Kristen's Recipes

Peanut sauce is like the chocolate sauce of dinnertime. I’m pretty sure I’d eat my shoe if it were covered in enough of it. This satay-inspired dish pairs my beloved peanut sauce with thinly sliced chicken and baby broccoli charred under the broiler. The whole dish cooks in about 10 minutes but results in juicy chicken, tender Broccolini, and a thick and bubbly sauce. It’s addicting. Keep it away from your shoes. I’ve seen packaged thin-cut chicken breasts or cutlets at some grocery stores, but you can easily make your own by slicing a regular chicken breast in half horizontally to create two thin-cut pieces.

Olive oil cooking spray (optional)
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (commercial or natural)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 bunches Broccolini (1 pound total)
4 to 6 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets (1 to 1 1/2 pounds total)

Preheat the oven to broil, and place a rack 4 inches from the heat. Line a sheet pan with foil or mist it with cooking spray. Whisk together the brown sugar, peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, Sriracha, vinegar, water and lime juice in a medium-size bowl until smooth. Set aside 1/4 cup of the peanut sauce for serving. Rub the Broccolini and chicken with the remaining peanut sauce to thickly coat, and arrange them in a tight single layer on the prepared pan. Broil, keeping a close eye on the pan to prevent burning, and flipping the chicken halfway through, until the chicken is just cooked through, the Broccolini is well-charred, and the sauce is bubbly and deeply browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

4 boneless, skinless thin-cut chicken breasts or cutlets (about 1 pound total)
½ teaspoon salt
2 jars (6 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered, ½ cup marinade reserved
3 cups sliced mushrooms (roughly ¾ inch-thick slices)
3 scallions (whites and light green parts only), sliced into ½ inch-thick rounds
½ cup white wine
¼ cup heavy cream
Grated zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to broil, with a rack 4 inches from the heat. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place the chicken pieces on the prepared pan, spaced evenly apart, and sprinkle them with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Arrange the artichoke hearts and mushrooms around the chicken, filling in the empty spaces and overlapping them occasionally. Sprinkle the sliced scallions atop it all. In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, whisk together the reserved artichoke marinade, wine, cream, lemon zest, herbes de Provence, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Carefully pour this sauce over the chicken and vegetables, making sure the entire pan is covered with liquid. Broil the chicken, rotating the pan once during cooking, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (about 2 pounds total)
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
12 small fresh sage leaves, divided
8 thin slices prosciutto (about 6 ounces)
1 pound baby new potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise, quartered if large
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained, finely chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 bunch curly kale (about 8 ounces), ribs and stems removed, coarsely chopped

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 425°F. Arrange chicken cutlets in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet and season with 1/2 tsp. pepper. Place 1 sage leaf on top of each cutlet, then wrap each in 1 slice of prosciutto, starting from the top and wrapping in a single layer, making sure cutlet stays flat. Finely chop remaining 4 sage leaves and toss with potatoes, garlic, 1 T. oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper on second rimmed baking sheet. Cook chicken in upper third of oven and potatoes in lower third until prosciutto is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken registers 165°F, 12-14 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk anchovies, vinegar, honey, and remaining 2 T. oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large bowl; add kale and toss to coat. Remove both baking sheets from oven; let chicken rest. Spread kale evenly over potatoes and return to upper third of oven. Roast until potatoes are tender and kale is browned at edges, about 5 minutes more. Divide chicken among 4 plates. Serve potatoes and kale alongside.

1 pound chicken breasts – sliced thinly
1 red pepper – sliced
1 green pepper – sliced
1 yellow pepper – sliced
1 onion – halved and cut in slices
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400. In small bowl combine oil, chili powder, cumin, chili flakes, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss chicken, veggies and oil mixture together on a large sheet pan with one inch edge. Spread out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked and the veggies are soft with a crispy edge. Serve with tortillas, sour cream, avocado and all your favorite fajita fixins!

