Chicken Scarpariello

So I made this chicken dish tonight I got from Allrecipes.com. The picture made it look good. It was, though, just okay. I'll most likely not ever make it again. Not because it was bad. It wasn't. But more because I have so many other GREAT recipes.

Chicken Scarpariello
Recipe from Allrecipes.com
Serves 2

• 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Cut chicken breasts into 1 x 3 inch strips, and dredge in flour.

In 10 in ch skillet, heat oil and butter. Add chicken. Cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides (3 to 4 minutes). Using tongs, re move chicken from skillet. Set aside and keep warm.
To same skillet, add shallots and garlic. Sauté until softened (1 minute). Add water, wine, broth mix, and seasonings. Mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced by 1/2 (3 to 4 minutes). Return chicken to skillet, and cook until sauce is thick and chicken is heated through (2 to 3 minutes).

I actually followed this recipe almost to a T. I didn't measure things, but that's to be expected. All in all, the flavor was okay. The fried chicken part was the best to me. Gimme somethin' fried any day of the week (unless it's okra - you can keep that).

Balsamic Flank Steak and Brave Potatoes

Sometimes, well more than sometimes, I wonder where they come up with names for recipes. Brave Potatoes? Really. I didn't see anything brave about them. They were good, don't get me wrong, but I didn't feel "brave" eating them.

Anyhow, first two recipes this week were from one of my Cuisine at Home cookbooks - Weeknights. The idea behind the cookbook is to make weeknight meals simple, affordable, and nutritious. Last night I made Balsamic Flank Steak and Brave Potatoes.

First, I didn't have flank steak. Instead I had a skirt steak. Big mistake. Balsamic vinegar is such a powerful flavor you really need the thickness of a flank steak to temper the flavor. Skirt steaks are very thin.

Second, I screwed up the potatoes. My lack of patience, and my inability to set a timer, made the potatoes not quite done, and then I over cooked them.

Finally, I didn't bother with the Parsley & Cilantro sauce. I didn't have parsley for starters. Well, I did, but it wasn't happy parsley if you know what I mean. And I decided I didn't really need the extra component.

Balsamic Flank Steak and Parsley-Cilantro Sauce
Makes 1 flank steak (1lb - 1 1/2 lb)

• 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt.

Whisk these together. Take your flank steak - any fat should be trimmed off - and marinate it for 15 minutes. Grill to the required doneness. As you're grilling it, with each flip, baste it with the remaining marinade. Once cooked to your liking, let it rest for 5 minutes.

Parsley Cilantro Sauce

• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes.

Process the above in a food processor to combine. Set aside.

Once the steak has rested, slice against the bias. Drizzle with parsley cilantro sauce.

Brave Potatoes
Makes 1 1/2 lb

• 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled
• 1 T Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp Paprika

Cut each potato in to wedges, then cut each wedge in half crosswise. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add potatoes and parboil for 10 minutes, drain. Fry potatoes in oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes on one side. Flip potatoes and fry another 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and paprika; sauté 1 minute and remove from heat.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Pesto sauce and Big-Mushroom-Veggie Saute

Whew. Another long name for a meal. But scrumptious this one was. I had too, of course, change a few things, but tried to stay relatively close to the recipe. I have been testing my patience of late, and I can say that tonight I actually cooked something low and slow, to allow for browning without burning. By George, she can be taught.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Pesto sauce and Big-Mushroom-Veggie Saute
Serves: 4 (Yes I only made it for one with no left overs. I'm getting really good at that.

• 4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 c Store bought shredded domestic Parmesan Cheese
• 3 portobello mushroom caps, gills scraped off with a spoon, thinly sliced (so portobellos were a bit expensive, so I went with creminis which are just baby portobellos).
• 1/2 small Spanish onion, finely chopped ( so I actually chopped the onion, but forgot to put it into the recipe).
• 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch thin asparagus, ends trimmed and discarded, spears chopped into 2 inch lengths
• 3 T Good quality aged sherry vinegar, or red wine vinegar
• 3/4 c chicken stock or broth
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
• a handful of fresh parsley
• 6 oz good quality store-bought pesto (yah I so am not going to buy store bought pesto. It's relatively cheap to make on your own, and so much better than store bought).

Jenn Note: Okay so as I'm rereading the ingredients I realized I didn't really follow this recipe much at all. I stopped to pick up asparagus at QFC (local grocery store) because I swear they had it on sale for .99 cents per lb. Only today it was $4.99 per lbs - Yah I don't think so! So I decided to by pass the asparagus.


Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat with 2 T oil. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dump cheese out onto a plate and press the chicken into the cheese, covering all the pieces in cheese on both sides. It helps if your chicken is a bit wet.

Add chicken to hot skillet, allowing it to cook a full 6-7 minutes - DO NOT MESS WITH THE BIRD! The Parmesan is browning and melting together to form an all cheese, no bread crumb crust all over the chicken. After 7 minutes (or when chicken budges easily), turn and cook the chicken 5-6 minutes more.

While the chicken is browning, heat another large skillet over high heat with remaining 2 T oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Brown the mushrooms for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic (yah forgot to add the onions - oops. But somehow didn't forget to add the garlic...gee wonder why?). Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the asparagus, tossing to combine. Add the sherry vinegar and continue to cook until the skillet is almost dry, about 1 minute. (I didn't have sherry or red wine vinegar so I added balsamic...) Add the chicken stock and cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender. (Jenn note: so I didn't do this either. See I don't like cooked tomatoes - as in from raw to cooked - but love canned tomatoes. Anyhow, I didn't add them. And I didn't add the asparagus because of the above note...and so I didn't add the chicken stock either...just had sauteed mushrooms and garlic.)

Add the parsley and tossing to coat.

Top chicken with a strip of pesto across each breast. Serve a pile of the big-mushroom-veggie saute alongside each breast.

The chicken was the star here by far. The side dish was just something. I made garlic/pesto mashed potatoes. I already had the pesto so I figured why not. A bit too much garlic in the potatoes...and so now my breath is ...well let's say I won't be kissing anyone.

So I wondered about why you would remove the gills from the mushrooms. Not that I used portobellos, but was curious. Apparently removing the gills is only done for aesthetic reasons. The gills tend to blacken whatever they are being cooked with...in this case the veggies. See. You learned something today.

Now go try this recipe. And let me know if you actually follow the recipe.

Impossibly Good Chicken and Simple Mixed Greens Salad

The chicken: not so impossible, and not so good. It was just okay. I most likely won't be making it again, I'm just sayin'. It's a Rachael Ray recipe, and generally speaking I like her recipes. This one, was - well just okay.

Impossibly Good Chicken and Simple Mixed Greens Salad
Servings: 4 (I paired this down for one)

• 5 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 6 6 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 large chunks
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into strips (yah - didn't use the BP)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 c chicken stock
• 3/4 c heavy cream
• 1/2 pint grape or small cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 c pitted green olives (I used pimiento stuffed ones, because that's what I had on hand)
• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• 3 T Red wine vinegar
• 1 sack of mixed greens
• 2 c fresh basil, torn or chopped
• 2 handfuls fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a large, deep skillet on medium high with 2 T oil. Add the chicken to the hot skillet when the oil begins to smoke, then season liberally with salt and pepper.

Brown the chicken on both sides; you are looking for an amber color, about 7 minutes. Add the onions, bell pepper strips, and garlic to the pan and continue to cook for 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock and cream, then bring the sauce to a hard simmer. Simmer for about 4-5 minutes; the stock and cream should reduce and begin to thicken slightly. (Jenn Note: in case you're as patient as I am, try cornstarch. I used it and it thickened right away. -- insert evil grin)

Add the tomatoes and olives next and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the mustard and vinegar. In a slow steady stream, whisk in the oil. Place the mixed greens in a salad bowl, toss together with the dressing, season with salt and pepper. If you have other vegi's in the fridge, toss them on in. I had some left over asparagus that I had blanched. It tasted great with this.

To finish the chicken, add all the basil and parsley, stirring to distribute.

Asian Beef Skewers

Not to be confused with last week's Asian Flank Steak. This one was much much better. There are plenty of elements that might have gone into this one being better. For starters, it's BEAUTIFUL here today. Second, I got a good cut of meat for it. Finally, the ingredients I think were better. I like red curry and it added a nice little kick to this.

Asian Beef Skewers

Servings: 4

• Coarse salt
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 c packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 1 T Thai red curry paste (I thought 1T was too much so opted to 1tsp, then regretted it. It added such a nice flavor, without heat, that I wish it was more flavor.)
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds top sirloin beef or shell steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 red onion, quartered, layers separated
• 1 can (20 ounces) sliced pineapple in juice, drained, slices quartered
• 1 package (10 ounces) thin dried Chinese noodles or spaghetti
• 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat; line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Soak four 12-inch (or eight 6-inch) wooden skewers in a pan of warm water; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (Jenn Note: I totally BBQ'd these instead of broil them.)Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, curry paste, and 1 tablespoon oil. Reserve half the sauce for serving.

