The Traveling Epicurean

tomatoes

Zucchini Spaghetti at Jaynee’s

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Zucchini Spaghetti at Jaynee’s

Wow! Zucchini spaghetti…who would have ever thought? A gluten free dish full of nutrients that taste’s amazing and looks as gorgeous as does is the perfect path to healthy eating! Bringing you this zucchini spaghetti simmering with tomato, basil and red wine at Jaynee’s has inspired me to put together future recipes and shows like this one.

Jaynee and I cook the zucchini spaghetti in this recipe so that it’s al dente. For those of you who might not know what Al dente means it’s an Italian term meaning to have some tooth or bite to it where the texture isn’t too soft. This is kind of ironic because that’s exactly how I like to cook my wheat pasta. I can’t think of anything worse than pasta that is fully cooked to a soft texture.

It is really exciting all the different things you can do with these creative veggie noodles! From Thai themes where raw zucchini noodles are dressed with a citrus dressing made from puréed mangoes, cilantro, fresh lime juice, and avocado’s to tahini sauce puréed with green onions, coconut meat, ginger and fresh lemons. Not only are these dressings packed with anti-oxidants and exotic flavors but the citrus partially cooks the zucchini getting results similar to ceviche. The citrus actually softens the texture of the vegetable giving you a softer mouth feel crunch rather than a harsh raw bite.

It couldn’t get any easier to make these spiral veggie noodles with the new-fangled devices available out there. I purchased my Spiralizer at William Sonoma Outlet in Westbrook on a 30% off sale with an additional 20% off if I gave them my email. Can’t go wrong there. Here is the Spiralizer Amazon link offering a great deal too! Can’t wait for you to venture off into veggie noodle land. You will be amazed how fun and delicious it is to make this recipe. Hope you enjoy the show and keep a look out for future veggie noodle recipes 🙂

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Ingredients: Need “Spiralizer” or similar to make zucchini spaghetti

  • 4 med/lg zucchini
  • 1 small vadalia (sweet) onion chopped
  • OPTIONAL: 2 finely chopped garlic cloves – If you love garlic as I do
  • 1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes flavored with onion, garlic, celery and or green peppers OR your favorite can of peeled tomatoes in your cabinet (just need to add in 1/4 cup chopped peppers in addition to the onion/garlic above – chop up the whole peeled tomatoes as well to add in after you sauté veggies)
  • NOTE: If you use “whole peeled” tomatoes DO NOT use the juice too, tomatoes only, because the zucchini renders out a lot of water all on its own.
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 3 tbsn olive oil
  • 1 bunch fresh basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • S & P to taste
  • OPTIONAL: 1 small container of fresh ricotta to garnish at the end with the Parmesan

Directions:

  1. Spiralize all 4 zucchini and place in a lg bowl
  2. Add chopped onion to 3 tbsp olive oil in a large fry pan on medium heat
  3. Sauté for 5 minutes til soft
  4. Add in Spiralized zucchini with 1/2 tsp salt and sauté 5 minutes on med/high heat- Make sure to stir a couple of times to help it from not sticking.  Sautéing on med/high will help to evaporate some of that liquid rendering out of the zucchini while sautéing– (If you saute on low it will just simmer in all the water, you will then have to drain a little of the water out of the pan)
  5. Add in tomatoes, red wine, s & p to taste and simmer 5 more minutes
  6. Plate up and top with your favorite grated Parmesan cheese
  7. OPTIONAL: Top with dollops of fresh ricotta and grated Parmesan

Black Bean Salsa & Swordfish Recipe

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Black Bean Salsa & Swordfish Recipe

2015 is here so let’s not procrastinated and get right down to business with some refreshing and heathy dinners. You can’t beat this black bean salsa & swordfish with its nutritional values and taste to boot! It’s so nice to brighten up our menu after the starchy celebratory holiday meals. With this black bean salsa you still get that “comfort food” feeling because the black beans are so creamy and filling. Black beans are considered to be the best “meat-free” sources of protein serving up 15 grams each of protein and fiber per 1 cup…not to mention black beans have the highest antioxidant level of all beans!

