Chicken Breasts with Caper Cream Sauce

I was looking for a new recipe for chicken breasts the other night and ran across a recipe on Allrecipes.com  from mommyto2boys.  It is incredible! As you can probably tell, we love chicken at my house.  I generally prefer it to red meats (only because it is healthier) so we eat a lot of it.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but (after changing just a few ingredients), the results were phenomenal.  One of those meals where you make a “mmmm”  sound every time you take a bite because the flavor is so good.  To be honest, I don’t know if I have ever really used dill weed in a recipe but I am glad it was hiding in my spice cabinet because this recipe now ranks up there in my faves.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp dried dill weed

*(1 tsp salt)

*(1 tsp garlic powder)

* I substituted the salt and the garlic powder for a heavy sprinkling of Fontknow’s Secret seasoning.  I know there aren’t many of you that have it but I know a few of you do.  This gave it just a touch of spiciness which was so yummy.

1/2 cup half-and-half (the recipe called for heavy whipping cream but while I don’t consider myself a low-fat cooker, I try to make the healthier choice if there is one.  Half-and-half has about 1/3 less fat so you don’t feel as much guilt indulging.)

3 Tbsp butter or margarine

1/4 cup white wine

2 Tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse chicken and dry with paper towels.  Season with lemon pepper, dill weed, salt and garlic powder (or Fontknow’s).

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sometimes I do a little “sizzle test”… I touch just the tip of the chicken in the pan, if it doesn’t give me a nice sizzle, I take it out and keep heating my pan.  This way you don’t end up laying the whole breast in too soon and loosing all of the juices and boiling your chicken to a rubbery pulp. There will be a delicate balance here however because we are using butter which has a lower smoking point than olive oil so keep an eye on your butter and make sure it doesn’t turn brown.  Once you have placed all of your chicken in the pan, you might notice a decrease in the sizzle.  Turn your heat up to high momentarily until you get your sizzle back (ha) then reduce back to medium-high. As always, we want to be very patient and leave the chicken alone until it gets a nice golden brown seer on it before we flip it.  This generally takes about 5 minutes.  Turn the chicken once it is good and seared and do the same on the other side.  Cook chicken until it reaches an internal temp of 155 degrees in the thickest part (remember to submerge your thermometer enough to get a good reading. In the breast this may mean placing the thermometer in horizontally into the thickest end. Your chicken will continue to cook another 5-10 degrees once removed from the pan, so I promise I’m not trying to poison you 🙂 Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

You should have some brown bits at the bottom of your pan.  At this point you are going to reduce heat to medium and add your wine.  It should reduce rather quickly.  Add half-and half and stir constantly until the sauce becomes thick (approx. 5 minutes).  About half way through that 5 minutes, add your capers.  I love capers so I add a good amount more than recipes usually call for. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper until it tastes perfect.  Pour over chicken and serve.  This is really yummy served over angel hair pasta.

 

Steamed Artichokes

I have talked to so many people who have either never tried artichokes or love them but have never attempted to cook them.  They do appear to be intimidating but they are really, really easy to cook and fun to eat.  If you can cook broccoli, you can cook an artichoke. These vegetables are considered one of the world’s healthiest foods (high in fiber and antioxidants among many other health benefits) but they are so delicious and fun to eat at the same time.

I have been a huge fan of artichokes since I was about 8 years old.  They were always a treat in our house growing up.  When one of my parents came home from the store with a bag of the green beauties, we were giddy all day, waiting for what seemed like an eternity for dinner time. I am proud to have two little artichoke lovers of my own.  I am going to seriously have to figure out how to grow them in my garden this year because the prices can be outrageous for these gems.  I almost always purchase mine at …. you guessed it, Costco.  They sell a four pack of large artichokes for somewhere around $5-7 which is WAY less than you can generally buy them in other stores these days.

Let’s start by picking out our artichokes.  There are several different ways to ensure you pick a good artichoke.  First of all, you want your artichoke to be heavy, which means it is dense and has a lot of moisture in it.  If you have ever had a dry, rubbery artichoke, you know why this is so important.  You want your artichoke to look fresh and bright and give a little squeak when you squeeze it.  If they don’t squeak, chances are, they are getting a little wilted.  I also make sure to pick out the artichokes with the fattest stems.  This will ensure a nice big heart which is my favorite part.  I have heard that a good artichoke should have the thorn at the top of the leaves.  I don’t know if this one is true or not but I try to find them anyways.

Ok, let’s get to preppin’.

