Archives for posts with tag: white wine

Chicken Francese with Noodles + Roasted Asparagus

July 17, 2015 //

Chicken Francese with Noodles

This is such an Italian-American dish. I grew up eating francese from the local pizza place. Since our move I’ve been pretty disappointed with my chicken francese take-out options. So, I had to find a recipe to make it myself and was super happy to find this recipe, which is based on Tyler Florence’s recipe. I added capers and skipped the scallions. Tried the corn starch, but I’m not sure that it really made that much of a difference.

4 skinless, boneless, thin chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Cornstarch, for dredging (or use flour)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
3 TB. water
1/4 cup avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, with rind, cut in thin rounds
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
capers, to taste

On a plate or wide bowl, beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of water. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.

Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the cornstarch or flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. When the oil is hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden, turning once. Remove the chicken cutlets to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine, broth, lemon juice and capers simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Roll the butter in some cornstarch or flour and add it to the skillet, this will thicken the sauce. Whisk to incorporate and dissolve the cornstarch/flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken to the pan; place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Noodles

Follow directions on the package

Roasted Asparagus

My go-to method of preparing asparagus.

1 bunch of asparagus – ends trimmed
olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss trimmed asparagus with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes until tender and a little bit browned. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese over to serve.

Tags asparagus, capers, chicken, lemon, noodles, white wine

Categories Meals

Endless Bounty

July 17, 2015 //

Last time I was 8 months pregnant the average temperature outside was 32 degrees. I felt pretty good, and my biggest complaint was that I didn’t always get a seat on the subway because I had to wear a big, winter coat which made it hard to tell that I was pregnant. Now, it’s a different story. It is hot and humid and I feel HUGE. I pretty much always get a seat on the subway, but I am exhausted!

Meanwhile, the markets are packed with produce and I am dying to cook. This week alone, I’ve picked up blueberries, cherries, nectarines, cucumbers, summer squash, tomatoes and even the first corn. It is awesome, but some nights after work I am just too tired to make anything. Fortunately, fruits and vegetables this time of the year are so delicious and fresh that you don’t have to do too much to enjoy them. Hopefully easy summer recipes will get me through the next few weeks!

The kitchen counter will look like this for the next few months.

Meal #1: Soy Lemon Skirt Steak with Arugula + Salted Potatoes
Meal #2: Swordfish Parmesan and Roasted Broccoli
Meal #3: Chicken Francese with Noodles + Roasted Asparagus
Meal #4: Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce + Sugar Snap Peas

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

broccoli – 1 large head
shallot – 2
garlic – 1 head
lemons – 5
sugar snap peas – 1 lb.
cherries – 1 cup
arugula – 1 bunch
asparagus – 1 large bunch
potatoes – 1 1/2 pounds
rosemary – 1 bunch
eggs – 1 dozen
white wine
red wine
low-salt chicken broth – 1 cup
butter (if you don’t already have it)
brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
garlic powder (if you don’t already have it)
capers (if you don’t already have it)
flour (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
butter (if you don’t already have it)
swordfish steaks (6-8 ounces per person), skin removed
skirt steak – 1 1/2 pounds
skinless, boneless, thin chicken breasts – 1 1/2 pounds
pork chops, bone-in – 1 per person, approx. 6-8 oz each

Tags arugula, asparagus, beef, broccoli, capers, cherries, chicken, fish, lemon, noodles, Parmesan, pork, pork chops, potatoes, red wine, rosemary, seafood, shallots, skirt steak, soy sauce, sugar snap peas, swordfish, white wine

Categories Meal Plans

Grilled Sausages and Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions

July 23, 2014 //

Grilled Sausages and Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions

This New York Times recipe is so easy and delicious. Since I don’t have a grill I broil my sausages for about 5-7 minutes and they are great.

