Posts Tagged ‘main dish’

Chicken spaghetti comes in several versions.  In our family, it’s actually more like Tetrazzini.  It’s basically yummy sauteed chicken tenders and whole wheat spaghetti baked with a happy sherry cream sauce topped with parmesan cheese.  You wont find this recipe linked to the Superfoods website, let’s just tell it like it is.  But I’ve tried to clean it up a little.  What this recipe lacks in Superfood credibility, it more than makes up for in flavor and a gratifying effort.  Kids eat this.  All kinds, all ages.  I’ve never had any child turn their nose up to this.  Never.  It makes everyone happy, and my daughter requests it ALL the time.  I serve this with an Isabel salad and Sister Shubert rolls.  Like I said, it’s not necessarily good for you, but it sure is good!

Ingredients for Classic Chicken Spaghetti in a Creamy Wine Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
• boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins - I use between 10 and 15 tenderloins then freeze the rest
• 8 oz. package of sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups heavy cream
• splash of sherry
• splash of white wine (or another splash of sherry if you don’t want to open a bottle of wine)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. hot paprika
• 1 generous Tbsp. flour
• 1 generous Tbsp. softened butter
• 6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions

1. First get the spaghetti water going.  Fill a stockpot with water and plenty of course salt or kosher salt and put it over high heat.

It’s pretty difficult to oversalt cooking water that will be drained.  Go ahead and get some salt in there.

2. Melt the 1/4 cup butter and add the olive oil over medium heat in a very large saute pan.

I use the large All-Clad buffet pan.

3. Saute the chicken tenderloins and the mushrooms together.  As you saute the chicken, cut each one into bite size pieces with your saute spoon or spatula.  Stir it around a bit until the chicken is just cooked through (no longer pink).

 Season with salt and pepper as you’re cooking.

4. Add the heavy cream and stir in.
5. Add the lemon juice, sherry and wine and stir in.
6. Add the hot paprika and stir in.
7. In a small bowl or ramekin, use a fork to make a paste with the flour and butter (1 generous Tbsp. each). Once you have your buerre manie paste add it to the sauce and stir or whisk it in well.

To thicken sauces, sometimes a buerre manie is used.  A buerre manie is a french term and I have no idea what it means.  I do know that it works, however.  A buerre manie is equal parts flour and softened butter. 

8. Allow the sauce to come to a slow bubble.

  It will thicken up a bit.

9. In the meantime, cook the spaghetti (according to instructions) in the boiling water you started earlier.
10. Once the spaghetti is ready, drain it and add it to the cream sauce.  Incorporate all together.
11. Dump all into a casserole dish and top it with some parmesan cheese.
12. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until bubbly

Serve and smile!

Salmon is a superfood, full of Omega-3 fatty acids.  Look for wild salmon, however.  It has more of the Omega-3’s that we need.  Also, keep the skin on while you cook it.  Since the fatty acids are located between the skin and the flesh, if you remove the skin before cooking, the fatty acids will escape.  However, you certainly do not want to eat the skin, so be sure remove it before you serve the salmon.

Cooking en papillote requires some parchment paper or foil.  I like to use parchment, but others prefer the ease of foil.  All you are doing is creating an envelope in which to cook your salmon.  I’ve used this method countless times and it is always a winner, it’s simple and impressive!

Ingredients for Steamed Salmon en Papillote

• 2 lbs. wild salmon fillet - bones removed but skin on
• 1 bunch fresh chives - finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh tarragon - finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh parsley - finely chopped
• 2 lemons - washed and sliced
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Cut four or five pieces of parchment so that when you fold the piece of paper in half it will form a square.
2. Spread the parchment pieces out on the counter and smear each piece with a bit of olive oil.
3. Cut the salmon into four or five pieces of equal size and place each piece on it’s own piece of parchment

Make sure you cut with the grain - your fishmonger can do this for you too.

4. Place the salmon on half of the parchment so you can fold the other side over and fold it to seal.
5. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with a bit of chives, tarragon and parsley.
7. Place several slices of lemon over the salmon pieces.
8. Fold the other half over loosely and fold.

