Chicken with Cancoillotte Cheese (Poulet à la Cancoillotte)

Made this recipe on my most recent trip to France :) This tasty dinner requires a special French cheese, Cancoillotte, which is not typically available in the states, my apologies on that end. But if you can get ahold of some, this is a great way to use it! Will absolutely make again next time I'm in France, 10/10. 

Link to original recipe: https://www.cuisineaz.com/recettes/poulet-a-la-cancoillotte-50261.aspx

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients (I did not measure ones with ~; these are approximations):

~1 T. canola oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped

400g (~14 oz) boneless chicken breast, sliced in 1/2" strips

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

~1 tsp. herbes de Provence

~6 oz. dry white wine (I used Mâcon-Villages this time)

1 container (un pot) of plain Cancoillotte cheese

Note: Recommend to serve with potatoes in some form (I went with sliced fried potatoes). The sauce is on the thick side, so it's not recommended for pasta.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium-large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add chopped onion to pan and cook for a couple of minutes, until starts to soften.

2. Add the chicken breast to pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook, letting it start to brown on each side a bit, then season with the herbes de Provence and cover the pan. Let cook for around 8-10 min, stirring once during this time.

3. Add the white wine to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until around half of wine has evaporated (this doesn't take long). 

4. Stir in the Cancoillotte cheese until melted and combined with all pan juices. Remove from heat and serve with potatoes or desired side. Enjoy!

Champagne Vinegar Braised Turkey Drumstick

This is the way to have a turkey drumstick! 10/10, especially for the sauce, but it's also really easy to make, mostly hands-off. My mod was cutting the recipe in half, using my smaller/oval Dutch oven. Went just over 2 hours, was perfectly done (for one 2.25 lb turkey drumstick). As you can see in my picture, I served this with the awesome Sharp Cheddar Potatoes (which were made with the Cheddar Gruyère variant).

Link to original recipe: https://kanalifestyle.com/blogs/recipes/vinegar-braised-turkey

Amounts below reflect my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 turkey drumstick (around 2 lbs.)

kosher salt

coarse ground black pepper

1 T. canola oil

2 T. unsalted butter, divided

1 large leek, cut in half, sliced in 1/4" rounds

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 c. champagne vinegar

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

1 sprig rosemary

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig sage

~1 1/2 c. chicken stock

1 T. minced parsley

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. 

2. Season the turkey drumstick all over with the kosher salt and coarse pepper. Add the canola oil and 1 T. of the butter to an oval Dutch oven over medium heat.

3. Once oil has heated, add drumstick and sear to deep golden brown all over (takes around 10 min. total). Transfer to a plate.

4. Lower heat slightly and add leeks and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (around 5 min.)

5. Add the champagne vinegar, white wine, and fresh herbs. Cook and stir occasionally, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pan, until reduced by half.

6. Remove from heat. Return drumstick to pot and add enough chicken stock to come up about halfway on the drumstick.

7. Cover the pot (make sure lid is firmly in place) and transfer to the oven. Let braise in oven for 2 hours.

8. Transfer the drumstick to a platter. Heat sauce to a simmer to reduce to desired thickness. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 1 T. butter and parsley. Serve with turkey and enjoy!

 

Roasted Potatoes with Crispy Herbs

Super tasty and easy, 10/10! Served with the Baked Garlic Pork Chops, paired perfectly. As I explain in the video, I made about 2/3 of the original recipe amount. I did not position rack in center of oven, as I roasted them in top half of my oven. I also modified by tossing them in a bowl before spreading out on a foil covered medium rimmed baking sheet. Enjoy!

Link to original recipe: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/roasted-potatoes-with-crispy-rosemary-and-oregano

Link to my YouTube preparation video: https://youtu.be/oqu2uwNJwkI

Recipe amounts below reflect my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby gold potatoes, halved

2 sprigs rosemary

3 sprigs oregano

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1 T. olive oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a large bowl, toss potatoes and all ingredients together.

3. Spread coated potatoes and herbs on prepared baking sheet as evenly spaced as possible. 

4. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing about halfway through. Potatoes will be deep golden brown and tender when done. Serve with desired main dish and enjoy!

Baked Pork Chops with Garlic Sage Butter

 Very tasty, 9.5/10, definitely make again! Great way to use up some fresh sage. My mod was using salted instead of unsalted butter with a pinch of salt (worked just fine) and 3 T. instead of 2 for the wine (not needed, just had on hand) and reducing the cooking time due to chops being more like 2/3" thick. I would use the regular amount of wine next time, the extra isn't needed.

Link to original recipe: https://www.scrambledchefs.com/juicy-garlic-baked-pork-chops-with-sage-butter/

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/zpg6macYzHE

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 T. canola oil

4 bone-in pork chops (preferably rib chops), around 1" thick (if less, watch cooking time)

kosher salt and coarse ground pepper

4 T. salted butter (or unsalted + a pinch of salt)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons fresh sage, divided

2 T. dry white wine

1 T. chopped fresh (curly) parsley

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Season pork chops all over with kosher salt and coarse ground pepper.

3. Add seasoned chops to the skillet and sear on each side for around 1 1/2 min.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mash together/combine the butter, garlic, and 2 T. of the sage. 

5. Once the chops have been seared on both sides, remove from heat and spread butter mixture atop each chop as best you can (it is kind of tricky).

