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Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

Rachael Ray’s Chicken Riggies with Greens

Recipe taken from RachaelRay.com

Notes

The heat… it comes from the Italian hot cherry peppers, OBVIOUSLY. 😀 And I now recall using only about 1/3 of the amount of the brine as is recommended. I was attempting to keep the heat level down, yet I still completely forgot about all of that until my memory got jogged. Ahh, aging…

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used refined olive oil because I’m not a crazy person, nor do I enjoy smoking out my kitchen)
  • ¼ pound meaty pancetta or prosciutto di Parma end cuts, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I used 8 cloves)
  • 1 large bunch flat kale, lacinato, or escarole, chopped or sliced (I used kale)
  • Salt and pepper
  • A little freshly grated nutmeg, about ⅛ teaspoon
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • About ⅓ cup sliced Italian cherry peppers, chopped and a few tablespoons of juice (I used maybe 1 tbsn of the juice and it was plenty spicy!)
  • One 28-ounce can Italian tomatoes
  • 1 rotisserie chicken (skinned!)
  • A few leaves of basil, torn (I forgot to serve this with the basil, but it was in the cocktails!)
  • 1 pound rigatoni (RIGGIES!)

For the Breadcrumb Topping

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed (I used 2 cloves)
  • 1 ¼ cups homemade breadcrumbs or panko
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 1 tablespoons freshly chopped (I used dried)
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley or 1 tablespoon freshly chopped (I used fresh)
  • 1 cup grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano or a combination of the two

Preparation

  1. Heat a pot of salted water to boil for rigatoni.
  2. Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, add EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, add pancetta or prosciutto and stir a minute or 2, add garlic and stir a minute, add greens to wilt and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add stock and cherry peppers and brine, bring to a bubble, then stir in tomatoes, break them up, and simmer 20 minutes to break the tomatoes down.
  3. Meanwhile, remove skin from chicken and pull meat into small pieces. Add basil and chicken to sauce.
  4. For the breadcrumb topping, in another skillet over medium to medium-high heat, melt butter into oil and add garlic, swirl a minute, then add breadcrumbs, toast to golden. Remove breadcrumbs from heat and toss with herbs and cool, then toss cool crumbs with cheese.
  5. Cook pasta to 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve about ¾ cup salty water and drain pasta. Toss rigatoni with chicken and greens and add the water as necessary to keep the pasta moist. Serve the rigatoni in shallow bowls topped with breadcrumb topping.
Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Basic White Rice (The rice part of beans & rice)

Why This Recipe Works
We found that rinsing the rice under cold running water flushes away excess starch, resulting in a white rice recipe with distinct, separate grains that don’t clump together.

Ingredients
2 cups long grain white rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil
3 cups water
1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions
Serves 8 (Makes about 6 cups)

1. Place rice in colander or fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Place colander over bowl and set aside.
2. Heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until grains become chalky and opaque, 1 to 3 minutes. Add water and salt, increase heat to high and bring to boil, swirling the pot to blend ingredients. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes. Off heat, remove lid and place kitchen towel folded in half over saucepan; replace lid. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes; fluff with fork and serve.

Image result for white rice

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Cheesy Fried Grits

By Emeril Lagasse. https://www.emerils.com/125749/cheesy-fried-grits

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup old fashioned grits
1 cup grated white cheddar
3 tablespoons chopped green onions (scallions)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup to 1 cup vegetable oil, for pan frying

DIRECTIONS
Grease an 8 by 8-inch square cake pan or rimmed baking sheet with the butter, line with parchement or wax paper and grease again. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Slowly add the grits, salt and pepper, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, add the cheese, green onions, and garlic, and adjust the seasoning to taste. Turn out the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and using an offset cake spreader or rubber spatula, spread evenly across the bottom. Refrigerate until completely cooled and firm, at least 1 hour. Cut the grits into squares and refrigerate until ready to work. In a large, heavy skillet or saute pan, heat 1/2 cup of the oil to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour and Essence in a shallow dish. Combine the eggs and milk in another shallow dish, whisking to combine. Dredge the squares in the seasoned flour, dip into the egg wash, and then back into the flour, 1 at a time. Fry in batches, turning, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, adding more oil as necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season fried grits lightly with Essence.
(note there was plenty of egg wash and flour mixture left. You could likely decrease by 1/3).

Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasoning
Mix up a batch of this seasoning and keep it on hand for giving just about any savory dish a “kicked-up” flavor. I made half, which left me plenty of extra for another time.

YIELD: About 2/3 cup
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme