Garlic Chicken with Israeli CousCous "Casserole"

Hello All....I've been tardy in posting this because I'm trying to figure out how to add a tab at the end of my posts with the "printer friendly" version of my recipes but it is not as easy as I anticipated.  There are a few different ways of doing it so I'm in "research" mode....So, again, apologies!!


My mom made this recipe and I had some warmed up as leftovers and fell in love. It is very tasty and it's a CASSEROLE! I never like casseroles, so when I do stumble upon a good one, it tends to be a keeper.  This is going to seem like a lengthy meal and does have a few steps.  My suggestion is start it a day or two in advance or early in the day.  The chicken benefits from longer marinating time and you won't feel so bogged down by multiple steps.

A couple of notes before you start....be sure to have a LARGE saute pan to brown chicken or do it in batches.  My couscous is a lil' darker in color then it should be and this is because my chicken started to burn before it was sufficiently brown, therefore making my pan sauce darker. This will also allow your chicken to cook a bit longer in your pan and the cook time will not have to vary.

I did not take a million photo's with this dish...more because I was rushing through some of it and then I lost light....so maybe at a later date when I make again, i will update post with more photos....

Garlic Chicken with Israeli CousCous Casserole
Adapted from Anne Burrell on Food Network.

Chicken:

2 whole garlic bulbs
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 large bunch thyme, leaves only
1 tablespoon cumin
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 to 10 parts

CousCous:

Kosher salt
2 cups medium-size Israeli couscous
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced thin
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Large pinch saffron
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 to 3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 scallions, white and green, sliced thinly on the bias

Directions

Chicken:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wrap Garlic in tin foil and  roast them until they are soft when squeezed, about 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool.

When the garlic bulbs are cool, slice the tops off and squeeze out the roasted garlic. Add the garlic to a food processor or a bowl, along with the lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, cumin, crushed red pepper and salt, to taste. Add a little olive oil and puree or mash into a loose paste. Massage the mixture all over the chicken pieces and let sit for at least 1 hour.

Couscous:
Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil, over medium heat. Add the couscous and cook it until it's about 2/3 of the way cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Trader Joe's "mixed couscous"

 
Coat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and brown it on all sides. Remove it to a plate, drain the fat and add the onions and celery. Season with salt, to taste, and the crushed red pepper. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up all the crud on the bottom of the pan and cook the onions and celery for 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the saffron, zucchini, cooked couscous, and chicken stock. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish. Nestle the chicken, skin side up, in the couscous and cover with foil. Add some more chicken stock to keep everything nice and moist. Sprinkle with pine nuts and cover with foil. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan.
Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, covered, then remove the foil and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes.(My chicken required longer cooking because of my "browning situation")
Remove the chicken from the oven CHECK TEMP OF CHICKEN and top with scallions before serving.

Enjoy!

Guinness Braised Sausage with Apples, Pears and Cranberries....

So, I do not have any pictures of this recipe because it was a last minute throw it in a pot recipe that I wasn't expecting to like...I had purchased a bag of fresh cranberries and I wanted to use them before they went bad.  I did my tried and true way of finding a good recipe.  I went to foodgawker.com and typed in the search engine, "Cranberries."  Then I look for the picture that makes my taste buds tickle...*dork*

This was VERY GOOD! I had my brother E over, he and Jason gobbled it up and asked for more before I could even take a bite.  J even stated this morning, "I don't know what that stuff was last night, but it was awesome!"  I rarely get this sort of reaction from him so if you have a man in your life whom you want to make a "healthy man meal" for, I suggest this recipe.

I used Medium spicy chicken sausage and Guinness for the beer.  I only used one apple and one pear but everything else the same...Link below....(Don't you just love the name of her blog!! Bitchin' Camero!)


 http://www.bitchincamero.com/2008/11/stout-braised-sausages-with-apples-pears-cranberries/

Enjoy! 

Savory Chicken Crescents...

I know, I know, the Volcano Cake's were supposed to be the first "blog back" however I'm feeling a lil' PLUMP from the honeymoon...SO, instead I'm skipping the deeeessertttt for now and going with something scrumptious.  This is a recipe my mother has made for a million years and it is from our family cookbook printed when I was young. So, enjoy...FYI---KIDS LOVE THIS SHIT!!! (Sorry for swearing, but it's true!!)


Chicken Crescents 
Original recipe from Kathy Conaway from the "Family Cookbook"
Makes 4 crescents or sammiches....

3 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
3 T. butter or margarine, softened
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or "pulled"
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 T. Milk
1-2 T. Chives or Green Onion, chopped*
1 T. Pimento, chopped (Optional, I did not have so I did not use)
8 oz. can of Pillsbury crescent rolls
3/4 cup seasoned croutons, crushed (or potato chips, which were awesome by the way...)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In medium bowl blend cream cheese, chives and 2 T. of melted butter (pour the butter over the cream cheese, it will warm it up a bit and help it incorporate) until smooth.

Add the s/p, milk and chicken, mix well.  

Separate crescents into 4 rectangles, firmly press perforations to seal.  

Spoon approx. 1/5 cup of meat mixture onto the center of each rectangle.  

Pull the four corners of the dough to top center; twist slightly and smoodge the seams together (aka, press to seal.)  Brush the tops with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with croutons or if you live in my family, potato chips because my husband and son are crouton snackers...I go to make a salad, and poof, gone....

Thief!!

the chips were bomb though! Fabulous substitution.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. 

Makes 4 sammiches...

