Chicken Florentine

Chicken Florentine

In this weeknight recipe, perfectly browned chicken breasts are smothered in a creamy spinach sauce that comes together with ease, all in one skillet. The highlight of this recipe is the buttery white-wine sauce, which is enriched and thickened with a secret ingredient: cream cheese. The sauce nicely coats the wilted spinach, though you can use sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms or canned artichokes instead of, or in addition to, the spinach.  A side of mashed or roasted potatoes would round out this dish well, but some crusty bread to sop up every last bit is a must.

Yield: 4 servings

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Salt and black pepper

4 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound) 

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)

1 medium shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil)

1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano)

½ cup heavy cream

2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups packed baby spinach (about 3 ounces)

On a plate, mix together the flour, Parmesan and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken breast in the mixture, evenly coating on both sides.

Heat a large pan over medium. Add olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt to combine. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown (but not cooked through), about 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and let it melt. Add shallot, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until the shallot is softened and the garlic is aromatic, about 2 minutes.

Add wine, broth, basil and oregano, and stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cream cheese and stir, allowing the cream cheese to soften and melt, until a thick sauce forms, about 6 minutes. Add baby spinach and stir until it is folded into the cream sauce and the spinach is beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.

Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan on top.

TIP:

This was outstanding. I used chicken tenders because that's what I had in the freezer. Also, I added some mushrooms sauteed in a little butter for flavor and some olive oil because I had a few left and they needed to be used. Didn't have heavy cream, so used 2% milk. That, along with light cream cheese made a lovely sauce that thickened up nicely. I also used a whole bag of baby spinach, 6 oz, which was a good amount. Served it with rice and steamed zucchini. Will definitely make again!

I made it just as directed by the recipe, but with more like 5 oz. of spinach. It's a rich sauce, so I'm glad I upped the veg. In the US, chicken breasts rarely come in "thin," so I cut my two halves (about 1# toal) down the middle to make four thin filets. This was a big hit with the whole family, and it was quite simple and used mostly pantry ingredients. It's going into a regular rotation for us.

Carnitas - pork

Glorious Carnitas (Little Meats)

From Week of Menus 

Serves 10-12 (make the whole batch and you get leftovers to enjoy, or make the whole batch and share with a family)

Ingredients (these ingredients will be divided into half between two pots)
6-7 lbs boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 2-inch pieces (I get the package from Costco that is already cut into strips, which makes the cutting into 2 inch pieces so much quicker)

1½ cups citrus juice - I use a mix of orange, lemon, lime, tangerine, whatever I have around. (Not too much of the super tart, as you do want some sweetness so don't shy away from using some orange or tangerine)
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 bay leaves (optional)
2 sprigs of thyme (optional)

Method
In two large heavy pots, divide up the pork shoulder.  The ideal pots will hold a majority of the meat so that they touch the bottom of the pot, and not chunks of meat on top of one another.  The first part of the process is about rendering the fat and tenderizing the meat through cooking.  Add 3/4 cup of juice to each pot.  Add 2 tablespoons garlic to each pot.  1 teaspoon salt to each pot.  1 bay leaf and 1 sprig of thyme to each pot.

Add enough water to barely cover the pork pieces.  A couple of pieces poking out from out of the water is ok, as long as you can push down under the water during the cooking process. Bring both pots to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered for 1.5 to 2 hours, until about half the liquid has reduced.  Try and not touch the meat during this time.

After the liquid has reduced down, increase the heat to medium high and continue to cook, carefully and gently turning over pieces increasing the caramelization and browning. This is not a saute quickly and roughly moment, but rather a moment of carefully turning tender pieces of meat so that they can brown and crisp up in their own rendered fat. (This is really what makes carnitas so good - the browning of the meat in its own fat.) If I am unable to eat the entire pot at the moment, I will take pieces of the carnitas out and brown it in a fry pan, which is also delicious.