Start by cutting the stem completely off at the base of the artichoke.  Some people leave on a little of the stem on but I prefer to have it flat because it is much easier to cook and plate.  Next you are going to trim the top inch or so off of the artichoke.  Be sure you have a sharp knife for this – those leaves are tough to get through.  Next, you want to use your kitchen shears and cut off all of the little thorns atop each leaf.  Not only does this make your artichoke really pretty, it saves your fingers.  I was poked by many an artichoke as a kid because my parents skipped this step 🙂

Place the artichokes in a large pot, stem-side down.  Put enough water in your pan to cover about 1/3 of the way up on the artichoke.  If you have a fresh lemon, cut it in half and rub the lemon onto the cut tops of the leaves.  If you don’t happen to have a lemon handy, just squirt a little lemon juice on each artichoke after it is in the pan.  Now it’s time for some garlic! I use 1 large clove of chopped (or sliced) garlic per artichoke.  You can either take the time to place the garlic down between the leaves, or you can just pile it on top.  As they cook, the garlic will fall down into the nooks and crannies.

Cover and cook over high heat until your water boils.  Reduce to medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour.

You will know when your artichoke is done because the leaves will be easy to pull out and if you are anything like me, you have taste-tested about 26 leaves by now just to make sure they are cooked to perfection.  The “meat” of the artichoke leaf should come off easily when you bite the leaf between your teeth about 1/2- 2/3 of the way up and pull out the leaf while biting.  If you find that you have to pull pretty hard or it doesn’t come off in one smooth pull, keep cookin’.

Once your artichokes are perfectly cooked, use tongs to remove them at the bases and place them into individual bowls.  This is where many people differ in artichoke eating.  I personally sprinkle a little garlic salt on mine and call it good.  Growing up, we drizzled a little vegetable oil over them with the garlic salt, also a yummy choice.  I have had them dipped in butter which is really delicious but also takes a little bit of the healthy feeling away.  Then there are those people out there that dip them in mayonnaise.  I have never tried it and because of my distaste for mayo, I probably never will.  If you like mayo, you might find this appealing.  I know there are a lot of recipes for mayo dips.

Once you have eaten all of the leaves with substance, you will be left with some really thin leaves in the center of the artichoke.  You will know when to stop eating these as they start to taste bitter (fyi the leaves in my artichoke were beautiful and purple but that is not common, usually they are just pale green.)  Remove these leaves and place them in your “discard bowl.” Now you have the “choke” exposed.  All you need to do to remove this is place your knife toward the edge and press down and drag toward the center.  You will notice it releasing from the heart.  Once you have it all released, just pinch the top with your fingers and remove the choke.  You may need to scrape the top of the heart with a knife to remove them completely.

Now you are down to the best part.  Again, I sprinkle mine with a little garlic salt but season as you wish and enjoy the last few bites of heaven.

I hope you are a little less intimidated now.  Please stop by and leave a comment if you give them a try.  I would love to know all about it.

By the way, this might be common sense to some but don’t put your discarded artichoke leaves in the garbage disposal.  My husband did this once when we were dating way back when…. not a pretty sight.

 

 

Rustic Potato Cakes

I literally dreamed this recipe to life last night.  I woke up and told my husband that I had a new recipe to try from my dreams. I immediately got to peeling potatoes and WOW! I wish this happened more often! They were A-MAZING! Crunchy on the outside, smooth and tender and a little cheesy on the inside – My husband said they were his new favorite breakfast food.  They would also be an awesome side dish with a nice steak.  This recipe made 7 potato cakes.

Ingredients:

6 small potatoes – My bag of potatoes had some serious runts so this is what I had.  3 large potatoes would be much easier to hold on to (see directions)

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

My method is a little crazy but I followed exactly what I had done in my dream.  Peel potatoes then rinse.  With your potato peeler, keep peeling on your “peeled” potatoes in to a bowl until you can’t hold on to them anymore.  Be very careful doing this as I’m sure it would be easy to catch your finger with the peeler. If you have a mandaline that has a really thin setting, that would be a better option because it is a little tricky to peel once your potato starts getting small.  A food processor would also work OK as long as the setting was very thin and you aren’t going to end up with “slices.”

Add flour, salt, parsley, onion, pepper, garlic powder and cheese.  Mix by hand until it is all evenly distributed.  Heat a large, non stick or cast iron frying pan on medium-high heat for several minutes.  Add 1 Tbsp of oil for each batch.  Take a small handful of the potato mixture and flatten into a patty in your hand.  Carefully place in hot pan.  You should hear a good sizzle. I was comfortably able to fit 3 patties into my 12 inch pan at a time.  Cook for 5-6 minutes on first side or until the underside is nice and brown and crisp.  Flip with a spatula to other side.  Cook on that side for 5-6 minutes or until that side is brown and crunchy as well.  If you find that the potatoes are browning too fast, turn heat down.  You can keep cooking them until you feel that the centers are translucent and cooked all of the way through.  It is most important to be sure you get the initial seer on both sides. Remove and place on a paper towel while you cook the remaining batches.

