Imitation Chicken Bryan

This recipe is a copycat of Carrabba's Chicken Bryan.  Carrabba's was easily one of our favorite restaurants when we lived in Provo.  We haven't been in years now--there isn't one in NYC (and we never really eat at chain restaurants here anyway) but we still talk about it.  We had so many favorite dishes there, but this one was always particularly special so when we came across a recipe for it, we knew we had to give it a shot.  And this does not disappoint.  It's one of those recipes where you take a bite and then you just have to pause for a minute to savor just how good it is.  The sauce is so rich and buttery and it complements the creamy goat cheese and tangy tomatoes perfectly.  Serve it over a bed of angel hair pasta and you have reached Italian food nirvana.

Imitation Chicken Bryan

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 30 minutes

• 14 Tbsp butter, divided
• 3 Tbsp minced onion
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 chicken breasts
• olive oil (I like to use a lemon-flavored olive oil, but regular works just fine)
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 4-8 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (I've subbed dried when I'm out of fresh...still delicious)
• 4 oz goat cheese

In a large saute pan, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat.  Saute onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.  Add white wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes to reduce.

While the sauce simmers, drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Remove to a plate and tent with foil.

While the chicken cooks, add the remaining 12 Tbsp of butter to the sauce, 1-2 Tbsp at a time, until melted and emulsified.  Be careful not to overheat or the sauce will break (it will still taste good, it just won't look as pretty).  Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and basil.  Place the chicken in the pan and top each breast with 1 oz of goat cheese.  Cover the pan and allow the goat cheese to warm and soften.  Serve the chicken breast with the lemon butter sauce spooned over the top.  I especially like it over a bed of buttered angel hair.

Source: adapted from Food.com
Produce Used: Onion, garlic, lemon, tomato, basil

Fruit Lassi

There are some lassi recipe posted on this blog previously, but this is pretty much my go-to recipe now.  You can use just about any type of fruit that you want--I've done strawberries, blueberries, mixed berries, pineapple, and more.  This particular time I used a bag of mixed fruit that had strawberries, melon, peaches, and pineapple and it turned out great.  It is lightly sweetened with a slight tang from the yogurt and lime and a hint of aromatic spice from the cardamom.  It is a great cool-down drink for the summer, especially paired with a spicy Indian dish.

Fruit Lassi

Number of Servings: 2
Time to Prepare: 5 minutes

• 1 cup frozen fruit
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I've used regular plain yogurt and it works fine, the lassi is just not quite as thick and creamy)
• 2-4 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1-2 pinches cardamom

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Adjust sugar to taste (I prefer sweeter so I'm usually closer to the 4 Tbsp amount, but start with 2 and see how you like it).

Source: adapted from snack-girl.com
Produce Used: Fruit of choice, lime

Focaccia

This focaccia is a great Italian bread, full of garlic and herbs.  It's soft and little bit fluffy, but hearty enough to be great for soaking up sauce or dipping in oil and vinegar.  The crumbly, garlic and cheese topping adds nice texture and great flavor.  It comes together pretty easily as well--no rolling out dough, no shaping rolls, no floury counter-top mess to clean up.

Focaccia

Number of Servings 12-16 pieces
Time to Prepare: 2 hours

Dough

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tsp yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3 cups bread flour (more or less)

Topping

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Mix yeast and sugar into warm water until dissolved.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, until frothy.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine yeast mixture, 1 tsp salt, 1/3 cup olive oil, Italian seasoning, and 2 1/2 cups of the bread flour.  Stir until well mixed.  Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed for a soft dough.  Knead dough for 5 minutes.  Place in greased bowl and turn to coat.  Cover and let rise until doubled.

When dough has doubled, grease a 9x13 pan.  Press dough into the pan.  Use your fingertips to make indentations in the dough (I usually do them every 1-2 inches).  Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.  While the dough is rising, prepare the topping.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a small frying pan.  Stir in oregano and garlic, being careful of splatters, and remove from heat.  Spoon over the risen dough.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and kosher salt.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Source: adapted from the recipe book that came with my breadmaker
Produce Used: Garlic

Diane's Cherry Pie

Whoa!  Sorry about that unplanned hiatus there.  I found out in December that I'm pregnant with #3 and this boy has really thrown me for a loop.  We're still trying to find our new normal here (which I'm sure we will figure out just before the baby comes in August and changes everything again!) but I'm hoping to get back on the blog train.  I've tried so many new recipes lately, along with some old favorites that still haven't made their way on to the blog.  I definitely want to get back to sharing!  We'll start things off with my mother-in-law's cherry pie because you can never go wrong with pie.  This is my husband's favorite pie--the tart cherries combined with the sweet sauce and a little hint of almond flavor provide a great balance and when the buttery, flaky crust is surrounding it all, I think you'll find it hard to resist.  I know we do!

Diane's Cherry Pie

Number of Servings: 8-10
Time to Prepare: 1 hour 10 minutes

• 2 unbaked pie crusts (use your favorite recipe or just by the pre-made ones...no judgement)
• 4 cups tart red cherries, pitted (canned is fine)
• 8 tsp quick cooking tapioca
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place in preheated oven.

