TUSCAN CHICKEN BAKE

 

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If you only have about 10 minutes to prep for dinner, this recipe is for you! This dish is packed with protein and has so much flavor!

Ingredients

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp @chosenfoods 100% avocado oil spray
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup half & half (or you can use heavy cream)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• @chosenfoods chicken sauce (clean ingredients!)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.

2. Add the broccoli, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and chicken breast to your casserole dish.

3. Spray everything with avocado oil so the seasonings stick!

4. Season with your onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper!

5. Add your sun-dried tomatoes, minced garlic, and half & half!

6. Top with freshly grated parm & shreds mozzarella cheese and bake at 400F for about 30 minutes or until your chicken is fully cooked!

2d

Tomato Risotto with Seared Scallops

 

Article

Servings:4

Prep time:15minutes

Cooking time: 35minutes

Ingredients

Risotto

• 4 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup (250ml) crushed tomatoes (from a can)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• A pinch of crushed red pepper
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves only
• 1 ½ cups arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¾ cup white wine: L’Arpent des Vaudons
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan Parmigiano Reggiano

Scallops

• 12 U10 scallops or 20 U20 scallops
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Garnish

• Chives or herbs of choice for decoration

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, heat 4 ½ cups of vegetable broth with 1 cup of crushed tomatoes.
2. Prepare the risotto. In a large saucepan, sauté 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 chopped shallots for 2-3 minutes. Add 3 chopped garlic cloves, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme. Season with salt and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Then, add 1 ½ cups of arborio rice and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Sauté for 1 minute. Deglaze with ¾ cup of white wine and let it reduce.
4. At medium heat, gradually add the warm tomato broth: about 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently, then ensure there is no more liquid in the pan. Season. Repeat with the remaining broth (4 to 5 times). Cooking takes about 20 minutes. If the rice is still a bit firm, add a little water for an al dente texture.
5. When there are about 5 minutes left in the risotto cooking time, prepare the scallops. Remove the muscle from each scallop and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the scallops on both sides with salt.
6. In a cast iron or stainless steel skillet, heat over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sear the scallops. Cook for 2 minutes (without flipping them). After 2 minutes, flip the scallops. Reduce heat to low and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side (without touching them).
7. Finish the risotto. Add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and ¼ cup of grated Parmesan to the risotto. Adjust seasoning if needed.
8. Serve the risotto in bowls or shallow plates. Place scallops on top and garnish with chives or other herbs of choice.

Tomato Risotto with Seared Scallops and Crispy Pancetta

 

Article

ngredients:

Tomato Risotto: Dehydrated tomatoes*, tomato paste (tomato puree- UK),  fresh cherry tomato mix- quartered (red, yellow, orange), fresh basil, fresh rosemary, butter, olive oil, white wine, Parmigiano Reggiano, Arborio Rice (about 1/2 cup dry per person), one yellow onion (diced), homemade vegetable or chicken stock**

*Halve one pint of cherry tomatoes and place on a baking sheet, cut-side up. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and place in a convection oven at around 250° F (125° C). Prop the door open with a wooden spoon to allow the moisture to evaporate and leave the oven. WARNING: Your kitchen will smell unbearably good for a few hours while they cook. Remove when the tomatoes are completely dry.

**Use homemade stock as store-bought is usually super salty and doesn’t reduce well. I had some veggie stock in my freezer. For a quick and easy solution simmer carrots, celery, onion and rosemary in a pot with black peppercorns, bay leaves and a small amount of salt. It only needs about twenty minutes on the stove before adding to the risotto. If you are using stock that’s been refrigerated, warm it up on the stove and add some rosemary for extra flavor before using.

Pan-Seared Scallops: Dry sea scallops 4-6 per person depending on size, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, fresh lemon (to be used for field greens as well)

Rendered Pancetta: About 1/4 cup diced, uncooked pancetta per person

Field Greens: This dish works best with some nice peppery greens; if you can’t find a good mix of wild greens, you can substitute arugula (rocket), watercress, purslane, mustard greens or a mix of vibrant greens.

Method:

As always, make sure to read through the instructions before starting and be sure to taste as you go along. Use your instinct and sense of taste to adjust the seasoning as you go. There’s no exact science to it, but you can’t learn unless you try.

Tomato Risotto: 

This risotto is excellent on it’s own as well, either as a starter or as a main course. It has a really bold tomato flavor thanks to the three types of tomatoes used (dehydrated, tomato paste and fresh cherry tomatoes) which are all wonderfully accentuated by the fresh basil, rosemary and Parmigiano.

1. Begin by heating butter and olive oil in a medium sized pot over low heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and sweat over low heat for about 8-10 minutes being careful not to allow the onions to brown. Get your wooden spoon ready, there’s a lot of stirring to come.

2. Add the Arborio rice to the pot stirring until the rice is coated. Turn the heat up to medium-low and add the chopped rosemary and dehydrated tomatoes to the rice and stir again, cooking for about 2-3 minutes until the rice is toasted. The kitchen’s going to start to smell really good now.

