Simple Cinnamon Chicken

Ingredients

  • Chicken
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp Italian –Style Seasoning
  • 1 ½ Tsp Garlic powder
  • 2 Tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.      Grease baking pan of appropriate size.  Place chicken in dish and sprinkle with seasonings – be careful with the cinnamon!  Bake for ~30 minutes until 175F and juices run clear.

Skirt Steak With Mushroom-Cream Pan Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 pounds skirt steaks, cut into 4 even portions
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup minced shallots (about 2 to 4 shallots)
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Season steak all over with salt and pepper. In 2 large stainless steel or cast iron skillets, heat 2 tablespoons oil in each over high heat until lightly smoking. Divide steaks between skillets and sear, turning frequently, until well browned on both sides and an instant-read thermometer registers 120 to 125°F for medium-rare, about 7 minutes. Transfer steaks to a plate and keep warm.

Divide remaining 2 tablespoons oil between the skillets and heat until shimmering. Add half the mushrooms to each skillet and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until mushrooms have released their liquid and it has cooked off, about 6 minutes. Add half the shallots, garlic, and thyme to each skillet and continue cooking, stirring, until mushrooms are browned and shallots are softened and lightly golden, about 7 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Add half the wine to each skillet and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Scrape the contents of 1 skillet into the other and continue cooking until wine has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add stock and reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Add cream, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until lightly reduced and the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Return steaks to skillet, bathe with sauce to rewarm and serve right away.

Notes:  Will cook one, start on sauce, then cook the rest in a fresh skillet just before serving, since using very thin breakfast/minute steaks.  Should only need half of ingredients.  Sauce should take ~25-30 minutes, once everything prepped, etc.

 

The plan:

Cook one sacrificial steak, as test and as a way to get some fond to start making the pan sauce right away.  Probably only need about half of what they are calling for.  Beans should only take a few minutes on the inductive burner, so start them last.  Sautee some mushrooms in another pan, have started about the same time the beans get started, they should only take a few minutes.

Mushrooms:

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in skillet over high heat until shimmering, then add sliced mushrooms.  Allow to cook on one side for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook an additional minute.  Add salt, pepper, shallot and/or garlic to taste.  Serve “immediately”, ie, hot.

Should take ~5 minutes, after mushrooms sliced and oil hot.

Green Beans:

Put steamer basket in saucepan with tight lid, leaving ~1” for water.  Add ~1” water, bring to boil.  Add beans, cover, and let cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on how crisp you want them.  Remove from pan, add butter, salt, and black pepper.  (Be sure to regulate heat.)

Should take about 7 minutes, after beans prepared and water boiling.

Steaks:

Take out ~10 minutes before cooking, probably just before getting the bean in.  Smack with tenderizer a couple of time on each side, then salt and pepper on each side.  Just before everyone ready to eat, put in hot skillet with just a bit of olive oil.  Cook for about 20-30 seconds on each side.  Remove, cover with foil, and get ready to feed!  (And hope everything else is done.)

Quick Chicken Paella with Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika*
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones, excess skin and fat trimmed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
  • 4 ounces 1/4-inch-thick slices fully cooked smoked Spanish chorizo**
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
  • 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers from jar
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 8 ounces)

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix white wine and saffron threads in small measuring cup; set aside. Combine salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper in small bowl; rub spice mixture all over chicken thighs. Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and sauté until fat begins to render and sausage browns, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer chorizo to large plate. Add olive oil to skillet. Add chicken thighs to skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate with chorizo.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add long-grain rice and stir to coat. Add wine-saffron mixture and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with juice, and roasted red peppers. Bring to simmer. Stir in browned chorizo. Place chicken thighs, skin side up, atop mixture in skillet. Cover skillet tightly with foil, then cover skillet with lid. Bake paella until rice is almost tender, about 25 minutes.

Transfer chicken to plate. Stir rice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter snap peas over. Return chicken to skillet, nestling into rice. Cover with foil and lid. Bake until snap peas are crisp-tender, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

* Sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or Pimentón de La Vera Dulce; available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from latienda.com.

** Spanish chorizo, a pork-link sausage flavored with garlic and spices, is milder than Mexican chorizo. It’s available at specialty foods stores and Spanish markets and from latienda.com.

Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce

  • Cook Time:  5 min
  • Level:   Easy
  • Yield:   6 servings
  • Close Times:
  • Prep 15 min, Inactive Prep
  • Cook 5 min
  • Total:  20 min

 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds spinach ravioli or tortelloni
  • 1 cup purchased marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

 

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add about 1/4 cup olive oil to the water to help prevent pasta from sticking. Add the ravioli and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain the ravioli, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss the ravioli with the remaining oil to coat.

Meanwhile, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking often. Whisk in the ricotta and enough reserved cooking water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. For a thicker sauce, use less pasta water; for a thinner sauce, add more water. Return the sauce to a simmer. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of sauce over the bottom of each of 6 bowls. Arrange the ravioli over the sauce. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the ravioli. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and the basil, and serve.

