[brandied-bacony chicken]

based on Nigella Lawson's recipe of the same name

1 chicken, 3-3 1/2 pounds

2 strips bacon

1/4 cup brandy

Clean the chicken and set in a roasting pan - breast side up.  Heat the oven to 425.  In a small skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it's crisp and the pan is full of fat, about 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, place the strips of bacon straight into the cavity of the chicken.  Pour the brandy into the still-hot pan (off the heat), and let it bubble for a minute.  Pour the pan of brandy over the chicken.  Roast the chicken for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until juices run clear between the leg and body.  Let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

[chicken fettuccine casserole]

Prep Time: 20 Min
Total Time: 50 Min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

4.5 oz refrigerated fettuccine

2 Tbsp salted butter

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1/4 cup half-and-half

3/4 cup cubed cooked chicken

1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into thin strips

1 slice bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350º. Drizzle square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches, with olive oil. Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package.  While fettuccine is cooking, melt butter in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half. Stir in chicken, tomatoes and bacon.  Add fettuccine to chicken mixture; toss gently to mix well. Spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until hot in center.

[grilled shrimp and scallop scampi on angel hair pasta]

This recipe is a little tricky the first time only due to handling so many pots in the kitchen at once with very time sensitive ingredients, like seafood.  Once you've made it once, it's easy to master.  The bacon can be replaced by prosciutto if you can find it.

sea salt

black pepper

1/2 pound of angel hair pasta

6 garlic cloves,minced

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

about 16 shrimp, medium to large size, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

8 medium sized scallops

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine or sherry

juice of one lemon

4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter

4 pieces of bacon

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Parmesan, if desired

Perheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lay bacon strips in a pyrex pan and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.  Remove from oven and set aside between paper towels to drain.

Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil.

In a bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.  Place half of the mixture with the shrimp and scallops and toss to coat evenly.  

Cook the pasta per the directions on the box by adding the pasta to the water along with some salt, cook until al dente (about 4 minutes).  Reserve 3 ladles of the water.  Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

Heat a skillet to medium high and add the shrimp and scallops once it's hot.  (If using a nonstick pan - no need to add more oil - the marinade has enough).  Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the scallops are lightly browned and the shrimp is pink.  Once cooked, remove skillet from heat and set aside.  

In a large pan/skillet, add the reserved garlic mixture and the red pepper flakes and cook over medium high heat until fragrant (don't let the garlic brown).  Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.  Add about 2 ladles of the reserved pasta water, and the juice from the lemon.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the butter, stiring until it's melted.  Add the shrimp and scallops and toss to coat.  Add the onion and bacon and toss again.  Last, add the pasta and toss to warm up the pasta.  

Serves two generous servings.  Top with a little shredded Parmesan if desired.

[chicken pesto paninis]

Hello New Best Friend: GDL Panini Maker

The panini makers we kept passing at Target were calling my name - so I finally caved in and bought it - and it was one of the best decisions ever.  Panini makers look like a stupid device, but once you realize how awesome sandwiches are with it - the whole world looks new again.

Ingredients:

Focaccia bread (our Target also sells these 10" focaccia rounds - they're awesome)

2 chicken breasts

6 strips bacon

3 slices provolone cheese

pre-made pesto

olive oil

salt and pepper

panini maker!

Pound chicken to 1/2 inch thickness between saran wrap.  Heat about 1 Tbsp Olive Oil in a skillet.  Season each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place in the hot skillet.  Cook on each side until golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Transfer browned chicken breasts to a large piece of foil and tightly wrap the chicken in a "foil purse".  Let the chicken rest (tightly wrapped up), while you make the bacon.  

Heat oven to 375 and bake bacon in a pyrex pan for 20 minutes, or until crispy.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.  

Cut focaccia in half and spread the top and bottom with pesto.  Set aside.  

Remove the chicken from the foil and cut into strips.  (It should look like those chicken strips you can buy at the grocery store - about 1/2 inch thick, as long as the chicken breast).  On the top half of the foccacia bread - place the following items in this order: 3 slices provolone cheese evening spread out, 6 slices of cooked bacon, chicken slices.  Place the bottom focaccia half on the chicken and heat your panini maker.  Grill the sandwich (right side up - it should be easy to flip), until golden brown marks appear.  (About 5 mintues).  Cut and enjoy.

