Recipe: Chicken thighs with mushroom and wine sauce

March 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This recipe was submitted by fellow Mama Jeanette from Long Island, NY.   Thank you Jeanette!!!   I miss NYC!!!

Chicken thighs with mushroom and wine sauce

“I got this from the internet awhile ago and it is delicious! Easy too, not many ingredients and quick. Recipe says to serve with rice or potatoes. I usually use egg noodles.  Recipe serves 4.  Hope you like it!”

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless,chicken thighs
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 TBS. olive oil
  • 2 TBS. butter
  • 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine such as chardonay
  • 1/2 cup of cream or half and half
  • 1-2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

  • Wash chicken, pat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and butter.
  • Add chicken and cook, turning until browned. Remove to plate and set aside.
  • Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring until mushrooms are tender and browned.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
  • Stir in flour until blended.
  • Stir in chicken broth and wine until blended.
  • Add chicken back to the skillet, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender.
  • Stir in the cream and parsley and heat through.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes total

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February 7: Rain on our Faces

February 7, 2012 by 1 Comment

Chocolate Tuesday! It is raining. But it’s a soft kind of gray rain so it’s not that bad. It’s the kind of rain that feels good on your face as you walk through it. Especially when you haven’t put on your makeup yet.

Highlights of the Morning and Commute:

  • We had crying children in the early morning hours while it was still dark and both wound up in my bed. So I’m a bit tired this morning. Although it was great to wake up with them so close.
  • Chocolate Tuesday! Twin Crazy and Twin Husky are full-fledged Nutella-lovers. Red and Big Bro happily joined them. We had tortillas, bread, and bagels galore with the chocolaty-goodness.

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  • Twin Crazy and Twin Husky turn TWO this Sunday – we’ve been having fun with them talking up their birthday and getting excited. Red and Big Bro want to go out and buy presents for them (I think just a ploy to lobby for stuff for them too). I had fun saying “If it’s your birthday this weekend, raise your hand.” Unfortunately I couldn’t get both of them to raise their hands at the same time…. I will keep working on that for a photo. It was so cute to see Twin Husky’s smiling face with his chocolaty hand raised in the air, and Twin Crazy’s face holding back a smile with her hand in the air. I catch them singing Happy Birthday every now and then so they are getting ready.
  • I helped wash hands – everyone was so sticky. My favorite is still diaper changes. I get to talk to each kid and focus on them. Dressing with Big Bro and Red went without a problem. But Red REJECTED her new shoes this morning and opted for her Dora sneakers – the ones she kept saying hurt her feet!! Unpredictable.
  • I caught both Twin Husky and Twin Crazy each taking turns putting on Red’s new shoes and walking around the house laughing. Then Twin Husky found his favorite silver sparkly shoe so was walking around with them too.
  • The three drop offs were quick and efficient. I talked with Big Bro’s teacher about how Big Bro read his ENTIRE book last night with very little help… he just plowed through the thing and wouldn’t stop! He was excited to pick up a new book.
  • Red was excited that I was dropping her off this morning. She was all smiles. We ran through the parking lot with the rain on our faces and talking about the rain. We talked about how it feels good on your face and how it wakes you up in the morning. We skipped over puddles.

Now I’m on the ferry, knowing that today will be busy. But if I can just hunker down and focus on what I need to do, I should be OK. I can’t afford to get too many out-of-the-blue emails that distract me. I might just take 2 hours off email so I can plow through some things. I need to finish our kickoff deck, start planning the meetings in April, and possibly start the outreach for our extra meeting. This plan is aggressive.

