Return to Me Chicken Vesuvio

Olive oil

Kosher salt

8 chicken thighs with skin, bone in (I opted to take the skin off)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lbs red-skinned potatoes, quartered

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 pkg. fresh sweet pea pods

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat about 3 tbsps. olive oil on medium-high heat .

Sprinkle plenty of salt on the chicken

Brown the chicken in the hot oil, in two batches.

Brown both sides and when done, place in a 13" x 9" casserole dish

While the chicken is browning, it's a good time to quarter the potatoes if you haven't done so yet.  Preheat oven to 450F degrees.

When the chicken is done, add a tbsp. of olive oil in the same pan (after you place the chicken in the casserole dish).  Turn the heat to medium, add the potatoes and brown, stir occasionally but ever so gently so not to tear the potatoes

When the potatoes are almost tender and brown, add the chopped garlic.  Turn the heat to low.  Stir gently for about 2 minutes.  Add the wine, scrape up the bits and stir.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Pour the potatoes and wine on top of the chicken in the casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  DO NOT wash the pan yet.  Leave it on the stove for next step!

5 minutes before you take the chicken and potatoes out of the oven, melt the butter in the same pan where the chicken and potatoes were browned.  Add the sweet pea pods and gently stir into the butter on low heat.

By this time, it's time to take the chicken and potatoes out of the oven.  Take about 1/4 cup of the meat juices from the casserole dish and . . . . 

. . . . drizzle over the sweet pea pods, stir gently to combine.

Now take the whole pan of the sweet pea pods and pour over the chicken and potatoes. Let set for 10 minutes, uncovered.

Serve warm and enjoy!

I blogged this recipe about two years ago, back when I first started blogging.  My picture taking was so poor and my directions were so wordy.  I try to not say too much because 1 - my grammar ain't the best and 2, I don't want to lose the reader with a bunch of blah, blah, blah - which I'm known to do every now and then.

Anyway, if you've watched the movie, "Return to Me" (It's my #1 favorite Romantic Comedy), they mention "Chicken Vesuvio" a couple of times and so one day I decided to look it up to find out what it was.  According to Wikipedia:

Chicken Vesuvio, a specialty of Chicago, is an Italian-American dish made from chicken on the bone and wedges of potato, sauteed with garlic, oregano, whitewine and olive oil, then baked until the chicken's skin becomes crisp. The dish is often garnished with a few green peas for color.

In Chicago, one also often finds the technique applied to other foods, like "steak Vesuvio," "pork chops Vesuvio" or even just "Vesuvio potatoes."

The origins of the dish are unknown, but some suggest it might have been popularized by the Vesuvio Restaurant, which operated at 15 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, in the 1930s.

That made sense to me since the movie is based in Chicago.  If you haven't seen "Return to Me" one of the famous lines in the movie sums it all up in a few words, "Grace has Bob's dead wife's heart".  Minnie Driver is precious and plays Grace.  David Duchovny plays Bob, the widower.  The uncles themselves make you wish they were your uncles  - played by Robert Loggia, William Bronder and Eddie Jones and Carol O'Connor plays Grace's beloved, overbearing grandfather.  Bonnie Hunt and Jim Belushi play the typical Italian Catholic couple, perfect match. Grace's grandfather owns an Italian-Irish pub in the movie and that's where they make, Chicken Vesuvio.  It sounded so good I wanted to learn how to make it.  In about the same time several years ago, Giada deLaurentis cooked it in her Saturday morning program so YAY! I took it as a sign, it was meant to be, I had to make it and WOW it did NOT disappoint!!!  It's hard to describe in words just how savory and delicious this dish is, very satisfying too for my meat and potatoes man.  The potatoes are tender, smothered in buttery, garlic, chicken flavors.  The sweet pea pods add the perfect balance so this dish is indeed the perfect Italian-American meal if I may say so myself.  This has got to be one of my most favorite dishes to cook.  It's getting easier and easier every time not to mention how I love how the aromas fill the house and my neighborhood, makes one think I have my own Italian-Irish restaurant in my own home.  If you haven't seen the movie, it's worth hunting it down and buying it and watching it several times a year.  The cast of characters uniquely work very well  together.  If you like Jackie Gleason and his Orchestra music, his music is played constantly throughout the movie as well as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.  If you buy the DVD, it's worth listening to Bonnie Hunt and the other writer of the movie describe each scene and how they came up with this and that as well as the  music.    Here's the trailer:

I wish they had a better trailer for it so trust me, go watch it!!   Have a blessed weekend and remember to savor every moment!