6. Carefully add the wine to pan, then transfer to the oven. Bake for 8-10 min (adjust time according to chop thickness!), until pork has reached internal temp of 145°F.

7. After chops have finished baking, garnish with the remaining 1 T. of sage and the 1 T. of chopped parsley. Serve up with the pan sauce and enjoy!

Ginger Shrimp with Scallions and Jasmine Rice

Very tasty, quick and easy, 9.5/10, will make again for sure :) While the bagged jasmine rice is convenient and fast, if you wish to make it from a regular bag of jasmine rice, that will be fine, simply follow the instructions on that bag (cook 1 cup of it). Also note that the directions are slightly different on the original recipe if doing this (I did not put any ginger in my rice).

Original recipe link: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a48679/sticky-ginger-shrimp-with-scallion-rice-recipe/

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/pzpq1huLiVo

Ingredients:

1 T. canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. bottled minced ginger

1/4 c. honey

3 T. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 microwave bag jasmine rice

1 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 c. chopped scallions

Directions:

1. Add the canola oil to a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger, then stir/sauté for 1 min.

2. Stir in the honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to keep at a simmer for around 10 min, or until thickened and starting to caramelize. Stir mixture often to keep from burning.

3. Increase heat to medium/medium-high and add the shrimp. Stir to coat and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through (around 3-4 min.)

4. Meanwhile, prepare the jasmine rice according to the package directions, then stir in the sesame oil.

5. Plate the rice topped with shrimp, then garnish with scallions. Enjoy!

Roast Chicken (Thighs) with Walnut Pesto

Very tasty and easy, pairs perfectly with fried potatoes! I'm going 9.5/10 on this one, as it is very tasty, but not full 10 amazing level (close, though). Be generous with the salt, especially if you don't add much to the pesto part. 

Link to original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roast-chicken-walnut-pesto

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/XB8NcT6yrH4

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

3 large chicken thighs

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 T. olive oil

1/2 T. fresh thyme, chopped

kosher salt

coarse ground black pepper

half of a lemon, cut in wedges

--for the pesto

1/2 c. walnuts, toasted

1 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves (loosely packed)

1 garlic clove

1/4 c. Parmesan-Reggiano (freshly grated)

3/4 T. lemon juice

1/4 c. olive oil

kosher salt

coarse ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, toss together by hand the chicken, garlic, olive oil, thyme, kosher salt, and coarse pepper until chicken thighs are well coated all over with mixture.

2. Transfer chicken thighs to a rimmed baking sheet. Place lemon wedges around the chicken pieces and roast in oven for around 45 min.

3. Meanwhile, make the pesto: add the walnuts, basil, and garlic to a food processor fitted with chopping blade. Pulse until finely chopped.

4. Add the Parmesan and lemon juice and continue pulsing until combined.

5. Turn machine on and remove the small middle lid from top. Pour in the olive oil slowly with the machine running. Replace cap and let machine run until pesto is fully combined.

6. When chicken has finished roasting, remove from oven and tent with foil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve topped generously with pesto and enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Make this now. It is soooo freaking good! I've made it a couple of times now, and made a video of my most recent video to add to this entry. It had been a while since I'd last made it, and I believe I left out a modification I had done previously...adding dry white wine. If memory serves me correctly, I used 3/4 c. chicken stock and 1/4 c. dry white wine; I will be trying it this way the next time I make this and will edit the recipe accordingly, should that turn out to be correct :) Even without it, this is a super tasty dish that I highly recommend, 10+/10. To accompany, I first tried it with roasted potatoes (pictured below), which are great with it, but I prefer the second thing I tried: pasta (which is what I did in the video).

Link to original recipe: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/instant-pot-tuscan-chicken/

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/6UbWpuJZTkk

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 T. butter

1 T. oil from jarred sun-dried tomatoes

~1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast (boneless, skinless), seasoned with kosher salt and coarse pepper

5 cloves minced garlic

1 c. chicken stock (see note above)

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. coarse pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. grated Parmesan

1/2 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 c. loosely packed baby spinach leaves

if desired: pasta or roasted potatoes to serve with it

Directions:

1. Heat the butter and sun-dried tomato oil in the pot of a pressure cooker set to sauté. Once the butter has melted, stir together with oil, then add the chicken breasts.

2. Cook chicken breasts around 2-3 minutes per side, until starting to brown a bit.

3. Add the minced garlic to the pot and stir in a bit, cooking for about 30 seconds.

4. Pour in the chicken stock and stir around to combine with the garlic and coat the chicken a little.

5. Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cancel the sauté function.

6. Check your lid to make sure the vent is set for SEALING, then close and lock in place. Choose the poultry setting and set the pressure time for 6 minutes.

7. Once the pressure time has finished, unplug the cooker and carefully perform a quick release of the steam.

8. Carefully remove lid, plug cooker in again, and set for sauté. Stir in the heavy cream, then transfer the chicken breasts to a plate. Allow mixture to reach simmer and then continue simmering for around a minute.

9. Stir in the Parmesan, followed by the sun-dried tomatoes, and finally the spinach leaves.

10. If desired, cut chicken breasts into large chunks. Add chicken back to pot and cook for one more minute to reheat and flavor chicken with the sauce. Serve up and enjoy!