Chicken Madison

December 14, 2011 by Susan

A few years ago, while my husband and I were planning our wedding, we went out for dinner near the reception hall we had just chosen for our wedding day. We both ordered the same chicken entrée because it sounded so delicious. And it was. We loved it so much that as I was eating it I thought…I’m going to try to recreate this dish at home. How hard can it be?

Well, here’s the dish. And I must say, it’s pretty darn close to the original one we had at the restaurant that night – minus the tons of butter I’m sure they put in it. It has turned out to be one of our favorite meals. I named this dish after the town the restaurant is in and every time I make it we are reminded of our wedding and all the planning that went into it.

Hopefully by following this recipe you will have extra sauce leftover once you have eaten all the chicken. Absolutely do not throw that sauce away. It is utterly spectacular over pasta.

Here’s what you will need to serve 4….

Recipe

6 thin chicken cutlets (they come butterflied in my store, I usually cut them in 1/2 down the center).

whole wheat flour

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 box crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (not too thin)

1 12 oz bag of frozen artichoke hearts, slightly defrosted, cut in half lengthwise

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 7 ounce jar of sun dried tomatoes, drained and sliced, 2-3 tbsp of oil reserved

1/2 – 3/4 cup white wine

3/4 – 1 cup chicken stock, low sodium

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

1 Tbsp butter, optional

Method

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 smashed garlic cloves, to season the oil. Season chicken with salt & pepper and coat in the flour, tapping off excess. Add some of the chicken to oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan, cooking them until golden brown on each side. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate. Be careful to watch the cloves of garlic and be sure to remove them once they appear to be getting too golden. You don’t want them to burn. Repeat with remaining chicken and smashed garlic.

In the same skillet you just cooked all the chicken in add the oil you reserved from the sun dried tomatoes. Into that oil add the artichoke hearts and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. To the artichokes add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they start to soften a bit. Next, add the tomato paste and garlic and stir into the vegetables, cooking for 2-3 minutes. At this point I usually add some salt and pepper. Next comes the liquids…add the wine first, allowing it to simmer for a few minutes. Finally add the chicken stock and the fresh thyme. Allow liquids to simmer together for 4-5 minutes. To thicken this liquid mixture a bit, add approximately 1-2 tablespoons of the leftover whole wheat flour to the skillet, whisking to mix.

Add the chicken cutlets back into the skillet, nestling them all in under the veggies, gently, as best as you can. Ideally you want most of the chicken to be submerged into the liquid. It is ok if the tops of a few pieces are not submerged. If you feel you need a bit more liquid, add some more chicken stock. Put a cover on the skillet, lower heat to low and gently simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, turn off heat and add the parsley. If you so choose, you can also add the butter, just to finish the sauce a bit. A little tablespoon of butter won’t hurt!

I always serve this over a creamy white bean puree (recipe coming soon!). However, it would be equally as delicious served over mashed potatoes or white rice.

Chicken Madison

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

6 thin chicken cutlets (they come butterflied in my store, I usually cut them in ½ down the center).
whole wheat flour
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 box crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (not too thin)
1 12 oz bag of frozen artichoke hearts, slightly defrosted, cut in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 7 ounce jar of sun dried tomatoes, drained and sliced, 2-3 tbsp of oil reserved
½ - ¾ cup white wine
¾ - 1 cup chicken stock, low sodium
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil
1 Tbsp butter, optional

