Recipes

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Pollo Molto Limone

This chicken has more than just a kiss of lemon; it’s a full-on groping of lemony tartness that’ll make you pucker up and say, “Delizioso!” Perfect over fettuccine or angel hair pasta that’s been drowned in the sauce it cooks in. Mangiamo!

Ingredients

  • 2 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
  • 1 cup Grated Romano Cheese
  • 2 tbsp. Dried Parsley
  • 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 Lemon (Thinly Sliced)
  • 1 cup White Wine
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth
  • 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Cut chicken breasts into three thin slices: top, middle, and bottom. (Not strips.)
  2. Using a meat tenderizer, pound sliced chicken breasts until 1/4-inch thick.
  3. Place tenderized chicken breasts in a large bowl and pour milk over the top. Allow to soak for 30 minutes.
  4. While chicken is soaking, mix bread crumbs, Romano cheese, and parsley in a medium-sized baking dish. Set aside.
  5. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  7. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
  8. Remove chicken from milk and dredge with bread crumb mixture, patting to get as much of the bread crumb mixture on the chicken as possible.
  9. Cook chicken in skillet until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  10. Transfer cooked chicken to a large baking dish.
  11. Place one lemon slice on top of each piece of chicken.
  12. Return skillet to heat. Add white wine and bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate any browned bits left in the pan.
  13. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to skillet.
  14. Cook and stir until reduced by about one-half (about 10 minutes.)
  15. Pour wine mixture over chicken in baking dish.
  16. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  17. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbling.
  18. Remove from oven and serve over pasta.
  19. Spoon a healthy portion of the sauce onto the pasta, and enjoy the remaining white wine!
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Raspberry Thumbprints

These cookies are scrumptious with a strong cup of coffee, a pot of tea, or a big glass of milk. They also have the benefit of having very few ingredients which make them a great “go to” cookie when your cupboard is a wee bit sparse. You can omit the nuts if they put you into anaphylactic shock, but they’re so good with the nuts you might just want to keep the EpiPen handy instead.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Butter or Margarine
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1/3 cup Very Finely Chopped Walnuts
  • 1/2 cup Raspberry Jam

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  3. Separate egg, reserving whites.
  4. Blend together egg yolk, butter or margarine, brown sugar, and vanilla.
  5. Add flour and salt, and mix well.
  6. Shape the dough into balls about 1-1/2 wide. (Makes about 12 balls.)
  7. Roll balls in egg white and then in chopped walnuts, until well coated with nuts.
  8. Arrange balls on prepared baking sheet.
  9. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven.
  10. Put a deep dent into the center of each cookie with your thumb. (Don’t be a scaredy cat; they’re not too hot yet.)
  11. Spoon or pipe raspberry jam into the dent in each cookie.
  12. Return baking sheet to oven, and bake for 11-12 minutes more.
  13. Remove cookies from baking sheet immediately and transfer to wire rack to cool.
  14. Brew some strong coffee and enjoy!

Are you really allergic to nuts or just don’t like them? Try sprinkles, quick cooking oats, or shredded coconut instead…  although, coconut is disgusting, so please don’t tell me that you’ve corrupted my recipe with it. And of course, you can also try other flavors of jam or preserves. 

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Italian Meatballs

If you’re tired of hosing down your stove-top with degreaser after making meatballs, you’ll love this recipe. They are lighter and fluffier than your average meatball, and packed full of classic Italian flavor. You can also get creative with your meats by substituting ground lamb, venison, or turkey.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Large Onion, Finely Minced
  • 1 lb. Ground Beef
  • 1 lb. Ground Pork
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 4 Large Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
  • 2 tsp. Salt
  • 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. Dried Basil
  • 1 tsp. Dried Parsley
  • 2 tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

  1. Add bread crumbs and milk to a small bowl and soak.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
  3. Saute onions in oil until translucent.
  4. Mix beef and pork in large bowl or stand mixer. (If using a stand mixer, make sure you’re using a slow setting to avoid pulverizing the meat.)
  5. Add cooked onions with oil, bread crumb mixture, eggs, garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to bowl and mix until combined.
  6. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  7. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
  8. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. (Make sure you use a baking sheet with a raised lip all the way around unless you were planning on cleaning your oven tonight anyway.)
  9. Roll meat into balls of equal size, about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and arrange on prepared baking sheet.
  10. Bake in pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes until well browned.

