Ellie's Corn Flake Chicken

by Ellie Weightman

4-6 chicken thighs or drummies or a combo of the two

3/4 cup corn flake crumbs (make your own, see below)

1/4 - 1/2 tsp onion powder (amt. is per your taste)

1/4 - 1/2 tsp garlic salt (amt. is per your taste)

1/4 tsp parsley

1/8 tsp ancho chili powder

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all seasoning ingredients in a plastic bag and shake to mix.  Put chicken in bag 2 at a time and shake.  Place on a baking sheet with a rack.  

Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, using the convection fan if you have one. (This will crisp-up crust).  When finished, reset the oven temperature to 375 degrees and turn off the convection oven fan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Note:  you can probably also use for breasts BUT the cooking time may be longer so go ahead and try it and let us know by posting a review here. Also if you come up with different seasonings, let us all know by posting a comment.

Make your own corn flake crumbs:

Buy a box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal.  Place in food processor half a box at a time and process until crumbly - not powdery.  Yes, its that easy.  Store in a plastic container or zip lock bag in a cool cabinet. 

Roasting Red Peppers

by Ellie Weightman

Red peppers, rinsed
   
Preheat broiler on low, position rack in upper position.

Using tongs, place the pepper on the oven rack under the flame.  The flame will cause the pepper to turn black.  Rotate the pepper so each side of the pepper turns black.  Repeat until whole pepper has been roasted.  Place pepper in a sheet of foil, closing the foil tight.  The pepper will continue to cook in the foil.  After 15 minutes, open the foil and let it cool.   Once cool cut around the stem and remove it.  Slice the pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  With a knife, gently scrape off the skin.  Slice the pepper into strips as thick as desired.

Sausage and Veggie Penne Pasta

by Ellie Weightman - Adapted from Melissa D’Arabian’s Recipe

12 oz penne, cooked according to package directions, reserving ½ cup pasta water
4 Sweet Italian Sausage, thinly sliced
1 sweet onion, cut into wedges
1 med zucchini, sliced in half and then lengthwise (don’t peel)
½ green pepper, remove center and slice into strips
1 red bell pepper, removing center and slicing in thin strips
½ pound button mushrooms, stemmed and roughly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, pressed
½ pint of cherry tomatoes, washed 
2 ½ tblsp olive oil
1/4 cup white wine - Pinot Grigio good
kosher salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400̊

Cook penne according to directions.

In a bowl, toss all the vegetables except the tomatoes with 1 ½ tblsp of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Arrange on a baking sheet and roast, until carmelized about 30 minutes turning vegetables halfway through the cooking time.  In a small bowl, add the tomatoes and the remaining 1 tblsp of olive oil and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste and add to the baking sheet at the halfway point of cooking to carmelize.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the sausage and saute until cooked through.  Turn up the heat and deglaze with white wine.  Once the vegetables are cooked, cool slightly, then coarsely chop.  Add the vegetables and any pan juices to the sausage in the skillet.  Toss in the cooked penne, adding reserved pasta water, if needed to moisten.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve in bowls topped with parmesan.

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Pressure Cooker

by Ellie Weightman

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast                       
1 tblsp butter
1 tblsp olive or vegetable oil
3 med carrots, peeled and sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced   
1 clove garlic
½ tsp sea or kosher salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1 small bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
4 cups chicken broth - homemade best - see below
2 cups water
1 cup alphabet pasta or soup noodles - cooked separately
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Optional to add at end 
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
3 dashes cinnamon
2 grates of a hole nutmeg
juice of 1 lemon

Melt the butter and bring to temperature with the oil in the pressure cooker over medium heat.  Add the carrots and celery; saute for 2 minutes.  Add the onion; saute for 3 minutes or until the onion is soft.  Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add the salt, parsley, thyme, chicken broth, water and chicken.

Lock the lid into place and bring to low temperature maintaining pressure for 20 minutes.   Remove from heat and quick-release the pressure.  Remove the lid.

While the soup is cooking, boil water and then cook the noodles according to the pasta directions. Drain.  Toss with a bit of olive oil to keep from sticking while waiting to add to soup.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board.  Once cool enough to handle, shred the meat or cut into bite-size pieces.  Return the chicken to the pressure cooker.

Return the pressure cooker to simmer WITHOUT THE LID.  Add the cooked pasta.  Add optional beans, peas, lemon, nutmeg and cinnamon and stir well. Taste for seasonings and add additional salt and pepper if desired.  

*Use my Homemade Chicken Broth / Stock recipe to make broth for this dish.

