Pollo alla Crema {Chicken with Cream}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 38 comments

Are you ready for some luscious chicken? Well if not, just turn away now. Because this is one lusciously delicious dish! Pollo alla Crema is pronounced Po-low ah-la Cray-ma and, yes, as the name implies it’s oh so creamy & wait for it….succulent.

Eat on 30 Project – Day 6 Rollatini di Pollo {Chicken Rollatini}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 44 comments

Day 6 of the Eat on 30 Challenge – Rollatini di Pollo {Chicken Rollatini}

Yes, you knew there was going to be a chicken recipe somewhere in this week! If you’ve just tuned in to my little corner of the web & are wondering what all this Eat on 30 talk is about. CLICK HERE to read all about the introductory post. It also has a list of all the fab foodies participating (you should def click on over to their sites when you’re done! They’re writing some amazing stories & sharing some fab recipes) We’re doing our best to bring awareness to food/hunger issues this week.

Galletti alle Noci {Chicken with Nuts}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Poultry | 17 comments

Galletti (Gah-let-tee) alle Noci (No-chi) in Italian means Chicken with Nuts, or as I like to call it, Nutty Chicken! As you may or may not be aware, I’ve been on a bit of a chicken tear lately. I know, I know, but chicken is cheap! You must be thinking, “How many ways can she possibly make chicken?” Well, there are a thousand different ways you can prepare chicken. And yes, I might actually try to introduce you to all of them tee hee!

Pollo al Rhum {Chicken with Rum}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Gluten Free, Main Course, Poultry | 33 comments

I am crazy for chicken thighs lately! Perhaps I purchased way too many of them at my bulk store. I’ll never tell, but this Pollo al Rhum {Italian for Chicken with Rum} is one amazing recipe & makes me happy I had them on hand. If you’re tired of the same old, same old chicken, you should try this out. Also equally fab is last week’s Galletti alle Olive. You should buy the thighs in bulk & try that one as well – just a thought!

In this penny-pinching season chicken thighs are a blessing. (Yes, only chicken thighs – not thunder thighs – but I’m not going to mention those again!)

Galletti alle Olive {Chicken with Olives}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Poultry | 29 comments

Galletti alle Olive (oh-lee-vay) simply translates to {Chicken with Olives}. But of course it sounds so much more fab in Italian, no? I had forgotten how much I love low & slow cooked foods. Man, this is truly a dish that will knock your socks off (well, of course, not right now because we’re not wearing any because it’s smoking hot still here on the East Coast, but figuratively – oh yeah!)

Parmigiano Panko Herb Encrusted Chicken Breasts

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 42 comments

This is my version of Italian Fried Chicken. Well I am a Southern girl after all & do love fried chicken so I thought this would be a good marriage of the two! I’ve been crazy for Panko lately & just love the texture & crunch that it gives, all the while being light & airy! Crazy I know, but true.

Summery Chicken Salad

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 17 comments

I know we’ve all had Chicken Salad before. Most I’ve had are heaping with mayonnaise (something I’m not a big fan of but can deal with in small amounts), chicken, and little else. Not mine! I can’t tell you how many people have asked me for this recipe after they have tasted this chicken salad. It’s very different & oh so refreshing with all of the fruit inside. I can always tell that they can’t quite figure out what that extra little flavor is. So I just blurt out, “The secret ingredient is CURRY powder!”

If you don’t want to cook the chicken just for the salad, you can also make this with leftovers from roasted or grilled chicken, OR you could even use 2 large cans of chunk chicken breast (drained of course).

Beer in the Rear Chicken

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 20 comments

Just in time for Father’s Day this year I’m rolling out this recipe! It’s a crowd pleaser & conversation starter. You will impress the grilling crowd with this one.

If you’re from the South more than likely you’ve heard of beer can chicken. In my family it’s been dubbed as “beer in the rear” chicken (not by me of course) but, alas, that’s what it’s called. Regardless of what you call it it’s a juicy hot delicious mess! They even make a contraption or apparatus, if you will, to actually hold your beer can. I’m not kidding (check out the pic below.) There are quite a few of these contraptions on the market, check out this beer can chicken roaster.

Il Pane Casatiello

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Bread, Pork, Poultry | 29 comments

Week 5. Well, we’re moving right along through the The Bread Baker’s Apprentice – Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread,. Are you out there baking along with me? I don’t want to be having all this fun by myself & of course gaining all this weight by myself! LOL! Although this has been a delicious adventure it really is wreaking havoc on my waistline. I really need to put myself on an exercise program to go along with this baking challenge!

Okay, back to bread…I must admit I was quite terrified when I started this challenge. I am NOT a baker. So the thought of all of this measuring and being at the mercy of yeast just frightened me. As you may know I’m a by sight & taste kind of cook. I put in my ingredients, taste & adjust. Cooking is very forgiving. Baking on the other hand, not so much. But I do find myself enjoying this immensely. Hoping my book makes it through this challenge. Already after week 5 it’s looking very worn with it’s buttery fingerprints & oil stained pages. LOL

I was particularly excited this week to be making an Italian bread. Evviva (hooray!) Okay, everyone knows by now that I’m crazy about all things Italian. So, suffice it to say I was jazzed. So before I got started on this bread I did a little research so I could give you some background.

Homemade Pasta ~ Pasta fatto in casa

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Pasta, Pork, Poultry, Reviews, Seafood, Sides, Vegetables | 40 comments

I recently got a brand new Imperial Pasta Maker! Yes, it’s an old school hand crank version but for me there isn’t any other way to make it. It’s a machine that will be around for you to pass on to the next pasta maker in your family. There is NOTHING like homemade pasta. You should really try it if you have not.

