Murph's Chicken and Hot Italian Sausage

Murph’s Chicken and Hot Italian Sausage

Serves 4-6 and cries out for a good loaf of crunchy bread to lop up the sauce!

It's a very cold day here in Tucson and we even had a bit of snow on the ground this morning.  Not exactly ideal for the Accenture Match Play tournament being played here this week end but a great day to get an early start on one of our favorite dishes.  Tonight is the Academy Awards and the girls will not want to miss one moment of the big event.  Personally, I think the only movie I saw was Toy Story III, a true cinematic masterpiece and I hope it wins every award.  At least that way I will know what's going on:)

Once again, my Mom used to make this kind of thing all the time when I was growing up.  You might say we both love the one pot meal concept not to mention the house smells great from the moment you you start cooking.  

I love it when our 20 year old daughter Meghan hits the door for Sunday dinner and says "mmm...that smells good, whatcha' cooking daddy?"

We 'cheated" a bit on appetizers and  served our favorite Pigs in a Blanket from Trader Joe's.  Truly delicious and go from freezer to finger food in about 20 minutes.



Trader Joe's Pigs in a Blanket with Dijon and Ranch for Dipping!

Start this at least two hours before you plan on serving. 

Ingredients

•         One (2 1/2 to 3-pound) chickens, cut into 8 pieces with the breasts cut into 1/2's
•         6 Hot Italian Sausages
•          1/4 cup olive oil
•         6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
•          1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced ( I combo’d Shitake and Baby Bella’s)
•         1 large onion, peeled and sliced thinly
•          One orange and one yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced thinly
•          1/2 cup sherry
•         1 1/2 cups Free Range Chicken Broth
•         1 (28-ounce) can whole crushed tomatoes
•          1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
•        Kosher Salt
  
•         One teaspoon each  dried Oregano and Basil
•         One teaspoon Italian Seasoning
•          Tomato paste

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch Oven over medium high heat (of course I used my favorite, Le Creuset)

 Season the chicken on sides with salt and pepper and place in the pan, skin side down and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside on plate with a paper towel on top.

Slice the large sausage links into thirds and brown lightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside on plate with chicken.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat until almost smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, season with salt and pepper and remove to a plate.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat slightly and add the garlic and chili flakes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the sherry and cook until almost completely reduced. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, and herbs and bring to a slow simmer.

Return the chicken, sausage and mushrooms to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook until the chicken is tender, about 45-60 minutes.  If your sauce is too thin, remove the lid and simmer to reduce slightly or add a bit of tomato paste from the tube; about a teaspoon or two should get the job done.

Taste for seasonings, serve over your favorite pasta with with freshly grated Romano Cheese.

The Finished Product with lots of sauce and crunchy bread!

Enjoy and know this will taste even better later in the week and this recipe can even be expanded to serve a large crowd.  In Murph’s Kitchen, we are always looking for ways to cut down on the fat so a good turkey sausage will help the cause. Have fun and good luck!

My Favorite Valentine Moments

The month of love isn't over yet! We had our kids and family for dinner on Valentine's Day Eve - Brian made the already posted shrimp pasta dish - but lots of other fun things were going on.
The youngest, newest in love couple joined us for dinner. My daughter Meghan and her boyfriend Owen had a completely lovely time!









The was table was fun to set with lots of my very favorite color - Pink! I love to use our black and white Mackenzie-Child knock-off dishes with fun and bright contrasting colors. So, the chargers were red and all of the glasses were pink! I used one of my new favorite flowers - Anemone's! Which come in beautiful spring colors, like purple, pink and orange.
































But one of the sweetest moments was my dessert!













This is the Pots of Creme by one of my favorite cooks Susan Branch. Amazingly simple and oh, so yummy!


3/4 cup whole milk
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons rum
whipped cream


Heat milk slowly, just to boiling point. Put all other ingredients, except rum and whipped cream into blender or food processor - slowly add hot milk and blend for thirty seconds. Add rum and continue blending one more minute. Pour into adorable, petite sized serving dishes (like a champagne glass or pretty tea cup). Chill for at least one hour. Serve with whipped cream on top, berries and a fun cookie! (Serves 4)


The next day, Valentine's Day, I had some of my BFF girlfriends over for lunch.




















