Happy Memorial Day Weekend from Dinner Is Served

 

So what’s on the menu at your house this weekend?  Ribs? Hamburgers? How about this very patriotic mixed berry trifle?  It comes together quickly with the help of store bought angel food cake.  I take no credit for this recipe so I’m sending you over to the Food Network site where the talented Sunny Anderson will show you how it all comes together.  Of course, I do like to tinker in the kitchen and in this case, I decided to add a little amaretto liqueur to the whipped cream layer and yum!!

Here is hoping your weekend is filled with good friends, food and family and a chance to take a moment to honor all those who have fought for our freedom. God bless them and God bless this great country.

 

Butter Lettuce with Grapes, Hazelnuts and Maytag Blue

I always imagine the inside of my brain as a constant swirling stream of ingredients and recipes.  Eating dinner one night while simultaneously planning the next dinner, looking at spices blends on my counter and thinking “I need to try those sometime on …”  Browsing internet food blogs with a copy of Fine Cooking at my side, pausing to check into the Cooking Channel from time to time.

Somehow in all this mental mayhem,  dishes like this come to be.

Earlier this week, I threw some green grapes into a butter lettuce salad and I loved them.  Then night before last, I made some amazing pasta with a lemon mascarpone sauce and chopped hazelnuts.  Ahhhh…hazelnuts.  I started thinking about butter lettuce, grapes and hazelnuts together and got excited.  But there must be cheese.  Goat cheese?  Too tart.  Blue cheese?  Perfect!  Especially a bright Maytag blue.  With chives in my garden and some homemade white balsamic vinaigrette in the fridge, the pieces all came together.

A salad was created out of the mass hysteria that is my food brain.   And what a salad it was, if I do say so myself. Beautiful color, contrasting textures and fresh flavors.  And best of all I managed to concentrate for a whole twenty minutes or so to write this post.

…while watching the Blackhawks game on TV.

5 cups of torn butter lettuce (about 7 oz.)

1 cup red grapes, cut in half

2/3 cup Maytag blue cheese (or any other blue veined cheese)

½ cup coarsely chopped shelled and toasted hazelnuts (see note)

1 TBS chopped chives or scallions

Coarsely ground black pepper

White Balsamic Dressing

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBS Dijon mustard

1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar

3/4 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp coarse black pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl or alternatively, place in a jar, cover and shake.

Wash butter lettuce and spin dry.  Place on serving plates and top with cheese, grapes, hazelnuts.  Drizzle a little of the dressing over and sprinkle with additional pepper and chives and serve.

Serves 4

Note> Some stores, like Trader Joes, sell shelled and roasted, unsalted hazelnuts. Big timesaver!  If you can only find ones with the papery skins, proceed as follows:

Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 375°F oven. Toast for about 12 minutes until lightly browned.  Transfer them while they’re hot to a clean kitchen towel. (Use a clean towel that is old or you don’t mind washing with bleach, because the skins tend to discolor the fabric.) Gather the towel into a bundle and rub the hazelnuts to remove most or all of the skin.  

Broccoli and Red Pepper Cheddar Chowder

Spring has pretty much been a bust here in Chicago, although I can feel dagger eyes from people living in Colorado, Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.  Yes, I know I really shouldn’t complain too much, but still.  It’s May and I’m still throwing on my parka to fetch the morning paper. Grrr!

These days of “not quite winter but almost summer” can also be a bit conflicting from a food point of view.  Tired of stews and heavy casseroles, but hard to muster any excitement for the grill.  Traditional spring delicacies like fiddlehead ferns, ramps and morels are scarce, unless you happen to own a high end restaurant.  So for now I’m just going to settle for a bowl of this amazingly delicious soup that satisfies both my need for something a little warm and yet a little fresh and green.

It’s just about the easiest thing in the world to make, and I will bet you that even the little ones in your home will enjoy this (especially if you go with Option 2 and puree the entire soup).

