Chicken Riggies

Chicken Riggies

I am back.  I know I fell down on the number of posts that went up last year.   I have to confess, work and life has been hectic and on the weekends I've been working on finishing up  two screenplays.  I hope to get those out to be read very soon.  
 
I have this little problem in that when my creative side of my brain is turned to creative writing, I don't feel much like cooking.   I guess my brain just doesn't have the energy to go all out creative in the same day.  But I never stop watching shows about food or reading recipes.  As I mentioned before, I read recipes like most people read novels. 

I have to confess, I'm a Food Network junkie.   I was watching Diners, Drive In and Dives the other evening and one of the restaurants featured Chicken Riggies.   Chicken Riggies is a New York classic dish.   I've made it a couple of times but I never thought of adding more heat to the sauce.  Let me tell you, it worked!

I used store bought pasta.   One of my goals in 2016 is to get more adventurous in making my own pasta.   I am going to try making it hand cut and rolled.   Okay, I might use the food processor.  But as it was a weekday and I didn't have time for it -  not to mention that we had a pipe break in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago and we're still awaiting the repairs - making homemade pasta wasn't on the menu.   But, I am finding that stores are carrying better quality dried pastas.  

As with most good pasta dishes, the secret is in the sauce.  It's true here.  You can feel free to adjust the heat level. 

So, enough chit chat -  here we go!

Serves 4  - Oh, who am I kidding - my husband and I ate the whole dang thing ourselves in one sitting  -  Serves 2 ;.)

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat a large pan
2/3 cup sweet onion, diced
2/3 cup (about 2) sweet baby bell peppers, diced - any color
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Pinch dried Jalapeño flakes
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
28 ounces crushed tomatoes, no salt added 
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Pasta:  1/2 lb. rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente

For the chicken:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb. chicken tenders,  cut into bite sized pieces  
1 teaspoon salt free table seasoning
2 tablespoons white wine -  for deglazing 

Other: 

Grated fontina cheese, for topping
Chopped green onion, for topping

Directions:

Add olive oil to pan. 
Sauté the onion and peppers about three minutes - do not brown.

Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and Jalapeño flake.   Sauté an additional minute to let the flavors release into the pan.
Deglaze with the Sherry vinegar. 
Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered with the lid cracked open to release some of the steam - this will help the sauce to thicken and reduce.  
Add the parmesan cheese and the cream to the sauce right before serving. 

Note:  If you plan on freezing any of the sauce, leave the cheese and cream out and add it when you're ready to serve the sauce. 

Cook pasta per package directions. 

Add the olive oil to a sauté pan. 
Add the chopped chicken seasoned with the salt free table seasoning. 
Cook over medium heat until browned, about six or seven minutes, until chicken is completely cooked.
Deglaze with white wine.

After the chees and cream is added to the sauce, portion it out.  The recipe is enough for extra sauce.  I would reserve at least a cup of the sauce for serving on the side.   You don't want over-sauced pasta -  toss in the pasta and the chicken in the remaining sauce.  

 

Top with grated fontina and green onion.  

I like to serve this with Texas toast and a side of roasted broccoli (not pictured).

As always, enjoy and I'll see you soon!

 

Sherry's Mediterranean Mushroom Melt




Cheesy Deliciousness: 
Sherry's Mediterranean Mushroom Melt  

Hello.  I know I haven't been blogging much lately but I seem to have spread myself too thin.  But I'd rather bring you the occasional great recipe. 

I cannot take credit for this one.  My friend and work colleague, Sherry Miller, came up with the fantastic way to use mushrooms caps.  I first saw it out on Facebook a couple of weeks ago when friends made her recipe and were more than highly complimentary.  So I asked Sherry to contribute her recipe to my blog. 

Take it away, Sherry.

**************************************************************************

Hi, I'm Sherry Miller.   I'm a technical software specialist by day and a home cook at night.

Our local grocery store makes amazing subs and features a new one each month.  A few weeks ago, I tried one of the featured subs and that started a craving for those ingredients.  I am mindful of what I eat and do not like to give up satisfaction and flavor for less calories. This mindset leads me to try to create low calorie versions of my favorite foods.

This dish turned out to be one of the best so far.   Enjoy!

Sherry’s Mediterranean Mushroom Melt

6 Portobello Mushrooms (large)

4 tablespoons  Olive Oil
2 bags Spinach
6 slices of prosciutto
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup Sundried Tomatoes (Julienne Cut with Herbs)
6 Tablespoons Boar’s Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise*
12 Slices Asiago Cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

In a medium size casserole dish, spread 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil on the bottom.

