Tomato & Butter Sauce

Things around here got a little crazy for a bit with crazy margins, dropping sidebars and font so light in color it might as well have been invisible.  Thanks for putting up with me and my crazyness, you guys rock the house. *Doing crazy 80′s rock hand gesture while teasing hair and gassing myself with Aqua Net*

During this time of madness where I was obsessed with getting things straight, I needed to make dinner simple and quick.  I’ve read about this tomato and butter sauce before somewhere but I couldn’t remember where so I just made it up as I went.  It was an on the fly thing, but sometimes that is when you make your best stuff.

I had a carton of some local cherry tomatoes that I bought at the produce stand just a few days before.  I got them because they were such a great price and they were so cute, I just wanted to pinch their cheeks…..if they had cheeks.  I usually don’t buy fresh tomatoes unless I already have a plan for them, otherwise they are bound to go bad in my fridge.   I decided before it was too late I better put these darling little babies to good use.

You will be in shock, shock I tell you with the taste of this sauce! It is pretty awesome considering it has so few simple ingredients.  You may never go back.

WARNING! The use of butter here is crazy huge, so let’s agree to keep it on the DL (down low) from your cardiologist or anyone with a name ending in M.D.

It would be a good idea if you blanched the tomatoes first and peeled them, but like I said I was tired and sort of skipped that step…..ok not sort of, I did skip it.

In a large sauce pan over med-high heat add 5 tablespoons of butter, onions, garlic and tomatoes.  Let it all simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cherry tomatoes start to pop.

Once the tomatoes start to pop, take a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon and crush the tomatoes.  You want to wait for the skin to pop or you could end up with tomato juice squirt all over you.  Add 1/3 cup of water or chicken broth, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile back at the chicken ranch.  Wash about 1 1/2 lbs or 4 pieces of chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  I am partial to thighs, but legs or breast will work, although you may need to cook the breast longer.  Rub the chicken down with 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Over medium-high heat, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a fry pan, add 2 crush garlic cloves and chicken.

Don’t forget to check you sauce and stir, u don’t want it to stick.

Don’t mess with the chicken too much.  Let them brown on each side for about 5 – 6 minutes, or until juices run clean, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary.

During this time you should put a pot of water to boil, and boil the pasta until al dente.

Transfer the chicken over to the sauce, and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  You can add a little bit of the chicken butter too if you want.

What the heck, right?  Go big or go home!

Now as if the butter content wasn’t enough why don’t we top the whole thing off with a few crumbles of goat cheese.  Why?  Because you can!

Pile up your pasta, spoon sauce over pasta, sprinkle goat cheese over top, garnish with some fresh basil and plate the chicks.

Chicks..maaaaan!

Purrrrrr, hello sweet mama! Where have you been all my life?

This sauce is awesomeness, and surprisingly creamy without the goat cheese.  If you add the goat cheese you get some extra creamyness not to mention awesome goat cheeseyness.

Is there a limit to how many “ness’es” one can use in a single post?

Anyway it was great and incredibly flavorful all with simple basic ingredients that you probably already have in your frig.

The spousal figure was in love with this dish, minus the goat cheese.  He has some personal issues with what he calls “fancy” cheese.

Peace Out Girl Scout!

- Chick who hides from anyone with a name ending in M.D.

Print Recipe

Tomato & Butter Sauce

• 25 cherry tomatoes
• 7 tablespoons of butter, divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup of chicken stock
• 4 chicken thighs, skinless

In a large sauce pan over med-high heat add 5 tablespoons of butter, onions, garlic and tomatoes. Let it all simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cherry tomatoes start to pop.

Once the tomatoes start to pop, take a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon and crush the tomatoes. You want to wait for the skin to pop or you could end up with tomato juice squirt all over you. Add 1/3 cup of water or chicken broth, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime,  wash about 1 1/2 lbs or 4 pieces of chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. I am partial to thighs, but legs or breast will work, although you may need to cook the breast longer. Rub the chicken down with 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a fry pan, add 2 crush garlic cloves and chicken.

