PAN SEARED CHICKEN with RUSTIC TOMATO GRAVY & FLUFFY BUTTERED MASHED POTATOES PAN SEARED CHICKEN with RUSTIC TOMATO GRAVY

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with RUSTIC TOMATO GRAVY & FLUFFY BUTTERED MASHED POTATOES PAN SEARED CHICKEN with RUSTIC TOMATO GRAVY 

3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced THINLY
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons FRESH chopped thyme leaves
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained, but juice reserved
chicken stock
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon WONDRA flour
3 tablespoons Mascarpone cheese

• Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts.
• Add enough chicken stock to the reserved tomato juice to equal 1 3/4 cups. Whisk in chicken bouillon.
• Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.
• Generously season chicken breasts with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
• Dredge chicken breasts in flour.
• Sear chicken breast on each side 2-3 minutes per side.
• Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
• Add onions and garlic, sauteing 2-3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and thyme leaves, simmering 10 minutes until tomatoes are cooked through.
• Stir in Mascarpone cheese until creamy.
• Add chicken breasts to sauce, turning to coat.
• Serve over fluffy mashed potatoes.

I got this recipe from Jet Tila and have used it ever since to make the fluffiest, lightest and tastiest mashed potatoes. 

FLUFFY BUTTERED MASHED POTATOES  

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 pounds SMALL Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into half (2 inch pieces)
1/2 cup half and half
1 1/2 tablespoons FRESH grated sea salt
1 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt

• Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt.
• Bring to a boil over HIGH heat.
• Reduce heat to MEDIUM heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
• Drain the potatoes well in a colander and then return to the pan over LOW heat.
• Warm the half and half in the microwave for 45 seconds.
• Rice or mash potatoes with a masher until lumps are gone.
• Fold in half and half with a rubber spatula.
• Add butter 1 piece at a time, folding it gently into the potato mixture.
• Season to taste with remaining salt and pepper.

NOTES:

• Using the COLD water makes the starches in the potatoes cook slower and more evenly so that the outsides are not more done when the centers are ready and they become creamier.
• Give your potatoes a kick with a bit of roasted garlic, chives or even some wasabi for some variety.

RUSTIC CHICKEN with GARLIC GRAVY

 

RUSTIC CHICKEN with GARLIC GRAVY adapted from Seasons And Suppers
A SUPER delicious one-pan meal served over mashed potatoes or pasta.

CHICKEN
2 Tbsp cooking oil vegetable, canola etc
6 pieces skin-on/bone-in chicken thighs, washed and dried
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
20 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon FRESH thyme leaves
2 tablespoons butter
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

• Heat the oven to 400°.
In a large cast iron skillet heat the oil over medium high heat.
• Generously season chicken pieces with salt and the pepper.
• Sear the chicken until golden, turning regularly, for about 8 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a platter, keeping warm.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.
• Add onions and sauce 30 seconds or so.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook, stirring regularly, until it is starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic and stir until combined.
• Return the chicken to the pot, cover, and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the oven and put it on a burner.
• Remove the chicken pieces from the pot to platter.
• Over medium-high heat, whisk in the wine and simmer for 1 minute.
• Whisk in the broth, thyme and a bit more salt and pepper, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until sauce thickens.
• Turn the heat off and stir in the butter.
• Taste sauce and adjust seasoning.
• Add the chicken back to the pot coating each piece with the sauce.
• Serve spooned over mashed potatoes, rice or pasta

APPLE CIDER PAN GRAVY PORK CHOPS with APPLE STUFFING

This recipe is good year round, but tastes especially GREAT during the fall when apples are at their prime.

APPLE CIDER PAN GRAVY PORK CHOPS
2 tablespoons avocado oil
4 3/4 inch pork chops
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
3-4 sprigs FRESH thyme
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
thin sliced apples,  for garnish SEE NOTE

• Generously sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.
• Heat avocado oil in large skillet over medium heat.
• Sear pork chops on both sides.
• In a small bowl whisk together the honey and apple pie spice.
• Add in garlic and apple cider until well blended.
• Pour over pork chops.
• Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Remove pork chops to a plate, tent and let stand 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the cornstarch and water.
• Add to pan gravy and whisk until well blended.
• Add heavy cream and whisk to blend.
• Increase heat and bring to a SLOW boil until desired consistency is reached.
• Serve pork chops with apple stuffing, your favorite vegetable and top with pan gravy.

NOTE:

• You can serve with thin sliced apple slices or you can use a little butter and apple pie spice to saute the apple slices for a sweet treat.
• Many times I prefer to sear the pork chops for 3 minutes on each side over high heat and then place them into a 400° oven for 6-8 minutes to finish cooking while I prepare the veggies. I find that the pork chops stay moist and juicy this way.

