Dinner Thread!

It's turned unseasonably cold here just overnight. It's only about 62 degrees with a really stiff northeast wind. I was going to just roast a whole chicken for dinner tonight but this sounds much better given the weather:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_with_mushroom_cream_sauce/

Except I'm serving it with baked sweet potatoes and peas since I baked about 5 sweet potatoes last night.


Ingredients

* 1 5-pound roasting chicken, cut into serving pieces (bone-in, skin on)
* Flour, salt and pepper
* 1 cup grapeseed oil, or canola oil (or other high smoke point oil)
* Butter
* 1/4 cup rich chicken broth
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 1 clove of garlic, crushed
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* Salt and pepper

Note: If you don't have some homemade chicken stock available, you can simmer the giblets (gizzards and heart, not the liver) and neck in a cup or two of water to make some stock.
Method

1 Put a cup of flour, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper in a brown paper bag. Piece by piece, put a piece of chicken in the bag and shake to coat the chicken with flour mixture.


2 Preheat the oven to 350°F. On the stovetop, in a large frying pan, heat oil to medium high heat. Place the chicken pieces in the pan. Watch the oil carefully, you don't want the oil to be so hot as to burn the chicken, you just want to lightly brown it. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides, turning when necessary.

3 Butter a roasting pan generously. Arrange the chicken pieces in it, pour broth over it, and bake at 350°F until the chicken is tender and cooked, about 40-50 minutes for pieces from a 5-pound chicken. You know that the chicken is done by poking a thigh with a meat fork (the thigh meat is dark meat and takes longer to cook than white breast meat). If pink or red juice runs out of the hole made by the fork, the chicken is not done. If only clear juice runs out, the chicken is done.


4 About 20 minutes before the chicken is expected to be done, start cooking the onions and mushrooms. In the same frying pan as was used to cook the chicken, empty the pan of all but 2 Tbsp of oil. Add the onions to the pan and sauté on medium heat until softened. Add the crushed garlic clove and the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are no longer crisp. Remove and discard the garlic, and add the sour cream and the heavy cream to the onions and mushrooms. Lower the heat. Keep warm, but do not boil. Salt and pepper to taste.

5 When the chicken is done, remove from oven. Serve on a platter with the mushroom sauce spooned over it, or served on the side.

Serves 6 to 8.

Serve with noodles, rice, or Spanish rice.



What's cookin' at your place tonight? :D

Tonight's menu (we are expecting your cold front to roll over us this evening) chicken cooked with tomatillo, onion, garlic, serrano pepper, and cilantro. Refried beans and arroz amarillo, avocado chunks with sea salt and lime, and fry bread. I made a pineapple upside down cake this morning -- those Costa Rico pineapples need cooking to bring the flavor out -- and so pineapple upside-down cake with ginger for dessert. I also put my orange liqueur starter for 'Christmas in a Glass' in the closet this afternoon. I love this time of year, don't you sis? :pals:

Really it does. I love a good avocado tomatillo salsa, so I bet that is going to be great.

As much as I hate to say it, I'm shy of buying any pineapple that doesn't say DelMonte on the tag, and they are Costa Rican, too. Every time I buy something else, I'm really disappointed. I even took two of them back to the grocery once after I cut into one of them and found them to be terrible.

I do love this time of year, babe. After all the heat of an Oklahoma summer, I'm sitting here with the door open and just loving it.

I've been trying to select a song to send you today. Not sure which I will pick yet. :D

I love it and Gerry sings it beautifully. That song has one of the greatest hooks of all time. My favorite pineapples are Dole because they all come from Hawaii, and those are the richest tasting IMO. Del Monte is second choice. Enjoy a breath of cool, my dear, after that long Oklahoma summer. Can't wait to get the new song! :hug:

Is it on your blog?

