Tag: Dinner

Dinners

Recipe—Creamy Mushroom Artichoke Chicken

Diva di Cucina

This is a quick and simple chicken recipe that is easy enough to enjoy mid-week after work and impressive enough to serve up at a dinner party. Every time I have made this, my guests and family have “cleaned” their plates. It is a lovely creamy comfort dish that has loads of flavor. The Italian dressing from the marinated chicken and the capers give the dish a nice little zest and goes with the earthy mushroom flavor nicely. I love it served with rice or potatoes. You just will want to put this rich sauce over everything on your plate. Mmmmmm… If you actually have any leftovers they are great for lunch the next day! My work days always seem better when I know I will have a yummy lunch to enjoy later.

Note: If you are short on time you can cut the chicken into 1” cubes and it will cook much quicker.

INGREDIENTS
1 c Italian dressing
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 
tbsp butter, divided
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
3 
tbsp rice vinegar
1 pt whipping cream
3 
tbsp capers, drained
1/4 
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6.5 oz jar artichoke hearts, drained

 STEPS

  • Marinade your chicken breasts in the Italian dressing for at least 1 hour.
  • Using a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat and cook mushrooms until brown and tender, about 5–10 minutes.
  • Remove mushrooms from skillet and place to the side.
  • Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to the skillet and add the chicken breasts.
  • Cook the chicken for 10–18 minutes or until no longer pink, turning occasionally.
  • Transfer chicken to a serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm.
  • Remove skillet from heat and add the vinegar, stirring to loosen all the browned bits in the bottom of the skillet.
  • Return skillet to low heat and stir in cream, capers, and pepper.
  • Bring sauce to a boil and cook uncovered until thickened, about 4–6 minutes.
  • Return mushrooms to skillet and add artichoke hearts heating through.
  • Pour the creamy sauce over your chicken breasts and serve immediately. 
Sandwiches

Recipe—Fancy Man Grilled Cheese

Diva di Cucina

I recently received a cookbook with 50 different grilled cheese sandwiches. Eventually I will try them all! The sandwiches were not named; they were just referenced as Grilled Cheese #1 and so on. I told my husband to pick any one of them out for me to cook and he picked one that had roast beef, Dijon mustard, caramelized onions, and Brie. Go figure, a man picked one that was made with beef. Brie is a fairly elegant cheese so I decided to name this one the Fancy Man Grilled Cheese. Suiting right?

This sandwich turned out to be absolutely delicious! The Brie was lovely and it melted to be just the perfect amount of gooey. It was a very nice pairing with the sweet caramelized onions and the heartiness of the roast beef. I really want to try this sandwich again but substitute the roast beef for some green apple slices. I love apples with Brie and think it would be a delicious pairing as well. The sandwich was a hit with the whole family and we will most certainly be making it again. It truly is ooey gooey goodness!

Note: I found spreadable Brie by Président that worked fabulously. I didn’t have to deal with the white rind so it was very quick and easy to work with. I’m sure regular Brie would work just as well. This recipe is written for two large sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 large slices of sourdough bread
2 tbs butter, softened
Dijon mustard
spreadable Brie (I used most of a 4.4. oz container)
1/2 lb of sliced roast beef

STEPS

  • Heat a heavy nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add the oil.
  • Once the oil is nice and hot add the sliced onions and stir them immediately so each onion slice is coated in the oil.
  • Allow the onions to cook stirring every 30 seconds or so. Once the browning begins, lower the heat to decrease your risk of burning the onions.
  • Continue to stir the onions every couple of minutes until they are a golden or deep brown. This will take at least 10–20 minutes.
  • Remove the onions from the pan and place in a bowl to the side.
  • Carefully wipe out your skillet with a paper towel to remove any residual bits.
  • Spread one side of each piece of the bread with butter.
  • On two on the pieces of bread spread the opposite sides with Dijon mustard and then a thin layer of the Brie.
  • Place the bread butter side down in the pan and cook over medium high–heat.
  • Top the bread in the pan with the sliced roast beef and add your caramelized onions. Spread the dry sides of your two reaming pieces of bread with a layer of Brie and top your sandwich with them butter side out.
  • Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until the bread is a toasty brown.
  • Turn and repeat.
Dinners

Recipe—Mediterranean Chicken Stackers

Diva di Cucina

Mediterranean chicken stackers are one of the more complex recipes that I have shared. It’ not necessarily complicated, it’s just lots of little steps. It’s certainly worth it though if you like Mediterranean inspired food. I love this served over noodles that have been tossed in garlic and olive oil. There are so many flavors in the chicken stacker itself, that you really don’t need a sauce for your noodles. Think of this as a play on chicken and eggplant parmigiana in one. What’s not to love?!?!

