Kristen's Recipes

2 T. olive oil

2-3 T. soy sauce

1 head of garlic, sliced in half horizontally

1 T. sherry vinegar

1 lemon sliced thickly, plus juice from another half of lemon

“Little cup of water” or “about a ladle of water”. Lord help us, Ramsay, could you be more unhelpful? It looks to me like maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of a C. he splashes in, possibly less.  Start small and add more if needed.

Bunch of fresh thyme, minced with scissors

2 T. honey

Freshly ground pepper

1 T. chopped Italian parsley

Cut up your chicken, or do that fancy thing Ramsay does to the drumsticks you already have and salt and pepper everything.  Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chicken, and brown thoroughly on both sides.  When the chicken is a nice goldeny-brown, add the soy sauce and the vinegar. Top with the lemon slices and squeeze the juice from half of that other lemon over everything.  Add your little C. of water and, over medium-low heat, simmer, turning the pieces from time to time for about 6-7 minutes (or until most of the water has cooked away, whichever comes first). Season with the fresh thyme and drizzle with honey.  Add a good grind of pepper and cook for another five minutes or so.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with champ–that’s Irish for mashed potatoes with green onions.

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¼ C. mild-flavored molasses

1 T. soy sauce

2 tsp. cornstarch

¾ C. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking powder

¾ C. water

1pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Vegetable oil for frying

1 tsp. chili oil

4 whole dried chili peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

Orange and chili flowers for garnish

Hot cooked rice

Remove 1/2-inch wide strips of peel from 1 orange with vegetable peeler. Slice peel into 1-inch pieces; set aside. (Remove colored portion of skin only; white pith has a bitter taste.) Juice oranges to measure 1/2 C. juice. Combine juice, molasses, soy sauce and cornstarch in small bowl; set aside. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in medium bowl. Whisk in water to form smooth batter. Add chicken; mix well. Heat about 3 C. vegetable oil in wok over medium-high heat until oil registers 375°F on deep-fry thermometer. Shake off excess batter from 1/3 of chicken; carefully add chicken to wok. Cook about 4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink in center, stirring occasionally to break up pieces with spoon. Remove chicken with slotted spoon to tray lined with paper towels; drain. Repeat 2 more times with remaining chicken, reheating oil between batches. Pour off all oil from wok. Reheat wok over medium-high heat until hot; add chili oil. Add orange peel, dried chili peppers, garlic and ginger; stir-fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir cornstarch mixture; add to wok. Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Return chicken to wok; mix well. Transfer to serving platter; garnish, if desired. Serve with rice.

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1 can pineapple chunks

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 c. spiced rum

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

1 1/2 c. chicken broth/stock

1/4 c. parsley, shopped

2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Either grill, or cook in nonstick pan for about 6 minutes each side or until cooked through. Remove from pan, set aside and keep warm. Wipe out the pan. Heat pan over medium high. Add 1 tbs. oil, garlic, salt, onions, and crushed red pepper. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pineapple chunks and some juice (no more than 1/2 c. and stir to combine. Add rum (if you have a gas stove, take your pan off the heat first, then add the rum and put it back, unless you like pyrotechnics in your kitchen.) Add chicken stock, and cook until it reduces by half. Slice breasts and return them to the large skillet with the sauce in it. Add parsley and cilantro and turn off the heat. Serve over rice.

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½ C. plain, low-fat yogurt

2 tsp. garlic, chopped

2 tsp. ginger root, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 T. fresh mint or coriander, chopped (optional)

2 C. cherry tomatoes (preferably organic)

2 C. baby spinach leaves (preferably organic)

Mix the yogurt well with the garlic, ginger, spices and fresh mint. Cut chicken into fairly large chunks, about five or six pieces for each breast. Soak the chicken pieces in the yogurt mixture, turning over to make sure all parts are coated. Let the chicken sit in the fridge in the marinade for an hour or two, if possible.  Preheat the broiler. Place the chicken pieces on a lightly-oiled baking pan or piece of tinfoil, and broil for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over, add the cherry tomatoes and broil for another five minutes. (The pan should be at least 10 inches from the broiler.)  Put spinach leaves in a saucepan with ¼ C. of boiling water. Cover tightly and steam for 3 minutes. Drain. Serve the chicken and tomatoes on a bed of spinach.