I'm always impressed with your improvements to alcohol. :-)

to stop & shoot. The 'Christmas in a Glass' recipe is one that I made up based on other orange liqueur recipes. I rasped the zest off a dozen oranges then muddled them into 3 C. sugar, buried 1 cinnamon stick and 5 coffee beans to sit overnight. This morning I stirred it up with 1-1/2 C. brandy and a half a bottle of plain Absolut vodka. After that was strained off there was still a little sugar on the bottom of the bowl and I had 2 jiggers of coconut rum left sitting on the counter so I stirred that in as well. It is supposed to cure in the dark for a week and then I'll add more booze. I will end up with a little over a half-gallon at the end. I love a liqueur at the end of a meal as a wee grace note.

I'm working on a pie crust video for my blog and am almost finished. My next booze post will feature Ginger Liqueur and Candied Ginger. I did shoot snaps of my Ginger spree, and I will get that up soon. I candied about 1-1/2 lbs. of ginger slices that I have hidden from myself and intend to dip in dark chocolate as part of my holiday gift basket. This coming week I will decant the pineapple and cherry cordials.

Are you still baking for fun & profit? Your recipes always sounded so luscious. :hi:

..an osso bucco type preparation with sweated trinity, garlic, basil, dry white wine, etc. The meat is so pampered that I'm treating it as if it were veal.

With that, we'll have polenta with lemon and parmesan, some fried green tomatoes, and some sliced cukes and cherry tomatoes.

Your din sounds so good! It reminds me of the recipe I saw in "Eating Well" the other day for a light Chicken Blanquette.

Rich Chicken Stew
Eating Well


•1 pound mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps wiped clean
•1/2 cup finely chopped shallots, (2 large)
•2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1/2 cup water, divided
•4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
•1 cup thinly sliced carrots, (1 large)
•1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
•2 bay leaves
•2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut in 2-inch chunks
•2 1/4-inch-thick lemon slices, (including peel), seeded
•1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
•1/4 cup whipping cream (I used half & half)
•2 tablespoons lemon juice
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•Freshly ground pepper, to taste
•1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, rinsed under cold water to thaw
•1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1) Combine mushrooms, shallots, oil and 1/4 cup water in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring often, until mushrooms are juicy, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add broth, carrots, thyme and bay leaves; bring to a boil.

2) Place chicken in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker and lay lemon slices on top. Turn heat to high. Carefully pour in the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

3) With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and vegetables to a bowl; discard bay leaves and lemon slices. Skim fat and pour the juices into a large saucepan; add lemon zest. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes.

4) Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Add to the pan and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened. Add cream and lemon juice; stir until boiling. Return the chicken and vegetables to the sauce and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in peas and parsley.

Simmered Stew variation: Total: 1 1/2 hours: In Step 1, use only 1 1/2 cups broth. In Step 2, add chicken, lemon slices and lemon zest to the Dutch oven. Cover and simmer gently over low heat until the chicken is very tender, about 45 minutes. Discard lemon slices and bay leaves. Omit Step 3. Continue with Step 4, cooking everything in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Cooking Tips
A blanquette is a classic French stew of veal, chicken or lamb with mushrooms in a velvety sauce. This concept has been adapted to the slow cooker to make a lightened-up version using chicken thighs. Just a little whipping cream (which is less inclined to break down than lighter creams and gives more density to the sauce) adds richness. This is delightful over egg noodles.

Tips & Notes•Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4 up to adding the peas and parsley. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, if necessary, and reheat on the stovetop, in a microwave or in the oven; just before serving, stir in peas and parsley.

as does that stew. :9

Blanquette de Veau, which I adore. Just pretend I'm mashed potatoes and pour it all over me! :woohoo:

O.M.G.

Don't hate me because I use Velveeta!

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=689942&adsqs=

A friend gave me some long grain wild rice (from Minnesota!) and my search brought me to this recipe. Not exactly the quick-cooking rice the recipe called for, but I adapted. <g> Quite tasty!! I think next time I'll add some carrots and celery.


Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Light cheese and a flour-and-milk mixture keep this soup creamy but surprisingly low in fat. Make a batch and reheat throughout the week for effortless and satisfying meals.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)


1 cup uncooked quick-cooking wild rice
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
10 ounce light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and potato; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until potato is tender.

