Poached Chicken Breasts:
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1stalk celery, chopped
3 pounds chicken breasts; boneless
Put everything into a large pot and cover with cold water, bring to just a boil. Cover and remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes (if breasts are exceptionally large cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. If you do not have vegetables just use cold water.
By poaching the breasts on Monday you do not have to mess with raw chicken-can freeze diced up chicken
Chicken Pot Pie
1 2/3 cup mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn) or similar combo
2 cups cup cooked chicken, diced
4 Tbls. roux
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 Tbls. sherry
pinch of thyme
fresh ground pepper
sheet of puff pastry or pie crust; rolled out slightly or biscuits
Melt butter and add flour to make a roux, whisk in stock, milk, sherry, thyme and roux season with fresh ground pepper. Add chicken and veggies. Pour into large oven safe dish. Form pie crust around top of container, pinching the edges. Before baking cut slits in puff pastry to allow steam to escape and if desired brush pastry with egg wash or simply pour chicken mixture over a biscuit. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 or until crust is golden.
I use the pie crust, but the buscuits are good too!
2 cups cup cooked chicken, diced
4 Tbls. roux
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 Tbls. sherry
pinch of thyme
fresh ground pepper
sheet of puff pastry or pie crust; rolled out slightly or biscuits
Melt butter and add flour to make a roux, whisk in stock, milk, sherry, thyme and roux season with fresh ground pepper. Add chicken and veggies. Pour into large oven safe dish. Form pie crust around top of container, pinching the edges. Before baking cut slits in puff pastry to allow steam to escape and if desired brush pastry with egg wash or simply pour chicken mixture over a biscuit. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 or until crust is golden.
I use the pie crust, but the buscuits are good too!
Ground Beef Moussaka
2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
salt and pepper
olive oil
OR
1 box of Trader Joe’s breaded eggplant
ground beef-tomato mixture;
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup onion, diced
1 Tbls. minced garlic
salt
pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup red wine
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
For the Béchamel:
4 Tbls. butter
4 Tbls. flour
2 ½ cups milk
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs
½ cup parmesan cheese
salt and white pepper
To Finish:
¾ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbls. chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Season eggplant with salt and pepper, add olive oil to a pan and fry the eggplant until golden, about 3 minutes per side, adding more oil as necessary. Drain on paper towel or even easier just buy it from T Joe’s.
Next, cook beef over medium high heat; add onions and garlic toward the end, season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat from the pan, put into a pot and add oregano and cinnamon. Pour in the red wine, and just let in reduce slightly. Add tomatoes, simmer about 30 minutes or until mixture is a nice tomato sauce consistency. Check for salt and pepper and if the mixture is too tart and a pinch of brown sugar to balance out the flavors.
For the Béchamel: In a saucepan, melt the butter, ad flour to make a roux. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking, add nutmeg. The mixture should be fairly thick. Take ½ cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk into beaten eggs, this will temper the eggs. Whisk that mixture back into the milk mixture. Add parmesan cheese and stir. Season with salt and white pepper.
To Finish: Sprinkle the bottom of a 7” x 10” baking dish with bread crumbs, place a layer of eggplant down, next layer ½ of the beef-tomato mixture over eggplant, then layer 1/2 of the béchamel over lamb mixture. Repeat and then sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes and let sit 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 4-6.
salt and pepper
olive oil
OR
1 box of Trader Joe’s breaded eggplant
ground beef-tomato mixture;
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup onion, diced
1 Tbls. minced garlic
salt
pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup red wine
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
For the Béchamel:
4 Tbls. butter
4 Tbls. flour
2 ½ cups milk
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs
½ cup parmesan cheese
salt and white pepper
To Finish:
¾ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbls. chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Season eggplant with salt and pepper, add olive oil to a pan and fry the eggplant until golden, about 3 minutes per side, adding more oil as necessary. Drain on paper towel or even easier just buy it from T Joe’s.
Next, cook beef over medium high heat; add onions and garlic toward the end, season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat from the pan, put into a pot and add oregano and cinnamon. Pour in the red wine, and just let in reduce slightly. Add tomatoes, simmer about 30 minutes or until mixture is a nice tomato sauce consistency. Check for salt and pepper and if the mixture is too tart and a pinch of brown sugar to balance out the flavors.
For the Béchamel: In a saucepan, melt the butter, ad flour to make a roux. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking, add nutmeg. The mixture should be fairly thick. Take ½ cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk into beaten eggs, this will temper the eggs. Whisk that mixture back into the milk mixture. Add parmesan cheese and stir. Season with salt and white pepper.
