Artichoke, Spinach and Chicken Lasagna

I initially thought my friend Jen was attending my dinner party, so I decided to make a main dish tailored to her. Whenever we go out to lunch at Houston's, she always orders the spinach and artichoke dip. Without fail.  I want to make some sort of dish that mimicked that dip and lasagna seemed like a natural way to do it.  One of my biggest complaints about lasagna is that I don't love the texture of ricotta.  Here, I halved the ricotta, replacing it with cream cheese, more in line with the spinach and artichoke dip everyone loves.  The result was a perfect dinner party dish, I love things that can just bake while I socialize.  Unfortunately, Jen had to cancel at the last minute, which means I will have to have her over soon and serve this again.  The recipe looks long, but it is really quite easy, especially if you use the Instant Pot and Fasta Pasta shortcuts.

Artichoke, Spinach and Chicken Lasagna

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup water
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound lasagna noodles
¼ cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup flour
3 cups milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan
10 ounces chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 15 ounce can artichoke hearts, chopped
16 ounces ricotta
16 ounces cream cheese. softened
4 cups shredded mozzarella

Instant Pot instructions:
Place the chicken, water, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in the Instant Pot. Place on “Poultry” setting for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Shred the chicken and set aside.

Regular instructions:
Place the chicken, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a saucepan. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Heat over high heat until the water boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Shred the chicken and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Fasta Pasta instructions:
Place 9 of the lasagna noodles in the Fasta Pasta and fill to level 4. Microwave for 13 minutes. Drain and allow the noodles to cool. Repeat with remaining lasagna noodles.

Regular instructions:
Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until al dente per package instructions. Drain and allow the noodles to cool.

In large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Whisk in the flour, until fully incorporated. Add the milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. When the mixture thickens after about 5 minutes, remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan, spinach, artichokes and shredded chicken.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta and cream cheese.

Layer ¼ of the chicken mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with 6 lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta and cream cheese mixture over top. Layer ¼ of the chicken mixture over the ricotta and top with 1 1/3 cups mozzarella cheese. Layer with 6 more lasagna noodles, then 1/3 of the ricotta, ¼ of the chicken and 1 1/3 cups mozzarella cheese, twice more, ending with the mozzarella cheese. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray, cover the lasagna spray side down. Bake for 45 minutes covered, remove the foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more. Allow to cool 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Vegetable Calzones

Vegetable Calzones

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees )
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the pizza crusts
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 head broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
1 cup spinach leaves
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 mushrooms, quartered
1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

In the bowl of the stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water. Add the honey and stir together, let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, then the flour and salt. Use the dough hook to knead at low speed for 2 minutes. Turn up the speed to medium and knead 5 minutes more. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 3 minutes more. Oil the mixing bowl and return the dough ball to it, tossing well to coat with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes to an hour in a warm spot. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shape each by gently pulling the dough and tucking it underneath the bottom of the ball. Roll the ball on a smooth surface until it is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes more. The dough can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone inside. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Press out each dough piece on a lightly floured surface, gradually spreading each into a circle 8" across. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on half of each circle, then top with broccoli, artichoke, spinach, bell pepper, mushroom and tomato. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese on top of each, then fold over to create a half circle. Press the edges to seal. Transfer the calzones to the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown.

While the calzones are baking, simmer the crushed tomatoes over medium-low heat with the Italian seasoning. Serve the calzones with tomato sauce on the side.

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Veal Francese

I know it is wrong to love veal, but I do. Even my father refuses to eat it, but I figure if I eat meat, what's the difference? In fact, I selected Grotto for my Mother's Day dinner because I know I can get great veal there and I always like to support Tilman Fertitta because of all he has done for the University of Houston.  And we have a Landry's Select card, which adds and even bigger bonus.  This technique for cooking the veal was new to me, but it was awesome.  I plan on trying it with chicken next, basically keeping the recipe as is, replacing the veal with pounded out chicken cutlets.  This recipe was adapted from Cookstr.

