Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Portobello Mushrooms

Portabella vs. Portobello, apparently either is correct
but you won't care once your serve up a bowl of my
Pasta with Chicken Sausage & Portobello Mushrooms

One of my favorite Sunday dinners is pasta and this particular pasta recipe is a family favorite! And it's a low fuss meal that comes together in about 15 minutes and then it's left to simmer to develop it's rich flavor.

What I love about it is that it is lighter in calories then a traditional pasta and sausage dinner because I use lean Italian-style chicken sausage. If you splurge on a good brand you won't miss the pork variety. 

The addition of the portobello mushrooms adds that extra meatiness and lots of depth of flavor.

Typically, I like to serve this with some kind of slow cooked greens, such as kale or swiss chard and wine, red or white.  I tend to drink whatever I am in the mood for and just chuck that whole this type of wine goes with that type of protein.  If you like it ... I say drink it!

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions  sliced
• 2 red and yellow bell or 8 mini-bell peppers, sliced
• 3 caps of portobello mushrooms, thick sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon oregano, dried
• 1 tablespoon basil, dried
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of red chili pepper flakes
• 4 mild Italian-style chicken sausages, sliced on the diagonal
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound cooked penne pasta (or pasta of choice)

1. Heat a heavy bottomed, skillet with tall sides over medium heat, add the first 3 ingredients, saute 3 minutes.
2. Next, add the mushrooms, garlic, oregano, basil and red chili pepper. Saute 3 minutes.
3. Add sausage and saute 5-7 minutes, stir often.
4. Pour in wine to deglaze the pan and allow to simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
5. Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Simmer 30-45 minutes over low heat. Adjust seasonings to taste.
7. Add cooked pasta and stir well to incorporate.
8. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serve with garlic bread and a light salad and of course wine, lots of wine!

Maple Bourbon Garlic Roast Chicken

Maple, bourbon and garlic, three simple ingredients that play together so very nicely!

This recipe is easy to make, it just takes a little patience during the brine and marinade process but I promise that the results are nothing short of divine.

The Hub, who never remembers the name of any recipe, will ask for it by name.  It think it's the bourbon that he remembers most.

But it has become a special Sunday dinner, although I've made it during the week too.

This recipe recommends that you brine your chicken, you can skip this part, but frankly if I have a chance to brine I do. Why? Because it makes for a very moist chicken throughout, including the breast. For time efficieny, brine the night before and marinate the next day until it's time to roast.
If you want to brine check out my post on how to brine here.

With this recipe you get crispy skin and juicy, flavorful chicken and to me that's the perfect roast chicken right there.

• 1 - 4-5 pound whole chicken (remove the neck and giblets from the chicken's cavity)
• Brine 10-12 hours or overnight.  Here's a link to my post on all things brine.
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1 - 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Clean up your chicken by removing any excess skin and fat.

1. Brine chicken overnight or at least 10 hours.
2. While the chicken is in the brine solution, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the salt and pepper, cover and place in fridge. This will give the marinade time to develop it's full flavor potential.
3. After brining, remove chicken from solution, rinse well and pat very dry.
4. Place chicken in a large zip bag and pour all the ingredients from the bowl into the zip bag. Zip it closed, roll chicken around in the bag so the marinade is well distributed and place in fridge (place in a deep bowl, just in case).  Allow to marinate 2 - 8 hours, the longer the better.
5. Take chicken out of fridge and allow to come to room temperature  - about 30-60 minutes
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
7. Remove chicken from zip bag, do not discard marinade.
8. Pat chicken dry and lightly rub olive oil all over.
9. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken, then all over the outside
10. Place chicken in a deep fry pan or cast iron skillet
11. Put in the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes
12. In the meantime, bring the marinade to a boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes
13. After the initial roast at 425, lower oven temperature to 375 degrees F and brush the chicken all over with the marinade
14. Roast for 50-70 minutes. Be sure to brush chicken with marinade a half hour into the roast time and then again 15 minutes before it is done.  The chicken is done when the internal temperature, taken from the thigh, reads 165 degrees F.
15. Now this is really important, remove chicken from pan onto a carving board and allow it to rest 15-20 minutes before carving.

Serving suggestions:  The questions here is what can't you serve  with this delicious chicken?


