Month: October 2011

Categories
Chicken Italian Pasta

Olive Garden’s Chicken Milanese

Sauce & Pasta:
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 Tbsp)
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp salt
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup spinach, chopped
8 roasted garlic cloves, minced (or 4 Tbsp)
1 20-oz package tortelloni or tortellini, cooked according to package directions
Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 Tbsp Colavita Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
4 lemon wedges
Flatten chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap by pounding gently until chicken is approximately ½” thick.
Whisk eggs and milk together in a flat-bottom bowl.  Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic and pepper. Transfer to a flat plate.  Dredge chicken in flour, coating both sides. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, coating both sides. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating completely on both sides. Set aside.  Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat.  Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir well until well-blended. Add white wine, chicken broth, heavy cream and cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture starts to thicken.  Add roasted garlic, pepper and salt. Stir until well blended.  Add tomatoes and spinach to sauce and allow to simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add breaded chicken to pan and cook until both sides are golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165ºF.  Add cooked, drained tortelloni pasta to sauce and blend well.  Transfer chicken to a large platter and serve with hot, creamy tortelloni.  Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

4  Servings

Categories
Chicken Italian Main Dish

Olive Garden’s Chicken Marsala

1/4 cup cake flour (Wondra)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons butter
4 chicken half breasts -boneless, skinless
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Marsala wine
In shallow dish, combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano; stir to blend.  In heavy skillet, heat oil and butter until butter melts and mixture bubbles lightly.  Dredge chicken in seasoned flour; shake off excess; sauté in pan 2 minutes for the first side or until lightly browned; as you turn chicken, add mushrooms around the chicken pieces. Cook about 2 more minutes, until lightly browned on the second side; stir mushrooms. Once the second side is lightly browned, add wine around the pieces; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Transfer to plates and serve.
4  Servings
Categories
Beef Main Dish

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cans beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
4 red potatoes, skin on, diced
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add potatoes, carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.
6  Servings
Categories
Main Dish Pork

Mouth-watering, Fall-off-the-Bone Ribs

2 racks (4 pounds) St. Louis ribs, skin removed from the backside of the ribs
Water
Barbecue sauce (any variety)
Place ribs on a rack inside a baking pan. Fill pan with about 1 inch of water. Cover pan with aluminum foil (to create a steaming effect); bake at 450 degrees F for 2 hours. Remove from oven about 10 minutes before ready to serve. Heat grill to high. Place ribs meat-side down on the hot grill. Baste with barbecue sauce. When you notice the juice in the bone to begin to bubble, turn over and baste the other side of the ribs with barbecue sauce. Juice in the bone should begin to bubble again, then turn once more to cook briefly as the sauce caramelizes.
4  Servings
Categories
Asian Chicken Main Dish Wraps

Moo Shoo Wraps

8 flour tortillas
1 package broccoli slaw
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and cut bite sized, or use frozen bourbon chicken nuggets
1 onion, sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced (or small can of mushrooms)
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon molasses
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (or dried ginger)
dash hot pepper flakes
dash balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 1/4 cup water
Heat wok or large skillet.  Stir fry meat until cooked.  Add onion and cook for a couple minutes.  Add slaw mixture and mushrooms.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cook until vegetables are crisp tender and sauce is thickened.  Serve in wraps. 
8  Servings
Categories
Casseroles Chicken Main Dish Make Ahead Mexican