Veal Francese

1 tablespoon butter
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
1 lemon, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon basil
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 eggs
1 ½ cups white wine
½ pound thin veal cutlets

In a large skillet with a lid, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the artichokes to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the wine, the lemon slices and capers, cover and simmer for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper, basil and salt. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs with 2 tablespoons of the wine. Dredge each veal cutlet in the flour, then in the egg. Add the cutlets to the pan and simmer on low heat, shaking the pan to keep the cutlets floating in the liquid; add wine if needed. Turn the cutlets after 3 minutes and cook for 1 minute more. Plate the veal, remove the lemon slices, and pour the sauce over top; serve.

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Artichoke Bruschetta

This appetizer takes all the deliciousness of artichoke dip and makes it into a convenient two bite appetizer. Three delicious cheeses (does cream cheese count as a cheese anyhow?) broiled until golden brown with chopped artichokes sprinkled through.  I love serving bruschetta at a dinner party, it is a crowd pleaser and quite easy to assemble and serve.  I usually prepare the topping in advance, then just bake right before the guests arrive.  I think these may be my new favorite.

Artichoke Bruschetta

1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
1 (14-ounce) can of artichoke hearts (whole, halves, or quarters), drained & chopped
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
dash hot sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
French baguette loaf of bread, cut at an angle into ⅓-inch slices

Beat the cream cheese until smooth, stir in the mayonnaise, artichokes, parmesan, mozzarella, hot sauce and garlic salt. Preheat the broiler to high, spread a tablespoon of the artichoke mixture onto each baguette slice. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot.

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Chicken Saltimbocca Pasta

I had never tried the one pot pastas I have been seeing all over Pinterest.  I admit, I was really wary that the results would work out or not.  After having this pasta, I regret not having made it sooner.  Only one dirty pot and we had a complete pasta dinner.  I adored this pasta.  Miss F firmly rejected the prosciutto, she had tried some in the grocery store after the deli counter clerk offered her a slice, I don't think she was a fan.  I know if she tried it, she would like it, but there was no convincing her.  I added artichokes because I had some on hand, I think they really enhanced this dish.  I can't wait to try other one pot pastas!  Which ones are your favorites?  I adapted this from Taste of Home Cooking.

Chicken Saltimbocca Pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, sliced crosswise into 1/3-inch strips
8 large fresh sage leaves, plus 2 tablespoons minced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite sized pieces
¼ cup chopped onion
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
12 ounces dried linguine, broken in half
3 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook for five minutes, until crispy. Add the sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds more. Use a slotted spoon and remove the prosciutto and sage to a paper towel lined plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken to the pan, sautéing until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm on a plate. Add the remaining oil and stir in the onion. Cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the artichokes, garlic, minced sage and red pepper flakes, cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the flour, then whisk in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about two minutes. Stir in the broth and water, then add the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the chicken, capers, butter and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste, serve topped with the crispy prosciutto and sage leaves.

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Baked Artichoke Chicken Pasta

I made this dish to send to my parents for them to have while my mom was recovering from hip surgery. I made the entire recipe, but split it into two baking pans, one for us and one to send home with my dad. My dad loves anything with artichokes, so I knew this would be a hit with him. Miss F still isn't a fan of artichokes. She tried them steamed with me one time and thought they were just awful. I have loved them since I was a kid, so I don't get her hatred. I know it is a strange thing to eat, but they are so delicious. Maybe one day she will come around to them. I have had this recipe pinned from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice, I am glad I finally got a chance to make it, I loved it.

Baked Artichoke Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, diced
coarse salt and fresh black pepper
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
12 ounces rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 ounces artichoke hearts, quartered
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Saute for 5 minutes, until onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds more. Add the chicken and for 3 to 5 minutes more, until chicken is browned on all sides. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Prepare the pasta per package instructions. Drain and add to a large bowl. Stir in the chicken and onion mixture.

Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Turn the heat to low, stir in the Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir in the artichoke hearts.

Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Generously butter a 9x13-inch casserole or baking pan. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake for 40 minutes and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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Hot Artichoke Dip

I am not a huge spinach artichoke dip fan. I know a lot of people love it, but it just doesn't work for me and I am not quite sure why. Miss F is a sucker in Costco, nearly every sample we try, she wants to buy, doesn't matter what it is. Last visit, she was desperate for Veggie Chips. They came in a single industrial size bag, so I had to be sure she would eat them. She said she liked them more than Chili Cheese Fritos, so I went ahead and bought them. She ate then twice and was over it. But they worked great with this dip. Too bad I still have a ton left. She is not going to sway me our next trip to Costco, I will remain strong. I also served it with sliced baguette.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 green onions, sliced thin
½ cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Dash hot sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, beat in the mayonnaise. Add remaining ingredients and stir together until combined. Transfer the dip to a pie plate or shallow gratin dish. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the dip is bubbling. Serve hot with crackers, tortilla chips, crostini or veggies.

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Braised Chicken and Artichokes

As soon as I read this recipe from Williams-Sonoma, I knew I would love it. It incorporates all the flavors I love from Artichoke Chicken Pasta with chicken thighs cooked on the stovetop.  This recipe is amazingly easy and makes for a perfect weeknight meal.  The sauce gets deliciously rich.  I may have gone back for a third spoonfull of sauce during dinner.  Miss F devoured an entire chicken thigh.  C questioned the need for parsley, but what does he know?  I used canned artichoke since fresh baby artichokes weren't available.

Braised Chicken and Artichokes

3 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 chicken thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, slivered
1 shallot, slivered
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
Juice of one lemon
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 can artichokes, drained

Spread the flour on a plate and season well with salt and pepper. Lightly toss the chicken in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and season with salt and pepper.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan. Add the garlic and shallot to the pan and sauté until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tarragon, parsley and mustard. Add the wine, broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the tomatoes and artichokes.

Return the chicken to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, covering after 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with more lemon juice, as needed. Serve.

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Artichoke and Spinach Crusted Chicken

I saw a recipe for Artichoke Crusted Chicken on Pinterest. It sounded good, but I wanted to streamline the recipe and add some spinach to the mix. The result was an easy weeknight meal that involves minimal prepwork and hands on time. The dream, right? Until C and Miss F both picked off the artichoke topping. Miss F I can understand, she is my meat loving girl, but C? I asked him what on earth was wrong with artichokes, spinach and cheese. His response was that it was too rich. Ha! This from the man who would be happy eating chicken pot pie every night for dinner. So this goes down as another great recipe that I will never get to cook for my family again. Add it to the vault.

Artichoke and Spinach Crusted Chicken ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese 1/3 cup artichoke hearts, chopped ½ cup baby spinach Squeeze of fresh lemon juice Dash of hot sauce 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan, Mozzarella, artichokes and spinach. Add the lemon juice and hot sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Place the chicken breasts in the greased baking dish. Top each piece of chicken with ¼ of the artichoke mixture. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and the topping is beginning to brown and bubble.

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Recipe Swap: Spicy Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

The selection for this recipe swap was pasta. I would have never made this dish had it not been for the swap, but I am so glad I did. The original dish was vegetarian, but I did substitute chicken broth for vegetable. It is what I had on hand and it worked just fine for us. The dish was so delicious. I was not able to find whole wheat Campanelle pasta, so I used the regular. Miss F loved her spicy "macaroni."  I used a yellow bell pepper because they looked so much better at the store, it was a great swap since the bell pepper was my favorite part.  I also used ricotta salata, but I am not sure it added much.  If I made it again, I would omit the cheese.

