65: Pan Braised Chicken / Herbed Garlic Cream Sauce / Green Beans

Yum, yum, yum, get in my tum! Ok, so that was really corny, but this dish is not! I must admit I’m not the biggest chicken fan in the world, but the woman enjoys it. Thus, I enjoy cooking it for her. I also had some heavy cream that I was either going to use or throw away, so I opted to use it.

The key to this recipe is using a really good white wine. Some argue that you don’t cook with wine you won’t drink, yet I don’t necessarily agree with that all the time. I did, however, buy Rombauer Chardonnay to make this dinner. The bright and intense floral and tropical fruit flavors as well as the buttery nature of this wine do wonders for this sauce. You shall not be disappointed.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 chix breast filets, 6 oz each

1/2 pound fresh green beans

1 large shallot, sliced lengthwise

2 garlic cloves, chopped

3 large cremini mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup white wine

3 tablespoons total of minced rosemary and thyme

Flour

Olive oil

Butter

Salt + pepper

Chicken and sauce—Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Cook until butter stops foaming, about 3 minutes. Sweat shallots until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove shallots and set aside. Now brown the chicken in the same pan, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove chicken and set aside. Add white wine and reduce by half. Now add shallots back as well as mushrooms, cook for a couple minutes. Lower heat to medium and add cream, simmer for a few minutes. Add herbs with salt and pepper, and simmer this for another couple minutes. Add chicken breasts back to this pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside when finished. Add a tablespoon of flour to the sauce and simmer on low for 5 minutes to create thickness and creaminess, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce over chicken using a slotted spoon. You don’t want a ton of sauce because of its demi glace like nature – highly concentrated.

Green Beans—Pretty standard set up here. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté green beans for 5 minutes with salt and pepper.

Plate, serve, and enjoy!

64: Smoked Turkey Legs in "Liquid Gold" / Garlic Asparagus

Okay, so I cheated a little on this one. I didn’t smoke the turkey legs myself. I bought them, amongst other things, from an organic farm in Minnesota. It was actually a nightmare getting my order from this farm, but that is another story for a different type of blog.

If you haven’t had a liquid gold sauce, you truly are missing out on one of the culinary world’s delights. Liquid gold is a mustard demi glace sauce, and it matches so well with many meats. It’s also easy to make.  What are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen!

Ingredients and Directions:

2 pre-smoked turkey legs

2 tablespoons stone ground Dijon mustard

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 stick butter

3 tablespoons total of Rosemary and Thyme, finely chopped

Asparagus

2 garlic cloves, minced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Turkey Legs—Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and cook turkey legs for about 15 minutes.

Liquid Gold – Reduce the white wine by half over high heat, about 10 minutes or so. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half as well, about another 10 minutes or so. Add the mustard and herbs with salt and pepper, and simmer for a few minutes on high heat to meld the flavors. Keep warm.

Asparagus – Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté asparagus with garlic, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes.

Plate and enjoy!

63: Braised Thyme-Crusted Pork Loin / Red Bell Pepper, Fennel & Leeks / Fuji Apple Cider Reduction

Pork: The Other White Meat. I love cooking pork because it has versatility like chicken but tastes better.  Fennel and leeks are stapes in my kitchen, and my fridge is stocked with different bell peppers at the moment because they were on sale – winning! The only thing I had to pick up for this recipe was the apple, and I was happy to go to the store because it was gorgeous here today.

