Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Crock Pot Asian Pulled Pork

2012-01-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

The theme for the most recent Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap was healthy dishes, and I was given this recipe for Crock Pot Asian Pork from Jenna's blog. There they were, those two little words... crock pot.

Confession - I have never cooked with my crock pot. Never. I used it once to keep meatballs warm at a party, but that's the most use it has ever gotten. I always figured that whatever I could do in a crock pot I could also do in my Dutch oven, so why bother with the crock pot? And believe me, as I started to cook my swap recipe I was tempted to just throw it all into my Dutch oven because it just didn't feel like I was cooking, but I stuck with it. The pork was amazingly tender and pulled apart very easily, but I'm honestly not sure if I'll use the crock pot more frequently - I love my Dutch oven. I will, however, be making this pork again!

Upon reading the recipe I immediately knew I had to change one thing - the use of splenda. I do not consider any artificial sweeteners to be healthy, at ALL. No nutra-sweet, splenda, "sugar-free" products or diet sodas here! So I decided to use agave nectar as a sweetener. Agave nectar is a lot sweeter than sugar or artificial sweeteners, so you don't need as much.

Below is the recipe using agave, and with a few other minor changes.

Ingredients

2 lb lean boneless pork roast
For the pork: kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1.5 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
3/4 cup of water
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I like to balance the sweetness with something spicy)
6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
Toppings: fresh cilantro and sliced green onions

Directions

Season pork with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; brown pork on all sides, approximately 7-8 minutes.
Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, agave nectar, sesame oil, crushed garlic, ginger root, water, and optional red pepper flakes in the crock pot
When the pork is browned, place into the crock pot
Cook on low for 8 hours (I only had 6 hours so I cooked it for 3 on high and 3 on low). Note: your pork may not be completely submerged in liquid. If it isn't, flip it every 30 minutes or so.
About an hour before you're about to serve, remove the pork and shred it. Put the shredded pork back into the crock pot with the mushrooms until the mushrooms are soft and have absorbed some of the liquid.
Serve over rice and top with the green onions and cilantro

YUM! I loved the sauce - sweet, rich, and just a hint of spice - and the cilantro added the perfect fresh burst of flavor. The pork was so tender and flavorful, and my toddler even loved it! And I had so much fun taking pictures of this pork since I actually had some natural light when it was done, I'm going to share another one with you. Enjoy!

Lager Braised Beef Short Ribs

2012-01-22T10:05:00.002-05:00

Pennsylvania is home to one of the best beers around from the oldest brewery in America - Yuengling. And when at a bar in PA and you want a Yuengling, you only need to say that you'd like a Lager and everyone knows exactly what you want. I decided to use Yuengling to braise my short ribs over the weekend based on a recipe I saw on the Magic Hat web site. Below is my version using Yuengling. Ingredients

2.5 pounds of bone-in beef short ribs (this was 8 short ribs)
2 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots cut into chunks
2 stalks of celery cut into chunks
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 oz Yuengling lager
2 c beef stock

Directions

Heat oven to 300 degrees.
Put short ribs in a large bowl. Toss with the flour, salt, and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add short ribs and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery to the pot; saute 10 minutes.
Return short ribs to the pan in a single layer, nestled into the veggies.
Add the thyme, chipotle powder, brown sugar, tomato paste, beer, and stock.
Stir everything together, cover, and transfer to the oven.
I cooked the ribs for one hour on 300 then 3 hours on 275. I still had about 30 minutes until we were ready to eat, so I turned the oven to 225 just to keep them warm.

The meat was falling off the bone tender - just the way they should be!! Short ribs are pretty fatty, so you might want to pour the gravy through a separator before serving.

I served the ribs over bacon-cheddar mashed potatoes - just perfect!!!

Cheddar-Bacon Mashed Potatoes

2012-01-21T20:57:00.004-05:00

Mashed potatoes have to be one of my favorite foods. And with bacon and cheese? Yes please!

Over the weekend I made Lager Braised Beef Short Ribs. The author of the inspiration recipe served them with cheddar-bacon grits. I decided to use potatoes instead of grits.

I don't measure my ingredients when making mashed potatoes - you just have to go by look, feel, and taste. So here is a loose recipe for the potatoes.

Ingredients

2.5 lbs red potatoes
Salt
Butter - approximately 2-3 tablespoons
Whole milk - approximately 3/4 cup
2 handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese
5 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
Next time I will also add a tablespoon or two of sour cream

Directions

Put potatoes in a large pot of water; bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender, drain water and return pot of potatoes to burner over low heat.
Add butter, salt, and most of the milk.
Mix with a hand mixer until creamy and smooth, adding more of the above ingredients as needed.
Add cheese and bacon near the end, and garnish with more of the bacon.

YUM!!! Even better, these potatoes turn into great potato pancakes for breakfast the next day!

Simple Lasagna

2012-01-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

I haven't made lasagna in years, but have been craving it recently so I picked up a box of the no-boil noodles. I didn't follow a recipe, only the instructions on the back of the box for how to make sure the noodles cook properly.

I made a very simple, basic, meat and cheese lasagna. Below is my recipe.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of ground beef
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb mix
2 tablespoons dried parsley, separated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 24 oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 c water
20 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
4 oz shredded mozzarella
salt and pepper
6 oz fresh mozzarella
Handful of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 box of no-boil lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

Directions

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat
Add your beef and brown for a few minutes while separating the meat into small pieces
Add onions and garlic, let cook another few minutes, stirring continuously
Add the oregano, Italian herbs, and 1T of the dried parsley
Once the meat is completely cooked, add the jar of sauce. Pour the water into the empty jar, close it an shake it up, an pour that into the pan as well. Let simmer just a few minutes.
Mix the ricotta with the egg, salt, pepper, remaining parsley, and the shredded mozzarella.
Start to assemble the lasagna - start with a very thin layer of sauce at the bottom of a greased pan, top with 3 noodles laid crosswise (make sure they aren't touching - they will expand when they cook), then some of the ricotta mixture, meat, a few pieces of the fresh mozzarella. Repeat - noodles, ricotta, meat, fresh mozzarella; noodles, ricotta, meat, fresh mozzarella; last 3 noodles, rest of the ricotta, meat, fresh mozzarella, then the Parmesan.
Bake on 350 - covered for 45 minutes, uncovered for 15 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Perfect! Like I said, I have never used those no-boil noodles, but was pretty happy with how they worked. And wow, so much easier than boiling noodles and trying to get them out of the water and into a pan without breaking them or dropping them. This lasagna hit the spot!

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

2012-01-17T11:30:00.003-05:00

This recipe has been making its way around the food blog world for a while, so I had to give it a try. It's a creamy and cheesy sauce with a hint of Dijon mustard served over herbed chicken and pasta - sounds delicious, doesn't it? It was!

The sauce reminded me a lot of the Dijon-chive sauce I made for pork, found here.

The recipe is originally by Homemade by Holman, and I first saw it on the Taste of Home Cooking blog. I made some minor changes, so my version is below.

Ingredients
For the chicken:

1 pound chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound penne pasta

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup light cream
1 cup chicken stock
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Season chicken with the dry mustard, thyme, salt and pepper
When pan is hot, add chicken and brown about on all sides until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet you used to cook the chicken. Add garlic and onions and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the flour and whisk to combine.
Add wine; cook about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low and add broth, cream, thyme, oregano, and Dijon, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken.
Add cheddar cheese, stirring to melt cheese.
Add chicken and pasta and toss to incorporate sauce.
Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Loved this - nice and creamy, and I loved the combination of the sharp cheddar with the Dijon mustard. I will definitely make this one again!

Chicken in a Tomato-Basil Broth over Cous Cous

2012-01-11T15:15:00.001-05:00

Tomatoes and basil in any dish together scream summer to me. And since we are in the middle of winter (actually, not even.. we have quite a bit of winter to go), who doesn't need a little bit of summer?

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in the blog I was given for the most recent Taste of Home Cooking recipe swap. For this swap, instead of submitting a specific recipe, we simply submitted our blogs and were given another blog from which we could choose any recipe. The blog I was given was Does Not Cook Well with Others . I browsed through her recipes, and decided to use this recipe for Chicken Tomato Basil Cous-Cous Salad as my inspiration. The original recipe is a cold salad, but I wanted to bring the flavors of summer to a hot dish.

Here is what I did -

Ingredients

1 box of pearled cous cous
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
Salt, pepper, Italian herbs (I use McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian - it's just dried herbs, no salt)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 sm onion, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (regular would work fine, but I didn't want to change the color of my dish)
3/4 c low sodium chicken broth
Handful of fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
Optional: fresh mozzarella, about 1 tbsp per chicken breast, chopped

Directions

Cook cous cous according to package directions
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat
Add chicken; saute 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a dish and keep warm.
Add a touch of olive oil to your pan if it is dry. Add garlic and onions; saute 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, saute 2 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar and stir into ingredients for about 30 seconds.
Add chicken broth and half of your basil. Bring to a steady simmer.
Return chicken to the pan and let simmer 5 minutes.
Serve over cous cous, top with the tomato broth, basil, and and the fresh mozzarella

Yes, this definitely tasted like summer!! Now if only I could wear flip-flops instead of boots...

Sweet and Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

2012-01-10T12:00:00.001-05:00

Last summer, Jon and I spent our anniversary dinner at Buddakan in Philadelphia, which is now on my list of top restaurants. Not only is the food out of this world, the atmosphere is so unique. From the two levels of interesting seating (complete with chairs with very life-like faces on them) and the loud music to the funky lighting and even a giant Buddha on one end of the dining room, this is a place you just have to experience. When our friends were coming to visit over the Thanksgiving holidays, I was excited to go back to Buddakan.

Everything we have tried there has been absolutely fabulous, but my favorite dish is one of their sides - Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts. They are so tender yet charred perfectly, and are served in a bowl with the most delicious sauce - flavors of soy and ginger and a few other things I just can't put my finger on (although I really want to recreate this dish!!).

I was craving these Brussels Sprouts a few weeks ago, and I happened to have some fresh ones in the fridge, so I threw together a chicken dish with Brussels sprouts that had flavors pretty similar to those at Buddakan. It was quick and easy too - another plus!

My recipe is my own creation, and was inspired by this recipe for Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussels Sprouts.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into disc shaped, 1/3 inch thick pieces (see pictures)
2 carrots, chopped into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
1 tbsp chili garlic paste
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp grated ginger
Brussels sprouts - about 20 of them, cleaned, bottoms chopped off, then sliced into disc shaped pieces.

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium high heat
Add chicken, saute 2 minutes
Add carrots, onions, and garlic; saute 5 minutes
Mix broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic paste, brown sugar, and ginger; Add to pan, bring to a boil for 4-5 minutes.
Add the Brussels sprouts and let simmer 5 minutes.
Serve over rice or noodles.

Mahogany Beef Stew

2012-01-08T13:10:00.008-05:00

If I had to choose my favorite thing about Sundays besides having my family around, it would be cooking. Sunday is a day when I can spend some time in the kitchen creating something comforting and delicious for my family to enjoy.

So this Sunday I decided to make beef stew, but wanted something different than my favorite Guinness Beef Stew (which was my absolute favorite beef stew until about 4 hours ago...).

I came across a recipe for Mahogany Beef Stew on the Epicurious site and was intrigued by the use of tomatoes with Italian herbs along side hoisin sauce. I love both ingredients, so read the recipe, made a few changes, changed the cooking method a bit, and created the most amazing stew.

Some changes I made - I seared the beef in one pan and the onions in another, then deglazed the beef pan with the red wine. I used half the wine required by the recipe and replaced the other half with beef broth. I added some cayenne pepper to cut the sweetness because sweet-spicy works great with hoisin and a spicy ingredient, like in this hoisin steak sauce (red pepper flakes would work very well too). I also doubled the amount of tomatoes, increased the cooking time, and kept it low and slow all day. So if you make this recipe, give yourself about 4-5 hours of cooking time before you plan to eat it.

Ingredients

3.5 to 4 pounds chuck roast cut into 2 inch cubes
For the beef: 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, 1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil for your pans
2 onions, chopped
1 c Cabernet Sauvignon
28 oz diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, and the juices
6 oz hoisin sauce
2 bay leaves
3 carrots, sliced into one inch pieces
1 c beef broth (1/2 c, and 1/2 c mixed with 2 tsp cornstarch)
Equipment: one large stainless saute pan for searing the beef and one large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot for cooking the stew

Directions

Toss meat with the olive oil, salt, pepper, flour, and cayenne/red pepper flakes
Heat olive oil in both the saute pan and Dutch oven, both over medium-high heat
Add meat to the saute pan, brown on all sides
At the same time, add onions to the Dutch oven and saute 8-10 minutes
Transfer the beef to the Dutch oven
Add wine to the saute pan where you cooked the beef, bring to a simmer and scrape up all the brown bits. Transfer the wine to the beef/onion mixture in the Dutch oven.
Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and hoisin to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then let simmer over medium/low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
Two hours before you are ready to eat, add the 1/2 c beef broth, the 1/2 c beef broth mixed with cornstarch, and the carrots to the pot.
Let simmer until you are ready to eat, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and serve.

