Wine Braised Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms

I have not been good about menu planning the past few weeks. Once my travel schedule gets busy, I end up planning day by day. This results in a lot of meals where I just make things up as I go along, but based on my past few meals, this usually works for us.

So last night was another night of grabbing what I had to pull together dinner. My main ingredients were chicken breasts, asparagus, crimini mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, and chicken broth. I decided to brown the chicken, cook the veggies, and then braise the chicken in the wine and broth.

Ideally I would have served this over Herbed Polenta, but Jon isn't a fan so I stuck with noodles.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt, pepper, dried thyme, paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1-inch long pieces (remove ends first)
• 1/2 c white wine
• 1 14.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan
• Season chicken with salt, pepper, dried thyme, and paprika; add to pan. Cook until golden brown, approximately 5-6 minutes per side. Remove from pan and keep warm.
• Add shallots and garlic to pan; saute 2 min
• Add mushrooms; saute 2 min
• Deglaze pan with half of the wine, scraping up brown bits
• Add asparagus and stir
• Add the rest of the wine and the chicken broth and bring to a simmer
• Return chicken to pan, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

This was absolutely delicious. It was extremely fragrant while cooking, and the flavor was just as good - light and fresh.

Sauteed Curried Chicken with Peppers

Another one of those nights of "what ingredients do I have on hand and what quick and easy meal can I make with them?"

Chicken, peppers, onions, garlic, and pantry full of spices and other staples. I remembered a dish I made and really like a few weeks ago, Sauteed Curried Beef with Broccoli. Let's try it with chicken!

I changed a few of the ingredients and the cooking method, and came up with this -

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breast, sliced into strips
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 14.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth
• Sliced bell peppers - I used a bit of red, orange, and green peppers (about 1/2 pepper each)
• 2 cups rice, cooked

Directions

• Heat oil in a large saute pan
• Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to pan and cook 6-7 minutes
• Add onions and cook 3 minutes
• Add garlic, brown sugar, curry powder, broth, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil.
• Add peppers; cover and let simmer 8-10 minutes.
• Serve over rice

This definitely worked with chicken. I'll put this on the menu again when I'm looking for something quick and easy yet full of flavor.

Sausage-Broccoli-Pepper Pasta Bake

Ingredients on hand (that I felt like using): Hot Italian sausage links, broccoli, assorted peppers, and pasta. My original plan was to crumble the sausage and cook it with the veggies and then toss with pasta, similar to these recipes for Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe and Pasta with Sausage, Broccoli, and Red Peppers.

But last minute I decided that baking everything together with a Mornay sauce would be good (Mornay is what a Bechamel sauce becomes when you add cheese). I threw this together as I went along.

Jon grilled the sausage so we wouldn't make such a mess in the kitchen - you know, all the grease that splatters when you brown sausage, and that aroma that sticks around for a day or two.

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• Assorted peppers, chopped. I used half each of a green, red, and yellow pepper
• 1 sm onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3/4 lb dry pasta - I used Rotini
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 c light cream or half and half - I used a mixture of both
• 1 c shredded cheese - I used mostly Parmesan and a touch of cheddar
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Optional: red pepper flakes
• 4 links sausage, grilled or cooked, and sliced into rounds (or crumbled and cooked if that's how you like it)

Directions

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove. Add the peppers and cook for 45 seconds. Remove. Cook pasta in this water once the veggies are removed. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water.
• Heat butter and oil in a pot. Add garlic and onions. Cook 2 minutes.
• Add flour and stir until coated
• Add cream, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a steady simmer.
• Remove from heat and whisk in your cheeses (it's best to add cheese off the heat to keep it from getting chalky). Adjust seasonings if needed.
• Toss pasta, veggies, and sausage with the sauce. Pour into a baking dish.
• Cover and cook on 400 for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

We both loved this. The sauce was so creamy, the sausage gave the entire dish great flavor, and I loved the extra kick from the red pepper flakes.

It makes a ton...my dad is getting lunch tomorrow and we're even going to have the leftovers for dinner tomorrow (if you know my husband, you know he's not crazy about leftovers except for his famous roast beef, chili, and meatballs/sauce). So that says a lot about this dish!!

Dry Rub for Pork Chops

Aah, it's so nice to come home from a business trip and get back in the kitchen. Hotel and restaurant food gets old quickly.

I was wiped out by the time I got home, but still wanted to cook so I made something simple - a dry rub for pork chops.

After Jon trimmed the chops, I rubbed them with smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, salt and pepper. I didn't measure, but used enough to fully coat the chops, using smoked paprika the most.

Jon grilled them - aren't they pretty? He seared them over high heat, and then turned the grill down and let them cook for another 12 minutes or so. They were tender and juicy, and the dry rub was a gave them a very earthy, smoky flavor.

I served the chops with my Creamy Vegetable Orzo and roasted Brussels sprouts.

Shrimp and Pasta in a Garlic-Lime-Cilantro Broth

Last week started my busy travel season - every week for the next 2 months, at least. But I was home on Sunday and felt like cooking so I whipped up an easy dish - shrimp for Jon, chicken for me.

My inspiration came from a dish I made a while back - Spicy Chicken and Linguine in a Garlic Lime Broth.

Ingredients

• Pasta of your choice, cooked - I used capellini tonight. I used linguine in the original recipe.
• 3/4 lb shrimp (or 1 chicken breast, chopped)
• Spices - salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp tequila
• 1/3 c chicken broth
• Juice from 1/2 of a lime
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions

• Coat shrimp (or chicken) in the spices
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan
• Add shrimp and garlic (if you do this with chicken, cook the chicken before adding the garlic). Cook until done.
• Deglaze pan with tequila
• Add chicken broth, lime juice, and cilantro. Bring to a simmer
• Toss with pasta.

