Author: stevesacooking

Chicken Cutlets on Spaghettini with Toasted Pine Nuts and Raisins
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Chicken Cutlets on Spaghettini with Toasted Pine Nuts and Raisins

Lyn found this in the Boston Globe the only change we would make is add sundried tomatoes and add when the raisins are added.

The key to a romantic dinner at home is to keep it simple. Something quick can be just as impressive and elegant as a restaurant meal. For this dish, take thinly sliced chicken breasts and serve them with a white wine sauce made with pine nuts and raisins. If you can’t find ready-sliced skinless, boneless chicken cutlets, ring the butcher’s bell and ask the butcher to slice some or slice your own at home; one pound of chicken yields about four cutlets. Coat the chicken cutlets lightly with seasoned flour and pan-fry them. Take them out of the pan and start the sauce. Toast pine nuts first with a touch of garlic (hey, if you’re both eating it at the same time, nothing to worry about). Add raisins, rosemary, and white wine, simmer the sauce, reheat the chicken in it, and swirl in butter off the heat. Serve the cutlets on spaghettini; you can boil it while you cook the chicken. You’ve got the rest of the bottle of wine that didn’t go into the pot, a nice dish, and a quiet table away from the craze of a crowded restaurant.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup flour
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1-pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut up
  • ¼ pound spaghettini (This is #3 spaghetti)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

How

1. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet in the flour and shake lightly to remove the excess.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Add the pine nuts to the pan, and toast for 3 minutes, or until they are aromatic and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

4. Add the raisins, rosemary, and wine. Bring to a simmer and return the chicken to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter. Swirl the pan gently until the butter is incorporated.

5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghettini and cook, stirring occasionally, for 9 to 10 minutes, or until it is tender but still has some bite. Drain without rinsing and divide between two plates. Spoon chicken cutlets and sauce on each and sprinkle with parsley.

Pan fry 3-5 minutes until golden and remove to plate
Toast pine nuts then add wine, raisins, rosemary bring to boil and then bring to simmer
Swirl in butter add chicken back in and simmer for 5-9 minutes
place chicken on top of bed of spaghettini and top with sauce
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. we served with a slow rise olive bread from Nashoba Brook Bakery

What the heck is slow rise and what are some Benefits of Slow Rise Breads?

Another batch of Tomato soup.
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Another batch of Tomato soup.

Joke in my house is I love making soups but rarely have more than a bowl. I made another batch of Oven Roasted Tomato Soup. Love this soup you can add after things like rice (my favorite because Mom used to make Campbell’s tomato soup with milk and add rice after), corn, cilantro and more to tweek depending on your mood.

Note that I tried a can of the Campbell’s soup and ugg kind of like when I tried Mcdonalds what did I just eat a while back. Makes you think about younger taste buds.

Crispy Fired chicken via Instant Pot and Airfryer
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Crispy Fired chicken via Instant Pot and Airfryer

Ingredients

  • Chicken thighs
  • Garlic cloves
  • Onion
  • Rosemary
  • Kosher salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Crispy Breading

Coating

  • Gluten Free Panko breadcrumbs
  • Olive oil
  • Unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt to taste

Egg Wash part all in shallow bowl or plate

All-purpose gluten free flour or corn starch

Extra large eggs

Panko bread crumbs

How

  1. Pressure Cook the Chicken Thighs: Add onion, garlic, and rosemary to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Pour in 1 cup of cold running water and place a steamer basket into the pressure cooker. Place chicken thighs in the basket. Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure for 6 minutes (small thighs) to 9 minutes (large thighs). Turn off the heat and Full Natural Release (roughly 10 minutes). Open the lid carefully.
  • Prepare the Crispy Breading: While the chicken thighs are pressure cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 – 1½ cup of panko breadcrumbs to the skillet. Toast the breadcrumbs until golden brown. Taste and add a small amount of kosher salt for seasoning.
  • Check with a food thermometer to ensure the chicken thighs have reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F on the thickest part without touching the bone. Remove the chicken thighs from the pressure cooker.
  • Meanwhile preheat oven: Preheat Air Fryer to 400°F while the pressure cooker is natural releasing. I suppose if you have one of the new ones or and adapter for the instant pot you will have to wait.  I have found that preheating the air fryer helps with the crispiness of whatever I’m cooking.
  • Pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towel. Lightly season with salt and ground black pepper.
  • Lightly coat the chicken thighs with flour, dip them into the beaten eggs, and cover them with toasted buttery breadcrumbs. Very light spray of cooking oil on tray then place the chicken thighs in the Air Fryer quick another quick spray. I mean quick does not need much, and for roughly 5 to 10 minutes until the toasted breadcrumbs stick onto the chicken.

Note: I suppose you could make a gravy from the drippings in the instant pot but I prefer my fried chicken naked so to speak.

Now enjoy. This was gluten free from my wife, but I can’t wait to try with a traditional southern fried chicken coating anyone have suggestions.

