Chicken a Cacciatore (Nana Stella's/Mom's/Bim's)

Note: Nana and Mom prepared this dish the same way. Over the years I have made some changes to the recipe, but I have attempted to indicate both their method and mine below. The most important difference is that Nana and Mom used to use 1 whole chicken cut into pieces, whereas I use boneless breasts (about 6 breast pieces depending on size) or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces, because it is easier to eat than having to take the meat off the bone at the table.

Brown the chicken pieces in butter (Nana and mom) or olive oil (Bim) in a skillet. Remove to large pot. Mince 1 large onion and 2 cloves of garlic and brown in the same fat and remove to the same pot.

Add to pot: 

- 28 oz. canned peeled tomatoes (Nana and mom pureed these but I cut into coarse pieces) 

- 6 oz. tomato paste

- 1 paste can of water

- 1 C. dry white wine

- 1 C. red wine vinegar

Bring to boil, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add:

- 1 lb. sliced mushrooms

- Olives: 2 cans black (Nana/mom) or 1 can/bottle each of black and green olives (Bim)

Simmer for an additional 15 minutes. 

Chicken and Dumplings

 This is a family favorite! The recipe is adapted from the Culinary Institute Cookbook, which was a Christmas gift from mom one year. 

2 T. butter

1 chicken, cut into pieces

1/4 C. chopped onion (I often use more)

1/4 C. celery, chopped, including the leaves (I often use more)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. flour

2 C. chicken broth

Salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf, 1 T. dry parsley, 1 tsp. dry basil

1 C. frozen peas

Dumplings (see below)

Preheat oven to 350. Heat the butter in a heavy oven-proof skillet. Brown the chicken and remove to a plate. Saute the onion, celery, and garlic until tender. Add the flour and mix. Add the broth and the spices and stir. Bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning a little of the broth mixture over each piece. Bake, covered, at 350 for 40 minutes. 

Just before the 40 minutes is up, make the dumplings* by mixing all together:

1 C. baking mix (e.g., Bisquick)

1/2 tsp. dry basil

1/3 C. milk

Remove chicken from oven and turn oven up to 425. In the meantime, add the peas to the chicken mixture and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Drop the dumplings by large spoonfuls onto the stew. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes uncovered and for another 10 minutes covered. Serve hot! 

*We really like the dumplings so I sometimes increase the amount of dumplings for this recipe. 

Chicken Saltimbocca

The original Saltimbocca ("leaps into the mouth") is made with veal and the recipes I have looked at do not include cheese. This chicken version is delicious and easy to prepare. Enjoy!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves                                            
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil                                                                 
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 leaves fresh sage
8 thin slices provolone, fontina (my favorite), or Gruyere cheese
8 thin slices prosciutto

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 - 1 cup dry white wine

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rub each chicken breast half with part of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in a 9x13 pan.

Place 2 sage leaves, 2 slices prosciutto, and 2 slices cheese on each breast. Bake 25 - 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter and stir in wine. Cook just until wine bubbles. Pour over chicken as it comes out of oven.

Chicken Pie

One of Joey's favorites.

Put chicken in large stock pot. Add about 12 pearl onions, 1 clove garlic, celery (1/2 stalk per person, with leaves), peeled carrots (1 per person), fresh parsley, salt, peppercorns, paprika, and 1 sliced lemon. Cover with water, bring to boil, simmer until chicken done (joints will separate easily, juices will run clear) and vegetables soft when pierced with fork. Strain all and reserve stock. Let chicken cool until easy to handle and then remove meat from bones. Peel onions, slice carrots, and chop celery. Mix all (chicken, vegetables) in a large bowl. 

In the meantime, peel and quarter potatoes (1/2-1 per person), and place in separate pot of boiling salted water.  Cook until soft (about 10 minutes). Add to chicken and vegetable mixture. 

In the meantime, make sauce:  In a saucepan, melt 3 T. butter, add 3 T. flour, and stir. Add 1 C. stock (from above), 1 C. milk. Stir and let simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste, 1 t. dry mustard, and a touch of cayenne pepper. Pour over chicken, vegetable, and potato mixture. If mixture looks dry, add more stock. 

In the meantime, make a pie crust. Place bottom crust in casserole dish. Add chicken, vegetable, and potato mixture. Cover with top crust. Use tines of fork to poke holes in the crust. Beat an egg and brush top of crust with it. Bake in 450 oven x 15 minutes, then decrease heat to 350 and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Another magazine recipe I have adapted to utilize ground turkey with enough camoflage to be pretty darn tasty...Sandi

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Worchestershire sauce
Garlic powder
Ground ginger
Pepper
10 oz jar teriyaki sauce
Your favorite rice

Mix first seven ingredients and shape mixture into 1" balls. Chill for 30 minutes.

Brown meatballs on all sides. Add teriyaki sauce and water to cover meatballs about halfway. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid reduces appropriately. Serve over rice.