Go figure, in the time it’s taken me to write this post, the sun has come out and the temperature has climbed to a balmy 70°.  Hiya Spring, what took you so long to get here?

1 small bunch broccoli (about 1/2 a pound)

1 large or a few medium boiling potatoes (about 1/2 a pound total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 TBS butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 TBS all-purpose flour

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese plus more for garnish

1 TBS Savory Spice Smoky Hills Cheese Powder or Penzey’s Sicilian Salad Seasoning blend (optional)

Cut off broccoli stems and discard lower third of stems. Peel stems and finely chop. Cut remaining broccoli into 1-inch florets.

Bring approximately 3-4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 TBS salt. Blanch florets for about 2-3 minutes until just tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Transfer 3 cups of the cooking liquid to a glass measuring jar and set aside. Drain florets and place on a paper towel to soak up any excess liquid; set aside.

Melt butter in a 4 quart heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add potato, onions, bell pepper, broccoli stems and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add cumin, mustard, salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 1 minute.  Add flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 2 minutes.  Pour in reserved cooking liquid, stir and partially cover.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Reduce heat to low.  Add cream, grated cheese and optional cheese powder.  Stir over low heat until cheese is melted, then adjust seasonings.

Option 1) Remove 2 cups of soup and puree in blender.  Return to pot, add reserved broccoli florets, stirring for a minute or to to reheat. Serve with additional grated cheddar cheese.

Option 2) Puree entire contents of soup until smooth. Return to pot, add reserved broccoli florets, stirring for a minute or two to reheat. Serve with additional grated cheddar cheese.

Serves 4

Honey, Lemon and Thyme Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Something food bloggers rarely write about: failures.  We have some, you know.  Perhaps more often than we would care to admit.

Actually, it never hurts to have a failure now and then to bring us down to the reality which is: for every successful recipe and stunning photo, there are probably a dozen or more rejects.  The recipe I’m posting today is actually one that started off as a reject.

This  was supposed to be a salad dressing recipe.  And seriously, who doesn’t love the flavors of honey and lemon?  The thought of it served over crisp spinach or escarole sounded so appealing.  But one taste of the finished product left me very ho hum and on the verge of tossing it not with greens but down the disposal.

In the end, frugality won out, and I decided to instead use the dressing as a marinade for a pork tenderloin.  Lo and behold: SUCCESS!  Just a few hours of marinating was enough to give the pork a bit of sweet acidity and caramelization on the grill.  I loved every single bite AND I enjoyed the salad that I made with dressing attempt #2 (my “go to” white balsamic vinaigrette).

It’s fresh and versatile, perfect for pork, chicken, lamb or vegetables.  Of course, you’re welcome to try it as a salad dressing.  Just because it didn’t float my boat doesn’t mean it won’t make your day.

1 medium to large pork tenderloin, trimmed

Marinade:

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme ( or substitute fresh rosemary)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Two small lemons sliced thick (optional garnish)

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the lemon zest, honey and thyme. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place tenderloin and marinade into a resealable plastic bag or a non reactive bowl.  Turn to coat.  Refrigerate and marinate for 4 hours or up to 8.

Remove tenderloin from marinade, reserving marinade and pat dry.  Season with a little extra salt and pepper.  Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high indirect grilling.  Place on grill, cover and cook for about five minutes.  Then turn and brush with some of the reserved marinade.  Cover and continue cooking on indirect heat for about another 10 minutes.  Turn again and brush with remaining marinade.  Continue to cook until internal temperature of the pork reaches 140°, about 5 minutes longer.   Transfer pork to a rimmed cutting board and cover loosely with foil.

While pork is resting, lightly brush lemon slices with olive oil.  Grill for about two minutes on each side until browned.

Slice pork and serve with grilled lemon slices, drizzling any accumulated juices over the top.

Serves 3-4

Scallops with Pink Grapefruit Buerre Blanc

This very special blog post is about courage, strength, support and the power of pink.  The fact that I’m posting a lovely scallop recipe is really secondary.