Cajun Chicken Revisted

(printable recipe)

I'm tired....

It's late.....

My PC is kapoot.....

I've been working with my daughter's iMac all.....ALL day, just to be able to get this post and pics up.

I'm frustrated......

So I took a break to make this dish so that I can feed my family plus have some leftovers to take to work this week.  This is one of those recipes that just gets better and better day to day, so I'm looking forward to having it for a couple of days :)

I miss my PC but it should be up and working pretty soon.  I've got so much to blog about.

Have a great week!!

P.S.  I forgot to mention earlier that the reason I am re-posting this recipe is because it's become a favorite to many a co-worker, their families as well as some of the football student-athletes here at my office.  Maybe it'll become a favorite of yours too.  Thanks again to Pioneer Woman who shared this on her blog.

Linguine with Chicken Thighs

by Pioneer Woman - Ree Drummond

1 package Linquine (or your favorite pasta)
Olive oil
8 whole boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 whole small to medium sized onion, chopped
3-4 whole garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
2 (15 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch of sugar
Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste
Fresh basil, chopped, to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and place the dry linquine noodles into it.  Cook them until al dente (tender firm).
Begin by cutting up the chicken thighs into small pieces.  Heat a large skillet until very hot and then generously drizzle in some olive oil.  Swirl to coat the pan, then add half of the cut up chicken to the pan, spreading them out as you put them in.  NOTE:  Do not begin stirring the chicken immediately as you want to get them nice and brown.
After a minute or two, flip over the chicken with a spatula.  Then let it brown on the other side.  After it's brown, remove it to a plate and set aside.
Repeat with the second half of the chicken pieces, remove from the pan and set all of the chicken aside.
Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil into the hot pan and throw in the chopped onions and the garlic and give them a stir.
Now add the wine (or chicken broth), whisking to deglaze the bottom of the skillet.  Cook until the liquid reduces by half.
Add the two cans of crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.  Add slat and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken (and don't forget all of those yummy juices), to the tomato/onion mixture and continue simmering for another 15 minutes.  Toward the end of the cooking process, chop up your fresh parsley and basil and add it to the sauce, stirring to combine.   Place pasta on a platter or in a large bowl and smother with the sauce.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

So, I thought this was going to be quick and easy to make for dinner tonight.  Silly me, what was I thinking?  It was easy but it sure wasn't quick.  It's my fault for thinking that though.  But anyways, I got home around 5:30p and we didn't eat until 7p.  What took the longest was cutting up the chicken thighs.  I had already bought the chicken before I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website.  I should of told my retired hubby to cut it up for me, which he's so helpful when it comes to that.  I was a little frustrated, so much that I did not take any pictures of the process.  I had thought about it while I was cutting up the chicken but I was too frustrated and tired.  N-e- whoo, I love cooking with fresh herbs which I have plenty of in my backyard begging to be used. It was a very good, light meal, which my "meat and potatoes man" so gently commented on and we have enough leftovers for me to take to work with me.  Yay!

#1 Mary Ellen's Recipes - Company Chicken

6 chicken breasts - boned
6 slices chipped ham - thin
1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup white wine
1/2 cups almonds - slivered
Serves:  6

Place ham in bottom of greased casserole dish (I sprayed it with PAM)

Place chicken over ham

Mix soup, sour cream and wine together

Pour over chicken and ham.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Add the almonds and bake additional 15 minutes

Serve with yesterdays leftover Rosemary/Garlic Buttered Salt Potatoes

This was so easy to make.  Hard to believe a dish this simple to make would be for "company" but I'm certain that whoever Mary Ellen fed it to, would've walked away full and satisfied.  Hubby said he was kinda surprised that it asked for wine, I guess only because it was hard to believe that the Waltons would have any kind of alcohol in their home, even if it was used for cooking only, but then the only Waltons we knew were the ones on TV.    It was a good dish.  I've never cooked with sliced ham before and I'm not sure if I bought the right kind.  I looked all over for it and that was the only kind I could find.  The package of ham said it was smoked, "chopped" and thinly sliced.  I figured chipped and chopped mean the same thing but please correct me if I'm wrong.  Since it was just the two of us eating this meal we have leftovers for tomorrow and we're thankful for it.