This recipe could be cooked in the oven, but I chose to do it in one pan. The result is a mildly sweet, definitely tangy dish with a hearty cut of meat. Be sure to get the boneless center cut pork loin instead of just plain old pork chops. The best part of this meal, I think, was the unexpected leftover broth that was magnificent with a crusty artisan baguette. Enjoy La Vielle Ferme White Cotes du Luberon Blanc with this dinner – soft, balanced, and aromatic.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 boneless center cut pork loin

1/2 fennel bulb, julienned
1 large leek, julienned

1 medium Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and sliced in quarters

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup chicken stock

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1/3 stick butter

Olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
Cider vinegar)
Salt and pepper

 Before you start anything, remove meat from the fridge, so they can come to room temperature – it cooks faster this way. Dredge pork through fresh thyme with healthy amounts of salt and pepper sprinkled over each side of the pork. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Sear each filet for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add all of the veggies, plus salt and pepper, and sauté them for a few minutes. Be sure to stir and toss. Now add butter and stir until fully melted. Place apples around the edge of the pan, splash the cider vinegar over them, place pork in the center, and top off with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Plate and enjoy!

62: Blackened Mahi Mahi / Roasted Pineapple & Mango Salsa

It was one of our typical Washington, DC hot and humid summer days that had our window AC units working overtime to keep the apartment cool. I wanted to make something that would be seasonal and not require too much stove action. I had some mahi filets that needed using, and I instantly thought of blackening them with a fruit salsa. The dish is at once spicy thanks to the spice rub and tangy sweet and savory thanks to salsa mix and the sautéing of the pineapples. We drank Graham Beck Chenin Blanc to wash it all down.

Ingredients and Directions:

2 mahi mahi filets

1/2 cup diced pineapple

1/2 cup diced mango

1/4 cup minced green bell pepper

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced firm ripe tomato, seeded and pulp removed

1-2 limes, juiced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt and ground pepper

Paprika

Old Bay seasoning

Olive oil

Fish—Prepare your mahi mahi by creating a blackened rub. Mix together 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, 2 tablespoons of old bay seasoning, and a 1/2 teaspoon of paprika in a measuring cup. Spread the seasoning on a plate, and toss the filets into the spice rub until well covered. Heat a cast iron plate with a thin layer of olive oil over medium high heat. Add filets and turn up heat to high to ensure proper blackening. Cook for 3 minutes per side. It’s normal for the spices to smoke a little bit on the pan, so be sure to use that stove fan if you have it.

Salsa – Sauté pineapple in just a splash of olive oil with a little brown sugar for about 3 minutes. Remove pineapple with a slotted spoon, and mix all the fruit, veggies, and cilantro together in a bowl really well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to meld flavors. Remove about 10 minutes prior to serving fish.

Plate and enjoy!

61: Veal Scallopini / Mushroom Marsala / Kale & Red Bell Pepper Salad

Veal, yes, veal in all its succulent and tender glory is draped in a savory mushroom marsala sauce, finished with earthy kale and sweet red bell pepper. I was surprised to see veal cutlets at the Safeway because they’ve never been known to carry such things in the past. Recipe ideas immediately began swirling through my head, and I just had to buy some of the cutlets. Here is what I ended up making that night. It’s quick and delicious – what more could you ask more?

Ingredients and Directions:

4-6 veal cutlets (about 3 oz each)

Handful of sliced baby bellas

1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 cup semi-sweet Marsala
1/4 cup dry white wine (can substitute chicken broth or water)
Leaves of 1 fresh rosemary sprig, chopped

2 handfuls of kale, shredded

1/2 a red pepper, thinly julienned

1/4 stick butter

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup flour

Minced parsley for garnish

Veal-- Sprinkle the veal with salt and pepper, and dredge the cutlets through flour. Heat half of the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add the cutlets when butter finishes foaming, and cook the cutlets until golden brown – no more than 2 minutes per side. Transfer veal to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Sauce-- Add the rest of the butter and another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Saute shallot and smashed garlic cloves until fragrant, about 30-45 seconds. Now add the mushrooms with salt and pepper, and saute them until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the marsala wine and reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and rosemary to deglaze the pan, and reduce by half once more, about 4 minutes. Add veal cutlets back to this pan, and toss them in the sauce for 1 minute.

Salad-- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add kale and bell pepper with salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, tossing the kale enough to wilt it down without having all the oil sopped up at once.

Plate, garnish, and enjoy!