Spicy Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

1 box whole wheat campanelle or bow tie pasta (I used regular campanelle)
¼ cup white wine (I used 1/2 cup)
½ cup veggie stock (I used chicken broth)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 can baby artichokes, cut into quarters
¼ cup olive oil packed sun dried tomatoes (I used 1/2 cup)
1 tbsp olive oil (recommended: olive oil from sun dried tomatoes)
½ cup garbanzo beans (I omitted)
1 red bell pepper, diced (I used yellow)
½ onion, diced
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp fresh oregano
2 tbsp fresh thyme or basil (I change this depending on the cheese I am using; thyme with feta and basil with ricotta silata)
2 tbsp fresh parsley
½ cup crumbled ricotta silata or mild feta
salt & pepper to taste

Boil pasta in salted water to al dente as specified on package. (Once cooked reserve ½ cup of pasta water and set aside.)

In a large sauté pan; sauté onion and bell pepper in olive oil (preferably from the sun dried tomatoes) until translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté 1 minute. Then add the garbanzo beans, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, fresh oregano, thyme or basil and white wine; bring to a simmer, cook off alcohol (about 2 minutes) then stir in veggie stock and let simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in pasta and cook 2 minutes then add crumbled ricotta silata or feta. Add pasta water if sauce needs to be thinned out.

This pasta is great as leftovers and gets better as it sits. Can be served hot or warm. (There were no instructions how to use the parsley, so I sprinkled it on top)

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Recipe Swap: Chicken with Artichokes and Feta

I participated in a Chicken Recipe Swap. I submitted my Chicken Artichoke Pasta to the swap and in return, I got Chicken with Artichokes and Feta. I totally admit I have cheese issues.  I like very few cheeses that are not warm, a triple creme is yummy, but other than that...not for me.  And Feta isn't for me either.  So I decided to do two breasts of chicken, one with Feta for C and one without for me.   C picked the Feta off straight away...which is nothing new.  Total waste of $5.99 for the Feta cheese.  Then he told me he doesn't like lemon in his food, this is a new one for me, especially considering I cook with lemon quite often.  I guess obvious lemon slices are what her doesn't prefer.  This dish was very nice, you cannot go wrong with the lovely combination of artichokes and chicken.

Chicken with Artichokes and Feta Cheese

6 ounce jar of marinated artichokes, quartered (I used plain canned)
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into strips
6 skinless, boneless chicken tenders (I used 2 chicken breasts)
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
6 thin lemon slices
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sized baking dish scatter the artichoke hearts, pearl onions, and sun dried tomatoes over the bottom. Arrange the chicken tenders on top of the vegetables in a single layer. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the crumbled feta on top of the chicken breast tenders. Top each tender with a lemon slice. Slowly pour the wine and chicken broth into the dish. Bake for 40 minutes, checking on the chicken in the middle of baking and spooning the pan juices over top of the cooking chicken. Remove from oven and serve over rice (I added ½ cup dry orzo pasta halfway through cooking), spooning the pan juices over everything.

Source: Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

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Creamy Artichoke Lemon Chicken Pasta

This dish is super similar to one of my most favorite pasta dishes, Artichoke Chicken Pasta. The addition of bacon and cream make this dish all the more decadent. Fresh lemon juice is vital, it really adds a nice tangy flavor to the pasta, it is especially nice with the capers. I love capers, I need to cook more things that include capers in the recipe. Anyone have any great caper recipes?

Creamy Artichoke Lemon Chicken Pasta

12 ounces angel hair pasta
2 slices bacon
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved and pounded to ¼ inch thickness
¼ cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 teaspoons capers, drained
½ cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter, chilled
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat, cook through. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat chicken with flour mixture. Without crowding, carefully place chicken in the bacon grease. Fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken to paper towels. Stir the mushrooms, artichokes, and capers into the pan; cook until the mushrooms are soft. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and lemon juice, cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the cream and the butter to the sauce, stirring until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips, and return them to the pan. Stir the pasta and bacon into the chicken mixture. Serve.

