one and done

Jump to recipes

​This week’s cooking adventures offered some delicious one pot/one pan meals. First was a recipe from the website “The Modern Proper” for Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Skillet. My husband thought we had this dish before, however, it’s a similar concept done by Sarah DiGregorio of The New York Times/Here to Help column for her recipe Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Chicken Stew.
 
For the recipe you’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, kosher salt, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, salted butter, all-purpose flour, chicken stock, whole milk, cream cheese, fresh spinach, fresh or dried  basil, can of artichoke hearts and Parmesan cheese.

 
This one pot meal starts by sautéing the chicken breasts until they reach an internal temperature of 165° then removed. Next, minced garlic is added to the pan until fragrant. A roux of butter and flour is made in the pan and cooked for one minute. Chicken stock, milk and cream cheese are whisked in to make a smooth sauce. Chopped fresh spinach, basil, artichoke hearts are added and heated through. Off heat, the Parmesan cheese is added and the chicken returned to the pan and the sauce poured over.
 
This was an easy and quick meal to prepare. As I was preparing the meal, I prepared Jasmine rice as a base for the chicken. Overall, a delicious recipe. You could forego the rice and just serve with crusty bread.
 
Just a note, I didn’t use extra-virgin olive oil, as I didn’t see the need, and I substituted chopped frozen spinach.
 
The next recipe, Sheet-Pan Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Potatoes, was suggested by my sister-in-law, who made it and thought we would enjoy it.  I am fond of Melissa Clark’s recipes, who is the creator of this one. You would think that the coconut she was referring to in the title was flaked coconut, but it’s unsweetened coconut milk, along with sriracha, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, scallions, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, cilantro, 2 limes, shelled large shrimp, sweet potatoes and optional extra-virgin oil for garnishing that makes this recipe so good.
 
I lined my sheet pan with parchment, which in hindsight, foil would have been easier to remove the cooked shrimp and potatoes. I also swapped fresh parsley for cilantro for our taste preference.
 
The coconut milk is mixed with sriracha, finely grated garlic, finely grated ginger, scallion whites, red-pepper flakes  salt, cilantro/parsley and both lime zest and juice from one lime. Half of the coconut milk mixture is poured over the shelled and deveined shrimp and marinates while the sweet potatoes are prepped. The sweet potatoes are tossed with the balance of the coconut milk mixture, spread on a sheet pan and drizzled with olive oil and salt. They roast for 30 to 40 minutes.
 
Once the potatoes are tender, I adjusted the oven rack 6-inches below the broiler, which was set to high, and added the shrimp and remaining coconut milk to the pan. The shrimp were also drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt. They were set under the broiler until just pink. To serve, the dish is garnished with sliced scallion greens.
 
Wow, what a fantastic recipe! The combination of sriracha, fresh ginger and red-pepper flakes, really gave a nice punch of heat. The flavor was outstanding. They coconut milk was absorbed by the potatoes and infused the shrimp with a wonderful taste.  To quote my husband, “This was a restaurant quality meal.”

---

Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Skillet
“The Modern Proper” website
 
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes:
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Calories: 580
 
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1½ pounds)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons flour
¾ cup chicken stock
1¼ cups whole milk
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups loosely packed spinach, roughly chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried, plus more for serving
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Freshly cracked black pepper, for serving
Crusty bread, for serving
 
 
Method

1. Season the chicken all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken. Cover and cook until the internal temperature registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the butter and stir until melted.
3. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking, until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock, milk, and cream cheese until fully incorporated. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking until smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in the spinach, basil, artichoke hearts, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt until the spinach is wilted and the artichokes are warmed through, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan. Nestle the cooked chicken into the sauce and turn to coat.
4. Sprinkle it with parmesan, basil, and pepper. Serve with crusty bread on the side.

spinach_and_artichoke_chicken_skillet.pdf
File Size:	45 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

---

Sheet-Pan Coconut Shrimp and Sweet Potatoes
By Melissa Clark
“This Simple Ingredient Makes So Many Meals Shine”
The New York Times/NYT Cooking
January 24, 2024
 
Yield: 4 Servings
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
 
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, preferably full-fat
1 teaspoon Sriracha, plus more for serving
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 bunch scallions, green and white parts thinly sliced and separated
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal, or use ½ teaspoon Morton), plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 limes
1½ pounds shelled large shrimp
2 pounds sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes (peeled or not, as you like)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
 
Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or a nonstick liner.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, Sriracha, garlic, ginger, sliced scallion whites, red-pepper flakes, salt and cilantro.
3. Finely grate the zest of 1 lime directly into coconut milk mixture, then squeeze in the lime juice (reserve the second lime for later).
4. Put shrimp in another medium bowl. Pour half of the coconut mixture over shrimp and stir to combine. Let marinate in the fridge while the sweet potatoes roast.
5. Meanwhile, add the sweet potato cubes to the bowl with the remaining coconut mixture and toss to combine. Evenly spread potatoes on the prepared sheet tray, pouring all of the liquid from the bowl over them. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing a couple of times while roasting, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
6. Remove pan from oven and heat broiler to high. Spread shrimp evenly on top of the sweet potatoes and pour in any liquid from the bowl. Drizzle shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil on high for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and just beginning to curl, and the sweet potatoes are charred in spots, rotating the pan after 3 minutes.
7. To serve, squeeze the juice of the reserved lime on top and sprinkle with sliced scallion greens. Drizzle with more Sriracha sauce.

sheet_pan_coconut_shrimp_and_sweet_potatoes.pdf
File Size:	61 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---