Don’t forget to check you sauce and stir, u don’t want it to stick.

Let the chicken brown on each side for about 5 – 6 minutes, or until juices run clean, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary.  During this time you should put a pot of water to boil, and boil the pasta until al dente.

Transfer the chicken over to the sauce, and let simmer for about 5 minutes. You can add a little bit of the chicken butter too if you want.

Now as if the butter content wasn’t enough why don’t we top the whole thing off with a few crumbles of goat cheese. Why? Because you can!

Pile up your pasta, spoon sauce over pasta, sprinkle goat cheese over top, garnish with some fresh basil and plate the chicks.

Chicks..maaaaan!

Sweet Potato and Chicken Linguine with Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce

Scene:  Woman stands in kitchen looking dazed and confused.

What do I do?

What do I make?

Ugh I really don’t want to go out to the grocery store!  I would have to get presentable to go out into the public….I am not in the mood to be presentable.

Searches through refrigerator

Hmmm…what did I do with those sweet potatoes I bought earlier in the week?

Standing in front of pantry

I guess I can make some kind of pasta, that should be easy enough.

Ok so I have a sweet potato and some linguine…..what am I going to do with this?

I really don’t want to wait forever for this potato to bake or boil, maybe I will just go all Norman Bates and stab it with a fork and nuke it.

Sigh….but I have to make some kind of meat with it or Homeboy is going to complain.

I guess I can defrost some chicken….the faithful quick fix.

Staring at ingrediants

Ok I have pasta, sweet potato and chicken………I guess a brown butter sauce should make an appearance.

This is turning out very “Fall-y”.   Who cares?  It’s my kitchen I will do what I want.  Maybe I will even wear white shoes after Labor day.

Yeah this dish is a little out of season but you know…it’s my party and I will cry if I want to.

I absolutely loved this dish!  I honestly was not sure about what I was doing it when I was making it but it turned out wonderfully.  A sweet and savory pasta dish with a hint of nuttyness.  Yummers!

You can save this one for the fall if you like, but who says you have to?  It’s your kitchen and you can do what you want to.

Print Recipes

Sweet Potato and Chicken Linguine with Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce (serves 2 with leftovers)

Pasta

• 3 chicken thighs, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 5 oz. dry linguine

Sauce

• 2 tbs butter
• 1 stick butter
• 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vineger
• 1/2 tsp ground sage

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a skillet melt 1 Tbs of butter over medium-high heat, add chicken to skillet and cook until done.  Transfer chicken to bowl and set aside.

Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.

Pierce the potato all over with fork. Cook potato in microwave on high until softened but still a little firm, about 6 minutes per side. Cool slightly. Peel potato with a small sharp knife and dice into cubes. Toss in brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg. In the same skillet melt 1 Tbs over medium-high heat, add potato mixture to skillet and cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes, toss in chicken.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Cook until butter begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in vinegar and sage, pour over potatoes and chicken.  Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss until evenly coated.  Serve immediately.

Chicken Lemon Ricotta Pasta

I am standing in my kitchen staring into the abyss of my pantry and telling myself I need to get to the grocery store.   The problem is that after spending the whole day chasing and cleaning after 7 rambunctious puppies, I am beat and I really don’t want to make a run to the supermarket.  I want to make something quick and easy so I can promptly plant my butt on the sofa and chillax for awhile.   That’s right I said chillax….what of it?

Sorry I am a little cranky, I am sleep deprived.

As I stood there in the kitchen, a bright yellow lemon caught my attention and I remembered that I had defrosted some chicken, Lemon Chicken Pasta it is!  I open the refrigerator to grab the chicken and I see a tub of ricotta…..Eureka!  Chicken Lemon Ricotta Pasta it is!  This qualified as quick, easy, tasty and my butt promptly planted itself on the sofa.

Serve yourself a big fat bowl, sprinkle bacon over pasta and promptly plant gluteus on sofa.

