Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

I love creating soup from what's in my cabinets and fridge and during this unsettling time in history,  soup is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Throwing some veggies and chicken into a pot and transforming them into a filling and tasty meal is good for the soul.

The first thing I did, was to look into the refrigerator vegetable drawer and see what was available. There were carrots, a jalapeno, 1/2 of an onion, 1/2 of a red bell pepper and a bunch of some sorry looking scallions.  Those items were cleaned, chopped and joined by 3 cloves of garlic.

I grabbed a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and let them thaw for about an hour. Using a sharp knife, I cut them into bite sized pieces, drizzled a little olive oil over them and added 1 tablespoon of  Penzey's Chili 9000. I tossed that together, placed it on a foil lined baking sheet, placed it into a 375 degree oven and roasted for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, I sauteed the vegetables in olive oil with some of the Penzey's Chili 9000. The spice added a Middle Eastern touch to the soup. I also added some Savory Spice Pasilla Negro Chile Powder for a little more heat. I had some Masa in my baking cabinet, so I added it as a thickener. If you don't have Masa, you can leave it out.

This recipe, like most of mine, is meant as a path to create a meal with what is available in your home. Here are links for the spices I used:
penzeys.com
savoryspiceshop.com

Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2 to 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 large carrots, sliced

6 scallions, sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp Penzey's Chili 9000

1 Tbsp. Savory Spice Pasilla Negro Chile Poweder

4 cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp. Masa (optional)

1 can chopped green beans, drained

1 cup frozen vegetable mix, thawed (my blend had corn and black beans)

Saute the vegetables and spices in olive oil until softened. Add chicken stock, cooked chicken and Masa, bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 1 hour.

Add green beans and thawed frozen vegetables, heat through and serve.

Gluten Free Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

When I first heard about this soup, I was a bit skeptical. I grew up eating my mother's specialty, which was her amazing lasagna. So the thought of a soup tasting like lasagna seemed a long shot to me. Plus, using gluten free pasta in soups can be a bit tricky since they tend to dissolve.  I was shocked that the pasta turned out perfect and it held up when reheated the next night.  This recipe lives up to the name and the flavor is like eating lasagna in a soup.

Gluten Free Instant Pot Lasagna Soup 

1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 can chicken stock

1 15oz  can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 small onion, diced

2 large carrots diced
2 bay leaves
1 bag kale
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning, plus more for cheese mixture
1 cup gluten free  pasta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
6 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix the ricotta and Parmesan and season with a little dash of salt and pepper and a 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning ; set aside.

Add olive oil to pot and set to saute setting.

After the pot preheats for a minute or two, add the sausage and cook until brown, using a wooden spoon to break apart (about 5 minutes).

Add onions, carrots and bay leaves and continue cooking until veggies are soft, about another 5 minutes.

Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook a minute more.

Add chicken stock, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, kale and pasta.

Place the lid on (with silicone ring) and set it to manual for 2 minutes on high pressure. (It will take 10 to 15 minutes to come to pressure. )

Allow the soup to naturally release for 5 minutes and then use quick release to remove  remaining pressure.

Remove the bay leaves.

Serve immediately and garnish with Parmesan and ricotta cheese mixture, sprinkle with mozzarella.

Gluten Free Blondies with Nutella and Peanut Butter Chips

I've always loved to cook, but baking was always a little more of a challenge.  When you cook, you can create something from nothing without a lot of rules. When you bake, science takes the lead and you have to follow that lead in order to turn out an edible and appetizing creation.
Things like brownies and blondies give you a little more wiggle room and endless possibilities.
Now a days, I bake with gluten free flour and it can sometimes be challenging.  Brownies and such seem to be the easiest to make. I use Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour and always seem to have good results. This is a simple recipe and the blondies turn out really well.

Gluten Free Blondies with Nutella and Peanut Butter

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted
2 large eggs
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups  gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
13-ounce jar Nutella
1 cup peanut butter chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of an 8-by-8-inch non-stick baking pan with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power.

