Brainy Hungarian Lamb Chops with Plums and Squash... WOW!

For this dish you will need: Lamb chops but also the loin of any meat you prefer can be used. You will also need: heavy cream, ground paprika, garlic powder, jarred roasted red peppers, along with about 3 young zucchini squash, a few sun dried tomatoes and dried plums. 

 

Use the lamb chop or loin choice to slice into thick medallions. Sprinkle sea salt on each and brown the medallions in olive oil in a skillet on high heat. Once browned turn down the heat and add as many diced roasted red peppers as you like. Stir while adding 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1 tsp of paprika, garlic powder and fresh dried parsley. Simmer while you prepare oven roasted zucchini with sun dried tomatoes and dried plums.

For the zucchini, wash, peel a little of the skin off, slice and lay in a glass baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dried herbs. Bake in the oven on 400f for about 30 min. Toss in the sun dried tomatoes and plums on the end of that time for another 10 min.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Baked Parmesan Encrusted Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta...

 

If only there were time for slow cooking and slow eating...

Though hurried by the rush of everyday life, remember that it takes no time at all to make this savory dish; even if you don't have a brick 'stone' oven. All you need are a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts, mayonnaise (homemade if possible), Parmesan cheese and dried herbs. To begin: turn on the oven and pre-heat to 425.

Next, drizzle olive oil into an oblong glass baking dish and lay in your chicken breasts. With a spatula, generously spread mayo over the top of the chicken breast. Sprinkle each breast with a pinch of salt, garlic powder and grated Parmesan; top with fresh dried herbs: rosemary, mint and of course oregano. Bake on 425 for the first 10 and then at 375 for the next 25-30 min or until the tops are crusty brown and chicken is cooked through.

In the meantime, before the chicken is done, prepare your sides: angel hair pasta, and a green salad.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Gravy is worth a 'gravy' boat load....

 

Do you want gravy on that? Oui (yes)! Medieval France: The word "gravy" comes from the Old French word gravé, which referred to a thick meat or fish bouillon. 

Later on in the 17th and 18th Centuries, French chefs popularized gravy, expanding it to include thickeners like wine and fat. 

This style was adopted and further developed by British and later American cooks, who added a roux to create the modern, thicker sauce.

Any basic gravy starts with the drippings from roasted meat. To the drippings you stir in a thick mixture of flour and stock or milk depending on your preference. 

This stirring in of the mixture requires that the meat be removed from the roasting pan or glass dish and the drippings be pouring out into a pot or skillet already on high heat. 

Add the mixture and stir rapidly until a thickening of the drippings develops. Pour over the top of everything you want gravy on. 

 

* Mixture: usually 3/4 cup of stock or milk to 3-4 tbs of flour depending on preference for thickness of gravy.  

Brainy Greek Lemon and Garlic Chicken...

Of course, Greek lemon garlic chicken uses lemon, garlic, and herbs like oregano and is a classic Greek culinary tradition... possibly influenced by Sephardic (Jewish) immigrants who transported the egg and lemon sauce called agristada or salsa de agristada as long ago as the 15^th century. Variations like roasted chicken with potatoes and grilled chicken are considered family classics and are popular in both Greece and the U.S.

For this dish you will need as many chicken breasts as dinner guests. Halve the breasts or butterfly cut, use a meat mallet to pound the breasts into large cutlets sizes and set aside. Take a mixing bowel and beat about 3-4 eggs depending on the number of breasts. 

Stir in 1 tsp of salt and half tsp of black pepper and 1 tbs of fresh grated garlic or garlic paste. Then add 1/2 cup of chopped parsley, 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tbs of sour cream and blend rapidly. 

Lay each breast into this mixture. Remove and gently flour both sides of each breast and brown in a a skillet of melted butter and olive oil.  Once nicely browned on both sides, remove from the skillet and set aside. 

To the same skillet add 2 tbs olive oil, 1/2 cup of chicken broth and 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Lay the breasts into this skillet mixture, cover and simmer for ten minutes on low heat.

