Chicken Rice Pilaf for a Hometown Food #SundaySupper

Chicken Rice Pilaf for a Hometown Food #SundaySupper

Might I be nostalgic for a moment?

When I first married Mrs. Stuntman, my cooking skills were still in it's infancy. One evening when we were still newlyweds, I remember Mrs. Stuntman came home with some pre-marinaded boneless skinless chicken breasts which she dredged in breadcrumbs then sautéed and served with a side of Rice-A-Roni. It was a dish we enjoyed at the time so it made repeat appearances on the dinner table maybe once a month for a while.

I was reminded of this dish when I saw this week's #SundaySupper theme of Hometown Foods which has been hosted by Coleen of The Redhead Baker. I grew up in San Jose which hasn't distinguished a culinary identity from other cities yet so I chose San Francisco with it's iconic side dish.

The Challenge

Replicate the classic dish, but improve it with natural ingredients.

The Source

I was inspired by an article I found on bon appétit.com with some influence from a chicken and rice dish I published two years ago.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot to sweat, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds. Add the chicken to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken until brown and caramelized, approximately 4 minutes.

2. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat the grains, approximately 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer until all the chicken stock has been absorbed, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Then remove from heat, fluff with a fork and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and let it rest for approximately 10 minutes. Garnish with the parsley before serving it with your protein.

Successful?

This has been an educational experience, to say the least. I wanted to sear the chicken before adding the broth because I was concerned it wouldn't cook through if I were to just poach the pieces in the stock, which I found is exactly the manufacturer of Rice-A-Roni suggests on their box package as an alternative. I know this because I prepared the box version a couple of nights after I prepared my dish. Regardless of it being full of artificial ingredients, I found it to be rather bland. On a side note, I was amused to find that, despite the jingle claiming the dish to be the San Francisco Treat, Rice-A-Roni is owned by the Golden Grain Company out of Chicago, which is a unit of PepsiCo.

Before you go, please have a look at some of the other regional foods from this week's #SundaySupper participants

Breakfast

• Alamo City Breakfast Tacos by The Weekend Gourmet
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Mickey Mouse Waffles by Wallflour Girl
• New York Style Bagels by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Peanut Butter and Fluff French Toast by Momma’s Meals

Drinks

• Candied Kumquat Peels, Kumquat Syrup, and Kumquat-Ade by Recipe for Perfection
• Wine Pairing Recommendations for Hometown Food by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Appetizers and Snacks

• Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Cuban Sandwich Crostini by Casa de Crews
• Cuban Sandwich Dip by Family Foodie
• South Jersey Boardwalk Popcorn by Take A Bite Out of Boca

Main Dishes

• Chicken and Dumplings by Food Lust People Love
• Crockpot Cincinnati Chili by Palatable Pastime
• Fried Rice Vermicelli with Vegetable Fritters by Brunch with Joy
• Honey Cola Baked Ham by Magnolia Days
• Hot Brown Ham Sliders by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Joe's Special by Nosh My Way
• Lentil, Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Curry by Mess Makes Food
• New England Beans and Cod by Cooking Chat
• Oven Toasted Ravioli by Curious Cuisiniere
• Philadelphia Tomato Pie by The Redhead Baker
• Pierogies by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks
• Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" by PancakeWarriors
• Pozole Rojo by Simply Healthy Family
• Revved-up Poutine by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Rice with Pork and Pineapple by Basic N Delicious
• San Francisco Cioppino by Eat, Drink and be Tracy
• Seattle-Style Dungeness Crab Roll by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas with Chile con Carne by The Texan New Yorker
• The Pittsburgh Devonshire Sandwich by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Upper Peninsula Pasties by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Victory Pig Sicilian Style Pizza by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Xiang La Tu Zi // Hot & Spicy Rabbit by Curried Canteloupe

Side Dishes

• 1905 Salad by Supper for a Steal
• Chicken Rice Pilaf by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Classic Italian Risotto in Bianco by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Greek Salad with Potato Salad by Ruffles & Truffles
• Korean Steamed Eggs by Hip Foodie Mom
• Smoke House Cheesy Garlic Bread by Peaceful Cooking