Method

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 smashed garlic cloves, to season the oil. Season chicken with salt & pepper and coat in the flour, tapping off excess. Add some of the chicken to oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan, cooking them until golden brown on each side. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate. Be careful to watch the cloves of garlic and be sure to remove them once they appear to be getting too golden. You don't want them to burn. Repeat with remaining chicken and smashed garlic.
In the same skillet you just cooked all the chicken in add the oil you reserved from the sun dried tomatoes. Into that oil add the artichoke hearts and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. To the artichokes add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they start to soften a bit. Next, add the tomato paste and garlic and stir into the vegetables, cooking for 2-3 minutes. At this point I usually add some salt and pepper. Next comes the liquids...add the wine first, allowing it to simmer for a few minutes. Finally add the chicken stock and the fresh thyme. Allow liquids to simmer together for 4-5 minutes. To thicken this liquid mixture a bit, add approximately 1-2 tablespoons of the leftover whole wheat flour to the skillet, whisking to mix.
Add the chicken cutlets back into the skillet, nestling them all in under the veggies, gently, as best as you can. Ideally you want most of the chicken to be submerged into the liquid. It is ok if the tops of a few pieces are not submerged. If you feel you need a bit more liquid, add some more chicken stock. Put a cover on the skillet, lower heat to low and gently simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, turn off heat and add the parsley. If you so choose, you can also add the butter, just to finish the sauce a bit.

Quinoa with Chicken and Zucchini

September 28, 2011 by Susan

A few years back I posted a recipe for chicken and vegetable couscous. After making the dish a few times I substituted the couscous with quinoa and have been making it that way ever since. Quinoa is a super food, afterall, so I try to incorporate it whenever I can. And it’s just so easy to cook!

Over the past few months I have made one more adjustment, substituting the olives with mushrooms. I just can’t seem to stomach olives during this pregnancy. And you know what – the dish is just as great! I give this quinoa dish to my husband for lunch alot and he loves mushrooms, so I’ve gotten zero complaints from him. It is quick to make and hearty to eat, an all around winner.

Here’s what you will need to serve 4…
2 tbsp olive oil

2 large thin, boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1 large onion

2 zucchini, cubed or cut into 1/2 moons

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp grated lemon zest

Juice of one lemon

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1-2 pinches of cinnamon

8-10 crimini mushrooms, sliced (not too thin)

1 1/2 cup quinoa

3 cups chicken stock, low sodium

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped

Salt & pepper
Add quinoa and chicken stock in a pot, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for approximately 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken cubes and cook until lightly browned on both sides, 3-5 minutes. Push the chicken to one side of the pan and add the onion, zucchini and mushrooms. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, lemon zest, red pepper and cinnamon. Season with salt & pepper. Cook for 3 more minutes.

Add the cooked quinoa to the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Turn off heat and add the parsley, mint and lemon juice. Mix well.
Recipe originally adapted from Rachael Ray

Buckwheat Breakfast Bowl

March 1, 2011 by Susan

Along the crazy train of trying to conceive I found out that I have hypothyroidism and in addition was told to try to severely limit (aka eliminate) wheat from my diet (as well as dairy and sugar). Ugh. It has been painful, people.

I am completely astonished at how many unsuspecting foods contain wheat. Soy sauce? Come on now. Not that I eat much soy sauce at all, but it’s just an example of a product that I would never think has something like wheat in it!

I already eat relatively healthy and very rarely eat any processed or packaged foods. As a result I am not having such a hard time with wheat free dinners. The same goes for lunches, I usually have something that was leftover from dinner earlier in the week or a big bowl of quinoa with chicken or kale. Breakfasts, on the other hand, get me the most upset. There are only a VERY few things that are acceptable to eat. And that can get very boring.

This past weekend I set out to create a type of ‘breakfast bowl’ containing something that would actually make me feel full. One of the new grains I have tried cooking with is buckwheat (despite the name it does not contain wheat), which has a nutty flavor. I have had it before in restaurants and liked it, so I thought it would be a great base for my breakfast bowl. Then I basically chose a few of my favorite veggies and added eggs to it – voila!

Although this recipe does have a few seperate components going at the same time, this dish is not difficult to make and it tastes good. Also, it holds up well in the fridge, so you really can get away with making a big batch of it to last you a few days. Most importantly, you feel like you are eating something substantial and don’t feel as if you are sacrificing. Which basically, you are. Because all you can think about is having a big, fat muffin.

Here’s what you will need to serve 4…

Recipe

1 cup buckwheat

2 cups water

1 box cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thick

1 small head of broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets

3 whole eggs

3 egg whites

2-3 tbsp chopped parsley

1-2 tsp truffle oil

salt & pepper

olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Pour 2 cups of water into a saucepan and bring to boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water and stir in buckwheat, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook approximately 7-10 minutes.