2 lb. your favorite sausages
3 TB. olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 fresh thyme sprigs
salt and pepper
pinch of sugar
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb. green and/or wax beans, trimmed
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as basil and parsley

Prepare grill or preheat broiler. Grill or broil sausages until browned and blistered and cooked all the way through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare beans. Heat oil in a large skillet with a cover until shimmering. Add onion, thyme sprigs and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Saute over medium-high heat until onions are golden in spots and browned around the edges, about 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes and saute until they start to release their juices, 2 minutes. Add beans and white wine and toss everything in pan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 3 minutes. Uncover pan, add herbs and continue to cook. Toss beans occasionally, until liquid evaporates and beans are done to taste, 5 to 15 minutes, adding water to the pan if it dries out. Garnish with coarse salt if you like and serve hot or at room temperature, with sausages.

Tags beans, onions, sausages, tomatoes, white wine

Categories Meals

Hello Summer!

July 22, 2014 //

This is the best time of the year to cook and I’ve left you all stranded – I’m sorry! The thing is that while it is the easiest time to throw something delicious together, for me it has also been the busiest. In the last four weeks, I’ve been to Ottawa, Omaha, Vermont, Boston and Baltimore! Consequently, I have not had a chance to cook as much as I would like. But in Vermont, which was vacation, I had a chance to make a bunch of great, summertime dishes, many of which will show up here throughout the next several weeks.

Upon my return to New York I was greeted with all of summer’s best – green beans, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, corn and even the season’s first tomatoes! Total inspiration. This week’s recipes take advantage of the season’s bounty and none of them take too long to prepare so you have plenty of time to get out there and catch some fireflies!

I’ve been waiting all year for this!

Meal #1: Grilled Sausages and Summer Beans with Herbs, Tomatoes and Caramelized Onions
Meal #2: Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil + Corn on the Cob
Meal #3: Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Meal #4: Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Red Onion + Corn on the Cob

Note: For the next several weeks you will see a LOT of corn here. The season is so short so we tend to eat either corn on the cob or corn salad every night. You’ve been warned.

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

summer squash (such as zucchini and yellow crookneck) – 2-4, depending on size
shallots – 2
red onion – 2 large
thyme – 1 bunch
parsley – 1 bunch
basil – 1 bunch
cherry tomatoes – 2 pints
green and/or wax beans – 1 lb.
tomatoes – 3-4
corn – 1 per person for two separate meals
plums – 4
pasta (penne or rigatoni work well) – 1 box
fresh mozzarella – 1/2 lb.
sausages – 2 lb.
pork tenderloin – 1 1/2 – 2 lb.
skinless white flaky fish fillets (such as Atlantic cod or halibut) – 4 6-ounce fillets
white wine

Tags basil, beans, corn, fish, mozzarella, onions, Pasta, plums, pork, red onion, sausages, shallots, squash, tomatoes, white wine

Categories Meal Plans

Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil and Corn on the Cob

July 22, 2014 //

Fish Fillets with Tomatoes, Squash, and Basil

I LOVE this recipe, especially in the summer. It is so healthy and fresh-tasting and lets the best of summer’s produce shine. Some variations:

I’ve made this with halibut, cod, salmon and arctic char. You can really use any fish, although I’d probably stick to something on the thicker side so that it holds up.
Cooking time varies depending on the fish, so check it after 10 minutes, and plan for it needing a few more minutes if the fish is thick.
As you know, I don’t have a grill so I always do this in the oven, but I still use foil and it is fine.
If you don’t have white wine on hand you can substitute some lemon juice.

Corn on the Cob

My Mom taught me this method and it is tried and true. Please, no microwaves…

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

Tags basil, corn, fish, shallots, squash, tomatoes, white wine

Categories Meals

Roasted Salmon with White Wine Sauce and Sautéed Summer Squash and Spring Onions

June 20, 2014 //

Roasted Salmon with White Wine Sauce

I prepared the salmon the Pioneer Woman way, which is crazy easy. As the salmon finishes roasting you can prepare the white wine sauce, which is light but flavorful.

