My Menu Blog

For the potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg yolk

For the meat filling:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Directions

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 a cup of plain flour
• a little salt
• a little freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg – beaten
• 1/2 a tablespoon of water
• 3/4 of a cup of Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• unsalted butter
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 a cup of freshly grated Parmesan

• 1 bottle (1 liter) plus 1 cup (225 ml) of red wine
• 1 onion, cut into a 1-inch (2.5-cm) dice
• 1 carrot, cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices
• 1 celery rib, cut into ½-inch (1-cm) slices
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tbsp (14 g) whole black peppercorns
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1 whole chicken, about 3.5 lb (1.35 kg) “trimmed”–meaning guts, wing tips, and neckbone removed
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp (28 ml) olive oil
• 6 tbsp (75 g) butter, softened
• 1 tbsp (14 g) flour
• ¼ lb (112 g) slab or country bacon, cut into small oblongs (lardons) about ¼ by 1 inch (6 mm by 2.5 cm)
• ½ Ib/225 g small, white button mushrooms, stems removed
• 12 pearl onions, peeled pinch of sugar

DAY ONE

The day before you even begin to cook, combine the bottle of red wine, the diced onion (that’s the big onion, not the pearl onions), sliced carrot, celery, cloves, peppercorns, and bouquet garni in a large, deep bowl. Add the chicken and submerge it in the liquid so that all of it is covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

DAY TWO

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Put it aside. Strain the marinade through the fine strainer, reserving the liquids and solids separately. Season the chicken with salt and pepper inside and out. In the large Dutch oven, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter until almost smoking, and then sear the chicken, turning with the tongs to evenly brown the skin. Once browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside again. Add the reserved onions, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden brown. That should take you about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix well with the wooden spoon so that the vegetables are coated. Now stir in the reserved strained marinade. Put the chicken back in the pot, along with the bouquet garni. Cook this for about 1 hour and 15 minutes over low heat.

Have a drink. You’re almost there …

While your chicken stews slowly in the pot, cook the bacon lardons in the small sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on paper towels, making sure to keep about 1 tablespoon/14 g of fat in the pan. Sauté the mushroom tops in the bacon fat until golden brown. Set them aside.

Now, in the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, the pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter. Add just enough water to just cover the onions, then cover the pan with the parchment paper trimmed to the same size as your pan. (I suppose you can use foil if you must.) Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated. Keep a close eye on it. Remove the paper cover and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown. Set the onions aside and add the remaining cup/225 ml of red wine to the hot pan, scraping up all the fond on the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and reduce over medium-high heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Your work is pretty much done here. One more thing and then it’s wine and kudos …

When the chicken is cooked through—meaning tender, the juice from the thigh running clear when pricked—carefully remove from the liquid, cut into quarters, and arrange on the deep serving platter. Strain the cooking liquid (again) into the reduced red wine. Now just add the bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons/28 g of butter. Now pour that sauce over the chicken and dazzle your friends with your brilliance. Serve with buttered noodles and a Bourgogne Rouge.

2 skinless, boneless chicken cutlets
12 thin slices red onion, halved
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
4 tsp olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut 4 12-inch-long pieces of nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper.
2. Cut the chicken into long strips, then cut the strips in half. Mix all the ingredients together and spoon equal amounts onto the center of each piece of foil or paper. Draw up the sides and seal the packets well — leaving room around the ingredients so they can steam. Put packets on a baking sheet.
3. Bake 17 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.

1 tbs. EVOO
1 lb. ground chicken
1/3 cup sliced green olives (drained)
1½ cups low-sodium tomato sauce
1/3 cup pre-diced onions
¼ cup raisins
1 tbs. minced garlic
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
4 med. tortillas

1. Preheat large sauté pan on med-high 2-3 min.
2. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 5-7 min., stirring to crumble meat, or until meat is brown and no pink remains. Meanwhile, chop olives coarsely.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook 6-8 min., stirring occasionally, or until flavors are blended and mixture is thoroughly heated.
4. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in paper towel and microwave on high 30-45 seconds or until warm. Spoon meat into tortillas and serve.