Sneaky Trick: Keep your hands wet while rolling your meatballs to keep the mixture from sticking to your skin. After all, this isn’t exactly a batter you want to lick off your fingers.

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Chicken Pot Pies

What’s not to love about this classic comfort food? If you’re planning on spending a couple of days binge-watching your favorite show, it’s easy to make a whole passel of small pot pies ahead of time for reheating when you’re between episodes. This will make four single-serving pot pies or one humongous one.

Filling Ingredients

  • 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1  16 oz. Package of Frozen Vegetables
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. Dried Parsley
  • 1 tbsp. Corn Starch
  • 2 tbsp. Water

Crust Ingredients

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • 2/3 cup + 2 tbsp. Shortening
  • About 6 tbsp. Ice Cold Water

Directions

  1. Cook chicken breasts in a large pot of boiling water until cooked through, about 15 minutes. If chicken is still frozen before cooking, increase cooking time to 20 minutes.
  2. Remove pot from burner and drain. Transfer cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board.
  3. Cut cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Return to pot.
  4. Add frozen vegetables, chicken broth, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and parsley to pot and cook over medium high heat until it begins to bubble, stirring occasionally.
  5. Mix corn starch and water in a small, sealable container, and shake until well combined.
  6. Add to chicken mixture and stir until it begins to thicken. (If not thick enough, add up to another teaspoon of cornstarch with water, but don’t go crazy. It will thicken some when it cools.)
  7. Remove chicken mixture from heat and set aside.
  8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  9. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl.
  10. Add shortening and combine with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  11. Slowly add ice cold water, thoroughly combining with flour mixture until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and is joined into one large, slightly moist lump.
  12. Turn approximately half the dough out onto a floured surface, flipping until the exterior is coated in dry flour.
  13. Press down with your hands into a very rough approximation of the shape you want.
  14. Use a floured rolling pin to roll dough until it is just under 1/4 inch thick.
  15. Place a pie tin(s) upside down on the dough, and cut a circle wide enough to cover the interior slightly beyond the lip of the pan(s).
  16. Line pan(s) with the dough you have just cut. It should protrude above the lip of the pan(s).
  17. If using multiple pans, repeat cutting dough and lining pans until all pans have been lined with dough.
  18. Spoon chicken mixture into prepared pie pan(s), about 3/4 full.
  19. Turn the remaining half of the dough out onto a floured surface, flipping until the exterior is coated in dry flour.
  20. Press down with your hands into a very rough approximation of the shape you want.
  21. Use a floured rolling pin to roll dough until it is just under 1/4 inch thick.
  22. Cut rolled dough to a size suitable to cover the top of the pie(s).
  23. Cover pie(s) with crust, and crimp edges together all the way around to seal.
  24. Using a sharp knife, cut a simple design in the top crust to vent the pie. (This is not the type of pie on which you want to try a fancy-schmancy cut crust design. This filling is lumpy and bubbly, and all of your artistic toil will be for naught.)
  25. Arrange pie pan(s) on a baking sheet lined with foil.
  26. Bake in pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes, until crust just begins to brown.
  27. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
  28. To reheat pot pie, wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. (Defrost first if frozen.)
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Chocolate Baklava

If you’re searching for something to go with your coffee that’s so sweet it’ll give you tooth decay just smelling it, look no further. I’ve turned the traditional recipe up to eleven with the addition of chocolate. Sweet as sin, and twice the calories! Απολαμβάνω!