I hate to toot my own horn…….but what the heck…”toot, toot, yum”! This was delicious, tangy, touch of sweet and savory.  I little bit of everything in every bite.  I made enough for exactly two servings and Obed was a little disappointed that their were no leftovers, but it’s so simple I could easily whip it up again with little effort.

Print Recipes

Chicken Lemon Ricotta Pasta (2 servings)

• 5 oz. dry linguine
• 2 chicken thighs, skinned and bone-in
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 3 strips thick cut bacon, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbs dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs clover honey
• 1/4 ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 green onions, diced

Drizzle olive oil over chicken and season with salt and pepper. Grill on heavy grill skillet on pan until done, let cool and then remove meat from the bones and chop, set aside.

While chicken cooks bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Cook pasta until al dente.

Dice three strips of thick cut bacon and fry in heavy pan until crispy. Using a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel line plate, set aside. Reserve 2 Tbs of bacon drippings. Saute red onion and garlic in bacon drippings until soft.

Add dice chicken and cook for about 2 minutes.

Whisk together, lemon juice, honey and dijon mustard.  Add lemon mixture to pan and cook until sauce just begins to thicken about 1 minute, add ricotta and stir.  Stir ricotta until smooth and creamy. There will be a bit of grainy texture, if you like you could also use cream cheese or mascarpone.

Add drained cooked pasta, green onion and lemon zest to pan, toss until evenly coated.

Serve and garnish with bacon.

Chicharrones de Pollo (Puerto Rican Fried Chicken)

I have come to the conclusion that the definition of comfort food is fried food.  Think about it, nothing can make a bad day better than finding a big plate of fried chicken waiting for you, right?  I guess it’s a good thing that not everyday is a bad day, because fried chicken everyday would make for some jiggly bits, and I am not talking about the chicken.  ”Yu” know what I mean? UGH, but I loved fried chicken, who doesn’t love fried chicken?  If you say you don’t you lie!

On Sunday afternoons my family would go for long drives through the country and along the coast.  One hour we would be up in the cold brisk mountains and the next we were driving along the coast with the smell of the sea in the air.  We would have whatever local radio station we could pick up playing and 9 times out of 10 my sister was passed out in the back seat.  When lunch time would come around we would wake my sister up, who would usually be grumpy and crabby with a side of drool, and pull over to the first local food stand that we stumbled upon.  These stands would always be nestled in the trees up in the mountains or between the palms along the shore.  The smell of deep fried goodness would strike you as soon as you walked up.  Behind the counter you wouldn’t see the traditional restaurant deep fryer that you would see here in The States.  They would do it old school with a large kettle filled with oil sitting over an open fire.

One of the dishes that I loved to order was “chicharrones de pollo con mofongo”, fried chicken with mashed plantains.  This chicken is crispy on the outside, juice and tender on the inside.  Everything you could ask for in a fried chicken. Everything you could ever want from a comfort food.

Gather together the ingredients for seasoning, white vinegar, olive oil, peppercorns, orange juice, salt, oregano and 3 cloves of garlic.

Combine all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle or a pilon, which is what we call it in Puerto Rico.

Take out your frustrations and mash it all together, set aside.  If you don’t have a mortar and pestle you can do this in a food processor.

Take 3 lbs of chicken trim off any excess skin, but do not remove the skin. Cut the chicken into chunks leaving the bone in.

Using your biggest knife and cut into the flesh until you reach the bone, lay a towel over the back of the knife and pound it until it cuts through the bone.   Do not saw into the bone because it can cause it to splinter.

Lay the chicken in a glass dish (do not use metal as it could react with the vinegar) and pour seasoning over the chicken, massage the seasoning evenly into the chicken.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or over night.

When ready to prepare chicken, heat enough oil to just cover chicken in a large pot or dutch oven to 400 degrees.

While the oil heats combine flour, sazon and pepper in a large zip loc bag, shake to combine ingredients.

In batches, place chicken in flour bag and shake until well coated.

