Prosciutto and Swiss Roasted Chicken Thighs w. Mushrooms

If you are fond of the flavours of Chicken Cordon Bleu but are not feeling like Gordon Ramsey on an average weeknight this recipe combines Swiss cheese, prosciutto cotto and sauteed mushrooms with chicken and is spectacularly easy.

This method works best with chicken thighs. I like using bone-in, skin on thighs for an extra level of texture and flavour, but you can use boneless and skinless if you wish.

Place your thighs on a shallow roasting pan lined with parchment paper. Brush them with a little olive oil and then season them to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Place the chicken in an oven preheated to 450 degrees. Roast for 25 minutes on the middle rack.

Meanwhile, saute around 2 cups of sliced mushrooms seasoned with sea salt and black pepper to taste in some olive oil for around 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat. Set aside.

After 25 minutes remove the thighs from the oven keeping the oven hot.

Top each one with a slice of prosciutto cotto and then Swiss cheese cut to fit. You can use any ham you like but I like prosciutto cotto because it is lean and flavourful. Then top each with some of the sauteed mushrooms.

Put the chicken back in the hot oven and cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Remember, if you are concerned Health Canada recommends cooking chicken pieces to an internal temperature of 75 C. / 165 degrees F. at the thickest part.

Melted cheese and prosciutto with sauteed mushrooms over seasoned roast chicken in just a few easy steps.

Enjoy.

For another one pan cheesy chicken dish see: Crispy Pan Roasted Parmesan Chicken

Classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew w. Carrots, Mushrooms and Peppers

Today we are going to take a look at making a classic slow cooker beef stew. With carrots, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, red wine and beans, as well as a variety of seasonings, this is a very satisfying winter meal that will cook away all day in your house as you attend to all the many things we need to at this time of year.





Ingredients:

2 lb. stewing beef cubed
1 large can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain) - If you can use one that has "herbs and seasonings" or "Italian seasoned"
1 cup dry red wine - An Italian or Mediterranean red works well. We used Toro Bravo from Spain
1 - 10 ounce can of condensed tomato soup - Campbell's has one with basil and oregano and if you can find it or another brand like it, use that one
1 - 10 ounce can of condensed beef broth
3-4 carrots, sliced
3-4 small white onions or 1 large white onion sliced - alternately you can use 3-4 small shallots sliced
2 sliced, seeded sweet peppers - I like to use a couple of different colours. Here I used one green and half each of a yellow and red pepper
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3-4 minced cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon (or to taste) cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (14-16 ounces) white kidney (cannellini) beans

Put the beef in bottom of your slow cooker. Blend in the garlic, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

Add the mushrooms, onion, peppers and carrots and blend together.

Add the tomato, the cans of condensed soup, wine and Worcestershire sauce and stir everything together.

Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. You want the beef to be fork tender so try to cook the full 10 hours or even 11 or 12 hours if possible.

After the cooking time is done, add the can of beans, blend in, cover again and cook on high for 10 minutes.

This deep, rich stew is a meal in itself though it goes nicely with a baguette or garlic bread, rice or mashed potatoes, and some more red wine.

Enjoy.

Lazy Day Sirloin Roast w. Shallots and Mushrooms

Today's recipe is inspired by all the recipes I have seen over the years in various vintage community cookbooks that had names like "Easy Sunday Supper" or "Workday Quick Family Feast", etc. These were generally hearty meals that were relatively simple to make but very tasty and used a "cheat" of some kind or another such as canned soup.

Here we are going to make a slow cooker pot roast that is perfect for a lazy fall or winter day. It cooks in its gravy for 8 hours and will make your house or apartment feel extra warm and cozy with its wonderful aromas.

For this recipe you want to use a 3-5 lb. pot roast style beef roast such as a Sirloin Tip or Blade.

To begin, prior to starting cooking take out your roast and season it all over liberally with sea salt, black pepper and mustard powder. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature and then brown on all four sides in a large frying pan using olive oil. It will generally will take 60-90 seconds a side. 

Place your browned beef roast in your slow cooker. Add approximately 1 lb. of chopped cremini mushrooms. Then add 2 large or 3 medium sized sliced shallots and 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic.

Once you have done this pour in enough beef stock to just cover the roast completely. Then add one full packet of a beef roast gravy mix. Use whichever one is your favourite but I used McCormick Gourmet Roast Gravy mix. Finally add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.

Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours. It will come out fall apart moist when you start to carve.

Let sit on a platter for ten minutes before carving. Once carved top with lots of the gravy liquid as well as the onions and mushrooms. It pairs very nicely with all the traditional beef roast sides like mashed potatoes.

One option is, instead of doing traditional slices, to shred some or all of the roast with two forks and serve it by putting it all back in the gravy in the slow cooker for serving. You can even do this as a sandwich on kaisers or rolls. 

Either way, a lazy day treat.

Enjoy.

Summer Shrimp and Mushroom Fettuccine Pasta Toss

Today we are going to take a look at a relatively light and very easy pasta toss that is perfect for a summer night dinner. This one uses shrimp, mushrooms and fettuccine.

While many fettuccine recipes are heavy with cream and butter -- and a lot of those, like Fettuccini Carbonara, are favourites of mine, don't get me wrong -- this one uses olive oil, garlic and seasonings to give a dish with kick and plenty of flavour.

To start, heat some olive oil in a large saucepan to medium-high heat. Add two cups of chopped mushrooms and 5 or 6 minced cloves of garlic and saute for around 5 minutes. Then add 1 pound (or around 30) pre-cooked, thawed shrimp and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. I like a lot of the black pepper. Add 1-3 teaspoons of red chili pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it) and saute the shrimp and mushrooms for around another 3 minutes or until the shrimp are slightly browned.

Remove the saucepan from heat.

Meanwhile, cook 700-900 grams of fettuccine until done to el dente and drain.

Using tongs add the pasta to the saucepan in batches tossing it. Add also another tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of mustard powder and more pepper flakes if desired.

Toss until everything is thoroughly blended.

Serve topped with freshly chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Pairs nicely with either red or white wine and hot evenings on the porch.

Enjoy.

Beer Chili with Spaghetti -- A new take on an 80s recipe from Georgia

Flipping through the 1989 Best of the Best from Georgia Cookbook (which I plan to feature on a Vintage Cookbook TBT post soon) I came across a recipe for "Beer Chili". What I found intriguing about it was both the use of beer and that, like Cincinnati Chili, you are meant to serve the chili with spaghetti. I am a big fan of chili and have featured several of my chili recipes on The Left Chapter in the past (such as Yellow Pepper, Beef, Mushroom Caribbean Style Chili or Campfire Beef Chili with Nachos and Homemade Cheese Sauce) so I wanted to give this one a try.

While the recipe looks ok as is I thought that with a few changes I could jazz it up and make it even more interesting. My take turned out to be both delicious and a real crowd-pleaser, so here it is. 

As you will see I have added several ingredients, used more ground beef, kicked up the spice level and made a couple of other changes along the way.

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 large Cubanelle pepper sweet (not hot), chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 - 6 ounce can tomato paste (with basil if available)
1 - 700 ml. bottle of tomato puree or passata (with basil leaf if available)
1 jar pickled jalapenos
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 - 500 ml. can of lager, pilsner or light/pale ale beer - I used a can of the Polish beer Tatra 
1 can kidney beans
cooked spaghetti 
salt and black pepper to taste

To start, heat some olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion, pepper, garlic and mushrooms over medium high heat for 5-8 minutes. Season them with salt and pepper to taste as you go.

Once they have softened and browned, add the ground beef. Break it up and stir all the ingredients together as you brown the beef. While you are browning the beef stir into the mixture the chili powder, cayenne pepper and more salt and pepper to taste.

Once the beef is browned add the jalapenos, beer, tomato paste and tomato puree. Stir it all together, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.

With about 15 minutes to go add the (drained) can of kidney beans. Also, at around this time you should start to cook your spaghetti separately as you generally would make spaghetti.

While the original recipe calls for stirring the pasta into the completed chili, I don't like to do this as I don't like what it does to either the texture of the chili or the pasta. Also, different people like different proportions of pasta to chili.

Instead I would plate the spaghetti in large serving bowls and serve with the chili spooned over top.

The use of the beer adds a very distinct, and very good, flavour that is not common in chili.

This dish goes really well with more ice cold beer, red wine and some company for a board game or sports night!

Enjoy.

See also: Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Southwestern Pulled Beef and Tacos

See also: Bistecca alla Pizzaiola with Mozzarella

Easy Spinach Mushroom Beef Slow Cooker Lasagna

By Natalie 



Perfect for the season and really easy to make, today we are going to take a look at a way to cook "lasagna" in a slow cooker that uses ravioli in place of noodles. This dish is both very satisfying and full of the familiar lasagna flavours we all love so much.







Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large bag (750-850 grams) frozen spinach & cheese ravioli
3 - 500 ml. can of crushed tomatoes
1 to 2 cups chopped brown mushrooms
1 medium onion
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan saute the mushrooms and onions over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the beef to pan and brown. Once the beef is browned, stir in the tomatoes and seasonings and then add the sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Once everything has been stirred together, get out your slow cooker. This recipe works best with a 6 qt. or larger slow cooker.

Ladle a layer of the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Then top with a layer of the frozen ravioli. You can use any cheese ravioli you like though I used spinach and cheese.

Cover the ravioli with a layer of mozzarella cheese.

Repeat these layers until you have used all the ravioli and then make the final layer a layer of the beef and mushroom sauce. Top this with the mozzarella and the Parmesan.

Put the slow cooker cover on and cook on low for 4 hours.

Simple and delicious fare. Serve with garlic bread and red wine.

See also: Clay Baked Lasagna

See also: Deep Dish Pizza Sandwich

Eggplant, Black Mushroom, Lentil and Wild Rice Stew

Submitted by Natalie


Today we look at a delicious vegetarian dish with spinach, black mushrooms, lentils, wild rice and eggplant that is excellent as a main or side and that combines lots of flavour with a pleasing texture.







Ingredients:

1 chopped onion
1 small eggplant, chopped into bite sized pieces.
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tandoori masala spice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional for non-vegetarians) 
1/2 teaspoon Vegeta seasoning dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water (or 1/2 cup vegetable stock)
3/4 cup of re-hydrated black fungus mushrooms-sliced and cut into smaller pieces.
1 cup small orange lentils-washed1 cup cooked wild rice, slightly al dente 
1 cup chopped spinach
cayenne pepper
water

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan to medium-high. Add the chopped onion and chopped eggplant and saute for 5-10 minutes using a bit of the stock to keep it moist as eggplant is very absorbent.

Add the re-hydrated black fungus mushrooms, the tandoori masala and the cumin, and saute for a couple of minutes more, allowing the seasonings to sizzle and become aromatic.

Add the remaining stock, wild rice, lentils, garlic, a dash of cayenne pepper, the Worcestershire (optional), apple cider vinegar and soy sauce, and 1 cup of water and simmer for 35-45 minutes until the lentils are nice and soft.

With a few minutes left to cook, add the chopped spinach, stirring until it melds into the stew.

When ready stir in 1 teaspoon of butter and mix in until creamy, sprinkle parsley over the stew and mix slightly.

Serve in bowls and squeeze some lemon over each portion. Perfect served as well with a jammy soft boiled egg. Add a dash or two more of cayenne and/or desired hot sauce over top for a bit a extra kick.

Enjoy.

See also: Spicy Red Cabbage and Sesame

See also: Zucchini Fundido -- A spicy appetizer or party dish!

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Marinated BBQed Beef & Mushroom Skewers

Today we are going to take a look at a terrific way to make beef kabobs on the BBQ using the relatively inexpensive packs of cubed stewing beef that you will find at most large grocery stores.

We will be making them with a side of BBQed marinated mushrooms.


Stewing beef is often regarded as an inferior beef cut as it tends to be pre-cubed from tougher cuts and to require long cooking times to make it moist and delicious.

But, thanks to the type and length of marinade we will be using, this beef will taste great after just a few minutes of cooking on the grill.

The first step is to take your beef cubes and put them in a large mixing bowl. We used 2 lb. of beef. Season the cubes liberally with pepper and Montreal Steak Spice. Then pour into the bowl enough Balsamic Vinaigrette style salad dressing to cover the cubes.

You can buy a pre-made bottle or make your own by mixing together thoroughly:

1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste (remember that Montreal Steak Spice is already salty)
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

These portions should work with 2 lb. of beef, but you can adjust according to the amount you are making.

Cover the marinading beef and let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours and hopefully for as long as 12 hours.

Meanwhile, take your mushrooms and place them in a large mixing bowl whole. I like to season them with French Fry Seasoning (there are several brands) and black pepper, but you can also just season with salt and pepper.

The mushrooms we are going to marinade in a garlic and herb marinade that also works well with any other number of vegetables such as chopped red onion, chopped peppers, etc.