3. Add the  brown sugar and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Then slowly add eggs, whisking.

4. Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.

5. Turn half the batter out into prepared pan; set remaining batter aside.

6. Microwave the jar of Nutella, careful to peel away the foil seal, for about 15 seconds.

7. Turn Nutella out into the pan and spread into an even, smooth layer.

8. Turn remaining batter out over the Nutella. Add heaping rounded tablespoon-sized blobs using  a spatula to smooth them together.

9. Evenly top with peanut butter chips.

10. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is set and golden; don’t overbake as they taste best when they’re slightly underbaked. A toothpick test is unreliable because you will hit melted Nutella. It will firm up as it cools. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 90 minutes. Turn out onto a baking sheet, peel off parchment and flip over to slice.

Instant Pot Pork Chops w/ Green Beans and Potatoes

The inspiration for this recipe came from a conversation with a woman I work with and I needed to get it into my Instant Pot . When she talked about the green beans that she cooked in her pot , my mouth started watering and lightbulbs started blinking in my head. Growing up with the world's best cook, Janis Tosatto, this was a staple at our dinner table. I decided that I would try my rendition this week and it turned out perfectly .
This recipe will feed 2 people, with a few beans and potatoes leftover for lunch tomorrow. The seasoning I used on the pork and the vegetables is Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Seasoning from Savory Spice and is my go to for most everything. The beans and potatoes brought back such great childhood memories and the pork was tender and cooked through.

Instant Pot Pork Chops w/ Green Beans and Potatoes

2 10 oz Bone-in Pork Chops
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
14 oz green beans, broken in half
12 oz baking potato, peeled and cubed
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Salt and pepper (or seasoning of preference)

Hit the saute button and when it says hot, add olive oil. Brown chops on each side, 3 to 4 minutes and remove to plate.
Add onion, saute until soft.
Add stock, stirring to deglaze pot.
Turn off. Add beans, potatoes and garlic and more seasoning. Stir together.
Place chops on top of vegetables.
Making sure that the silicone ring is in
place, lock lid into place and close pressure valve.
Set on manual for 5 minutes at high pressure. My pot came to pressure within 12 minutes.
NPR for 10 minutes and release (with caution) remaining pressure.

Gluten Free Apple Cake

This is a fairly easy recipe that comes together pretty fast once you have the apples peeled and cored. Preparing the apples is a kind of therapy for me, kind of like any other mundane food prep. Turn on your favorite music, sing a little and sneak a couple of dance moves in while no one is watching. Life doesn't get much better than that, until you see the finished product, give it a taste and share it with others. This cake turns out beautifully, with a nice crunchy top and not overly sweet flavor. Like most gluten free baked goods, it's best eaten in the first couple of days and I recommend placing the uneaten portion in the refrigerator.

Gluten Free Apple Cake

1½ pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges, and sliced ⅛ inch thick crosswise
1 tablespoon Orange liqueur
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour
¼ cup almond flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 2 large yolks
1 cup canola oil
1 cup  buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar

Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and set the temperature to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with gluten-free cooking spray and place on a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet. (If you don't, you'll end up with a bit of a mess on the oven bottom)

Place apple slices on a microwave safe plate or pie dish, cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes, or until apples are slightly tender and pliable. Drizzle with orange liqueur and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes.

Place ¾ cup of gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add one egg, oil, milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Scoop out one cup of the batter and place in another medium bowl.

Add egg yolks to the larger portion of the batter and whisk to combine. Fold in the cooled apple slices and pour mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons of gluten-free flour blend into the remaining batter and smooth batter as evenly over the apple mixture in the pan as possible, taking care to spread it all the way to the edges.

