Fit for a King
Words: Michelle Wallace IG @my.michelle.w
Photography: Sergey Yusin @sergey_yusin
Wardrobe: Jaxson Maximus @jaxsonmaximus
Make-up: Julia Brig @juliabrigmia
style | June 01, 2021
Foodie
January 1, 2021
Carlos’ Food & Wine...
A local connoisseur simplifies fine cuisine in simple steps
Pan-seared garlic-lime-oregano chicken with honeyed butter & thyme sweet potato mash
Menu serving for two.
Menu:
Pan-seared garlic-lime-oregano marinated chicken breast with honeyed butter & thyme sweet potato mash.
Wine pairing:
2019 Louis Jadot Chardonnay Bourgogne from www.LoveJadot.com & Kobrand Wine & Spirits www.kobrandwinesandspirits.com
Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
Chicken:
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1 large chicken breast
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Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
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Juice and zest of one lime
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1 garlic clove, finely chopped
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1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, finely chopped
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4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Sweet potato mash
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2-3 medium sized sweet potatoes
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2 tablespoons of honey
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2 tablespoons of salted butter
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1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped
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Freshly chopped Italian parsley (for garnish topping)
Directions:
Chicken:
Place the chicken breast in a mixing bowl.
Add salt and pepper to taste, minced garlic, oregano, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the juice and zest of a lime. Mix thoroughly, making sure chicken is evenly coated with marinade.
In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sear chicken on each side for about 2 minutes.
Reduce heat and pour the remnants of marinade from the bowl into the pan and add two tablespoons of butter.
Turn chicken occasionally and spoon pan drippings on top of chicken until chicken is cooked (approximately 5 more minutes).
Sweet potato:
Boil 2-3 small sweet potatoes until soft.
Cool slightly and remove skin.
In a bowl, mash the sweet potatoes, mixing in 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. Add chopped thyme and mix again.
Serve it up!
Spoon a generous amount of sweet potato mash on the center of each dish. Slice chicken breast in 1/4 inch slices and carefully arrange on top of mash.
Garnish on top and around dish with fresh parsley. Enjoy.
Wine pairing:
2019 Louis Jadot Chardonnay Bourgogne from www.LoveJadot.com & Kobrand Wine & Spirits www.kobrandwinesandspirits.com
Pasta rustica al pesto al modo di Carlos con funghi e spinaci. (Rustic pesto pasta, Carlos’ style, with cremini
mushrooms and baby spinach)
Wine Pairing: 2016 Francis Coppola Rosso & Bianco (Rosso/Red)
This dish serves 4.
Andiamo a cucinare! Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
Pesto sauce:
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1/2 to 3/4 cups of extra virgin olive oil
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3-4 garlic cloves
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1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (traditionally used) or grated grana padano cheese (save 1/2 cup for garnishing or for adding extra cheese to each dish).
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1/2 to 3/4 cup of pine nuts (recommend slightly roasting the pine nuts ahead of time for more intense flavor). Save some for garnishing each plate (approx 4 tablespoon).
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1/2 to 3/4 cups of fresh basil
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Salt/ pepper to taste (approx 1 to 2 teaspoon each)
For Pasta:
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1/2 box of Barilla Collezione spaghetti (https://www.barilla.com/en-us/products/pasta/collezione/spaghetti)
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1 cup of thinly sliced cremini (baby Bella) mushrooms
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1 cup of chopped baby spinach
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1 medium sized shallot - minced
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1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped in small pieces
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2 teaspoons of dried crushed red pepper flakes
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1 tablespoon of minced fresh garlic
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1/4 cup of heavy cream
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4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Salt/Pepper
Directions:
Pesto sauce:
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On a blender place all ingredient and half of the oil, add more oil slowly to get it to the texture you want, some people like it course (less oil) some like it smooth (more oil).
**Note: The pesto sauce can be made ahead of time and there will be some leftover sauce which you can use for future pasta dishes, on pizza (as a substitute for red sauce), sandwich spread, or as an appetizer dip.
For pasta:
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On a large pan, on medium heat, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 1/2 tablespoon of fresh garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste (while cooking mushrooms). Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
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On a large boiling pot, start boiling water for cooking the pasta. Add plenty of salt (2-3 pinches).
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Using the same pan used to cook the mushroom, (the pan should still be hot) add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat up on medium heat. Add rest of garlic and all of shallots. Sauté for 1 minute.
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Add crushed red pepper flakes, stirring quickly. Add tomatoes, add salt & pepper (to taste) and stir, cooking on medium heat for 5 minutes. This mixture should be like a thick paste.
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By now, the water should be boiling for the pasta. Place the pasta gently and boil according to box directions.
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Add 1/2 cup of already made pesto sauce to the pan and mix with the tomato mixture. Stir well. Add cream and bring to a quick boil. reduce heat to low and add spinach and mushrooms. Simmer until pasta is cooked.
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On a large mixing bowl, spoon some of the pan sauce on the bottom of the bowl, add cooked pasta and add the rest of the sauce on top. Gently mix until all of the pasta is coated with the sauce.
Serve it up!
Arrange on each plate by nearly placing one large coil serving of the pasta. Tip: using a large meat fork twirl one serving inside of a soup ladle to get the perfect twist. Then, gently place it onto the plate.
Garnish by arranging a few mushrooms side by side next to the pasta. Sprinkle some pine nuts on top of pasta and lightly dust with some grated cheese. Serve immediately.