When the pork has gotten golden brown on as many sides as possible, it's ready for eating. Check seasonings and serve with whatever fixings you like.  I like some crispy salad, guacamole, cilantro, and some salsas.

Vanilla Bean Mochi Cake

Vanilla Bean Mochi Cake: From Weekofmenus 

adapted from Gourmet Magazine | May 2005

Makes one 9X13 pan, or 24 squares

1 lb box of mochiko flour (3 cups equivalent)

2 cups of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 14 oz can regular coconut milk

1 14 oz can light coconut milk (readily found at Trader Joes)

5 large eggs

1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup of butter) melted and slightly cooled

1 whole vanilla bean, split in half and beans scraped out

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mochiko flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup (4 cup capacity), beat eggs, then add coconut milk, melted butter and vanilla bean.

Carefully pour the wet ingredients over the mochiko flour mixture and whisk until mixture is smooth and uniform in texture.

Pour batter into greased 9X13 pan. Carefully smooth out the top.

Bake for 90 minutes, until top is golden brown and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Allow cake to cool for about 30 minutes on a rack, and then carefully flip it out and cut into 24 squares, or the size of your choice. Can store mochi cake for three days, covered.

Blueberry Vanilla Bean Mochi Cake

Makes one 9X13 pan, or 24 squares

1 lb box of mochiko flour (3 cups equivalent)

2 1/2 cups of sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 14 oz cans of coconut milk - not lowfat (I used two cans of 13.5 oz)

4 large eggs

1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup of butter) melted and slightly cooled

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out

2 cups of blueberries, washed and picked over

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mochiko flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup (4 cup capacity), beat eggs, then add coconut milk, melted butter and vanilla bean. Mix together until vanilla bean is well distributed.

Carefully pour the wet ingredients over the mochiko flour mixture and whisk until mixture is smooth and uniform in texture.

Pour batter into greased 9X13 pan. Carefully smooth out the top. Sprinkle blueberries over entire surface.

Bake for 90 minutes, until top is golden brown and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Allow cake to cool for about 30 minutes on a rack, and then carefully flip it out and cut into 24 squares, or the size of your choice. Can store mochi cake for three days, covered.

Quick Vanilla Bean Tutorial 

Please excuse the photographs, as I had to shoot with my left hand while my right hand tried to demonstrate.  Hopefully you'll get a sense of what you need to do.

Carefully cut down the center of your whole vanilla bean and split it into two parts.

Starting at one end, with the back of your knife (not sharp side), scrape along the length of the vanilla bean.

You will have a knife tip covered with tiny gooey black dots.

  

Seven Layer Salad

Seven Layer Salad

As its name implies, this colorful retro salad is composed of seven distinct layers, including vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, shredded cheese and a creamy dressing. The salad is not tossed, but gets mixed upon serving, allowing for a beautiful presentation and a dish that works well when made in advance. This recipe includes the ingredients and layers typically seen in a seven layer salad, but feel free to swap in your own favorites, using some crunchy cucumber or bell pepper in place of the peas, or avocado in place of the hard-boiled eggs. You can also have fun with the layering, as long as you keep the lettuce and tomato far from the dressing so the salad stays fresh and crisp. The optional red onion is technically an extra layer, but its sharpness works really well with the richness of the dressing, bacon and cheese.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

¾ cup mayonnaise

¾ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper

8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce (about 1 large head)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted and patted dry

1½ cups finely chopped red onion (about ½ large onion), optional

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1 cup/4 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar

12 ounces sliced bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar, and whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, then cover and place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while you assemble the rest of the salad.

Place the lettuce in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or a large glass bowl. (To make sure you end up with distinct layers, start layering each ingredient around the perimeter of the dish, then fill in the center.) Add the peas in an even layer, followed by the onion, if using, then the tomatoes and finally the eggs.

Spoon dollops of dressing to cover the entire surface of the egg layer, gently spreading the dressing to the edges of the dish with a spatula. Sprinkle the cheese over the dressing, followed by the bacon.

Serve right away or cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving. Serve the salad directly from the trifle dish, making sure to scoop straight down to reach every layer.