Desserts

• Apple Crisp by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Buckeye Cupcakes by Desserts Required
• Carob Bumpy Cake by Pies and Plots
• Chocolate Earthquake Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Pocky Cake by NinjaBaker
• Grandma Sweeney's Chocolate Cream Pie by Lifestyle Food Artistry
• Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake by Alida's Kitchen
• Memories of Mom; Michigan Apple Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mile High Strawberry Pie by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Pear Parkin by Happy Baking Days
• Vegan Timbits by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Vernors Cake by Country Girl in the Village

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Deconstructed Pollo di Parmigiana

Deconstructed Pollo di Parmigiana

Recently, I was made aware of a recipe contest sponsored by Dei Fratelli Tomato Products to celebrate National Tomato Month which was in October. Dei Fratelli called it a Ripened Recipe Contest. In the interest of full disclosure, ingredients were provided for recipe development. No further compensation was given. All opinions, text, and photos are my own.

When I agreed to this, I was hoping I would be sent some canned tomatoes that had not gone through extensive processing. If you have read my website for any length of time, you'll note I prefer to prepare my dishes completely from scratch. Thus, I felt uncomfortable using a jarred marinara sauce but I can't fault an ingredient list of crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sugar, sea salt, onions, extra-virgin olive oil, oregano, basil, citric acid, spices and garlic.

Let's discuss the dish itself for a moment. I became enamored with chicken parmesan while I was on vacation in the Philippines visiting Mrs. Stuntman's family when I was still courting her. I remember placing my room service order for it on more than one occasion which provided inspiration when I replicated the dish on my first website using Pam's recipe found on For the Love of Cooking. The classic preparation for this dish is to pound a boneless skinless chicken breast to an even thickness, bread it, deep fry it, then top it with Marinara, mozzarella and parmesan in that order before putting it in the oven to melt the cheese.

I decided to divide the parts, leaving the bread whole and separate the Marinara from the chicken. I didn't have to do much with a pre-made Marinara but I did fortify the flavor by sweating an onion before simmering it.

The Challenge

Be declared the grand prize winner of the Ripened Recipe Contest sponsored by Dei Fratelli Tomato Products

The Source

This dish is a Crazy Foodie Stunts original recipe.

Ingredients

4 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 thinly-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 24-ounce jar Dei Fratelli Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
All-purpose flour
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Method

1. Finish the mise en place. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Place the sourdough slices on a aluminum foil lined sheet pan. Spread an even amount of butter on each of the slices, then top with some parmesan and mozzarella before setting aside. Separately, pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper.

2. Prepare the Marinara. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion to sweat, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

Add in the Marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Maintain the simmer while the chicken and toast are prepared.

3. Sear the chicken and toast the sourdough. In a separate skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once it starts to smoke, quickly dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off any excess, then add it to the pan. Brown the chicken, approximately 3 to 5 minutes per side.

While the chicken cooks, toast the sourdough in the oven until the cheese has melted, approximately 7 minutes. To plate, spoon some Marinara onto a plate and top with a slice of toast then chicken. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Successful?

Like the filet dish I prepared for Food & Wine Conference several months ago, I'm unsure if I'm successful at the time I have published this. The dish was well seasoned and reminded me of the classic preparation of this dish since the original flavor profile was still present. Wish me luck!

Light Stunt: Piccata di Pollo plus a Giveaway!

Piccata di Pollo

It's funny how things come together sometimes.

One recent evening I happened to be on twitter when I saw a tweet from Chef Fabio Viviani that read something like "Come get a signed copy of my new cookbook" but what caught my attention was the location was only about a 30 minute drive from home. So after getting the expense authorized by the CFS Finance Department (i.e. Mrs. Stuntman), I will be giving away a copy of Fabio's Italian Kitchen by Fabio Viviani with Melanie Rehak autographed by Fabio Viviani. Details are below.

I've only recently become a fan. I started watching Top Chef in season 7, so I missed his initial appearance in season 5 but caught him in season 8. Apparently the man has many female fans due to his good looks, but I'm a heterosexual male and I've always said I wouldn't know a good looking man if one came up and slapped me along side my head.

