Braised Chicken with Red Wine and Leeks

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds chicken parts, white or dark
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3-4 leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed and sliced finely to make about 2 cups
• 6 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups red wine (preferably a Chianti)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the chicken parts in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Put the flour in a shallow baking dish and add a generous pinch of salt, stirring with a fork. Evenly coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, patting them gently to get rid of any excess.
• Using an over-proof pot, such as a Dutch oven, and heat the olive oil for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Starting with the skin side down, add half of the chicken pieces and brown well on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and repeat with the rest of the chicken. Set chicken aside and cover loosely with tin foil.
• Discard about half the oil and return the pot to medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browning. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the leeks and garlic are lightly browned. Add the red wine and simmer for 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any remaining browned bits. Add the stock, rosemary, and the chicken pieces, turning to coat in the sauce, and return to a simmer. Cover lightly and put in the oven.
• If you are using white meat, it should be done after about 15 minutes. Check to make sure the juices run clear when you slice into the meat with a sharp knife, remove from the pan and keep covered with foil in a warm place while you return the pot to the oven for another 15 minutes to finish cooking the dark meat (if you are cooking any dark meat). Once all of the chicken is cooked and set aside, return the pan to the stove and simmer the sauce over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, until it is substantially thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste and return the chicken to the pot, coating in the sauce. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to warm the chicken and serve immediately.  

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons  olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°.  Cut tomatoes in half; place on foil-lined cookie sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over tomatoes. Roast tomatoes 20 minutes. In the meantime, in a small skillet on medium-low heat, sauté diced carrot and celery in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil until tender, 10–15 minutes. Add garlic and shallots; turn heat to low and continue to cook for another 4 minutes.
• Remove tomatoes from the oven, allow to cool first then peel the tomatoes. Add all ingredients to a food processor, except broth. Add the tomato purée mixture and broth to medium pot, bring to a boil; reduce heat to a low simmer and cook 15–20 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs

Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.

 

 

Serve these delicious meatballs over pasta or in a submarine sandwich, garnish with fresh sprigs of oregano as a variation.

 

Ingredients:

 

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup sweet onion
• 1/2 cup green peppers
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 3 eggs
• 3 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb. Mozzarella
• Olive oil.
  

 

 

Directions:

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Chop the Mozzarella cheese into small cubes.
• Take a large bowl and mix all the remaining ingredients.  Chop up the sweet onion, green peppers, celery and garlic.
• Form the meat mixture into 2"-diameter balls.
• Press a cube of Mozzarella cheese into each ball and seal the meat around it.
• Place the meatballs onto a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes or until the juice from the meatballs show no pink colour.

Bon appétit!

  

Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.

 
 
 

Lazy Chicken Cacciatore

Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.

Ingredients:

 

• 6 halves of chicken breasts 
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tsp. dried chili flakes
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 large red onion
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes 
• 4 large carrots
• 2 green peppers
• 1 cup of mushrooms
• 3/4 cup of water

Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.

Directions:
 

• Chop the onion and garlic into very small pieces, reserve.
• Dice the carrots, green peppers and mushrooms into thin pieces, reserve as well.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry with paper towel. Rub them with the olive oil then season each with salt, pepper, chili flakes and half of the oregano.
• Place the chicken breasts in a large roasting pan.
• In a large bowl, mix together the diced tomatoes, water and remaining oregano, while stirring, add the carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, onion and garlic.
• Pour over the chicken breasts making sure they're thoroughly coated.
• Place the roasting pan in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 45- 50 minutes.

Serve with pasta or rice.  A very nice alternative is to serve with extra wide egg noodles and warm crusty bread!

Bon appétit! 

Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.



Lazy One Pot Italian Pasta



Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.

This is the sort of casual food recipe that embodies simplicity without skimping on great flavours.  The fettuccini can be added dry, along with all the other ingredients.  After 10 minutes of cooking everything together it's all done, all at once, with only a single pot to clean up!     

Have this recipe up your sleeve for those times when you only have 20 minutes to get a meal on the table. The liquid reduces into a creamy sauce, the noodles absorb the great flavours they're simmering in and the result is colourful and hearty.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of fettuccini
• 12 ounces of cherry tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2- 3/4 tsp. red-pepper flakes
• 2 sprigs basil
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsps. kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 1/2 cups water
• Fresh Parmesan cheese



Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.

Directions:

• Grate the Parmesan cheese and reserve.
• Tear some of the basil leaves and reserve them for garnish.
• Take the cherry tomatoes and halve or quarter them depending on their size.
• Thinly slice the red onion, garlic.
• Add the tomatoes, red onion, spinach and garlic to a large, straight-sided skillet.
• Add the uncooked fettuccini, red pepper flakes, basil, oil, salt, red pepper flakes and water.
• Bring everything to a boil over high heat. stir and turn the fettuccini frequently with tongs.
• When the fettuccini is al dente and the boiling water has almost completely evaporated remove from heat, about 9 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper

Serve in bowls and garnish with the reserved basil leaves and the grated Parmesan cheese.

Bon appétit!


Photo Credit: Health is Wealth Photos.