Highlights of the Working Day:

I had a great day at work. Very busy, very productive:

  • I met with my team related to a new project we are starting next week, to debrief them on what we need to do for the project, what we learned the last time we worked with this client 2 years ago, and what we need to do differently for this project versus the last. They understand the budget in terms of time, and understand their roles in the project. I shared immediate next steps for them to do to prepare for next week.
  • I completed the Kick-off presentation and shared with the team and the Director-in-charge for his review.
  • I completed the go-to-market materials for the new initiative that we are trying to launch – a meeting in April. I feel good about the selling message and forwarded everything to the team for their review to see if the message could be made more compelling. I plan to distribute everything tomorrow and see what kind of response we get.
  • I also started to think about the planning for the other two meetings we will have in April. I need to make this my main focus next week.
  • I also responded to my thoughts on another project sold from another office but needing our time; I have some questions as to scope and also reservations on time commitment.

I am now on the ferry home and it is still gray outside. But not raining. Someone sitting next to me smells like Ass. I have chicken defrosted in the refrigerator and we also have cherry tomatoes so I think I’m going to try the Chicken and Tomato recipe I featured previously. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Dinner and Bedtime:

  • I picked up all the kids and enjoyed their smiles and hugs. Twin Husky was wearing silvery-glittery shoes.
  • The kids played while I made dinner – the Chicken and Tomato recipe — it was quick, easy, and DELICIOUS!!!!! Seriously. It was very good. I made a side of pasta and put the sauce in there too – along with some veggies and left over quinoa. Dinner wasn’t a big hit for the kids but I enjoyed it!
  • The Twins were tired and the older kids were dirty (no baths over the weekend) so Big Bro and Red bathed while Twin Crazy and Twin Husky got ready for bed. Twin Crazy went pee-pee in the potty!!!
  • Big Bro read along with me his new book from school. He is trying really hard and I am so proud of him and how well he’s doing.
  • Red had a difficult time going to sleep again tonight. She fights it. She props herself up to keep from going to sleep. I rocked with her and she eventually gave in.

It is quiet in the house now. Too quiet. I have a 1/2 day of work tomorrow so I’m looking forward to that. I’d like to take Big Bro and Red out to buy Twin Crazy and Twin Husky their birthday presents – there won’t be much of an opportunity for me to do this alone with them between now and Sunday.

Til tomorrow,

– Mama K

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Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Herb Pan Sauce

February 2, 2012 by 2 Comments

I was going through an old Bon Appetit magazine and I came across a recipe that I must confess, I have not tried, but I think it has potential in the homes of busy working mamas.  See what you think and let me know!

*****

“2 servings.  They key to this saute:  cook the tomatoes with the bits of chicken left over after you’ve seared it in the pan.  When the tomatoes burst, swirl in the remaining marjoram butter to finish the pan sauce.”

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1.5 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes (11 – 12 oz)
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

  • Mash butter, garlic, marjoram, and paprika in a small bowl to blend.  Season marjoram butter to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Melt 1 Tbsp. marjoram butter in a medium heavy skillet over medium heat.
  • Season chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Add chicken to skillet, cover, and cook until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side.
  • Transfer chicken to a plate.  Tent chicken with foil to keep warm.
  • Increase heat to high.  Add tomatoes to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes.
  • Add remaining marjoram butter to skillet.  Crush tomatoes slightly to release juices; stir 1 minute
  • Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.  Spoon over chicken.  Garnish with parsley.
Prep time:  10 min
Cook time:  20 minutes

source:  Bon Appetite, July 2011

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Recipe: Flat Meat

January 26, 2012 by 2 Comments

This is a repost — for some reason this entire post got lost off my blog – but I use this one ALL THE TIME so I wanted to repost it. I promise a new recipe for next week.

Flat Meat

OK guys – for those of you that know me, NO I am not talking about my boobs. But rather, an incredibly QUICK and easy way to get food on the table for the kiddos during the week.
What you need is the thinnest cut of meat — any kind of steak or pork — or, you can even “pound” chicken breast into thin, thin pieces. Takes about 4-5 minutes cooking on each side and you’re done. You can marinate before-hand, or not. I usually do with microwave veggies and a side of pasta. Sooooooooooooooo easy. You can easily do this recipe once a week and just rotate the meats/marinades, etc. to bring variety to the kids.