Thread beef, onion, and pineapple onto skewers. Place on prepared baking sheet, and brush with sauce. Broil, brushing occasionally with sauce, until beef is medium-rare and onion begins to char, 7 to 10 minutes. (Jenn Note: I'm not a big fan of cooked pineapple, so I added mushrooms in their place. I think you could even add any type of vegi's you like to make it a kebab thingy).

Meanwhile, cook noodles in boiling salted water, according to package instructions. Drain, and place in a medium bowl. Add cilantro and remaining vinegar and oil; season with salt, and toss to combine. Serve skewers with noodles, reserved sauce, and, if desired, red-pepper flakes. (Jenn Note: I am not a big fan of the Chinese chow mein noodles, though it could have been the brand I bought. Next time I'd use the rice noodles instead and sauté them with a bit of the reserved sauce.)

Asian Flank Steak and Garlic Lime Rice

So two of the recipes I picked out of the bowl I figured went well together for one meal. Asian Flank Steak and Garlic Lime Rice. I had never really thought about adding lime to rice, but omg it was so good. I think I did discover, however, you can add too much lime flavor ... a bit tart. I'd so make the rice again, but not overdose on lime juice. The steak, not all that impressed. I think first I picked the wrong cut of meat (flank steak was too expensive), then I overcooked the steak. But regardless of that, the flavors of the marinade (which I didn't do for as long as it said) wasn't so fantastic. I've had way better.

Asian Flank Steak
Servings: 6

• 1 pound Flank steak
• 1/4 c Vegetable oil
• 1/4 c Orange juice
• 3 T Soy sauce
• 3 T Honey
• 3 T Rice wine vinegar
• 2 T Minced green onion
• 1 1/2 tsp Grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
• 3 T Water

Score the steak diagonally across the grain at 3/4 inch intervals.

Combine oil and next 7 ingredients in shallow dish or heavy ziploc bag. Add steak. Seal and chill 8 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove steak from marinade; reserving marinade.

Grill steaks to desired doneness.

Bring reserve marinade to a boil in a sauce pan, and boil at least one minute or until it reduces.

Stir together cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to marinade; bring to a medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly for one minute. Spoon over steak.

The partner to this meal was the Garlic Lime Rice. Delicious. I'd totally make this again.

Garlic Lime Rice
Makes 2 cups

• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 c dry long grain white rice
• 2 c water
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 T minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp lime zest, minced

Sauté garlic in oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until golden. Do not overcook the garlic. Stir in rice and sauté 2 minutes. Rice should be somewhat translucent.

Add water, lime juice and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed, 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime zest.

You'll enjoy the rice, I promise. It was stickier than I expected, and I cooked it for about 30 minutes not just 20. The water didn't seem to evaporate enough. Enjoy!

Thai Chicken and Noodle with Garlic, Ginger and Roasted Peanuts

I pulled three recipes last week from the bowl. This was the third I tried during the week. Despite the number of ingredients this had, I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of making it - patience helped - and how good it truly was. Even the leftovers were good. And I'm so not a left over girl.

Thai Chicken and Noodles with Garlic, Ginger and Roasted Peanuts
Serves 2
(Although adding more noodles, this could totally serve more)

• 6-8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, julienne**
• 3 tsp Asian sesame oil, divided
• 1/4 cup Fish Sauce (soy sauce can be used if you don't have fish sauce. Use the low sodium though cause otherwise it'll be too salty.
• 3 T Fresh Lime juice
• 2 tsp Cornstarch
• 6 ounces Chinese-style noodles (I had no idea what this was so I used soba noodles.)
• 3 tsp Peanut oil, divided
• 2/3 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 6-8 green onions, both white and green parts, cut into 1 inch segments
• 1/2 small red or orange bell pepper, seeded and julienne (yah - I so didn't put these in - blech)
• 1/2 cup sliced sugar snap peas (I didn't slice mine - just added them whole)
• 1 med jalapeno pepper, seeded and julienne
• 1 piece 1-2 inchs fresh ginger, peeled and julienne
• 6 medium to large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup basil leaves, preferably Thai, julienne (I used regular basil)
• 1/3 cup fresh whole cilantro leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

In a small bowl, toss together the chicken and 2 tsp of the sesame oil. Set aside at room temperature.