Remove cover, raise the heat and reduce all juices. Serve with any side dish you like. And put out the extra lemon and Greek Kalamata olives...  

 

 

 

Brainy Italian, alla Cacciatora, with Plums...

 

Cooking 'cacciatore' means cooking 'hunter style'. In Italian cuisine, alla cacciatora refers to a dish that has been prepared "hunter-style" and that means with onions, tomatoes, red peppers, green olives,and herbs not to mention if you dried fruits like plums.

For this dish, you will need to buy six (or enough for each dinner guest) chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on. A richer flavor will develop by having the bone in and skin; in fact, necessary for this dish to be truly authentic 'hunter style'.

Begin by searing the chicken thighs skin side down in olive oil on high heat either in a skillet or even in the oven on 400F (use a glass baking dish if you prefer to oven roast). Turn over the thighs and brown the under side as well.

When it comes to cacciatore, the basic recipe (tomatoes, chicken stock, dried herbs and dried plums) is always the best; however, you can add whatever you like to the mix (red or green pepper, onion, black olives)... except for broccoli. Certainly, whether you roast in the oven or simmer in the skillet, make sure you have fresh whole tomatoes to add or quality canned stewed tomatoes.

Turn down the heat to med. (oven to 325). Add to the skillet or baking dish, the tomatoes, chicken stock and herbs: rosemary, oregano and mint along with garlic powder and red pepper flakes for zing but not necessary.  Cover and simmer for 40 min (oven time too) while you prepare a side.

Use a wide egg noodle pasta, or linguine or even mashed potatoes as your side. Once the pasta is tender, drain, rinse and then ladle onto a low lipped serving platter. Top with the chicken cacciatore.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Asian conut Chicken with Rice...

 

 

This dish was inspired by an Asian dish called -  Chinese Coconut Chicken. Yet, many Asians make a similar dish. Typically, coconut chicken is made using a tempura like batter. You dip the chicken breast pieces into the batter, fry and top with sweet and tangy creamy coconut sauce.  

For the brainy version... you will need as many chicken breasts as per dinner guest. Cut lengthwise, dip into a egg and cream mixture and then into crushed coconut with a bit of flour added. Fry until brown, remove from skillet as the pieces finish and place in a glass baking dish. 

Once all the frying is done, place the dish into the oven on 325f. Prepare rice and a quick stir fry veggie. Top with sunflower nuts and raisins if you like; a squeeze of lemon adds zing. And, of course, any sweet and tangy bottled sauce on the table will make this dish delicious.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Labor Day Love... Romantic Tuscan Garlic Chicken with Rosemary!

 

 

Tuscan garlic chicken with rosemary marinated in lemon juice and served with potatoes mashed with Parmesan cheese and garlic. You will need to buy: a package of chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on. Fresh garlic, one lemon, fresh rosemary sprigs or use dried, yellow gold potatoes (six or seven med. size) and Parmesan cheese.

To begin, marinate the chicken thighs in a glass baking dish using the juice of one lemon, toss over the top 3-4 peeled and diced garlic cloves, drizzle on some olive oil and lay on your rosemary sprigs or sprinkle generously dried rosemary. Heat your oven to 425F.

After 12-15 min. of marinating time, place the chicken in the oven and roast for about 30-40 min uncovered. Check to see if the skin is crisping and if yes, turn over the thighs, return to the oven for 5 min. After five minutes or so turn the thighs back over and consider adding a few fresh washed red cherry tomatoes and a handful of kalamata olives.

Return to the oven covered, reduce heat to 350F and let roast for another 15 -20 min. Take this time now to prepare the potatoes. Wash, peel and halve, the potatoes. Add to boiling salted water and cover. When tender, drain and mash using 3 tbs of butter, the same of sour cream, a dash of olive oil, Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp of minced garlic and 1 tsp of dried herbs - Italian blend.