Rustic Potato Cakes was featured on the blog below.  Check it out!

http://www.jillianskitchen.com/2012/03/15/rustic-potato-pancakes/

Breakfast Smoothies

I make these almost every morning for my boys for breakfast.  I usually wake up with a light tapping on my shoulder and two little voices asking me if I will make them a smoothie.  They are so healthy and delicious. Just like my boys, I look forward to my smoothie every morning.  You can add so many different variations to this recipe.  This is just the basic recipe, then you can add whatever your heart desires.

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced – or about 10 large frozen strawberries (If you use frozen berries, you don’t have to worry about diluting your smoothie with ice.  I buy the big bag from Costco.  They are such nice berries and by far the best price you can find unless you are picking them from your own garden.)

1 vanilla yogurt (My favorite is Yoplait.  I feel like it has the smoothest, non-tangy flavor)

1 ripe bananas (the riper the banana, the sweeter the smoothie – just don’t use the rotten ones.  Ripe bananas will eliminate any need for added sugar, sometimes I add 2 bananas if I am needing to get rid of them)

2 cups apple juice (you can use any kind of juice, I just find the apple to be the sweetest)

I have also added ground flax-seed, spinach, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or whatever seasonal fruit I have in my fridge or freezer.

Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until completely smooth.

If I do happen to make extra smoothie, I put it in popsicle molds and make smoothie-pops.  This is really fun because in the summer-time, the boys can have a popsicle for breakfast, which they think is so cool!

Orange Julius

Nothing brings back memories of my childhood like a cold, creamy orange julius. I made them for the first time in years this last weekend for my kids and my niece.  There was about 3 or 4 minutes of complete silence, followed by the slurping sound of 3 empty cups and straws then insistent begging for another round.  Honestly, if I would have had more orange juice, I would have gone for it because my cup was empty too.

Ingredients:

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

2 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar (I feel like you could reduce this slightly)

1 tsp vanilla

10 ice cubes

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

We have a winner!!!!!

Congratulations Jessica Filaroski! Your name has been drawn as the winner of the pie plate, rolling pin and pie bird!  Check back next week as we create our next giveaway. Thanks everyone for participating!

 

Mountain O’ Caramel Corn with Chocolate Drizzle

Ok, I made this yesterday and I have an awesome trophy of a sugar bump on my tongue because I JUST CAN’T STOP eating it! It makes a huge batch and I have done a really amazing job taking care of eating most of it so my family doesn’t have to ingest all of those calories…just watching out for my family.

This is so inexpensive to make, considering when you buy it at the fair, you pay like $75 for a little 6 oz bag.  It is so delicious and crunchy, not the chewy kind that gets glued to your back teeth.

Ingredients:

1 cup un-popped popcorn kernels

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

3 ounces chocolate (feel free to use more, chocolate gives me headaches so I have to limit myself)

Feel free to add some peanuts, pecans, almonds, raisins, whatever your little heart desires.

Directions:

Time to bust out your largest pan or wok (I use my 12 inch frying pan).  If you don’t have a large pan, get a big metal bowl, some foil and some tongs.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in pan over medium-high heat.  Add 1/3 cup un-popped kernels and cover with lid.  Shake shake shake that pan back and forth until your kernels are all popped.  I wait until there are a few seconds between each pop and immediately dump into a large bowl.  Don’t stop shaking or your kernels will burn.  If you are using a bowl, do exactly as you would with the pan (just be careful not to burn yourself). Feel free to use your air popper if you have one.  I do not, so this is the next best option. Continue this in three batches until corn is all popped.

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add sugar, salt and corn syrup.  Bring to a gentle boil. Boil five minutes without stirring.  Remove from heat.

 

Stir in vanilla and baking soda.

Pour over popcorn.
Stir until popcorn is well coated.

Confession-I tried this yesterday with a paper bag instead of a bowl because I have heard all about “paper bag caramel corn.”  Oh boy, was I disappointed.  The bag ate half of my caramel!  I’m serious! I contemplated eating the bag because it had so much caramel stuck to the sides.  So, gonna stick with the good ol’ bowl method from now on.

Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Immediately pour onto counter on wax paper, foil or parchment paper.  Separate kernels to cool. (Don’t be looking too close at my oven :))

Place 2/3 chopped chocolate pieces in bowl.  Microwave for 1 minute, stir.  Microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring each time until chocolate is melted.  Add additional 1/3 chocolate and stir until smooth.  (This is the unscientific way to temper chocolate). It isn’t exact but does the trick for the most part.  Using a small spatula or knife, scoop chocolate and drizzle over top of cooling popcorn.  Let cool completely before eating…HA! Good one!.  Okay, so snack away but it will stick to your teeth before it is cool.  Store in an airtight container to keep crunchy.

