The Fumbling Foodie

Chicken Veneziana

One of the biggest challenges for a home cook is to turn a chicken breast into something tasty. By itself, a chicken breast is pretty bland. I am continually on a quest to find recipes that make a lowly chicken breast into something I look forward to eating.

Irina, the young lady who gave me Patsy's Cookbook says that this is one of her favorite recipes from it.

Of course, as you look at the photo you may wonder, "Where's the chicken?". My wife loves sauteed onions, so I doubled up on the onions and the pan sauce. The whole family gave this a two-thumps-up.

Chicken Veneziana

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
4 chicken breast halves
1/2 cup flour
1 yellow onion
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped itialian parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup olive oil

Pound the chicken breasts flat (about 1/2 inch thick). Blanch the mushrooms for 2 minutes and set them aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and saute the chicken until lightly browned on both sides. Don't try to cook the chicken all the way through, just brown it. Then remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Add the onions to the pan and saute until just browned. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the mushrooms. vinegar, chicken broth, and butter. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken has cooked through. Stir in the parsley and basil and let cook for another minute or so. Remove the chicken from the pan.

Combine the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water, mix well, and whisk into the pan sauce. Let the sauce thinken just a bit then pour it over the chicken.

Salt and pepper the chicken then dredge them in the flour. Heat

Elise's Chicken and Molly's Corn

If you haven't been here for a while, let me fill you in: My Sweet Lady Wife and I are 'between houses'. The old house has been sold. We close on the new house December 5 (16 and a wake up). Meanwhle, we are living in this little two bedrom apartment. The aparment is nice, as apartments go - it is clean, quiet, and safe. For a Foodie, however, the kitchen leaves a lot to be desired: there is about two square feet of counter space. Two of the stove's four burners actually work well enough to almost boil water.

As a result, dinners must be simple. (And add to this the fact that I have a cold this week). A couple of weeks ago, Elise posted a scrumptious chicken recipe and Molly wrote about her Brown Buttered Corn. I had a menu.

I don't believe I have ever had a simple corn dish that tasted as good as Molly's Brown Buttered Corn. The thyme really gave the butter some flaver and it transfers to the corn wonderfully. My Sweet Lady Wife - who is a Wisconsin farm girl and a corn connoisseur - loved it. Definitely a keeper.

I modified Elise's chicken recipe to be more 'saucy' (A little more vermouth and cream in the pan sauce). I also used applewood-smoked bacon instead of the pancetta. It was excellent. I think it's really difficult to turn a naked chicken breast into something really tasty but this certainly was.

Chicken Legs with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Chicken Drumsticks: What could be more pedestrian? Not now. Not after French Chef Bernard Chirent demonstrated this recipe the other night during a cooking class at my favorite Gourmet Kitchen Toos Store in Glendale. This recipe turns the ordinary drumstick into food for the gods.

Chicken Legs with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Chicken Legs
Raspberry vinegar
Veal stock (demi glace)
White pearl onions
butter
olive oil

Blanch the onions for 2 minutes, remove from the water and let cool. You can then peel them easily and remove the root.

Cut the 'foot' end off each drumstick. Sear the drumsticks in butter and oil until nicely browned. Remove from the pan and set aside, covering with foil.

Pour off most of the fat and deglaze with raspberry vinegar. Reduce by 1/4 and add veal stock to taste. You should be able to taste the raspberry.

Put the drumsticks back in the pan, add the onions, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and let cook slowly for 30 minutes.

My Best Roast Chicken Ever

This was without a doubt my best roast chicken ever.

I recently acquired a copy of 150 Things to Make with Roast Chicken and 50 Ways to Roast It by Tony Rosenfeld. It is chocked full of great ways to roast a chicken. Tony recommends roast TWO chickens (which I did), eating one for dinner and then using the second in one of the 150 ways.

To start with, I brined the chickens. I have never done this before but after tonight it has become an essential step. While Tony provides several interesting brines (like Orange-Rosemary Brine), I used just the simple basic brine:

Basic Brine for 2 Chickens
1 Cup Kosher Salt
1 Cup Sugar
1 Gallon Water

Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water. Completely submerge the chickens in the brine. Refirgerate for 4-12 hours.

I found these 1.1 gallon Rubbermaid containers at the supermarket and they are perfect for a 3.5 - 4 pound chicken. I must admit that these containers, full of brine and a chicken reminded me of something I might see in a laboratory somewhere ;-)

6 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
4 teaspoons brown sugar

Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Brush the mixture all over the chicken, giving it a nice coat. Don't be sparing, you've got plenty. Preheat the oven to 450F.