Sprinkle the top with the 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar and bake until the center of the cake is set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Run a  plastic knife around the edge of the cake along the sides of the pan and let cool completely, about 2 hours more. Cut into wedges and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Seattle Cider Basil Mint Hard Cider

I'm always excited when I stumble upon a new hard cider and was happy to come across this one. The name sounded great, Seattle Cider Basil Mint Hard Cider, especially since I love basil and mint together and thought the flavors would pair well with apple. Unfortunately, I didn't seem to taste either named ingredient and found the cider to be just a little bit on the funky side. The aroma was not enticing and the flavor was a bit flat. This was a miss for me and I would not purchase again. Seattle Cider makes others that are much better, so I will stick to those.

Gluten Free Instant Pot Lasagna

If you haven't joined the Instant Pot bandwagon, it's time to hop aboard. Not every recipe is a time saver, but you can do so much with it. I've prepared many lasagnas over the years and this is now my favorite way. When you are cooking for two, you get two good meals and less headache and clean up. I admit that I was skeptical about this technique, but I have embraced it. Taking the sides off of the spring-form pan was scary the first time, but the end result is a beautiful layered, baked pasta dish. I have tried different combinations for this recipe and I have landed on all sausage. The first time I used all ground beef, but felt that it lacked texture and flavor. The next two times I went with a half ground sirloin, half Italian sausage blend and was satisfied with the flavor and texture. This last recipe, I went with all Italian sausage and decided it was the winner.
In the past, I have always made my own sauce, but to save time I went with a jarred sauce. Going with a pricier jar was the logical choice for me, knowing that it would come closer to homemade. I found this Michael's of Brooklyn Home Style Gravy at Sprouts and it comes pretty close to home made.

Gluten Free Instant Pot Lasagna 

Ingredients

• 1 lb bulk  gluten free Italian sausage
• 8 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese - divided in half
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. Italian spices
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Gluten free lasagna noodles
• 1 jar gluten free pasta sauce

Instructions

1. Using Saute function, brown Italian sausage, breaking up the clump. Remove to plate lined with paper towel to drain.
2. Mix ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, and spices.
3. Line bottom of 7" spring form pan with lasagna noodles, broken into pieces to fit the pan.
4. Add enough pasta sauce to cover the noodles.
5. Add layer of half of meat mixture.
6. Add layer of half of cheese mixture.
7. Repeat with another layer of noodles, tomato sauce, ground beef, and cheese.
8. Top with layer of noodles, and additional tomato sauce.
9. Add remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
10. Place trivet in Instant Pot insert, and add 1.5 cups water.
11. Loosely cover pan of lasagna with foil to keep out water.
12. Place lasagna pan on top of trivet in pot.
13. Lock lid on pot, and set valve to seal. (make sure to insert the silicone ring)
14. Press manual, 20 minutes high pressure.
15. When finished cooking, allow to naturally release (NR) pressure - approximately 10 minutes.
16. Remove lasagna after pressure releases. Broil on high for a few minutes to brown cheese, watching so that you don't burn the top.
17. Let rest for a about 5 minutes, run a knife along edge to release and remove ring.
18. Slice and serve with additional sauce.

Gluten-Free Ricotta Cake

I came across this recipe in the May 2017 edition of ITALIA! magazine. It's simple to make and and tastes great too. I prefer to eat it at room temperature, but it can be served cold. I ended up beating my egg whites by hand because I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer for the cheese mixture, so keep that in mind if you do not want to bring egg whites to stiff peaks by hand. The cake had

a nice spongy texture that is not overly sweet with a light citrus taste. It also converted to gluten-free by substituting All Purpose Gluten Free Flour. #italia #italy #baking

Gluten- Free Ricotta Cake

24 oz Ricotta Cheese
6 large Eggs, separated
1/3 cup Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
1 cup Super-Fine Sugar
Grated zest of  2 Oranges
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of Salt
Powdered Sugar, to dust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place ricotta in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, blend until smooth. Add egg yolks, flour, 6 Tbsp. sugar, orange and lime zest and salt. Whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites on low speed until foamy. Increase speed to high and gradually add remaining sugar, whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form: this may take up to 3-4 minutes.
Gently fold one-third of the whites into the ricotta mixture using a spatula until just combined. Gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined.
Pour the mixture into a springform cake pan greased with butter and sprinkled with sugar, bake 45-50 minutes, or until the center is firm and the top is golden brown. The mixture will rise and then drop slightly during cooking.
Allow pan to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to release from the pan, then turn out and allow to cool completely before serving dusted with plenty of powdered sugar.