Last month I received word that the twenty-nine year old daughter of a fellow food blogger was diagnosed with breast cancer and is beginning a multi-month course of treatment.  Several bloggers offered to do guest blogs for her as a way for her to keep her food blog going, and giving her a break as well. I was happy to be part of this effort and submitted the following post to her. You’ll note that I have also added a badge on my site that will take you to the donation page for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, should you wish to make a contribution.  However you can lend support, the important message, as stated at the end of my post, is that we will never stop fighting until there’s a cure.

Greetings to all the Creative Culinary followers!  My name is Ann and I write a small food blog called Dinner Is Served, which was the name of the personal chef business I started right after graduating from culinary school (way back when).  I am honored to be a part of Barb’s food world, as she takes the time she needs to support her daughter, Lauren in her fight with breast cancer.

 Like many, cancer has affected my immediate family as well, with my younger sister undergoing extensive treatment for and ultimately winning the battle against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma about fifteen years ago. This post is dedicated to all who bravely face this disease, their family and friends, and the doctors, nurses and care givers who heal and cure.

 I told Barb I would focus on a pink theme in honor of breast cancer awareness.  I was inspired by a bounty of fruits, vegetables, seafood and spices, all in varying shades of pink. So much so, I created a special Pinterest board called “Pretty in Pink.”  It was a reminder to me of the simple beauty of nature.

 I settled on this scallop recipe because, well I LOVE scallops, and I was intrigued with the idea of incorporating pink grapefruit into a buerre blanc sauce.  The result went beyond my expectations.  The sauce has a nice balance of richness and acidity. And the pink grapefruit garnish is not only beautiful to behold, they really compliment the flavor and texture of the scallops.  A perfect first course or entrée for an elegant spring dinner.

I leave you with these words from a breast cancer badge I found online:

We can survive, inspire, remember, empower, love and hope

Let’s never stop fighting for a cure.

8-10 ounces large sea scallops (about 8 scallops)

1 TBS all-purpose flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 TBS olive oil

¼ dry white wine

2 TBS fish stock or bottled clam juice

1 TBS minced shallot

1/3 cup fresh pink grapefruit juice

½ tsp grated pink grapefruit zest

½ tsp sugar

3 TBS cold unsalted butter, diced

1 TBS thinly sliced scallions or chives

Fresh pink grapefruit segments for garnish

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Pat scallops dry.  Heat oil in a large, preferably nonstick, skillet over moderately high heat.  Lightly coat the scallops in the flour, shaking off the excess and add to the hot oil.  Sear scallops on one side for about two minutes, then carefully turn and continue cooking them until they are just firm and lightly golden, about two minutes longer. Transfer the scallops to a plate lined with paper towels and lightly tent with foil to keep warm.

Add the wine to the skillet, deglaze the skillet, scraping up the brown bits, and stir in the clam juice, minced shallot, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, and the sugar. Boil the liquid until it is reduced to about 1/3 cup and strain the mixture through a fine sieve set over a saucepan.

Set the pan over low heat and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, lifting the pan from the heat occasionally to cool the mixture and adding each new bit of butter before the previous one has melted completely.  Taste the sauce and add additional sea salt and pepper if necessary.

Arrange the scallops on a warmed plate and spoon the sauce over.  Garnish with scallions or chives and serve with fresh grapefruit segments.

Serves: 2

Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Whiskey Orange Glaze

I’m generally a plan ahead kind of person, so it completely goes against my nature to throw a blog post together at the last moment.  To make matters worse, I don’t even have a photo of the finished dish because it won’t be done until this evening.  No cool photo means zero Pinterest interest.  Sigh.

Anyway, I know that tomorrow is the high holy Irish, dye-the-Chicago-River-green holiday and a lot of you may be staring at that big piece of corned beef wondering if there is any better way to prepare it other than just tossing it into some boiling water.  Well if you happen to have a slow cooker, the answer is an enthusiastic YES!  Even better, this method will take you approximately five minutes of prep time in the morning and a wee bit of time (insert Irish brogue), just before serving alongside your buttered cabbage and pint of Guinness.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of my food friends.  I’ll leave you with a little Irish blessing for the day:

May your troubles be less,
And your blessing be more.
And nothing but happiness,
Come through your door.

