Giada's Roman Style Chicken

Summer is winding down and I finally have a moment to share a tasty recipe with you all. This was a part of my "3 Days of Food Network" series but I never quite made it to this recipe. Anyhow, this dish is delicious and healthy. We eat alot of chicken in our house and I am always searching for ways to spruce it up and make it more interesting(spices, oils and the occasional chicken sculpture are avenues I travel). My philosophy is this: Food should be delicious, healthy and fun. The more colorful a dish is, the better I like making it and eating it. Giada's chicken is a great way to take chicken and give it a kick in the pants. The peppers give it color and spice, not to mention how yummy they are. So, if you're bored making your traditional chicken cutlet meals, give this one a try!

Giada's Roman-style Chicken from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs

2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped ( I subbed 3 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and chopped)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions
Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.


Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

A MUST MAKE - PEANUT BUTTER CUP BROWNIES

I noticed my readership escalates when I make desserts. To be perfectly honest, the holiday season of '09 wiped me out, baking-wise. Anyhow, I decided it was a great time to put my mixer back to work. These brownies can be a bit of work since they are layered, but I assure you, they are well worth the effort. My son, who is four, told me, "Mommy, I like you ALOT," when I let him sample a brownie. I brought them to the salon while I got my hair highlighted and the owner told me (jokingly), "I HATE YOU!" because I was breaking her diet. If you want to save sometime, the brownie bottom can be made the night before and the frosting and toppping can be added the following morning. It does take at least an hour for the frosting and topping to set, so bare that in mind. Enjoy!
Ingredients for the Brownies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips( I used to packages of Ghiardelli's semi-sweet baking squares)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Ghiardelli's powder)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Peanut Butter Frosting
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of smooth peanut butter
3 TBSP of whole milk
Peanut Butter Cup Topping
25-30 minature Peanut Butter Cups, sliced into 4 pieces each
1/4 cup of chocolate and peanut butter chips, melted
Directions for Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of an 8 x 8 square baking pan (or line with parchment paper).In a medium bowl combine flour, espresso powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Put the chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the water and whisk in sugars and vanilla until completely combined. Remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature. Add in the eggs one, one at a time, whisking lightly after each addition. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just combined. Do not over beat! Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.
Directions for Frosting
Add peanut butter and softened butter to mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and continue to mix. Add milk, 1 TBSP at a time, and continue to mix until frosting is the desired consistency. Spread on cooled brownies.
Directions for Topping
Slice 25-30 minature cups into 4 slices. As you slice, add the cups on top of the frosting. The candy can overlap slightly, just be sure to cover the entire surface of the frosting. In a microwave safe bowl, add 1/4 cup of peanut butter and chocolate chips. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat this step for another 30-45 seconds, until completely melted and creamy. Let it cool, then add mixture to a Ziploc bag. Snip one corner of the bag with a scissor and decoratively drizzle the mixture in any uncovered spots of frosting. Let the brownies set for at least ONE HOUR in the refrigerator before serving.

Bobby Flay's Grilled Beef Braciole - A Must MAKE!

I do my best to make things pretty,especially food. Sometimes, I hit a bump in the road. For example, this grilled braciole recipe. By far and away, it is one of the best meals I have ever made. Did it look like the picture on Bobby Flay's website? Um, that would be a huge NO. It didn't matter though, because it was sinfully delicious. I wish I had known this recipe existed back in my low carb dieting days because it seems to fill the bill perfectly.  I happen to know where I went wrong and why my braciole looked like the two pieces of Princess Leia's cinnamon roll hairdo..or a cannoli, as opposed to...well...braciole. I was nervous to use the butcher's twine on the grill, so I used my 'chicken nails' to keep the braciole in place. The steak was specifically for braciole, but may be could have used a bit more thinning out. In any case, this recipe is awesome.  It's paired with grilled tomato relish, which is amazing and healthy. Also, if you have any experiences, good or bad, with using butcher's twine on a grill, leave me a post. On another note, Real Housewives of New Jersey's Teresa Giudice released her cookbook, Skinny Italian, this month. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! Check out her website for reviews and information.
Bobby Flay's Grilled Beef Braciole with Grilled Tomato Relish from foodnetwork.com
8 plum tomatoes
5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves


For the beef:
1 (2-pound) round steak, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil

Instructions:
3 (8-inch) pieces butcher's twine, soaked in cold water

Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish

For the grilled tomato-basil relish:
Heat the grill to high.Cut the tomatoes half, then brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the tomatoes on all sides until slightly charred and soft. Remove the tomatoes from the grill, chop and place in a bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, onion, vinegar, basil and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.


