House Special Fried Rice, Roche style

 Another fast, easy, and delicious fried rice creation from Nick’s kitchen, you must try this. It’s full of nutrients, low on fat and calories, and oh, did I mention full of flavors?

Ingredients

Brown rice 6 cups cooked

Scallops, 8 oz., small

Shrimp, 8 oz. bay size

Shallots, 4 tbsp chopped

Scallions, .75 cup, chopped

*Peppers, 1 large, chopped

Garlic, 10 cloves

*Kikoman Stir Fry Sauce, 1.25 tbsp

*Eden Mirin (rice cooking wine), 3 tbsp

*Kikkoman Lite Soy Sauce, .35 tbsp

Egg, fresh, whole, raw, 2 large

*Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 4 tbsp

Salt, .5 tsp

Chicken Breast (cooked), no skin, 4 ounces chopped

fresh ginger, 3 teaspoons chopped

Tips

You can also use 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce for added flavor. When doing so, add it to the cooked vegetables and seafood before you add it to the rice.

Pre-cook your rice as per package directions.

While rice is cooking, saute ginger, garlic, bell pepper, and shallots in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat for approximately 6 minutes. Add half the Mirin, stir.

Remove ingredients from pan into a bowl. Set aside.

In same fry pan, saute shrimp and scallops in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat for 5 minutes, frequently stirring. Salt and pepper with half the salt. Remove seafood from pan and add to cooked vegetable bowl.

Clean fry pan, spray with cooking spray. Lightly scramble raw eggs and saute over medium high heat, stirring so as to make scrambled eggs. DO        NOT OVERCOOK. Remove eggs to a small bowl.

When rice is cooked, stir fry in large fry pan with remaining olive oil

over medium high heat, stirring frequently.

To the bowl with seafood and vegetables, add the remaining Mirin, stir fry sauce, salt, lite soy sauce, pepper, chicken breast (chopped), and stir well.

Add ingredients to the rice, stirring well and making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped scallions (green onions) and cooked eggs and stir well.

Turn heat off, remove pan and taste for proper seasonings. If you want more salt, add another teaspoon of lite soy sauce. Serve hot.

Serving Size: makes 8 servings approx. 1 1/2 cups each

Number of Servings: 8

The Two Faces of Salads

It's the month of May and that means Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. With the coming of warmer weather,  the focus begins to shift towards more outdoor activities such as jogging, boating, swimming, and oh yes, dieting!

One of the most versatile foods that pairs so well with Spring and calorie watching are salads. The recipes are endless and so all encompassing. Think about it, name a vegetable, fruit, grain, legume, fowl, seafood, or meat, and odds are there is a salad for that. Another great advantage of salads is that more likely than not, they will be made of fresh items. And finally, they tend to be healthier for you, providing good vitamins and nutrients, lower fat and calories, and high dietary fiber.

STOP THE PRESSES! Salads can be dangerous to your health! They are loaded with calories, fat, and cholesterol. Yes, like all other foods,the claims are true, if we turn these wonderful salads into a hodgepodge of   everything we can find in the fridge to pile onto our plates. All too often, we Americans tend to go overboard when putting together a salad and end up with high fat and high cholesterol dressings, high sodium processed cheeses and meats, all served in a large bowl as opposed to a dinner plate. The end result is a total defeat of why we had a salad instead of Mac n Cheese or Lasagna. We end up consuming nearly 1,000 calories, not to mention the saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol we were trying to avoid.

Salads are great for all of us; however, we must take into account several factors in order to maintain the "goodness" integrity. First, serve your portions on a plate as opposed to a bowl. This will ensure measured quantity, thereby controlling the amount consumed. There is certainly where size does matter, smaller is better. Second, stay with fresh and non packaged ingredients when putting together your salad. Processed goods like cold cuts are loaded with sodium, more dangerous than cholesterol to your health in the opinions of many. Read the package of  sliced ham or turkey the next time you're in the store and be prepared for a shock! It is better to roast your own chicken or saute your own beef strips as you will have more control over sodium and flavor.

Finally, the third thing to take into account when preparing a healthy salad deserves its own paragraph as it is far and away the greatest culprit in how bad for your health things can be. Think hard before you decide what dressing you are going to pour over your salad and how much you will use. Your dressing will contain most of the bad ingredients including most of the fat and saturated fat, bad cholesterol, sodium, and sugars. Be energetic and adventurous and make your own dressing. Doing so gives you total control over everything! You can control quantity by pouring your dressing into all the salad servings, tossing the salad, and then serving it in individual dinner plates as opposed to individually pouring it into each dish. Pouring the dressing onto your own serving will most likely double the quantity you would otherwise need, hence double the calories. And if you just can't do without that Thousand Island or Blue Cheese dressing, dilute it a bit with water before pouring. You'll use a lot less of it without sacrificing flavor.