It's okay because I've found other reasons to admire the man. I've watched his web show Chow Ciao! with some interest because I profile a lot of Italian dishes here but what really impressed me was his temperament on the first season's sixth episode of Life After Top Chef. Chef Viviani catered a charity dinner but his sous chef got to the site two hours late with the food. Chef Viviani kept his cool and his guests didn't know his world was falling apart behind the scenes. Honestly, I don't think I would have acted in a similar manner.

I also picked up a copy for myself, and while thumbing through it on my way home, found this recipe that utilized the boneless skinless chicken breasts I had sitting in the refrigerator.

The Challenge

This dish is essentially a seared protein with a pan sauce which makes it perfect for a weeknight meal, so I have categorized it as a Light Stunt. Chef Viviani pairs it with radicchio Treviso, but I decided to take the dish in a different direction.

The Source

Page 178

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons capers, drained or rinsed if salted
1 lemon, sliced into 1/6-inch rounds
Cooked pasta of your choice

Method

1. Pound each chicken piece between two sheets of plastic wrap to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Then season on both sides with the salt, pepper and paprika.

2. Place 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned on both sides.

3. Add the lemon juice, chicken stock, capers, the remaining butter, and lemon slices to the pan and reduce until the sauce thickens.

Giveaway Details

I am giving away 1 copy of Fabio's Italian Kitchen by Fabio Viviani with Melanie Rehak autographed by Fabio Viviani. The contest will end on May 17, 2013 at 12:00 Pacific Standard Time. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Presenting: Chocolate Chicken Marsala Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce

Chocolate Chicken Marsala Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce

After my struggles earlier this month with the crab ravioli, I wanted to revisit a ravioli dish. Mrs. Stuntman would call me makulit, which loosely translates to 'stubborn' in Tagalog, however I needed to properly use the ravioli press (i.e. confirm the damn thing wasn't a waste of money) and needed to regain my confidence with fresh pasta.

I return this time with a slightly more involved preparation for the filling and a colored pasta made from with baking chocolate.

The Challenge

Sucessfully execute a ravioli dish.

The Sources

I used the same about.com page I used for the herb speckled ravioli; a Tyler Florence recipe on foodnetwork.com for the filling and an alfredo sauce from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

For the filling:
8 ounces chicken breast, cut in strips
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup Marsala wine or chicken broth
4 thin slices prosciutto, sliced
4 bay leaves
Fresh thyme and parsley leaves
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream

For the pasta:
3 1/3 cups flour
3 ounces (80 grams) powdered baking chocolate
4 eggs
1 pinch kosher salt

For the sauce:
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Method

1. Make the filling: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until brown. Add shallots and garlic. Deglaze with the Marsala. Take pan away from heat source and flambé. Return pan to stove. (The flame will extinguish on it's own in about 1 minute.) Add prosciutto and herbs. Sprinkle in bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to keep moist. Discard bay leaves. Pulse together all ingredients in a food processor. Add egg, cream, remaining Parmesan and olive oil. Pulse again. Chill while making the pasta dough.

2. Make the pasta dough: Omit the parsley, but add the cocoa with the salt. Otherwise, the instructions remain the same as the crab ravioli dish. (The link is above.)

3. Roll the dough: See the link above.

4. Make the ravioli: See the link above.

5. Make the sauce and finish the dish: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add in the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float to the top. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ravioli to a drain on a paper towel lined plate. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley. To plate, arrange ravioli in pasta bowls, spoon the alfredo over the ravioli and garnish with a parsley sprig.

Successful?

I was able to more effectively utilize the ravioli press, but still not to it's fullest potential. I realized that my pasta sheets weren't wide enough to accomodate all 12 ravioli spaces, so I only used one side, as demonstrated below.

I also spent less time completing the dish than my last attempt but it was still a marathon project. Also, you might have expected this pasta to be sweet due to the addition of the chocolate, but baking chocolate is unsweetened, so it was surprisingly savory. Ultimately, it was a little too rich but well worth the effort.

Presenting: Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

This dish is very similar to the chicken teriyaki dish I published last May because it's not very challenging from a preparation standpoint, but the challenge is presentation and photography. This is a dish I profiled on my first website but these are two qualities I believe need the most improvement.

The Challenge

Improve my photography and presentation skills.