You might add red onion, pineapple chunks, sweet red pepper rings or other such pretty yummies at last few minutes of simmer. Don't add salt, as teriyaki sauce is usually high in sodium.

Thanksgiving Turkey (Bim's)

This is adapted from Mom's method, the James Beard method, and my own spin. 

Make stuffing first. Melt 1 stick butter in large skillet. Add 1 C. chopped shallots, 2 stalks celery, chopped, and saute. Add salt, pepper and chopped fresh herbs (I usually use parsley and sage since they are still available from my garden at Thanksgiving.) Add 1/2-1 C. pine nuts. When the vegetables are soft add another stick of butter and melt. Add contents of skillet to 10 C. breadcrumbs in large bowl. (I use Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned but have used others too.) Add 1 C. dry sherry. Toss.

For alternative stuffing recipe, see the one labeled from Nana Stella's Italian cookbook, which I usually use with Sunday dinner chicken or with crown roast of pork , but which can be doubled or tripled and used with turkey. In that case, substitute marsala wine for the dry sherry to wet the stuffing and baste the turkey.

Make broth: Place gizzards, heart, neck in medium saucepan. Add 2 shallots, sliced in half, 1 sliced lemon, salt, pepper and fresh herbs (herbs as above). Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Partially cover with lid and simmer for about 1 hour. Remove neck -- someone can have it for lunch*. Strain broth. Set 1 C. aside for basting liquid (see below). Someone can have the rest with crackers for lunch* and the remainder can be used for the gravy (see below).

Basting liquid: 1 stick melted butter, 1 C. dry sherry, 1 C. of the broth you just made.

Rub the turkey inside with lemon. Stuff. Pour about half of basting liquid over turkey. Preheat the oven to 450, put the turkey inside, and then immediately turn the oven down to 325. Keep oven door closed for 30 minutes, then baste with pan drippings, adding more basting liquid and/or water as drippings dry, every 15 minutes throughout cooking time. Fresh birds 18 pounds or more take about 15 minutes to the pound; smaller birds take 20 minutes per pound. Internal temperature should read 180-185.

While the turkey is cooking lightly salt and pepper the liver. Dredge in flour. Saute in 1 tblsp of butter over medium high heat. When brown on both sides, pour a bit of dry sherry over the liver, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for a few minutes. Someone can have this for lunch with crackers*.

Gravy: Pour off pan drippings and separate fat by skimming or with your turkey baster. Place about 1/4 C. of the fat in a saucepan and discard the rest. Whisk in 1/4 C. flour. Add broth and/or water to the non-fat drippings to make at least 2 C. liquid, and whisk that into the fat/flour mixture. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Correct seasonings (i.e., taste and add a little salt and pepper until it tastes right.) If you like, you can chop the previously cooked giblets, heart, and the meat from the neck (if no one ate it for lunch) and add to gravy, although I do not usually do this.

*It is important for others in the house to eat what is available from the turkey for lunch, because if you come in the kitchen and start making PB&J sandwiches, etc., you will be in the way and it will annoy the cook.

Tortola Stewed Chicken

We were in St. John, USVI recently and happened upon Driftwood Dave's in Cruz Bay. The atmosphere was casual and airy, the music was Caribbean (i.e., fun), and I had a really good stewed chicken. When I sent my compliments to the chef, he generously provided the recipe, which he says he obtained from a friend of his when he complained that "my chicken sucks!" If you ever happen to be down in St. John head to Driftwood Dave's - highly recommended.

(I have cut down the recipe so that it calls for 1 chicken.)

1 C. red wine vinegar
1/2 oz. soy sauce
1/4 oz. Worcestershire sauce
1 oz. Heinz 57
1/4 oz. Sriracha sauce ( a Thai sauce you can find bottled)
1/4 oz. A1 sauce
1 1/2 oz. ketchup
1 C. chicken stock
1 1/2 green peppers, chopped
1 whole chicken

Let stew for 2 hours. Serve over rice.

Mom's Cobb Salad

1/2 head each iceberg and romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch watercress, washed and trimmed
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut in halves
2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked, chilled and cut into julienne strips
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. crumbled bleu cheese

Dressing:
1 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. snipped chives
1 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine greens in salad bowl. Separate hard boiled egg yolks from whites. Dice egg whites and arrange in a row across greens. Sieve yolks over the whites. Arrange chicken, tomatoes, bacon, avocado and cheese in rows atop salad. Cover and chill until serving time.

Just before serving, combine all dressing ingredients in jar and shake until blended. Pour over salad. Serves 4-6.

Chicken Murphy

This is a Jersey Shore classic.

