Pressure Cooker Chicken Lemon Avgolemono Soup

 

We've been eating a lot of soups this winter, as one does.  In particular, I've been using my InstantPot to prepare a lot of soup as it's quick, easy, and my glass cooktop stove has been shattered for several months and I haven't gotten around to dealing with that.  On top of this, someone in my family has joined Weight Watchers and I've been trying to consciously make "low points" meals where we can all feel full and satisfied.

One thing that's hard to do "low-points" is anything creamy.  The minute you reach for any fats, most dairy products, or thickening starches, you're adding a lot of WW points to the dish.  However, eggs are one of the "no points" items on the newer WW plans.  And this got me thinking.  I vaguely remembered a lemony Mediterranean chicken soup that is thickened with eggs instead of flour or cream.  You make a typical soup, but then you temper some eggs (bring them up to temperature so they won't scramble) with a couple ladlefuls of hot soup, then add the egg mixture to the pot of soup and return it to a simmer until it thickens-up.  It sounds complicated, but it really isn't.

So, this evening, I gave it a try.  I googled-up a basic recipe for avgolemono soup, which, in the Italian tradition, is typically made with lemon added to the broth, a meat or fish protein, and either rice or small pasta.  I merged the recipe with my standard Chicken and Rice Soup for the pressure cooker recipe and had myself a pretty delicious soup.

I'm looking forward to trying some variations that use the same thickening technique.  But in the meantime, I thought I'd share this simple and traditional version.  Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Chicken Lemon Avgolemono Soup

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken, fresh or partially thawed
1/2 cup of white long-grain or jasmine rice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
juice of two lemons, divided
2 cups (packed lightly) baby spinach or other chopped greens
salt and pepper
olive oil 

1. With your pressure cooker in saute mode, coat the bottom of the pot with olive oil and saute the minced onion with a pinch of salt until it begins to soften.
2. Add the chicken broth, water, juice of one lemon, and rice.  Nestle the chicken pieces into the liquid.  The chicken can be partially or completely frozen as long as no single piece is larger than a chicken breast.
3. Lid-up the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes (following the instructions for your particular pressure).  When the cooking cycle is complete, perform a quick pressure release.  Remove the chicken pieces to a cutting board and cool slightly.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining lemon juice, eggs, and egg yolks.  Whisk until it begins to become a little frothy.
5. Take one ladleful of soup (avoiding rice and onion bits as best as you can) and stream it slowly into the egg mixture while whisking.  The objective here is to not plop hot liquid into the eggs and cause them to turn into scrambled eggs.  Repeat with 2-3 more ladelsful of broth.
6. Pour the egg/soup mixture into the rest of the soup.  Using saute mode, bring the soup back up to a lightly bubbling simmer, stirring periodically until it thickens.  Turn off the burner and stir-in the spinach.
7. Using two forks or your hands, shred the chicken pieces.  Add the shreds back to the soup.
8. Taste the soup for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

This soup would be great served with crusty bread, rustic toast, and a sprinkle of  good Parmesan cheese.

Instant Pot™ or Pressure Cooker Tomato and Rice Soup

The other night, I was craving tomato soup, but I wanted something a little more robust.  I thought that tomato rice soup, perhaps with a little chicken in it, might be just what the doctor ordered.  And what better way to cook it than the Instant Pot, right?  Right.

So I got out the ingredients, started with my Tomato Bisque and Chicken & Rice Soup recipes, and started doing some quick alterations in my head.  It came out pretty good.

I think it may need a few more tweaks before it's perfect, but it's good enough that I wanted to share it here.  Check back once in awhile because I'll be sure to tweak it if I find any major improvements.

Instant Pot™ or Pressure Cooker Tomato Rice Soup

Note: The chicken in this recipe is completely optional.  I like a little protein to make a full meal, so I included it in mine.  The chicken can go into the pot completely frozen if you wish.

1 28-oz can Crushed Tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh basil (optional)
2 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 onion, finely chopped or minced
1/2 cup white or jasmine rice
1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 to 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken tenders or breasts, whole (optional)

1. Switch the pressure cooker to saute mode.  Add olive oil and onions and sweat the onions until they soften.  The more patient you are softening them, the smoother the final soup will be.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, a heavy pinch of salt and pepper, and basil.  Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture as smooth as you possibly can.  If the crushed tomatoes don't seem to be breaking down and you have a bit of extra time, allow them to simmer a bit and then re-blend.
3. Add rice and stir briskly to separate the grains.  Drop chicken pieces, whole, into the soup.
4. Place the lid on the cooker and set the valve to closed/sealing.  Press Cancel, then Pressure Cook and set timer for 6 minutes.
5. Once the cooking cycle is complete, quick release pressure immediately and carefully open the lid.
6. Fish the pieces of chicken out of the pot, if using, and allow to cool slightly on a cutting board.  Meanwhile, stir the soup to distribute the rice into the liquid.  You may have to gently scrape the rice off the bottom of the pot, as it may have settled and stuck.
7. Chop or shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, removing any fat, tendons, or gristle, and return to the soup.  Stir it in.
8. Stir-in cream.  Taste the soup and adjust seasoning.  Thin by adding additional warm water if necessary.  If soup is too thin, switch your pot to the saute or boil setting and simmer-down for a few minutes.
9. Serve with toast or a piece of nice crusty artisan bread.  A dollup of sour cream or a generous sprinkle of grated or shredded cheese makes a delicious garnish.

Instant Pot™ or Pressure Cooker Tomato Bisque (Tomato Soup)

As most of you know, I've been on a bit of an Instant Pot kick lately, so expect to see many of my recipes being converted for pressure cooking.

This week, I adjusted my Creamy Tomato Bisque recipe and served it during a visit from my in-laws with some nice toasted cheese sandwiches.  It was very well received, because who doesn't like grilled cheese and tomato soup?  The whole thing, start-to-finish, takes about a half-hour.

Instant Pot™ or Pressure Cooker Tomato Bisque

Note: If you wish, you can use 1/2 cup of water plus a generous tablespoon of Better than Bouillon.  If you have neither on-hand, water will do just as well.  A teaspoon of dried basil will also work here, though fresh has a much better flavor.

2 28-oz cans Whole or Crushed Tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh basil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Switch the pressure cooker to saute mode.  Add olive oil and onions and sweat the onions until they just begin to soften.
2. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, a heavy pinch of salt and pepper, and basil.
3. Place the lid on the cooker and set the valve to closed/sealing.  Press Cancel, then Pressure Cook and set timer for 10 minutes.
4. Once the cooking cycle is complete, quick release pressure and carefully open the lid.
5. Using an immersion blender, blend the contents of the pot until it is as smooth as you can get it.
6. Place a wire mesh strainer over a bowl.  Working with one to two ladlesful at a time, pass the soup through the strainer, swirling and pushing with the back of soup ladle.  Discard the remaining seeds and tough bits.
7. Rinse the pressure cooker pot and return the soup to the pot.  Switch the cooker back to Saute and bring the soup to a bubble.  If it is too thin, allow it to reduce a bit.  Once it reaches the thickness you like, add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.  If you're used to commercially canned tomato soup, you may like it on the sweeter side.
8. Melt in the butter and pour in the cream, stirring.
9. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches, of course, preferably made with nice artisan bread.