I first learned how to make salsa almost 20 years ago from a Chef in San Franciso name Barclay. He was a chef at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco called Bix (on Gold St.) Bix had foie gras that was to die for and the most outrageous bar burgers that had to be made from filet mignon because they melted in your mouth like butter! Needless to say Barclay made a killer salsa and I’m thankful to him for starting me out on the right path when it came to making salsa.

This black bean salsa is almost identical to my “best mango-avocado salsa ever” on my website except I minus one mango and add 2 cans of Goya black beans. This is a such a quick and easy recipe and if you don’t have time for the chopping you’ve got to check out the produce department at your local store because most of them do offer a section of pre-chopped vegetables or you could pre-chop everything yourself the night before you put this dinner together.

Fresh swordfish is now being caught off the Carolina’s so it’s an ideal fish to buy. Swordfish is a hardy kind of fish and eats like a steak so it is very filling. The oils in the swordfish are also as nutritious for you, if not more, as eating that black bean salsa. So what a team this black bean salsa & pan seared swordfish makes…you just can’t beat it! The best thing is it doesn’t have to be summer to whip this meal up either…enjoy. Make sure to watch my YouTube cooking show that goes with this recipe and don’t forget to subscribe on my YouTube channel so that you can receive my latest cooking show releases!

You may want to try baked asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, or roasted chick peas for an appetizer and the chocolate avocado mousse for dessert to go along with this dinner.

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INGREDIENTS: You need approx. .30 lbs per person for the swordfish

NOTE: CLICK HERE If you need some guidance on cutting up the avocado and or mango AND look to directions in that recipe

  • 2 cans Goya black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 lg mangoes chopped 1/4″ cube
  • 1 avocado chopped 1/4″ cubed
  • 1 cup or 2 med/lg size tomato’s or 5 small tomato’s chopped 1/4″ cubed
  • 1 cup or 1/2 extra LG Vidalia onion (or yellow) FINELY chopped
  • 1 FINELY chopped jalapeno
  • juice from 1 lime
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • a dash of Siracha (optional)
  • S & P
  • 1-2 lbs of fresh swordfish cut up into .30 lbs pieces per person

DIRECTIONS: Pre-Heat oven to 350º

  1. Add all of the salsa ingredients ( all the first items in the list except the fish) into a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
  2. Cut up the swordfish into .30 lb pieces and salt and olive oil them
  3. Heat cast iron pan or heavy bottom pan to med/high
  4. When pan is hot add in swordfish and sear 3 minutes on each side and then put into the oven for 5 minutes to finish
  5. Spoon up salsa in the center of the plate and place a piece of swordfish on top
  6. Squeeze a piece of lemon over the top and mangia mangia : )
  7. We really love to eats this salsa with blue chips.
  8. I have also served this salsa up on the tips of endive leaves, and or with a cooked shrimp on top of that ….yum!
  9. I must warn you this salsa is highly addictive……consume at your own risk! LOL

Bolognese Sauce Easy Gourmet

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Bolognese Sauce Easy Gourmet RECIPE

025This homemade gourmet bolognese Sauce is like no other that I have ever had. Over the years I have worked hard to perfect this recipe to match a dish I used to have in Urbino, Italy. So all the hard work is done for you and now all you have to do is follow my recipe and savour over the most amazing and unique Bolognese sauce you’ll ever have.

During my college years I had the opportunity to go school in Urbino, Italy for a summer and fall semester. Urbino is a little Renaissance town located in the Marche region of Italy. It was two hours East of Florence (near the town of Pesaro on the east coast). It’s where black and white truffles are prevalent. The picture above is of Urbino, The Palazzo Ducale which now houses part of The Marche National Gallery. This renaissance town of Urbino is also where the great artist Raffaello was born in 1483. I had the opportunity to study renaissance art, restoration and language in Italy at the University of Urbino …being an art major and all I was in heaven living here!