Post from July 8, 2011 - explaining why I'm cooking from Mary Ellen's cookbook

Grilled Cornell Chicken - My Way

(Printable R

1 pkg. of 10-12 chicken legs
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 egg
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup of EVOO
1 tbsp. poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
paper towels

Dab each chicken leg with a paper towel or two.  Set aside.

As they come to room temperature, the chicken pieces will be "sweating" so keep dabbing with a dry paper towel.

In the meantime, in a medium size mixing bowl, mix the butter and the oil.

Add the apple cider and the egg and mix thoroughly

add the secret ingredient, uh-ehr the dry poultry seasoning.

Stir thoroughly.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Add enough of the sauce to cover the bottom of a marinating tray.  Notice how this container has a multitude of raised peaks in order to let the sauce to get under the meat, even as it sets for hours.  If you don't have one......get one!  (I've had this one for decades(?) - I bought if from Tupperware and I'd be lost without it.

Add the chicken and then use enough sauce to almost cover the chicken legs.

Look at my lovely babies marinating in the sauce and soaking up so much deliciousness.  The neat trick about this container is that I can flip it upside down as the inside of the top also contains the little raised peaks. Let marinate for an hour (do not refrigerate) or marinate in the refrigerator over night (bring to room temp. before you grill them though) flipping several times.

When ready to grill, place on a hot grill, turned down to med heat.  Use marinating sauce to baste often.  Cook low and slow, I know that's hard, at least at my house it is, Hubby starts getting ravenous about this time.

Flip only once - I learned that tip on "Grilling Week" on the Martha Stewart radio show on Sirius.  I learned lots of grilling tips this past week.

I have been eating Cornell Chicken since the first Summer I spent in upstate New York, which was almost 30 years ago.  My hubby and I were still newlyweds and we spent our vacation with family just below Ithaca, NY - where Cornell Univ., is located.   At first I thought that those gringos in upstate New York forgot to put the Hunts BBQ sauce on their barbecue but then when I tasted the pale - plain looking chicken it was quite the opposite!  I never experienced all the flavors that were roaming around in my mouth.  I couldn't get enough of it, it was sooooo good.  A couple of years later, my mother-in-law sent us the recipe, I'm not sure how she found it but we've been using it ever since.  So, please, I beg of you, try this sauce at least once this Summer and let me know how it faired.  Regarding the ingredients, the original sauce asked for a cup of oil and through the years I always thought it was a bit too "watery" so, this time I only added 1/2 cup of oil but I also added a stick of butter knowing it would help all the flavors stick to the meat instead of roll off.  Well.....drum roll please......IT WORKED!!!  WOW!!  I'm convinced it enhanced the flavors!  So amazing that  I'm keeping this recipe, that's why I added "My Way" to the end of the title.  Happy grilling!!!

I partied at:

and

Chicken Spaghetti - Mexican style

by Pioneer Woman


1 cut-up fryer chicken (or 3 chicken breasts)
1 16 oz. spaghetti
1/2 green pepper, diced

1 4oz. jar diced pimientos, drained

1 small onion, diced

2 cans cream of mushroom
2 1/2 cups fresh cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. seasoned salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. tsp. cayenne pepper to taste
1 tsp. cumin (my addition)

Add chicken to a stock pot.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 25 minutes.  Remove from water and set aside to cool.  Save broth but remove two cups of broth from the pot and set aside as well.

Break the spaghetti into 2 inch pieces

Bring the remaining broth back to a boil and add the spaghetti.  Cook it al dente.

Drain the spaghetti, discarding the cooking liquid.  Set aside in a large bowl.

With two forks (or your fingers) shred or cut the meat into bite-size chunks.

Dice green pepper, onions and tomatoes (I used  1/2 of a tomato since I didn't have any pimientos).

I couldn't resist but I had to saute the vegies even though the original recipe didn't say to.  I just don't like to bite into crunchy onions or green peppers.

Take both cans of cream of mushroom and dump them into the bowl of chicken

Add the 2 cups of cheese.  In my case I didn't have enough cheddar cheese but I had plenty of Cacique - Mexican cheese.  It was in a solid form so I shredded it along the cheddar cheese.  Oh by the way, speaking of shredding cheese, I am starting to shred my own cheese.  I read it from one of my fav chefs cookbooks that freshly shredded cheese is SOOOO much better than store bought already shredded cheese.  Obviously it's fresher, thicker and creamier and oh so cheesier!  They also say it's cheaper.

