The EASIEST White Sangria: Refreshing and Delicious

White Wine Sangria

A few years ago, I was determined to serve both a red and a white wine sangria at a large party I was hosting. I thought that finding a recipe would be easy. I ended up trying so many variations, I was hung-over for a month. My mistake was getting too complicated.
This sangria may not be considered authentic but it is easy, delicious, and a crowd-pleaser.

Pour 3 cups white wine (I chose this Pinot Grigio from Trader Joe's for $3.99) in a glass pitcher
Add an assortment of sliced and chopped fruit. I used strawberries, oranges, lemons, limes and pineapple
Muddle the fruit for a few minutes and refrigerate, even overnight, so the fruit flavors blend with the wine
Just before serving, add 3 cups of  7Up or Sprite (I chose Sprite Zero to cut the calories)
Add a slice of fruit to each glass

As long as the wine and Sprite are in equal measure, you can easily make as little or much of this as you like. For my guests, we needed more!

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup starring Pressure Cooker Rotisserie Chicken Stock

Chicken Tortilla Soup starring Pressure Cooker Rotisserie Chicken Stock
This is a much lighter version than the cheesy, restaurant soups but very flavorful and satisfying.

8-12 cups of Rotisserie Chicken Stock
1 onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
4 tsp. chopped garlic (or a tsp. of garlic powder)
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 large tomatoes, chopped or a 14 oz. can of tomatoes
1-2 cups of fresh or frozen corn
1-2 avocados, diced
fresh cilantro, chopped
lime
sour cream, optional
tortilla strips

Saute the onion in the olive oil with the garlic. Add the cumin and red pepper.
Add the chicken stock with cooked chicken (or 8 cups of chicken broth with 2 cups of cooked, diced chicken)
Add the black beans, tomato and corn and heat through.
Place the diced avocado in your bowl, ladle in the soup and top with chopped cilantro and tortilla strips. Give a squeeze of lime and stir in sour cream if desired.

This is a much lighter version than the cheesy, restaurant soups but very flavorful and satisfying.

Rotisserie Chicken Stock Recipe: Pressure Cooker

If you are looking for a more flavorful chicken stock, something really satisfying, try this:

Note: I am relatively new to the word of pressure cookers. This one time kitchen staple is making something of a resurgence. I'm pretty sure my mom never used one but my grandma did. I did research before purchasing and using mine, an 8 quart stainless steel model. The recipes assume you have pressure cooker experience. If you don't, check this link out: http://missvickie.com/workshop/buying.html
There's a short learning period but the results are so worth the investment.

Pressure cookers use pressure (duh) to cook at very high temperature. Something like a roast will be fork tender in just an hour. Soups, my favorite, are richer and more flavorful than any soup I have made even with hours on the stove. This is my recipe for

Chicken Stock using a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket

1 fully cooked rotisserie chicken
2-3  32 ounce cartons of chicken broth. If you are eating some of the purchased chicken for a meal, use 2 cartons of stock. If the whole chicken is for soup, use 3 cartons.
1 chopped onion
1 T. olive oil
chicken seasonings you desire (I like rosemary and sage)

Saute the onion in olive oil until brown in the pressure cooker pot (not sealed). Take all of the meat from the chicken and put aside. Add the bones and skin to the pot. Don't worry about the fat from the skin, you can skim the stock after cooking. Pour in the broth. Add the seasonings and bring to a boil. Put the lid on the pressure cooker and seal shut. Once the steam is steady, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes.
Remove the pressure cooker from the heat and let it cool naturally. The pressure button will release when it is safe to open.

Transfer the cooked stock to another pot, straining through a colander. Don't want bones and skin in the soup! I use the back of a large spoon to press all of the stock from the bone mess. Discard the bone mess.
Chop the chicken meat you removed from the bones and add to the stock.
Refrigerate until cool then skim the fat.
Voila!
You now have the most flavorful base for a variety of soups!

Lemon and Pancetta Roasted Chicken

Lemon and Pancetta Roasted Chicken
A savory and flavorful twist on a simple roasted chicken.

You'll need:
1 large roasting chicken (NOT stewing chicken, I learned that the tough way)
Olive oil
1 large lemon
4 oz. chopped pancetta
Poultry seasoning
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
White wine, not too sweet (I like Pinot Grigio)
3 T. butter (optional)
2 T. capers (optional)

Large baking dish or roasting pan (I line with foil because I hate clean-up)
string
Oven preheated to 350°

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Be sure all inside yuck is removed.
Using muscle, roll the lemon around on the counter to "loosen up" the juices. Make several small slices in the lemon by stabbing with a paring knife.
Rub olive oil all over the surface of the chicken, a nice "chicken massage".
Pour some white wine into the cavity of the chicken (and then pour a glass for yourself ...)
Squeeze the lemon over the chicken.
Place the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken along with the sprigs of rosemary.
Sprinkle poultry seasoning over the chicken and rub in.

Loosen the skin from the chicken and stuff pancetta under the skin, in the cavity and in the crevices.

Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the chicken.
Add 1 cup of white wine to the baking dish.
Bake uncovered at 350° for 1½-2 hours or until the temperature reaches 170°.
Add the butter to the pan about 1 hour into cooking.
Spoon the juices over the chicken every half hour or so.

To serve, carefully remove the lemon and rosemary. You can cook the juices down or thicken to make a fabulous sauce. Add capers to the sauce if desired.

Enjoy!

Pound Your Chicken!

In the big "What's for dinner?" picture, chicken appears often. I am a fan of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. No matter which recipe I use, I always Pound My Chicken (using a meat mallet). Here are the top 5 reasons you should always pound your chicken:
1. An even thickness allows for even cooking.
2. Pounding breaks down the fibers in the meat making it more tender.
3. The chicken appears larger, therefore, you feel like you are eating more!
4. Thin chicken cooks more quickly.
5. Feeling a little wound up? Pound it out!

I use a ziplock bag or plastic wrap to keep chicken parts from spraying across the kitchen. If a marinade is in order, pour it right in the ziplock bag.