Urbino was a magnificent place to be for all those months (which never seemed long enough) allowing me to fall in love with their art, their culture and the people there in Italy and what it’s really all about …big kinds hearts with a passion for enjoying life, and an amazing culinary appreciation!

The tender Prosciutto di Parma to mouth watering homemade pasta dishes found most places in Italy is to die for but there’s one bolognese dish in particular that I had in a restaurant in Urbino made with “strozzapreti” pasta which really stood out for me. The sauce was made with sautéed ground veal, ground pork, veal stock, heavy cream, red wine and fresh rosemary where the aromas alone will knock your socks off!  This is the dish, the bolognese sauce, in which I have derived my recipe from and the one in which I wish to share with you.  You should note that homemade gourmet bolognese recipe is NOT to be made with BEEF because it completely changes the flavors and does not taste at all like the oringinal bolognese recipe from Urbino.

I recently found this uniquely shaped pasta that they served the bolognese sauce with in Urbino called “StrozzaPreti” at one of my favorite local specialty shops, a gourmet cheese shop called Fromage right here in Old Saybrook, CT.  See, you can make my bolognese sauce and have it with the original pasta it was meant to be with. And while you are there you should pick up some white truffle oil to drizzle over the pasta sauce.

If you want this recipe to be gluten free you could always substitute out the pasta or gnocchi with a rice noodle and if you can’t have heavy cream you can substitute that with coconut cream and it would be just as delicious.

A marriage made in heaven is this bolognese sauce on my light and fluffy homemade potato gnocchi! Or try it on your own homemade pasta, and don’t forget a Caesar Salad! Last but not least you will need to tame that sweet tooth with a dessert like Pavlova, or Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie! Enjoy! 🙂

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INGREDIENTS: Serves 10-12 people or more if for appetizers.    

NOTE: THIS SAUCE FREEZES AMAZINGLY WELL so if you have sauce left over freeze in a container right away and all the hard work is DONE!

  • NOTE: DO NOT USE BEEF …this recipe will NOT have the right flavors if you use beef
  • 1 lb. ground veal
  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1/3  cup grated carrots
  • 1/4 cup grated celery
  • 1 cup grated Vadalia Onion
  • 2 extra lg garlic cloves
  • 2 cups whole peeled tomatoes and juice
  • 2 slices applewood smoked or plain bacon cooked and finely chopped (approx 3 Tbsp finely chopped)
  • 1 1/2 cups good red wine
  • 2 cups heavy cream (or 2 cups coconut cream)
  • approx. 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1  1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated Reggiano Parmesano cheese and more to finish
  • 1  tsp  and 1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
  • White Truffle Oil (Optional)
  • 1 lb. dried Egg fettuccine or Strozzapreti pasta found at Fromage

Directions:

  1. Add 3 tbsp olive oil to lg pan on medium/low
  2. Add grated carrots, celery, onion and smashed garlic cloves to olive oil and sauté for 12 minutes til light golden and soft
  3. Deglaze by adding 1/4 cup red wine, stir, add 1/2 tsp salt and continue to sauté until wine evaporates
  4. Add these cooked veggies to food processor with 2 cups whole peeled tomatoes and juice
  5. Pureé and set aside
  6. Add 3 tbsp olive oil to same pan and bring to med/high temp and then add 1 lb. only of veal/pork (1/2 veal, 1/2 pork)
  7. Keep on med/high temp and brown meat
  8. Deglaze first batch of meat with 1/4 cup red wine, stir, reduce and set aside in a med bowl
  9. Add 3 tbsp more olive oil back to same pan to brown next 1 lb. of ground veal/pork
  10. Repeating steps 6-9
  11. Put all browned meat back into pan and add in 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, pureed tomato/veggie mixture, and 1/4 cup red wine, 3 tbsp finely chopped crispy bacon, and 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
  12. Cover (leave small opening for steam to evaporate) and simmer for 1 1/2 hrs. stirring every 20 minutes making sure to let steam from inside cover drain out of pan when you lift it off to stir
  13. Add in 2 cups heavy cream, 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, 1/2 cup red wine and s&p to taste and simmer for 5-8 minutes …just need to warm thru
  14. Boil 1 lb. pasta and add to bolognese sauce …mangia mangia!