Pictured above is a Roasted Chicken Breast Salad served with a Dijon style dressing of olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic,  and pepper. The fat contained in this dressing is healthy and the mustard enriches the flavor without fat, sodium, or cholesterol. The salad itself contains:

Bib or Boston Lettuce (Butter lettuce)
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced avocado
Diced fresh garlic
Sliced roasted chicken breast
2 sliced medium fresh mushrooms
6 diced Kalamato olives

Notice that nowhere in this recipe (salad or dressing) does it call for salt. The reason is that the olives provide the salt you need for flavor enhancement. Served with a nice loaf of olive bread, this entree is perfect for lunch and will satisfy all the while being very healthy for you. Play with the ingredients, substituting some for your favorite ones. Just be careful and conscientious of what you use so as to keep it healthy.

During the next six months of Spring and Summer,  if you consume 3 salads as part of your 14 lunches and dinners each week, you will eat about 1,500 fewer calories each week. That's 39,000 fewer calories over the next six months! Now that's food for thought.

Basil Roasted Game Hen

An incredible savory dish, Basil Roasted Game Hen offers a depth of flavors down to the bone. You'll forget that you're eating white meat from the chicken family. Let's be honest, chicken white meat can be very bland and if roasted or baked beyond the "point", it tends to become very dry. Fear not, follow this recipe and these little game hens will succulent and tender down to the last bite of breast meat.

Hear is your shopping list:

• 3 game hens, rinsed at patted dry
• 1 cube of butter, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3 pinches of Cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons of peanut sauce

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200c).
2. Rinse and pat dry each game hen and set aside.
3. Place butter, olive oil, basil, parsley, mustard, garlic salt, black pepper, salt, and Cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
4. With a spoon, mix all ingredients until well incorporated.
5. With each game hen, carefully separate the skin from the breast and back meat, including thighs with your index finger.
6. Once skin is loosened, carefully add a level teaspoon of the butter mixture to each quadrant between the skin and the meat.
7. Massage the surface of the skin with your thumb until butter mixture is well distributed throughout the back, thighs, and breast of each game hen.
8. Place hens in a large greased baking dish that is at least 1 inch deep.
9. Place in oven and bake at 400 (200) for 15 minutes, then turn down heat to 375 and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes, basting with some of the remaining butter mixture every 15 minutes, with a brush.
10. When ready, remove from the oven, place hens on a large serving platter.
11. Over medium heat, place baking dish with pan drippings on stove top burner and add the peanut sauce to liquid.
12. Use a spatula to deglaze the pan and stir until peanut sauce is well blended and sauce comes to a slow bubbling boil.
13. Remove from heat and add any remaining butter mixture to the sauce and stir until butter is well incorporated into sauce.
14. Pour a few spoons of the sauce over each game hen and pour remaining sauce in a sauce bowl. Serve hot, 1/2 game hen per person.

Keep it simple Shrimp & Chicken

With Summer nearing its end in the Northern Hemisphere (you lucky Aussies down south!), it seems fitting to enjoy one of the last outdoor lunch activities with a simple and colorful saute, finished off with a refreshing salad of fresh Spinach in a lemon and orange dressing. Certainly this will seem out of place in the dead of Winter, so while we still can, set that patio table up for you and your favorite friends and enjoy the last days of those warm rays dining the afternoon away!

This lunch menu keeps your time in the kitchen to a minimum, allowing you more time in the sun. For the main course let's get the following ingredients together:

So simple it's sure to please the working Mom or Dad

It's 5:30 pm and you've just gotten home from a long day at work. The last thing you want to do is get in that kitchen and put together a big whoop di doo, leaving a sink full of dishes. It's Monday, for Pete's sake and this is the evening to make it simple!

Well, believe it or not, this recipe will only cause you to dirty one pan, yes ONE pan! This wonderful Chicken Stir Fry Medley is as perfect for dinner for one as it is for four. Just change the quantities and you're there. Isn't wonderful that we can create such flavorful and easy on the eyes entrees that are so simple to put together and doesn't leave you slaving in the kitchen from start to clean. Fancy entrees are totally fine and appropriate; however, you deserve a break this evening because you've earned it.