Huge Oopsy.......Caramel Chicken

Just the other day I was asked if I post any recipes I don't like...this would be the first if I did choose to post it (which I am not.) There are just too many discrepancies in the recipe to post...SO, I will give you a picture of the result and some details and if your interested I will email it to you and allow you to fool with it...but for me it was a "No Go."

This is a Vietnamese dish with a large amount of ginger and hot chili flakes.  Against my own judgment, I followed the recipe when it asked for a full teaspoon of hot chili pepper flakes.  HOLY HOTNESS is all I can say to start...Even J whom will inhale Blazin' wings at BW3's without a thought said it was really hot.  Then there was the ginger, it called for 3 Tablespoons of ginger...Now those of you whom cook with ginger know, that is A LOT...I cut it down to 2 Tablespoons and it was still intense.  I will admit though, I have a love-hate relationship with ginger.  One more problem, "Has anyone smelled fish sauce when heated quickly at a high temperature?"  PeeeUuuuuWww Magooo...So, try if you would like.  If you are a fan of Vietnamese food then this may be right up your alley.  I, however, will be taking this out of my recipe repitoire. I will post if I get requests but I would hate to do all the work posting when I wouldn't suggest fixing this dish....

It sure looked yummy though....

White Chicken Chili

Welcome to the world of healthy chili. This chili is wonderful for every season.  The cilantro makes it taste light and refreshing and the addition of Northern beans gives a lovely creaminess without adding to the love handles!  I would strongly suggest doubling or even tripling this recipe because it freezes fabulously.  Enjoy!

I got a lil' picture happy with this one, so I made some of the pic's smaller so it doesn't take your whole day to scroll through!!!

White Chicken Chili


2 T Canola Oil
1 Rotisserie Chicken, meat picked off bones*
1 c chopped onion
3 c chicken stock
2 cans chopped green chiles
3 cans Northern beans*
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T ground cumin
1 T dried cilantro
1 T dried oregano
1 t crushed red pepper
1/4 c fresh cilantro chopped

*You can buy a ~3lb raw chicken and cook in water to make your own chicken stock and pulled chicken, which I have done, but does not taste much different. You can use almost any white bean but be aware some break down more than others so if your going for the "stew-look" you may want to stick with Northern.

Chop onion and garlic. Drain and rinse beans.

In a large dutch oven or heavy stockpot, warm 2 T oil over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened/translucent but not browned.

Add garlic and stir until garlic is warmed and fragrant.  Be careful not to brown garlic.  Stir in cumin, dried cilantro, oregano, crushed red pepper and green chiles. Warm spices through.

Add rinsed beans to pot.  Add chicken broth and allow to come to a simmer.  Add chicken.  Again, allow mixture to come to a simmer and bubble.  Once simmering, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for at least 30 minutes but I usually let it go for an hour to make sure the flavors blend and get yummilicious!

At this point, you can either leave the chili "stew-like" or you can do as I do and take 1/4-1/3 of the mixture and whiz it in the blender.

Add fresh cilantro and your done.

I serve with additional cilantro on the top and, if I have it, a dollop of sour cream or shredded Monterey Jack cheese!!!!

WARNING:  This chili, as with most, get's really thick as it sits.  I simply add some chicken stock to the individual bowl I am warming up to get to the consistancy I want.  Water would work too.

Chicken Marsala with Mustard and Mascarpone

To those whom have had my chicken marsala before this is "more or less" the recipe. I have been making this for some time so measurements and true recipe ingredients have flown out the window and I go by taste. It is really difficult to mess this recipe up so be creative, add your own twist and ingredients. Feel free to substitute as needed, however DO NOT use yellow mustard in place of the Dijon. If you happen to not have any you can use any "alternative spicy mustard or whole grain mustard or even honey mustard but not yellow. Just leave the mustard out if all you have is yellow. Alternatively if you happen to "date someone who doesn't like mustard" (I have trouble comprehending this every time I hear it since mustard is the greatest condiment on earth-Shana/Brian) again, just leave it out-- it will change the flavor but still be AMAZING!

Chicken Marsala w/ Mustard and Mascarpone

1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
S/P
2 T EVOO (or olive oil)
5 T butter
3/4 c chopped onion
1 lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced*
2 T minced garlic
1 c marsala wine
1 c (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese**
2 T Dijon mustard
2 T chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, plus some for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

*Any mushrooms will do or you can leave them out, maybe add spinach?!?
** Cream cheese will work as well but do try to find the mascarpone it is sorta sweet and buttery and everyone should try it!

Season chicken with s/p. Heat the oil in large, heavy skillet over high heat.

Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.



Melt 2 T of the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender ~2 min.

Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate ~ 12 min. (Do NOT salt the mushrooms at this point, it will release their moisture to quickly and they will boil rather than "brown" and won't taste as good).



Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half ~4 min. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3 in slices. Return the chicken and any juices released back into the skillet. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the chicken is cook through and the sauce thickens slightly ~2 min. (Do not over do the simmering. The sauce will thicken too much and you will not have enough to coat the pasta)


Stir in 1 T of the parsley and season the sauce w S/P to taste. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain. Toss pasta w/ remaining 3 T butter and 1 T parsley. Season w S/P. Mound Fettuccine on plates. Spoon chicken mixture w sauce over, garnish w parsley and serve.


WARNING: If you mix the sauce with the pasta in advance and then serve it, the pasta WILL suck up the sauce and will be dry. SO, based on experience (and a few wrecked dishes) follow the directions and put butter on pasta first (saturates a lil so doesn't sop up sauce as much) and then put chicken and sauce over the top.

You can also just simply serve this with just the chicken, leaving out the pasta.