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1 lb. chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces

1 lb. Whole Wheat Gemelli Pasta

4 T. flour, divided (any variety)

1 stick butter (8 Tb.)

3 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 small red onion, halved and sliced thin

1 T. fresh chopped rosemary

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup chicken stock

3 oz. capers, drained

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Salt and Pepper

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, chop the chicken, onion, and herbs. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and oil.  Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook as instructed on the package (about 8 minutes) then drain. Once the butter is melted, salt and pepper the chicken liberally and toss with 2 Tb. flour. Place the chicken pieces in the hot butter and sauté for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoons and place on paper towels to dry. Add the rosemary, garlic and onions to the butter and sauté for 1 minute. Then whisk in the remaining 2 Tb. flour to thicken the sauce. Cook for another minute, then whisk in the lemon juice and chicken stock. Once the sauce is simmering again, toss in the pasta, capers and parsley. Mix in the chicken and serve warm.

4 large chicken breasts

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 C. milk

3 C. cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

2 T. sour cream

2 T. butter

Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.  In a small food processor grind up the Ritz crackers. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk and then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don’t worry about it.  Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don’t let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.  Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.  Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.  Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.  Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups flour

4 tsp. salt

4 tsp. black pepper

3 T. ground ginger

1 T. freshly ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground thyme

2 tsp ground sage

2 T. paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

4 eggs

8 T. water

2 T. olive oil

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium soy sauce is best)

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Canola oil for frying

Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet, pound the meat to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Alternatively, you can slice the breasts by placing them flat on a cutting board and using a very sharp knife to slice them into halves horizontally.  Sift together the flour, salt, black pepper, ground ginger, nutmeg, thyme, sage paprika and cayenne pepper. NOTE: This flour and spice dredge mix is sufficient for two batches of this chicken recipe. You can store the leftover mix in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for the next time you make this recipe…and there will be a next time.  Make an egg wash by whisking together the eggs and water.  Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dip the meat in the flour and spice mixture. Dip the breast into the egg wash and then a final time into the flour and spice mix, pressing the mix into the meat to get good contact.  Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom. You will want to carefully regulate the temperature here so that the chicken does not brown too quickly. The thinness of the breast meat practically guarantees that it will be fully cooked by the time the outside is browned. I find just below medium heat works well. I use a burner setting of about 4 1/2 out of 10 on the dial and fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.  Drain on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before dipping the cooked breasts into the Honey Garlic Sauce. Serve with noodles or rice.

To make the Honey Garlic Sauce:  In a medium saucepan add the 2 T. olive oil and minced garlic. Cook over medium heat to soften the garlic but do not let it brown.  Add the honey, soy sauce and black pepper.  Simmer together for 5-10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Watch this carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot very easily.

¼ cup canola oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt

Pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 large eggs, beaten

Sauce:

3/4 Cup buffalo sauce (if you like more heat use hot sauce, like Frank’s brand)

1¼ cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.  In separate bowls, place cornstarch and slightly beaten eggs. Dip chicken into cornstarch then coat in egg mixture. I have also found that you can put the cornstarch in a gallon sized bag and shake the chicken to coat. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish. In a medium sized mixing bowl, buffalo sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, salt and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken and bake for 1 hour.

