Sugar, & Spice & Everything Nice

Roast Beef with Marsala Gravy

2011-12-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit behind getting this posted, but I figured you won't mind. You're busy making all your holiday plans that you've not had time to stop by and check out my new recipes. It's okay. I'll forgive you if you forgive me for taking so long to post this.

A week or so ago was Sunday dinner. Being December, and the holidays, I wanted to do something special. I originally planned on a standing rib roast. Then after being revived in the grocery store after passing out over the price, I opted for just a standard roast. Worked out well since I just watched a Food Network Chef, Melissa D'Arabian do a roast with Marsala gravy. Um, Yes please.

And so I made it. And it was delicious. I had to cook mine a bit longer than she recommends because, well, I like it not to moo when I cut into it. Other guests at the table would prefer it moo'ing...ick.

ROAST BEEF WITH MARSALA GRAVY

1 (3 pound) boneless beef roast, such as bottom round or rump roast

1 (3LB) boneless beef roast, such as bottom round or rump (I fed 6 people with a 3.75 pounder)

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, cut into thick slivers

1 1/4 cups water

1 cup beef broth

3/4 cup Marsala cooking wine

Sprig fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter

Place the roast in a shallow baking dish and rub with the salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator uncovered 8 hours or overnight. Before cooking, let the roast sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Using a thin sharp knife, poke slits all over the top and sides of the roast and stuff each slit with a garlic sliver.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium roasting pan fitted with a rack, place the beef on the rack and pour 1 cup water, 1/4 cup broth, and 1/2 cup wine into the bottom of the pan. Roast the beef for 15 minutes and turn down the heat to 325 degrees F. Cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour, until the internal temperature of the beef is 120 degrees F, adding the remaining 1/4 cup water to the pan, if necessary.

Remove the roast from the oven, transfer the roast to a warmed platter and tent with foil to rest. Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over high heat and deglaze with the remaining wine. Add a large sprig of fresh rosemary to the sauce. Reduce by 1/3. Stir the flour into the remaining 3/4 cup broth and then whisk into the sauce. Simmer until thickened. Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the sauce with the sliced roast beef.

Hello Dollies

2011-12-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

I have very fond memories of cooking with my mom. Every holiday season we had a list of sweets we'd make. Some turned out, some didn't. We had a heck of a time ever getting peanut butter fudge to turn out in the Great Northwest...too wet apparently.

One treat we'd make that always turned out was Hello Dollies. Simple and delicious, this has become my favorite holiday treat. I hope they become part of yours.

This year I changed it up a bit and instead of making a 9X13, I made individual Hello Dollies in a mini muffin tin. The up side is they are individual servings. The down side is they are bite size.

Sorry about the photo, it's from the iPhone.

HELLO DOLLIES
Makes: a lot. In a 9X13 probably makes 24 servings.

2 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c melted butter (I use about 3/4 c melted butter with the mini's. I found the crust stayed together better.)
1 package chocolate chips
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 c chopped nuts (DOH - I forgot the nuts)
1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F.
Melt butter and mix it with the graham crackers. Press the graham crackers into a greased 9X13 inch pan. Top with chocolate chips, then nuts, then coconut. Pour over the condensed milk, covering every inch of the pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the coconut gets golden.

Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini

2011-11-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

MMM Salmon! Love Salmon! And when I type or see the word "salmon" I say "sal" "mon".

This is a quick, easy recipe. Admittedly I didn't cook the rice in the oven. Not a fan of rice being cooked in the oven. Mostly because it rarely gets done and it's more "al dente" than I like. Still, this was a delicious way to fix salmon.

Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccolini
Courtesy of Epicurious

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for sprinkling
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large)
1 1/2 cups basmati rice (9 to 10 ounces)
3 1/4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
4 5-to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
1 bunch broccolini, bottom inch trimmed, stalks separated if necessary

Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and soy sauce in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in large deep ovenproof skillet or casserole (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then 3 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid; place in oven and bake 10 minutes (rice will be almost cooked through and most of broth will be absorbed; mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry).

Remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and arrange on rice, pressing in lightly. Tuck broccolini in around fish, with stems anchored in rice. Spoon 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each salmon fillet. Cover skillet tightly and return to oven; bake until salmon is just opaque in center and broccolini is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice; sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and serve from skillet.

Ropa Vieja - Cuban stewed meat

2011-11-27T17:55:00.000-08:00

Wow. I'm a fan. This was such a good meal. So full of flavor and tender beef. Side of rice and tortillas finished the meal. I love tearing a tortilla up in quarters, stuffing it with a yummy stewed meat and some rice. Reminds me of my days in Mexico.

This meal was easy and tasty. It uses a lot of ingredients specifically from Goya - because, well, that's the place I got the recipe. I followed this one completely, minus the bell pepper and sofrito (I couldn't find sofrito in my store and couldn't remember how to actually make a sofrito.)

Ropa Vieja is a main course of shredded and braised beef with plenty of healthy, tasty vegetables, like onions, peppers and olives. This recipe could feed a bunch of people and could be adjusted easily to feed a small army.

ROPA VIEJA
Serves 6

2 tbsp. GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 ½ lbs. flank steak, cut in 3”x 4”pieces
GOYA Adobo with Pepper, to taste
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 2½ cups)
1½ green bell peppers, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 jar (6 oz.) GOYA Sofrito
3 tsp. GOYA Minced Garlic or 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (8 oz.) GOYA Tomato Sauce
1 packet Sazón GOYA with Coriander and Annatto
1 packet GOYA Powdered Beef Bouillon
¼ tsp. GOYA Ground Black Pepper
1 cup GOYA Spanish Olives Stuffed with Minced Pimientos, sliced
1 jar (2 oz.) GOYA Capers, drained
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups cooked CANILLA Extra Long Grain Rice

1.	Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Season meat with adobo. Add steak to pot and cook in batches, flipping once, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium. Stir in onions and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add Sofrito and garlic to pot; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2.	Stir in 3 of cups water, tomato sauce, Sazón, beef bouillon and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Return beef to pot. Lower heat to medium low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Cover pot; simmer until meat shreds easily with fork, 1 – 1½ hours, adding more water in ¼ cup measurements, if pot becomes dry. [Jenn Notes: I probably used about another two cups of water. I had the heat on a little too high and it boiled down quickly. So watch your heat.]
3.	Transfer meat to work surface; shred meat with two forks. Bring remaining sauce to a boil. Mix meat and cilantro into sauce. Serve with white rice.

Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw

2011-11-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

I am not a big fan of coleslaw. The dressing is often too sweet for me and has a weird combination of flavors. But I am weird that way.

THIS slaw however, has a nice tang without a lot of sweetness. It's a nice alternative to coleslaw too. I made this for Sunday dinner last night and it was loved by all.

BROCCOLI AND DILL RAITA SLAW

Courtesy of Food Network
Serves 6-8

1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoons minced fresh dill

1 tablespoon Garlic-Ginger Paste, recipe follows

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium shallot, minced

2 (10-ounce) bags broccoli slaw

1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional, can substitute pomegranate seeds)

1/2 cup skinless sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the broccoli slaw, cranberries, and almonds. Taste for seasoning and adjust according to your palate.

Add the slaw, cranberries, and almonds and gently toss. Chill before serving.

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

1/2 cup cloves garlic
1/2 cup (1/2-inch slices) fresh ginger
1/4 cup canola oil

Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar; it should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir-fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

New York Style Crumb Cake

2011-11-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

I took one look at the photo on this blog and I knew I had to make this cake. What's not to like? Cake and crumble!

Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy has quickly become one of my favorite cooking blogs. Take a gander - you'll get addicted soon too.

The cake has been in the oven for about 30 minutes and it smells so absolutely delicious. In fact, it sorta smells like apple pie. I'm not sure I can wait until dessert time at Sunday Dinner tonight to dig into this.

The original recipe is here. I've copied it below for your convenience though.

New York-Style Crumb CakeCourtesy of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

For the crumb topping:

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the rack in the center position. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.
To make the crumb topping, stir together both sugars, the salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour until it is absorbed and set the mixture aside.
To make the cake, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into medium bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until it is completely smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat the mixture until it starts to look fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again for 30 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl before each addition, beating only until it is just incorporated.
To assemble the cake, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use your hands to scoop up a handful of the topping and make a fist. The topping should hold together. Break off in chunks and drop them over the cake. Repeat until you’ve used all of the topping. The layer of topping will be thick.
Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Rotate the pan two times during the baking process. Cool the entire pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before serving.

Makes one 13 x 9-inch cake.

Pappardelle with Creamy Chicken Sauce

2011-11-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

I closed out the week with a pasta dish that I was sure would be delicious just based on the photo. The Pantry Goat came over to help me "taste" this dish and taste it we did.

The overall recipe is boring and didn't seem overly flavorful to me after I read the recipe. So, I did what I do best and added my 10cents to the dish. At the end of the day it displayed a surprisingly similar appearance and flavor to my other favorite chicken and pasta dish - which it turns out doesn't seem to be on the blog. That can't be right. I'm gonna keep searching...I know its on here.

Anyhow, I added a few items to this dish and made it way better. You be the judge.

PAPPARDELLE WITH CREAMY CHICKEN SAUCE
Courtesy of Every Day Food
Serves 6

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
7 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound pappardelle

Cook chicken with oil after seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for 7 minutes. Add onion and cook 6 min. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook about 15 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Boil pappardelle. Reserve 1 cup cooking water. Add to sauce and toss pasta with sauce.

Jenn's additions:

5 sliced mushrooms
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

So after I cooked off the onions, I pulled them out of the skillet and sauteed the mushrooms. I added it all back in, followed the rest of the recipe. When it was done and ready, I tossed in a palm full or so of Parmesan cheese.

Firecracker Wings

2011-11-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

I love Guy Fieri. I watched the Next Food Network Star that season and knew from the beginning I'd buy anything he was selling. Recently I was meandering through Costco with no purpose - always a bad thing - and I found his cookbook.

I immediately went through it at home and found several recipes to add to the bowl. This one stood out because of the flavor profile it had. It just sounded so darn good.

First things first, I didn't do wings. I'm not a wing person and so used chicken breast instead. I cubed my chicken breasts and BBQ'd them on skewers. Delicious.

Make this recipe. It's really quite good. It's hot, I won't like. Anything with "Firecracker" in the title should say it's hot. If you're not a spicy person you can easily tone it down by not using all the types of hot sauce in this.

FIRECRACKER WINGS
Courtesy of Guy Fieri
Serves 4

5 lbs chicken wings (or 2 chicken breasts)
6 c water
1⁄4 cup kosher salt
1⁄3 c chili- garlic sauce
1 c honey
2 T soy sauce
1⁄2 c Sweet Soy Sauce (see recipe below)
3 T sriracha sauce
1⁄4 c apple cider vinegar (I didn't have apple cider vinegar. Which is weird considering at one point I had 4 bottles. I used Rice vinegar instead.)
1⁄4 c minced ginger
1 tsp ground sea salt
1 T freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 T minced green onions

Sweet Soy Sauce Recipe
Note: You can buy sweet soy sauce in Asian markets. I figured this recipe was super easy and I had all the ingredients so I opted to make it.

1 c soy sauce
2 T sesame oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/4 tsp wasabi powder

Whisk them all together in a bowl.

Cut the wings apart at the joints and discard the tips. In a large glass bowl, combine the water, kosher salt, ¼ cup of the chili- garlic sauce, and ¼ cup of the honey. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Add the wings and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

To make the basting and dipping sauce, in a small bowl, combine the remaining chili- garlic sauce, the soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, sriracha, the remaining honey, vinegar, and ginger and mix well. Set aside half of the sauce for serving in order to avoid contamination.

Preheat a grill to medium- high. Drain the wings and season them with sea salt and pepper. Grill the wings until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, turning as needed. When the wings reach the right color, continue cooking over indirect heat until they’re at the desired doneness, then baste them with the sauce, turning as needed until the wings are glossy and well coated. Garnish the wings with the sesame seeds and green onion and serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

Beef Stroganoff

2011-11-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

If you've been a reader of this blog, you're aware that I have a Kick Ass recipe for beef stroganoff. My recipe is GREAT in a pinch. If you need dinner on the table within the hour, that's the recipe for you.

But let's say you have some time to linger. You have time to braise some meat. If you find yourself in that situation, I recommend this recipe. You really only need an hour, so it's not like it lasts all day.

This recipe was deep in flavor - I think in part by the 2T of tomato sauce. It was well rounded, and oh so tasty.

BEEF STROGANOFF

Courtesy of Cuisine At Home
Serves 6

1 boneless arm roast, tenderized and cut into 2 inch cubes - I had no idea hat an "arm roast" was so I just bought stew meat and tenderized it.

All purpose flour

2T vegetable oil

2c button mushrooms

2c cremini mushrooms

1T unsalted butter
2c diced onion
1T tomato paste

½ c dry sherry

½ c chicken broth

½ c beef broth
1 c sour cream
2T fresh chopped dill

If using an arm or other beef roast cut in two lengthwise and tenderize both strips. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and sear well in the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Sauté mushrooms in butter until golden. Remove from the pan. Add the onion and tomato paste and sauté.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the broths and return the beef to the pan. Cover and braise in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to braise another 15 minutes. Prepare egg noodles according to the package directions. Top each serving with dilled sour cream by combining 1c sour cream with 4T chopped fresh dill.

I, personally, like the sour cream mixed into the stroganoff. I dropped the dill (not a fan) and mixed the cup of sour cream in to the stroganoff before serving.

Coconut Flavored Chicken Soup

2011-11-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

Also know as Tom Ka Gai. I LOVE Tom Ka Gai. It's one of my favorite soups to get during the fall/winter months when I go to Thai food. It's rich, filling, and oh so good.

I've never been successful making Tom Ka Gai.

Until now.

Martin Yan's recipe is super easy and quick.The hardest part was finding lemongrass (If you have a Uwajamaya in your area or any Asian food store, I'm sure they'll have it. That's where I found it. In a pinch, I read somewhere you can use lemon rind.)

If you do nothing else this winter, make this soup. You will not be disappointed.

Little note about coconut milk. It can curdle. It curdled on me when I added it to the chicken broth. I'm not a fan of curdled milk. I knew logically it was fine, but it looked gross and the texture is weird. I was deeply concerned. Then I turned my back and almost over boiled the entire soup. Turns out boiling makes the curdling go away. So boil this soup long enough to avoid curdling.

