I held my first virtual cooking course via Zoom. I’ve started a small community of food enthusiasts like myself to cook along with me for an hour. We talk about food, drink a little, and enjoy each other’s company.
If you missed it, no worries! I am having one every first Saturday of the month. In the first class we made stuffed chicken breast and parmesan sauce. It is an easy and satisfying weeknight dish that you can easily turn elegant with a cutting technique or a simple wrapping of prosciutto.
Here is the recipe from that course. Remember if you make it, tag @jdelawcious on Instagram. If you do I will reshare your creation.
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Stuffed Chicken and Parmesan Sauce
by:
Chef J
0.0 rating
Stuffed Chicken and Parmesan Sauce
Difficulty:Easy
Prep Time:10 mins
Cook Time:15 mins
Serves:2
Freezable:No
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
2 Butterflied Chicken Breast
1/2 Onion Sliced into Half Moons
1/2 Red Bell Pepper Julienne
1/2 Cup of Sundried Tomatoes or Red Bell Pepper
4 Half Sliced Provolone Cheese
2 Cups of Spinach
1 Tsp of Salt or to taste
1 Tsp of Pepper or taste
1 Tsp of Garlic or taste
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Tbsp of Butter
2 Tbsp of Flour
2 Cups of Milk
1 Tsp of Salt or to taste
1 Tsp of Pepper or taste
1 Tsp of Garlic or to taste
1/2 cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 Tbsp of chopped Parsley
Method
Preheat oven 425F
Chicken:
Cut chicken breast horizontally to split chicken in half. Do not cut all the way through as you will need to use the inside like a pocket to hold the ingredients. Place the chicken in a ziplock bag and beat with a rolling pin or meat mallet until about 1 inch thick. Focus on the top of the chicken breast to get an even thickness throughout.
Season the inside with salt and pepper. Add the onions, spinach, red bell pepper, and provolone cheese. Close the chicken and used kitchen twine to tie it down. Take a piece of kitchen twine and slide it under the chicken. Slide it mid-way down. Then take both ends of the twine and tie them together.
Secure it and cut the excess twine. Tie again at the top and bottom. The chicken breast should be closed and have three tied knots of kitchen twine to secure it. If you don't have kitchen twine you can use toothpicks. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to the front/back of the chicken. Then sit aside.
Cooking the Chicken Breast:
In a heat-proof medium-sized skillet drizzle a little olive oil into the pan on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken into brown. About 4 minutes on each side. Place skillet in the oven and allow to cook until an internal temp of 165F (about 10 minutes).
Remove from the oven and tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Sauce:
In a medium saucepan add butter. Allow butter to melt and then add flour. Whisk in flour until it smells fragrant (like pie crust). Then add milk 1/3 at a time and whisking until smooth. Once all the milk has been incorporated, remove the pan from the heat. Add the parmesan cheese to the milk sauce and stir. After the cheese mixed in add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Serve:
Place a serving spoon size amount of cheese sauce on the plate. Remove the kitchen twine with kitchen shears. Slice the chicken horizontally and then lift to sit on top of the sauce. Drizzle a little more sauce overtop. Finish the plating with some fresh parsley.
This can be served with pasta, rice, or vegetables.
When I order Chinese Takeout, I always request Shrimp Chow Mein. I searched on YouTube for an equivalent recipe to a takeout restaurant and all I could find was the stir fry version. Then I googled Shrimp Chow Mein and found the exact recipe.
Recipe Was So Easy
I couldn’t believe the minimal ingredients it took to make this delicious meal. It was literally celery, onions, chicken broth, and a slurry. The longest part of the recipe was the sautee of the celery and the onions. It comes together quite quickly and the flavor is dead on.
This recipe is a great way to get more veggies in your diet with great flavor. I can see this with any protein or even being plant-based friendly. You could simply switch out the chicken broth and use vegetable broth. This dish is best served with white rice. If you are off carbs you substitute with cauliflower rice.
Please give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it. I think the next time I make it, I will add snow peas.
With the holidays being over, we all want to get rid of unhealthy food around our house. I had some white potatoes left over from a holiday meal and needed to use to avoid expiration. To keep them from going to waste, I made some twice fried french fries.