Martha, Barb, Renee and Christy were here to celebrate our friendship. I made Baked Fontina Cheese (in the superbowl post), salad, crispy garlic toast, and lace cookies for dessert. We had a delightful time gabbing and giggling.













"The laughter of girls is, and ever was among the delightful sounds of the earth." De Quincey


I hope your Valentine's Day was as happy as ours! Don't forget to show your love all year long!


Amore, Cherie

Classic Egg Sandwich

Once again, this quick, nutritious dish comes from my Mom who may have been the best short order chef to ever come out of Jersey City!





Ingredients

One Egg ( or two if you like a heartier version)
Your Favorite Bread, Crisply Toasted
Mustard
Ketchup
Pam Cooking Spray
Salt
Pepper
Trappeys Red Devil Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce


Trappeys' is my  favorite!

Try not to laugh when you read this...you really have to try it before pronouncing final judgment.  I know what your thinking: really he's blogging an egg sandwich?  Yes, and you can make a half dozen of these in about ten minutes and most people resist at first and then proclaim them delicious!  If you are from New Jersey you may have had something similar at a diner with a slice of Taylor Ham aka "Pork Roll" atop the egg.

Start heating a little saute pan on medium high.  Put your bread in the toaster.  Toast for a crowd can be kept warm in a 225 degree oven.

The best way to test your pan (again, one of Mom's tricks) is to run your hand under the faucet and throw a few drops into the center of the pan.  If the pan is too hot it will cool it down a bit and if it's not hot enough you will know instantly.  A good quick sizzle is what you need.

Spray a little tiny bit of Pam or throw a pat of butter in the pan and quickly crack your egg into the pan. Work the edges of the egg once it starts to cook so it doesn't stick.  I literally "flip" my eggs and you can too with a little practice.  It's a  lot easier than a spatula once you get the hang of it. Just hold the pan at a downward angle, throw it forward a few inches and when the egg starts to move toward the edge of the pan,  throw it in the air a few inches and catch it in the center of the pan.  You may make a few scramble eggs in the process but heck, your dog can eat them.





Thanks to Cherie for the action photo!






Don't be bashful with the ketchup and mustard!

Place both pieces of toast on your plate and make cool little circles with the ketchup on one side and the mustard on the other.  Slide the over easy egg on to the toast and give a couple of dashes of the Trappey's.  Hit it with a little salt and pepper slice on the diagonal, let a little egg yolk drip out for dipping purposes and enjoy!!!


Make a diagonal because it makes dipping the toast into the yolk a lot easier!


If you try this one out, let me know !

Trader Joe's Wine Compendium

Trader Joe's Wine Compendium

This blog has great tips and does an excellent job telling it like it is. Hey, we don't all drink Silver Oak every night of the week and there is no place like Trader Joe's to find fun and delicious wines at reasonable prices. This blog helps you find the needles in the haystack.

Shrimp in Pepper Vodka Sauce

Our Valentine's Day Dinner-It's a big deal at our house!

I began this post  last Sunday morning.  An earlier request for Shrimp in Pepper Vodka Sauce    by the Megster got all this going!  I used to make this dish many years ago and it was a delectable crowd pleaser.  I start by making a basic  marinara sauce and let it cook in my big Le Creuset pot almost all day.  I won't add the vodka, cream and shrimp until the last hour.





















The shrimp and heavy cream came from Trader Joe's (where else?)


My firs stop this morning was to AJ's to pick up some San Marzano tomatoes which are unquestionably the best.  In Tucson I have only found them in two places: AJ's Fine Foods and Roma Imports.   My buddy Jerry Gagliano turned me on to these and he makes a mean "gravy" so his advice was heeded.  San Marzano's cost about twice what regular whole peeled tomatoes cost but I truly believe they are worth it and you will agree when you taste your favorite sauce made with these.

On another note, even though I have some high quality iron pots and pans that have been handed down to me,  my Le Creuset Dutch Oven that my sister, Gina, gave me years ago is the best stock, sauce and stew pot I have ever used.  If you don't own one go get one.  I suggest either Home Goods or eBay as you will save a fortune over what they get at Williams Sonoma.




Marinara Sauce

• 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 Red Bell Peppers finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 (32-ounce) cans crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 Tspn Mc Cormick Italian Seasoning
•  2 dried bay leaves
• Crushed Red Pepper to Taste (Just because I want to kick it up for the shrimp later)

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high heat and add onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, bell pepper and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and fresh ground pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, Italian Seasoning and simmer covered over low heat  for at least 90 minutes.  Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste.

At this point I get out my Breville Hand Blender because I like my marinara really smooth and creamy once the heavy cream and shrimp get added later.

(This sauce can be made ahead and only gets better the next day!)

Pepper Vodka and Shrimp

2 Pounds Fresh or Frozen Shrimp

16 oz Heavy Cream

1 Cup Vodka

1 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil

After you have pureed the sauce with your hand blender ( or real blender if needed...just remember to fill the blender  no more than half way with the hot sauce as it expands...use a ladle if needed) add the cup of vodka and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes to cook off alcohol.   Stir frequently so the sauce does not stick.

 Reduce heat and stir in the the Heavy Cream adding about 1/4 cup at a time and stirring constantly.  From this point forward do not let the sauce boil or the cream will curdle and  ruin the dish.  Adjust your seasonings at this point adding more red pepper flakes to turn up the heat and more salt as needed.

Fill your favorite spaghetti pot add about a tablespoon of kosher salt, drizzle in about a tablespoon of olive oil and bring to a vigorous boil.  

Chop your basil finely and set aside.  

When the spaghetti pot is just about to a boil and your sauce has a nice pinkish color add the shrimp and cook for another 4-6 minutes. This is also a good time to add your pasta to the boiling water.  We really like Farfalle pasta for this dish.  It is really easy to overcook shrimp so keep a close watch and don't let them go too long.  Add 1/4 cup of basil  to the sauce about 2 minutes before the shrimp is done.  The rest of the basil will get tossed in when you toss the pasta and shrimp sauce.  Drain your pasta, add to a large serving dish and ladle the shrimp and sauce over the Farfalle, toss with fresh basil and dust it with fresh Parmesan and  get ready for a great meal!!

We served this with a little warm French bread and quite a few mmmm's were heard around the table!

Wine Note; we enjoyed a bottle of Cook's Shed Shiraz with this meal.  At around 9 bucks 

bottle  from TJ's it had great body and a decent nose that foretold a good backbone with a little fruit.  It got a lot better when  we let it breathe so open it early.

If you are looking for Trader Joe's wine tips there's a great blog to check out:

http://traderjoeswine.blogspot.com

Two Cool Restaurants in San Diego

A brief report on a couple of good dishes we had in San Diego...

I had the rough task of attending a conference in San Diego last week.  Left Tucson on Thursday morning and it was 19 degrees. Got to San Diego and it was absolutely beautiful the whole time.   Cherie joined me on late in the day Thursday and we hit two really good restaurants the two nights we were there.

The first was called Island Prime and was near the airport on Harbor Island Drive.  It was the perfect mix of steak and seafood and kept us both happy.

http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/islandprime/

We had an Crab and Cheese Stuffed Artichoke stuffed with a Fontina, Parmesan and a little cream cheese (I surmise) along with lump crab and topped with bread crumbs.  Stay tuned for a future blog where we will knock this one out.  It was good but needed more spice  and I would add a bit of lemon zest to give it some backbone as well.  The turnovers at this place were fantastic.  Cherie had the crab cakes and I had the Steak Au Poivre which was a bone in NY with a scrumptious red wine demi-glaze that our waitress revealed had a bit of bone marrow as the secret ingredient.  It was really good.  What a great idea to add what I assume was the marrow of a slow roasted beef bone and I will definitely try this in a future dish.

Great cooking is the accumulation of great eating, great observing, good questions and sincere listening.  Foodies know one another almost instantly.  If I ask the waitress a well placed question about how the dish was prepared and find out her ex is a chef and she loves great wine and food, I know I am on the right track and may press a bit to get keener insights into a dish.  She sensed me yearning for the taste I couldn't identify and gave it up instantly.

The second night we went to  Osetra in downtown.  Upscale, a little noisy, very cool wine tower like the one they have in Mandalay bay.  We started at the bar and Cherie had a "Watermelon Vodka Spritzer" and it was super good.  The vodka came out of one of those big glass urns with spout at the bottom and it was filled with layers of fresh watermelon.  The able bodied bar keep muddled a bit of fresh mint in the bottom of the glass, added the watermelon vodka and some soda water and voila...killer cocktail that drank like Vitamin Water but packed a punch.