Pasta Sauce-Tomato Basil

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Pasta Sauce-Tomato Basil

Homemade gourmet pasta sauce isn’t quick and easy when you spend hours sautéing sausages and simmering for 3 hours. We don’t always have the time for that especially around the busy holidays. Yet, you always seem to have unexpected family or friends dropping in. So here is a quick and easy homemade tomato-basil pasta sauce that you are going to love! Yes, a tomato basil pasta sauce that only takes about 30 minutes to make and stills fills your kitchen with those comforting aromas of tomatoes, garlic and basil that make you want to rip off a piece of crusty bread and dunk it right in.

The whole point of this recipe is quick and delicious…no chopping, just grating and only using one pan. We are still getting layers of gourmet flavors with the carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, dried and fresh herbs! This sauce also comes out with a thick consistency.  If you want a chunkier sauce you would just puree the first can with the sauteed vegetables until smooth, and with the other can of tomatoes you would pulse only a couple of times in the food processor keeping the tomatoes chunky then adding into the pan. Make it this way also if you like a chunkier VODKA SAUCE!  If you are using it for making pizza just puree everything and you are ready to go… you don’t even need to simmer the sauce at all just spread the raw sauce onto the raw dough and into the oven (the carrots, onions, and garlic were sauteed of course before you pureed them with the tomatoes. This homemade gourmet tomato basil pasta sauce will definitely help make your life a little easier while getting you rave reviews! Enjoy!

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 – 28.oz cans whole peeled tomatoes – NOTE: If you want a chunkier sauce puree til smooth ONLY 1 can with the sauteed vegetables and then other can pulse only a couple of times. Make It this way also if you like a chunkier VODKA SAUCE!
  • 1 carrot peeled
  • 1/2 lg onion grated
  • 2 lg garlic cloves thru garlic press
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp finely ground Italian seasonings
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 4-6 fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup of red wine, cabernet, pinot noir what ever you are drinking 🙂

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Peel and the grated 1 carrot in sauce pan
  2. Cut lg onion in 1/2 peel and grate into same sauce pan
  3. Smash 2 lg clove of garlic and put thru garlic press and into same sauce pan
  4. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and put on med./low heat and begin to sauté
  5. Sauté for about 10 minutes on med/low til soften (you don’t want it to brown or burn)
  6. Deglaze by adding in 1/4 cup red wine (or white if you don’t have red)
  7. Simmer for 2 minutes and then add to food processor with 1 can whole peeled tomatoes
  8. Puree til a smooth consistency and then add to same pan.
  9. Puree the other can of whole peeled and add to pan as well…..NOTE: If you want a chunkier sauce puree til smooth ONLY 1 can with the sauteed vegetables and then other can pulse only a couple of times. Make It this way also if you like a chunkier VODKA SAUCE!
  10. Add 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp finely ground Italian seasonings, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste and 5 fresh basil leaves
  11. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve with you favorite pasta, or chicken cutlet or ciabatta bread and sprinkle with some freshly grated Reggiano Parmeseano or Pecorino Romano and mangia!

Pasta Sauce 101

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Pasta Sauce 101

Pasta sauce is such an essential part of any kitchen that I want to share with you my basic pasta sauce that I use for so many things. What I don’t use right away I freeze in small pint-like containers for futures uses. A basic slow cooked pasta sauce can be used for virtually anything from plain pasta’s to lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shells, vodka sauce, sausage and peppers, curry sauces and the list goes on.