Instant Pot™ or Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup

The other day, I decided I wanted a "dump and cook" chicken soup that could be done in the Instant Pot™.  My wife suggested chicken and rice, which was a great idea, since rice normally cooks great under pressure (and in no time at all).

I'll admit the first attempt wasn't perfect.  For reasons I can't explain, I decided to let it release pressure naturally, even though I know very well that rice is a quick-release ingredient.  I also added way too much rice.  The result was mushy and thick, but nonetheless delicious.

The recipe below makes corrections for those two mistakes.  I haven't actually tested it yet, so I present it with caution, but I'm pretty sure it'll work just fine.

Instant Pot™ Chicken and Rice Soup

Note: This recipe uses white rice.  It can be done with brown rice, but the cooking time would need to be longer (about 20-25 minutes).

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken
1/2 cup of white long-grain or jasmine rice
1 large onion
3/4 pound of carrots
2 large ribs of celery
salt and pepper
olive oil

1. Wash, peel, and cut all ingredients into spoon-sized chunks.
2. Switch the cooker to saute on high and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of the pot.  Saute the vegetables with a pinch of salt until they begin to soften.
3. Add the chicken to the pot, stirring.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the rice, stirring, followed by the liquid.  Make sure all the rice is scraped off the sides and submerged into the liquid.
5. Place the lid on the cooker.  Switch to pressure cooking high pressure and set the timer for 6 minutes.
6. As soon as the cooking cycle completes, perform a quick pressure release.
7. Open the pot carefully, letting steam flow away from you.  Stir the soup and give it a taste.  Adjust seasoning and serve hot with nice crusty bread or cheesy toast.

Instant Pot™ is a trademark that I use and mention without permission from the trademark owner.  Most of my Instant Pot™ recipes can be made in any similar multi-cooker or a stove-top pressure cooker, provided it can handle the settings described in the recipe (typically, high pressure for a designated amount of time plus saute/browning).

Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker Chicken Marsala

I received an Instant Pot™ for Christmas and I've been making dinner in it almost every night for the past week or so.  I might be a little bit obsessed.  Just a little.  ;-)

Last night, I decided it'd be a good idea to convert my Chicken Marsala recipe for the IP.  It came out awesome, though it's not quite the "dump and stir" recipe you might expect for the IP.  In order to maximize flavor and texture, you need to do a fair amount of prep.

Instant Pot Chicken Marsala

Note: This is probably the only occasion where I'm going to say it's okay to buy Cooking Wine from the grocery aisle instead of a good drinking wine.  It makes a perfectly good Marsala sauce.  If you have a nice Marsala, feel free to use it, though you might have to use extra salt and the sauce might come out sweeter.

8-10 oz Baby Bella (Cremini) Mushrooms
1-2 pounds Boneless Chicken
1 large onion
3/4 cup of Marsala Cooking Wine
1 cup water or chicken broth
1 large clove of garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil or butter (about 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup Cornstarch
salt and pepper

1. Thickly slice or quarter the mushrooms.  Chop the onion into a large dice (about 1/2 inch).
2. Switch your multi-cooker to the saute setting and coat the bottom generously with oil or butter.
3. Place 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch into a bowl or measuring cup and add 1/4 cup of water.  Stir thoroughly until no lumps are visible.  Set aside.
4. Place the remaining cornstarch in a shallow bowl or plate.  Season with salt and pepper.  Coat the chicken with cornstarch.
5. Working in batches, so as to not crowd the pan, saute each side of the chicken to develop a firm yellowish crust (it will not completely brown).  You don't want to cook the chicken through.  Just develop the crust.
6. Remove chicken to a plate and add the vegetables to the pot.  Add additional olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Saute vegetables until they start to soften and lose some of their liquid.
7. Add the wine, scraping-up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes to allow some of the alcohol to dissipate (else it will get trapped inside the pot and be kind of boozy).  Add the chicken stock and season with pepper.
8. Nestle the chicken into the liquid and close the lid.
9. Set the valve to closed and set your pot for high pressure and 6 minutes.  Allow the pot to complete the cooking cycle and release the pressure naturally.
10. Open the pot and remove the chicken to a plate again, gently as it may start to fall apart.  press Cancel and Saute.  Bring mixture to a bubble.
11. Stir-in the cornstarch and water mixture, which should thicken the sauce.  If it's too thick or gloppy, add a little water until it's the thickness you like.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
12. Serve chicken and mushroom sauce over rice, pasta, grains like farro, mashed potatoes, polenta, or as-is with a good portion of nice crusty bread to soak-up the sauce.

Tips

• You may find you have a lot of extra gravy and mushrooms after you've served all of the chicken.  This can be frozen or refrigerated and then used as a delicious pasta sauce.
• If you wish to make this recipe faster, try tossing the mushrooms and onions with olive oil and a pinch of salt and microwaving them covered on high for a few minutes instead of sauteing them.  This should serve the same purpose of softening them and removing some of the water and can be done while you're browning the meat.

Instant Pot™ is a trademark that I use and mention without permission from the trademark owner.  Most of my Instant Pot™ recipes can be made in any similar multi-cooker or a stove-top pressure cooker, provided it can handle the settings described in the recipe (typically, high pressure for a designated amount of time plus saute/browning).

Butternut Squash and Feta Galette

Galette with roasted butternut squash, onions, pickled chard, and feta cheese.

While scrolling through my social media feed yesterday, I passed recipe from The Splendid Table for a Butternut Squash Galette and it reminded me of my love for open-faced savory tarts as a quick weeknight meal.  Since I had a piece of butternut sitting in the fridge, I knew exactly what I was going to make for dinner that night.

Galettes might sound fancy (it's a French word), but they're really just quick and dirty open-faced pies.  If you can make or buy a pie crust, you can churn one out in minutes and it's a delicious satisfying meal.

