Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

I know! I know! You've been sitting there waiting with baited breath to find out what delicious dishes I've made over the past couple of days.

Well, wait no longer.  I made Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce for my Christmas eve dinner. It's a Pioneer Woman recipe and it was FANTASTIC. It's easy and tasty! I give it 5 stars!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
Recipe from Pioneer Woman
Serves 4

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
• Fresh Basil, Chopped
• 1-½ pound Fettuccine

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, let it sit for a bit and then stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Flank Steak Skewers with Chimichurri

I'm a fan of flank steak.  It gets expensive though.  Thankfully as a single person buying one flank steak really means 4 meals - give or take.

This particular meal I didn't actually have flank steak. It was TOO expensive at the store, so I used skirt steak in it's place.  Which I often do. 

This dish was super flavorful.  I particularly liked the Chimichurri sauce - even though I dressed it up more with lime juice.  I can't help it...I have to change the recipes.  I try, sometimes very hard, to stay within the boundaries of the recipes, but it's so difficult for me. 

Anyhow, this is a super easy main dish.  If I did it again, I'd ignore the skewer part. That, to me, is really about the appearance. And when it's just me...I don't so much care.

Do you know what Chimichurri sauce is?  It's from Argentina and is often used for dipping grilled meats.  I've had it a couple of times on beef, and as a dipping sauce for things like empenadas.  It's great. You'll love it.

Flank Steak Skewers with Chimichurri
Recipe from Cuisine Tonight - Grilling
Makes 8 skewers


For the Chimichurri:

• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 scallions
• 1 clove garlic (it should be a medium size)
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste

For the steak:

• 1 1/2 lb flank steak, trimmed
• 1 T each - ground cumin, and dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp each - ground coriander, salt, and black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3 T fresh lime juice
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 16 cherry tomatoes (shocking, but I used mushrooms instead)

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Puree parsley, cilantro, scallions, garlic and vinegar in a food processor.  With the processor running, drizzle in the oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  The consistency should be like pesto.

Slice steak against the grain into sixteen 1/4 inch thick strips; set aside.

Combine the cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small bowl. Whisk in lime juice and vegetable oil and toss steak strips.

Place a cherry tomato on each of the 8 1 inch skewers.  Thread two steak strips on each skewer, folding strips accordion style. Spread strips along length of the skewer.  Place a cherry tomato at the end.

Grill skewers, covered, over direct heat for 2 minutes. Turn skewers and grill for 2 minutes more. (grill longer if you like your meat more well done).

Remove skewers from grill, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with chimichurri sauce on the side.

Grilled Chicken Caesar with Bacon Herb Parmesan "Croutons"

I like making salads.  I really like salads that have a lot of little viddles with them. Somehow it doesn't seem much like a salad.

This recipe is a Rachael Ray recipe out of one of her cook books.  It was good. Relatively easy...the best part was the "croutons".

This recipe does take some planning so be sure to read the entire recipe.

Grilled Chicken Caesar with Bacon Herb Parmesan "Croutons"
Recipe from Rachael Ray

Serves 4

• 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 T Fresh flat leave parsley, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 8 thin chicken breast cutlets
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Romaine lettuce hearts, roughly chopped
• 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Preheat your oven to 400F. Preheat your grill at the same time.

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat with 1 T of oil.  Add the chopped bacon and cook until really crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel.  NOTE:  I bought precooked bacon and used it. It seemed to work just as well.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the grated cheese with the chopped parsley and cooled bacon.  Mix to distribute the bacon and parsley evenly.  Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Pour the cheese mixture out onto the center of the baking sheet and with your fingers, spread out the cheese in an even and very thin layer.  Give the pan a little shake to help you even it out.  This way you will have a lacy web when the cheese melts. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 3-4 minutes, turning the pan midway through.  WATCH the cheese.  4 minutes goes fast.  NOTE:  mine took longer than 4 minutes. At 4 minutes I kept checking the cheese every 30 seconds or so.

While the cheese is baking, prepare the chicken and Caesar dressing.

In a shallow dish combine half of the chopped garlic, half of the lemon juice, salt and pepper and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Add the chicken cutlets and toss completely coating them.  Place the chicken on the hot grill and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the grill.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining chopped garlic, remaining lemon juice, the Dijon mustard, the Worcestershire sauce and lots of freshly ground pepper.  Whisk in about 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and stir to combine. In a salad bowl combine the lettuces and the hard boiled egg (I chopped mine up). Dress with the Caesar dressing.

To serve, slice the chicken into thin strips and divide among the 4 plates.  Top with the salad that's already dressed. Gingerly remove the Parmesan from the pan, pulling on the corners of the parchment paper to help lift it up and out. With your hands, crack the baked cheese into "croutons" into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Garnish the salad with the croutons and serve.

Hazelnut Crusted Chicken

Chicken gets boring for me.  So I am frequently on the search for a new recipe that will spice chicken up a bit.

I tried making Nutella fudge this past weekend - what a disaster - and so had some left over hazelnuts.  Stumbled onto this recipe in my brandy snifter of recipes. 

It was good. I couldn't be bothered with the Gorgonzola sauce, so I just had the chicken.  It was tasty. I'm not very good at sauteing a chicken in a skillet and then plopping it in the oven.  I usually burn said chicken. And this time was no different. My hazelnuts, we could say, were very toasted.

If you like hazelnuts you'll like this.  It adds a nice, yet flavorful crust to the chicken. And what the heck, step out some and try the Gorgonzola sauce.

Hazelnut Crusted Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce
Serves 4

• 2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, available on baking aisle
• 4 (6-ounce) pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup Gorgonzola
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves, plus extra for garnish – substitute 1 teaspoon dried sage and stir into sauce, if fresh is not available

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix flour, poultry seasoning and garlic powder in a dish. Beat egg whites in a shallow plate or bowl. Place hazelnuts on a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on a cutting board or work surface.

Preheat a nonstick skillet with oven safe handle over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn in flour to dust the breasts, then turn in egg whites, then press breasts into nuts on both sides. Wash hands. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and add chicken. Brown the nuts and chicken 2 minutes on each side then transfer to the oven and finish cooking the chicken through, about 8 minutes.