There is a proper folding technique, but you don’t have to use it.  Any fold will do, just as long as it seals the fish inside and creates “an envelope”.

9. Place the envelopes on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, get your sauce going - -

Ingredients for Zesty Herb Sauce

• 1/2 cup fish broth - I buy frozen fish broth
• 1/2 cup white wine or sherry
• 1 shallot - chopped
• remaining chives, tarragon and parsley from above
• a splash of heavy cream

Cooking Instructions

1. In a small pot, bring broth and wine/sherry to a boil with the shallots.
2. Allow the liquid to reduce by about two-thirds.
3. Once reduced, remove from heat and add a sprinkling of the herbs and whisk in the cream.
4. Drizzle the sauce over the salmon.

Fabulous!

There are several keys to great flank steak. First, you need to start with quality meat so make sure you buy your meat from the best butcher. Central Market never disappoints; I know I’m always getting a great steak there. Second, make sure you use enough kosher salt and pepper to create a sort of crust by rubbing it into the meat. Finally, carve the steak against the grain and at a 45 degree angle to ensure tender pieces.

For this dish you will be most happy with a grill pan and a sturdy pair of tongs. I use the All-Clad grill pan.

Ingredients for Simple Seared Flank Steak

• 1 good quality flank steak
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Ground pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Get all your ingredients out and ready.

   You’ll want to be able access them with dirty hands without contaminating your kitchen.

2. On a work surface, coat each side of the steak with olive oil and rub it all over.

   I use the butcher paper my steak comes in.

3. Sprinkle the steak generously with kosher salt and pepper on both sides then rub in with your hands.

4. Allow the steak to come to room temperature. This takes about 30 minutes.
5. Allow your grill pan to heat over the stove burner on high heat. This may take several minutes.

   Make sure it is good and hot so your steak will sear.

6. Put your steak on the grill pan and weigh it down with a flame proof plate or smaller pan.
7. Grill for 5-6 minutes then flip and grill for another 4-5 minutes.
8. Allow the steak to sit in the pan off the heat for about 10 minutes then slice and serve.

   Make sure you use a sharp knife and slice the steak against the grain holding your knife at a 45 degree angle. Cut slices thin for best results.

When your house is filled with the comforting smell of a chicken roasting, everyone just feels better. It is pure, roasted happiness.

A few things about buying and preparing your bird - -

First, buy a fresh roaster, if possible. A fresh bird from the butcher is tastier, not to mention easier to deal with. A roaster (about 5 lbs.), rather than a fryer or capon, is the perfect size for a family. I always get my roasters from Central Market. I like my butchers there and my chicken is always juicy and delicious.

Second, don’t fret over handling your bird. You don’t have to be a Cordon Bleu trained chef to prepare a chicken for your family. Here’s what you do. Give your bird a quick rinse in the sink and dry it inside and out with paper towels. Set your bird on its back in your roasting pan with a rack (I like the petit roti from All Clad) or another good-sized dish, like a casserole dish. Stuff your bird with the desired ingredients. Take some cooking twine (I like If You Care brand) and tie the legs together. You do not need to do this in any particular way, just tie them up. Then take each wing tip and tuck it behind itself so it does not flop about. Now you’re ready to go!

Ingredients for Classic Roasted Chicken

• about a 5 lb. chicken roaster
• kosher salt and pepper
• herbes de Provence
• 1/2 small yellow onion - peeled and chopped
• 1 rib celery - chopped
• 1 small carrot - chopped
• 1/2 lemon - sliced
• 3 cloves garlic - peeled
• olive oil

Cooking Instructions

1. Prepare your bird as described above.

   Before you stuff the bird, make sure the inside cavity has been dried fully with paper towels.

2. Season the cavity generously with kosher salt, pepper and herbes de Provence.
3. Stuff with onions, celery, carrots, lemon and garlic then tie up your chicken.
4. Top the chicken with some olive oil and sprinkle with herbes de Provence, kosher salt and pepper.
5. Roast the chicken in the oven at 400 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.