Ingredients

  • 1  16 oz. Package Phyllo Dough
  • 1 lb. Finely Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
  • 1/2 cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 cup Water
  • 3/4 cup White Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 3 tbsp. Chocolate Syrup

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heavily coat a 9×13 baking dish with butter or a LOT of cooking spray.
  3. Melt butter in small saucepan.
  4. Unfold phyllo dough and cut in half to fit baking dish.
  5. Place one sheet of cut phyllo dough in the prepared baking dish and brush with melted butter.
  6. Repeat until the bottom layer is eight to ten sheets thick.
  7. Chop nuts into small pieces.
  8. Mix nuts with cinnamon and chocolate chips.
  9. Spread nut mixture evenly across phyllo dough layers.
  10. Cover with a single sheet of phyllo dough and brush with melted butter.
  11. Repeat until the top layer is eight to ten sheets thick.
  12. Using a sharp knife, cut into small squares or diamond-shaped pieces. (Remember, this is ridiculously sweet, so smaller pieces are better.)
  13. Bake in pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes until very brown and crisp.
  14. While baklava is baking prepare sauce. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium to medium high heat.
  15. Reduce heat, and add honey, vanilla, and chocolate syrup, and simmer while stirring for 20 minutes. Set aside.
  16. Remove baklava from oven and immediately pour sauce over the top, making sure to cover every piece.
  17. Allow to cool in baking dish.
  18. Serve in cupcake liners or on small squares of parchment paper. Do not wrap to store, or it will get soggy and end up more like a sad Poptart than baklava.
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Charlie’s Chinese Chicken

I traded my Lemon Meringue Pie recipe with a co-worker whose parents had a very popular Chinese restaurant to get the secrets to this dish. You can customize it with more or different veggies, by varying the ratio of Hot Chili Garlic Sauce and Honey to increase or decrease the spiciness, or make it with different meats. 

Ingredients

  • Four Servings White Rice
  • 2 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ cup Corn Starch
  • Water (enough to create a thick batter)
  • 4 cups Vegetable Oil
  • 4 cups Frozen Asian Vegetables
  • 1 tbsp. Hot Chili Garlic Sauce
  • ½ cup Honey
  • ½ tsp. Sesame Oil
  • 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

Directions

  1. Prepare four servings of white rice.
  2. Heat oil in wok or a large skillet over Medium High to High heat.
  3. Cut chicken in to small, bite-sized pieces of equal size.
  4. Mix flour, corn starch, and water into a thick batter.
  5. Add chicken to batter and mix until all chicken is well coated.
  6. Confirm that oil is hot by flicking a few drops of water into the wok. It should be hot enough that you have the impulse to jump backward from the stove when the water hits the oil.
  7. Carefully drop individual pieces of chicken into the oil. Be brave! It’s a bit like dropping rocks into the mouth of a volcano. The closer you get the chicken to the oil before you drop it, the less it will splash, likely saving you a trip to the burn unit at the emergency room.
  8. Cook until golden brown.
  9. Remove chicken from oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
  10. Remove oil from wok but do not wash or wipe. You want to have a coating of oil remaining in the wok.
  11. From this point on, you will be flipping and stirring constantly, so have everything within arm’s reach!
  12. Return wok to heat and add frozen vegetables.  Cook until just hot. Do not overcook as they should still be firm and crisp.
  13. Add cooked chicken to vegetables in wok and combine.
  14. Add hot chili garlic sauce, honey, and sesame oil, and mix until chicken and vegetables are thoroughly coated. You might be thinking, “I just dumped out four cups of oil! Why add sesame oil now?” Charlie always said that adding sesame oil gives food “Real Chinese Flavor,” so don’t skip it!
  15. Remove from heat and serve over white rice.
  16. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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Cinn-full Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls will add some rolls to your waistline! And you don’t have to use one of those ghastly spring-form tubes of yucky, fake dough. These are great with nuts or neutered (i.e. no nuts… heh). 