In a small pot, warm milk over medium heat. Add cheese and melt it into the milk. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped sage and simmer 5 minutes.

To serve, place chicken on plates and pour a couple of spoons of the Gorgonzola sauce over the center of each piece. Garnish with chopped sage.

Puerto Rican Chicken Stew

I've never been to Puerto Rico. I've tried many of their dishes and often wonder what they taste like IN Puerto Rico.  Some day maybe.

This dish was super easy to throw together. And the bonus of it all was it was tasty.

I had a heck of a time finding Annatto.  Turns out in Redmond, Wa you can't find annatto.  I need to track down a spice store around here that might have some off the shelf spices.

I did, however, Google it and found that Goya's Sazon Flavor packets work.  I used Sazón with Coriander and Annatto.  Could I tell it added flavor? Not sure.  If I made this stew again, I'd probably forget this ingredient.

I also don't like mushy rice.  Unfortunately, I had mushy rice in this dish.  If I make it again, I'd make the rice separately then add it in the end. 

Still, it was good and flavorful and worth a try.

Puerto Rican Chicken Stew
Serves 6

• 4 cups Low sodium Chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (yah, I so didn't include this)
• 1/2 cup diced pepperoncinis (I didn't add these either. I forgot to get them).
• 1/2 cup chopped pimiento stuffed green olives
• 2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 T White wine vinegar
• 1 T capers
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp annatto (I used one packet of the Goya seasoning
• 3 lbs bone in chicken thighs, skin removed (yah, so don't like dark meat. did chicken breasts and they stayed quite moist)
• 1/2 cup long grain white rice

Combine broth through everything in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook until chicken is tender - 3.5 to 4.5 hours. 

Stir in rice. Cover; cook until rice is tender, on low heat setting for 20-30 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Nutella Fudge

It shouldn't be surprising to anyone who reads this blog that I made Nutella fudge this year. Nutella seems to be my flavor of choice for the last several months.  It's delicious. 

The work team went to lunch on Friday and we had a little cup of goodness, Nutella and espresso.  Oh my goodness it was good.  So that got me thinking I needed to make some Nutella fudge. 

Which turned out more like a big brick of Nutella and hazelnuts.  It was rock hard! I have no idea what, exactly, went wrong with it.  I'm determined to make this fudge correctly. I'm sure it will be good. The brick was good, just more like hard candy.  And yes, I used a candy thermometer and yes, I boiled the sugar etc to soft ball.  That was my first thought was maybe I cooked it too long. 

Anyhow, here's the recipe. Enjoy! And good luck. If you make it, can you let me know if it turns out okay?

Nutella Fudge

• 3 cups sugar
• 1/2 stick real butter
• 5 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 13 oz. jar of Nutella Chocolate hazelnut spread
• 2- 1.55 oz. Hershey's milk chocolate bars, broken
• 1 cup roasted chopped hazelnuts (pecans or walnuts may be substituted)

Take a9" x 9" pan, lined with parchment paper (you can use foil and butter if you want)

Combine sugar, butter, salt, and milk in heavy 2 1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for about 4 or 5 minutes or until candy reaches 240 degrees F.

Remove from heat. Stir in broken chocolate, Nutella Spread, and chopped toasted nuts. Stir for a couple minutes until the candy is smooth and creamy.

Spread in prepared 9" x 9" pan. Cool and cut into 1" squares.

Note: If you read the recipe correctly you'll see the ingredients calls for vanilla - yet the directions don't.  I put the vanilla in when I put in the Nutella chocolate and nuts.

Good luck!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

I love chocolate covered cherries.  Its a tradition that I get them every year from my folks.  I could, right now, sit down and eat a good portion of a box. I'd feel sicker than sick, but I'd do it.

When I found these cookies I knew I had to try them.  KNEW it. And let me tell you, they do not disappoint. We have a cookie exchange tomorrow at work...I hope everyone likes them. If not, more for me.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen...depends on how big you make the cookies.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).


2.Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until smooth. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased

3.Drain cherries and reserve juice. Place a cherry in indentation of each cookie ball.

4.In a saucepan, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. (More cherry juice may be added to keep frosting of spreading consistency.)

5.Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Side Note:  I didn't like adding the chocolate on top of the cherrie before cookie.  I did a batch where I did that, but the chocolate just melted away.  So I added an extra dallop after they cooled.  The second batch I didn't add any and added a dallop as soon as I took them out of the oven. Those turned out the best.

Lacquered Short Ribs with Spicy Ginger Sauce

I have a confession.  I've never EVER made short ribs.  I know. Weird considering I'm a cook...but I've never felt like it was something I could do successfully (my dad is Rib Master in our family - all ribs) that I've just not done it.

I secretly collect recipes for ribs though thinking, maybe, one day I'll be brave.

Last night I was brave.

Blueberry came over to do some Christmas stuff and I decided yesterday was the day.  I dusted off the crock pot, again, and put this recipe to work.

Can I just say....Blueberry and I just sat for the first several bits and made sounds like "mmmm", "oh yum" and "OMG these are good..."  We talked with our mouths opened and we were in heaven with these ribs. 

So go out there, buy some beef short ribs and make this recipe.

One side note, it calls for 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce - that was a bit too much for me. It was spicy. I'd cut that in half the next time I make this. And I will make this again.

The size of the short ribs will determine how long they need to cook. Served with steamed rice or stir-fried noodles, this dish makes a fabulous dinner entrée.

Lacquered Short Ribs with Spicy Ginger Sauce
Makes: 4 servings

Total time: Preparation time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 4-6 hours (high heat) 7-9 hours (low heat)

FOR THE SHORT RIBS—

• 3 lb. beef short ribs, trimmed and seasoned with salt and black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

FOR THE SPICY GINGER SAUCE—

• 1⁄2 cup chopped scallions
• 1⁄4 cup minced fresh ginger
• 1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup Sriracha sauce
• 1⁄4 cup molasses
• 1⁄4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. fennel seed
• 1⁄4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Brown ribs in oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, working in batches if necessary.