There's no real recipe.  I like to use whatever I have on-hand.  In the summer, I like to use tomatoes or grilled veggies from the garden.  Around the holidays, I've been known to make a mushroom version for a meaty-flavored but light appetizer.  Here's the basic process:

1. Purchase or make your favorite pie dough recipe for a single-crust pie.  Roll or lay-out the dough round on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Spread a very thin layer of mayonnaise, sour cream, thick yogurt, or soft cheese across the dough round, leaving about an inch around the edges uncovered.
3. Add a very thin layer of roasted or sauteed vegetables or bits of meat.  Tomatoes can be put on fresh if they're sliced very thinly or diced.  Don't put too much or the crust won't be able to hold the weight and keep moisture to a minimum.  This is a thin pie, not a pizza.
4. Drop bits of goat cheese, feta cheese, shredded cheese, or even a heavy sprinkle of Parmesan over the top of the filling.  Again, this is not a pizza.  You're not trying to make a river of melted cheese on top.  Less is more.
5. Turn the one-inch of dough around the edges up and over the edges of the filling, crinkling it rustically where it seems to want to.  Press down lightly so it stays in place.
6. Brush the edges with an egg wash (an egg beaten with a tablespoon of water) and optionally sprinkle on some grated cheese or salt, pepper, or herbs.
7. Bake in a 375 degree oven until the edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted or softened slightly.
8. Cool slightly and slice into pie-shaped wedges.  This is excellent served with a simple green salad.  It can also be served at room temperature as an appetizer.

Doritos-Crusted Chicken...Wait, What?

I have a confession to make.  I've never eaten at a Taco Bell.  The truth is that I just don't like Mexican style food all that much, so we never went as kids and I don't really eat a lot of fast food as an adult.

That said I do love fried chicken and there's something oddly alluring, if not downright creepy, about these new "inside-out" tacos they've been advertising where they've basically wrapped taco condiments inside of a rolled-up fried chicken patty.  There's something equally alluring and weird about the Doritos-flavored hard taco shells they've been hawking.

And then it hit me...  DING!  Doritos-coated chicken.  OMG.  YES.

I'm going to be honest with you...  It didn't have quite the familiar Doritos-flavored punch I expected it to have.  It turns out that the frying process mutes the seasoning quite a bit.  However, it turns out that crushed tortilla chips make a fantastic, super-crispy coating, so it was a big win anyway.  I think if I were to do this again, I'd probably just use plain tortilla chips (preferably low-salt) or I would use the Doritos and try to bake them instead of frying them.

Doritos-Crusted Chicken Cutlets

1/2 of a large bag of Doritos Chips
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders

1. Place chips in a large zip-top bag.  Close the bag, removing as much air as possible.  Using the smooth side of a meat mallot, the bottom of a heavy pan, or a rolling pin, pulverize the chips into uniform crumbs.  Alternatively, you may wish to use a food processor.
2. Pound the chicken pieces flat so they are uniformly about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Bread the chicken pieces by placing them first in the egg wash, then into the crushed chips.  Place each piece on a rack to prevent it from getting soggy.
4. Shallow-fry in oil or bake in a 375 degree oven until golden brown and chicken is cooked-through.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Last month, I posted about a silky, creamy tomato bisque that I made for my birthday.  Truth be told, I've never really been a fan of thin almost drinkable soups.  For me, soups had to have some substance or chunks to make it a hearty meal.  But my views changed after that bisque and I started to envision other beautiful puree'd soups.

Fast-forward to this weekend when Asparagus was a good price at Whole Foods.  I picked-up about 2 pounds, thinking maybe I'll roast half and turn the other half into a creamy, velvety soup.  When I placed the milk delivery order this week (we have old-fashioned glass bottle milk delivery service), I tacked-on a pint of half & half and planned to make the soup tonight for dinner.  It was delicious!  And we finished the whole pot between my wife and I.

I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we did.

Creamy Asparagus Soup
Makes 4-6 Meal-Sized Servings

Note: The step of putting it through a fine-mesh strainer is frankly a bit of a pain and totally optional.  However, it does make the difference between a velvety soup and one that's a little gritty--especially with asparagus.  And don't skip the butter.  It gives it a little something extra in texture and flavor that you don't directly notice but it's obvious something is missing when it's gone.

2 pounds thin asparagus
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup white wine
water or chicken stock, heated to a simmer
3/4 cup of half & half or heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Wash the asparagus and trim off the woody ends.  If all you can find is thick asparagus, consider peeling the bottom third of each stalk with a vegetable peeler to make straining the soup easier.  Slice into thin rounds.
2. In a large pot, saute the asparagus and onion in olive oil with a heavy pinch of salt until it begins to soften.  Add the garlic and cook a moment until the garlic softens.
3. Add the white wine and simmer a minute or two until the harsh alcohol smell goes away.
4. Add enough water or stock to cover the vegetables completely.  Bring to a low boil and cook until all the vegetables are completely soft.
5. Remove the pan from the heat.  Using an immersion blender or a jar blender, puree the soup until it's as smooth as you can get it.
6. Working in batches, pour the soup into a fine-mesh sieve.  Using the back of a ladle or large spoon, press the soup through the sieve until only a little bit of fibrous material remains.  Scrape the bottom of the sieve to make sure all the pulp that passed through ends-up in the bowl.
7. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Stir-in cream and butter until it is well incorporated.  Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.  If the soup is too too thin and watery, simmer a bit until it thickens.

We like to serve this soup in a shallow bowl with cheesy toast, croutons, or soup crackers, and a dollop of sour cream in the center.  A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese never hurt, either.

Risotto as a Weeknight Meal

I don't know what it is about risotto, but people treat it with the kind of reverence that one might a fancy French dessert.  It's just something that seems too difficult to tackle at home.  Perhaps its the way restaurants make a big fuss about it when it's on the menu.

"Made to order.  Please allow 30 minutes for us to prepare your risotto!"
"Risotto with shaved white truffle, goat cheese, and duck confit.  $28.95"

Or perhaps it's because recipe after recipe written by some Italian person stresses how you need to stand near the stove, stirring every 3 minutes...with only a wooden spoon...in only a clockwise direction, lest the risotto gods make mush of your meal.

Want to know the truth?  Risotto is only rice and a liquid and it's incredibly easy to make.  Really.  It's a simple peasant dish.  It takes about 30 minutes to prepare, even using the most in-depth recipe from an old Italian Nonna, and it's the perfect dish to serve on a weeknight when you don't have a lot of time.  It's also a great way to use-up leftovers because you can literally throw anything into it just as you can with soup.

And you want to know another secret?  The cooking method isn't nearly as temperamental and fussy as cookbooks have made it out to be.  Shhhh....don't tell Nonna!  Seriously.  Several great folks who have a good deal of experience in food science have done experiment after experiment and there are all kinds of cheats to the stand-and-stir method from dumping all the liquid in at once to dumping it in half at a time, pre-soaking the rice to extract more starch,  or even cooking it in a pressure cooker or a slow cooker. The bottom line is that it'll come out great no matter which way you do it.