APPLE STUFFING
2 honey crisp apples, peeled,, cored and chopped
3 Kaiser rolls, chopped small
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small bunch green onions, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 + 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup apple cider
2 packets pork flavored top ramen seasoning packets

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet on medium high heat.
• Add carrots and saute 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften.
• Add green onions and garlic sauteing until fragrant.
• Add apples, sauteing until beginning to soften.
• Whisk together the pork seasoning packets into the apple cider.
• Add the remaining butter and apple cider mixture to pan.
• Fold in bread pieces, stirring to coat.
• Cook until liquid is completely absorbed.
• Fold into a casserole and bake 15 minutes or so to heat completely through.

BUTTERMILK CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

BUTTERMILK CHICKEN FRIED STEAK
2 cups buttermilk
2 LARGE eggs, beaten
4 pork cube steaks
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1/3 cup WONDRA flour
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons avocado oil

• Place steaks in a single layer in a shallow dish.
• Pour buttermilk over steaks and chill 1-2 hours.
• Heat oil and butter in large skillet.
• Combine flour and bread crumbs in shallow bowl.
• Add beaten egg to another shallow bowl.
• Season pork cube steaks with salt and pepper.
• Dredge steaks through eggs and then flour before adding to hot oil.
• Sear until golden, flip and sear other side.
• Serve with mashed potatoes and peppered gravy.

PEPPERED GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper + (to taste)

• Melt butter into bottom of pan you just cooked the chicken in.
• Scrape up any of the chicken pieces and mix into new butter.
• Add flour slowly, stirring until absorbed by butter and golden brown.
• Slowly add first the milk and then the cream.
• Stir constantly until thickens.
• If necessary sprinkle in more Wondra until desired thickness is reached.
• Serve over chicken and mashed potatoes.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with CHILE LIME GRAVY & THREE CHEESE BLOOMING POTATO

I've been binge watching Junk Food Flip and The Great British Baking Show lately at night trying to play catch up and clean out the DVR list.  I was so happy when Nadiya won The Great British Baking Show this year!  She was so cute and sweet and won so many of the technical challenges and star baker that it was only fitting.  I really liked Flora too, but in the end she just tried too hard to do too much when she should have been focusing more on the specific challenges.

It was an episode of Junk Food Flip that inspired this dish for us.  Bobby Deen was making a piece of fried chicken for a sandwich and to lessen the fat and carbohydrates he used a rice flour and then only the egg whites whisked with hot sauce. It looked and sounded so good that I just had to try something similar.

I was also seeing these blooming potatoes all over Facebook and wondered what they were all about so had to give it a try too - only seemed reasonable with an experimental meal. I used 1 really LARGE potato for the both of us and then split in half after the baking.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with CHILE LIME GRAVY 

          & THREE CHEESE BLOOMING POTATO & SWEET and SOUR TOMATOES

4 chicken steaks (think cut breasts)
1/3 cup rice flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons Frank's Chile Lime Hot Sauce
fresh ground Salt & Pepper, to taste
1-3 tablespoons butter**

• Whisk together the flours in a shallow dish for dredging.
• Whisk egg whites and Frank's Chile Lime Hot Sauce in another shallow dish.
• Heat pan with butter or oil over medium high.
• Pat dry chicken breasts.
• Generously salt and pepper each breast.
• Dredge each breast in flour mixture, then egg mixture and then flour mixture again shaking off the excess.
• Place chicken in heated pan searing the first side for about 5 minutes.
• Turn chicken and sear other side until cooked through.

CHILE LIME GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons rice flour
1 small can green chile sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream

• Melt butter over medium high heat.
• Whisk in rice flour until smooth and golden.
• Add chicken broth and green chile sauce alternately, whisking until well blended.
• Bring to a SLOW boil, backing off to a simmer as soon as it begins to boil.
• Add heavy cream whisking until well blended and smooth.

BLOOMING POTATO adapted from The Gunny Sack
1 potato per person
avocado oil
butter
salt and pepper
grated medium cheddar
grated Parmesan
grated smoke Gruyere

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Cut the top off of the potatoes.
• Use a small, thin, flexible knife to cut rings around the inside of the potato.
• Flip the potato over and make cuts all the way around the potato, leaving a small space at the top uncut. I also put my thumb on the top of the potato and made the cuts around it leaving a small strip of uncut skin. These cuts go all the way through to the center of the potato.
• Carefully flip the potato back over and place in baking dish.
• Brush the whole potato with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Bake for 30 minutes of baking. 
• Pour melted butter into potatoes and brush all around the top.
• Sprinkle with more sea salt. Return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes. 
• Add cheeses and return them to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes to melt and toast the cheese.