Shake off excess flour and place on baking grid until all chicken pieces are coated.

When oil reaches 400 degrees, fry chicken pieces in batches for 3 minutes.

Remove from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Lower the heat of the oil to 300 degrees and place all chicken back in the pot, cover and fry for 10 minutes.

Remove chicken from oil and drain in paper towel lined plate.

Raise the heat again to 400 degrees, fry the chicken in batches until dark golden brown, without burning.

Remove chicken from oil for the last time and drain on paper towel lined plate.  Ready…..set…..EAT!

A few things about this fried chicken.  Could you fry it without chopping it into chunks, yes but it does take longer to cook.  The goal with this chicken is when you fry it you get a crisp close to crispy pork rinds.  I do not recommend using boneless chicken because the bone is what make the meat juicy and tender.  Removing the bone can cause your chicken to dry out.   Finally don’t skimp on the 3 time fry, it is essential to getting that perfect crisp to the skin.  Mmmmm….

Is this dish a little bit of work, yes.  Is is worth it, absolutely!

So far I have showed you Puerto Rican version of lasagna, chicken fried steak, chicken noodle soup and now fried chicken.  These are just some of my favorite comfort foods.  What is yours?

Print Recipe

Chicharrones de Pollo (Puerto Rican Fried Chicken)  adapted from “Juntos en la Cocina” Carmen Aboy and Luis Valldejuli

Seasoning

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp orange or lime juice
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 peppercorns
• 4 garlic cloves

Chicken

• 3 lbs bone-in skin on, chicken
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 envelope sazon
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a mortar and pestle and mash it all together, set aside. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle you can do this in a food processor.

Take 3 lbs of chicken trim off any excess skin, but do not remove the skin. Using your biggest knife cut into the flesh of the chicken until you reach the bone, lay a towel over the back of the knife and pound it until it cuts through the bone. Do not saw into the bone because it can cause it to splinter.  Lay the chicken in a glass dish (do not use metal as it could react with the vinegar) and pour seasoning over the chicken, massage the seasoning evenly into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to prepare chicken, heat enough oil to cover chicken in a large pot or dutch oven to 400 degrees.

While the oil heats combine flour, sazon and pepper in a large zip loc bag, shake to combine ingredients.  In batches, place chicken in flour bag and shake until well coated.  Shake off excess flour and place on baking grid until all chicken pieces are coated.

When oil reaches 400 degrees, fry chicken pieces in batches for 3 minutes.   Remove from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Lower the heat of the oil to 300 degrees and place all chicken back in the pot, cover and fry for 10 minutes.  Remove chicken from oil and drain in paper towel lined plate.

Raise the heat again to 400 degrees, fry the chicken in batches until dark golden brown, without burning.  Remove chicken from oil and drain on paper towel lined plate. Ready…..set…..EAT!

Better Than Takeout Orange Chicken

Yesterday  as I stood in the kitchen trying to figure out what to make for dinner I wondered to myself, how do those people do it on those shows where they are given random ingredients and are suppose come up with something genius.  I think I stood there for a solid 20 minutes looking in the cupboards and staring into the freezer hoping that I would be struck by some ingenious idea.  Then I saw the oranges and it hit me “O-raang Shh-ikun”….that is orange chicken if you can’t understand the accent.

I love orange chicken and I almost always order # 14 Orange Chicken when we order Chinese take out and I wondered to myself if I could make it better at home.  This recipe most definitely delivered!   Ha ha chinese food…delivered….get it?  Am I a dork?

The sauce is sweet, tangy, there is no lack in orange flavor and the red pepper flakes give it just a touch of heat.  I thought I would dredge the chicken in corn starch instead of flour to keep it light and also in panko breadcrumbs to give it a little crunch.  It was the right call, the chicken came out lightly breaded and still held up a bit of a crunch when tossed in the sauce.  Delicious!