Recipe Notes:
Allowing the chicken to rest lets the internal juices that have have been driven to the center of the meat to relax and "redistribute" throughout the meat. That's the simple explanation of why you should let pretty much any roasted/grilled/pan fried meats rest. However if you want to know more there is a wealth of  whys and hows on the web if you want to learn more about the science behind the resting period.

Tripping All the Way to Tuscan-Inspired White Bean, Kale and Chicken Soup

Tuscan-Inspired White Bean, Kale & Chicken Soup

I bought a huge, and I mean huge, bag of Kale on Monday and was determined to make something warm and satisfying by the way of soup. I had also just watched a travel show about Tuscany and the flavors, herbs and scents of that region and I wanted them in my food. It was inspiring, I was inspired and I got cooking. The ingredients you need to incorporate those flavors aren't all that hard to get, they are simple, clean, fresh and you probably have most or all of them on hand. This is not a heavy soup, it is hearty in flavor, but it will not weigh you down. The Hub had seconds, he is my eternal "meter"! When he has seconds I know I hit a home run! So come along with me and let's get tripping to Tuscany.

Serves 6 as a meal and 8 as a starter.

1 pound chicken* thighs, diced into bite size pieces, about 1", sprinkled with salt and pepper and a teaspoon of Tuscan seasoning mix (recipe follows at the end)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, quartered and diced
2 celery stalks, halved and diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons Tuscan seasoning mix (recipe follows at the end)
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, stems removed and discarded, leaves chopped
A palm full of fresh thyme, stems removed and discarded, leaves chopped

BBQ Achiote Drumsticks

It was in the high 60's last night in South Florida and for us it was the perfect weather for a BBQ with friends. It was cool, very little to no humidity and best of all no mosquitos! The stars of last night's BBQ were chicken drumsticks, that had been brined and then marinaded in achiote paste. Sides tonight are no fuss, deli bought potato salad and cole slaw. Firing up the grill got the evenings festivities going. 

BBQ Achiote Drumsticks
Serves 4-6

18-20 drumsticks
Brine solution
2-3 tablespoons Achiote paste. Click here for home-made Achiote recipe.
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Orange, Ginger-Soy Grilled Chicken

Summer is definitely here in South Florida.  Long hot days turn into long equally hot nights and the last thing you want to do is crank up the stove, which will further crank up your utility bill, because now you are cranking down the A/C's thermostat to cool your home.

Besides, what's easier than firing up the grill and throwing together a big salad, add some bread, like my Grilled Tomato & Garlic Bread a la Catalana and dinner is a done deal.

This is probably one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes.  There is some time to invest in the way of allowing for brine time and then marinade time but other than that this is easy peasy. Prepare it over the weekend and grill on Monday for a quick and easy dinner.

Flavor wise you can't beat how the chicken takes on the deep citrus flavor of the orange zest and juice, the zippy tang of the ginger and pungent spice of the garlic. The soy gives it just the right amount of sodium.

Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied or eight skinless, boneless thighs

Brine solution
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cups of water, divided 1/2 cup boiling water and 1 1/2 cups ice cold water

To a half cup of boiling water add the salt and sugar. Stir until completely dissolved. Once dissolved add the salt sugar solution to 1 1/2 cup of ice cold water. Add chicken. Refrigerate and brine for 8 - 24 hours*.

Want to learn more about how and what to brine? Check out my post To Brine or Not to Brine? That Shouldn't Even Be a Question.

Marinade
1 orange, zest grated and juiced
1  teaspoon finely minced garlic
1" nub of fresh ginger root, grated
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Store in gallon size zip bag in fridge. Make the same day you brine the chicken.  This allows for the flavors of the ingredients to marry well together.

Remove chicken from brine, rinse well and dry with paper towel. Place inside marinade zip bag.  If time permits, marinate overnight, otherwise allow for 1 hour of marination.

Heat grill over high flame.  You will know it's ready when you hold your hand ABOVE the hot grates for no more than 3-4 secs.  Place chicken on hot grates.
Depending on the thickness, grill 5-7 minutes per side. Half way through cooking time of each side, give the chicken a quarter turn to get some nice hatch grill marks.

Place on platter and cover with foil.  Allow to rest 5 minutes. Dig in and ENJOY!

Serve with my Grilled Tomato & Garlic Bread a la Catalana, and  my favorite tangy Nicaraguan Cabbage Slaw and your favorite beverage.  For us, it was an ice cold Stella Artois.