Ingredients:
Flat meat (pork, steak, pounded chicken). Note: a flank steak might not work well here since I think that cut needs to cook over a longer period of time to make it tender; when I do the steak I buy higher grade steak but buy it thinly cut.

Directions:

  • Heat an indoor griddle pan on your stovetop. We use a griddle pan with a ridged surface that sears foods with grill marks while allowing fat to drain away.
  • On high-ish heat, grill meat on each side, about 4-5 minutes each until cooked to your liking.

    • Prep Time: 5 min
    Cook Time: 10 min

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    Recipe: Tandoori chicken with yogurt sauce

    December 15, 2011 by 3 Comments

    This recipe was submitted from a Mama all the way in India!!!! So you know this one will be exotic… sounds great! Thank you so much Mama S!!! Keep them coming and post some pics on the Mama In Motion Facebook page!

    You can find this recipe at her own blog “What I Eat”. Check it out!

    “I first mentioned this recipe from Everyday Food a few weeks ago because it inspired the apple yogurt slaw I like to serve with other dishes. Sometimes though we like to do this complete recipe.”

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced

    [Mama K comment: I use jarred minced garlic, to save time]

    • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

    [Mama K comment: you can also find ground ginger in small jars that keep in the refrigerator, to save time]

    • Coarse salt and ground pepper
    • 4 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts halves (10 to 12 ounces each)
    • 2 Granny Smith apples
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro [Mama K comment: you can also try Trader Joe’s spice cubes of cilantro – they are in the freezer section of the store and essentially are little cubes of real spices already chopped up real fine – saves time]

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    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 475°. In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat.

    2. Transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 160°, 25 to 30 minutes.

    3. Meanwhile, peel apple; coarsely grate into a medium bowl. Add cilantro and remaining 1/2 cup yogurt; season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce alongside chicken, with rice, if desired.

    “I like to use 2 boneless chicken breasts instead, for faster, easier cooking. Also, I use whatever apples I have on-hand and I like to add lime juice to the apple slaw. And we always make rice for the side.”

    Prep time: 5 minutes, 10 minutes for slaw while chicken is cooking

    Cook time: 30 minutes

    THANK YOU MAMA S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Let us know how you are doing over in India! And post some pics!
    Mama K

     

    Update on 12/28/2011:   I made this dinner tonight.  It was sooooooooooooo simple, and simply amazing.  A good amount of flavor for the kids.  My boys loved it but the girls, not so much.  Me and Hubby were raving about it.   And seriously, very, very, very simple.  I used jarred garlic, dried turmeric and ginger, and also cubes of cilantro from Trader Joes.   It was FAST FAST FAST and YUMMY.

    Thank you again Mama S!!!!

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    Recipe: Cherry Tomato Croustades

    December 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

    It’s Thursday — that means you get a quick and easy recipe from Mama K!!!

    Last week my office had a holiday party and we usually do a “cooking” theme where we rent out a cooking school for the evening and prepare our own meal, over lots and lots of wine.   There was one appetizer that I thought was so simply amazing and also soooooooo versitle that it could actually work really well with kids, since you could experiment with different topings that they like.   And, the kids can help make the dish.

    The beauty of it is that it’s a toasted “shell” and you fill it with cheese, and basically anything else that you want.   The recipe below features cherry tomatoes.  I did it over the weekend with cheddar cheese and leftover chicken.    Try it out!  Very easy and very yummy!   Let me know what fillings you would like to try or have tried!!!   Also great as appetizers for entertaining.  Hey, adults have to have fun too.

    Have fun!!

    Ingredients:

    • 12 slices of thin bread
    • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped
    • 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
    • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
    • freshly ground pepper
    • 1/4 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

    Directions:

    Cut rounds from the bread using a 3-inch round cookie cutter (I used a drinking glass).  Fit the rounds into muffin tins, molding them gently to form little cups.  Bake them in the middle of a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until golden.  Watch that they do not burn.

