by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Gluten Free, Sauces, TOP Five, Vegetables
Wow, how time flies! Sorry for not posting any new recipes these past several months. I have been busy with kid activities and overall… just trying to be a “good parent” to my two teenagers! The ups and downs of being a full-time mom can definitely take it’s toll on a person. But all in all, I am grateful for this new chapter in my life. I am still cooking a ton, but haven’t posted anything, so I thought I would spend some of my summer sharing some of my favorites.
I have tried this recipe several times, and both my husband and son agree this is one of their “top 5” faves! This is a recipe I found on the NY Times website, but made some minor modifications to it. I hope you enjoy! Serves 8-10
FOR THE POLENTA
- 3 cups milk
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups polenta (I love Bob’s Organic Red Mill Polenta)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan
FOR THE MUSHROOMS
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup of home-made chicken broth (or store bought)
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats, divided
- 3 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
In a large deep pan over high heat, bring the milk and water to a boil; add salt, and gradually stir in polenta. Reduce heat and summer gently, stirring frequently to prevent clumping and sticking, until mixture is very thick (approximately 30-45 minutes). If the polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep the polenta soft enough to stir. Stir in butter and the parmesan cheese.
Meanwhile, boil the chicken broth; add in the dried porcini mushroom. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and pat dry, then chop roughly. Reserve the mushroom/chicken stock.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over high heat until it has melted. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
Add the fresh and reconstituted porcini mushrooms and thyme to the pan, and sauté 8 minutes, turning until browned. Add about 1/4 cup of the mushroom stock to deglaze the surface, using a wooden spoon to scrape at the browned bits. Allow the stock to reduce by half, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, followed by the soy sauce, cream and olive oil. Allow mixture to cook until it thickens a little, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper, salt or more parmesan cheese, if desired.
Place the polenta into warmed bowls, then top with mushrooms and the sauce. Serve immediately.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Sauces
I’m always trying to find other ways to make chicken, as we are making a conscious effort to try and eat less red meat. I have some dairy items in this recipe but they can be replaced if you are trying to stay away from it. This recipe is pretty easy and quick and goes great with roasted potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (filleted and pounded) Organic preferred
- 2 eggs
- salt
- 2 tbsp of lemon
- 1 cup flour (organic preferred)
- 2 tbsp butter (divided)
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter (divided)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots
- ¼ cup capers
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup cream (optional – can use a paste of four and water to thicken sauce)
Directions:
If you have whole chicken breasts, you can first remove the tenderloin first, then filet the breast. Pound out all of the pieces so they are thin, approximately ¼”. If all your pieces are the same thickness they will cook evenly and at the same time. In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, with lemon and 1 tsp of salt. Place the chicken into egg mixture. You can do this proceed before cooking, for a little extra time in the marinade. I marinated them for ½ hour.
For the sauce you will melt the butter and oil in a saucepan, add in the chopped shallots and cook on medium high heat, but be sure not to burn them. Then add in the capers and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the capers and onions from the pan, leaving the liquids (butter/oil) in the pan. Now you can dredge the chicken breasts. I dredge them as I cook them so they don’t sit in the flour. Add 1 tbsp of butter and place the chicken pieces, spaced so they do not touch. Cook the chicken until crispy on both sides (approx. 2 minutes a side). Repeat, adding butter and additional chicken pieces. Once all pieces are cooked you place them on a platter, or warming plate. Next you will add the caper/onion mixture back into the pan, scraping up any residue on the pan. Add in the mustard and lemon stirring frequently, then the chicken broth. Cook down the mixture for 3-5 minutes. Add in the cream and stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. If you prefer to avoid the cream you can add a mixture of 1 tbsp of flour in a cup with some warm water, until you have a flour paste. You can slowly whisk this into the sauce to thicken it. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. (Additional sauce can be placed into a gravy boat).
Serves 4
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Fish, Vegetables
Here is another Cobia recipe I created using Open Blue’s sustainable fish. The family loved it!