The flavors in this stew were so intense and delicious. I served it with mashed potatoes and LOVED the gravy over the potatoes. I will absolutely make this one again - I'm already excited for leftovers tomorrow!!

Asparagus-Ham Frittata

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

A Frittata is such an easy, elegant dish to serve for breakfast or brunch. You can add any meats, cheeses, or veggies that you like, making the flavor options endless. Here is a recipe for another frittata in my blog, broccoli-red pepper-potato.

This post is a bit late as I made this asparagus-ham frittata for my mom's birthday back in November. But I have a few minutes now and this dish was too good not to share.

If you make this, be sure to buy a really good aged white cheddar (nothing already shredded in a bag - go for a block and shred it yourself) as well as a tasty ham - the strong, savory flavors of these ingredients really make this dish!

Ingredients

10 eggs
1/4 c light cream
1 bunch of asparagus, top half only, sliced into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 c shredded aged white cheddar
4-5 slices deli ham; I chose ham off the bone.
A few pinches of salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (contains marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil)
1 tbsp butter and 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Whisk eggs with cream, salt, pepper, herbs, and most of the cheese
Add butter and oil to an oven-safe pan over medium heat. I used a 10-inch stainless frying/saute pan.
Add onions and asparagus; saute 3-4 minutes
Add ham; spread everything evenly in the bottom of the pan.
Turn heat to medium-low. Pour eggs into pan and run your spatula through the eggs in quick back and forward motions for 10 seconds or so. Also run your spatula around the edges to form a nice, clean edge.
Let cook on the stovetop for a few minutes, top with the rest of the cheese, and then transfer to the oven. Cook until completely set, about 15 minutes.
Slice and serve immediately.

Bacon-Blue Cheese Dip

2012-01-04T13:38:00.004-05:00

Another holiday appetizer!

Bacon makes everything better, so when I first saw this dip on the blog Pink Parsley, I knew I had to make it. We went to visit my cousins over the holidays, so it was the perfect opportunity to make this dip.

Yes, I loved it, and yes, I did reheat the leftovers for 2 nights (I doubled the recipe so I'd have leftovers...). This dip is very rich and isn't something I would make a habit of eating every weekend, but for a party, football game, or the holidays, this dip is sure to be a hit. Just make sure you make a little extra in case you can't get anywhere near it during your party!

Ingredients

7 slices bacon, chopped (preferably thick-cut, applewood smoked bacon) (I used reduced sodium bacon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
1/3 cup half-and-half, heavy cream, or Greek yogurt (I used half-and-half)
4 oz crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbs chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper to taste
grapes, for serving
crackers, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the bacon in a skillet until browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Pour off all but about 1 tsp fat, and add the garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add the bacon (reserve a small amount for garnish), garlic, half-and-half, blue cheese, and chives. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon into a lightly greased serving dish, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Garnish with reserved bacon and allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with grapes and crackers.

Christmas Eve Appetizer - Sausage Balls

2011-12-28T14:02:00.005-05:00

My favorite thing about cooking around the holidays is making a lot of snacks and appetizers. Our Christmas Eve always consists of a few apps and a casual, comfort food dinner, so when I was given an appetizer for the most recent Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap, I was really excited. The recipe comes from the blog Sweet Beginnings and is for Sausage Cheese Balls.

My sister and I put this together on Christmas Eve. It was really easy, and I only made a few changes. I used 2 cups of cheese instead of 4 (very, very good call), I used hot Italian sausage for some extra flavor, and served them with a bowl of marinara sauce for dipping instead of sweet chili sauce. I also made them into smaller balls for a nice, one-bite appetizer. This recipe made a LOT, so we had some leftover which were good reheated for a snack the next day.

Ingredients

2 cups Bisquick
1 pound bulk pork sausage (I bought 1 lb of hot Italian sausage and just removed the casing)
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used 2 - 4 would have been way too much)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (totally forgot to add this and didn't miss it!)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes

Directions

Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease bottom of a baking sheet.
Stir together all ingredients, using hands or spoon. Shape mixture into 1-inch (or smaller) balls. Place in pan.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown. Immediately remove from pan.
Serve with a sauce for dipping - I chose marinara sauce.

These were a big hit!

Italian Pot Roast

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

Braised, slow-cooked meats always remind me of my grandmom. The wonderful aroma from all-day cooking, the rich flavors, and the meat that just melts when you eat it. When we ate this pot roast, my mom said it was like eating her mother's food.

I was inspired to make this recipe by a recipe I saw on the blog What's Cooking Chicago. I changed it from a crockpot recipe to a stovetop and oven recipe, and also used the cooking method from my Guinness Beef Stew Recipe. The original recipe did not call for searing the beef, but I really like searing any meats before any sort of slow cooking which is the main reason I made the changes I did. Below is my adaptation.

Note: I gave this post a one-pot tag; although 2 pots are used, it ultimately cooks for hours in just one pot, so by the time you eat the first pan is already washed and put away!

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Handful of white mushrooms, sliced
2 large potatoes, chopped into large pieces
One 3-lb pot roast
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning (I love McCormick's Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning)
2 tbsp olive oil
One 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c dry red wine
1.5 c beef broth
2 bay leaves
Equipment: Dutch oven and a large stainless saute pan

Directions

Put Dutch oven on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add bacon, cook until crispy. Remove bacon. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, mushrooms. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Heat olive oil in the stainless pan. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sear beef in pan until browned on all sides.
Transfer the beef to the Dutch oven, nestling it into the veggies. Add tomatoes and broth.
Back in the stainless pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add garlic and onions, saute 4-5 minutes. Add red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all brown bits. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes, and then transfer wine/onion mixture to the Dutch oven.
Add bay leaf to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cover beef and transfer to the oven. I cooked it for a total of 5 hours - one hour on 300, two hours on 250, and two hours on 200. It was perfectly cooked and falling apart.
Remove beef from the Dutch oven and let rest. Transfer the veggies to another dish. Let the sauce simmer on low until ready to serve.

Beer Braised Sausages with Warm Potato Salad

2011-11-13T15:27:00.004-05:00

I'm having a lot of fun participating in the Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swaps, and the main reason I like them so much is that sometimes the recipes I am given are things I wouldn't necessarily choose to make. Like the one I got for the most recent swap featuring One-Pot Cooking. I was given a recipe for Beer Braised Sausages with Warm Potato Salad.

I like sausage, but had never had it braised in beer so I was intrigued when I first read the recipe. I had also never had warm potato salad - my grandmom made the best cold potato salad that has been passed down through the family over the years. It's a simple recipe, but so good that I really don't eat any other potato salad (even Jon will now only eat my potato salad!). So for that reason alone I wouldn't choose to make another potato salad. But the swaps push me out of my comfort zone and I was excited to try this recipe.

The sausage was SO good - even more flavorful from braising in the beer, juicy, and just delicious. I loved the sauce that came out of the beer once I reduced the liquid. The potato salad was good, just not my thing - I am not the biggest fan of vinegar on hot foods (fries and vinegar, not for me!). I would definitely make this again, however, and would just let the potatoes simmer in the sauce instead of tossing them with a dressing.

The recipe below is the exact recipe with 2 changes noted in italics.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages (I used hot Italian sausages)
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 ounces pale ale beer
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)

Directions

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add sausages and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add beer, potatoes, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper and press to submerge potatoes in cooking liquid. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Transfer sausages to a serving platter and keep warm. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, and parsley. With a slotted spoon, transfer potato mixture to dressing (reserve cooking liquid) and toss to combine.
Return pot to high heat; boil cooking liquid until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Return sausages to pot and cook until heated through, 2 minutes. Place sausages and dressed potatoes on serving platter; drizzle half the sauce over top. Serve sausages and potatoes with remaining sauce alongside.

Sauteed Spinach with Bacon

2011-11-09T19:44:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! Where has this year gone? To get ready, A Taste of Home Cooking hosted a Thanksgiving Sides Recipe Swap. I'm really, really late making and posting this. I tried to get to it twice last week, but with last minute things and my daughter getting sick, and then my husband's surprise birthday weekend, it just didn't happen. I finally got to it tonight - I apologize to those waiting to see the post!!

Anyway, the recipe I was given was for Sauteed Spinach with Bacon from the blog Life and Kitchen; it is originally a Martha Stewart Recipe. I shared my recipe for Green Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Shallots.

I love spinach, and I love bacon, so was really excited to make this. Bacon makes everything better, right? Well, I am really sorry to say that bacon didn't do it for us in this recipe. Spinach is so delicate and light that sauteing it in bacon grease was just too overwhelming (however this technique works great for heartier veggies, like Brussels sprouts or green beans). I even removed half of the grease from the pan, but it was still just too much. I did, however, love the crispy bacon mixed in with the spinach. So while I won't wilt spinach in bacon grease again, I will add crispy, crumbled bacon to spinach.

Please excuse the picture - now that I don't have natural light for taking pictures because it gets dark so darn early, my pictures suffer a bit.

Ingredients

2 slices of bacon (I used low sodium bacon)
Bag of spinach (I used baby spinach)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp white wine vinegar (I omitted this)
Added: 1 tbsp light olive oil (since I removed some of the bacon grease)

Directions

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy; about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
Remove some of the bacon grease (about half) from the pan, add olive oil.
Add spinach, season with salt and pepper. saute 1-2 minutes until wilted.
If using it, add white wine vinegar
Top with crumbled bacon

Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

2011-10-26T13:11:00.003-04:00

Last week I couldn't get Salisbury Steaks off my mind...and that's really strange because I have never had them! But I knew what went into them, and I guess I was craving something comforting and with those same flavors.

My friend, the author of the blog Taste of Home Cooking, recommended this recipe - YUM! I couldn't wait to make them! I followed most of the recipe for the steaks and gravy with the exception of the types of mushrooms - I just stuck to white mushrooms. I made my simple mashed potatoes and served them with roasted broccoli.

We both LOVED them. Jon ate 2 and I just had a leftover steak for lunch. They were so easy, so simple (it's really just a hamburger with gravy and no bun), but they were the ultimate comfort food and totally hit the spot. Jon even said they were the best things I have made in a while. Sometimes it pays to keep it simple.

Ingredients

1 lb ground sirloin
1 small onion, grated or minced
salt and pepper
About 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
Handful of white mushrooms (or any kind of mushrooms you like), sliced
One 14.5 oz can of beef broth

Directions

Mix the sirloin with salt, pepper, onion, and the Worcestershire. Form into patties. At this point I covered them and put them in the fridge until I was ready to cook.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
Add steaks; cook for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Add butter to the pan.
Add mushrooms and saute 2-3 minutes
Add flour and stir
Add broth, bring to a simmer. Let simmer a few minutes to thicken. Serve gravy over the steaks.

Recipe Remake - Spicy Chicken in a Garlic-Lime Broth

2011-10-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

I created this dish a few years ago, and have made it a number of times, but haven't looked at the recipe recently. Well, when I finally went back to the recipe, I realized that I have made a lot of changes and have improved this dish. For that reason I am posting an update - new and improved Spicy Chicken in a Garlic-Lime Broth!

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded out a bit (not completely thin)
Spices - cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp deglazing liquid: white wine or tequila, depending on what you have on hand
1/2 c chicken broth
Juice from 1/2 of a lime
Handful of cilantro

Directions

Heat olive oil in a saute pan
Season chicken with the spices and add to the pan. Saute 4-5 min per side until cooked through. Remove from the pan.
Add a touch of olive oil to the pan then add the garlic. Saute 2 minutes.
Deglaze pan with the deglazing liquid, scraping up the brown bits
Add the chicken broth and lime juice, bring to a simmer.
Return chicken to the pan, add cilantro, spoon the sauce over the chicken, and let simmer just a few minutes.
Serve over rice or linguine.

Whole Grain Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes

2011-10-24T10:01:00.006-04:00

Last year for Christmas my dad bought me the cookbook Baby Love - I was so excited to start cooking for our daughter! It's a great book in that it has purees, meals, and even a few things for mom and dad too.

One recipe I tried a few months ago was for Whole Grain Blueberry Pancakes with Flax. Making your own pancake mix is so easy that there is no reason to buy the boxed stuff. Plus, you can control what is going in to your pancakes. I loved that this one used both whole wheat flour and ground flaxseed - after eating them we all felt nicely full for a while, something that never happens eating regular pancakes (you may feel full at first, but soon after you get that shaky feeling, right?).

This past weekend I used the pancake mix I already made, but changed it up by adding apples and cinnamon - delicious!!

