Recipe Recap from the Week

I tried a bunch of new recipes these week that were really great, but I didn't have a free moment to blog about them. This week has been really busy for us....

Tyler is back at school and is enjoying having a routine again. The good news is he is almost done with interviewing for internships and already has some exciting opportunities for the summer :) Work has been very busy for me and I've been using any free time to work on some fundraising opportunities for Global Health Corps. I was able to sneak in a girls dinner at a new restaurants this week, which was delicious! I went to dinner at Rosa Mexicano with my coworkers and had some of the best steak tacos in the world! Here's a cool water fountain in the restaurant:

Here are some of the recipes we tried this week, which were fabulous. I definitely recommend them all!

Chicken with White Wine and Herb Sauce 
*This chicken was so delicious and really juicy!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 whole (3- to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons very finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in skillet, skin-side down. Cook until skin golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn chicken and transfer skillet to oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a platter and set aside.
3. Place skillet over medium heat; add shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 30 seconds. Add wine and stir to combine. Cook until liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock and cook until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in chives, parsley, basil, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Return chicken to skillet. Using a spoon, coat chicken pieces with sauce. Serve immediately.

Carmelized Onions & Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 1 pound brussels sprouts 
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine 
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Cut onion in half, and thinly slice. Cut brussels sprouts in half, and cut each half crosswise into thin slices.
2. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add pecans, and sauté 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove pecans from skillet. 
3. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, 15 minutes or until caramel colored. Add pecans and brussels sprouts, and cook about 3 minutes or until heated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Orrechiette Carobonara 
This dish was phenomenal....My wonderful husband ate the entire skillet of pasta (minus my two scoops!)

Ingredients:

• 4 applewood-smoked bacon slices, diced (I used regular bacon and it was fine)
• 2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/3-inch pieces
• 10 ounces orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or small shells
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet if necessary. Add leeks and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
3. Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan in medium bowl to blend; gradually whisk in 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. 
4. Add pasta to leeks in skillet and stir to heat. Remove skillet from heat. 
5. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes. (Return skillet to very low heat if egg mixture is runny; do not overcook or eggs will curdle.) Add some of remaining 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid to pasta if needed to moisten. 
6. Stir in bacon and parsley. Serve pasta, passing additional cheese separately.