What's for dinner: Chicken in salsa, spicy chick peas and asparagus in feta vinaigrette

Chicken in salsa is one of our favorite ways to cook chicken. Like many of my recipes it was born from an idea I got while perusing another recipe. I wanted to cook chicken one night and was stuck between two recipes. One recipe was for a baked chicken with lemon and olives. The other one had something to do with marinara sauce. I liked the idea and thought about merging the two recipes together. But I had no marinara sauce and didn't really have the patience or the desire to whip one up from scratch. What I did have, what was staring me in the eye from a shelf in the pantry was a jar of salsa. I looked at the recipes, I looked at the salsa. A new recipe was born!

Salsa Chicken
4 chicken breasts, trimmed, filleted and cut in half
1 large jar of mild or medium salsa
1/2 can of pitted olives, or 1/4 cup of pitted Kalamata olives
2-4 tbs good olive oil
garlic salt, sea salt and ground pepper to taste

This could not be an easier meal to cook on a week night or even at the end of a long weekend day. I have a thing with chicken. It simply must be browned. I cannot eat pale chicken. So while I bake this in the oven,
I do brown the chicken on the stove before hand. I am careful about the mess I create and the clean-up involved since it inevitably falls back on me to clean up the mess that I've created. I lightly sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder on each piece of chicken. The chicken then gets sauteed for a few minutes each side for a nice golden, brown color. From there it goes into a shallow, oven safe baking dish, that has already been filled with the salsa. I place each piece of chicken (1 breast cut into 4 pieces) in the salsa and place the dish in the oven at 375 for anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes. The chicken will not over-dry. The salsa  will keep the meat nice and moist. If you are worried, feel free to cover the top of the dish with aluminum foil or such.

Once the chicken has all been cooked and placed into the oven, place the chick peas, into the already hot pan. They will pick up some of the flavor and turn a pretty brown color. Season with cumin, garlic powder and sea salt to your liking. (Taste as you cook to see how you prefer to adjust the flavors.)

Spicy Chick Peas
2 cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed
cumin, garlic powder and sea salt to taste
1 -2 tbs good quality olive oil

When the chick peas are cooked, remove from heat and place into the serving dish you plan to use. You can always reheat in the microwave if necessary.

In the same pan, add the olive oil. (You can boil or steam the asparagus) fill halfway with water and add 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil. Place the asparagus in the pan and cook for 3 - 5 minutes. While the veggies are cooking you will prepare the Feta Vinaigrette. The asparagus should be tender enough to pierce through easily with a fork. When the asparagus is cooked, drain the hot water and plunge them into an ice bath for about 30 seconds. Removed the asparagus and drain to dry on a kitchen towel.


Asparagus with Feta Vinaigrette (from The Naptime Chef)
2 pounds fresh asparagus, peeled and trimmed
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt plus more as needed
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
1/2 cup ( 2 oz) crumbled feta cheese

Chicken in Salsa

Spicy Chick Peas

Asparagus in Feta Vinaigrette

Bon Appetit!

Jessica

Sauteed Chicken Fettuccine with Creamy Lemon and Olive Pesto

This recipe was born from a mistake. Pesto was planned all along, but somehow this version was creamier than the rest. Perhaps because I was not really paying attention, perhaps because I eyeballed instead of following the recipe I usually use... whatever reason, the pesto was less green than it usually is and seemed much creamier. It was outstanding so I'd made a mental note of what I had done. And the good news is there's a ton leftover for another day!

Creamy Lemon and Olive Pesto

1 large package of basil (close to 1 fully packed cup)
1 1/3 cup of olive oil
4 cloves of crushed garlic
1 cup of pitted or canned Kalamata or black olives
3/4 cup of toasted almond (pine nut or walnut) pieces
Juice and zest from 2 large lemons
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (My use of shredded as opposed to grated, could that be what made this recipe so thick and creamy?)
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

I made this is my blender but I should have done it in my food processor. It was too thick for my blender to handle.

In a food processor add the basil, olive oil, lemon and zest, toasted nuts (optional) and Parmesan. Blend until you get a thick (like a milkshake) consistency. Add the olives and pulse so that they are chopped but you can still see small pieces. When you've achieved the mixture you've desired take a taste and add the salt and or pepper to taste. Admittedly this looked a lot like a Shamrock shake!