10 oz. frozen breaded chicken tenders or strips
8 large flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese, divided
1½ cups pasta sauce

1. Preheat 2-sided grill. Place chicken tenders on plate. Microwave on high 3-5 min. or until heated. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
2. Lightly coat one side of the tortilla with cooking spray. Arrange 4 of the tortillas on clean work surface (sprayed side down). Sprinkle 2 tbs. of the cheese over each tortilla, then ¼ of the chicken. Spoon ¼ of the marinara sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with 2 more tbs. of the cheese. Cover each with remaining tortillas (sprayed side out).
3. Place one or two quesadillas on grill (depending on size of grill). Cook 4-5 min. until golden. Let stand 2-3 min. before cutting. Cook remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve.

2 lbs. ground chicken
2 tbs. chopped parsley
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp. chopped shallot
1 stalk diced fennel
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large bell peppers

1. In a large bowl combine chicken and parsley, garlic, shallot, fennel, salt and pepper until just blended.
2. Remove tops from peppers and clean out the seeds. Fill each pepper with chicken mixture.
3. Bake at 350°F for 1 hr. or until juices run clear.

1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbs. fresh dill, chopped
1 tbs. fresh oregano, chopped
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 can artichoke hearts (14 oz.) drained and halved
8-10 cherry tomatoes
8-10 slices yellow squash
6-8 rosemary stems — thick woody stems about 6-8 in. long

1. Soak rosemary in cold water for at least 1 hr. before cooking.
2. Cut boneless chicken breasts into cubes
3. In a large bowl, combine next 7 ingredients add chicken and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. Remove chicken from marinade and assemble skewers with chicken and veggies. Grill until chicken is done.

1 1/2lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbs. EVOO
7-8 sprigs fresh Italian parsley (rinsed)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 med. yellow squash
1 med. zucchini
1 cup fresh green beans
3 fresh garlic cloves
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 cup pre-diced onions
1 (14.5oz) can diced fire -roasted tomatoes (undrained)

1. Preheat large saute apn on med-high 2-3 min. Season chicken with salt and pepper on plate. Wash hands. Place 1 tbs. oil in pan, swirl to coat.
2. Add chicken to pan, cook 2-3 min. on each side or until browned. While chicken cooks, chop parsley coarsely.
3. Add parsley, 1/2 tsp. of the Italian seasoning  and wine to chicken. Reduce heat to med-low; cover and simmer 6-8 min. or until internal temp. reaches 165 degrees F.
4. Meanwhile, cut squash and zucchini in half lengthwise; then cut into 1/4-in-thick slices. Trim ends of green beans and discard; but beans into 2-in.-long lengths. Chop garlic coarsely.
5. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add remaining 1 tbs. oil and 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning along with garlic, to pan; cook 1 min. Stir in remaining ingredients (except tomatoes); cook 5-7 min., stirring often, or until vegetables begin to soften.
6. Stir in tomatoes; cook 4-5 min. more or until vegetables are desired tenderness.
7. Transfer vegetables to serving dish. Slice chicken, arrange over vegetables, and serve with pasta.

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking oil
½ lb. (½ package) won-ton wrappers
2 tbs. sesame seeds
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup vinegar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
¼ cup salad oil or sesame oil
½ head iceberg lettuce, torn
4 green onions, chopped

1. Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with cooking spray. Place over med.-high heat; add chicken breast halves. Cook 3-4 min. on each side, then add enough water to cover bottom of pan. Cover pot, reduce heat to med.-low and cook until chicken is tender, about 20 min. Remove breasts and let cool to room temp. Cut into bite-size pieces.
2. While chicken breasts cook, heat 1 in. oil in fryer or deep pot. Slice won-ton wrappers into ½-inch-wide strips. Drop a small quantity at a time into the hot oil. Cook until lightly brown, just a few seconds. Drain on paper towels.
3. Place a small heavy frying pan over med.-high heat. Do not add any oil. Add sesame seeds and cook, stirring until lightly toasted, about 5 min. Transfer sesame seeds to a bowl, and then add almonds to the same pan. Cook, stirring until lightly toasted, about 5 min. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar and sugar, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; whisk in salt, pepper and oil. To assemble the salad, place torn lettuce leaves in a bowl. Top with chicken, friend won-ton strips and almonds. Drizzle with dressing, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.