Let’s cook!

Chicken Involtini with Prosciutto and Basil

Tomato Sauce

1 Spanish onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

3 oz olive oil

2 tablespoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoon dried thyme

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a sauce pan for 10 minutes.

Add the thyme and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, but be sure to stir occasionally (see told you it was easy!).

Chicken Involtini

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

4 slices prosciutto

4 slices provolone cheese, halved

8 – 10 fresh basil leaves

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat your  grill over medium heat. Place two of the chicken breast, smooth side down, on plastic wrap. Fold over the remaining plastic over the top of the chicken breast.

Using your cast iron skillet pound the chicken breast but not too hard to break the meat.

Season each piece of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Lay a slice of prosciutto on each piece of chicken and lay down two halves of the provolone.

Top with 3 – 4 basil leaves.

Roll up the chicken, keeping it snug while rolling up. Tie 2 pieces of kitchen twine around each piece to keep it together.

Lightly brush each roll with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 12 – 15 minutes. Be sure to turn a quarter turn every 3 minutes.

Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.

Time to plate! Remove the twine from the chicken and serve over pasta and sauce.

Here is a close-up:

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Peppercorn Chicken with Sauteed Spinach

3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

3 teaspoons coarsely ground green peppercorns

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

1/3 cup red wine

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound spinach

1 lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350. Brush 1 tablespoon mustard all over the chicken. Sprinkle with the pepper, rosemary and salt, patting gently so the seasonings stick.

Heat a large skillet over medium-heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about six minutes, turning once.

Transfer to a baking dish, bake the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, add the shallots over medium heat.

Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom.

Add the broth, bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons mustard and simmer for 2 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, cook for about 20 seconds.

Add the spinach, season with salt and cook until wilted, add the lemon zest.

Let the spinach rest for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven let rest for 5 minutes as well.

Time to plate! Slice the chicken and drizzle with the shallot sauce.

Here is a close-up:

Here is a picture of Kennedy we took tonight.

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Pan-seared Chicken with Mustard Sauce

1 package of skinless, boneless chicken breast

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Place chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.

Lightly pound the meat with a mallet or the back of your cast iron pan.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the chicken.

Turn the chicken only once which for the thickness of the meat it was 7 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let rest.

Time for my favorite part, the sauce. In the same pan you used to cook the chicken, add the mustard seeds over medium heat.

Cook for about 10 seconds. Add the wine and broth and bring to a simmer, stirring until the liquid is reduced–shouldn’t take longer than 2 minutes.

Add cream.

Add Dijon mustard.

Blend the flavors and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.

Return the chicken and the juices from the plate to the pan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.

For this meal I sliced the chicken and drizzled the sauce on top. For sides I made wild rice and spinach. Here is how I did the plating:

Here is the close-up:

Now you have a way to change up that sometimes boring chicken breast.

This week you will see several post from me which I am going to change it up a bit so check back!

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Lemon Rosemary Roast Chicken

1 whole roasting chicken

1 fresh lemon, cut into 4 sections

3 springs fresh rosemary

4 whole cloves garlic

1/2 bottle white wine (Sauvingnon Blanc) – the other half for you

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Place lemon into the cavity of the chicken.

Do the same for the rosemary.

Now the garlic.

Place the chicken in the crock pot, breast side down (this chicken decided to dive in).

Squeeze two lemon sections on the chicken and put in the crock pot.

Sprinkle outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Pour wine around the base of the chicken.

Now add water.

Set the timer.

Put on the lid and forget about it.

When I get home I prepare the sides–mushrooms and spinach mashed potatoes. Also, it is a good idea to let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before you start carving it.

Here is how I plated this dinner.

Here is the close-up:

For an easy variation:

Substitute wine/water with 3 cans of chicken broth. Add 1 cup wine. Add box of wild or 2 cups brown rice uncooked.  Cook the same as above. When you are ready to eat you have chicken and rice!

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Hunter-style Chicken

4 – 5 chicken breast (Skin and bone-in)

1 cup gourmet mushrooms

1 large shallot, diced

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 oz. bourbon

2 oz. dry white wine

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

15oz can roasted diced tomatoes

1 stick of butter

1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon leaves

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat three tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven over high heat.

Place the chicken breast skin side down and cook until golden brown.

Turn the chicken over and brown the other side. Remove the chicken and place on a baking sheet (I cover with foil to help with clean-up). Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.

In the dutch oven add onion and shallots.

Cook for 5 minutes then add the mushrooms.

Remove the pan from the heat and place the onions, shallots and mushroom in a bowl.

Add the bourbon to the pan.

Turn the heat back on to high. Cook until completely reduced. Add the wine and cook until complete reduced as well.

Add chicken stock.

Add tomatoes.

Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the tarragon and parsley.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. For this dinner I had peas and mash potatoes to soak up this sauce! Here is how I did the plating:

Here is a close-up of all the flavors in the sauce for the chicken:

Now for some really cool news check out the new logo created by an awesome designer:

Tomorrow is TGIF! I have to work this weekend but there will be a post from Jen on her AWESOME meatloaf.

