Country Ham & Manchego-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Howdy!

The wedding countdown is on.  Less than 2 months away, we're starting to chip at what we have left to  do bit by bit.  The past week or so, my engagement ring has been at the jeweler's in order to get the bands molded.  I almost feel naked without it!  Like men are just gawking at me like I'm a single woman.  Hehe, I'm pretty vain aren't I?

The end of this quarter of Culinary School is almost upon us.  And I'm definitely ready for the break.  The middle of the month is also my last day at my day job at the pharmacy.  I've worked there for 7 years and it'll be hard to say good-bye.  But I know I've been lifelong friends and it won't be good-bye to those people.  But it also marks the day I'll be moving on.  Really getting on.  I'll be able to work at the restaurant more, especially since I'll be switching to Day-time classes for the next quarter.  Nights and weekends were alright, but I'd be there double the time.  Day-time classes allow me to finished faster (and cook more!) - as well as being able to work at the restaurant more often. 

But all in all, everything is great - except for the fact I've cut myself twice in the past two weeks.  Once on my pinky (sliced the sucker right open) while cleaning my knife - and the second time was just this past Sunday at work - with a bread knife.  Not pretty.  And by the time I went to the Immediate Care Center (my stubborn ass went the next day instead of right after work), it was too late to get stitched up.  So I'll just have to suffer with the battle wounds for now.

Anyway, this is an easy weeknight dinner that's tasty and quick!  Let's get at it!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 pieces of country ham
2 slices of manchego cheese (or cheese of your choice)
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Wrap your chicken breasts loosely in plastic wrap.  You want it loose enough that they'll be able to comfortably expand, but not too loose that they're "expand" in little pieces all over your kitchen when you smack the crap out of them.

Take a meat mallet or bottom side of a pan and get to smacking.  Flatten the breasts to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness.

Remove plastic wrap from chicken breasts.

Place a piece of country ham on chicken breast.

Place a piece of manchego cheese on top of country ham.

Using butcher's twine or toothpicks (these are more ideal), wrap the chicken breast around the ham and cheese.  If I had toothpicks handy, I would have used those, but the twine sufficed.

Place the flour in a shallow dish.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess flour.

Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet under medium high heat.  Place the chicken in the pan, seam-side up.  Cook chicken until you get a nice golden crust, about 3-4 minutes.  Flip chicken over and cook for an additional minute.

Transfer chicken to the oven to finish, about 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F.

Serve chicken with barbecue sauce (or sauce of your choice) and side of your choice.  We paired this with macaroni and cheese for a nice comforting meal!

Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs

Happy Monday everyone!  How was your weekend?

We didn't do much, I had to work on Saturday so Sunday ended up pretty lazy.  With the exception of getting out to play a game of tennis with some friends.  We got our butts handed to us - I blame it on Andy being my partner.  Hehe.

I've also been working on a re-design of the blog.  Of course, it's not quite finished yet, so I'll just have to keep you in suspense.  I also wanted to get a quick opinion about a possible name change.  I realize Andy can't be my "Fiance" for eternity, but I don't know whether to change the name of the blog or not.  I've already changed it once, and if I do change it again, it'll be for good.

So a couple names I've been playing around with are "Andy Likes It So It Must Be Good" (that way, regardless of what he becomes - i.e. my husband, there's no need for a change) and "Feeding Andy".  Either way, I know I'm going to be changing my URL (because frankly, my current one is a little long and ridiculous - which was bad planning on my part when I first made this blog).  So anyway, any suggestions are welcome so feel free to give me your input!

Ingredients:

Adapted from Tastespotting the Blog's recipe

6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
3 thai chiles, minced
2 Bay leaves
4 strips of lemon zest
juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup chicken stock
small handful of parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 F and set a cooling rack atop a baking sheet.

Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet/pan) under medium high heat.  Add chicken thighs in one layer and cook until browned, about 4-6 minutes.  Turn thighs over and cook an addition 2-3 minutes to sear the meat.  Transfer the chicken to the cooling rack.

Reduce the heat on the cast iron to medium low and add onions.  Cook until they start to soften, about 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and chiles and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the wine and simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or until alcohol has burnt off.  Stir in bay leaves, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, and chicken stock.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce down to a simmer. 

Transfer skillet to the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley.

This was definitely one of those feel-good meals.  We served it with a mixture of roasted potatoes and beets.  Of course, it would be outstanding with skin-on chicken thighs, as the skin would crisp up - but we're trying to be a tad healthier over here, so we opted out of that. 