Combine corn starch, salt, and pepper.  Prepare a bowl with beaten eggs, panko bread crumbs and another with corn starch. Dip chicken in egg mixture, dredge in cornstarch, then again in the eggs and finally in the panko bread crumbs, set aside.  Heat pan with vegetable oil to 375 degrees, fry chicken in batches until completely cooked.

As you finish each batch drain cooked chicken in a paper towel lined plate.

In a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.  Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens.

Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired garnish with green onions, which I would have used but I didn’t have any.

We loved, loved, loved this and I had to refrain totally gorging myself.  At first I wasn’t even trying to make something with posting it in mind, I was just trying to make “something” for dinner, but it was so good I had to share it.  I have to say that this is definitely better then takeout.  Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Orange Chicken (adapted from Blogchef.net) serves 6

Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-1/2” cubes
• 1 ½ cups corn starch
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce

• 1 ½ cups water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon orange zest, grated
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ginger root, minced
• ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Combine corn starch, salt, and pepper.  Prepare a bowl with beaten eggs, panko bread crumbs and another with corn starch. Dip chicken in egg mixture, dredge in cornstarch, then again in the eggs and finally in the panko bread crumbs, set aside.  Heat pan with vegetable oil to 375 degrees, fry chicken in batches until completely cooked.

In a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.

Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired garnish with green onions.

Sweet n’ Spicy Asian Chicken Wings

Yesterday I got the call!  My camera is back home, save and sound…..and working which is the best part of all.  I got the call late yesterday and my wonderful husband stopped by the camera store to pick it up.  It was music to my ears to hear the shutter click like it’s suppose to.  I missed my camera so much that when it got home I threw it a little welcome home party.  I made a welcome home banner , put up streamers and made cupcakes.  Ok maybe I didn’t do that in the true physical sense but I totally did it in my head.   The camera made it home a little to late to take pics of this post but she will be back to work soon.

Earlier this week I started the laboring project of scrubbing the baseboards around my house.  It really is a fun and thrilling project….really, really it is….at least that is what I tell myself.  I should make the dogs scrub the baseboards but since they have no opposable thumbs I am on my own.  Since I was a little tired from being on my hands and knees scrubbing baseboards I wanted to make something easy for dinner.  Obed had been asking for chicken wings and I though I would give them a try in the slow cooker.  Just another reminder that the slow cooker isn’t just for pot roast.

I decided that something sweet, spicy and Asian would do the trick.  A little bit of sweet and a little bit of spicy, is a combination that almost everyone can love an appreciate.

The great thing about these wings is that they come together in the slow cooker relatively quickly.  If you set it to LOW you will cook them for 2 1/2 hours and if you cook them on HIGH they should be done in just over an hour.  These are great to make for any party or get together.

When they were done I thought that the wings were just a little too wet.  I am not a huge fan of the wet wing but I have always thought that fried wings can be a little dry.  The slow cooker is a great alternative to the standard fried wing and the meat falls right of the bone.

I decided to bake the wings in the oven on a cooling grid for a few minutes to dry them up a bit and they came out perfect.  I love my baking sheet with the cooling grid, it is perfect for cooking bacon, french fries or….well wings in the oven.  If you don’t have a baking sheet with a cooling grid don’t work just spray the baking sheet with some non-stick spray.

I gave myself a pat on the back for these, they were extremely tender, a little sticky and deliciously spicy and sweet.   Then to make my life even simpler I called Obed to pick up some Chinese fried rice to accompany the wings.  Dinner was ready!

Print Recipe

Slowcooker Sweet n’ Spicy Asian Chicken Wings

• 4 lbs of chicken wings, cut into joints, discard bony wing tips or freeze to make stock
• 1 tbs sesame seed oil
• 3/4 cup apricot preserves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 Tbs fish sauce
• 1 Tbs sarachi sauce
• juice from 1 lime

Heat skillet at medium-high heat with sesame seed oil, brown chicken wings in batches for about 5 to 8 minutes.  Place into slow cooker.

Blend remaining ingredients together in electric blender. Pour mixture over chicken wings.  Cook wings in slow cooker on LOW for 2 1/2 hours.