3. Stir in about two Tbsp tomato paste and add the white wine (about 1/4 cup per portion). Maintain heat on medium-low and cook until the alcohol is cooked out.

4. Add about half of the quartered cherry tomatoes and stir into the risotto. Proceed to step 5 immediately.

5. Add one or two ladles full of stock to the pot and stir to incorporate.

6. Allow the risotto to cook until most of the liquid is evaporated, then repeat steps 5 and 6 until the risotto is about 95% cooked to the firmness you want.*

*You can check the risotto’s doneness by either tasting or rubbing a single grain between your fingers and seeing how much of the grain remains uncooked. Read the quote below for a good description from one of my favorite cookbooks.

From The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper:

A good risotto is tender but still a little firm to the bite- never mushy. Some prefer risotto creamier than others, but it is never soupy or dry. Risotto has flow and movement, yet enough substance to be mounded on a soup spoon.

7. To finish the risotto, shut the heat when the risotto is still just a bit more al dente than you’d like and stir in the rest of the tomatoes, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1/4 cup per portion) as well as a couple handfuls of roughly chopped fresh basil and a spoonful of butter.

Crispy Pancetta:

1. This part’s a lot easier. Start after your first ladle or two of stock in your risotto.

2. Place the diced pancetta in a small pot and place on a low burner. Let it go.

3. The fat will render out of the pancetta and it will eventually turn crispy.

4.  Strain out the fat and allow the pancetta to dry on paper towels.

Pan-Seared Scallops:

1. Always look for firm, white, dry scallops that aren’t falling to pieces. Remove the “foot” from each scallop and pat dry on clean paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper and start to get a large pan hot while finishing the risotto.

2. Over high heat, add a significant amount of canola or vegetable oil (enough so that the scallops will be about 1/8 of an inch deep when cooking).

3. Make sure the pan is very hot and carefully place your scallops in the pan, making sure not to splash the oil, and spacing them out enough so they’re not crowded in the pan.

4. Get a nice sear on the first side before flipping (time will vary according to the size of the scallops/heat of the pan).

5. Once the scallops have a good sear on each side, they should be just about finished. Dump any excess oil and lower the heat. Add a little butter and squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the scallops before transferring to a plate or paper towel to rest.

Assembling the Plate

Season the field greens with salt and pepper and lightly toss with fresh squeezed lemon and extra-virgin olive oil. Plate the risotto in a warm bowl, top with a small handful of greens, placing the scallops on top. Drizzle the plate with a EV-olive oil and sprinkle the pancetta over the plate. Enjoy!

Unstuffed Pepper Skillet

 

Article

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• Salt & black pepper to taste
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• ½ yellow onion diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 14.5 ounce petite diced tomatoes drained
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 cups instant white rice
• Beef broth (salted kind)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, diced peppers and onions. Stir until pieces are coated in oil and allow them to sauté 5 minutes, occasionally stirring. 
2. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink is visible within the meat then add the minced garlic and allow it to cook for an additional 30-45 seconds. 
3. Drain off any excess grease and season with onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
4. Add drained petite diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, instant rice and beef broth. (Follow the rice to water ratio on the box for how much broth to add). 
5. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer until rice is cooked thoroughly and the broth is absorbed. 
6. Serve & enjoy!

Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Beef

Article 

Ingredients

serves 6-8

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds beef roast 
• 2 cups shallots, thinly sliced
• 7 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 28 ounces pureed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil), minced
• 2 cups dry, red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 pound egg noodles, cooked or 4-5 Potatoes to make mashed potatoes
• 4 cups arugula

1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef and sear, turning as necessary, until it is a deep golden brown on all sides.
2. In the meantime, grease your Crockpot. Add shallots and garlic to the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the seared beef on top of the garlic and onions. Scatter the thyme and rosemary sprigs over the meat. Top with the pureed tomatoes, as well as the sun-dried tomatoes.
3. Pour the beef broth into the pan you used to sear the beef, making sure to scrape up  any little bits left there. Pour into the Crockpot, along with the red wine. Add more salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Cook on low for six to eight hours, until the meat is fork tender and falling apart. Remove the sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Using two forks, pull the beef into chunks or shreds.
5. Distribute the cooked egg noodles (of course, you could use polenta or cauliflower rice instead) among your serving bowls. Top each with a big handful or two of arugula.

Paloma Grapefruit sofa

 https://www.thespruceeats.com/paloma-cocktail-recipe-760852

Ingredients

• Lime wedge, for optional rim

• Coarse salt, for optional rim

• 2 ounces blanco or reposado tequila

• 1/4 to 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste

• 4 ounces grapefruit soda

Chicken Francese

 

Video

Chicken Francese…tried it for the first time in NY last year and fell in LOVE. This is my take ok? Also, might have done some false advertising with under 20 min but def under 30.