Cook the fettuccine per instructions on your package, drain and reserve a little of the pasta water, a few tablespoons' worth. Add the desired amount of pesto (about 1 cup) to the pasta and mix well.

The rest of the pesto will keep in the fridge for a week. It freezes beautifully as well.We'll re-use the pesto one night with sandwiches as a substitute to mayonnaise. Also is great tossed into chicken salad!


Sauteed Chicken


This is my no-fail, standby. It's quick and easy and goes with anything. I use this as a base for many chicken recipes.

Trim and clean chicken pieces. Filet each breast and then cut each fillet in half. Cover each piece of chicken, both sides, with generous amounts of garlic powder, sea salt and cracked pepper. (If having chicken 2 nights in a row or twice in the same week I will often go ahead and prepare the chicken for the next night's recipe and place the chicken, already seasoned, into a Ziplock bag.)

In a large skillet, place 1 to 2 tbs of olive oil, and heat pan on high heat. When hot, place as many chicken pieces into the pan as you can fit, leaving a little space next to each piece. Turn heat to medium-high. If the pieces get too brown turn it down to medium. Brown each side and and turn, cooking for a total of about 10 minutes. When thoroughly cooked place on a plate and keep in warm oven until ready to serve. Yield 1/2 breast, or 2 pieces per person and serve with the pasta.

Pasta Salad from the Pantry

I have talked before about the importance of a well-stocked pantry. There are times when time is short and yet you must prepare dinner. Salads are easy and quick, but sometimes the family simply isn't in the mood... It's the end of the summer and we're pretty much all sandwiched out... Pasta is a pretty reliable palate-pleaser in the Entertaining House. I had some hot Italian sausage in the fridge that I needed to use up. But there was not much else... So I took to the pantry and loaded the tins into my arms and ended up making a fabulous, simple and delicious warm pasta salad. Perfect for a coolish night!

Ingredients:

1 can black small, pitted black olives -- I used about 3/4 of the can
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 small jar of small green pitted olives -- I used about half the jar
1 small jar of sun dried tomatoes, Julienned -- I used about 8
2 Tbs of the sun dried tomato oil
1 Can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
Olive oil, a good dose!
1/4 of an onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 package of Italian sausage -- or 4 links -- Chicken sausage is perfect in this as well. (Or cook the entire package and use the remaining half to place on home made pizza another night!)
1 1/2 Tbs Italian seasonings
Sea salt to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
1 lb of your favorite pasta (I use Barilla)

Directions:

Cook pasta in large saucepan per directions on the package
In a large saute pan cook sausage in batches. As sausage is cooked set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
When pasta is done and cooked al dente drain and return to pan. Add a touch of olive oil to keep from sticking together. When the sausage has cooked put desired amount into pasta. The rest can be refrigerated for another day.
In the saute pan add 2 to 3 tbs of olive oil and cook garlic until lightly browned. Gently scrape out garlic and add to the pasta pot. Add onions to the saute pan and cook until translucent. Add the olives, chick peas, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, sun dried tomato oil, crushed red pepper, Italian seasonings, and sea salt. Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes to marry the flavors.
When ready add to the pasta pot. Mix well. Serve immediately or as people are ready to eat. This dish is simple but packed with flavor that lends itself to tasting wonderfully whether hot or warm.

Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Pan Seared Potatoes with Oregano and Sea Salt

I love this sauce which finds its origins in Argentina. The fresh herbs blended in with garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar come together perfectly for a sauce that is the perfect accompaniment to any meat, chicken or fish dish!

Chimichurri Sauce
 Ingredients:
1 cup of parsley (I used a combination of flat leaf as well as curly from our back yard)
1/4 cup of cilantro and some of the cumin seeds (optional - from our back yard)
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1/4 - 3/4 tsp of crushed red pepper
1/2 cup of good quality olive oil
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
sea salt to taste

Remove leaves from stem and place in a mini food processor. Add the garlic, red pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar and sea salt. Pulse until smooth. Remove and pour into a pretty pitcher or small serving bowl.

Drizzle over steak (fish, chicken, potatoes or rice) as desired.