*Recipe Notes:
Adjust brine and marinade time to your schedule. If you only have 8 hours till dinner, split the time equally between the brine and marination process.

Curry-Garam Masala Baked Chicken Tenderloins

Requirements for loving a recipe...

I love recipes with a short list of ingredients.

I love recipes that require little effort but deliver big flavor.

I love recipes where the effort is made by the appliance and not by me.

I love a recipe that cooks up fast

In this case my recipe for Curry-Garam Masala Baked Chicken Tenderloins covers all four of these requirements...

Only seven ingredients.

The only effort here is stirring everything together but boy are the flavors spot on, warm, rich - but not heavy, and oh so yummy.

The oven does all the work, all you do is slide in a baking sheet.

15 minutes and you are done.

What's not love about this recipe?

Serves 2- 4

• 2 tablespoons non fat greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• Zest and juice of one blood orange (or regular orange )
• 1/4 teaspoon pilpelchum or cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloin, cut into thin strips

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl stir to incorporate
2. Allowed to marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 8 hours - better overnight
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4. Place chicken on a oiled foil lined rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.
5. Bake 10 minutes, drain off any excess liquids . 
6. Turn pieces over,  return to oven and cook another five minutes or till lightly golden.

Serve with yogurt and torn pieces of pita or toss into a salad or basmati rice. Enjoy!

Chicken, Orzo & White Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced

1 bell pepper diced

 8 ounces of cremoni mushrooms sliced in thick slices

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into chunks

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped 

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced

1 tablespoon of fresh basil, finally minced
1 cup white wine

28 ounce can of San Marzano whole tomatoes (tear apart with your hand as you add to pan)

2 bay leaves

4 cups of chicken stock

2 cups of cannellini beans (previously soaked) or 1 can, drained and rinsed.

1/2 teaspoon of dried orange peel
Parmesan rind (optional)
1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup uncooked orzo
3-4 handfuls spinach

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

• Heat a dutch oven or deep pan over medium heat. Add oil followed by onions and peppers. Saute 5 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, cook 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken, allow to lightly brown, then add the garlic. Stir to incorporate.
• Sprinkle the rosemary, oregano and basil over top and stir well to incorporate. Saute 2 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with wine, scrape brown bits from bottom of pan.
• Add the tomatoes,  bay leaves,chicken stock, beans and orange peel. Bring to boil, then lower heat to a simmer. (At this point you can transfer everything to the slow cooker and set on high for 2 -3 hours or low for 6-8 hours.)
• Cook until the beans are softened about 45 - 60 minutes
• 30 minutes before serving, bring to a low boil add, salt, pepper, orzo and spinach, stir, lower heat to simmer.
• (For the slow cooker, raise heat to high and stir in, salt, pepper, orzo and spinach - cook 30 minutes or till orzo is al dente).

To Serve: Grate parmesan over each serving and with your favorite bread.

Recipe notes:  You can use dried herbs in place of fresh just be sure to adjust  quantities as dried herbs are much more potent.

Mayo-Panko Crusted Chicken

It is Tuesday afternoon, 5pm after work and I'm staring at a defrosted bag of chicken breast. What to do?!

I had no time for a decent marinade or for a brine to make the forever dry chicken breast moist.... but alas it hit me! Mayonnaise!

You must be thinking, what in the world? How does that make sense?

Baking chicken is, to me, the fastest, easiest way to cook chicken but baking tends to make the chicken breast dry out.  Here's how I fixed that little problem...

The mayonnaise in this breaded chicken recipe not only does the job of adhering the panko but adding much needed moisture and flavor to the breast. The panko makes it fluffy and crunchy ... it a perfect marriage. The recipe was a hit at home! I even shared it with a co-worker and it was a hit at her home; we were both successful in feeding our tired, hungry men AND they both asked that it be added to our cooking routine. Now that is a compliment. You could substitute chicken breast for chicken tenders. For an accompaniment, I made macaroni and cheese but the options are endless: pasta, corn on the cobb, baked potato, steamed veggies, rice pilaf, salad, beans, coleslaw, French fries and the list goes on. Have fun with it and enjoy!

