Cool Chicken Braciole Messinese

Food Category: Dinner
Source: Simple Italian Food by Mario Batali
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 Tsp. grated Nutmeg
4 Chicken Leg quarters, butterflied open and bones removed (I used chicken breast flattened with a frying pan ... great for winning arguments and flattening meat)
Salt & Pepper
2 Cups chopped fresh Tomatoes (I used cans of diced tomatoes)
1/4 Cup small black olives, such as Nicoise (any fancy black olive will due)
2 TB Capers, rinsed and drained
3 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2TB Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tsp. hot red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
2 TB dried currants (if you don't have any raisins will due)

Instructions:

Preaheat the oven to 450 Degrees

In a mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the pine nuts, the pecorino, and the nutmeg. Place the chicken legs skin side down on a cutting board and season with salt and pepper. Divide the pine nut mixture among the chicken legs, filling them as full as possible. Fold the meat up and around the mixture and tie tightly with butcher's twine. Place the legs in a small roasting pan, flap side down. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and crispy and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl mix the chopped tomatoes, olives, capers, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and currants. Place 1 piece of chicken on each plate and remove butcher's twine. Season the sauce with sald and pepper and spoon some over each piece of chicken and serv.

Nutritional Facts:

Rating (1-10): 9

This would be a great summer meal. I didn't have capers when I made this and I think that it would probably have tasted better had there been some.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken or Tofu

Food Category: Dinner
Source: Help! My apartment has a kitchen by Kevin & Nancy Mills
Prep Time: 20 minutes (original recipe says 10 but it takes longer then that)
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 - 3

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vinegar (any kind)
3 TB orange juice
2 TB lemon juice
2 TB olive oil
2 TB soy sauce
1 1/2 t ground allspice
1 1/2 t dried thyme
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t black pepper
1 t dried sage
1 t sugar
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
3 boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb) or a 14-ounce package firm tofu

Instructions:

Combine the vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sage, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir well.

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic and add them to the bowl. If you like spicy food, remove and discard the stem and seeds of the jalapeno pepper, chop it into 1/8-inch pieces and add it to the bowl. Don't rub your eyes (or nose) before washing your hands; these peppers burn.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. Add the chicken to the bowl. Or if you're doing tofu, drain it. Then slice it into pieces 1x1 inch x 1/2 inch and gently put into the bowl. Stir carefully so that the chicken or tofu pieces are covered with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Preheat the broiler. Make sure the top oven rack is in the highest position, just under the broling unit. Lift the chicken or tofu pieces from the marinade and place them on a rack in a roasting pan. The rack lets the juices drip into the pan, allowing the chicken or tofu to be grilled rather then half-boiled in the marinade. Put the pan under the broiler, and broil the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until it is completely white and is just beginning to turn brown. If you are usuing the tofu, broil for the same amount of time, or until it begins to brown. Serve immediately.

While the chicken or tofu is broiling, boil the leftover marinade in a small pot for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the heat marinade as a dipping sauce or as a sauce for rice.

Nutritional Facts: To be added later.

Rating (1-10): 10