When making an authentic slow cooked pasta sauce it’s important that one of the base layers of flavors come from some kind of meat like sausages, pork chops, meatballs or braciole, thin cut flank steaks rolled and stuffed with herbs and parmesan and then sauteed like the sausages.  This method is something my family has been doing for generations. I happen to love the homemade fennel sausages from Liuzzi Cheese, an Italian delicatessen located in North Haven, CT. If you haven’t been there yet you really should check it out especially for their homemade cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella, and my favorite scamorza. Scamorza is an Italian cow’s milk cheese similar to mozzarella but dryer and a little saltier with better melting qualities…my kids love it! Liuzzi also has homemade pasta’s and their own delicious line of canned tomatoes and olive oils.

One of the best things about making this sauce is that your kitchen will smell amazing all day long. It would be wise to keep a crusty loaf of Italian or sourdough bread for dunking every now and then…you know, just to check and make sure every thing is going well! An appetizer dish that goes great with pasta and sauce is zucchini torta, baked asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, baked coconut shrimp,wrapped, smoked salmon with cream cheese-caper spread on crostinis, clam puffs, or how about a  roasted beet salad with mint and feta, or a refreshing fennel and citrus salad with tangerine dressing. Then there always dessert to plan for like a fresh fruit pavlova, or chocolate-avocado mousse.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. fennel sausage (your favorite) my favorite is Liuzzi in North Haven, CT
  • 5 28 oz. cans of whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 6 lg. garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tsp salt
  • 1/2 Tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tsp Italian seasonings (ground in spice grinder)
  • 1/4 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
  • 3 slices pesto butter log or handful of fresh basil leaves

Directions:

  1. Slice up the sausage links into 3″ pieces
  2. Smash the garlic cloves with a large knife to release the cloves from it’s wrapper
  3. Add 3 Tbsp olive oil and 6 smashed garlic cloves to a large pan (this will be your sauce pan)
  4. Put the heat on low and sauté garlic til lightly golden … This will take about 7-10 minutes
  5. When the garlic is slightly golden remove from pan and set aside
  6. Add in sliced sausage links to the same sauce pan and turn heat up to medium/high
  7. Sauté sausage links turning every 5 minutes or so until they become golden on all sides…this will take about 20-30 minutes
  8. Put the 1/2 of the whole peeled tomatoes into a food processor (this will take 2 rounds with this large can) and then add the golden sauteed garlic cloves
  9. Puree for 40 seconds and add to the sautéed sausages
  10. Add the rest of the whole peeled tomatoes and puree for another 40 seconds and again add to the pot of sauce
  11. Add in the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes to the sauce pan (no need to purée these) and the cup of red wine
  12. Add in all the spices and turn heat to medium to bring to a simmer
  13. Cover the pan, leaving a little opening at the edge to let condensation escape during the cooking process
  14. Turn down right away to low heat and keep a low simmer for 2 1/2 hours
  15. When you take the pan cover off to check on sauce be sure to NOT let all this condensation drip back into the sauce from the inside of the lid
  16. Stir every 45 minutes or so to make sure bottom isn’t burning
  17. Towards the end oil will accumulate from the sausages on the top layer of the sauce so just skim this off with a spoon
  18. Serve and take off stove to let cool
  19. Put into frig or into container for the freezer

