Recipes Cooking

My mom used to make a simpler version of this dish (without the veggies) often when I was growing up.  This took a little longer but wed have it from time to tome. Cooking the chicken in the sauce makes it so tender the meat came right off the bone with the slight touch of a fork.  You can change up this dish by adding some crushed red pepper flakes for some kick or throwing in some peas for some added sweetness. 





Chicken Cacciatore

by Michele

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 chicken cut up and cleaned and pat dry
2 red bell peppers, sliced into one inch strips
1 package of mushrooms, sliced
½ cup red wine vinegar or dry white wine
1- 28 ounce can crushed Tomatoes
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cubes Dorat frozen basil or a handful fresh leaves
Italian seasoning, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
oil, for frying

Directions:

In a wide shallow pan such as a chicken fryer, brown chicken in oil, set aside. Add onion, garlic, peppers and mushrooms and let cook until onion is translucent. Deglaze the pan with vinegar scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. When reduced add basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, then and tomatoes, stir. If sauce is too thick, add water to thin in out. Add cheese. Let cook until chicken is tender, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve with pasta, potatoes, rice or polenta.

Blogging has become a bit of an addiction for me. I dont mean my own blog (if you notice Ive been slacking there a bit) but reading blogs. Currently I have 265 blogs in my google reader. I know, its insane. Whats even more insane is that I comment on a lot of them. Not every time but I have at least commented a few times on every blog I read. I want people to know that what they are doing isnt for nothing and someone is out there is reading....especially since Ive learned recently that even though I may get lots of positive feedback there will always be a few people who are unhappy and will let me know. The point Im trying to get to is that when I read all 265 of those blogs, I come across a lot of cookbook suggestions.I started jotting them down and came up with a nice Christmas wish list. Lucky for me, I got most of them! Tonight I made a recipe from one of those cookbooks, The North End Italian Cookbook by Marguerite DiMino Buonopane. Out of all the cookbooks I received, this one reminds me the most of old school Italian cooking and so of course, it reminds me of my grandmother.  I know shed like this recipe as long as I left out the butter.  She claimed she was allergic but Im not so sure that was true.   Nanny was funny like that.                                                                                                                                         The dish was delicious and I only made some minor changes.  I used two cloves of garlic instead of one, I used chicken cutlets instead of breasts, used half the amount of butter, and used a little less Romano cheese than called for.  Since I used cutlets the chicken wasnt as big so I didnt think I needed that much cheese.  Next time Ill use half the amount of wine because it was really strong and I had to dilute it with chicken stock.   Thats why its always very important to taste as you go along and you cant hold a recipe to timing and  amounts.  Using a different size pot or pan could  change the cooking time, using a different brand of stock or wine could change the flavor as well.


Chicken Braciolettini with Mushroom and Wine Sauce
by Marguerite DiMino Buonopane

Serves 6 (If using small chicken cutlets like I did, youll want to serve two per person)

Ingredients:

6 large boneless chicken breasts
1 large garlic clove
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 pound shredded mozzarella or fontina cheese
1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)
6 thin slices prosciutto or ham
1 stick (1/2 cup butter)
1/4 cup oil
1 cup Madeira or Marsala wine
1/2 pound whole button mushrooms or thinly sliced large mushrooms

Directions:

1.  Have butcher pound the meat slightly to break the tendons, or use the flat side of a heavy meat cleaver to do so yourself. 




2.  Lay the flat pieces of chicken on a smooth clean surface.  Using a garlic press, squeeze the garlic clove.  With your fingertips, transwer these particles to the cutlet pieces.  Sprinkle black pepper, grated cheese, shredded cheese, and parsley all over the chicken.  Cover each breast with a slice of prosciutto or ham.  Roll each breast jelly-roll style, carefully tucking in all loose ends.  Secure with toothpicks (use the same number for each breast).



3.  Heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken breasts and brown well all over.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a baking pan.  Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven or until the chicken is cooked moist-tender.



4.  To make sauce, drain the fat from the skillet and return unwashed pan to stove an medium heat, scraping all browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.

5.  Raise the heat to high and pour in the wine, stirring well.  Add the mushrooms and cook 1 more minute, shaking skillet.  If the sauce appears to thin, sprkinkle with some flour and cook, stirring well until reaches your desired thickness.  If more sauce is desired, add some chicken broth and more wine.



6.  Remove the chicken from the oven, carefully remove all toothpicks, and transfer to a warm serving platter.  Pour the hot sauce on top.  Sprinkle with the reserved tablespoon of chopped parsley.  To serve cut meat in thick slices and coat with sauce and mushrooms.



Authors Note: If using small pieces of chicken breasts, it will not be necessary to bake the chicken.  Simple cook in skillet as directed, transfer to a warm platter, and prepare sauce.

My Note: If using chicken cutlets, make sauce then add rolls back to sauce, toss to coat.  Put cover on and allow to cook for approx 10 minutes (depending on thickness of chicken) to cook chicken through. 

I didnt slice the chicken since they were small but served two over a bed of risotto topped with the mushroom sauce. 

 Chicken Pot Pie - comfort food at its finest.  I never was a huge fan of chicken pot pie as a kid, but shortly after I had my 3rd baby, my dear friend Amber offered to bring me dinner and what did she bring?  Chicken Pot Pie - and it blew me away, it was so delicious.  And it wasnt just because I was in the post-baby fog!  The crust is buttery and flaky, and the filling is hearty and delicious - chicken and vegetables all swimming in a smooth flavorful sauce.  This is a great way to use chicken you have cooked previously and your own homemade stock!  You can play around with the vegetables too - Amber added about a cup of finely chopped broccoli, which I didnt have the day I made it, but I loved it in there.  I think mushrooms would make a delicious addition as well, or you can keep it exactly as written and you wont go wrong!  Let me know what you try!


Chicken Pot Pie

Filling:
6 T. butter, divided
1 1/4 c. onion, diced, divided
1 c. carrots, diced
1 c. celery, diced
3/4 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. flour
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. pepper, plus more to taste

Crust:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose or whole white wheat flour
1/4 tsp. salt
8 T. (1/2 cup) cold salted butter, diced
up to 1/4 c. ice water

For the crust: combine flour and salt in mixing bowl or food processor.  Add butter and pulse a few times if using a food processor, or blend into the flour with a pastry blender, fork and knife, or your hands until well-distributed.  Butter should be pea-sized or smaller.  Slowly drizzle in the ice water, tossing with your hands or pulsing in the processor until the dough starts to come together easily without crumbling.  Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

For the filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large skillet, melt 2 T. butter over medium high heat.  Add 1 cup onion, along with the carrots and celery, and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add peas, and stir until warmed through.  Season with celery salt, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Remove vegetables to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining 4 T. butter to skillet.  Add remaining 1/4 c. onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until slightly softened.  Add flour, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth slowly.  Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste (start with about 1/4 tsp. of each).

Remove from the heat and add the vegetables back into the skillet along with the cooked chicken.  Stir until well-coated.  Transfer to a pie dish or an 8x8 baking dish.

Remove pie crust from the refrigerator and place on a floured surface.  Roll out the dough until large enough to fit the top of your pan.  Roll up with your rolling pin, and unroll over the filling in the pie dish.  Trim, tuck, and crimp the edges.  Cut a few slits in the crust to allow air to escape.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling.  Remove from the oven and let cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Source: My friend Amber Thompson & King Arthur Flour pie crust