Tag: white wine
Chicken Piccata
I am amazed this is the first time I am making chicken piccata. It is quite easy to make and it felt nice to add another chicken dish to my repertoire. We are always looking for more, different chicken dishes to make for our families… well, here is a delicious one.I served it to my daughter with some whole wheat thin spaghetti. I had it just with the veggies and it was quite a substantial meal…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Juice of half large lemon
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin into cutlets (or cutlets can be purchased from the store), sprinkled with salt and pepper
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or till translucent. Take out with a slotted spoon and keep aside. In the meantime dredge the chicken cutlets into the flour. Add butter to the frying pan and brown the chicken cutlets for about 3 minutes on each side on medium high heat. Keep aside and cover with foil. Add the white wine, chicken broth, capers and lemon juice to the frying pan. Bring to a boil and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Add the shallot and garlic mixture. Return the chicken pieces back and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or till the chicken pieces are cooked through and the liquid has reduced by about one-third. Add the chopped parsley and check for salt and pepper. Serve hot with pasta, rice or salad.
Tuscan Style Cannellini Beans and Tomato Ragu
This ragu is delicious and very easy to make. I decided to make it dried beans and soaked them overnight, but you can definitely make them with the canned variety. The dried beans give the dish a bit more depth of flavor but the canned ones are very comparable.
I started with pancetta, onion, celery, carrots and garlic. I got fresh herbs from my backyard including rosemary, thyme and sage. I always buy San Marzano tomatoes which are special ones grown in Italy and have an amazing flavor. Some white wine and chicken broth later, I had a start to a very delicious stew. I let it cook for a couple of hours. The good thing about this dish is you can make it in advance. In fact it will taste better the next day as all the flavors will have a chance to marry.
Make this ragu with the lamb roast and have a wonderful holiday.
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Creamy Shrimp With Penne
- 1 to ½ pound penne, cooked al dente
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup clam juice
- 2 cups homemade tomato sauce or a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 pound medium shrimp, deveined and peeled
- Salt
Heat a wide saucepan with olive oil. Add the shallot, garlic and thyme and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the white wine and clam juice to deglaze. Bring to a boil and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Lower the heat and add the half and half and shrimp. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes or till the shrimp are cooked. Add salt and cooked penne. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve hot.
Linguini with Shrimp Scampi
Scampi dish number two.. you have probably guessed by now.. yes, we love scampi in our house. This one had dill in it….
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 6 to 7 garlic cloves, grated
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 pound medium or large shrimp, cleaned
- ½ pound linguini, cooked al dente with ½ cup pasta water
- Salt
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup dill, chopped
Heat a pan with the butter and olive oil on medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute on medium to low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine and shrimp. Mix well and add the pasta including the pasta water and salt. Mix well and cover with lid for 5 minutes or till the shrimp is cooked but not over done. Check for seasonings and add parsley and dill for garnish.
Scallop Scampi with Arugula Salad
Italian dish number two is one of my favorites. I love making one pot meals- this one kind of fits the description. I especially love the arugula salad on top. I happen to have some arugula pesto but you can use regular basil pesto instead…
- 1 pound scallops, cleaned and dried
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves, mashed
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- ½ pound pasta cooked al dente
- ½ cup saved pasta water
Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Brown the scallops on both sides for a minute and keep aside. Add the garlic and sauté on medium heat. Add the white wine and tomatoes. Mix well and scrape any brown bits off the pan surface. Add the pasta and pasta water. Mix well and add the scallops. Cook for another minute and check for seasonings.
Arugula Salad
- 2 cups arugula, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons left over arugula pesto
- Juice of half lemon
- Salt
Place the arugula leaves in a medium bowl. Add the pesto, lemon juice and salt. Toss well and serve small mounds right on top of pasta.
Roasted Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta with Pecorino & Thyme Breadcrumbs
I decided to go with the pasta theme from yesterday and post this delicious dish. As a lot of you know, I work with cauliflower a lot- mostly in Indian dishes. I decided to make a change and use the veggie in another cuisine.. how about pasta, I thought??? Well, why not?
I decided to roast cauliflower florets in a hot oven to bring out the nutty, sweetness. I then took off the casings off some delicious chicken sausages and sautéed them with garlic, shallots, white wine and diced tomatoes. The mixture made a delicious sauce- especially after I added some leftover pasta water to it… it thickens the sauce and makes it yummier.
If that was not enough- I decided to add a topping. I slow cooked a delicious combination of garlic, breadcrumbs, thyme and Romano cheese. The topping gives a delicious crunch and flavor to the pasta dish.
This is a great option for a quick, healthy weeknight meal.. try this with a delicious salad and a glass of wine.
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Lemon and Dill Risotto
There is nothing better than a bowl of creamy, cheesy risotto.. well, maybe a bowl of creamy, cheesy risotto topped with dill shrimp scampi. It was a delicious combination of flavors. The shrimp had garlic, dill and lemon juice… so, I decided to mimic the flavors in the risotto as well. I love making risotto.. it is like having a blank canvas.. I can do whatever I want with it.
I started with garlic and shallots. I added the rice, some white wine and broth. Once the rice was almost cooked, I added half and half, cheese, lemon zest and of course the main ingredient of the evening- dill. The green specks looked amazing against the snowy white rice. It tasted even better, especially with a huge helping of the shrimp scampi…
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