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

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Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Usually I make these stuffed peppers with beef but a good friend has me converting to turkey and I am really loving it. I don’t even wish for the flavor of beef in the stuffing because the turkey hold its own!  These peppers are juicy, tender and sweet made with sautéed mushrooms, onions, fresh chopped parsley, rice, grated Reggiano Parmesan, pinot noir and a porcini red sauce.  My porcini sauce gives this recipe a really nice flavor but if you don’t have time for it you shouldn’t let that stop you from making these savory stuffed peppers.  You can buy a favorite store sauce for convenience or use one of your own.  I have you slice the mushrooms paper thin here and then cut those in 1/2 and that keeps the flavor delicate and the mushrooms very tender not chewy …. they almost melt into the stuffing when baking. The onions are finely chopped so I love to use my vegetablehand chopper because it saves a ton of time when you are doing all this prep work unless you have a sous chef that is. Now you of course can use any color pepper you like. I like using the green ones because I like the strong flavor they render, but here I went with the pretty colors and the peppers are a little sweeter when you go to the reds, oranges, and yellows.  I don’t believe in using “instant rice” ever because it doesn’t have a great texture. Making rice is a simple process …see “TIP” below.    These stuffed peppers are a few step process so it’s a good idea to get some of the work done the day before like making the porcini red sauce and the rice.  This dish  is so worth the effort …. It just may become your go to Sunday dinner and you can even end this delicious dinner with a bang making a quick and easy German pancake recipe or chocolate-avocado mousse!

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Ingredients: For Porcini Red Sauce:

  • 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes (I use Sclafani)
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup water for the porcini mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup pinot noir wine
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tsp salt
  • 1 Tsp pepper
  • 1 Tbsp sugar

Directions: 

  1. Put the dried porcini mushrooms in 1/4 cup water and let sit for 1/2 hour.
  2. Sauté 4 large garlic cloves in 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium sauce pan until golden.
  3. Add whole tomatoes and golden garlic cloves to food processor and purée for 1 minute.
  4. Add this back to the pan.
  5. Take the soaked, softened porcini’s out of the water and coarsely chop.
  6. Add the porcini’s and their juice to the sauce pan along with 1/4 cup pinot, salt, pepper and sugar.
  7. Bring to a simmer, lower heat and keep simmering for 1/2 hour.
  8. Remove from the stove and cool.

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Ingredients – For Stuffed Peppers – Serves 6 people:

  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 6 large bell peppers, 2 red, 2 orange, 2 yellow
  • 2 1/4 cups porcini red sauce (1 c. in the stuffing, 2 1/4 c. in the bottom of baking dish)
  • 1 cup cooked Basmati or Jasmine long grain rice
  • 1 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 8oz. pkg of baby bella brown mushrooms (finely sliced)
  • 1 large spanish onion FINELY chopped
  • 1 1/4 cup pinot noir (1/4 c. for mushroom/onion mixture, 1 c. for baking dish)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 Tsp salt
  • 1/4 Tsp pepper
  • 2 Tbsp live oil (for sautéing)

Directions: 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350º.
  2. Cut 1″ off of the top of the peppers, pull out the centers with your hands and clean out the inside white part of the pepper.
  3. Place into baking dish.
  4. Clean your mushrooms with either a damp paper towel or a mushroom brush … you should NEVER wash your mushrooms or submerse them in water because mushrooms are porous.
  5. Pop out the mushroom stem and finely slice them and then slice that pile in 1/2…don’t need to be neat about it.
  6. Finely chop a large spanish onion…I’m all for using one of those choppers for this!
  7. Add onion and mushrooms to 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes…add 1/4 cup pinot, let evaporate.
  8. Remove from the stove and let cool.
  9. Add Turkey, grated cheese, 1 cup cooled sauce, 1/3 cup pasley, and all of cooled mushroom/onion mixture to a large bowl and gently mix.
  10. Fill the peppers gently with the stuffing, don’t pack it down.
  11. Add the rest of the porcini sauce (approx. 2 1/4 cups), 1 cup pinot, and 1/2 cup boiling water to the bottom of the baking dish.
  12. NOTE:  If the porcini sauce was refrigerated you should warm it a little to room temperature so it doesn’t prolong the cooking process of the stuffed peppers.
  13. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan, cover with foil and bake at 350º for 1 hr.
  14. Remove the foil after 1 hour and continue for another 15 minutes at 350º (check the tenderness of the pepper… You don’t want them mushy just tender).
  15. Then up the heat to 400º for another 20 minutes uncovered
  16. Keep an eye on it at this point so the tops don’t blacken too much (everyone’s oven is a little different)
  17. Total cooking time approx. 1 hour/ 35 minutes
  18. Take the peppers out of the oven, cover back up with foil and let them sit for 10 minutes.