Chicken Broth / Stock for Pressure Cooker

by Ellie Weightman - this will make a more brown, flavorful broth/stock

5 lb chicken wings, backs, necks or rotisserie chicken bones & parts
2 med onions, quartered
2  carrots, cleaned and coarsely cut
2 celery stalks, rinsed and coarsely cut
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 whole cloves
4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Preheat oven to 350̊

Do not rinse chicken or it will not brown when roasting. Roast all chicken parts on a baking sheet in oven until they brown, usually about 45 minutes.  Remove the chicken parts but reserve the juices on the baking sheet - adding white wine or water to the baking sheet to get up all the fond left by the chicken.  Put the chicken parts and its juices in the pressure cooker on the cooker rack with all the other ingredients and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches (do not fill more than 2/3 of the pot or according to the instructions on your pressure cooker).  Put pot over high heat until the gauge measures 15 PSI, lower heat to maintain 15 PSI for 50 minutes.  Turn off.

When pressure goes to 0 or all pressure is gone using your fast release button if your cooker is equipped with one, remove the lid.  Strain the broth with a stainless mesh strainer until clear, it could require straining 2 times or the use of a cheesecloth.  Put broth in bowl, cover and set in frig overnight. 

The next day skim the hardened fat off the top - it will be thick and waxy. Bring the broth back to a boil and simmer until reduced by 1/3, at least 30 minutes. 

Divide among resealable bags (8 oz each is good size) and freeze OR use the pressure CANNER to can it in jars.




This broth is excellent as a replacement for water in stuffing, rice, cous cous and many other dishes.  It can also be used for broth/water when making chicken soup.

Stove Top Stuffing - Remade

by Ellie Weightman

1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing mix (these are the 8 oz packets sold in a bulk box of Stove top)

1 cup chicken broth – no salt if possible - homemade is best

1 cup water (or 2 cups of broth and no water)

½ onion, chopped very fine

1 stalk celery, chopped fine

2 tbslp red pepper, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, pressed

5 tblsp unsalted butter or margarine

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Saute the onions, red peppers and celery in the butter until soft – about 3 – 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.

While the above is sautéing, heat water and broth until boiling. 

When the sautéed vegetables are finished, put the stove top mix in a large bowl.  Pour the sautéed vegetables over the dry mix and stir gently.   Pour the hot water/broth over the dry mix and stir, making sure you get all the mix moist, cover and let sit 5 minutes.

Serve.

You can also put in a baking dish and bake on 350º for 30 minutes without a cover if you like it slightly crunchy.

Chicken on a Bed of Linguine

Pic coming soon :)

Read ahead as you have to do a few steps at the same time – 2 different tasks marked with ^ and * to be done at same times.

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (halved)

Brine ingredients:

64 oz water

1 tblsp sugar

3 tbslp kosher salt

1 can (14.5 oz) regular stewed tomatoes - unseasoned

10-12 cloves garlic

4 oz extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup sliced onions

½ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp garlic powder

1 can (4 oz) mushrooms, drained (or fresh mushrooms, sliced) – optional

2 oz Mozzarella (cubed) – optional and amount is your preference

Grated parmesan

Fresh chopped basil - optional

Fresh chopped oregano – optional

Fresh chopped scallions - optional

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1 tblsp cornstarch

½ cup cold water

8 oz dry linguine or angel hair pasta

^Brine Chicken:

Wash chicken.  In a large bowl, fill with water, add 3 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon sugar.  Place chicken in the water, cover with plastic wrap and let sit 1 hour in frig.  If the chicken is still partially frozen, do not refrigerate, just brine on counter.  When done, rinse and dry with paper towels.

^Prep ahead

Take the 12 cloves of garlic and put in a small crock that is oven-proof.  Pour the olive oil over the garlic and place in oven on 375 degrees for 30 minutes – the garlic will roast and get slightly browned.  This creates garlic infused olive oil.

Directons:

* Prepare linguine according to package directions – try using some of the infused oil to boil the linguine but reserve a few tablespoons for the rest of the recipe.  Lightly salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts.

* While the linguine is cooking, pour a few tablespoons of the infused olive oil (without the garlic) in to a large skillet.  Heat oil.

* Place chicken and onions in the skillet and cook on both sides until the chicken reads 170 degress on a meat thermometer.

* While chicken is cooking, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, basil and garlic powder, bring to a boil. 

In a separate dish, combine the cornstarch and water and mix well; gradually add to the tomato mixture.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Lower heat to low and add mushrooms (if using).  Simmer for 3-5 minutes. 

Drain linguine and place on a serving platter. Drizzle some infused olive oil over the linguine – just a bit, don’t overdo it.

Remove chicken from the pan and include some of the toasted onions if desired.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle mozzarella over top. Add fresh basil and oregano.  Sprinkle parmesan on top.  Eat up.