Recipe:

Mayo-Panko Crusted Chicken is a
Wednesdays with Eryka Recipe

1lb chicken breast, halved
salt and pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup panko
1/2 grated parmesan cheese

1. Butterfly the chicken breast so that they are thin resulting in faster cooking time and more pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In one bowl or shallow dish, place the mayonnaise. In another dish, combine panko and parmesan cheese. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-stick spray.

3. Take the first piece of chicken breast and coat in mayonnaise. Followed by coating the chicken with the panko-parmesan mixture then place on the baking sheet. Repeat for all pieces of breast.

4. Place baking sheet in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Flip half way through cooking to ensure browning (it also adds a pretty color). Once done, serve and enjoy!

Spicy Sweet Thai-Inspired Grilled Chicken

Being in Florida the grill is accessible year-round but I especially like using it in the "winter" months because the weather is just perfect for outdoor grilling.

Seriously, it's a miserable thing to be grilling in the humid 98 degree Florida heat.

Anyway, I'll be making my Spicy Sweet Thai-Inspired Grilled Chicken again this weekend, since we are looking at some "cooler" temperatures heading our way.

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Thai red chili paste
• 1 teaspoon lemongrass powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/8 cup rice wine
• Salt & pepper
• 2 large skinless/boneless chicken breasts*, butterflied

1. Mix the first eight ingredients together. Salt and pepper the chicken breast, place in zip bag or glass bowl.
2. Add marinade to chicken. Allow it to marinate from 4 - 24 hours.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and dry each piece
4. Heat the grill to a medium high, about 10 minutes or so.
5. Spray the grates with non-stick spray (take care of flare-ups) or wipe them with a paper towel soaked with canola oil.
6. Place chicken on the grill. Do not attempt to move the chicken for at least 5 minutes. Then move them a quarter turn to get nice hatch marks. Grill for 1 minute.
7. Turn over and allow to grill for another 4-5 minutes and turn a quarter turn to get hatch marks. Grill for an additional minute. Check for doneness.
8. Have a big sheet of foil ready.  
9. Place chicken in foil and wrap tightly. 
10. Allow to rest 3-5 minutes.

Serve with grilled vegetables or salad and a crisp white wine. ENJOY!

Recipe Notes:
*I highly recommend that you brine your chicken before it hits the grill.  Learn how here.

Sauteed Achiote Chicken & Cauliflower

I have an ongoing obsession with achiote paste, which is a seasoning mix made and extracted from the annatto seed.

It is used extensively in Central American and some Asian dishes.  I developed my recipe for achiote paste based on the paste used to season Nicaraguan dishes.  I've noticed the actual achiote paste starting to populate the shelves of some mainstream supermarkets in the Hispanic foods section, so you may even be able to buy it off the shelf.  Personally, I prefer either making it myself or going to my local Nicaraguan "mercadito" (market) and buying it there.

Aside from the beautiful red color it imparts on foods, it adds a deep rich, earthly flavor to proteins (yes even tofu!). I find this is especially true on grilled meats such as chicken, pork, beef even seafood.

But I wanted to take it indoor and use it in a sauté for a quick dinner. And the results were simply put deeeeelicious! The Hub had seconds and took leftovers to work the next day.

• 1 pound sliced chicken breast** - 2" strips (like you'd use in a stir-fry)
• 2 tablespoons canola or nut oil of choice
• 1 tablespoon Achiote Paste
• Juice and zest of a small lemon
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 medium onion diced
• 4 mini sweet peppers or one medium red or orange pepper
• 1/2 head of cauliflower broken down into florets

1. After brining** your chicken (optional), place all the ingredients except oil and onion in a zip bag and allow to marinate 8 hours or best overnight. Take out of the fridge,  Remove chicken pieces from marinade shaking off excess liquids as you remove. Set marinade aside, do not discard it. Blot chicken on paper towels and allow to come to room temperature.  
2. Heat large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
3. Add 1/2 the chicken pieces - do not over crowd pan - brown chicken lightly. Remove and place on plate while you cook the remaining pieces in remaining tablespoon of oil.
4. Lower heat to medium and add onions and peppers to pan. Saute for 3 - 5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
5. Add cauliflower and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
6. Place all the chicken back into the pan and stir to blend with cauliflower.
7. Add reserved marinade liquid and bring to a boil over high heat.  Allow to boil for 1 minute.
8. Lower heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or till chicken is cooked through.

Serve with fluffy white rice, sweet plantains and an ice cold beer. Enjoy!