Serve them wet straight out of the slow cooker or bake on baking sheet with cooling grid in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees, basting them with the sauce once.

Pollo Sofrito

Yesterday I got some good news.  My camera should be home in 1.5 weeks!  Although this little point-and-shoot has gotten me through the last few weeks and has a great macro lens, I will be happy to have my camera home where it belongs.  It was in fact a bad shutter and it is a $178 repair but I don’t care.  She is coming home!  It’s like the prodigal son….well daughter, because my camera is a girl.  :D   I am even more excited because right before my camera got sick I had bought a new 50 mm F/1.8 lens and have yet had a chance to give it a try.

Enough rambling about my camera let’s move on to the food.

I thought I would share one of my go to, easy, no fuss, no muss dinner options.  I call it pollo sofrito because all I use basically is chicken and sofrito.  I love dinners that come together will minimal ingredients, minimal effort and requires minimal hovering over the stove.  This qualifies as one of those dinners.   I used 5 chicken thighs because that is how I roll, but you can use any cut you want.

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.  Remove the skin from your chicken and season with my personal favorite magical seasoning, Goya Adobo.   I usually eyeball it, I would guesstimate about 1 Tbs, which was 4 – 5 circles over the chicken.

Whisk together, 4 Tbs of sofrito, 3 Tbs of olive oil and 1 Tbs of distilled white vinegar.

Heat a skillet at medium-high heat, lightly brush chicken with sofrito mix and brown chicken in skillet in batches, about 5 minutes.  Transfer browned chicken to glass baking dish.

When done browning chicken, deglaze the skillet with 3 Tbs of choice of broth, beer or white wine.  Be sure to scrap up all the yummy brown bits.

Pour broth with yummy browned bits over chicken.

Generously brush chicken with remaining sofrito mixture.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until juices run clean, basting periodically.

This is a delicious, juicy and flavorful chicken.  I serve this chicken with rice or rice and beans and some fried plantains.  DE-LISH!

This is suck the bone clean chicken, which is even better then finger licking chicken and it is easy!  Who doesn’t like that?!

Print Recipe

Pollo Sofrito

• 5 chicken thighs
• 1 Tbs Adobo
• 4 Tbs sofrito
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs distilled white vinegar
• 3 tbs of chicken broth (or any liquid of choice)

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. Remove the skin from your chicken and season with my personal favorite magical seasoning, Goya Adobo. I usually eyeball it, I would guesstimate about 1 Tbs, which was 4 – 5 circles over the chicken.

Whisk together, 4 Tbs of sofrito, 3 Tbs of olive oil and 1 Tbs of distilled white vinegar.

Heat a skillet at medium-high heat, lightly brush chicken with sofrito mix and brown chicken in skillet in batches, about 5 minutes. Transfer browned chicken to glass baking dish.

When done browning chicken, deglaze the skillet with 3 Tbs of choice of broth, beer or white wine. Be sure to scrap up all the yummy brown bits.

Pour broth with yummy browned bits over chicken.

Generously brush chicken with remaining sofrito mixture.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until juices run clean, basting periodically.

Serve this chicken with rice or rice and beans and some fried plantains.

Chicken Chilaquiles

When I was still a single gal living in Virginia Beach there was this restaurant that me and my girlfriends would go to after church.  It was a Mexican restaurant named “El Camino Real” on Indian River Rd.   I think we went there every other week, it was a bit obsessive.  One of my favorite dished that they had was Chicken Chilaquiles or “Chilaquiles de Pollo”.  

Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish.  Corn tortillas cut in quarters and fried are the basis of the dish. It is then topped with green or red salsa or mole.  The mixture is then baked or simmers on the stove top until the tortilla starts softening. Eggs (scrambled or fried) and pulled chicken are sometimes added to the mix. The dish is then topped queso fresco and/or sour cream, and it is served with refried beans.

Over the weekend I had a sudden craving for some chilaquiles.  I decided I would kind of wing and do them my own way.  This is what I came up with. 