Ingredients for the Pancake Mix - makes enough for 3 full batches
Mix and store in an airtight container

3 cups of whole wheat flour
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar

Pancakes

2 c pancake mix (from above)
2 tbsp ground flaxseed (flax meal)
2 eggs
1 pint buttermilk
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 apple, shredded (I cooked the apples in a tiny bit of water in the microwave for 30 seconds just to soften them a bit)
1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees
Pour the pancake mix and flaxseed into a large bowl
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl; add buttermilk and melted butter. Whisk again.
Add the egg/buttermilk/butter mixture to the bowl with the pancake mix and flaxseed
Add cinnamon and apples
Slowly whisk together to barely combine the wet and dry ingredients. You don't want it to be smooth!
Ladle mixture onto the griddle and cook until golden brown on both sides. When I ladle the mixture onto the griddle, I also flatten it out just a bit by swirling the mixture as the pancakes are very heavy and need to cook through without burning on the outside.

I just finished using up my last batch of the dry mix, but will definitely be making more to keep around. Another great thing - these pancakes freeze very well. I wrap them individually in plastic, foil, and then store in a freezer bag and then can quickly pull one out for a nice breakfast for my daughter. Enjoy!!

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

2011-10-17T13:08:00.000-04:00

Soups and Stews - my favorite thing about fall and winter! I love all kinds of soup and have made so many different recipes over the past few years. Check out all of my soup recipe posts here, or go to my Recipe Index and then scroll down for a list of recipes with links to the actual posts.

I was really excited when I saw that the theme for the latest Taste of Home Cooking recipe swap was soups and stews. I submitted my Creamy Cabbage Soup with Gruyere recipe and was given this recipe for Sausage Tortellini Soup by The Frugal Girl.

Whenever I'm making something new, I love to read the recipe, think about the ingredients and cooking method, and figure out how it is going to taste so I know what changes I want to make. After reading this recipe, I decided to make quite a few changes.

The original recipe used sweet turkey sausage; I used hot Italian sausage. The original recipe had me cooking the sausage, and then adding the broth to the pan. I knew the sausage would let off a lot of grease and I didn't want that to be the base of my soup. So I cooked the sausage and then added it to the soup pot. Also, the recipe noted to cook the onions and garlic with the sausage; instead, I sauteed the onions, garlic, and carrots in the soup pot, then added the sausage, then the broth. I also omitted the bell pepper, added spinach, used more garlic, used a different blend of herbs, omitted the wine, and used 8 cups of chicken broth instead of 5 cups of beef broth (so glad I did - I would have had a thick stew otherwise!).

Below is my variation on the recipe -

Ingredients

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casing removed for crumbling
1 cup chopped sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped (I prefer buying whole tomatoes and chopping them myself because you know you are getting a whole tomato. With cans of diced tomatoes, the quality isn't as good, in my experience)
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
1/2 c frozen spinach
Frozen tortellini, about 4-6 oz

Directions

Heat a large saute pan; add tbsp olive oil. Crumble sausage into the pan, cooking until browned, constantly breaking it up into smaller pieces.
In a separate soup pot (I used my Dutch oven), heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add onions, garlic, and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, saute 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the cooked sausage to the soup pot. Add the tomato sauce, broth, and herbs. Bring to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Add the spinach and tortellini; simmer until the tortellini has warmed, about 5 minutes.

This had a really nice kick to it, so if you don't like things too spicy, use sweet sausage. I love the changes I made and would definitely make this one again.

Chicken with an Herbed Pan Sauce

2011-10-11T08:49:00.003-04:00

When you need to cook something in a pinch that won't take a lot of time, that doesn't mean that it has to be instant, or unhealthy. These days all I have time for is quick cooking, but we are still eating pretty well. Homemade cooking doesn't have to mean hours spent in the kitchen.

I threw this one together as I went along, and it took 15-20 minutes, max, but didn't taste like it was a quick meal.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Dried Italian seasoning (I like Perfect Pinch by McCormick), salt, pepper, dried thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c dry white wine
1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
Touch of light cream or even half and half - I probably used a few tablespoons

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pan
Season chicken with the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and thyme. Add to the pan and cook 4-6 minutes per side, until cooked through (it helps if you pound your chicken out a bit to make it thinner = will cook faster). Transfer to a plate. If it's not cooked through, you can throw it in the oven on 400 while you make the sauce.
Deglaze pan with the white wine, bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer. Add the cream, stir.
Return chicken to the pan, spooning some of the sauce on top of the chicken.

Creamy Sundried Tomato Pesto Dip

2011-09-25T19:52:00.003-04:00

Are you ready for some football??? The latest Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap celebrated the beginning of football season with a tailgating/appetizer theme. I was given a recipe for Mediterranean Dip from the blog Mrs. Regueiro's Plate.

After reading the recipe, I decided to both simplify it and change things up a bit, turning it into a creamier spread for crostini instead of a dip for pita chips (although I did also try it on pita chips). Instead of having a layer of feta at the bottom of the dip, I decided to blend my basil pesto with cream cheese and mayo as I thought too much feta would make the dip too salty. Additionally, feta doesn't fully melt, so I wanted something creamy as the base. I also didn't use full sundried tomatoes, but only the sundried tomato pesto. Finally, I didn't have much time so I used *gasp* store bought sundried tomato pesto... it worked just fine.

The result? A perfectly savory, flavorful, creamy, crostini topping/spread/dip..whatever you'd like to call it!

Here is my variation on the recipe.

Ingredients

Approximately 1/2 cup basil pesto (I made a pesto using one bunch of basil, 3 cloves of garlic, a touch of Kosher salt, and some olive oil - no pine nuts)
1 block of cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp sundried tomato pesto
1/2 can artichoke hearts, chopped
6 oz crumbled feta

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix basil pesto with the cream cheese and mayonnaise. Spread it in the bottom of a deep dish pie plate, or small baking dish
Next, spread a layer of sundried tomato pesto
Top with the chopped artichokes, then the feta cheese.
Bake for 15-20 min until hot and bubbly.

I will definitely be making this creation again!!

One Pot Cooking - Spicy Asian Chicken with Broccoli and Rice

2011-09-09T19:39:00.006-04:00

I was about to make a chicken stir-fry tonight with broccoli and jalapenos, but last minute (meaning everything was prepped and my pans were on the stove and I was reaching to turn on the burner), I decided to pull out my Dutch oven and turn my stir-fry idea into a simple one-pot chicken dish.

I'm glad I did - I loved this. Jon thought it could benefit from maybe some cilantro or lime juice; I can see adding cilantro, but was also happy with it just how it was.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I had 3 small breasts and cut them each in half)
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
1 sm onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 c uncooked rice
1 3/4 c low sodium chicken broth
1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin
1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pan or Dutch oven
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes; add to pan and cook 3 min per side then transfer to a plate
Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos to pan; saute 3 minutes
Add rice, stir 1 min
Mix the broth, soy sauce, and hoisin; add to pan
Bring to a simmer, then lower heat, return chicken to pan (nestled into the rice), put broccoli florets on top of everything, cover and cook over low heat (make sure it's still lightly simmering) approximately 15 minutes or until rice is cooked and the liquid has absorbed.

Baked Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

2011-09-07T10:05:00.000-04:00

These little pinwheels look impressive, are delicious, yet are so simple to make. I have made them before using different ingredients for the filling - click here to see both Bacon-Cheese and Alouette Pinwheels. I have also made them using pizza sauce, cheese, and chopped pepperoni...yummy!!

Over Labor Day weekend, my parents had a barbecue and I decided to make an app. I wanted to do something hot since all of our sides and other apps were going to be cold. I mentioned baked pinwheels to Jon, and have to give him credit for coming up with the idea for the ham and cheese filling.

Making the Pinwheels

Open a can of crescent roll dough - you will most likely have 2 rolls once you open them (mine always split down the center, but this is perfect). Roll out each roll - each one will be a rectangle; keep the long side near you and pinch the seams closed.
Sprinkle them with a touch of dried thyme (I decided on the thyme because I use it when I make my Chicken Cordon Blue and love the flavor of the thyme with the Swiss and ham).
Layer Swiss cheese, sliced deli ham, then another slice of Swiss cheese. Roll towards you (you want the roll to be long and skinny, not short and fat) and pinch closed gently.
At this point you can wrap each long roll in plastic until you are ready to bake and serve them - that's one of the things I love about these.
When you are ready to bake them, preheat your oven to 350 degrees (I liked baking them at 350 instead of the 375 I did last time). Slice each roll into 1 inch pieces and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet with one of the cut sides facing up. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

That's it!

Along with the ham and cheese, I also made 2 others -
- Crescent dough with Yancey's Fancy Jalapeno and Cayenne Cheese
- Crescent dough with a mixture of Laughing Cow Cheese, Italian seasonings, and a touch of garlic powder

Spicy Tofu with Asparagus and Chile

2011-08-30T22:55:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I made Spicy Chicken with Asparagus and Chile, and loved it because of the combination of the asparagus and jalapenos in an Asian dish. I thought it would work really well with tofu, and it did. Below is my variation on this recipe using tofu.

Ingredients

1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed and then cut into small cubes
3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 tsp cornstarch
12 oz thin to medium Asparagus spears, cut on a diagonal to 1/2-3/4 inch pieces
1 jalapeno, minced (ribs and seeds included)
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c chicken broth
1 tbsp hoisin
2 green onions, sliced

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp of the soy sauce, the rice wine, and cornstarch. Add the the tofu and toss to coat.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add the asparagus, jalapeno, and ginger and saute 2 minutes.
Add tofu, saute about 4 minutes.
Add the remaining soy sauce, hoisin, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, but for no longer than 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the green onions, or serve them on top.

This worked really well as a tofu dish, and was great leftover for lunch the next day. I'll definitely make it again!

Toddler Friendly: Crispy Tofu Bites

2011-08-29T21:59:00.003-04:00

What??? I want you to feed your child tofu? Yes, I do. But you don't eat it? That's ok...just don't complain about it in front of them. But maybe you should try it... you just might like it. I cook it often - here are all of my tofu recipes.

As I have mentioned before, Jon and I really want our daughter to eat everything. Jon doesn't like tofu or tomatoes, but he will never say that in front of her, and so far she likes both. And I don't eat fish, but she has tried it and likes it. I'll just never complain about it in front of her, because as soon as you do, they will want to be like you and will claim not to like things. So introduce things at a young age and they will never know otherwise!

These little tofu bites are the perfect size for little fingers, are crispy yet soft (just a little softer than a chicken nugget), and can be dipped in anything you want - I chose pizza sauce for tonight. You could also use marinara, honey mustard, ranch, or even ketchup.

I spent 5-6 minutes making these, and she ate them up! She had the most fun "dip-dip-dipping" them in the sauce before taking a bite.

Ingredients

1/4 block of extra firm tofu, pressed (you want to get the water out), then cut into cubes
Bread crumbs, about 1/2 c
Spices - I added a bit of onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning
1 egg
3 tbsp olive oil (just enough to get them crispy - you don't need to deep fry them; alternatively, you could bake them)

Directions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat
Mix bread crumbs with the spices
Dip tofu in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture
Cook approximately 1 min per side, until golden brown. Once done, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Let cool slightly before serving.

Hope your little ones enjoy these! And take a bite of one, you just may like them too!

Toddler Friendly: Risotto

2011-08-23T20:00:00.001-04:00

When it comes right down to it, risotto is simply creamy rice. And no matter how many times you have heard Gordon Ramsey scream "Oh on, the rih-zot-o!!!" to the contestants on his show, it really is not that hard at all (I never understood why it causes so many issues on his show!). Some say it is time consuming - I don't think that's true either as it takes 30 minutes. But it is 30 minutes of constant attention, so it is not something you can walk away from - you have to commit to 30 minutes standing over the stove.

But the payoff is wonderful, and risotto is so versatile with an endless number of flavors and ingredients that can be used. And I promise that your kids will like it! They may even like the risotto balls (arancini) you can make with day-old leftover risotto!

The other day I made Chicken Cacciatore Risotto which is what our daughter is enjoying (devouring) here.

So give yourself 30 minutes and try out a recipe. I have a lot of ideas here - feel free to browse to find one that interests you. Happy stirring!!

Toddler Friendly: Turkey Meatloaf

2011-08-22T22:10:00.001-04:00

Jon makes a kick ass meatloaf, and I can't wait until he makes it this fall. But last week I had some ground turkey that I bought to make some freezer meals for our daughter, so I decided to make a turkey meatloaf.

I read a few recipes, and then decided to just wing it. The one thing I did see a lot of was the use of quick cooking oats as a binding agent instead of breadcrumbs, so I incorporated that into my recipe. And of course I topped it with ketchup - kids seem to love things covered in ketchup.

I made a loaf, but you could also make this in muffin tins. You could even add mashed potato "frosting" for a fun meal. You could also add some grated veggies to the loaf if your child needs to get more veggies in their diet.

This is another meal that can be made, sliced, and frozen into individual portions. When I was ready to serve it, I defrosted a slice in the fridge for a few hours, and then put it in the microwave on defrost for 30-60 seconds. Perfect.

