Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken

Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken was posted by my friend Olga.  I thought I might try this Sunday morning since its going to be a hot day.  This recipe was adjusted with other added ingredients.

Ingredients

1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 garlic cloves diced
1 small onion diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon majoram
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
4 - 6 artichoke hearts quartered
Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large skillet add olive oil, season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook the chicken on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown on each side and cooked until no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.  Leave the olive oil in the pan. 

Sauté the onions and garlic for 5 min. Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Whisk over medium high heat until it starts to thicken. Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and let it simmer until the spinach starts to wilt. Add the chicken back to the pan.  Cook on a low flame about 10 min.

Key Lime Martini

We ordered this cocktail last night.  We just had to make it ourselves.

2 lime wedges
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) vanilla flavored vodka
1/4 cup lime liqueur, lime juice or (recommended: KeKe Beach Key Lime Liqueur)
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons Coco Lopez brand
Ice cubes

Mix all together.

Roasted Chicken with Tunisian Harissa Chickpeas

Mike purchased harissa sauce for me.  I chose this recipe because it seems appealing and easy. 

Harissa sauce is Tunisian. Use it as a condiment for meat or fish, add it to roasted vegetables, or stir into stews and soups.  The ingredients are green pepper, green chili pepper, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and cumin.

•Credits - Bon Appetit January 2014 issue

Ingredients:

•1 tablespoon olive oil
•8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 lb.)
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 small onion, finely chopped
•2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•2 tablespoons tomato paste
•2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed
•¼ cup harissa paste
•½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
•¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425°. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.

Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. drippings from pan. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until beginning to darken, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas, harissa, and broth; bring to a simmer.

Nestle chicken, skin side up, add the chickpea mixture, and transfer skillet to oven.  Roast until chicken is cooked through, 20–25 minutes.  Top with parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Quinoa with Avocado, Toasted Pine Nuts, Chives, Parsley, and Garlic

So simple to make.  I served with roasted vegetables that Mike made. 

 

Quinoa with avocado, toasted pine nuts, chives, parsley, and garlic

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

2 tbsps olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1/2 cup of quinoa
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of chicken broth
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh chives, snipped

1 Haas avocado cubed

2 tbsps lime juice 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot then cook, stirring often for 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and minced garlic then cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; bring to a boil. Cover with a lid then reduce heat to low; simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat then let sit covered for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid then fluff with a fork; add the lime juice, avocado, pine nuts, parsley, and chives then toss to mix evenly. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Quinoa with Artichoke Hearts and Avocado

These ingredients are odd but when thrown together they blend nicely.  I started rinsing the quinoa before cooking.  It was suggested from another blog I read.  It makes for a more fluffy quinoa.

2 cups of cooked quinoa, cooled

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

4 artichoke hearts

1 roasted red pepper, chopped

3 oz black olives

4 oz. Pesto

(Chop these above 4 ingredients in a food processor)

1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

Throw it all in a bowl and mix it up.

Mashed Avocado Toasts with Shrimp and Bacon

I've had this several times this week in different variations.

1 ripe avocado

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sea salt

2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

Red pepper flakes

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

6 sautéed shrimp with garlic

2 slices of panfried Canadian bacon

 

Cut the avocado in half, remove pit, and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and sea salt, to taste. Mash the ingredients together with a fork, keeping the texture slightly chunky.

Spread half the mash onto each piece of toast and garnish with some red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil.

Add the bacon and shrimp.

Herbs de Provence Chicken

New York Times recipe that's so simple to make on a weeknight!  I added in a few more ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken legs or 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ to ¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence (Frontier brand)
1 lemon, quartered
8 to 10 cloves garlic, peeled
4 to 6 medium-sized shallots, peeled and halved
⅓ cup dry vermouth
4 sprigs of thyme, for serving
10 Kalamata olives

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow pan, and lightly dredge the chicken in it, shaking the pieces to remove excess flour.

Swirl the oil in a large roasting pan, and place the floured chicken in it. Season the chicken with the herbes de Provence. Arrange the lemon, garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken, then add the vermouth to the pan.

Put the pan in the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then baste it with the pan juices. Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is very crisp and the meat cooked through.

Serve in the pan or on a warmed platter, garnished with the thyme.