Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

Posted on November 10, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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This meal is the definition of an easy and quick weeknight meal.  The tomatoes make this almost like a chunky soup/stew.  In fact, I wish we had some fresh bread on hand because this is a perfect dish for dunking!  I served this with a simple arugula salad.  We really enjoyed this dinner and I look forward to enjoying it again for lunch! 

Notes:

  • For the chicken, I used Perdue thinly sliced chicken breast.  I love how they are nice and lean and cook so quickly!
  • For the stewed tomatoes, I like to use Contadina Diced Tomatoes.  They are perfect for quick weeknight meals!  For this recipe I used the “roasted garlic” variety.
  • You can always use fresh herbs in place of dried herbs.  In fact, I suggest you use fresh herbs as often as possible.  However, sometimes you find yourself in a pinch and it’s necessary to rely on your stash of dried herbs.  (Like when you have a hungry husband and you can’t get to the farmer’s market or the grocery store!)  Whenever you substitute dry for fresh always use one teaspoon of dry for every one tablespoon of fresh that the recipe calls for. 

Rosemary Chicken with White Beans:

  • 2  tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary (if you have fresh, use fresh!)
  • ~1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • ~1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
  • 2 pounds of boneless chicken breast, sliced thin 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
  • 2  (15 ounce) cans navy beans (or any other white bean like cannellini), drained
  • 1/4  cup  chopped pitted kalamata olives

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine rosemary, salt, and pepper and sprinkle over both sides of chicken. Place chicken in pan and cook until brown, turning once.  (Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to cook chicken in batches.  Make sure there is enough space in the pan so that each peace of chicken touches the bottom of the pan.) Once all chicken pieces are brown set aside on a plate.  Deglaze pan by adding tomatoes (with juices) to pan.  Use a spatula to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Reduce heat to medium and add chicken. Add the beans; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in olives.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Filed under: beans, cannellini beans, chicken, Main Dish, olives, tomato | 1 Comment »

Game Day Loaded Quesadillas

Posted on October 5, 2009 by kitchenbelle

oct

The New England Patriots are a big deal in our household.  Autumn Sundays revolve around the game and I love that it gives me a reason to cook hearty and delicious food.  My husband made a request for some quesadillas yesterday (I love when he makes specific requests!) and I was excited to deliver.

Quesadillas are simple and versatile.  They are an easy go-to and they are an especially great way to use up leftovers.  Do you have some grilled veggies you want to reincarnate? Toss them in a quesadilla.  Leftover roasted chicken?  Do the same.  You can create a last minute masterpiece of a dinner by simply digging through your fridge.  My philosophy about quesadillas is similar to that of tarts.  The options are endless! 

Game Day Loaded Quesadillas:

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4-6 thinly sliced chicken breasts*
  • 4 wheat wraps or tortillas
  • 1-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (about 1/2 cup per quesadilla)
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons canned or fresh chopped chiles
  • 1 cup salsa (make your own or doctor up jarred salsa by adding fresh cilantro, black beans, and/or corn kernels)
  • 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
  • dollops of sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt

Combine first three ingredients.

Rinse and pat dry chicken.  Rub both sides of each piece of chicken with cumin/salt/pepper mixture. Grill each piece of chicken until done.  Remove from heat and cut into thin strips. Set aside.

In a non-stick pan place one tortilla.  Top with some cheese then chicken strips, avocado chunks, chiles, a few tablespoons of salsa (not too much or your quesadilla will be soggy), fresh scallions and then more cheese.  Place another tortilla on top.  Press down along edges of tortilla to seal it.  Serve with dollops of non-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and salsa.  Garnish with scallions.

*I purchase fresh chicken that is labeled “thinly sliced breasts.”  I find they cook very quickly and save me the time of pounding or slicing full sized breasts myself.  

oct

oct

Filed under: Appetizer, cheese, chicken | 2 Comments »

Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese

Posted on October 2, 2009 by kitchenbelle

oct

It has been a difficult week in the land of Kitchenbelle.  While enjoying the weekend at BlogHer Food ’09 in beautiful San Francisco (at the fabulous cocktail party hosted by The Mushroom Channel, to be exact) I learned of the unexpected death of a dear friend of ours.  He was a regular visitor to this blog and each time we were together he inquired about it.  Also, he was quite the prankster and his silly comments on this blog (one claimed “I made this meal [tuna noodle casserole] the other night and it was wonderful.  Me and my cat await your next masterpiece.  Meow!”) will be sorely missed.  He will be sorely missed and my words here will not do him  justice. 