Ingredients

1/2 lb ground turkey
1/4 c quick cooking oats mixed with 1 tbsp milk
1-2 tbsp marinara sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 sm onion, finely diced
Ketchup
1/2 egg

Directions

Mix everything together and form into a loaf (add the marinara slowly, depending on how wet or dry your mixture is).
Top with ketchup
Put in a baking dish, fill the dish with about 1/2 inch of water.
Bake on 400 degrees approximately 45-50 minutes until fully cooked (use a meat thermometer to be sure - poultry should be cooked to at least 165 degrees.

She had this tonight and devoured almost everything on her plate - success!

Delicious One Pot Chicken and Rice

2011-08-22T19:49:00.006-04:00

I know, that isn't a very creative title. I was, however, pretty creative when I was cooking - I made this one up as I went along. But after cooking, feeding the baby, tag-teaming with Jon to keep her occupied (these days that is doing laps with her around the house, over and over and over, as she learns to walk - back-breaking!!!), cleaning up, and getting her to bed, I'm not feeling all that creative. I just want to get my recipe down on "paper" so I don't forget what I did, because this one was really good!

We had planned on grilling, but Jon was still busy with work and I was busy with the baby, so one pot cooking worked tonight. She sits in her high chair eating some snacks after her dinner while I cook. And I'm hoping that she's learning something too because I do tell her everything I'm doing. Ok, sometimes I have to sing it, but still, she has to be learning, right?

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Seasoned with: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder (just eyeball it)
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Handful of mushrooms, whatever you have on hand, chopped
Approximately 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 c rice
2 c chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp mirin (I think you could probably leave this out if you didn't have it)
A few shakes of red pepper flakes

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy skillet or dutch oven
Cook chicken 4 min per side; transfer to a plate
Add shallots, ginger, and garlic to pan; saute 2 min. Add mushrooms, saute 2 min. Add rice, stir 1-2 min. Add broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, and bring to a boil.
Return chicken to the pan, nestling it into the rice. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook about 15 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed.

That's it for this delicious one pot chicken!

Toddler Friendly: Mac-n-Cheese

2011-08-21T20:00:00.000-04:00

Most kids love mac n cheese. And with how easy this recipe is, there is no reason to ever give them the orange stuff out of a box! Even better, it freezes and reheats very well, so make a big batch when you have time, and you'll have something to pull out of the freezer in a pinch when you don't have any time.

Here is the recipe: Easiest, Creamiest Mac n Cheese. (Note, I used whole milk instead of light cream when I made it last night)

I usually double the recipe - making an entire pound of pasta - so I have a lot of leftovers. I freeze the leftovers in single serving packets, and it is easy to take one out to defrost for lunch or dinner. If it is a little dry when you reheat it, add a touch of milk when heating and voila, just like freshly baked mac! And since it is such a simple recipe, you can add anything you'd like - throw in some diced veggies if you want your kids to eat more veggies, or diced ham for some meat.

My daughter loves this dish -

Grilled Jalapeno-Hoisin Pork Tenderloin

2011-08-21T12:34:00.000-04:00

I love a grilled pork tenderloin. It is easy, fast (even for a weeknight!), and there are an endless number of marinades and rubs you can do to add flavor. I had ginger and jalapenos to use up, so I decided on this recipe for Jalapeno-Honey Grilled Pork Tenderloin.

I made a few small changes - I added a bit of oil to the marinade, used hoisin sauce instead of honey, and added a bit of coriander. It was delicious! After marinating for just 6 hours, it took on so much flavor. And it wasn't that spicy at all, so our daughter was able to try some. My variation is below.

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (Wegman's sells one pork tenderloin instead of the 2 that usually come in one packet. I love this - just enough for the two of us with a little bit left over)
1/4 c olive oil
1.5 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce (I always use low sodium)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients; pour over the pork in a ziploc bag. Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours; the longer the better.

Grilling the pork
Jon has figured out the best way to grill a pork tenderloin without drying it out, and without charring it too much. His trick is to sear it on all sides, and then place foil on the grill and put the pork on top of the foil and wraps it up loosely to finish (6-8 minutes in foil). He uses a digital meat thermometer and takes it off when it hits 160 degrees. We then let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing it.

Chicken Cacciatore Risotto

2011-08-17T18:47:00.007-04:00

This recipe came to me through another recipe swap hosted by the blog Taste of Home Cooking. The theme was Italian recipes, and I was given this one for Chicken Cacciatore Risotto by the author of the blog Taste and See.

I LOVE risotto, have made it with so many different ingredients and flavors, so I was excited to get this one. Now even though I have made risotto many times, I have never made it with meat.. well, except bacon. I usually have risotto as a side, but this one was a nice entree risotto. And I love Chicken Cacciatore so I had a feeling this would be good.

My parents came over for dinner and really enjoyed it. And no surprise, our daughter loved it too! She ate every last bite and was looking for more.

I made one major change to the recipe - it called for red wine, but I have made risotto with red wine before and didn't like it (too rich and heavy). Also, I make my chicken cacciatore with white wine, so I decided to keep it light and use white instead of red. I also used an Italian Seasoning blend that I had instead of the Herbs de Provence - I compared the ingredients in both and the Italian Seasoning was only missing the fennel, something I don't like anyway. I also added a touch more thyme. My variation on the recipe is below.

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning blend and 1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c arborio rice
1/2 c white wine
4 c chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with the juices
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips (I chopped the peppers to keep them bite sized and so my daughter could easily eat them)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
fresh parsley, minced (I didn't have any so I used about 2 tbsp dried parsley)

Directions

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and thyme.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the chicken and cook 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Shred the chicken, and reserve for the risotto.
Add 1 Tablespoon of the butter and 1 tbsp oil to a clean skillet. When melted, add the shallot, and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock and diced tomatoes to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer continuously.
Add the rice to the skillet, and cook, stirring continuously, until the edges are translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the wine, and stir continuously, until it is mostly absorbed.
Working 1-2 ladles at a time, add the chicken broth/tomato mixture to the rice, stirring constantly, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. After about 10 minutes, add the peppers and mushrooms to the rice mixture.
Continue adding liquid until the rice is cooked to al dente, about 20 minutes total. Taste to check the rice. When cooked to al dente, add 1 more ladle of chicken broth, and remove from heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
Top risotto with the chicken and serve.

Toddler Friendly: Crispy Chicken Nuggets

2011-08-16T14:19:00.006-04:00

I have been loving cooking for our daughter and having her try new things, so I have decided to start a new section for my blog - Toddler Friendly. Now by that I don't mean bland and boring foods, but rather transforming those easy to eat first foods into flavorful meals. These are things that I would also eat! Kids are more likely to want to try new things and won't be picky when you introduce them to different foods, spices, herbs, textures, and flavors at a young age.

When we had our daughter, my husband and I talked about how we wanted her to eat everything, try everything, and not be picky. So far she has been pretty adventurous and will try anything we give her (even seaweed salad at the sushi restaurant!). Our main goal is to be able to have her eat whatever we eat for dinner. However, there are some nights when we cook too late, or are making something too spicy, so it's nice to have a backup plan.

I love having homemade chicken nuggets in the freezer - just take one out to send to daycare for lunch, or use it as a quick and easy dinner. But I'm not going to give her just plain old breaded chicken nuggets! Our daughter loves lots of flavor - I gave her garlic soup at 8 months old and she couldn't get enough of it - so I really season the breading on these nuggets. And to add another texture, I mix crushed cereal in with my breadcrumbs.

Ingredients (for 9-12 nuggets)

3 boneless, skinless, organic chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced into whatever size/shape nugget you want to make
1 c buttermilk
1 c crushed crunchy cereal, like Cornflakes or Special K
1 c plain bread crumbs
Spices: Italian seasoning, basil, garlic powder, onion powder (maybe 1 tsp each - I don't measure, but added until the breading looked and smelled just right)
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees; spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray
Soak chicken in buttermilk for 15 minutes
Mix the breadcrumbs, crushed cereal, and spices
Remove chicken from buttermilk and toss with the breadcrumb mixture; transfer to cookie sheet
Lightly spray tops of chicken with the cooking spray
Bake 15-18 minutes, flipping once, and turning on broiler at the end, until chicken is cooked through and the coating is crispy.

She loved them!

Spiced Chicken Stir Fry with Ginger, Cilantro, and Lime

2011-08-15T12:00:00.001-04:00

Last week I made a great stir fry, Spiced Beef Stir Fry with Scallions and Cilantro. I love cilantro, and really love Asian dishes that feature spicy flavors with cilantro and lime. That beef dish inspired last night's dinner - Spiced Chicken Stir Fry with Ginger, Cilantro, and Lime.

I used the basic recipe from the beef, but added fresh garlic, grated ginger, freshly squeezed lime juice, and a bit of chicken broth to make more of a sauce. It was really good - fresh yet spicy. Loved it!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, sliced into 2-bite pieces
Spices: 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp dried red pepper flakes, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of 1/2 of a lime
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger (I used the microplane)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1/2 c chicken broth
2 scallions, chopped
Handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions

Toss chicken with the spices and half of the lime juice
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat
Add the chicken and stir fry until almost cooked through
Lower the heat to medium high and add the garlic and ginger; saute 1 minute
Add soy sauce, mirin, chicken broth, and the rest of the lime juice; bring to a low simmer
Remove from heat and stir in the scallions and cilantro

Baked Penne with Sausage and Broccoli

2011-08-14T19:47:00.000-04:00

Crumbling sausage is a great way to enjoy it with pasta or in casseroles. I made this one up as I went along using 1 pound of hot Italian sausage. Also, I threw it together in the afternoon and kept it in the fridge until I was ready to bake it. It was delicious, and made great leftovers!

I often freeze leftovers from casseroles in single-serving packets. I wrap a single-serving in plastic wrap (no container), then foil, and store the packets in a freezer bag. Perfect for those nights when I'm on my own for dinner.

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil
1 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large head of broccoli, washed and chopped into florets
3/4 lb penne pasta, cooked to al dente
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Optional: a few shakes of red pepper flakes
1 tbsp butter
2 c light cream
1 tbsp cornstarch or flour
Approximate amounts: 1/2 c shredded mozzarella; 1/4 c shredded Pecorino romano

Directions

If baking immediately, preheat oven to 400 degrees
Heat olive oil in a large pan
Crumble the sausage into the pan, using a spoon/spatula to break it up. Saute until browned, about 10 minutes
Halfway through cooking the sausage, add shallots and garlic, and red pepper flakes if you are using them.
Transfer sausage mixture to a casserole dish, mix with the pasta
In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour/cornstarch and whisk to make a roux. Add the cream. Bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until fully melted and creamy.
Pour the creamy cheese sauce over the pasta/sausage mixture. Mix until fully coated.
Either store covered in the fridge until you are ready to bake it, or bake for 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!!

Summer Squash and White Bean Saute

2011-08-08T21:46:00.000-04:00

Summer Vegetables - the theme of last week's recipe swap sponsored by A Taste of Home Cooking. I was given a recipe for Summer Squash and White Bean Saute shared by the author of A journey through trying new things.

What a great recipe to bring out the best in these summer vegetables - I really liked it! I'm not a big fan of beans, but they added nice texture to this dish while giving it some protein.

Ingredients (I cut the below ingredients in half and still had 4 servings)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (of course I still used 2!)
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 15 oz can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed (I used small white beans)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (I completely forgot to add this and didn't miss it)
1/3 c finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add zucchini, summer squash, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in beans, tomatoes and vinegar; increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan.

Spiced Beef Stir Fry with Scallions and Cilantro

2011-08-06T20:55:00.000-04:00

The other day I bought a few sirloin steaks and planned on slicing them into thin strips for stir fry, but didn't want to do my usual Beef with Broccoli or something similar to that. I had cilantro to use up, and kept thinking about the amazing dinner we recently enjoyed at Buddakan, so I started to look for ideas using spices, cilantro, and the beef.

I found this one for Spiced Beef Stir Fry with Scallions and Cilantro. It fit all my requirements and looked great, and ended up being the quickest dinner I have made in months - maybe 5-6 minutes of cooking time! And since the rice takes 20-25 minutes to cook, you can easily do all of your prep during that time.

We both loved this one so much that I will be making it often. One change - next time I plan on squeezing a bit of lime juice over the top once it finished cooking.

Ingredients

14 oz filet of beef (I used 1lb sirloin steak)
2 tbsp peanut oil (I used olive oil)
1 tsp rice wine or dry sherry (I used mirin)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 oz cilantro, roughly chopped (I just pulled off a large handful)
1 scallion, finely chopped
For the spicy coating: 2 tbsp ground cumin, 2 tbsp dried chili pepper flakes, 1 tbsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp sea salt; I added approximately 1 tsp chili powder and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions (In my own words)

Slice the beef wafer thin
Mix the ingredients for the spicy coating; mix the beef into this mixture.
Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat; add the oil.
Add the beef and stir-fry for less than a minute until browned and tender. Add the rice wine and soy sauce.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and scallions. Serve immediately.