1 whole chicken (note: you can also use a cut-up chicken)
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 lemon, cut into slices
4 garlic cloves, left whole with skin on
2 1/2 Tbsp za’atar
salt and pepper
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
olive oil
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut whole chicken down the middle of breasts and flatten slightly. Place on top of foil lined sheet pan. Cover chicken with 1 1/2 Tbsp za’atar, making sure to cover skin, under skin and the underneath side. Places 2-3 slices of lemon underneath chicken skin. If you don’t feel comfortable placing lemon inside the chicken skin, just place on top. Place remaining lemon and 1 garlic clove underneath chicken. Spread cauliflower all over the sheet pan and top with remaining 1 Tbsp za’atar and garlic cloves. Drizzle the chicken and cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss/rub to coat completely. Roast in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and turn cauliflower, which will have shrunk in size slightly. Move cauliflower over to make room for chickpeas. Spread chickpeas on pan and drizzle with a touch more olive oil, and pinch of salt and red pepper flakes if desired. Place back into oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is crispy and golden and the cauliflower is caramelized to your liking. Serve immediately.

Cooking spray
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 ounces of cream cheese, softened
¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
8 slices of bacon
1 pound of small new potatoes, halved (can also use regular sized potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces)
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½ inch pieces
Optional garnish: chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
Using a small knife, cut a slit lengthwise partway across each chicken breast to create a deep pocket. In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, parsley and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the cheese mixture evenly into the pocket of each chicken breast. Alternatively, you can put the filling into a plastic bag and snip the tip to create a makeshift pastry bag to squeeze the filling into the chicken. Use toothpicks to seal the pockets shut. Season the top of each chicken breast with salt and pepper then wrap 2 slices of bacon around each chicken breast. Place the chicken breasts on the sheet pan; scatter the potatoes around the chicken. Coat the potatoes in cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and add the zucchini, season the zucchini with salt and pepper to taste.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Broil for an additional 3-5 minutes or until bacon is browned and crispy. Serve immediately, with chopped parsley as a garnish if desired.

It’s definitely possible to debone your own turkey breast, but it’s a pretty time-consuming effort so, if you can, have your butcher do the dirty work and buy a boneless breast with the skin still on.

3 cups diced white or wheat sandwich bread (3 to 5 slices)
4 cups 1/2-inch-cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 large leek (white and light green parts only), sliced into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons, washed well, and dried
2 medium-size Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 scallions (whites and light green parts only), finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup diced unpeeled green apple (about 1/2 an apple)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 boneless, skin-on turkey breast (about 5 pounds)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the center position. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Arrange the cubed bread in an even layer on the pan, and toast in the oven until very brown and dry, about 8 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and set aside to cool. (Leave the oven on.) Toss together the squash, leek, potatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Arrange the hash in a single layer on the sheet pan and set it aside. Transfer the bread cubes to the (unwashed) large bowl, add the scallions, cranberries, apple, sage, thyme, stock, milk, egg yolk, garlic powder, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir to combine. Set the stuffing aside. Set the turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board and lay a big piece of plastic wrap on top of the meat. Use a heavy pan or flat-sided meat tenderizer to pound the turkey breast to an even thickness, about 1 inch. Remove the plastic and spread the stuffing evenly over the meat, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Starting with one of the long sides, roll up the turkey breast, fairly tightly, like a jelly roll. Use some butcher’s twine to tie up the roulade at 1-inch intervals. Place the turkey roulade, seam side down, on top of the hash on the sheet pan. Sprinkle the roulade with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and rub a bit of extra olive oil over the skin. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roulade registers 165 degrees F, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Allow the roulade to rest for 15 minutes before cutting it into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve with the autumn hash.

Fear not, despite being baked, these are tender and flavourful meatballs — though check them a bit earlier if you make smaller ones than Gilbert calls for, as I learned. I highly recommend eating with the ricotta as she suggests.