You can, again, buy a ready made marinade or make your own by mixing together thoroughly:

6-8 cloves of minced garlic
1 cup EVOO
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Again, cover and let marinade in the fridge for the same amount of time as the beef.

When almost ready to cook, get your charcoal BBQ going as we laid out in a previous post. 

Meanwhile prepare your skewers. If you have metal ones, you are good to go! If using bamboo or wood skewers as we did here, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes so that they do not catch fire while on the grill!

While mixed meat and veg skewers are great to look at and can work, in this case we will be doing the mushrooms and beef separately because of different cooking times.

Take out of the marinade and place the beef cubes onto the skewers trying to center as much as possible and leaving a small gap between each cube. Discard the marinade.

Do the same with the mushrooms.

When your coals are nice and hot, put the skewers directly onto the grill with the beef ones over the coals and the mushroom skewers a little more off to the sides.

The beef skewers will be done in as little as 2-3 minutes a side (turning once) for a medium-rare to medium depending on the size of the individual cube.

The mushrooms will take around 5 minutes a side.

These can be served on or off the skewer and should be served with Tzatziki sauce for sipping on the side. They also go great with a Greek Salad.

An easy and fun BBQ treat.

Enjoy!

See also:  BBQed Rainbow Trout with Herbs-de-Provence & Garlic Butter

See also: Beer Can Chicken with "French Fried" Asparagus on the BBQ!

Dutch Oven Veal Scaloppine Picatta with Mushrooms

Veal scaloppine are very thinly cut slices of veal that can be prepared several different ways.

One of my favourite is to bread and deep fry them (using a technique we looked at in a previous post) and then serve them with lemon wedges.

But another way I like to make scaloppine is "picatta" style, which is simmered in lemon and white wine. Usually this is done in a saucepan, but if you are making a lot of veal (for a party or big family dinner) I have adapted a technique used for making layered scalloped beef in a Dutch Oven that works very well in this case and that produces a rich, thick and tart sauce.

For the present blog, I made around 10 scaloppine pieces, which ended up being two layers in the Dutch Oven.

First, you take your scaloppine and dredge them in flour seasoned liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat some olive oil in the bottom of your Dutch Oven over medium-high heat on the stove-top until ready to fry and, in batches, brown the veal about 30 seconds a side.

Set the veal aside and then, without cleaning out the bottom of the Dutch Oven, add some more olive oil and heat and then add 2 cups of sliced mushrooms and 4 cloves of minced garlic. Saute the mushrooms and garlic for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the oven as you do so. When they are done, remove the mushrooms and set aside in a bowl.

Remove the Dutch Oven from heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Then place a layer of the browned scaloppini across the bottom of the oven. Top this with some of the sauteed garlic and mushrooms in proportion to how many layers of scaloppini you will have. In other words, if you are going to have 2 layers of scaloppini use half of them, 3 layers 1/3 of them, etc. Repeat this process until done.

Also pour the juice of a half a lemon over each layer.

When you are finished layering add enough dry white wine (I used a Portuguese wine Gatao that I am very fond of, but you can use any dry white) to just barely cover the layers of  veal and mushroom.

Bring the wine and lemon juice to a boil on the stove-top and then reduce the heat, cover while leaving the lid slightly off at a couple of edges, and simmer the veal for 20 minutes.

Serve the scalopinni topped with the garlic mushrooms and the delicious and zesty sauce that is produced.

Enjoy.

Simmered Sirloin Tip Steak with a Mushroom Gravy

Sirloin Tip steaks are a somewhat more inexpensive cut of steak that can be prepared straight-up (if done right) but that also lend themselves to marinading or simmering/slow-cooking.



Today we are going to look at a way to make this cut in a Dutch Oven or large saucepan, that not only produces a steak that is incredibly moist but that also cooks in what becomes its mushroom gravy.

First, you need to take out your steaks and season them on both sides with salt and black pepper to taste. I like to season very liberally. Then sprinkle some flour over the steaks on both sides as well. Let the seasoned steaks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In the bottom of your Dutch Oven or a large saucepan heat some olive oil over medium-high heat on the stove-top and brown the steaks for 2-4 minutes a side. Remove the steaks and set aside leaving all the juices and oil in the bottom of the Dutch Oven. 

Add more olive oil if required and then add around 2 lbs. of sliced mushrooms and one medium chopped onion, season to taste with salt and pepper, and saute for around 5-7 minutes or until done to your liking. 

