Roll with it!

That's my new mantra these days.  Lots of things getting thrown my way, but I'm just going to roll with it.  So why shouldn't my food do the same???

My friend and fellow food blogger, Karen Pavone, asked me if I had an entree using basil for an upcoming post she was working on. Of course my first thought was a delicious pesto chicken recipe that is my go-to dish for entertaining.  But Karen already had a pesto recipe that she was going to use, so I had to think of something different.  This is the perfect season for that though....becasue it's tomato season!  Basil always makes me think of tomatoes; they dig each other and are the perfect culinary couple. If you know me, you know my absolute love of a Caprese Salad, so I thought why not stuff that perfect combo into a chicken breast??  Oh yeah....

Start by pounding boneless, skinless chicken breasts very thin.  If you had the kind of weekend I did, here's a delicous chance to get out some frustration!  Pound the heck out of it, until it's about a 1/4" thin.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then layer tomatoes, basil. mozzarella cheese, and lemon slices.  Be sure to remove all the pith from the lemon or it will leave a bitter taste in your mouth, and no one likes that.

Then roll the breasts from one of the short ends, tucking the filling in as you go.  Secure with toothpicks (don't use colored ones or your chicken can end up with blue and green spots - so not pretty).  You could stop here and just coat with a little olive oil and pop them in the oven.  But I want more.  So I dredged the rolls in egg, flour and a panko mixture with garlic, lemon zest and parmesan.  Oh yeah, more is good!

Brush with a little olive oil and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes, or until chicken is heated through to 165 and lightly browned.  Slice the chicken breasts to expose the beauty inside, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done!  Pretty food!

I served this over summer squash thinly sliced into "noodles" (inspired by my dinner at Pican the other night) tossed in a tomato & basil cream sauce.  The picture is a bit of a hot mess, but dang, it was soooo good!

Yum it up!

Chicken Paillard

I taught two French Bistro classes this week, and I could eat this chicken every single, dingle day!  I lost my camera somewhere, so I don't have a picture of it, but it looks something like this:

Mine had a lot more herbs on it, and the flavors are fantastic - lemon zest, garlic, parsley & thyme.  I also use the French herb salt I told you about from All Star Organics.  And I serve it over baby lettuce (saves me from having to make a salad, too!)  Best of all, I make a simple pan sauce to drizzle over the chicken and roasted potatoes that I serve along side. Man, just writing about it makes me hungry all over again!  Trust me, this is one for your go-to recipe box:

Chicken Paillard

Serves 6

6 chicken breasts, pounded thin

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper

2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon minced garlic (more if you like it good & garlicky, like me)

Zest from one lemon

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups vegetable broth

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 cups baby greens

2 tablespoons lemon juice, optional

·         Place chicken in a shallow baking dish or large plate.  Season both sides with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

·         In a small bowl combine thyme, parsley, garlic and lemon zest; rub mixture into chicken breasts.

·         Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken to hot skillet in a single layer, working in batches, if necessary.  Cook 3-5 minutes per side depending on thickness.  Remove from skillet and keep warm.

·         Return pan to heat and add butter.  Once melted, add flour and whisk 1-2 minutes to create a roux.  Whisk in the broth and Dijon.  When broth thickens slightly, remove from heat.

·         Place ½ cup of greens on a each plate (you may toss greens with lemon juice), add chicken breast and drizzle with sauce.

What are you waiting for.....get to the store!

Chicken & Veggie Gratin

Watching all those ridiculously skinny actresses last night on the Oscars made me really hungry!  So here's what I think Angelina could use...

I was craving caramelized onions ( I know, I'm a little weird), and that always makes me think of a yummy tian or gratin.  Lately I like the idea of working with whatever I've got.  Fortunately, my kitchen is usually pretty accommodating to an improv dinner (and not just cereal).  So into the pantry and fridge we go.....onions, baby bliss potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, chicken, gruyere (you KNOW I always have cheese on hand....or in mouth), and panko.

Start with a little olive oil and butter in a large skillet, and slowly cook the onions on medium-low heat. 

In a separate skillet, cook a couple chicken breasts, simply seasoned with salt and pepper.  I used this fantastic French herb salt that I picked up at the farmers' market from All Star Organics. I also added a little to the onions....



Caramelizing onions takes time, so if you're starving or in a rush, plan on making something else.  Once the onions are golden, add the sliced mushrooms.

 While chicken and onions cook, thinly slice some baby bliss potatoes, and lay them in the bottom of a lightly oiled baking dish.  Cover the bottom completely.  If you have a mandoline, use it.  If you are using a knife, be sure to keep the cuts uniform, so they will all cook the same.

Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and some thyme leaves.  Then start layering: onion mixture, chicken, cheese and panko.  Bake covered for 30 minutes, remove cover and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.

Caramelized Onion and Chicken Gratin

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for pan

1 table spoon unsalted butter

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

5 Baby Bliss potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick

2 teaspoons thyme leaves, divided

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup panko

• Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a baking dish and set aside.
• Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add sliced onions and reduce heat to medium-low.  Let onions cook, stirring only occasionally, for 10 minutes, then add a pinch of salt and conmtinue to cook 2-3 more minutes before adding the mushrooms.
• Add mushrooms and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes.
• In a spearate skillet, cook chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper.  When cooked, remove from heat and when cool enough to handle, shred.
• Place sliced potatoes, slightly overlapping, in the  bottom of prepared baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the thyme leaves.
• Top with onion and mushroom mixture, then shredded chickenm then cheese, and top with panko and remaining teaspoon of thyme leaves.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  remove cover and bake an addtional 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Spicy Chicken Burgers

Every time I see that "Jumbaco" commercial from Jack in the Box, I get a little crazed.  If you're not familiar, it starts with a fake commercial for a new product, the Jumbaco: a Jumbo Jack burger nestled between two tacos.  Gross on so many levels.  Then a woman tells Jack that "research shows that normal people..." and I'm waiting for her to say, "...normal people don't want to gorge themselves like that!"  Instead she points out that people like the Jumbo Meal Deal better: a Jumbo Jack burger, two tacos, large fries and a large drink.  And all of this for just $4.29. 

It's no wonder 2/3 of Americans are overweight and that diabetes is at a record high.  So I decided to work on a meal that would be healthier, yet delicious, and cost about the same as the fast food meal deals.  And along came my Spicy Chicken Burgers.  I used organic chicken thighs, tons of spices, a homemade yogurt sauce, pita bread, and whipped up a batch of sweet potato fries on the side.  And it clocked in at $2.71 per person, for a family of 5 (I didn't buy a full 1 1/2 lbs of chicken, which would've served 6). Take THAT, Jack!

Start with some chopped ginger, cilantro and scallions.  People always ask me if they can use the green parts of scallions....YES.  Use all of the scallion, just cut off the ends.

Cut the boneless, skinless thighs into small chunks.  If you're not a fan of chicken thighs, I'm with you, but they are perfect for this dish, since they are more moist than chicken breasts, and they are so economical.  I promise you'll be a fan.

Place the ginger, cilantro, scallions in a bowl and add as many of the spices I suggest.  If you don't have some of them, don't sweat it; use what you've got, because that's probably what you like.  I added paprika, cumin, coriander, madras curry powder, garam masala and cayenne.

Add the chicken and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined.  Form into patties and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

I used coconut oil to saute the burgers because it lends a nice little background of flavor, but you can use olive oil if you don't have coconut oil (but think about getting it; it's yummy and a good, healthy fat).  Cook about 3-5 minutes per side until cooked through.

You can also bust 'em out in minis and have a slider night.

Next I toasted some cumin seeds in coconut oil until they started to brown (and you can smell it when it's ready....a fine line between perfect and burnt; if you burn them, throw it out and start over.  When I pulled it off the heat, I added a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of coriander.

When it's cooled down, turn it into about 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, and toss in some diced cucumbers and a pinch of sea salt.

I used a large circle cutter to make my own "bun", but I was just being cute.  You can cut a pita in half and load up the burger (or sliders), along with the yogurt sauce.  If you'd like, add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, too.

And viola!  The tastiest burger I've had in the longest time.  Super spicy and hearty.  The yogurt sauce is the perfect compliment to the spice of the burger, if you make it with all the spices I used.  Make a simple little salad on the side or  baked sweet potato fries....or maybe both!

Spicy Chicken Burgers

Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped ginger

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

• Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a medium bowl.
• Add scallions, ginger, cilantro to the bowl, along with the paprika, cumin, coriander, curry powder, salt, garam masala, and cayenne.  Let it sit for 15-30 minutes.
• Form into 6 patties and let sit in fridge for about 15 minutes
• Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Add burgers and cook 3-5 minutes per side.
• Remove from heat and put into pita halves and drizzle yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Sauce 

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch cayenne

Pinch sea salt

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup diced cucumber

• Heat coconut oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.
• Add cumin seeds and cook, tossing gently until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in coriander, cayenne and salt.
• Let cool and fold into Greek yogurt and cucumber.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did....I ate two people's portions!  I certainly love when I make something that tastes this good....but I also hate it, cuz I eat waaaaay too much of it.  Treadmill tomorrow.