In a small bowl or cup, mix together the fish sauce, lime juice and cornstarch. Set aside.

Prepare the noodles according to the package directions.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tsp of the peanut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Test by putting a piece of chicken in it, if it sizzles, it's ready. Add the chicken, stir and turn to separate and cook. When the chicken is a uniform color, transfer with the juices to the noodle bowl. (This recipe assumed you made your noodles ahead of time. I made the soba noodles early and had them ready. But you could just wait and mix them all together at the end.)

In the skillet used to cook the chicken, heat the remaining 1 tsp of peanut oil, add the mushrooms, and sauté briefly. Turn the heat up to high, add the red onion, green onion, bell pepper, snap peas, jalapeno and remaining 1 tsp sesame oil and stir briefly. Add the ginger and garlic and stir constantly. Turn the heat down to medium, add the fish sauce mixture, and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the noodle bowl, and toss. (I just added the noodles to my skillet with the vegis). Add the basil, cilantro and half of the peanuts, and lightly toss. Sprinkle remaining peanuts over the top and serve at once.

**To julienne chicken or vegetables, cut into matchsticks-size pieces, about 1/8 inch thick and 2 inches long.

Thai BBQ Chicken

OMG..I love, love, LOVEd this recipe. I'll make it again in a heart beat. It reminded me of some chicken I had somewhere - don't remember where but I do remember the chicken. Where the chicken was BBQ's and brushed with a syrup that was infused with dried chilies, garlic and vinegar. It was delicious.

Don't make this marinade any earlier than the day you plan to use it. The herbs will deteriorate. I accompanied this meal with sauted fresh asparagus with grill seasoning (OMG so good), and Thai Kitchen Thai Yellow Curry rice. I had not had that particular rice and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. MMM. It didn't have a strong curry flavor (mom!) but a pleasant flavor. I almost did the Lemon Grass rice...and may try that next time.

But here's the recipe. Eat well.

Thai BBQ Chicken
Serves 4

2 frying chickens, cut into pieces (I used chicken breasts - boneless - cuz that's how I roll)

Marinade:

• 6 T freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 c freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 c Thai fish sauce or soy sauce (I used half fish sauce and half soy because I couldn't make up my mind)
• 1T Asian chili sauce (using this amount didn't make it spicy at all)
• 2 T finely minced ginger
• 6 cloves garlic finely minced (do not skimp on this...garlic is life)
• 1/4 c finely minced whole green onions
• 1/4 c minced fresh mint leaves (I skipped these - not a mint fan)
• 1/4 c minced fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 c minced cilantro

Combine the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (I let mine sit for about an hour).

Grill your chicken.

You will want to come back for more, I promise you.

Teriyaki Strip Steak

Made this on Monday night. I'd do a few things differently if (and that's a big if) I make this again.

Teriyaki Strip Steak
Makes 4 steaks

Combine for the sauce:

• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 T fresh ginger, minced (I grated mine on a small hand grater)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - WAY too much heat for this. It completely overpowered the other flavors.

Pat dry, season, sauté in 1 T peanut oil (I used vegetable oil - I'm cheap and didn't want to buy peanut oil - 4 strip steaks (I used tritip because that's what I had on hand).

Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Pat steaks dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add oil, swirl to coat. Sauté seasoned steads 3 minutes per side. Add sauce to the pan and allow to reduce to a syrup, about 3 minutes. Serve with rice.

So - I don't like frying steaks. Any kind of steaks. I don't recall us EVER frying steaks at home. We BBQ'd them. So, I BBQ'd these steaks and set the sauce on simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Once the steaks were done, I sliced them and drizzled them with the sauce.

If I make this again, I'd actually marinade the steaks in the sauce for 30 minutes or so.

Chicken Cacciatore

Not necessarily my favorite version of Chicken Cacciatore, but it was decent. I made it with rice for some dumb reason. Should have made it with pasta of some sort. It heated up real well too for the next day.

Chicken Cacciatore
Serves 4

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 skinless chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
• 1/4 c flour
• 1 can (28oz) Whole tomatoes in juice, broken up with a spoon
• 1 c dry white wine
• 2 medium onions, cut into 8 wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in two batches, sear chicken, meaty side down, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate (chicken will cook more in step 2).

Add mushrooms to pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with their juice), wine, onions, garlic, olives, and chicken (with any juices). Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Season stew with salt and pepper.