Let start with seasoning the chicken with cumin, chili powder, coriander salt and pepper.

Give the chicken a good rub and make sure it is seasoned evenly, set aside.

In a dutch oven or heavy pot heat 1 tbs of olive oil at a medium high heat, add onions and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes or until they begin to become translucent.  

Now add your chicken to the pot and brown evenly on all sides.  This should take about 7 minutes or so. 

Once your chicken is nice and brown add the diced tomatoes.

Add green and red salsa. 

This reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George are in the coffee shop talking about how salsa is now the #1 requested condiment and how much it sounds like selzer. 

It went something like this:

GEORGE: Why don’t they have salsa on the table?

JERRY: What do you need salsa for?

GEORGE: Salsa is now the number one condiment in America.

JERRY: You know why? Because people like to say “salsa.” “Excuse me, do
you have salsa?” “We need more salsa.” “Where is the salsa? No salsa?”

GEORGE: You know it must be impossible for a Spanish person to order
seltzer and not get salsa. (Angry) “I wanted seltzer, not salsa.”

JERRY: “Don’t you know the difference between seltzer and salsa?? You
have the seltezer after the salsa!”

It is a little odd how often I can compare my own life’s moments to Seinfeld episodes…..moving on.

Now add some cilantro and;

a good squeeze of half a lime.  Give it all a good stir and bring to a simmer. 

Once it comes to a simmer, lower the heat, cover and cook for 20 mins.

Once the chicken is done, transfer it to a plate, remove the bones and shred the chicken using two forks.

Return to the pot and stir it in with the sauce.

Take a stack of tostadas and break them up, you will need about 3 ounces.  You can use tortilla chip instead if you have them.

Start layering a 4×4 baking dish.  First layer with 1/2 of the tortilla chips.

Second layer is half of the shredded chicken.

Then 1 cup of Mexican blend cheese.

And repeat….tortilla chips,

shredded chicken;

and 1 cup of Mexican blend cheese.

And in case you don’t have enough cheese, sprinkle about 1/4 cup of queso fresco over top, because it is yummy and it looks good.  I am all about being superficial and looking good. 

Pop it in the oven at 350 degrees.  In 20 minutes this cheesy dish of deliciousness will emerge from your oven.

Cut yourself a fourth or a half, no one here will judge you.

Begin the heavenly decent upon your plate.  Serve with Mexican rice and garnish with cilantro and avocado.

These turned out better then I expected.  In fact I made them twice in one week.  I made them first on a whim on a weeknight because it was an easy dish to put together and I loved it so much I did it again on Saturday, so I could take pictures and post it.  I felt compelled to share it with you.   What  I loved about the dish was the different textures, some of the chips become soft and some keep a bit of a crunch.   It was the perfect dish for a chilly afternoon.

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Chicken Chilaquiles

• 3 chicken thighs, skinless bone-in
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp course salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup roma tomato, diced, about 3 tomatoes
• 1 cup mild red salsa
• 1/2 cup medium green salsa
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• juice from 1/2 a lime
• 1 chipotle pepper, minced (optional)
• 4 cups of broken tostadas or tortilla chips, about 3 ounces
• 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
• 1/4 cup queso fresco

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken thighs in a medium sized bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Season the chicken with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Give the chicken a good rub and season evenly.

In a hot dutch oven or heavy pot heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil at a medium high heat.   Add onions and garlic to the pot, cook for a few minutes until onions and garlic begin to become translucent.   Add seasoned chicken to the pot, brown evenly on all sides, about 5 – 7 minutes.

Once the chicken is nice and brown add the diced tomatoes, salsas, cilantro and lime juice. (You can also toss in a chipotle pepper if you want to turn up the heat) Stir and bring to a simmer, once it comes to a simmer lower heat to medium and cover.  Cook for about 20 minutes. 

Transfer chicken to plate, remove bones then using two forks shred the chicken.  If it is easier you can wait for chicken to cool and pull the chicken with your fingers.  Return shredded chicken to pot and reheat. 