Unless you like curdling.

COCONUT FLAVORED CHICKEN SOUP
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3/4-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 stalks lemongrass
2 slices ginger, each the size of a quarter, lightly crushed
3 cups chicken broth
1 can (13 1/2 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 c straw mushrooms, drained (I used button mushrooms)
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 fresh jalapeno chili, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Thinly slice chicken. Lightly crush bottom 6 inches of lemongrass with the dull side of a kitchen knife; trim and discard remainder.

Place lemongrass, ginger, and broth in a 2-quart pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and add coconut milk, fish sauce; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add chicken, lime juice, lime zest, and chili; stir once to separate slices of chicken. Simmer until chicken turns opaque, 4 to 5 minutes.

Just before serving stir in cilantro.

Pea - Prosciutto Sauce

2011-10-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Again, one of my favorite recipes I've tried that didn't make the blog. Such a slacker.

This recipe I made for the August Sunday dinner. It was a small group, so making something like this was easy.

PEA-PROSCIUTTO SAUCE
Courtesy of Food Network
Serves: 4

4 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound ravioli
1 cup frozen peas
Handful chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese

Cook prosciutto in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat until crisp, 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1 T tomato paste; cook 1 minute.

Ladle in 1 cup pasta cooking water and simmer until reduced by half, 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and simmer until thickened, 3 minutes.

Toss with cooked ravioli, frozen peas, parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Beef Stew with Noodles

2011-10-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

I noticed there are a couple of recipes that I've tried this year that didn't make it to the blog. Tisk Tisk. This particular recipe was one of my favorites and I thought it would be in bad blog taste to not post it.

Super easy, and super flavorful. Great for leftovers - which says a lot considering I am not a fan of leftovers.

BEEF STEW WITH NOODLES

Courtesy of Every Day Food
Serves 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons flour
3 cans reduced sodium chicken broth (14.5 ea)
1/2 pound carrot, cut 1" chunks
2 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1" dice
2 cups egg noodles
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over high. Add beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until seared and brown, about 6 minutes. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion begins to soften (reducing heat if necessary), about 5 minutes. Stir in flour until beef and onion are coated and cook 1 to 2 minutes (do not burn). Add broth and 3 cups water, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until beef is tender, about 25 minutes.

Add carrots and potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add noodles and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, stir in parsley and vinegar.

Hard Rock Cafe Twisted Mac & Cheese

2011-10-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

Its rare that I can make mac&cheese from scratch and have it turn out creamy. For whatever reason the cheese sauce always has a gritty texture to it and it's just not good that way. I read in a Food Network article that the way to avoid this is to slowly add the cheese to the rue.

This recipe doesn't call for a rue, but I slowly added and melted the cheese to the milk. Turned out creamy! This particular version of mac&cheese is delicious. I avoided the red peppers which I'm sure would add an extra excellent element to it, but not a fan of peppers.

Super easy recipe and super delicious. I mean it has Velveeta in it, what's not to like?

HARD ROCK CAFE TWISTED MAC & CHEESE
Serves 4 (as a side dish)

2 C uncooked cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni
1/3 C whole milk
4 Ounces Velveeta (which is 1/2 a cup in case you know your measurements)
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 C diced roasted red bell pepper

Parmesan Breadcrumbs
2 tsp seasoned breadcrumbs (Italian style)
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp finely minced parsley.

Cook pasta following the directions on package. Drain.

Combine milk, Velveeta, cheddar cheese, Jack cheese, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in saucepan. Cook over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Add pasta and roasted pepper to the pan, and then toss to coat the pasta.

Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley in a small bowl. Pour pasta into a serving bowl, and then sprinkle Parmesan breadcrumbs over the top.

Paella

2011-10-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

My history with Paella goes way back to 1986 when Mom, Dad and I spent some time in Spain. I had been studying Spanish for about 3 years by this time and Dad thought it would do me some good to practice while in Spain. Fine.

So the first or second night in Spain - I can't even remember what town we were in I was too scarred - we were out having dinner. We decided to have paella and dad asked me to ask the waitress if the paella had fish in it.

Side not: looking back now that was a ridiculous question to ask. Every paella had fish in it.

Anyhow, I rambled off something to the waitress - absolutely sure I knew what I was doing - and her look was that of pure confusion. I repeated my question again in what sounded like perfect Spanish me, "Hay pescador en el paella?" She nodded, looked confused and walked away.

Concerned that I may have said something slightly off I grabbed the trusty Spanish dictionary to see what I had said. Turns out I had asked the waitress if the paella had fishermen in it.

I assure you this recipe does not have fishermen in it.

The story I was told about paella is that the people of a small town in Spain heard news that her majesty the Queen would be passing their way. They decided to fix a very special for her, but couldn't decide on the name. Time grew short and they decided to call the dish "For Her" (Para Ella). I bet her paella didn't have any fishermen either.

Paella
Serves 6
2 to 21/2 c diced cooked chicken
1 med onion, finely chopped
4-5 large stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash of cayenne
large pinch of powdered saffron
1 crushed garlic clove
2/12 to 3 cups chicken broth 2 cups pre cooked long grain rice (I didn't understand this precooked rice thing, so I used regular old every day rice and cooked it in the paella)
1 c peas
1 c cooked shrimp; shelled and deveined
4 oz can of green chilies chopped
parsley
black olives

Stew a fryer chicken until tender and firm and save the broth. Bone chicken and cut in to bite size pieces.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven add onions and saute. Add chopped stewed tomatoes and green peppers. Add all seasonings and mix.

To the chicken broth, add the crushed garlic clove and rice, then add this mixture to dutch oven and stir thoroughly.

Cook over medium heat in dutch oven, covered, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add peas, shrimp and green chilies last 10 minutes of cooking time. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and sliced black olives before serving.

Emeril's Ruby Red Rocket Cocktail

2011-10-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

I love trying new cocktails...at home. I hate paying the prices of cocktails out in a bar so when a party opportunity comes up where I can try a new cocktail, I will.

Being the Annual Pumpkin Carving last night, coupled with the Sunday dinner, I opted to try something that had a more ghoulish look to it.

This is their photo of the cocktail.

This is my version. My glass is way cooler - and I have no idea what that line is going across the top. I'll have to fix that later.

The only modification I made to this was the sugar rim. I couldn't find the brown sugar rimmer he suggested, and testing it with real brown sugar didn't work so well. So I went with a yellow sugar rimmer. Pretty, don't cha think?

Emeril's Ruby Red Rocket Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces citrus flavored vodka, or vodka

1/2 ounce triple sec

3 ounces red grapefruit juice blend

2 teaspoons creme de cassis or raspberry liqueur

Coarse brown sugar crystals, optional garnish to coat rims of the glasses

Candied orange slices, optional garnish - JW Note: I didn't have candied orange slices either. I used just regular old oranges.

If desired, wet the rim of a tall martini glass, then dip in the coarse brown sugar crystals. In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, triple sec, and juice with crushed ice. Shake well for 30 seconds, then strain into the prepared martini glass. Gently add the creme de cassis, allowing to fall to the bottom of the glass. Garnish with a candied orange slice, if desired, and serve.

JW Note: Turns out Creme de Cassis is a blueberry flavored. It made the drink in my opinion.

Chicken Scaloppini with Wine, Mushroom and Green Olives

2011-10-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

This recipe is the first recipe I made when I decided I wanted to really start cooking. It's a Rachael Ray recipe, and super easy to make. I've made it a handful of times over the years and have modified it to my taste. The girls who were over for last night's pumpkin carving certainly didn't have any issues with my modifications. In fact, the general consensus was "YUM!"

I also made a new cocktail last night. Emeril's Ruby Red Rocket Cocktail. It was so darn good. It has a slight taste of a Cosmo, but not as sweet since it uses grapefruit. I'll post that recipe separate and you can find it here.

Anyhow, here's the recipe with my notes of changes with it. Enjoy.

Veal Scaloppini with Wine, Mushroom and Green Olives
Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4
JW Note: My first change is I use chicken. I'm not a veal fan, so I substitute it with chicken.

Ingredients

3/4 pound linguini

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan, plus some for drizzling

3 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

16 crimini mushrooms or button mushrooms, chopped

1 pound veal scaloppini, cut into 1-inch strips [JW Notes: 1 lb chicken tenders or breasts, cut into bite size pieces]

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 cup dry white wine

16 pitted, large green olives, coarsely chopped

A handful chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls

JW Notes:

My additional ingredients

1/4c heavy cream

1 c chicken broth or stock

Place pasta water on to boil and cook linguini 8 minutes, to al dente in salted water. Drain and reserve. Keep warm.

Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add 1 turn of the pan or 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and the pancetta or bacon. Cook pancetta or bacon 1 to 2 minutes alone, then add onions and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook together with the onions 3 to 5 minutes. [JW note: I add the garlic in here too. If I add it in the following step I ALWAYS burn it.]

Season veal strips with salt and pepper. [JW Note: I don't use a second skillet. I take the mushroom mix out and put it in a bowl and just use the same skillet. Mostly because I hate doing dishes.] In a second skillet preheated over medium high heat, add 1 1/2 turns of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 clove smashed garlic. [JW note: see note above about where I add the garlic.] Quick-fry half of the veal searing each side of the strips 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer cooked veal strips and garlic to a plate and repeat.

Add all of the cooked strips and garlic to the onions and mushrooms then add wine to the pan and lift up all of the drippings. [JW note: I add the mushroom mixture back to the pan where I was cooking my chicken.] Cook wine down to evaporate the alcohol about 2 to 3 minutes. [JW note: I add a cup of broth here and let that simmer down for about 10 minutes. I like more liquid with my pasta than this recipe allows. Once the chicken broth cooks down, I add the olives and parsley to the mixture, then add the heavy cream. I cook it until it thickens.]

Stir olives and parsley into veal and mushrooms. Serve portions of veal, mushrooms and green olives on a bed of hot linguini tossed with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, butter and grated cheese.

[JW notes: I usually mix the sauce with the pasta. Last night I added the cheese in with the pasta instead of on top and OMG it was sooo good. Try it.]

Tuscan Chicken Stew

2011-10-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

I didn't do very well this week with sticking to my planned menu. I got lazy mid week and just grabbed something in the pantry to eat - like Mac N Cheese.

Tonight though, I decided to make Tuscan Chicken Stew - which was a selected recipe for this week. I had, apparently, not shopped well enough last Sunday and was missing some ingredients. So I punted. Though I don't think my "changes" were all that significant to the overall flavor of the stew.

It's from a cookbook I bought a life time ago called "How To Boil Water". There used to be a show on the Food Network called the same thing and this was their cookbook. The recipes in this cookbook are broken down so even a 5 YO could figure them out. They're simple, tried and true recipes that do not disappoint.

TUSCAN CHICKEN STEW
Courtesy of How to Boil Water
Serves 4

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
1 can cannellini beans (15.5oz), drained and rinsed
8 bone in skinless chicken thighs (I didn't have chicken so I used some beef stew meat I had)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 large sprig rosemary or 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (I didn't have the rosemary so I went for the Italian seasoning).
1 T tomato paste
1/2 c dry red wine
1 can chopped tomatoes (14oz can) - I used Fire roasted tomatoes...yum.
3/4 c chicken broth
1 head escarole or 4 cups baby spinach (yah not a fan of cooked escarole or spinach so I opted out of this ingredient. I did have a nice spinach salad to go along side it though.)
1/2 c freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Chop the onion, smash or mince the garlic and drain/rinse the beans. Set aside

Heat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken down with paper towels. Add the oil to the Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add chicken skin side down, and brown, in batches if necessary, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter. (I browned the beef in my version to get the yummy dark bits on the bottom of the pan for later.)

Reduce the heat to medium, add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and seasoning. Cook, stirring until onions are slightly soft. Add tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute.

Add wine and deglaze the pan. Let it reduce until it's about a syrup consistency. Add beans, tomatoes, and chicken broth to the pan. Bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken pieces back into the pan and any juices as well. Cook for 20 more minutes.

Trim the escarole and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. (If you're using spinach there's no need to do this.) Wash the escarole or spinach and drain. Add greens to the stew, cooking only until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in shallow bowls.

Hearty Beef and Barley Stew

2011-10-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Once in a while I am taken back by a recipe...mostly because I planned ahead to make it but didn't read the recipe before. This was one of those recipes.

Turned out this was what I like to call a "round two" meal. Meaning you're using leftover meat or something to make another dish. Had I read the recipe I would have known I needed to make a pot roast before making this stew.

Regardless I made the stew. I adjusted it to be what I had purchased and left out all the parts about leftovers. I've put the recipe how it appears in the cookbook and have also added the pot roast recipe this one builds from. You'll see my notes here and there with my adjustments.

This was also the first time I've ever used barley. That was interesting. My first attempt I didn't pay attention and all the water evaporated and I had some burned barley. Luckily I had enough to make another batch.

HEARTY BEEF AND BARLEY STEW
Serves 2

1 T vegetable oil
1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms, re hydrated in 1/2 c water, then minced, re hydrating liquid strained and reserved. [Jenn note: I'm not a fan of porcini mushrooms so I used regular old button mushrooms]
1 T tomato paste
1/8 tsp dried thyme
2 1/4 c water [Jenn Note: I used just 2 cups of water and 2 cups beef broth because I didn't have the pot roast sauce.]
1 c pot roast sauce (see pot roast recipe below) [Jenn note: didn't use this see note above.]
3/4 c pot roast garnish (see pot roast recipe below)[Jenn note: didn't use this since the garnish wasn't that interesting to me.]
2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 c instant barley (instant barley is also called quick barley)
10 oz cooked pot roast (see pot roast recipe below) [Jenn note: used 1 lb stew meat.]
1 T chopped fresh parsley

Combine oil, mushrooms, tomato paste and thyme in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the reserved porcini liquid, water, pot roast sauce, pot roast garnish, carrots and barley. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the carrots and barley are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the pot roast and cook until heated through. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Jenn's way:
I browned my meat first. Set it aside and then followed the mushrooms, carrots, tomato paste, and thyme from above. I deglazed with a cup of wine (the pot roast recipe calls for wine so I figured I'd add that flavor in). Once that had reduced, I put the meat back in and my beef broth and water. I let it simmer for about 30 minutes give or take.

