Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms and Capers

What could make chicken cacciatore even better? Mushrooms and capers.

Chicken cacciatore with mushrooms and capers

 

 Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast (or thighs, or mixture), cut thinly or pounded
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 oz (about 3/4 regular store package) baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced - I only use the smaller ones in the package
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes (crushed or diced) with juice (Do not drain!!!)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (chardonnay or similar) - 3/4 cup if using diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth (reduced sodium is very important) - 3/4 cup if using diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons drained capers (more or less to taste)
• 1.5 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• salt
• pepper

Serves family of 4

Directions

1. Pour EVOO into large sauté pan and put over medium heat
2. Lightly salt and pepper your chicken, then dredge lightly in flour
3. Add chicken to pan when hot. Cook each side until lightly browned, about 4 minutes each side
4. Remove chicken and plate.
5. In same sauté pan, add onion, peppers, mushrooms, garlic. Cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Then season (generously) with salt and pepper
6. Add wine, simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes **
7. Add tomatoes, broth, capers and oregano. Let simmer for ~5 minutes.
8. Add chicken, turn to coat in sauce. Bring to a simmer.
9. Simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is completely cooked through.
10. Serve chicken covered in sauce and veggies, sprinkle cheese and fresh basil over the top for added flavor. Can serve over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or as-is.

 

**If you are making this for family with children and worried about the wine, you can reduce the wine for longer, or just omit. The taste will suffer just a bit, but you can rest easier. Personally, I think cooking the wine for 5 extra minutes is fine!

Step 4, Remove chicken and plate

Step 5, Add onion, peppers, mushrooms and garlic and sauté

Step 7b Let sauce simmer for ~5 min before adding chicken

Step 7, Add tomatoes, broth, capers and oregano

 

Chipotle Chorizo Chili (Also vegetarian option)

This is a great chili. If you are in the mood for something a little different than your regular chili, this is a good alternative, and doesn't taste too different. The smoky flavor of the chipotle chilies and the kick from the chorizo are just the right combination to a black bean chili!

Ingredients:
1 can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
12 oz (1 package) chorizo - out of casing (you can use more or less, depending on your taste level. I just used the entire package.)
1 white onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained
1 (8 oz) can no-salt-added whole-kernal corn, drained. You could also use 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn.
3 (14 oz) cans tomatoes, chopped (either buy whole, peeled and chop yourself, or save a step and buy chopped!) - do not drain!
juice of 1/2 lime
2 tbsp. (a little more, up to 3 tbsp. total, if you like it with a little more kick) chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2.5 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chips or chopped bar)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

**Vegetarian option - I've heard Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo is good and it would definitely work well in place of the meat in this recipe. While the name is misleading -  the direct Spanish translation of Soy Chorizo is "I am Chorizo (pork sausage, flavored with paprika)" - my neighbors are vegetarians and they say TJ meatless chorizo is yummy. Bonus - it is definitely less fat than "real" chorizo!!!

Directions:
1. Remove three chilies from can; chop up. Use only two if you can't take any heat; use four if you like it much spicier.
2. Spray a Dutch Oven thoroughly with cooking spray. Put over medium high heat (medium if cooking over gas).
3. Add chilies, chorizo, onion, peppers and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until chorizo is starting to crumble and veggies are soft.
4. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano and cinnamon.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes, occasionally stirring. It is done after 30 minutes, but I like to let it simmer even longer. In fact, it's really better made the night before so the flavors can really blend together.

6. Once you take it off the stove, stir in the chocolate, salt and pepper. Once the chocolate is melted, it's ready to serve!

I serve topped with chopped onions and a dollop of sour cream. If you like some kick, chop up some fresh jalapeno and serve!

 

 

 

Crockpot whole chicken

This is a great alternative to buying a rotisserie chicken for a lot of reasons - you can be sure of the chicken you're getting (I was recently told that the grocery stores will sometimes put the "about to expire" chickens into the rotisserie), you can cut down on a lot of the fat, and you can season it however you may want!

It's so easy, this is how I do it

Ingredients

1 whole chicken - make sure nothing is
1/2 onion (white or yellow)
1 lemon
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on how much you like garlic!

Spices

2 tsp salt 

2  tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

 Directions



1. Chop up onion, put on bottom of crockpot
2. Slice lemon. I sliced 3/4 thicker, and put those on the bottom of the crockpot
3. Peel garlic cloves. Place with onion and lemon.

4. Combine all spices in a bowl - or use whatever seasoning you like!



5. Clean the chicken, make sure no giblets, etc., inside.

6. Take the skin off the chicken. This really cuts down on the fat, but because of the way we are cooking it, it doesn't lose flavor or dry out!