What is Cobia? Cobia is a mild flavored white fish, and a great sustainable substitute for salmon or sea bass. It has also been called black kingfish. There is more info on this fish on my previous post (click here). If you want to buy Cobia you can find it at this website: http://www.chefsfreshfish.com/Cobia-Fillet-p/e725a.htm
Ingredients for Sweet Potatoe Puree
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled
- 1 cup of chicken broth (I recommend organic bone broth for a little extra protein)
- ¼ tsp of grated nutmeg
- ½ cup créme fraîche
- ½ tsp of salt
Ingredients for tomato “bruschetta”
- 3 tbsp of olive oil (EVOO)
- ½ cup of shallots (diced)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 3 plum tomatoes (deseeded and finely chopped)
- ½ lemon zest (finely grated)
- pinch of salt
- 4 basil leaves (thinly sliced)
Ingredients for Cobia fish
- 4 (4-6 oz) pieces of Cobia filets (Open Blue’s)
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp of organic butter
Directions for Sweet Potato Puree:
Cut sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Steam for 10-15 minutes until soft. Place into food processor and puree, slowly adding in the chicken broth. Add in the nutmeg and salt. Puree until smooth. Add in the creme fraîche and puree briefly until you have reached a smooth creamy consistency.
Directions for Tomato bruschetta:
In a small sauce pan on low heat, add in the oil, shallots, garlic, tomatoes, and lemon zest. Salt to taste. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes on low heat, until tomatoes have softened and garlic and onions are clear.
Directions for Cobia Fish Fillets:
Pat the Cobia Fillets dry, squeeze lemon and add the salt and pepper. Can be done 30 minutes prior to cooking. In an iron skillet on medium-high heat, melt butter and sear the fish filets on both sides, making sure it is cooked all the way through and opaque.
Plating:
Place several spoonfuls of the sweet potato puree on each plate. Add the fish to the center and drizzle with the tomato bruschetta. Top with basil for decoration.
This also goes great with a side of kale salad.
Enjoy!
Serves 4
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Fish, Vegetables
My family loves salmon, not only because of the taste, but the health benefits as well. It’s packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and is an excellent source of high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals (including potassium, selenium and vitamin B12). I like to try different recipes with salmon so that my family doesn’t get sick of it. Here is a recipe I found, but made some modifications to it.
Ingredients:
For the Salmon:
- 4 6-ounce pieces of salmon, skin and bones removed
- 4 teaspoons of soy sauce
- ½ cup minced red onion
- 1 lemon, quartered
For the Mushrooms:
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 4 cups wild mushrooms (creminis, chanterelles, or oysters)
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
- 5 cloves of chopped garlic
- salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Lentils:
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cups of chicken broth (bone broth is even better – more protein)
- ⅓ cup julienned prosciutto
- 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
For the Lentils: Place the olive oil in a medium sauce-pan and warm over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook until onions are translucent (approx. 3-4 minutes). Add the chicken stock and lentils to the pan, boil then reduce heat to a simmer. cook for 20 to 40 minutes (depends on the type of lentils being used – best to follow the package instructions). Once cooked to desired consistency (I prefer a little al dente), remove from heat, fold in the prosciutto and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
For the Mushrooms: trim the end of the stems from the mushroom and slice into ¼ inch slices. Bake the mushrooms covered in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then, Place 1 tbsp. butter in a large sauce pan, on medium heat and add the garlic and rosemary. Cook until garlic is cooked through. With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and rosemary, leaving any butter in the pan. Add the other tbsp and mushrooms to the pan, and cook. I prefer my mushrooms a little browned. Cook for 5 minutes or until they reached desired consistency. Remove mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
For the Salmon: Rub the salmon with the soy sauce, place under broiler for 3-4 minutes. In an even coat, add the onions and return to broiler, make sure not to burn the onions, or over cook the salmon. (I cooked my for 7 minutes on the 3rd shelf down from the top, so it did not burn). Remove Salmon and squeeze lemon over it.
Assembly: In the center of each plate, spoon some cooked lentils, place salmon on top, and spoon on the mushrooms. Sprinkle with parsley.