Then add the onion, green peppers and pimientos (or tomatoes in my case).  Add the seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cumin.  Take it easy on the cayenne if you can't handle the heat but if you can, then go for it!

Finally, add the chicken and broth.  stir together well, then taste to check the seasonings.  Pour mixture into a large baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until bubbly.

Let set for about 5 minutes.  Serve warm and enjoy!

This was a nice treat over the weekend.  I needed to cook my chicken but wasn't in the mood for it to be fried nor baked.  When I looked through Pioneer Womans cookbook this recipe jumped out at me not only because it looked good but because I had most of the ingredients.  I said most and not all.  Instead of pimientos I added fresh tomatoes.  I didn't have enough cheddar cheese but enough of Cacique cheese to make up for it so since it started to take on a Mexican style dish, I decided to add cumin.  Mixed with all the other ingredients it turned out very well.  Hubby and grandma enjoyed it as well.

It was Mother's Day weekend, we had gorgeous beautiful weather and ideal temperatures, I enjoyed working out in my garden without being bothered by too many mosquitos or gnats.  We just moved into our this home about 5 months ago so now that Spring is here, weeds are growing just as much as everything else, so weeding is keeping my muscles and my back sore but you know what?  It's all worth it.  At the end of the day, it's nice to relax by the pool and enjoy the beauty around me.  

View from our swing in the backyard

View a little to the left from the above picture

View from my kitchen window as I get started on my Mexican Chicken Spaghetti :)

Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

by the CookandBeMerry blog

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless & cut into 1-inch portions

1 lb. Italian sausage (any variety), removed from casing

2 tablespoons dry Italian herb mix (purchased, any favorite brand)

2 tablespoons - Kosher or sea salt & ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups yellow, brown or red onion, medium diced

3 tablespoons garlic minced

To season, Kosher or sea salt & ground black pepper

1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed then angle-sliced in 1-inch portions

1 lb. crimini mushrooms (baby bellas), quartered

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1/2 cup Marsala wine

2 cups Parmigiano cheese, shredded or flaked

1/2 cup Marscarpone cheese, room temperature

1 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

1+ lb. favorite pasta (I used bowtie or Farfalle pasta), cooked in salted water to al dente

1/4 cup purchased basil pesto

Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and sausage.  Season with the dry herbs, salt and pepper.

Brown the meat then remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.  Cover to keep warm.

Using the same skillet (do not clean), warm the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the onions and garlic.  Saute just until the onions are tender (2 minutes).  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet.  

Continue to cook just until the asparagus is crisp tender, the mushrooms are soft and the tomatoes barely cook (3-4 minutes).  Off the heat, add the wine, return the skillet to the heat, scraping up any browned portions, cook until it is nearly absorbed. Stir in the precooked chicken and sausage.  Cook, stirring, just until warmed through.

Just before serving, stir the Parmesan, Mascarpone and basil into the ragu.  Toss the pasto with the pesto.  Serve on individual plates or a platter topped with a generous serving of ragu.  Garnish with more parmesan cheese if desired.

I love pasta and enjoy finding new ways to cook it.  On today's "Pioneer Woman's" blog, she was featuring pasta dishes from all over the blog world.  I scrolled through them just because I like looking at the pictures she posted.  I came to a halt when I saw this one.  I was thrilled when I read that I had most of the ingredients even though I still had to go to the store for a few more items.  I whipped this up for dinner tonight it about an hours time.  I'm sure once I make it more often, I could probably whip it up within 45 minutes which isn't too bad.  The Italian sausage I used were links without a casing, which I already had in the refrigerator waiting for me to do something with them.  It was a hot spicy Italian sausage and it tasted great.  I didn't use the pesto at the end only because I'm not a big fan of pesto, it's just too strong for me and always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Plus, this dish has plenty of basil in my opinion, don't think it needs anymore.  Hubby seemed to like this dish, especially since it had two kinds of meat.  I'm not sure if Grandma liked it, she's not crazy about mushrooms so she set those aside but otherwise finished off her plate.  There's plenty left so I know what I'll be taking for lunch the rest of the week and I don't mind  one bit!~isavortheweekend