**Recipe Notes: You can find brining instructions here or you can skip the brine step altogether. I just have a habit of brining chicken when I use breast meat. It really helps keep it juicy.

Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Many times I crave a traditional Chicken Parmesan but don't want all the fuss and mess of breading and frying the chicken. Especially on a work week night. After a day on my feet, tending to patients, there's little energy to make an elaborate meal. Here's where my Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole comes in. It's easy to make, takes little prep time and it really satisfies that craving.  Most, if not all, the items are probably already in your pantry or freezer, and that's a winner in my opinion. While it's baking away, just boil some pasta to serve with it, add a tossed salad and dinner is on the table.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lbs chicken breast, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 24-oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup panko
1 tsp dried oregano
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

The Petite Chef - Eryka

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onions until soft, then add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute. Remove from pan. Cook the chicken in the same pan with a little bit more oil. Cook through.

2. In a 13 x 9 casserole dish, add in the cooked onion/garlic, chicken and the entire jar of pasta sauce.  Mix well to incorporate. Add the Parmesan cheese first then layer the mozzarella cheese on top.

3. In a separate small bowl, combine the panko, oregano, pinch of salt and pepper and fresh basil. Mix all together and then sprinkle on top of cheese. Place in oven to cook for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top and cheese has melted. Serve with pasta. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken with Orzo

This week is another easy weeknight meal that I happen to put together on a weeknight after work. I was craving something creamy all day and I already knew, while at work, that I had chicken defrosting at home. On my downtime at work, I mentally took inventory of what was in my fridge, combining flavors that were simple yet rich in flavor. I could not wait to get home and into the kitchen to make this dish happen. It came out just as I imagined. You can spruce it up with spices, other types of vegetables, pair it with different types of paste or even use dark meat! I kept it simple since I am as my mother calls me a "purist" in the kitchen but it does pack a lot of flavor... lets just say there were no left overs!

Recipe:
1 1/2lb chicken breast, cut into cubes
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 pepper (red or green), minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2-3 TBS cream cheese
2 carrots, chopped diagnoally 1 inch pieces
Green beans, chopped in 1 inch pieces
Orzo (cooked according to packaging)

1. In a saute pan, heat the oil on medium heat then add the chicken pieces. Add salt and pepper to season. Cook through until no longer pink. Cook in batches if necessary.

2. Set the cooked chicken aside. Add a teaspoon more of oil to the pan then add the onion and pepper. Saute until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook for together for about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock to pick up any brown bits and allow the vegetables to soak in the stock. Add the chicken back in.

3. Pour in the heavy cream and cream cheese and let it all melt together over medium-low heat. Adjust to taste the amount of heavy cream/cream cheese to your liking espeically if you like a saucier dish. Season with salt and pepper. Once everything is combined, add in the carrots and greens beans.

4. Stir everything together and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes, making sure to stir occassionally to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve over a hot bed of orzo and enjoy!

Mango-Honey Chipotle Grilled Chicken

So it's almost literally raining mangoes everywhere in South Florida! That's a good thing because my dear friend Lili has a tree and she has been graciously providing me with a healthy supply of those golden sweet beauties.

Having those mangoes and a big bag of chipotle peppers, that my sister-in-law Maria brought over from San Francisco, can only mean one thing.  Time to make a great BBQ sauce! Smokey, sweet and with just the right amount of a kick, my mango-honey chipotle sauce is perfect for grilling chicken.

Start by making a brine to keep your chicken moist as it grills, then coat the chicken in the sauce, slap it on the grill and you are just minutes away from truly juicy, flavorful chicken. Serve with a big green salad, ice-cold beer and an extra side of mango-honey chipotle sauce for dipping - dinner is done!

Serves 4

6 - 8 pieces of chicken boneless skinless - breasts and/or thighs

Brine solution: 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, dissovled in 1 quart of water

Salt & pepper

• Brine chicken from 2-8 hours, as time permits. Remove from and discard brine solution. Rinse chicken and pat thoroughly dry with paper towel. Salt and pepper each side.
• Place chicken in a wide, shallow bowl, add ½ cup of the Mango-Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce (recipe follows). Mix well to coat all pieces. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes while the grill heats up.
• Heat grill over high heat for 15 - 20 minutes. Place chicken pieces over hot grates and cook 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken. Allow chicken to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with additional sauce on the side for dipping and ice cold beer.

