Category: Chicken

recipes at my table

Chicken Involtini with Raisins

Chicken Involtini with Raisins

My Chicken Involtini with Raisins are bundles of flavours that will ignite the conversation at any table.  Inovltini are usually small bit sized pieces of food that consist of an outer layer and a stuffing.  Involto in Italian means wrapped.

Involtini or Braciole

Growing up in a Calabrese/Sicilian home, we were a little confused over the proper terminology for a number of things.  I called anything that was wrapped in meat a braciole, but years later when I started to vacation in Sicily, I realized that Involtini was more proper to use.  Braciole usually means a piece of veal that is rolled around a stuffing; I will share my nonna Emilia’s braciole on another post.

I like the variety of food and ingredients that we incorporate into our Italian dishes and the raisins give this dish a fruity flavour without overpowering the chicken.  Normally, I would use toasted pine nuts, but they weren’t in my pantry today and I substituted sunflower seeds which added a crunch to the dish.  I think you will like this one because it is two dishes in one.  You are in meat and pasta heaven.  The chicken is a delicate partner for the orzo and the peas give the orzo a little added bulk and colour.  Usually I add pine nuts to the stuffing, but I used them all to make pesto a few days ago; and so, I used sunflower seeds and I loved them.  Sunflower seeds are one of those superfoods.  A great article on the health benefits: https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/health-benefits-of-sunflower-seeds/

Simple ingredients for the stuffing

I love these little bundles, stuffed and ready for the skillet. Stuffed with raisins and sunflower seeds

recipes at my table
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Chicken Involtini with raisins

Full of flavour, these little bundles will become a favourite at your table. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 3
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Chicken

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup raisins soak first in water for 15 minutes
  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 3 tbsp canola oil

The sauce

  • 1 each carrot, onion and celery sofrito
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Orzo with green peas

  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 1 cup green peas

Instructions

The Chicken

  1. Cut each chicken breast into two. Salt and pepper both sides.

    Pound with a mallet to thin out the meat.

    Combine the breadcrumbs, egg, raisins, sunflower seeds and nutmeg.

    Place one tablespoon of bread mixture in each breast and roll.

    Secure each roll with toothpicks.  Now you have created involtini. 

    Spread the Italian seasoning on both sides of the Involtini. 

    Put 3 tablespoons of canola oil in the skillet.

    Brown the involtini and remove.

The Sauce

  1. Using the same skillet as the chicken add the carrot, onion and celery. Add 1/4 cup cold water.  

    When they are softened, add the wine.

    Make a spot in the middle and put in the flour.  Whisk while adding the wine.

    Add the milk and cheese.

    Now place the chicken on top of the ingredients.

    Cover and cook on medium/low for 30 minutes.



The Pasta

  1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

    When almost done add the frozen peas.  Cook for one minute.

    Remove, strain.

    Add the butter and parmesan cheese.


The Plating

  1. You can put the orzo and peas on the bottom of a large platter.

    Place chicken and sauce on top.

    Bring to the table family style.  

Recipe Notes

Use one chicken breast per person; it yields two involtini.  

Love the view from the top of this dish.

Looking down on the involtini

 Inside the little pockets. A look inside the involtini

 

 

 

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Sicilian Moroccan Roast Chicken

Sicilian Moroccan Roast Chicken

It’s a cold Sunday and I am dreaming of warm days in Sicily.  The breeze in Sicily is soothing and the sea glitters from the sun kissing it.  This is where the inspiration for Sicilian Moroccan Roast chicken comes from; I infuse the chicken with the spices brought to this Island from many conquerors.  When I lived in Nunavut the images from my yearly summer visits to Sicily etched in my mind made the long winter and frigid temperatures bearable.  Today is a cold day in Ontario, but I am warming up the house with spices.

Check out the couscous festival at  http://www.sanvitolocapoweb.co.uk/couscousfest.php

San Vito Lo Capo is beautiful.

San Vito Lo Capo

Sicilian Spices

My Sicilian Moroccan Roast Chicken has Moroccan flavours.  The Africans brought citrus fruit trees to Sicily.  In San Vito Lo Capo , the annual Couscous Festival is a must see.  I visited San Vito Lo Capo a few years ago; it surprised me to see many restaurants in Moroccan style.  I love exploring these flavours in the recipes I bring to the table. It’s the oranges and the cinnamon that give this chicken that Moroccan feel.

I like chicken and we eat it several times a week; it somehow makes the house welcoming on a cold winter day.  The smell of oranges permeates the house as it roasts in the oven.  I use a nice colourful platter to pile on the couscous.  The colours remind me of Morocco.  After the chicken rests, I cut big chunks, quarter it and put it over the couscous.  The pan juices become a gravy and I add a tablespoon of maple syrup for sweetness and to compliment the orange flavours.

 

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Sicilian Moroccan Roast Chicken

Tempt your taste buds. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 4
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dehydrated garlic I buy mine at the Perth Garlic Festival
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp fennel
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 orange
  • 1 onion
  • 1 1/2 cup couscous
  • 1 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 20 red grapes
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • chopped parsley
  • freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions


  1. The Chicken

    Take the chicken and put it in a large zip-lock bag.

    Combine Olive oil, orange juice,balsamic vinegar, paprika, dehydrated garlic,oregano, fennel, salt, pepper  and cinnamon.

