Chicken Cacciatore and Focaccia!

I don't know if I'm Italian... but I'm inviting all the Italian food loving Italian "posers" to try this chicken cacciatore! One incredible way to enjoy your love for chicken, red sauce, and pasta... OH, and let's throw in a little home made bread too! Super easy focaccia, no joke... way too easy to be this delish! Let's start with the bread... focaccia! Into 1 cup of warm water, add 2 teaspoons of active, dry yeast and a pinch of sugar. This will activate the yeast, and get it ready to muscle it's way into making our focaccia bread rise and taste super tender! While the warm water and sugar "wakes up" our yeast, we will add 3 cups of all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and 5 teaspoons of Italian seasoning to the food processor fit with a "dough" blade". It's the dull, plastic short blade that came with the processor. If you have a bread machine, you could get it started in there... alas... Gremlin-Mom has no bread machine... just one hard workin', spiffy processor (and I can live with that)!! Pulse the dry ingredients a few times to combine! Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to yeast and water and then add to the dry ingredients. Turn on the processor and add the wet ingredients through the tube as the processor runs. Let the processor run for at least a couple more minutes (kneading the dough). Dump the dough (remove the blade) onto a floured surface and knead a minute or two. After kneading the dough plop it into a greased bowl to rest for an hour and a half. Cover with plastic wrap and when it's done rising it should look like this... Dough... risen!! Let's take a moment to appreciate the miracle of yeast, flour, and warm water... AMEN! Now time to cook our focaccia! Drop that dough on to a greased (olive oil) sheet pan and spread with your hands into a flat, spread out quarter inch layer of dough. Use olive oil to keep your hands from sticking while you spread the dough and let it rise for another 30 minutes. After the second rising... drizzle a little olive oil on the top, sprinkle with Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and dimple the surface by gently poking your fingers into the dough. Bake the focaccia in a 450 oven for 15 minutes! Focaccia DONE! Now... onto chicken cacciatore! First we make sauce and then we add chicken! I made it my way, with lean chicken tenders, and boneless thighs. First, the sauce! Sauce... GO TIME... for the chicken cacciatore start with 2 onions, sliced, 6 cloves garlic, chopped, one red and one yellow pepper diced, 2 (28 ounce) cans of chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of dry white wine, 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced, 4 small bay leaves, and a bundle of fresh thyme! It's good to get every ingredient ready before starting. With all the "prep" work done, you can pay attention to your cooking (and not your chopping)! Here we go! Sweat the onions over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Add the peppers for another 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Sauce time! Add 2 cups white wine and reduce by half... this took my pot about 15 minutes at least. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme and simmer for about 20 minutes! While the sauce builds it's incredible flavor.... Get the chicken ready! I added 1 cup of flour to a baggy with salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning. Then, I seasoned the chicken ( thighs and tenders) with salt and pepper. Then I popped them into that baggie with seasoned flour and got ready to sear them in some olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) before adding them to the red sauce! With all that seared chicken in the sauce, let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes, at least, and cook your favorite pasta to go with the sauce! Top your pasta with that incredible chicken cacciatore and some fresh grated cheese! Add some fresh bake focaccia and you have a newer, leaner (old school) Italian favorite! Definitely a new Gremlin-Boys favorite! Chicken cacciatore with fresh baked facaccia!

Chipotle Chicken Tacos... Lean, Green Eating Machine!

My beautiful friend wants more variety in her "chicken dinner" rotation, so tonight, it's easy-peezy chicken tacos! Fresh delicious and full of grilled, smoky chipotle flavor! First, cue chicken tenders... I started with a little over a pound of chicken tenders and seasoned with salt, garlic powder, and a prepared chipotle pepper seasoning blend. After that seasoning sits on those tenders for at least 15-20 minutes get ready to grill! I grilled these tender little babies for no more than 3 minutes per side on hot heat. After grilling, let them rest for at least 10 - 15 minutes. Rested meat is tender-juicy meat!!! Chicken's ready! Time for tacos!! Tonight we have some fresh greens, crunchy carrots, creamy avocado, and a little drizzle of chipotle dressing to top it all off (flavor short cut... guilty)! So tonight... Grilled chipotle chicken tacos! So there they are! Stevie prefers no avocado, but I do! These are super fresh lean and tasty! The carrots add a nice crunch, the chicken is spicy, and the sweet greens are perfect! You could add cilantro or slaw to these tacos (neither of which I had tonight)... but these were simply perfect. So good, that we're on our third night of LOVING these chicken tacos! BOOM!