Mango-Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce

2-4 dried chipotle pepper (Use more or less depending on how much heat you want)

2 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium red onion, finely diced

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

6 oz tomato paste

4 tablespoon honey

¾ cup of pepper soaking liquid

1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika

2 mangoes, diced

1/3 cup lime juice

2 teaspoons mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• Place dried peppers in 3 cups boiling water, allow to soften for about 30 minutes. remove from water and set water aside. Remove stem, seed and ribs from peppers and discard. Chop finely. Warning: be very careful to not touch your eyes or lips and clean your hand thoroughly afterwards.

• Heat pan over medium heat, add onions and cook 5-7 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes
• Spoon in the tomato paste and honey, stir to incorporate into onions and garlic.  Cook until paste begins to caramelize.
• Add the pepper water to deglaze the pan and then add all the remaining ingredients.
• Cook on low for 20 minutes or until thickened.
• Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend through until thick and smooth.  You can strain through a sieve if you prefer a very smooth sauce.

Take off heat and allow to cool, store in airtight container, best in a mason jar. Keep refrigerated. Keeps for a month, makes about 2 cups.

Two-Tomato Farfale with Wine Poached Chicken & Broccoli

I had this dish while on a recent mini-vacation with the Hub at Ft. Myers Beach, Florida.  It was a house dish ... Farfale Terra Nostra, aptly named after the restaurant Terra Nostra.

The flavors were so clean, simple yet complex at the same time. I loved that it used two types of tomatoes; fresh and sun-dried, fresh broccoli, a delicious and light garlicky wine sauce.

I was so impressed I had to come home and reproduce it. And while I know it can't be exactly like theirs, my adaptation so close, that it will forever transport me back to the memory of that highly relaxing and much needed vacation.

And the Hub? Well, he barely spoke during dinner, except to come up for air, exclaiming "this **** is so good".  I couldn't have asked for a higher compliment than that! 

Serves 4

1 pound farfale pasta
 Palm full of Kosher salt to boil the pasta

1 bunch of broccoli, cut down into flowerettes 

1 pound of chicken breast, butterfiled and sliced into 2" strips
     (The day before, brine** the breast for maximum moistness and flavor)

Salt & Pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 campari tomatoes quartered

8 oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 

      (Do not use the oil-packed type and do not reconstitute dried tomatoes in water)

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 generous tablespoon of minced garlic (or more to taste)

1/4 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more (to taste) to grate over each serving

Olive oil to drizzle over top

• Butterfly, slice and brine** the chicken breast the night before or the morning you are planning to make the dish. 
• Remove from brine, discard brine, rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and very lightly brown the chicken. Work in batches. Add all the chicken back to the skillet. 
• Add the white wine, stock and minced garlic to the skillet with the chicken. Bring to a low boil then reduce heat and allow to poach while the  water for the pasta comes to a boil and the pasta cooks. About 15-20 minutes total. You should be left with about 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid.
• Bring a deep pot of water to the boil, once boiling add salt and pasta and cook according to package instructions. Set a timer one minute before the end of cooking time.
• With one minute before pasta is done, add the broccoli to the cooking pasta water and cook for 1 minute. Drain pasta/broccoli.
• Place pasta, broccoli, campari and dried tomatoes in large deep serving bowl, and stir together carefully.
• Pour in chicken cooking liquid and chicken, stir to distribute.
• Add creme fraiche, stir through to distribute.
• Add Parmesan, stir to distribute.
• Drizzle olive oil over top.
• Serve into individual pasta bowl and grate additional Parmensan over each serving.

Serve with garlic bread and a light salad and your wine of choice. Enjoy!

**Recipe Notes:

It takes little time to brine your chicken and what you get back is juicy, flavorful chicken. To brine one pound of chicken: 1 quart of water,  dissolve 3 tablespoon of Kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, add the sliced chicken. Keep in fridge for up to 24 hours. 

Want to  learn what else you can brine and learn more about the process? 

Read my post To Brine or Not to Brine? That Shouldn't Even Be a Question.

