QUICK CHICKEN WEEK - CHICKEN WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND CAPERS

Who doesn't love chicken in tomatoes.....YUM! I add some garlic, shallots and capers to add a little sweet/tangy addition to the tomatoes. Again, this recipe is best with chicken cutlets which are thin sliced boneless breasts. If you cannot find cutlets, buy boneless breasts and slice them in half lengthwise and pound to about 1/2 inch thick. Olives would be a nice addition but carry a few calories!!!

Ingredients:

4 chicken cutlets
3 tbl olive oil
5 garlic cloves minced
2 shallots minced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup capers drained and rinsed
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
salt
pepper
fresh basil chopped for garnish

In a saute pan heat 2 tbl olive oil in a pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and add to the pan. Cook on each side about 3 minutes and transfer to a plate to keep warm. To the same saute pan, add remaining oil. Cook garlic and shallots to the pan. Saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth and capers. Cook about 5 minutes and serve over chicken and garnish with basil leaves.
Serve with steamed vegetables or a nice dinner salad. The chicken portion has about 300 calories per serving!!!

It's about Quick Chicken!
ENJOY!

CHICKEN WEEK - APRICOT CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLI

If you like the saltiness of soy sauce and the sweetness of apricot preserve...this is the one for you. I buy chicken cutlets which are just boneless chicken breasts sliced in half length wise. If you can't find cutlets, just slice the boneless breasts and place plastic wrap on top of each piece and pound them thin to about 1/2 inch thick. They cook VERY fast so keep your eye on them.

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken cutlets

3 tbl olive oil

1 garlic clove minced

1 shallot minced

1 lb broccoli florets small pieces

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

3 tbl apricot preserve

1-1/2 tbl low sodium soy sauce

2 tbl fresh lime juice

1 tsp red pepper flake (optional)

salt

pepper

Italian parsley for garnish

In a large sauce pan, heat water to boil and add broccoli with a tsp salt. Blanch for about 5 minutes, drain and place on platter and keep warm. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbl olive oil in a saute pan and add chicken. Saute about 3 minutes a side and transfer to the broccoli platter and keep warm. To the same saute pan add remaining tbl olive oil, garlic, red pepper flake and shallot. Quickly saute about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, apricot preserve and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Cook one minute. Remove from heat and add lime juice. Spoon sauce over chicken and broccoli and garnish with parsley.

Only about 400 calories in the Whole dish!!!!

ENJOY!

FRIDAY SUPER BOWL COCKTAIL - LINEBACKER LIMEADE

Well Steeler and Packer fans....at least you are still ready for some football. Here is a tart, frothy and wonderfully refreshing beverage for your upcoming BIG DAY!

6 (12 oz) lighter beers like Budweiser or Corona
1 (12 oz) can frozen limeade concentrate
Half of a lime

Combine frozen limeade in a big pitcher with the beer. Allow the foam to settle and squeeze in the lime. Serve in chilled glasses or over ice.

Great with your favorite Super Bowl snacks!
ENJOY!

ONE POT DISH - BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS!!!!

Yes it is winter! Yes it seems to be snowing everywhere! And, Yes your kids are out on a snow day AGAIN! This is a great one-dish meal that is as delicious as it is CHEAP! Chicken thighs are super affordable and when you braise them they stay juicy and have much better flavor than their white meat friends. Frankly add whatever you've got in the pantry/frig to this dish...it all works. If you don't like chipollini onions you can add frozen pearls or shallots or leeks. This serves about 6 adults.

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken thighs (trim the fat)

5 carrots cut to 1 inch thick

6 garlic cloves diced

1 pkg chipollini onions, wrappers removed

3 lbs small red potatoes halved

4 tbl olive oil

2 tbl flour

1 cup cider vinegar

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 tbl tomato paste

4 tbl unsalted butter

2 tbl flat leaf parsley chopped

1 tbl fresh thyme chopped

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Place thighs skin side down in the pot and cook over medium high heat until the thighs are golden brown on both sides. Transfer them to a plate.

