Proud Italian Cook

Herb and Citrus Roasted Chicken

February 23, 2015 by Marie 21 Comments

I know I’m posting this on Meatless Monday, but save it for another day, a midweek meal or even a special occasion, it’s that good, it’s simple to make and the bright colored citrus makes it look elegant and pretty!

It’s filled with juicy fresh lemons and oranges, lots of garlic and herbs and when roasted together the flavors are divine!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and was instantly drawn to it, you can use a whole cut up chicken, other chicken parts or you can adapt the recipe like I did using just the breasts, either way it’s bullet- proof!

The citrus juice mingles perfectly with the olive oil, garlic and herbs, a nice bright dish on a cold winter day!

Herb and Citrus Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

2 bone in, skin on chicken breasts, or other chicken parts
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons honey
2 whole lemons, one juiced and one sliced
2 whole oranges, one juiced and one sliced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, dried
1 teaspoon , garlic or onion powder
red pepper flakes, a good pinch
1 medium red onion, sliced
¼ cup of olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
fresh thyme and rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees
Whisk together the olive oil, honey, lemon and orange juice,dried seasoning,paprika, red pepper flakes, onion or garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Place chicken into a baking dish and pour mixture on top turning to coat all sides, at this point you can let it marinate for a little while if you have the time for even more flavor infusion.
Arrange the sliced citrus and onion all around and underneath the chicken.
Place fresh thyme and rosemary throughout and a good drizzle of olive oil.
Roast uncovered for about an hour or until juices run clear and chicken is fully cooked.

21 Comments Filed Under: Fruit, Poultry Tagged: citrus, roasted chicken, roasted citrus

Fish Filet Roll Ups on Shingled Red Potatoes

February 13, 2015 by Marie 15 Comments

If you plan on staying in for dinner on Valentine’s Day, and you’re still on the fence as to what you want to make, look no further! I’m giving you an easy and elegant meal that you can prepare ahead of time for you and your special someone, it’s impressive and filled with flavor.

It’s actually a revision of an older recipe I did on my blog about five years ago. The key is you’ll want to use a mild white fleshed fish fillet, one that can easily be rolled, not too thick and not too tiny in size either. I was going for cod but my fishmonger suggested I use Petrale sole, which is not like a true sole but more like a flounder. I told him I wanted to stuff and roll it and he said it would be perfect for that, and he was right!

If you can’t find Petrale sole, try flounder, cod or better yet ask your fishmonger, they know what’s best.

The inside of the fillets are generously brushed with a good quality basil pesto, please make your own if you can because the flavor of the pesto will really shine through, anything inferior will not be as good. The fish is then stuffed with a mixture of julienned carrots and zucchini, then rolled into nice little bundles.

The fish bundles are cooked right on top of thinly sliced shingled red potatoes, when finished everyone gets plated their very own pretty presentation.

A crispy topping of panko, lemon and garlic adds superior flavor, texture and crunch to the finished dish.

You’ll have plenty of room for dessert after this!

And for dessert I highly recommend this Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake, we absolutely loved it.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Fish Filet Roll Ups on Shingled Red Potatoes and the Winner of my Giveaway

Ingredients

mild white fleshed fish filets ( I used 4 for this recipe) sole, flounder or cod, thin enough to roll and big enough to stuff.
2 carrots and 2 zucchini, julienned, do not use the seeds of the zucchini
good quality basil pesto
8 or 9 tiny red potatoes, thinly sliced with a mandoline, do not use the ends
panko bread crumbs
lemon zest
1 garlic clove, smashed
olive oil
garlic powder
paprika
salt and pepper to taste
parsley for garnish

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees, Toss sliced potatoes into a bowl and coat with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
On parchment, layer the sliced potatoes in a shingled pattern overlapping the slices making a rectangular raft to hold the fish bundle, make sure you can see the potato slices on all 4 sides of each raft.
Take the inner side of each fillet and generously brush it with the pesto from end to end.
Place a handful of the veggies on the small end of fillet then roll up and secure with tooth pick, place seam side down onto potato shingles.
Brush top of bundles with pesto so the panko mixture sticks, sprinkle with paprika.
To make the panko mixture, mix 1½ cups of panko with 1 smashed garlic clove and the zest of 1 lemon.
In a small saute pan drizzle olive oil and crisp up the panko mixture until golden.
Press the panko mixture onto the top of each fish roll up, drizzle with olive oil and bake until fish is cooked and potatoes get crisp on the edges.
Sprinkle with parsley for garnish.
Use a nice wide spatula, get right under the potatoes and carefully lift up.

15 Comments Filed Under: Cakes, Fish Tagged: fish roll-ups, flourless chocolate cake, Petrale sole, potato shingles, Valentines day

Tuna Nicoise Tart with Phyllo

February 9, 2015 by Marie 175 Comments

Here’s a twist on the traditional Nicoise salad, same ingredients used, but instead of a salad it’s put into a tart form that has a crispy phyllo dough crust. This is wonderful for a brunch or light dinner served with a green salad on the side.

The inspiration for this tart came after I received a beautiful Mediterranean basket filled with Genova tuna and lots of other goodies. I’ve always been a big fan of Genova tuna and have it stocked in my pantry on a regular basis, so I was excited to try this.

Genova tuna is certified wild-caught yellowfin, and it’s poached in pure olive oil and has no preservatives or additives, it’s all good!

The rich olive oil flavored tuna enhances this tart along with the other ingredients I used, tomatoes, green beans, olives, capers, peppers, hard-boiled eggs and roasted red potatoes.

Layered phyllo dough is the base for all the ingredients which get baked into a creamy egg and mustard mixture, this is over the top good!

Make this for your loved ones they’ll be glad you did!

And for your added pleasure, swipe a little pesto on top for a nice finish!

Tuna Nicoise Tart with Phyllo and a Giveaway

Ingredients

I used a 7½ x 11½ inch tart pan with removable bottom, if you use a smaller one just adjust the ingredients.
1 can of Genova brand tuna packed in olive oil
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
yellow, orange and red bell pepper, ¼ each, sliced thin into strips
olives, pitted and sliced, kalamata or green, a good ½ cup
capers, 1 or 2 tablespoons sprinkled about
green beans, precooked, steamed, a good handful
cherry tomatoes, sliced ½ cup to ¾
tiny red potatoes, sliced the same size and roasted until slightly golden, 8 or 9 or enough to scatter about the tart pan.
6 to 8 layers of phyllo dough, each layer sprayed or brushed with olive oil
FOR THE CREAM MIXTURE
3 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Spray tart pan with olive oil, layer first sheet of phyllo, fitting it in around the tart pan. Spray or brush layer with olive oil, repeat until all 6 or 8 layers are used, if using a smaller tart pan adjust, keep in mind you want a nice crust that will hold all the ingredients.Place tart pan on top of a baking sheet for easy oven removal.
Whisk eggs, cream and Dijon together then pour mixture into the tart pan.
Arrange the ingredients on top of the creamy egg mixture, placing clumps of tuna all around. Arrange as you wish to fill in your pan, pressing down ingredients slightly to anchor into the mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until egg mixture has set and phyllo is a nice golden color.