Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Chicken Tostada - Everday Food

Ingredients

  • 4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
  • 3 ounces shredded (3/4 cup) pepper Jack cheese
  • 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) cooked, shredded chicken breasts
  • 1 cup jarred green salsa, plus more for serving (optional)
  • 1/4 cup chopped, plus 2 tablespoons cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 3 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over tortillas; bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together chicken, salsa, 1/4 cup cilantro, and cumin. Spoon mixture evenly over tortillas; bake until heated through, about 8 minutes.
  3. Top with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately, with additional green salsa, if desired.
This dish came out okay. I don't think it was one of Brad's favorites - it was a little tricky to eat in terms of trying to cut up the tortilla. I had never used store bought green salsa so I don't think I used the best one, if I made this again I think I would try to find a recipe and make it myself or just use regular red salsa. What I did like about it was that it is fairly healthy with all of  the veggies and chicken.

I think sometimes eating things in a familiar way is important. Serving this as a burrito or  as tacos would have been fine too. Since we're trying to eat healthier, corn tortillas are typically less calories than flour. I also probably would use less cheese.

Just some thoughts :) This wasn't a great dish but it wasn't awful - just need to make some adjustments. Happy Cooking!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Chicken Cutlets Brasciole - Rachael Ray



Ingredients

1/2 cup hot water
Handful golden raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 slices white sandwich bread, torn
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, a few sprigs, leaves chopped

Directions

Pour very hot tap water into a small bowl. Add raisins and plump 5 minutes.

Lightly toast nuts in a small skillet over medium low heat.

Drain raisins and pat dry. Place raisins, nuts, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, torn bread and cheese into processor and pulse into a stuffing.

Butterfly the chicken open by cutting into and across the breast but not all the way through. Pound out the cutlets and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fill the breasts with stuffing, roll and secure with toothpicks.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the brasciole all over 7 to 8 minutes, remove and set aside. Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up the drippings. Stir in tomatoes and tarragon, add chicken back, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

The first time I made this, I thought serving it with spaghetti would be a good idea. I figured since it had a red sauce that pasta makes sense - I was wrong. Rice pilaf is a much better side!

I also, didn't have toothpicks either time making this. I felt as though it held together well even without them. Just make sure you roll the chicken tight enough. 

I followed this recipe to a T and it turned out really well. I love any excuse to bust out my food processor :) I did also use a non-stick pan, it helps with making the sauce. The wine will deglaze the pan better. 

Happy Cooking :)