Place the Portobello Mushrooms (after removing the stems) cap side down (should form a slight cup)

Spread Gourmaise evenly (thinly – or to taste).

Divide and spread sundried tomatoes over the mushrooms.

Add remaining olive oil to a sauté pan.

Shred the prosciutto and sauté with the minced garlic over medium heat.

Add spinach to sauté mixture stirring frequently until wilted.

Divide the mixture between the mushrooms and layer the cheese over the top to cover each mushroom.

 

 

Bake uncovered until cheese is golden brown, about five minutes.  Adjust cooking time accordingly for your oven.  Variations:  You an substitute your favorite peppery spread for the brand that I used. You can also add a little white wine to the sauce, lemon juice, or the sky is the limit!

 

 

Interestingly, I tried the same sub that Sherry did and I agree, this is a great alternative.  It's always better to make things at home.  I can see all of the possibilities with the variations. 

 Thank you, Sherry for submitting this deliciously easy weeknight recipe.  

Until later: I’ll see you all soon.

*Not an endorsement.  No product was supplied to either blogger or guest blogger.

Lentil and Barley Soup

Looks good, huh? 

I don't know if I lost any weight; I will find out at my weigh-in on Saturday, but eating all of these "Power Foods," I feel amazing. 

Something came to mind yesterday:  When I was a "Skinny Mini Me" about 15 years ago, I used to eat like this often.  I guess with all the cooking contests and my interest in food, I've gotten away from it.  But I'm learning that one can still be a "foodie" and eat incredibly healthy. 

If you are doing Weight Watchers ®, according to the calculations I ran on their site's online e-tools, this recipe has a points value of only 3 for approximately a 1 1/4 cup serving.* 

Even if you are not watching your weight, it's a healthy "Power Food" option as a side dish for lunch or even a main dish with a nice side salad for dinner. 

If you want to decrease the points value even more, you can leave out the barley.  However, Google the health benefits of barley, and you'll see why you might want to include it.

Here you go:

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs. canola oil
1 cup sliced carrot (plus carrot greens, optional)
1/4 chopped celery
2 medium scallions, chopped, (white and light green parts only)
1 tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups chopped uncooked kale
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
24 ounces cold water
1 1/2 cups dry green lentils
1 tsp. garlic powder
15 ounces whole peeled canned tomatoes with juice from can
1 tsp. course sea salt
1 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
32 ounces 50% reduced sodium vegetable broth
1/8 cup pearled barley (cooked by package directions)

Directions:

Add oil to soup pot.  Toss in the carrot, celery and scallions.  Cook for about three minutes until the vegetables soften. 

Add the carrot greens, if using.  Reverse a few for a garnish.  Mix well and cook for about a minute.

Add the rosemary, black pepper and crushed red pepper.  Continue to cook for about a minute until the fragrance of the rosemary and the red pepper release.

Add in the kale in batches, until it wilts.

Sprinkle in the nutmeg and toss with the kale. 

Add the water, the lentils and the garlic powder. 

Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon.  Mix well to combine ingredients. 

Add the sea salt, the cheese and the vegetable broth.  Stir. 

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered, about 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, cook the barley per package directions and keep warm.

Portion out even amounts of the barley and add to bowls of soup. 

Enjoy!

I'll see you soon with more light and healthy recipes that foodies like me will love.

*Not an endorsement of the weight loss program, and no compensation was given to blogger. 

Spaghetti Western with Lemony Veggies

Happy New Year!

As with each New Year, we create resolutions.  Even though I try to keep the recipes I post for you on the scaled-down side, when you “contest” and test recipes, even those of us who try to get healthy can pack on the pounds.  That was the case with me.  Egggh.  Plus, I didn’t work out much over the holidays.

But now I am back on track…

I decided to join Weight Watchers ®.  I attended my first meeting on Saturday morning.  I have to say, I am very impressed with the new Simple Start program.  For the first two weeks, you don’t have to count points; you simply eat “power foods.”  Any splurges are counted by points.  Then you have the option of strictly counting points, or if you prefer, you can now continue on the “power foods” path with only counting your points for non power food options, or you can do a combination.  I’m looking forward to seeing how this goes.

