Russian Monday: Family Dinner - Cornish Hens Under a Brick, Roasted Potato & Cucumber Salad

March can be a very tricky month. One day the sun is shining and birds are singing, but the next day you wake up and find a pile of snow from overnight snowstorm on your doorstep. That is what happened to us a couple of days ago. School was cancelled, train service was suspended and life came to a complete standstill.

Baked Teriyaki, Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings

Oven-baked crispy sweet and spicy chicken wings is a healthier version for anyone who loves chicken wings. Finished with a teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds for an extra crunch.

Russian Monday: Borscht with Chicken & Egg

Anyone who ever lived in Russia or Ukraine knows what Borscht is. It is very famous and favorite soup of many. There is a good number of different Borsht recipes in the world and I also have a few on my blog: Vegetarian Borscht, Chilled Borscht, Beet Soup with Sweet Potato, Borscht with Turkey Meatballs - just take your pick. Every time I cook this soup, I make it differently. This time I made Borsht with chicken broth and soft boil egg. I served it with a lot of fresh herbs and toasts. I cooked it yesterday for lunch, and my whole family were fed from one pot. Have a delicious Monday!

Russian Monday: Salad "Olivier" - Potato Salad

Even though in every Russian family Olivier salad is made in their own way with some secret ingredient, like grandma used to do it, let’s try to remember  where this dish came from and give thanks to the Russian chef of French origin named Lucien Olivier who invented the salad any New Years table seems empty without.

Country Chicken with Garlic Sauce

Here, chicken thighs and drumsticks are slowly cooked in a flavorful garlic sauce with a white wine, thyme and spices to create a comforting meal. To make a one-dish meal before putting the chicken in a oven add some mushrooms, potatoes or butternut squash. Delicious!!

Russian Monday: "Pozharsky Cutlets" - Ground Chicken Cutlets with Homemade Breadcrumbs

The Pozharsky cutlets have become a popular dish of the Russian cuisine at the beginning of the19th century. Their name and origin are attributed to prince Pozharsky, one of the noblemen of the time.  Moscow’s crown prince was visiting, and Pozharsky’s favorite veal cutlets were to be served. But as ill luck would have it, no fresh veal was found in any of Pozharsky’s kitchens. To save the day, the prince ordered his chef to prepare the cutlets with chicken. The dish was so much to the liking of the crown prince, that  he asked for its recipe. Since then, these chicken cutlets have spread through the kitchens of the nobility and later on they became popular among ordinary people.

Chicken Dumpling Soup

Warm chicken dumpling soup for the cold evenings.

Honey Glazed Roasted Chicken Sandwich with Cabbage & Corn Salad

The tender chicken breast contrasts with crunchy texture of the cabbage salad, and the honey glaze add color and flavor.

Roasted Spicy Orange Chicken Thighs

This is a real show-off chicken dish with a citrus flavor. Serve it on a hot rice with avocado salad. A company meal, "but it couldn't be easier!"

Quick & Easy Scrumptious Recipes for 4th of July

Barbecue Turkey Burger with Lettuce, Tomato & Mustard Coleslaw
Mushrooms with Garlic & Parsley - Spicy & Succulent Appetizer

BBQ Roast Chicken with Carrot Puree

Creamed carrot puree is scarcely an inspired choice for any meal, and the eternal combination of carrots and peas is, to my taste, better forgotten. Serve puree with butter or with herb butter. Parsley, chives, chervil, and oregano will enhance the flavor.

Chicken Dumplings

These dumplings, when shallow-fried, make a good first course to a multi course meal. The can also be steamed and served as a snack or poached in large quantities for a complete meal.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Sausage Meat

The best-known family dish is the chicken. One reason chicken is so popular is that its tender, bland-testing meat can be seasoned in hundreds of ways. Almost any spice or herb may be used to give aroma to chicken. Enjoy my Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Sausage Meat recipe, this is one of my favorite way of preparing chicken for our Sunday dinner.

Roast Game Hens with Mustard - Le Coquelet 'A La Moutarde, Friday Dinner Idea!

This is not your everyday recipe cause it is reach and buttery. But when you have friends over or there is family gathering, that is a perfect dish. I love to make something special for Friday dinner. It's the end of the week, kids usually don't have any homework and we can have long dinner together. My husband always has a nice bottle of wine and we allow ourselves to have any dessert we like. The recipe is French, hence the secret is in the sauce. I highly recommend it, the sauce is wonderful!

Chicken Aspic with Green Peas & Egg

Although a Chicken Aspic is nothing more then a jellied and glorified cooked chicken, it is an elegant dish, at home on the most sumptuous buffet. It pairs well with several dozen other cold offerings that come to mind, including salads of shrimp or crab or lobster in mayonnaise, tomato salads, cucumber salads. Or cold, sliced baked ham. Or Dill-Cured Salmon. And it is also the kind of dish that goes with fine dry wine, white or red. Not to mention brut champagne. This aspic is traditionally served with mustard or horseradish sauce.

Sesame Chicken Stew with Shiitake Mushrooms

Sesame Chicken Stew with Shitaki Mushrooms

The Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) (from Japanese 椎茸, シイタケ (Shiitake)) is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries, as well as being dried and exported to many countries around the world.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Italian Seasonings and Dried Cèpe Gravy

Note: Serve this sauce from Dried Cèpes using slices of roasted chicken arranged around the potatoes and brussels sprouts as a garnish and side dish. Dried cèpes usually come in 1/2 to 1-ounce packages, sliced. The much rarer Polish mushrooms can be found as whole caps. You must simmer the whole mushrooms longer than the sliced ones, and you'll have to slice them before use.