Ravioli with Butter and Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 packages (11 oz) ravioli
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 6 tbsp toasted pine nuts
  • 1 whole nutmeg or ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water for approximately 5 – 6 minutes. Drain well and transfer it to a platter. Take a medium sized fry pan, heat butter at medium high flame and add basil leaves. Cook until lightly fried, for 2 – 3 minutes. Put pine nuts and pour the ravioli butter sauce over the cooked ravioli. Sprinkle nutmeg and cheese over it and serve hot. Read more on lobster ravioli recipes.

These were easy to prepare ravioli sauce recipes that will surely satiate your taste buds. I hope the aforementioned ravioli sauce ideas and recipes prove to be helpful in preparing a delicious and yummy dinner meal for your party tonight. Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken Roulade with American Triple Cream and Georgia Ham

Ingredients
1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for drizzling
1 clove garlic, chopped into a paste
Pinch of red chile flakes
4 ounces baby arugula
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 paper-thin slices country ham or prosciutto
8 ounces triple-cream cheese, such as Red Hawk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Micro arugula, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over low heat in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and red chile flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Increase the heat, stir in the baby arugula, season with salt and pepper and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Drizzle the chicken breasts with a little oil and thinly pound between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Put the breasts on a flat surface skin-side down, and sprinkle the top sides with salt and pepper. Place 2 slices of the ham on each breast; spread 2 ounces of the cheese over the ham and then top with one-quarter of the arugula in the center. Roll the breasts tightly and tie with butcher’s twine. Sprinkle the roulade with salt and pepper.

Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook until it begins to shimmer. Put the rolls in the pan seam-side up and add the butter. Cook until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and continue cooking until the breasts are just cooked through and the cheese has melted, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove the rolls to a plate and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the mustard sauce and topped with a bit of micro arugula.

Ravioli Sauce

Ingredients

How to make it

  • Using a medium sized, heavy based pot, fill the base with olive oil to the depth of approximately halfway up your index fingertip. Peel and dice the garlic lengthways. You can add 2 extra cloves if you wish, it only intensifies the flavour (in a good way). Add the diced garlic to the pot with oil and gently fry the garlic at a low heat being careful not to burn them.
  • Fill a separate small pot with water and bring it to the boil. Add the tomatoes and boil for approximately 3 minutes, until you begin to see the skin peeling away from the flesh. Remove from the boiling water, discard water and then peel tomatoes.
  • Add the tomatoes to the pot with oil and garlic and chop them into small pieces with sharp knife. Simmer at a low heat and stir continually as the sauce begins to thicken and reduce. Gradually add a few drops of water, then add the stock cube and the bay leaves. Stir and simmer for a further 10 minutes then add the tomato paste, sugar and salt and pepper. Keep on a low simmer for a further ten minutes for the sauce to reduce and flavours intensify. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup REESE’S Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup REESE’S PIECES Candies

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in candies. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned; remove from oven. Cool slightly; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 30 cookies.

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

Ingredients

  • 1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 2–4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped (my addition)
  • About 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions (my addition)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (my addition)
  • About 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that’s just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but it might stick to the casserole, so you’ll have to serve it from the pot—which is an appealingly homey way to serve it. If you bake it on a baking sheet, you can present it freestanding, but maneuvering a heavy stuffed pumpkin with a softened shell isn’t so easy. However, since I love the way the unencumbered pumpkin looks in the center of the table, I’ve always taken my chances with the baked-on-a-sheet method, and so far, I’ve been lucky.

Using a very sturdy knife—and caution—cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween Jack-o-Lantern). It’s easiest to work your knife around the top of the pumpkin at a 45-degree angle. You want to cut off enough of the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin. Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot.

Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper—you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure—and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled—you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little—you don’t want the ingredients to swim in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened. (It’s hard to go wrong here.)

Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours—check after 90 minutes—or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender

Snowman Cheese Ball

  • 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons basil pesto
  • 1 tablespoon grated onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 2 drops red pepper sauce
  • 1 container (4 ounces) whipped cream cheese, softened
  • Decorations (see Success Hint), if desired
  • Assorted crackers, if desired

 

Mix 3 packages cream cheese and the Cheddar cheese; divide into 3 equal parts. Combine 2 parts to equal two-thirds of mixture; mix in pesto. Mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into remaining one-third mixture.

Cover each cheese mixture and refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape. Shape each cheese mixture into ball. Wrap each ball, label and freeze.

About 12 hours before serving, remove balls from freezer. Thaw in wrappers in refrigerator.

Arrange balls on serving plate with smaller ball on top for head of snowman. Frost snowman with whipped cream cheese before serving. Decorate as desired. Serve with crackers. Store covered in refrigerator.