3 cloves of garlic for one person? In our house, yes!! This was so easy and was packed full of flavor. We both love lots of garlic, the flavors from chili powder and cumin, and the balance the lime and cilantro add to a dish.

Jon tossed his shrimp and pasta with roasted broccoli before I had a chance to take a picture, but this would be just as good on its own, without broccoli.

Chicken Satay Skewers with Cilantro Cream

Saturday it was 90 degrees here in the Northeast! I didn't feel like cooking or eating anything heavy, so the author of the cooking blog Proceed with Caution recommended this Martha Stewart recipe for Chicken Satay Skewers.

I made a few changes to the recipe (of course!) as the recipe didn't leave any time for marinating, and I love marinating chicken. So instead of just tossing the chicken with the ingredients, I marinated the chicken in them for 8 hours. Also, I didn't care for the peanut butter sauce, so I made my own cilantro cream for dipping. My adaptation of the recipe is below.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 strips
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  

Marinate chicken in the above ingredients. Thread onto skewers and grill (about 12-15 minutes).

Be sure to soak your skewers for at least 30 minutes before putting the chicken onto them...I didn't soak them long enough and my skewers burned pretty badly! Luckily the chicken was still delicious. I could really taste all of the flavors from the marinade, and am glad I changed that part of the recipe.

Cilantro Cream

This is an easy one - mix one handful of thoroughly washed, chopped fresh cilantro with approximately 3 tablespoons sour cream.

This is a very refreshing dip, and I loved how it went with the flavors in the chicken. I even like this dip for veggies.

Grilled Romaine

Lettuce, on the grill? Absolutely.

Grilled salads have become very popular recently. Or maybe they have always been popular and I'm just noticing them more. Either way, I have come to love grilled salads.

Last summer I made these grilled salad skewers. And a few months ago our friend made this grilled ciabatta bread salad for us.

On Saturday night I took a head of romaine lettuce, cleaned it, and cut it in half lengthwise. I trimmed off a bit of the bottom, being careful not to take too much off causing the leaves to fall off.

When I was ready to grill, I put some oil on the grill and threw the lettuce on for about 3 minutes on each side. I probably could have left it on just a touch longer.

I could have made a creamy dressing, but instead seasoned the grilled romaine with only salt, freshly ground black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. It tasted like summer! I will definitely make this again, but next time maybe with a Caesar-like dressing.

Spicy Taco Soup

This makes three posts in a row that start with the word "spicy." I think I officially have a problem!

I have been battling a cold all week and felt that something spicy was just what I needed. I don't know if there is any scientific evidence, but there is something about spicy food that seems to make you feel better, or like you are doing something to help show the cold its way to the door. Ok, so it may all be in my head, but that's fine because the spicy soup I created tonight turned out to be just what I was craving.

I have heard of "taco soup" but never made it. I looked at a few recipes and didn't like them - cans of rotel or spicy tomatoes, and beans are what turned me off. I'd rather spice up my own soup, and I'm not the biggest black bean fan. Instead, I took my favorite flavors and ingredients and created my own soup.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 each red and green pepper, chopped
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 14 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chile powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Optional: 1/2 tsp adobo seasoning (I had it so I threw it in!)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Juice from 1/2 of a lime
• Toppings: sliced green onions, shredded cheese (I used cheddar-jack), and sour cream

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot. Add meat and cook until browned.
• Add onions, saute 1 min
• Add all of the peppers and garlic, saute 2 min
• Add spices and mix
• Add tomatoes and mix
• Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes
• Add lime juice and let simmer just a few more minutes before serving

I've got to say, I did a pretty good job with this one! I tasted it before and after adding the lime juice, and am so glad I made the decision to add it. It brightened up the flavors, and gave it the familiar taste from a good tortilla soup.

Now this may not be the most authentic Mexican recipe, but I'm giving it a Mexican tag because of the flavors. I'm also submitting this Mexican inspired dish to Joelen's Foodie Films Event, where this month's film is Tortilla Soup. Definitely appropriate! You can check out her blog here.

Spicy Shrimp with Peppers

Last night I decided to make shrimp for Jon and tofu for myself. I came up with this recipe for my spicy tofu with peppers, and used it as the inspiration for Jon's shrimp.

For this dish I used less liquid than I did with the tofu and added sesame oil.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb shrimp
• Thinly sliced onion - about 3 slices off 1 small onion.
• Sliced peppers - I used about 1/4 each of a red, green, and yellow pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp chili-garlic paste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• Optional: chopped green onions
  

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat
• Add onions, garlic, and peppers. Saute 2-3 minutes.
• Add chili-garlic paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, and chicken broth. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer.
• Add shrimp and cook until done - about 6 minutes.
• Serve over rice or noodles and top with green onions
  

This dish is even quicker and easier than the tofu version, but both versions are spicy and delicious!

Spicy Tofu with Peppers

Whenever I make shrimp for Jon, I usually cook up some tofu for myself. Last night I had some peppers to use up, and felt like something spicy, so I came up with this quick and easy tofu dish - (Click here for the shrimp version)

Ingredients

• 1 block tofu, pressed (to get the extra liquid out) and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Thinly sliced onion - about 3 slices off 1 small onion.
• Sliced peppers - I used about 1/4 each of a red, green, and yellow pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp chili-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 c chicken broth
• Optional: chopped green onions

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat
• Add tofu and cook about 5 minutes until starting to lightly brown
• Add onions, garlic, and peppers. Saute 2-3 minutes.
• Add chili-garlic paste, soy sauce, and chicken broth. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer. Let simmer 10 minutes - sauce will slightly thicken
• Serve over rice or noodles and top with green onions