Spoon off all but about 2 tbl of oil from the pot and add carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes. Cook over low heat until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir for a minute. Add vinegar and tomato paste. Scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot and stir until everything is incorporated. Bring sauce to a boil and cook until sauce thickens. Add the broth, and thyme and season with salt and pepper and return chicken to the pan skin side up. Transfer to the oven and cook for an hour.

Preheat your low setting on your broiler and transfer the chicken and potatoes to a baking sheet. Broil until they are crisp on the outside. While you broil, also simmer the sauce on the stove top until it reduces a bit, about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter. Add the parsley, chicken and potatoes back to the pot and serve. The house will smell magnificent.

Perfect with a nice chardonnay!!!

ENJOY!

LINGUINE WITH SHRIMP AND GARLIC BREADCRUMBS

Garlic and Bread??!!!! What is not to love. I make extra of these and sprinkle them on everything! To make the breadcrumbs cut a good loaf of French or Italian bread into chunks and then toss in the food processor until they are fully ground.

This is another quick and easy pasta dish. I often add a seasonal vegetable to this which I add right before the shrimp so they cook through since the shrimp only takes a few minutes.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs peeled, cleaned shrimp

9 cloves of garlic minced

1 shallot finely diced

1/2 cup Italian parsley chopped

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

10 tbl olive oil

1/4 cup capers drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh grated lemon zest

1 (12 oz) box of linguine

parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Heat 4 tbl olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and half the garlic. Saute until they are crisp, about 10 minutes and reserve in a bowl. In the same saute pan heat 6 tbl olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and remaining garlic to the pan and any vegetable you may choose. Saute for about 2-3 minutes depending on the vegetable. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Saute for about 3 minutes until they become opaque. Stir in the half the parsley, capers and lemon zest.

Cook pasta according to package instructions and add it to the shrimp along with 1/2 cup of the pasta liquid. Mix in 1 cup of the garlic breadcrumbs, adding more pasta water if you think it is too dry. Mix in remaining breadcrumbs and top with remaining parsley.

You Will Love This!

ENJOY!

LOW CARB DAY - PORK TENDERLOIN

5 carbs...5 carbs....

I hear you Bernie....just substitute the peppers for other vegetables like, green beans, asparagus, zucchini..you catch my drift. It won't change the carb number. This is also low in calories (215 per serving) and offers some iron, and calcium....go for it!!!

Ingredients:
1 lb pork tenderloin cut into 1 inch medallions
1 red pepper cut into strips
1 yellow pepper cut into strips
2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1 shallot minced
3 garlic cloves minced
4 anchovy fillets mashed (or 3 tbl minced olives)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbl olive oil
salt
pepper

Heat oil in a saute pan. Lightly season the pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan and saute for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat and flip pork. Add shallot, garlic, 1 tsp rosemary, thyme, anchovy and peppers to the pan and cook until peppers are soft...about 8-10 minutes. Add vinegar and toss. Serve with remaining rosemary sprinkled on top. Great with roasted red potatoes, mashed potatoes...or a nice salad to keep the carbs down.

HEADING FOR KEY WEST..IN A CAR THANK GOODNESS!!!
ENJOY!

CONCH FRITTERS - SORT OF!

So NO I did not blog yesterday...I had every intention....but I boarded a plane to head south...it was, as my husband and I determined later, the second scariest flight of my life....yes I cried...

I was a bit spent, so blogging was out of the question...we went to a sweet Miami restaurant and had conch fritters and lots and lots of wine....

While for most of us, conch is unavailable...just substitute scallops, shrimp, clams or a mild fish like snapper.

2 lbs seafood of your choice coarsely chopped

1/2 each of green, red and yellow pepper finely chopped

2 shallots finely chopped

1 garlic clove minced

1 celery stalk finely chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flake

1 tbl fresh Italian parsley

1 tbl dry thyme

1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional)

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

water

canola oil

Mix flour and salt and dredge fish in it. Add the veggie mixture to the flour and fish. Add enough water to create balls with a consistency thick enough to fry. You can adjust with more flour or water. Fry the fritters in canola oil until golden brown. Make a dipping sauce of equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup. To that add to taste chipotle, horseradish and/or bbq sauce.

TO BEING A BETTER FLYER!

ENJOY!