    Pour this over the chicken in the bag. 

    Marinade chicken for 3 to 5 hours.  Let the juices soak in.  

    Remove chicken from bag and discard juices.

    Place chicken on a baking dish with a rack.  

    Quarter the orange and the onion and place in the cavity of the chicken. 

    Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.

    Pour 2 cups water and 1 cup white wine in the bottom of the pan.  

    Set oven to 375 F and cook.  Check cooking times for your chicken.  Mine was small and I cooked it for 1 1/2 hours.  Cook uncovered so that you get that golden skin.  

    The Couscous

    Take 1 1/2 cups of couscous

    Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water

    1 tsp salt

    Cover couscous for 5 minutes.

    In a frying pan, put in the 2 tbsp butter.

    Toast peanuts in the butter and then add the quartered grapes.

    Add the couscous and orange juice.

    Toss, sprinkle with parsley and put on platter.  

    After the chicken has rested, cut into quarters and place overtop of the couscous.  

    Make a gravy from the pan drippings and pour it over the entire platter.  

    Garnish with parsley and freshly ground nutmeg.  



     

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Chicken Camerani

Chicken Camerani

My kitchen looks cluttered with baking material today, and I want to make an easy supper.  Chicken Camerani will make a hearty comforting meal.  I have all the ingredients and I plan to use some pre-made chicken cutlets.   Supper will be ready in 30 minutes and it will be good.  The name Camerani is Italian and associated with noble families.  This name can be traced back to Northern Italy, the province of Asti, in southern Piedmont.

I am not sure where this chicken Camerani got its name, but the best place in the Soo to eat this was at Riuniti Banquet Hall. Art and Jack Sicoli made the best.  They aren’t there anymore, but the banquet hall still stands.  I had some leftover chicken cutlets and made my version of this dish.

I like Chicken Camerani because it is a comfort dish.  It has a good gravy made with mushrooms.  I added celery to mine. From the freezer, I took out some pre-made chicken cutlets. I will cover that recipe in another blog.  It is breaded chicken that can be fried or baked. For a quick short cut, use a pre-made store bought chicken cutlet.  There are many available brands.

In a pan put 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil.  sauté some celery and a shallot. Then add the mushrooms.

Now add a clove of minced garlic.  I used my dehydrated garlic from the Perth Garlic Festival.  Then pour in 1/2 cup wine, 1 cup chicken stock and 2 tbsp flour.

This all thickens and then I put the chicken cutlets in this pan.  Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes.

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Chicken Camerani

This is a comfort dish ready in 30 minutes.  

Course Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 midium finely chopped shallot
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 stalk celery finely diced also adding some of the celery leaves
  • 1 cup sliced whole mushrooms or one can sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 4 chicken cutlets boneless
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped celery leaves for garnish optional

Instructions

  1. Saute the celery and shallot in the butter and oil.

    Add the mushrooms.

    Salt and pepper everything.  Let cook for two to three minutes

    Add the white wine.

    Add the broth.

    Make a slurry with the flour and add.

    Now place the chicken in the pan.

    Cover and simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes.

I served it with a carrot/potato mash.

 

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Chicken Italiano

Chicken Italiano (AKA Nonna’s Kentucky Fried Chicken)

If you are trying to cook a little healthier, this Chicken Italiano is a healthy food choice.

When I was a little girl, we didn’t have much money and we didn’t go out to any restaurants or do take-out.  My Nonna Emilia was very resourceful and she invented her own Kentucky Fried Chicken.  The problem was that hers floated in about an inch of oil.  I tweaked her recipe to make it healthier.  This Chicken Italiano will have that crunchy coating, but not the calories.  It is finger-licking good. I used chicken thighs because they are my favourite, but I have used a whole cut up chicken for this recipe.  

I start by loving those thighs with a some olive oil.  Mix the oil, balsamic vinegar and spices together.  You can dip the chicken pieces into this mixture or simply pour the mixture over the chicken and toss. 

Now mix your bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and coat the chicken with this mixture. Do this to both sides of the chicken.   The crumbs and the cheese will adhere to the chicken. 

Half way through the cooking, I turn the thighs. 

I serve them over some brown rice.  After the rice cooks, I add some orange zest and some nutmeg to give it that little surprise.  Nonna made Italian roasted potatoes that sat in a scrumptious inch of oil.    🙂  They were good!!

 

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Chicken Italiano

The best oven fried chicken the Italian way.  

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 2
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp red pepper chilli flakes optional
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 4 bone-in chicken thighs (skin removed) I also use boneless chicken
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for drizzling (divided in two)
  • freshly ground nutmeg
  • parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

    Mix the oregano, garlic powder, dried basil and red pepper chilli flakes.

    Mix the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

    Rub a chicken thigh into the olive oil/balsamic mix and , then into the spice mixture. Place in a baking dish. ( If I make a large amount I put the cut up chicken in a large bowl and completely coat it with the olive oil and spice mixture and then bread it)

    Repeat with the remaining chicken thighs.

    Mix bread crumbs and cheese and sprinkle over thighs. Drizzle some olive oil over the thighs.

    Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken over after 25 minutes and drizzle some more olive oil over entire chicken.  

    To serve, grate some nutmeg and chopped parsley over the portions.

    Serve with a simple couscous, brown rice or polenta.  

 

Sometimes I make a huge pan of this chicken. Love on a platter.

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