Sláinte

3 -4 pounds corned beef brisket, rinsed and trimmed

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, skin left on and scrubbed

1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup lager style beer

Glaze

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup Irish whiskey or apple juice

2 TBS ketchup

2 TBS white vinegar

Combine beef, potatoes, carrots and beer in a 4-6 quart slow cooker.  Cover and cook until beef is fork-tender, 4-5 hours on high or on low for 8-9 hours.  Remove beef and vegetables; discard cooking liquid.

Whisk together ingredients for the glaze and brush over the corned beef.  Preheat broiler to high and position oven rack to 6-8 inches from heating element. Transfer meat to a broiler pan coated with non-stick spray.  Broil until glaze caramelizes, about 5 minutes.

Thinly slice beef against the grain; quarter the potatoes.  Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley and serve with horseradish sauce and braised green cabbage.

Serves 4-6

Cream of Leek and Parsnip Soup with Sherry and Thyme

I am sure feeling the love today, I tell you.  So much so that I’m going to defy my own rules and add a little heart symbol thingie to this post ♥   Who knew that parsnips and leeks could bring such joy to one’s soul and yet here they are, simmered gently with a splash of sherry and infused with fresh thyme.  All pureed into a velvety, silken soup.

Here’s how much I love this soup: If Julia Child, James Beard, Thomas Keller, the President and the Pope (past or future one) were all coming over to dinner, I would serve them this soup as a first course!  Yes, it is that good.

I am also overjoyed that I remembered I have a set of these very lovely soup bowls.  Such an elegant soup deserves an equally elegant bowl, don’t you think?  Finally I am loving the fact I was able to use my real-deal Canon 35mm camera to take this photo.  One of these days, I will share with you my food photography frustrations, which are many.

But not today, because today is all about love and joy and this heavenly soup, my bowls and my halfway decent photograph and of course little heart symbols ♥

For the croutons:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 or 4 slices of  dense, white sandwich bread (such as Pepperidge Farm), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the soup:
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (from 2 to 3 large leeks), rinsed and drained
1 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste
1 lb. parsnips, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup dry sherry (fino) or dry white wine
6 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 small bay leaves, broken in half
1/2 tsp. white peppercorns, lightly crushed (or a pinch of ground white pepper)
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 – 2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme, for garnish

---

Make the croutons: Heat the 1/3 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and fry, tossing and stirring, until crisp and golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels, and do not start nibbling on them because you won’t be able to stop and then you’ll have none left for the soup!

Make the soup: Heat the 2 Tbs. oil in a wide soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, season lightly with salt, and cook gently until the leeks have softened and just begin to turn golden, 8 to 10 min. Add the parsnips and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the parsnips are fragrant, about 2 min. Add the sherry, increase the heat to medium high, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the broth. Tie the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and peppercorns together in a cheesecloth sachet and toss it into the pot. Partially cover the pot, bring to a boil, immediately lower the heat, and simmer partially covered until the parsnips are soft enough to mash against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, about 30-40 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 min. Discard the sachet. Using a stand or hand blender, purée the soup in batches, being sure to combine a mix of broth and solids in each batch. If you’re using a stand blender, fill it no more than two-thirds full and be sure to vent the blender so the top doesn’t pop off (either remove the lid’s pop-out center or lift one edge of the lid and drape with a clean towel). Rinse the soup pot, return the blended soup to the pot, taste, and adjust the seasonings. If you’re using the cream, add it now (if you’re making the soup ahead, wait to add the cream until you reheat the soup just before serving). Garnish each bowl with croutons and a pinch of fresh thyme.