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts.
•  2 eggs.
•  1.5 tbsp milk or cream.
•  1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano.
•  2.5 tsp aleppo pepper.
•  2 (1 just for the zest, 1/2 kept whole, and half cut into wheels and then halved).
•  1/2 cup white wine.
•  16 oz chicken broth.
•  1 shallot (brunoise).
•  1 large garlic clove (minced).
•  1/4 cup parsley.
•  2 tbsp chives (more for topping).
•  5 tbsp unsalted butter.
•  1 tsp soy sauce.
•  1/4 cup flour.
•  salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts, then pound until desired level of thickness.

2. Whisk the eggs, add in 1 tsp aleppo pepper, the parm, milk and some seasoned salt.

3. Season your flour as well with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat a pan on high for 2 min. Add plenty of olive oil and lower to medium high.

5. Pat dry the chicken breasts, pass them through the egg wash.

6. Fry the chicken breasts on medium high until golden on both sides, about 2-3 min per side.

7. In another pan, preheat for 2 min as well. Add a bit of olive oil and the halved lemon wheels. Let them caramelize for about 2-3 min per side and remove.

8. On medium heat, add in the shallot and garlic. Deglaze with the wine and let it reduce by half. Add in chicken broth, lemon zest and soy sauce. Let it simmer until reduced by half. Should be like 10 min. 

9. Squeeze in juice of 1/2 lemon, add aleppo pepper and herbs. Cook together for 1 more min. Turn heat off, add the butter and emulsify.

10. Serve the chicken with the sauce, more chives, the charred lemons and black pepper.

Creamy Chicken and chorizo Loaded Potatoes

 

Video

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 500g maris piper potatoes peeled
• 2 tsp garlic granules
• 2.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 1.5 tsp oregano
• Salt
• Pepper
• 200g diced chicken breast

• 20g diced chorizo
• Tsp grated garlic
• Red onion diced
• Red pepper
• Tbsp tomato puree
• Crumbled chicken stock cube
• 100ml reduced fat cream (could sub for cream cheese)
• 50ml hot water
• 15g grated parmesan
• A couple of sprigs of fresh parsley chopped

1. Dice the potatoes into small cubes before seasoning with a tsp of garlic granules, smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Air fry for 20 minutes at 185 degrees celsius. Alternatively bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, season the chicken with tsp of garlic granules, smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Fry off the chorizo and remove from the pan. Add the garlic and onion until slightly softened before adding in the chicken. Cook until the chicken is almost done and then add the pepper.
4. Add the tomato puree, crumbled stock cube, cream, water, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and oregano. Return to medium heat for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
5. Stir through the grated parmesan.
6. Serve the chicken over the potatoes top with the fresh parmesan and crispy chorizo.

Calories per portion: 492 | Protein: 39.9g | Fat: 12.7g | Carbs: 51.9g

OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN

 

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OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN

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This is how you can make an incredibly flavorful, juicy chicken right in your home oven. All this needs is 5 minutes of prep, some time to soak in the flavors, and you just pop it all in the oven for easy meals all week long.

Here is how to make it:

1.Start with 2.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs. Trim off any excess fat to the extent you’d like, completely optional. Add it to a large bowl.

2.Let’s infuse the chicken with a ton of flavor - start by processing 1 medium yellow onion in a food processor. Add it to the chicken.

3.Add the juice of 1 lemon, 2 heaping tbsp tomato paste, and 2 heaping tbsp greek yogurt. This will really help tenderize the chicken further and add great flavor.

4.Lastly, the dry spices to bring everything together. Season with 3-4 pinches of salt, fresh cracked pepper, 1 tbsp thyme, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp urfa pepper (or Aleppo pepper or any other chili flakes).

5. Mix it super well, and ideally let this marinate for 2-6 hours, but even better overnight, but if you want to make it right away, you can.

6.When you’re ready to make it, preheat your oven to 425F. Remove chicken from the fridge and let it come up to room temp (about 30 mins) before popping in the oven. then pack the marinated chicken tightly into a bread loaf pan (about 8.5x4.5x2.5). Pop it into the oven for 50 mins at 425F.

7.Remove the chicken from the oven, carefully tilt the pan onto a glass bowl or container to remove the excess juices. Pour the juices over the chicken, then tilt the pan again onto the glass bowl or container to remove the excess juices and set the juices aside.

8.Flip the chicken onto a cutting board and cut into thin slices or strips.

9.Serve it up however way you want - as is, on top of a salad, on a power bowl, whatever! This stays well in the fridge in an airtight lid for 4-5 days.

Hugo Spritz Cocktail

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur, such as St-Germain
• 1 sprig mint, plus 2–3 sprigs for garnish
• 4 ounces Prosecco, chilled
• 1 ounce seltzer, chilled
• Lemon wheel, for garnish

Directions

1. Strip the leaves off one mint sprig. Lightly slap the leaves in the palm of your hand to release the oils, add to a chilled white wine glass.
2. Fill the glass with ice, then add in the St. Germain, chilled Prosecco and seltzer. Stir briefly to combine.
3. Garnish by placing a lemon wheel into the glass, alongside a bouquet of 2–3 additional mint sprigs.