Skinny Penne with Asparagus, Tomato and Shrimp! Yes Please!

One busy Monday... and I need something quick and tasty! Me and my boys are feeling the "pinch" of spring and summer, and we want to eat lean... unlike... uhmm... some, who can eat anything they want... and WILL eat anything... Our headline tonight is leaner, healthier, and TASTY!! Sorry Kim, step aside... Gremlin Mom in the house with... some roasted asparagus tossed with fresh tomatoes, shrimp, some sweet chicken sausage, and penne pasta! It's spring (asparagus season!!), so first, wash and trim asparagus. Toss in a little olive oil, salt, fresh pepper and garlic powder and roast the in a 450 degree oven for about 7 minutes. Park these beauties until ready to toss. While asparagus is roasting, cook penne according to directions (al dente) and prepare to toss with all the other tasty players! Tonight I chopped 2 sweet Italian chicken sausages and 2 fresh tomatoes. Not bad for a Monday night pasta party! Now, knowing how much I love garlic, you can't be surprised that I infused a couple of garlic cloves into some (2 Tablespoons) olive oil over low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Discard garlic after 10 minutes... it's done it's job tonight, as it often does... silent cheer for GARLIC... BOOYAH! Now, in that oil, warm some cooked shrimp and the sausage until tender and ready to toss with the rest of the "skinny-pasta-party" ingredients! Add the shrimp and sausage to the pasta (in a big bowl), along with the asparagus and fresh tomato, and toss together! You could eat this up NOW... or you could add one last flavor detail... one I love... Boursin cheese and pistachio nuts... right at the end... a little creamy saucy flavor, and a little crunch! Perfect. Now, we also saved a little of that starchy pasta water before draining, so add to your pasta if you feel like it needs it. Creamy, tasty, lean, creamy crunchy pasta! Just the way I like it! So, while Kim can (and will) eat what she wants... Gremlin Mom and the boys will eat lean and tasty penne with fresh tomato, seasonal asparagus, and protein packed shrimp! BOOYAH! Aside... About the ONLY thing we have in common with... cover girl Kim... is that we eat. That's all... eat... food. Though, WE eat lean and healthy (and we grow it, and make it ourselves).

Seared Scallops with Soy Sesame Noodles

Light and lean and packed with flavor! These scallops are amazing on their own, but paired with noodles make quite a treat! First I started with the sauce, and parked it on the side until I need it later. This sauce is so good, I can't wait to make it again for chicken, fish, pork, or veggies. You could put it on a piece of tree bark, and you'd love it. Simply add 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper for heat, and 4 cloves of garlic (OK... full disclosure, I used 5, but I feel like my comfort zone for garlic may scare the average Gremlin, but 5 it was). Whisk that together and let it sit until you're ready. For this dish, I used dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1 cup), so they need to sit in water for at least 30 minutes to plump up. Next I added 12 ounces of potato noodles to boiling water for 5 minutes, until al dente. You could use rice noodles, bean noodles, any kind you like. These noodles completely take on the flavor of the sauce... and tonight, that's what we want. After the noodles are cooked, give them a good rinse in cold water or they will stick (and you won't have noodles, you'll have one massive blob of noodle... rinse and toss and rinse some more)! I always like a little "veg" in my noodles, and tonight I thinly sliced one medium zucchini, one onion, the shiitake mushrooms, and spinach (about 2 cups). You could add any veggies you like (carrots, sprouts, jicima, broccoli, cabbage... anything). In about 1 teaspoon of canola oil, saute the onions and mushrooms. They take longer, so start with them first. After about 5 minutes, add the zucchini and saute another couple of minutes. Next, add about half of that sauce you made earlier and the spinach until it gets a little wilted. Mix together and add to your noodles. Us a BIG mixing bowl so you can really toss all those veggies with the noodles. For flavor, I added about 1-2 teaspoons sesame oil to the noodles. I like to finish with sesame oil so you can really taste it... a little goes a long way! Now... you could do all this way ahead, and wait until you're ready to eat for the scallops. In this case, I'M READY!! So, let's sear those beautiful scallops! This is about 1 pound of fresh sea scallops, and it will serve about 4 normal eaters (or in our case, a couple). I dried these beauties and seasoned with salt and fresh black pepper. Get your pan smokin' hot (medium high heat) and add about a tablespoon of canola oil. You want a hot pan to put a good sear on those scallops! Lay those scallops in the pan and LEAVE THEM ALONE for 2 minutes per side! If you fiddle with them you aren't letting the pan sear the scallop... let the pan do the work. When they're ready (after a couple of minutes), they will almost "release" themselves from the pan, if they stick, they're not ready. No more than 3 minutes per side, or you'll have rubber scallops. Now, sear the other side of the scallops and at the last minute add the rest of the sauce! It will get thick and rich right away! Coat the scallops with the sauce and get ready to plate!! Top your savory noodles with those tender sweet scallops and finish with a little bit of scallion and sesame seeds! Wow!! Absolutely amazing!