7. Rub spices all over the chicken

8. Place the chicken in the crockpot. After this photo, I sliced the remaining lemon thinly and placed on top of chicken with a few sprigs of rosemary.

9. Put crockpot on low and walk away! You don't need to add any liquid, the chicken will cook in its own juices.

I cooked for about 6 hours. You can cook it for as long as you need. Once you take the chicken out, it will literally fall off the bone. I serve it to the family sliced up, and the rest is great for chicken salad.

Enjoy!

Baby food - blueberry, beet and banana puree (6 months+)

Since I haven't been working out of the house, I've been experimenting with making Emmy's baby food (she is 6 months old). I bought a little 3-cup food processor and have been trying lots of different things - from simple purees to mixtures. One of my favorites so far is this deep blue concoction, blueberries, beets and banana. Emmy went crazy for it!

What a great color combination that yields a delicious and nutritious meal for baby :) Obviously this is not the amount of blueberries you use!

Ingredients:
1/2-2/3 cup of fresh blueberries
2 ripe bananas
4 cooked and peeled beets

Adjust this amount as you see fit. Emmy is still a young eater, so I did lots of banana so she would for sure eat it. This amount smells like beets, but the taste isn't too strong. 
 
Directions:
1. Boil beets - can take ~30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Once you take out of water, skins should slide right off.
     - There is a shortcut; sometimes in the produce section you can find peeled and steamed "ready to eat"    beets, like "Melissa's Baby Beets" (http://www.melissas.com/Products/Products/Peeled-Baby-Red-Beets.aspx)
2. If your baby is younger than 9 months, I suggest boiling the blueberries so the puree is smoother. To do this, bring water (~1.5 cups) to a soft boil. Add blueberries and continue to cook on soft boil for ~8 minutes.
3. In your food processor or blender, add blueberries, beets and a whole banana and blend until well pureed.

And of course, you can freeze any you don't plan to feed to baby that day.

Wiener Schnitzel with lemon sauce

In the Hartwig house, we love German food. And it doesn't get more German than a delicious Wiener Schnitzel with a lemon sauce.

Ingredients:

4 cutlets cubed pork (sometimes they have this in the meat section, sometimes you have to ask for it - they always have the pork available to cube and make into cutlets for you)

Salt and pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups (plain) breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup dry white wine 

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 lemon wedges

Directions:

Season cutlets with salt and pepper.
Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs into three separate shallow dishes.
Dredge each cutlet first in flour, then in eggs, and finally in bread crumbs.
Place breaded pork on a baking sheet or plate.
Heat oil and 3 Tbsp. butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Saute pork until golden brown, ~3 minutes on each side.
Remove from pan and keep warm in a 200° oven.
Deglaze pan with wine; add lemon juice and simmer 3 minutes.
Add heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
Off heat, whisk in butter 2 T. at a time.
Stir in parsley; spoon sauce over cutlets.
Serve with lemon wedges.

For sides, I serve with spatzle, warm red cabbage and brussel sprouts.

Chicken Piccata

I made this last night for my husband, my mom and my father in law and everyone loved it. I used Giada's recipe, with a few adjustments.

Ingredients:

4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied, then cut in half
Salt and pepper, for flavoring

Flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers (more if you love capers like I do!)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. 

When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 1/2 of the chicken and cook for ~3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for ~3 minutes. 

Remove and transfer cooked chicken to plate. 

Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 1/2 of chicken and brown both sides, ~3 minutes each side.

Remove and transfer cooked chicken to plate.
Add the lemon juice, stock and capers to pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. 

Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for ~3 minutes on each side.

Remove chicken to plate.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. 

Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley and fresh Parmesan.

I served the picatta over rice pilaf with broccoli. 

Easy and delicious!

On a side note, this recipe would be  easy to make a little healthier - don't dredge the chicken in flour, and cut out about half of the butter and oil.

Ham Bone Soup

Finished Ham Bone Soup

A delicious way to use your ham bone after the holidays - but this soup is so yummy, you might buy and cook a ham just to have the bone for leftovers! This is a recipe best started the night before, so keep that in mind.


Ingredients:

For beans:
1 bag (20 oz) mixed beans (i.e. 15 bean soup)
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning


For soup:

1 left-over ham bone
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped up ham
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth
1 large onion, diced

Veggies for Ham Bone Soup

1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (fresh is best, or frozen like Dorot, which you can get in the freezer section at Trader Joes, Kroger, Stop and Shop)

Spices for Ham Bone Soup

1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh is best, use frozen like Dorot if, like me, your herbs aren't in yet)
1 tsp chopped basil (fresh is best, I used Dorot because basil isn't in yet)
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
Pinch of thyme (again, fresh is best, if not use frozen)
1 cup frozen corn
2 -14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

In a slow cooker, add beans, vinegar and 2 tbsp Creole seasoning. Set on warm and let the beans absorb the water overnight. 