This dish combines Asian flair with American ease. Here's what you need:





2 to 3 large chicken breasts, bone in or off, cut in 3rds
2 cups of mung bean sprouts
2 small bok choys, sliced
1/2 lb of your choice of small mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
1/4 cup of peanut oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
Pepper to taste

You will first notice there aren't that many ingredients in this dish. That's good! Less prep time, less complication. If you wish to additional items, feel free to do so, it's your choice. Add chopped green onions, peanuts, peas, fresh green beans.

Begin by prepping all your ingredients, that means, slicing, chopping, etc... Having everything ready will save you time. This dish by the way, should only take about 30 minutes to make!

Heat the peanut oil in a skillet or wok over medium heat.  Rub pepper over the chicken pieces. If you want, you can rub some of the soy sauce over it and just an additional tablespoon full. Once the oil is heated, saute the chicken until golden brown, turning the pieces over on all sides. This should take no more than 12 to 15 minutes.

Now remove the chicken and set aside. Remove the excess oil and scrape any "burnt" spots on the pan bottom, but take care to not remove the good spots.... you know what I mean. If you need to, add a tablespoon of peanut oil (or sesame). Over medium heat, once the pan gets hot again, add all the vegetables and saute for a few minutes. Now add the remainder of the soy sauce and the oyster sauce stirring to coat all the vegetables. Saute for another minute and remove to a serving platter. Place the chicken breast on top and serve hot.

See how easy that was? You can make absolutely wonderful dishes for your family or yourself without trouble. Need starch? Just steam a cup of rice. How simple was that? Enjoy :)

Spice it up a bit with Mexican Paella

By now, if you have been following this blog, you are familiar with the Spanish Paella that has been presented and well reviewed. The dish is a wonderful and delicate flavor of what Spain has to offer, the abundance of seafoods, fresh vegetables, its famous Bomba rice, and of course one must not forget the great Spanish pork used for chorizo. All that's well and good and over time it has become an all time favorite on the request list of dishes to make at my dinner parties. But it's time to spice it up a bit and bring it closer to home with a flavor from south of the border, Mexico!

Bringing in the taste of Mexico is a perfect marriage for Paella. Mexican chorizo, tomatillos, and spicy green chilies simply sets sail the Paella that made culinary Spain famous across the Atlantic to become Mexican Paella that everyone is sure to embrace every bit as much as its famous cousin. So without further dissertation, let's begin with our shopping list.

Enough to feed 6 people:

2 lbs of chicken wings
1 pound of shelled and cleaned medium shrimp
1 pound of Mexican chorizo, medium heat, sliced in 1/2 inch thickness
2 pounds of fresh Manila clams in shell
1 1/2 cups of short grain rice (Bomba is best)
2 medium sized tomatillos, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1 small green chili, finely diced (2 if you're brave)
2 medium shallots, diced
1 1/2 cup of frozen baby peas
2 cups of fresh green beans, cut in 1 inch sizes
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup of Tequila
1 teaspoon of paprika (smoked if possible)
1 cup of diced tomato
1/4 teaspoon of red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of Saffron threads
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt (to taste, so taste before)

The best way not to make this dish labor intensive or complicated, let alone intimidating, it is best, as always, to do all your prep work ahead of time so that all you have to concentrate on is the cooking. Trust me, it works very well that way. So start gathering all your ingredients in their proper amounts, wash, soak, slice, chop, and dice. You're now halfway there. In a very large pan (either paella pan 14" or large oval dutch oven ) heat the olive oil over medium heat. The oil should completely cover the pan. If it doesn't, just add a bit more.

Start by sauteing the chorizo until they are slightly browned and the oil has taken on a shade of the color of the chorizo. Remove the chorizo and now brown your chicken wings for a few minutes. Remove and set alongside the chorizo. If the oil gets too hot, simply turn down the heat slightly.

Next, saute in the same pan, the onion, garlic, diced chili,, and shallots until they become translucent and begin to slightly brown. Once this occurs, add the Tequila and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Stir well so that Tequila gets absorbed completely by the onions. Now, add the tomatillos and the rice. Stir well so that rice gets well coated. Allow the rice to saute for no more than a minute or so. Now you can add the chicken stock but save 1/2 cup to heat up separately for the saffron threads. Stir well and add the green beans, paprika, diced tomato, black pepper, salt, and chili powder.

While you await the stock to come to a slow boil, heat the chicken stock you set aside in the microwave and add the saffron threads. Allow them to completely bleed into the stock. Add to the rest of your stock. When chicken stock begins to boil, add the chorizo and chicken back into the pot, bring back to a aboil, and then reduce heat to low and cover for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the peas, clams, and shrimp, carefully immersing the clams into the rice and broth. Cover again and allow to cook for an additional 10 minutes. When finished, there should possibly be a small amount of liquid left, which is totally fine. Remove from heat and allow to rest semi covered for about 10 minutes. This will allow the rice to complete its absorption of the liquid and you will have a perfectly moist but firm rice.