Though I try to keep Kitchenbelle.com a place of cheer, happiness, and inspiration I couldn’t not mention this loss.  I am sure you would have sensed it anyway.  For me food is something I can control and something I can look forward to.  So I guess it is natural that in times of despair, I find myself baking and cooking more often.  The methods and rhythms soothe me.  The smells provide comfort.  Sitting across the table from my husband over a warm home-cooked and nutritious meal, on a dark cool night, especially during my favorite season of the year, ground me.  They give me hope and encourage me to be thankful.

My husband has had an especially difficult few days prompting me to want to do nothing more than to take care of him.  The best way I know how to do that is to shower him with love and dinner.  It is a feeble attempt at easing the pain, but it is what I know. 

Our friend was buried yesterday, one of the first beautiful breezy sunny autumn days in the northeast.  I found myself thinking of those verses from Ecclesiastes (I remember being struck by them while studying the Old Testament during ninth grade humanities class) that the Yardbirds spun into that popular song:  “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance…a time to get, a time to lose…”  Autumn is already a nostalgic season. 

After all was said and done we took a ride to a pumpkin stand and purchased some gourds and a pumpkin for our stoop.  In hopes of capturing the season as well as offering some respite from a heartbreaking day, I decided to make squash for dinner.  I adjusted this recipe quite a bit and I have noted those changes below. 

Changes and Notes:

*Original recipe called for sage.  My grocery store was out of sage so I used chives.  Sage with squash is a more traditional flavor combination, however, the chives were just fine.

*Original recipe called for blue cheese.  I don’t eat blue cheese so I substituted goat cheese.  Delicious.  I love goat cheese.

*Original recipe was vegetarian. I wanted to add some bulk so I added grilled chicken breasts.

*This is a simple and nutritious (also low calorie, I think) weeknight dinner that could be easily un-healthified (as in, bumped up a notch for company) with the addition of some heavy cream and cheddar.  Email me if you would like to discuss how this could be achieved.

Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese:

  • 5  cups  (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
  • 1  (1 1/2-ounce) bread
  • 4  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
  • 2  cups onion, finely chopped
  • 4  tablespoon  chopped fresh chives or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 3 chicken breasts, grilled and torn into pieces
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • Cooking spray
  • 1  cup crumbled goats cheese (or 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Steam squash until tender, about 10 minutes.

Place bread in a food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Transfer to a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons oil, and toss with a fork to combine.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add butternut squash, chicken (if using), chicken broth, chopped herb, salt, and black pepper to bowl, and toss gently to combine.  Spoon squash mixture into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled cheese evenly over squash mixture, and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crumbs are golden brown.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Filed under: cheese, chicken, chives, Fall, Main Dish, Side, squash | 4 Comments »

Curried Chicken Salad

Posted on July 23, 2009 by kitchenbelle

j

As I previously mentioned, I have been in search of low-fuss no-cook appetizers.  There is nothing worse than slaving over a hot oven in the middle of summer!  (That kind of heat makes me grumpy and that is no way to greet guests!)  Again, with the guidance of MyRecipes.com editor Ashley Johnson, I decided to make this curried chicken salad.  Not only was it a success with my guests but I have been eating it for lunch every day! 

Some notes:

–I chose to serve this as an appetizer with pita chips, therefore, it was extremely important that I diced the components of the salad into very small pieces.  I made sure there weren’t any large chunks of chicken that would be larger than the pita chips.  The same for the apple, pineapple, and grapes.  Definitely cut each grape into at least four pieces–possibly even six.  When you are chopping envision each pita chip scooping up some of the salad–if your dices are the right size each bite should contain almost every component of the salad. You would never want one scoop to contain nothing but a giant grape!  On the other hand, if I were serving this in sandwich rolls at a luncheon, it would be okay to leave the components of the salad in larger cubes because in that situation your guests are filling an entire roll.  Make sense?

