Tag: chicken

Chicken Caprese

Hey friends! I am going through Scott’s book of recipes and getting them on this site so that I can access them while traveling and so that you can enjoy them too. Picture above is of the beautiful sunflowers Scott grows every year.

This recipe is simple, yet delicious.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast (double this recipe if you have more mouths to feed)

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, sliced

1/8 cup white wine

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 slices mozzarella cheese

Parmigiana reggiano, shredded

Fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in sauté pan on medium heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides, set aside.

Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, be careful not to burn it. Add tomatoes, wine, basil, salt and pepper to taste, and cook 3 minutes.

Return chicken to pan with tomatoes and cook on low for 10 minutes.

Place mozzarella cheese on top of chicken pieces and continue to cook on low until cheese is melted.

Garnish with basil and parmigiana reggiano.

Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola

This is another recipe from Scott’s recipe book. He made it while we were in Italy with chicken and it was delicious, so you get to choose the protein. Serve with risotto, vegetable rice pilaf or potatoes. Picture above was taken on our Italy 2026 trip in Pisa.

Ingredients:

Bone in pork chops (or chicken if you prefer)

Mozzarella, sliced

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, sliced thin

1/2 cup of white wine

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes with passata

Oregano, Italian parsley, thyme and rosemary to taste (fresh or dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

Fresh basil

Directions:

Salt and pepper your protein and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Add olive oil to a sauté pan on medium high and add protein to skillet, browning on both sides. Remove and set aside.

Add onion to skillet and cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add wine and cook off the alcohol for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and spices and let simmer for about 10 minutes or longer.

Add protein back to skillet. Place sliced mozzarella on top of protein, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes until protein is done and the cheese has melted.

Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy.

Pollo Vesuvio

Translated to Vesuvius chicken in English, this dish was named after the volcano, Mount Vesuvius, which is near Naples. I was incredibly lucky to get to see this volcano when I went to Italy with my family in 2018.

This recipe is from my boyfriend’s recipe book. He is no fan of chicken but makes it for me. It is a flavorful and hearty dish. Made with love every time. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Pearl onions

Frozen peas

Chicken thighs, skin on and bone-in

White wine

Yukon gold or russet potatoes (for russet, cut smaller as shown in the picture)

Salt and pepper

Thyme, chopped

3 garlic cloves, cut in half

Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Brown chicken in olive oil until skin is crisp, remove and set aside.

Place onions, potatoes, garlic, olive oil, and thyme in a bowl and mix.

In same pan, add enough white wine to deglaze the pan then add potatoes and onion mixture, cook until warm.

In oven safe pan add chicken and potato mix together, place in oven and cook for 35 minutes.

Remove and add peas and cook another 10 minutes.

Pugliese Chicken and Potatoes

My daughter in Venice

Another recipe found on cookingwithnonna.com. My BF made this one for me and I tried to replicate it this weekend. My version was not as good as his but my son said the chicken was cooked perfectly. I used boneless, skinless chicken breast instead of the bone-in chicken so I put the potato mixture in first and cooked the chicken with a little less time. The flavors of the herbs, olives, tomatoes, and wine are delicious. I will keep trying this one until I achieve perfection.

Igredients:

1 1/2 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks

3 Idaho potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup Gaeta olives or mixed olives, pitted

4 cloves garlic

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 TBS dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Combine all ingredients except the wine into a bowl and mix. Pour into a 9X13 baking dish and pour wine over mixture.

Bake for 60-75 minutes until the meat pulls away from the bone.

Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

 

 

 

I recently read that the test of a good cook is if she/he could roast a chicken. I have tried multiple recipes and had many failures. However, this is the one recipe that produced a tender and juicy roasted chicken every time. I originally started with Julia Child’s recipe and improvised to make it easier. This is my take on a roasted chicken.

Ingredients:

  • One 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Butter
  • Fresh herbs (dried as an alternative)
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock or broth

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 425
  • Wash the chicken rapidly inside and out with hot water and pat thoroughly dry. Salt and pepper the cavity and place vegetables and fresh herbs inside the cavity; whatever you have in the pantry work (carrots, celery, onion, and lemon). Massage the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon of the butter
  • Choose a flameproof roasting pan that is about 1 inch larger than the chicken. Salt the chicken all over and set it breast up on a rack in the pan. (Thoroughly wash all surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with the raw chicken)
  • Roast the chicken in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, as follows: At 15 minutes Brush the chicken with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Scatter the onion and carrot all around the pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°. At 45 minutes Brush the lemon juice over the chicken. If necessary, add 1/2 cup of water to the vegetables to prevent burning. At 60 minutes Baste with the pan juices. Test to see if done: The drumsticks should move easily in their sockets; their flesh should feel somewhat soft. If not, continue roasting, basting and testing every 7 to 8 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°
  • Spear the chicken through the shoulders; lift to drain; if the last of the juices run clear yellow, the chicken is done. Let rest on a carving board for 15 minutes; discard the string
  • Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the juices in the pan. Add the stock and boil until lightly syrupy, 5 minutes. Strain and serve with chicken.
  • Alternatively; you can boil the giblets in water with salt, pepper and bay leaves and make a gravy out of the drippings