Transfer browned ribs to a 4- to 6-qt. slow cooker.

Combine scallions, ginger, brown sugar, vinegar, Sriracha, molasses, hoisin sauce, lime juice, fennel seed, and pepper flakes for the spicy ginger sauce in a measuring cup with a pour spout. Pour sauce over ribs.

Cover slow cooker and cook ribs until tender, on high-heat setting for 4–6 hours or on low-heat setting for 7–9 hours.

Serve sauce over ribs.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

The Seattle Sister In Law was over last night for a much needed night of scrapbooking.  Each time she comes over she's a guinea pig.  She never knows what I'm going to put in front of her, but so far everything I have, she's liked and eaten.

This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe.  Her recipes are hit or miss with me. This one hit.  The house smelled fantastic while it was baking. 

I made a few small changes and I noted them below. Enjoy

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina
Serves 4

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta) - one cup didn't look like enough, so I made two cups
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes) - I think I had two breasts in mine and it was just right
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced - yah right. unless that clove is the size of Kansas. I used about 3 medium cloves
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice - all I had in the cabinet was the Italian diced; I think it worked well
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. 

Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. 

In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Quick Beef Bourguignonne (Beef Burgundy)

That French word has too many letters.  While I appreciate Real Simple being specific, it seems to me that if they title a recipe "quick" they should then make the title short. Just a Jenn Theory.

Anyhow...

I'm IN LOVE with this recipe.

First, I love Beef Burgundy and hate how long it takes to make a good version of it.  The other "quick" versions I've tried just doesn't have the depth of flavor an all day cook has. 

Second, this recipe has that depth of flavor.

It calls for a Campbell soup called Golden Mushroom.  In all my life I've never heard of this soup.  I thought I had memorized ALL the soup possibilities Campbell's pushes out...apparently I had not. 

This soup, I think, is what really adds the depth of flavor to this recipe.  It's going in my "to be tried real soon again" folder. 

You should most definitely try this recipe.  I made egg noodles and put it over the noodles...so glad I did.  The creamy sauce with the noodle...OMG.  Burp!

Quick Beef Bourguignonne

Recipe from Real Simple

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 10-ounce package sliced mushrooms
• 1 16-ounce package frozen pearl onions
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 10.75-ounce can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

1.Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

2.Season the steak with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3.Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

4.Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes.

5.Stir in the soup and ¼ cup water and bring to a boil.

6.Add the steak and the juices from the bowl and simmer, 2 minutes. Divide into individual bowls and sprinkle with the parsley, if using.

Lime Marinated Flank Steak

I find it highly unlikely that I've not tried new recipes for over a month.  Then again, November went by so quickly I could barely tell you what, if anything, I did.  So if I remember any  new recipes I made in November I'll publish them.

Let's just pretend we're starting a new month with new recipes, shall we?

I've tried a lot of "lime-marinated" type marinades and they all taste about the same to me. I'm in search of a marinade that truly has a significant flavor of lime.  This one does, slightly, but not enough lime for this lime lover.

Still, you should try it. It's super easy and flank steak takes well to this type of marinade.  And yes, I fired up the grill in December. I will never understand people who think there is a "grilling season." Year round baby!

Lime Marinated Flank Steak

Recipe from Everyday Food

Serves 4

• 1/3 cup (about 4 limes) freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 scallions (about 1/3 cup), thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
• Vegetable oil, for grates
• Coarse salt and ground black pepper

1.In a resealable plastic bag, combine lime juice, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and red-pepper flakes. Add steak, and seal bag (place in a dish to catch any leaks); marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, up to 1 hour.

2.Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade); season with salt and black pepper. Place on grill; cover. Cook, turning once, until meat reaches desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Chorizo Chili

Oh chorizo! How I love thee!  And to put you into chili, well that just puts my love over the top.

If you've never cooked, or have heard of, chorizo, you're missing out. Its a Mexican sausage that has a ton of flavor (and fat).  Its found mostly in a tube in/around the meat section of most grocery stores - unless you live in the middle of no where. 

I was introduced to chorizo during my exchange student program when I lived in Mexico.  The mother of the family I lived with was a great cook and she cooked with chorizo on a regular basis.  My favorite meal, and I know this will sound weird, was her frying up some chorizo, then potatoes tossed in.  We'd put that goodness into a tortilla and call it an late evening snack.  My mouth is watering just thinking about this.

This chili was HOT.  Way too hot for me and if I did it again I'd leave out the chipotle chilis. While I love them I think their flavor overpowered the chili.  I served this with a bowl of rice to help cut down on the flames that were spewing forth. Still it was really flavorful and filling.

Its a slow cooker meal too. You can either take all day on low, or 3-4 hours on high. I chose the latter...mostly because I got a later start then I had planned.

Chorizo Chili

Serves 6

• 1 lb stew meat
• Salt and pepper
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 can Fire roasted tomatoes (28oz) diced or whole
• 1 can black beans (15 oz) drained and rinsed
• 1 tube Mexican chorizo sausage (10oz)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed (though I don't know why because they'll thaw in the crock pot)
• 2 T minced garlic
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 T minced chipotle chilli's pepper in adobo (you can usually find this on your Mexican food aisle)
• 1 T Ground cumin
• 1 T minced fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried

Season the stew meat with salt and pepper; brown meat in oil in a skillet over medium- high heat for 5 minutes (optional).  I started my chorizo cooking in the skillet and then tossed in the stew meat. I let them cook together for about 5 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients into a slow cooker.  Cover; cook until beef is tender.  High heat 3-4 hours. Low setting 7-8.

Without the chipotles I'm sure this stew wouldn't have been as hot as it was.  So if you're not a heat person, leave those out.

Pork Marsala

I'm a big fan of Marsala. Chicken Marsala is one of my all time favorite dishes.  I've recently re-introduced pork back into my life (long story as to why it left and better left off the blog) and am thrilled that it can be coupled with Marsala wine and taste just as tasty as chicken Marsala.

Super easy recipe with a ton of flavor. If you like just a hint of Marsala flavor back off on the amount. This dish is pretty heavy tasting on the Marsala...which was fine by me.