Note: If you aren’t a fan of goat cheese then I recommend using mozzarella instead. Mozzarella has a much more mild flavor.

INGREDIENTS
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch slices (you will need one slice per chicken breast)
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 c croutons, coarsely crushed
1 tsp garlic, minced
3 oz herb goat cheese at room temperature or sliced mozzarella
4–5 thin sliced chicken breasts
1 beefsteak tomato (you will need one 1/4″ thick slice per chicken breast and the rest of the tomato finely diced)

STEPS

  • Lightly sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and allow them to sit for 15 minutes.
  • In a large skillet heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the crushed croutons and minced garlic to the pan and cook until lightly toasted, about 6­–8 minutes.
  • Transfer the cooked croutons to a small bowl and set aside.
  • Pat your eggplant dry.
  • In that same skillet heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add the eggplant and cook until golden and tender only turning once or twice, about 6­–7 minutes.
  • Transfer the eggplant to a large plate and spread an even layer of goat cheese over each slice (1–2 tbsp), or add a slice of mozzarella to each if you opted for that.
  • Lightly cover the eggplant with a sheet of foil to keep warm.
  • Season your chicken breast with salt and pepper.
  • Using the same skillet add 2 tbsp olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
  • Put your chicken in the skillet and cook turning once or twice for 8–10 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Add a chicken breast to each slice of cheese covered eggplant and again cover with foil to keep warm.
  • Place the tomato slices in the skillet and cook turning once to warm through.
  • Add the tomato slices to the top of each chicken breast and again cover with foil to keep warm.
  • Add the diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup of water to the pan and scrape up all the bits in the pan using a spatula. Bring to a boil
  • Cook stirring occasionally until thickened, about 3 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
  • Add your previously cooked croutons to the tomatoes and stir together.
  • Plate your chicken stacker and top with the crouton and tomato mixture.
Salads, Side Dishes

Recipe—Classic Macaroni Salad

Diva di Cucina

Who doesn’t love good ol’ fashioned macaroni salad? It is a staple at summer bbqs and is the ultimate in summertime comfort food. With 4th of July right around the corner I thought that this would be a fabulous recipe to share. This macaroni salad is so basic and easy but it is still out of this world. It has just the right amount of creaminess. There is something about the way the vinegar breaks down the mayonnaise that makes it just right. The veggies give the salad the perfect amount of crunch to complement the soft noodles. I could seriously eat this stuff every day. It’s one item that I don’t think I could ever get sick of. This is a recipe that will suit everyone at your next gathering. Be sure to try this before summer ends. I have a feeling you will be happy you did.

Note: Be sure not to overcook your pasta or your salad will turn to complete mush. Once your pasta is cooked al dente, drain it in a colander and run cold water over the noodles to stop the cooking and cool it down quickly. When you add the dressing it may seem too saucy but don’t fret. The pasta will end up soaking up quite a bit of the moisture once it chills in the fridge. Another important reason you don’t want your pasta overcooked. If it seems dry the next day just stir in some additional mayonnaise. 

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 c mayonnaise
2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb macaroni, cooked and drained
1 c celery, sliced
1/2 c green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c green onion, chopped
1/2 c sliced black olives

STEPS

  • Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to make your creamy dressing.
  • Pour dressing over cooked noodles and stir in all remaining ingredients. (I like to leave out a few black olives and green onions to garnish the top of the salad with.)
  • Cover and chill until ready to eat.
Dinners

Recipe—Limoncello Chicken

Diva di Cucina

After making two batches of fresh squeezed lemonade with lemons from my sister’s garden I still had some leftover. Lucky for you I made my limoncello chicken and decided to share the recipe. This recipe is so refreshing and light, perfect for summer.

Limoncello is a sweet and citrusy Italian liqueur. When you heat the liqueur the alcohol is cooked off and you are left with a sweet sauce that compliments the basil perfectly. Whatever you do, do not skip the fresh basil! Something about the flavors of the lemon and basil just work together perfectly. This dish pairs wonderfully with cooked rice. Limoncello chicken and rice was actually one of my son’s first non-pureed foods that he ate as an infant. He gobbled every bite of it up. Even the basil! Since then we have called him our little gourmet. It is still to this day one of his favorites. This recipe will be a hit with the whole family so don’t be surprised if they ask you to make it again, and again, and again. Good thing limoncello comes in such big bottles! In Italy limoncello is commonly served after dinner because it supposedly aids in digestion so pour yourself an after dinner sipping shot, kickback, and enjoy. Bottoms up!