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Chicken and Artichokes with Wine Sauce

I got this fantastic recipe from Proceed with Caution. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to try it.  The recipe was easy and came together super quickly. I made a few small changes, but overall the spirit of the recipe is the same. I love anything with artichokes and mushrooms, in fact, they are my two favorite pizza toppings, so this will go into our regular menu rotation.  The sauce is especially delicious when a green bean is dipped into it.

Chicken and Artichokes with Wine Sauce
serves 4

¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon dried sage, crushed
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 14.5 ounce can of artichokes
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a shallow dish, stir together flour, sage, ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper; reserve two tablespoons of flour mixture. Coat chicken in remaining flour mixture.

In a large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet; cover and keep warm. Drain off any excess oil in skillet.

In the same skillet, cook mushrooms and artichoke hearts in hot butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until artichokes are tender.

In a small bowl stir together reserved flour mixture, wine, broth, and teaspoon salt until smooth. Add wine mixture to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Pour sauce over chicken.

Adapted from http://tpox-proceedwithcaution.blogspot.com/2010/05/chicken-and-artichokes-with-wine-sauce.html

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Veal Piccata

Veal Piccata

I first had veal years ago, I knew it was so wrong to like it, but I did. There are two types of food my father won't eat: raw fish and veal. Like father, unlike daughter. I cannot get enough sushi and I really enjoy veal. C thought this dish was just "okay". I really liked it and I am excited to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Maybe I should have sushi for dinner...

serves 2 to 3

¾ pound veal cutlets, pounded to about 1/8 of an inch thick
½ cup flour
salt and pepper
1 cup chicken stock
¾ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, divided
juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon capers
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
½ cup artichoke hearts
½ lemon, cut into thin round slices

Pound the cutlets by placing them between two sheets of plastic wrap and pounding them with a mallet or the back of a large spoon. Pound them until they are about 1/8" thick. In a wide bowl or pan, mix the flour with some salt and pepper. Dip the cutlets into the flour and coat them thoroughly. Pat off all the excess flour.

Heat oil and one tablespoon butter in a large frying or sauté pan. Place the cutlets into the pan (in batches if necessary, do not overcrowd the pan), and brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Sauté the mushrooms until soft.

Pour off the excess fat, leaving just a thin film, and the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the wine, and stir with a wooden spoon until the browned bits come off the bottom and begin to dissolve. Add chicken broth, and continue cooking, stirring, until reduced by half.

Add the juice of a fresh lemon, capers, artichoke hearts, remaining butter and salt, pepper to taste. Cook until all the ingredients are heated through. Add the cutlets to coat with the sauce. Garnish each portion with a couple of lemon slices. Serve.

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Lemon Artichoke Chicken Orzo Pasta

I heavily adapted this recipe from a Martha Stewart one. And I mean heavily. The original called for feta and dill. I cannot stand feta cheese, so that was a no go, but I was attracted to the ease of baking the pasta in the oven. I heated the broth mixture in a glass measuring cup in the microwave, so this was truly a one pot meal. It is a really easy week night meal that can come together with a huge assortment of ingredients.

Lemon Artichoke Chicken Orzo Pasta
printable recipe

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ teaspoons coarse salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
½ pound chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ pound orzo
1 tomato, chopped
1 can artichokes, drained
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saucepan, bring broth, ¼ cup water, wine, butter, salt, and pepper to a boil. In a 2-quart baking dish, combine chicken, orzo, tomato, artichokes, parsley, and lemon juice. Pour broth mixture over orzo and stir once to incorporate. Bake until orzo is tender and cooking liquid is creamy, 40 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

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Artichoke Parmesan Dip

I made this for my dinner party and it was a definite hit! I think anything with artichokes makes for a tasty meal, but surprisingly, I don't like spinach and artichoke dip. It must be a mayonnaise thing...

Artichoke Parmesan Dip
printable recipe

1 cup sour cream
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons parsley

Stir all ingredients together to combine. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Serve with vegetables, crackers or baguette slices.

