Chicken with Creamy Artichoke Spinach Sauce is a snap when using the second half of a double-dip recipe. Karen Schneider / For The Forecaster
Can’t get enough of a good thing? Make a double batch of Artichoke Spinach Dip – one half for a weekend gathering and the other half for a main dish chicken recipe later in the week. Of course, we all love this party dip served with toasty bread or crackers, but it’s also delicious when it’s morphed into a sauce for chicken and even better when the whole business is served over angel hair pasta. If you’d like, stir a 1/4 cup of dry white wine into the sauce.
Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at iwrite33@comcast.net.
This quick dinner leaves time to make Chocolate Crinkles. These luscious cookies continue to be one of our holiday favorites year after year.
After many years of experimenting, I’ve found the method that works best for the perfect Chocolate Crinkle. I use butter, good quality cocoa powder and stir in chocolate chips. Most importantly, I always chill the dough. Otherwise, it’s too sticky to work with and the cookies spread too much.
When rolling the cookies into balls, first coat them with granulated sugar before rolling them in powdered sugar. Be sure they’re completely cool so no moisture develops in the storage container.
That being said, you’ll want to eat them the minute they come out of the oven like we do here at the cove!
Artichoke Spinach Dip
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
A few tablespoons milk or cream, if needed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion, garlic and seasonings. Gently stir in cheeses, artichoke hearts and spinach. Add cream if needed. Transfer the mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Yield: 8 servings
Chicken with Creamy Artichoke Spinach Sauce
2 (1 1/2 pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth
1-1 1/2 cups Artichoke Spinach Dip
Place the chicken on a cutting board and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap to prevent splattering. Use a mallet to gently pound the chicken to an even thickness (about 3/4-inch thick). Slice each chicken breast in half. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on each side and cooked through (5-7 minutes on each side). Set aside on a platter.
Add chicken broth to the skillet and stir over medium-low heat to dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add Artichoke Spinach Dip and stir to create a sauce, adding more broth if needed. Simmer gently until the sauce is at the preferred consistency. Return chicken to the skillet, spoon sauce over top and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Yield: 4 servings
Elevated Chocolate Crinkles
1 cup flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
Coating
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until fluffy and creamed, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla on high speed.
On low speed, slowly mix dry ingredients into chocolate mixture until combined, then stir in chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and sticky. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least two hours.
When ready to bake, remove cookie dough from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
Scoop and roll dough (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each) into balls. Roll each ball lightly in granulated sugar then generously in confectioners’ sugar. Place 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 11-12 minutes.
Cool cookies for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will be thick and will collapse a bit as they cool. Yield: 20 cookies
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