EVOO

½ C. fresh Thyme, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

¼ C. Pine Nuts

½ C. Flour

2 C. Italian Bread Crumbs

Zest and Juice of one lemon, plus one lemon cut into wedges

2 Eggs

Vegetable Oil for shallow frying

2 lb. thin Chicken Cutlets

12oz sack Baby Spinach, washed and patted dry

¾ C. crumbled Blue Cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Toss tomatoes with drizzle of EVOO and season with thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Arrange on a rimmed cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Preheat small skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and toast, stirring and tossing frequently, until lightly golden. Place flour in shallow dish. In another, combine bread crumbs and lemon zest. Beat eggs in third shallow container with a splash of water. Heat thin layer of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Season cutlets with salt and pepper and turn over in flour. Dip into egg mixture, then in bread crumbs and add to hot oil. Cook cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, for 3-4 minutes on each side until juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned. Remove roasted tomatoes from oven and coarsely chop and transfer to a salad bowl. Add spinach, lemon juice, a drizzle of evoo, toasted pine nuts, salt and pepper. Toss together and let the heat of the tomatoes slightly wilt the spinach. Sprinkle with blue cheese just before serving. Provide lemon wedges to each diner.

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Butter, margarine or spread

2 Bok Choy, trimmed and washed

Seasoned Pepper Blend

Sea salt

1 C. Chardonay or any good white wine, divided

1 or 2 potatoes, sliced lengthwise, 1/2-inch thick

Lemon juice

Chicken tenders

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Break off outside leaves of the Bok Choy and refrigerate for another use. Place hearts of Bok Choy in the skillet, season to taste with salt and pepper, turn bok choy and cook for 30 seconds. Add 1/3 C. wine, cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until tender.  Transfer Bok Choy with tongs to a serving dish and keep warm, covered. Add 1/2 T. butter, margarine or butter spread to skillet, boil mixture to a boil and simmer until reduced to about 1/4 C. and pour over bok choy. To make potatoes, place slices on baking pan, scatter onion slices over potatoes, drizzle with lemon juice and season with sea salt and seasoned pepper blend. Bake in 400-degree oven until tender, turning once. To make chicken, heat olive oil in skillet, add chicken tenders to skillet, season with sea salt and seasoned pepper blend and sautee until cooked through, stirring and turning frequently. Add 1/2 to 2/3 C. wine to the skillet and deglaze with the chicken in the pan. Remove chicken from skillet, bring mixture to a boil and simmer until reduced by 1/4. Stir in 1/2 T. butter and cook until melted. Drizzle over chicken tenders.

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1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C. fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 pinch salt

1 pinch pepper

1/2 T. fresh thyme leaves

24 oz. chicken breast halves

1 C. sliced almonds

1 slice whole wheat bread

8 oz. roasted red peppers

1/4 C. red wine vinegar

1 plum tomato, quartered

2 bunches arugula

In a food processor, combine 3 of the garlic cloves, about 1/4 C. EVOO, the parsley leaves, salt, pepper and the thyme. Process the ingredients to a somewhat smooth paste. Scrape the contents of the processor over the chicken breasts; coat the breasts in the mixture. Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, then add the seasoned chicken breasts to the skillet and cook on each side for 5-6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and let rest for a few minutes covered with aluminum foil to keep warm. While the chicken is cooking, toast the almonds in a medium skillet over medium heat until they are golden brown. Toast the slice of bread until golden brown. With your hands rip the toast into a few pieces and add to the bowl of the food processor. (There is no need to wash out the processor bowl after making the chicken coating. The flavors that remain there will work in the Romesco sauce.) Add the toasted almonds, roasted red peppers, the remaining 2 garlic cloves, the red wine vinegar, plum tomato, salt and pepper. Start processing and while the machine is running pour in the remaining 1/4 C. of EVOO in a slow, steady stream. Process until all the ingredients are ground and the mixture is pretty smooth. Arrange the arugula on the center of 4 serving plates. Slice each chicken breast on an angle, then place on top of arugula. Top the chicken slices with a large dollop of the Romesco sauce.

