Chicken with Wild Mushroom & Balsamic Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
Salt
1/2 lb. orzo pasta
2T EVOO
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts*
Freshly ground pepper
2T butter
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
12 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
12 white mushrooms, sliced
2 large clove of garlics, sliced
1T thyme leaves, chopped
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2T all purpose flour
1 1/2c chicken stock
1T balsamic vinegar
3T heavy cream or half and half
1/4c chopped flat leaf parsley

Cooking directions:
- Bring a large pot of eater to a boil.  Salt the water and add the orzo pasta.  Cook to al dente.
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet add the EVOO.
- Season the chicken well with salt and pepper, add to the hot skillet.
- Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side.  Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Return the skillet to the stove, turn the heat down a bit, add the butter.
- Once the butter melts, add the mushrooms and brown, stir occasionally, about 4-5 minutes.  Once brown, season with salt/pepper, then add garlic, thyme and shallots.
- Cook for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted.
- Sprinkle the flour into the pan.  Cook 2 minutes more.
- Whisk the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream in.  Turn the heat up high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Slice the chicken at an angle.  Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up.

To serve, place the orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.  Serves 4

* I always use chicken thighs.

~The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the  discovery of a new star.


Enjoy,
Elizabeth

National Mint Julep Day

Your shopping list for Chicken with Wild Mushrooms & Balsamic Cream Sauce 

From the farmers' market or grocery store:
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms
12 shiitake mushrooms
12 white mushrooms
heavy cream or half and half

From your well-stocked pantry:
salt
orzo pasta
EVOO
black pepper
butter
garlic
fresh thyme
shallots
all purpose flour
chicken stock
balsamic vinegar
flat-leaf parsley

The cooking directions  (serving 4) will be posted tomorrow.

Happy shopping,
Elizabeth

Red Cumin-Lime Shrimp on Jicama Rice

12 oz. fresh or frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp
3 t. EVOO
1 1/2c. chopped yellow onion
1 medium fresh Anaheim chile pepper, seeded and sliced
1 1/2T. chili powder
1  1/2 t. ground cumin
1 c. hot cooked brown rice
*1 1/2 c. peeled jicama cut into thing bite-size strips
2 T. lime juice
1/3 c. snipped fresh cilantro


- Start the brown rice.

- In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 t. of EVOO over medium high heat.Add onion and chile pepper; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stir frequently.   Stir in shrimp, chili powder and cumin.  Cook 3  minutes or until shrimp is opaque.

- Remove the skillet from heat; stir in the remaining 2 t. EVOO, the lime juice and 1/4. t. of salt.  Cover and let stand 5 minutes to allow flavors to absorb.

- Meanwhile, spoon hot rice into a serving bowl. Stir jicama into the rice.

- To serve, add cilantro to rice mixture, tossing to mix well. Serve shrimp mixture over rice mixture.
Serves 4

Enjoy,
Elizabeth

*How to slice jicama
- using a vegetable peeler, peel the tough outer layer
- cut the peeled jicama in half, then cut each half into thin half-moon pieces.  Cut each piece into thin strips.

~ Spices are the hidden soul of cooking

National Taffy Day

Shopping list for Red Cumin-Lime Shrimp on Jicama Rice

In your well-stocked pantry:
- EVOO
- Yellow onion
- chili powder
- ground cumin
- brown rice
- lime juice
- fresh cilantro

From the farmers' market or grocer:
- 12 oz. fresh or frozen medium shrimp
- 1 medium fresh Anaheim chile pepper
- 1 medium jicama

The recipe, which will serve 4, will be posted tomorrow morning.

Happy shopping,
Elizabeth

Farmers' Market Chicken

What you'll need:
3 T. tomato paste
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 (10 oz.) can of low-salt chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
2 T. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
4 boned skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 T. EVOO
1 c. diced carrot
1 c. diced red onion
1 c. diced yellow squash
1 c. diced zucchini
2 T. dry vermouth or white wine
4 c. hot cooked long-grain rice
2 t. chopped fresh rosemary

Lets get cooking:
- Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stir well.
- Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, dredge the chicken in the breadcrumbs.
- Heat the EVOO in a large skillet, add the chicken and saute 6 minutes on each side.  Remove the chicken from the pan.
- Add the carrots, onion, squash, zucchini and vermouth to the pan, saute 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Return the chicken to the pan add the broth mixture.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer mixture 15 minutes.  Serve the chicken/vegetable mixture over the rice, sprinkle with chopped rosemary.

Happy eating,
Elizabeth

~After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations.

National Coquilles St. Jacques Day

There's nothing better than cooking with fresh ingredients!

This is the shopping list for Farmers' Market Chicken

From your well-stocked pantry:
tomato paste
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
1 10oz. can of low salt chicken broth
1 clove of garlic
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
EVOO
long grain rice
dry vermouth or white wine
fresh rosemary

From the market or grocery:
4 (4 oz) skinned, boned chicken breast halves (I use thighs)
1 good sized carrot
1 red onion
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini

This recipe will serve 4.
Happy shopping,
Elizabeth

Rosemary-Garlic Steaks with Spinach

Cooking directions.  The ingredients list was posted yesterday.

• Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high to high.
• Rub room temperature steaks with cut garlic.  Drizzle the steaks with EVOO, rub with rosemary and season liberally with salt/pepper.  Cook steaks 4 minutes on each side for medium, let rest 5 minutes then slice.

• Drizzle EVOO in a pan, saute garlic for a few minutes (do not brown).  Add spinach and a little salt, cook until wilted (a few mintues).. Squeeze a bit of lemon over and serve.

Enjoy your meal with a fresh baked bread and a glass of your favorite wine.
Elizabeth