Comfort food made easy…
There is nothing better than a crispy fry with a creamy center. It is something really homey to me about cutting fries and they all don’t come out perfect. It reminds me of my grandma who use to hand cut fries due to my grandfather’s disdain for the frozen kind. I cut some misshapen fries and prepared them for frying. First, they had to soak in water.
Soaking…
After I soaked them in water for an hour, I dried them thoroughly with a paper towel. If you have time you can soak them overnight. However, I was hungry so I didn’t wait. If you’re a rebel like me it will still taste delicious I promise!
The first fry…
In a large pot heat some canola oil to 260 F. Using a heat thermometer is crucial when frying to control your temp. I allowed the fries to cook for 8 minutes slowly. Once the eight minutes passed, I placed them on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. The fries will still be pale in color.
The first cook is to just let the fries become soft. The resting process will allow the fries to firm and to continue to cook inside a little before the second fry. This is how the fries develop the different textures for a wonderful eating experience.
The second fry…
After the resting period is complete, heat the pot back to 365 F. Then cook fries for another 4 minutes. Remove from the oil. They will be beautifully brown and crispy.
Place the fries in a large bowl. Then sprinkle season salt, onion powder, and garlic powder on top. Flip the hot fries until the seasoning has coated. Lastly, I poured them into a serving bowl and garnished with chives.
My husband’s beef stew is a very special meal for me. It was one of the first meals he ever made while we were dating. Jay’s beef stew is very delicious but it takes a really long time.
This time instead of using the slow cooker method, he used the Ninja Foodi. The Ninja Foodi is a high technology multi-function appliance that will help you eliminate most of your other counter-top gadgets. Its capabilities are pressure cooking, slow cooking, air frying, rice cooking, dehydrating, and so much more.
It also sautees and bakes! You can make a cake in the Ninja Foodi, wow! Yesterday, I asked my husband to make his famous stew as our first meal and the results were incredible! You won’t believe how easy this device is to use.
Jay used the pressure cooking setting to cook the meal. It was so perfect you would have thought it was pure sorcery. Ninja Foodi has made pressure cooking no longer scary. The home cooks can be completely confident while using it. Inside were well-explained directions on how to use this setting and others. Prior to cooking, we did the pressure test to ensure the device worked.
Ninja Foodi is very transparent about the cooking times and has safety identifiers that communicate to you that you’re using it properly. If you would like to learn more about this device and how it can help you clean the clutter of appliances check it out. This Ninja Foodi post is not sponsored. It is merely a review.
However, if you want them to send me a check let them know! lol
Let’s get into the recipe!
Prep Vegetables:
Jay used an array of vegetables. However, if you’re making this please remove or add whatever veggies you like. He used chopped portabella mushrooms, chopped onions, chopped celery, chopped carrot, green peppers, jalapeno, and frozen spinach. I would suggest keeping the veggies chopped on the bigger side to keep their integrity.
Note:Prep these items first to help with quicker and more efficient cooking.
Prep the Meats:
First, you want to buy a piece of beautiful marbled chuck roast and not so lean lamb. You want to see nice fat lines going through the chuck roast to ensure juiciness. Cut the roast and lamb into 1-inch pieces. Uniform pieces will encourage even cooking.
Seasoning/Browing the Meat:
Secondly, season the meats with salt, and pepper as desired. Massage the seasoning into the meat as seen here. Massaging the seasoning into the meat will allow it to adhere to the meat during the browning process.
If you don’t necessarily trust yourself with the ability to season well, take the guesswork out of it and buy my seasoning. It’s delicious and only a few shakes will do you!
Jay seasoning the meat prior to browning
Ninja Foodi does have a sautee setting, however, a hard sear is required for this recipe so we opted to brown the meat in a cast iron. Cast Iron skillets are wonderful tools to brown meat due to their ability to hold even heat throughout the pan.
12 inch Cast Iron Pan Cooking Chuck Roast Beef
You want to cook the meat cubes on medium-high heat for 2 minutes each side. While the beef and lamb are cooking try not to mess with them so they can develop a deep sear on the meat. Once you’re done, you should have a piece of meat with a nice browned not burned crusty exterior.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Crowding will encourage steaming and not searing. Cook the meat in batches for good browning. After all the meats are browned, use a tsp of condensed beef broth and red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrap the bits from the bottom of the pan and then add water.