As I’ve been reading over the materials given to me, it made me realize that some of the dishes I thought were “healthy” maybe weren’t as healthy as they could have been.  But rather than beat myself up over the past, I decided to move forward.  I started to think about how many times in my life I’ve had to re-adjust my eating habits based on various factors (how busy I was – what else was going on in my life, health concerns, etc).  Your life is a journey and so should be your quest to find what makes you healthier and happier at all stages.  That is why you will note the new subtitle, “A Foodie's Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle.”

Will I ever reach the “Mt. Everest” of food and health enlightenment?  I don’t know.  But the journey is the fun part.  But hey, twelve years ago, I could only make a few things well and look at me now – winning and placing in cooking contests and hosting a food blog.   You just never know how much you can accomplish until you really try.

I’m not endorsing Weight Watchers.  You have to find a weight loss program that works for you.  But this year, I thought I’d not only give the blog a fresh new look, but I also decided to add WW points to some of my recipes (as I did here tonight).  I’m also going to tag some of my recipes (new and previous) with a Power Foods tag, so if you’re doing any kind of a healthy diet, you’ll be able to find the recipes you want to make.  I figured if I’m reinventing my philosophy and it’s working for me, I should pay it forward and help others. 

And, oh, yeah, the recipe:

My recipe from last night is a spaghetti dish.  I ran it through the WW recipe calculator on their e-tools site and it came in at 12 points including the side dish.  A little high if you want to have dessert, but considering it’s spaghetti with meat sauce (buffalo meat), that’s not really that bad.  You want to eat this dish; you will just likely have to skip the late night nibbles.

Over time, I will learn to scale down the recipes to keep them less than 10 points; but I think you are going to enjoy this recipe even if you’re not on a diet. 

BTW - First time I ever used buffalo meat.  It was very tasty.  You can substitute ground beef, turkey or even ground chicken for this dish.

4 servings - 12 Points (including side dish)

Ingredients: 

Butter flavored cooking spray

12 ounces lean ground buffalo

1 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper

1 tbs. light olive oil and canola oil blend

3 oz. diced Portobello mushroom (gills scraped away before chopping)

1 tbs. minced Jalapeño pepper

1 tbs. minced garlic

1/4 cup low sodium beef broth

15 ounces organic tomato sauce

Pinch of sea salt (optional)

8 ounces whole grain pasta (cooked by package directions)

1/8 cup fat free feta cheese

Fresh torn mint for garnish

4 ounces fresh string beans

1/8 cup mini bell pepper rings (assorted colors)

1 tbs. lemon juice

Directions:

Spray cooking spray into medium skillet.  Add ground meat and onion powder and pepper.  Brown the meat to your liking, about five minutes.  Remove meat from pan and keep warm.

Add the oil, the mushroom and the Jalapeño.  Sauté about four minutes until the mushroom begins to turn golden brown.  Add in the garlic.

Deglaze the pan with the beef broth, scraping the browned bits from the bottom.

Add the tomato sauce and the salt.  Simmer for about five minutes.

Serve over cooked pasta.  Top with feta cheese and mint.

For the side dish, simply microwave the beans and peppers in two tablespoons of water, covered.  Toss in lemon juice.

I hope you’ll join me in 2014 as I lose weight, get healthier, and share new recipes with you.

I’ll see you soon!

 

Not an endorsement for the weight loss program mentioned in this blog.

 

Deep Dish Mushroom and Cheese Lasagna with Arugula Ricotta

Who doesn't love lasagna? 

Who doesn't love a lasagna that is lower in carbs and calories? 

This dish uses low carb lasagna noodles, part skim cheese, and it's loaded with good, wholesome veggies.  Nice trick to get those who don't like vegetables to eat more -- hide them in a lasagna!

You can use  your own store-bought favorite sauce, but I recommend you try my Savory Lasagna Sauce.  Although it looks a bit complicated, it's easy to prepare.  By making your own sauce, you control what goes in there.

Ingredients:

2 tbs. light olive oil
5 oz. fresh arugula, washed and spun dry
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
3 tbs. Parmesan/Romano Cheese, grated, plus more for topping lasagna
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 tbs. butter
3 cups white sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
5 oz. container Part Skim Ricotta
1 egg 
8 fresh torn basil leaves
2 1/2 cups Savory Lasagna Sauce (recipe below)
1 package (13.5 ounce) Low Carb lasagna noodles (I used Dreamfields), cooked per package directions and drained
12 oz. Six Cheese Italian Blend shredded cheese; low fat
Fresh dried oregano (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Add half of the oil to one skillet and half to another.  In the first skillet, add the arugula.  Dust with ground nutmeg and saute' until wilted.  Add the cheese, the milk and one tablespoon of the butter to the pan. 