Sautéed Summer Squash and Spring Onions

2 zucchini – sliced
2 summer squash – sliced
1 bunch of spring onions (or 1 red onion) – sliced thin
2 TB. olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a saute pan and add zucchini, squash and onion. Saute for 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly translucent and browned slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tags chives, salmon, spring onions, summer squash, white wine

Categories Meals

Longest Day of the Year

June 16, 2014 //

Tomorrow we celebrate the longest day of the year. With days full of sand and sun and evenings full of fireflies and fireworks. My favorite time of the year… This morning Eliza and I enjoyed the gorgeous weather at Brooklyn Bridge Park. We rode Jane’s Carousel twice, walked along the water, played on a giant jungle gym shaped like a pirate ship and took our sandals off and ran through the grass. It was lovely.

Although we are just hours away from the official start of summer we still have a few more weeks to wait for tomatoes, corn on the cob and fresh green beans. Until then, we can still relish in spring’s bounty of asparagus, spring onions and peas. Hope you enjoy this week’s meals. And, I hope that all of you are enjoying the beginning of summer wherever you are.

Selfie in the grass

Meal #1: Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta
Meal #2: Roasted Salmon with White Wine Sauce and Sautéed Summer Squash and Spring Onions
Meal #3: Steak with Parmesan Butter, Balsamic Glaze, and Arugula
Meal #4: Roasted Wild Stripped Bass with Lemon, Olives and Rosemary and Roasted Fennel and Artichoke Hearts

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

zucchini – 2
summer squash – 2
spring onions – 1 bunch (or 1 red onion)
arugula – 2 large bunches or 1 large bag
asparagus – 1 bunch
peas – 2 cups
scallions – 1 bunch
fennel – 2 bulbs
chives – 1 bunch
rosemary – 1 bunch
parsley – 1 bunch
basil – 1 bunch
shallots – 2
lemon – 3
artichoke hearts – 2 cans
fettuccine – 1 box
heavy whipping cream – 1 small container
flour (if you don’t already have it)
brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
balsamic vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
ground chili pepper, preferably Turkish or Aleppo (if you don’t already have it)
pitted calamata or other good-quality black olives – 1/4 cup (if you don’t already have it)
white wine
pancetta – 3 ounces
rib eye steak – 2, 1 1/2 inches thick each
salmon fillet, skinless – 1 1/2 pounds
wild stripped bass fillet, skinless – 1 1/2 pounds

Tags artichokes, arugula, asparagus, balsamic vinegar, butter, chives, cream, fennel, fish, lemon, olives, pancetta, Parmesan, Pasta, peas, rosemary, salmon, seafood, spring onions, steak, summer squash, white wine, wild striped bass

Categories Meal Plans

Balance

April 2, 2014 //

We all juggle commitments to family, friends, work, our home, and of course, ourselves. Unfortunately, most of us don’t do a great job balancing these important aspects of our lives and at least one often gets neglected. I think some people are better at being out of balance than others, but I am not one of those people. I like routine and habit – I always have. Having Eliza really shook up a lot of the balance that I had carefully crafted and maintained over the years. Two years into motherhood, I think I have a better handle on how unscripted and unplanned life can be, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

One way that I’ve dealt with the imbalance, or rather the stress of living with it, is to cook. I realize cooking isn’t everyone’s remedy, but it is mine. There is something about reading recipes, organizing ingredients, prepping vegetables and preparing a meal that I find very therapeutic. Within a few minutes I am out of my own head and into the creation process, which is often what I need. I love the concentration that chopping an onion requires and the creativity that sparks when I stray from a recipe. This week was another busy week, beginning with my business trip to Madison, Wi. and ending with Patrick working an evening and having his usual Thursday night class. Fortunately, I got a few homemade dinners in to keep me on balance.