For the tomatoes:
4 cups (1 L) cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic, skins on
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of fine sea salt
Pinch of dried oregano

For the meatballs:
1 small yellow onion, peeled
1 1/2 lb (750 g) ground turkey (dark meat is best)
1 cup (250 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (60 mL) Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp (2 mL) herbes de Provence (see note)
1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground mustard (such as Colman’s)
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
Ricotta cheese, for serving

Preheat the oven to 300 F (150C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two sheet pans with aluminum foil or parchment paper. On one of the pans, arrange the tomatoes in a single layer with the garlic cloves. Evenly drizzle everything with the olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt and oregano. Toss to coat, then turn the tomatoes cut side up. Bake the tomatoes on the lower rack, rotating the pan halfway through, until they are puckered, crinkly and sweet, 30 minutes to 1 hour (the longer the tomatoes roast at a low temperature, the sweeter they’ll get). Meanwhile, make the meatballs: Use the large holes of a box grater to grate the onion into a large bowl; you will get some onion juice in the bowl as well — this is good. Add the turkey, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, herbes de Provence, kosher salt, pepper, mustard, olive oil and basil, and use your hands to gently mix everything together until combined. Do not over-squish the meat, as this will lead to tough, dense meatballs. Divide and shape the meat mixture into 24 golf ball-size balls (a cookie scoop is a great tool for this), and place them on the other sheet pan, leaving just a bit of space between the meatballs. Once the tomatoes have been cooking for at least 30 minutes (or a few minutes longer if you want them extra sweet), turn up the oven to 375 F (190 C). Slide the meatballs into the oven on the upper rack, above the pan of tomatoes. Bake the tomatoes and meatballs until the tomatoes are puckered and sizzling, about 15 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and set them aside. (Either discard the garlic cloves or peel them for serving with the tomatoes.) Flip the meatballs, rotate the pan and continue to bake on the upper rack until they are no longer raw inside (check one with a knife), an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Serve the meatballs warm, on a bed of the slow-roasted tomatoes, with dollops of ricotta on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with some extra basil, as much as you like.

Note: What is herbes de Provence? Glad you asked. It’s a mixture of dried herbs and spices traditionally found in the Provencal region of France, including thyme, savory, basil, fennel seed and lavender, among others. Small jars of the blend can usually be found in the spice aisle at the grocery store, though if necessary you an mix your own using equal parts dried savory, rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram and fennel seed — or some other combination thereof — and if you can find culinary lavender, use that, too.
The Dish with Slight Variations (Turkey & Pork Meatballs)

5 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves of garlic
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small peeled yellow onion
1 lb ground turkey (not too lean)
1 lb ground pork
1 heaping cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup panko
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon stone ground mustard
2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus extra for serving
ricotta cheese for serving

Preheat oven to 300 degrees with racks in upper and lower third. Line two sheet pans with aluminum foil or parchment paper. On one of the pans, arrange the tomatoes in a single layer with the garlic cloves. Evenly drizzle everything with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Bake on lower rack, rotating pan halfway through, until they are puckered crinkly and sweet, about 45 minutes. The longer they roast the better they are- you can take them out at 30 minutes, but try for an hour. Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Grate the onion with a box grater into a large bowl, to capture the onion juice as well. Add the ground meats, Parmesan, panko, spices, olive oil, mustard and basil. Use your hands to mix until well combined. Don’t over work the meat- this will give you dry, dense meatballs. Divide and shape the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs, and place on the other sheet pan, leaving just a bit of space between the meat balls. Once the tomatoes have cooked at least thirty minutes (I roasted mine at low heat closer to an hour), crank the oven up to 375. Put the meatballs on the upper oven rack. Bake both pans until the tomatoes are sizzling- about 15 minutes. Take the tomatoes out and set them aside. Flip the meatballs, rotate the pan and continue to bake until they are no longer raw inside, an additional 20-25 minutes. Serve the meatballs warm on a bed of the slow-roasted tomatoes, with dollops of ricotta on top. Garnish with some extra basil.