Chicken Fajitas

My husband has taken a stand against the fattening comfort food I have been cooking for the past few months. Since its the beginning of the year he has asked me (begged me) to start cooking lower fat dishes. This week I decided to make some Mexican dishes. I make the main components low-fat for him and I can still add as much cheese and sour cream to it as I want. It's really a win-win.

Ingredients:

Fajita marinade (recipe available on this blog)

2 lbs of chicken breast

1-2 bell peppers, sliced into strips

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

corn tortillas

sour cream, for garnish

shredded cheese, for garnish

chopped cilantro, for garnish
chopped scallions, for garnish

diced tomatoes, for garnish

Directions:

Heat cast iron grill pan over medium high heat (or a large skillet if you don't have a grill pan). When pan is hot add marinaded chicken (reserve marinade for cooking the veggies). 

Cook chicken 5-6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan and allow to rest on cutting board for several minutes.

Slice into thin strips. 

If using a regular skillet use the same pan to cook the veggies that you cooked the chicken with. If you used a grill pan, use another skillet to cook the veggies. 

Heat pan over medium and add leftover marinade. 

Add sliced peppers and onions. Cook until limp. 

Serve on corn tortillas and garnish with whatever you like. :)

Super Simple Turkey Brine

I am not a turkey roasting expert but have made several in my life. The biggest thing that I have learned to make a moist, delicious turkey is to use a brine. You can use the brine as the main seasoning, or use a simple one and flavor your turkey in another way. This year we decided to make a maple and bacon flavored turkey so we used a simple brine, we didn't want too many conflicting flavors. If you want to make a fancy brine there are many good recipes online.


Ingredients:


1 (12-15 pound) turkey, defrosted or fresh
1 gallon of water
1 cup of sea salt
1 cup of sugar
Ice
Several tablespoons dried sage


* You can also add lots of your favorite fresh or dried herbs to  spice up this simple recipe.


Yields brine enough for one turkey.


Time: 1-2 hour prep and 12-15 hours soaking time (1 hour for every pound of turkey)


Directions:

Make sure your turkey is fully defrosted. This can take a couple days in the refrigerator so plan accordingly. 

In a large pot bring water to a boil. Add sugar and salt and let dissolve. Remove from heat. Let brine cool to room temperature. Add herbs. 

Remove neck and gizzards from the inside of your turkey. Rinse well and pat dry. 

In a large, sturdy container (I used a garbage bag) place turkey. Pour in brine mixture and add several cups of ice. Make sure all parts of the turkey are covered with mixture. Cover (or in my case, tie bag) and place in refrigerator.

 Refrigerate 1 hour for every pound of turkey. 

Do not let brine longer as it will produce a very salty bird. 

When the turkey is brined for the directed amount of time rinse very well and pat dry.

Prepare and cook turkey as desired. Be careful with cooking times because a brined bird is supposed to cook more quickly than a non-brined bird.

Enjoy!!!   

Maple Roasted & Bacon Wrapped Turkey w/ Cornbread Stuffing

Wanna mix things up from the traditional turkey you prepare every year? This recipe is from Tyler Florence, my favorite chef. I have tried dozens of his recipes and have LOVED every single one, this one was no exception. The meat was very moist and juicy. The outside was sweet and savory. The cornbread stuffing was to die for and the pan drippings made an incredible gravy. It was such a hit that there were no left-overs! :( I will make this again for sure, although I plan on making a couple small adjustments which will be noted in the directions section. 


Ingredients:


1 12-15 lbs brined turkey (recipe available on this blog) 
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 loaf cornbread, cubed (about 6 cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup hot water
8 strips smoked bacon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 lemon, juiced


Yields about 12-15 (1 pound) servings of turkey


Time: 1 hour prep and 3 hours cook time.


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and remove top oven rack. 
In mixing bowl mash butter and sage together well until butter has green flecks in it. 
Season with salt and pepper. 

In a saute pan melt 4 tablespoons of sage butter, add onions and cook until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a medium mixing bowl combine cornbread, sauteed onions mixture, heavy cream,  egg and just enough chicken stock to moisten but not make soggy (about 1/2 cup).
 Mix well and season with salt and pepper. 