Tools for my “therapy”

Meal #1: Chicken Thighs with Shallots and Tomatoes
Meal #2: Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon
Meal #3: Roasted Cod with Potatoes and Olives
Meal #4: Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry + Rice

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

red, new potatoes – 2 lb.
ginger – 1 small piece
scallions – 1 bunch
red, yellow or orange peppers – 2
zucchini and/or summer squash – 2
snap peas – 1 cup
shallots – 12 to 15
leeks – 4
cherry or grape tomatoes – 2 pints
tarragon – a few sprigs
parsley – 1 bunch
lemon – 1
kalamata olives (if you don’t already have them)
soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
oyster sauce (if you don’t already have it)
rice wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
sesame oil (if you don’t already have it)
dijon mustard (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
white wine
eggs – 2
penne or another short pasta – 1 box
rice
chicken breast – 1 lb.
bone-in chicken thighs – 8
bacon – 6 slices
cod fillet – 6 to 8 oz. per person

Tags bacon, cheese, chicken, cod, eggs, fish, ginger, leeks, lemon, mustard, olives, Pasta, peppers, potatoes, poultry, rice, scallions, shallots, snap peas, squash, tomatoes, white wine, zucchini

Categories Meal Plans

Chicken Thighs with Shallots and Tomatoes

April 2, 2014 //

Chicken Thighs with Shallots and Tomatoes

The minute I read this recipe in a recent NY Times Magazine I knew I had to make it. It is essentially a one-pan dish, and uses some of my favorite ingredients – chicken thighs, shallots, white wine and mustard. It did not disappoint. The dish takes a bit longer than my typical, weekday dinners, so you may want to save it for the weekend. I also think it would be a wonderful dinner party dish since it looks so scrumptious and preparation is relatively hands-off once everything is in the pan. As the article suggests, serve it with a good baguette so you don’t waste a drop of the amazing sauce.

Tags chicken, mustard, poultry, shallots, tomatoes, white wine

Categories Meals

Cooking with Wine

March 14, 2014 //

Well, this week wasn’t any calmer than last. That may be why three out of the four recipes I choose for this week include white wine! Obviously, something is on my mind…

I do love to cook with wine. Like lemon juice or butter a little bit adds a ton of flavor and in a snap you can make a sauce to accompany almost anything. One of my rules for cooking with wine, which I learned watching Mario Batali, is to always use a wine you would drink on its own. This is great advice not only because you want to treat your dish with respect and not ruin it with something that doesn’t taste good, but also because it is nice to have a glass of wine while you cook. You don’t have to use a $30 bottle, but don’t use those “cooking wines” you sometimes see at the grocery store. There are enough decent $10ish bottles around these days which will do the job nicely. Note, the alcohol burns off as you cook so kids can eat any of these dishes.

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs + Roasted Potatoes with Green Beans
Meal #2: Swordfish Parmesan + Roasted Broccoli
Meal #3: Porchetta Pork Chops + Fennel with Shallots and White Wine
Meal #4: Chicken Piccata with Noodles + Green Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

red or yukon gold potatoes – 6 medium
broccoli – 1 large head
green beans – 1 lb.
fennel – 2 large bulbs
shallot – 2
lemon – 4
lettuce – 1 head or bag
rosemary – 1 bunch
fennel seeds
noodles- 1 bag
eggs – 2
garlic (if you don’t already have it)
flour (if you don’t already have it)
capers (if you don’t already have it)
red pepper flakes (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – 4-8 (depending on the size)
bone-in pork chops – 4
thin chicken cutlets – 1 ½ lb.
swordfish steaks (6-8 ounces per person)
white wine

Tags broccoli, capers, chicken, fennel, fish, garlic, green beans, lemon, noodles, Parmesan, pork chops, potatoes, poultry, rosemary, salad, seafood, shallots, swordfish, white wine

Categories Meal Plans

Chicken Francese with Noodles + Roasted Asparagus