Hope you all have a great Monday and see you back here tomorrow afternoon!

Balsamic Glazed Skirt Steak

I'll say it now and I'll say it forever... TGIF!  I've only got to work until 8:30 tonight and I've got the weekend off, so all is well in the world!  It's definitely been one of those, "I need a drink" kind of weeks.  So that is why this week's poll is a mixed drink one!  Especially after gorging myself on desserts from yesterday's Dessert's First, I need a break from the sweets!  And don't worry, for those of you who don't drink alcohol, I'll be making a "virgin" version of whatever wins, as well!  So it's win-win for us all!

And now to this steak.  Seriously, best. steak. ever.  I'm not even joking.  I mean, look at it... don't you carnivores out there just want to reach through your screen and have a bite?  Simple steak and vegetables are all a girl needs to get her through the week.  Well, this week, anyway. =)

Ingredients:
Adapted from Blissfully Delicious's recipe

1 lb. skirt steak (I love it because it's cheap and a little goes a long way!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 & 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake

To make marinade, melt butter in a medium saucepan under medium high heat.  Add shallots and garlic and saute until they soften, about 3 to 5 minutes or so.  

Add balsamic vinegar to saucepan and bring to a slow boil.  When at a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let reduce for about 15 minutes.  The sauce will be slightly thickened.  Add sugar, chicken stock, soy sauce, and sake.  Bring to another boil.

Let mixture cool to room temperature and reserve a 1/4 cup of the liquid for finished steak.

Place skirt steak into large glass baking dish and cover with remaining marinade liquid.  Cover dish with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for about 2 hours.  Also place the reserved marinade in the fridge while the meat is marinating.

Prior to cooking steak, drain marinade and pat steak dry.  Cut skirt steak into desired size.

Heat large skillet under medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  When oil is shimmering, add 2 steaks at a time and cook to your liking (I had a nice medium rare, at about 4-5 minutes per side).  Let steaks rest on cutting board for about 5-7 minutes before slicing against the grain.  While the steak is resting, you can heat up the reserved marinade.  Just bring to a simmer until mixture is heated through.

Serve with a bed of fresh vegetables (we had some zucchini and carrots that really made the dish quite colorful!) and top with reserved marinade (that you didn't marinate the meat in).

 Seriously.  Best. Dinner. In. A. While.  This made me mouth rejoice because it was just perfect and simple.  The balsamic really let the meat flavor shine and added the perfect touch.  I'm drooling as I'm typing this because I want it again!  Good thing I have the other half of that skirt steak still in the freezer!  Don't forget to vote in the poll below!!  Have a great weekend guys!

Can you tell I might want a Toddy??

Mushroom & Yellow Squash Enchiladas

Happy Monday!  And if you're in any snow-ridden areas, like we are, hope you're not snowed in (unless you want to be!)!    Thankfully, I'll be at home all day, and all day tomorrow, safe and warm... making duck confit - definitely excited about that.

How was everyone's weekend?  Ours was pretty relaxed, just went out to dinner on Friday (at a local joint, the Bard's Town, which was just so-so - slow service ruined it for me, but Andy didn't seem to be phased by that!).  Saturday we went out for some celebratory drinks with our friend's Ike and Becca (who just got engaged so congrats to them!).  And Sunday was just spent grocery shopping, baking cookies, and watching football (Go Eagles!). 

And last week, I experimented with a few vegetarian dishes for dinner, which mostly went over well with Andy.  (Trust me, he wasn't excited at first, but after putting the plates in front of him, he gladly dug in!).  By far, these enchiladas were the fave, so I thought I'd share them with you all!



Ingredients:
Adapted from Closet Cooking's recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
8 oz. portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. yellow squash, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 thai chiles, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup salsa verde
5-6 small corn tortillas
1/2 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet under medium high heat.

Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes or so.  Then add the mushrooms and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until they've softened, as well.

Add the yellow squash and cook until just tendder, about 4-5 minutes.  Then stir in the garlic, peppers, cumin, and oregano.  Cook for about a minute.

Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 cup of the salsa verde.

Spread 1/4 cup of the salsa verde over the bottom of a ceramic baking dish.

Carefully fill the corn tortillas with filling (I didn't do a good job of this, my tortillas kept breaking, but the cheese does a good job of covering up those imperfections!), and roll them up and place them in the baking dish with the seam on the bottom.

Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of salsa verde over the tortillas and sprinkle on the cheese.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese and edges of the tortillas have started to brown.

Plate the enchiladas and dig in!

