Chicken Saltimbocca with Creamy Couscous

Chicken Saltimbocca with Creamy Couscous 

It seems that when you are tired and just want fast food, or something to just pop in the microwave, someone is coming over that you feel pressured to impress. I have the dish for you!  Colorful, delicious and a cinch to make!

Ingredients

4 - 6 chicken breasts or thighs (I used thighs)

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

six large sage leaves

3 sprigs fresh oregano

1/4 cup cream cheese (I used onion and chive)

2 rounded tablespoon sour cream

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1/2 cup Chardonnay or any non-sweet white wine (but I had only Pinot Grigio, go figure)

The zest and juice of half a lemon

1 tablespoon paprika

Fresh or dried thyme   I only had dried on hand

salt and pepper + 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 rounded teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon small capers

2 tabs butter

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Fresno chiles, sliced into rings

Parmiggiano, grated

Couscous

1 store bought package of couscous

*I added saffron to the couscous and a smashed clove of garlic

*Follow directions on the box, otherwise

In a large skillet, add the evoo over medium-high heat.  Meanwhile, salt and pepper the chicken breasts and add a sage leaf to the flat side, and when the oil ripples, add them to the oil.  It will sizzle and that is what you want. Sear the breasts three minutes per side.  Get a nice golden color on them. Remove the breasts to a plate.  

Start the couscous.  Follow the directions on the package.  For a more smoky taste, add a tab of butter and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a crushed garlic clove, and add the couscous.  Stir it around to coat the couscous and toast it a bit. Add the recommended amount of water, bring to a boil.  Add a pinch of saffron or saffron flower (saffron flower is far less expensive with a fraction of the flavor, but on a budget, it is worth it). For extra flavor, you could add chicken stock rather than water. Cover and finish as directed. 

I added a few small oregano leaves to the couscous. 

To the skillet, add the cream cheese, butter and sour cream, tomatoes and sliced Fresno chiles over medium heat. When the mixture begins to bubble, add the wine, capers, mustard and lemon zest and juice.  Bring the now looser mixture to a boil and snuggle the chicken into the mixture. Add the parmiggiano, cover and let the chicken braise in the mixture for thirty minutes over low heat. 

After thirty minutes, uncover and bring to medium for fifteen minutes.  Loosely place foil atop the skillet to catch spattering. 

To plate, add a rounded mound of couscous to the plate and top it with then chicken and add some of the sauce atop the chicken. 

Add oregano garnish and grate parm and serve!

I hope this dish has inspired you.  Thank You for your time and your visit!  

Now, go cook something for someone you love! I am!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Martin's Fruit-A-Licious Rose Sangria!

Fruit-A-Licious Rose Sangria

What's summer without Sangria?  While most people make Sangria with zinfandel, I like to make Sangria with all fresh fruit, as is traditional, but with White Zinfandel.  It is lighter and well, I can drink a lot more of it than Sangria made with zinfandel. 

Here are some photos about my Summer Fruit-A-Licious Rose Sangria. 

I used blood orange, naval orange, apples, lemon, blue berries, blackberries and raspberries. I also used bottles of sparkling lemonade and sparkling blood orange; a cup of each. 

Easy as can be. Slice the larger fruit, add lemon zest and juice, add the sparkling drinks, about a cup of each, and then the wine of your choice.  Of course, I am not averse to pouring a bottle of champagne into the mix.  What do you do?  Please feel free to share here with us all!  Thanks!

As always, Thank You for your time and viewership!  Now, go cook something for someone you love and surprise them with a cold glass of Fruit-A-Licious Rose Sangria! ❤

~Martin

In-House Cook

Mozzarella Meatballs with Herb Alfredo and Penne

Mozzarella Pork Meatballs with Creamy Herb Alfredo and Penne

Hello, Friends! This is my first blog post since November, and I apologize for the insane delay.  Life has been a bit of a tumble these last months for me, physically, but I am on the road to complete recovery and soon, you'll be completely tired of me. 

I am grateful for all of you viewing this all-new recipe blog post.   

With that, let's get to the meal, shall we?  This meal is simple, fun, aromatic and can feed up to four easily. I must make my confession about now. In fear of pain and sharp objects, I bought the Alfredo sauce.  I was going to make it from scratch but I wanted to dissect the flavors and ingredients for myself.  What I learned is that, while I am good making a roux, I must learn the rest of the "Mother Sauces".  That is my summer goal.  Now....

Mozzarella Meat Balls
1 pound ground sausage or ground beef (I used beef)
2 gloves garlic, finely grated
1 quarter red onion, finely grated
1/4 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil or flat leaf Italian parsley 

Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly.  Use your hands or an ice cream scooper to form perfectly shaped meatballs all the same size. You should be able to make 12 evenly shaped and sized meatballs.  You can either fry them in a skillet to give them a delicious crust, which is what I did, or, you could place the meatballs in a muffin tin sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for twenty minutes at 375-degrees. 

As I mentioned above, I seared the meatballs in a skillet with garlic and rosemary infused extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the meatballs had acquired a delicious crust, about three minutes per side, I removed them from the skillet.  I drained the skillet and added two tabs of butter and a little garlic powder and spooned in the store-bough Alfredo sauce.  I added fresh oregano and thyme. I gently whisked everything together and allowed it to heat up slowly. 

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, I added about two quarts of water and liberally salted the water when it began to boil.  I added two cups of penne pasta and allowed it to cook al dente, or, just before done.  Once al dente, I added the pasta, two tabs of butter, and some onion and chive cream cheese, about a half cup, along with fresh torn basil and about two tablespoons of finely grated parmiggiano cheese. I tossed the pasta with the mixture until it was creamy.  The aroma was simply killer.  Amazing. I simply served the pasta and added three meatballs I'd been keeping warm in the oven. 

Creamy Sauce Ingredients
2 cups penne pasta 
1/4 cup cream cheese (I used onion and chive)
2 tabs butter
2 rounded tablespoons parmiggiano cheese, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 torn fresh leaves basil, torn
1 or 2 sprigs fresh oregano, stripped, for garnish

*See directions above

If this does not make your mouth water, nothing ever will.  It was a culinary coup for me, simple and easy.  Gastronomy experts may not concur, but between you and I, I think we done good work here.  Please make this and tell me what you think about it!  Thanks!

Thank You for viewing this very belated recipe post.  I am grateful for you being with me.  Please look up my new Facebook site for my humble blog at In-House Cook.  Thank You!

With that, please go cook something for someone you love!  💖

~Martin

In-House Cook