Instant Pot Pork Sirloin Tip Roast

This is the very first meal I prepared in my new Instant Pot and I was very happy with the end result. I had prepared one of these pork roasts from Costco the traditional way and ended up with a tough and dry piece of meat. The one prepared in the Instant Pot turned out tender and juicy. You can season the roast anyway that you prefer, the following is what I did.

Pork Sirloin Tip Roast

Season a 2 pound Pork Sirloin Tip Roast with Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder and Horseradish Powder . Set the pot to Saute and add a Tbsp of Cooking Oil and when it is shimmering,  brown the pork on all sides and remove from pot. Add 1 chopped Onion, 4 or 5 chopped Sweet Baby Bell peppers and stir until soft. Add  1/4 cup Hard Apple Cider and deglaze the pot. Return Roast to pot and add remaining 12 Oz. Bottle of Hard Apple Cider. Close and lock the lid, hit the cancel button. Press the Manuel button and set for 45 minutes. Let the pressure release on its own.

We went for a walk and it was waiting for us.  It actually went to the warm setting and it turned out tender and delicious.

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

I finally joined the Instant Pot bandwagon and am very happy with the results so far. The machine can be a little intimidating, but I think it will be worth the time to figure out. One of the first things I prepared were Steel Cut Oats and they turned out perfect. They were creamy and very favorable. I used Penzey's Vanilla Sugar to sweeten mine, although brown sugar, honey or agave would have worked just as well.

Steel Cut Oats

Add 2 cups Water, 1 cup Almond Milk, pinch of Salt, Vanilla Bean and 1 cup of Steel Cut oats into the pot, locked lid into place, set Manuel function to cook for 5 minutes and let the pressure come down. Remove bean, sprinkle with Ground Cinnamon and add sweetener of choice.

Gluten Free Taco Soup

This recipe comes from Dan's mom and it's one that Dan likes to make. It's pretty simple and foolproof. You can use whatever ground meat that you want and any type of taco seasoning. #glutenfree

Taco Soup

Brown 1 lb. Hamburger, drain fat. Add 1 Envelope Gluten Free Taco Seasoning, 1-15 oz. can Corn, 1-15 oz. can Chopped Tomatoes, 1-15 oz. can Tomato Sauce and 1-15 oz. can Pinto Beans. Use the liquid in the cans. Add a pinch of Sugar and a pinch of Soda before serving.
Top with crushed corn chips, sour cream and grated cheese.

Herby Chicken and Butter Bean Soup

I came across this recipe in the February 2014 edition of BBC Good Food. I made a few changes to the recipe, but I'm sure it's pretty close to the original. I know I complained some about how hard it was finding ingredients for my recipes while in England, but the same thing happens here. When I went to my local Price Chopper, there were no butter beans! If you need black beans, pinto beans, baked beans or pork and beans, then Price Chopper is the place to shop. I ended up at Hy-Vee where they actually carry butter beans and I was able to make the soup. This is a good soup, especially when the weather is so cold. Serve it up with a nice green salad and some warm bread.

Herby Chicken & Butter Bean Soup

4 chicken thighs
1.5 liters chicken stock
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
3-4 sprigs each rosemary, sage and thyme, leaves picked and chopped
2 tsp. each ground cumin and coriander
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. anise seeds
400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper, place on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, remove meat from bones and shred.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large sauce pan. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes until starting to carmelize. Add carrots, herbs and spices and stir for 2 minutes to toast the spices. Add the stock, shredded chicken and butter beans, cook, covered for 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender and blitz the soup, leaving partly chunky. Add thawed peas, heat through and serve.