I also couldn't find quick barley so had to cook my barley separately. I added it once it was cooked.

FRENCH STYLE POT ROAST RECIPE
Serves 2

1 boneless chuck eye roast, pulled apart into 2 pieces, trimmed (about 3.5 to 4 lbs)
Salt and pepper
1 T vegetable oil
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped medium
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 T flour
1 bottle dry red wine
2/3 c low sodium chicken broth
2/3 c low sodium beef broth
2 bay leaves
2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 1/2 inch thick

Garnish
2 c frozen pearl onions
1/2 c water
3 T butter
1 tsp salt
10 oz white mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved
1 T chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 300 F. Pat the roast dry and season with salt and pepper. Tie kitchen twine around each piece of meat so it won't fall apart. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the meat on all sides, reduce heat if pot starts to scorch.

Remove meat and set aside.

Pour off all the fat left in the pot, add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat until browned and crisp. About 10 minutes. Stir in the onion and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until softened 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the wine, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. It should reduce to about 2 1/2 cups of liquid.

Stir in the broths and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Nestle the meat back in, along with any accumulated juices, and return to a simmer. Cover and transfer to oven. cook for 2 hours, flipping the meat halfway through cooking.

Stir in the carrots and continue to cook in the oven, covered until the meat is tender for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, flipping the meat once.

For the garnish: meanwhile combine the frozen pearl onions, water, butter, sugar and salt in a 12 inch nonstick skillet. Cover and cook over medium high heat stirring often until onions are fully thawed and tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook until the liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are dark brown and well glazed, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the meat to a carving board and tent loosely with foil. Transfer the carrots to a bowl and set aside. Using a wide spoon, skim off any fat that rises to the surface of the sauce. Bring to a simmer over med-high heat and cook until thickened and reduced to 3 cups, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove twine from meat, cut the meat against the grain into 1/4 inch slices and transfer to a serving platter. Stir the carrots and garnish into the sauce and rewarm over medium heat. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the meat, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Phew! That's a lot of work.

Grilled Beef and Vegetable Kebabs

2011-10-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Kebabs are standard grill fare. And are one of my favorite things to make with beef and chicken. When I have a marinade recipe, I'll often cube the meat and marinade it that way. More meat surface gets the marinade, then I put them on skewers and grill. Yum.

This recipe was super, SUPER easy and flavorful. The marinade is a very common marinade and is used a lot in grilling recipes.

I adjusted the vegetables of this recipe since I'm not a fan of bell peppers. I used zucchini instead. Just as colorful and just as tasty - in my opinion.

GRILLED BEEF AND VEGETABLE KEBABS

Serves 2

1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c soy sauce (I use low sodium soy sauce for cooking. It allows me to control the sodium.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb steak tips, poked all over with a fork and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks (I used zucchini here)
1 small red onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
5 ounces white mushrooms, stemmed

Mix oil, soy, garlic and pepper together in a large microwave safe bowl. Measure 1/4 c of the soy sauce mixture and transfer to a large zip loc bag. Add steak tips to the marinade, turn to coat. Marinade steak tips in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Add bell pepper, onion and mushrooms to the bowl with the remaining marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temp for 30 minutes.

Microwave the vegetables on high until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent at the edges, 3-5 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl (be careful of steam) and set aside until the meat is finished marinating.

Jenn Note: Needless to say I did not cook my vegetables in a microwave. I did marinate them, but I didn't want to precook them and I just grilled them with the meat. Turned out fine.

Thread the meat and vegetables onto skewers, starting and ending with meat. It makes about 4 12 inch skewers. Grill to your desired doneness.

Chicken Vesuvio

2011-10-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

I debate every time I come across a recipe I didn't particularly like as to whether I should or shouldn't post it. And almost every time I decide to post it in case one of my few readers will like it.

This was one of those recipes. It was good, but not great! At least to me.

CHICKEN VESUVIO
Serves 2

1/4 c flour
2 (6-8oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
5 tsp olive oil
12 oz red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh oregano, or 1/4tsp dried
1 tsp minced rosemary, or 1/4 tsp dried
1 c low sodium chicken broth
1/4 c dry white wine
1/2 c frozen peas, thawed
2 T unsalted butter
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Place the flour in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Working with 1 breast at a time, dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat 1 T olive oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the chicken in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides, 6-8 minutes, flipping the breasts halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet with a wad of paper towels. Heat the remaining 2 tsp in skillet until shimmering. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, rosemary and 1/8 tsp salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth and wine, scraping the bottom of the pan of the little brown bits. Nestle the chicken along with any accumulated juice, into the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the chicken registers 160 to 165, 12 to 18 minutes, flipping the chicken half way through.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Increase the heat to medium and continue to cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is thickened slightly, 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to the platter with the chicken. Off heat, stir in the peas, butter and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over the chicken and potatoes and serve.

Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto

2011-10-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

Every year, the Thursday before the Breast Cancer 3 day, I do a "carb loading" dinner for my team. Truth be told, I "carb load" all year for them. As a former walker changed into Walker Stalker, I need my energy.

This year I chose to make Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto. Its simple and delicious. Just like I like it.

TORTELLINI WITH PEAS AND PROSCIUTTO

Serves 4

1 lb meat filled tortellini (I couldn't find any meat filled so I used 3 cheese)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
4 oz prosciutto or pancetta, finely chopped (I used pancetta for this recipe because it's what I had on hand. You could even use bacon if that's what you have on hand.)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 T tomato paste
1/4 c heavy cream
1 c Frozen peas
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook as the label directs.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and prosciutto and cook until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Ladle in about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and simmer until reduced by about half, 3-4 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.

About 2 minutes before the tortellini are done add the peas to the boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain the tortellini and peas and add to the skillet, tossing to coat with the sauce. Stir in the parsley and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Baked Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

2011-10-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

I've been very lax at getting recipes up on this site. So pardon me while I get caught up.

The Not Quite Newlyweds had child #2, Baby B. I offered to bring them dinner and meet Baby B and they hopped on that offer.

I wanted to make something Baby B's big brother would eat and was simple, but scrumptious. Lasagna came to mind. I have a few recipes, some take almost all day, and I wanted to try a new one. I rummaged through my recipes and found this one. It was quite tasty and super easy.

I'm not a fan of ricotta cheese so this was the perfect lasagna for me.

BAKED LASAGNA WITH BECHAMEL SAUCE
Serves 8-10

Bolognes sauce (I used my favorite bolognese sauce that you can find here. I had made some over the weekend so I had some left over for the lasagna.)
12-16 fresh egg lasagna sheets or dried lasagna (I can never find fresh lasagna sheets so I used the no cook sheets that are now available).
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
3 T butter

For the bechamel sauce:
3 c milk
1 bay leaf
1 tsp nutmeg (the recipe actually calls for mace blades. I had no idea what those were, but Google helped me determine they are part of the nutmeg plant. I couldn't find mace blades so went for just nutmeg.)
1/2 c butter
3/4 c flour
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the bolognese sauce per that recipe. Butter a large lasagna pan.

To make the bechamel sauce:
Gently heat the milk with the bay leave and nutmeg in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a medium heave based saucepan. Add the flour and mix well with a wire whisk. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove the bay leaf from the milk. Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture and whisk constantly. Bring the sauce to a boil and let it thicken. Cook for another 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lasagna prep:
Depending on the type of noodles you use, you may need to cook your pasta. I used no-cook noodles so I hopped right into putting the lasagna together.

To assemble:
Spread a large spoonful of bolognese to bottom of the pan. Spread it evenly. You may need a second spoon full depending on the size of pan you're using. You're looking for a nice even layer of sauce for the first noodles to rest on.

Arrange a layer of pasta, overlaying the edges.
Spoon over the bechamel sauce over the layer of noodles. Evenly spread the sauce.
Spoon over bolognese; evenly spread the sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Repeat that another layer or two, depending, again, on the size of your dish. END with bolognese and Parmesan on the top of the lasagna.

Bake at 400for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it's bubbly. Put it on a cookie sheet though, learn from my mistakes. Take it out and let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Sit back and enjoy.

Smokey Indoor Ribs

2011-09-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

On my other blog I wrote a post about my dad being the master of BBQ ribs. We used to joke that the rib recipe was my dowry. At least I think we were joking.

Anyhow, I thought I'd try my hand at ribs for the September Sunday dinner. Boy am I glad I did.

These ribs are FANTASTIC! Incredibly flavorful, sticky and tender. It does take about 3 hours to make, but low and slow is the answer for these babies.

So don't be afraid. Go out, buy some pork ribs and have yourself a feast.

SMOKEY INDOOR RIBS
Courtesy of Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2011

Serves 4-6

Ribs braising mixture:
2T instant espresso powder
2T liquid smoke (I used the hickory flavor)
1T salt
2 racks (about 2.5 to 3 lbs) pork spareribs

BBQ Sauce:
1T vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
1T smoked paprika
1 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
3/4 c cider vinegar
3/4 c dark corn syrup
3/4 c ketchup
1/2 c molasses
2T brown mustard
1T hot sauce
1T instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

For the ribs braising liquid:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300F. Bring 3 cups water, and ingredients for the ribs braising mixture to a boil in a saucepan. Pour mixture into large roasting pan. Place ribs,meat side down, in liquid. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

For BBQ Sauce:
Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt to taste. Cook until softened, about 5minutes. Add paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients for BBQ sauce EXCEPT liquid smoke. Let it come to a simmer. Let it simmer and reduce down for about 50 to 60 minutes. The mixture should be thick and sticky.

When it's reduced, stir in the liquid smoke. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Reserve 1/2 cup sauce for serving.

Remove ribs from the roasting pan and transfer, meat side up, to a wire rack set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; discard braising liquid.

Brush both sides of ribs with sauce. Bake until tender and fork inserted into meat meets no resistance, about 1 1/2 hours. Brush meat side with BBQ sauce every 30 minutes.

When done, pull from the oven and let stand for 30 minutes. Brush them one last time with reserve BBQ sauce. (or do what I did, I cut them after they sat for 30 minutes, and then brushed them with the BBQ sauce.)

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

2011-09-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how long I've had this recipe. (I really need to start dating them when I add them to my treasure chest of recipes.) Beef and Broccoli is one of my favorite dishes to order when I'm at a Chinese restaurant. All too often, though, they use MSG to help the flavor along. Trying to avoid MSG, I avoid this dish.

Then I discovered the little packets of Beef and Broccoli sauce that you can buy in the grocery store. Just add water and soy sauce and you're good to go. Turns out those packets are a bit too salty for me (and I use low sodium soy sauce).

So I've been on the hunt for a good, easy and tasty been and broccoli.

This recipe was all of the above. Easy, flavorful and had a nice balance of flavors in it. I only made one small modification and that was I didn't put my broccoli in until very last because I like crisp broccoli not soggy, gross, not quite green broccoli. BLECH!

BEEF AND BROCCOLI STIR-FRY
Courtesy of - I have no idea where I got this recipe
Serves 6

1/2 c soy sauce (I used low sodium)
2 T lemon juice
1 T cornstarch
1 T firmly packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp pepper
2 T vegetable oil
2 lbs top sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium heads of broccoli
2 tsp grated fresh ginger

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, cornstarch, brown sugar, garlic and pepper. Set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry (I tend to pat my beef dry before stir frying since moisture will cause it to boil at times). Cook for about 2 minutes and transfer to a plate.

Heat remaining oil, add onion and stir fry for 5 minutes. Cut broccoli into florets and add to skillet with 1/2 c water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. (I didn't add the water and simmer. I just skipped this step because I knew the sauce I'd be adding would cook the broccoli enough.)

Return beef to skillet and add soy sauce mixture; add ginger. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

2011-09-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

If you've been keeping up on this blog, you know two things, 1) I'm no fan of green peppers and 2) I'm no fan of dark meat.

Because of fact #2 I modified this recipe to be Teriyaki Chicken Breasts Kebabs. I like the kebab idea when chicken is being marinated. The cubed chicken allows more parts of the chicken meat to touch the marinade or in this case the teriyaki sauce. (I spilled some of the teriyaki sauce on the cookbook and even as I sit here I can smell it and my mouth is watering.)

I love teriyaki. I especially love a thick, rich teriyaki sauce. THIS recipe is just that. A thick, flavorful, and easy recipe for teriyake. I've put the recipe as it appears in the cookbook below and have added my "flair" to it.

TERIAKI CHICKEN WINGS WITH SESAME CILANTRO
Courtesy of Tyler Florence
Serves 6

Teriyaki Sauce:

1 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 cup grapefruit juice

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 fresh red chiles, halved (Jenn note: When I do this again I'll use red pepper flakes. I didn't get too much heat from the red pepper I used.)

5 garlic cloves, halved

2-inch piece fresh ginger, whacked open with the flat side of a knife

Chicken Wings:

2 dozen chicken wings, about 31/4 pounds, rinsed and patted dry (Jenn Note: I used 2 chicken breasts cubed and skewered).

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish (Jenn Note: didn't bother with this)

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (Jenn Note: didn't bother with this)

Prepare the teriyaki sauce by combining the soy sauce, grapefruit juice, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, chiles, garlic, and ginger in a pot. Bring to a slow boil and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400F. (Jenn Note: OR if you're going to BBQ them, like I did, start your grill up)

Season the chicken wings generously with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken wings in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until the skin gets crispy. With tongs, dip the wings in the teriyaki sauce and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to glaze. An impressive presentation is to serve these chicken wings family style; arrange them on a large platter, pour the remaining sauce over them and sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. Don't forget the wet naps!

Quick Coq au Vin

2011-09-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

This was a Rachael Ray 30 minute meal that I've had on my list for, gosh, almost 7 years. It got plucked out of the snifter and made.

It was very flavorful and super easy to make. If you like Coq au Vin but don't want to wait hours for it to cook, try this recipe. It does not disappoint.

QUICK COQ AU VIN
Courtesy of Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 can chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh thyme leaves
3-4 T. tomato paste

Cut the chicken into large pieces. Combine flour, salt and pepper to taste. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan.
Add mushrooms, garlic, and onions to pan. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red wine and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add chicken broth and stir to combine. Return chicken to the pan and stir to combine. Sprinkle thyme over the chicken mixture.
Bring to a boil. Stir in tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve over hot egg noodles.