Sticky-Sticky Glazed Drumsticks

Seems like all everyone ever eats anymore is chicken breast and the rest of the chicken, the dark meat, goes unnoticed and unappreciated. I know breast meat is the "healthier" alternative, but just how much healthier is it really? A three ounce portion of a boneless, skinless chicken breast has 2.97 grams of fat and 138 calories. A three ounce boneless, skinless thigh contains 7 grams of fat and is 174 calories but packs one heck of a flavor punch, it's juicy and has more iron and zinc than breast meat. Now let's turn our attention to the drumstick, three ounces of meat AND skin are 137 calories and 7.38 grams of fat. Take off the skin and the fat count goes down to 4.71 grams. Not to shabby, right? Frankly, I'd rather eat a smaller portion and get more flavor than eat a larger portion with little flavor and juiciness. If you actually don't like the dark meat, I get it, but if you are omitting it because you think it's healthier to go with breast meat, you might want to reconsider and say hello to chicken thighs and drumsticks! This recipe uses drumstick with skin on, you can remove it if you prefer.

Serves 2 - 4

8 - 10 drumstick. Be sure to brine your drumstick for even more flavor, don't skip the brining, it really makes a difference. Click here for my handy brine chart.

Marinade and Sticky-Sticky Glaze
4 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
Juice and zest of two lemons
Kosher salt

Ginger Tomato Chicken

Ginger is an underrated ingredient that I have grown to love. Although it can be overpowering at times, it definitely adds a lot of flavor to your dish. I usually use ginger in more Asian recipes since it is popular in a lot of Asian recipes. This recipe is  a fusion of Italian and Asian; Italian because of the olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and Asian because of the coconut milk and ginger. Coconut milk is a hidden gem at your grocery store. It adds nice body to your sauce or even for a stew believe it or not. It doesn't add too much flavor but it certainly makes your sauces/stews have a creamy consistency, which I tend to enjoy. You can pair this with brown or white rice or pasta because the sauce is creates is versatile for either one. Or serve with a nice green vegetable for that extra fiber! As usual of most of my recipes, this is a pretty simple and quick recipe you can whip up after a day at work. The most time consuming part of the recipe is simmering the sauce and waiting to eat. Enjoy!

Recipe:
1 lb chicken breast, butterflied
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, grated
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium heat and brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Remove and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add more oil and saute the garlic, ginger, stock and coconut milk. Bring to a boil.

3. Add the can of tomatoes and the chicken into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally and baste chicken with sauce. Cook until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with white or brown rice.

Weekly Recipe Round-Up March 3-7, 2014

This was a big week at 
The Fork Ran Away with the Spoon as we celebrated our Food Blog's One Year Anniversary. We've posted over 180 recipes and are looking forward to posting many more in the new year.  Having the support and kind words, likes and shares from our followers and fellow food blogger has made it all worth while, especially at moments when we wondered if it was worth it. And you know what? It sure is! Thank you all for your continued support!

Don't forget to spring forward this weekend as we catapult into daylight savings time in the U.S. I for one am happy about the time change.  It's been really hard to go out running because by the time I get home from work it's late and it's dark. I am not a good night time runner, not to mention that the park I run at has lights off by sundown. The time change also means I have time to photograph my recipes with natural lighting and that alone is good reason enough! I think this week may be the last of the "cold" weather in South Florida and that I will miss dearly but as the famous philosopher Jagger once said "... you get what you need". 

This week's Recipe of the Week was featured on Wednesdays with Eryka, Caramelized Ginger Chicken.  It had the most shares, pageviews and likes from our awesome followers and for that we Thank You!  Here's a look back at what was cooking in the kitchens of The Fork Ran Away with the Spoon this past week.

Featured on Monday:


Red Curry & Coconut Lentil Soup

This is an easy to prep and cook soup that's perfects for weeknight meals. It's vegetarian, spicy, thick, rich in flavor yet light. Loaded with carrots and potatoes, fiber rich red lentils and lots of warm spices.  Makes a big batch, enough for two meals, so you can eat one, freeze one.




Featured on Wednesdays with Eryka:

Caramelized Ginger Chicken

The chicken is seared over high heat then simmered in a rich sauce of ginger, soy, shallots and garlic. Truly delicious!

Featured on Friday:

Zarzuela de Marisco - Spanish Seafood Stew

The perfect quintessential classic Spanish meal. The mix of various seafood is simmered in a sauce that is first infused with tomatoes, onions, peppers, lots of garlic and of course saffron, then thickened with ground almonds and enriched with seafood stock and sherry. Finally it is quickly flambe'd with brandy and sprinkled with parsley.