TIP: PS Pro tip: add a scant dash of Worcestershire to the dressing. Just a bit, but that bit makes a difference. Also, use apple cider vinegar, not white, and adjust the vinegar and sugar proportions to taste. It should be both vinegary and sweet, like so many good Southern foods.

Ms. Heuck’s recipe is informed by a beloved recipe published in Sunset Magazine’s 1982 Favorite Recipes II as Overnight Layered Green Salad. The dressing contains no vinegar. It is 2 C mayo, 2 tsps sugar, 1/2 C grated Parm, 1 tsp seasoned salt, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. The salad included iceberg, green onions, celery, water chestnuts, and peas with the dressing on top to seal in the freshness. Just before serving, you added the bacon, egg and arranged egg and tomato wedges. So pretty, so delicious, and so homey! I agree that a splash of Worcestshire would be a great addition.

Often, I’d make this salad in a pretty clear dish or bowl, and leave it for the host as a gift along with the serving utensils and a decorative copy of the recipe.

Brothy Tomato Rice Soup

Brothy Tomato Rice Soup

This quick and nourishing soup captures the concentrated umami, acidic-sweet brightness and floral aroma of fresh tomatoes. If you can buy the ones on the vine, you’ll end up with an even more intense scent. Fragrant jasmine rice lends body and thickens the broth just enough. The perfect lunch or light dinner, this comforting meal reheats beautifully, too, to a texture not dissimilar to congee or juk, and tastes like peak summer in soup form. A note on cooking with tomato vines: They lend a surprising tomatoey flavor to brothy curries and soups like this, accentuating the aroma of the fruit in a beautiful way, but they do contain plant defenses called glycoalkaloids, so don’t eat them.

Yield: 2 servings

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 ounce guanciale or bacon, diced

½ medium yellow onion, diced

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

12 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, preferably on the vine

¼ cup jasmine rice

2 cups chicken stock, bone broth or dashi, preferably homemade

Salt

Fresh basil and toasted sesame oil, for serving (optional)

Heat a medium saucepan over medium, then add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Stir-fry the guanciale and onion until both start to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes, then scooch them to the side of the pan.

To the empty side of the pan, add a little more oil if dry, then stir in the crushed red pepper and oregano. Reduce the heat if the spices start to burn. Nestle in the tomatoes (with their vines still on) and cook them until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the rice and stock and bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt. If your tomatoes had stems and vines, remove and discard them.

Serve immediately with a topping of fresh basil and a dribble of sesame oil, if using.

Honey Garlic Shrimp

Honey Garlic Shrimp

This speedy dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes and relies on pantry staples like honey and soy sauce for easy weeknight flavor. The honey-garlic sauce works double-time, serving as a sweet-and-savory marinade and as a pan sauce for the crustaceans. While large shrimp work best for this recipe (and are the most forgiving when it comes to cooking time), smaller shrimp will work, too. If your shrimp cook through before it’s time to add the sauce to the skillet, transfer them to a serving dish and reduce the sauce on its own before pouring it over the shrimp. Serve with steamed rice, and a simply cooked green vegetable or cucumber salad.

Yield: 4 servings

1 pound extra-large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on or off)

⅓ cup honey 

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic (from 2 large cloves)

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil

Thinly sliced scallions, for serving

Place the shrimp in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper; whisk until smooth. Pour 3 tablespoons of the marinade over the shrimp and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to 1 hour in the fridge.

While the shrimp marinate, combine the cornstarch with the remaining marinade and set aside.

Lift the shrimp from the marinade to paper towels and pat dry; discard any marinade remaining in the bowl.

Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. (A cast-iron skillet will help the shrimp brown more deeply than a nonstick skillet.) Add the oil, swirling to coat the pan, then arrange the shrimp in the skillet in one layer. Cook for 2 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom, then flip the shrimp and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pan sauce thickens. (If your shrimp are on the smaller side and already cooked through before it’s time to add the sauce, transfer them to the serving dish and reduce the sauce on its own. Pour the sauce over the cooked shrimp.)

Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a serving dish, sprinkle with scallions and serve.

TIP: I recommend using less corn starch than the recipe calls for and making a slurry prior to combining it with the marinade in step 3. When I poured the marinade over the cooking shrimp in step 6 it congealed very quickly and made a very unappetizing sauce. The flavors were pretty good but the honey was a bit overpowering. Fresh lime to finish wouldn’t hurt either.

Smashed Scallion Burgers

Smashed Scallion Burgers

When you notice an abundance of fresh scallions in markets and stores, it’s time to make this springy makeover of the irresistible Oklahoma-style burger. Topping each patty with a copious pile of thin-sliced scallions then searing them in the skillet delivers a smoky, savory burger that feels like a treat any day of the week. The scallion prep might feel a little fussy, but splitting the scallions into segments then thinly slicing them lengthwise ensures they nestle perfectly into the meat. Initially, each scallion pile fills up the skillet, but each mound will significantly reduce in volume once the burger is smashed and flipped. The crispy charred allium bits poking out the sides bring a wonderful textural boost that contrasts with the juicy patties. 

Yield: 4 servings

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup ketchup

2 teaspoons Dijon or yellow mustard

Salt and black pepper

20 callions (about 4 bunches), root ends trimmed

1 pound ground beef (preferably 20 percent fat)

2 tablespoons avocado oil, sunflower seed oil or grapeseed oil

4 slices American cheese

4 burger buns

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Prep the scallions: Trim the scallion tips, then cut scallions crosswise into thirds; cut each segment very thinly lengthwise.

Divide the beef into 4 equal portions; shape each into a 4-inch-wide patty. Season generously with salt and pepper all over.

Heat a large cast-iron pan or griddle over medium-high until smoking. Add the oil and place one or two beef patties in the pan, depending on space. (The patties will be about 5 inches wide once they’re smashed.) Pile about ¼ of the scallions on top of each patty. (They will significantly reduce in volume as they cook.)

Using a grill press or spatula, firmly smash each patty, pressing the scallions into the meat until patties are about 5 inches wide. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, until the meat develops a dark brown crust on the bottom. Flip each smashed patty, top with cheese and loosely perch the top and bottom buns on top to warm through. Cook until the cheese melts, the patty develops a crust underneath and the buns warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat to prepare remaining burgers.

To serve, brush the burger buns with a dollop of sauce. Place a patty in each burger bun and top with any additional crispy charred scallions from the pan.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

This rich, spicy tomato sauce is traditionally studded with lobster, but this version becomes easier and less expensive with shrimp. The dish’s origins are murky, but its “fra diavolo” warning is not: The sauce packs a devilish amount of heat. But don’t be intimidated; this recipe adds just enough spice for a subtle tingle. Jarred Calabrian chiles add a nice kick, but crushed red pepper is a fine substitute, and you can increase or decrease the heat level as you like. This hearty pasta dish graces the menus of many Italian American restaurants, and this at-home version makes a festive weeknight meal.

Yield: 4 servings

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

3 to 4 jarred Calabrian chiles packed in oil, chopped (or about 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, to taste)

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 small yellow onion, minced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup dry sherry (or vermouth or white wine)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée

1 pound dried fettuccine

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat over medium. Stir in the chiles. Add the shrimp, season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and cook just until pink, about 2 minutes per side; transfer shrimp to a plate.

Add the onion, garlic, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt to the flavored oil in the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the sherry and let it reduce for 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the tomato paste and mash to combine.

Add the tomato purée. Fill the can with 2 cups of water, swish it around and add it to the sauce. Bring the tomato sauce up to a boil over medium-high and then partly cover the pot, reduce the temperature to medium for a lively simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and any juices to the sauce for the last 3 minutes of cooking.

While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to package directions.

Using tongs, add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a serving dish, arranging the shrimp on top. Drizzle with some olive oil, garnish with parsley and serve.