Here are my tips for turning-out a great risotto:

1. Choose the right rice.  While you can technically make risotto out of any rice, even orzo pasta, it really works best with a white short-grain starchy rice.  The most commonly available varieties are Arborio and Carnaroli.  These rices stay intact through the extended cooking time, retain a slight chew, and are coated in a lot of starch.  It's this starch that slowly seeps into the cooking liquid and thickens it into a creamy sauce, just like making gravy.
2. Butter & Cheese.  Most recipes will tell you to take the cooked risotto off the heat towards the end of cooking and add a whole bunch of butter and grated Parmesan cheese.  No matter how tempting it is to omit these ingredients, don't!  Butter has long been used by the French as a mild thickener for sauces for good reason.  It not only adds a sweet creamy flavor, but it adds texture and mouth feel and gives the sauce that glossy smooth texture.  The cheese also completes the sauce, adding a tremendous amount of flavor.
3. More Liquid Fixes Most Problems. Is it too thick and the rice isn't cooked through?  Add more hot liquid.  Did it sit around and get gloppy while you were waiting for the family to show-up?  Add some hot liquid.  Reheating it the next day?  Add a little water before popping it in the microwave and it'll loosen right up.  Generally, I like to prepare the hot liquid I'll be using to cook the risotto and then keep a kettle of hot water on the side specifically for adding more if needed.  Usually, you don't need more flavor at that point, anyway.
4. A Little Cream Doesn't Hurt.  While not traditional and Nonna would certainly scoff at the idea, a generous pour of cream after you've added the butter makes this already delicious dish even more luxurious.  I learned this one from Kenji.  If for some reason you aren't able to get your hands on real risotto rice, it will take the sauce from okay to wow.
5. Be Creative.  The most basic of risottos can be made with rice, water, and some flavorful vegetables.  Risotto is a great canvas for whatever seasonal ingredients you have on hand or even for using-up leftovers.  More often than not, I'll make a risotto and toss in a few handfuls of frozen peas and some leftover roast chicken and that's it.  I've also been known to use some sauteed mushrooms, boneless chicken, and marsala wine to make a "marsala risotto" that's just as delicious as classic chicken marsala.  Sometimes, I'll use red wine, which makes a pretty pink risotto.

And now, because I know you're waiting for it, the recipe from the photo...

Butternut Squash Risotto with Baby Spinach

Serves Approximately 4, can be doubled for heartier portions or leftovers

Note:  My recipe uses a hybrid method that still toasts the rice but dumps the liquid in half at a time.  Feel free to follow whatever recipe technique you like from the links above.  They should all work with this set of ingredients.

1 cup Risotto Rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)
4 cups chicken broth, heated to a simmer
1 pound of butternut squash, cubed into 1-inch pieces
2 to 3 generous handfuls of fresh baby spinach
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 cup of white wine (optional)
2 tablespoons of oil
3 to 4 tablespoons butter (to taste)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese plus extra for serving
salt and pepper (to taste)
Simmering Hot Water (extra for thinning the sauce)

1. In a large heavy-bottom pot (wider is better than narrow), heat the oil and gently sweat the onions and a pinch of salt until they begin to soften.
2. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat evenly with oil.  Add extra oil if it seems to need it.  Cook, stirring constantly until the rice turns a little translucent without browning.
3. If using wine, add the wine to the pan and simmer for a minute or two to cook out some of the alcohol.  Add about half the cooking liquid and reduce to a bubbling simmer.  Add the butternut squash.  Stir periodically to prevent sticking and loosen some of the starch.
4. Allow risotto to simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and it is the consistency of porridge or oatmeal.  Add the remaining liquid and continue simmering.
5. When it begins to look like a loose porridge again, taste a few grains of rice.  They should be a little chewy but not crunchy.  If they aren't done, add a little hot water and continue cooking until they're just right.  Add pepper and adjust salt if necessary.
6. Remove the pot from the heat.  Add the butter a tablespoon at a time, stirring vigorously to melt it in without creating an oil slick.  The risotto will get creamier and begin to look shiny.  It may continue to thicken and the butternut will break-up or dissolve a bit.  Stir-in the cheese, then stir-in the spinach and let it wilt.
7. If the finished risotto is thick like mashed potatoes, stir-in a little more hot water before serving.  It should flow off of a spoon without being soupy.  Serve in shallow bowls with extra grated cheese on top.

How to Modify the Recipe:

• Hard vegetables should be cooked with the rice but frozen vegetables like peas and cooked meats can be stirred-in at the end just like the spinach and warmed through.
• Larger vegetables like broccoli florets are best cooked separately and served on top of the risotto or gently stirred in at the last minute so they don't break-up.  The same goes for chunks of fish.
• You can make risotto with plain water, but varying the liquids will make interesting flavors.  Swap out chicken stock for vegetable or beef broth.  Switch in red wine for white for a pink risotto.  Saute some mushrooms with the onions or use the liquid from soaking dried mushrooms for a deep meaty flavor without added meat.

Quick Weeknight Meal: Eggs over Greens

A funny thing happened shortly after we had our first child.  Eggs for Dinner went into weekly rotation.  I'm not just talking about Breakfast for Dinner either.  Eggs are a quick and easy protein and more flexible than just about any meat you can put on your plate.  They're also incredibly cheap.

There are dozens of ways to do dinner eggs.  There's Eggs in Purgatory (simmered in tomato sauce), Eggs over Asparagus, Fritatta, Filled Omelettes, Eggs Benedict, Eggs en Cocotte...the list goes on and on.  But one of my favorites is Eggs over Greens.  In particular, I like to poach or fry them so that the yolk is thick and creamy but still runny and place them over a salad or bed of greens dressed with a vinegary dressing.  When you break into the egg yolk, it runs onto the greens and becomes part of the dressing.

I won't bother with a recipe here, but I will make some recommendations:

• Try this brilliant way to make poached eggs.  Almost no strings, guaranteed!  There's a video here.  If you're as excited about this as me, watch Kenji do 18 eggs at once using the same method.
• Make your own Italian Salad Dressing with this recipe.  I recently discovered that you can add a few tablespoons of sour cream to it and make a Creamy Italian Dressing.  Also, it doesn't separate as easily.
• Try my recipe for Dressing Made from Your Favorite Jam
• Add some interesting grated cheese to your salad
• Serve with a side of Cheesy Toast
• Experiment with different greens.  I like to add a handful of baby spinach or arugula.  Chopped pickled veggies also make a great addition.
• If you're feeling like you need a little more protein, add a scoop of plain solid white albacore tuna or some boneless skinless sardines packed in oil (which actually taste milder and sweeter than tuna).

Quick Weeknight Grain Bowls

Here in New England, we're heading into that season where vegetables are more plentiful and I tend to over-buy them at the grocery store and farm stands because they look so good.  Then, I get them home and I'm never sure what to do with them, aside from my usual assortment of recipes.  I know I want to eat lighter fare and I want weeknight meals to be fast so I can spend more time enjoying the extended daylight, but sometimes, recipes elude me.