The Source

I initially prepared this recipe in April of 2010 and took the recipe from Danielle of Let's Dish. To get the recipe, please click her link. I altered Danielle's dish slightly by adding the sesame seeds and scallion garnish after plating.

Successful?

You decide. The picture I took follows:

Guest Post at La Cucina Prima Donna: Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

My second dish this month is another guest post. This time, I have prepared a dish for Carolina of La Cucina Prima Donna. Carolina is an Italian opera singer residing in New York and was even featured in a New York Daily News article. Carolina wrires about Italian dishes, restaurant reviews, and finding Italian ingredients and stories of her trips to Italy. Please 'Like' her facebook page.

When I volunteered to write a guest post for Carolina, her only requirement was to profile an Italian dish. I reviewed the dishes she'd prepared already and noticed she had not profiled a staple that has made it onto countless Italian casual dining chains here in the United States. Regular readers will be familiar with my disdain for these types of restaurants, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to improve upon it at home.

If you want the recipe, then head over to La Cucina Prima Donna now. Then come back for an altered method.

Here, I'll wait....

So after I prepared this dish, I was discussing it with a friend of mine, Chef Robert Dasalla of Little Chef Counter, because I wanted to consolidate the preparation to just a single pan. First, I wanted to make clean-up easier but more importantly, I was concerned the flavors wouldn't blend with each other properly if the mushrooms were sautéed in a separate pan, not to mention the loss of any fond. He recommends rendering the pancetta after removing the seared chicken in the same pan, then sautéing the shallots and mushrooms with the pancetta after it has rendered. Deglaze with the marsala then add in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add back the chicken, cover and reduce heat to low for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and then stir in some butter and mascarpone and simmer to thicken the sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

On a personal note, this may or may not be my last dish I profile this month because I am in the process of moving to a different apartment (i.e. cheaper rent) so, in the meantime, I'll leave you with a preview of where I'll be preparing future stunts. Hopefully my kitchen will remain this clean...

Pesto Glazed Chicken with Herbed Capellini

Pesto Glazed Chicken with Herbed Capellini

Recognize this dish? Again, I struggled with the idea of publishing this dish here because it's not that challenging and I wanted to keep you all guessing the dish behind the title above but this is too good not to share.

The Challenge

Recreate restaurant style elegance on a weeknight at home.

The Source

This Curtis Stone recipe has been adapted from Huffington Post.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
1 bunch fresh basil leaves, cut into a coarse chiffonade
1/3 cup pine nuts (I used walnuts-they're cheaper), toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (or more) plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
9 ounces dried capellini (angel hair) or other long pasta
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved for garnish
2 tablespoons torn basil leaves, for garnish


Method

1. For the pesto, combine the garlic cloves, basil, walnuts, Parmesan in a blender. With the blender running, slowly drizzle olive oil into the blender until the mixture is a loose paste. Season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Pulse until...

...this consistency

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F and fire the salted water over high heat to a boil.

3. Heat tablespoon of oil in a large oven-proof sauté pan over high heat. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken breasts just until golden brown but not yet cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the pan from the heat. Spread the pesto over the top of the chicken breasts.

After two minutes on the first side

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes. (If you don't have an oven-proof pan, transfer to a baking dish before placing in the oven.)

After 8 minutes in the oven

4. While the chicken cooks in the oven, drop the pasta in the boiling salted water until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking (about a minute less than the box instructions dictate). Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Whisk 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the reserved pasta cooking water to blend well. Add the spaghetti and parsley and toss to coat.

5. To plate, use a two-pronged carving fork swirl some of the pasta around the fork and slide the pasta off the fork and mound it in the center of a plate. Repeat for each serving. Cut each chicken breast crosswise and on a bias into 4 slices. Fan the chicken slices alongside the pasta. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese, and torn basil. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over and serve.

NOTE:

I normally don't take pictures of my prep work, but in this case I wanted to highlight the importance of toasting the nuts used in the pesto. It gives pesto another dimension of flavor. Put the nuts in a dry sauté pan over medium heat, tossing every minute until lightly browned.

Successful?

Absolutely! With the pesto prepped beforehand, I was able to complete steps 2 through 5 in under an hour, which makes this dish perfect for weeknight entertaining.

By the way, the un-cropped picture above follows: