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Grilled Marinated Chicken with Roasted Parmesan Brussel Sprouts and Glazed Carrots

2/24/2023

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SERVINGS: 2
DIETARY: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PREP/COOK TIME: 15 min/35 min

Marinated Chicken

2 chicken breasts, butterflied or pounded for even thickness
1 c. your favorite marinade
3 cloves garlic, past
Salt and pepper

Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

¼ lb. Brussel sprouts, cut in half
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Glazed Carrots

3 carrots, cut into medium sticks
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
Salt and pepper

Start by putting the chicken, marinade, and garlic in a bowl. Massage, cover, and place in the fridge. Let it marinade overnight (if in a rush 30 min is fine).
Preheat the oven to 475F.
In another bowl add the carrots, honey, oil, and seasonings. Toss until evenly coated. Spread on half a 11x18 baking sheet, but do not place them too close together or they will not brown properly.
On the other half of the baking sheet spread the parmesan cheese until evenly distributed. Place the Brussel sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil and seasonings. Toss until evenly coated then pace them one by one, flat side down, on top of the parmesan cheese. Put the sheet in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes.
While the veggies are roasting, brush oil on an indoor or outdoor grill (for this recipe I will refer to an indoor grill). Preheat until very hot and place the chicken on the grill. Grill for about 5-6 min then flip to cook the other side. Grill for another 5-6 minutes and remove. Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes (if worried, check the temp of the chicken with a meat thermometer so it reads 160F).
Remove the veggies from the oven. The cheese should be melted and brown and the veggies colored. Tear the Brussel sprouts from each other so they are not sticking together. Put all components on a plate and serve with your choice of starch. Garnish with parsley and lemon and enjoy.

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Three Cheese Lemon Ricotta Manicotti with Tomato Sauce

2/8/2023

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SERVINGS: 6
DIETARY: None
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
PREP/COOK TIME: 40 min/40 min

Sauce

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 Vidalia onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
5-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
28 oz can san marzano tomatoes
1/2 c. fresh basil
2 oregano sprigs
1 parmesan rind
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 tbsp. dried oregano
salt to taste

Pasta

8 oz. manicotti pasta shells (or use the pasta dough from the Butternut Squash Ravioli recipe, pipe the filling in, and roll into cigar shapes)

Manicotti Stuffing

20 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
1 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg whisked
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. salt more or less to taste
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Topping

1 c. torn Mozzarella cheese for topping
1 c. of the tomato sauce

Preheat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute diced onions, carrots, celery and garlic first until softened. Add canned tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, crushed red pepper and salt.
Stir well, cover with a lid but leave a crack for steam to escape. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add basil, stir, and cook for another 20 minutes or so.
Take out and discard bay leaves, oregano sprigs, and parmesan rinds and blend sauce in the blender until smooth. Add more salt and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Bring a pot of water to boil and salt it. Cook pasta in salted boiling water for 6 minutes, drain off water, and set pasta shells aside on a clean cutting board to cool down.
Spread about a cup and a half of marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.
Combine all ingredients for the stuffing in a mixing bowl and mix until evenly incorporated.
Transfer prepared stuffing into a large piping bag (I use 16 oz piping bag.) Tie the opening of the bag with a produce rubber band and cut off the tip when ready to stuff pasta tubes.
Hold manicotti shell in one hand and squeeze the stuffing into it from the piping bag, filling it almost full. Don’t overfill though or a lot of it will come out while baking.
Nestle stuffed manicotti in the sauce. Repeat with all the manicotti pasta shells.
Spread more marinara sauce over the top of all the filled manicotti.
Spread mozzarella cheese over the top.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Place the stuffed pasta dish into the oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes and remove from the oven to cool down before consumption. Garnish with extra basil.

