Chicken in Tarragon-Mustard Cream Sauce

When I was 23, I was living in Hawaii about 5,000 miles away from Seamus. While there were of course times when I missed Shea, I had such fantastic friends that I never had to feel lonely.

For example on my 23rd birthday, my good friend (and future roommate who ingrained the love of food and cooking in Shea and me), Bob, celebrated with me by making me a fantastic meal. Bob brought over a small grill and a bag of chicken that had been marinating in his homemade mustard and tarragon sauce. The chicken was moist and delicious, and we had a fantastic night chowing down with all of our good friends.

This recipe is a take off of Bob's, from Food and Wine Magazine. While Shea wasn't there to experience my 23rd birthday party, I have told him about it so much that when he saw this recipe online, he knew that I would love it.


Chicken in Tarragon-Mustard Cream Sauce
Courtesy of Food and Wine at http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-in-tarragon-mustard-cream-sauce

Ingredients

1. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch strips, or skinless, boneless breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
5. 1 large shallot, minced
6. 3/4 cup dry white wine
7. 1 1/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
8. 1/2 cup heavy cream
9. 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
10. 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
11. Buttered noodles, for serving

Directions

1. In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet in a single layer. Cook over high heat, turning once, until browned but not cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off any fat in the skillet.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Add the stock, cream and mustard and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 6 minutes.
3. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tarragon. Serve with buttered noodles

Bob giving me a Bday Lei right before grilling up some mustard and tarragon chicken for my 23 birthday!

Linguine with Cauliflower Pesto

The cherry blossoms in DC  are in full bloom, people are starting to party on their rooftops, and I just swapped out my sweaters for my skirts in my closet. Suffice to say, I clearly have a case of Spring Fever!

With the warming temperatures I have been craving pesto, but because it is not yet Summer, we don't yet have cheap and fresh basil. But this recipe is a great alternative! Give it a try for a twist on your favorite pesto, and you won't be disappointed.

Linguine with Cauliflower Pesto
Courtesy of Deb Perlman's "Smitten Kitchen Cookbook"

Ingredients
salt
1 small head of cauliflowers, trimmed and cored and cut into large chunks
1 garlic clove
generous pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of almonds or pine nuts, toasted and cooled
2 ounce chunk of parmesan cheese, plus a little more for passing
4 sun-dried tomatoes (dry variety)
1 tablespoon drained capers
a few tablespoons of fresh parsley leaves
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 pound linguine

Directions
1. Prepare Pesto - pulse half the cauliflower in a food processor until it looks like mixed sized couscous. Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl and repeat until you have processed it all. Pulse the garlic, pepper flakes, almonds, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and parsley in a food processor until the mixture looks like course breadcrumbs. Transfer to the bowl with cauliflower, add the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and combine.

2. Assemble the Dish - Once the water is boiling, add the linguine and cook until it is al dente. Reserve a cup f the cooking water, then drain the rest. Immediately toss the hot pasta with the cauliflower pesto and half of the reserved cooking water. Add more water if the pesto is too think. Enjoy!

Baked Risotto with Asparagus, Spinach, and Parmesean

I do not yet have a photo of this recipe in action, and that is because I make it so often that I don't use the recipe anymore when cooking so I don't think of it for my blog!

The recipe comes from a cookbook that my mother gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago. Like I have mentioned before, my mom lived in Italy for a while, so I respect her judgement of good Italian food and recipes.

Risotto is one of my favorite Italian foods, but I used to never make it because I always thought it was too hard (who wants to stand there and stir a pot of rice for an hour!?) and way too rich (do I really need to eat that much cream/cheese?!). This recipe is neither hard to make nor so rich that it makes you feel guilty. I always pack an entire bag of spinach and an entire bundle of asparagus in my version, and it turns out perfectly.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and that it may become a staple recipe of your own. Next time I make it I will be sure to take a photo to share with you all!


Baked Risotto with Asparagus, Spinach, and Parmesan
Courtesy of Patricia Wells's "Trattoria: Simple and Robust Fare Inspired by the Small Family Restaurants of Italy"

Ingredients
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 small onion, minced
salt to taste
1 cup italian arborio rice
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, chopped
10 thin spears fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into diagonal slices
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

2. In a 1 and 1/2 quart saucepan, combine the oil, onion, and salt over moderate heat. Stir to coat with the oil and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat with the oil. Add the chicken stock, spinach, asparagus, nutmeg, and salt and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Stir in half of the cheese. Transfer to a 1 quart souffle dish and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

3. Place the souffle dish in the center of the oven. Bake until the rice is cooked through and has absorbed most of the liquid, 35 to 40 minutes.