Present the Mexican Paella in the dish it was cooked in so that it will remain hot. Your guests will be impressed with your culinary prowess and melt in their seats when they savour the first bite. And you won't have to tell them how easy it was to make. Enjoy!

Curry Chicken of 20 Cloves is sure to appeal to the indifferent ones

If you are a curry dish lover, this will certainly be of interest to you. Curry Chicken of 20 Cloves will also appeal to those that may be indifferent to curry because the recipe presents a very mild and delicate touch to the flavors. Pro or con, you should give this dish a chance, as you will be pleasantly surprised. It's easy to prepare and this quantity will serve four dinner guests.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 20 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
2 Italian green pepper, chopped in 1 inch squares
12 oz. coconut milk
1/4 cup of white wine
1 teaspoon of flour
2 teaspoons of Vietnamese golden curry powder Salt and pepper Parsley, some chopped, and for garnish.
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of sesame oil

In a large frying pan, heat the olive and sesame oil over medium high heat.

When oil just begins to smoke, sauté the chicken breasts on each side until they begin to brown. Remove them and set aside.

Reducing the heat to medium, sauté the onions and peppers for a few minutes.

Next add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute or so. Next, add the wine and deglaze the pan, all the while, stirring the onions, pepper, and garlic.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables so that all are coated and stir.

Reduce heat to medium low so as not to burn the flour. Stir for about a minute and add the curry powder, continuing to stir well.

Next, add the coconut milk and stir well until the curry powder has blended well with the milk. The sauce should begin to thicken into a creamy texture.

If it thickens too much, either add a bit more coconut milk or non fat half n half. Season with salt and pepper, reduce temperature to simmer to low.

Add the chicken breasts back into the pan, turning them to coat all sides with the sauce. Cover and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or less.

You can serve this with steamed rice, but I have also found it works very well with cooked and peeled new potatoes. As a finishing touch, sprinkle the chopped parsley over each serving and a small bouquet to the side of the plate.

The Vietnamese curry can be found in Asian markets and has a somewhat rusty color to it. It is different from the Indian curry in that it is milder in flavor, although there are a number of variations in spices used in India for their curries. There is definitely an aroma of star aniseed, cinnamon, and cumin, with a more subdued smell of cloves. I find Indian curries more pronounced, depending on what each chef chooses to emphasize with the spices they use.

Why is it called Rattlesnake Penne Pasta?

Well, Rattlesnake Penne Pasta doesn't really have rattlesnake meat in it. It's just a name, but then you all knew that anyway. This dish is always a favorite on restaurant menus and now it can be a favorite dish in the comfort of your dining room. Although it looks complex and full of ingredients, it is quite simple to make, but be forewarned, you had better make enough of it because seconds and thirds are a definite probability with this dish. The quantities mentioned here should suffice for a dinner of four.

1 16 oz box of dry Penne pasta noodles
2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 pounds of Mexican or Italian sausage, cut in 1/2 inch thick slices
2 large red or yellow bell peppers, cut in 1 inch cubes
1 large white onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
8 button mushrooms (brown or white), sliced
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (for heat)
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of flour (sifted)
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of chicken stock
2 cups of shredded Gruyere or aged Swiss cheese

In a large skillet that is at least 3 inches deep (or you can use a large pot), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and saute for about 5 minutes until slightly browned. Remove the sausage and set aside.

Next, saute the chicken until it begins to brown. Remove and set aside with the sausage. In the same pan, add the onions and the bell peppers. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes or so and then add the garlic. Lower heat to medium low and sprinkle the flour to cover the onions. Stir well for about a minute and then add the chicken stock. The stock should begin to thicken pretty fast. Be sure to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. This will add flavor to your dish.

Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, along with the pepper flakes and stir well, lowering heat to low. Now add the cream and stirring, blend everything well. Add half of the shredded cheese and stir so that it melts into the sauce. Your sauce should now be a nice thick and creamy texture. Taste for flavor.

In a large pot, bring enough water to a boil to cook the pasta. Add a bit of salt (1 teaspoon) to the water. Cook pasta until it is al dente. It will continue to cook a bit more when you transfer it to the sauce. While the pasta is cooking, add the sausage and chicken back to your pan and stir everything well so that all is incorporated into the sauce. Cover and continue to cook on low or simmer while pasta continues to cook.