The meat was so amazingly tender and flavorful - we both had 2 plates of this! Delicious!

Pasta with Asparagus, Sopressata, and Aged Asiago

2011-08-02T18:00:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since I created a dinner recipe on my own, so I had so much fun putting this one together! My inspiration? A link of sopressata and block of aged asiago cheese in my fridge just waiting to be used for something, and a craving for pasta. Plus, my friend Jenny was coming for dinner and I know she loves my pasta dishes.

I have cooked with prosciutto and pancetta before, so I figured I could do the same with sopressata. I knew I'd have to use small pieces, however, as it is on the firm side and would maintain this firmness when cooked. So I pulled out my little handheld mandolin, peeled back the casing, and made very thin slices. Like this -

I then sliced each piece and diced them into very small pieces to be sauteed with the shallots and garlic.

Here is how it all came together -

Ingredients

1/2 lb penne pasta
1/2 link of hot sopresatta (about 3 inch long piece)
1 bunch asparagus, top half only
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional for extra heat)
3 tbsp olive oil
Pinch or two of Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Aged Asiago cheese, freshly grated, about 1/2-3/4 cup
1/2 c reserved pasta water
Equipment: mandolin; I used a small handheld mandolin.

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil
Put asparagus into the water and let cook less than a minute. Remove from the water and put in a bowl of ice water, or run under very cold water. Slice diagonally into 1.5 inch pieces.
Add pasta to the water the asparagus cooked in; cook to al dente.
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan
Add shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sopressata. Saute about 3 minutes.
Add asparagus and pasta, mix. Slowly add a little of the pasta water - I only used about 1/4 cup.
Add cheese, salt, and pepper

WOW - loved this. We all did! The aged asiago cheese added such great flavor (strong, yet not overpowering), and worked very well with the sopressata. I will definitely make this one again!

Asian-Inspired Halibut

2011-07-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

Jon cooks fish for himself once a week, and this was a great recipe he came up with for Halibut.

I'm guessing on the amounts - just go with it and smell, taste, etc. That's how he developed it.

The recipe..
Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, less than 1/4 tsp sesame oil, dash of rice vinegar.
Put the fish on foil, curling up the edges.
Pour the mixture over the fish, then top with about a teaspoon or more of chili-garlic paste.
Close up the foil, creating a pouch, and grill for 6-7 minutes.
Remove from the grill, carefully opening the pouch.
Top with chopped green onions and serve.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

2011-07-18T11:08:00.005-04:00

Have you seen Wacky Mac in the market? It caught my eye the other day so I picked up a bag. According to their web site, it is made from real vegetables - beet, spinach, and tomato. And they look fun, so I thought my daughter might like them (at first bite she didn't, but we'll keep trying!).

Over the weekend we had friends over and I had a bunch of leftover grilled and marinated veggies from our antipasto. What better way to use them up than to toss them into a pasta salad. I had Jon grill up some peppers and tomatoes for me, as well as roast a bulb of garlic on the grill, to make this salad complete.

Ingredients:
Handful of each of the veggies:

Grilled asparagus, chopped
Grilled peppers - red, yellow, orange. Peeled, cleaned, then chopped
Grilled red onions, chopped
Full bulb of roasted garlic, peeled then chopped
Marinated artichokes, chopped
Grilled tomato, chopped
Marinated fresh mozzarella, chopped
10 oz wacky mac, cooked

Toss all of those ingredients with some salt and the dressing:

Dressing: 1/2 c olive oil, 1/4 c red wine vinegar, few turns of fresh black pepper, approx 1 1.5 tsp salt, 2 dashes dry mustard, a few shakes of dried oregano.

Easy, fresh, delicious - especially on a super hot summer day! Jon grilled up some light kielbasa that night for the perfect summer meal.

Recipe Swap: Mexican Sour Cream Rice

2011-07-04T22:00:00.002-04:00

I participated in another Taste of Home Cooking recipe swap last week. This time the theme was Mexican... my favorite! Here is a roundup of all the Mexican recipes shared in the swap.

I was given a recipe for Mexican Sour Cream Rice shared by Melissa at Lemons and Love. I was inspired by the recipe, and decided to change it up a bit. First, I used freshly roasted jalapenos instead of canned diced green chiles. Other changes included using cilantro instead of parsley, using frozen corn instead of canned, and like the author suggested, adding black beans. I did not use chicken in my recipe as I was serving it as a side to marinated and grilled beef and veggie kabobs.

Everyone really enjoyed this! The jalapenos added nice heat, but were not overwhelming. I liked the addition of black beans, and think that even more veggies could be added next time - maybe some red and green peppers and onions. I also definitely see how adding cooked, shredded chicken would make this a complete meal.

Below is my version of this recipe.

Ingredients

1.5 cups uncooked white rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese
Spices, approximate amounts: 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
2 jalapenos, roasted then chopped (seeds removed; see below on how to roast jalapenos)
2 c frozen corn
1/2 can black beans
Handful chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Roast and prepare your jalapenos --- I roasted my jalapenos right on my gas stove, but you can do them on a grill as well. Just place them on the grates over the flame, and roast until each side is blackened. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with plastic, and let sit for 15 minutes so they can sweat, making it easier to remove the charred skin. Remove from the bowl, and scrape away all the skin. Cut in half, remove all the seeds, then chop.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil; add the rice and stir. Lower heat and cover; cook 20 minutes until rice is done and broth has absorbed.
In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, spices, and 3/4 of the cheese.
Pour rice into a greased casserole dish
Mix in the sour cream mixture, jalapenos, corn, cilantro, and black beans.
Top with the rest of the cheese.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

2011-05-30T20:35:00.008-04:00

I like making different pasta salads, like my South of the Border Pasta Salad, or this Antipasto Pasta Salad. So when I was given a new pasta salad to try in last weeks Taste of Home Cooking Recipe Swap (click here to see all of the recipes shared), I was excited to try it. And with the holiday weekend cooking fest underway, the timing was perfect.

The recipe was submitted by the author of the blog My Kitchen Rx. I made a few changes, noted in italics below.

The Dressing

1 7oz jar sundried tomatoes, with the oil
4 cloves garlic
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 c extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Added: 4 large basil leaves

In a food processor, combine the sundried tomatoes in their oil, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and vinegar until the tomatoes are chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil and continue pulsing until everything is combined. Note: I probably used a bit less olive oil than the recipe called for since I used the flavorful oil from the sundried tomatoes. This made a lot more dressing than I needed, but it will last in the fridge for a bit.

The Salad

16 oz corkscrew pasta
1/2 lb cubed mozzarella
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut into halves
10-15 leaves basil, chopped or julienne (I did a chiffonade)
1.5 c grated Parmesan cheese (I totally forgot to add this before serving, and didn't miss it)

Cook the pasta, drain, rinse under cold water until no longer hot. Toss with some of the dressing, the mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Add more dressing as needed. Chill before serving, adjust dressing if needed.

_______________________________

This was a really good recipe - everyone loved it. It had a nice tang from the sundried tomatoes, and was so fresh and summery with the basil and tomatoes. I will definitely make this again.

Chipotle-Tomato Rice

2011-05-23T20:00:00.000-04:00

I was looking for ideas for a new side when I came across this recipe for Chipotle-Tomato Rice on the blog Oishii. Easy, flavorful, and it went perfectly with our chili-lime-garlic marinated pork chops.

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice
1 TBS. canola oil
Half a white onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (or 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder); I used the pepper in adobo sauce, diced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano; I used Mexican oregano
half of a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes, with liquid
salt & pepper to taste
chopped cilantro, for garnish

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat the canola oil over medium high heat.
Cook the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Stir in the chipotle and oregano.
Add the canned tomatoes with liquid. Reduce heat, and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
Add the cooked rice, and stir until combined and heated through. Season to taste with salt & pepper and serve. Garnish with cilantro.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

2011-05-18T20:00:00.000-04:00

Before making this myself, I had never had gumbo, not even when I was in New Orleans. I have always wanted to try it, but never really thought about making it myself until I saw it here on Elly's blog. I immediately put it on my list of things to make. Although I'm just blogging about it now, I made it back in late March.

One ingredient in the recipe I wasn't familiar with was the file (fee-lay) powder. Turns out that it is a thickening agent, but also adds flavor. I'm not sure what kind of flavor, however, because I forgot to buy it. But I do know that the local specialty bulk foods store carries it so I will get it next time I make it to see what it adds to the recipe (although I don't know what the file powder would have added, I do need to note that I didn't feel the recipe was missing anything).

This is definitely something to make when you have a few hours to kill, and when you want leftovers for a few days. It made a lot, but that was fine with me, and with my parents who got a big container of them.

One other note, and something that Elly mentions in her post, too - prep your chopped veggies ahead of time. Although you don't use the veggies until you are about 45 minutes into the recipe, you won't have time to do any prep once you start as the creation of the roux takes constant attention. And one more thing - I used chicken breasts instead of thighs. Here is my adaptation of the recipe.

Ingredients

1 tbsp and 1/2 c canola oil
1 lb smoked sausage cut into 1/2 inch pieces; I used chorizo
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
1 tbsp Emeril's Creole Essence Seasoning; I probably used a bit more (didn't measure, just seasoned liberally!)
1 c flour
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 ea chopped red and green bell peppers
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
9 c chicken broth
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Season the chicken with the Essence seasoning. Add to the pot and brown on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Remove the chicken, cool, and store in the fridge til later.
Here comes the long part - making the roux. Add the 1/2 oil and flour to the pot over medium heat. Stir slowly and constantly until a dark brown roux that looks chocolaty in color is formed. This will take 20-25 minutes.
Add the yellow onion, celery, and bell peppers and cook 5 minutes.
Add the cooked sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring, until well combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
Add the chicken to the pot and simmer for 1.5 hours, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface (since I used chicken breasts, I didn't really have any fat to skim).
Remove the pot from the heat, and remove the chicken using a slotted spoon. Shred the meat, then add it back to the pot along with the green onions and parsley.

I served the gumbo over rice. Optional: hot sauce.

Doesn't this look delicious?? I can't wait until next fall so I can make this again. LOVED it.

Spicy Chicken with Asparagus and Chile

2011-05-16T19:37:00.003-04:00

When I saw this recipe, I wanted to make it because it combined asparagus and jalapenos, and I don't think I've ever eaten them together, especially in an Asian-inspired recipe. But I love both, so I put it on our menu.

The original recipe, posted by Brianna on her blog Oishi, called for ground pork. I had chicken breasts to use, so I decided to dice the uncooked breasts, sort of like how I diced them for my Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I also omitted the oyster sauce and honey, and added a bit of hoisin and chicken broth. We both loved this recipe, and it's a quick and easy one to throw together on a weeknight.

Below is my adaptation of the recipe.

Ingredients

3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 tsp cornstarch
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
3 tsp Asian sesame oil, divided
12 oz thin to medium Asparagus spears, cut on a diagonal to 1/2-3/4 inch pieces
1 jalapeno, minced (ribs and seeds included)
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 c chicken broth
1 tbsp hoisin
2 green onions, sliced

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp of the soy sauce, the rice wine, and cornstarch. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add the asparagus, jalapeno, and ginger. Toss until the asparagus is crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add chicken; saute until browned, about 4 minutes.
Return the asparagus mixture to the pan. Add the remaining soy sauce and hoisin. Saute a few minutes. Add the chicken broth and toss.
Stir in the green onions, or serve them on top.

We ate this over white rice, but it would also be good over noodles. I would have liked a little more sauce, so next time I'll increase the liquids.

Beef Short Ribs Braised in Tomato Sauce

2011-05-03T20:00:00.002-04:00

This dish brought me one of the best compliments I could get - my mom said thought she was eating her mother's food.

Growing up, we spent almost every Sunday afternoon at my grandmom's house, and she would always cook a big meal. We aren't Italian, but my grandmother's cooking was very Italian influenced as our family was from Yugoslavia near northern Italy.

She loved to slow cook meats in sauce, and when I saw this recipe for Beef Short Ribs Braised in Tomato Sauce on The Way the Cookie Crumbles, I immediately thought of how my house would smell while cooking - it would smell like my gradmom's house.

I'm not sharing the picture until the end of the post, because my picture just doesn't do this meal justice (but check out Bridget's picture in the link to her blog - she not only creates fabulous recipes, she takes beautiful food photos!). This meal was so good, so comforting, the flavors were so layered and full, and it tasted like my grandmom's cooking.

Ingredients

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
4 (3-4 lbs) beef short ribs; I used 4 lbs and it was 8 short ribs
salt
3 oz pancetta, diced
1 onion, diced small
1 carrot, diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp oregano; I used dried oregano
1/2 c wine; Bridget suggests red or white, something not too sweet or not too oaky. I used a California cab
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes with their juice

Directions - these are Bridget's exact directions, just broken out to see the steps a little easier. I didn't change a thing as far as the recipe/cooking method is concerned.

Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt clinging to them. Cover them with 1/2 c water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, poke a few holes in the plastic wrap, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Use a fork to lift the mushrooms from the liquid; mince the mushrooms, reserving the liquid.

Season the beef ribs with salt. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it flows like water when the pot is tilted. Add the beef ribs and cook, for 2-3 minutes per side, until richly browned on all sides . Remove the ribs from the pot (I had to do this in 2 batches).

Lower the heat to medium and add the pancetta to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to the plate with the short ribs. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot.

Add the onions and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned on the edges, 6-8 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, mushrooms, and oregano; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Pour in the wine; scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the tomatoes, beef ribs, pancetta, mushroom soaking liquid (being careful to leave any dirt behind), and 1 teaspoon salt.

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, remove the cover, increase the heat to medium low, and simmer for another hour, until the beef is tender.

Transfer the ribs to a plate; shred the meat.

Meanwhile, if the sauce is too thin, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until it reaches the desired thickness. I didn't have to do this.

Stir the meat back into the sauce. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if necessary, and serve over pasta or polenta.

I served the meat over a polenta that I made with 3/4 c stone ground yellow cornmeal, 3 c chicken broth, a few pinches of thyme, and some shredded Pecorino-Romano cheese and it went perfectly.

Poached Garlic Soup

2011-04-30T16:37:00.010-04:00

I love garlic. It's rare that I cook a meal without it, that's how much we both love it. So when I saw Michael Chiarello's recipe for Poached Garlic Soup on the Food Network site, I knew I had to make it.

I hadn't poached garlic before, but as per his recipe, poaching it a few times takes away the heat and leaves the sweetness behind. I guess that would be a good thing since this recipe calls for 2 cups of garlic cloves.

With that much garlic needed, I bought the cloves already peeled - a first for me. I'm glad I did...peeling this much garlic probably would have made me crazy. Especially since having my daughter near me in her high chair was the only way I was able to cook this soup (and see, I even gave her a spoon to play with so she felt like she was helping...).

And when the soup was done, I let her taste it. I'm happy to say that I think she's going to be a garlic lover too (she better be in this house!). She didn't even make a face, and was even looking at my mug for more!

This soup was pretty straight-forward and easy, as long as you have the garlic already peeled. Otherwise, I think it would have taken an additional 30 minutes to prep!

Ingredients

2 c garlic cloves
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 c onion, diced
1 c finely chopped leek, white parts only (I used one leek)
1/2 c diced celery
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp grey salt (I used Kosher salt)
1 c diced, peeled, Russet potato
Freshly ground black pepper
5 c chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves (I used a few pinches dried oregano)
4 c roughly chopped spinach leaves
1 c heavy cream (I used light cream)

Directions

Cut the garlic cloves in half lengthwise and remove the central, greenish core. Put the cloves in a small pan of salted water, and bring to a boil. Drain. Repeat this boiling step twice to remove the garlic's heat and leave only the sweetness behind.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, leek, celery, bay leaf, and a little salt. Cover and cook until the veggies are soft, but not brown, about 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes.
Add the blanched garlic and chicken stock/broth.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.
Michael's note, summarized: the soup can be made up to this point, cooled, kept in the fridge, and finished when ready to serve.
Add the oregano, spinach, and cream.
Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. I used my handheld immersion blender.

Loved this soup! If you are a garlic lover, I think you will too!

Cauliflower, Swiss Chard, and Chicken Soup

2011-04-27T20:00:00.001-04:00

I completely forgot to take a picture of this soup... I made it after putting the baby to bed and was exhausted, and then never remembered to take a picture every time I had a bowl. But I can tell you that it was really good!

I saw the recipe when browsing through soup recipes on the Epicurious web site, and after reading the list of ingredients, just could not figure out how this would taste. Even when I said the name to Jon and told him that one ingredient was caraway seeds, he made a face. I know, it really doesn't sound good at all! However, curiosity got the best of me and I had to try it. I'm glad I did!

Ingredients

2/3 c chopped onion
1 tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp olive oil
3 c chicken broth (I used 5 c low sodium chicken broth and decreased the amount of water)
3 c water (I used about 2 c)
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 c orzo
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes (I had cooked a bunch of chicken seasoned with s&p to use for chicken salad, so I took 2 breasts and shredded them for the soup instead of cooking the cubed chicken in the soup)
4 c chopped red Swiss chard leaves, washed well and drained

Directions

In a 4-qt heavy saucepan (I used my Dutch oven), cook onion and caraway seeds in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until onion is softened.
Add broth and water and bring to a boil.
Stir in cauliflower and orzo and simmer, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes.
Stir in chicken and Swiss chard and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.

The flavor from the caraway seeds was very light, and just added a little something interesting. Overall, this was just a good, different chicken soup. I'll make it again!

Kung Pao Chicken

2011-04-26T20:10:00.008-04:00

The author of the blog Taste of Home Cooking has been hosting some great recipe swaps. I participated in the pasta swap a few weeks ago and made this recipe - Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola. This week the theme is Asian recipes. I shared my Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe, and was given a recipe for Kung Pao Chicken originally posted here on the blog Innochka's Kitchen. I will post a link to the recipe roundup once the swap is complete.

I love cooking Asian inspired stir fry meals - lots of flavor and usually quick and easy. When I reviewed my recipe for the swap, I saw that it would be a great weeknight meal, so I made it tonight. I made a few changes to the recipe, noted below.

Ingredients

2 chicken breast, chopped into cubes
6 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 c water
1 tbsp cornstarch
Crushed red pepper flakes; I didn't use these. Instead, I used one tbsp of chili-garlic paste and was happy with this change.
1/2 tbsp sugar; I used about 1/2 tsp, if that
4 tbsp lemon juice; I should have trusted my instincts - this didn't work in the dish at all. I won't use it next time.
Added: 1/2 onion, chopped. 1/2 green pepper, chopped
Next time will add (at the suggestion of my husband) bean sprouts
Oil; I used about 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions - in my own words

Marinate the chicken in 2 tbsp soy sauce. I did this while I was prepping everything else, so about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine water, cornstarch, sugar, 4 tbsp soy sauce, chili-garlic paste, and lemon juice (note - I don't recommend the lemon juice) in a small bowl.
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat
Add the chicken and cook about 6 minutes
Add the onions and peppers, cook another 2 minutes
Add the water mixture, lower heat, and let simmer 10-15 minutes.

I served the chicken over thin spaghetti (spaghetti works well as a substitute for Asian noodles sometimes!) and with a side of sugar snap peas sauteed with fresh garlic.

We both really liked this dish, except for the lemon juice - not sure what the purpose of the lemon juice is in the recipe, but I wouldn't use it again. We did both have seconds, and finished everything in the pan! Sorry dad, no leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Latin-Style Chicken and Rice

2011-04-25T17:54:00.001-04:00

One-pot cooking! On a cooking board I frequent, there was a discussion several weeks ago about what makes a one-pot dish. Well, everything cooked in one pot! Some recipes claim to be one pot dishes, but have you start one ingredient in another pot, and then add everything together in the main pot. Close, but not a true one-pot dish.

I need to find or come up with more recipes like this one for Latin-Style Chicken and Rice (found here on the Epicurious web site). I loved how much flavor I got out of this one, and the easy clean up was a big plus, too. I also got to use the saffron I bought for Jon - we've been looking for a way to use it and this recipe was perfect.

One tip - when you are making a dish like this, or any chicken dish, make an extra breast and turn it into chicken salad the next day. I love using chicken from all different dishes - my chicken salad is always different and has so much flavor.

Ingredients (my version, slightly changed from the original to us chicken breasts and cook for 2 ppl; original recipe called for 2 pounds of chicken thighs)

3 chicken breasts, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c medium or long-grain rice
1 c low sodium chicken broth
3/4 c water
1/4 tsp crumbled saffron threads
1 bay leaf
1/2 c frozen peas, not thawed

Directions

Heat butter and oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until foam subsides
Add chicken, cook approximately 4-5 min per side. Transfer chicken to a plate. If you use chicken thighs, pour off all but 2 tbsp of the fat from the pan.
Cook onion and garlic with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper over medium heat until golden, about 6 minutes.
Add rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add broth, water, bay leaf, and saffron; bring to a full boil.
Return chicken to the pot, nestling it in the rice, keeping as much rice around, not under, the chicken. Also add any juices from the plate.
Cover tightly and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender, and most of the liquid has absorbed; about 20-25 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in peas.
Cover pot with a kitchen towel, and then the lid, and let stand until all of the liquid has absorbed, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

We both really enjoyed this - even the baby got a little taste and seemed to like it. I'm determined to get her to eat everything!!

Orecchiette with Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, and Spinach

2011-04-23T20:07:00.010-04:00

This pasta dish has everything that I love - roasted tomatoes (I love tomatoes in any form, but roasting them really concentrates the flavors), roasted garlic, spinach, and pasta. Can't go wrong!
My sister and I cooked this one together when she was home for a visit last week. Easy to throw together after putting the baby to bed, and wonderful with a nice cold, crisp glass of chardonnay (Estancia, to be exact).

Ingredients

8 oz orecchiette pasta, cooked to al dente. Save some of the pasta water when draining the pasta.
6 Roma tomatoes
1 bulb roasted garlic
8 oz baby spinach
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1/3 c shredded cheese; we used an equal mix of Parmesan and Pecorino-Romano.

Directions

Cut the tomatoes into quarters, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a large baking dish (large enough to use for serving the pasta) on 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Once the tomatoes are done, add the pasta, whole roasted garlic cloves, and spinach to the dish. Toss.
Add some of the pasta water, the cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and toss again. Serve.

So easy, fresh, and delicious!

Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Honey

2011-04-12T14:00:00.002-04:00

Over the past year or two, I have fallen in love with a few different cheeses, cheeses I never tried as a kid, including gorgonzola. I think I stayed away from it when I was younger because after reading "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" as a child, I had it in my head that it was the gross, stinky cheese that nobody wanted to eat. I'm so happy to know that while gorgonzola might have a bit of a smell to it, it's a nice, strong, creamy blue that I could eat on pizza, in sauces, and sometimes just straight as a little snack as I'm standing in front of the open fridge...

So when I saw this recipe for Bruschetta with Gorgonzola and Honey on the blog, The Piggly-Wiggly, my mouth started to water and I HAD to have it. Luckily my friend Jenny was coming to visit that weekend, so I had a good excuse to try a few new recipes.

Ingredients

(the original recipe had amounts, so if you want them, see the link above. But I don't think they are really necessary for this recipe - but that's the "just wing it" cooking attitude in me I guess!)

1 baguette
Olive oil
Crumbled gorgonzola cheese
Honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices and place on a baking sheet Brush the top of each slice with some olive oil. Bake until each slice is slightly golden and crisp, about 7-8 minutes.
Top each slice with a spoonful of gorgonzola cheese. Return to oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
Place the slices onto a serving dish and drizzle with honey.

DELICIOUS!!!!! I love gorgonzola, but I really, really love melted gorgonzola. The honey went really well with it too - nice balance of flavors.

Dijon Garlic Chicken

2011-04-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

I came across this recipe in the blog So Tasty, So Yummy several months ago. Can it get any easier than marinating chicken overnight, then baking it the next day?

When I make chicken, I usually go crazy trying to create flavor - I either stuff it, coat it, pan roast it then make a pan sauce, or make some other sort of sauce. So the simplicity of this recipe intrigued me, but also made me doubt that it could be all that good. Well, it proved me wrong - it was absolutely fabulous. Full of flavor and juicy, and easy on top of that.

I made slight adjustments to the amounts, as seen below, with any other changes in italics.

Ingredients

3 large chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c Dijon mustard
1/4 c dry white wine
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce (I always use low sodium soy sauce)
1 tsp Tabasco
A few pinches each: dried thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, and a touch of salt (instead of using Herbs de Provence, as the original recipe noted)

Mix all of the ingredients, pour them over a single layer of chicken in a bowl, cover, and marinate overnight. Cook in the oven on 425 for 25-30 minutes, until the juices run clear.

Recipe Swap: Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

2011-04-02T20:00:00.010-04:00

I participated in a recipe swap last week - the focus was on pasta recipes. I was given a recipe for Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola shared by the author of the blog, So Tasty, So Yummy. Here is a link to all of the recipes shared in the pasta swap.

When I first read the recipe title I had no idea what it was, but as I read the recipe, I got really excited. A slow cooked vodka sauce, made in the oven?? I was intrigued. The recipe starts off with about 20 minutes of active cooking, then cooks in the oven for 90 minutes, then finishes with another 5 minutes of active cooking, so it is really pretty easy. And the mouth-watering smells that will come from your kitchen for those 90 minutes make it all worth it!

I followed the recipe almost exactly. Any changes are noted in italics below.

