Sauteed Chicken in Mustard-Cream Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I prefer a grainy mustard)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 Sprinkle each chicken breast with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; saute until cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a plate; keep warm.

2 Pour the wine (or chicken broth) into the hot skillet; cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Whisk in the cream, mustard and tarragon. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

3 Pour any accumulated cooked chicken juices into the sauce. Right before serving, drizzle the cream sauce over the chicken.

Serves 4

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork

1 medium onion

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cider vinegar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder blade roast (fresh pork butt - cut into 4 pieces)

12 soft sandwich buns or ciabatta rolls (warmed)

1 In 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow-cooker pot, stir onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper until combined. Add pork to sauce mixture and turn to coat well with sauce.

2 Cover slow cooker with lid and cook mixture on low setting as manufacturer directs, 8 to 10 hours or until pork is very well done. Alternatively, cook in a small dutch oven at 200 degrees for 4-6 hours.

3 With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn setting on slow cooker to high; cover and heat sauce to boiling to thicken and reduce slightly (if using dutch oven, cook sauce in dutch oven or transfer to saucepan over high heat on stovetop). 

 

4 While sauce boils, with 2 forks, pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to slow cooker, or dutch oven, and toss with sauce to combine. Cover slow cooker, or dutch oven, and heat through on high setting if necessary.

4 Spoon pork mixture onto bottom of sandwich buns; replace tops of buns. 

Serve sandwiches with pickles, potato chips and hot sauce if you like.

Cod Croquettes with Sweet Red Pepper Gravy

1 lemon
1 1/4 pounds fresh cod
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning blend
2 ribs celery and their greens, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
3-4 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 egg
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock

1 Bring 1/2 inch water to a simmer in a large nonstick skillet. Zest a lemon and reserve. Cut lemon and season the fish with some lemon juice and salt and add to simmering water. Cover pan and cook fish for 8 minutes.

2 Remove and flake fish into a bowl. Discard water and wipe out pan, reutrning it to medium heat. Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil to the pan. Add reserved lemon zest, seafood seasoning, celery, onion, thyme and parsley to fish. Add egg and 1 cup of the breadcrumbs. Form 8 fish patties and coat with remaining breadcrumbs to "set" the patties.

3 Cook the patties in the oil for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden. Reserve under foil or in warm oven.

4 Return skillet to heat again over medium heat. Melt in 2 tablespoons of butter, then add the sweet red bell pepper and shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in flour and cook a minute more. Whisk in broth, thicken, then season with salt and pepper to make savoury red pepper gravy.

Bobby's Goulash

Serves 8-10

2 tablespoons EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

3 pounds ground beef

2 large onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 28-ounce can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in the oil about 10 miutes, breaking meat up wth a fork as it cooks. Add the onion, cook and stir for 5 minutes.

2 Add the remianing ingredients except the macaroni. reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the macaroni: simmer, covered for 20 minutes. 

3 Let the goulash stand for 20 minutes before serving.