Cooking

Feeling cold February

Sonya Verlaque

French-ish Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup baby spinach

Salt and pepper to taste, also if you like mustard, adding a tablespoon on dijon mustard to the sauce is another great way to add depth of flavor without many additional calories or salt. It also makes it feel more French to me

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375EF (190EC) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then cook for 6-7 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside. In the same skillet, add diced onion and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add heavy cream, chicken broth, thyme, and rosemary. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce cook for 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Slice the cooked chicken into strips or bite-sized pieces and place them in the prepared casserole dish. Pour the creamy sauce over the chicken, ensuring everything is covered. Add the spinach (if using) and stir gently. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses evenly on top of the casserole. Transfer the casserole to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Along with this I would serve a very simple field green salad with a light dressing to balance the heaviness of the cream sauce.

Greek Orzo Chicken Soup

One classic way to fight a cold is with avgolemono, a traditional Greek soup. It’s got plenty of lemon juice so you can make sure you’re getting your vitamin C. It is also a good sore throat soother that can easily be prepped ahead and frozen. Also high in protein using both egg and chicken.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Chopped fresh dill (if available)

Instructions: In a large saucepot, combine the broth and water. Cover and heat to a boil on high. Add the orzo and cook until al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice until incorporated. Slowly whisk a cup of the hot broth into eggs to temper them. You don’t want scrambled egg soup. Gradually stir egg mixture into remaining broth. Add the chicken. Cook 2–3 min., until thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chopped dill.

Cranberry Crumble Bar

Clearly we can’t have a February food article without a valentine’s treat. These cranberry cookie bars store well in an airtight container for 4 days or you can freeze them (without the glaze) and defrost at a later time and add the glaze then. They are a crumbly shortbread base with tart cranberry, for when you need a break from all the chocolate. They would also be usable for thanksgiving or Christmas too, a very versatile desert

Shortbread Crust ingredients

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 tps. vanilla
• 3 1/4 cups (405 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Cranberry Filling ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• 1 tbs orange zest
• 1 tbs orange juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Vanilla Glaze ingredents

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 tbs. whole milk or heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing to combine well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Add the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Do not over mix. Set aside roughly 2 cups of the dough (loosely packed) and reserve to use on the top of the crumble. Press the shortbread dough into an 8 x 8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use your hands or the flat side of a measuring cup to press it evenly into the corners of the pan.

Bake at 350EF for 15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown and the center is just set. Do not over bake. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the crust to cool slightly while you make the cranberry filling. In a large bowl, mix together the cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange zest and juice and vanilla.

Pour the cranberry mixture over the pre-baked crust. Use your hands to break up the remaining 2 cups of shortbread dough into smaller, flat pieces. Place them randomly on top of the cranberry filling, leaving space between them for the cranberries to peak through. Bake for about 45 minutes, covering the top of the pan with aluminum foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking time so that the crumble does not turn too dark. Remove the bars from the oven. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely before adding the vanilla glaze.

Vanilla Glaze - Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk (or heavy cream) and vanilla. The glaze should be thin enough to run off a fork but not so thin that it’s transparent. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the bars once cooled. Slice into squares.