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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

2/7/2023

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SERVINGS: 4
DIETARY: None
DIFFICULTY: Advanced
PREP/COOK TIME: 60 min/15 min

Pasta Dough

1 1/2 c. 00 Italian Flour
1 1/2 c. Semolina Flour
4 large eggs , at room temperature

Filling

4 c. butternut squash, cut into medium-sized cubes
2 sprigs oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs sage
1 1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1 head of garlic
¾ c. Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
1 egg
salt and pepper

Sauce

1 stick unsalted butter
8-10 sage leaves

Tip the flour on a large clean work surface and make a wide well in the middle (you can also do this in a large bowl or mixer).
Add the eggs to the well the scramble them with a fork. Gradually start to incorporate the flour into the eggs until a rough dough has formed.
Use your hands to knead the dough until all or most of the flour has been absorbed. Continue kneading for around 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Cut the skin from the squash using a knife or vegetable peeler and cut it into medium-sized cubes.
Place on a baking tray and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt, pepper and sage, rosemary, and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat the squash in oil then arrange in an even layer. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until soft.
Let the squash cool slightly then add it to a bowl with the ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, egg, and fresh herbs. Blitz together until smooth and combined. Taste it for seasoning and add any salt if needed.
You can transfer the filling to a piping bag if using or leave it in a bowl and spoon the filling into the ravioli.
Set up your pasta machine and have the set at the widest setting (usually number 0).
Cut your dough into 4 quarters and work with one quarter at a time keeping the rest covered in plastic wrap.
Sprinkle your work surface and pasta machine with flour. Press and flatten the piece of dough so it’ll fit through your pasta machine easily making sure it’s lightly dusted in flour.
Pass your piece of dough through your pasta machine. Fold one end into the middle and the other end over that (as if you’re folding a leaflet), press it down and pass it through the machine again at the same setting. Repeat this step 4-5 times.
Now you’re ready to roll your pasta dough. Change the setting on your pasta machine to the second widest setting (usually number 1) and pass the dough through. Keep passing the dough through each setting until you reach number 6 or 7, I like to go up to setting 6 on my Atlas pasta machine for this recipe.
If using a ravioli maker dust it well with flour or dust your surface if not. Cut your long sheet of pasta into two equal lengths. Place one over the ravioli maker, top with the indent mould then fill each ravioli with the butternut squash filling (using a spoon or piping bag). Lay the second sheet of pasta directly on top and use the mini roller or rolling pin to seal the ravioli.
Tip the ravioli maker upside down, remove the ravioli, they should come away easily and place them on a clean surface or board dusted with flour. Repeat these steps from the start with each quarter of dough.
When you’ve made all of the ravioli bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add your ravioli to the boiling water, stir to make sure none of them stick to the bottom then boil for 4 minutes.
Add the butter, sage and a small pinch of salt to a large skillet. On a medium heat, melt the butter for the same time the ravioli are cooking. It should start to turn a light golden brown colour. If it turns too quickly turn the heat down or off.
Transfer the ravioli to the sauce using a slotted spoon and toss to coat in the butter. Serve in bowls topped with extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano, pine nuts, and bread crumbs.

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Sinangag (Filipino Garlic Fried Rice)

2/2/2023

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SERVINGS: 4
DIETARY: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PREP/COOK TIME: 10 min/20 min

Sinangag (Garlic Fried Rice)

2 tbsp coconut neutral oil
1/2 tsp salt or more to taste if needed
6 cloves garlic minced
1 cup basmati rice cooked and cooled (leftover is best)

Heat a large wok or non-stick pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add in the oil. Add in the salt and mix into the oil.
Add in the garlic and cook over medium heat until golden brown.
Add in the leftover cooked and cooled rice, and break apart any large chunks, if there are any. Mix the rice into the oil and garlic and leave to cook for 4-5 minutes over medium high heat. Feel free to season with more salt, to taste, if you’d like.
Turn off the heat and garnish with whatever you wish (I used parsley and chopped crunchy chicken skin)

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recipes

Grilled Marinated Chicken with Roasted Parmesan Brussel Sprouts and Glazed Carrots

Three Cheese Lemon Ricotta Manicotti with Tomato Sauce

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Sinangag (Filipino Garlic Fried Rice)

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