When the mushrooms and onion are done, add the steaks back to the Dutch Oven and add enough beef stock to just cover them. To this add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce. 

Bring to a boil and then  reduce heat and let them simmer for around 1 1/2 hours or until the steaks are moist. When ready they will be easy to cut with a fork! They will be that tender. This should be done covered, but with the lid slightly off at one corner or edge. 

When  the steaks are ready, remove them from the liquid and let them rest on a platter. To the liquid add about 1 tablespoon of flour and whisk it in until there is no clumping and the liquid has thickened. 

Top the steaks with the gravy and mushrooms and serve. These go perfectly with mashed or "smashed" potatoes, rice, a rustic bread and, of course, red wine!

Enjoy. 

See also: Sauteed Garlic Pepper Steak with Provencal Mushrooms and Onions

See also: Beef Shank Potato Carrot Dutch Oven Casserole -- Revisiting an 80's Leftover Roast Beef Recipe

Sauteed Garlic Pepper Steak with Provencal Mushrooms and Onions

Today we are going to kick off the first recipe of the year with one of my favourites -- a sauteed garlic pepper steak with Provencal mushrooms and onions.

This dish is best made with boneless steaks like Rib Eyes or New York strip loins.



First, for each steak you want to mince two cloves of garlic and blend with two tablespoons or so of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Put half of this mixture on each side and press in gently with a spoon. (You can also use pre-minced garlic in oil, in  which case you want to use about a teaspoon a side.) Then coat the steaks liberally with freshly ground black pepper and to taste with salt. Let the steaks sit, at room temperature, for around 45 minutes.

When you are almost ready to cook your steak chop up some mushrooms and season liberally with Herbs-de-Provence and salt and pepper to taste. Saute the mushrooms in EVOO in a large saucepan for around 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat or until done to your liking. You want to make enough mushrooms to cover each steak fully so plan accordingly. Set the mushrooms aside, covered, to keep them warm.

Then do the exact same thing with some chopped onion, again making enough to cover the steak thoroughly. Again, set aside, covered to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat up a cast iron pan, ridged if you have one, and cook your seasoned steaks exactly as described in the previous post "Smashed Potatoes and Crosshatched Rib Eyes".

While I hope you cook your steaks rare, rare-medium or medium-rare, when they are done to your liking and you have let them rest, place each steak on a plate and cover with the mushrooms and onions.

This delicious dish, full of flavour, is great with a baguette, an Italian or Caesar salad, red wine and whatever else you like steak with!

Enjoy.

See also: Pesto pepper steak with sour cream & pickled peperoncini

See also: Lemon Minute Steaks with Sauteed Mushrooms

Sauteed Seasoned Chicken Breasts in a Garlic Mushroom Sauce

Today I want to take a look at one of my favourite ways to make chicken breast.

While this recipe works equally well with boneless skinless chicken thighs, it is designed for boneless skinless chicken breast.


While Italian seasoning can be used -- or oregano, salt and pepper -- this dish also benefits greatly from the use of a Herbs-de-Provence seasoning blend.

The first step is to take about 2 cups

of sliced fresh mushrooms, season them liberally with the Herbs-de-Provence seasoning and salt and pepper to taste, and saute them in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in a large saucepan over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until tender and golden brown.


Remove the mushrooms from the saucepan and set aside. Do not drain or clean the pan.

Now take 4-6 chicken breasts and also season liberally with the herb blend and salt and pepper to taste. Add some more EVOO to the pan and then brown the chicken breasts 5 minutes a side over medium-high heat.

When fully browned, set aside the breasts on a platter and add 3-4 minced cloves of garlic to the pan. Saute the garlic for around 2 minutes over medium heat taking care not to burn it, add the breasts back to the pan atop the sauteed garlic, top the breasts with the sauteed mushrooms and then cover the breasts and the mushrooms with cream of mushroom soup.

You will need 2-3 medium sized (541 ml.) cans of ready made cream of mushroom soup so as to fully cover the breasts. If you do not have ready made, simply use condensed and blend with the required amount of milk prior to adding to the pan.

Season again over top with the herb blend, cover, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and simmer for 15 minutes more until fully cooked. (If unsure chicken breasts are fully cooked when they have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees at the thickest point).

Serve covered with the garlic mushroom sauce.

This delicious dish goes perfectly with rice or egg noodles, pairs well with white or red wine and is great with a rustic style country bread or baguette.

Enjoy!