Wicked Good, Step-by-step Recipes for Autumn Entertaining

by Elise Griffith

Recently Spencer's Fresh markets had boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.99 per pound in value packs. One value pack holds five or six chicken breast pieces. Normally, I'd try to get several meals from that poultry meat in casseroles, soups, or stews, but I decided to "live it up" and spice things up for dinner. There's a limit to the amount of casserole my husband's willing to eat — and frankly, I felt my dinnertime repertoire has been leaning towards dull.

Fortunately, Dollar Tree has some new herb and spice blends available at the Morro Bay store, including Creole Seasoning, which is perfect for an easy chicken dinner! Keeping in mind that with the flat of grape tomatoes our neighbor brought over (which my husband so generously sorted and rinsed for me), now frozen whole in one quart freezer bags, I'd need only a few other ingredients to make…

Heart-Healthy, California Creole Chicken Breasts

Step One:

• cooking oil spray
• 1 value package fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5-6 pieces)
• Creole Seasoning

Pull out your largest, nonstick skillet and preheat it over medium heat for just a minute or two. Working quickly, give the skillet a light coat of cooking oil spray and arrange the chicken breasts in the skillet; reduce heat to low and sprinkle with seasoning. Cook on one side for about 4-5 minutes, turn the chicken using tongs, and sprinkle with more seasoning. Cook an additional few minutes until the breasts no longer feel soft when pressed with tongs. Transfer to a baking dish.

Step Two:

• 1-2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 quart fresh or frozen grape tomatoes (cherry tomatoes will also work)
• 1/2 – 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped, oven roasted bell pepper, if desired

Using the same large skillet, add canola oil and tomatoes; cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally. Tomatoes will begin to gently pop as they cook, so be careful and adjust the temperature as needed.

Once the tomatoes have pan "fried" and softened (as pictured above), add the onion and, if desired, bell pepper. Continue to stir and cook for a minute or two—it doesn't take very long—then top your chicken breasts with the vegetables.


Step Three:
Cover and bake in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes before serving, OR cover, cool and refrigerate for a fast heat-and-eat dinner within a day or two. To reheat your refrigerated meal, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

We also had some frozen Atlantic Salmon steaks from Costco in the freezer. My husband isn't a huge seafood fan, but he does like Salmon, shrimp and scallops. So… next up…

Corona Poached Salmon

• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 cup chopped or diced red onion
• 3 small sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle Corona Light Beer
• 2-4 frozen, boneless salmon portions

Step One:
In a deep skillet, heat olive oil and butter or margarine over medium heat, add onion and sauté until onion is translucent and just beginning to brown. Add thyme sprigs and garlic, stir a few times, and pour in one full bottle of light beer.

Reduce heat to low, add frozen salmon, cover and cook/simmer for 20 minutes; carefully turn salmon over, cover and cook/simmer an additional 5-10 minutes. Without removing cover, turn off burner and allow to sit for 5 minutes. (Note: if using fresh, boneless salmon, reduce cooking time to no more than 15 minutes.)

ONE of the large salmon steaks will feed two adults with sides of long grain & wild rice and tossed salad; if you poach four salmon portions, you have enough for a family meal as well as leftovers for…

Coastal Salmon & Sourdough "Pie"

(Fast & easy when using leftover salmon)

• 2 slices sourdough bread, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup diced fresh celery
• 2/3 cup diced fresh red onion
• zest of 1 small lime (about 1 heaping teaspoon)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups leftover poached salmon, broken into pieces
• juice of one small lime
• 3 fresh eggs
• 1/4 cup milk or soy milk
• optional toppings: crumbled Queso cheese and one tomato, sliced into wedges

Step Two (this recipe is a second step to above poached salmon):
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a pie dish with cooking oil spray. In a large bowl, combine sourdough bread cubes, vegetables, lime zest, cilantro and broken up, poached salmon. Whisk together lime juice, eggs and milk; pour over all other ingredients and fold or stir to evenly coat all bread cubes. Transfer this mixture into your prepared pie dish, pressing slightly with a spatula.

Step Three:
If desired, top with crumbled Queso cheese and tomato wedges. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 22-25 minutes, remove from oven; slice and serve hot with a side salad.

Before baking, without optional topping.

Before baking, with optional topping.

Fresh from the oven!

From Where I Cook… fancier dishes don't have to be difficult. Start with fresh ingredients at affordable prices and just be creative. October entertaining should be relaxed and—above all—fun! As the holidays approach, you'll be busier in the kitchen; this is a time to take things easier without sacrificing that "wow" factor. And as a hint, while you're cubing up the sourdough bread, a few minutes of extra chopping, then drying the cubes on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes means you won't have to buy prepackaged bread cubes for stuffing next month.

Image on Banner by Nathan Drew