To Finish: Sprinkle the bottom of a 7” x 10” baking dish with bread crumbs, place a layer of eggplant down, next layer ½ of the beef-tomato mixture over eggplant, then layer 1/2 of the béchamel over lamb mixture. Repeat and then sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes and let sit 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 4-6.
Butternut Squash Risotto
Butternut Squash Risotto
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 oz. diced pancetta (or you can use bacon)
4 Tbls. olive oil
1 small butternut squash (scoop out seeds); one half dice the other place in a pan with a small amount of water place flesh side down and bake 350 for about 25 minutes or until soft
2 tsps. fresh chopped rosemary
6 cups chicken broth, hot in saucepan
½ cup dry white wine, optional
2 cups Arborio Rice
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan
blue cheese (leave out if you are not a fan)
2 Tbls. chopped parsley (I always use Italian flat leaf)
Place pancetta (or bacon) in saucepan over medium heat sauté until browned, add onion and cook. Stir onion until nearly soft and translucent, add diced squash and garlic and cook about one more minute, being careful not to burn garlic. Next, add rosemary and rice and cook about 2-3 minutes. Using a ladle, scoop about ½ to ¾ cup of broth. Pour it in the pan with rice, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice, add another ladle of the broth and stir constantly, as before.
Continue to add broth in ½ to ¾ cup batches until you have used most of the broth. It is now time to test the risotto. Spoon up some rice and bite into it – it should be tender without being too mushy. If it is a bit crunchy and tastes starchy, you will need to continue adding liquid.
Remove from heat. Stir in parmesan cheese and cooked squash, when serving sprinkle with blue cheese and more parmesan. Serves 4 entrée size portions.
COOKERMOM TIPS:
I always tell people the first few times you make risotto, set the timer for 20 minutes that is about how long it takes to make. However, you will still need to taste it, the grains should be soft but not mushy. The rice should never be al dente. So pour yourself a glass of vino and tell everyone to leave you alone for 20 minutes, you'll find you love making this dish!!
Personally, I use a chef's knife to cut the butternut squash but if your knife skills and you knife are not the best I had several people tell me at my last cooking class that thy use a vegetable peeler and it works great so you can try that!
Make sure your stock is hot.
You can substitute bacon for pancetta if you must.
I love the pungent savory taste of the blue cheese in combination with the butternut squash but you can omit the blue cheese if you are not a fan but do not omit the parmesan.
Make sure you pot is big (wide) enough, otherwise it will take too long to make!
Must use Arborio rice, it is a high starch rice and lends to the creaminess of the risotto.
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 oz. diced pancetta (or you can use bacon)
4 Tbls. olive oil
1 small butternut squash (scoop out seeds); one half dice the other place in a pan with a small amount of water place flesh side down and bake 350 for about 25 minutes or until soft
2 tsps. fresh chopped rosemary
6 cups chicken broth, hot in saucepan
½ cup dry white wine, optional
2 cups Arborio Rice
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan
blue cheese (leave out if you are not a fan)
2 Tbls. chopped parsley (I always use Italian flat leaf)
Place pancetta (or bacon) in saucepan over medium heat sauté until browned, add onion and cook. Stir onion until nearly soft and translucent, add diced squash and garlic and cook about one more minute, being careful not to burn garlic. Next, add rosemary and rice and cook about 2-3 minutes. Using a ladle, scoop about ½ to ¾ cup of broth. Pour it in the pan with rice, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When most of the liquid is absorbed into the rice, add another ladle of the broth and stir constantly, as before.
Continue to add broth in ½ to ¾ cup batches until you have used most of the broth. It is now time to test the risotto. Spoon up some rice and bite into it – it should be tender without being too mushy. If it is a bit crunchy and tastes starchy, you will need to continue adding liquid.
Remove from heat. Stir in parmesan cheese and cooked squash, when serving sprinkle with blue cheese and more parmesan. Serves 4 entrée size portions.
COOKERMOM TIPS:
I always tell people the first few times you make risotto, set the timer for 20 minutes that is about how long it takes to make. However, you will still need to taste it, the grains should be soft but not mushy. The rice should never be al dente. So pour yourself a glass of vino and tell everyone to leave you alone for 20 minutes, you'll find you love making this dish!!
Personally, I use a chef's knife to cut the butternut squash but if your knife skills and you knife are not the best I had several people tell me at my last cooking class that thy use a vegetable peeler and it works great so you can try that!
Make sure your stock is hot.
You can substitute bacon for pancetta if you must.
I love the pungent savory taste of the blue cheese in combination with the butternut squash but you can omit the blue cheese if you are not a fan but do not omit the parmesan.
Make sure you pot is big (wide) enough, otherwise it will take too long to make!