After about 8 minutes or so, the pasta should be about ready. Test it for the proper texture. Remove the pasta with a slotted spoon and add it to the sauce and stir everything well. If you need to, add a tiny bit of the pasta water to your dish and stir. Finally, add half of the parsley and stir, cover the pan, and let simmer for a couple of minutes.

Serve on a large deep plate and sprinkle the remainder of the parsley and cheese. This dish is guaranteed to please everyone! You can finish it off with a crisp greens in a simple olive oil vinegrette and a nice bottle of white wine of your choice. Enjoy!

Ground Pork and Chicken Gizzard Terrine gives one an inexpensive way to gourmet

Served hot or chilled with a spicy Dijon mustard, this pork and chicken terrine screams gourmet on a dime. If you can believe it, this two pound terrine cost less than $4.00 (EUR 3.00) to make and will serve as a first course for a dinner party of 8.

When grocery shopping, check out the "reduced" price section of your meat department. You'll be amazed as to some of the treasures you will find there. Don't be too proud to dig in and find yourself good quality cuts of pork, beef, chicken, and lamb. I'd stay away from the fish, however. This terrine was made with a one pound package of ground pork reduced to $1.28 (EUR 0.92) and a one pound package of fresh chicken gizzards reduced to $1.15 (EUR 0.85). Ground both up nicely, add great herbs and spices, throw it in the oven and voila, a dish created to satisfy the pickiest of snobby guests. And you don't even have to tell them what it cost. Let's create this all over again. Here's what we need:

1 lb ground pork
1 lb chicken gizzards
2 oz. of Brandy
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of capers
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon course ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Spanish Paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil

Using a food processor, process the gizzards until they are medium ground (medium ground means you still leave some small chunks). Add the shallots and grind just a few seconds longer.

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and saute the gizzards and shallots for a few minutes and then add the brandy, stir and lower heat to medium low. Cook for about two more minutes but no more. Set aside and let cool. Preheat your oven to 400.

In a large bowl, add all the other ingredients and mix together well. Now add the gizzards and continue to mix until everything is well incorporated. Now transfer mixture to a well greased meat loaf dish. Take a strip of aluminum foil and cover the surface of the mixture and pat it down. You want to just cover the surface and not have the foil over the pan. Place in the oven and reduce heat to 325 and bake for 1 hour 40 minutes.

Remove from oven when finished and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Now you can choose to either serve it hot or put it in the fridge and allow to chill. It's your choice, but no matter which you choose, it's delicious. If you want to chill it, you can take the juices from the pan, add a couple tablespoons of chicken stock (or water) and bit of gelatin powder and bring to a boil. Place the loaf back in the dish and pour the gelatin mixture back in and chill it. Cover it with plastic wrap so flavors stay pure.

If served chilled, serve with cornichons (baby pickles) and a bit of Dijon mustard, perhaps a small tossed salad of baby greens. Enjoy.

Chicken Breast Stir Fry is always a favorite amongst weight watchers

It's been a busy week and NonChef's blogsite has suffered for it. A week without a new recipe post is completely out of the norm and sincere apologies are called for to all who follow. It's Sunday evening and time has finally opened up to post a recipe that is always a favorite quick meal that provides easy calories, low fat and cholesterol, without sacrificing flavor (and it ain't bad looking too).

Chicken Breast Stir Fry is a very easy dish to make and it will satisfy every member of your family and there's nothing like making a wonderful Asian dish from home. It's worth mention that this dish should be accompanied by a nice bowl of steamed white rice sprinkled with finely chopped scallions. Let's get our ingredients together for this dish that will serve 4:

4 boneless chicken breast halves, sliced thin diagonally
3 medium carrots, peeled and julienned thin
1 medium zuchini, sliced thin
6 button mushrooms, sliced thin
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, slivered
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
4 oz. of haricots verts (French green beans)
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of water, white wine, or rice wine (your choice)

As it is always recommended, get all your prep work done. There is a good 15 to 20 minutes of prep work for this dish with all the slicing, chopping, etc. If you have a wok, I would suggest using it as it is ideal. Since this stove top is a glass top, a wok will not work, so if you're in the same situation, get the largest saute or frying pan you have.

What you are going to want to do is to cook certain ingredients separately, on very high heat, and quickly. We will start with the chicken breast first. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, it's hot enough. Quickly saute the chicken. Within a couple of minutes, it should be cooked with a wonderful semi golden color. Remove from pan and set aside.

