/* Webmaster tools verification */ The Hop and Hearth: August 2010

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Another Weeknight Invention

Here's a recent invention that turned out to be worth making again.

1 package (8 oz.) of quinoa linguine
Four mild Italian chicken sausages, sliced in thin rounds
1 large bunch of Swiss chard
1/2 cup of white cooking wine
10 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of pine nuts
2 Tbsp of capers (drained)
4 Tbsp olive oil

Cut the chard in thin strips and wash very thoroughly.  Heat about a Tbsp of oil in deep skillet or pan and gently sauté about 2/3 of the garlic plus all of the pine nuts until the garlic starts to stick.  Pour in about half the wine, scrape off the garlic, and add the chard.  Turn up the heat and stir periodically until the chard wilts.  Turn down to low and simmer under a cover until the chard stems are tender.

In the meantime, heat the water for the pasta and add 2 Tbsp of oil to another skillet.  When it gets hot, add the rest of the garlic and the sausage.  Sauté until the sausage is nicely browned, being careful not to burn the garlic.  When the sausage is done, pour in the rest of the wine and scrape off any sticky garlic.  Turn off the heat and let the sausage sit while the chard finishes.

Cook the pasta and when it is done the chard most likely will be too.  Toss the chard, sausage and linguine together, adding the last Tbsp of oil and the capers in the process.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Chicken Roulade with Fennel & Pine Nuts

I've posted here before about a tasty chicken roulade that I've made a couple of times.  As it includes both prosciutto and cheese, though, it was not appropriate for dinner at a Jewish friend's house.  This presented the perfect opportunity to challenge myself to come up with a new version of the chicken breast roulade.  As I had some pine nuts left over from making pesto last weekend I tried to think about a filling that I could include them in.  I ultimately struck on the idea of combining roasted fennel with the pine nuts and some capers to make the delicious incarnation below that I served over Israeli couscous tossed with sautéed crimini mushrooms and onions.

  • 6 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 large fennel roots
  • 1/2 cup of pine nuts
  • 3 Tbsp capers
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Salt & pepper

Cut the fennel into pieces and place in a baking pan.  Toss in 1 - 2 Tbsp of olive oil about about 1 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar.  Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about thirty minutes at 400 degrees.  Remove the foil and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes to get some carmelization on the fennel.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.  Turn the oven down to 350 degrees for baking the chicken.

When the fennel is cool, combine it with the pine nuts and capers in a food processor and process it into a paste.  Add salt a pepper to taste (it should be a little on the salty side as the chicken gets no other salt).  Beat the chicken breasts with a mallet to flatten them out (covering them with saran wrap or foil first helps to prevent flying bits of chicken).  With each chicken breast spread a 1/4 inch of the fennel and then gently roll it into the roulade shape.  If the roulade tends to fall open you can secure it with a grilling skewer or tie a piece of string around it.  Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes (be sure not to let the chicken dry out).