We had a Seafood Napolean for appetizer; it is a molded roll type of thing with layers of lump crab, spicy tuna and guacamole topped with caviar and drizzled with wasabi oil...are you kidding me?  This thing was so good I could have eaten four more and skipped dinner.

None the less, I had the scallops which were sweet, succulent and were pan seared  and served over polenta with lobster chunks and tobiko  caviar in a pomegranate reduction sauce.  Good thing I didn't  follow through on the four appetizer idea...

Waiter, Brian was great, we had the white wine version of the 2007 Duckhorn Decoy and I think this might be my new favorite wine with seafood.  Crisp, well balanced  with enough dryness and a little fruit.  Mind you, I am not a wine snob, but I actually thought I smelled  and tasted the honeysuckle.  Perhaps it was the after affects of the watermelon vodka...not sure but the scallops with polenta were fantastic with the wine.  I would go back to this place in a heartbeat and work my way through the menu on a quest for finding their best dish.

http://www.osetrafishhouse.com/

French Toast - Mom's Way!

One of my favorite things is French Toast the way my mom taught me how to make it.  I have quite a collection of cooking utensils, knives and iron cookware that has been handed down from my grandmother and some of it has to be over 100 years old.  The best thing about this dish is it requires only one utensil; a long tine fork with wooden handle.  I beat the egg mixture and flip the French  Toast all with this fork.  I know it looks a little rusty but, trust me, it's cleaned and dried every time I use it.  If you ever see one like it at an estate sale or thrift shop buy it and you will not be sorry.  It is the best thing for beating eggs on the planet and far better  than a whisk.  This recipe makes 4 pieces of French Toast






Nena's Fork!

French Toast 

4 Slices of your favorite bread (almost Stale is fine)
2 eggs beaten
Pinch of Salt
2  Shakes Cinnamon
1/4 tspn real vanilla extract
1/4 cup Milk
Two Tbsp Butter

Beat two eggs, add a pinch of salt , a couple dashes of cinnamon and the vanilla extract.  Beat a bit more and add the milk.  If calories are no concern half and half or heavy cream can be added as well.  I usually do this around the holidays and people love the creaminess and richer flavor of the the thicker dairy products.



Heat your skillet to medium high and add the butter just before you add the dipped bread.  Having a tightly packed dipping and cooking station really helps.



Soak the bread in the egg wash for good 30 seconds  prior to flipping and repeat the process.  Place the coated bread into the hot pan and try to leave a little room in between slices so they don't stick to each other when being flipped.  I usually do two slices at a time to avoid over browning.

Today we served the French Toast with Trader Joe's Uncured Turkey Bacon which has not nitrates or preservatives and is quite delicious!!

Super Bowl Simplicity-Baked Hot Wings and Baked Fontina Cheese Melt

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday and my attempt at wings with a little less fat and when you read the Fontina recipe you'll understand why I was trying to make a stab at a lower fat version of the wings.... they were tangy, and juicy and just a little crispy.  The Fontina was all world, perhaps all universe and very simple to make.





Hot Wings









25 Chicken Wings
One Bottle Trappey's Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
One half Bottle Italian Dressing (Pick your favorite or make your own!)
2 tspn jarred horseradish
1 Tspn Garlic Powder
Fresh Cracked Pepper

I have to admit these were not as spicy as I would prefer but when you are making them for a crowd that includes kids it's always a good idea to shy away from those "atomic fire wings."

Mix all ingredients in a bowl  and let them "merge" while you are trimming the wings.



Fresh wings come with the  tip attached which are  easily  removed with a pair of poultry shears, I prefer the Cutco type, or you if you feel confident with a hefty French knife or clever that will work well also.  Personally, I experimented with both and much preferred the clever method, once again of the Cutco variety.  First I clipped all the wings and then I split the remaining wing sections in half.  The beauty of wings is it's not exactly a "precision art" to say the least.  Just pay attention to the wings you get at your favorite bar or local pub next time you order them...just hack away and you'll be fine.