Toss and remove from heat.  The milk will naturally begin to thicken as the butter melts. 

In the second pan, add the mushrooms, the thyme and the remaining pat of butter.  Saute' for about five minutes until mushrooms are golden.  Remove from heat.

Add ricotta and the egg to a mixing bowl, along with the arugula mixture.  Tear the basil leaves and incorporate into the ricotta, mixing well.  The ricotta will be a little runny, but it should hold together.

Add one ladle of sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 9 lasagna pan.  Add four cooked noodles on top of the sauce.  The sides of the noodles should rest on the side of the lasagna pan.  This will create the "deep dish."  

Spoon half of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.

Add another layer of noodles on top of the ricotta.  Make sure that the mixture covers the noodles so that they do not dry out while baking.

I like to layer each consecutive layer in the opposite direction, as I find the lasagna stays together better when you serve it, but this is entirely optional

Add the cooked mushrooms and top the second layer. 

Ladle sauce over the mushrooms to cover the pasta.

Add another layer of noodles.  Spread the remaining ricotta with arugula and basil over the top.  Add 1/3 of the shredded cheese.

Top with a final layer of noodles.  Top with sauce,  the remaining shredded cheese, and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan and Romano blend.  Top with crushed dried fresh oregano.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.

Let lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Tip:  I like to store fresh oregano in the freezer so that I can crumble it over dishes as needed.  It's a great way to store all of that oregano at the end of summer.

Savory Lasagna Sauce:
1 tbs. light olive oil or olive oil and canola oil blend
2 tbs. bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper, more to taste
1 can (28 oz.) tomato puree
2 tbs. tomato paste
1 tbs. coarse sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper, about 10 turns of the pepper grinder
1/4 cup dry red wine or low sodium vegetable broth*
1/2 tbs. dried marjoram
1/2 tbs. dried oregano
1 packet Splenda®
1 tbs. Parmesan/Romano grated cheese

Add olive oil to a heavy sauce pan along with the bottled minced garlic and the crushed red pepper.  Saute' for about three minutes until the aromas release.

Add the tomato puree, the tomato paste, salt, black pepper, red wine, marjoram, oregano, Splenda® and the grated cheese.   Stir until all ingredients are combined.

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cover and continue to cook for about 1/2 hour. 

Note:  Makes about 3 1/2 cups. 

Also great on pizza!

Orecchiette with Sausage, Escarole and Beans in a Creamy Garlic Sauce

I have several friends and family members who have told me that they just cannot get into whole grain pasta.  They like the "real" stuff.  So they eat regular white pasta only one day a week.

We eat pasta about one night a week, too.  I do like the whole grain pastas (hubby Dan tolerates them).  Once every other week I make us the "real" stuff.  When I do, I try to come up with something that isn't all that bad for us.  Okay, once and a while we splurge with a traditional spaghetti and meatballs, but there are lots of things you can do with pasta that give it a healthier slant-

-- like this dish:  It's orecchiette pasta (little ears), with sausage, escarole, and white cannellini beans, tossed in a creamy garlic sauce. 

I'll confess, I took a little help from the store tonight.  Sometimes you need to do that on a busy weeknight.  Because I used the store-bought sauce mix, I didn't add any extra salt to the dish. 

Trade-offs equal a healthier you!

Serves 4.

Here we go - 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. orecchiette pasta, cooked per package directions
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 lb. hot sausage or hot turkey sausage, removed from casing
1 large bunch escarole, washed and chopped
Pinch or two of freshly ground nutmeg, more to taste
1 can (15 ounces) cannnellini beans
1 packet Knorr ® brand Garlic and Herb Sauce*
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 cup 2% milk (1 1/2 cups if not using the wine)
1 tbs. butter
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Sprinkle or two of Paprika

Directions:

Cook pasta per package directions and keep warm.

In a large skillet, add the oil and the sausage.  Crumble the sausage using a wooden spoon.  Brown evenly and remove to a bowl and keep warm.

In the same pan, add the escarole in batches.  Wilt and add the fresh nutmeg. 

Add the cannellini beans and return the sausage to the pan. Cook for about two or three minutes until warmed through.  Turn heat off.  Cover the skillet to keep warm.

Whisk together the wine (if using), the milk and the Knoor® sauce.  Add to medium sauce pan along with the pat of butter.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer; whisk sauce until thickened.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with the sausage, escarole and beans.  Add the sauce and toss.  Plate and serve immediately topped with Pecorino Romano cheese and paprika.