Smothered Pork Marsala
Recipe from Cuisine at Home Weeknight Menus
Serves 6

For the Pork -

• 1 1/2 lb pork chops, no bone, thin cut
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T butter, divided
• 1/2 cup flour
• Salt and Pepper

For the sauce -

• 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, halved
• 2 T minced shallots
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic (yah right - I used a good heaping tablespoon)
• 1 T flour
• 1/2 cup Marsala
• 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 (I did 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup half and half)
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Pat dry the pork chops.  Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.  Shake excess flour off and set chop aside.

Heat 1 T oil and 1 T butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Sauté chops turning once until meat is brown on both sides, 2-4 minutes per side. Remove pork to a plate, cover meat to keep warm.  Add 1T oil and 1 T butter and sauté remaining pork. 

Add mushrooms to pan; sauté until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add shallots, then 1 T oil and garlic to pan; cook until softened, 2-3 minutes.  Stir in the 1 T flour.  Deglaze the pan with the Marsala, stirring up browned bits from bottom of the pan. Cook sauce until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in half and half; summer 5 minutes. Return meat and juices from the plate; heat through. Place pork on plates and cover with Marsala sauce and parsley.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Have I mentioned that in my next life I want to be married to Tyler Florence? He's such a doll and I love his recipes. 

Tonight it was chilly outside and I was cold. I decided I needed to make a chicken tortilla soup of some sort.  I took one from Tyler's book called "Eat This Book." Super easy and simple. I made a few adjustments for my own taste, and I was cleaning out the pantry, so here's my version.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves: 2

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, diced (remove the ribs and seeds if you don't want the heat)
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 chicken breast (this would be a great recipe for left over chicken.  Just shred the chicken and add it in.)
• 1 small potato, peeled and cubed
• 1T chili powder
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 T chopped cilantro
• 1T lime juice

Put some oil in a pot. Sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeno for 2 minutes...don't burn them so do it over medium heat.

Add your tomatoes. Stir.  Add your chicken broth, chicken, potatoes.

Season with Salt and pepper to taste.  Put in 1T chili powder.  Bring to a boil and cook until chicken and potatoes are done. (about 15 minutes).  Adjust with chili powder to your own liking.

I put chopped cilantro and lime juice from 1/2 of a lime on mine before I ate it.  It was sooo good. And easy.

Steak Milanese

Yum.  This was a great recipe.  I've had it for a couple of years and have wanted to try it so many times.  It just turned out that I had all the ingredients necessary as it wasn't all that different from the Mediterranean Pork Chops I did yesterday.

Milanese us typically referred to for things from Milan - and the food is no different.  Milanese is characterized by dipping the protein in flour, egg, and bread crumbs (sometimes with Parmesan cheese) and then fried.

See that word "fried"? That's what makes this recipe soooooo good.

Steak Milanese
Serves 8 (It can be converted down easily too)

• 1 lb Loin steak, trimmed (traditionally cube steak is used so if you're trying to save $$ feel free)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 cup roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 3 T Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 2 T capers
• 2 T chopped fresh oregano
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Cut steaks into eight 2 ounce pieces, then pound them to 1/4" thick. (Or do as I did and buy the thin sliced sirloin). Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Place flour, eggs and crumbs into three separate bowls. Dredge first in flour, then egg then crumbs. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes.

Combine tomatoes, onion, kalamata olives, capers, oregano, olive oil and lemon juice. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry cutlets in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with all cutlets.

Top cutlets with tomato relish and serve with linguine on the side.

What did I put on the side...? My new fake out Alfredo noodles. 

Cook up a desired amount of spaghetti.  Drain it saving some of the pasta water. Toss the spaghetti back into the pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese - however much/little you want. Toss in a tablespoon or so of milk and stir...depending on how thin/thick the sauce is, add pasta water.  Add pepper to taste.  Delicious!

Mediterranenan Chops

Pork and I have a challenging relationship. I want to like it and do like it.  My past with pork has left me with a not so happy tummy, so I've scratched pork as the other white meat.

Fast forward 5 years and suddenly pork and I are back to being BFFs.  The body, and age, is a weird thing.

I've had this recipe for about 6 years and am glad I finally made it.  It was good, not great.  It was sweeter than I thought it would be. It also has a strong oregano vibe and I am NOT friends with oregano.  Still, it was a decent recipe and while it has a lot of ingredients it's very easy to put together.

Mediterranean Chops
Serves 4

• 4 Boneless pork chops
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup onions, sliced
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 2 T garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 1/2 cups Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 T sugar
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup pimiento stuffed green olives
• 2T capers, drained and crushed
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1 T lemon zest

Season chops with salt and pepper, dust with flour.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chops and sauté until browned on each side, about 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Add onion and sauté 3 minutes; stir in raisins and garlic, sauté another minute.

Deglaze with the Marsala, scraping up the brown bits form the bottom of the pan.

Stir in tomatoes, broth, vinegar, sugar and oregano, bring to a boil.  Return chops to the pan, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the olives and capers; simmer until heated through.

Put pork chops on a serving platter and cover with olive sauce.

Frito-Lollies

This past Sunday was Sunday Dinner.  I decided to reach deep into the traditions and pulled out Frito-Lollies.

Traditionally this is our Christmas Eve meal.  I have no idea when it became a tradition, I just know now we make sad faces at mom if she even mentions another meal for Christmas Eve.

What is a Frito-Lollie? And more importantly where's the recipe?

A Frito-Lollie is basically Frito corn chips topped with chili.  Then it's covered with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese and sour cream. 

Some people call them Straw Hats. Others call them Pepper Bellies.  Whatever you call them, I highly recommend them.

Now, about the recipe.  I make chili by "feel".  A few basic ingredients: burger, onions, tomatoes (crushed, diced, and tomato sauce), beans.  Then a few basic seasonings: salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne. 

The amounts of any of those I couldn't tell you.  I know my chili is right when it looks right.  I know if I can get a certain chili "look" I know it'll be delicious.  And this past Sunday was no exception.  In fact, Blueberry asked me for the chili recipe.  Sorry, cuz...there isn't one.