[super easy corn and shrimp chowder]

Serves 2 generous servings.  Serve with garlic bread.

3 ears corn, kernels cut off the cobs, cobs reserved

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

4 strips bacon

Heat oven to 375 and place bacon on pyrex pan.  Cook for 20 minutes or until crisp.  Transfer to paper towels and let rest.  Chop and reserve.

Put the corn cobs in a large pot with just enough water to cover, (at least 5 cups).  Bring the cobs to a boil and boil for 20 minutes.  Discard the cobs and reserve 1 1/2 cups of corn-infused water.  

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until opaque and softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the corn kernels you cut from the cobs, chicken broth, cream and 1 1/2 cups of the corn water.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add the shrimp and simmer until opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes.  

Ladle the chowder into soup bowls and garnish with the green onion and chopped bacon.  Enjoy!

[alice springs chicken quesadillas]

We've finally nailed one of our favorite dishes from Outback.... we hate eating there, but love the food for curbside takeaway.  

Honey Mustard Sauce/Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

Whip ingredients in an electric mixer for 1 minute.  Chill until needed.

2 chicken breasts

1 cup sliced white mushrooms

4 slices bacon

1 Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp divided

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

4 medium tortillas

Heat oven to 375.  Place bacon in Pyrex pan.  Cook bacon for 20 minutes or until fully cooked.  When done, let bacon drain on paper towels.  

Pound chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.   Cook chicken on each side until golden brown.  Place breasts in foil and wrap to keep warm and continue cooking until ready.

Keep skillet on medium heat and melt 1 Tbsp butter.  Add mushrooms and saute.  Remove mushrooms from skillet and set aside in a bowl.

Slice chicken into thin strips about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in length.  Set aside.  Rough chop the mushrooms and set aside.  Chop the bacon and set aside.  Heat butter in sauce pan over medium heat.  Place tortilla on melted butter and cover with 2 spoonfuls of honey mustard sauce and spread to cover most of tortilla.  Sprinkle 1 chopped chicken breast over sauce and cover with 1/2 of mushrooms and bacon and enough cheese to lightly cover tortilla.  Drizzle 1 spoonful of honey mustard sauce over cheese and cover with another tortilla.  Flip quesadilla when light brown and cook on other side until also light brown.  Repeat with other 2 tortillas.

Cut quesadillas into 6 pieces and serve with honey mustard sauce for dipping.

Serves 2.

[stuffed cornish hens]

2-1 1/2-pound cornish hens
4 slices bacon
3/4 cup corn kernels
1 small white onion, diced
3 large carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken stock Salt & Pepper

Seasoning for Hens: (adjust to liking - this is an estimate)
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season inside and out of cornish hens. In a bowl combine corn, onion, carrots, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff vegetables into cavity of each bird to full capacity. Drizzle hens with remaining oil. Criss-cross 2 bacon slices across each hen, tucking ends under birds to keep in place. Place hens on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and pour chicken stock in bottom of pan. Roast hens 45 minutes to 1 hour or until an instant reading thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 170 degrees. Allow hens to rest, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes while you finish gravy.

[cornish hen gravy]

1 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 sprig rosemary, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 sprig thyme leaves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Once you've made your cornish hens...

Pour any pan drippings into a degreasing cup or small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat discarding the rest and add the separated juices to the stock. Add the reserved fat to the roasting pan and place on a burner over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Cook until shallot is tender, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, make a paste with the butter and flour in a small bowl, set aside. Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and whisk in the flour mixture. Boil until sauce thickens to make a gravy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Remove and discard the garlic and bay leaf. 

Serve.

[corn chowder]

Adapted from Rachel Ray's 'Bacon-Makes-It-Better Corn Chowder' This soup is really filling and can serve 4 - so we had two bowls of leftovers. They re-heat really well from the fridge and keep for a few days after.

1 quart chicken stock or broth (4 cups)
4 ears of fresh corn, shucked
1 tbsp olive oil
6-7 slices bacon, chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
4-8 dashes hot sauce, Tapatio (we like some heat, but if you don't - try 4 small dashes)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper

Place the chicken stock/broth in a large pot (3 quart pan will do), over high heat, bring to a boil. While it comes to a boil, prepare the corn - cut off the corn kernels from the cobs and reserve the kernels. Add the cobs to the stock cover and simmer over low heat. (Let is simmer until you add it to everything else later).