Chap Chae! Korean Noodles in Second Grade!!

One of my beloved second graders is leaving... sigh!! To celebrate, second grade will have Chap Chae for snack tomorrow, in honor of B.G. as he's going home to Korea... BUT, not after one serious second grade noodle party, Korean style! Now, Gremlin Mom cooks Asian food a lot... it's lean, full of veggies, but tonight, I'm nervous! These noodles have to impress one incredible little Korean boy, his equally brilliant Korean cousin, and my Korean tutor, along with all the incredible "truth telling" 8 year old's in my second grade class. If it bombs, they WILL let me know. OK, so... we have quite a cast of characters tonight... noodles (dang myun, sweet potato noodles, two 12 oz. packages), one medium size zucchini, 4 scallions (greens only), sesame seeds, sesame oil, canola oil, 2 cups thinly sliced carrots, 2 cups dried shitake mushrooms, 1 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 cloves garlic (chopped), and 4-5 cups spinach (two 9 oz. bags baby spinach). First, soak those mushrooms in water for at least 30 minutes. While the mushrooms plump up, get everyone else ready! Boil your noodles in water for about 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain and run cold water over them so they don't stick while they wait for the veg and sauce to catch up. Sideline those noodles while you get all the other Chap Chae players ready. If you rinse them well, in cold water, they shouldn't stick. That's key! After researching chap chae a bit (don't make fun... I was nervous... my Korean tutor is talkin' all about her mother's chap chae and how much she loves it... ) I noticed a pattern... all those veggies get sauteed for a few minutes, but separately. Crisp, but not over cooked veggies is the goal. So, in medium high heat go the carrots... in 1 teaspoon canola oil for about 3 minutes. BOOM! Empty the carrots into the bowl to cozy up with those noodles! Next, drop another teaspoon canola oil in the hot pan and add (two) thinly sliced onions. Toss it around for about 3 minutes and then add.... drained, sliced shitake mushrooms. Stir those around a bit (2 minutes). Add the thinly sliced zucchini for another minute. Last, add the garlic and toss for another minute (taking care not to burn the garlic). This part goes fast as you add and stir. Drop the onions and mushrooms in the bowl with the noodles and get ready for the finale!! Your kitchen, officially smells like "Asian noodle heaven" right now... enjoy it! So finally, the sauce!! Measure the cup of soy sauce and 1/2 cup of sugar and add to the pan. Let the sugar dissolve, and then start adding the spinach. Cook for about a minute while spinach wilts and the sauce cooks. Now, add the sauce and spinach to the noodles and get ready to toss! IN GOES THE SAUCE... and suddenly those starchy sticky noodles dance with all the veggies and become one sweet, savory Korean noodle party... fit for a second grader! Finish the noodles with 2-3 tablespoons of sesame oil and tons of sesame seeds sprinkled on top! Spectacular!! So, we had to "taste test" our FIRST EVER chap chae noodles and they passed! Topped with some super tender pork tenderloin they were a HIT in this American house! Now, let's hope they pass the Korean tutor taste test tomorrow! Either way, we will honor our dear friend, B.G. miss him dearly, and wish him well, as he returns home to Korea.