Serves 3-4 as a main course or 6 as a first course

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Gram’s Double Frosted Brownies {almost} via Mel’s Kitchen

Two things I inherited from my maternal grandmother: 1) Her Windermere Wedgewood and 2) Her aluminum brownie pan.  As far as sentimental value, they are equal in my eyes.

Ironically two things I did not inherit from her: 1) Her extraordinary baking talent and 2) Her double frosted brownie recipe!

Oh how I remember those brownies, though.  Always made in her special aluminum baking pan with the slide-on lid.  Anytime that pan made appearance in our house, we knew what was inside.  Every piece, a little treasure, with a dense, truffle like brownie base, a thin layer of frosting and the pièce de résistance:  a thin bittersweet chocolate glaze.  

Why we never asked her to write down her recipe, I’ll never know.  My guess is she knew the recipe by heart and any copy she may have had was long gone.  The result was after her passing in 1991, no one in our family had a clue how to make these brownies…until my best new cyber food blogger friend, Mel came along.

I don’t actually know Mel, but I follow her blog, Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.  Last week she posted a little collection of recipes under the heading “Recipes the World Forgot.”  Low and behold, there appeared before my eyes a photo of THE brownies.  The world may have forgotten about this recipe, but I certainly hadn’t.  I’ve been in search of it for the better part of two decades!  Of course I wouldn’t know for sure until I had actually made them, which I did yesterday during a nasty snow storm.

Mel calls them “Magical Layered Brownies,” but as I discovered yesterday, they’re also my gram’s brownies.  Well, pretty close at least.  Close enough for me to be practically doing cartwheels in my pint-sized kitchen.  Little does Mel know, but she has filled a void in my culinary heart.  I must thank her profusely.  And now I would like to share it with the rest of all mankind.  Just click on this link: Magical Layered Brownies, and be one step closer to brownie nirvana.

My Gram would be proud to know her legendary brownies live on and her magic pan is bringing joy to all who see it sitting on the kitchen counter.

Chicken & Wild Rice Chowder with Bacon and Chives

As one of my friends recently mentioned on Facebook: “You had me at bacon.”   Indeed, bacon is what makes this already indulgent soup even more decadent.   Should I mention there’s butter involved in the process as well or will that scare some of you away?  Oh yes, and half and half.    But note I served mine in a coffee mug (portion control), and I am back on the wagon this morning with my bran cereal and a trip to the gym.  So there!

For those interesting in a lighter version, please feel free to use turkey bacon and substitute 2% milk for the half and half.  You could possibly cut back on the butter as well, but keep in mind that you will also have to cut back equally on the flour, thus reducing the thickness of the soup.

Time saving tips include purchasing cooked, packaged chicken and pre-cooked bacon.  Additionally, you can substitute cooked turkey if that’s what you happen to have on hand.  The bottom line is that there are options  here to tailor this soup to your needs, to make it your own.

Ah, and now I hear the sound of the eliptical calling my name.  Until next time my friends, may your mugs be always full of delicious soup like this!

3 (10 3/4oz ) cans condensed chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

Pinch of white or black pepper

2 cups half-and-half

1 1/2   –  2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey (see NOTE below on how to poach chicken)

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (reserve some of the bacon for garnish)

1 TBS finely chopped fresh chives

Few drops of dry sherry (optional)

• In a large 4-qt saucepan, combine chicken broth and water.  Add wild rice and green onions.  Bring to a boil, then reduce and cover.  Simmer 40-45 minutes or until rice is tender.  Note there will be additional broth in the pan.  Do not drain!
• In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter.  Stir in flour, salt, seasoning and a few dashes of pepper.  Cook for one minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbling.
• Gradually stir in half and half into the roux and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.  Then add the creamy mixture back into the saucepan with the rice and broth. Add cooked chicken and bacon.  Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until soup has thickened, about thirty minutes.  If soup becomes too thick, thin it out with a little extra chicken stock.
• Adjust seasonings and serve, garnishing with chopped chives, a little extra chopped bacon and a few drops of dry sherry (if desired).