Stir for 2 minutes and pour into a measuring cup then sit aside.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking:
Pour the deglazing liquid into the Ninja Foodi along with the meat and any accumulated juices. Put on the pressure cooker lid on and cook for 20 minutes. Once the 20 minutes is up, release the pressure by turning the valve to vent. The steam will release into the air. Allow all steam to release and then safely remove the lid.
Note: Do not remove pressure cooker lid until all steam has been released. This is the safest way to handle this machine while using this setting. Be patient and wait. The timer will appear once you release the pressure. The timer just counts up as it switches to a warming setting.
Second Pressure Cook:
Add in your vegetables, roasted tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well. Then place the pressure cooker lid back on and cook for an additional five minutes.
After five minutes you will come out with this:
This stew can be served with noodles or rice. It’s your preference. You do whatever makes you feel good.
This dish brought back wonderful memories and it didn’t take all day to do. I give the Ninja Foodi a 10 out 10 I would recommend.
Want me to test more recipes? Leave a comment down below and I will.
Happy Cooking!
J. Delawcious
This recipe is printable down below. Share with friends and me on Instagram @jdelawcious
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One Hour Beef Stew
by:
J. DELAWCIOUS
3.0 rating based on 6 ratings
Ninja Foodi Easy Beef Stew
Difficulty:Easy
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:45 mins
Serves:6
Freezable:Yes
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
2 Pounds of Beef Chuck
2 Pounds of Lamb
1 Large Chopped Onion
2 Chopped Green Peppers
1 Chopped Carrot
1 Pint of Sliced Portabella Mushrooms
1 Sliced Jalapeno
2 Stalks of Chopped Celery
2 Tbsp of Garlic Paste
1 Tsp of Salt
1 tsp of Black Pepper
1 Tsp of Garlic Powder
1 Can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 Small Carton or Can of Tomato Puree
1/2 Cup of Red Wine
1/2 Cup of Water
1 Tsp of Condensed Beef Broth (Better than Bouillon)
2 Tbsp of Canola Oil
Method
Prep vegetables by chopping largely and sit aside. Cut the beef and lamb into one-inch cubes. Season meats with salt and pepper as desired then sit aside. In a large skillet add canola oil on medium-high heat. Once you see a small puff of smoke line beef and lamb cubes in the skillet with space. Back heat down to medium to control heat retained once it is up to temp. Cook the meat in batches 2 minutes each side. Place meat into a bowl and set aside.
Add the garlic paste to the hot skillet and then stir until fragrant. Then pour the red wine in and scrap the skillet with a wooden spatula. Scrap all the bits off the bottom until it feels smooth. Add the condensed beef broth and water. Stir for two minutes and then sit aside.
Place the meats and the accumulated juices into the Ninja Foodi pot. Pour the deglazed liquid on top and stir gently to incorporate. Then place the pressure cooker lid on top of the Ninja Foodi to lock in place. Once the lid is locked, switch the valve to seal.
On the display panel, select the HI pressure setting. Change the time to 15 minutes and press start. The Ninja Foodi will show cycling lights on the display to show the machine is coming up to pressure. During this process, you will see some steam escape but not to worry it is how the machine works. Once the machine is up to pressure the time will begin.
After the Ninja Foodi is done pressure cooking, you will use an oven mitten and switch the valve to vent. Then the steam will release. Once it is done releasing you can remove the pressure cooker lid. When you open the lid the meat will be perfectly tender. Add your chopped vegetables, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato puree, and seasonings (salt and pepper).
Then mix well. Place the pressure cooker lid back on the pressure cooking setting for five more minutes on HI. While your meat and veggies are pressure cooking you can make any rice or noodles to accompany your stew. You can also eat this plain and it will be just as delicious.
After the five minutes of cooking time simply repeat the same steps by turning the valve to vent, releasing the steam completely and then removing the pressure cooker lid.
Broccoli chicken cheddar rice bake is one of those effortless and tasty meals that will make any family happy dinner a smash hit. With a few store-bought ingredients and seasonings it will make for a quick dinner option.
On a Sunday evening, this was exactly what I was looking for while trying to prepare for my work week. This recipe from start to finish took about 30 mins and will not let you down. Let’s get started!