INGREDIENTS
4–5 thin sliced chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
flour for dredging
1 tbsp butter
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c limoncello (lemon liqueur)
1 lemon, sliced and seeds removed
fresh basil leaves

STEPS

  • Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
  • Dredge the breast with flour giving them a nice even coating.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet and add chicken.
  • Cook over medium heat until both sides are a golden brown.
  • Add chicken broth, limoncello, and lemon slices.
  • Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  • Using the back of a spoon gently press the lemon slices to release any extra juices and remove from the pan. (Or you can save the cooked slices to serve with the chicken for an extra touch.)
  • Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet.
  • Turn heat up to medium-high and allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for a couple of minutes.
  • Remove pan from heat.
  • Spoon the limoncello sauce over the chicken (and rice if you made it) and top with fresh-snipped basil.
Dinners, Sandwiches

Recipe—Crock-Pot Pale Ale BBQ Chicken Sandos

Diva di Cucina

It can be hard finding recipes for the crock-pot that are appealing during the warm summer months. Most of my crock-pot recipes are really rich comfort foods that I think of more as cool weather food. Well here is a perfect recipe to try out this summer. Not only will your house stay cooler not having the oven on, but it also allows you to enjoy more time to play outside since dinner will be a breeze! While these were great as they were, I think next time I might melt some cheddar cheese over the top just to finish them off. Yummmm! Be sure to have lots of napkins on hand because these saucy sandos are sure to get messy.

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 c of your favorite bbq sauce
8 oz of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
sandwich rolls (I used small ones to make sliders)

STEPS

  • Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper.
  • Mix the bbq sauce and beer in the crock-pot.
  • Add in the chicken.
  • Cook on high heat for 3–4 hours or on low heat for 7–8.
  • Remove the chicken from crock-pot and place on cutting board.
  • Using a fork, shred the chicken and toss back into the crock-pot.
  • Allow chicken to sit in sauce for an additional 20–30 minutes to soak up some extra flavor.
  • Place the saucy meat on a roll and enjoy!
Appetizers, Dinners, Sauces

Recipe—Chinese Chicken Meatballs with a Sesame Garlic Hoisin Sauce

Diva di Cucina

I saw a recipe for Asian meatballs made with pork and beef the other day and I thought that a great way to cut some of the calories would be to make something similar but with ground chicken. Two of my son’s favorite meals are chicken teriyaki and spaghetti with meatballs. You should have seen the size of his eyes when I told him we were having Chinese chicken meatballs. His eyes got really big and his mouth dropped open. I think he was excited for the marriage of two of his fave dishes. He really liked the sauce and gobbled dinner up. I served these over rice with steamed veggies but they would also make an excellent appetizer. I must admit the sauce really makes this recipe. It has so many different flavors in it. It really gets your taste buds going. This recipe is fairly quick and very easy. With the number of meatballs it makes it ended up being enough for two dinners so I have some in the freezer ready for a quick and easy dinner in a few weeks.

Note: Toss the cooked meatballs in a crock-pot and double up the sauce, heat on low and you have an awesome and healthy appetizer that will stay warm for hours.

MEATBALL INGREDIENTS
2 lbs ground chicken
2 tsp sesame oil
2 c panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c green onions, thinly sliced
salt
sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish

SAUCE INGREDIENTS
2/3 c hoisin sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ground ginger

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • In a large bowl, mix together all meatball ingredients until well combined.
  • Using an oversized spoon scoop about a ¼ cup worth of the meat mixture and shape into round meatballs. (Mine end up being about 1 1/4″ in diameter. This will yield about 28–32 meatballs.)
  • Place the formed meatballs in a large lightly greased baking dish.
  • Bake for 20–25 minutes or until balls are lightly browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
  • While your meatballs are baking put all your sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until well blended.
  • Pour the sauce over the hot meatballs and garnish with additional sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Dinners

Recipe—BBQ Bacon Wrapped Pork Chop with Grilled Onions

Diva di Cucina

So the other day I realized that I had yet to post any grilling recipes. What have I been thinking!?! A good amount of the protein prepared in our household is done on our grill thanks to my hubby. Well to make up for a lack of bbq recipes I will give you one of my favorites. These pork chops wrapped in bacon are sure to get your taste buds going and are relatively easy to prepare. The two pork elements truly complement one another both flavor wise and visually. That delicious salty pig topped with the grilled onions saturated in bbq sauce, oohhhhh it is just so good! The bacon really helps to trap in all the juices so you end up with a moist and tender pork chop. Just be sure not to overcook them as pork chops can dry out quickly. This truly is a great grilling recipe to kick start the summer. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
8 strips thick sliced bacon
4 boneless pork loin chops, at least 1” thick
2 tsp McCormick Grill Mates bbq seasoning
1 c of your favorite bbq sauce  (I love Tony Roma’s Original with this recipe)
1 yellow onion
olive oil
salt and pepper