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1 13.5oz can coconut milk

1 C. jasmine rice

3 T. vegetable or canola oil

4 6-8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper, cut in half and seeded

3″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 C. broccoli florets

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 C. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 C. flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 C. frozen peas

Hot sauce, to taste

In a sauce pot, combine 1 C. chicken stock, 1/4 C. coconut milk, and the jasmine rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-18 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep the rice covered until ready to serve. While the rice is cooking, preheat a large nonstick skillet over high heat with about 2 T. of the vegetable oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces, spreading them evenly across the pan, and brown the chicken on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and reserve. Add the last T. of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the green bell peppers, onions, garlic, jalapenos, ginger, and broccoli florets. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, or until the veggies start to wilt. To the skillet add the remaining coconut milk and 1/2 C. chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet, and return it to a simmer for about 2 more minutes. Add the lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, scallions, parsley, and frozen peas. Stir to thoroughly combine. Simmer a minute more to heat the peas, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt or some hot sauce, if you like heat. Serve over the coconut jasmine rice.

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Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

1 head of garlic, peeled but cloves left whole

Seeds of 10 green cardamom pods, crushed

1 tsp. ground coriander seeds

¼ – ½ tsp. chilli flakes

½ tsp. ground turmeric

3-4 T. olive oil

Basmati rice, to serve

Put the chicken pieces into a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together, and then add to the chicken. Toss with your hands to cover the chicken with the spicy marinade. Leave to marinade for 1-2 hours if possible. There two ways to cook chicken here. You could cook it directly in the spicy marinade for 1 hour at 300F. This results in giving everyone a lovely spicy gravy to pour over the chicken when eating. Or you could cook the chicken quite quickly without the marinade in the oven preheated to 450F for 25 minutes. This will give a crispy result without much juice, but delicious all the same. Either way, sprinkle salt over the chicken just before it goes in the oven. If you put the salt in the marinade from the beginning the chicken tends to dry out a bit. Serve with basmati rice.

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2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 oz. each

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)

3 T. chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

2 tsp. finely grated ginger

1/4 C. packed fresh basil leaves, torn

2 T. packed fresh mint leaves, torn

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them skin side down in the pan. Cook, turning once, until firm to the touch, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate.  Add the lime juice to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits that cling to the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth and ginger and bring to a boil. Off the heat, add the basil and mint to the pan and swirl the pan to combine.  Divide the chicken between the 2 plates and spoon the herb sauce over the chicken. Serve.

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1 large asian/chinese eggplant (local asian grocery store), thinly sliced

1 C. chopped scallions

1 tsp. Thai yellow curry paste

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black ground pepper

1 T. fish sauce

1/2 tsp. granulated sugar

1 1/2 C. coconut milk

1/2 C. water (optional)

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 T. canola oil for cooking

Let chicken marinate in salt, pepper and sesame oil for half an hour, at room temperature.  Heat 1 T. canola oil in wok, on high heat. Throw in the sliced eggplant and stir-fry until eggplant is golden brown and soft. Add more oil if necessary, as eggplant tends to absorb oil very quickly. Put aside eggplant.  Heat remaining T. of canola oil in the same wok, on high heat. Throw in the Thai curry paste, scallions and fish sauce. The wok will be smokey, so stir ingredients quickly so that it doesn’t burn. Immediately throw in the chicken and stir fry until the chicken starts to brown but the meat is not entirely cooked (still pink in the middle – later on, the sauce will cook the chicken until tender).  While stirring the chicken, add in the sugar and the coconut milk. Stir until bubbly and add in the water if you want a thinner sauce (coconut milk tends to thicken when cooked with other ingredients). Throw in the eggplants and stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Add in the lime juice, turn off the heat and mix for about 2 minutes. The lime will lighten up the taste (from the heaviness of the cream and the greasiness of the fried eggplant).  Serve with steamed white jasmine or basmati rice.