There is nothing wrong with dried boxed pasta (I use them all the time) but there is just something special about fresh homemade pasta. It’s much easier than you would think. It is time consuming but not difficult. If you wanted to speed up the process you could even mix the dough in your mixer or food processor. The recipe posted will make enough for 4 regular portions. I usually make at least two of this recipe to feed my family of 5 but we’re big pasta eaters. If you were making this as a prima, or first course, I think one batch would be fine.

Johnsonville Brat Throwdown!

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Pasta, Pork, Poultry, Reviews, Vegetables | 20 comments

Are you ready for a Throwdown? Why YES I am! My foodie friend Kristy at The Wicked Noodle invited me to join in a “friendly” Johnsonville Brat Throwdown. There was only one rule…we were challenged to come up with a recipe using Johnsonville Brats! Well, never one to shy away from a challenge (I have been known to be banned from board games because of my competitive nature) I threw on my Johnsonville <3′s bell’alimento apron & I jumped right in!

Orange you glad you made this Roasted Chicken!

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Poultry | 32 comments

We love roasted chicken in our house. It’s fairly inexpensive & oh so very versatile. So naturally I’m continually looking for new and exciting ways to make it. This recipe qualifies.

I think I’ve mentioned in other posts about my HUGE rosemary bush (It is, and I’m not kidding you, as large as my Suburban). I’ll have to post a photo of it one of these days. So, since I have this much rosemary at my disposal, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate it into my recipes.

This chicken is bursting with flavor. It’s tender & falls off the bone. No need for a knife here. I truly believe that my method of pushing the herb butter underneath the skin of the chicken breast is the secret to juicy & tender meat. I realize it’s not fun & can be slightly gross, but it works. Be very careful when using your pairing knife to cut the tissue away from the breast. You don’t want to tear the skin (this is what makes it so juicy). It’s also very important to let your chicken rest after cooking before cutting into it. You don’t want all of the juices flowing out & drying up your chicken. It will be tempting I know. The smell is intoxicating but resist.

Asian Turkey Burger w/Wasabi Mayo

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Main Course, Poultry | 22 comments

If I could make a scratch & sniff photo to place on my blog I would do it for these burgers. The smell is a circus for the senses. This is my first foray using ground turkey. Normally I’m usually only a turkey eater on Thanksgiving (naturally) & for the occasional turkey sammie (with guacamole – yum).

I’m happy to report that I am now a fan of ground turkey. I also am on a bit of a ginger kick these days. It seemed like the perfect companion for the turkey – with garlic, of course. If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time you know that I really can’t do anything without throwing some garlic in (goes against my nature not to). Turkey needs a lot of seasoning to taste good. These are powerful flavors & do the trick. The soy sauce makes these burgers very juicy. I finished off the burger with a wasabi mayo! Which you can tailor to your level of heat. If you don’t like wasabi I have used horseradish sauce & it’s delish as well. Remember to be careful when mixing your meat mixture. Don’t over mix or it will be tough. Mix just enough to blend all of the ingredients together.

Chicken Francaise

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 4 comments

This chicken might look & sound a little intimidating but it’s not. It has a few more steps than most of my recipes but the extra effort is worth it. The key is to make sure your chicken is pounded out well, to about 1/4″ thickness. And that when cooking the chicken you use enough oil (otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs & you don’t want that). Also, really shake off the excess dredgings.

I set my chicken in my toaster oven on “warm” while cooking the remaining pieces. If you don’t have a warmer, loosely cover your chicken with tinfoil. The buttery deliciousness of the lemon wine sauce is the perfect finishing touch for this chicken. Try serving this with my asparagus alla paperbag recipe! Enjoy a glass of white wine while cooking this dish. And remember, don’t cook with any wine that you wouldn’t drink yourself!

Roasted Garlic Lime Chicken

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 2 comments

I love roasted chicken! It’s quick, easy, delicious, and good for you. Plus who doesn’t like a one pan dinner! I know I do. Dishes are so not my thing.

I have several versions of roasted chicken & this is another I like to make, quite often. I was trying to come up with a new idea for roasted chicken & since I have been on a lime kick for a while I thought why not add lime! The flavors work really well & the smell is intoxicating while it’s cooking. And don’t worry, the garlic is NOT overpowering. I know you’ll be thinking 2 HEADS of garlic. I know you LOVE garlic, but Paula, come on. But it really only lightly flavors the meat from the inside out. You’ll see.

Herb Roasted Chicken

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 4 comments

This is one amazing, fragrant, moist, delicious chicken! I have an herb garden & take full advantage of it whenever possible. In fact, my Rosemary bush is almost as big as my car! So naturally I have an abundance of this herb & you’ll see it featured in a lot of my recipes.

1. your butter is at room temperature,
2. that you chop your herbs finely {you don’t want any huge chunks getting caught in your teeth do you ; )}
3. that you get the butter down as far underneath the skin as you can (a long tea spoon works well for me along with massaging it as well). When separating the skin tissue from the breast with your paring knife, be slow & steady. You DON’T want to rip the skin.

Herb Roasted Chicken

Pollo al Marsala {Chicken Marsala}

Posted by Paula in All Recipes, Poultry | 16 comments

Another classic Italian dish. Pollo al Marsala is simply translated to Chicken Marsala. If you’ve not had this dish, you’re missing out (or well at least I think you are ; ). What is Marsala you ask? Marsala, is a dessert wine and is produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of what else, MARSALA in Sicily. Marsala is meant to sipped at room temperature and is as you can guess, fantabulous in recipes as well.