Braised Chicken with Mushrooms

In my last post I spoke about the Saint Valentine's Menu Made Fast, you can find in that post tips to make fast your food preparation and I introduced a menu for your Saint Valentine's Day Dinner Party.

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, it's a recipe from the Book Food Made Fast Simple Suppers (Oxmoor House) one of my favorite books for easy recipes. I hope you enjoy it.


Braised Chicken with Mushrooms
Serve 4

4 Bone-in, skin on chicken breast ( 1-1/2 lb or 700 g total weight)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Unsalted butter, 3 tablespoon
Yellow onions, 1 small, chopped
Wild and/or cultivated mushrooms, 1 lb sliced
Madeira or dry sherry, 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml)
Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon
Fresh tarragon, 1 tablespoon chopped

1. Brown the Chicken: Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Ina  large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons if butter. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
2. Cook the Vegetable: Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter an the pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until barely softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauteed until their juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Madeira and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Braise the Chicken: Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan, and spoon the mushrooms over the chicken. over, reduce the heat to medium-low, and braise the chicken until opaque throughout, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the tarragon and season to taste with salt and paper. Divide the chicken among dinner plates, spoon the mushrooms over the chicken, and serve.

How to Make Home Made Baby Food

You may be wondering how come she is writing about baby food?, well I have a 10 month old baby boy and it is so much money that I have saved making may own baby food that I decided to share with you all my experience.

I am a working mom, with a very tight schedule, I have to commute every day and I reach home very tired, my husband help me a lot, but still sometimes I reach home with not energy to do anything, does it sound familiar? Well, I was ready to buy all that baby food that you can find in the supermarket, and I did, for a month, until I realized that my  budget for the family fair was not enough to support buying all that baby food, plus diaper, wet-ones, pediatrician, etc., etc., etc. Then I decided to make some changes and compromises.

I decided to compromise my time. Never the well being of my baby boy, checking the food labels on the baby food I realized that the ingredients basically were fruits and/or vegetable and water, of course some preservative... but I did not need that.

To make baby food it is very easy and you can save a lot of money and give to your baby the best fruits and vegetable that you can find in the market, here in Trinidad & Tobago a medium size pew-pew cost 16 TTD, while a small brand name baby food cost 13 TTD, you do the math.

I suggest you to purchase plastic bowls with lid with a cup capacity or less depending of the amount of food that your baby eat every time.

Here some of my own recipes, I hope you enjoy and remember, in just 1 hour stand per week you can make enough food for the entire week and have them ready in your refrigerator for less than half of the cost of buying band name baby food and your baby will be getting also more quality food.


SINGLE FRUIT DESSERT (Apple or other not citric fruit)
 - For children that star eating solids- (7 portions)

8 medium size apples
water
plastic or glass container (size according with portion given)
Blender
Double boiler  saucepan


1. Peel and cut the apple and put it in a double boil saucepan (follow instruction on the use of the double boiler saucepan) I do not have one, I use a metal colander inside of a larger saucepan with some water, about 1-1/2 cup of water. Cover it. See pictures Step 1.

                                                             Step 1

2. The fruit is ready when it gets soft.  Put some in the blender  and blend until it is very smooth, add water if necessary, use the water left in the  double boiler saucepan. Do not put too much water, try to get a thick consistency first, it water is needed add little by little to get the right consistency, not thick not watery. Check the picture below to have an idea about the consistence of the mix.



 


                  STEP 2










3. Pour the baby food in containers, let it cool then cover with the lid. Refrigerate.

 Step 3

TIPS:

1. Use different size of container depending  of the size of the portion that your baby eat during the day.
2. Use plastic containers if you will put the baby food in the freezer, and glass if you will keep it in the refrigerator.
3. Do not add any sugar, the fruit has it own sugar.
4. Babies shall not eat any citric fruit until they are at least one (1) year old.
5. Do not cook bananas, mash the bananas or blend them, with a little bit of water. Serve immediately.
6. Let cool the mix before covering and putting in the refrigerator

Getting Together for Pasta

We always have an excuse to get together... and eating is the best one...

So I am thinking to invite some of my  friends for a informal and easy dinner, I am thinking in a small group so we can sit down at the table and have something delicious. With my 7 to 5 job and my 8 month baby boy, it's not much time to do any thing complicated.

The Pasta Caprese is a very good option, look nice, taste nice and it is easy to make... a good selection to bring some friend home and enjoy it with a nice wine and warm conversation around the table....

Pasta Caprese

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe provided by America’s Test Kitchen

This dish will be very warm, not hot. The success of this recipe depends on high-quality ingredients, including ripe, in-season tomatoes and a fruity olive oil. Don’t skip the step of freezing the mozzarella, as freezing prevents it from turning chewy when it comes in contact with the hot pasta. If handmade buffalo- or cow’s-milk mozzarella is available (it’s commonly found in gourmet and cheese shops packed in water), we highly recommend using it, but skip the step of freezing. Additional lemon juice or up to 1 teaspoon sugar can be added at the end to taste, depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2–4 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon (see note)
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)
• 1 small shallot, minced fine (about 2 tablespoons)
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes (see note)
• 1 pound short tubular or curly pasta, such as penne, fusilli, or campanelle
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar (see note)

1. Whisk oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add tomatoes and gently toss to combine; set aside. Do not marinate tomatoes for longer than 45 minutes.
2. While tomatoes are marinating, place mozzarella on plate and freeze until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain well.
3. Add pasta and mozzarella to tomato mixture and gently toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice or sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.

TIP: Serve this delicious pasta with a Merlot wine.

        Do not forget a nice table setting.

Enjoy it!!!