Note: Ariosto Italian seasoning chicken is a blend of classic Italian herbs. With Ariosto Italian seasoning you can quickly and easily seasoning many dishes. This seasoning contains the essential taste of Italy. If you don't have it you can mix together salt, rosemary, garlic, sage, juniper, laurel, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil.



Ingredients:

For pan-roasted chicken:

• 3 boneless, skin-off chicken breast halves, about 2 lb. total 
• 2 Tbsp. Ariosto seasoning for roasted meats grilled chicken
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil 
• potatoes and brussels sprouts for serving (optional)

For the Dried Cèpes sauce: Inspired by A Cook's Book of Mushrooms

• 1 oz Porcini mushrooms (Cèpes)
• 3 cups water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. arrowroot mixed in 1/3 cup cold water

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

Season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with Ariosto seasoning. In a large ovenproof fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Place the chicken breasts, skin-off side down, in the pan and sear until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a pan, skin-off side up and transfer to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast, registers 160ºF, 22 to 24 minutes.

Place the cèpes and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet sauté the onion in the butter until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cèpes and their liquid, salt, sugar, and soy sauce. Reduce to 2 cups. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, then place in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the arrowroot mixture and stir until thickened. You may return the mushrooms to the sauce, but I did not, I like to have clear gravy this time with mushroom taste. Serve over roasted chicken, roasted potatoes and steamed brussels sprouts.

Basil Chicken Salad with Mushrooms, Walnuts and Avocado on a Whole Grain Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breast halves, about 1 1/2 lb. total, cooked (roasted)
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 scallions chopped
• 1 small red onion, diced (more for serving, optional)
• 1 large avocado, firm but ripe, pitted, peeled and diced (more for serving, optional)
• 3/4 lb. mushrooms of your choice
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices of Whole Grain Bread, toasted

Directions:

In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl dice your chicken into 1/4 inch pieces. In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, the lemon juice, and scallions until blended and smooth. Fold in the chicken, and everything else. Mix together. Serve on the toasted bread.

It does not get any simpler, or delicious.

Chicken and Red Currant Pie

The currants add a tart layer to this meaty pie. Cranberries can be used if currants are not available. Great recipe for the picnic. You can serve it hot or cold. If you are planning to use it hot don't put jelly at the end. The pie freezes well. This pie would be amazing for Thanksgiving if you are using turkey and cranberry sauce.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 lb ground veal or sausage meat
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp dried mixed herbs
• finely grated rind of 2 oranges
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 lb chicken breast fillets
• 1 cup fresh red currant
• ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups aspic jelly, made according to the instructions on the packet

For the pastry:

• 4 cups plain all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup butter or lard
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup mixed milk and water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. In the bowl, mix together the veal, ground chicken, coriander, herbs, orange rind, ginger and salt. Season with black pepper to taste.

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a large bowl with the salt. Heat the butter or lard in a small pan with the milk and water until just beginning to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Quickly stir the liquid into the flour until a very dough is formed. Place on a clean work surface and knead until smooth. Cut one-third of the dough for the lid, wrap in clear film and keep in a warm place.

Roll out the large piece of dough on a floured surface and use to line the base and sides of a greased 8in loose-based, spring form cake tin. Work with the dough while it is still warm, as it will break if it becomes too cold.



Thinly slice the chicken breast fillets. Put them between two pieces of clear film and flatten with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/8 in. Spoon half the meat mixture into the tin, pressing it well into the edges. Cover it with half the chicken slices and then the red currants, followed by the remaining chicken and finally the rest of the meat mixture.

Roll out the remaining dough and use to cover the filling, trimming off any excess and sealing the edges with a little beaten egg. Make a steam hole in the centre of the lid and decorate the top by cutting pastry trimmings into leaf shapes. Brush with some beaten egg and bake for 2 hours. Cover the pie with foil if top gets too brown.

Place the pie on a wire to cool. When cold, use a funnel to fill the pie with liquid aspic jelly. Leave the jelly to set for a few hours or overnight, before unfolding the pie to serve it.

Roasted Marinated Chicken with Mango Salsa

A roosted chicken, hot or cold, is a most delicious meal. Stuff it or not, and serve it with tiny roast potatoes and broccoli with drawn butter. In summer, when green corn is plentiful, a cold roast chicken and corn on the cob make a delightful meal. This, with a good green salad and some chilled fruit, is a dinner that will serve both family and guests.

If you are to serve cold chickens, cook your birds in the morning or early afternoon and let them cool rather than chill. A bird cooled without refrigeration is much more crisp on the outside, and the meat is juicier and more flavorful. A faint touch of the oven heat should remain.

Ingredients:

For the marinated chicken:

• 6 whole chicken legs, skinned
• 2 Tbsp Asian fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp peanut oil
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

For the mango salsa:

• 2 ripe, firm mangos, 1/2" dice
• 3 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• pinch of sea salt

Directions:
To make the salsa combine all ingredients together and gently mix. Adjust individual ingredients to taste. Store covered in fridge until ready to use.



To marinate the chicken in the small bowl combine fish sauce, peanut oil, soy sauce, cilantro, garlic, ginger, honey and sesame seeds. Coat the chicken with the marinade. Let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and roast for 45-50 minutes, until cooked. Serve with mango salsa, cilantro and lime.