Herb and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thigh Rolls and Cucumber Salad with Lemony Vinaigrette

 

Herb & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thigh Rolls & Cucumber Salad Lemony Vinaigrette

As my wonderful friends know, I have sadly neglected my poor humble, little blog.  Sometimes life takes you on strenuous and tenuous journeys.  So many lessons to have been learned along the way, and this week, I was deeply reminded that, despite everything going on in the world today, there are genuinely lovely people who prove that love and kindness is the way, that, there are amazing people in the world who care and show it every day and every time they can.  When I started my blog back in 2012, it was out of love and caring. I wanted to share recipes for people to enjoy looking at, to look at the "how-to" photos and realize that they, too, could easily do this. And even more so, I strove to convey that recipes are to be adapted and altered and changed to meet the needs of the home cook who had decided to cook one of my recipes.  Knowing that, I had, in my bio, that my blog is about my cooking journey, noting the things that went well and the things that were "areas of opportunity" and what I learned along the way.

I lost track of that about five years in to erratically writing my precious little blog.  It is, to me, because it was a fun labor of love.  THAT, friends, is what I want it to become once again.  I would LOVE for you to join me again.  Thank you. ❤

*Note: not all of the recipes on my blog post are my own recipes, and I denote whose recipe it is, or, where I found it from, not claiming that it was my own. 

Let's get to it, shall we? 

One of the first things I noticed while editing the photos was that the chicken rolls looked spartan, shall we say? While I was rather aiming for simplicity, without piles of greens or something atop them, or drowned in cheese (oh yum!), I was hoping the mustard would ooze over the top, that the chicken would brown, but, none of that happened.  Next time I make this, I will be sure to make the chicken look fantastically more enticing!  Thank you for your understanding.  😌

Chicken Marinade Ingredients

2 lemons, zest and juice, separated

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 rounded teaspoon salt 

1 rounded tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves, thyme leaves (or young shoots), 4 fresh sage leaves, diced 

1/4 red onion or whole shallot, diced, halved

3 cloves garlic, diced

three tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or, your favorite)

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil 

3 hefty tablespoons red (or white) wine vinegar

1/2 cup sparkling wine 

In a large bowl, add all of the wet ingredients, stir or whisk vigorously. Add the salt and pepper, shallot/onion and garlic.  Stir to incorporate.  Add the zest and half of the herbs and stir one final time.

  

*Reserve the rest of the zest and juice for cooking time.

Prepping the Chicken Thighs

You will need four to six chicken thighs.

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. 

Using a sharp paring knife, or another small but very sharp culinary blade, cut off the parts of the thighs that dangle. I cut off all of those parts and set them aside. Cut through the tissues and fats that keep the thigh from opening up like an oddly shaped book. You will be rolling the thighs up after being slightly stuffed with good things. After trimming all of the extras off the chicken thighs, you could, if the thighs are lumpy, as they tend to be, place saran wrap atop them and pound them out flatter. You get more coverage that way, and the cooking time is reduced. 

Place the chicken into the marinade and make sure each piece is submerged, or, mostly submerged. Let the chicken marinate for a minimum of thirty minutes  before processing. Two hours would be perfect!

*I sauteed up the pile of chicken "danglies" (I made up a word) and saved them as treats for the dogs.  See my furmily at the end of this post.  Thanks!

Stuffing the Chicken

On a cutting board or a baking sheet over foil or another culinary covering, lay out the chicken thighs. The ingredients for stuffing the chicken thighs are:

The remainder of the lemon zest and juice

The remainder of the fresh herbs

1 container of marinated mozzarella balls, or, cubed mozzarella sticks if you have those at home

Dijon mustard

Cooked, crumbled bacon

fresh garlic, diced

the other half of the onion/shallot

salt and pepper

Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper. Add a small amount of onion, bacon and herbs, followed by two halves of a marinated mozzarella ball to the larger, wider end of the chicken, and finally, add a drizzle of the mustard.  Using both hands, roll up the chicken up the narrow end.  Place the chicken into a cooking sprayed baking pan, flap side down. Add a little more bacon and herbs atop each chicken roll and drizzle with a touch more mustard. Once all of the stuffed thighs have been placed in the baking pan, squeeze the rest of the lemon juice over the chicken rolls. 