Trailer Trash Pot Roast

2011-09-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

My dad's favorite meal is pot roast. He, and mom, can make a mean pot roast. Me, not so much. I'm not sure how I can dry out a pot roast, but I have been quite successful at that.

THIS recipe however, was simple, delicious and my pot roast wasn't dry at all.

I found this recipe off my new favorite food blog: Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy. I just love the name and love all the recipes she's posted out there. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Cajun Fettuccine

2011-08-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

So I had the Landlords over on Friday night to celebrate our one year since we all went on the Alaska cruise. You'd think I'd do something like salmon, but instead I had this fantastic recipe I had made once before in my mind. This one. Only I didn't realize that was the name of it and made the recipe below instead. BIG DIFFERENCE.

This recipe wasn't as flavorful at all. In fact, lacked a great deal in flavor. I'm bummed that I got confused because I think the Landlords and Blueberry would have really liked the other one.

I made one almost pizza ordering mistake. The recipe calls to add an egg yolk to the heavy cream and chicken broth. I added the whole egg on accident. When I added that mixture to the hot pan, I had scrambled eggs. I'm sure it would have tasted fine, but it looked gross. I dumped, well strained, the whole thing. Cleaned off the sausage and started all over again.

On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being AWESOME. This was a one.

CAJUN FETTUCCINE
Serves 6

3/4 lb fettuccine
3/4 lb kielbasa, sliced (I used linguisa sausage instead)
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 T garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
1/4 c sherry
1 c heavy cream
1/3 c chicken broth
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 c frozen peas
1/3 c Parmesan, grated
1 T unsalted butter
Sliced scallions

Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain.

Saute kielbasa in oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until brown. Add the shrimp and cook just until pink, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic and cayenne; cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze with sherry and simmer until nearly evaporated. Whisk cream, broth and yolk together. Add it to the pan along with pasta and peas. Bring to a simmer, stir in the Parmesan, and cook until thick.

Finish with butter and scallions.

Holy Crap These are Amazing Cookies

2011-08-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I stumbled on to this blog, but I'm so glad I did. Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy is it's name. It's an awesome cooking site. Anyhow, these cookies were one of her recipes and I decided to make them for a dinner party I had on Friday night. Turns out these are AMAZING cookies. Amazingly delicious, and amazingly easy.

Make them. You won't regret it.

The only change to the recipe I made was I didn't drizzle with chocolate. I had some chocolate issues that weren't good, so I decided to pass on that action.

HOLY CRAP THESE ARE AMAZING COOKIES
Courtesy of http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com

1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 jar (18 oz ounce) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth (I like creamy.)
6 cups corn flakes
3 ounces good quality chocolate of your choice (I used Scharffen Berger Semisweet 62%.)

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a full boil.

Remove from heat and stir in the whole jar of peanut butter. Mix well.

Add corn flakes to a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over corn flakes and mix well, taking care to coat all of the corn flakes.

With a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out and form into 1-2 inch balls, depending on your preference, and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.

Put the chocolate in a small bowl and melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies.

When cooled, eat these cookies with reckless abandon. Be careful, though. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt!

Hungarian Style Shepherd's Pie

2011-08-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile a super easy and super delicious recipe falls across my desk. THIS is one of those recipes. A great complex depth of flavor in the gravy of the beef mixture. It had me almost licking the plate it was that good.

I didn't use parsnips in this recipe either. I didn't have them on my grocery list, so just went with mashed potatoes.

The recipe says it serves 4 - but I think it could easily serve 6 if you had other sides.

If you do nothing else in your life...make. this. recipe.

HUNGARIAN STYLE SHEPHERD'S PIE
Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

1 large red bell pepper

2 pounds top sirloin or sirloin tips cut into bite-size pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Flour, for dredging

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion or 2 medium onions, chopped

2 to 3 medium carrot, small dice

4 cloves garlic, sliced

About 1/4 cup sweet paprika (I used about 3 T and it was a good amount)

1/2 tablespoon caraway seeds, half a palmful

A couple sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves picked and chopped or about 2 teaspoons dried

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed or sliced 1-inch thick

2 to 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 to 1 cup sour cream

1 egg

A handful fresh dill, parsley or chives, finely chopped

Char the bell pepper over an open burner flame or under the broiler with the oven door slightly cracked for the steam to escape until black, turning frequently. Place the charred pepper in a bowl until cool enough to handle, then peel the pepper, chop, and reserve.
Meanwhile, pat the meat dry and season liberally with salt and pepper, dredge in flour. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the meat and brown on both sides. Remove the browned meat to a plate and add the remaining olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, paprika, caraway, marjoram and cook to soften 5 to 6 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and stir 1 minute. Stir in the beef stock and Worcestershire and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and slide the meat and peppers into the pot. Cook 30 minutes, until beef is just tender.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and parsnips until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to the hot pot and mash with salt, pepper, butter, sour cream, egg, and herb of choice.
Place the goulash into a casserole dish and top with potatoes. Cool the dish completely and store for make-ahead meal.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Reheat and bake until heated through and potatoes are brown on top, 45 to 60 minutes. If you do not make this dish as a make ahead meal then brown potatoes under hot broiler on the middle rack of the oven 5 to 7 minutes until golden at edges.

Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies

2011-08-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not a person who has a sweet tooth, mostly. I'm more the carb, bread, cheese, deep fried craver. Once in a great while though I like to make cookies. I only make them when I can take them somewhere otherwise I'll have two or three the first day and be done with them. I had an occasion to make some cookies this week and opted for these Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Cookies.

Interesting cookies. Flavor wise, they're delicious. Texture wise they were odd. The photo shows the cookies more flat which makes them more crunchy type of cookie, which I love. My cookies turned out a bit more puffier and had a consistency of meringue. Which is fine, just not what I was expecting. Still they're good cookies and quick and easy to make.

CHOCOLATE CHIP HAZELNUT COOKIES
Makes 3 dozen

1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/3 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 c chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift dry ingredients into a small bowl; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture on low speed. Once combined add the chocolate chips and half the hazelnuts.

Drop tsp size balls of the dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. Flatten each with a fork or your hand and top with remaining hazelnuts and press lightly into the surface.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Japanese Beef Stew

2011-08-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. Stew in August? Seems odd, I know. But the snifter of recipes spoke and the beef stew is what it said. Besides its been chillier than normal the last couple of days.

This stew was interesting to me. I'm used to stews being savory and this stew was sweet. It's called Nikujaga in Japanese and is a classic home-cooked winter dish for the Japanese. It consists of meat and potatoes in a sweetened soy based broth. Strangely delicious.

JAPANESE BEEF STEW (NIKUJAGA)
Serves 6
2 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and halved
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped on a bias
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 oz dried shitake mushrooms, rinsed (I don't like shitakes so I used button mushrooms)
1 c water
1/2 c sake or dry white wine
1/3 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c sugar
2 T mirin or rice wine
2 T fish sauce
1 T minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 c minced scallions (which I forgot)

Combine everything but the scallions in a slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat 7-8 hours. I cooked it on slow heat to make sure the meat was nice and tender.

To serve, use a fork and pull the meat and potatoes into bite size pieces. Skim the fat off the broth (which I didn't have a lot). Garnish with scallions.

Super easy and quite good.

Beer Marinated Skirt Steak

2011-08-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

I've never actually used beer to marinate anything. I've used beer in stews and soups and such, but never to marinate. I saw this recipe on Mexican Made Easy and thought it would be a fun, out of the box, marinade for me.

I chose to marinate the flat iron steak for a good portion of the day. The store didn't have skirt steaks, so flat iron or flank is a good substitute. I followed this recipe to the T and boy was it worth it.

The beer flavor really came through from the marinade. The orange in the marinade left just a hint of the citrus flavor. Enough for you to realize there was something else in the marinade.

The Pantry Goat was over to help me sample this dinner and agreed, the meat was fantastic.

Super easy and delicious.What more could you want?

BEER MARINATED SKIRT STEAK
Serves 4
Courtesy of Mexican Made Easy

1 Orange, thinly sliced with peel
1/2 Onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves Garlic, halved and smashed
2 1/2 pounds Skirt steak
Salt and pepper
1 cup Light colored beer (preferably lager style)
1/2 cup Soy sauce

In a wide, shallow glass baking dish, scatter half of the orange slices, half of the onion slices and half of the garlic pieces on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the steak all over with salt and pepper and put in the dish on top of the orange and onion slices. Scatter the remaining orange, onion and garlic over the steak and pour in the beer and soy sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Prepare a barbeque on medium-high heat or preheat a broiler. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the steak to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve as desired.

Jenn Note: So in adding this recipe I realized I didn't include the soy sauce in the marinade...that could explain what the beer taste was so prevelant. I'm just sayin'.

Cookie Cupcakes with Raspberry Fluff Frosting

2011-08-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of cupcakes. They're simple, little, delicious, single serving treats. I make them often for just about any occasion.

Yesterday was Sunday dinner. The 1st Anniversary of the Sunday Dinner tradition. I was going to have a small crowd here so figured a nice simple cupcake would do the trick.

Then I got my Every Day Food Magazine and flipped to discover a cupcake with frosting that has MARSHMALLOW cream. OMG. Really? I had to make it.

Super simple recipe, BIG flavor and worth the calories.

COOKIE CUPCAKES WITH RASPBERRY FLUFF FROSTING
Makes 12 - 15

1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c all purpose flour
1 c granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
12 cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (I used Oreo's)
3T seedless raspberry jam
3 cups marshmallow topping
1/3 c confestioners' sugar

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line 12 standard cupcake muffin cups with paper liners. Melt 2 T butter; let cool. In a large bowl whisk together: cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Lightly beat the egg and egg yolk. Add the eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla and 1/2 c hot water; whisk until smooth.

Spoon 1 T of batter into each lined cupcake. Top each with an Oreo. Top each with 1T of batter.

Bake until cupcakes are puffed and set, 15 minutes, rotating pan half way through. Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat 1 c butter and raspberry jam on medium-high heat until smooth. Add marshmallow topping and confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth.

Transfer mixture to a quart size zip top bag. With scissors cut a small hole on one corner. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and serve immediately.

Sherrie's Most Delicious Salad Ever

2011-08-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

My cousin Blueberry often asks what she can bring when I invite her to dinner. I often tell her nothing. Though I've gotten better about letting her, and others, bring things to dinner. Sometime in the last couple of months Blueberry brought this salad.

I almost licked the bowl.

I like salads. I especially like viddles in my salad. My salads are about all that can be put in them over the lettuce that's in it. There's something about the combination of the viddles in this salad that just set my taste buds off on an adventure they don't want to return on. I hope you enjoy it too.

SHERRIE'S MOST DELICIOUS SALAD EVER
Serves 6 (if people don't get addicted to it like me)

romaine lettuce, enough to feed 6 people1 handful red grapes, sliced in half1 handful craisins1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
DRESSING 1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup apple cider vinegar1/4 cup red wine vinegar1/4 cup olive oil1 teaspoon poppy seeds

CANDIED ALMONDS
1/2 cup slivered almonds1/4 cup sugar

Put 1/2 cup slivered almonds and 1/4 cup sugar into a pan. Cook until sugar is melted and bubbling. Coating the almonds. Watch them carefully as they can burn really quickly. Pour them on to a piece of parchment paper and let cool (you're essentially making sugared almonds).
Put lettuce, red grapes, craisins and cheese in a bowl.

Mix the dressing ingredients together and let sit.

Add the sugared almonds. Dress the salad just before serving.

Pepper Crusted Steak with Worcestershire-Butter Sauce

2011-07-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

So many people I know have a hard time pronouncing Worcestershire. I learned after my visit to England. Phonetically its: WorsTashur. Not Wor-Chester-Shire - which is how it was pronounced in my family. To make things simple, I call it "W Sauce.

I heart W sauce. It's got such a distinctive taste and can add that little hint of flavor to just about anything.

I've had this recipe for about - well a long time. The difficulty for me was actually frying the steak. I'm so used to slamming a steak on the BBQ that actually frying it brings tears to my eyes. Still, I decided to fry it tonight and have the "little brown bits" for the sauce.

I'll be BBQing it next time. Completely overcooked the steak. Still the sauce and steak were delicious. My one recommendation, and something I would not skimp on, is use FRESH GROUND PEPPER. Pepper that's already been ground loses some of it's umph. Take the time to grind some fresh peppercorns and the flavor is quite amazing.

PEPPER CRUSTED STEAK WITH WORCESTERSHIRE-BUTTER SAUCE
Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated - I think. It might be Cook's Country which is done by Cook's Illustrated.
Serves 4
4 strip steaks eight to ten ounces each
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt. Rub one side of each steak with pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place steaks peppered side down in skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

Add shallot to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add wine, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme and simmer, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add accumlated steak juices to pan, whisk in butter, and season with salt. Pour sauce over steaks. Serve.

Grilled Chicken and Tapenade Sandwiches

2011-07-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

After the surprise shower last Friday, I had a couple of cups of olive tapenade left. Luckily it keeps well and it's a "leftover" I'll eat.

I knew I had some recipes that called for olive tapenade so I went looking for them. This was one I found.

This sandwich was as delicious as I thought it'd be. Super simple, and frankly I think one you could easily make with left over chicken even.

GRILLED CHICKEN AND TAPENADE SANDWICHES
Courtesy of Cooking Light
Serves 4

Note: I already had tapenade so I didn't follow this tapenade recipe. I merely added tomatoes and parsley to my already existing tapenade. My tapenade is 1c black olives, 1c kalamata olives, 1 c green olives with pimiento, 2 cloves garlic, 1 to 2 T balsamic vinegar. Food processor it all to the coarseness of large gravel.

1 1/2 cups diced seeded tomatoes2 tablespoons finely chopped pitted kalamata olives1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano1/2 teaspoon minced garlic5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon peppercooking spray1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese - I forgot the cheese on my sandwich. DOH!4 ciabatta sandwich buns

Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons oil; toss gently to combine. Let stand 15 minutes.
Prepare grill.

Brush chicken evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from grill. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing thinly.Add cheese and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to tomato mixture; stir gently to combine. Arrange sliced chicken evenly on bottom halves of rolls. Top each serving with one-fourth of tomato mixture, and cover with top halves of rolls. Serve immediately.

