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!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Chicken sauteed with apples and onions

This will make a great fall meal, but I couldn't wait. I love apples. This would also be fabulous with Granny Smiths and fennel. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If they are big, use 2 and butterfly them into cutlets. 1 tablespoon EVOO 1 firm apple, I used a braeburn, sliced into 1/4 inch slices (see note) 1 cup apple juice (I use Martinelli all natural) 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced fine 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves sea salt and pepper 2 teaspoons dijon mustard ( I use a very grainy one) Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment until about 3/4 inch thick. Lightly salt and pepper. Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. When hot, add oil. Saute the chicken until golden, around 3 minutes on each side. Add remaining ingredients except for mustard. Simmer, covered, until chicken is tender and onions are cooked. Remove chicken, apple and onion from the pan. Whisk in mustard. Boil sauce for 5 minutes until thickened. Pour over chicken. I served with brown rice and a tossed salad.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Apricot Stuffed Chicken

This has great flavor, despite being so easy! 1/4 cup chopped onion (pretty fine) 1/4 cup chopped celery 1 tablespoon EVOO 4 fresh apricots, peeled, pitted and chopped OR 1 can apricots rinsed and chopped 1/2 cup Stove Top herb seasoned stuffing mix 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 3 tablespoons apricot jam 2 teaspoons vinegar In a small saucepan heat the oil. Cook the onion and celery over medium heat for 4-6 minutes. Stir in apricots, stuffing mix and ginger. Set aside to cool. Butterfly chicken breasts, place between 2 sheets of parchment and pound to 1/8 inch thick. Spoon the stuffing mix evenly over the 4 chicken breasts. Fold breasts closed, secure with toothpicks. Mix jam and vinegar together. Heat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Cook chicken for 20-25 minutes, turning once. In the last five minutes, brush with the jam mixture on both sides. Remove from grill and remove toothpicks. I served this with my obsession, mashed cauliflower. Its very simple! remove florets from 1 head of cauliflower, boil for 20 minuted in either salted water or chicken broth. Drain, add 1 half box of Boursin cheese and mash until smooth and creamy.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Easiest Chicken Paprikash EVER

Instead of cooking for hours, you get all the flavors of traditional Chicken Paprikash in hardly any time. I top this with sour sream and dill. Serve over egg noodles. *1 tablespoon olive oil *2 ponds chicken breasts (or thighs if you like dark meat) *1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin *2 cloves garlic, chopped fine *1 28 oz can pureed tomatoes *2 tablespoons paprika (not smoked! Can be sweet or hot Hungarian style) *Egg Noodles *Sour Cream *Fresh Dill Heat the oil in a large pot. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides in the pot and remove. Drain all but 2 tablespoons drippings. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender (4-5 minutes). Add tomoatoes, paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Return chicken to the pot and simmer 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Cook egg noodles following directions on the package. Drain, toss with butter and fresh dill. Ladel chicken and sauce on top of chicken, top with sour cream and dill.

Spicy Orange beef

This is really so much easier than takeout, and its healthier and frankly better tasting. I served this with brown rice (simmered in chicken stock) and steamed snowpeas with sesame seeds. You can up the spice with more chili paste or dial it back. 1 pound flank steak or sirloin, sliced into 1/2 inch strips 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use low sodium) 1 tablespoon hot, red chili paste (found in the Asian section) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon ginger, grated 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon cornstarch 3 tablespoons vegi oil 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest, grated 1 bunch green onions, sliced. Green and white seperated. Pepper to taste Combine ingredients up to water, without steak, in a bow. Add steak, toss and cover. Put in refridgerator for 2-4 hours. Heat large sautee pan (or wok) on medium high heat. Drain meat, reserving marinade. Whisk cornstarch into cold water, add to marinade and whisk. Cook meat for 1 minute without touching. Stir for an additional 1 minute. Stir in green parts of onions and zest. Stir for 0 seconds. Add marinade and white parts of onions. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Serve over rice.