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Crazy for Pumpkin!

I grew up sure that I didn't like pumpkin.  Not like how I grew up thinking I didn't like coconut, only to realize in my 20's that I DID like coconut.  When I was a kid my dad told me that I didn't like coconut, so that he could eat all my Mounds and Almond Joy candy on Halloween.  But noone lied to me about pumpkin, least of all my taste buds.  But as I discovered with my Roasted Pumpkin Soup test last week, if you leave out the cloves and the allspice, I might just love it.

So I played around with an old Martha Stewart recipe for Chicken Enchiladas in Pumpkin Sauce.  I turned it into a layered casserole and added a few more ingredients to it.  I was going to make it for one of my clients, but it looked so good, I kept it for myself!!  I love making a big casserole and having lunch and dinner in a flash the rest of the week.  But with something this good, it takes a lot of willpower to get the portion control in check!

Start with covering the bottom of a casserole dish with pumpkin sauce.  Layer tortillas over the sauce and top with a mix of shredded chicken, sliced olives, diced green chiles, sliced scallions and a little cheese.  Top with more tortillas (I prefer corn) and the other half of the chicken mixture.  Top with more tortilas and cover with pumpkin sauce and (of course) cheese.

It bakes up in about 25 minutes, which you've got to love!  And if you buy one of those rotisserie chickens (preferably organic), you can get it in the oven in just the time it takes to open a couple cans of olives and green chiles.  Well, there's the pumpkin sauce, but that's pretty much a no-brainer, too. And boy, is it ever yummy...

Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce
Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
salt & pepper
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small can sliced olives
1 small can diced green chiles
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3-1/2 cup milk
12 corn tortillas

• Preheat oven to 400.
•  Season both sides of chicken with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook chicken over medium high heat to 165 degrees.  When cool enough to handle, shred.
• In a large bowl combine cooked chicken, scallions,olives, and green chiles.  Season with salt & pepper.
• In a blender combine pumpkin puree, jalapeno, garlic, chili powder, and cumin.  With motor running, slowly add milk to get the consistency you prefer.
• Cover bottom of baking dish with pumpkin sauce.  Top with 4 tortillas, half the chicken mixture and 1/3 cup cheese.
• Top with 4 more tortillas, the remaining half of chicken mixture, and 1/3 cup cheese.
• Cover with remaining 4 tortillas and pour sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup cheese.
• Bake 20-25 minutes until heated through.

I make a little spicy crema, mixing Greek yogurt and Siracha (or any hot sauce), and put a couple dollops on top.

Keep It Simple

I've caught 5 Ingredient Fix on the Food Network a couple times recently, and it's inspired me to simplify my recipes.  For my cooking classes I like to introduce people to lots of different ingredients and techniques, so I find that my recipes are often not as simple as the things that I usually cook for myself.  But lots of ingredients don't necessarily equal better flavor.  Case in point, the delicious Smoky Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce that I fixed today.  While I exceeded the "5 ingredients" of Claire's recipes (apparently I'm working on my own "8 Ingredient Fix" show), it's still a simple, yet flavorful dish.

I was inspired my the gynormous lemons my friend Janet gives me from her tree...

They are full of juice and have a pungent zest, so I wanted to create something yummy with this bad boy.  I had some leftover chicken from a class the other night and some half and half, so I immediately thought of a chicken in lemon cream sauce.  I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, seasoned them with salt & pepper and sauteed them in a little olive oil (oil, salt & pepper don't count in the 5 ingredient mix).  The color to me was a little boring, so I hit it with 1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (my newest love).  When fully cooked, remove from heat and keep warm. 
Next I added a tablespoon of butter (don't be afraid of butter; it wants to be friends, just not BEST friends), and scraped up all the delicious brown bits in the bottom of the skillet.  Next, stir in a teaspoon of flour followed by 3/4 cup of half and half.  Stir well and watch this beautiful sauce start to come together...

The paprika not only adds a little smoky flavor, but gives this a gorgeous creamy pumpkin color.  Now kick it up... add 2 teaspoons of lemon zest, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and a teaspoon fresh thyme leaves.  Return the chicken to the skillet and warm through.  Sprinkle on some sliced scallions and you are good to go!

I topped it with some sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes (any excuse to work those babies into a dish while they're in season) and served it over brown rice,. I think that the rice was a little heavy and took away from the bright, fresh flavor of the sauce; I would rather see it simply served over a bed of baby spinach.  Good thing I have leftovers.