Hot Crab Dip

2011-07-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

Living in the Northwest we get really good Dungenous crab. I am not a fan of crab to just sit and eat crab straight. No. I prefer my crab to be in something.

Like a hot crab dip.

Now granted, I'm not currently working so I didn't buy fresh crab for this appetizer, but am absolutely sure fresher crab would make a big difference in the crabby flavor.

This recipe makes a good amount of dip. I doubled it for 8 people and had WAY too much. I am still trying to figure out what part of my brain decided I needed to double the recipe. Still, its delicious, easy and worth making for your next gathering.

HOT CRAB DIP
courtesy of Food Network Magazine
Yields: 1 cup (that's what the recipe says, but I think it yields about 2 without doubling)

8 oz crab meat
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c heavy cream (I doubled the recipe and used JUST a quarter cup - I think you could get away with just a splash of heavy cream, or half and half.)
1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 c Muenster cheese, shredded
Splash of lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c mix of basil, parsley and chives
ground pepper

Mix everything together. Put it in a baking dish. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Muffin Pan Potato Gratins

2011-07-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Oh potato gratins...how I love thee.

As a single person its rare I get to have potato gratins, or au gratin potatoes. Most recipes just make too much.

Until now.

I've found a recipe that's perfect to feed a single girl or an entire house full of guests.

These little individual gems I made for this month's Sunday dinner. The accompanied the Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots and flank steak marinated in the Better than A-1 marinade.

My one recommendation is get small russets. I got medium size like they suggested, but they were too big once sliced to fit into the muffin pan, so I had to cut the slices in half. After I made them I thought the russets that usually come in the plastic 10Lb bags would be perfect size.

Oh and I added Parmesan cheese in each layer too. Made a huge difference in flavor I think. I also thought adding bacon bits, chives, or slices of garlic would be good too.

MUFFIN PAN POTATO GRATINS
Courtesy of Everyday Food
Serves 6

Unsalted butter, at room temperature; for muffin cups

2 medium Russet potatoes
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons Heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly brush 6 standard muffin cups with butter. Thinly slice potatoes. Place 2 slices in each cup and season with salt and pepper. Continue adding potatoes, seasoning every few slices, until cups are filled.

Pour 1 tablespoon heavy cream over each. Bake until potatoes are golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife, 30 to 35 minutes. Run a thin knife around each gratin. Place a baking sheet or large plate over pan and invert to release gratins. Flip right side up and serve.

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

2011-07-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I went the Pantry Goat's house for her birthday dinner. A friend of her's had made glazed carrots. I didn't know I was a fan of glazed carrots until that day.

Since then I've collected a couple different recipes. All of them have been good. This one was easy and good, so double winner.

I chose to not add the rosemary to the dish, mostly because I'm not a rosemary fan, though I'm sure it would be good.

BROWN SUGAR GLAZED CARROTS
Courtesy of Everyday Food
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and pepper

In a lg skillet, place carrots, butter, sugar, rosemary and 1 1/4 cups water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until carrots are tender, 10 to 12 mins. (If water evaporates before carrots are tender, add 1/4 cup more.)

Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 1 to 2 mins more.

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE PAN COOKIES

2011-07-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

The third cookie I made yesterday was pretty good. I over-cooked the cookie part so they were kinda dry. But besides that they were easy and tasty, just watch your cooking time.

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE PAN COOKIES
Courtesy of My Recipes.com

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 package dark chocolate morsels, divided

Stir together peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl.

Stir in brown sugar until combined. Add baking mix and 3/4 cup dark chocolate morsels, stirring just until moistened. Spread mixture in a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.

Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate morsels; let stand 5 minutes or until chocolate melts. Spread melted chocolate evenly over top. Cut into triangles, bars, or squares.

Coconut Chocolate Patties

2011-07-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

This was an interesting recipe. I had visions of what I thought this would be and turned out it wasn't. While they went at yesterday's all day scrap, I'm not convinced they were that good.

For starters, I forgot to add the almond extract. I think that flavor would have made a world of difference with these. I also expected them to be moister. If I made them again, I'd add some corn syrup to the chocolate to make it bind better.

Super easy and if you love coconut, then they're great. Just don't forget the almond extract.

COCONUT CHOCOLATE PATTIES
Courtesy of Everyday Food

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

3 drops pure almond extract
3 3/4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread coconut in a single layer on parchment. Place in oven until golden and toasted, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to color evenly. Remove from oven; let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, combine toasted coconut, almond extract, and melted chocolate. Stir gently until combined. Press about 1 tablespoon coconut mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture. Place in the refrigerator until cookies are set, about 20 minutes. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Buttescotch Peanut Bars

2011-07-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

By far, of the desserts I made this weekend, this was the best. It reminded me of a PayDay bar, which happens to be one of my favorites...just a tad sweeter. When I make these again, I might consider using peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch, though I'm not sure how that would set up. Either way, make these bars. You'll love them. They're quick and easy, so what's stopping you.

BUTTERSCOTCH PEANUT BARS
courtesy of Taste of Home
Yields: 4 dozen

1/2 cup Butter

3/4 cup Packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Salted Peanuts

TOPPING
1 package Hershey Butterscotch chips
1/2 cup Light corn syrup
2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Water

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat the foil with cooking spray; set aside.

In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Press into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes. Sprinkle with peanuts.

In a large saucepan, combine topping ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until chips and butter are melted. Spread over hot crust. Bake for 12-15 minutes longer or until topping is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Argentinean Skewers with Sherry Vinegar Steak Sauce

2011-07-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

Bobby Flay does not disappoint on this recipe. I was concerned about the steak sauce since it called for roasted red peppers, and we all know how I feel about bell peppers. But it was surprisingly good.

The steak sauce has a BITE to it. If you're not a fan of horseradish, I recommend you not put in the full amount. Or do like I do and put in the full amount taste it. Remove the tears from your eyes. Add another T of honey and a T or two of ketchup.

I also warmed my steak sauce and boiled it down a bit to make it a bit thicker.

The steak marinate was fantastic. I'd do that again in a heart beat. Don't shy away from the two heads of garlic (that's two HEADs not cloves). It flavors the steak nicely and doesn't have the overly garlic sting.

I also didn't do skewers. Too much work for the 4th of July. I just did a big honkin flank steak and it was perfect.

Lastly, I couldn't afford Sherry vinegar (Its like $8 a bottle) so I googled a suitable substitute. A number of sources said red wine vinegar. I took it a step further. I used 1/4 cup sherry wine and 1/4 cup red wine vinegar.

ARGENTINEAN SKEWERS WITH SHERRY VINEGAR STEAK SAUCE
Courtesy of Bobby Flay (Food Network)
Serves 4

1 cup Packed Fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup Packed Fresh cilantro
2 heads Garlic, Unpeeled, halved horizontally
2 Jalapenos, tops trimmed
1/2 cup Canola oil
18 ounces Sirloin , cut 1" dice

Sherry Vinegar Steak Sauce Recipe
4 Piquillo peppers, drained and chopped (or 2 roasted peppers drained and chopped)
1/2 cup Sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Prepared horseradish, drained
2 tablespoons Honey
1 tablespoon Molasses

6-inch wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes

Combine the parsley, cilantro, garlic, peppers and oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish, add the beef and toss to coat in the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

Heat the grill to high. Skewer 2 pieces of the beef onto 2 skewers so that the meat lays flat on the grill. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper and grill until golden brown, slightly charred on both sides and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 3 minutes per side.

Brush the green onions with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until slightly charred and just cooked through.

Serve skewers with grilled scallions and Sherry Vinegar Steak Sauce.

For Sherry Steak Sauce: Place the peppers, vinegar, mustard, horseradish, honey, molasses, Worcestershire, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

Pasta Salad with Pesto

2011-07-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

Pasta runs in my veins. I swear I must be Italian. Or it could be I'm addicted to carbs. Huh! No matter, this was an easy and super delicious salad. Try it.

I used cheese filled spinach tortellini instead of farfalle (bow tie pasta) because I wanted a bit more substance. And it was scrumptious!

PASTA SALAD WITH PESTO
Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated
Serves: 8

3/4 c pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb pasta (farfalle or tortellini)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 c packed fresh basil leaves
1 c packed baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T lemon juice
1 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
6 T mayonnaise
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook pasta according to package. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Drain, rinse in cold water, and let dry.

Toast pine nuts and set aside.

In a food processor combine: 1/4 c pine nuts, garlic, basil, spinach, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add cheese and mayonnaise and process thoroughly.

When pasta is cooled, toss with pesto, remaining pine nuts, cherry tomatoes and as much reserved pasta water (one tablespoon at a time) to make a loose dressing.

Hot Olive and Artichoke Dip

2011-07-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

I heart Pioneer Woman. Her recipes never fail me. Someday I'm going to meet her and thank her for her wonderfully delicious recipes that are easy to whip together.

I made her Hot Olive and Artichoke dip for appetizers for the 4th of July. It was a crowd favorite. I wouldn't change a single thing of this recipe.

HOT OLIVE AND ARTICHOKE DIP

Serves 6
Recipe and photo courtesy of Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 can Artichoke Hearts (14 Oz. Can)
10 whole Black Olives
8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese (1 Pack)
1 cup (Real) Mayonnaise
1 whole Egg
1/4 cup Red Onion, Diced
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Cayenne Pepper (for Spice)

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 to 8 times until mixture is combined but not totally liquefied. Stir and check seasonings, then pour into a small casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Broccoli Gratin

2011-07-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

In college my BFF, Blueberry used to get broccoli whenever it was available at the dining hall. She hated broccoli, but often said she needed her vegetables and if you cover something with enough cheese it's edible.

She's since become friends with broccoli, but I have to admit when I made this recipe for the 4th of July I thought of her.

It was a just okay recipe. If you like your broccoli over cooked and mushy, then follow the recipe. If you don't and you're like me and like broccoli a bit more fresh and have a bite to it, read my notes in the recipe.

At the end of the day, I doubt I'd make this again. I have too many good broccoli recipes to still try. Still you may enjoy it.

BROCCOLI GRATIN
Serves 6 (easily)
Ingredients

3 slices white sandwich bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 heads broccoli (about 2 pounds total), florets finely chopped, stalks peeled and finely chopped
1 cup shredded white cheddar (4 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in upper third. In a food processor, pulse bread and 1 tablespoon oil until large crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Set aside. (Jenn's Note: I didn't do this step. I cheated and just used bread crumbs I already had on hand. It might not be as fresh, but it was way easier. I also added a T of melted butter to the bread crumbs so they'd brown up nicely.

In a large saucepan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Whisk in flour; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; add broccoli. Reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (Jenn's Note: here is where I mentioned if you like over cooked, mushy broccoli, then follow this. If not, only cook the broccoli for 2-3 minutes.) Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup cheese.

Transfer mixture to a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish; top with breadcrumbs and remaining cheese. Bake until breadcrumbs are golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Apple Crisp Pizza

2011-06-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love pizza?

And when you make it into an apple crisp you have a sensational dessert.

I wouldn't change a thing about the recipe. I'd change something about the chef, me, but that's neither here nor there. I neglected to peel the apples which made for tough cutting at times. So don't make my mistake. But do make this pizza.

APPLE CRISP PIZZA

Serves 6

Pastry for one pie crust (I bought pie crust. Its good and easy.)

2/3 c sugar

3 T flour

1 tsp cinnamon

4 medium baking apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 c flour

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1/3 c rolled oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 butter

1/2 c caramel ice cream topping or caramel apple dip

Roll pastry to fir a 12 in pizza pan; fold under or flute the edges.

Combine 2/3 c sugar, 3T flour, 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Add apples and toss to coat.

Arrange apples in a single layer in a circular pattern to completely cover pastry.

Combine the rest of the flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, cinnamon, butter; sprinkle over the apples.

Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until apples appear tender. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with caramel topping.

Serve warm and with ice cream.

Cajun Chicken Stroganoff

2011-06-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

A simple and quite frankly a flavorful dish without heat. When I hear the word "cajun" all too often the sensory of heat comes to mind. While this recipe does have cayenne to it, it doesn't have the heat associated to it.

For once I, not only followed the recipe, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. Try it! You'll love it. This recipe will make it to next year's cookbook and will be in the "Jenn's Favorite's" rotation. That's HOW good it is. Oh wait, I did change it slightly. I chose linguissa sausage instead of kielbasa. I LOVE linguissa sausage and so an opportunity to impart it's flavor into a cajun dish, I couldn't resist. I think I made the right choice.

I'd venture a guess that it's not necessarily low cal thanks to the sausage. The sausage gives such a distinct flavor that it really shouldn't be omitted. You can, however, use low cal sour cream. I did and you really can't tell.

CAJUN CHICKEN STROGANOFF
Courtesy of Cuisine at Home Weeknight Menus Volume 2
Makes 6 cups of stroganoff & noodles

1 package dry wide egg noodles
1/2 lb kielbasa, sliced (I used a linguissa sausage and used the whole pound)
1/2 lb button mushrooms, quartered

1 1/2 lb chicken tenders

1/2 tsp EACH: cayenne, paprika, black pepper, kosher salt, dry basil leaves, dried thyme leaves and dried oregano leaves

2 T flour

1 T tomato paste

2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry sherry
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
sliced scallions for garnish

Cook the noodles according to package directions.

Saute kielbasa and mushrooms in 2T olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until browned, 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Combine chicken with seasonings, toss to coat, then dust with flour. Saute chicken in same saute pan in 2T oil (or use reserved oil given off by the linguissa sausage if you used it) over medium-high heat until nearly cooked. Push chicken to one side of pan. Ad tomato paste and garlic; saute for 1 minute.

Deglaze the pan with sherry, simmer until nearly evaporated, then add broth, Worcestershire, and reserved kielbasa-mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, about 5 minutes..

Off heat, stir in sour cream. Serve stroganoff over prepared egg noodles and garnish with green onions.

You will not be disappointed. And I promise you, the cayenne pepper does not produce any serious heat.

Panaeng Beef in Red Curry Peanut Sauce

2011-06-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I've mentioned before I'm a big fan of red curry. Such a nice subtle flavor without the danger of having your lips burned off by the heat. Although the heat is present, it doesn't have to hurt.

This particular recipe was just okay. If I did it again I'd make some adjustments. I've put notes below where I would make changes.