One thing I've been a fan of lately is a grain bowl.  Frankly, grain bowls are (or were?) something of a fad in more urban landscapes, but they're not something I've really seen in my neck of the woods.  My general understanding of them is that they involve a bowl of one or more whole grains piled high with all kinds of healthy-looking things so that they're crunchy, savory, sweet, sour...you name it, all at once.  They can be served warm, room-temperature, or even as a refrigerated salad.

This is a version I've been making recently.  It came about partly as a need to use-up some rye berries from a local farm that had been languishing in the back of the pantry, but it'll work just fine with any sturdy grain that cooks in the same amount of time as brown rice.

Brown Rice and Wheat Berry Grain Bowls

Note: This is really more of a method than a recipe.  Feel free to vary the grains or add-ins to your liking.  Just make sure the grains all take about the same time to cook or you'll need to cook them separately.  Grains may be cooked in a regular pan, but will take about 40-45 minutes.

1 cup brown rice, preferably short-grain like "sushi rice"
1/2 cup wheat or rye berries
chicken bullion (optional)
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
various finely chopped raw, blanched, cooked, or pickled vegetables
finely chopped or flaked protein (chicken, fish, etc.)
cooking oil
2 tablespoons of butter (optional - use olive oil if serving cold)
balsamic salad dressing

1. Rinse the grains and place in the bottom of a pressure cooker.  Add at least 3 cups of water and dissolve bullion in water if using.  Add 1 tablespoon of oil to control foaming.
2. Cover pressure cooker and bring up to high pressure.  Cook 20 minutes at high pressure.
3. Quick release the pressure (using cool running water or a quick-release button on your pot).  Strain the grains using a pasta strainer and return them to the pot.  Add butter and peas.  Stir and place the cover back on the pot so peas will warm through and butter melts.
4. Once the butter has melted and the peas have warmed through, remove grain mixture to a bowl and add vegetables and meats.  Fold gently and add dressing to taste.  If you'll be serving the dish cold, you may need to add more dressing prior to serving as it tends to soak-in and mellow-out.

Pictured Above: short-grained brown rice, rye berries, peas, leftover chicken, English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and pickled carrots.  Dressed with D.E. Vine Honey Balsamic Dressing.

Slow Cooker Tips and Tricks

I've had a few friends post lately that they're dusting-off their slow cookers and they're either

looking for recipes or dissatisfied with the outcome of the first recipes they've tried.  Since I've been around the block a few times with my own slow cooker, I thought I'd do a post with some do's and don't's based on hard food science and personal experience (and a whole lot of trial and error).

Tip #1 - Choose the Right Cooker
You'd think all slow cookers are created the same, but that's not the case.  The original Crockpot brand cooker your mother had was probably a simple heating element underneath a permanently fixed ceramic crock with a dial that had three settings: Low, High, and Off.  Also, it was probably no larger than 5 quarts.

Today's high-end cookers are upwards of 7 quarts and made of all kinds of materials.  Many have fancy computerized controls and timers, probe thermometers, removable pots (for easier cleaning), and non-ceramic ones often have "browning" settings or can convert to a fast-cooking electric stew pot.

My recommendations are middle-of-the-road.  You want a cooker that heats evenly since you're after a "low and slow" cooking method.  This means you should look for a ceramic crock, not a metal insert.  A timer with an automatic "keep warm" setting is nice since you probably want to be away from the house as it cooks and having it slow-down the cooking before you arrive home is usually a must with today's work schedules.  You won't usually find a browning setting on a ceramic model (ceramic will crack if heated fast), so that usually knocks that feature out of the running, but it's a reasonable price to pay for more even cooking.  I'd rather have a pot that does one job well rather than multiple jobs in a mediocre fashion.  Here's how I chose my favorite cooker.

Tip #2 - Choose the Right Recipes
We've all seen those quick 1-minute "dump, stir, cook, voila!" videos that float all over social media.  It looks so quick and easy and the results are usually gorgeous and look delicious.  Ever tried to make those recipes?  They usually end-up as a muddy-colored, dull-flavored mess on a plate.  They're also usually not as easy as they look because they leave out footage of all the chopping and prep work.

In order to understand what recipes work best, you need to understand what a slow cooker is designed for.  Slow cookers were designed to mimic the behavior of bean pots and dutch ovens, which sit over low heat or in a low oven (200 degrees or so) for long periods of time (4 to 8 hours).  Many foods don't stand-up well to that long of a cooking time like lean meats (fish, chicken breast, lean beef, pork tenderloin and loin, etc.).  Contrary to popular belief, they will dry out even if submerged in a flavorful liquid.  If you're going to cook lean meat in a slow cooker, be sure your recipe makes a nice gravy or sauce to re-moisten the meat at the table.

Slow cookers are best at braising and the best cuts of meat for slow braising have fat, marbling, or protective skin coatings.  Things like chuck roasts, pork butt (aka "Boston Butt), pork shoulder, chuck stew meat, whole chickens, chicken or turkey thighs and legs, and so on.  They contain natural fat, collagen, and connective tissue that will break-down and improve in texture and flavor with a long, low, slow cooking.  Hearty soups, stews, and chili are other excellent candidates.

Tip #3 - Maximize Flavor
One thing about long slow cooking is that all of the flavors in the dish will muddle together into a uniform, kind of flat taste.  It'll be savory, but lack dimension and one strong ingredient, like onions or garlic, may take-over the dish.  You can work around this in a variety of ways.

First of all, season your dish well upfront.  Use plenty of salt and pepper.  Add flavorful liquids like chicken stock or wine instead of water.  And make sure you include aromatic vegetables (celery, onion, carrot, garlic) and herbs and spices.  Depending on what you're making, you may want to use sacrificial aromatic veggies that will be removed or puree'd into a sauce and add fresh veggies close to the end of cooking to be eaten whole.

Second of all, adjust seasonings or make a sauce towards the end of cooking.  You may want to pour off the liquid, strain it, and make a simple gravy on the stove.  You may want to puree the softened vegetables into a sauce and add some cream.  Or maybe it needs a tablespoon of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon.  It may also need more salt and pepper or fresh herbs.

Thirdly, consider browning meat in a skillet before cooking.  Contrary to popular belief, browning does not "seal in juices," but it does create flavor, texture, and color.  If your schedule doesn't permit browning in the morning, meat can be browned the night before and all other ingredients measured and prepped and then stored in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, it becomes a dump-and-stir operation.

