Greek Cinnamon Stewed Chicked

My family has grown to love this recipe, and even the kids like it.  You can serve it over orzo pasta or rice.  If you simmer it on a little higher heat, you get some nice "burnt" crust on the bottom of the pan, which is actually really yummy.

Recipe
Adapted from Cat Cora on The Oprah Winfrey Show

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 8 pieces

2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion , peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 Tbsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Wet chicken will cause the oil to splatter while the chicken is sautéing. Mix the cinnamon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the chicken pieces on all sides with the seasoning.

Heat the olive oil in a large, nonreactive, deep skillet or dutch oven over high heat. A 12-inch skillet with sides about 2 1/2 to 3 inches high will allow you to brown all the chicken at once. If you don't have a skillet large enough, brown them in two batches using 1/2 the oil for each batch. What's important is that the chicken isn't overcrowded, which would cause them to steam rather than brown.

Add the chicken to the oil and brown for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn the pieces using a metal spatula, as they have a tendency to stick to the pan. Remove the pieces when they are well browned on all sides.

Mince three of the garlic cloves. Lower the heat to medium-high, and add the onions and minced garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onions have softened and are a rich golden brown. Add about 1/2 cup of the water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula or spoon to deglaze the pan, loosening any particles stuck on the bottom.

When the water has evaporated, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and remaining 2 garlic cloves, minced.

Return the chicken to the pan. The liquid should cover about 3/4 of the chicken pieces. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-high heat for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. If the sauce becomes too thick, it can be thinned with a little more water. Season the finished sauce with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serve over orzo or rice, cooked according to package directions, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Pasta with broccoli rabe.

I saw this recipe a couple years ago and have actually been dying to try it, but I can never find broccoli rabe (also called rapini) in the store. They have it at a local market (Henry’s) every once in awhile but they are always out when I see the sign for it. Well, today I saw it at the store and had to pick it up. It’s a little bitter like other dark greens, but very tasty - like a cross between spinach and broccoli. I will definitely try this one again, maybe even adding some additional chicken, veggies or cherry tomatoes.

Recipe
From Martha Stewart

Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds broccoli rabe, rinsed, trimmed, and cut in 1-inch pieces
1 pound shaped pasta (orecchiette, bowties, rotini or your favorite)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 or 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; Salt generously. Add broccoli rabe. Cook until leaves are wilted, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli rabe to colander; drain well. Return water to a boil, and add pasta; cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until soft, 30 seconds, being careful not to brown. Add anchovy fillets, if using, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broccoli rabe; cook until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add pasta to broccoli rabe mixture; toss to combine, adding reserved cooking water as desired. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Serve with Parmesan and lemon wedges.

Carrot & Zuccini scapece

This side dish needs to be started the night before so it can sit overnight. A little bit of planning, and it's actually a really easy recipe. The flavors are a bit strong if you have family members that are sensitive to that (the kids don't like this as much as I do).

Recipe
From Food Network

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 large zucchini (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
10 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Directions

Heat 1/3 cup oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the zucchini and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried zucchini to a baking dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the garlic, basil, and mint leaves over the zucchini.

Add the remaining oil to the frying pan. Add the carrots to the hot oil and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried carrots to the dish of zucchini.

Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining garlic, basil, and mint leaves over.

Drizzle the vinegar over the vegetable mixture and toss gently to coat. Cool to room temperature. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Allow the vegetables to come to room temperature before serving. Transfer the scapece to a platter.

Meatballs

A friend made these for me once and I fell in love with the recipe. When I make them now I usually triple the recipe so I can make enough to freeze extras to go with the pasta sauce.

Recipe

Adapted from William Sonma

1/4 c. Italian breadcrumbs

1/4 c. milk

1/2 pound mild italian pork sausage, casings removed

3/4 pound ground beef

1 egg

1/2 c. low-fat ricotta

1/2 c. finely shredded parmesean

1 large shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. dried margoram

Salt and pepper

Directions

In a large bowl combine bread crumbs and milk and mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Seasonwith salt and pepper. Mix until just combined. Form into balls 1/2" to 1" in diameter (I use a #40 discher to portion out the meatballs - it's a great size and keeps them uniform). Place on cookie sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Place in 350 oven for 10-12 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Remove to paper towels to soak up any extra grease.

Serve warm with spaghetti and pasta sauce. I put the leftover meatballs in ziptop freezer bags in groups of 12-15 and freeze to eat with future meals.

Pasta Sauce

We love homemade pasta sauce, so when I make a batch it's pretty large. That way I can portion it out in plastic containers and freeze it for future use. I can usually get 7-8 meals for our family out of this recipe (it makes around 25 cups). It can be easliy reduced for smaller batches or families. Sorry for the lack of pictures - I had camera issues that I didn't notice until the end so I only got the final shot.

*Note: You can also exchange small or large cans of ingredients when needed, as long as the total amount works out to the same. Use what you have.

Recipe

6-14 oz. cans peeled, petite diced tomatoes, drained (or 3 large cans)
9-15 oz. cans tomato sauce (or 4 large cans plus one small can)
4-6 oz. cans tomato paste
1 1/2 onion, diced
10 cloves garlic, minced (we love garlic but you can use less)
5 T extra virgin olive oil
5 T Italian seasoning
1 1/2 T dried basil
1 T dried oregano
1 cup brown sugar (we like ours a little sweet but you can use less)
Additoinal spices and sugar as needed to taste

Directions

In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add half of the drained stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir together. Add spices and sugar. Simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes. Add remainder of stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir together. Simmer for and additional 15 minutes. Add additoinal spices and sugar to taste. Simmer on low for 30 minutes or until all flavors have come together.

Slow Cooker Sausage Lasagna

We tried this for the first time. It made a good Sunday dinner. I always like dinners that I can start before church and have it ready when we are ready to eat.


Recipe
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine, March 2009

1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely shredded carrot
3 finely shredded garlic cloves
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree
9-12 lasagna noodles (depending on if you like more meaty or noodly lasagna)
2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella (reserve ½ cup in refrigerator)
Salt and pepper

Directions
In a large pot, cook sausage and ground beef over medium heat, breaking up meat into pieces, until no longer pink. Add onion, carrots and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes, until onion has softened. Stir in the tomato paste, then crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Spoon 2 cups of the meat mixture into the bottom of a 5-6 quart crock-pot. Layer 3-4 noodles (breaking them as needed to fit) over the meat. Layer another 2 cups of meat mixture, then ½ - ¾ cup cheese, then 3-4 noodles. Spread the remaining meat on top.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low 4-6 hours. Sprinkle the reserved ½ cup of cheese on top, cover the crock-pot again and cook 10 more minutes to melt the cheese.