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Artichoke Tarts

I hosted Bunco on Friday night, we had a fantastic time, but the foods were the highlight. I made artichoke tarts and need to add some of the fantastic recipes I had to my repertoire. There were amazing potato puffs coated in crushed cornflakes, shrimp wrapped in phyllo and chicken quesadillas. I stuffed myself silly. We also enjoyed some challah, apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah. It was a lovely evening spent with even more lovely friends, new and old.

I use a mini ice cream disher to fill the wontons, it's really easy.



Artichoke Tarts

32 (3 1/4-inch square) won ton wrappers
4 ounces (1 cup ) Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
Fresh parsley sprigs, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 32 miniature muffin cups with no-stick cooking spray. Gently press 1 won ton wrapper into each muffin cup, allowing ends to extend above cups. Spray edges of wrappers with no-stick cooking spray. Set aside.Combine cheese, cream cheese, ground red pepper and mustard in medium bowl; mix well. Stir in bell pepper and artichoke hearts. Spoon about 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each cup. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until cheese mixture is set and edges of wrappers are lightly browned. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

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Artichoke Soup

I hosted a dinner party last night and decided to make a soup because I love soup and as an excuse to use my new china soup bowls. I decided to try artichoke soup. I had never had it before, my friend Lori raves about the artichoke soup from the Junior League. I had picked some up for her awhile back, but it was lost in the freezer due to Hurricane Ike. I haven't seen it back on the menu there, but I check for it every time I am at the League.

This soup was tasty and easy. The original recipe called for a roux, but once I got done straining it, I didn't think it needed thickening, so I went ahead and didn't use it. I made croutons with some 10-grain bread I had. Just cut the crusts off the bread, cube it and toss in a ziploc bag with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

Artichoke Soup
makes 8 servings

3 cans, drained artichoke hearts
2 med.-lg. Potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 med. Onion, peeled and sliced
3 Celery stalks, chopped
2 clove Garlic, finely chopped
6 Cups Chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. Fresh minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/2 Tsp. Dried oregano
1 Tsp. Dried basil
1 Cup Heavy cream
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper
2 Tsp. Fresh lemon juice

Cook vegetables, in water until soft, approx 10-12 minutes. Drain. In blender, purée cooked vegetables, artichokes and garlic. Return to pot. Add the herbs and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the heavy cream. Bring soup back up to boil and season with salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice to taste. Strain through a fine strainer or colander. Serve with croutons.

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Artichoke Chicken Pasta

This is one of my favorite recipes. I love artichokes. My favorite way to eat them is steamed and dipped in butter, but canned artichokes work for me as well. Not as tasty as the steamed fresh ones, I could eat those everyday. The is basically a spin on Chicken Piccata. It has the same lemony and capery flavors, just with tomatoes and artichokes, with the usual mushrooms. Fresh lemon is key. I have made it before with bottled lemon juice and the flavor pop was totally missing. If you have fresh flat leaf parsely around, that is nice sprinkled on top as well.





Artichoke Chicken Pasta

4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour

1 tbsp evoo
1 tbsp butter

1/2 package of button mushrooms, sliced
1 can small artichoke hearts, drained
2 tomatoes, cut into small chunks
1 can chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp capers
2 small or 1 large lemon
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp butter

1 lb of pasta (I used linguine) cooked and drained

Pound out chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper. Dredge the breasts in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat oil and 1 tbsp butter over med-high heat. Saute chicken until the flour browns. Remove chicken from pan, cover chicken (I put it in a 250 degree oven). Remove pan from heat and add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the chicken broth, the juice of the lemon, salt and pepper to taste and bring it back up to a boil. Add the mushrooms and capers cook for about 5 minutes. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and water. Add the slurry to the pan and bring back to a boil, stirring until the mixture thickens. Add the artichokes and tomatoes and toss to coat. Add the remaining butter and stir until it melts. Toss the pasta with the sauce.

Plate the pasta and top each with a pounded out chicken breast.

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