Polly's Blog

Thank you for taking the time to come find my blog. Many people were asking me for recipes on Facebook, so this page was born. Please enjoy! If you have any suggestions for recipes to try or any comments about the food please either leave a comment here or email me at cucinapaulina@gmail.com. Mangia!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Green Eggs and Ham

2 tsp olive oil
1 pint egg substitute
3 whole eggs
1/2 onion, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 large bag frozen, chopped spinach
1 cup feta, crumbled
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dill

Ham slices

Hear oven to 350.

Heat olive oil in a large, oven proof skillet. Saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes until soft. While vegis are cooking, beat eggs, egg substitute and herbs together. Add spinach to skillet, cover for 6 minutes to thaw. Remove from heat, sprinkle feta over spinach. Stir in egg mixture. Place fritata in oven for 25 minutes until eggs are set. Cut into wedges. Serve with sliced ham.

Creamy Chicken Vegi Soup

1 tsp olive oil
1 box chicken broth or stock (or 32 oz of homemade)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup with herbs
3 carrots, sliced into coins
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 tsp minced garlic
3 cups spinach, chopped

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium. Add garlic and onion, cook until soft. 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth, whisk in canned soup until mixed completely. Add all other ingredients except spinach. Bring to a boil. Add spinach and stir until wilted.

Tuscan Chicken Stew

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup red wine or chicken broth
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp minced basil
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp crushed rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 6 oz bag fresh spinach

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Ass chicken, cook for 10 minutes until no longer pink. Remove chicken. Add onion and fennel seed, cook for 5 minutes. Stir in eans, tomatoes, wine and all spices. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, simmer 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Stir in spinach, cover. Cok 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground red pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet on medium. Add chicken, onion and lemon juice, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until no longer pink. DAdd all spices, except for red pepper.

Stir in tomatoes until well mixed. Stir cream into cornstarch and salt until smooth. Gradually stir into skillet. Stir in red pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.

Serve over rice with naan on the side.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Meringues

Ingredients
3 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch fine sea salt
3/4 cup superfine baker's sugar*
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
*Can be found at specialty cooking stores. If you can’t find it, simply place regular granulated sugar in a food processor and grind.
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt until frothy, about 1 minute. With the machine on medium-high speed, gradually add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and espresso powder. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is thick and holds stiff peaks, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips. Drop 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool completely while still in the oven, about 2 hours.
Store airtight in a plastic container for up to 4 days.