Proper Pancakes w/Caramelized Apples

Dan and I said while we were in England, a person could make a lot of money by opening up a pancake house there. Of course the English love their traditional breakfast, but some proper pancakes every once in while wouldn't kill you. We actually found a place that served pancakes on Sundays the last weekend we were there, but they were served on ice cold plates and cold by the time they reached us. The flavor was good, but how hard is it to warm a plate? I came across a recipe for pancakes while we were in England, but the serviced apartment we stayed in did not have all the proper tools for cooking. I bought certain things, which we then donated to a thrift shop on our departure, but I knew I could not keep buying kitchen items for a 3 month stay. I decided to work on the recipe and this is what I came up with. They are really good! No need for butter or syrup to top these because the caramelized apples are perfect as a topper.

Proper Pancakes w/Caramelized Apples

for the pancakes:
135g/ 4 3/4 oz. plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. caster sugar
130ml/ 4 1/2 fluid oz. milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla paste
Cooking spray

for the apples:
1 apple, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Turn the oven on to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Lightly whisk milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla paste in medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and beat with a fork until batter is smooth. Let stand a few minutes. Heat a non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. When the pan is heated ladle batter into pan and flip when the top bubbles. The batter may seem thick, but that is what you want. Place finished pancakes in warm oven until ready to serve. (Also warm plates in the oven.)
When the pancakes are prepared, add butter, apples and brown sugar to same pan. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Serve apples on top of pancakes.

Perfect Roast Beef w/ Tomato Gravy

This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver's website, www.jamieoliver.com. I changed it up just a bit, but pretty much followed the recipe to a tee. Jamie's my favorite, so I don't mess around too much with his recipes. Anyway, I made this meal last night from ingredients that I bought at Kirkgate Market Leeds.


Perfect Roast Beef

• 1 kg quality topside of beef
• 1 medium onion        
• 2 carrots     
• 1 red chilli
• 3 bay leaves       
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme        
• olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 pint cream sherry

To prepare your beef:
Take your beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven. Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F/ gas 9. There's no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.

Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle the beef with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper and fresh thyme leaves, rubbing it all over the meat. Place the beef on top of the vegetables and add the sherry to pan.

To cook your beef:
Place the roasting tray in the preheated oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour for medium beef. If you prefer it medium-rare, take it out 5 to 10 minutes earlier. For well done, leave it in for another 10 to 15 minutes.

When the beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the beef to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and put aside while you make your gravy. Slice the beef thinly for best results.

Tomato Gravy

1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup cream sherry
2 Tbsp. English mustard (I used Colemans)
Juices from beef dish

Add all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer 10 minutes. Pour over sliced beef.

Matt's Sherry Cake

 

This incredibly easy and tasty cake comes from Delicious Magazine's November 2013 edition. Of course, I do not have any of the proper tools in this flat for baking, but I have been trying. This one was done by hand since there is no mixer. If I can do it by hand as easily as I did with such great results, anyone can do it. The flavor is so rich and the sherry gives it an incredible taste. I could not find any proper vanilla extract so I used vanilla paste instead. It's a lovely little goo filled with hundreds of vanilla seeds, no more extract for me. My favorite ingredient was the bicarbonate of soda for bubbly batters. Enjoy this recipe, it's a good company cake!

Matt's Sherry Cake

125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing cake tin
225g self-rising flour, plus extra for dusting cake tin
125g caster sugar
2 medium free-range eggs
1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp. vanilla paste
200ml sweet sherry

Preheat oven to 180 Celsius. Grease 23cm cake tin with butter, then dust with flour.
Beat together butter and sugar in a stand mixer or by hand until fluffy and pale. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then, using a metal spoon, gently fold in half of flour, the bicarbonate and vanilla. Add the sherry and fold in along with remaining flour.
Pour into cake tin and bake 35-45 minutes until risen and cooked through. Allow cake to cool in tin, then turn out onto wire rack to cool fully.

