Chicken Meatballs

Makes 6-8

Watching calories? Chicken is a great substitute for ground beef and much fewer calories

1 lb of ground chicken
2 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley
4  large eggs beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons of granulated garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 large onion finely chopped about 1 cup
¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano

Mix all ingredients, form meatballs to desired size. Have your favorite red sauce made and heated. Add meatballs gently to hot red sauce, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Turn carefully, cook another 10 minutes covered. Serve with your favorite pasta.

 

Tips

Recipe can be made with all ground turkey or 1/3 of each of ground pork, chicken and beef

Chicken Soup

Serves 4-6

Who doesn’t love chicken soup! Credit to my Italian grandmother for  allowing me to be her sous chef  in the kitchen making numerous pots of soups. I can remember making this soup for the first time on her wood stove in a huge antique pot with a fresh killed chickens from  her chicken coop and picking the garden vegetables.  I have  tweaked the recipe to my tastes  by adding more garlic, thyme and hot sauce. I know she would be proud!

3-5 lbs of chicken with skin on
4-5  peeled carrots cut into bite size pieces
2-3 celery stalks chopped into bite size pieces
4 large Spanish onions cut about 4 cups
6-10 garlic cloves  thru a press- reserve 1 tsp
3 bay leafs
1  tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves off stems or tie 8 sprigs with twine
1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine  optional
6 cups chicken stock or 4 Herb Ox chicken cubes to  6 cups of water
¼ tsp of powdered cloves or 2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley shopped
3-5 dashes of Parrot hot sauce optional

2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ tsp of fresh ground black pepper
2  tablespoons grated  Piave, Romano or Parmesen cheese  optional

Heat a large  stock pot on medium heat

Add olive oil, brown chicken pieces, plate chicken.

Add in onions and garlic saute till tender

Return chicken to pot with stock, wine, bay leafs and thyme

cover -bring to a boil

Add  hot sauce,  clove, carrots,  salt, pepper.

reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 3040 minutes till carrots are fork tender

Correct seasoning

Remove cloves, bay leafs and thyme sprigs

Add in remaining garlic

Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley.  Serve with bowl of grated cheese at table.

Gypsy Juice hot sauce  is a very flavorful and Iam recomming adding some to your chicken soup! Especially if you  want a little heat and feeling a bit under the weather!

Orecchiette,Sausage & Broccoli Rabe

 Serves 4-6

    1 lb bag or orecchiette cooked per instructions (12 minutes in lightly salted water)

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of plum tomatoes seeded and chopped into small cubes- drain excess liquid

4 Italian sweet sausages removed from casings and crumbled

½- ¾ teaspoon of red chili flakes

3 ½ tablespoons of fresh garlic thru a press

¼ cup of aged freshly grated Romano cheese

¼ cup aged freshly grated Parmesan cheese

6 cups washed broccoli Rabe- cut off stems, chop into 2 inch pieces

3 tablespoons of Kosher salt

1-2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley chopped

fresh ground pepper and salt

　

Bring 4 -6 quarts of water with 3 tablespoons of salt to a boil

Blanch broccoli rabe 2-3 minutes(turns a dark green) and remove with a strainer spoon from boiling water. Retain water  for cooking pasta

Add orecchiette to water and set timer (reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before draining)

 Heat a large 12 inch sauté pan to medium

Add half of olive oil and garlic. Cook sausage 4-5 minutes while breaking apart meat

Lower heat to simmer

Drain orecchiette (reserve some liquid)

Add in rabe in with sausage and stir

Add in orecchiette, water, chili flakes, remaining garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes

Add cheese, olive oil, tomatoes and parsley. 

Salt and pepper to taste, drizzle remaining olive oil before serving

Toss , serve with extra cheese and chili flakes

Tip: Orchiette is a distinctly shaped pasta that resembles a small flying saucer and lends itself to holding sauce and bits of meat. Sometimes difficult to locate, so try Italian specialty markets. You may substitute another type of pasta such as penne.

Hot & Sour Soup

Serves 6-8

 If you adore hot and sour soup, this recipe is bursting with flavor. When ever I travel to a new city, I often find out who has the best  soup. This recipe is a blend of many soups  tried over the years. Friends beg me to make it often, customers love it so much they requested it to be canned. I think  this soup is well worth the time spent making it.