Must use Arborio rice, it is a high starch rice and lends to the creaminess of the risotto.
diamond seafood
Hint: Think seafood! Make sure you purchase your seafood from a reputable seafood monger. I go to Diamond Fresh Seafood, they have 2 locations and they are offering my peeps 10% off this week, just mention Cookermom!
583 North Rand Rd.
Lake Zurich, Illinois
(1 mile North of Route 22)
(847)-438-4900
311 North Second St.
St. Charles, Illinois
(Rt 31, Next to Honey Baked Ham)
(630)-444-0168
583 North Rand Rd.
Lake Zurich, Illinois
(1 mile North of Route 22)
(847)-438-4900
311 North Second St.
St. Charles, Illinois
(Rt 31, Next to Honey Baked Ham)
(630)-444-0168
potato encrusted fish
Potato Encrusted Sea Bass
served on a bed of Angel Hair Pasta with a Saffron Sauce
2 large Idaho Potatoes, peeled and excess moisture squeezed out
4 (4-6 ounce) Sea bass filets
salt and pepper
4 Tbls. Dijon mustard
1-3 Tbls. olive oil
1/3 lb. cooked angel hair pasta, tossed with olive oil, set aside
Grate potatoes using the large holes of the grater.
Rinse fish and pat dry with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper. Generously spread one side of fish with mustard. Cover the mustard with grated potatoes to coat. Press down to ensure that the potatoes are on firmly and season again with salt and pepper.
Using a non stick fry pan, heat oil, when hot place fish gently in the pan, potato side down. Sauté until golden, gently flip and finish cooking in the oven.
Saffron Sauce:
2 tsp. garlic
3 Tbls. shallots
½ cup white wine
pinch of saffron
1 cup chicken stock
6 Tbls. heavy cream
6 Tbls. butter (room temp. divided into Tbls.)
Heat 1 Tbls. olive oil in sauce pan sweat shallots and then garlic add white wine and saffron reduce au sec. Add chicken stock and cream let simmer 10 minutes as it will thicken up finish sauce with butter (monte au beurre). Set fish on top of pasta, ladle sauce around plate and garnish plate with chopped chives.
COOKERMOM TIPS:
Make sure your fish is dry and make sure you squeeze all the excess moisture out of the potatoes. When finishing the fish in the oven do it at a high temp about 400 and the general rule of thumb is 7 minutes per inch. Don't forget 10% off at Diamond Seafood in Lake Zurich, just mention Cookermom.
You can have the pasta done and reheat in the microwave.
When making the sauce make sure the flame is not too high or you run the risk of your sauce breaking. When "finishing" the sauce with the butter quickly whisk in a Tbls. at a time, this adds richness to the sauce. When using white wine, use a dry white such as a chardonnay. Good luck, this is a favorite of mine. I cooked this recently on a WGN segment!
served on a bed of Angel Hair Pasta with a Saffron Sauce
2 large Idaho Potatoes, peeled and excess moisture squeezed out
4 (4-6 ounce) Sea bass filets
salt and pepper
4 Tbls. Dijon mustard
1-3 Tbls. olive oil
1/3 lb. cooked angel hair pasta, tossed with olive oil, set aside
Grate potatoes using the large holes of the grater.
Rinse fish and pat dry with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper. Generously spread one side of fish with mustard. Cover the mustard with grated potatoes to coat. Press down to ensure that the potatoes are on firmly and season again with salt and pepper.
Using a non stick fry pan, heat oil, when hot place fish gently in the pan, potato side down. Sauté until golden, gently flip and finish cooking in the oven.
Saffron Sauce:
2 tsp. garlic
3 Tbls. shallots
½ cup white wine
pinch of saffron
1 cup chicken stock
6 Tbls. heavy cream
6 Tbls. butter (room temp. divided into Tbls.)
Heat 1 Tbls. olive oil in sauce pan sweat shallots and then garlic add white wine and saffron reduce au sec. Add chicken stock and cream let simmer 10 minutes as it will thicken up finish sauce with butter (monte au beurre). Set fish on top of pasta, ladle sauce around plate and garnish plate with chopped chives.
COOKERMOM TIPS:
Make sure your fish is dry and make sure you squeeze all the excess moisture out of the potatoes. When finishing the fish in the oven do it at a high temp about 400 and the general rule of thumb is 7 minutes per inch. Don't forget 10% off at Diamond Seafood in Lake Zurich, just mention Cookermom.
You can have the pasta done and reheat in the microwave.
When making the sauce make sure the flame is not too high or you run the risk of your sauce breaking. When "finishing" the sauce with the butter quickly whisk in a Tbls. at a time, this adds richness to the sauce. When using white wine, use a dry white such as a chardonnay. Good luck, this is a favorite of mine. I cooked this recently on a WGN segment!
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