Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [97]
2 teaspoons mirin
½ cup finely diced carrot
1 ¾ cups shredded poached chicken (see Note, Chicken and Egg Salad Sandwiches)
1 cup sliced napa cabbage (½ inch thick)
8 shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
½ cup diagonally sliced green onions (green part only)
6 ounces udon noodles (see Note)
Toasted Chicken Sandwiches with Caramelized Apples and Smoked Gouda
Looking for sandwiches with flavor and pizzazz? These will bring raves. Starting with golden fried onions nestled on the bottom, they’re layered with spiced caramelized apples, succulent chicken, smoky cheese, and a touch of honey mustard. Grill them on the stove top until golden and crisp or with a panini press.
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Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are wilted and golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium heat and add the apples. Combine the sugar and allspice and sprinkle over the apples, stirring to coat them. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the apples for 5 to 8 minutes, or until brown but still slightly crisp, increasing the heat to high if necessary.
Spread the mustard over one side of each slice of bread and lightly spread the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over the other sides. Arrange the cheese over the mustard side of half of the bread slices. Layer with the caramelized onions, chicken, and apples. Top with the remaining bread, mustard-side down.
Grill the sandwiches in a skillet or on a griddle, lightly coated with butter or olive oil, over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the bread is toasted golden brown and the cheese is melted, turning as needed.
Serve immediately.
NOTE
The onions and apples can be cooked (separately) up to 8 hours ahead of time and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 unpeeled apples, such as Honeycrisp or Gala, sliced
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ cup honey mustard
8 slices country French bread (cut ½ inch thick from an oval loaf)
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese (4 ounces)
2 cooked chicken breasts (see Cooking Chicken), thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
Baked Pasta Carbonara
This version of the Italian Roman classic—pasta with bacon, eggs, and cheese—is a homey rendition, similar to American macaroni and cheese. It’s easy to make but totally decadent.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 6-cup glass or ceramic baking dish or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse to cool the pasta. Transfer to a large bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the pancetta for 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. The pancetta will begin to render its fat and the pieces will begin to separate instead of clumping together. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese, the black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the pancetta mixture, Gruyère cheese, and parsley.
Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta in the bowl and stir until all of the noodles are coated with the sauce. Transfer to the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and slightly puffed but creamy. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
SERVES 6
8 ounces farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta or bacon (see Note, Sicilian Eggs with Ciabatta and Parmesan), chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs
1 ½ cups half-and-half
¾ cup grated