STEPS

  • Wrap one edge of the pork chop with a strip of bacon and then wrap the other edge with a second piece so that the ends overlap.
  • Using a toothpick, secure the bacon where it overlaps by stabbing the toothpick through the bacon and into the chop.
  • Season both sides of the pork chop with bbq seasoning and then drizzle with half of the bbq sauce.
  • Preheat grill to 400º while meat marinades.
  • Cut your onion into 1/4” thick slices.
  • Using toothpicks spear each onion slice going through the layers. This will help keep the onion from falling apart on the grill.
  • Drizzle onion slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Grill pork chops and onions over direct heat for 10 minutes turning once.
  • Transfer the grilled onions to a large sheet of heavy foil and remove the toothpicks.
  • Top onions with remaining bbq sauce and fold the foil like an envelope leaving some air inside.
  • Place foil envelope on the grill and continue to cook it and the pork for an additional 10 minutes turning once more. Pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145º and onions should be nice and tender.
  • Remove toothpicks from pork chops and top with the grilled onions.

Dinners

Recipe—Shrimp Scampi

Diva di Cucina

I am a girl that loves her seafood. How can you be from California and not love fresh fish? Shrimp scampi is one of my favorite ways to eat these delicious little crustaceans. Not only does it taste delicious, but it also has a very elegant appeal to it. If you are a garlic and butter lover then this is right up your alley. I have been making this for years and I was shocked when I made this last week and even my toddler kept asking for more, and more, and more. The little guy just couldn’t get enough. I think it is safe to say he likes shrimp scampi and thankfully doesn’t have a shellfish allergy. Phew! Shrimp scampi is wonderful served over pasta and is just as good when eaten with a green salad and some crusty bread to soak up all the garlicky buttery goodness. This recipe really is quick and easy. Most of your time will be spent cleaning and peeling your shrimp so to help expedite the process I recommend purchasing shrimp that are already cleaned and out of the shell. You might pay a little more, but in my mind it is so worth it.

Note: Cooking time may vary based on the size of the shrimp you use. If serving with pasta I recommend linguine.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 c white wine
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c butter
3 tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp paprika
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp parsley
grated parmesan cheese

STEPS

  • In a large skillet over medium heat combine wine, olive oil, butter, and garlic. Bring just to a boil.
  • Allow sauce to simmer for 3–4 minutes to reduce.
  • Add in paprika, salt, and shrimp.
  • Cook for 6–7 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Be sure not to overcook.
  • Mix in the chopped parsley and remove from heat.
  • If serving over pasta pour a good amount of the sauce into your pot of cooked, drained pasta and toss to coat.
  • Spoon the shrimp over pasta or onto a serving dish, top with more sauce, and finish off with a liberal amount of parmesan cheese.
Side Dishes

Recipe—Italian Stuffed Zucchini a.k.a. Zucchini Boats

Diva di Cucina

With summer quickly approaching farmer’s markets will start popping up, gardens will be getting planted, and the produce department at your store will be full of fresh goods. It seems as though every summer zucchini is plentiful and I am getting lots of the delicious green squash from family and friends. I have found so many ways to creatively cook zucchini and this is one of my favorites. It is a great side dish to accompany your favorite Italian dish, especially chicken parmigiana or a big bowl of spaghetti.

INGREDIENTS
3 large zucchini
1/4 c yellow onions, minced
2 tbsp garlic, minced
3 tbsp butter
1/2 c fresh tomatoes finely chopped or canned petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 c Italian breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, divided

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 350º.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add entire zucchini.
  • Cook the zucchini for 8–10 minutes and remove from water.
  • While the zucchini cools, sauté the onion and garlic in butter until tender.
  • Add tomatoes to the pan and heat through.
  • Remove pan from heat.
  • Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out centers of the zucchini. (I find a melon baller works wonders for this!)
  • Chop the pulp and squeeze out excess water.
  • Add zucchini pulp to the pan and mix.
  • Mix in breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
  • Stuff the zucchini “boats” and place in a baking dish.
  • Bake in oven for 10 minutes.
  • Top with remaining Parmesan cheese and bake another 5 minutes.