I love to cook italian, and these dishes are both appealing to the eyes and the mouth! They are colorful, healthy, delicious, and easy to make!
Chicken Piccata
(it only serves 4 so you might have to double it, I sugest serving it over pasta!)
Ingredients
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.
OR
Chicken Marsala
(One of my favorites, serves 6)
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine
Directions
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.
While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.What are some good healthy family recipes that can feed a family of five to six? ingredients and instructions?
Farfalle
with Fresh Tomatoes, Wine, Olives and Golden Raisins
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup julienned red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes
3/4 cup sliced olives, such as kalamata
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound farfalle or other dry pasta
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, for garnish
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan and cook the onions and garlic until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives, raisins, white wine, capers, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until the tomatoes have broken down slightly and the sauce is slightly thickened,7 to 10 minutes. Add kosher salt and black pepper, to taste, and set aside to keep warm.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and place the pasta in a large mixing bowl along with the hot pasta sauce and the basil. Toss to combine, adding pasta cooking water 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time to thin the sauce, if necessary. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, drizzled with the remaining olive oil and garnished with the feta cheese.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
I would probably grill meat or fish.....use olive oil, garlic, and fresh lemon juice to flavor the meat. Serve this with wild rice seasoned with garlic and parsley and a nice green salad with a fresh vinegarette.
6 4 oz fillets of salmon (mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 4 cloves minced garlic, a pinch of salt and black pepper and brush this over the salmon.
Grill the salmon on medium low heat skin side down for 10-15 minutes or until the meat flakes easily. Then squeeze lemon juice over the top of the salmon right before serving.
Buy wild rice. For 6 people cook 1 1/2 cups rice to 2 cups water. Boil the water first, add in the rice and 6 cloves minced garlic....with 2 tsp salt. Bring it back to a boil and then turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for exactly 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the rice to sit covered and untouched for 10 more minutes. Then add in 2 tbsp fresh cut flat leaf parsley and fluff the rice...stir in the parsley with a fork.
Make any type of green salad with romaine baby spinach grape or cherry tomatoes, red onion, red and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers mushrooms and anything else you would like.
Then mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Stir in 6 cloves of garlic that have been minced, a pinch of italian oregano....and salt and pepper to taste. Pour this over the greens right before serving.
Enjoy!
I made this last night and it was a huge hit...
LENTIL STEW WITH SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup fresh corn (from the cob)
1 tbsp minzed garlic
few dashes sweet paprika, old bay seasoning, salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup cut bacon
1 turkey kilbasa sausage sliced in 1/2 pieces
1 cup dried lentils
1 cup white wine
2 cans stewed tomatoes italian style and chopped
3 carrots chopped
1 large potatoe diced (with skin on)
3 cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 chicken bulion cube
2 cups raw shrimp peeled and veined
Saute onion and celery in olive oil until golden. Add corn, garlic, spices and bay leaf. Add bacon and sausage and lentils and saute for about three minutes over high heat. Add wine and reduce by half (for about two minutes over high) then add tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook for ten minutes over medium heat covered. Add carrots and potatoes and cook until all is tender, about an hour over low with the lid on (make sure to stir every ten minutes or so to avoid burning) Turn heat off and add shrimp. Return lid and let sit for 20 minutes then serve with warm crusty bread or over rice.
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