In the meantime, heat up a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes. While the mushrooms are cooking lay the broccoli florets on a sheet pan and sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Mix with your hands to coat all the broccoli. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned, flipping once after 6 minutes or so. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then roughly chop.

Now for the eggs – basically just scramble the eggs as you would do normally. Once the eggs are cooked I like to roughly break up the eggs with the tip of my spatula right in the pan.

All that is left now is to assemble all the individual components. Into the large skillet with the mushrooms add the truffle oil and stir to combine. Add the buckwheat, broccoli and eggs, mixing well. Finally, add the parsley.

Buckwheat Breakfast Bowl

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

1 cup buckwheat
2 cups water
1 box cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thick
1 small head of broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets
3 whole eggs
3 egg whites
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley
1-2 tsp truffle oil
salt & pepper
olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Pour 2 cups of water into a saucepan and bring to boil. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the water and stir in buckwheat, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook approximately 7-10 minutes.
In the meantime, heat up a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes. While the mushrooms are cooking lay the broccoli florets on a sheet pan and sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Mix with your hands to coat all the broccoli. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned, flipping once after 6 minutes or so. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then roughly chop.
Now for the eggs - basically just scramble the eggs as you would do normally. Once the eggs are cooked I like to roughly break up the eggs with the tip of my spatula right in the pan.
All that is left now is to assemble all the individual components. Into the large skillet with the mushrooms add the truffle oil and stir to combine. Add the buckwheat, broccoli and eggs, mixing well. Finally, add the parsley.

Wild & Brown Rice with Mushrooms

January 7, 2010 by Susan

I am obsessed with side dishes lately. There are so many of them out there! To be honest, the sides really can make a meal very interesting. And, they can also make something like a grilled piece of chicken taste almost like a different meal on the second night – depending on which side you serve it with. Same goes with a piece of steak. Or a piece of fish. I like trying to figure out which side would go best with which protein.

My favorite side dishes are the ones that are chock full of ingredients and can actually be eaten as a meal themselves. It’s a side dish one night, the next day it’s a light lunch or a snack. This wild and brown rice with mushrooms (and peas and chick peas and pecans!) is one of those perfect side dishes. And, it’s healthy for you! Wild and brown rice are much better for you than all that bad white stuff, they have low glycemic indexes and are more filling.

This dish is chewy from the rice, crunchy from the pecans and earthy from the mushrooms and herbs…extremely satisfying. Pair it with your favorite protein and enjoy.

Here’s what you will need to serve 4 sides…

Recipe

1 cup uncooked brown & wild rice blend

5-6 medium sage leaves, minced

1 tsp thyme

2 tbsp parsley

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup frozen peas

1 package baby portobello mushrooms, sliced thick (stems removed)

1/3 cup pecans

15 oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained

salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Prepare wild rice blend according to package directions (takes about 40 minutes to cook).

Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a dry skillet for approximately 5 minutes, tossing often. Remove from pan.

In a large skillet heat the butter and olive oil. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme, sage and frozen peas. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add pecans to the skillet, mix and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes more.

Add the cooked wild rice blend and some salt & pepper to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine well. Finally, add the chick peas to the pan and fold in gently. Just before serving sprinkle with parsley.

Wild & Brown Rice with Mushrooms

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked brown & wild rice blend
5-6 medium sage leaves, minced
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup frozen peas
1 package baby portobello mushrooms, sliced thick (stems removed)
⅓ cup pecans
15 oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Prepare wild rice blend according to package directions (takes about 40 minutes to cook).
Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a dry skillet for approximately 5 minutes, tossing often. Remove from pan.
In a large skillet heat the butter and olive oil. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme, sage and frozen peas. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add pecans to the skillet, mix and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Add the cooked wild rice blend and some salt & pepper to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine well. Finally, add the chick peas to the pan and fold in gently. Just before serving sprinkle with parsley.