Or drizzle over crusty baguette with leftover chicken or steak for a fabulous sandwich the next day!

***

Pan Seared Potatoes with Oregano
Ingredients
6 -10 small new potatoes thinly sliced
Oregano, dried
Sea Salt
Olive oil

Coat bottom of large saute pan with good quality olive oil. Place potatoes in pan, careful not to overlap. Cook until each side is nicely browned. This should take just a minute or two per side. Remove and place on to paper towel to drain of excess oil. Then place potatoes side by side in a shallow baking dish. Repeat as necessary until all potatoes are cooked. Once potatoes are in dish, sprinkle with oregano and sea salt. If potatoes form 2 or more layers be sure to season all the layers.

Place in 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or until ready to serve.

Dip into chimichurri sauce for additional flavor!

(Cook your meat as desired. We grilled a London Broil that I seasoned with garlic powder,charcoal, meat tenderizer and a bit of sea salt.)

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers are an easy "salad" option around here. They are a nice cool touch to a Spring chicken or fish meal.

Serves 4

1 large English, seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into very thin slices
5 tablespoons light olive oil (or canola oil)
4 tablespoons Red Wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
sea salt and pepper to taste

It really doesn't get any easier than this!
Peel and slice cucumber and toss into a medium sized bowl.
In a small bowl mix together oil and vinegar until emulsified.
Pour over cucumbers and add salt, pepper and oregano.
Stir regularly so that cucumbers are all well covered.

Fresh dill, in the summertime, from your garden, adds a wonderful touch as well in place of the oregano.

Insalata d'Agnese with Garlic Toasts and Tuscan White Bean Spread

  

 

A simple supper. When we were in Italy we had bread and salad every day we were at the house for lunch and went out for large, lavish dinners at local, wonderful eateries in Umbria and Tuscany. My grandmother had wonderful help in Agnese who looked after the villa in the months my grandmother wasn't there and cooked for her when she was there. Her meals were simple and spectacular. Most of the ingredients were local -- from my grandmother's garden!

One of my favorite salads could not have been more simple to make and bursted with flavor. It was a shredded salad with romain, radicchio, olive oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper. We call it Insalata d'Agnese since it was Agnese who created it.

Insalate d'Agnese
You'll need:
3 heads of Romain trimmed and washed
1 head of radicchio, trimmed
1/2 cup of olive oil and 1/4 of vinegar -- feel free to add more or less vinegar to your liking
generous amounts of freshly ground pepper and sea salt
(Use only what you desire, the rest will remain well for a week or so in a glass jar or cruet.)

Shred the lettuces and arugula and toss into a large salad bowl with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Can't be more simple! I love the red and green color, but alas my three little ones find the radicchio a bit too bitter so we omit it for them.

In Italy we ate this with loads of fresh bread and artisan cheeses. Sometimes we do here in the states as well. But the other night I had a full baguette that was a bit stale. I cut the baguette into slices and made little toasts so as not to have to waste the bread.

Garlic Toasts:

Slice the baguette into 1/2 - 1 inch slices
using a pastry brush, brush on olive oil
sprinkle garlic powder generously OR rub a clove of fresh garlic onto each slice
sprinkle lightly with sea salt
place under broiler (high) for a few minutes and watch as the toasts turn a golden brown

 

 

And these go wonderfully with the Tuscan White Bean Spread

1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbs olive oil, plus 2 more
2 - 3 cloves of crushed garlic
squeeze of a half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan add olive oil, beans and salt and pepper to taste
As the beans start to get golden stir them around -- They will get soft, this is what you want.
When beans get golden add the *garlic and stir... keep cooking until garlic turns golden brown too
Place the beans in a mini food processor with the rest of the olive oil and lemon
Puree until smooth -- feel free to add any more of any ingredient

*If you do not have any fresh garlic, use about 1 tsp of garlic powder
Serve warm with the toasts -- May be microwaved to reheat

Summer Pasta

On a warm summer night you want something refreshing with fresh summer ingredients. On a warm summer night you don't want to fuss too much in the kitchen. Much like my Vine Ripened Tomato Sauce, this recipe requires minimal cooking, just what's necessary to cook the pasta!