Line a 9" pie plate with one of the pie crusts.  Place in fridge (along with the other crust) while preparing the filling.

In a medium bowl, toss cherries thoroughly with tapioca, sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract.  Let stand for10 minutes.

Pour into unbaked pie shell and dot with butter.  Cover with the other pie crust (or cut into strips for lattice top) and seal edges.  Make a few slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.

Place the prepared pie in the fridge for ten minutes.  Transfer the pie to the preheated baking sheet in the oven and bake for ten minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 more minutes. (Cover the edges of crust to keep from over-browning.)

Source: my mother-in-law, Diane
Produce Used: Cherries, lemon

Ham and Cheese Waffles

Because nothing says Christmas-time like waffles.  Or something?  I don't know.  What I do know is that these waffles are awesome.  They are not your typical butter-syrup-loads of sweetness waffles.  These are a savory version of waffles--thing of them as dinner rolls in waffle shape.  I like to eat them straight out of the waffle iron, but they make a great breakfast sandwich with a fried egg and some extra ham and cheese tucked in between two pieces--because who doesn't want more ham and cheese?   A nice bechamel or hollandaise on top would be lovely with them as well.  Hard to go wrong, really.

Ham and Cheese Waffles

Number of Servings: 10 rectangular (about 3"x4") waffles
Time to Prepare: 35 minutes

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
• 1/2 chop chopped deli ham
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dry mustard.  Add cheese, ham, and green onion and toss to evenly incorporate.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, and egg.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.  Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes.

Heat waffle iron.  Ladle batter into waffle iron according to manufacturer's direction and cook until lightly browned, then serve warm.

Source: slightly adapted from Our Best Bites
Produce Used: Green onion

Butternut Squash Penne

All hail the one skillet meal!  This beauty of a dinner is loaded up with spicy sausage, creamy squash, and perfectly al dente pasta.  The first time I saw this recipe, I knew it had excellent potential.  Unfortunately, it also involved several failed attempts and some incredibly overdone pasta.  But for the sake of my dedicated and incredibly numerous followers (haha), I persevered and figured out how to make this recipe shine.  And oh boy does it shine now.  The little kick of heat from the sausage perfectly balances the sweetness of the squash.  And the sauce is so rich and creamy, thanks to the squash, but it won't clog your arteries and shorten your lifespan, also thanks to the squash.  The flavors are so rich and diverse, you will be hiding the leftovers in the back of the fridge so nobody else can get to them before you (assuming you can manage to save any leftovers)!

Butternut Squash Penne

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 40 minutes

• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3-4 cups diced butternut squash
• 6 oz penne pasta
• 2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 tsp dried sage
• 2 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4"-1/2" cubes

In a large skillet, combine the shallot, garlic, sausage, salt, and pepper.  Cook over medium heat, breaking up the sausage, until the sausage is cooked through (5-7 minutes).  Scrape the sausage mixture on to a plate and set aside.

Return the skillet to the heat and add the chicken broth and butternut squash.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat if needed to keep at a low boil and cook until the squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the penne and keep cooking, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking together, until the pasta is just al dente, about 15 minutes.  As it cooks, use the back of your spoon to smash some of the butternut squash, helping incorporate it into the sauce (but still leaving some chunks).

Stir in the spinach and sage and cook for another minute, until the spinach is wilted.  Add the sausage mixture back to the skillet, along with the cheese, and stir to combine.  Reduce heat to low and cover for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.  Stir and serve.

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Shallot, garlic, butternut squash, spinach

Red Chili Chicken with Rice and Beans

This is a one-pot meal--no extra pots and pans to clean, just the one.  Do I really need to say anything more about this?  Probably not, but I will anyway.  Once you get this going, it does a lot of cooking away on it's own, giving you a great chance to put together any sides you want to serve with it--but with how fully loaded it is with the chicken, rice, and beans, you really don't need to do anything fancy.  Just an easy side salad or veggie and you're good to go.  This dish has really warm flavors that are great for dinner on a cold day.  It makes a great main dish on it's own, or you can throw it in a burrito or on a bed of lettuce.  It even makes a great dip for tortilla chips.  So tasty, and versatile too!

Red Chili Chicken with Rice and Beans

Number of Servings: 6
Time to Prepare: 50 minutes

• 2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
• kosher salt
• 3 1/2 to 4 tsp chili powder, divided
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion (or 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro)
• sour cream

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with  kosher salt and 1 1/2 tsp chili powder.  Place the chicken in the pan and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes.  Remove to a plate (it doesn't need to be cooked all the way through at this point.)

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to the pan and heat, then add the onion and rice.  Cook on medium-low, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and the remaining 2 to 2 1/2 tsp chili powder.  Cook and stir for one more minute, then add the chicken broth and kosher salt to taste (1/2 to 1 tsp).  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.

Add the chicken and beans to the pot and stir to combine.  Cover again and cook for another 10 to 12 minutes.  Test a small bite of rice to see if it is tender.  If not, cover and keep cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes.  Once the rice is tender, add the green onion and stir.  Cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.  Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream.

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Onion, garlic, green onion