*Going back to my statement at the beginning of this post, I mentioned that I should have done something - either at this point, or, after cooking - to spruce up the currently spartan chicken.  I'd love to hear your thoughts!  Thank you!

I had some extra vinaigrette leftover so I added it to the baking pan, as well. 

Bake the chicken for 50 minutes at 375-degrees. 

Now to the fun part!  The Cucumber Salad!

 

You will need:

1 cucumber

1 pint of grape tomatoes

Marinated mozzarella balls, halved

Fresh thyme, leaves pulled

a sprinkle of red onion or shallot

and

Your favorite vinaigrette. I used a champagne vinaigrette.

Arrange the cucumber however you like, along with the other items.  I thought I had marinated red peppers in the pantry but I didn't.  That would have been a nice addition. Next time!

As an afterthought, I should have plated the salad and the chicken all on one plate.  I did not because I was very busy with household issues. I could have plated the salad, then placed the dinner plates in the frig, but, that great idea escaped me until it was an afterthought.  Lesson learned!

 

In final hindsight, I thought of placing a soft fried egg atop the chicken, or, top the rolls with broccoli greens dipped in the vinaigrette, or, topped with a slab of mozzarella to ooze down all over.  I think any of those would be delicious.  What do you think? What will you add if you decide to make this dish?  And, I really hope you do, and show off your success! ]

As always, friends, I am totally grateful for your visit and your time!  Please say hi here, on Insta, or Bluesky, Threads or FB.  ❤

Now, Go Cook For Someone YOU Love!!!!

Martin 

In-House Cook

Last weekend's visit and stay in Eden Lake Retreat, where we stayed in an historic cabin. 

 

My Waaayyy Overstuffed Baked Potatoes

 

My Waaayyy Overstuffed Baked Potato

Last Thursday my spouse and I went out to run errands and we ended up eating at a local eatery. As we were leaving, I noticed this elderly gentleman who'd sat down with this huuuuuge plate of a stuffed baked potato.  It was ginormous!!!  Exaggeration not exaggerated!  It gave me a good idea to make for dinner.  I did that this Friday night. I forgot to take photos except for the final product (I'm mentally challenged at times) so this will be much shorter than usual. Let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients

1 large russet potato (per person), washed

1/2 stick of butter per two potatoes  (y'all)

6 pieces of well-done fried bacon*

1.5 cups pita chips or potato chips*

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese* 

salt and pepper

garlic powder or garlic salt

bunch of diced chives or finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

Drizzles of extra virgin olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1/2 onion, finely chopped

*Whatever cheese you love, IF you want to add any

*Sour cream, if you like that!

*Any other condiment that you love

To start, you can either microwave the potatoes or you can oven bake them.  I decided to oven bake them.  I'd microwaved two potatoes last month and they were dry and a little chewy.  My mother always baked them, even when we were the first family to have a microwave oven on our street. 

Preheat the oven to 450-degrees.

Let's get to it.  Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Poke them with a fork all over. Lay out one 16-inch or so sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle just a little evoo over the potato, about a teaspoon or so, and rub it all over the potato. Add a teaspoon or so of garlic powder or garlic salt (gentle on the garlic salt) and rub that all over the potato, as well. Add a few drips of water.  Place the potato in the middle edge of the foil sheet away from you and roll up to the other side.  Twist the ends. When the oven notifies you that it has reached that set temperature, add the foil-wrapped potatoes to the center rack. After you close the oven door, do not open it for an hour. Do not place anything else in there to bake. Thank you. 

Next, in a medium skillet with three drizzles of evoo over medium high heat, add the ground beef when the oil begins to ripple. Add a little salt and pepper and break it up into a crumble. Add the onion and stir to incorporate well. At this juncture, you can season the ground beef any way you like.  I seasoned it like taco beef, but you could add whatever to make it the way you want it. You could add a can of cream of whatever and enjoy it your way.  When the beef is done, set the skillet aside. 