Now, add the remainder of the olive oil and first add the green beans and carrots and saute for a couple of minutes until some of them begin to slightly char. Next, add the onions, garlic, and green bell pepper, toss and continue to cook. You may at this time lower the heat to medium.  Continue to saute for about 2 more minutes and finally add the mushrooms and zuchini. Quickly toss and stir, saute for another minute but no longer. Remove vegetables from pan and add them with the chicken.

No deglaze the pan by adding the water or wine, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar and stir, reducing heat to medium low. Add your salt and pepper, stir well. Now add your sauce to the chicken and vegetables and toss well to coat everything. Finally, add the sesame oil to the dish, along with the sesame seeds and parsley and toss gently one last time. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot with the rice. Enjoy this dish. It's a wonderful way of making stir fry. The vegetables will be done al dente and not over cooked. The flavors and absolutely wonderful!

Chicken and Pork Marsala provides another 40 minute meal

It's amazing what you can do in less than an hour that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Who doesn't like chicken and pork? And the fingerling potatoes add the perfect finish to this very easy, yet elegant dish for two. So get your favorite loved one ready, have him set the table while you prepare your next dinner hit. This one is sure to please and leaving you wanting more. Oh yes, there will be enough to share seconds.

Ingredients

1/2 lb of pork loin, cut in 1 x 2 inch pieces
3/4 lbs. of chicken breast or boneless thighs, cut in 1 x 2 inch pieces
1 Italien or pork sausage cut in 1/2 inch slices
16 button mushrooms, stems off, left whole
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium shallot, minced
10 cloves of garlic, whole
3/4 lbs. of small fingerling potatoes
1 1/2 cups of Marsala wine (sweet)
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt (or to your liking)
1/2 cup of water

In a 10 inch saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Saute the meat together until light brown or about 4 minutes or so. Remove the meat and set aside. Now add the mushrooms top down and saute on each side for 1 minute each. Remove and set aside.

If you need to add a little more oil go ahead, but chances are you won't need to. Now saute the onions, garlic, and shallots, reducing heat to medium. Add the potatoes and  saute for about 4 minutes. Now pour the Marsala wine in and deglaze the pan. You should begin to see a nice light rustic brown sauce in the making. Once deglazed, add the water a little at a time, and add the salt and pepper. Cover, lower heat to low to medium low, and cook for about 12 to 14 minutes. Add the meat back into the pan, cover, and cook for another 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook a final 2 minutes.

Serve in a deeper dish so that you can enjoy the sauce. Sprinkle with a bit of parsley and enjoy this oh so easy entree that truly takes less than an hour to make from prep to plate. And you won't believe the sauce! It's so deliciously rich that you will want to have a spoon ready to scoop every last drop.

Forty minutes from start to finish and you get a culinary delight

Truly a delight to make as it is to eat; Chicken Saffron Rice raises the bar for simplicity in the kitchen. It really only takes 40 minutes to make from start to serve, 10 minutes to slice and chop, 10 minutes to sauté, and 20 minutes to slow cook. Now how tough can that be? If you're looking for a culinary richness of flavors and colors, you must treat your guests to this, and you won't be spending all evening in the kitchen! Here's what you will need:

1 large (3/4 lb) boneless chicken breast
2 sausage links (either Italian or Chorizo)
1 large green Italian pepper
1 large red bell pepper(roasted if possible)
1 medium yellow onion
1 large shallot
12 cloves of garlic, left whole
1/2 teaspoon of Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon of Saffron threads
1 1/2 cups of short grain rice
3 cups of chicken stock (or broth)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

That's all you need. A word about the peppers first. The Italian green peppers can be found in the produce section of your grocery store. They are a bit smaller and deeper green than regular bell peppers and they are very good with a thinner skin. They are also usually cheaper than the bells and come to about 70 cents per pepper. As far as the red pepper, if you can roast them, great. Otherwise, you can also purchase roasted red peppers in the jar, usually on sale for $2.99 to $3.49 per jar, which contain 2 to 3 peppers. Now that comes to less than fresh red bell peppers price wise. In any case, it's your choice.

OK, glad we got that out of the way. Let's start with our first 10 minutes by slicing and chopping. Start by slicing your chicken breast in 1/2 inch thickness and about 2 inch lengths, the sausage at 1/2 inch thickness, the onion roughly cut into eighths, the shallots finely chopped, and the peppers in 2 by 2 inch slices. Remember to leave the garlic cloves whole.

Now heat your oil in a deep (3 inch) skillet that's a good 10 inches in diameter, over medium high heat. Start by browning the sausage, about 3 to 4 minutes. Next, add the peppers (except the red if you bought the jar version), stirring for a couple of minutes. Next, add the chicken, shallots, and garlic, stirring for another 2 minutes. Finally, add the onions, stir for another minute or so. Bring the heat to high and add the chicken stock, paprika, and saffron threads, stir well for one minute. At this time, if you bought the roasted red peppers in a jar, you may add them now. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper to your taste.