Asian Ragu

I wasn't 100% sure how this recipe would turn out. Skeptical of its nature, but I knew I liked all of the ingredients, so I figured it couldn't miss.

And it mostly didn't.

I'm not sure I'd ever make it again. Good, for the most part, but it was lacking something. I think if I ever do this again I'd toss in some water chestnuts.  The meat sauce needed a crunch of some sort.

Asian Ragu
Serves 4

• 2 T Peanut Oil
• 1 cup diced shallots
• 2 T minced garlic
• 2 T minced ginger
• 1-2 tsp red curry paste or garlic chili sauce ( I used red curry paste, but as it cooked it started to smell and taste more like the garlic chili sauce.)
• 1 lb ground beef sirloin
• 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 T Fish sauce or low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 cup torn basil leaves
• 1 cup torn mint leaves
• Chopped dry roasted peanuts

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and ginger root. Saute until shallots are translucent, 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic, so watch your heat.

Stir in curry sauce until combined with shallot mixture, 1 minute.

Add ground beef. Break apart and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

Whisk together broth, fish sauce and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Stir mixture into meat mixture.  Bring mixture a simmer; cook uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Serve ragu over cooked rice or rice noodles. Garnish with basil, mint and peanuts.

German Style Salisbury Steak

I have no idea why this is "German - Style" but I do know it was really good. I got carried away with the salt in the gravy, so just know that if you use beer taste before salting the gravy.

I had to find out about Salisbury steaks and where the heck they came from. Turns out they are named for a doctor who encouraged his patients to eat lots of beef. And Salisbury steaks are nothing more than seasoned ground beef. 

I highly recommend using the dark beer instead of substituting with beef broth.  The alcohol cooks off and therefore you're left with the deep, rich flavor of the dark beer. 

German Style Salisbury Steak

Serves 4

• 4 strips thick sliced bacon
• 1 1/4 lb ground beef chuck
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 medium onion, sliced
• 1 package button mushrooms sliced
• 2 T All purpose flour
• 1 can (12 oz) dark beer (or you can use 1/2 cup beef broth)
• 1/2 cup beef broth (yes in addition to the dark beer)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large sauté pan until done. Remove bacon and reserve 1 T bacon grease.  Crumble bacon.

Combine ground beef, minced onion, salt and pepper, parsley into 4 patties about 3/4" thick.

Brown patties in bacon drippings in sauté pan over medium high heat, about 4 minutes per side.  Remove patties from pan. Add onions and mushrooms, sauté for 8 minutes or until onions are tender.

Stir in flour; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat and add beer, broth, sugar, tomato paste, caraway seeds and garlic. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.  Return pan to heat. Bring liquid to a boil for 1 minute or until liquid is thick.

Put patties back into pan and simmer until meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Top steaks with onion mushroom sauce and bacon.  Oh and save a little bacon piece for the cook.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

I'm a big fan of chocolate and peanut butter together.  I like both separate, but like both together almost more.  I have tried many, MANY recipes for peanut butter frosting and hadn't found one that was both full of peanut butter flavor and not overly sweet.

A cousin in our family has a killer peanut butter frosting recipe that she WILL NOT share with anyone else. So since she won't we're left with trying to figure out what she puts in it.  I gave up on that and just used another chef's recipe.

The Barefoot Contessa did these cupcakes on her show a couple of weeks ago. I'm not usually a fan of the Barefoot Contessa but the chocolate / peanut butter combo hooked me. I had to watch. And boy am I glad I did.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing
Recipe from the Barefoot Contessa

Makes 14 - 16 cupcakes
Note: I made 4 cupcakes and put the rest of the mix in an 8X8 dish (greased dish) and man was that good.  Thick layer of cake with a thick layer of frosting. Nummers!

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup good cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.



Peanut Butter Icing:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Relish

I'm a fan of chicken Parmesan...mostly. Though what I'm not a fan of is the chicken being smothered in marinara sauce. I like marinara sauce, don't get me wrong. And I believe it has its place with chicken Parmesan, but it really shouldn't be so "in your face". In my opinion.

I think I've found the answer to my prayers.  Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Tomato relish. Can I get a YUM!?

Yes, that's my actual plate tonight for dinner.  And yes I take the time to make it pretty because we eat with our eyes first...or so I'm told.

Anyhow, what I really like about this recipe is the fresh tomato relish.  It adds a tomato flavor without an over powering marinara flavor.

The side dish is a simple pesto. I had some basil I had to use up and the recipe notes suggested serving it with a pasta with pesto...so I did.  That's way too much pesto though. I'm really a couple of bites of pesto and I'm done kinda girl.  Still, it added a nice freshness to the overall meal.

So, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Relish
Serves: 8 (Obviously I made a smaller portion of this for me and a left over)

• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• 2 T chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 T minced capers (you may notice in the picture that I substituted green olives for capers)
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp tomato paste (I completely forgot to add this to the relish - can't say I missed it)

Preheat oven to 450F.

Combine panko and Parmesan. Place panko mixture, flour and eggs separately in three shallow dishes. Cut each chicken breast in half; season with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets in flour, egg, and panko mixture. Set aside and let them rest for 5-10 minutes (the resting allows the breading to secure itself to the meat. That way when you fry it you won't lose your breading).

Heat 2 T oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken, turning once, until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove cutlets to a baking sheet; top each with 1 T mozzarella. Cook cutlets until cheese melts and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Combine tomatoes, basil, capers, vinegar, tomato paste and the remaining 1 T olive oil for relish in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken over pesto pasta, top chicken with relish!

You won't be disappointed. I promise you.

My plan for the remaining cutlet, BTW, is to make a sandwich with it and the remaining tomato relish tomorrow.  Nice hunk of good Italian bread....oh man...I'm hungry just thanking about it.

Pork Stroganoff

I'm a HUGE fan of stroganoff.  And by HUGE I mean a weigh a ton...okay not quite a ton, but let's just say stroganoff helps me keep my girlish figure.