You'll need:

6 medium to large tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 jar of canned black olives, pitted and cut in half or the equivalent of fresh pitted kalamata (found in salad bars)

1 good sized handful of fresh basil, julienned

2-3 medium cloves of garlic, chopped
1 container of crumbled feta cheese

a generous shake of Lawry's seasoned salt
freshly ground pepper

1 lb tricolore radiatore (or whichever shape you desire)

1 lb small cheese filled tortellini

1/4 - 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl place tomatoes, oil, basil, garlic and seasonings and let marinate in room temperature for about 2 hours, about 30 minutes prior to serving add the feta and olives, let sit.

In a large sauce pan bring water to a boil and cook pasta. (If they have different cooking times, you might want to start one before the other.)

When pasta is ready, drain and then rinse under cold water to bring to room temperature. Drain well.

In a large bowl add pasta then tomato sauce and mix well. Season with additional sea salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary.

Chicken with green olives, lemon and garlic... Couscous... Asparagus with Brown Butter Shallot Sauce

I needed something to prepare quickly. The natives were restless and hungry. I opened my fridge and the following items just jumped out at me. It helps that I had just done a major grocery shopping and shows the importance of a well stocked pantry. I created this as I went along and am beyond thrilled with the results!

As I was in a mad rush to get the food on the table... I didn't "plate" my dinner beautifully so my pictures will not do this meal justice... I would normally serve the chicken on a platter, couscous in the middle, then the chicken would have been arranged around the couscous and the olives would have been placed strategically around as well. Instead, I Dumped and Served. The result was delicious none the less. Since I created this as I went along my measures are approximate, so feel free to tweak it as you like.

To make the chicken:

I used 5 chicken breasts. (1 per person)
1 jar of Spanish olives
Juice from 2 lemons
2 XL cloves of garlic
A dash of sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Olive oil

Trim the chicken of all fat and cut each breast in half.
In a pan add 2 to 3 Tbs of olive oil and turn heat to high.
When oil starts to get hot, add chicken and a dash of sea salt.
Let chicken brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, turn over, brown other side 3 to 4 minutes.
Add garlic, another Tbs of olive oil if needed and move chicken around so that each piece gets a good amount of garlic. The lemon juice and olive oil will start to brown. With a rubber spatula scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan and rotate chicken so that each piece absorbs the liquid. (This will add a lovely golden color to the chicken.)
Add the olives from the jar and half the juice.
Place a lid over the pan and simmer, on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. There is enough juice at this point to keep the chicken from drying out.

To make the couscous:
In a separate pan add water and bring to boil. Then add couscous (I use Near East) and cook per directions on box.

To make the Asparagus:
While asparagus is cooking, take 1 medium shallot and chop finely.

In a small sauce pan place 2 Tbs of butter over medium heat until butter melts and starts to turn brown. As soon as it turns brown, remove from heat immediately. Add shallot and add about 1 tsp of olive oil. Keep warm.

In a large saute pan, fill with a few inches of water. Bring to boil. Add asparagus and cook about 4 to 5 minutes. Asparagus should be firm to the bite but not tough. When done remove from water. Place on a plate and pour Brown Butter Shallot Sauce over asparagus.

Remove chicken from pan and place on a large plate or platter. Be sure not to leave any of the delicious juices behind!

Serve immediately.

This meal takes no longer than 30 minutes start to finish!

Vine Ripened Tomato Sauce with Gremeli

Summertime is a great time of the year to eat. I love to eat vegetables right out of the garden or picked from local farms or picked up a farm stand. Tomatoes are perfection this time of year. And those of you who grow them might have so many that you are looking for more ways to use them. This recipe is sure to please!

A lovely dish to cool you off on a hot summer day!