To assemble: Take 4×4 square pan, start with a layer of half of the tortilla chips, then half of the chicken, followed by 1 cup of cheese Mexican blend cheese and repeat.  You want to finish with chicken and cheese on top, sprinkle with queso fresco. 

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  When done serve immediatly and garnish with chopped cilantro and avocado.

Simple Carbonara with Sage

This weekend was a very busy weekend and I didn’t get a chance to do my usual baking.  By Sunday night we were both exhausted and I needed to get dinner together quick and easy.  I was also low on groceries because we didn’t get a chance to make it to the grocery store.   

I think everyone can agree one of the easiest things to make for dinner is a pasta dish.  At first I thought I w0uld do a simple spaghetti with meat sauce but I had no tomato sauce and no ground beef.  So scratch that idea.  Then I thought about a quick Alfredo, but I had no cream cheese or whipping cream. UGH!  I really need to go to the store.   That is when I saw the chicken stock and the eggs.   I then found some bacon, onions and a lonely chicken breast. 

This is when I decided that carbonara was what we were having for dinner.  It’s simple and easy which means my butt could be on the sofa a lot sooner then later.  I decided to toss some sage in just because it’s Fall and it’s my kitchen so I can do whatever I want.    It was a good call, I really enjoyed it and Obed loved it.  He went back for seconds and thirds. 

Was it healthy?  Probably not since the base of the sauce is bacon fat and egg yolks, but when you are exhausted and everything including your hair follicles hurt, who really cares?   I ate my bacon fat/yolk based pasta and enjoyed it and I suggest you do the same!

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Simple Carbonara with Sage  (adapted from Linda’s Italian American Kitchen)  6 Servings

• 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
• 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
• 1 large yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large chicken breast, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 4 sage leaves, minced
• 1½ cups hot Chicken Stock
• 1 pound cooked linguine
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to the boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until the bacon is lightly browned but still soft, about 6 minutes.

Measure out 3 to 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat, add the onions, garlic and chicken and cook until onions wilted but still crunchy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and adjust the heat to a simmer. Add sage and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half.

In the meantime, stir the linguine into the boiling salted water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 8 minutes.

Ladle off about a cup of the pasta-cooking water. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, add salt if necessary. If necessary, add as much chicken stock or pasta-cooking water as needed to make enough sauce to coat the pasta generously.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg yolks one at a time, tossing well after each. Add the grated cheese, then the black pepper, tossing well, and serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Sopa de Pollo con Fideos (Chicken Noodle Soup)

Tired and lazy here, thought I would let you know I am alive……..

It is definitely getting chilly in these parts and when it’s chilly it is time for soup.  This is a soup that I make for Obed on chilly days like today.  He loves soup, in fact he had about three bowls of this soup and was sad when there wasn’t enough for a fourth.  This is how Mami(es) in Puerto Rico make chicken noodle soup.  First of all we use bone in meat, none of that dried shredded chicken breast stuff here and of course the secret ingredient sofrito.  Sofrito gives all Puerto Rican food its distinct flavor.

This is very simple to make and it just a warm and satisfying meal on a cold or rainy day.  Make it with love and it cures the common cold.

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Sopa de Pollo con Fideos (Chicken Noodle Soup)

• 1 whole chicken, cut in pieces
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (1 reserved)
• 2 quarts of chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 3 tablespoons sofrito
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 large onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 large potato
• 1 envelope Sazon con Achiote
• 1 large bay leaf
• Angel hair pasta

Rub the chicken with salt, pepper and oregano and one teaspoon olive oil and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a large heavy pot sauté the sofrito purée, onions and celery with remaining olive oil, for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Brown the chicken pieces to seal in their flavor. Add the chicken stock or water to the chicken and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Raise the heat and bring to a boil once more; add carrots, potatoes, sazon and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, until carrot and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. During the last 5 – 10 , minutes add the angel hair and cook until pasta is done.

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