Rachael Rays Tuscan Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy, deep skillet over medium high heat.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, half the chicken pieces and a couple of crushed cloves of garlic.
• Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side and remove from pan.
• Add remaining oil and swirl around pan. Add remaining chicken pieces and garlic. Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side and remove.
• Add vinegar to the pan and let it sizzle till most evaporates.
• Add butter, shallots, and rosemary to the pan and cook 2 minutes.
• Add flour and cook 1 minute.
• Whisk in wine and allow to reduce and thicken for 1 minute.
• Whisk in broth and bring liquids up to a low boil.
• Return chicken to the pan and simmer over moderate heat 7 to 8 minutes for boneless (or nearly double that for bone-in) to cook chicken thoroughly.

Steps:

• ** This dish uses Rosso di Montalcino wine (an affordable, younger version of Brunello -- I call it "Baby Brunello") but you can substitute any dry red wine you like.
• Heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan, and the cut pancetta. Brown the pancetta, 3 to 4 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• Place a pot of water on the stove to boil for the gnocchi.
• While pancetta browns, season the chicken chunks with salt and pepper and dredge in a little flour then add to the hot pan. Brown the pieces a few minutes on each side over high heat, then scoot the meat to the edges of the pan and add the onions, garlic and chopped figs. Saute 5 minutes, combine chicken with onions and figs then add the wine and cook it down 5 minutes or so until only about 1/3 cup remains. Add chicken stock, parsley, lemon zest and thyme to the chicken and stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer cook another 10 minutes, while you make the gnocchi.
• Add salt and gnocchi to boiling water and cook to package directions, drain, 4 minutes for fresh gnocchi, 6 minutes for frozen. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Melt butter and brown it. Drain gnocchi and add to skillet. Raise heat to medium-high and lightly brown the dumplings. Season gnocchi with salt, pepper and nutmeg, turn to coat and add chives, toss and remove from heat.
• Adjust the seasonings on the chicken with figs. If you would like a little more sauce, shake another half cup of stock into the pan. Serve the chicken and figs in shallow dishes, the gnocchi piled in the center of the bowl on top of the chicken. Garnish with crisp pancetta sticks.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
• Cut fingerling potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on thickness of fingerlings -- thin, small fingerlings may also be left whole, larger potatoes should be quartered to speed cooking process. If you are using small red potatoes, halve or quarter them in the same way.
• Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet. Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Coat the potatoes, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in the oven and roast 20 to 22 minutes, until potatoes are just tender and peppers and onions are crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the potatoes after 15 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and peel the foil off the cookie sheet and discard for super-quick clean up!
• While potatoes cook, prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat -- your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added. Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side, until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken breasts.
• While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.
• Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet. Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with potatoes, peppers and onions.