I am not usually a fan of pork.  Or maybe it's better to say that pork is not a fan of my system.  Still I decided maybe it's time to give it a try again.  And what better way to welcome pork back into my life other than with stroganoff.

Now if you're a reader of this blog...all 2 of you...you may know I have a Kickass Stroganoff recipe.  I don't mess with that perfection.  This recipe...well it's not perfection but it's good.  I only made one small adjustment to it and that is I added sliced mushrooms.  How can you have a stroganoff without mushrooms?  Well that and I had some that needed to be used.

Pork Stroganoff
Serves 4

• 8 oz dry egg noodles
• 2 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onion
• 1 lb boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into strips
• 2 T paprika
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook noodles according to the package; drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion (this is where I added the mushrooms too) and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add pork and cook until browned all over; 3-5 minutes. Stir in paprika; cook 1 minute, then add broth.

Bring to a boil; simmer to reduce liquid, about 5 minutes.  (This is where I got impatient and I added a bit of cornstarch and water).

Remove stroganoff from the heat and stir in sour cream and parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve stroganoff over cooked noodles.  Or, do as I do and mix the entire thing together before serving.

Steak with Brandy Mushroom Sauce, Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, and Parmesan Potatoes

One of these days I'm going to remember to take pictures while I'm cooking.  Unfortunately I get so caught up in the cooking that I all but forget everything else. 

Blueberry came over tonight for dinner. As usual she was thrilled to be not only my cousin, but my guinea pig.  We have yet to toss aside whatever it was I made and order pizza. So she's pretty confident whatever I make will be good.

Tonight's menu was Steak with Brandy Mushroom Sauce, Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, and Parmesan Potatoes (I had some Parmesan cheese I needed to use up, can you tell?)

First the steak. I totally splurged and bought the New York strip they recommended in the recipe.  One relatively good sized steak fed both Blueberry and I so it wasn't too bad.  My dad would probably faint if he knew how much I paid a pound, but we won't tell him. It's my little secret.

The broccoli I had seen on Barefoot Contessa. I love broccoli. But like chicken, I get real tired of it real quick. It's one of the only real vegetables I'll consider eating on a regular basis.  Therefore, I need to be creative with cooking it. This recipe proved to be good, different and well, GOOD.

The potatoes were mostly because I liked the photo in the magazine. But really when you mix red potatoes and Parmesan cheese, could you even go wrong? I think not. 

Steak with Brandy Mushroom Sauce
Makes 2 Servings

• 2 Beef New York strip steaks (8oz ea, 1 inch thick)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz Button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 T Minced Shallot
• 1 T Tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp Flour
• 2 T Brandy
• 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

Season steaks with salt and pepper; sear in oil in a large saute pan over high heat for 6 minutes, turning once. Remove from pan; let steaks rest until sauce is ready. (Note: of course I didn't actually do this step. I BBQ'd the steaks instead).

Add mushrooms and shallot to pan that was used to cook the steaks; saute over medium-high heat until any liquid is evaporated.

Stir in tomato paste; cook until it begins to brown. Add flour; cook sauce for 1 minute.  Deglaze pan with brandy; reduce until liquid is almost evaporated. Add broth; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.  Serve over meat.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Serves 6:

4 to 5 pounds broccoli

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• Good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.


Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.


Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Serves: 6

• 1 1/2 lb small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 " slices
• 3 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375F. Place baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
Toss potatoes with oil in a bowl. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and parsley; add potatoes and toss gently until potatoes are coated.

Arrange potatoes on the preheated baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender, 30-35 minutes.

Alaskan Cod with Hoisin and Ginger Sauces

I'm not a huge fish fan, but I know I have to get it into my diet some how.  I like white fish that is not too fishy tasting, of which cod is perfect. Halibut being the other perfect white fish to me.

Last night I made this recipe. It was good, but not great.  All the flavors I love were all there, but somehow they just didn't do it for me.  Still, I feel obligated to share it. Who knows? You may LOVE it...and I hope you do.

Alaskan Cod with Hoisin and Ginger Sauce
Serves: 4

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 1/4 teaspoons hot chili paste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 7-ounce Alaskan black cod fillets

Steamed rice

Whisk first 6 ingredients in small bowl.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Stir hoisin and chili paste in another small bowl. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add cod, skin side up. Cook 2 minutes, then turn cod over. Spoon hoisin mixture over fillets, dividing equally. Transfer to oven and bake until fish is just opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Place 1 fillet in each of 4 shallow soup bowls. Spoon ginger sauce around fish and serve with steamed rice.

Basque Chicken

Ah Espana!  How I love your cuisine!  And this recipe does not hold back on the bold Spanish flavors. 

I'm a big fan of Paella, but frankly it just takes too long to make Paella correctly. That and I'm not a big fan of clams, mussels etc.  So Paella for me is a little boring in that I only like the chicken, the chorizo and the shrimp.

This recipe though, really brings together many of the traditional, or what I think of as traditional, Spanish rice dishes.  Its a simple one-dish meal that will put a delicious dinner on the table in under an hour. 

The ham and olives in this dish, which you find quite a bit in Basque cuisine, add a nice salty side that balances nicely with the rice and the flavors of the dish.

Basque Chicken
Serves 4

• 1 T Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 8 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (I'm not a big fan of dark meat so I used chicken breasts and it was just fine)
• 2 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup Diced ham
• 1 T Minced garlic
• 1/4 cup Dry Sherry
• 1 can Whole tomatoes (28oz)
• 2 cups Low sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup converted rice (I had no idea what converted rice was so I used regular old white rice)
• 2-3 sprigs fresh Thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 cup Chopped green olives (with or without pimientos...its up to you)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Combine paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss in chicken and coat it.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken; brown pieces on both sides.  Remove from the pot and set aside.

Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until it's soft. Add ham and garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with sherry (note: if you don't like sherry use white wine or if you don't like alcohol used chicken broth).  Reduce the liquid until it's evaporated.  Stir in tomatoes, broth, rice, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken pieces back in. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked, 25-30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE PAN!  Let it cook. 