This next part I did because I have a new never-been-used Oster processor blender.  I purposefully, for this dish, bought garlic and parmesan pita chips. To bring it together, I fried up six pieces of center cut bacon and set it on paper towels to dry. In the meantime, I chopped some of the parsley and added that and about a cup (more, I think) of the pita chips to the blender, as well as with about three tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese. I blended it all together (such a wonderful kitchen item!).  It was going to be a topping for the potato.  Next, I added the fried, dried bacon to the processor and blended that up to fine bits.  I had way too much fun with this, I have to tell you!  😁

I placed those into separate bowls and set them aside. 

Beauuuuuuuutiful, yes???!!!

Now, go take a break until the potatoes are done baking. Remember, one entire hour without disturbing the oven.  Sorry. I don't make the rules. 

When the timer after an hour goes off,  very carefully and with oven mitts, remove the potatoes. They should be a little soft when you grab them. That is a good thing. Set them aside and let them cool for about five minutes before you unwrap them.  Be sure to turn the  oven off!

The rest of this dish is just assembly, and you can assemble it Any way you want, and With Anything you want!  

After I had taken the potato's foil wrapping off, I place it on a plate, and, using a sharp chef knife, I sliced it right down the center, but without separating it. I opened the potato like a book. Then, I did the same to the two sides, but much more gently.  

Afterward, I added butter to the hot potatoes, followed by the a small amount of cheese (I used a Mexican blend, but you can use whatever makes you happy) and then I split the ground beef in half (half per potato), followed by more cheese, salsa and, the stars, the pita bits and bacon bits.  

I know you must be thinking: "That's just a little over the top, don't you think?" Of course it is!  It's a Waaayyy Overstuffed Baked Potato!  Demure is not part of this recipe! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

This has everything but the salsa. 

This has salsa and herbs. So good!

So, this is it. There are so many different ways you could do this!  You can make it as demure as you like, with sour cream, bacon bits, chives or scallions, or pile it up like a savage and enjoy a feast!  It's whatever makes YOU happy that is the important point here. 

Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love!❤

And as always, I am grateful for your visit and your time.  Thank You for sticking with me!

~Martin

In-House Cook

Foley and I truly appreciate you!

Pesto Farfalle Pasta with Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Sliced Steak

 

Pesto Farfalle Pasta with Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Sliced Steak

Yesterday was a special day for my spouse and I. We voted early, which was a big deal for us to participate in our civic duty in our new state. To celebrate, I made a special, but very easy luxurious meal. Seared ribeye steaks, sliced, over farfalle pasta tossed with fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, fresh basil, fresh lemon juice and zest, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and the star, pesto⭐!  If you have a special celebration coming up, this is a meal that can take you less than an hour to prep and cook and plate. It's oerfect for two-to-six hungry appetites!  Let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients

2 ribeye steaks

2 pints tomato medley on the vine

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh or store bought basil pesto

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 box "bowtie", aka Farfalle pasta

half palm full of salt for the water, plus seasoning

fresh ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon

1 fresh lemon, zest and juice 

1/2 stick of butter

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (evoo)

*optional!  Splash of white wine (I'll tell you when!)

Aged Balsamic Drizzle (Vinegar)

Let's get to it!

Bring the two ribeye steaks (or whatever steaks you prefer to use but ribeyes are very soft) and gently season both sides with salt and pepper. Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a skillet (or heat up your grill) and gently sear or grill the steaks. Cook them to however you like.  I prefer medium-rare. 

Bring 4 quarts of water to a roiling boil, and add that half palm full of salt. It's the only time you can season the pasta by itself. 

Prep the herbs and pasta fixins...

Coarsely chop Julienne cut the fresh basil and parsley.

Zest the lemon and halve it to prep for the pasta. Have half a stick of butter prepped for the sauce, as well.