TIP:  RICE- To make Basmati or Jasmine rice measure 1 cup rice and put into medium pan. Run cold water over rice and drain using your hand to hold back the rice.  Then add 2 cups water (1:2 ratio or water level is 1 knuckle over rice), cover and bring to a boil, turn down heat IMMEDIATELY to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat and keep covered letting it sit for another 10 minutes and voilà.  Fluff with a fork




Stuffed Roulades of Chicken

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Stuffed Roulades of Chicken

I serve these stuffed roulades of chicken sliced up on top of a roasted garlic and cannellini bean purée…the flavors are amazing together!  Stuffing meats with vegetables and herbs makes a great presentation and people will think you worked a lot harder than you did.  The stuffing in these chicken roulades is especially wonderful because the ingredients are all raw there isn’t any sautéing, .  If you don’t like one of the ingredients in the stuffing you can easily substitute for something you do like.  For instance, cilantro instead of basil, or diced artichoke hearts instead of olives or maybe swiss cheese instead of feta. 

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Ingredients:

  • 2 large boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
  • 1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup diced kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • 1 garlic clove thru garlic press
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil (for stuffing)
  • 1 Tsp rice wine vinegar-“Seasoned” (comes “original” or “seasoned”-I always get the seasoned cause I like the flavor… it has a hint of sweet)
  • fresh spinach leaves (flat leaf is easier to use in stuffing then curly)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil for sautéing roulades
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc … your favorite white drinking wine)
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 pieces of 20-24″ cotton string

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º.
  2. In a small bowl mix together diced tomaotes, olives, feta, basil and garlic with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tsp rice wine vinegar and set aside (this is the stuffing).
  3. Butterfly chicken breasts slicing them open like a book keeping them in 1 piece.
  4. Place the breasts in a large Ziplock Baggie and pound them out to 1/4″ (if they rip no worries because the spinach leaves will cover that and then you’ll be tying them with string).
  5. Put the breasts on a work surface smooth breast side down so the length is going vertically.
  6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put down a layer of spinach leaves on top of the breasts.
  7. Divide the stuffing into 2 and place each 1/2 onto the center of the breasts (right on top of the spinach leaves).
  8. Roll up the breasts tucking in sides as best as possible. Slide two pieces of string under the breast rolls crisscross like in the photo.
  9. Begin to tie off from each end knotting the first wrap so it doesn’t move then keep wrapping around the chicken without tying til you get to the other end. You can slide string under the other rows as you go.
  10. When you get to the other end you should end with a knot.
  11. Don’t need to get fancy or crazy about this …. it’s only to help hold in place until you can get the roulades in a hot pan to sauté where everything will firm up and stay together.
  12. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a medium sauce pan on medium/high heat.
  13. When the pan is hot add the tied up roulades and sauté for 2 minutes on each side total of 8 minutes.
  14. Add the wine, and then the broth to the chicken (be careful of the steam when add the liquids) and place into the oven for 15 minutes.
  15. Take the chicken out of the oven and cover it with foil.
  16. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then simply cut the string with a clean pair of scissors (or kitchen scissors).
  17. Slice up the roulades and serve on top of roasted garlic and cannellini bean purée. 
  18. The great thing about this dish is you can make the roasted garlic and bean purée the day before!

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TIP: I like to buy a giant roll of cotton string from the hardware store and keep it in a Ziplock Baggie on the spice shelf so no one can get to it and dirty it up.

 

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TIP:  It’s a good idea to soak the cotton string in water for 10 minutes before you use it otherwise it will dry out in the oven and become brittle.