Serves 6-8

How to Poach Chicken

Two things to keep in mind when poaching chicken: low and slow.  Never let your liquid get above a simmer or you’ll toughen the chicken.  I use one package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and approximately three cups of chicken stock.  You can certainly use plain water, but I think the stock gives it a little extra flavor.  I also like to throw in a teaspoon or so of fresh or dried herbs (Penzey’s Bouquet Garni Seasoning is perfect for this) and also a pinch or two of Kosher salt.

Put everything in a wide saucepan and bring just to a boil.  Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and gently simmer the chicken for 15-20 minutes.  Then remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered for ten minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and use as needed.  If you are storing chicken in fridge for later use, place in a sealed container with a few tablespoons or so of the poaching liquid to keep it moist.

Linguine with Chicken and Roasted Herbes de Provence Tomatoes

Two words that elude me in the dog days of winter here in the Midwest: fresh produce.  Oh sure, walk into the produce section of any supermarket, and there are displays piled high with apples, berries, lettuce.  Artfully arranged pyramids of pears, oranges and lemons.   Asparagus in January?  Yep, it’s there.  Craving some watermelon on a snowy day?  No worries, I’m sure your supermarket has it.  So shiny and colorful, like they were plucked from Mother Earth mere seconds ago.

Thanks to the marvels of science and transport, this produce is beautiful to behold but sadly, so lacking in flavor that  the term “fresh” is often a misnomer.  Perhaps a more appropriate term would be “not frozen” or “not canned” or better yet just…”meh.”

And in my book, nothing epitomizes meh, more than an out-of-season tomato.

Oh sure they’re red.  They look ripe, don’t they now?  But biting into a mid-winter supermarket tomato is a bit like eating an unsalted saltine cracker and washing it down with a swig of lukewarm tap water.  It’s enough to make one swear off fruits and vegetables for the next five months and just down a few V-8® cocktails every day.

Thankfully, I have come to save the day.  Step off that produce cliff, turn on your oven and reach into your spice cabinet.  All is not lost my friends.

Roasting and seasoning do amazing things to bland, out-of-season produce, and this recipe is a shining example.  Grape tomatoes get a healthy dose of olive oil, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.  After quick roast in a 450° oven they are magically transformed into sweet, juicy tomatoes that actually taste like, well…tomatoes!  And FRESH tomatoes at that!

Oh yes, there’s chicken in this recipe too and it’s all served over linguine and garnished with more fresh herbs.  But of course it’s the tomatoes that make the dish.  Like summer in a bowl, I tell you.  Actually make that summer in the South of France in a bowl.

• 1 1/2 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons herbes de Provence <see Note>
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves or fresh basil
• 1 lb. dried linguine pasta (or thick spaghetti pasta), cooked according to package directions

preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil, and herbes de Provence in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy ovenproof skillet until oil shimmers. Carefully add tomatoes to pan (oil may spatter). Transfer skillet to oven and roast, turning once, until tomatoes burst and give up some of their juices, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and drizzle with Worcestershire sauce.

Meanwhile, season chicken all over with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer pan to oven and roast chicken until cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet; heat over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with vinegar, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan; add tomatoes and their juices and simmer until sauce is just beginning to thicken, about 1 minute. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide linguine equally among plates.  Slice chicken and place atop linguine.  Spoon tomatoes and sauce over; garnish with herbs.

Serves 4

Note> Herbes de Provence may well be the most heavenly blend of dried herbs available on this planet .  While variations exist, most blends contain thyme, savory, fennel, rosemary, marjoram, basil, tarragon and (my personal favorite) lavender. Talk about aromatherapy!  One whiff of this blend will immediately transport you to the south of France.  In the past decade it has become more widely available in most every supermarket chain, although you will benefit greatly by getting a fresh, quality blend from a fine spice purveyor.  If you love it as much as I do, check out Savory Spice’s Herbes de Provence Seasoning Salt.  It’s terrific on roasts, lamb chops, roasted potatoes and vegetables.