SWEET & SOUR TOMATOES
1 box cherry tomatoes, halved or cut into thirds if they are large
fresh ground salt & pepper, taste
1 tablespoon sugar
splash avocado oil
1 tablespoon STAR golden balsamic vinegar

• Toss tomatoes with all the ingredients.
• Chill.
• Enjoy.

NOTE: **I use a copper non-stick pan and don't need much oil at all so adjust for your cooking pan.

PICKLE BRINED FRIED CHICKEN with BUTTERMILK CREAM GRAVY

PICKLE BRINE FRIED CHICKEN 
1 jar Zucchini relish
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cups buttermilk
Flour for dredging
salt and pepper to taste
coconut oil for frying
garnish

• Poke each piece of chicken with a fork.
• Add chicken and zucchini relish to a large ziploc bag.
• Chill 3 hours.
• Remove chicken from brine, scraping off chunks of relish. Chill until ready to fry.

• Heat oil in large skillet.
• Dredge chicken pieces through the buttermilk and then the flour, patting the flour into all the crevices.
• Add chicken to oil cooking until golden on both sides.
• Serve with mashed potatoes and buttermilk cream gravy.

***Original recipe called for:
1 tablespoon toasted yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon toasted brown mustard seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted coriander seeds
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/ cup chopped fresh dill

BUTTERMILK CREAM GRAVY
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Wondra flour
1 container KNORR chicken gel bouillon
1 cup water
1 cup buttermilk
Fresh ground salt and black pepper, to taste

• Whisk together the bouillon gel and water until smooth.
• Add buttermilk until well blended. Set Aside.
• Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
• Add flour, whisking until golden and smooth.
• Gradually add buttermilk mixture and bring to a SLOW boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer until thickening begins.
• Salt and pepper to desired taste.

ZUCCHINI RELISH
5 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 cup red pepper
1 cup green pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 1/2  teaspoons turmeric
2 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar

• Whisk together the spices and sugar. Set aside.
• Toss together zucchini, onion, red and green peppers.
• Sprinkle with salt and toss again.
• Pour 2 cups water over top.
• Soak over night.

• Drain and rinse WELL! (I use a cheesecloth to gently wring out remaining water from the veggies.
• Add veggies to a large pot.
• Add spice mixture and vinegar, stirring to coat.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25-30 minutes until veggies are soft.
• Pour into hot sterilized jars and water bath 10 minutes.

VANILLA LATTE MEATBALLS with COFFEE GRAVY

Anyone can make a meatloaf or fried chicken.  When I search for recipes for recipe experiment night I look for the unusual. I found this recipe loose in my file. Heaven only knows where it came from.  It was a xerox of a xerox called Norwegian Meatballs. I changed it enough to utilize what I had on hand and we really liked it so I'll make it the same way again, but I changed up the directions a bit.  I'll give you the original ingredients in red with my changes in black.

VANILLA LATTE MEATBALLS with COFFEE GRAVY
1 1/2 cups 'nilla wafer crumbs 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup espresso 1/4 cup strong coffee

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a small Vidalia)
1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian leaf parsley
1 teaspoon fresh ground Himalayan Pink salt 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 cup organic butter
3/4 pound ground chuck 1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground country pork 1/2 pound ground turkey or ground pork

• In a large mixing bowl combine 'nilla wafers, heavy cream and espresso until evenly moist.
• Add eggs, onion, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper, mixing again by hand until well blended.
• Add meat and blend again until evenly mixed.
• Cover and chill for several hours.
• With gloves or moist hands form golf ball sized meatballs.
• Chill again for 30 minutes or so.

• In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over a medium-high heat.
• Cook meatballs, turning as necessary until cooked through, about 10 minutes. As meatballs finish remove them with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels as you cook the rest of the meatballs.  Add remaining butter as necessary until it is all in the skillet.

1/4 cup flour
1 KNORR beef gel bouillon 1 cup beef broth
1 cup boiling water
1 cup espresso 1 cup strong coffee
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon  Himalayan Pink salt 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• After meatballs are all cooked, whisk flour into skillet, scraping all the bits from the bottom.
• Whisk together KNORR gel, coffee, water and seasoning.
• When flour is golden and smooth, gradually add coffee mixture, whisking until smooth.
• Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
• Return meatballs to gravy, lower heat, and simmer a few minutes until meatballs are hated through.

BAKED MEATBALLS w/ ONION GRAVY

MEATBALLS

1 pound hamburger

1 pound ground pork
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup Panko crumbs or crushed saltines
2 eggs

1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using your hands blend all the ingredients together.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll meatballs into golf ball size meatballs.
• Bake for 30-45.
• Bake how ever many you need today and freeze the others for future meals. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.