When broth comes to a boil, which should take less than a minute, add the rice, stir well, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. When rice is done, stir gently, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes if you want, or just plate each portion for your guests. This recipe will make enough for 4 dinner guests. You may finish dinner with a nice tossed salad of baby spinach leaves which will compliment the entree. Enjoy and bon appétit!

Acini Di Pepe Chicken Soup -- Mmm Mmm Home Made

I recently discovered Acini Di Pepe pasta and fell in love with these little dots of goodness. I began to experiment with them in my recipes and found they were very versitle. One of those recipes is perfect for those rainy Autumn days and I would like to share it with you. It's called Acini Di Pepe Chicken Soup (oddly enough). OK, I could have come up with a fancier name; however, I'll let these little pasta pebbles speak for themselves.

I want to let you know that this soup is made from scratch, right down to the chicken stock. Don't be scared away, however. There is nothing complicated about this soup. It is simply a hearty and warming soup, perfect if you're fighting a cold; it will surely snap it out of you. This recipe comes in two parts. First, we have to make our chicken stock and second, we proceed with the soup. Let's start with the chicken stock. I will not complicate the making of this stock, as I like to keep it simple. You will need:

One fresh whole chicken (cut up, but don't include the breast)
10 cups of water
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of sage

In a large pot, add the chicken, water, and herbs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook covered for about an hour or until chicken falls off the bone. Remove the chicken and set in a bowl to cool. Using a tightly woven strainer, strain the chicken stock into another pot. Continue to heat on low setting.

Once the chicken has cooled enough for you to handle it, begin to debone, discarding the skin and fat and adding the meat to your stock. Now get your ingredients together for the completion of the soup:

1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of Acini Di Pepe pasta (can be found in most supermarkets)
1 1/2 cups of peas
1 teaspoon of Dijon style mustard
1/2  teaspoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Add all the ingredients to the stock, except the pasta. Stir and mix well, then taste for flavor. If you like it a bit saltier, go ahead and add more salt. Cover and slow cook for about 20 minutes. Then add the pasta, stir and cook covered for an additional 15 minutes. Check pasta for doneness, check for flavor and if satisfied, shut heat off and set aside covered for 5 more minutes and serve. I think you will really like this chicken soup. Have it with a nice crusty baguette of French bread and enjoy!

Mung Chicken Curry... The Way You'll Love It

I originally created this dish last year when I introduced myself to the Mung Bean. It was purely by accident that I came across  these cute little army green beans, as I was actually searching for those other cute little army green beans, the lentils. So, without having a clue as to what to do or how to cook them, I grabbed a package and forgot all about the lentils. I had a good feeling that this was either going to end in disaster or fingers crossed, a triumph.

My curiosity got the best of me and as soon as I got home, I got on the internet and decided to research my little find. Reading that the Mung Bean was mainly cultivated in South Asia, I decided to stay in that region of the world and use the combination of ingredients indigenous to the area. And so, I got out my coconut milk, curry powder, and chicken, and proceeded to start my journey down the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Well, I was not disappointed with the result. Out of my experimentation came a wonderful dish of delightful mixes of flavors and textures that I had not previously been exposed to. For its simplicity, I crowned it Mung Chicken Curry.

Now I want to share this wonderful dish with you so that you may partake of the unique flavors that I first experienced last year. Let me introduce the characters in this culinary act:

4 large chicken thighs, fully skinned and all excess "yellow" fat removed
3/4 cup of Mung Beans (make sure to check for little pebbles carefully, as in all small beans)
1 large red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped diagonally about 1/4 inch thick
6 garlic cloves, cut in halves or left whole
3 green onions, chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (about 14 oz.)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon curry powder (preferably the rust color as opposed to the mustard color)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
16 oz. package of SE Asian noodles (Chow Mein Noodles or the curly type Chow Mein) You may use rice
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Spray a large frying pan (10 inches diameter at bottom and at least 3 inches deep) with cooking spray and coat the bottom with all the vegetable oil. Heat on medium high heat. Sautee the chicken thighs until golden, remove and set aside. In the same pan, reducing heat to medium,  add all the fresh vegetables and sautee until onions are translucent. Add the sesame oil and Mung Beans, mix well. Allow to cook a few minutes then add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Mix well so all ingredients are well incorporated. Next, add the curry powder and be sure to stir well so that all the powder dissolves completely. Your sauce should be showing a golden rust color. Cook for about 5 minutes. At this time, if you think you need a little more liquid, you may add 1/4 cup more chicken stock; however, I don't think you'll need it. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 10 more minutes. Now add the coconut milk and blend all ingredients together, bring back to a slow boil.