Mac' n' Cheese

I love mac 'n 'cheese, but have never found a recipe that that I really like, until now. This recipe comes from the December 2013 BBC Good Food magazine. The recipe was meant as a way to use left over turkey, but you can really add whatever you have. I added some cooked, crumbled sausage, but it would have been good without it. Whatever meat you use, just throw in a handful and call it done. You can also use whatever cheese you like. The real reason this dish works so well is the crème fraiche. I never would have thought of using it, but it gives the mixture that creamy consistency that most recipes lack. Enjoy this one, it's quick and simple and will serve four.


Mac 'n' Cheese


Heat oven to 200 Celsius. Cook 350g macaroni or penne about 3 minutes less than package guidelines. Stir together 250g half-fat crème fraiche, 125g grated mozzarella, 125g grated English medium cheddar and a handful of leftover meat in a large baking dish. Drain the pasta and stir into the dish, stirring everything together well. Season with salt and pepper. Top with 50g of bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Chicken Scallopine with Lemon Sauce

My friend Alicia sent me this recipe and it is so good. I prepared it last week to rave reviews! I used 2 chicken breasts for my recipe since I was cooking for two and served it on top of a wonderful lemon rice. I flattened my chicken as much as possible without the correct tools, but the flatter the better. That way you will get an even and quicker cook on the breast. Thanks for the recipe Alicia!


Chicken Scallopine with Lemon Sauce 

4 portions of Veal, Chicken, Pork or Turkey
 2 eggs
2 T milk
 1 t salt
 1 t pepper
flour
½ C white wine
 2 C chicken stock
 1/3 C olive oil
 1/3 C vegetable oil
6 T butter
 1 lemon thinly sliced
1 juice of lemon
 2 T parsley  

Whisk eggs, milk, salt & pepper. 
Heat oils. 
Dredge scallopine in flour, dip in egg mix, pan fry, brown evenly, drain on paper towel.  
Remove pan from heat, discard oil, wipe out pan. 
Add half of butter, melt. 
Add lemon slices, cook until golden, remove. 
Add remaining butter, wine & lemon juice, bring to vigorous boil, syrupy. 
Add stock, boil, reduce by half, about 5 minutes. 
Add scallopine, heat thru & serve, sprinkle with parsley. 

Kirkgate Market Leeds

 

Leeds' Kirkgate Market, is a beautiful, sprawling building that is one of the largest indoor markets in Europe. It was built in 1857 and is a sight to see. The building has had some additions throughout the years and is extended even more by an outdoor bazaar. When you first walk in your nose is assaulted with a myriad of aromas that range from fresh fish to coffee. Within seconds you forget the smell and just take in all of the sights.
You can buy just about anything here: fish, sausage, meats, vegetables, coffee, furniture, clothes, prepared meals, baked goods, pizza, rugs, phones, ice cream, cards, spices, hair extensions, dairy, eggs, cosmetics, wine, beer, liquor, flowers, pet supplies, yarn, fabric, toys, candy, and mattresses. You can also shop in a Chinese Super Market, get waxed, have a fish pedicure or get your haircut. I actually got my hair cut there yesterday and they did a great job, for less than 5 pounds! As you can see it's a one stop shop.

The market is only a 5 minute walk from our apartment, so I end there quite often. I haven't bought fish or meat yet, but I will. So far I've just bought flowers, veggies and gotten my hair cut, Jamie Oliver has a cooking school on the premises, so I might have to take a couple of classes.

You can find more info at www.leedsmarkets.co.uk.