THE DOUGH

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 2 tbsp. Water
  • 3 tbsp. White Sugar
  • 3/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1/4 cup Butter or Margarine, Softened
  • 3-1/3 cups Bread Flour
  • 2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

Directions

    1. Add all ingredients to bread machine pan in order listed.
    2. Select Dough cycle and press Start.

 

THE FILLING

Ingredients

  • 2 Full Sticks of Butter or Margarine, very softened
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup White Sugar
  • As much Cinnamon as you can handle (At least 2 tbsp.)
  • 1 cup Finely Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (Optional)
  1. Mix butter or margarine, brown sugar,white sugar, and cinnamon together into a thick, goopy* paste.
  2. Don’t mix in the nuts; those come later.

 

THE FROSTING

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. Vanilla
  • 1-1/2 – 3 tbsp. Whole Milk
  1. Mix all ingredients together into a thick, runny* paste.
  2. If frosting is too thick, add a bit more milk; if too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.

*What’s the difference between “goopy” and “runny” you might ask? If you put a “goopy” paste in a bowl, it will hold it’s shape, whereas a “runny” paste will lie flat. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

 

THE ROLLS

  1. Spray two or three (depending on size) baking pans or cake pans with a LOT of cooking spray. This recipe makes about 14-16 rolls.
  2. When dough cycle has completed, turn out dough onto a floured surface.
  3. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough out into a large rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick.
  4. Smear entire surface with filling, as evenly as possible.
  5. Sprinkle nuts evenly over the filling. (Optional)
  6. Gently roll up the dough rectangle lengthwise, avoiding squeezing or pressing.
  7. With a long, sharp knife, cut the rolled dough into 1 to 1-1/2 inch sections of equal size.
  8. Arrange sections in baking pans, leaving at least 1 inch between each roll.
  9. Rise in an unheated oven for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.
  10. With pans still in the oven, turn oven on to 350 degrees, and bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown.
  11. Remove from oven and allow to cool for only about five minutes.
  12. Use a piping bag with a large, round tip to swirl icing all over the hot cinnamon rolls. The frosting will melt and run into every crack and crevice.

 

Sneaky Trick: If you’re having trouble getting your filling to spread, use a large, wet pastry brush (or a new, wet paint brush). The filling won’t stick to it as much as it will to a spoon or spatula, especially when it’s wet, and a tiny bit of extra moisture won’t hurt your dough and filling at all.

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Cauliflower Au Gratin

Poor cauliflower. It’s always the last lonely vegetable left on the crudité platter. Maybe that’s because there’s no better way to eat cauliflower than when it’s smothered with cheese! This recipe also works well with cauliflower’s slightly more popular cousin, broccoli, and with a wide variety of cheeses.

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Head of Cauliflower
  • 5 tbsp. Butter or Margarine
  • 3 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups Whole Milk
  • 3 cups Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 tbsp. Finely Minced Onion
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

Directions

  1. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Cook cauliflower in a large pot of boiling water until tender.
  3. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. Drain cauliflower well and arrange in prepared baking dish. Set aside.
  5. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  6. In a medium-sized sauce pan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat.
  7. When melted and bubbling, add flour and stir to create a bubbly paste.
  8. Slowly add milk, stirring to thoroughly combine with the margarine and flour mixture.
  9. Cook and stir until it begins to thicken, about 10-15 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
  10. Slowly add cheddar cheese, stirring constantly.
  11. Cook and stir until all cheese is melted and sauce thickens.
  12. Add onion and salt and stir until incorporated into cheese sauce.
  13. Pour cheese sauce over cauliflower in baking dish, and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
  14. Cook in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
  15. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Sneaky Trick: Did you drain your cauliflower but it’s still really wet and soupy? Set the uncovered pot back on the cooling burner you just used while cooking it to generate a little steam and reduce the water content. Remember to turn the cauliflower frequently so it doesn’t crisp or burn on the bottom. This works great for boiled potatoes, too!

