Chicken Cutlets with Mushroom Pan Gravy

This recipe is easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find.  I used organic chicken and herbs,  low sodium chicken broth, and local wine.  You can use whatever mushroom is your favorite, I used baby Bella.  This recipe is easy, quick and delicious.  Serve it with your favorite rice or egg noodles and your favorite vegetable.

Serves 2 hungry adults

Ingredients:

3 TBS olive oil, divided into 2 TBS and 1 TBS 

3 TBS butter, divided into 1 TBS and 2 TBS

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally

1 TBS garlic powder 

2 TBS kosher salt, divided into 2

1 TBS fresh cracked black pepper,divided into 2 

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sliced mushrooms, baby Bella's preferred 

1/4 cup onion, small diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup white wine

2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried parsley

Here's how:

Preheat a sauté pan on medium heat.  Add 2 TBS olive oil and one TBS butter to the pan and melt the butter.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the garlic powder, half the salt and half the pepper onto the chicken.  You should have 4 pieces of chicken.

Dredge the chicken in the flour making sure you coat both sides.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook until light brown on both sides.  This is about 3 minutes per side.

Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan.  Do not clean it before adding them.

Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to stir and to scrape the brown nuts from the bottom of the pan while you do this.

Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

Using the reminding flour from the dredging, sprinkle 3 TBS flour to the pan with the mushroom mixture.  

Cook the flour in the pan, stirring it in, for 1 minute.

Add the wine, chicken stock, remaining salt and pepper and herbs to the pan, stirring to combine.  Again, scrape the pan to remove the brown bits.  This will add flavor to the gravy.

Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer until thick, about 7 minutes.

Add the chicken back to the pan.

Spoon the gravy on top of the chicken and simmer on low heat for 2 minutes.

Serve the chicken and enjoy.

Vegetable Beef Soup with Mini Bow Tie Pasta

I am moving out of my house soon so I am on a mission to use up my pantry, fridge and freezer items.  This recipe was made using things I already had in the house - beef and stock from the freezer; veggies from my crisper drawer courtesy of my winter CSA; and the pasta and herbs from the pantry.  This recipe, like many soup recipes, can be changed based upon what you have or don't.  If you do not have turnips leave them out, if you do not have baby Bella's, use white button mushrooms, if you have some frozen green beans throw them in etc.  The soup is full of what I had on hand, so feel free to add your favorite veggies.  This soup makes 11 pints or 5.5 quarts of soup.  This recipe can be cut in half or thirds based on how much you have on hand.  I used organic ingredients here but conventional ingredients are good too.

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil divided into 1 TBS each

2.5 - 3 lbs stew beef cut into 1 inch pieces

Salt and pepper

3 celery stalks, medium diced

3 carrots, large diced

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small turnip, medium diced

10 oz. baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

12 cups beef broth, homemade preferred

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp marjoram 

2 Bay leaves

2 tsp dried parsley

1 cup farfalline pasta (mini bow ties)

Here's how:

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot on medium heat.

Add 1 TBS olive oil and heat until glistening.

Add 1/3 of he beef and brown on all sides. Salt and pepper the meat when you add it.

Remove the beef and repeat this with the next 1/3 and then the next 1/3.

Add the rest of the olive oil to the pot and add the celery, carrots, onion, leeks and garlic.  Salt and pepper he veggies.  Sauté 5 minutes.

Add one cup of the broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to get up all the brown bits.

Add the rest of the broth, mushrooms, turnips, dried herbs and bay leaves to the pot.

Simmer for 30 minutes. 

Add the pasta.

Turn the pot to low and stir to prevent the pasta from sticking.  Cook 20 minutes.

Check the pasta to make sure it is soft.

Serve or put into containers to refrigerate or freeze.

Beer Braised Short Ribs

There is a great butcher in Wading River called My Butcher.  The meats are always top quality and the guys who work there are knowledgable, friendly and will custom cut whatever you want.  I saw these great short ribs in the case there yesterday and knew I had to buy them.  Each rib was one half pound so when you make this recipe keep in mind how many ribs you need.  I figure 2 ribs per person.  I used 6 ribs however this recipe will be good for up to 12 ribs.

Ingredients:

3 - 6 lbs beef short ribs

3 TBS salt divided into 2 TBS and 1 TBS

2 tsp black pepper, divided into 1 tsp each

2 TBS olive oil

1 medium inion, large dice

4 celery stalks, large diced

3 carrots, large sliced

2 large garlic cloves, smashed

1 lager beer

1 28 oz can tomato purée

2 1/2 cups beef broth, homemade preferred

2 bay leaves

4 thyme sprigs

Here's how :

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Preheat a large Dutch oven on medium heat on the stove.

Sprinkle 2 TBS salt and 1 tsp pepper on all sides of the short ribs.

Add the oil to the Dutch oven and let it heat until glistening.

Add the short ribs and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Remove the meat and set it aside.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and the remaining slant and pepper.  Sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the beer and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Simmer for 3 minutes until the beer is reduced by half.

Add the tomatoes and stir them in.

Add the beef broth, thyme and bay leaves.  Stir them in.

Nestle the beef back into the tomato liquid.

Place the lid on the pot and put the pot into the oven.  Cook for 3 hours.  Remove from the oven then remove the bay leaves and thyme stems.  You can serve this with egg noodles, rice or polenta.