For the beef:
Heat the grill to high.Place the steak on a flat surface. Combine the cheese, parsley, oregano and garlic in a small bowl. Brush the steak on the side facing up with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the steak, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the sides. Starting with the long end, tightly roll the meat up like a jelly roll and tightly tie with the butcher's twine on the ends and in the center. Brush the entire outside of the steak with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill, seam-side up and grill until golden brown on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch thick slices. Serve several slices per person topped with some of the relish.

Some Like It Hot...Some Don't - 3 Days of Food Network Recipes

Last week, I was on a Food Network kick. Nothing fuels my passion for cooking more than watching an episode of Giada or Paula, or perusing the network's website for the top rated recipes. I tried to mix it up a little, choosing one shrimp dish, one beef dish and one chicken dish to prepare for the week. Since I made R.R's Spit Fire Shrimp first, I will start with that recipe. I made it last Monday, which was a day completely filled with chaos. I spent the morning running errands, bringing my son back and forth to pre-school, peeling my daughter off of chairs and chandeliers and tending to mountains of laundry. In short, my attention span was very limited.
I completely rushed to get dinner on the table. It took some time because I was intermittently cooking and prying my kids apart as they fought over Thomas the Train.
My kitchen smelled divine and the shrimp looked mouth watering. My husband can not wait for anyone else to start eating, so he dove in immediately. I noticed he wasn't commenting, just chewing slowly and thoughtfully. Then I noticed something funny. My husband is normally pasty white. I watched as his neck turned crimson and the heat moved up to his cheeks, then his forehead. Sweat dripped from his brow. He took a giant gulp of orange soda and said, "Wow! Spicy!" Now, I knew it would have a kick, I just didn't know how much of a kick. I took a bite. My eyes teared. My nose started to run. I breathed fire and nearly singed the dog's tail. In my case, I loved it. It is the kind of spicy I truly appreciate. As we finished dinner, I had a a moment of clarity. I had forgotten that I only made a half batch of shrimp for the recipe, so the sauce was a double dose of fire breathing hotness. OOPS! Up next: Bobby Flay's Grilled Bracciole

Rachael Ray's Spitfire Shrimp from foodnetwork.com
1 lime, juiced

2 ounces (1/4 cup) hot cayenne pepper sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon crab boil seasoning
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled and de-veined* (I used frozen)
12 to 15 blades fresh chives, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Combine lime juice, hot sauce, cumin, red pepper flakes and seafood seasoning blend.
Quickly saute garlic and shallots in oil and butter for 1 minute, add shrimp and cook 3 minutes, tossing and turning frequently. Dump pink, firm, cooked shrimp from hot pan into hot seasoning blend and toss in seasoning mixture to coat shrimp evenly. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve warm or chilled.

Beef and Snap Pea Stir Fry

As usual, I was combing the fridge and the cubbard for food to eat before it went bad. I had some fresh stew beef and some snap peas begging for my attention. I dusted off my wok(OK, I gave it a good washing with Palmolive) and set to work. If you look closely at the photo, you will notice not only snap peas, but good 'ole Green Giant Peas in the mix. Why, you ask? My kiddos like them a lot more. This is an easy dish to prepare, providing you have the right ingredients laying around your house.

Beef & Snap Pea Stir Fry (Serves 2 and 2 small kids)
1 LB Cubed Beef (think stew meat or shish kabobs.)
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Cup of water
2 Beef boullion cubes or 2 TSPS of beef boullion powder
1 TSP of Soy Sauce
1 TBSP of Teriyaki Sauce
1 Cup of cleaned Snap Peas
1 TSP of Powdered Ginger
1 TSP of Powdered Mustard
1 TBSP of  Minced Garlic
1 TSP of Pepper
1 Medium Can of Green Giant Peas(optional)
1-2 bags of Boil In Bag White or Brown Rice

Directions
Heat oil in the bottom of the wok. Add Snap Peas and saute until slightly tender. Add beef, boullion, water and spices. Add wok top, check and stir after 4-5 minutes. Add more water if needed. When beef is fully cooked and veggies are tender, add cooked rice(and optional peas) to the stir fry. Mix until rice is saturated with mixture.