Finally, add your chicken, turning and coating it, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring with a spatula every 15 minutes and turning the chicken. Continue to slow cook for about 10 more minutes. Your Mung Beans should be fully cooked. If not, cook for another 10 minutes. Once cooked, shut heat and bring a pot of water to boiling and cook your noodles for about 6 minutes or until cooked al dente (cooked through but still firm). To plate, add a chicken thigh in the center, ladle some sauce and Mung Beans over it, and in a swirling motion, place the noodles all around the edge of the plate. Serve hot and enjoy :)

VEGETARIAN VERSION

For a meatless rendition of this dish, substitute Yukon Gold potatoes for the chicken and the noodles. Use large potatoes and boil with skin on until cooked. Cut them in quarters length wise and place 4 quarters on each plate and ladle the sauce and Mung Beans over them. You will need to increase the amount of Mung Beans to 1 1/2 cups and the chicken stock to 2 1/4 cups. The rest of the ingredients can remain the same.

Linguine Espagnol

Pasta has always been one of my favorite ingredients to use in my cooking. In a nutshell, it really is one of those comfort foods and so easy to prepare. There are countless ways that you can include it in recipes and  numerous types as well. I have used the fresh varieties that usually need only 1 to 2 minutes time to cook as well as the dry varieties that take a bit longer, about 8 minutes or so.

Today, I want to introduce chicken, shrimp, and chorizo to a wonderful cream sauce of onion, green pepper, and button mushroom, in highlighting our linguine pasta. The marriage of flavors is delightful and will certainly satisfy every member of the family. Accented with a touch of sauteed chopped bacon, this dish sits just outside of the Carbonara family, since we will not be using eggs. With the Spanish influence of the chorizo in this dish, I have decided to call it Linguine Espagnol.

OK, you know the drill, let's get all our ingredients together and prepare for cooking. First, a word about chorizo. It is important that we use this saussage as opposed to Italian or Mexican saussage, otherwise I would have to call this dish something else. Chorizo has a distinct flavor, with all the different spices that were used to make it. Trust me, you will enjoy it.








 This recipe will serve a party of 4:

16 oz. package of dry linguine
1 lb. chicken breast, sliced (or fresh chicken breast tenders already sliced for you)
3/4 lb. chorizo in casing (about 4 links), sliced in 3/4 inch pieces
3 strips plain, lean bacon, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
1/2 lb medium size shrimp
1 medium white onion, chopped or sliced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed pepper
(have salt ready; however, I don't think you'll need any)

In a 10" (bottom diameter) or larger pan, saute the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Discard any excess drippings from the pan. Return pan to medium heat and saute the chorizo with 1/2 of the olive oil for about 4 minutes or until browned. With your spatula, move it over to one half of the pan and add your chicken. Keeping the heat at medium, lightly brown the chicken and then stir both meats together so that chicken gets coated with the oils from the chorizo. Continue the saute for a few more minutes and then remove meat and set aside in a bowl.

Continuing over medium heat, add the other half of the olive oil (if you feel you need to) and saute the onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook until onions and pepper nicely soften and then add your mushrooms. Mix all the vegetables well with your spatula. Now sprinkle the flour over all the vegetables and after flour is well incorporated into the vegetables, add your chicken stock and carefully scrape the bottom of the pan so as to deglaze (the color of the sauce should begin to be turning a light rustic beige) and the sauce begins to thicken a bit. As the cooking progresses, if you feel you need to add a little more chicken stock, go ahead and do so. Stir well and add your crushed pepper and continue stirring. Lower your heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes covered and then add all your meats including the bacon  (but not the shrimp) back in the pan. Stir all together well, cover and cook for about 5 to 7  more minutes. Finally, add the shrimp and the cream, stir well, and cook for a few  more minutes covered. Taste sauce for flavor. If you need salt, add a bit, but I don't think you will.

About 10 minutes before serving, have water boiling in a pot and add the dry linguine, along with a teaspoon of salt and some olive oil. Cook the linguine in boiling water (stirring every couple of minutes) for about 8 to 10 minutes for al dente (meaning just done, firm but cooked through, not mushy). Plate by placing the linguine in a circular pattern at the center and carefully spooning  the sauce over the top. Top off with a little bit of chopped fresh basil or parsley and sprinkle grated Swiss or Parm over the top. Serve hot and enjoy!