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4 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 1/4 C. chicken stock or broth

1 1/2 C. plain couscous

Zest of 1 navel orange

3 T. chopped parsley

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2 T. prepared horseradish

1 T. fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 T. Dijon mustard

Preheat a large skillet with 2 T. of extra virgin olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side. While the chicken is cooking, in a sauce pot combine 1 1/2 C. of the chicken stock and 1 T. extra virgin olive oil. Cover the pot and raise the heat to bring the stock to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat, add the couscous, orange zest and parsley, then stir. Cover and let the couscous stand for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate and keep warm. Return the skillet to the heat and add the onions, horseradish, and thyme. Cook for about 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add the mustard and about 3/4 C. of the remaining chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, and simmer until the liquids have reduced by half. It should take about 3-4 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet to heat for about 1-2 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and put one serving on a plate. Then top it with a chicken breast and some of the horseradish pan sauce.

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8 cremini mushrooms, (baby portobellos), chopped

8 shiitake mushrooms, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 1/3 lb. ground turkey, the average weight of 1 package

3 or 4 sprigs fresh sage, leaves chopped, about 2 T.

1 T. Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it

1/2 C. Italian bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 T. butter

2 T. all-purpose flour

2 C. chicken stock

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add chopped mushrooms and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 5 or 6 minutes until dark and tender. Remove from heat. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and return pan to stove top to preheat to cook patties. Add turkey to the mushroom mixture. Make a well in the center of the meat. Add sage, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs and beaten egg and season with salt and pepper. Mix turkey meat loaf and make a small 1-inch patty. Place meat in the hot pan and cook 1 minute on each side. Taste the mini patty to help you adjust seasonings. Divide meat loaf mixture into 4 equal parts by scoring the meat before you form patties. Form 4 equal oval patties 1 inch thick. Add 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and arrange patties in the skillet. Cook 6 minutes on each side and transfer to a serving plate or individual dinner plates. Return pan to heat and add butter. When butter melts, whisk in flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in stock and season gravy with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer gravy until it reaches desired thickness, and pour over patties, reserving a little to pass at the table.

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2 garlic cloves, minced

1 6oz box rice pilaf mix

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus extra for drizzling

4 6oz chicken breast halves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1 T. fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 C. balsamic vinegar

2 T. honey

1 C. chicken stock or broth

15-20 fresh basil leaves, 8 whole, the rest shredded or torn

2 vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced

8 thin slices fresh smoked mozzarella, cut from a 1-pound ball

In a medium pot over high heat, combine 1 T. of the butter and minced garlic and sauté a minute or so. Add 1 3/4 C. water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Add the rice and flavor packet to the water. Stir to combine, reduce the heat, and cook for 18 minutes, covered. While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 T. of the EVOO. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet. Cook 6 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining EVOO and onions, thyme, rosemary and chopped garlic, then sauté 4-5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, honey and chicken stock. Cook until liquids have been reduced by half. While the glaze is reducing, finish the rice pilaf. Add the torn basil to the cooked rice, stirring with a fork to fluff the rice and combine at the same time. Once the balsamic glaze has reduced by half, turn off the heat and add the remaining butter. Stir and shake the pan until the butter melts. Add the chicken to the pan and coat it in the balsamic glaze. Top with alternating layers of tomato, whole basil, and smoked mozzarella, using 2 slices of each per breast. Drizzle EVOO over the tomato, basil and cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the rice pilaf.

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1 1/2 C. rice

3 C. chicken stock

4 oz. Camembert cheese, cut into small pieces

4 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 C. all-purpose flour

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1/4 C. calvados or applejack brandy

6 large white mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/4 C. dry white wine

1/2 C. heavy cream

2 T. chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 endive

2 Golden Delicious apples

2 T. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

3 T. chopped chives

 