    Combine the tomatoes with the basil, salt, and pepper.  Taste for seasoning.  Fill each croustade with 1 teaspoon of the cheese and spread about 1/2 teaspoon of the tomato mixture on top.  Arrange the croustades on a baking dish or baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes.

    Prep time:  15 min

    Cook time:  20 min (10 min for croustade, 10 min to heat filled croustade)

    This recipe was created by Tante Marie’s Cooking School.   http://www.tantemarie.com

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    Recipe: Greek Tortellini Salad

    November 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

    This recipe was submitted by Mama N from Austin TX (by far, the Mama with the MOST recipe submissions — thank you Mama N!!!). This sounds like a perfect thing to prepare the night before since there’s some “sit time” involved for best taste; sounds easy to do the night before and then you have everything ready for when you come home from work the next day!!!! YEAH!!!

    Serves 12 – 14

    Ingredients:

  • 2 9oz pkgs cheese tortellini – cooked, drained and cooled
  • 2 red bell peppers – chopped
  • 1 small red onion – chopped
  • ½ c. pitted, sliced kalamata or black olives
  • ¾ c. crumbled feta cheese

    • Dessing:

  • ¼ c. red wine vinegar
  • ½ c. olive oil
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1 T Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic – crushed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
  • 3 T finely chopped parsley

    • Directions:

  • Combine pasta and vegetables in a large bowl.
  • Combine all dressing ingredients in order and whisk together thoroughly. Pour immediately over pasta, and mix until all pasta is coated.
  • Cover and chill for 4-24 hours.
  • Sprinkle with feta cheese just before serving.

    • Prep time: 20 min
    Cook time: 10 minutes
    Wait time: 4 – 24 hours

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    Recipe: Cous-cous

    November 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment

    This is a side-dish that really is too good to be true. I use it as a side dish with a meat and veggie, but you could also improvise and probably through some meat or other veggies in the dish itself to make as a main meal. The ONLY problem with this is that you are dealing with kids here, so at the end of the meal there is likely little pieces of cous-cous EVERYWHERE. A bit messy but hopefully older kids are better with keeping clean and making their mouths compared to littler kids.

    I use the cous-cous from Trader Joes and I do something like this:

    Ingredients:

  • 1 measure of cous-cous (e.g., 1 cup, 1 1/2 cups, etc.)
  • 1 measure of liquid – either water, vegetable broth, chicken broth, or beef broth. I like using beef broth since it is the most flavorful
  • a hunk of butter and/or a splash of olive oil

    • Directions:

  • heat liquid to a boil
  • add butter/oil
  • take off heat
  • add dry cous-cous and mix well
  • cover with a lid for 5 minutes
  • fluff with a fork and YOU’RE DONE

    • Prep time: 2 minutes
    Cook and stand time: 10 minutes

    Enjoy!
    And if you have ideas on what to serve within the cous-cous as a main dish, PLEASE COMMENT and share your ideas! Thanks Mamas!!!!

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    Recipe: Beef Pie

    September 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

    Believe it or not, we have some male “Mamas” out there! This recipe was submitted by Michael from Waterloo, Illinois. He says that this is an old, old recipe so it HAS to be good if it has stood the test of time. Thank you Michael! Sounds super, super easy. The cook time is a bit longer, so this might be better used on a day when you are working from home, or during a weekend night when you have more time. It also sounds a bit sweet given the quantity of beef to brown sugar, so you may want to adjust that given your family’s tastes. THANK YOU AGAIN MICHAEL!!!

    Ingredients:

    • pie crust
    • ground meat (~one pound)
    • brown sugar (one cup)
    • cinnamon (4 teaspoons)

    Instructions:

    • Pre-heat oven to 325.
    • Mix the ground meat, brown sugar, and cinnamon
    • Add the mixture to the middle of the pie crust
    • Cook about 1 hour

    Prep time: 3 min

    Cook time: about one hour

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