Generously sprinkle salt and pepper on outside of turkey. Using your fingers, gently lift skin from breast and legs of turkey. 

Place sage butter under skin and massage. Fill the bird with the stuffing, not packing it too tightly. Place the remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish. 
(When turkey is done in the oven bake the stuffing at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes).


Place turkey on baking rack on roasting pan and put into oven.

Mix maple syrup and hot water in small mixing bowl or saucepan. Use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. (Don't be tempted to make more glaze to baste, this will cause the pan drippings too sweet, thus making the gravy too sweet). 

After about 2 hours of cooking take the bird out of the oven and place the bacon on top, slightly overlapping. 

• The turkey is supposed to take about 3 hours to cook. I used a convection oven and it only took 2 hours.
•  A brined turkey is supposed to cook more quickly than a non-brined bird as well.
•  If the bird starts getting too brown, place foil on top. 

The turkey is done when an instant read thermometer reads 170 degrees at the meatiest part of the bird AND the juices in the thigh pieces run clear. 

Place turkey on a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving. 

To make the gravy: Skim off the excess fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and place the roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high heat. 

Whisk the flour into the drippings, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Slowly add chicken stock until it becomes a little thinner than the consistency you desire. Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice (to brighten the flavor). Let simmer for 5 minutes. Strain to remove any particles, if desired. 

Parmesan and Romano Crusted Chicken Breast with Crispy Prosciutto and Garlic

I made this for some dinner guests a couple weeks ago and got rave reviews. I made it again last night for my husband and I. This meal is too good not to share the recipe. The chicken is crispy, cheesy and moist. The crunchy prosciutto and sauteed garlic slices are sweet and salty. If you serve it with fresh pasta and homemade Alfredo sauce, like I did, the creaminess caps it off as a perfect meal. This is one of my favorites right now. Yummy!


Ingredients:


7-8 chicken tenderloins or 3-4 chicken breasts 
(if using chicken breasts make sure to butterfly then slice in half. Then place in between two pieces of wax paper and bang with something heavy until slices are flat)
1/2 cup high fat content milk 
(I used homemade buttermilk I made the other day)
3 to 6 ounces of thin sliced prosciutto
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 egg
1 cup of plain Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil


Serve with fresh pasta and homemade Alfredo sauce (recipe available on this blog)


Yields 3-4 servings


Time: 20 minute prep and 20 minute cook time.


Recipe:

Clean and pat dry chicken.

 Place chicken and milk in medium size bowl and let soak for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour on kitchen counter. 

While waiting for chicken, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to large skillet over medium heat. Add slices of prosciutto. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add slices of garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until prosciutto is crispy and garlic is golden brown.  

(Some pieces will finish before others, take them out as they become crispy and brown. This way all pieces will be perfectly cooked).

Rest on paper towel to drain excess oil.

Prepare chicken coating by adding cheeses, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning in a medium size bowl or plate.

Remove chicken from milk (remove excess). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Mix egg in small bowl. Dip chicken in the egg (remove excess), then  dip in breadcrumb mixture. Press breadcrumbs into chicken and make sure they are very well coated. 

In the same skillet you cooked the prosciutto, add 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Heat over medium high heat until skillet is hot. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes or until a dark golden brown. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until dark golden as well. When adding more chicken pieces you may need to add more butter and oil.

Let rest on paper towel for 3 to 5 minutes before serving. 

Serve with some homemade Alfredo sauce, a small handful of prosciutto and garlic and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

The chicken reheats best in an oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees f until hot and crispy again. 

Artichoke, Sun-dried Tomato, Basil and Fontina Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe

I tried this tasty recipe tonight for dinner. It was really quick and easy to make. The only thing I would change about it is put more cheese or maybe a dollop of homemade alfredo sauce inside the breast.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 cup of freshly grated fontina cheese
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix tomatoes, artichokes, basil and cheese.

Cut a two inch slit on the side of the chicken breast (be careful to not cut straight down or up or you won't have a pocket). Put fingers inside the slit and work it around to make a pocket. Stuff mixture inside each breast. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Press the opening together to seal. Melt butter and olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Sear the top of each breast until golden, about 3 minutes.

Bake in oven until done, about 10-15 minutes.