Now here s where Tony and I part ways. I got religion on the subject of 'breast-side-up' vs 'breast side-down' from Pam Anderson's March 2006 article in Fine Cooking. I roast breast-side-down for 30 minutes. Place the chicken on a V-Rack in a roasting pan breast-side-down. Pour a cup of water in the bottom of the roasting pan and put it in the oven. Check now and then to make sure the bottom of the roasting pan has not gone dry. If so, add a little more water.

After 30 minutes, briefly pull the roasting pan out of the oven and flip the bird over. Brush some more of the mustard mixture on the chicken. Return it to the oven for another 20 minutes or so, until the temperature of the thigh meat reaches 175F.

Remove from the oven, let it rest for 20 minutes, carve, and serve.

This was absolutely the most flavorful chicken I have ever made.

Penne Rustica

Today was a special day. Not only was it Father's Day for my 84-year old Dad, but we also celebrated my Mother's 79th Birthday. And with my house finally on the market, I had time to prepare a proper meal.

I admit to putting in some extra effort on these occassions and the reason is simple: At my parents' age, any one of these celebrations might be the last time I get to prepare a meal for them.

The recipe for Penne Rustica is this one from Recipezaar so I won't repeat the whole thing here. Rather than bacon, I substituted proscuitto from the neighborhood italian deli. The proscuitto is nice and fresh and I can get it sliced thicker. (The vacuum-bagged stuff you find in the supermarket is sliced far too thin for frying.) I also put in extra proscuitto, shrimp, and cheese. The next time I make this though I am also going to cut back on the butter. Six ounces of butter is about twice what is needed.

It turned out pretty good, rivalling the Penne Rustica from Macaroni Grill. Definitely a keeper.

Chicken, Broccoli, and Pasta Salad

Last Sunday I was running around like a maniac working on the house. I barely had time to eat, let alone figure out what to make and then prepare it. Driving home from yet another trip to the hardware store, this dish occured to me. After grabbing some penne pasta and a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts from the supermarket, I was able to make this in about 30 minutes.

I have begun to really like grilling the chicken for these sort of dishes. In the summer time it gets some of the heat out of the kitchen (yes, it is summer here in Arizona. The temperature is not too bad yet: the high today is expected to be only 100F.)

Chicken Broccoli, and Pasta Salad

2 bonless skinless chicken breasts
1 lb broccoli crowns
1 lb penne pasta
1/4 cup jullienned oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups grated parmigiano reggiano
4 scallions
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Grill the chicken breasts. Let them cool a little and then slice then into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cut the long slices in half. Trim the broccoli crowns into 1-inch florets. Discard the stems. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli for 2-3 minutes until tender but still crunchy. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking.

Reusing the same water, boil the pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking mix the oil and vinegar together in a small bowl. Slice the scallions crosswise into 1/8 inch thick discs.

When the pasta is done, remove fromm the water, drain, and rinse. Place the pasta in a large bowl. Add the chicken, tomatoes, broccoli, cheese, and scallions. Toss. Add the dressing and toss again. Serve warm.

Chicken Piccata

I seem to be trying a lot of chicken recipes lately.

At least I have finally figured out how to pound a chicken breast flat without having it disentigrate: Put it in a heavy-duty ziplock bag. Place it on the counter outer side (the side the skin was attached to) down. Start in the thick center and pound, working outward.

Next time I make this I think I will cut the amount of lemon juice in half and compensate by adding a little more white wine.

Chicken Piccata

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 teaspoon paprika
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt & pepper to taste

Pound each chicken breast to 1/4" inch thick.

Mix the flour, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and paprika. Lightly salt and pepper each chicken breast and dredge it in the flour mixture.

Heat the butter and oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Place them in the pan. Cook until the bottom side of each breast is golden brown. Turn them over and repeat.

When both sides of each breast are golden brown, remove them from the pan to a plate and tent with foil. Add the wine, lemon juice, and capers to the pan and deglaze. Reduce for about a minute.

Put a breast on each plate and pour some cause over each one.

Wine Sauce Chicken

It doesn't get much easier than this. Make sure you start with a nice organic chicken. That and the pan sauce make this very tasty.

Wine Sauce Chicken

1 cut up frying chicken
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste

Wash and dry the chicken. Put a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the oil. When the oil begins to sizzle add the chicken.