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Broccoli Chicken Cheddar Rice Bake
by:
J. DELAWCIOUS
0.0 rating
Chicken
Difficulty:Easy
Serves:6
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
4 Cubed Chicken Breast
1 Sliced Half Onion
2 Cups Of Broccoli Florets
1 Cup of Milk
1 Can of Cheddar Sauce (Campbells)
1 Can of Fiesta Cheese Sauce (Campbells)
1 Cup of Cheddar Cheese
2 Cups of Rice
4 Cups of Broth
1 Tbsp of Butter
1 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Chopped Green Onions
1 Tsp of Canola Oil
2 Tsp of Complete Seasoning
2 Tsp of Pepper or taste
1 Tsp of Season Salt or taste
2 Tsp of Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp of Olive
Method
Preheat oven to 350F
Prep:
In a large bowl, add the cubed chicken, onions, season salt, garlic powder, and complete seasoning. Mix the seasonings and chicken well. Set the chicken aside in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Cheddar Sauce:
In a medium bowl pour both cans of cheddar sauce and milk. Whisk the ingredients until well combined. Then set aside.
Topping:
In a medium bowl add panko bread crumbs, scallions, 1 tsp of garlic powder, and melted butter. Mix well and set aside.
Cook:
In a large saucepan add chicken broth and rice. Cook rice as instructed and then let stand for 10 minutes.
Add oil to a large skillet and place cubed chicken inside. Cook chicken for about 3-5 minutes. Then remove from the skillet and set aside.
Bake:
Add rice, broccoli, and chicken to a large baking dish. Mix until well combined. Then add cheese sauce until the mixture is well coated. Top the casserole with the shredded cheddar cheese. Lastly, wrap with foil and cook in the oven 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes remove from oven and top the casserole with the panko bread crumb topping. Put back in the oven for 15 minutes uncovered. Once the 15 minutes is up, allow standing for 10 minutes to cool. Then serve.
Fall is here and the soup is on. There is nothing more relaxing to me than a cozy over-sized sweater at home with a bowl of hot soup.
Chicken pot pie soup is one of those warm hugs after a long day that’s full of flavor. This dish is quite simple to make and it is sure to make your family smile. I should know it is my husband’s favorite.
I sound like Ina Garten. However, my husband’s name is Jamison not Jeffrey lol. Close enough right? Just like Ina this recipe is full of chicken and veggies which is the ideal meal for her Jeffrey.
Pro Tip: I like to use a mix of chicken thighs and chicken breast chunks.
If your not in the mood for the deconstructed version of chicken pot pie I can give you a cool hack to make other’s think you’ve been making crust all day. It’s called store-brought.
As a working woman I just don’t have the time. I suggest keeping store-brought puff pastry or pie crust in the freezer to complete the meal quickly. We don’t have to be good at everything, we just need to be aware of our resources. The recipe below is printable and is meant to be shared. Please #jdelawcious on Instagram so I can see your creations.
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Chicken Pot Pie Soup
by:
J. Delawcious
5.0 rating based on 1 rating
Difficulty:Easy
Prep Time:45 mins
Cook Time:10 mins
Serves:6
Freezable:Yes
Nutrition per portion
Ingredients
2 Skin On Chicken Breast
2 Chicken Thighs
1 Bag of Frozen Peas and Carrots
1 Bag of Frozen Pearl Onion
1 Cup of Milk
2 Cups of Light Cream
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp of Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons of Flour
2 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Method
Preheat Oven 400F
Place chicken breast and thighs on a baking sheet. Rub olive oil on chicken pieces. Then season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Leave the chicken skin side up and cook in the oven until an internal 165F. Once the chicken is cooked discard the skin. Meaning eat it lol. Then shred the chicken and place into a bowl. Sit aside.
In a large pot on medium heat place butter inside. Allow butter to melt then add flour. Allow the flour to cook until it smells like pie crust about 2 minutes. Add milk and cream slowly to the pot with continuous stirring. After milk and flour have been incorporated season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes and it will thicken. Once thicken, add the peas/carrots, onions, and chicken. Cook for 8 minutes on medium low until vegetables are warmed through.
Want the pie crust with the filling?
If you wanted to turn this filling into a pot pie, use the store brought crust and place in a heat proof bowl. Mold the dough inside the bottom of the heat proof dish. Prior to adding the filling wait for it to be cooled. Don't add hot soup to the raw pie crust. Then top the pot pie with the second piece of dough and cut small silts for ventilation. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet and allow to cook in a 350F oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and wait about 10 minutes before eating to avoid mouth burns.
Happy Cooking!
J. Delawcious