This dish packed some heat and definitely gave me the comfort that a good old meat enchilada would have!  It was like I didn't even miss the meat!  And Andy was fully impressed with the dish too!  My little carnivore ate a vegetarian dish!  Woohoo!  Enjoy guys!

Jerk Fried Flounder w/ Green Pepper Sauce

It's Friday!  And it's also another Friday that I have to work until 10:30 tonight.  Bummer, I know.  But I have the whole weekend off and I've got a pretty busy one planned.  Thanks to everyone who voted for me in Challenge #2 of Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog!  I'm crossing my fingers that I get to make it to Challenge #3, which is to throw a luxury dinner party.  Win or lose, I'm having a dinner party on Saturday with a few friends.  So we can either discuss my victory or drink a bunch of wine over good food to drown my sorrows!  Either way, it'll be a good time, with good friends.  And that's all we need right?  Right.

I made this flounder a few weeks ago and it was just beaming with great flavors and color.  It was simple, yet sophisticated.  And above all, it was absolutely delicious!


Ingredients:


2 6 oz. Flounder fillets
2 tablespoons Caribbean Jerk Seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
juice from 1 lime
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 roasted green pepper, minced
small handful cilantro, chopped
Homemade Hot Sauce (optional)

Season the flounder fillets w/ the jerk seasoning, and a little bit of salt and pepper, if desired.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet under medium high heat.  Pan fry the fish for about 3-5 minutes today, flipping once.  Transfer fillets to 2 serving plates and tent with aluminum foil.

Add chicken stock and lime juice to same skillet used for fish.  Simmer until the mixture is reduced by half.  Whisk in the butter, hot sauce, and green bell pepper.  Heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the mixture over the fillets and garnish with cilantro.

I served this over a Corn & Sweet Pepper Hash (which I will post in the near future, of course) and it was absolutely perfect.  Fresh vegetables, perfectly flaky fish, and quick turnaround.  This should definitely be put on your to-make list very soon!  Enjoy the weekend guys!  And hopefully I'll be posting a luxury dinner post on Sunday, thanks to you guys! 

Spaghetti & Clams

Happy Monday guys!  Just a reminder, you can vote for my Project Food Blog entry on Foodbuzz starting today through Thursday!  You helped me get past Challenge #1, so I'd be immensely grateful if you helped me get through Challenge #2!  Thanks again!

It's the beginning of the week and surprisingly I'm in a pretty good mood.  Not that I'm never in a good mood, it's just that Monday's usually drag on for me, but today, it wasn't too bad.  It actually seemed like the day flew by at work.  Then I had a test in my Spanish class which went alright, I suppose.  I think I was still in shock from getting a perfect score on the first test we had in there, that I didn't think I needed to study too much for this one.  So needless to say, I don't think a perfect score will be had on this one... maybe just an A, yeah... definitely an A. 

Or maybe it's that I have a Developmental Biology test tomorrow morning and I was more focused on studying for that!  Considering I barely got a B on our first test in there!  I tell you, I wish I could be one of those students that just settles for C's (because after all, as the mantra goes - "C's get degrees!"), but I can't.  I mean, I will if I absolutely have to, but I'm competitive in nature.  I strive to be the best regardless of what it is (those of you that know me, know that this is VERY true).  So hopefully all this studying will pay off and I can start the 1-week countdown to our vacation and road trip to Florida!  Woohoo!  So let's get to a recipe, shall we?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... I'm a HUGE seafood fan.  I made this Spaghetti & Clam dish a while back, but I haven't forgotten how amazing it was.  It's simplicity at it's finest.  Any shellfish will do, but there's something about clams that just strike me as the best!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. clams
1 cup white wine
1/2 tablespoon thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice from 1 lemon
1 green bell peppers, finely diced
1 lb. linguini or thin spaghetti noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
small handful of cilantro, chopped (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package directions for al dente.

In a dutch oven or large pot, combine thyme, white wine, garlic, green peppers, and clams over medium high heat.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to a simmer and let cook, covered, for about 3-4 minutes, or until clams open up.

Remove clams and set aside.  Simmer broth mixture for about 5 more minutes.  Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain pasta and add in clams.  Toss well and serve onto warm plates.  Pour desired amount of broth over noodles and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

The best thing about shellfish is that most of it is ready in practically no time flat.  And that definitely is how this dish is!  Tons of flavor coming at you and it's ready in about 20-25 minutes!  Enjoy guys!  And thanks again for all of your continued support!  You guys are awesome!