Leftover Magic: Weeknight Chicken ‘Cacciatore’ Pasta Bowl

Grilled or roasted chicken is a pretty standard leftover. It sits there eyeing you from the cold depths of your refrigerator challenging you to do something inventive and delicious with it. Most of us slap it on a sandwich, mix it with mayo or toss it onto a salad. But I’m talking about repurposing with a purpose, a little reinventing. A sad leftover Costco chicken threw down the gauntlet in my kitchen last night and I am proud to say I knocked it out of the park, putting that chicken in its place with my spin on a family favorite, chicken cacciatore, revamped for a weeknight easy meal and a warm bowl of goodness.

Old School Lasagna with Meat Sauce Gets Us Back in the Saddle

To my faithful readers and food enthusiasts alike, it has been WAY too long since my last posts and for that I owe you all an apology. I took an unexpected hiatus you see. We bought a house and then we headed off to Italy…and then to Africa and then life just seemed to get in the way.  It’s been one hell of a year folks, but I’m back and I’m hungry for more food adventures. Thought I’d kick things off again with an ode to my roots….meat sauce, cheese, pasta…mmmmmmmm oh yeah it’s my unapologetic homemade meat lasagna folks and it is a doozy!

This one is not for the faint of heart. This is a dish that oozes hominess with sweet yet spicy meat sauce smothered over al dente sheets of pasta tucked between layers of creamy, gooey cheese all bubbling over the side of your favorite casserole dish. With mother nature turning her wintery eye on San Francisco this week, I though it apt to share this “hide out on your couch cause it’s too damn cold outside” dish.

I have to give a nod to my girl, Alex Guarnaschelli, whose Old School Lasagna was my inspiration for recreating a childhood favorite.

Indian Black Lentil Stew Spiked with Bacon and Kale

Black lentils are my new found obsession. Sometimes called Beluga lentils (as a result of their likeness to caviar) they are tender, hearty, good for you, gorgeous on the plate and super easy too cook making them front and center in my kitchen as of late. Lentils are one of those things you can throw into soups and stews to add body and a ton of nutrients. Toss with salad or just season and eat all on their own. And they glisten when they cook so they look dynamite on the plate. I’m in love.

Last night I had a hankering for something warm and cozy but feeling a bit guilty for a touch of weekend overindulgence, I wanted a dish that would satisfy my taste without adding to my guilt. Enter my “Indian Lentil Stew with Bacon and Kale.” To be honest, I kind of made this one up on the fly so I’ve done my very best guesstimating with regards to the ingredients but feel free to taste and play with it to your liking.

The inspiration for this dish comes from a popular North Indian dish, Kaali Daal, also known as Ma Ki Daal (mom's lentils) since it is wholesome and delicious! Another popular name for it is Daal Makkhani. Serve over quinoa, with Naan, chicken or anything your heart desires. And I’m sorry to say I have no photos for this one. It was so freaking good I got overly excited and totally spaced on the camera. Next time!


Indian Lentil Stew with Bacon and Kale
A Girl and Her Kitchen

2 cups black beluga lentils
4 cups of water
1 bay leaf
1 1inch piece of fresh ginger
1 16oz can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted variety preferred)
1/4 - 1/2 c milk (to taste)
2 tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp coriander
1 tsp garam masala (Indian spice mixture, found in your local grocery store)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
2 shallots, small dice
1 small jalepano, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 strips of bacon (smokey variety), chopped (optional but highly recommended)
1 large bunch of kale, stems removed and chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil

In a sauce pan, bring the water to a boil. Add the lentils, bay leaf and ginger, reduce to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender (about 30 minutes. You want them to have some bite but not much..to your liking.)

While the lentils are cooking, in a wide but high edge pan, cook the bacon until golden, remove with a slotted spoon. Sautee the kale in the remaining bacon fat on medium heat until wilted (5-10 minutes). Set aside.

In the same pan (do not wipe out the pan, leftover bacon fat is gooood), melt the butter and olive in the leftover kale/bacon grease. Add the onions, garlic and jalapeño and sauté until the onion is softened (about 3 minutes).

Add the cumin, coriander and garam masala and sauté until fragrant (about 3-4 minutes). Add in the can of tomatoes and milk and stir to combine. Let simmer for 2 minutes.

Once the lentils are cooked, discard the bay leaf and ginger. Add the lentils and some of their cooking liquid (not more than half a cup) to the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Simmer for 3-5 minutes depending on how thick you want your stew. Once you reach the desired thickness, add the kale and bacon back in and stir to combine. Serve over quinoa, with chicken or grab and spoon and a bowl and go to town!

A Decadent Mushroom Sauce Perfect for Steak

For the first couple weeks of the New Year, I spent some much needed time detox-ing.  My recent diet has been focused on food including tons of veggies and protein and whole grains but no wheat, no gluten, no alcohol, no caffeine, and no cow’s milk cheese. As anyone who knows me, this was a serious challenge putting a major dent in my pasta and cheese diet, but alas, I was in dire need of a couple weeks to reset the system after an indulgent holiday season.  So over the next few days I’ll be posting some meet and vegetable focused dishes. It’s been a totally fabulous experience particularly because I was allowed to indulge a bit here and there. This recipe represents one of those totally satisfying indulgences! A creamy and rich mushroom sauce draped over perfectly cooked steak seasoned with thyme and rock salt. It was lip smacking good and absurdly easy to put together. So next time you’re in the mood for steak, try whipping up a batch of this sauce. It will elevate dinner to something extraordinary.

An Italian-American Classic: Chicken Parmesan

There is nothing quite like a bubbling and gooey tray of homemade Chicken Parmesan. This classic dish is an Italian-American standard that induces glorious checkered tablecloth day dreams. I love  good chicken parm. Leftovers make spectacular sandwiches assuming you have any leftovers as guest gobble each and every available morsel. The issue with a lot of recipes though is oil. You don't need to deep fry the breaded cutlets; you simply need enough oil to impact flavor and provide the satisfying browning and crunch that a good chicken parm should deliver. I've had a lot of mediocre dishes over the years, but this recipe seems to hit the mark every time. The trick is not only keeping the oil use under control, but also not drowning the chicken in sauce. When I layer my chicken cutlets into the baking dish I use the bare minimum of sauce. It helps keep the breading together and lends a bit more crusty crunch if you keep the moisture down. You can always top with more sauce upon serving! Buon Appetito!