Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce

I tore this out of my EatingWell magazine a while ago and even bought the apricots a while ago but just couldn't seem to get it on the weekly menu. Now that the weather has turned the corner comforting warm dishes have been occupying my mind more often. Dave took the reigns on this one and made the entire meal start to finish so I could sneak out for a very cold run on the trails before it got too dark. I came home to a warm fire in the living room and delicious aromas coming from the kitchen. Dave made glazed turnips as well. As you can see from the picture, I didn't even have time to take a picture before I hit the chair closest to the fire and dug in!

Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 medium shallot, minced
20 dried apricots, chopped
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Butterfly each chicken breast and pound until flattened and an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

Off the heat, add wine and shallot to the pan. Return to medium heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add apricots and cook until the fruit begins to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in preserves, tarragon and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken

with the sauce

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

I decided that since I had finally found canned pumpkin at the grocery (apparently there is a shortage of pumpkin this year) I should make something sweet. I found this recipe on the web after a search for pumpkin on Martha Stuart. As you can see, I don't really have a sweet tooth... at all. I can be persuaded into eating a Swedish fish or gummy bear once in a while but never understood the world's love affair with a piece of chocolate. So when I saw this recipe with a recommendation to switch up the dark chocolate for white chocolate I decided to give it a go.

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

2 C all-purpose flour

1 T pumpkin-pie spice

1 t baking soda

3/4 t salt

1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 1/4 C sugar

1 large egg

2 t vanilla extract

1 C canned pumpkin

12 ounces white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into squares.

Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

I had tagged this recipe a couple of days ago and decided that instead of it sitting on the very long list I should make it right away! Oh man, am I glad I did! It was delicious. I never have creamy pasta dishes because they make my stomach hurt. I decided to try this one because of the milk rather then the heavy cream. It was a hit on both sides of the table. I know there is a huge aversion to Brussels sprouts but we love them. Slice them nice and thin and maybe you will too. This recipe has a simple ingredient list as far as it goes. I used Sherry wine so I cannot vouch for the vinegar. I did increase the salt and pepper but otherwise kept to the recipe.

Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms
1 package fettuccine
1 T evoo
4 C sliced cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 C Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C dry sherry or 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 C low-fat milk
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup finely shredded parmesan, plus more for garnish


Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sherry (or vinegar), scraping up any brown bits; bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 10 seconds (if using vinegar) or about 1 minute (if using sherry).

Whisk milk and flour in a measuring cup, add to the skillet with salt and pepper. Cook stirring, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted. Add the pasta to the sauce and gently toss. Serve with more cheese, if desired.

source: EatingWell

More Pizza

Yep, more pizza. We had pizza night this past weekend and made three different kinds. This one was my favorite. We tried a different crust recipe and I thought it was the best one yet. It was nice and thin and just the right bit of chewy, mmm I loved it! Dave "liked it" but would rather have a nice thick crust. We can agree to disagree!

We decided on a white pizza:
First we brushed warm evoo and sauteed minced garlic over the entire crust. Topped with a sprinkle of mozzarella then caramelized onions, pineapple chunks, sliced pepperoncinis and dollops of ricotta cheese and then just a bit more mozzarella.

We didn't change a thing from the original recipe: Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Pizza Dough
2 t active dry yeast
1 t sugar
1 C warm water
2 C bread flour
1 1/2 t salt
1 T olive oil

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Add the flour and salt and start the mixer on low speed. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough should come together into a large ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl; it should be moist but not sticky.

Stop the mixer, remove the dough hook and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Set on a flour-dusted baking sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. Alternatively, if you will not be using the dough immediately, refrigerate the dough balls (without letting them stand at room temperature) for up to 6 hours; then remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before using.

Place a ball of dough on a floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a 10- to 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as needed. Top and bake as directed in your pizza recipe.

Makes four 10-inch pizzas.

Rotisserie Chicken

Wow! I love this thing! I can't wait to experiment with more. Dave bought me a rotisserie for our grill as an anniversary present and I couldn't wait to get it in the mail. It finally arrived on a snowy weeknight. This didn't deter me from trying this baby out. Dave ran to the grocery for a chicken and we got to work. It was delicious and cooked in about an hour. We served it with some roasted broccoli and mashed potatoes. It was heaven on a cold snowy night!

Herbs de Provence Rotisserie Chicken

1 T softened butter
2 to 3 t herbes de Provence
Zest of 1 lemon
2 t kosher salt
1 t freshly ground pepper
1 chicken, 3 to 4 lb.

In a small bowl, stir together the butter, herbes de Provence, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Gently slide your fingers under the breast of the chicken to loosen the skin, being careful not to tear it. Rub some of the herbes de Provence mixture underneath the skin and the rest on the outside of the chicken. Using kitchen twine, tie the wings behind the back and truss the legs together. Let the chicken rest for 1 hour in the fridge so the flavors can incorporate.

Roast at 400°F according to the manufacturer's instructions until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 160°F and the thigh registers 170°F, about 55 minutes. Remove the chicken from the rotisserie and lift it off the roasting rack. Place the chicken on a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Recipe Source: Williams Sonoma Kitchen

Italian Wedding Soup

I've been meaning to make this soup for a while now. My grandparent's and aunt made it this quite often for family gatherings and I always loved it. I didn't really have a recipe so I kind of made it up. I think it turned out pretty tasty. I used spinach instead of escarole and added tortellini instead of a small pasta. I was so good! We ate it for dinner and then for lunch over the weekend.

Italian Wedding Soup with Tortellini

1 t butter

1 t evoo

1 medium onion, diced

2 large carrots, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

8 C chicken broth

2 T fresh parsley

1 bag of frozen cheese tortellini

a few handfulls of fresh spinach

Meatballs

1/2 pound of ground turkey

2 T finely minced onion

1 egg white

pinch of salt

pinch of dried basil

2-3 T freshly grated parmesan

1 T breadcrumbs

For the meatballs:

Gently combine all ingredients and form into small balls (about 1/2 inch in size). Set a side.

For the soup:

Melt butter and evoo in a large stock pot. Add onion and carrots and cook until onions are soft. Add thyme and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Gently drop meatballs into soup and simmer for 10 minutes. Add spinach and tortellini and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes. Season with salt a pepper to taste.

Note:

I made the soup one night and added the tortellini on the day we had it for dinner. It was even better after it had sat for a day or two in the fridge.

Stuffed Turkey Meatball Subs

I had some lofty goals and planned on succeeding on each one the minute I got home from work yesterday! I wanted to take Miss Saly for a hike and decompress from the work day and enjoy some time with her. I then planned on heading right into the kitchen for some much needed cooking therapy. I've neglected this blog lately and have really missed my cooking. First on the list was Meatball Subs. With the remaining ground turkey I made my version of Italian Wedding Soup. More on this recipe coming. We had a huge amount of mozzarella to use up so I decided to stuff each meatball with a little cube before baking. Add some homemade sauce and a crusty toasted sub roll and you've got a great meal. We chose a nice cesar salad to accompany. They turned out quite tasty and hit the spot on a cold fall night.
Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

a palmful of bread crumbs

1/2 white onion diced

1/2 green pepper diced

2 T Parmesan chees

2 T fresh parsley, minced

1/2 t Italian seasoning

1/2 t garlic powder

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 pound of lean ground turkey
1 egg

2 T tomato paste

salt and fresh cracked pepper
8-12 1/2 inch cubes of mozzarella

Combine onion through red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add tomato paste and gently combine to coat. Add turkey and egg and lightly mix to incorporate. Form into "meatball" size balls and gently flatten. Place mozzarella in the center and then roll back into a ball enclosing the cheese. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.