How to Roast Chicken Breasts

This is more of a guideline. I started off with this blog post.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Brown the chicken boobs in some EVOOand/or butter in an oven proof skillet on med/high. A couple of minutes on each side.

Transfer skillet to oven.

Cooking times vary depending on size of boobs. For big ones: 15 min per side.

Tomato Basil Chicken

From Menu Musings

Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 2 chicken breasts 
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 4 Tbsp cold butter
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese, for garnish

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

 Add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your skillet.  This may seem like quite a bit, but it will form the base for the sauce.  While waiting for the oil to heat up, go ahead and get your water going for the pasta.

When the oil is HOT, add the chicken breasts.  After about 4-5 minutes, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn.  You'll want to cook them on the second side another 4-5 minutes,or until the juices run clear when you pierce them with a small sharp knife.  If you pounded yours out thinner, they will cook faster than this.

After the second side has been cooking for about 4 minutes, go ahead and add in the fresh tomatoes that you have chopped up.

 Next, add the fresh basil that you have chopped into ribbons, the cold butter, the minced garlic, and you will probably want to add some more kosher salt and black pepper to season the sauce.  Now give it all a good stir so all those flavors will marry together.  

When your chicken is "done," turn the sauce down on the lowest setting to keep it all warm until the pasta is cooked, which should be any minute now.  At this point, if still waiting for the pasta, you can remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and after resting just a couple of minutes, cut the chicken into slices on the bias.   Divide the pasta among individual bowls, and top each with half of a chicken breast, sliced into pieces, and equal portions of the tomato basil sauce.  Top with more fresh basil and freshly grated Parmigiana reggiano cheese.

Beef Daube Provencal

From Cooking Light Mag

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion

• 1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Heat a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add reserved garlic, beef, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.
3. Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.

Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or until beef is tender.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 367
• Fat: 12.8g
• Saturated fat: 4.3g
• Monounsaturated fat: 5.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g
• Protein: 29.1g
• Carbohydrate: 33.4g
• Fiber: 3.9g
• Cholesterol: 105mg
• Iron: 4.3mg
• Sodium: 678mg
• Calcium: 76mg

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Paprikash

From Cooking Light mag

Ingredients

• 6 ounces uncooked egg noodles
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
2. Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil; swirl to coat. Add pork; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add flour, tomato paste, thyme, and paprika; sauté 30 seconds. Add wine; cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add stock and vinegar; bring to a boil. Add pork; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until pork is tender. Remove pan from heat; stir in sour cream. Serve over noodles.

Stuffed French Toast with Cherry Salsa

 From Spice of Life with Bel Arneson

ingredients

CHERRY SALSA:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted and quartered Bing cherries
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Pinch ground green cardamom
• Pinch ground cloves

• 3 fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST:

• 8 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
• 3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom
• 3/4 teaspoon ground fennel

• 2 pinches ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons jaggery or brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

For the cherry salsa: Combine the cherries, paprika, cardamom, cloves, mint, honey and maple syrup in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

For the French toast: Using a biscuit cutter or an empty can, cut a round from each slice of bread.
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of the cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon of the fennel, 1 pinch of the cloves and all of the jaggery. Mix until well blended.
Spread a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto a bread round. Top with a second round to form a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining rounds.
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat.
In a baking dish, whisk the eggs with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon fennel and pinch cloves. Dip the stuffed bread rounds into the egg mixture, making sure that each is coated on all sides and has absorbed the egg mixture, 10 to 15 seconds of soaking per side.
Use the butter to grease the griddle. Place the egg-soaked 'sandwiches' on the griddle and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until lightly browned; then, using tongs, slowly roll them on their edges to ensure all sides are fully cooked.

Transfer to the French toast to plates, top with some of the cherry salsa and serve.

Minty Mushy Peas

From Food Network / Jamie Oliver

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
1 handful fresh mint, leaves picked
1 pound (500 grams) frozen peas
2 large knobs butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped onions, mint, and peas. Cover and leave for a few minutes to steam. Mash with a potato masher. You can do this with a food processor as well, just pulse it until smooth. Whether mashing or pulsing, when it's done add the butter and season very carefully, to taste.

Recipe courtesy Jamie Oliver

Chicken Fried Rice

Adapted From A Kid in the Kitchen 

• 2 (8.5-ounce) pouches precooked basmati rice
• 1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided

• 1 rotisserrie chicken, cleaned
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided

Preparation

1. Heat rice according to package directions.
2. Combine soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and hoisin in a bowl. Add chickento soy sauce mixture; toss to coat. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat.
3. Add egg to pan; cook 45 seconds or until set. Remove egg from pan; cut into bite-sized pieces.
4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bell pepper, edamame, and 1/2 cup onions; stir-fry 1 minute. Add rice; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add chicken and soy sauce mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Top rice mixture with egg and remaining onions.