Ingredients

1/4 c good olive oil
1 medum Spanish onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 c vodka
2 28-oz cans whole peeled plum tomatoes
Kosher salt (used 2 pinches)
Freshly ground black pepper (used just 4 turns of the pepper mill)
1 lb penne pasta
4 tbsp fresh oregano, roughly chopped
3/4 to 1 c heavy cream
Grated Parmesan cheese
Added: pinch of sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan (I used my Dutch oven) over medium heat; add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes until transluscent. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half (about 5 minutes).
Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve, then crush them into the pan with your hands (once the vodka mixture has reduced by half). Note: I saved the tomato juices because I thought I might need them later on. I ended up adding about 1/2 c of the juices to the sauce at the end).
Add salt and black pepper. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. This is when I actually placed it over low heat and added 1/2 c of the tomato juice.
Cook the pasta, drain.
Place the tomato mixture into a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan. Note: I used my handheld immersion blender and roughly pureed it in the Dutch oven. I still had a few chunks, which I like.
Reheat the sauce, add 2 tbsp fresh oregano, and enough heavy cream to make it a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add Parmesan cheese. At this point I tasted it and it was very tangy, so I added a pinch of sugar.
Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Note: I did not toss the pasta in the sauce. Instead I let everyone take the sauce they wanted. Every can then garnish with more Parmesan and fresh oregano.

I absolutely loved this! It was so rich and concentrated, and although my grandmother did not make vodka sauce, it really tasted a lot like her delicious tomato sauce. Definitely give this one a shot! Great Sunday meal.

Chicken in a Lemon-Dill Broth

2011-03-24T20:21:00.000-04:00

Remember I said I love how versatile chicken is? Well I really meant it, because here it is, another chicken recipe. I made this up as I went along - perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For seasong chicken: approximately 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 sm onion, diced
1/4 c white wine
1 c chicken broth
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
Pinch of dill and salt for the sauce
1 tbsp butter (optional, to thicken sauce)

Ingredients

Season both sides of the chicken breasts with the dried dill, coriander, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat
Add chicken; cook 3-4 minutes per side, transfer to oven to finish cooking for just a few minutes (in a separate dish).
Add a touch of olive oil to the pan
Add garlic and onions, saute 2 minutes
Add white wine, stir, scraping up brown bits
Add broth, lemon, dill, and salt. Bring to a simmer
Whisk in butter
Return chicken to the pan
Serve over pasta

Balsamic-Dijon Chicken with Mushrooms

2011-03-09T20:16:00.001-05:00

I think it's funny when I look at my blog and see that I have 90 chicken recipes. 90? Poor Jon - he's not the biggest chicken fan, but I keep surprising him with new recipes, and he keeps eating them.

Before I got into cooking several years ago, I never would have thought I could make chicken 90 different ways. But now that I have, I love how versatile it is, and keep looking for new inspiration and recipes. You can use chicken in so many different ways, so many different cuisines, and with so many different ingredients. And the recipes are usually pretty quick and easy, even with a nice sauce and good flavor. Chicken doesn't have to be boring!!

That's why chicken ends up on my menu at least once, sometimes two times, a week. Several weeks ago, I came across this recipe for Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms. I made very minor changes, and thought the Dijon taste was pretty strong (in a good way), so renamed it Balsamic-Dijon Chicken with Mushrooms.

Ingredients (I used 2 breasts so I cut the recipe below in half)

2 tsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2)
4 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
Salt and pepper
2 cups small mushrooms, quartered (I used crimini mushrooms)
1/3 c chicken broth
1/3 c white wine
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

Directions (written in my own words)

Heat half of the oil in a saute pan
Mix 2 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and garlic in a bowl.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then pour the balsamic-Dijon mixture onto the chicken, coating both sides.
Add the chicken to the pan, and saute until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Add the remaining oil to the pan.
Add the mushrooms and thyme; saute for 1-2 minutes
Add the wine; stir, scraping up any brown bits. Add the broth and the rest of the balsamic. Bring to a simmer. Adjust seasonings.
Return chicken to the pan and let simmer another minute.

We both liked this - nice earthy flavors and super easy.

Hoisin Braised Short Ribs

2011-03-02T12:00:00.004-05:00

This was a great recipe for New Year's Eve. Yes, that's when we made these short ribs and I'm just getting around to blogging them. Anyway, this dish was the perfect recipe for what we wanted - could start it early, it braised for a few hours, and then was ready to eat when we were ready - after the baby was in bed. And the fact that it was absolutely delicious helps, too.

I found the recipe for these short ribs in the How to Cook Like a Top Chef cookbook - it was Hosea's recipe. There are so many things in that book that I would love to cook! The short ribs recipe can be found online here.

I have to admit that Jon did most of the work while I took care of the baby and put her to bed. He did a great job!

We followed the recipe almost exactly - changes noted in italics below.

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless beef short ribs (we used bone-in short ribs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 c chopped onion
1 c peeled and chopped carrots
1 c chopped celery
1/4 c tomato paste
1 c dry red wine
2 c beef stock or low sodium beef broth
1 1/2 c hoisin sauce
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 c fresh orange juice (sorry, we didn't squeeze our own juice! Used store bought)
2 c water
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh time, a few sprigs reserved (we used dry, worked fine, but we didn't have the sprigs to use as a garnish at the end)

Directions

Pat the short ribs dry and season with salt and pepper.
In a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium high heat. Sear the short ribs to brown them on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, and then remove them from the pan. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pot.
Add the onions, carrots, celery and saute until caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes.
Push aside the onion mixture, add the tomato paste, and brown for 2 to 3 minutes.
Mix in the onion mixture, add the red wine, and stir to scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Reduce the sauce until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Add the beef stock, hoisin, brown sugar, orange juice, water, thyme leaves, and bring to a simmer.
Put the ribs back in the pot, cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise the ribs until they are very tender, about 3 hours, checking the pot and stirring every hour.
Transfer the ribs to a platter and keep warm.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a medium saucepan. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then reheat the sauce.
To serve, divide the short ribs among 4 dinner plates. Top with the sauce and garnish with the thyme sprigs.

We served the short ribs over mashed potatoes and with garlic sauteed spinach. The sauce on the ribs was so delicious that I could have licked my plate. I loved everything about this meal!

We enjoyed dinner with a bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine really stood up to the beef, and the peppery hints paired perfectly with the dish.

Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans

2011-02-12T18:24:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I had fish on the menu for Jon which means tofu for me. I asked him to pick up a veg at the market, and he came home with string beans, something I don't normally associate with tofu. That is, until I came across this recipe... I think it's my new favorite tofu recipe. I found a recipe for Oriental Green Beans and Tofu, and changed it up a bit, calling it Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans. See the link above for the original recipe.

Ingredients

1 block of tofu, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp hoisin
1.5 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp dry cooking sherry
2 tsp chili garlic paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
Large handful of fresh green beans, trimmed into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 small onion, sliced (same length as green beans)
1/2 can water chestnuts, sliced (similar to the onions and green beans - I like everything cut the same way - cooks better, nicer to eat, and is pleasing to the eye)
1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth (I always use low-sodium broth)

Directions

Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok
Add tofu; cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add a touch more olive oil to the pan.
Add garlic and onions, saute 1-2 minutes.
Add water chestnuts and green beans, saute 1-2 minutes.
Mix hoisin, brown sugar, soy sauce, sherry, chili garlic paste, and broth. Add to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Return tofu to the pan; let cook a few minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer if you want the sauce to thicken.
Serve over rice or noodles.

Delicious way to enjoy tofu, and to incorporate a veggie I wouldn't normally have enjoyed with tofu! A touch sweet with a nice, spicy kick - just the way I like it.

Pork Medallions in a Creamy Porcini Sauce

2011-01-29T15:00:00.002-05:00

Wild, earthy mushrooms, black pepper and whiskey - I love those flavors together. This pork dish is my own creation, inspired by my Filet with a Whiskey Reduction as well as my Filet Au Poivre.

Ingredients

2 boneless pork chops or 1 small pork tenderloin, cubed into medallions
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried thyme
Olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
6 dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 c whiskey
1/4 c brandy
1/4 c light cream

Directions

Place mushrooms in a cup of hot water; let sit to rehydrate. Remove from the water and chop, reserving the water.
Season pork medallions generously with black pepper, then thyme, then salt (just a few pinches salt)
Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat
Add pork and cook approximately 2 min per side until all sides are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. If the pork is still not cooked through. Transfer the pan to a 400 degree oven until just cooked, remembering it will continue to cook as it rests. Transfer the pork to a dish and keep warm.

Add another tbsp oil to the pan
Add shallots and mushrooms, saute 2-3 min
Add the whiskey and brandy, let simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring to scrape up the brown bits.
Add a small amount of the mushroom water (maybe 3 tbsp); reduce heat and add the cream; bring to a slow simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Optional: whisk in 1 tbsp butter.
Serve sauce over pork.

Barley Pilaf with Porcini Mushrooms

2011-01-11T15:43:00.001-05:00

Barley is a wonderful grain as it is packed with fiber (so it fills you up), is low in fat, and is cholesterol free. But alone it's a little boring, in my opinion.

I came across a recipe for Barley Mushroom Pilaf on Barleyfoods.org. Looked interesting, but I'm not a fan of rosemary so I changed it a bit. See the link above for the original recipe.

Ingredients

6 dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in a small amount of boiling water (4 minutes) then chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 c pearl barley
3 c chicken or vegetable broth (I used 2.5 c low chicken broth, and .5 c of the water after rehydrating the mushrooms
2 chopped green onions
2 pinches dried thyme
Pinch of salt; freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat olive oil in a saucepan
Add rehydrated mushrooms, saute 2-3 minutes
Add green mushrooms, barley, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir until everything is nicely mixed and coated.
Add broth and water; reduce heat to low, cover, simmer for 45 minutes (mine was done in about 35)
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

This is a very earthy, delicious, and filling side dish -I'll be making this one again!

Chicken-Parsnip Soup

2011-01-05T16:25:00.000-05:00

Sunday used to be my day to spend in the kitchen, and I would always make a soup. I'm trying to get back to that, at least the soup part, anyway.

I stumbled across this recipe for Chicken-Parsnip Soup when browsing the Cooking Light web site. I liked that it was a different, non-traditional chicken soup, and using garbanzo beans was interesting to me. The result - one of my new favorite soups! Flavorful, light, but filling at the same time.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
2 parsnips, thinly and diagonally sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 oz gourmet mushrooms (I used about 5 white mushrooms, sliced - I think the flavor of porcini or shiitake mushrooms would be too heavy for this soup)
1 garlic clove, minced
2.5 cups fat free, lower sodium chicken broth (I used 4 cups low sodium and omitted the water)
1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 c shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (I didn't do this; instead I seasoned a boneless, skinless chicken breast with a touch of Kosher salt, pepper, and thyme and roasted it until done, then shredded it)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp hot sauce (I omitted this)
1 thyme sprig (I used a pinch of dried thyme as well as the thyme I used to season the chicken breast)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Heat oil in a large pot
Add shallots, garlic, mushrooms, and parsnips; saute 3 minutes
Add broth, chickpeas, chicken, pepper, salt, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes or until parsnips are tender.
Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2010-12-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm still here and am still cooking!! I never knew how busy things would get with a little one in the house (so much fun!!!). But we have still been doing a lot of cooking - I just haven't taken the time to experiment with new ideas or recipes. Every now and then I do, like on my dad's birthday back in October (yes, this is a post from October finally making it to my blog in December!).

Better than PF Changs - that is what we all said about these Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I always liked the wraps at PF Changs, until I made my own, that is. I went to PF Changs a week after making these, and I was not impressed! Their wraps are much saltier, and the chicken mixture has a heavy soy flavor. The wraps I made had more flavor depth and were much lighter and fresher.

I used this recipe from Wasabimom.com, a gluten-free cooking site. To see the original recipe with gluten-free substitutions, see the link above.

The Pouring Sauce

1/4 c sugar
1/2 c warm water
2 tbsp soy sauce (I used low sodium)
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp hot water
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in 1/2 c warm water. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, and sesame oil. Mix well and throw in fridge until ready to it. Before serving, combine the hot water, Dijon, and garlic - you can add this to the pouring sauce 1 spoonful at a time to taste.

The Stir Fry Sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce (I used low sodium)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Mix in a small bowl and set aside.

Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes. I chopped mine even smaller than that.
1 8-oz can water chestnuts, chopped into pieces the size of corn kernels
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped (Basically I chopped my chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and onion to pieces of the same size)
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 large leaves iceberg or Napa cabbage

Cooking the Chicken Stir Fry:

Heat oils in a large saute pan or wok until glistening
Add the chicken and cook until mostly cooked, about 5 minutes (max.. mine took less time)
Turn the heat down to medium-high, add another tbsp oil, then add the onions, garlic, water chestnuts, mushrooms. Saute 1 minute then add the stir fry sauce.
Cook about 4 minutes and transfer to a serving dish.
Serve 1-2 spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in a piece of lettuce. Yum!