Lastly, bloom your spices and sweat your vegetables.  Place the aromatics (onions, celery, etc) and any dry spices into a bowl, coat with a little oil, and microwave until the vegetables begin to soften.  This does two things.  First, it cooks some of the sulfuric bite out of the onions and brings out the sweetness.  Without pre-cooking, onions can take over a pot of soup and make it acrid and inedible.  Secondly, it blooms the spices.  Most spices in your cabinet are oil soluble, meaning their flavor carries best in oil, not water.  Cooking them for a short time in oil brings out their best flavor.

Tip #4 - No Peeking!
Slow cookers cook best when a small head of steam builds-up inside the pot, which creates slightly increased pressure (similar to a pressure cooker, but not nearly as powerful).  Every time you open the pot, you're releasing that steam and it has to build-up again, which will add to the cooking time.  Open the pot as infrequently as possible.

Tip #5 - Size Your Recipe or Pot Correctly
Slow cookers are designed to work best when the pot is half to 2/3 full.  This is because the pot needs area for a head of steam to build-up and help with the cooking.  If you overfill the pot, there won't be enough extra room.  If you under-fill the pot, it'll take too long to recover when the lid is opened.  Also less of the food will be in contact with the heated sides of the pot.  You also may lose the cooking water and scorch the bottom of your meal.  If you're going to be cooking for 2 people on a regular basis and want to make smaller recipes, consider buying a smaller cooker or having two sizes.

Tip #6 - Spray the Crock
I have a cooker with a dark-colored crock and every time I'd cook something, I'd end up with "ring around the crock," a white haze that lines-up with water line of the cooked food that was impossible to scrub off, even when soaked in vinegar.  I believe this is a mineral residue, from hard water, chicken bones, etc.  If you spray your crock with cooking spray prior to adding the food, this will never happen.  Even if you're doing a soup that's all liquid, still spray the pot.  Your scrubbing arm will thank you later.

Tip #7 - The Amount of Liquid Matters
Slow cookers actually don't need a lot of water to cook.  An inch or so is plenty for large cuts of meat.  One of my favorite recipes is a chicken cooked in a slow cooker where you add the chicken dry, season it, place a few veggies around it, then start cooking.  The chicken releases just enough juice to do the cooking and makes a really concentrated flavorful gravy for serving with it.

Here are a few of my Favorite Recipes that work in a Slow Cooker:

• Halloween Pork Stew
• French Chicken in a Pot - Skip browning step, cook for 8 hours on low.
• Chili
• Beans
• All Day Red Sauce - Use your favorite recipe.
• Meatballs in Red Sauce 
• Overnight Breakfast Casserole
  
• Braised Pork Short Ribs
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Steel-Cut Oats
• Apple Butter

Here are some great Slow Cooker Resources:

• FoodInJars.com - Great recipes for Slow Cooker Fruit Butters
• Slow Cooker Revolution - By America's Test Kitchen
• Slow Food Fast - By Bob Warden
• Serious Eats
• Hamilton Beach Set 'N Forget Programmable Slow Cooker - My Favorite
• 365 Days of Slow Cooking Blog
• A Year of Slow Cooking - By Stephanie O'Dea

Weeknight Dinner: Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin served over Israeli Couscous

Pork tenderloin can be a fantastic weeknight meal.  Toss it into a zip-top bag with some oil and seasoning as little as a half-hour before you cook it and it comes out great.  Let it marinate overnight and it'll taste even better.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Before we get to the recipes, we need to address a couple of elephants in the room.

Loin vs. Tenderloin
First of all, let's not confuse pork tenderlin" with "pork loin."  Both are delicious cuts recipes for one can be adapted to the other, but they are quite different.  Pork loin is a long tubular cut of meat about 4 to 6 inches in diameter.  A whole loin is over two feet long, but most butchers cut it into shorter roasts that look like small logs.  It is often sold with a cap of fat left on top and tied with butcher's twine.

Tenderloin is a much smaller piece of meat.  It's usually no more than 2 inches in diameter and less than a foot long.  One end is fat and it tapers down to a point.  It's extremely lean and naturally tender because it sits under neat the loin up against the rib cage, so it does very little work when the animal walks.  On a cow, the tenderloin is sold as fillet, the most expensive cut.  On a pig, it's usually cheaper than bacon, making it a great bargain.  On a chicken, it's the cut that becomes chicken fingers.

Pink is Okay
Let's get this out of the way upfront.  If you want to make excellent, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth tenderloin, you need to get over your fear of eating slightly pink pork.  If you want to cook it until completely white, you can do it, but it won't be nearly as good and you're much more likely to end-up with dry meat.  There's a very fine line between well-done and dry with this cut and I don't think I've ever nailed it, myself.

Cooking pork to well-done was born in the 1960's and 70's from fear of the parasite "trichinosis."  However, even the CDC's own website says, "Successful trichinae control programs by the U.S. pork industry have nearly eliminated the disease in domestic swine raised in confinement..."  So, if you're going to buy your pork from a commercial source, it's pretty safe to eat your pork cooked to medium, which is just right for this cut, in my opinion.

How to Cook It
I'm going to give you a recipe, but here are a few of tips and tricks that you can use whenever cooking a pork tenderloin:

• Don't buy it pre-marinated.  Why?  The ingredients list should be reason enough.  You can't pronounce half of the ingredients and it's incredibly easy to toss together your own simple marinade.  Also, this is not a cut of eat that needs a lot of flavor added to it.  It tastes pretty good on its own with salt and pepper. 
• Marinate a minimum of 30 minutes up to overnight in a simple vinaigrette or just herbs and oil with salt and pepper.  That's it.  it's really that simple.
• Treat this cut like you would a steak.  Sear it on all sides, either on a grill or in an oven-safe pan, and then finish it in the oven or on a cooler side of the grill.  If you need to, remove it from the heat after searing and allow the pan or grill to cool down before finishing.
• Use a meat thermometer.  As I mentioned above, there's literally a difference of less than 5 minutes of cooking between done and overdone.  A meat thermometer will help you nail your target consistently every time.
• Cook until 5 to 10 degrees less than your final temperature (135 degrees) and let rest with a loose piece of foil on top.  It will coast another 10 degrees on the counter for a final temp of about 145.  A simple instant read thermometer should be in every kitchen (like this one).  If you want absolute insurance, get a remote probe thermometer that you can keep in the meat and it'll beep when it's done.
• Serve it with a simple starch and vegetable.  Mashed potatoes are great here, giving you the same "meat and potatoes" comfort feeling as roast beef or pot roast.
• Tenderloins are usually sold as a two-pack in a cryo-vac package.  They're often swimming in a slippery pink juice that is basically dissolved meat proteins.  I like to open up the pack when I get it home, drain the juice, pat the loins dry, then wrap them separately in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer.  When I'm ready to make one, I pop it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power to defrost it.  You can also defrost it in the fridge overnight or all day.