In a medium sauce pot over medium heat melt 1 T. butter. Add rice and toss to coat, toast 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 18 minutes, fluff with fork and stir in Camembert to melt.  While the rice cooks, heat 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge chicken lightly in flour and shake off any excess. Brown chicken 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and reduce heat a little and melt in remaining 2 T. butter. Sauté the shallots 3 minutes until soft but not browned. Remove pan from the heat, add the brandy and ignite with a long kitchen match until the flame subsides. Return pan to the heat, add mushrooms and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and reduce 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cream and tarragon and slide chicken back into the pan.. Reduce heat to low and simmer 8 to10 minutes. Heat 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Trim the ends of endive and thinly slice the tight bottoms. Half the upper leaves across and separate the leaves. Quarter the apples lengthwise and cut away the core. Thinly slice the apples. Add the endive and apples and sauté 3 to 4 minutes to tenderize. Dress the salad with vinegar and sugar, salt and pepper and chives.  Serve the chicken alongside rice and endive and apples.

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4 thin slices prosciutto
2 tsp. coarse-grained mustard
8 large basil leaves
1/2 C. fresh grated mozzarella
4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C. Merlot
2 C. chicken broth
1 T. unsalted butter
1 T. all-purpose flour

Arrange prosciutto slices on work surface. Spread each slice with mustard. Top each slice with 2 basil leaves and one fourth of the cheese. Starting with short end, roll up each prosciutto slice. Remove small flap of meat from underneath each breast (these are tenders) and reserve for another use. Put chicken breast halves on cutting board skin side up and beginning at thicker end of breast half, horizontally insert a thin sharp knife three fourths of the way through the center of each. Open cut to create a 1″ wide pocket in each half. Fit a prosciutto roll into each pocket and secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle skin with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over moderately high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook 6 minutes or until skin is crispy. Turn heat down to moderate, cover pan and continue to cook skin side down until chicken is just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter, arranging them skin side up, and cover loosely. To make sauce, add garlic to skillet and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to a few T.. Add broth and simmer until reduced by half. Mix butter and flour together well in a small bowl with a fork. Add a little bit of the hot liquid to the bowl and whisk butter flour mixture back into the skillet, along with any juices that accumulate on chicken platter. Bring sauce to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove tooth pick and slice chicken crosswise. Arrange on plates and spoon some of sauce over each portion.

1 (3lb) whole chicken (or boneless chicken breasts)
1/2 C. butter or margarine, softened
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Preheat broiler. Cut chicken into serving pieces. Line broiler pan with foil. Place chicken on prepared pan. Combine butter, garlic, parsley, rosemary and thyme; mix well. Spread top of chicken pieces evenly with a small amount of butter-herb mixture. Broil chicken, turning and coating frequently with remaining butter-herb mixture, until juices run clear when thickest portion of meat is pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. (15 minutes if using chicken breasts)

2 T. cooking oil
6-8 chicken thighs, skin on (could use any skin-on chicken pieces)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
20-22 cloves of garlic (2 full heads), separated and peeled
2 T. flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/4 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or about 3/4 tsp. dried leaves)
2 T. butter

Heat the oven to 400° F with rack in center of oven. In a oven-safe Dutch oven or big, oven-safe skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium high heat. Dry the chicken pieces well by patting them with a paper towel. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with a bit of salt and the pepper. Cook the chicken until well browned, turning regularly, for about 8 minutes in all then remove chicken to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook, stirring regularly, until it is starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the garlic and stir until combined. Return the chicken to the pot, cover, and bake for 15 minutes in the pre-heated 400° oven. (If you pot or skillet doesn’t have a lid, you can tightly cover the top with tin-foil instead.) Remove the pot from the oven and put it on a burner. Be careful not to touch the hot pot! Remove the chicken pieces from the pot to a clean plate. Over medium-high heat, whisk in the wine and simmer for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, thyme and a bit more salt and pepper, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until sauce thickens. Turn the heat off and stir in the butter. Taste sauce and add more salt and pepper, if it needs it. Add the chicken back to the pot to re-warm with the sauce. Serve spooned over mashed potatoes, rice or pasta.