I bought a wedge of parmigiano-reggiano special for this dinner. You can certainly use your favorite parmesan or Pecorino Romano, just your favorite white Italian cheese. If you Do buy a wedge, grate half of a cup. 

Reminder...

Bring the two ribeye steaks (or whatever steaks you prefer to use but ribeyes are very soft) and gently season both sides with salt and pepper. Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a skillet (or heat up your grill) and gently sear or grill the steaks. Cook them to however you like.  I prefer medium-rare. Let the steaks rest about five or so minutes before slicing them. For a special dish like this, I like to trim the four sides and set the trimmings aside. Then slice the steaks on a bias so they are thin and tender. Set them aside. Chew on the trimmings and give some to the dogs!  🦮🐶🐕

Heat the oven to 400-degrees. In the skillet the steaks were seared in or, add a small drizzle of evoo and the tomatoes on the vine. Coat the tomatoes with the renderings in the skillet and place it in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove. Some of the tomatoes will have fallen off the vine and some may have popped. That's Okay!  Save those renderings! That's flavor!*

The water in the pot should be at a good boil before or just when you start the steaks. No stress on when, really.  Boil the pasta about ten-to-twelve minutes. Do the taste test to see if the pasta is done by the ten minute mark.  When it is done, strain the pasta in a colander, saving half to a full cup of the starchy pasta water.  Immediately add the butter, about three rounds of the pot with evoo, half of the parsley and half of the basil. *NOw is the time to add a good splash of white wine!  I added Sauvingnon Blanc, a favorite of mine.  Chardonnay might pack too big of a punch, but I do love a good Chard. 

Add the lemon zest but not the juice quite yet. Stir the butter, black pepper and the herbs and zest till the "sauce" just starts to foam. Now add the pasta back to the pot and add the pasta water.  Stir to incorporate the sauce completely. Now, add the pesto and repeat that vigorous stirring process.  It'll build muscles!

Add the juice of the lemon to the pesto and herbs in the initial butter, evoo and wine sauce. Stir to make sure all of the pasta is coated with all of the sauce now. Add half of the cheese and work that in, as well.  The aromas you will enjoy will make your mouth water in a most happy way!  Have a piece of bread on hand to keep you from....you know. Drooling. 😅

The steaks should be trimmed and sliced. The pasta should be done, staying on low heat in the pot. The herbs and the rest of the cheese is ready to garnish. 

You can either serve this family style, as I did, on a large serving platter, or, you can plate individually. It's Up to you!

If serving family style, remember to add the roasted tomatoes (carefully, as they are hot!), parm and the remainder of the fresh basil and flat leaf Italian parsley. Drizzle the plate with the renderings from the steaks and tomatoes over the steak only and then, drizzle entire platter with the aged balsamic. The flavors will knock your socks off!

Different view. 

Drooling yet?  I am, again!

Such a delicious and fun to make meal! There are several moving pieces, true, but it'll be easy to time and finish one task at a time. The main practical idea is to prep as much as possible, first! Maybe even trim the steaks first, and sear and saute separately. Hmmm...things to think about for next time. 

With that, friends, as always, it is great to see you again. I am totally grateful for your visit to my humble site. Now, Go Cook For Someone You Love! ❤

~Martin

In-House Cook

Happy Halloween, All!

Marinated Skirt Steak Tacos

 

Marinated Skirt Steak Tacos

Most of the time, when I make tacos, I use the go-to recipe my mom used, ground beef. She would use a packet of Lowry's taco seasoning (not an ad) or some other packet, but I love making my own taco seasoning. The other night, however, I wanted to make tacos that would be remembered for generations. I think I did that. (I also know that we ALL have taco recipes with myriad fillings that are what I call "repeat offenders" because they are That fantastic). I hope you share your recipes with your family and friends. Share them with me, too!!!