And now, the recipe:

Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Garlic, Herbs, and Sundried Tomatoes

Note: The herbs, garlic and tomatoes in this recipe are just made for swapping-out.  I've done garlic and rosemary.  You could use some citrus zest and juice.  You could even tip in some spicy-hot things from your pantry.  The sky is the limit.  Just keep the oil since it helps carry the flavor (many seasonings are oil-soluble) and the salt and pepper.

1 pork tenderloin
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning (herbs only, no salt)
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
10 sundried tomatoes (approximately)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1) Add everything but the tenderloin to a gallon zip-top bag.  Close the bag and mix the ingredients up.

2) Open the bag and add the tenderloin.  Re-close the bag, removing as much air as possible.  Squish the ingredients around in the bag to coat the meat.  Allow to marinate on the counter up to 45 minutes or place in a shallow pan in the refrigerator (to prevent leakage) and marinate up to 24 hours.

3) When ready to cook, heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Heat an oven-safe pan (cast iron works great) on the stove top on medium-high heat.  Using tongs, remove the meat from the bag, leaving most of the oil and seasonings behind.  Place in hot pan and brown evenly on all sides.

4) Once meat is browned, remove pan from the burner.  Allow sizzling to calm a bit and add the remaining contents of the bag to the pan.  Using tongs, place the tomatoes on top of the pork to keep them from burning in the bottom of the pan.

5) If using a probe thermometer, place the probe into the meat, trying to get the tip of the probe in the center of the meat towards the thicker end.  Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and roast until the center of the meat reaches 135 degrees.

6) Remove the meat from the oven, cover loosely with a piece of foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.  Slice thinly with a sharp knife and serve with a starch and vegetable of your choice.  Center of the thickest part should be just slightly pink and very juicy.

Using-up Greens: Israeli Couscous With Chicken and Greens

For those of you who live in New England and have gardens or subscribe to a Farm Share, this time of the year is all about greens. MOUNDS and MOUNDS of greens.  Salad greens, bitter greens, kale, swiss chard, and so on.  It comes fast and it comes in plentiful.  I usually plant three 4-packs of lettuce seedlings each year and they all mature at once and threaten to bolt to flower.  Truth be told, I usually end-up giving half away to friends.  However, I'm always looking for recipes for the other half.

This recipe is a good one for those hardier greens that can stand-up to a little cooking like swiss chard, spinach, or kale.  I happened to make it with escarole, a slightly bitter green leaf lettuce in the endive family.  As I've mentioned in the past, it's really popular in soup around here.  However, some nice mature spinach or swiss chard would stand-in nicely.

The bulk of this dish is Israeli Couscous, sometimes called Pearl Couscous.  It's very different from the regular couscous that you're probably used to.  It's basically small toasted pearls of pasta, a little larger than tapioca pearls, and it cooks-up smaller than a baby pea.  Most grocery stores stock it, but if you have trouble finding it, you might try Orzo or Ancini de Pepe.

Israeli Couscous With Chicken and Escarole (or Greens)

Note: I'm going to cross a line here and say that it's okay to use powdered chicken bouillon here.  *GASP*  I know...  This is one of those rare occasions where the salty yellow-colored stuff actually does your dish justice.  However, I've made it with homemade stock and it works just as nicely, if not a little stickier from the natural gelatin.

2-3 large handfuls of greens, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups Israeli Couscous
2 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 onion, finely minced
2 medium carrots, sliced thinly
1 medium boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


1) In a large saute pan that has a lid, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat.  Add cubed chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown a bit.

2) Add more oil if needed along with the carrots, onions, and a small pinch of salt.  Saute until the vegetables begin to soften.

3) Add the couscous and a more oil if needed.  Stir constantly, sauteing until the couscous is lightly toasted.  It can begin to brown a little, but do not burn it.

4) Quickly add all of the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and let simmer about 10-12 minutes.

5) In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking when the liquid is almost gone, add all the greens and cover the pan so they will wilt.  Once they've wilted a bit, stir them into the couscous.  If things start sticking, add a little water to loosen it up.

6) Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve immediately.  A good sprinkle of good Parmesan cheese on top of each dish wouldn't hurt.

Recipe: Tuna (or Salmon) Cakes

As I've posted in the past, we made the decision to make most of our baby's food from scratch.  This worked out extremely well during the "mush" phase of solid eating.  However, now that our daughter is a toddler, she insists on feeding herself and it quite frankly tests our patience to sit there for the better part of an hour, fill the spoon, hand it to her, wait for her to get most of the food into her mouth, fool around with it, wash, rinse, repeat.  You get the picture.

One of the things I figured out early on is that you can take many of the "mush" foods and turn them into finger foods by making pancakes, loafs (like meatloaf), and meatballs or dumplings out of them.  This allows her to self-feed without a spoon but has the advantage of familiar flavors and the soft textures needed to chew with only a few teeth or even just strong gums.

Here's one recipe that our daughter loves and it's reasonably easy to whip-up with canned tuna or salmon.

Tuna or Salmon Cakes

This can be made with flaked whole tuna or salmon if you prefer that over canned.  For a softer texture, omit the 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs in the filling.

10oz (2 cans) Chunk White Tuna or Salmon
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (for filling)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
salt & pepper

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (for coating)
canola or vegetable oil (for frying)

1) In a bowl, mix the flaked tuna or salmon with the mayonnaise, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, egg, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

2) Place remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.  Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan.  To test if oil is hot enough, place a piece of bread in the oil.  When bread toasts to a medium-brown, oil is hot enough.

3) Using a 2-tablespoon (1/8 cup) scoop, scoop the mixture into your hand.  Form a rough ball and flatten slightly into a pancake form.  Place cake in breadcrumbs and turn gently to coat.

4) Fry each cake, turning when the first side is golden-brown.  Fry remaining side until also golden-brown.  Remove with a slotted spatula to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

5) Serve immediately or allow to cool slightly and freeze in a zip-top bag with as much air as possible squeezed out.

Weeknight Meal: Coconut Baked Chicken Fingers

Back in April of 2010, I posted a recipe for Wicked Easy Baked Chicken Fingers, in which I share with you my super easy way to make breaded chicken fingers in the middle of the week with no deep frying, next to no work, and easy cleanup (hint: it involves mayonnaise).  Recently, I tinkered with the recipe ever so slightly and I have a new variation to share with you involving coconut.   Mmmmm....Yum!

Coconut Baked Chicken Fingers

- 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 pound fresh chicken tenderloins (about 6)
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 1/2 cups Seasoned Breadcrumbs (or plain with Italian herbs added)
- 1/4 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- Cooking Spray

1) Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.  Place a cookie cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

2) Pound each of the chicken tenders with the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy saucepan to an even thickness of about a half-inch.  The objective is to get them the same thickness so that they'll cook evenly and quickly.

