Chicken & Mushroom Madeira - A Chef Favorite

You know how much I love the ease of a one pot meal. Well, this one may seem really simple but it packs a whole boatload of flavor! Chicken and mushrooms with wine... How can you go wrong? 😊 

Ingredients:

• ~2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into stew size chunks
• ~2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion cut up, like bite-size
• 16 oz baby portobello mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size
• 1 bunch scallions - 4-6 stalks - cut in 3/8 - 1/2" sections
• 1 cup Madeira wine (Marsala works well also and is a lot cheaper)
• 2 10.5 oz cans unsalted condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 tsp table salt for dish
• fresh ground black pepper to taste – I do 6 twists on my pepper mill
• chicken broth, white wine or more Madeira for thinning if needed

Preparation:

In large skillet or Dutch oven heat one tbsp of olive oil, sear chicken pieces and set aside.

Cut up onions, mushrooms and scallions and lightly saute in same Dutch oven with another 1-2 tbsp olive oil.

Add Madeira, blend and bring to a simmer. Add cream of mushroom and again bring to a simmer and blend.

Season with 1+ tsp table salt fresh ground black pepper to taste. Add chicken back into the pot and simmer for about 60 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles or pearl barley with a green veggie side.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Skillet Balsamic Chicken With Fresh Figs

 Lightly adapted from a recipe found on Olive & Mango.

This Skillet Balsamic Chicken & Figs recipe is a wonderful one pan dish to serve in late summer when fresh figs are in season. It’s fancy enough to serve to guests but also easy enough to make for weeknight dinner. Chicken is pan-seared in a skillet then braised in the oven with a fresh fig sauce. Fresh figs are added as a finishing touch and provide a sweet, delicious, seasonal accompaniment to the chicken, all garnished with savory fresh thyme! The sauce is seriously drinkable and perfect over rice or feel free and enjoy with crusty bread right from the skillet.

Ingredients:

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 heaping tbsp fresh thyme leaves off the stem
• 1/2 - 1 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper 
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 8 fresh figs - halved
• 1/2 lemon - juiced - ~2 tbsp

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350˚F. While the oven is heating up, prep the garlic, onion, thyme and figs.

Season the chicken both sides with salt & pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken skin side down and brown on both sides, approx 3-4 min per side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add butter to skillet and then add the shallots. Season with salt and pepper and cook stirring often until softened, approx 3-4 min.

Add garlic, thyme, and Aleppo, stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then stir in the balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, wine and mustard. Cook 1 minute until it starts to simmer.

Place chicken back into skillet and add the figs to pan as well. Transfer to oven and cook for 15- 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through. Feel free to broil for the last minute or so for more color on the chicken.

Remove from oven carefully, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve with your favorite sides.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Cauliflower Mushroom Skillet with Meat

Adapted from a recipe on Kitchenra.com

I was introduced to this tasty dish as a light vegetarian meal or side dish. I took it a step further as you'll see here, turning it into a full protein entree by adding either ground beef, venison or chicken. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground white meat chicken or beef/venison

• 1 medium-sized cauliflower, cut into small florets

• 3 tbsp olive oil - divided

• 1 small onion - finely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic - minced

• 8 oz mushrooms - your choice - sliced

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp dried rosemary

• salt and pepper to taste (Don't be shy on the salt)

• 1/3 cup chicken or beef broth depending on your protein

• fresh parsley - chopped for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Steam or blanch the cauliflower florets for 3-4 minutes, or until they are slightly tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and fry meat until cooked through. Set meat aside for later.

In the same skillet, add the remaining olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent and fragrant. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they release their moisture and start to brown.

Season the mushrooms with dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir well to distribute the herbs evenly. Pour in your broth of choice to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. 

Finally, add the meat and cauliflower florets to the skillet and gently toss everything together. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, allowing the cauliflower to absorb the flavors.  

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Garnish servings with fresh parsley, if desired.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Fridge Whatever :-)

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 short pasta - your choice :-)
• 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!

Chicken Patties 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 patties. Fry patties 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!

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!

Unstuffed Eggroll

 Adapted from a recipe found on the ADA's Diabetic Food Hub

Original source: The Diabetes Cookbook. Recipe Credit: Lara Rondinelli Hamilton, RD, LDN, CDE and Jennifer Bucko Lamplough. Photo Credit: Mittera.

This quick and easy recipe features the familiar flavors of a Chinese takeout eggroll, but without the added grease from deep frying. This is a great low-carb entree on its own, or serve over a grain, like barley or quinoa, or over cauliflower rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground pork or chicken breast
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (divided use)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil - divided
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1  16 oz bag packaged coleslaw mix
• 2 tbsp lower sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 green onions/scallions - sliced to 1/4” pieces on an angle for appearance

Preparation:

Season pork/chicken with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the garlic powder. Sauté meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat using 1 tbsp oil until completely cooked. Drain fat if needed. Remove meat from pan and set aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in pan and add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add coleslaw, soy sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add meat back to pan and top with green onions. Blend and heat 1–2 minutes.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

One Pan Chicken with Mushrooms & Spinach

 Inspired by a recipe found on Taste.com.

This dish is rather delicate in its flavor profile, which can be quite lovely at times. If you're looking for more of a punch, the recipe lends itself quite well to adding more robust seasonings. As Chef Jacques Pepin preaches... "Never be afraid to make a dish your own!" Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 chicken breast filets - brined for 30-40 minutes
• 1 leek - pale section only - thinly sliced
• 8 oz baby portobello mushrooms - sliced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Wondra flour
• 1.25 light cooking cream
• 1/2 - 3/4 lb baby spinach
• 1 tbsp chopped chives or scallions

Preparation:

In a large bowl mix a handful of table salt with enough lukewarm water that will cover the chicken. Set the chicken breasts in the brine for at least 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken from brine, rinse briefly under cool water to remove salt and pat dry with paper towel.

Heat half the oil in a large deep frying pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Use a sharp knife to cut 3 slits in the top of each piece of chicken. Cook for 4 mins each side or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

Heat remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Cook leek, mushroom and garlic, stirring, for 2 mins or until leek softens. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 min or until vegetables are well coated.

Return the chicken to the pan with the cream. Cook, covered, for 3 mins or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the spinach and chives. Season as needed.

Serve with long cook barley and a green vegetable.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!