Let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients

2 - 3 Skirt steaks

1 onion, halved and sliced into crescents

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

2 fresh limes, zested and juice (or store bought juice)

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 - 2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

My Mexican Spices

2 rounded tablespoons Smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon+ Chipotle or your favorite chile powder

1 rounded teaspoon granulated garlic, or powder

1 rounded tablespoon ground Cumin

2 tablespoons dried or fresh oregano

1 rounded tablespoon dried or fresh thyme

salt and pepper

I marinate meats from 30 minutes to 3-4 hours. Add all of the Mexican spices to a small bowl. To a large bowl or baking pan, add the wet ingredients and half of the Mexican spices and whisk till thoroughly incorporated. Be sure to add a hefty pinch of fresh cilantro to the pan or bowl.  Place the skirt steaks into the marinade. I often slice the steaks in half length-wise and in half width-wise to make sure they all get soaked in the marinade. Science Lesson for the day:  the vinegar and lime juice will help begin to break down the connective tissues in the steaks which will make the meat tender. The longer you marinate the meat, the softer the steak. 

Marinating in a glass pan. Marinate the steaks in the refrigerator if you will be soaking them for more than thirty minutes or an hour. 

In the meantime, prep the onions and get your skillet or grill ready. I sure to do love these from the grill, but they are delicious coming from a hot flat top or skillet, as well. 

After you have marinated the skirt steaks as long as you can, remove the bowl or pan, and allow it to come to room temperature. The meat will seize up in the hot skillet or grill if you throw them on cold, so please plan  accordingly. 

When the meat is coming to room temperature, lightly spray the skillet or flat top with vegetable oil and turn the heat to high. Add a piece of garlic or onion to the skillet and when it begins to sizzle, it's ready for the skirt steak. 

The following photos are from two separate meals this last week using marinated skirt steak. One is tacos and one is Steak Nachos. The marinade recipe is exactly the same for both. The cooking is slightly different, as I do not fully cook the steak for nachos as the oven will finish off the cooking for me.  I do fully cook to medium-rare for tacos. 

Get a good sear on the steaks, making sure Not to turn until they release by themselves. They'll have a great caramelization on them!

Let the steaks rest several minutes before slicing them at a bias.  Take a taste test from the end, which, to me, is The Best part! You should be able to taste Everything!

In the same skillet or grill (indoor or outdoor), throw the onions on over high heat. Let the onions begin to soften and turn that brilliant caramel color, which releases the most amazing sweet and smoky flavors! Don't let them burn too much, but some is extra flavors!

When everything has finished, the steak rested and sliced, the tortillas warmed (or not) and plated, add your favorite cheese, the steak, onion and fresh cilantro. No need for salsa or hot sauce with these, but hey, you do you, Boo! 👻

Okay, I added some salsa verde Cholula to my tacos.  I love it so much! (Not an ad).  

To use skirt steak for nachos, please check out the following photo essay!  Thank You!

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. 

Please follow the spices, marinade and cooking directions for the skirt steaks. Except....I do not fully cook the steak. I sear it until fairly rare and let the oven finish off the cooking process. Allow the steaks to rest on a cutting board several minutes before slicing at a bias. 

Place foil over a cookie baking pan and spread tortilla chips all over the foil. Add generous amounts of cheese atop the chips.  Place the steak slices all over the cheese. Add diced onion and cilantro over the steak and cheese, if you wish. I do! 😁

Sprinkle more cheese atop the steak and herbs, along with the remaining spice blend (remember, we added half of it to the marinade). 

Bake for up to 18 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted. Let your nose be your guide. You'll know when that unburnt but fully melted cheese and cooked steak aroma wafts out of the oven when you open it!

There is no elegant way to plate nachos. You must garnish it with whatever you wish (I used fresh cilantro), but you can add radish, fresh oregano, thyme, sour cream, pico de gallo, or whatever salsa you wish!  Make these recipes your own!  Cooking is a delight in which the cook shares Love. 

Now, with that, Go Cook For Someone You Love!❤

As always, I Thank You for your visit and your time.  I am Always tremendously grateful for you. Please say Hi, either here (I know, it's a it's a bit difficult here) or on Facebook or X/Twitter, or Threads. I'm almost everywhere.  Almost. 

~Martin

In-House Cook

Me, blogging today.  Hi! ✌❤✌