Jamie's Italian - Leeds

 

 

This past Monday, on one of my exploring Leeds expeditions, I looked across the street and saw a sign that read Jamie's Italian. Of course I ran across the street to see if it was actually what I thought it was and to my surprise it was. A Jamie Oliver restaurant!! Jamie Oliver has been one of my favorite chefs for years, from the early Naked Chef series to his wonderful Jamie at Home. When I met Dan at the train station that night I promptly walked him up the street to see the place. We would eat there the following evening.
When you first walk in, there is a little shop with some of Jamie's items on sale. You walk up a short flight of steps to the get your table. We were seated immediately and the place was pretty busy. The interior is a blend of modern and rustic with a small bar and a large kitchen open to the dining room. We had a very good waitress named Nejra, who had a great personality. The food came out slowly , but it was all worth it. We started with a special appetizer (4 pounds .50), a 3 cheese fried gnocchi with an arrabbiatta dipping sauce that was served on a plank. Great presentation for a great starter! The gnocchi were crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. We followed that up with the simple green salad (3 pounds .25) that came with a nice yogurt dressing on the side that was really good topped off with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

 

For dinner I had the pumpkin tortellini (10 pounds .25), which had to be one of the best meals I have ever eaten! The flavors of this dish worked so well together, fried sage leaves, pumpkin, red chilies, amaretto cookie crumbles and butter! Dan had the equally amazing lasagna ( 10 pounds .75), which featured an amazing Bolognese sauce and pumpkin. We ordered lemon meringue pie for dessert ( 4 pounds .95). It was served with a pistachio brittle and candied grapefruit peel. The pie was perfect, a great way to end the meal.
We both started our meals with beer, Dan opted for the Liberta, which is Jamie's brew and it was good. I ordered the Messina, an Italian beer that I had never heard of and I liked it as well. We both ordered the house wine with our meals, Dan the red, me the white. They were both good as well. We will be back, often.

 

They are located at 35 Park Row LS1 5JL 0113-3225-400 www.jamiesitalian.com . Also check out Jamie's nice website www.jamieoliver.com .



Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms and Pork & Leek Sausage

 

 

 

On Sunday, I asked Dan what he wanted for dinner on Monday night and he said pasta. I figured this would be an easy dish to prepare, because all of the ingredients could be found at one store, right? Wrong. Just like most other meals I prepare, I end up going to multiple stores to find all of the ingredients. This time my search was for a proper Italian sausage. I started at Kirkgate and could find none. Sainsbary's no. Tesco no. So I headed all the way up to Morrison's. This was my first trip there and I was very excited because this was a large grocery store. They actually have a frozen food section!! They had practically every kind of sausage that I could hope for , but no Italian! Come on, they had prosciutto, chorizo, hot dogs, brats and Polish, but no Italian. I ended up buying a pork and leek sausage that was okay. Next time I will just buy some pork mince (ground) and season it appropriately. My other problem was that I only have one large sauce pan, so I ended up having to make the sauce and pour it into a baking dish. I then placed that in the oven to keep warm until I cooked the pasta.

 

 

 

Tomato Sauce w/ Mushrooms and Pork & Leek Sausage

 

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add 1 small onion chopped, about 1/2 cup and 170 grams sliced mushrooms. Saute for 10 minutes until soft. Add 4 cloves garlic, minced and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp. Italian seasonings a few grinds of black pepper and salt.

 

Add 200 grams of crumbled sausages (3 removed of casings) and cook through.

 

Add 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning, I bay leaf, 1 (430g) jar of Passata Tomato Sauce with basil, 1 (220g) Can of chopped Italian tomatoes with juice, 1/4 cup red wine and 2 tsp. sugar.

 

Add 1/4 cup water to the tomato jar and give it a good shake to get out all of the tomato goodness and add to sauce pan.

 

Bring to boil, reduce and simmer, stirring often for 1 hour. Adjust seasonings, remove bay leaf and serve over favorite pasta.