These wraps disappeared in a matter of minutes. My only suggestion for next time - make more!!!

Asian Orzo

2010-10-16T16:36:00.000-04:00

I never would have thought to cook orzo pasta with Asian flavors and ingredients, but it totally worked! This is my new favorite orzo dish, and is a great side with Asian marinated meats, like the grilled marinated pork tenderloin I served this with. It's also a nice alternative to noodles or rice when you need a side for an Asian dinner.

Inspiration - this recipe from the Easy Gourmet Dinners web site. I changed up the cooking method and added a few ingredients so my variation is below.

Ingredients

1 c dry orzo pasta
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar

Directions

Heat olive oil in a small pot
Add onion, saute 3-4 minutes or until soft.
Add orzo, toss to coat/toast for 1 minute
Mix the broth with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Add the broth mixture to the pot, stir, bring to a simmer then lower heat and cover.
Cook on low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes or until done. The broth should just be absorbed as the pasta finishes cooking.
Stir to fluff and serve.

Great marinade for pork

2010-10-16T15:25:00.000-04:00

No picture, just a quick post to share this amazing marinade.

I actually made it, not my master-of-marinades husband, although he was giving me suggestions while I was mixing. We marinated the pork tenderloin for 8 hours before Jon grilled it.

Mix all ingredients together and pour over the tenderloin in a ziploc bag. Note, amounts are approximate, and this was for 1 small tenderloin.

1/3 c olive oil
3 tbsp soy sauce (I always use low sodium soy sauce)
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp onion powder

Chicken with Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms

2010-10-11T10:02:00.001-04:00

Quick and easy with a lot of flavor - that's the name of the game these days. Oh, and it helps if we can eat it with one hand while holding a baby in the other.

I threw this dish together because I had some mushrooms leftover. Amounts are approximate.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts sliced into strips
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 sm onion, sliced
Handful of mushrooms, sliced
White wine, about 3 tbsp
1 c chicken broth
Salt, pepper, thyme, paprika
Olive oil

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat
Season chicken with salt, pepper, a touch of thyme, and paprika. Add to pan and cook until just about cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.
Move chicken to sides of pan and add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms, Saute 2 minutes.
Deglaze pan with the white wine
Add chicken broth, adjust seasonings, and let come to a simmer. Lower heat and let it cook another few minutes to thicken. Serve over rice.

Chicken Stuffed with Golden Onions and Fontina Cheese

2010-09-26T08:20:00.001-04:00

This is another dish I made several weeks ago but am just now getting around to blogging. I do remember that it was delicious! I have a new love for Fontina cheese after eating this chicken. It is creamy, light, and slightly nutty, and worked well for stuffing chicken. A few nights later I used it to make a cream sauce for pasta - sweet, creamy, and smooth, not too salty.

I found this recipe on the Eating Well web site, and of course made a few changes. My version is below.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts; cut a pocket in each
2.5 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/3 c shredded Fontina cheese
1 small shallot, chopped
1/4 c dry white wine
1 c low-sodium chicken broth mixed with 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch
salt and pepper
Flour, egg, breadcrumbs (the original recipe did not call for breading the chicken, but I was in the mood for breaded chicken. The recipe would work either way.)

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and season with half of the thyme. Cook slowly until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, mix with the Fontina cheese, and set aside.
Stuff each chicken breast with half of the onion/cheese mixture. If you are breading the chicken, season it with salt and pepper, dip in flour, egg, then breadcrumbs. If you aren't breading it, just season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan used to cook the onions. Add the chicken and cook over medium high heat until done, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a dish and keep warm.
Add 0.5 tbsp oil to the pan; add shallots and cook 2 minutes.
Add wine and remaining thyme to the pan and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Add broth/flour mixture (make sure it is thoroughly whisked and smooth first). Let reduce 2-3 minutes. Serve sauce over the chicken.

I really enjoyed this chicken dish. The Fontina cheese worked well with the caramelized onions, and the thyme in the sauce brought the right aroma to the dish. Jon suggested adding some bacon next time... we all know bacon makes everything better! I agree that it would work well with this chicken.

Grilled Cauliflower

2010-09-22T10:32:00.003-04:00

Nothing says summer like grilled veggies! And this summer we experimenting with grilling everything - it made life easy and we discovered that pretty much any veggies can be grilled. Well, except radishes... I read about grilled radishes in a magazine several months ago so I wanted to give it a shot. Big fail!

Cauliflower was one veggie that we loved on the grill. I made a foil packet, tossed the cauliflower with olive oil, salt, and pepper and tossed it on the grill for about 8 minutes. It was tender, sweet, and slightly caramelized - just delicious!

Lemon-Honey Chicken

2010-09-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

Is anybody out there? I know it's been a while, but I hope you are sticking with me! I promise there will be a lot of yummy things coming out of my kitchen again soon.

I can't believe our baby girl is 10 weeks old already - time is flying and life is crazy, but wonderful. Believe it or not, Jon and I have done a lot of cooking since becoming a family of three. Thank goodness for the grill - Jon has been marinating and grilling like crazy, and our meals have mostly consisted of grilled meats, grilled veggies, and easy sides, like baked potatoes, orzo, pasta, rice, or noodles. I have also been cooking meals that we love from my blog, so I haven't had anything new to write about here.

The biggest change in our kitchen is that we usually have to eat one at a time, or cut our food quickly so we can hold our baby girl. Why is it that she can be sound asleep, but as soon as she hears our plates hit the table, she's awake and screaming? And it doesn't matter if we eat at 6, 7, or 8, she knows when it is dinner time.

Ok, back to the food. I did make a few new meals over the summer, one of them being this Lemon-Honey Chicken. Actually, I made it a month ago, but am just now getting around to posting! I bookmarked the recipe a while back when I saw it here on the blog Closet Cooking. I made a few changes, so my version is below.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Flour for dredging
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tbsp honey (I used 1 tbsp)
Added: 2 small cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c chicken stock (I used about 3/4 c)

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper, coat with flour, shaking off excess
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over high heat
Add the chicken and cook for 2 min per side, lower heat, and cook another few minutes per side until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a dish and keep warm.
Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan over medium high heat
Add ginger and garlic; saute until fragrant
Add the lemon zest, juice, honey, and stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce to thicken.
Serve sauce over the chicken (I made this a month ago so I can't remember exactly, but I am pretty sure I returned the chicken to the pan for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking).

This dish was very fragrant, actually a bit too much for Jon's tastes (too much ginger and still too sweet, even with just 1 tbsp of the honey). I agree with him on the ginger, so next time I'll use less, but I did like the sweetness from the honey mixed with the brightness from the lemon.

Easy Peach Cobbler

2010-07-18T08:37:00.000-04:00

This summer has been crazy hot. I knew it would be a hot summer since I was pregnant and due at the end of July - figures, right? On July 7 it was around 100 degrees and humid and I was due in 3 weeks. I had a client meeting during the day, and was exhausted that night, but craving baked peaches. I had been thinking of my grandmom's amazing peach pie for days, but no way was I up for making a pie. I did have some peaches hanging around, so I decided to make an easy peach cobbler.

I'm nuts - 100 degrees, 9 months pregnant, and turning on my oven to bake?!? And that was after tearing apart my kitchen and cleaning like crazy. Little did I know that I was nesting - I went into labor just over 24 hours after taking that cobbler out of the oven. While in the hospital waiting to have our baby girl, all I could think of was that cobbler sitting in my fridge, so the next day I had Jon bring me a piece - SO much better than hospital food!

Easy peach cobbler - recipe from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

For the peaches:

8 peaches, pitted and sliced. The recipe noted they should be peeled too - I didn't have the energy or patience for that and they were just fine!
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (I didn't have any and didn't miss it)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch

For the crust:

1 c flour
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 c boiling water
3 tbsp white sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the peaches. Toss to coat, then pour into a baking dish. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine some of the ingredients for the crust: flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Finally, stir in the water until just combined.
Remove the peaches from the oven and drop spoonfulls of the crust mixture over the top. Sprinkle the entire cobbler with the sugar/cinnamon mixture and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.

This recipe was quick and easy, especially for someone who doesn't like to bake. It completely satisfied my craving for peach pie, although nothing will ever be as good as my grandmom's! I'm looking forward to making this in the fall with apples - Jon will love that one.

Be back soon....

2010-07-17T19:45:00.004-04:00

I haven't been in the kitchen for the past week, but I have a good reason. Jon and I welcomed our baby girl to the world on Friday, July 9! She's amazing and we are so in love with her!

I have an easy peach cobbler, a chicken pasta dish, and a fabulous Mexican dip to blog, and I promise I'll get to it eventually. And I'm looking forward to getting back in the kitchen as soon as we are in more of a routine and not totally sleep deprived!

So stay tuned, there's much more to come!

South of the Border Pasta Salad

2010-06-20T14:09:00.009-04:00

This pasta salad is the perfect addition to any barbecue or picnic menu. It is bright, zesty, and colorful, and just a little different than your traditional pasta salad. I threw this together based on my love of Mexican flavors and ingredients, and everyone loved it.

The Salad
Mix all ingredients, toss with just a touch of olive oil, and chill in the fridge until ready to dress (1 hour before serving).

1 lb rotini, cooked and rinsed under cold water
Chopped bell peppers - I used 1 each of a green, red, and orange pepper
2 tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 c frozen corn
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
For serving: bowl of shredded Mexican blend cheese
Optional: cilantro for topping (I completely forgot to put this out!)

The Dressing

Mix all ingredients* and chill until ready to dress. Shake well before pouring onto pasta salad.

3/4 c olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1.5 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed

* Note, my amounts are approximate. The oil, lime juice, and garlic are exact amounts; others were added and adjusted as I mixed. I recommend you start adding ingredients slowly and taste as you go.

For another unique pasta salad, check out my antipasto pasta salad.

Saucy Broccoli and Tofu Stir Fry

2010-06-19T09:13:00.006-04:00

I love to read recipes.. that's right, I read the ingredients, directions, and can usually tell what I think will work, how it will taste, and what changes I could make either to make it better or suit my tastes. That is until I stumbled across this recipe for Saucy Broccoli and Tofu Stir Fry (original recipe from Martin Yan's China). And that's because one of the ingredients was ketchup. But the blog author assured me that ketchup in Chinese food worked so I gave it a shot.

I'm glad I did - this was a thick and flavorful sauce that coated the tofu and broccoli nicely, ensuring I got a nice taste of sauce with every bite.

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp oil for cooking
1 block firm tofu, pressed and cut into blocks
2-3 cups broccoli, cut into florets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 c Chinese rice wine
1/4 c chicken broth (I used vegetable broth, and about 1/2 c)
2 tsp cornstarch
1-2 tbsp chili garlic sauce (depends on how much heat you want)
1/2 tbsp sugar
Squirt of toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce, more to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat
Add tofu and cook until browned to your liking; I cooked it for about 10 minutes.
While the tofu is cooking, mix the ingredients for the sauce - Mix the broth and soy sauce; add the cornstarch and mix until dissolved. Add the ketchup, rice wine, chili garlic sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Whisk, and adjust any ingredients.
Add the broccoli to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes; it will cook more once you add the sauce. Remove everything from the pan.
Turn up the heat to high and add 1 tbsp oil. Add the garlic and saute just a few seconds, making sure it doesn't burn.
Add the sauce mixture, and allow it to reduce/come to a simmer to thicken which will only take a few minutes.
Return the tofu and broccoli to the pan and toss everything to coat and heat through.

I served this over rice, and it made enough to have dinner, lunch the next day, and then a mid-afternoon snack.

Crispy Chicken Fingers

2010-06-16T20:45:00.004-04:00

Last week I defrosted 1 chicken breast for myself, but had no idea what to do with it. I was tired, so something quick and easy was a must. I decided to slice the breast and bread the pieces for chicken fingers. A salad and oven baked fries and my meal was complete!

Crispiness is a must when making chicken fingers. I achieve it by doing a few things. First, repeat the process of dipping the chicken in flour then egg twice. Second, I use a mixture of panko bread crumbs and regular bread crumbs. Finally, I spray the chicken with just a touch of cooking spray and turn on the broiler at the end of the cooking time.

These chicken fingers were the crispiest, most delicious I have made. I dipped them in a bit of ranch dressing when eating htem; honey mustard, a creamy garlic dip, or a homemade barbecue sauce would work well, too.

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, sliced into strips and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper
First bowl: Flour - about 3 tbsp
Second bowl: 2 eggs mixed with some light cream
Third bowl: Bread crumbs mixed with panko. I seasoned the bread crumb mixture with a pinch of thyme, a few shakes each of onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, and dried parsley. I also added about a handful of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees; put foil on a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray.
Dredge each strip of chicken in flour, dip in egg, repeat. Transfer to bowl of breading and toss around until fully coated. Place on the cookie sheet.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until fully cooked, flipping once. Turn on the broiler for 2 minutes at the end.