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Spicy Aromatic Chicken

4 chicken breast, with bones and skin

1/2 lemon, cut into wedges

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

14 oz can chopped tomatoes in juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

pinch of sugar

14oz can artichoke hearts, drained

8 black olives, pitted

Rub the chicken breast with lemon.

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven.

While the oil is heating chop up the onion.

And garlic.

Add the onion and garlic to the dutch oven and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the chicken breast and cook for 8 minutes on each side.

Add tomatoes and wine.

Add sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Cover with lid, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and add artichokes and olives. Let cook for another 10 minutes.

Here is the pot of chicken cooked.

For this dinner Jen made wild rice which is one of my favorites. Now she did let me plate so here is how I plated the dish.

Here is another view.

Here is the close-up:

Jen did a great job and this recipe is one of my MUST TRY meals (I have lunch tomorrow too!)

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon onion, minced

2 Tablespoon butter

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup cold butter, sliced

1 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2-4 chicken breast, boneless and skinless

Extra virgin olive oil for brushing

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

8 oz Capricho de Cabra or goat cheese

Mince the garlic and onion and add to a skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Cook until garlic and onions are tender–about 3-5 minutes.

Squeeze juice from one whole lemon (which is approximately 1/4 cup of lemon juice as a general rule of thumb) into a measuring cup and then add 1/2 cup white wine.  I used Chardonnay but just realized I forgot to add it to the ingredients picture, so imagine you saw it in the main picture.

Stir the wine and lemon guice into the skillet, increase the heat to medium high, and simmer to reduce the mixture by half.  Then add the cold butter one slice at a time.  I usually split the butter into to tablespoon servings to add them to the mixture.  Here’s what it looks like once you get most of the butter added:

Time to start the chicken now.  Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, and put on the grill over high heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Time to finish the sauce.  Once you have combined all of the butter slices into the sauce, add the chopped sun dried tomatoes, basil, kosher salt and white pepper. 

Stir the ingredients together and remove from heat.  Set aside.

A few minutes before the chicken is finished grilling, place equal amounts of cheese on each breast and allow about 2 minutes for the cheese to melt slightly.

Now it’s time to finish the meal.  I decided to do my plating with mashed potatoes on the bottom, green beans on top of that, the chicken with cheese above that, and everything is topped off with the sun dried tomato sauce.

And the close up:

Thomas absolutely loved this dish and I would really encourage you to try it.  I love it anytime I am able to re-create a dish we have had in a restaurant at the house.  I hope you enjoy and I promise you won’t be disappointed.  The Cooking Husband will return with another recipe tomorrow, and be on the look out for the pictures of the meals from Vegas later this week.

Happy Cooking!

So let’s cook!

Grilled Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom Vinaigrette

1 package shiitake mushrooms, remove stems

6 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard (a must have for the kitchen if you ask me)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

2 bone-in, skin on chicken breast

1 small shallot, diced

salt and pepper

Heat your grill on high.

In a bowl add 4 tablespoons of canola oil and add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.

In another bowl whisk together shallots, vinegar, olive oil and parsley until combined.

In a small dish add chicken breast and coat with the remaining canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Let rest.

Place on the grill, cap side down and grill the mushrooms until light brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Turn the mushrooms over and cook through for 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove from the grill and place on a cutting board.

Chop the mushrooms and add to the bowl of vinaigrette. Stir in well and let set while you grill the chicken.

Place the chicken on the grill skin side down and grill until golden brown, 5 – 8 minutes.

Flip over, reduce the heat to medium, close the cover and continue grilling for about 10 minutes longer. Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes or until the internal temperature gets to 165 degrees.

Time to plate. Place the chicken on a serving dish and top with shiitake vinaigrette.

Here is a close-up:

Now the pictures don’t do justice to how AWESOME this chicken tastes and I really hope you try this one out. Now if you don’t like mushrooms you can still use the mustard based vinaigrette.

Jen and I have only one more day till VEGAS and we are looking forward to it. Tomorrow night will be a simple dinner but I will feature the whole meal instead of the main dish. I have been asked over 20+ times a day to feature main dishes but tomorrow I will include a whole meal. Keep the request coming at thecookinghusband@gmail.com

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Tomato Base Dressing

1 small can tomato juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon italian season

1 cruet bottle

In the cruet bottle combine all ingredients in the cruet bottle. If you don’t have a cruet you can whisk in a bowl.

Shake and put in the refrigerator while you make the salad.

Chicken on Arugula Salad

1 handful Perdue short-cuts chicken strips

1 handful Arugula

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1/2 small white onion, sliced

1/2 yellow pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup matchstick carrots

8 – 10 cherry tomatoes, cut into half

In a large bowl add Arugula and layer veggies. Top the salad with chicken.

Time to top with the dressing.

There you have it a meal for one. Now I know this was a simple salad but this salad dressing is worth it and also makes for the perfect non-labor Monday dinner. Tomorrow will be a bit of a traditional Cooking Husband dinner but remember it will be just for one.

Happy Cooking!

Check back tonight for recipe and pictures.

Almost TGIF!