Chef Jacques Pepin: "Use what's in your refrigerator..."

I first heard Chef Pepin utter the line when I watched a video of him making a cod dish with assorted ingredients I never thought would work. Radishes with cod? What was he thinking!? LOL I recreated that dish and then named it Wondra Codfish as that recipe was also my introduction to Wondra Flour.

Use whatever is in your refrigerator... The line came to mind Monday night after a long weekend that left me with multiple started items in my fridge. I smiled as I thought of Chef Pepin and just started grabbing things.

The dish that ended up on the dinner table was bright, fresh and distinctly flavorful while incorporating minimal seasonings. I was so pleased with how diabetic-friendly the dish was that I decided to add it here. Enjoy!

Every dish needs a name, right? I call this one.... Fridge Whatever :-)

Ingredients:

• 4 oz chickpea pasta (1/2 box) - Banza brand preferred
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic - smash minced
• 1-2 tomatoes - cut up
• 1/4 orange bell pepper - diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 6-8 oz leftover meat - this version features loin of pork
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Cook the pasta and peas and set aside. Pasta should be slightly under so it holds up in the skillet later on. Heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat. Add pasta and fry until lightly browned. Add peppers, peas & onion powder... toss until heated through. Fold in meat and then tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper... done.

Serves 2 with no leftovers

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Red Bean Casserole with Chicken

Credit goes to the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Comfort Food Cookbook

The secret to this casserole is in the orange zest. It provides a clean, fresh taste to this one-pot casserole. The dish is somewhat like a cassoulet, but because it contains no red meat, it’s so much better for you. The red beans provide more of the protein with the added bonus of a good fiber.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast – no skin, cubed to 1” pieces and brined for an hour
• 4 cloves garlic – smash minced
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• kosher salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil - divided
• 1 lge onion – chopped
• 2 med carrots – peeled and julienned
• 1 cup canned whole tomatoes – coarsely chopped, with their juice
• ¼ cup dry white wine – use real wine… the stuff labeled cooking wine has too much salt
• 2 15 oz cans red kidney beans – drained and rinsed - about 3 cups
• 1 tsp fresh orange zest
• 4 tbsp plain breadcrumbs or Panko

Preparation:

Brine the chicken in a standard salt brine for about an hour. Rinse to remove excess salt, then toss the chicken with the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

In a Dutch oven or large skillet with cover, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute for 4-5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add the onion and carrots to the pan and saute for about 6-7 minutes until onions are soft. Add the tomatoes with juice, wine, beans and orange zest. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and add chicken back to the pan. Cover, transfer pot to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes.

Combine ½ tbsp olive oil and the breadcrumbs. Uncover the pot and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the casserole. Bake for another 10 minutes uncovered until the crumbs are browned.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Carolyn’s Chicken Piccata

Credit for this classic goes to my amazing wife Carolyn. She says it's just basic Piccata but every time she makes it, I can't help it and I fill the dining room with Yummy Noises, so..... Here it is for you to enjoy as well. :-)

Ingredients:

• 4 large chicken breasts sliced crosswise to make thinly sliced chicken cutlets
• 1 cup AP flour for dredging
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper 
• 8 tbsp butter - divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil - divided
• 3/4 cup dry white wine - a dry Pinot Grigio works well
• 1 tbsp lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon + lemon slices
• 1 tbsp brined capers - drained
• 2 tsp fresh parsley - chopped

Preparation:

Mix flour, salt pepper in a bowl or plastic bag

Dredge chicken in seasoned flour to coat; tap off excess

Melt half the butter and half the oil together in skillet/fry pan

Pan fry half of the coated chicken until golden brown, about 10 min, turning often

Remove and keep warm

Add rest of butter and oil and repeat for second half

When all chicken is cooked (and removed) pour wine into pan, scraping to dissolve all browned bits.

Mix in lemon juice and zest; reduce heat to low, simmer and stir until slightly thickened

Stir capers into sauce and add back chicken, turning to coat chicken

Garnish with lemon slices and parsley

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Chicken Kung Pao Tacos

 Credit goes to Monica Kelly, MS, RD, CDN, CNSC - Montefiore Einstein

We all crave a little fun takeout sometimes. But if we’re going to indulge, we should really take control of what we eat. These easy-to-make Kung Pao Chicken Tacos are the perfect one-two punch of zesty flavors and nutritious ingredients, prepared in a way that fuses the styles of Mexican and Chinese cuisine. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon crushed flaxseeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove crushed

Dip:

• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 tablespoon crushed flaxseeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 2 teaspoons bell pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons white or rice vinegar

Chicken:

• 25 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into medium cubes
• 2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
• 1 cup diced bell pepper
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup peanut/crushed peanuts
• 1 cup sliced ​​chives
• 12 corn tortillas

Preparation:

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Then, add the chicken and bathe it very well with sauce. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge for 20 to 40 minutes (the longer you let it marinate, the better).

In another bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients. Let sit.

In a pan, heat the oil, add the chicken and cook for about 6 or 8 minutes until it loses its pink color. Next, add the pepper, celery, peanuts. Cook for 3 minutes and add the sauce. With the sauce, cook for 2 more minutes and remove the stew from the heat.

Heat a tortilla and serve a portion of the chicken. You can add a little chives or scallions on top.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Montreal Steak Chicken & Broccoli

The original version of this recipe featured venison or beef and is still available to Red Meat Foodies by clicking HERE. I found it works quite well with chicken too, especially that healthy white meat. Comfort food for sure... Earthy flavors and textures that will delight!

