Chicken Piccata

Whomever said if you have lemons make lemonade obviously never had a Piccata dish.

Yeah, I know the classic used to be Veal Piccata, but where in the heck do you honestly find Veal in the 21st century. You would probably be clubbed to death by animal rights activists for even inquiring about it.....


So we move on to Chicken Piccata. Much more acceptable, even though I don't even want to go into how they are processed...yecch, don't even get me started.

Anyhoo, this happens to not only be my favorite dish, it is supremely elegant, sufficiently cheap, ridiculously easy and it's DAMN DELICIOUS!!

So take the Lemons and make 

  Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

• 4 chicken cutlets, pounded thinly
• 1/2 cup of flour
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1/4 cup dry, white wine
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp capers, drained
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Fresh lemon slices
• chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish

Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dust them with flour. In a skillet add 2 tablespoons of oil and butter, and heat over medium-high. Saute cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on one side. Flip cutlets over and saute the other side for 1 to 2 minutes with the pan covered. (Use a plate to cover and this will warm your plate.) Transfer cutlets to a warm plate.

Deglaze pan with wine and add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is slightly brown and liquid is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add broth, lemon juice, and capers. Return cutlets to pan and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer cutlets to a warm plate.
Finish sauce with butter and lemon slices. Once the butter melts, pour sauce over cutlets. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

 

Roasted Mushrooms

I know, I know, some people just aren't fans of mushrooms. You either love 'em or your hate 'em.

I LOVE them, any way I can get them. But one of my favorite ways of eating them is roasted, with lots of butter and garlic and then dusted with fresh minced parsley.

OMG!!! Little morsels of earthly goodness!!!

Roasted Mushrooms

Recipe Courtesy of: Cheryl @ picture-perfect meals

• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons minced parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the mushrooms, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a shallow baking pan. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Scatter the butter evenly over the top and roast until the mushrooms are golden, about 20 minutes.
2. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle over the parsley. Serve warm.

Notes

…from the Picture-Perfect kitchen:
Planning: Many people fall into the “don’t ever wash your mushrooms” camp. I usually just wipe or brush mine off but have been known to give them a quick little rinse if they’re really dirty. Up to you. You can put this dish together several hours before and refrigerate. Just pop them into a hot oven about 20 minutes before you’re ready to devour them.
Product Purity: Use whatever variety of mushrooms you like or a combination of your favorites. I used white button mushrooms.
Presentation: Serve with a nice white wine and a loaf of good, crusty bread to sop up all those lovely, buttery juices.

Chili Cheese Baked Potatoes

This is WHAT'S FOR DINNER TONIGHT!!!

 

How easy is this! And sooo good. 

Start off with 4 large Russet potatoes. Scrubbed really well (you'll WANT  to eat the skins and all), rubbed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and srinkled liberally with coarse Sea salt or Kosher Salt. Place directly on the rack in a pre-heated 400F oven, with a pan underneath, for about an hour. 

Meanwhile, make or heat up your favorite Chili recipe, and grate some sharp cheddar cheese, thinly slice some scallions, and get the Sour cream ready. 

When your taters are done, plate them and poke holes across the top in a line with a fork. Crack them open and ladle in some chili, top with cheese, sour cream, scallions and whatever else your heart desires. 

Bon appetit!!

Poutine??

For those of you who have never heard of this Canadian food phenom, you are in for a treat!!!

Just take a look at this.......

POUTINE!!

French Fries, covered in fresh cheese curds, drenched in gravy!!!

Yeah BABY!!! 

Now I know this is something that shouldn't be enjoyed on a frequent basis, but come on....

We have to indulge once in a while right, I promise I'll do a little extra cardio!! (Psst..what's cardio? LOL)

Easy, Creamy Potato Soup-slow cooker

Okay, so I am throwing my hat in the ring as well for a slow cooker version of Potato Soup. Everyone in my fam-damily loves it and it's just so warm and comforting to come home to big bowls of this creamy goodness, so here goes...........

Ingredients

8 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 lbs Russet potatoes (about 6  medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
sliced scallions, sliced

Directions

1. Cook the bacon in a large over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate until serving.  Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.
2. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme, and season with salt and pepper, cook for an additional minute or so.  Add the flour, and allow to cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook until the mixture is starting to thicken, then transfer to the slow cooker.
3. Stir in the remaining 3 cups of  broth, potatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, 6-8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
4. Pour in the the cream and mash until partially smooth using a potato masher.  Add the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.  Stir to combine and let the soup sit until heated through, about 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, microwave the bacon on the plate until hot and crispy, about 30 seconds.  Season the soup with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and top with bacon, shredded cheese, and scallions.

Peanut Ramen

This probably resonates with anyone who attended college and has lived in dorms or off campus. Ramen is one of the main food groups that allowed most of them to survive, and it was really cheap.

But I actually love ramen and have found ways to make all kinds of creative dishes with it. If you're lucky enough to live in a larger city that has an Asian market, you'll be astounded if you check it out,  by how many varieites of dry packaged noodles exist-thousands I'm sure.

And.......they're CHEAP!!!





Here is a favorite and super simple Ramen dish, everyone will like. It can be eaten warm or cold, add meat or veggies, double the sauce to drizzle on top, easy peasy!!!

Ingredients:
• 1 package microwave type ramen (MINUS flavor packet)
• 2 Tbs smooth (creamy) peanut butter
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of your favorite bottled Oriental Dressing
• 1 tsp Siracha sauce
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• Optional: 1 tsp Fresh grated ginger, 1-2 tbsp cilantro and 1 tbsp peanuts) (for garnish)

(1) Cook the ramen but do NOT use the flavor packet. Just cook the ramen in water.

(2) Meanwhile prepare the sauce:

2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Oriental Dressing
1 tsp Siracha sauce
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 of the seasoning packet if you so choose
1-2 tsp water if needed to thin
(3) Mix sauce ingredients until smooth.

(4) Toss noodles with sauce, and then sprinkle with
cilantro and peanuts (or thinly sliced scallion/green onion)