I first had this recipe about 20 years ago. My friend Jennifer made it for me and my friend Cathy. It was summertime and I was visiting my friend Cathy at her home in Greenwich. The recipe was so simple and quickly became one of my summertime favorites. You can make it was linguine or angel hair pasta, which I believe is how we ate it, but I used Gremeli as it is an easier shape for the kids to manage.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, large, vine ripened (others will work well too) 1 per person
1 small handful of thyme
1 heaping handful of fresh basil leaves
2 - 4 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste)

Lawry's Seasoned Salt OR -- 2 good shakes
Jane's Crazy Mixed up Salt
Olive Oil, approx 1/8th of a cup, plus more to drizzle
Sea Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Freshly shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. In a medium or large sauce pan bring water to boil

2.While water is boiling score the bottom of each tomato with an X

3.Place in boiling water for NO MORE than 1 minute. This is called blanching. You want to remove the skin but not cook the tomato. You will see the skin start to peel off. Remove and place on a cool surface and repeat until all tomatoes have been blanched.

4. Once tomatoes have cooled, peel skin. Should peel easily using just your fingers.

(See picture below of tomatoes as soon as they come out of the hot water.)

5. After you peel the tomatoes into bite sized bits, discard the seeds and toss the chopped tomatoes into a medium sized bowl, then with your hands give the tomatoes a squeeze, breaking the bits up further. Set aside.

6. Chop up garlic, basil and thyme

and add all three ingredients to the tomatoes.

8. Mix well, add olive oil, seasonings and set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours.

9. Just prior to serving cook your pasta per directions on package. Drain and rinse under cool water to bring to room temperature. Drain pasta of all excess water.

10. In a large bowl add pasta, drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil and mix well.

11. Using a slatted spoon remove all tomatoes and set aside.

12. Add juices and mix well and taste... adjust seasonings as desired

Don't worry about it being too "soupy" the cheese will absorb some of the moisture or serve with a nice crusty baguette and use the bread to sop up all the good stuff!

A Valentine Lunch

My friend Emily came over for lunch yesterday. I hadn't seen her in ages and I wanted something that was light, relatively fuss-free and that we could linger over. So I made a Valentine Salad that I served along with a nice crusty baguette and garlic, olive oil and butter spread, Pellegrino, a fresh, light white wine. For dessert we had miniature heart-shaped fudge brownies, and little cranberry almond shortbread cookies.




Valentine Salad

2 hearts of Romaine, picked and trimmed,
1 can hearts of palm
1 can artichoke hearts (I used the ones packed in water)
Kalamata olives, pitted -- a dozen or so
Marinated mozzarella balls, small -- about 10
1 can of garbanzo beans

Directions:
Cut lettuce into thin strips, or shred
Drain artichoke hearts, and quarter
Drain hearts of palm and cut into small slices -- if one has a tough exterior, simply remove outer layer
Drain and rinse chick peas
Cut mozzarella balls into quarters
Add all ingredients in to salad, in no particular order

Vinaigrette, known as
"Grandma's Dressing"

1 cup of light extra virgin olive oil
1/4 apple cider vinegar
4 tbs. water
2tbs. powdered beef bouillon

In a cruet or jar add vinegar, water and bouillon, shake well. Add Olive oil and shake well until emulsified.
My mother in law makes this salad dressing all the time. I was surprised by the addition of the bouillon, but it adds a depth of flavor that really accentuates the flavors in a salad. We use this salad dressing frequently here too. In fact, the kids all eat salad in this house, but only with Grandma's Dressing!

Garlic Olive Oil, Butter Spread for Crusty Baguette

I learned this trick many years ago when I was working at Williams-Sonoma. We often had samples of our product for customers to nibble on when they came into the store. The bread maker we sold there was a hot comodity. We were in a recession then, as we are now, and people were looking for ways to dine with friends that was less expensive than going out to dinner. They loved the idea of being able to make home made bread with ease. This spread was one we came up with at the time that we offered along with the warm, fresh breads that emerged from the bread bakers. It was met with rave reviews!

1 stick of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
In a small food processor combine all ingredients and mix well.
I like to serve the butter in small ramekins

Dessert...
The brownies were made by using my old standby-- my favorite tried and true recipe. I substituted the nut pieces for semi-sweet chocolate chips. About 3/4 of a bag's worth!




Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup of dried cranberries


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream butter and sugar together until well blended and stiff, add the vanilla and mix well. Add the flour and mix well. Fold in cranberries. Place dough onto a lightly greased tart tin or jelly roll pan. Make sure that dough is evenly spread. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool and harden and with cookie cutter cut out hearts. (For the best results place the sheet in the freezer for a few minutes)