ONION GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 tablespoons cream sherry
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon better than bouillon beef base
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
salt and pepper to taste

• In a large skillet melt the butter for the gravy. Saute the onions until browned.
• Add the bouillon base, cream sherry and hot water. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, add flour and continue cooking to desired consistency.

SAUERBRATEN, POTATO PANCAKES & GINGERSNAP GRAVY

SAUERBRATEN & GINGER SNAP GRAVY

3 pound chuck roast
2 cups vinegar
2 cups beef broth
1 medium onion, thinly sliced into rings, separated
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoons ground cloves
6-10 gingersnaps

• In a medium saucepan blend all the ingredients together except the ginger snaps. Heat, but do not boil.
• Pour over the roast in a tight sealed Tupperware marinader. Marinate 48-72 hours, turning twice daily.
• On the 3rd day remove the roast from the marinade, drain well saving all marinade and brown* on both sides and all edges.
• Put roast in roasting pan and pour marinade over top. Bake for 3 hours covered and undisturbed.
• During the last 30 minutes add the gingersnaps to the liquid and allow them to soften. If you are going to want more gravy than there is liquid, add a can of beef consomme at this time.
• Remove bay leaves. If you prefer you can use whole cloves (8-10) and tie those and the bay leaves into a cheesecloth bag that can be more easily removed.
• Remove roast from pan and whisk in roux until desired gravy consistency is reached.

*Browning will take longer because of the vinegar in the marinade.

POTATO PANCAKES

3+ cups peeled, grated & squeezed* potatoes
1 large bunch green onions, minced or 1 small Vidalia onion, minced
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted

• Sift together the flour, salt and pepper.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, egg and butter until smooth.
• Whisk in the flour mixture until well blended.
• Fold in the potatoes and onions.
• Drop onto hot griddle and make your pancakes.
• Serve with applesauce and sour cream or with the Sauerbraten gravy.

*I use a flour cloth towel as my base. I grate the potatoes on top of it and then bring all the corners together like a knapsack wrapping the potatoes inside. I continue to tighten the turns until I squeezed all the moisture from the potatoes.

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN with PEPPERED GRAVY, Family Favorite Mashed Potatoes and Sugared Carrots

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN
2 large boneless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2-4 tablespoons butter (enough to keep chicken from burning~add as necessary)

• Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts.
• In a shallow glass pan, pour buttermilk over chicken 1-2 hours prior to cooking.
  
• Make sure to coat chicken well and turn at least once during soaking.
  
• Drain, but do NOT rinse the buttermilk off.
• In a medium sized fry pan melt the butter over medium heat. As butter melts and begins to very slightly sizzle, prepare breasts.
• In a small ziploc bag mix together the flour, salt and pepper.
  
• One at a time, put each chicken breast in bag and coat well with flour mix and then into sizzling butter.
  
• Cook on one side until edges begin to bleed and then turn.
  
• About 6 minutes each side depending on plumpness.
  
• Keep chicken warm.
  

PEPPERED GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper + (to taste)

• Melt butter into bottom of pan you just cooked the chicken in.
  
• Scrape up any of the chicken pieces and mix into new butter.
  
• Add flour slowly, stirring until absorbed by butter and golden brown.
  
• Slowly add first the milk and then the cream.
  
• Stir constantly until thickens.
  
• If necessary sprinkle in more Wondra until desired thickness is reached.
  
• Serve over chicken and mashed potatoes.

FAMILY FAVORITE MASHED POTATOES
4 large Yukon potatoes, peeled & quartered
4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/4 + buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper to taste

• Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender.
• Drain.
• Mash all together salt and peppering to taste.
  

SUGARED CARROTS
1 small bag baby carrots, washed
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons PURE maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Blanche carrots in sugared water until just tender.
• Drain.
  
• Blend together brown sugar, maple syrup and butter.
• Toss with carrots.
• Bake 20 minutes.

HAMBURGER STEAKS, PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES & ONION GRAVY - YUMMMY!

HAMBURGER STEAKS
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound hamburger
1 sleeve Keebler club crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 Jumbo eggs
1 tablespoon liquid Smoke - MYSTERY ingredient
 

PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES
6 medium red potatoes, washed and cut into pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4-1/2 cup Buttermilk
 

ONION GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 tablespoons cream sherry
2 cups hot water
1 tablespoon better than bouillon beef base
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
salt and pepper to taste

• Combine all the hamburger steak ingredients until well mixed. Form six steaks.
• Bake 30 minutes in convection oven at 350 degrees.
• In a large skillet melt the butter for the gravy. Saute the onions until browned.
• Add the bouillon base, cream sherry and hot water. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, add flour and continue cooking to desired consistency.
• Bring potatoes to a boil until tender. Drain.
• Combine potato ingredients and beat until smooth.
• Enjoy

♥