Something to point out here, following my blog's intent of creating good meals especially for diabetics, is that pearled barley should be our go-to grain with a GI of around 35 (low) when cooked. In comparison, brown rice comes in at 50 (medium) and white rice at 89 (high).

Okay... let's cook!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenders cut into bite size strips
• 2 tsp McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1 cup pearl barley (substitute low sodium chicken broth for water)
• 1 large yellow onion - cut up
• 6 baby portobello mushrooms - sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets cut into small florets
• salt to taste
• olive oil

Preparation:

Start off by placing the chicken in a standard salt brine for about an hour. Rinse the chicken and set aside.

Continue on by thoroughly rinsing the barley and then cooking it according to package instructions - this usually takes about 45 minutes on a low boil. Use low sodium chicken broth instead of water for more flavor. While the barley is cooking we'll get everything else ready.

Next cut up the meat into bite size strips and toss with the Montreal Steak Seasoning.

Cut up the onion, mushrooms and broccoli florets and heat some olive oil in a non-stick Dutch oven. Have everything ready and start when the barley is just about done as the actual cook is a pretty quick process.

Sautee the onions first. As their edges just start to brown, add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are tender (~1 min) add the broccoli and sautee until cooked but still crunchy (~1 min). Scoop out mixture and set aside, covered.

Add a splash of oil to the Dutch oven and sear the meat with a high flame and a continuous toss. With the pieces being relatively small be sure you get a nice color without overcooking.

Finally add the onion, mushroom & broccoli mix and toss over low heat. Once blended add the cooked barley and carefully mix it all together. Alternatively serve the barley as a side, but personally I prefer the full blend. ENJOY!

Serves 3 - 4

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Asian-Italian Chicken Tenders

This dish was born of a missing ingredient when I was up at Sylvan Run and had decided on Chicken Tenders Lyon for dinner. As I was gathering my ingredients I realized I had no muffuletta (olive salad). Chef Pepin's philosophy of "using what you have in the refrigerator" came to mind and a new dish with an Asian/Italian flair was born. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5-6 chicken tenders, trimmed if needed
• whole milk or half & half
• Wondra flour
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• salt & pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, smash minced
• 1 shallot - minced
• 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp water
• 4 tbsp ginger teriyaki marinade
• dash of tabasco or sriracha
• shredded mozzarella - or sliced Swiss cheese
• minced scallions for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Trim any ligament ends from tenders and lay them side by side on a plate. Add S & P to both sides.

Heat a frying pan with avocado oil. Dredge tenders through milk and flour and brown them on both sides. Once chicken is well browned, cover and steam rest of the way on low for 4-5 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan and place on warmed serving dish with a cover. Add garlic and shallot to the pan and saute on medium heat for a minute or so. 

Add the vinegar and reduce on high heat to remove acidity. Taste… Add water, ginger teriyaki marinade and sriracha and stir until well blended. 

Return chicken to the pan and cover with sauce and mozzarella. Turn heat to low and put the lid on. Once cheese is melted, remove from heat, add garnish and serve.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Creamy Chicken Tenders with Mushrooms & Asparagus - Signature Collection

 My wife made yummy noises... Need I say more? :-)

Okay maybe I need to say just a little more...

This dish is another of my originals that turned out so damn good I am calling it another

Signature Dish right alongside my Chicken Fried Barley & Spinach.

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1.25 lbs chicken tenders
• Wondra Flour seasoned to your liking
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 yellow onion, cut your way and caramelized
• 1 bunch asparagus, broken Ted Allen Style and cut up
• 8 oz white or baby port mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can unsalted cream of mushroom condensed soup
• 5+ oz whole milk
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• salt & pepper to taste
• chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Season the flour to your liking and coat chicken. Heat avocado oil and fry tenders in a large skillet until just done using medium high heat. Set chicken aside and cover to keep warm.

Break asparagus by hand… Ted Allen Style. I learned this tip from Ted on the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Hold one stalk in both hands and bend it until it snaps. The spot where it snaps is where the stringy section at stalk bottom ends.

Add onions to the chicken skillet with some salt and caramelize over medium heat. Add cut up asparagus and toss a few times as asparagus cooks through. Add mushrooms and a little olive oil if needed.

Once mushrooms are cooked add condensed soup plus ~5 oz or half the soup can of whole milk along with the paprika. Shake milk in can to get all the C.O.M. 

Blend and heat… taste and add salt & pepper as desired. Gently lay chicken tenders into sauce, cover and simmer to heat chicken through… 2-3 minutes should do it. 

Garnish with parsley and serve.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Chicken Paddies with Cabbage & Beans

While playing with flavor combinations in my head over morning coffee I came up with another white meat chicken dish that works well with cooked cabbage and cannellini beans. 

Use my seasonings as a guideline and get creative to make this dish your own. I started pretty plain with a modified version of my chicken meatballs, but after sampling the finished dish I realized that OMG this one is a great jumping off point for many many flavor varieties.

Mild, spicy, earthy, tangy... Seriously... have fun with this one!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground chicken breast
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2-3/4 cup flavored bread crumbs
• 4-5 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 medium head green cabbage - shredded 
• 1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans - drained

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl beat the two eggs and mix in parsley, cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add meat and mix thoroughly. Finally, add 1/2 cup bread crumbs and blend. Gauge the mixture for balling and add more breadcrumbs if needed. Shape the mix into small paddies. Fry paddies until they are a light golden brown over medium heat. Do not char the meat. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

Saute shredded cabbage in a large Dutch oven or skillet until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. When cabbage is cooked, gently fold in the beans and the chicken.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!