Saute the chicken until nicely browned on the bottom side. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Turn the chicken over. Salt & pepper again. Don't move the chicken around much.

When the chicken is golden brown and kind of crusty, add the wine and chicken stock. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. When it boils, turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Continute to cook for about 25 minutes.

Remove the chicken from pan with tongs. Reduce the sauce a bit. Add the butter, pour over chicken and serve.

Chicken & Shrimp with Lemon Butter Sauce

This dish was inspired by a recent lunch at the Macaroni Grill. Chicken & Shrimp Scaloppine was a new menu item and so I decided to try it even though I think it is nothing more than MG's Chicken Scaloppine with a few shrimp added.

The flavor however, was great and I wanted to try to duplicate it. There are a lot of copycat recipes on the web for Macaroni Grill's Scaloppine di Pollo. They don't include shrimp however and they make enough to feed an army. Using the list of ingredients as a guide, I just kinda winged it and the results turned out great-tasting.

Instead of doing the chicken scaloppine style (pounded very thin) I grilled it and cut it into strips. I also used some DeCio handmade Spinach Basil Garlic pasta which was a perfect match for this dish.

Chicken & Shrimp with Lemon Butter Sauce

2 oz lemon juice
1 oz white wine
2 oz heavy cream
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 oz pancetta
6 oz button mushrooms, sliced
6 oz artichoke hearts, quartered
1 tablespoon capers

Grill the chicken breasts. Let them cool slightly and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips.

Start a large pot of salted water boiling for the pasta. When the water is boiling add the pasta.

Heat the lemon juice and wine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/3. Add the cream. Simmer, stirring often until the mixture thickens slightly. Cut the butter into slices and add a slice or two at a time, whisking continually. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside but keep it warm.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan. Add the shrimp. Let the shrimp cook for about a minute and then turn them over. When the shrimp are pink but still slightly translucent remove them from the pan and set them aside.

Saute the mushrooms and pancetta. Add the chicken. and continue sauteing long enough to reheat the chicken. Add a little white wine to deglaze the pan and incorporate the fond into the mixture. Add the shrimp. Pour about a quarter of the lemon butter sauce into the pan and toss to coat.

About tis time the pasta should be al dente. Place a serving of the pasta on each plate. Top with the chicken/shrimp/etc mixture. Pour a little lemon butter sauce on top and garnish with parsley.

Serves 6

Chicken & Mushroom Crepes with a Sherry Cream Sauce

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner! Not satisfied with the results of The Great Crepe Experiment, I worked on it a little more. Those that know me understand my drive to focus on a problem until I get it right can be rather aggravating at times, but in this case it was worth it.

I started with a recipe from Cooks.Com and embellished a bit. My lovely wife thought the results were great.

Chicken & Mushroom Crepes with a Sherry Cream Sauce

For the Crepes:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter

For the Filling:
8 oz fresh button mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sherry
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 each green, yellow, and red bell pepper

To make the crepes:

Melt the butter. In a blender, blend the eggs, milk, water, flour, salt, and the melted butter until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to give the air bubbles in the batter time to dissipate.

Set an 8-inch crepe pan over low-medium heat and wait for the pan to come up to temperature. Lift the pan off the heat, lightly butter the pan, and and pour 1/4 cup of batter into it. Swirl and tilt the pan until the batter has coated the bottom, then set it back down on the burner.

After a minute or two and using a thin spatula, lift the edge of the crepe to see if it has browned very slightly. If so, flip it over using a couple of thin spatulas. When the other side has browned, remove the crepe to a plate.

Repeat until the batter is gone. You can safely stack the crepes by placing a sheet of wax paper between each one.

To make the filling:
Grill the chicken breasts and dice them. Clean and dice the bell peppers. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onions, saute for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Blend in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the milk, bouillon cubes, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occassionally until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the sour cream and sherry. Ladle off about a cup of the sauce and set it aside.

To the remaining sauce, add the diced chicken and the parsley. Mix well. Spoon a couple tablespoons of this filling onto each crepe and roll it up. (At this point the crepes can be refrigerated and the saved for later. If so, warm them in the microwave before continuing)

Meanwhile saute the diced peppers in a separate pan until tender but still slightly crunchy. Set aside.

Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Place 2-3 filled crepes in the saute pan for about 2 minutes until they have lightly browned. Remove then from the pan and saute the remaining filled crepes in this manner.

Place two filled crepes on a plate. Pour a little of the reserved sauce over them. Sprinkle some of the sauted diced peppers over the crepes and serve.

Makes 8-10 crepes.