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REAL Blueberry Muffins

These aren’t cupcakes masquerading as muffins like you might get at the coffee drive-thru.  These are stick-to-your-ribs, real mother-f*cking muffins! The batter stands up strong to hold a LOT of delicious blueberries, and it works great with raspberries or blackberries, too. These muffins are lovely served with a little smear of butter or margarine.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Frozen Blueberries (or even more if you’re feeling brave!)
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. White Sugar
  • 1 tbsp.  Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Line a cupcake tin with paper cupcake liners. (This should make about 16 in a standard-sized cupcake tin.)
  3. Put frozen blueberries in a colander and run warm water over them for about thirty seconds, just enough to soften them a bit.  Shake the colander to keep them from sticking together and set aside, allowing to drain.
  4. Combine milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and egg in a large bowl and combine well.
  5. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
  6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix very gently until just combined. (Do NOT use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer for this step.) Your batter should be very lumpy.
  7. Shake blueberries one more time to make sure they’re not sticking together and add to batter.  Mix until JUST distributed throughout batter, but no more. The secret to a great textured muffin is a light hand while mixing!
  8. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake tin until each is about 2/3 full.
  9. Wipe any drips from around the edges of the tin with a damp paper towel. (You will thank me when it’s time to wash the tin!)
  10. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-22 minutes until they begin to brown on the top. (If you’re using fresh berries, reduce the cooking time by about two minutes.)
  11. Remove from tin immediately and transfer to a cooling rack.
  12. Serve while still warm… or hot if you can’t wait!
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Coq au Vin

This classic dish makes my mouth tingle, it’s so good! Coq au Vin is fantastic served over egg noodles with a side of steamed carrots, or just as good all by itself. Other than one spoiled, ungrateful child with an unrefined palate, who referred to it as “that weird purple chicken,” it’s a consistent crowd-pleaser, too. Bonus: The chef gets to sample the “vin” while the “coq” is cooking! C’est formidable!

Ingredients

  • 4 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Thighs
  • Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
  • 8 oz. Bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 10 Large Button Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 Large Onion, diced (or about 20 Tiny Pearl Onions)
  • 2 Shallots, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tbsp. Butter or Margarine
  • 1 1/2 cups Red Wine*
  • 1/4 tsp. Dried Thyme
  • 1 cup Chicken Broth

*Just about any red wine will do: Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz, etc. But since you’re only using one-and-a-half cups in the recipe, make sure it’s one you like to drink, too! My current fav is Cupcake Vinyards Merlot. It’s a great balance of low price and high drinkability, and works well in this recipe.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Season chicken thighs all over with salt and ground black pepper.
  3. Place bacon in a large, oven-proof skillet and cook over medium-high heat, until almost crisp.
  4. Remove bacon from skillet and set aside on a paper-towel lined plate, leaving drippings in the skillet.
  5. Increase heat to high and place chicken thighs, skin-side down, into skillet.
  6. Cook in hot skillet until browned, about 4 minutes per side.
  7. Transfer chicken to a plate.
  8. Do NOT drain fat from the skillet.
  9. Lower heat to medium-high and saute mushrooms, onion, and shallots in the hot skillet until caramelized.
  10. Stir flour and butter or margarine into vegetable mixture until completely incorporated.
  11. Pour red wine into the skillet and bring to a boil while stirring.
  12. Stir bacon and thyme into red wine mixture.
  13. Simmer until wine is about 1/3 reduced, about 5-6 minutes.
  14. Pour chicken broth into wine mixture and stir to combine.
  15. Set chicken thighs into skillet, skin side up.
  16. Bring skillet to a simmer.
  17. Move uncovered skillet to pre-heated oven and cook for 30 minutes.
  18. Spoon juices over the chicken and continue cooking about 30 minutes more.
  19. Remove skillet from oven and transfer chicken to serving plates.
  20. Place skillet over high heat and reduce pan juices until thickened, stirring well to incorporate any fat that rises to the top. (Tip: Remember to keep a pot holder on the handle! It’s easy to forget once the pan is out of the oven, and will require a lot of cold water, ice, and burn cream if it slips your mind.)
  21. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
  22. Spoon vegetables and sauce over chicken and serve.

 

Très Important: Do NOT substitute some wimpy boneless, skinless, or white meat chicken in this recipe.  Simply put, it will suck, and therefore be a deplorable waste of wine.

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