1 pound Italian sausage, hot or mild or combination
5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into large cubes
Heaping 1/2 cup of flour
Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
Olive oil
4 baking potatoes
1 large onion, diced
2 large bell peppers (any color combination), seeded and diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 to 5 cherry peppers, mostly seeded and chopped (if desired, add more seeds for more heat)
Brine from cherry peppers (about 1 cup)
Dry white wine (about 1 cup, or enough to make 2 cups liquid with brine)
4 cloves garlic, minced
Flour or corn starch

Preheat oven to 350. Bake potatoes in microwave or boil whole until mostly done. Slice into large chunks, leaving skin on. Put into large roasting pan.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown sausage (do not cook through). Remove from pan and cut into thick slices. Add to roasting pan with potatoes. Drain all but a tablespoon of fat from pan.

Combine flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture. Brown in same skillet used for sausage, adding olive oil if necessary. Remove and add to sausage mixture in roasting pan.

If necessary add small amount of olive oil to skillet. Saute bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cherry peppers and cook until slightly soft, stirring to scrape the pan as they cook. Remove and add to roasting pan.

Add small amount of olive oil to skillet. Saute garlic until golden. Add cherry pepper brine and wine and stir. Bring to lively simmer. In small bowl, combine 3/4 to 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch with enough olive oil to make a thin paste. Add to brine mixture and whisk briskly. Boil for one minute. Pour sauce over chicken mixture in roasting pan and stir to coat.

Bake for 45 minutes. Serves 8.

Pasta Fagioli with Ground Turkey

Annie came up with this recipe a few weeks ago--"sort of a pasta fagioli with meat"--so that's what we're going to call it. Like her mother, she doesn't measure any of the quantities, so they are guesses and you should adjust at will.

1 can (28 oz) Italian tomatoes, chopped
2 cans (14 oz each) Italian cannellini beans
1 super large onion, or use two - chopped
6 cloves garlic - or more - can never have too much
1 tbsp. olive oil (I tend to go light on the oil so you might want to use a bit more)
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. parsley
2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. basil
1/2 tsp Grandma Tressa's secret ingredient
Pasta

Heat olive oil in pot. Add garlic and once it starts sizzling, add onions. Let cook for a few minutes and then add ground turkey breast. Stir regularly until turkey is browned, but not cooked through. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to boil. Let simmer at least 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Add beans (do not drain). Simmer another 15 minutes. Serve over cooked pasta. (You can also skip the pasta and just serve over Italian bread.) Sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Note, for health reasons, I do not add any salt to the recipe. You might want to throw some salt in, although the cheese can be salty, too.

Alfredo a la Lisa

This is Lisa Joy's recipe for alfredo. It is delish, not to mention quick and easy.
Melt 1 stick butter and 6 oz cream cheese.Whisk in 3/4 cup grated parmesan and 1 cup whole milk.
Add salt, pepper, garlic and parsley to taste.
If you like a thicker sauce add more parmesan; if you want it thinner, add more milk.
This amount is enough for about 8 ounces of pasta, with 1-1/2 lbs cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces and added to sauce.

Annie's Chicken a Cacciatore

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halved)
Flour, salt, pepper, paprika
Olive oil and butter
3 medium to large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
35 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes - broken up with a fork
12 oz can tomato paste
1 paste can of water
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1.5 lbs fresh mushrooms, sliced and washed
12 oz. black olives, sliced
10 oz. green olives, sliced

Dredge the chicken in a flour, salt, pepper and paprika mixture. Brown (pretty much cooked through) the chicken in a mixture of olive oil and butter. I use more olive oil and add the butter just for additional flavor.

Once the chicken is browned, remove to dish and slice into larger bite-sized pieces. In the pan in which the chicken was cooked, brown the onion and garlic. Move to large pot.

In large pot, add the rest of the ingredients, except for the mushrooms and olives. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add chicken, mushrooms and olives. Simmer another 15-20 minutes. Feel free to add a little extra wine as the sauce simmers.

Serve over pasta, with Italian bread (with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip).

It's even tastier the next day!

Chicken and Soy Sauce

A really easy way to roast chicken from Mom.

1 cut-up chicken

1 cup dry vermouth

1/4 cup water

Soy sauce

Seasoned Salt

Place chicken in pan. Sprinkle each piece generously with soy sauce and then with seasoned salt. Mix vermouth and water together. Add vermouth mixture to pan being careful not to pour over the chicken pieces. Cook in preheated 400 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, uncovered. Do not baste. If pan dries out during baking add water. Remove chicken from pan when done and serve the sauce that has formed in the pan on the side.

Chicken a Cacciatore

If chicken is large, use one half-breast per serving. If chicken is small, you may need to use the whole butterfly.

6-8 half-breasts of chicken
olive oil or butter
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can tomatoes (may puree)
12 oz tomato paste
1 paste can of water
1 c. white wine
1 c. red wine vinegar
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 can black olives
1 10 oz jar green olives

Brown chicken in olive oil/butter. Remove to large pot. Brown onion and garlic, transfer to pot. Add tomatoes, paste, water, wine and vinegar to pot. Simmer 30 minutes. Add mushrooms and both olives. Simmer 15 minutes more. Serve over spaghetti.