Our ever hungry 16 year old cat: Simba, can smell a raw chicken wing from a mile away and always shows up to sit on his favorite bar stool at our kitchen island just in case something falls to the floor.



Once the wings are trimmed and split place them in the Ziploc and add the sauce.  Let them marinate all day and give a tussle every now and them to evenly coat the entire batch.  I  trimmed the wings and stored them in the frig all day until halftime at the super bowl.  What a great game by the way!!  Not a huge fan  of either team but happy to see the Packers win.

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Line a baking sheet with tin foil, spray with a bit of Pam and set the wings with a bit of room in between to make sure they cook evenly.

Baste generously with sauce and place in hot oven for 15 minutes

At 15 minutes, turn 'em, baste 'em put  'em back in for another 15 to twenty minutes.  For anyone reading this outside of Tucson you should be aware that we are at 2550 feet above sea level and baking takes a bit longer at this altitude.

Serve with Ranch or Bleu Cheese  dressing and some raw carrots and celery.

Our friends the Wambachs stopped by for the game sans Mr. Joe who was ice fishing in Wisconsin (say what???)!


Mr. Nick vs. the iPad.... he also love the rice krispy treats that Megster made and brought to the party!




Every body loved the flavor and they went really well with the  totally outrageous Fontina Cheese Melt that Cherie served.  Recipe to appear soon....





 Baked Fontina Dip- Cherie's First Post!!




I have a deep passion for....cheese!  I love all things involving cheese and like french fries, have rarely met a cheese I didn't like, which is actually a little sad for my thighs! But, whatever!!  So, when I was searching for something fun and easy to make for our Super Bowl spread last week, the Fontina Bake which is in the latest cookbook of Barefoot Contessa jumped off the page at me!  It is sooo very simple to prepare and it was everything to wish for in a gooey, fabulous, not fat-free, cheesy dip!  My daughter, Meghan helped me make it and she is getting so very creative in the kitchen!  I just love that girl!  The recipe recommends that you make this dish in a cast-iron pot...I think you could pull it off in a baking dish, but luckily we have a cast-iron pot thats been in Brian's family for around 100 years ( he comes from a long line of cooks, I don't) and we used it for this recipe.


Meg Jumped in and helped the entire day!!


 
The recipe calls for:

1 1/2 pounds of Italian Fontina Cheese ( I found it at Trader Joe's - had to buy 3 separate pieces) which you cut the rinds off of and dice into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup of olive oil - ok, I followed this, but I actually think it was a little too much, so I would use half that much next time.

6  garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 Tsp. fresh rosemary leaves 

(p.s. - they have awesome herb pots at Trader Joes, I bought one in November and ironically, its still thriving under my care)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

1 crusty French baguette - I buy almost all special breads like this at Trader Joes as well.

The contessa does not toast her baguette slices.  After a major discussion about toasting or not with Meghan, we decided to go ahead and slice the baguette thinly and brush with a little olive oil.  Then toast the slices under the broiler until they are golden brown - and we ended up loving the slices being crispy with the dip.

For the cheese:

Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack around 5 inches from the heat.  After dicing the cheese, place in the dish.  Drizzle with the olive oil.  Combine the garlic slices, herbs and sprinkle it over the cheese and toss with a spoon - just a little.  Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  Place under the broiler for around 6 minutes, check it and we needed to let it broil for around another 4 to 5 minutes until everything is melted together and bubbling on the edges.

We then removed it from the oven and put the whole deal right on the table on a hot plate for everyone to share.  It truly was an incredible experience....it is soooo good!  We dipped only bread in it and drank white wine or sparkling soda, if you were under the age of 20, and loved it.  We remarked later, that to possibly save on some of the calorie content ( if you really want to!) it probably be very good with sliced apples and pears as well, but the crunchy baguette was - oh my, - so delightful!

I'm making it for a lunch on Monday that I'm hostessing here for some of my sweetest girlfriends!  A good girlfriend always tries to fatten up her favorite girlfriends...tee hee!!  I will serve it with a salad as welll (just so they aren't too freaked out about having only cheese and bread for lunch!) and I'm going to make an old fashioned cookie recipe of my Aunt Evelyn's that I haven't made in years called Lacy Cookies!  I'll let you know how it all goes!!

Have a LOVE-filled weekend....Love the one you're with! (and buy them a present!)