PANEANG BEEF IN RED CURRY PEANUT SAUCE
Serves 4-6

1 c unsweetened coconut milk ( I had light coconut milk in the pantry so that's what I used)
1/2 cup water
1/2 lb boneless beef (like flank steak), thinly sliced crosswise into 2 inch strips
2 T panaeng curry paste or red curry paste (I used red curry paste)
2 T fish sauce
2 T palm sugar or brown sugar (I used brown sugar)
3 T ground or finely chopped peanuts or peanut butter
3 wild lime leaves, torn or cut in quarters or fine threads (optional) (Jenn Note: I have no idea what these are or where to get them. I like the lime flavor with my curry so I just spritz a lime wedge over my dish after I served it up)
A handful of Thai basil leaves

In a medium sauce pan, stir together 1/2 cup coconut milk and the water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Sprinkle in the sliced beef, stirring to keep the pieces from sticking together, and simmer 5 minutes, until meat is tender.

Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

With the milk/water mixture still in the pan, return it to a gentle boil. Stir in the curry paste and cook to dissolve, 3-4 minutes. The mixture should be fragrant and smooth. Return the beef and any juices to the pan, add the remaining coconut milk and bring back to a gentle boil. Add the fish sauce, sugar, peanuts and lime leaves, if using. Stir well and simmer 3 - 4 minutes more, until the sauce is smooth. Stir in basil leaves and remove from heat.

I served this over a bowl of jasmine rice.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

2011-06-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have many, MANY casserole recipes. The problem is I'm not a leftover fan, AND casseroles often make a ton of food. So when I'm having several people over for nothing fancy I like to make casseroles.

Last night I made this Chicken Tortilla Casserole. It was shockingly good. Why do I say "shockingly"? Well for starters, I like chipotle, but often it over powers a dish. I am tempted to cut back on it because of that. This time I didn't cut back and *gasp* followed the recipe. The flavor would have been missing had I cut back. And there was just enough heat to make you realize there was some extra kick there without it burning your lips off.

Very flavorful and VERY easy. Try it! It'll feed a crowd.

CHICKEN TORTILLA CASSEROLE

Courtesy of Cover & Bake

Serves 6-8 easily

2 T vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced medium (Yah, I so didn't add this ingredient - blech)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 T flour

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped, with 2 tsp sauce (I removed some of the seeds too - just in case it was too hot)
2 (14.5oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I didn't have any pinto beans, but I had black beans - used them instead)
1 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in small bite size chunks
1/4 c plus 2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 T lime juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
18 6" corn tortillas
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position. Preheat your oven to 300F.

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, cumin, chili powder and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and the onions are golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chipotles and adobo sauce, beans, and tomatoes, simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup cilantro, the lime juice and pepper.

Taste your mixture and adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile, spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and lay on two baking sheets, some overlapping is fine. Bake until the tortillas are soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. Remove tortillas from oven. Increase oven temp to 450F.

Jenn Note: I didn't do that to the tortillas. I just used the straight out of the package and I'm not sure there would have been any difference. Because they were corn tortillas they weren't gummy or anything like that.

Toss the cheeses together and mix.

Assembling the casserole: Spread 1/3 of the chicken mixture on the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Layer with 6 tortillas, overlapping and covering the entire dish. Cover with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Repeat with a second layer.

For your third layer, pour the remaining chicken mixture over the cheese of the second layer. Cut the remaining 6 tortillas in quarters (Jenn Note: I have no idea why they did this. It makes no sense to me and when I make this again I won't cut them in quarters). Spread the tortilla quarters over the chicken mixture. Cover with remaining cheese.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling. Hint - put the casserole on a baking sheet so if it flows over your oven will be saved. When it's done, cool for 10 minutes and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro before serving.

Grilled Salmon with Chili-Lime Sauce

2011-06-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of salmon. And an even bigger fan of Asian flavors. I have this cookbook called Quick and Easy Thai. I'm made about a dozen recipes from this book and have yet to be disappointed.

This was a simple meal to put together. Easy ingredients that most grocery stores have.

It was a bit too salty for me. So if, when, I make it again I'd not add any salt to the marinade since the dark soy sauce has plenty. I also think the 1/2 tsp of pepper is a bit too much. Could be because I made the full marinade and just had one piece of fish, so it was more concentrated - but still, it was really salty.

GRILLED SALMON WITH CHILI-LIME SAUCE

Serves 4 to 6

Marinade
3 T coarsely chopped garlic

3 T coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

2 T fish sauce
1 T dark soy sauce (you can use regular soy sauce if you don't have the dark)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt (again - I'd cut this out)
1/2 tsp pepper (I'd maybe to 1/4 tsp)
1 1/2 lbs meaty fish fillets, such as salmon, tuna, snapper, cod, halibut etc

Sauce

1/4 cup fish sauce

3 T freshly squeezed lime juice

2 T sugar

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 tsp finely chopped fresh hot green chilies - I used a Serrano

1 tsp finely chopped cilantro

In a food processor, combine the marinade ingredients. Pulse to make a paste. Add fish. Marinate for 20-30 minutes covered and in the fridge.

To make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Grill fish or bake it at 425F until desired doneness.

Serve fish along side of the sauce.

I made white rice and used the sauce over the white rice. Delicious!

Shrimp Rangoon

2011-05-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

Often when the BFF and I go to Chinese restaurants we'll order Crab Rangoon. A delightful combination of crab, cream cheese, and some other things...all put in a wonton wrapper and deep fried. Delicious!

Recently on Tasty Kitchen I encountered a Shrimp Rangoon recipe. I'm way more a shrimp fan than I am crab, so I knew I had to try it. Last night I treated some guests to this appetizer and the general consensus was it was quite good.

Heads up though, this makes a TON of filling. I only made 20 for appetizers and have easily more than half left. The recipe on Tasty Kitchen has a dipping sauce to it. I choose to just use sweet chili sauce which was perfectly good.

SHRIMP RANGOON
Courtesy of The Tasty Kitchen

FOR THE RANGOON:

8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons Cilantro, Chopped
2 Tablespoons Green Onions, Minced
2 teaspoons Fresh Ginger, Grated
1 teaspoon Sugar
2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Pepper
1 pound Shrimp, Par-cooked
½ cups Water Chestnut, Chopped
1 wholeEgg White For Wash - I didn't use an egg wash, I just used water to seal the wrappers with.
50 pieces Wonton Wrappers
1 quart Oil, For Frying

Put softened cream cheese, cilantro, green onions, ginger, sugar, lime juice, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times until just combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir in shrimp and water chestnuts.

Using a pastry brush or a finger tip, put egg white on the edge of the wonton skin. Place one heaping teaspoon of shrimp mixture in the center of each wrapper, fold in half, pressing to seal the edges well.

Transfer to a wire rack and repeat with remaining wrappers and shrimp mixture.

Preheat oil in a heavy duty frying pan over medium-high heat until the thermometer reaches between 350 degrees F to 375 degrees F.

Fry rangoon in batches, 6 or 7 at a time, turning over a few times until both sides are crispy golden brown.

Drain rangoon on a wire rack. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Jalapeno Roasted Chicken

2011-05-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

In all my life, I've never cooked a whole chicken. I'm not a fan of dark meat so cooking a whole chicken seems pointless to me and a waste.

I saw this recipe on Mexican Made Easy and knew I had to try it. The combination of cilantro and jalapeno just made my mouth water.

Unfortunately, I didn't find those flavors very obvious in the finished product. The chicken was good, don't get me wrong, I just didn't get the flavor combination I was expecting.

JALAPENO ROASTED CHICKEN
Courtesy of Mexican Made Easy
Serves 4

JALAPENO PESTO

1/2 cup packed fresh oregano
1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

CHICKEN
1 roasting chicken (5.5 lbs)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 pounds baby broccoli
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Jalapeno paste: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the oregano, shallot, garlic, butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the jalapeno, salt and pepper and process to form a coarse paste.

Chicken: Pat the chicken dry and then put it, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Using your fingers, loosen the skin from the chicken breast, legs, and thighs without detaching it. Spread half of the jalapeno paste under the skin. Put the rosemary and the shallots in the cavity of the chicken. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine. Spread the remaining jalapeno paste all over the exterior of the chicken. Pour the chicken broth and wine into the roasting pan.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting with the pan juices every 20 minutes, adding more broth to the pan if it begins to dry out.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Arrange the baby broccoli snugly around the chicken on the rack. Drizzle the olive oil over the florets and season them with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast the chicken with the baby broccoli, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the chicken thigh, without touching the bone, registers 160 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Remove the roast chicken from the oven, tent it in foil and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Quicker Boston Baked Beans

2011-05-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was Sunday Dinner. I decided to ring in the summer season by having a BBQ. I made burgers and guests brought misc items.

I decided I wanted to make a go at making Boston Baked Beans. I found this recipe in Cook's Country and decided I might as well try it. I was pleasantly surprised at how flavorful this was. Beats canned beans by a mile in flavor and texture. Super easy, but does require some planning as it takes 2 hours to bake the beans. I made the beans on Saturday and finished them off in the oven on Sunday. They were the bomb!

QUICKER BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Serves 4-6
Though I gotta say, I was feeding 9 people and we had some left overs. If you aren't going to have a bunch of other items, then maybe the 4-6 servings is accurate.

1 pound dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed

1 tablespoon baking soda
6 ounces salt pork, rind removed and cut into 1/4" pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cups water
5 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 T molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle, preheat oven to 350F.

Bring 3 quarts of water, beans and baking soda to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer briskly for 20 minutes. Drain beans in a colander. Rinse beans and pot.

In clean pot, cook salt pork over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in water, beans, sugar, 1/4 c molasses, Worcestershire, 3 tsp mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

Remove cover and cook for another 30 minutes and beans are completely tender. Stir in remaining 1 T molasses and 1 tsp of mustard.

Peanut Butter & Fudge Swirl Pie

2011-05-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to a friend's house for dinner. My job was to bring dessert. Back in April when I was visiting the ParentalUnits Mom had made a peanut butter pie that was fantastic. I didn't have the recipe, but I figured the Internet would.

I am not sure if this is the exact recipe, but it was close enough. Super easy and SUPER delicious. I think it'd be relatively easy to lighten up too. Use light cream cheese and light cool whip. I chose to not add the sugar into the recipe. I figured it was sweet enough and I'm glad I didn't.

I did add chopped peanut to the topping too.

Peanut Butter & Fudge Swirl Pie

Serves 8

8 ounces Cream Cheese

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups thawed Cool Whip
1 OREO pie crust (6oz)
1/4 cup Hot fudge topping, warmed

BEAT cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Whisk in COOL WHIP.

SPOON into crust. Drizzle with fudge topping; swirl gently with knife. REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm.

CILANTRO CHICKEN AND SPICY THAI NOODLES

2011-05-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

I love when I turn on the Food Network and whatever is being made sounds so good I just have to make it. That's what happened this weekend. I was watching a show and the chef was making cilantro chicken...it looked so good on the grill that I had to make it.

Blueberry was over tonight and so I tried it out on her. The consensus is this is a 5 star recipe that must be made again.

CILANTRO CHICKEN AND SPICY THAI NOODLES
Serves 4
Courtesy of Big Daddy, Food Network

Cilantro Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons Canola oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Minced garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
2 limes, 1 zested; 2 juiced
2 tablespoons Seasoned Rice vinegar

Thai Noodles:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste - I used red curry because I didn't have any green curry on hand AND I'm not a big fan of green curry.
1 tablespoon Seasoned rice vinegar
3 scallions, white and green parts chopped for garnish
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts

1. For the chicken: Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive bowl and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Prepare a grill pan to medium-high heat and place the chicken thighs on the pan, cooking for 4 minutes per side.
2. For the noodles: In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add the canola oil. Add the ginger, lime zest and juice, garlic, red pepper flakes and chicken stock. Stir all to combine and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the curry paste, seasoned rice vinegar and scallions. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Place the noodles in a large serving bowl along with the carrots and crushed peanuts and toss well to combine. Add the cilantro chicken and serve.

The noodles were a bit too tangy for me, so I popped in a tablespoon on peanut butter. That was delicious!

Fully Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

2011-04-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was the April Sunday Dinner. We had quite the motley crew at the gathering. Aside from eating I also challenged our adult brains with some creative Easter egg decorating. The outcome was a lot of really colorful hard boiled eggs.

For dinner this week I made the Pioneer Woman's Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork, Fully Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole, baked beans and Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars. Guests brought other items that were delicious and fit with the meal perfectly.

First the Pulled Pork. I won't bother retyping the recipe on this blog. You can find it here. I didn't use a full can of chipotle chilis because I knew I had several spice challenged folks coming. I only used 2 and think I should have used a couple more. There was ultimately no spice to it and no real flavor of chipotle. I couldn't taste any Dr. Pepper flavoring either. The pork was good, don't get me wrong, but the flavoring I expected wasn't what I got.

As one of my side dishes I made a mashed potato casserole. I've had this recipe since 2001 and have never made it. Super simple. And OMG sooo good. You really should try it.

Fully Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
(This is from memory)

5lbs russet potatoes
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Basically make mashed potatoes. Boil your potatoes, mash them with the butter and milk. I start by adding the butter and mashing, then slowly add the milk in parts. I don't like overly waterly mashed potatoes. Once those are incorporated I scramble up the egg and toss it in. The original recipe called for 2 eggs, but I only used one and it was fine.

Once that's all mashed together and smooth, add most the bacon (keep some aside for topping), add most the onions (keep some aside for topping), add 2 cups cheese.

Mix. Season with Salt and pepper to taste.

Put in a 3 quart baking dish. I used a 9X13. Top with remaining bacon, onions and cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

2011-04-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

If sin were in the form of a cookie, this would be it. Such a sinfully easy recipe too. Almost too easy. I made these last night and could not believe just how good these were. I'm usually a much more "by scratch" girl when it comes to cookies, but this recipe broke all my previous perceptions of simple cookies made of box cake mix.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL COOKIES

The recipe says it makes 3 dozen. We got 2 dozen and 3 extra cookies. And that's with minimal eating of the raw cookie dough.

1 package Devil's Food cake mix

1/4 cup water

1 egg

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

36ish Rolo candies (Get extra if you have Blueberry helping you cook. I'm just sayin.

Chopped hazelnuts

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, egg and oil. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. Press a candy into each; reshape balls. Dip tops in hazelnuts.