Beans after soaking overnight

The next morning, drain beans.
In a large pot, add chicken broth, ham bone, ham, veggies and spices - hold off on corn and tomatoes.
Bring to a quick boil, then cover and set to simmer for a few hours - the longer the better.

Once done,  take out bone. Strain the soup if necessary (I haven't needed to). Take the leftover meat off the bone and put in pot.

Cooked ham bone and meat pulled off the bone

Put on low, then add beans. Let cook for an hour or so until beans are soft.
Once beans are soft, add tomatoes and corn, and set to simmer for another hour (don't add tomatoes until beans are soft, the acid makes it harder for the beans to get moist).


 Serve and enjoy! Great with rolls or cornbread! 

Mushroom Sausage Quiche

One of my all-time favorites. I make it all the time - usually the night before.

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pie crust
4 eggs
1 cup cream (the thicker the creamier, the thinner the lower calories. I tend to do 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup milk)
1/2  (16 oz) package sausage
1 cup mushrooms (fresh)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup swiss cheese (I also like to add a little cheddar to cut through the swiss flavor)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp chives (fresh is best, or freeze dried)
1 tbsp oil


Directions
Heat oven to 350* 
Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, crumbled up. Cook until no longer pink.
In a separate large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, and cook for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until well sauteed.
Stir in cooked sausage, cook for 3 more minutes, mixing ingredients together.

Spread sausage mixture into prepared pie crust.

In a bowl, combine eggs, and cream, whisking until combined. Stir in cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and chives.
Pour egg mixture over sausage mixture.
Cook for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Killer hotdish

This is comfort food at it's finest. It's one of my husband's favorite meals, and the recipe makes enough for plenty of leftovers.

"Killer hotdish"

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
42 oz chicken broth
1/2 cup butter - sliced (you can definitely cut this down - I actually only use about 2 tbsp)
2 cans sliced mushrooms
Egg noodles

Directions:
Place uncooked chicken at bottom of crockpot.
Top with cream of chicken, chicken broth and butter.
Cook on low ~8 hours
Take out chicken and put on plate - use two forks to pull apart until you have a plate full of pulled chicken.
Put chicken back in crock pot.
Add mushrooms and egg noodles. Cook until noodles are done (~30 minutes).
Spoon into bowl and serve!

Panang Curry

I love panang curry. This recipe is really easy and really, really delicious. The preparation (and finding some of the ingredients) is what takes the longest.

Panang Curry ingredients

 Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 oz Panang Curry Paste (more or less depending on how spicy you like it - I use about 1.5 oz and its mildly spicy)
2 cans coconut milk (I use one regular, one reduced fat)
1 tbsp palm sugar (can use brown sugar)
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1.5 tbsp lime juice (fresh is best - its about 1/2 lg lime)
1/4 cup cashews (unsalted is best, but salted is fine if that's all you have)
1 cup chopped white mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion (white is best, yellow is fine)
6 Thai basil leaves (for recipe - then top finished meal with more)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup sliced red pepper
10 snap peas
Meat of choice, or tofu. I use chicken.
Jasmine rice

Panang Curry simmering

Directions:
Cook meat, set aside.
Heat oil in wok over medium heat.
Add garlic and ginger and let cook until light brown
Stir in curry paste
Whisk in coconut milk, grated palm sugar, soy sauce and lime juice.
Add mushrooms, onion, red pepper, snap peas, tofu if using instead of meat, and basil leaves. Cook until soft. During last ~5 minutes of cooking, add broccoli - do not add sooner or it gets soggy.

Serve over jasmine rice, with more thai basil leaves as garnish.

Finished product - delicious homemade Panang Curry!

Pesto Brussel Sprouts

Pesto Brussel Sprouts
One of my very favorite side dishes - from a Publix recipe, but a bit altered. If you love pesto and feta, this is a must-cook.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb Brussel Sprouts, halved or quartered, depending on the size
• 4 cloves Fresh Garlic, finely chopped (I sometimes use a bit more, but I love garlic)
• 1/4 cup basil pesto (most recently I used Trader Joe's Pesto alla Genovese)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Clean and quarter sprouts, chop garlic.
2. Combine brussel sprouts, garlic and pesto in a bowl and mix until sprouts are evenly coated.
3. Heat oil in sauté pan. Add sprouts and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Top with cheese and serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 220kcal; FAT 16g; CHOL 15mg; SODIUM 400mg; CARB 14g; FIBER 5g; PROTEIN 8g; VIT A 25%; VIT C 160%; CALC 15%; IRON 10%