Stuffed Mushrooms

November 23, 2009 by Susan

I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is here already! Shocking how time flies; one minute you are applying sunscreen, then next you are planning Thanksgiving dinner. Sort of. Anyway, I’ve got myself a new favorite side dish, one that would be perfect on any Thanksgiving table. Stuffed mushrooms!

One word sufficiently describes these babies. Superb. Truly, they are delicious. My fiance actually rolled his eyes back into his head during his first bite. They are that good.

I saw Ina make these the other day and just had to try them. She never disappoints! I made a few slight changes to her recipe (added thyme, decreased amount of mascarpone). Very yummy and very hearty. A few big stuffed mushrooms can hold their own for a light lunch, for sure.

One of my favorite things about these mushrooms is that you can make them ahead. Stuff them, put them in a baking dish, cover and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. Or, store the filling in the fridge and just stuff the mushrooms as needed and pop in the oven. Works really well during the week when you are short on time and energy and need just a little something to go with that piece of chicken or steak.

If you think your turkey can stand not being the center of attention this Thanksgiving, go ahead and give these mushrooms a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s what you will need to make approximately 25 medium/large stuffed mushrooms…

Recipe

25 medium/large white mushrooms, cleaned

3/4 pound sausage (remove from casing)

4-5 scallions, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup panko (bread crumbs)

3 oz mascarpone (roughly 1/3 of a container)

1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped thyme

2.5 tbsp marsala

3 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve. Clean mushroom caps with a damp paper towel, put in a large bowl. Add marsala and 3 tbsp olive oil and mix to coat all mushrooms. Put aside.

In a large skillet add a few tablespoons of olive oil, when hot add sausage and cook until just browned, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, chop mushroom stems and then add to the sausage. Add scallions, garlic and panko and thyme. Mix to combine and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat, add mascarpone, parmigiano cheese, parsley and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well until the mascarpone has fully melted into the sausage mixture. Allow to cool slightly.

Now comes the time to stuff these guys. Be careful, the mushrooms will be somewhat slippery to handle due to the marsala and olive oil. Just take your time. Stuff each mushroom well, mounding the tops with the delicious filling. Pack the filling down slightly. Place each stuffed mushroom in the baking dish. Pop in the oven, uncovered, and bake for approximately 40 minutes. As an added touch, I sometimes like to turn the broiler on for a minute or two towards the end of the cooking time. This helps to brown the tops nicely, creating a bit of a an extra crunch on top. If you do this, do not leave the stove, watch it carefully. One or two minutes is enough, you don’t want to burn them!

Have I mentioned how delicious these are?

HeadOfLineR

Stuffed Mushrooms

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

25 medium/large white mushrooms, cleaned
¾ pound sausage (remove from casing)
4-5 scallions, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
⅔ cup panko (bread crumbs)
3 oz mascarpone (roughly ⅓ of a container)
⅓ cup parmigiano reggiano
½ cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2.5 tbsp marsala
3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve. Clean mushroom caps with a damp paper towel, put in a large bowl. Add marsala and 3 tbsp olive oil and mix to coat all mushrooms. Put aside.
In a large skillet add a few tablespoons of olive oil, when hot add sausage and cook until just browned, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, chop mushroom stems and then add to the sausage. Add scallions, garlic and panko and thyme. Mix to combine and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat, add mascarpone, parmigiano cheese, parsley and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well until the mascarpone has fully melted into the sausage mixture. Allow to cool slightly.
Now comes the time to stuff these guys. Be careful, the mushrooms will be somewhat slippery to handle due to the marsala and olive oil. Just take your time. Stuff each mushroom well, mounding the tops with the delicious filling. Pack the filling down slightly. Place each stuffed mushroom in the baking dish. Pop in the oven, uncovered, and bake for approximately 40 minutes. As an added touch, I sometimes like to turn the broiler on for a minute or two towards the end of the cooking time. This helps to brown the tops nicely, creating a bit of a an extra crunch on top. If you do this, do not leave the stove, watch it carefully. One or two minutes is enough, you don't want to burn them!