulled out some spices. I tossed the tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. When the pasta was ready, I drained it in a colander that I held over the spinach colander, wilting the spinach with the hot pasta water. I set the spinach aside and quickly rinsed the pasta with cool water. I drained the spinach well and then tossed the pasta, spinach and tomato mixture together. Toss with some Parmesan and dinner is served.
Cool eats on a hot day
Mmm…tuna salad sandwich on toast with lettuce and tomato. The classic summer salad: Cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions in a vinaigrette. Pasta salad with halved cherry tomatoes and shells in a dressing of mayo, half & half, cream cheese, and a splash of lemon juice.
Thursday Night Menu: Dinner Guest Edition
Chocolate Pecan Torte
A few weeks ago, LFern and Mr. Fern made dinner for me. I thought I should return the favor. The menu is filled with my favorites. Nothing new here, just some surefire good food.
On the board tonight:
- Pasta Caprese
- Caesar Salad
- Chocolate Pecan* Torte
Pasta Caprese
From August 2010:
Pasta Caprese
- 9 oz linguine or fettuccine
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 4 oz cubed mozzarella
- salt & pepper to taste
saucepan and large serving dish
Prepare pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, mix remaining ingredients together. Drain pasta completely (dab with paper towels, if necessary) then add to tomato mixture. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors blend. Serve warm or you can refrigerate and serve cold. Add a nice loaf of bread for a complete dinner.
I use a fairly expensive mozzarella for this dish because it’s softer, tastier and absorbs more flavors. Any locally produced mozzarella would work. Also, my local farmers’ market has a pasta vendor, who hand-makes many flavors of pasta. This dish works very well with flavored pastas – fire roasted chili, lemon pepper, tomato basil, red bell pepper – the list goes on. You can also change-up the cheese to a Queso Blanco (again, use a fairly expensive or locally produced one), use cilantro instead of basil and use a chili flavored pasta for a whole new dish. The possibilities are endless.
Caesar Salad - would you think less of me if I told you I bought a 'salad kit' so I could focus on the rest of the meal?
This is becoming my favorite chocolate cake.
From January 2011:
Chocolate Hazelnut*Torte
- 12 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tbsp milk or cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 7 eggs
- 3 tbsp Frangelino (opt)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts*
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform baking.
In a medium saucepan, whisk the chocolate, milk and butter together over low heat until a smooth mixture forms. Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool.
In a blender, beat eggs well. Add sugar, blending until the mixture turns thick and pale yellow. Add the Frangelino and gradually add the cooled chocolate mixture, blending slowly until combined. Add baking soda vanilla and nuts; mix until just combined.
Bake for 40 minutes, turn oven down to 350 degrees, then cover with foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on rack until completely cooled. Serves 12 small portions
*I had to make do with pecans because there was not a hazelnut to be found at the grocery store today. Was there a shortage? embargo? and I missed it?
One last note: This entire meal (minus croutons) was gluten free for LFern. The pasta is Tinkyada Rice Pasta, you’d never know the difference, it’s good stuff.
TaMara
jeffreyww
LFern7
indylib