3) Spoon the mayo from the container into a small dish. Using a pastry brush, or a butter knife if you don't have a pastry brush, spread mayo generously onto each side of the chicken pieces. It doesn't matter if a little rubs-off onto the cutting board while you work.

4)  In a shallow dish such as a baking dish, combine the breadcrumbs, herbs (if using), and coconut. Mix well with dry hands.

5)  Using your hands, coat each side of the chicken with the breadcrumb mixture and gently place on the baking rack. You might need to press the chicken into the mixture to get it to adhere.  Once the whole rack is done, spritz the tenders very lightly with cooking spray.  This will help with browning.

6) Bake at 375 until the chicken is cooked through (about 165-175 degrees) and the bread crumbs are starting to brown and the texture seems crispy and dry when you press it gently with your finger.

7) Remove from the oven and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Recipe: Eggs Poached In Tomato Sauce

I've long been very curious and intrigued by a recipe called "Egg's Poached In Tomato Sauce."  It's a simple enough dish, being more or less what it says.  You drop a couple of eggs into simmering tomato sauce and let it cook till the eggs are done to your liking.  However, part of me was always like, "Hmmm...not so sure about egg whites and syrupy yolks mixed-in with my marinara."

This past week, I was pacing between the pantry and the fridge, looking for something to toss together for dinner way too late in the evening and with absolutely no ambition to cook, having gotten home late, fed and played with the baby, and sat on my butt for a minute or two.  Spotting some of my home-canned tomatoes and a carton of eggs, I tentatively asked my wife how adventurous she was feeling and explained about the egg recipe.  When she said she'd give it a try, I did a quick search of the Internet for some guidelines and off to the kitchen I went.

Oh. My. Goodness.  They're fantastic!  These are definitely going into the weeknight meal rotation.  I encourage you to give it a try too!

Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

4-6  whole eggs
15oz crushed tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, or your favorite marinara
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
olive oil
salt & pepper
crusty toast for serving

1) Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high.

2) Crush or chop the garlic and lightly saute it until soft.  Don't let it brown.

3) Add the tomatoes, sugar, and oregano.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  If you like a bit of heat, add some crushed red pepper.  Allow the mixture to gently simmer for 5-10 minutes to round out the flavor.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4) Carefully, crack each egg into a separate area of the pan, trying not to spread the whites too far from the yolks if you can help it.

5) Simmer a few minutes until the whites are cooked-through and the yolk is as cooked as you like it.  This takes some practice, but trust me--it's good even with hard yolks.

6) Using a spoon, retrieve each egg and serve with or on top of toast made of crusty country or Italian bread.  Spoon extra sauce on top of each egg.

The sky is the limit on variations.  One recipe I found suggested serving it with quick sauted fresh spinach.  I'd imagine fresh grated Parmesan cheese would be appropriate or even a bit of provolone or mozzarella melted over the top of each egg.  It might even be delicious on a bed of spaghetti or linguine.  If you like spice, try adding some of your favorite salsa to the sauce.

The Perfect Side Dish: Cheesy Toast

As the primary "get dinner on the table" person for our family, I often find myself tossing dinner together after a long day of work.  And as much as I try, I've never been a very good planner.  I'm more of a last-minute kind of guy.  It's not uncommon for me to roll in the door at 6pm, kiss my wife hello, sit with my infant daughter for a few minutes, then actually start dinner around 6:30 or 7.  And let's face it... By that time, I'm hungry, tired, cranky, and I just want to get it done and sit down.

One of my go-to side dishes (for the starch component of the meal) is Cheesy Toast.  I find I turn to this most when the meal is something like a soup or a stew or saucy dish that requires a little crunch on the side and I don't feel like waiting the 10-20 minutes for rice, pasta, or potatoes to cook.  It's dead simple and incredibly easy.  Plus, I usually have the ingredients hanging around (some crusty bread, a block of parmesan cheese, some olive oil, salt, and pepper).

I hope you'll forgive the fact that I don't have a finished photo.  It seems I remembered to snap a pic before the bread went into the oven but I was too much in a hurry to chow-down to get the after pic.  Nonetheless, I assure you...it was tasty, delicious, and quite pretty to look at.

And so, the recipe...

Cheesy Toast

Sliced Crusty, Rustic, or Italian Bread
Finely grated parmesan cheese (the real stuff works best)
olive oil
salt & pepper

1) Heat your oven to 350 degrees
2) Lay the bread slices out on a sheet tray and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
3) Sprinkle the bread lightly with salt and pepper.
4) Cover each bread slice liberally with cheese.
5) Bake until the tops begin to turn golden-brown and the bread is crispy throughout.

Weeknight Meal: Bean, Veggie, and Chicken Soup

A couple of weeks ago (yeah, I know...I'm way behind), we had one of the first few chilly nights of the autumn season.  What screams dinner on a chilly evening more than soup?  The following recipe is something I pulled out of thin air (or rather from the depths of the pantry and refrigerator) and it tasted fantastic, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Bean, Veggie, & Chicken Soup

1 can small white or navy beans
1 can (12 to 16 oz) chicken or vegetable broth
2-3 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
olive oil
salt & pepper
water (as needed)

1) In a large pot, saute the onions and carrots in olive oil and a pinch of salt until they begin to soften but do not brown.
2) Add the zucchini and cook 2-3 minutes until it starts to soften as well.
3) Add the tomato and cook 1 minute, stirring.
4) Add the broth and beans.  Add water if necessary to get to a good soup consistency (watery, not thick--it will cook down some).  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5) Simmer 15-20 minutes until beans and all veggies have softened.  Add the chicken and cook until heated through.
6) Adjust seasoning to taste.  Serve with toasted crusty bread.

Weeknight Meal: Walk-Away Butternut Risotto

For quite awhile, I've been extolling the virtues of risotto as a weeknight meal.  Even made the traditional way, I find it to be incredibly flexible, inexpensive, and relatively quick to make.

Recently, I was watching the PBS television show Lidia's Italy and she introduced an even easier version where you basically throw it in a pot and walk-away for 30 minutes.  What's more, it was a recipe for butternut squash risotto, something that's typically hard to do without having a washed-out flavor.  In fact, Cooks Illustrated did a recipe for butternut risotto recently and the result ended-up so complicated, I won't even make it.

Needless to say, I was intrigued and it just so happened that I had a small butternut in the fridge and it was dinner time.  Into the kitchen I went.

The result was pretty delicious.  As you can see from the photo above, I added some chunks of fresh feta cheese on top because I felt it could use a tad more saltiness for contrast, but it's totally not necessary.  A handful of frozen peas or something green would also make a nice addition towards the end for color and a boost of vitamins.  We served this with some slices of toasted crunchy cheesy bread for a crunchy textural contrast.

If you're looking for a nice easy weeknight meal, I highly recommend this recipe.