Category: Main Ingredient

Main Ingredient

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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.

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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.

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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.
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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.

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Pumpkin Patch Cheese Ball

  • 1 16-oz. pkg. shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 8-oz. container chive & onion cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • honey-wheat twist pretzel
  • flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • assorted crackers

 

In a medium bowl, combine cheeses and spices. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Shape mixture into a ball; lightly press into a pumpkin shape. Smooth surface with a table knife. Press pretzel and parsley into top of cheese ball for pumpkin stem and leaf. Serve with crackers.

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Porchetta-Style Roast Pork

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1 5 1/2- to 6-pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), excess fat trimmed with thin layer left intact
  • 6 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

 

Preparation

Stir fennel seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darker in color and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to spice mill and cool. Add kosher salt, peppercorns, and dried crushed red pepper. Grind to medium-fine consistency (not powder).

Place pork in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Rub garlic all over pork, then coat with spice mixture. Loosely cover pork with waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with oil. Place roast, fat side up and coating intact, in center of sheet. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast pork 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Roast pork until very tender and thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 190°F, about 3 hours 15 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board; reserve baking sheet. Let pork rest 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour all pan juices into 2-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat that rises to top. Place reserved baking sheet across 2 burners. Pour wine and broth onto baking sheet and bring to boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until wine mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Add degreased pan juices and whisk to blend. Pour pan sauce into small bowl (sauce will be thin).

Thinly slice roast. Serve with sauce.

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Pork Chops and Apples

Ingredients

  • 1 medium unpeeled cooking apple, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 bone-in pork rib chops, about 3/4 inch thick (about 1/4 pound each)

Directions

  • 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Place apples in 1 1/2-quart rectangular casserole. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover with foil; bake 15 minutes.
  • 2 Trim fat from edge of pork. Spray 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes. Cook pork in hot skillet about 6 minutes, turning once, until light brown.
  • 3 Place pork in single layer on apples. Cover and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until pork is no longer pink when cut near the bone, meat thermometer reads 145°F and apples are tender.
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Pork Chops and Dirty Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 4 (6 ounce) pork chops
  • 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked white rice

Directions

  • Prep:  10 m
  • Cook:  1 h 15 m
  • Ready In:  1 h 25 m

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; brown the pork chops on both sides. Remove the pork chops from the skillet, reserving the drippings in the skillet; add the onion soup mix and the water to the drippings; cook and stir until hot.

Spread the rice evenly into the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Lay the pork chops atop the rice. Pour the mixture from the skillet over the pork chops and rice; cover.

Place covered dish in preheated oven and bake 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake until the pork is no longer pink in the center, another 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

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Pork Chops Stuffed with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 2 servings

  • 2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 (2 1/4 inch thick) center-cut, bone-in pork chops
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, bacon, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
  3. Lay the chop flat on cutting board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, going all the way to the bone, but leaving the sides intact. Stuff cheese mixture into pocket, and close with a wooden toothpick. Brush meat with oil, and season with salt and more black pepper.
  4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until pork is done. Careful not to overcook!

 

I modified this recipe to be made with pork tenderloin, instead of pork chops, and it was SO good. I butterflied and then pounded the tenderloin until it was a rectangle, then, sprinkled salt, pepper, and a little sage on the inside in addition to the other fillings. Rolled it up and secured with kitchen twine. Rubbed the outside with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted at 400* for about 20 minutes. Delicious!

 

I made this in a saute pan instead of on the grill. I used boneless chops as well. 5 minutes per side would have been great. I found that with the cheese and bacon no additional salt was required. Only 1 ounce of cheese was needed. This is delicious. I made a quick pan sauce by deglazing with a bit of left-over champagne, cream and a touch of butter. Yummy!

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Pork Loin with Prosciutto, Fontina, and Sage

  • 2 1/2 pound New York (top loin) pork roast, boneless
  • 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs, (Japanese bread crumbs)
  • 1/3 cup Fontina cheese, shredded (about 1 ounce)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
  • To taste salt and pepper
  • 4 thin slices prosciutto

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine panko, fontina, and sage. Stand roast on end and insert thin-bladed knife down center of loin to make 2-inch opening all the way through. Use your fingers to force the slit into a long 1-inch-diameter hole. Pack panko mixture into hole, working from both ends of roast. Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Place roast, fat side up, on work surface. Arrange prosciutto slices across top of roast. Tie with kitchen twine at 1- to 1 1/2-inch intervals. Place in shallow roasting pan, prosciutto side up, and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.

Remove roast from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Remove twine. Slice roast and arrange on serving platter. Serve drizzled with any pan juices.

 

Yield: 8 to 10 servings