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon (leave as much liquid as possible in the pot) and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Return the pot to the heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the yellow onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, hot sauce, salt and pepper (just a little - adjust later). Cook, stirring frequently until the onions are starting to brown.

Add the reserved corn kernels to the onions in the soup pot and cook for 2 minutes (stirring). Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove the corn cobs from the broth and add the broth to the onions and corn in the soup pot. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.

Serve the soup garnished with lots of the crispy bacon pieces and saltines, oyster crackers or crusty bread.

[biscuits and sawmill gravy]

This is my altered version of a Paula Deen recipe, and it's not what anyone would call healthy - but it is the most delicious biscuit with gravy recipe I've ever tasted... totally worth every calorie. The diet starts tomorrow, right?

Ingredients:

For Biscuits:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 to 1 ¼ cups milk
¼ cup melted unsalted butter 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the shortening with a fork until it looks like cornmeal. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until well mixed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly two or three times. Roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin to ½-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch cutter. Place the biscuits in a greased iron skillet. Brush the biscuits with half the melted butter. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the hot biscuits with the remaining butter. Slit the biscuits in half and ladle Sawmill Gravy (recipe follows) over the hot biscuits. 

For Sawmill Gravy: 

1 pound ground sausage
4 slices thick-cut bacon
½ medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons butter

In a large skillet, combine the sausage, bacon, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is browned and crumbles. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the half-and-half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened. Stir in the butter until well blended.

[erin's chx blue]

 

this recipe doesn't get called by name in our house - we just call it "can we have that chicken thing with the bacon..." it's awesome. Truly made from Erin's imagination.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line metal pan with foil and olive oil.

2 chicken breasts, pounded until flat (about 1/4-inch thick)
2 pieces deli sliced swiss cheese
frozen broccoli florets (depending on size, 4-6 per breast)
4 slices deli ham
cajun seasoning
sea salt (the big chunk stuff)
black pepper
Olive Oil
2-4 slices of bacon (we prefer the real stuff, but you could use turkey if you want to cheat yourself)

Pound chicken breasts (in a large ziploc bag, or between sheets of wax paper), with a meat mallet until flat. Put chicken on cutting board or large plate. On the outer side of the chicken, rub cajun seasoning to your liking, and salt and pepper to taste. Flip back over and place on each breast: 1 piece swiss, broccoli and 2 slices ham (in that order). Roll chicken around ingredients (ok if ends are open, just make sure most of the inner goodness is inside the chicken). Move chicken aside and place bacon in an 'X'. Place the chicken on the bacon (seam side down) and wrap the bacon around the chicken, tugging slightly to ensure it's tight and wrapped. (I let the X be underneath on the seam of the chicken and the 'top of the chicken' be the side with the bacon overlapping, usually two parralel lines rather than another 'X' on top.) Place the chicken in the metal pan with foil. Drizzle a little olive oil on each breast.

Bake for 50 minutes. Set oven to broil and remove chicken once bacon begins to brown and crisp. (You don't need to flip the chicken).
Serve with vegetables.

[italian club sandwiches]

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

8" Foccacia Round (we get them from Target with tomatoes and asiago cheese on top)

Packaged pesto

cooked bacon, 5 slices

Deli Sliced Turkey, 3 slices

Provolone Cheese, 3 slices

Sandwiches:
Cut foccacia bread in half and grill cut size up in a broiler, or place in panini maker and grill until warm
Spread pesto thinly on bottom and top cut halves

Add 5 slices of bacon
Add thinly sliced turkey
Add provolone cheese
Top with the top half of the Foccacia

(If you have a panini maker, place the entire assembled sandwich back into the panini maker and cook until bread is crispy and cheese is melting.)

Cut and serve immediately or chill until ready to eat.

(We usually eat a sandwich immediately, then save any leftovers for the week ahead)

[broccoli salad]

serves 6-8

2 heads broccoli
6-8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup raisins
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese cut into very small chunks
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Trim off large leaves of broccoli. Remove tough stalks at end and wash broccoli thoroughly. Cut flowerets into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add crumbled bacon, onion, raisins, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stiring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently. Chill and serve cold.