Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Chicken Breasts with Shiitake Mushrooms

February 28, 2013 by Mary Frances 19 Comments

As I think I’ve told you, I shop once a week and I buy whatever looks beautiful. Well, the shiitake mushrooms last Friday were so gorgeous, I almost cried. Really. They were so white underneath, so fresh, so beautiful. I didn’t have mushrooms on my mind, but I could not pass these up.

So on Monday evening, I came home and decided to combine them with some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I had some spaghetti squash that was begging to be eaten and some beet greens. Here’s what I threw together and it was scrumptious, if I dare say so myself!

And now…a little drum roll please… watch the very first video from my kitchen! I share tips for preparing and cooking the spaghetti squash and mushrooms. Let me know what you think of it!

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
-serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. unsalted butter
12 – 15 large shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed and minced, caps thickly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 dry white vermouth
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock or low salt, packaged
1 large stalk of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
Parsley for garnish

Wash the chicken breasts, pat dry, season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter on medium – medium high heat and when the butter stops sizzling, add the shallots and minced mushroom stems, lower heat to low, and cover for 8 – 10 minutes. Stir frequently during this time. Raise heat and brown chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on each side. After 3 minutes on the second side, add mushroom caps and continue cooking, lowering and adjusting the heat. After 2 more minutes, add the vermouth and chicken broth, shake your pan to combine and sprinkle the rosemary leaves on top. Continue cooking, covered if you need to, until done, 155 degrees. Top with chopped parsley leaves before serving.

Serve on a bed of spaghetti squash or with squash on the side, with some sautéed beet greens and a little savoy cabbage, sauteed in olive oil and garlic, garnished with cilantro.

finaledit2 copy

finaledit1 copy

Oscar night chili

February 24, 2013 by Mary Frances 12 Comments

I made this chili yesterday because I was making chicken broth at the same time, (from a roast chicken carcass that I had cooked on Wednesday) and I thought, well this would be easy because the chili calls for two and half cups of broth. It is a fairly quick recipe, so you still have time to make it today. (And your broth does not have to be homemade, although it is better.) Served in warm wide soup bowls with some hot cornbread and topped with some fresh onions, cheddar cheese or sour cream, you have a perfect dinner to watch the Academy Awards with tonight!

So I was all excited to share this with you today. (Last night I was busy with the gallery show opening that my painting was in – a terrific turnout with support from our friends!) And then I said, wait a minute, didn’t I already do that last year? And a quick search said yes I did, for a football Sunday. But wait, I changed the recipe again! So here is my version from yesterday. Although I am serving it tonight, trust me, I tasted it yesterday and it is darn good.

Now, who do you want to win best picture? I’m betting on Lincoln. And I’m rooting for Sally Field for Best Supporting Actress. I thought she was terrific! (Yes, we like you, we really like you!) And if Alan Arkin doesn’t win Best Supporting Actor for Argo, I’ll be very upset. Let me know what you think.

SPICY CHICKEN CHILI- VERSION 2.0
– serves 4 – 5

2 tbs. canola oil
1 medium large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a large red pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1/2″ squares
1 lb. skinless chicken thighs (about 4), trimmed of all fat and cut into thin strips
1 tbs. plus 1 tsp. chili powder
1 tbs. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano (preferable Greek oregano)
1 tsp. salt
2 jalapeño peppers, ribs removed, chopped, with some seeds
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes with their juice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 15 oz. can drained and rinsed pinto beans
1 15 oz. can drained and rinsed black beans
1/2 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

Suggested garnishes:
Chopped cilantro
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Minced onion
Sour cream or unflavored low fat Greek yogurt

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper; cover, stir and cook until they soften, about 12 minutes. This makes the onion lovely and sweet.

Increase the heat to moderate and stir in the chicken strips. Cook until they are no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Add the jalapeños, the tomatoes with their juice, and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Uncover the saucepan and stir in the beans and black pepper. Simmer until the chili is thickened, about 15 minutes longer. Serve topped with your favorite garnishes.

Wedges of warm cornbread are always great with chili. Or serve the chili over rice.

Zach’s quinoa vegetable dish

June 16, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

This was the dish my youngest made for me as part of my Mother’s Day dinner. I figured I’d better get this to you before Father’s Day!

While I loved their meal, what I love most is watching the two boys cook. They discuss, they gossip, they argue, and then they break into a dance. They are so funny. They planned the meal together and then each was responsible for certain dishes, as opposed to one being the chef and the other being the sous chef. This dish Zach made up while the older one was a Mark Bittman devotee that night.

I hope you enjoy it!

ZACH’S QUINOA VEGETABLE DISH
5 cups of chicken stock (preferably homemade)
3 zucchinis
3 large carrots, peeled
1 onion
Olive oil
2 cups of quinoa
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the zucchini and carrots, slicing them thinly, and set them aside. Chop the onion fine as well.

In a large pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil, add the onions, and cover. Let them simmer, break down and become sweet. While those are cooking, put 4 cups of chicken broth in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. When that boils add the 2 cups of quinoa, turn down the heat, stir and cover; let simmer on low heat for about 12-14 minutes. But don’t forget to stir your onions and check on them!
When your onions look good, add the carrots and final cup of broth. Turn up the heat and let the carrots cook in the boiling broth uncovered. After much of the broth is gone, turn down the heat to a simmer, add the zucchini, and cover the pan. When the zucchini is cooked down, after about 5-7 minutes, add your cooked quinoa and stir. Salt and pepper to taste, but be careful, some store-bought chicken stocks can be salty!

Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Chicken Breasts with Shiitake Mushrooms

Oscar night chili

Zach’s quinoa vegetable dish

Pages

Blogs We Love