5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

4 eggs beaten

2 Tablespoons Marukan Seasoned Rice vinegar*

¼ teaspoon white pepper

2 Tablespoons grated ginger (reserve 1 teaspoon )

¼ cup frozen peas

¼ cup wood ear rinsed in warm water

5  garlic cloves minced ( reserve 1 teaspoon)

¼ cup shredded lily buds rinsed in warm water- cut off hard ends

¼ cup shredded bamboo shoots

1 Tablespoon of peanut oil or sunflower oil

1/4 lb ground pork or turkey (optional)

2 scallions white & green parts sliced thin

3 Tablespoons double black soy, a superior soy or Tamari

2 Tablespoons of  sugar

2 Tablespoon of wine vinegar

1 Tablespoons sriracha or hot Asian chili sauce*

2 Tablespoons of arrow root powder or cornstarch mixed with 3 Tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside

2 Tablespoons Kadoya sesame oil*

1 cup of firm tofu, drained and cut into bite size pieces

¼ teaspoon hot chile flakes(optional)

Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven, add peanut oil, sauté garlic

add in meat, break apart while browning

Add in vinegars, soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar and  stock and bring to boil.

 Reduce heat to a medium simmer.

Add in tofu, wood ears, lily buds and bamboo strips.

Whisk  in eggs slowly, swirling into hot broth.

Whisk in in arrow root paste – soup will start to thicken just a little.

Add in remainder of garlic, ginger, white pepper and peas

Correct seasoning with salt, soy  if needed. If you desire it a little sweeter add in more  sugar

Add in sesame oil, and top each bowl with scallions and or chili flakes

I always serve a small bowl of extra chile flakes and chili sauce with a tiny spoon for guests who love the extra heat!

* Available @drhot.net or Asian markets

Southwest Chicken Rub

Serves 4

2-3 pounds of boneless skinless breasts

 

 

 

Rub

 

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 tablespoon of chili powder

¼ teaspoon of sea salt

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne powder

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Combine ingredients in small bowl mix and set aside.

Coat chicken on both sides with rub

Cover, rest in refrigerator  for 15-20 minutes

　

Preheat oven 375

Coat baking sheet with a small amount of oil, bake for 25-35 minutes

Serve with orange or lime wedges (optional)

　

Rub can be saved in air tight container for up to 2 months

Brine for Turkey

Brine for 5 lbs of turkey

I use this brine before frying or baking turkey. Recipe maybe doubled/ tripped for every five pounds of turkey!

3 tablespoons of bells seasoning

¾ cup of Florida sugar crystal or sugar

2 cups of water

3 Tablespoons of sea salt or Kosher salt

Mix ingredients and add to a large re-sealable bag that will fit desired amount of meat you are brining

Brine over night or for up to 3 days in refrigerator.

Rinse poultry before fry coating or cooking

　

Tip: Bell’s Seasoning created by William Bell has been around since mid 1800’s and is worth seeking out. Made in Massachusetts, all natural and no salt! Bell’s recipe has never changed over the years. This unique seasoning has 18 different herbs and spices and makes wonderful stuffing’s and can be added to gravies and turkey meat loaf.

Chorizo & Cheese Quesadillas

 Serves 8-10

These can be made 3-4 days in advance and be kept in refrigerator.

　

1 package of 10 inch flour tortillas with 8 tortillas

1 cup of fresh minced jalapenos (wear gloves)

2 cups of shredded Italian six cheese blend

2 cups of shredded 4 cheese Mexican blend

1 cup of scallions white & green parts sliced thin

¾ cup of chopped dry Chorizo

You will need 8 sheets of foil 15 inches long each

Set up 4 sheets on table or a counter top

Place 1 flour tortilla in center of each foil piece

Cover each tortilla with equal amounts of cheese, scallions, chorizo and jalapeno

Cover tortilla with 1 remaining tortilla

Cover with sheet of foil

Seal all edges

Pre heat oven 350 for ten minutes

Place on baking sheets and cook for 6-8 minutes

Rest for a few minutes before opening

Cut to desired slices with a pizza cuter

Serve with several of your favorite toppings : chipotle dipping sauce, guacamole, salsa,sour cream　

Tip: Chorizo is a cooked spicy dry sausage from Spain and is very different from South American and Portuguese chorizo. There are some great brands being made in USA that come very close to authentic Spanish Chorizo. One brand that comes to mind is an all natural chorizo from a company called Primo Natural and it is worth searching out.