Tried another batch this time I marinaded the thighs in buttermilk overnight and used italian breadcrumbs. Getting there but not quite up to southern fried chicken

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Roasted White Cabbage

The cabbage come out sweet and tender and is actually very good for you 9 Impressive Health Benefits of Cabbage

  • 1 small head of cabbage cut into 8 wedges
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Lemon

How

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

  • Brush both sides of each cabbage wedge with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper over each wedge. Arrange wedges on a baking sheet.
  • Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; flip cabbage and continue roasting until browned and charred in some areas, about 15 minutes more. Squeeze lemon over each wedge.
I forgot to take a picture so I borrowed this ione from www.seriouseats.com
I forgot to take a picture so I borrowed one from web at www.seriouseats.com
Air Fryer Parmesan Coated Pork Chops
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Air Fryer Parmesan Coated Pork Chops

I love pork chops, bone in, boneless, stuffed, fried mostly like the taste of the crunchy fat…shhhh don’t tell Lyn she would not approve. Anyway, I wanted to try something different in the air fryer so I looked at a lot of recipes and came up with my take. My only complaint is that it was maybe a little too salty, Cooking Channel salty if you know what I mean. But parmesan cheese does have a lot of salt. Any suggestion on the salt let me know.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 boneless pork chops
  • 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

How

  1. I like to quick brine pork especially if I’m grilling. Water, Honey and about a tablespoon of salt for about 15 minutes. Rinse when done with fresh water.
  2. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels, then coat both sides with oil.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine Parmesan and spices. Coat both sides of pork chops with Parmesan mixture.
  4. Place pork chops in basket of air fryer and cook at 375-400° for 9 minutes, flipping halfway through. Depending on the size you may need to adjust the time. I use an instant read thermometer about 145 degrees internal.
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My new retirement office

Simple Meatloaf with Roasted cabbage
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Simple Meatloaf with Roasted cabbage

This is another on my own recipes since Lyn was doing a fast and does not enjoy a simple meatloaf. She prefers these recipe Martha Stewarts Mom’s, Triple Play Meatloaf (gluten free) Spicy Southwestern Meatloaf Minis, there are some others but that’s enough for now. Anyway, I threw this together and enjoyed with some roasted white cabbage that Misfits sent.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef .
  • 1 clove garlic or substitute 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • 1 small red onion Note: any onion will do.
  • 1/2 cup of Italian flavored breadcrumbs Note: about 2 slices of bread with crust.
  • ¼ cup goat milk. Note: cow milk will do Lyn was on a non dairy kick.
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce.
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried sage leaves. Note: If you are going to use fresh then 1 teaspoon chopped fresh.
  • ¼ teaspoon salt.
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mustard.
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
  • 1 large egg.
  • 1/3 cup ketchup. Note: chili sauce or barbecue sauce good sub.

How

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, break up the beef into small pieces, using a fork or spoon.
  3. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
  4. Peel the onion, and chop enough of the onion into small pieces to measure 3 tablespoons.
    1. Wrap remaining piece of onion, and refrigerate for another use.
  5. Add the garlic and onion to the beef.
  6. Add breadcrumbs to beef mixture.
  7. Add the goat milk, Worcestershire sauce, sage, salt, mustard, pepper and egg to the beef mixture. Mix with a fork, large spoon or your hands until the ingredients are well mixed.
  8. Place the beef mixture in an ungreased baking sheet pan.
    1. Shape into approximately 8×4-inch loaf on the sheet pan, then spread the ketchup over the top.
  9. Bake uncovered 50 to 60 minutes until meat and juices are no longer pink or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 160°F and center of loaf is no longer pink*. Let the loaf stand 5 minutes so it will be easier to remove from the pan. Remove loaf from pan and cut into slices.

Roasted White Cabbage

The cabbage come out sweet and tender and is actually very good for you 9 Impressive Health Benefits of Cabbage

  • 1 small head of cabbage cut into 8 wedges
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Lemon

How

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

  • Brush both sides of each cabbage wedge with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper over each wedge. Arrange wedges on a baking sheet.
  • Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; flip cabbage and continue roasting until browned and charred in some areas, about 15 minutes more. Squeeze lemon over each wedge.
I forgot to take a picture so I borrowed this ione from www.seriouseats.com
I forgot to take a picture so I borrowed one from web at www.seriouseats.com
Orange Juice and Honey Salad Dressing
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Orange Juice and Honey Salad Dressing

Lyn found this online @ behealthful so I made a batch this morning and now I can’t wait until lunch.

What and How

Ingredient

  • 1/3 cup Orange Juice
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp Raw Honey
  • 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

Online it said to add to a jar and then shake like heck. we prefer the blender on dressing setting. it takes a while to settle but think it blends the flavors better. I made a double batch.

Now I watch the clock until Lunch!

Pan Seared Oven Roasted Porkchops with Roasted Veggies
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Pan Seared Oven Roasted Porkchops with Roasted Veggies

Got some orange beets, butternut squash, red and orange peppers and red onions from Misfits and had just receive some pork chops from Butcher Box so I figured this would make a good meal.

Porkchops

I like to do a quick brine soaking in salt, sugar and water for about 15-20 minutes. Keeps the meat moist especially if grilling outdoors. Then I take a preheated cast in pan and pan sear one side for about 4-6 minutes flip and finish in the oven. Make sure you dry the pork chops with paper towel then salt and pepper before you place in the pan. if you don’t do this you will end up streaming the meat rather searing. This time I had some red wine left over from a nice basket off goodies I got from my retirement party at work. So when I placed in oven I poured the remaining about a cup in the pan and roasted for about 4-6 minutes until done. Hey it was either have a second glass of wine or try something new. My theory was it would braise but silly me braising is done on low heat so the wine quickly evaporated. However, the taste of the wine did come through so it was not a total maitake.

I had already roasted the veggie in a 425 oven.

The veggies as mentioned above,  were tossed in oil and spices but I added 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and roasted until done turning  half way through total time about 25 minutes. Really like the addition of vinegar.

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Retired

You can tell I retired as of Jan 3 this year and I’m starting to post things again. Been working since I was 12 or 13 thought it was about time to take a break.