–I substituted Chobani plain-flavored yogurt in place of mayo.

–Some commenters on MyRecipes.com indicated they used raisins instead of currants.  I suggest sticking to the currants.  They are nice and small and make the salad a little jazzier.

–For the chicken, I grilled fresh cutlets seasoned with salt and pepper and then shredded/diced them up, however, you could use a grocery store rotisserie chicken or even canned water packed chicken (drained) in a pinch. 

–Add the curry powder and then taste.  You may want to add more.

–I think I doubled (or maybe even tripled) this recipe.

Curried Chicken Salad:

  • 1 1/2  cups  chopped cooked chicken breast
  • 1/2  cup  halved seedless red grapes (dice size depends on you want to serve the salad)
  • 1/2  cup  diced peeled unpeeled green apple
  • 2  tablespoons  diced pineapple
  • 1  tablespoon  dried currants
  • 3  tablespoons  plain Chobani yogurt 
  • 1  teaspoon  honey
  • 1/2  teaspoon  curry powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
  • 1/8  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

    • Combine chicken, grapes, apple, pineapple, and currants in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine yogurt, honey, curry powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper stirring with a whisk. Pour dressing mixture over chicken mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.

    j

    Adapted from MyRecipes.com.

    Filed under: Appetizer, apple, chicken, Main Dish, pineapple, salad, sandwich | 5 Comments »

    Middle Eastern Quinoa with Chicken and Apricots

    Posted on June 15, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    j

    After my first experience with quinoa, I’ve kept my eye out for  other appealing recipes.

    My husband wasn’t home the last time I made quinoa so I was interested to hear his feedback on this dish.  He really enjoyed the chicken but the quinoa did not go over as well.  He said he would have preferred this dish over rice.  I can’t say I disagreed with him.  The quinoa was dry and bitter, and my preparation was partly to blame.  Here is what I will do differently next time.  I am certain these small changes will add up to big improvements. 

    • Tsk tsk on me, I forgot to rinse the quinoa!  There are “saponins” on the outside of the quinoa which have a bitter taste.  Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer under cold water before cooking. 
    •  Cook quinoa in chicken, beef, or vegetable broth instead of water.  This will not only increase the moistness of the quinoa, but it will really bump up the flavor factor.
    • This dish did not call for a sauce so the quinoa was not only bitter (due to me forgetting to rinse it) but it was dry.  Next time I will build a sauce from the chutney and broth to pour over the quinoa.

    I am not giving up on quinoa, folks!  The flavors of this dish were really delicious.  Just a few “tweaks” and I think it will be right on!  The chutney kept the chicken moist and sweet, while the sliced apricots added some wonderful texture.  The cilantro added a very lovely freshness.* 

    If you use a gluten free chutney this meal is gluten free!

    Middle Eastern Quinoa with Chicken and Apricots:

    • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
    • 1 pound chicken tenders
    • 2 tablespoons chutney (I used Major Grey’s)
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 6-8 dried apricots, cut into strips
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

    Side Note: These Sunsweet dried apricots are FANTASTIC.  They are so plump and soft.  They worked really well in this dish.

    j

    Prepared the quinoa according to the package.  (Don’t forget to rinse it before you cook it!)

    While the quinoa is cooking, combine chicken, chutney, and mustard in a large bowl. Toss well to coat the chicken. 

    Spray a large non-stick ridged grill pan with non-stick spray and set over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken mixture and cook, turning frequently until the chicken is cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.

    Fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large platter.  Top with chicken mixture, apricots, and cilantro.

    j

    *Did I mention that cilantro is growing on me?  I used to have the strongest aversion to it but I am slowly enjoying it more and more.  I didn’t think that was possible!

    Adapted from The Gluten Free Cooking Expo’s Blog.

     

    Filed under: chicken, gluten free, jam/jelly, Main Dish, quinoa | 5 Comments »

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