Braised Chicken with Mushrooms

I've been wanting to make this recipe all week to use up the last of our mushrooms. Tonight, we finally had time, were home in time to cook, and Number One cooked it up for us. I made mashed potatoes to go with it, delicious with the chicken-mushroom "juice."

It's another recipe from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast. It's turning out to be a great little cookbook, especially for rushed weeknights.


Braised Chicken with Mushrooms
Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)~we used chicken thighs
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/2 inch thick (we used baby bellas)
4 garlic clovers, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional, we didn't have a bottle opened so we left it out)
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (we used one whole can)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken; cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

2. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the hot skillet. Add the mushrooms, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover; cook over medium heat until the mushrooms release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid. Cook over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Pour the wine, if using, into the skillet; cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 minute. Add the stock and parsley; cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover; simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the chicken topped with the mushrooms and a drizzle of cooking liquid. Garnish with additional fresh parsley.

Mushroom Ragout with Pasta

Another night, another 5:00 scramble for dinner. We're so busy trying to finish up the last touches on our house addition that sometimes dinner time just sneaks up on us. For the second night in a row, I turned to Everyday Food: Great Food Fast for a quick, delicious recipe. (it even has a Make Ahead option, see below!)

We had a bunch of mushrooms that needed to be used up, and a search for "mushrooms" in the index yielded this simple recipe. It even has bacon in it! Perfect.

Number One helped me by cooking the bacon and the pasta while I chopped mushrooms and picked parsley and rounded up the other ingredients from our newly-built and newly-organized pantry!

Simple yet satisfying, this mushroom bacon sauce is excellent without being overpowering. The flavors are just right, even the boys loved it. As H-Bomb said, "Mushrooms and bacon! Yum!"

We even had leftovers for tomorrow. Here you go.

Mushroom Ragout, before Pasta

Mushroom Ragout with Pasta
Serves 6 Prep time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour

4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (we used 1/2 pound of bacon)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 packages (10 ounces each) cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
2 packages (10 ounces each) white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
(we used about 12 ounces of creminis and a package of oyster mushrooms)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 pound spaghetti
Shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)

1. In a large 5-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid (that will be used later), cook the bacon over medium heat, uncovered, stirring until crispy, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Set aside.

2. Add the onion to the saucepan; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms; cover. Cook until the juices have evaporated, about 20 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomato paste, thyme and 2 cup water until combined; cover. Cook until the sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and vinegar. Add the bacon, reserving some for garnish, if desired.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and return to the pot.

5. To serve, toss the pasta with the ragout. Garnish with the reserved bacon and shaved Parmesan, if desired. Serve immediately.

*The sauce for this dish can be made a day or two ahead (keep the bacon separate) and refrigerated. Gently reheat as the pasta boils; add the bacon to the sauce during the last few minutes of heating.

Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Sauce

Even though it's Friday, and we got home at 2:15 instead of 4:15pm, I'm tired. I really didn't want to spend much time on dinner. I pulled out my Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook, and flipped through the index. Tandoori Chicken caught my eye, and we happened to have all the important ingredients!

I really thought I had grown cilantro this year, but I didn't see it when I ran out to the garden, so I grabbed some flat-leaf parsley for the yogurt sauce. I also decided to pick some mint to add to the sauce.

This chicken is fast and delicious! I forgot to charge my camera battery, so you'll just have to imagine a succulent piece of roasted chicken, tinged yellow from the turmeric, complemented by a white apple yogurt sauce speckled with fresh, green herbs...


Even the boys are loving this chicken, although H-Bomb initially said "it's too spicy" but then sat down and ate it ALL. Sawed Off had no complaints at all.

The book says: "Grated apples are an unusual but welcome addition to yogurt sauce. Ours is a variation on raita, the traditional accompaniment to many Indian dishes; its cooling effect counterbalances the spiciness of the meat."

Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Sauce
Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 bone-in, skinless chicken breast halves (10 to 12 ounces each)*
2 Granny Smith apples (I used 2 Jonathans)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (I used about 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and about 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint)

*I used bone-in chicken thighs (with skin) because they were on sale today at the grocery store--$0.66 per pound! I bought 12 packages (the limit, and I'll buy 12 more on Monday if they've got them!)

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of the yogurt,the garlic, turmeric, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken; turn to coat.

2. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast (avoiding the bone) registers 160 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, peel the apple; coarsely grate into a medium bowl. Add the cilantro and the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt; season with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce alongside the chicken, with rice, if desired.

Taste & Create XXIII Partner List

Here is the Taste & Create partner list! Please remember to submit your creations to Nicole's Taste & Create website by September 24th. If you have any questions or problems, please feel free to email me at cowgirlmin07 [at] gmail [dot] com.

If you'd like to enter next month's Taste & Create, the fabulous event which pairs food bloggers randomly and tasks them with preparing one of their partner's recipes, please visit the how it works page for an email address to sign up. (you'll either email Nicole or me) And don't forget to tell your friends how fun this event is!

Good luck, I can't wait to see your creations!

