Happy New Year.... with a New Chicken Recipe!

I've said it before and I"ll say it again:  I LOVE finding new chicken recipes that are good!  Since chicken is basically the only meat I'll buy (if and when I buy meat) it is nice to have a whole bag of tricks to change it up.  Last night I made this recipe and was blown away.  Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Piccata

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons EVOO
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 brined capers, rinsed
fresh parsley for garnish

1.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken through flour and shake off excess.

2.  In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter with some EVOO.  When butter and oil start to sizzle, add chicken and cook for 3 minutes.  When chicken is browned, flip and brown the other side.  Remove from heat and set aside.  (You'll be cooking the chicken for a few more minutes so if they are not completely done, that is fine.  You just want a nice golden brown side for now.)

3.  In the same skillet, add the lemon juice, stock and capers.  Bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor.  Check for seasoning of salt and pepper.

4.  Return all chicken to pan and simmer for about 5 minutes.  (I had to add another splash of chicken stock here, so keep that in mind).  After chicken is done cooking, remove from pan to a platter.  Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to sauce and whisk vigorously until melted.

5.  Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Bon appetit!

Winter Comfort

I started receiving the magazine "Cooking Light" in the mail (free subscription!) and I've loved going through the recipes. This is one of the featured winter recipes from the December 2012 issue.  I changed the blue cheese for some feta and I don't think I had any walnuts on hand so I didn't use those but everything else remained as written.  It was GREAT and I still have a few portions in the freezer.  Enjoy!

• 
  
• Creamy Butternut Squash and Pasta
• 
  
• 4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/3 pounds)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 8 ounces uncooked cavatappi
• 1 cup prechopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk, divided
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. 2. Combine squash, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 24 minutes or until tender, stirring once.
3. 3. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta; keep warm.
4. 4. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in 1/2 cup milk, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour, and yolks in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk.
5. 5. Combine squash, pasta, and milk mixture in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts.

Bon appetit!

Baby Peppers

My very first recipe post on this blog was stuffed peppers.  That first recipe was a main course meal complete with meat and veggies.  Today I'm bringing you a different type of stuffed pepper recipe that gears more towards a party food, appetizer, or side dish.  But it is still yummy!

Stuffed Baby Peppers

3 strips bacon, cooked and finely chopped
EVOO
1/2 small onion, chopped very fine
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup frozen peas, slightly thawed
salt
pepper
bag of fresh sweet baby peppers

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until brown and crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

3.  Add onion to the pan where bacon was cooking and saute until translucent and tender.  Set aside to cool.

4.  In a medium bowl, combine the bacon, onion, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and peas.  Season with salt and pepper.

5.  Remove the stems, seeds and veins from the baby peppers.  Using a small spoon, fill each pepper with the ricotta mixture.  Place each pepper on a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes until peppers become slightly tender.  Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Bon appetit!!

Fruity Fun

One of the easiest and perhaps most fun dishes I've ever brought to a party:  fruit skewers.  The key to this dish is to be creative and have fun with the presentation.  The type of fruit can vary depending on your individual tastes, but stick with a theme and go with it!

Rainbow Fruit Skewers and a Watermelon Base

1 quart strawberries
1/2 a cantaloupe, cubed
pineapple chunks
4-5 kiwi, peeled and cubed
Handful of blueberries
Grapes (red "purple" grapes)
watermelon, cut in half
wooden skewers

1.  Thread the strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries, and grapes onto the skewers.  Arrange the skewers decoratively on the side of a watermelon.  Enjoy!

Bon appetit!!