Enjoy and see you soon!

*No product was supplied to blogger and not an endorsement.

Skinny Baked Ziti

I'm going to let the photos do most of the talking tonight.  This dish is delish!  It is a lower calorie version of a favorite comfort food, baked ziti.  It is prepared with a simple sauce, hot sausage, and it's loaded with vegetables.  You don't even need to make a salad!

Here we go!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. hot or sweet ring Italian sausage or turkey sausage
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs. minced green bell pepper, seeded
1/4 cup sliced cubanelle pepper, seeded
6 large white mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounce) crushed tomato
1 spring fresh oregano, plus 1 tbs., chopped (extra sprig for garnish - optional)
3 whole basil leaves plus 3 for garnish
2 tbs. dry red wine (optional)
1 tsp. fine sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 packet Splenda ® or two tsp. sugar
1/2 pound cooked ziti pasta
2 cups broccoli florets
2/3 cup low fat or fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
8 ounces part skim or low fat shredded mozzarella
Sprinkle garlic salt with parsley

Other:  Cooking Spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub sausage with one tbs. of the olive oil.  Bake for one hour, turning once, until crispy.  Let sausage cool for about five minutes.  Slice cooked sausage into rounds and halve each round.  Keep warms and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to a small skillet.  Add the bell pepper, cubanelle, and mushrooms.  Cook for three minutes until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

Add crushed tomatoes to a sauce pan.  Add the cooked peppers, mushroom and garlic to the tomatoes along with the fresh oregano spring, three basil leaves, the red wine, salt, pepper and Splenda®.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cook, covered, for about 25 minutes.

Stir occasionally.  Remove the oregano sprig once cooked.

Cook pasta in boiling water about two minutes under package directions (approximately 10 minutes).  Add broccoli during the last four minutes.  Drain well.

Spray baking dish with cooking spray.  Add pasta and broccoli to the baking dish.  Add the cottage cheese and the remaining chopped fresh oregano.  Stir to combine. Add the cooked sausage slices. Add the sauce with veggies and stir well to coat the pasta.  Top with grated cheese, mozzarella and the garlic salt. 

Bake for twenty minutes.  You can turn the broiler on for the last two or three minutes if the cheese is not bubbly and brown enough to your liking.

I don't even have to say this, but enjoy!

See you soon!

Tribute to the 13 Colonies Part VI - Roasted Chicken Marsala Orecchiette

Times Square in 2007
Photo taken by Dan LaBrie (used with permission)

Since we just left New Jersey, it makes sense that we will head across the Hudson to one of the culinary capitals of the world, New York City.

This summer series also includes a little history about each colony or region.   New York was originally called New Amsterdam.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam . Settled by the Dutch in the 17th century, it was later renamed New York when the British claimed it as a colony.

New York City is as diverse as a city as any; both culturally and from a foodie standpoint.  The amazing Chelsea market is there along with restaurants owned by dozens of acclaimed chefs.  Food trucks and street carts also produce delicious delights.

Don't count out the rest of the state.  From the Adirondacks to Niagara Falls, New York also has many regional recipes noted from north, south, east and the west parts of the state.  At one point, I might actually write a series on New York food.

But we are going to stay in the city tonight with this interesting, affordable cock pot meets pasta dish.  It reminds me of something you would find in Little Italy.  That is a section of the city known for great Italian culture and food. 

When you think of Little Italy and NYC in general, New York Style Pizza probably comes to mind.   Do a Google search on Chicken Marsala and you will get 154 returns on NY restaurants claiming to serve the best.  

I am using a store-bought braising product in this dish.  This is not a paid endorsement.  I did not receive any product. 

Truth is that it was on sale as a promotional item in my supermarket (buy one, get one free deal).  I estimated the cost of buying this product or buying the Marsala wine and other things I would need to make this sauce.  I found this sauce to be a better deal.  I actually got two meals out of one jar.    It's flavorful and I like the fact that other than the one preservative needed for the shelf, I can pronounce all of the ingredients on the label. 

Here we go with this simple Little Italy-style recipe:

Ingredients: 

1 whole free range chicken, washed and giblets removed (3 1/2 - 4 pounds)
Pepper, to taste
Garlic Salt with parsley, to taste
1/2 jar Gia Russa Marsala Simmer Sauce (about one cup)
2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 pound sliced white mushrooms
1/2 lb. Orecchiette pasta, cooked by package directions
1 tablespoon olive oil
Grated Parmesean cheese
Fresh torn basil or lemon basil (optional but recommended)

Other:   Butter flavored cooking spray

Directions:

Spray the inside of the crock of your slow cooker with the cooking spray.