What's For Supper & My Kitchen Treasures

Seduce Your Tastebuds & JAYASPACE

Culinary Delights & Sweet and Savory Says It All

Columbus Foodie & Shortcut to Mushrooms

La Recette du Jour & No Reason Needed

Parita's World & Tasty Treats

Foodelicious & The Bad Girl's Kitchen

Res-o-puh-leese & Mixcalculations

Sauteed Chicken with Asparagus & Mushrooms

It's an Everyday Food kind of week....that's where I got this recipe too! A bunch of winners so far. If you are looking for a variety of quickly prepared meals that use real food and don't sacrifice flavor, you might want to get yourself a subscription to this little magazine.

Tonight, we served this chicken with miscellaneous pasta (used up a couple half packages). H-Bomb had three helpings!!! (and we thought we would have a ton of leftovers!) He loved the asparagus the best.



Sauteed Chicken with Asparagus & Mushrooms
Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6), cut into 2-inch pieces
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 pounds asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 2-inch lengths
cooked noodles or rice (optional)

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook in two batches, turning occasionally, until browned and opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

To skillet, add mushrooms, asparagus, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing once and scraping up browned bits, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chicken; cook, tossing, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Serve on top of noodles or rice, if desired.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Parsley and Breadcrumbs

Here's another one from Everyday Food magazine. They are my heroes for quick and tasty recipes from scratch. This one seemed to take a bit longer, but H-Bomb was napping and it threw off my "Dinner @ 5:ish" schedule. There were lots of little prep things to do also. So I really can't give an opinion regarding their total time estimation.

The cauliflower and garlic smell amazing in the oven (mostly the garlic). I used a few slices of Artisan Bread to make the breadcrumbs because we really don't buy sandwich bread any more! (did you read that Becky? Yahoo!) I also used a LOT more Parmesan, as always.

I didn't use a big enough pan for the pasta, not realizing that there would be mixing of everything else in the pan later, so I had to grab a large bowl for mixing. I tell you what, I will be happy when everything I need is in my kitchen, in its place!

The pasta is delicious, if difficult to photograph, of course it doesn't help when two young boys are having screaming meltdowns for various reasons...better luck to you in your kitchen! This would be delicious with a glass of red, and even though Number One isn't back from the fields yet, I just might have a glass by myself!

Oh and yes, the cauliflower is surprisingly nutty! (see below)


Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Parsley and Breadcrumbs
Serves 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes
Cauliflower tastes surprisingly nutty and sweet when roasted--break it up into small florets to help it cook quickly.

coarse salt and ground pepper
1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds) cored and broken into small florets
1 medium red onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/4 cup olive oil
4 slices white sandwich bread
12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta (we used penne)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower, onion, and garlic with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast on lower rack until lightly browned and tender, 20 minutes, tossing once. I probably will roasted mine a bit longer next time.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine bread and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on upper rack until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes, tossing once.

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add cauliflower mixture, Parmesan, and parsley; toss to combine. Tossing pasta, gradually add enough pasta water to form a thin sauce that coats pasta. Serve topped with breadcrumbs and, if desired, more Parmesan.

Cuban Black Bean Stew with Rice

I was looking through a few Everyday Food magazines today while I waited for H-Bomb to get out of 1st grade (after visiting a few local businesses for the PTA this morning and a fun lunch with friends). I wanted a recipe that was fast and for which I had all the ingredients. It's hard when we don't get home until 4:00 and try to have dinner on by 5:ish.

So this recipe was the winner today. It truly took only 30 minutes, and it was delicious to boot! You really can't beat that. I even used a yellow bell pepper from our garden in the stew! We served ours with rice and lime wedges, and the magazine suggests chips or tortillas as an alternative. Number One and I think this would be delicious for breakfast, topped with a fried egg and some salsa!


Cuban Black Bean Stew with Rice
Serves 4 Prep time: 20 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed, chopped)
2 cans (19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) vegetable broth (all I had was beef broth; I'm sure any kind of broth would work just fine)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
coarse salt and ground pepper
garnishes (optional): lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and sliced radishes

Prepare 4 servings of your favorite rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add beans, broth, vinegar, and oregano. Cook, mashing some beans with the back of a spoon, until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve beans over rice, with garnishes if desired.

Taste & Create XXII: Spicy Oven-Roasted Potatoes

My favorite food blog event is here again, and this time I ended up with two partners! Created by Nicole of For the Love of Food, participating food bloggers are randomly paired off, to try and blog about one of their partner's recipes.

My other partner this month was Liza of Knick Nosh. You may remember last month I made her scrumptious Greek Salad and also her wonderful [Chicken] Burgers with Portabello Mushrooms, Spinach and Sundried Tomato Mayo. Both of those recipes were so good, I couldn't wait to try her Spicy Oven-Roasted Potatoes. Her Banana Oat Muffins are also on my list!

Tonight I only used about 5 or 6 potatoes, and it was more than enough for the four of us. Since I'm always cooking for little ones, I also substituted Cajun seasoning as Liza suggested. It was still a bit spicy, but Number One and I loved them. I was going to broil them at the end too, but I didn't. Man, I can't wait for my new kitchen...