Monterey Tortilla Casseroles

Nonstick spray coating
6  6-inch corn tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa verde
3 tablespoons light dairy sour cream
3 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup  crumbled Mexican Chihuahua or farmer cheese (4 ounces)   
Light dairy sour cream (optional)   
Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)   
Chopped tomato (optional)   
Jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
Spray four 10- to 12-ounce baking dishes with nonstick coating. Place 5 tortilla wedges in the bottom of each dish. Place remaining tortilla pieces on a baking sheet; bake in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Meanwhile, combine chicken, corn, salsa, the 3 tablespoons sour cream, cilantro, and flour. Divide mixture among dishes. 
Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Arrange baked tortilla pieces atop casseroles. Top with cheese; bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. If desired, garnish with additional sour cream, jalapeno slices, cilantro, and tomato.
To bake frozen casseroles: Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through. Top with tortilla pieces and cheese; bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. Garnish as above. 
To micro-cook frozen casseroles: Cover microwave-safe casseroles with waxed paper; micro-cook on 30% power, allowing 4 minutes for 1 casserole and 5 minutes for 2 casseroles. Continue cooking, covered, on 100% power until heated through, allowing 2 to 4 minutes for 1 casserole or 3 to 6 minutes for 2 casseroles, rotating the dishes once. Top with baked tortilla pieces and cheese; micro-cook, uncovered, about 30 seconds more or until cheese is melted. Garnish as above.
*Make-Ahead Tip: Assemble casseroles as directed above, except do not top with baked tortilla pieces; place baked pieces in a moisture- and vapor-proof plastic bag. Freeze casseroles and tortilla pieces up to 1 month. 
4  Servings
Categories
Main Dish Pork Slow Cooker

Mojo Pork

1 cup Mojo Criollo Marinade (we used Goya)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2-lb boneless pork loin roast, well trimmed
2 navel oranges, peel and white pith removed, flesh cut into sections
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Mix 3/4 cup of the marinade, the pepper and garlic in a 3 1/2-qt or larger slow-cooker. Add pork and turn to coat. (If you have time, cover and place in the refrigerator to let pork marinate for several hours, turning occasionally.)
Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until pork is tender.
About 10 minutes before serving, combine oranges, onion and remaining 1/4 cup marinade in a medium bowl. Leave at room temperature.
Transfer pork to cutting board; slice. Skim fat from top of liquid in slow-cooker. Spoon liquid over sliced pork. Stir cilantro into orange mixture; top pork with mixture.
6  Servings
Categories
Italian Soups

Minestrone Genovese

1oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 lb. Swiss chard, stems removed
1/4 lb. spinach, stems removed
Salt
2 small zucchini, diced
2 medium white potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Japanese eggplants, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups pasta
2 cups cooked white beans
2 tbsp. pesto (see recipe below)
Freshly ground black pepper  
Soak porcini in 2 cups warm water until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove porcini, rinse, chop and set aside. Pour porcini water through a coffee filter and reserve. Chop chard and spinach leaves. Bring porcini water and 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add porcini, chard, spinach, zucchini, potatoes, eggplant and oil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add pasta to soup. Cook pasta for about 10 minutes, add beans and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or, in the Genovese tradition, at room temperature. Sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano, if you like.
Pesto
2 tightly packed cups stemless fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp. pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped Coarse salt
1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
Crush basil, pine nuts, garlic and a large pinch of salt into a fine paste with mortar and pestle. Drizzle in oil, stirring constantly, then stir in parmigiano-reggiano. Put plastic wrap directly on surface of pesto, then set aside. If using a food processor, put pine nuts, garlic and salt into the bowl of the food processor fitted with a metal blade and blend to a paste. Add basil, drizzle in oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in parmigiano-reggiano.
Categories
Casseroles Chicken Main Dish Make Ahead

Chicken And Rice Casserole

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans green beans, drained and rinsed
3 cup diced cooked chicken
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6 ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined.

Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Categories
Casseroles Main Dish Make Ahead Mexican Turkey

Mexican Lasagna

6 ounces turkey breast tenderloin
1 14½-ounce can dried tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
3/4 cup skim-milk ricotta cheese
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. shredded nonfat (real mozzarella) cheese
2 tbsp. nonfat liquid egg substitute
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 tsp. minced roasted garlic
1/2 tbsp. chili powder
Preheat oven to 400º F.
In a food processor, chop up the turkey breast.
In a skillet, add onion and 2/3 cup chopped turkey.  Add tomatoes, garlic and chili powder, and cook about 2 minutes.  In a bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, egg substitute, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Line a nonstick 9-inch-round cake pan with one of the tortillas and spread the turkey mixture over the tortilla, leaving a 1-inch border. Place a second tortilla on top and spread with all of the ricotta mixture, again leaving a 1-inch border. Add a third tortilla and cover to within an inch of the outside with the remaining turkey mixture.  Top with the fourth tortilla and cover with aluminum foil.  Place in oven for 10 minutes, remove foil and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese over top and put back in oven for 2 minutes.
 8  Servings