Once it's done, toss in the peas, chopped olives, and chopped parsley.  Heat them through. Serve immediately.

Sunday Dinner - Sept 12, 2010

Last night was the second Sunday Dinner.  And the chaos that was my kitchen after displays just how great of an evening it was.  I had 10 people total (including me) and what a fun time we had. The kitchen was an absolute mess by the time all was said and done, and it was well worth the 2 hours of clean up. 

The menu was:

Appetizer: St. Louis Fried Ravioli (Cuisine at Home)

Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese (courtesy of Tyler Florence), Basil Green Goddess salad dressing over some spring greens (courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa), Olive Cheese bread (courtesy of Pioneer Woman)

Dessert: Pretty little mini brownie bites (courtesy of Pioneer Woman)

The St. Louis Fried Ravioli's were a big hit...especially with Baby Jack (Baby Jack who's no 1 year old).  He seemed to really love those little bits of goodness.  I made enough for 3 per person and discovered that 2 per person would have been fine.  Had a couple left over, that I'm hoping will heat up nicely today.  Scroll down for this recipe.

I made the Bolognese on Saturday fearing I wouldn't have enough time on Sunday for it to sit and cook for hours.  Turned out to be the best thing I've done for the Bolognese.  Things like that are always better the day after...and this Bolognese is no different.

The Spaghetti Bolognese recipe is by Tylor Florence and can be found here.

The olive cheese bread was a HUGE hit.  For the record, there is NOTHING fat free with this bread.  It is full of flavor and something I highly recommend.  My friend Kim saw the recipe hanging on the refrigerator and said, "Oh man, I hope we have this for dinner."  She had no idea we were having it.  When I brought out the bread she all but cried. Joking, but she almost did.  Sent her home with the recipe and the left over bread...she promised to make the bread (and she's not a cook). 

The Olive Cheese Bread recipe can be found here.

The salad was quite good as well. I had been watching Barefoot Contessa (whom I used to really dislike and now kinda like). She was making this Bibb lettuce salad with Basil Green Goddess dressing.  I'm a big fan of Green Goddess dip, so I figured a salad dressing can't be all that bad.  I didn't use Bibb lettuce because it was expensive and didn't look so great. Instead I used a baby spring mix. If I did it again, I'd use a heartier lettuce.  Still, it was good.  I think it would make a great vegi dip too.

The salad recipe can be found here.

The mini brownie bites were the big hit.  Several people didn't believe I had actually made them. They look so fancy, but are so easy to do.  They do take time and planning, but I promise they are worth it.  They are rich, so the small bite size pieces are perfect.  I'm not a huge fan of homemade brownies, so when I do these again, I may use box brownie mix. I'm a rebel that way.

The Mini Brownie Bites recipe, can be found here.


Recipes

St. Louis Fried Ravioli's

• 1/4 cup Flour
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 3 egg
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 T Paprika
• 1 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli (you can either thaw them or not, it's up to you)
• 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
• Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Get your dredging station set up. First bowl, put the flour.  Second bowl, combine milk and egg (whisk together). Third bowl, place breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, and paprika. Dip ravioli in flour tapping it to remove excess.  Then dip it in the milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs mixture.  Set aside.  Allow ravioli's to sit for 15 minutes after dredged. Helps keep the breading on the ravioli.


Cook ravioli until golden brown in heated oil.  Allow them to drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.  Put them on a plate for guest, garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

Heat the marinara and set alongside the ravioli for guests to add to their plates.

***********************************

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

No I didn't make the noodles from scratch.

There! Now that that's out of the way.

Have I mentioned I'm slightly obsessed with The Pioneer Woman and her cookbook and blog?  Well if not, guess what, I am.  I LOVE her. 

Last week she started a new section for Comfort Foods. With the weather changing I thought, "oh yah, comfort foods."  Her first entry was for Homemade Chicken and Noodles.

The photos alone made me want to make this darn meal.  But the recipe was easy, and the outcome was delicious.  And I have a ton of leftovers.

Go check out the recipe and the photos!  I promise you...you won't regret it.

Steak Tacos

This is a delayed post. A very delayed post. I made these back in early August I think. The cookbook got buried on my desk and the recipe never got entered. Will you ever forgive me?

Good.

Now on to the goodness.

These were pretty good as I recall. My notes on them have drops of the sauce so I'm guessing they were pretty good as it was likely I was writing my notes as I was eating them. 

Easy recipe and very flavorful is what the notes say. Followed by...MMMMM. 

I added a dollop of sour cream to my tacos even though the recipe doesn't call for them. After I remembered thinking, taking the left over sauce and mixing that with the sour cream would be quite good as well.

Anyhow, enjoy.

Steak Tacos
Serves 2 - but is easy to make for more

Herb Paste

• 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro
• 3 Garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 T fresh lime juice

• 12 oz Flank Steak (I used strip steak because it was cheaper than Flank that day)
• Salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp Vegetable oil
• 6 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed

For the herb paste:
Pulse the cilantro, garlic, scallions, jalapeno, and cumin in a food processor until finely chopped, 10-12 pulses.

Add oil and process until smooth and resembles pesto, about 15 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Transfer 2 T of the herb paste to a medium bowl, whisk in lime juice and set aside.

For the steak:
Pat the steak dry with paper towels. Using a fork, poke the steak 10-12 times on each side. Salt and pepper the steak. Place the steak into a zip loc bag, add the herb paste. Seal the bag, massage in the paste fully covering the steak.  Place the steak flat and let it marinate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.  You should put it in the fridge during that time. Take it out 15 minutes before you are going to grill it.

Scrap the herb paste off the steak and sprinkle it with sugar. Cook the steak to your liking. I grilled mine, but you can grill it, put it in a frying pan, or broil it.

Transfer to a carving board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Slice the steak thinly across the grain into small pieces, add to the bowl with the reserved herb paste and lime juice. Toss to coat.

Warm your tortillas. Spoon in an amount of steak to each tortilla.

Optional: As I said, I added a dollop of sour cream and I squirted a bit of lime juice over them.