Place 2-in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until tops are cracked. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Country Pork Ribs

2011-04-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I've mentioned before that my dad is an expert BBQ'er...his speciality, to me, was always his BBQ ribs. We used to joke that his ribs would be my dowry. Anyhow, I've tried, unsuccessfully, to BBQ ribs. I have no patience for it. Until last night.

Last night I decided to turn the heat down and let the ribs cook. I had two distractions; and my favorite taste testers, Claudia and Blueberry. They both gave two very enthusiastic thumbs up for this recipe BTW. Of course it could be because I starved them...

Anyhow, enjoy.

COUNTRY PORK RIBS
Makes enough marinade for ribs for 8 people

1 cup grapefruit or orange juice (I used orange juice because it's what I had online. But grapefruit would be good with this now that I've tasted it)

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 pounds country-style pork ribs
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar

In a bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients; mix well. Pour 1-1/2 cups marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the ribs. Seal and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Drain and discard marinade from the ribs. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 20 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the honey, brown sugar and reserved marinade. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Baste ribs with some of the sauce. Grill 15-20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160°, turning and basting occasionally. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Green and White Lightening Chunky Chicken Chile

2011-04-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of tomatillos. Their tangy flavor with lime always reminds me of my days in Mexico. Tonight's recipe calls for a green tomatillo salsa - store bought. And as I was dumping this store bought salsa into my pot of goodness I thought, "I totally could have made tomatillo salsa cheaper."

This recipe gets 5 stars on simplicity. Super easy to throw together. A little chopping up front and you're good to go. I'd put another can of beans in next time I make it. Seemed like there wasn't enough beans to me. I'd also read the recipe and not dump the entire bottle of tomatillo salsa into the pot, but just put in the 1 cup as the recipe says. I almost burned my mouth off.

This recipe has potential to be warm. The salsa I did buy is mild, but it had a bigger kick to it then I thought mild would. So just be aware of the heat in this recipe.

Green and White Lightening Chunky Chicken Chile
Serves 4 (really it's more than 4 I think. You'd have to have 4 very starving people)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 (6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 cup tomatillo salsa (mild or hot)
4 cups chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans or 1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans
2 -3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 -3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lime, juice of
shredded Monterrey jack cheese or shredded Monterrey jack pepper cheese
corn chips

Heat a soup pot over med-high heat with the vegetable oil; add in the chicken to the hot oil; season with salt and pepper.

Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often; add in onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and coriander; cook 3-4 minutes, continuing to stir.

Add in the tomatillo salsa and chicken broth; bring to a simmer. Add half of the beans; with a fork thoroughly mash the other half of the beans, then add to the chili. Simmer for 10 minutes; remove chili from heat and add in cilantro, parsley, and lime juice.

Serve each bowl of chili with a little shredded cheese on top; crush up some chips and stir.

Grilled Garlic Chicken (issahn style)

2011-03-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Right, so as I was saying, chicken has been boring me. I've been on a terror trying to find decent chicken recipes that are 1) efficient to make, 2) relatively inexpensive, and 3) good. Last night the Thai Style Chicken was a nice change to boring old chicken.

But....let me tell you...THIS recipe will be a standard at Chez Jenn's.

Your nose knows. The smell of this marinade spoke volumes of how good it was going to be. Tons of garlic, so what's not to like, right? Seriously though, this recipe was fantastic.

This gets the Jenn 5 stars.

GRILLED GARLIC CHICKEN
Serves 4-6

3T cilantro
3T garlic
1 tsp pepper
2T soy sauce (I generally use low sodium and add just a touch of salt. That way I control my sodium intake)
1T fish sauce
3T water (or more if needed)
3 lbs chicken pieces (again, I used chicken breasts. Cut them into chunks to skewer later)

Get out your little food processor. If you don't have one, that's fine just cut every really fine.
Put everything BUT the water into the food processor. Give it a chop. Slowly add water in a tablespoon at a time. You're looking for a loose paste here - sorta the consistency of sour cream - that type of loose. Once you get the desired consistency, toss the chicken into a zip loc. Toss in the marinade. Make sure all the chicken gets some goodness on it. Toss it into the fridge to marinate minimum 1 hour - up to 4.

Bake, broil, or grill. I grilled again on a skewer and ...man. I'm sure I'll smell like garlic for days.

Thai Style Chicken

2011-03-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

Chicken is boring to me. Its the main meat that I eat for many reasons, one of which it's supposed to be healthier than red meat. Not that I don't eat my red meat, I am just trying to eat less of it.

Thus chicken has become boring. I have hundreds of chicken recipes that all seem to be slight variations of each other and usually include, well chicken, cheese, rice/pasta, cream...in other words, nothing healthy.

No, I'm not on some health kick, but I figured every now and then eating better for me might be a good thing.

So this recipe. Flavorful! Took chicken to a different level of goodness. I'm a fan of curry which could be why I thought it was so good. There is a strong curry presence, you've been warned.

This also appeared to be a very close cousin to the Chicken Satay I did last week. I think I'm a chicken / curry phase.

THAI STYLE CHICKEN
Serves 4
Courtesy of Martin Yan

3T fish sauce
3T finely chopped cilantro
2T minced garlic
1T grated ginger (I forgot this in my version. With it I'm sure it would be 10X better)
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp white pepper (i used black pepper because that's what I had)
8 chicken thighs (yah not so much. I used chicken breasts)

Combine everything but the chicken. I did mine by hand, but if I did it again I'd put it in a food processor to make it nice and paste like. Put the marinade and the chicken into a zip loc bag. Let sit for AT LEAST 4 hours - over night if you can. I did 5 hours and it was fantastic.

Bake, broil or grill the chicken. I cut my chicken into big chunks and put it on a skewer and grilled it. See my theory here is if you cut a chicken breast into chunks, 6 sides gets marinade. Where as if you just leave the chicken breast alone only 4 sides (top/bottom/2 sides) gets marinade. I think you see what I'm saying.

Mojo Marinated Tacos

2011-03-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

I've recently reintroduced pork back into my diet. It wasn't agreeing with me for years, and suddenly it is. So I've been collecting pork recipes.

I'm also a big fan of just about anything in a tortilla. It's such an easy envelop that holds so much great flavor. This recipe combined my new found like for pork and tortilla.

The overall flavor of this wasn't so great. The caveat is I didn't use fresh squeezed orange or lime juice. I am not convinced that would make a difference, but there it is.

I made a quick pica de gallo with tomatoes, an onion I had and some lime juice. I tossed in a dollop of sour cream for good measure. I gotta tell you...this pica de gallo was way better than the pork.

So here's the recipe...try it if you like, but I am betting there are some better recipes on this blog to try.

MOJO MARINATED PORK
Makes 8 tacos

For the pork -
3 T fresh orange juice
2 T vegetable oil
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T minced garlic
2 T chopped fresh oregano (I should also add I'm not an oregano fan so I omitted this. Perhaps this is where all the flavor comes from)
Salt and pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed

For the tortillas -
8 six inch corn tortillas
1 cup low fat refried black beans
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
(Note: It should also be mentioned I didn't do the beans either. I thought I had a can and only when I was home did I find out I did not.)

Whisk together the ingredients for the pork. Drop it into a zip loc bag. Add the pork tenderloin. Let it marinade for 2 hours. (Note: I also didn't give it 2 hours. I gave it one. What? I was hungry.)

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill pork covered until meat registers 150F with a meat thermometer. Remove and tent with foil. Let it rest while preparing the tortillas.

Top tortillas with 2 T beans each and 2 T cheese. Place them on the grill over medium low heat and cook until the cheese melts.

Cut tenderloin into thin slices. Top each tortilla with sliced pork.

Pan-roasted chicken with porcini mushrooms, prosciutto, and marsala sauce

2011-03-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

So you all may know I call my Keurig my boyfriend. But did I ever tell you I have a "husband" too? Yah, Tyler Florence. If only he were available.

I've watched Tyler on Food Network for years and subsequently bought a couple of his cookbooks. Yet never cooked from them. Last night, that all changed. I'm not longer a Tyler Florence Cookbook Virgin.

I mad pan-roasted chicken with porcini mushrooms, prosciutto, and marsala sauce - which is a mouthful instead of just saying chicken marsala. This recipe was easy, quick and quite delicious.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS, PROSCIUTTO AND MARSALA SAUCE
Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 total)

3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into ribbons
8 ounces fresh porcini or cremini mushrooms (or whatever mushrooms you find in your supermarket), wiped clean, stemmed and halved
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1/2 cup of chicken stock
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/4 cup of chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound to about 1/2-inch thick with a flat meat mallet, a heavy-bottomed saucepan or a bottle. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Mix with your fingers and then taste to make sure it's well-seasoned.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until golden, turning once. (Do this in batches if the cutlets don't fit comfortably in the pan.) Remove the chicken to a large platter (arranging it in a single layer) and cover with foil to keep warm.

Now you're going to make a quick sauce. Lower the heat to medium and add prosciutto to the pan. Add a drizzled of olive oil (about 2 teaspoons) and saute for about 1 minute to render out some of the delicious fat. Add the mushrooms and another drizzle of oil and saute until the mushrooms are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the Marsala into the pan and boil down for a few seconds. Then, add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan. Simmer gently for 1 minute to heat the chicken through.

Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving

Chicken Satay Skewers

2011-03-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of chicken satay. Some of the best I've had is at a restaurant in Seattle called Thai Siam on Lake Union. I've also had some pretty marginal chicken satay.

Chicken satay is pretty simple. Chicken, some spices, and a nice peanut butter dipping sauce. This recipe, while good, needed a ride to flavor town. If you're not a spicy person, or don't like curry, this recipe most likely is just fine for you. I was sure chicken satay had curry in it, so I made a special trip to get curry. When I got home and saw it didn't, I used the curry anyhow! Cuz that's how I roll.

This is traditionally an appetizer too, though it was my main course last night.

CHICKEN SATAY SKEWERS

Serves 8

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 strips
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Vegetable oil, for pan

JW Notes: I added:
a dusting of curry powder to the chicken seasoning
a tsp of cream to the peanut butter dipping sauce (cuz it was too thick, you could just as easily add water)
and a touch of curry to the dipping sauce. Hey, I told you I made a separate trip for this curry dang it! I was going to use it.
Oh and I didn't bother to skewer my chicken because it was just me and why waste a good skewer!
Directions

In a bowl, toss chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Thread each chicken strip lengthwise onto a skewer.

Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and 2 to 3 tablespoons water.

Heat grill pan over high. Working in batches, brush pan with oil, and cook chicken until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve chicken skewers with dipping sauce.

Veal Scaloppini with Wine, Mushroom and Green Olive

2011-03-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

Scratch the "veal" and insert chicken. I'm not a huge veal fan. Mostly because I can't get past the wittle baby calfers...and I can't usually afford veal. So chicken's as good as any substitute.

I made this recipe originally back in 2003. I fell in love with it almost immediately. So flavorful and so darn good. I then promptly lost the recipe. It was forever ingrained in my noggin as some delicious recipe and dang it I was going to track it down.

I knew it was a Rachael Ray recipe - because I was a huge 30 minute meal watcher at the time and just getting my culinary legs under me. Years I searched. And searched...and searched. Nothing.

Then one day, I was poking around on the Food Network site - which I had searched on...and there it was. It was like a huge guiding light shining on it. Like I was home. Okay, maybe not that dramatic. But needless to say I was thrilled.

Come to find out all these years searching I was searching for "chicken scallopini" not veal scaloppini. Ugh.

Here's the recipe...and my variations to it.

Veal Scaloppini with Wine, Mushroom and Green Olive

Serves 4

3/4 pound linguini - I actually used bucatini for this...because I could...and because I had it
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4
3 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
16 cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms, chopped
1 pound veal scaloppini, cut into 1-inch strips - as mentioned I used chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup dry white wine
16 pitted, large green olives, coarsely chopped
A handful chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls

Place pasta water on to boil and cook linguini 8 minutes, to al dente in salted water. Drain and reserve. Keep warm.

Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add 1 turn of the pan or 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and the pancetta or bacon. Cook pancetta or bacon 1 to 2 minutes alone, then add onions and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook together with the onions 3 to 5 minutes.

Season veal strips with salt and pepper. In a second skillet preheated over medium high heat, add 1 1/2 turns of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 clove smashed garlic. Quick-fry half of the veal searing each side of the strips 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer cooked veal strips and garlic to a plate and repeat. Add all of the cooked strips and garlic to the onions and mushrooms then add wine to the pan and lift up all of the drippings. Cook wine down to evaporate the alcohol about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir olives and parsley into veal and mushrooms. Serve portions of veal, mushrooms and green olives on a bed of hot linguini tossed with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, butter and grated cheese.

Now, for my variations.
I added about 1/4c half and half to it. I was in the mood for creamy and so it made it nice and creamy.

Quick Coq Au Vin

2011-03-09T07:55:00.000-08:00

Coq au Vin...I'm a big fan. There's something about this simple dish that generally takes hours to make that just makes my mouth water. I've tried several recipes and many of them I like, but they take hours. Then I stumbled onto this recipe. A "quick" version.

The only down side to this dish were the grapes. Not sure what grapes are doing in coq au vin, but I could have done without them in this dish. Otherwise, the rest was glorious. I didn't have pearl onions, so I chopped up a half of a yellow onion and it worked just fine. Enjoy.

QUICK COQ AU VIN
Makes 5 cups (it really doesn't - it makes enough to serve 4 people)

1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2" chunks, seasoned with salt and pepper
1/4 c flour
4 strips bacon, diced
2 T olive oil
6 oz button mushrooms, quartered
1 T tomato paste
1 c dry white wine
1 c chicken broth
3 sprigs of thyme
1 c frozen pearl onions
1 c red grapes, halved

Dust the seasoned chicken with the flour. (I put the flour in a plastic bag with the salt and pepper and dusted the chicken that way - seemed easier). Fry bacon until it's crisp. Remove and set aside.

Pour off all but 1T of the bacon drippings from the pan add 2T olive oil. Add chicken and brown it on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Saute mushrooms and tomato paste in 1 T oil over medium-high heat. (Note: I put the mushrooms and my chopped onions in together here. Once they softened THEN I hit them with the tomato paste). Cook for 3 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the wine and chicken broth; simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and cooked chicken, simmer for 5 more minutes.