Combine milk and flour, stirring well with a whisk. Add the milk mixture to potato mixture; cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in rice, chicken, pepper, and salt. Garnish with parsley, if desired.


CALORIES 280 (23% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 4g,mono 1g,poly 0.5g); IRON 1.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 52mg; CALCIUM 329mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.7g; SODIUM 879mg; PROTEIN 24.9g; FIBER 1.6g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2004

To me anyway, Bill loved it. But I think it's missing something. I even made a few changes like deglazing the pan with wine before adding the sour cream (actually Greek yogurt) and the cream. I added some of the drippings and melted butter from the pan to the sauce in the skillet.

Oh, well. Bill was very happy with it and I found it edible with a little more salt. :shrug:

Now I'm baking pecan shortbread cookies and some of those mini frittatas for Bill's lunch.

so mine was a simple baked salmon fillet (salt & pepper only), rice pilaf, and mixed veg.

Supper is a cup of Greek yogurt.

when i got home since I'd had a pulled pork sandwich (and got an autograph from Manny Sanguillen as well at his food stand!)

But husband requested Santa Fe Chicken, a family stand-by since it's very easy to make and is a good one-skillet meal. I found the recipe in a magazine years ago, make it often and you can substitute or add things easily. My apologies if I've posted this before.



3/4- 1 pound skinless chicken breast, cut in bite sized pieces
1 medium onion (I used red onions from the farm share box)
1 green and 1 orange pepper (love the different colors!)
5-6 or more red or heirloom potatoes cubed - and then microwaved (so much easier) Best if potatoes are local, organic if available
1 jar or several cups salsa (I use organic black bean salsa, but any kind will do)
2 cups of cooked yellow or other corn
spices as you like, cilantro, chiles, etc.


Saute onions and peppers on medium heat til soft, add chicken, until all cooked through 5-7 minutes or til done
Add cooked potatoes on medium or lower heat for another 3-5 minutes
Add salsa and corn. Allow those to heat through on low heat for flavors to blend. It tastes even better the second day when reheated.

We have it with ciabatta or other crusty bread and make a salad if we aren't too unmotivated. :rofl:


I have made it with sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, and I suppose you could substitute salmon, beef or other meats.

It's nice to have an easy go to dish for days when cooking is the last thing on your mind. :hi:

due to consuming so many.


I love quick and easy dinners. I have to feel motivated to make kotopita or other more complicated dishes (well, complicated for me)


How are you feeling? :hi:

Friend's brother visiting from Pakistan in October, been wondering what to prepare, and this will be among my choices. Thanks, tiger!

And it's really versatile. I think I made the sweet potato one with spinach one time, and I could actually see it as a curry, too!

:hi:

Served with/after guacamole.

That sounds mighty tasty! If there's one thing I like it's a sour cream mushroom sauce! yum!

We did baked skillet chicken a la Jacques Pepin - with a mustard crust

one chicken butterflied or cut up (we did cut up)

coat with a sauce of

2 tbs mustard
2 tbs white wine
1 tb soy sauce
2 tbs chopped garlic
1 tsp tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp herbes de provence
2 tbs olive oil

pan fry skin side up for 5 mins to initiate the cooking process, preheat oven to 450F

bake 30 minutes in oven

:)

Grilled the pork chops, nuked some 505 brand mild green chili and ladled some chili over the chops after they finished cooking.

Spanish Rice: Sauteed some frozen mixed sweet peppers & onion (from the bag) in some olive oil with several whole garlic cloves.
To that I added a few spoons of salsa and then the cooked brown rice. Mix until heated through.

Salad from the bag.

I didn't have much time today and this was mighty quick to fix and turned out great.

The 505 idea came from my swimming buddy. We swim at the rec center three mornings a week and what do we wind up talking about? Cooking!

Your supper sounds so finger licking good! The gravy sounds like something for a holiday recipe.

EVOO, Leeks and garlic over a whole wheat spaghetti.