Fried Round Steak

I'm in love! There I said it. Phew that was harder than I thought. But I am, I admit, madly in love with the Pioneer Woman.  Her blog has sustained me through a couple of months of not so busy life and has probably added several lbs to my butt. But I still go back to her and read her blog and make whatever it is she says to make.

Last night that was Fried Round Steak. 

This steak reminded me of a tradition my mom and I have. See each year, in years past, the DadUnit and his pals would go off doing their manly hunting once a year in October.  Mom would cook her version of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn. Healthy was not the goal of this meal. It became the "hunting meal".  We've missed the last several years mostly because Dad's health has kept him home and well they aren't living around me.

So last night I used the Fried Cube Steak recipe and had the "hunting dinner". Probably the last think I needed after a week of cruise food, but it was so worth it.

The recipe is below, but do go check out her site because her photos are beautiful.

Fried Round Steak
Recipe from the Pioneer Woman

Serves: 6

• 3 pounds Cube Steak (round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste
• Salt, For Seasoning Meat
• ½ cups Canola Oil (more If Needed)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix together flour, seasoned salt, and pepper. (I used McCormick's Grill seasoning instead of season salt and it could have used more salt).

Season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece in flour mixture, pressing to coat with as much flour as possible. 

Add butter to pan right before frying.

When butter is melted, fry pieces of steak in butter/oil mixture. Flip when sides are deep golden brown and cook about 1 minute on the other side. 

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

Beef Brisket and Nutella Cookies

Having blogger formatting issues...please ignore the formatting...argh

Did I mention I'm addicted to two new things? Nutella and the Pioneer Woman's website/cookbook.
Growing up I remember my grandmother having Sunday dinners. It was a time for the family to get together and get caught up and eat. Lots of food. Our family was never short on cooking a lot of food. I've been tossing the idea around in my noggin about starting my own new tradition of Sunday dinners. I thought it would be a great way for me to cook big food and see people on a more regular basis.

Yesterday was the first Sunday dinner. I made brisket. I've never made brisket before, and I WILL make it again. It was so good. Flavorful, tender, juicy, man delish. I can't wait to have the leftovers tonight...which is odd for me.

I served mashed potatoes and gravy, glazed carrots and a layered salad with dinner. Then for dessert I made Nutella cookies. I can't even express how good those were. The brisket recipe belongs to the Pioneer Woman. I've pasted it below for you so you don't have to go to a new website. I tried to follow the recipe to the T, but didn't have lemons. Shocking, I know.  I used white vinegar instead. Hard to tell if it made any different in the taste, cuz it was still good. I had a 7.5 lb brisket and cooked it for 5 hours - give or take.

Beef Brisket
Recipe from Pioneer Woman

•  2 cans Beef Consomme
• ½ cups Lemon Juice
• 1-½ cup Soy Sauce
• 5 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
• 10 pounds Beef Brisket
• ½ cups Lemon Juice
• 1-½ cup Soy Sauce
• 5 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
• 10 pounds Beef Brisket

Combine first five ingredients in large roasting pan (a disposable is just fine). Place brisket in the marinade, fat side up. Cover tightly with foil. Marinate in refrigerator for 24-48 hours. When ready to cook, place pan covered in foil into a 300-degree oven. Cook brisket for approximately 40 minutes per pound.

When fork-tender, transfer whole brisket to a cutting board. Slice against the grain and place slices back into the cooking liquid. Serve immediately, spooning juice over the slices. Barbecue sauce may be used, if preferred.

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Now the Nutella Cookies....you will love these.

I love what the author says about Nutella because I feel the same way. The author writes: " Nutella and I have a history together and most of it involves a spoon and late nights highlighting my textbooks in college. A few tiny spoonfuls were enough to satisfy my sugar cravings and keep me going late into the night. However, its rich, almost luxurious flavor, made it seem like I partaking in some fancy dessert. Ever since then I always keep a small jar around, smearing over some fresh fruit, but I usually just sneak a small spoonful late at night."

You can find the recipe here. Enjoy!

White Chicken Enchiladas and Nutella Brownies

No, the two don't necessarily compliment each other, but Nutella brownies...come on? That's just evil. Satan does have a food and it's called Nutella brownies.

The White Chicken Enchilada's recipe was delish with a capital D. I'm not a fan of "white" enchiladas usually. I'm more traditional tomato base usually. This, however, is a Pioneer Woman recipe. And if you've not read her blog or know who she is go there now. I'll wait.

This recipe is, what I consider, fool proof. There may be several ingredients, but it's easy to put together and worth every step.

The surprising ingredient to me in this recipe was paprika. In a Mexican dish I would have thought chili powder instead, but the paprika adds a nice warm flavor that was completely unexpected. It's kinda like when you add nutmeg to white sauces or cheese sauces and people go, "What is that little flavor?" Same idea.

Make this recipe. If you make no other recipes in 2010...make this recipe.

White Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 6

• 2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken - if you like really meaty enchilada's I'd bump this up a cup or so.
• 2 cups Chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 12 whole Corn Tortillas
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2-½ cups Monterrey Jack Cheese, Grated
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Picante Sauce (optional)
• Cilantro, Chopped

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain. (If you're health conscious, you could nuke these in the microwave...but the enchiladas won't be as good...I promise you that.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.
Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

Faint. Repeat as needed.

Nutella Brownies
These brownies were confusing to me. I was expecting the Nutella to be IN the brownie mixture..instead it's just the frosting. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that before.

Still this makes a good solid, moist brownie from scratch. I'm not usually a fan of brownies from scratch because I think the box brownies do just fine.

Chocolate Fudge Nutella Brownies

• 4 - one ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoons pure vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 cup chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips, optional
• 1/2 - 1 whole jar of Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour a 9 X 13 inch glass or non-stick baking pan.

Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Do not burn. Remove from heat.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, add sugar and stir until well mixed. Add eggs, vanilla and salt and beat well with a wooden spoon. Fold in flour and mix just until smooth. Do not over mix.

This is also the time to fold in chopped nuts & chocolate chips. But you really don't need anymore sweet in these brownies.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Cool for about 15 minutes, then spread desired amount of Nutella over warm brownies.