 

 

Delicious Enchiladas with Fresh, Homemade Sauce

I have had my fair share of enchiladas as they tend to be my dinner of choice at Mexican restaurants.  A few years ago, one of my friends (also the friend who introduced me to beer bread) taught me how to make fresh enchilada sauce.  She had just been given a lesson on cooking authentic Mexican food.  I honestly don’t know if I can ever buy the canned stuff again.  The flavor is so bright and fresh.

This recipe will make approximately 12 enchiladas with some sauce left over to refrigerate and use to dip chips in or freeze for next time.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

12 Tomatillos (those little green tomatoes that are wrapped in a green, papery husk)

1-2 small jalapenos (I only use 1 and I remove the seeds and membrane – this is where most of the heat is at.  If I was cooking for only me and my hubby, I would use 1 whole with seeds but since my boys were eating it too, I removed the seeds and membrane making them have little to no spiciness.) You can also use 1 medium poblano chile here, if preferred.

1/2 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup Knorr Chicken Flavor Bouillon (I find this in the aisle with the other Mexican food ingredients).  This amount does produce a pretty salty sauce, which I like, but feel free to add a little and taste before adding full amount.

1 Tbsp cilantro

Enchiladas:

12 flour tortillas – As you may know by now, I highly recommend the  Tortilla Land raw tortillas.  They are superior to any other I have tasted and I love being able to cook them myself. Just adds to the fresh taste.

2 lbs shredded meat of your choice.  I have used shredded chicken, beef and pork.  This time I used the pork from my leftover “Crock Pot Shredded Pork.”

2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 wheel of Queso Fresco – I buy the “part skim milk cheese”, they also have “whole milk cheese.”  This is a very mild cheese, almost tastes like mozzarella, but it’s crumbly.

1 avocado, diced

1 can black olives

sour cream

cilantro

Directions:

Peel tomatillos.  Wash thoroughly – They will have an oily, sticky film under the husk.

Place tomatillos and jalapeno in a pot of boiling water. Boil until you notice the peel on the bottom of the tomatillo sluffing.  As soon as you notice this on one, remove from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, place tomatillos in a blender or food processor.  Add onion, garlic, cilantro and bouillon.  Pulse until liquified.  (There are some who prefer to roast the tomatillos, which I’m sure creates a wonderful flavor. I have never tried it – Maybe next time.  Also, if you prefer to remove the seeds, let tomatillos cool slightly.  Cut a slit in the bottom and squeeze out the seeds.   I kind of like the seeds because I think they give the sauce a little texture, visually.

If you are using the raw tortillas, cook before assembling.

Add a small handful of shredded pork (or meat of your choice) to the center of a cooked tortilla.  Spread a good amount (~2 Tbsp) of sauce over pork. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese (or just Queso if you prefer). Fold each end of tortilla to the middle and place on seam in a greased 9×13 pan.  Each pan will fit 6 enchiladas. Once all enchiladas are assembled, spread about 1 cup of sauce over each pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve with additional sauce, avocados, olives, sour cream, queso fresco crumbles and cilantro.

Chicken In A Cloud

This morning my sweet great-grandmother passed away, 5 days shy of her 99th birthday.  She was one of the most amazing people I have ever known.  My recipe today is one she passed down to me years ago.  It is nothing fancy, but I can assure you, it is wonderful! The bottom layer is a pretty basic, creamy chicken mixture but the top “cloud” is where it sky-rockets into the “passed down through generations” category.  I can’t explain it in a way to do it any justice but it is like a super flavorful cross between a cheesy biscuit and soft, fluffy bread. Hope you all enjoy it. I’m so glad I get to share something so special and close to me with all of you! 🙂

Ingredients:

Base creamy chicken layer:

1 cup frozen peas, cooked and drained

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cubed

1-10 1/2 oz can cream of chicken soup

1 cup dairy sour cream (I used low-fat)

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp pimento

Cheese Cloud:

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese,

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp pimento

2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place cooked chicken and peas in a 2 qt casserole dish, set aside.

Combine soup, sour cream and seasonings in a saucepan.  Heat just to boiling.

Stir in chopped parsley and pimento.

Add cream mixture to peas and chicken.  Stir to mix.  Place in oven to keep warm.

Mean while, sift together dry ingredients for cheese cloud.  Add milk, cheddar, parsley, pimento and eggs to flour mixture.  Drop by spoonfulls on hot mixture in casserole dish (the topping will be rather runny like a pancake batter).  Sprinkle with cheddar.

Bake for 45 minutes. 

Dorothy Ward 02/26/1913 – 02/22/2012

This picture was taken at my wedding almost 11 years ago.  I will miss you GG-ma!

This recipe was featured on the following blog – Go check it out!

http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/03/whats-for-dinner-next-week-3-4-12.html

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