Thai Coconut Chicken

 

I spent my first 6 months working as a paramedic in San Francisco. Because I didn’t spend much time working in SF, I didn’t get to know the SF Fire Department men and woman very well. What I do know, is that dinner is very important to firefighters at the fire house. I spent 6 years with my ambulance housed at the station I now work at, and 2 years housed coast side. Some of my best meals were at the firehouse. With that being said, I found this recipe from a book titled Firehouse Food: Cooking with San Francisco’s Firefighters. I made it for my daughter and I this weekend and we both loved it. I may tweak it a bit next time to add more heat and acid.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups jasmine rice
  • 5 TBS vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
  • 1 medium white onion, halved and cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 TBS minced garlic
  • 1 TBS minced ginger
  • 1 jalapeno Chile, stemmed, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves (I suggest trying boneless, skinless thighs as they are more tender) 2 pounds total
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk ( I used unsweetened)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3 TBS rice vinegar
  • 1 bunch basil, leaves thinly sliced

Directions:

cook rice, set aside. Heat oil, add onion, garlic, ginger Chile, stir fry until the onion is softened (3-4 mins). Set aside. Heat more oil and add chicken until opaque (5 mins). Return the onion mixture to chicken, add coconut milk, soy sauce, vinegar, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by 1/2 (8 mins). Stir in the basil, and serve.

Suggestions: add Thai chili paste for more heat, juice of lime for acid, cilantro in place of basil and crushed peanuts to garnish.

 

 

 

 

Jamaican Jerk Chicken from Smokey Joe’s

 

 

I found this recipe while craving the flavor of jerk chicken and have made it several times. I’ve never been to Smokey Joe’s on Negril Beach in Aruba, but its on the bucket list. Photo is from my first visit to Hawaii. This chicken dish is full of flavor and spice. Recipe found on: http://relish.com/

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch green onions, cut into 2 inch lengths
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 (2 inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into 1/2 inch discs
  • 1 TBS heaping fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 3 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile peppers, stems and seeds removed (jalapenos for less heat)
  • 2 TBS dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 4 limes, juice equaling 6 TBS
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken leg quarters or 1 (3 pnd) chicken cut into quarters

Directions:

Place all ingredients, except oil and chicken, into blender or food processor. With the blender still running, slowly add a thin stream of the oil until the mixture becomes thick. Save 1/2 cup for basting while cooking.

Marinade chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove from marinade once grill is prepped. Place chicken on grill, direct heat, searing the first side for 3-5 minutes. Turn, baste with reserved marinade and grill another 5 minutes. Move chicken to indirect heat and cook until internal temp reached 165 degrees.

 

Lem’s Bar-B-Q House BBQ Sauce

americas-best-bbq

Hello to my fellow blogosphere friends.  I have been away awhile while completing my degree but, never fail, I will continue to post and post all my favorite recipes.  This is the best homemade BBQ sauce I have ever made.  I have doubled, tripled, quadrupled, the recipe as needed.  It is really good and, like all recipes, can be tweaked to your liking.  I found this recipe in the book America’s Best BBQ by Davis and Kirk.  Lem’s BBQ House is located in Chicago, Illinois at 311 E. 75th St., if you’re ever in the area.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 TBS granulated sugar
  • 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
  • 1 TBS chili powder
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard
  • 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. finely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground celery salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve all sugars, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, cool to room temperature.

Lemon Chicken

IMG_9501

Really good wine pairing for this dish pictured above

This is another recipe from my new cookbook I recently purchased called Cooking My Way Back Home.  The original recipe calls for olives and feta which I will include but I did omit because I did not think my children would like it.

Ingredients:

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut on the diagonal into 3 pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 4 TBS unsalted butter
  • 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 TBS dried oregano
  • 1 TBS sugar
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 TBS fresh flat-leaf parsley

Garnish:

  • 1 cup nicoise olives, pitted and quartered
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 TBS chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, put the flour in a shallow dish and dredge each chicken piece in it.  Heat the oil and add the chicken pieces, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  Lower the heat and add 2 TBS butter to pan scraping up any bits, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the oregano, sugar, wine and lemon juice, raise the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add stock and cook 4 more minutes.  Turn the heat to medium-low and add the chicken with the remaining 2 TBS butter, stir to coat each chicken piece and cook 2 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.  To serve place chicken on plate, cover with sauce and garnish with olives, feta and parsley.