Spicy Oven-Roasted Potatoes

10 red potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon red pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
(or 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning instead of red pepper and garlic powder)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine red pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper in small dish.

Scrub potatoes clean and slice into ¼-inch slices. Spray potatoes with cooking spray and place in microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 8 minutes. Remove potatoes from microwave and spread out on baking sheet.

Pour olive oil over potatoes and season with red pepper mixture or Cajun seasoning. Combine potatoes, oil, and seasoning. Spread into single layer on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning potatoes after 10 minutes. If crispier potatoes are desired, broil for last 2-3 minutes.

Taste & Create XXII: Amish Friendship Bread

My favorite food blog event is here again! Nicole of For the Love of Food created this fun event, in which participating food bloggers are randomly paired off, to try and blog about one of their partner's recipes.

For this month's Taste & Create, I was paired with Carol of No Reason Needed. I was completely tempted by her Funnel Cakes recipe, but my new kitchen isn't finished and I didn't want to make a mess on the unfinished pine floors. Yet!

I was also intrigued by Carol's Amish Friendship Bread and bread starter. Since Number One and I got into making thing with sour dough, I decided it would be fun to try this new starter and see what happened. I followed the starter instructions for stirring, adding things, not stirring, fairly faithfully, until the 10th day came and went. And the 11th. And the 12th. On the 13th day, after not really touching the starter since day 11, I stirred it up and hoped for the best, and proceeded with the recipe.

The bread turned out sadly UNphotogenic, but delicious! It was done after just one hour at 325 degrees (Carol's recipe said 324 degrees, but I kept forgetting to ask about it so I just opted for the standard 325, thinking it could be a typo?) I was in sort of a hurry to get the loaves out of the pans, so they were a bit messy. I'm sure if I had waited about 10 minutes before turning them out, they would have turned out much better, and probably much prettier.

I also froze more than 1/4 cup of dough, because I couldn't wrap my head around the math: you start with 3 cups of ingredients, then later you start with only 1/4 cup? And it still makes two loaves? I guess I'll have to try it and see what happens, but I'm sure I have almost a whole cup of batter in the freezer right now, so I'll definitely try it again.

This is going to be wonderful with coffee in the morning, it is sweet, somewhat light but the top edges are nicely crunchy and chewy. Yum!


Amish Friendship Bread
Makes 2 loaves

NOTE: DO NOT use metal utensils or bowls for this recipe & do not refrigerate prior to baking.

Starter
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

1. Dissolve yeast in water. Let stand ten minutes.
2. In 2 quart glass, ceramic, or plastic container (remember: no metal!) combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will lump when milk is added.
3. Slowly stir in milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
4. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature till bubbly.

NOW YOU MAY PROCEED WITH THE RECIPE....

DAY
1 - receive starter batter
2- STIR
3- STIR
4 -STIR
5 -add one cup each flour, sugar, and milk; mix well
6 -STIR
7 -STIR
8- DO NOTHING
9- DO NOTHING
10 - add 1 cup each of flour, sugar and milk. Mix well. Put 1/4 cup batter in small dish and freeze for next time you may wish to make this recipe.

Bread
To your remaining batter add:
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding (4 serving size)

Mix well.

Mix together 3 tsp. cinnamon & 1/2 cup brown sugar. Set aside. Grease 2 large loaf pans. Pour 1/4 batter in each. Sprinkle 1/4 sugar mixture on top of each. Pour remaining batter on top of each loaf & sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Swirl with knife for marble effect. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs at 325 degrees until done. Cool.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Kendall from Res-o-puh-leese is a Taste & Create participant, so I've been perusing her blog occasionally. (She'd be one of my partners this month if I hadn't made a mistake in the signup list!) I couldn't resist this recipe for one of our Indian favorites, Chicken Tikka Masala, from her Indian Fiesta, uh, Feast.

For her "fiesta, uh, feast," she also makes Paneer Pakora, Naan, Lassi and rice. But I have two young boys. With them running around, Chicken Tikka Masala it was. I wanted to make Kendall's Naan also, but forgot about the rising time. Number One whipped up some extra thick tortillas that worked just fine to sop up the delicious sauce.

The Chicken Tikka Masala is tangy and savory and yummy! I can't wait to try it with grilled chicken and fresh naan!


Chicken Tikka Masala

For the marinade:

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I couldn't find my cayenne)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon butter, clarified (you can either microwave the butter or melt it in a pan, using only the yellow liquid off the top, not the lighter colored solids that sink to the bottom)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)


In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Coat a large heavy skillet with clarified butter over medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin and paprika. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, while the sauce is simmering, cook the chicken. Had I planned ahead and skewered the chicken pieces prior to marinating them, we would have grilled the chicken. But I didn't think of it, so we just fished the pieces out of the marinade and fried them in some olive oil in a pan. Next time, we'll grill them!

Add chicken to sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.