Season chicken on both sides with pepper and the garlic salt.

Place chicken, breast side up into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook over low heat for six hours.

Using a turkey baster, carefully remove most of the juices which came off during the cooking process.  I removed about one cup of juice.  (Save this for another day for making gravy).

Add the braising sauce over the top of the chicken only to create the glaze.  Add the thyme sprigs.  Cook for another 2 1/2 hours over low heat.

Add the sliced mushrooms during the last 30 - 45 minutes of cooking time.

Remove chicken from crock pot.  Let chicken cool. It should fall right off the bone.  Debone chicken and keep it warm until you are ready to serve.  You can moisten the chicken with a little of your reserved chicken juice if you like.

Cook orecchiette pasta per package directions.  Drain  and toss with the olive oil in a bowl.

Add the marsala and mushroom sauce from the slow cooker to a skillet.  Simmer over low to thicken.  Season with more salt and pepper as needed.  You can also add a little bit of the reserved chicken juice if desired.

Toss desired amount of chicken with the orichette pasta and the warm mushroom sauce.  Add in cheese, toss and plate immediately. 

Top with fresh torn basil.

If you enjoy orecchiette, you might want to check out my other post tomorrow night on Cafe' Cheapo! http://cafecheapo.blogspot.com

Amazing Artichoke Week: Lemon Chicken Vesuvio for Two

There are hundreds of recipes for Chicken Vesuvio on the Internet.  I believe it was legendary sportscaster Harry Caray who made this dish a household favorite.  

This recipe tastes like summer with the addition of the lemon juice and the artichoke hearts.  It's also great because in the summer I don't like heating up the house by using the oven.  This bakes up in 30 minutes so you don't really notice the "heat."

This is a two skillet dinner.  I actually cook and bake each serving in its own skillet just as a chef would if you ordered this in a restaurant.  I do this to ensure even browning and flavor.    So you will need dueling skillets if you want to follow this recipe exactly.  

Note:   I like to use a sauté pan. 

If you are doubling this recipe, the cooking method is probably not practical.  You can certainly brown everything and then combine it into a baking dish.

Note:  I don't brown the mushrooms.  I let the oven do the work. 

I was going to use frozen artichoke hearts in this dish but the grocery store didn't have them in stock.  I still had the canned hearts marinated in the wine and dill in my refrigerator which I used for my amazing shrimp cocktail recipe , so I decided to use those.     I do like frozen as they taste "fresher" to me, but the canned worked nicely too.  Hey, use what you have on hand and save yourself a little money!

Store the unused 1/2 of potato in a sealed container.  Sprinkle with lemon juice to avoid browning in the refrigerator.  I suggest you use it the next day.  Think breakfast potatoes!

If you do not want the skin on the chicken, remove it after cooking.

Be sure that your pan is oven-safe.

You can substitute non-alcoholic wine. 

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

2 bone in skin on chicken thighs
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 sprigs fresh oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Russet potato, peeled and halved
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice plus rind  
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, divided
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup canned or frozen artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms

Directions:

Add chicken thighs to a plastic container for bowl.  Pour 1/4 cup of the white wine and a 1/4 cup of the apple cider vinegar over the chicken.  Toss in two springs of fresh oregano.  Marinate for 2-4 hours for best flavor.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to each sauté pan.  Add one potato wedge to each pan and brown evenly on all sides.  Remove from pan once browned.

Add garlic to each pan along with one piece of chicken, skin side down.  Brown chicken but make sure that you reduce the heat slightly as the pan is hot and the garlic might burn.  You want the garlic to just start to brown. 

Once chicken is browned, add the remainder of the wine to both pans. Deglaze pans, scraping the browned bits from the bottom. 

Add lemon juice and the rind to the pans.  Sprinkle garlic powder and thyme over both pieces of the chicken and the potatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Note:  Don't overdo the salt and pepper.  You can add more at the table.

Add 1/2 of the frozen peas to each pan, along with the artichoke hearts and the sliced mushrooms.

Bake for 30 minutes. 

Chop remaining fresh oregano and top the chicken dish.

Fresh parsley for the garnish is optional.

Enjoy and I'll see you soon!