Side Dishes as Main Meals:Orechiette with Toasted Bread Crumbs

I get bored with food easily. I am always in search of new sides, and the more unique a side is, the better I like it. I came across this recipe on a recipe blog the I belong to it. It's Giada D.'s recipe and it was generously provided for the blog by Elisha D. I was skeptical at first because the recipe sounded a little strange, but I pushed my fears aside and prepared it. I paired it with some grilled chicken. In short, the side dish was ravenously devoured with nothing left over, while the chicken sat untouched. From that point on, I made this dish solo. It is both yummy and filling. So, give this a shot and let me know what you think.
Orechiette with Toasted Bread Crumbs
1 pound dried orechiette or other small shaped pasta

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup Italian seasoned dried bread crumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup finely chopped prosciutto (I subbed cooked and chopped turkey bacon here)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saute pan, heat the oil until warm. Since the bread crumbs will cook quickly, you don't want to add them into a hot pan, otherwise they can burn. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly. Season lightly with salt and pepper since flavored bread crumbs may already have seasoning. Saute for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Drain pasta in a colander. Working quickly, add pasta to the saute pan and stir to combine. Add Parmesan and the chopped prosciutto. Mix thoroughly. Pour into large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.

Alexia Party:Burgers,Fries,Beers & Wine...Oh My!

It's been awhile, ladies and gents! Due to a huge storm, we lost power, internet, cable and phone for several days. It took me awhile to get up and running and my Alexia Dinner Party certainly seems like a good post to write to get back into the swing of things. I applied on houseparty.com to host a dinner party for Alexia products. In case you're not 'in the know', Alexia makes tasty, but healthy side dishes to compliment any meal. In case you're still not clued in, click here  visit the Alexia web site, view their side dishes and read their story. Shockingly, I was chosen to host a party.

     This was all well and good, however, I have never actually hosted a dinner party where I didn't serve bulk foods. For example, I can whip up a nice roast chicken, lasagna, or a pot of sauce and meatballs for a crowd, but I have never made singular individual courses for a small group. Based on the side dishes offered from Alexia, I decided to have a 'burger throwdown', using my favorite burger recipe from this blog. The two burgers which competed in the showdown were the famous Guinness Burgers and Rachael Ray's Grilled Lime Cilantro Burgers.  These were two huge hits in my house, so they were easy to choose. Which one was victorious amongst my small, but choosey dinner crowd?I will get to that shortly. I hit some bumps along the way between the shopping and the cooking. I had issues finding the Alexia side dishes. It wasn't that the stores didn't carry them, but they are such hot items, they sell quickly. I finally tracked down the Yukon Gold Fries, Sweet Potato Fries and Oven Roasted Potato Wedges. I was relieved to finally find them the day of the party. All should have been smooth sailing from that point on, right? Wrong. Big Wrong. Earlier in the week, I had done a Kate Gosselin style cleaning on my fridge - every pore, every ridge, crack or crevice in that fridge was wiped down, cleaned out out, tooth picked over and disinfected. For added measure, I added my little baking soda sachet to absorb anything malodorous. Then, a foul a mysterious odor began to arise from the fridge. I assumed it was the crumbled blue cheese I had purchased for the salad, but alas, this was not the case. The meat that I had purchased not even 24 hours before was rotting like a mouthful of teeth that had never met a toothbrush. The meat that I had specifically chosen and purchased at a high end grocery store. Needless to say, I will not be making a return visit to that store. In a panic, I sent my husband straight out to Foodtown to pick up new meat. I was late prepping the burgers, so dinner was a lot later than expected. My Guinness sauce was lacking something; thanks to Brenda and Patrizia, we experimented until we got it just right.  Brenda came to the rescue again, frying my shallots to the perfect degree of crispness. The mad rush to get the burgers,salad and sides to the table definitely caused some chaos (AKA - cold food and soggy fries), but all turned out well. A great time was had by all, capped off with a triple layer chocolate cake. Who was the winner of the burger shodown you ask? Chicken took first prize. I will sign off with a unique and tasty salad recipe I borrowed from Food and Wine magazine.

Mesclun Salad with Fried Shallots and Blue Cheese from Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

7 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar(I subbed Balsamic Vinegar here)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound mesclun
1/4 pound blue cheese, such as Valdeon, crumbled

Directions
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Add half of the sliced shallots and fry over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until they are browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried shallots to paper towels to drain. Fry the remaining sliced shallots. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the mesclun and blue cheese to the bowl and toss. Sprinkle the fried shallots over the mesclun salad and serve right away.