Stir in pearly onions, grapes and bacon. Simmer 5 minutes or until onions are heated through.

I served mine over mashed potatoes, but I suppose a pasta side dish wouldn't be bad here either. Or polenta if you're the type that likes polenta! Blech! I'll stick to my mashed potatoes.

Swedish Meatballs

2011-03-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

I've not had Swedish Meatballs too often in my life. In fact, the only real memorable ones are from IKEA...OMG those are good.

These weren't as good. Don't get me wrong, they were good (a little salty - but that was my fault).

The recipe was simple and really could be adjusted for more than 4 people or less than 4. The meatball recipe is very basic. If you weren't cooking for 4 people, you could make the whole recipe and freeze half the meatballs (uncooked) for another day.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

1 3/4 lb ground sirloin
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 c plain bread crumbs
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
A healthy dash or grating of nutmeg
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
ground pepper
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 c beef stock (here's where I made mine too salty, I used bouillon powder from Maggi and it was WAY too salty)
1 T red currant or grape jelly (i used more like 2 T)
1 c heavy cream (I used milk because that's what I had)
1/2 lb wide egg noodles (OMG these are awesome..they cook up soooooo fast)
2T butter
8 cornichons or 6 baby gherkins, chopped for garnish (I didn't even bother)

Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, bread crumbs, onion, nutmeg and 1/2 of the parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix up the meatball ingredients, careful to not overmix. Make meatballs of about 1" to 1.5" rounds.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, jelly, and heavy cream. Bring it up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Make your egg noodles according to the package directions. Drain them. Put the noodles back in the pot add the remaining chopped parsley and butter; season with salt and pepper. Stir until butter is melted. Top the noodles with the meatballs and their sauce (and pickles if you're using them).

Shanghai Chow Mein

2011-03-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of Chinese food. And I believe you can make good Chinese food at home, for less $$ and less calories. Not that I'm watching what I eat or anything...but when I can cut back I try to.

This recipe was super easy and very adaptable to other elements being added. For example, you'll see the recipe calls for leeks and bell peppers. Well I couldn't afford leeks and we all know what I think about bell peppers, so I improvised and added julienned carrots and asparagus. As we were enjoying it last night I thought, broccoli or zucchini would be good in it too. Really any vegetable combination.

SHANGHAI CHOW MEIN
Serves 6

Marinade:
1 T soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

Sauce:
3 T soy sauce
1 T Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 T sweet bean sauce (if you can't find this, hoisin would work)
2 T black vinegar or balsamic

4 tsp sesame oil
16 oz fresh shanghai style noodles or Chinese egg noodles (I used spaghetti)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 leek, white part only, cleaned and julienned
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned

Combine the marinade ingredients into a bowl. Add chicken and stir. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl. In a large pot, cook your noodles according to the packaged directions.

Place a wok on high heat until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes until cooked. Add leek and bell pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes.

Add sauce and noodles; gently toss.

If you're using other vegetables, I'd add them when the leeks and bell pepper are added above.

Pasta e Fagiole Soup

2011-02-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

If you have an Olive Garden in your area, you'll know this soup. They serve a Pasta e Fagiole (pronounced pasta fashule) soup that is, in my opinion, delicsious. Rich, hearty, and full of goodness.

We had a cold week last week and I decided on Wednesday night, a soup was in order. So I googled "Olive Garden" and "pasta e fagiole soup recipe" and came up with this. I modified it slightly - shocking I know, but it was delicious as were the left over I had.

PASTA E FAGIOLE

Serves 8 - but soups are very versatile in how many they serve

1 lb ground beef

1 cup diced onion
1 cup julienned carrot
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can v-8 vegetable juice
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 lb ditali pasta

Brown beef in a large stock pot over medium heat-drain off fat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour. After 50 minutes boil pasta to al dente. Drain well. Add pasta to the large pot of soup and simmer for 10 minutes.

So my slight modification is I didn't bother boiling the pasta in another pot, I just tossed it in about 10 minutes before I was ready to eat. The broth of the soup cooked it just fine. I also rinsed my beans to remove some of the starchy liquid from them. I didn't add the liquid into the broth for that reason. I just substituted with chicken broth or water. I also added a dash of hot sauce.

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-02-15T21:27:00.000-08:00

America's Test Kitchen is one of my all time favorite TV shows. They also produce a magazine called Cook's Illustrated - also a favorite. They take the time to test so many variations of a recipe and explain why one is better over another.

This chicken pot pie recipe has become the hands down all time winner of pot pies in my household (which consists of me- well, and the cat, but he doesn't eat chicken pot pie).

I made this recipe for Sunday dinner last Sunday, and it was, by all counts, a winner. Put a W in the column!

CHICKEN POT PIE
Serves: 6
1 1/2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 cups Low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 medium Carrots, peeled and cut crosswise in 1/4" slices
2 small Celery rib, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
10 Cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, sliced thin
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Tomato paste
4 tablespoons Unsalted butter
1/2 cup Flour
1 cup Whole milk
2 teaspoons Lemon juice
3 tablespoons Minced fresh parsley
3/4 cup Frozen baby peas

CRUMBLE TOPPING
I doubled this to have extra topping
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne

1. Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until chicken is just done, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped bite size pieces ranging from onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.

3. FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

4. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on surface of pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables. Set aside.

5. Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons parsley.

6. Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish or casserole dish of similar size. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve.

Peanut Butter Truffle Cupcakes Recipe

2011-02-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

I thought I had posted this recipe in a previous post, but apparently I hadn't. I suspect because its so good I want to keep it for myself.

I've made this cupcake about three different times, and each time I forget just how good and how easy it is.

PEANUT BUTTER TRUFFLE CUPCAKES
Makes 12 cupcakes

Truffle:
6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons baking cocoa

BATTER:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

FROSTING:
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

For truffles, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. (JW Note: I don't do so well with microwaving chocolate, so I used a double boiler). Stir in peanut butter. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until firm enough to form into balls. Shape into twelve 1-in. balls; roll in cocoa. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and coffee and mix well.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Top each with a truffle (do not press down).

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake portion comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with cream, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in peanut butter until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; chill until mixture reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator.

Game Day Delights

2011-02-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

I specifically had a Superbowl party because I was craving nachos...and I had to make my nachos. They are delicious and worth every calorie....

Game Day Nachos

Pick your favorite tortilla chip. I use strip chips because they load more crap...I mean goodies on them.

1 lb chorizo
1 cup sliced olives
1 cup sour cream
3-4 cups cheese
1 can Spicy Refried Beans
1 jar picante sauce

Cook up the chorizo. Drain it. I usually put it on a paper towel to get all the excess grease out of it...why does it have to be so delicious and so greasy.

On a big baking sheet, put down the chips. I cover the baking sheet pretty thoroughly.

Top with chorizo, refried beans and cheese.

Pop it in a 425F oven...watch it for when the cheese starts to bubble and brown.

When you bring them out, top with olives, picante sauce and sour cream. I think green onions would also be good, but I didn't have them.

After the game, we had the below recipe. Let me just say, it was fan-freakin-tastic. We were all silent suddenly because the sandwiches were so good.

MINUTE STEAK HOAGIES WITH HOMEMADE STEAK SAUCE

Serves 41 large Shallot, coarsely chopped

1 Red Holland or Fresno chili pepper
2 cloves Garlic
2 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon Mustard seed or dry mustard
1/4 cup Dry sherry
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Black peppercorn
1 cup Ketchup
2 tablespoons Soy or Tamari sauce
1 cup Beef stock
1 tablespoon Oil
1 1/4 pounds Flank steak
4 Hoagie roll

You can make the steak sauce ahead of time. For the sauce: In food processor bowl, combine the shallot, chili, garlic, bay leaves, mustard seed, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, and peppercorns, process into a smooth paste. Place the flavor paste in a pot and combine with the ketchup, soy, and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for make-ahead meal. JW Note: I strained the sauce. I didn't like the look of it and the consistency of it, so I strained the sauce...and it was silky and delicious.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F to crisp the bread.

Reheat the sauce over medium-low heat if you made it ahead of time.

Place the flank steak in the freezer 5 minutes or until cold. Remove and shred or cut the cold flank steak against the grain. Throw the bread in the oven to crisp it up. In a skillet, heat the high-temperature oil over high heat until it smokes. Add the meat and toss 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and combine with warm sauce. (I added the caramelized onions here). Cut the rolls open and stuff the hoagies with meat/onions and hot-n-saucy steak.

Side Note: I caramelized 3 onions and added them to the sandwiches too. It really added to the flavor.

Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

2011-01-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

Last week got away from me and I didn't have time to update the blog with the latest recipes. I'll try to be better because I'm sure you're all starving without ideas of what to eat.

This particular recipe was easy, and pretty tasty. I liked the tomatoes in with the macaroni and cheese. It'd be a great way to get your kids to eat some veggie's with the tomatoes hidden in the mac n cheese.

I used Fire Roasted diced tomatoes because that's what I had on hand. I liked the flavor the fire roasted added to this dish.

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH TOMATOES

Serves 8

1 lb Elbow macaroni
1 can Petite diced tomatoes (28 oz)
6 T Unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp Cayenne
4 cups Half and Half
1 cup Low sodium chicken broth
4 cups Shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 cups Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. Cook macaroni to just before done; about 6 minutes. Drain pasta.

Pour diced tomatoes with their juices over pasta and stir to coat. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until most the liquid is absorbed; about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Stir in flour and cayenne and cook until golden, about 1 minutes. Slowly whisk in half and half and broth until smooth. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer stirring occasionally until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.

Off heat, whisk in cheese, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper until cheeses melt. (Note: if you add them a little bit at a time you don't get the gritty texture you sometimes get with homemade mac n cheese ). Pour sauce over macaroni and stir to combine.

Scrape mixture into a 13X9 baking dish. Bake until top begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

Texas Reubens with 1,000 Island Slaw

2011-01-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

I am not a Reuben fan.

I repeat...NOT a Reuben fan. It's because of the rye bread. Bleck!

And maybe the pastrami...but definitely the rye bread. Or is it corned beef in a Reuben? I can't remember. I do know I know like them.

This Reuben, however, is different. The recipe called for cooked brisket - which leads me to believe it's a great option for left-overs. I didn't have any cooked brisket and I wasn't about to cook an entire brisket for this one meal. So I do what I always do...the "What's in the freezer?" game. And as luck would have it, I had some nice single serving sizes of flank steak.

I figured I'd just grill that up and slice it thin...it'd be delicious.

Except no gas in the grill.

DOH!

Guess I'll fry it up. Which, BTW, makes a horrible flank steak.

Still I prevailed. I made this meal and I've gotta say, it was pretty darn good. The bread I chose to use was too think so I actually made this open-faced. Which was probably better for the waist line, or roll depending on how you look at it.

So, in the end, if you have any type of left over meat, this sandwich might be a good way to use those leftovers.

TEXAS REUBEN WITH 1,000 ISLAND SLAW
Serves: 4

For the 1,000 Island Slaw -
1/2 c light mayo
1/4 c ketchup
2T Sweet pickle relish
2T grated red onion (I didn't have a red onion and used a walla walla sweet...just as good in my book)
1T lemon juice
1 package coleslaw mix (14oz)

For the sandwich -
4 slices caraway rye bread - blech - no thank you. I used a rustic hard bread instead
8 slices Swiss cheese
12 oz sliced, cooked brisket, heated

Whisk all the items for the slaw together (except the slaw mix). Once mixed, toss in the slaw mix and stir to combine.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Toast bread on the grill until lightly browned on one side, 2-3 minutes (I used my broiler - worked just the same). Flip bread, top each piece with two slices of Swiss. Cover grill and toast bread until cheese melts.

Remove bread from grill. Divide sliced meat between the 4 sandwiches. Top each with 1/2 cup slaw. Serve extra 1,000 dressing on the side.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

2010-12-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

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

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 saute 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

2010-12-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

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
Makes 8 skewers
Courtesy of Cuisine Tonight - Grilling

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"

2010-12-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

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"
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

2010-12-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

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

Recipe ingredients:
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

2010-12-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

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 dissapoint. 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

2010-12-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

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 saute 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)

2010-12-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

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

Courtesy of 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)

Directions

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

2010-12-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

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

Courtesy of 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

Directions

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

2010-11-07T21:40:00.000-08:00

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.

Fizzy Chicken

2010-11-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

One has to be careful to not mistype that to read "fuzzy chicken". Fuzzy chicken would not be good. Fizzy chicken on the other had was just okay. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what was fizzy about it. The recipe calls for club soda, but I'm not sure that added any flavor to the chicken.

I loved the lemon vinaigrette to put over the chicken in the end. In fact, I thought about that vinaigrette with pasta ... mm that'd be good.

So make this if you're curious, but it's not a WOW type of dinner.

FIZZY CHICKEN WITH RICE & LEMON VINAIGRETTE
Courtesy of Cuisine at Home
Serves 2

Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (5oz ea)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
¼ cup club soda
1.5 tsp unsalted butter
¼ tsp red pepper flake

Parmesan Rice
⅓ cup white short-grained rice, cooked
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1.5 unsalted butter

Vinaigrette - Combine lemon juice, chives, honey, and dijon in a bowl. Drizzle in 2 Tbsp oil, whisking constantly until thoroughly combined.

Parmesan Rice - After rice is cooked and while still warm, mix 1.5 tsp butter, Parmesan, and cream. Serve with the chicken and vegetables

Chicken - Trim chicken breasts of fat then season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour.

Sauté in 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium high heat, until golden (~2 minutes). Flip chicken and sauté until brown (~1 minute).

Deglaze pan with club soda, reduce heat to medium, add 1.5 tsp butter and pepper flake. cover and simmer until liquid is syrupy (~5 minutes), turning chicken to coat.

Pork Marsala

2010-11-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

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
Courtesy of 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 saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute 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 saute remaining pork.

Add mushrooms to pan; saute 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

2010-10-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

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. Saute 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

2010-10-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

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 saute 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

2010-10-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

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 saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chops and saute until browned on each side, about 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Add onion and saute 3 minutes; stir in raisins and garlic, saute 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

2010-10-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

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 saute 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 saute pan over medium high heat, about 4 minutes per side. Remove patties from pan. Add onions and mushrooms, saute 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

2010-10-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

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
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

2010-09-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

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 saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute 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

2010-09-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

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 saute 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

2010-09-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

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.