Better than A-1 Marinade

Once in awhile a recipe comes along and WOWs me. Tonight was one of those nights. I found this recipe in Cooks Illustrated. And let me tell you...Its tasty!

Better Than A-1 Marinade
I used beef, but I can already imagine this on chicken or pork.

• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1/3 c vegetable Oil
• 2 T dark brown sugar
• 1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T minced chives
• 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Combine soy, oil, sugar, Worcestershire, garlic, chives and pepper in medium bowl. Remove 1/4 cup marinade and combine with vinegar in small bowl; set aside.

Place remaining marinade and steaks in zip loc bag; press out the air. Refrigerate 1 hour; flipping the bag after 30 minutes.

Remove steaks from marinade. Grill steaks as desired.

Transfer steaks to shallow pan and pour reserved marinade over top. Tent loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes, turning meat half way through. Slice steak and serve whole; passing reserved marinade if desired.

And in other news, my SLSIL sent me a loaf pan that is supposed to be fool proof in baking banana bread...everyone knows my issue with banana bread right? Well, this girl has no more issues. I made banana bread tonight and it kicked ass. Thanks Bev!

Creamy Rice with Lemon, Herbs and Parmesan

And this from my mom who got it from my St. Louis Sister-In-Law (SLSIL).

Creamy Rice with Lemon, Herbs and Parmesan
Courtesy of Epicurious
Yield 6

• 4 qts water
• ¼ c chopped fresh basil
• 2 c Arborio rice
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 c chopped onion
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• ½ c chopped parsley
• 1 c (packed) – 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 T butter, room temp
• Fresh basil sprigs

Bring water to a boil in a large pan over high heat. Add rice and onions. Boil until rice is tender, about 16 minutes. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid. Mix parsley, butter, basil, lemon juice and lemon peel in a large bowl. Add hot rice mixture. Stir to melt butter. Add ½ reserved cooking liquid. Add 1 cup cheese; stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp cheese . Garnish with basil sprigs and serve.

YUMMY!

Spaghetti with Olives and Mushrooms

Its rare. But occasionally I come across a recipe that just isn't good. And isn't at all what I expected. This is just that recipe. I'm posting it because you may like it. You never know.

Spaghetti with Olives and Mushrooms
(The title sounds good, doesn't it?)

• 1 T Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped (yah right. I used a couple)
• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 1 c black olives, pitted
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1 red chili seeded and chopped
• 1 lb spaghetti
• Parmesan cheese shavings

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Place the mushrooms in a blender or food processor with the olives, parsley and red chili. Blend until smooth.

Cook pasta. Add the olive mixture and toss together until pasta is well coated. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Coq au Vin Blanc and Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad

Photo from
Rachael Ray Magazine

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted a recipe. I've made a few, but nothing has stood out as "blog" worthy. See, I don't just post to be posting. No way man! This blog is serious culinary content. Uh huh, right!

I had some friends over last night to decorate Easter Eggs. What a riot! The meal was so good that once we were eating the room got quiet. That's the sign of a good meal.

The Menu!
Coq Au Vin
Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad
Parsley / butter red potatoes

Coq Au Vin Blanc
Courtesy of Rachael Ray magazine
Servings 4

• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb Boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 " pieces
• 2 T all purpose flour, plus more for dredging
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 lb frozen pearl onions, thawed and patted dry
• 1 lb Small white mushrooms, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs Thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups white wine (dry - I used a sauvignon blanc)
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream
• flat leaf parsley chopped for topping

Heat 2 T EVOO in a large skillet over med-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and add to the pan in a single layer; do not crowd the meat. Cook chicken until browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side.

While chicken is cooking, heat a large dutch oven or deep skillet over med-high heat with the remaining EVOO. When EVOO is hot, add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off a little of the bacon fat, leaving a thin, even layer in the pan. Add the onions, mushrooms, bay leaf, and thyme (the leaves will fall off the sprigs during cooking).

Cook until the onions have a little color and the mushrooms are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add 2 T flour to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the chicken broth, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom, and cook for 5 minutes.

Over high heat cook, add the wine to the cooked chicken in the skillet and scrape up the brown bits. Reduce the liquid for about 5 minutes then add the chicken and wine to the broth and vegetables in the dutch oven; stir to combine.

Stir in cream, lower the heat to a simmer and reduce the sauce for abut 5 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the pan. Serve with toasted garlic bread. Top the chicken and sauce with bacon and parsley when serving.

Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad
Courtesy of Taste of Home
Servings: 6

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home

• 1 package Baby spinach (6 oz)
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup red onion (I forgot this last night, but think it would make an excellent addition)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I toasted mine because the flavor comes out more)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
• ( I couldn't find raspberry vinegar, so instead of the mayo, sugar and vinegar, I just bought a raspberry vinaigrette. )

In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, bacon, onion and walnuts. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar. Serve with salad.

Finally, we had a no bake cookie issue. I made this recipe a thousand times, and this time actually read the recipe and realized I was adding things in wrong. Yet this time, we had to eat our no bake cookies with a spoon. = )

Char Broiled Steak with Hoisin Peanut Sauce

So I have been somewhat slacking in the culinary department, but I made this on Saturday. I started it in the broiler. But being that I've never EVER broiled anything, I think it was too close and so kinda burnt the sauce. Smoke filling to apart, I decided to move it to the grill. Which is where I feel much more comfortable. My dad grills everything. We used to joke when I was a kit that if you could grill spaghetti, he would. So my natural instinct is toward the grill.

Char Broiled Steak with Hoisin Peanut Sauce
Servings 4

• 1/2 c hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c creamy peanut butter
• 2 T Rice vinegar
• 1 lb Beef sirloin, sliced 1/2 in thick (I used flank steak and didn't slice it, but cooked the entire steak then cut it)
• 1/4 c chopped roasted peanuts

In a small bowl, stir together hoisin, peanut butter and vinegar until smooth. Reserve 1/3 cup for dipping sauce.

Heat broiler. Thread steak onto 4 metal skewers; place on foil lined baking sheet. Brush with half of the remaining hoisin mixture. Broil for 4-6 inches from heat; 5-7 minutes for medium rare. Turn once and brush with sauce.

Serve with sprinkled peanuts.

Roasted Tomato Garlic Sauce

It's been a few days / weeks since I've posted a new recipe. But alas, I have started cooking again. See, I've been under the weather for a week and just haven't felt up to it. I still can't really taste anything, but whatever. Blueberry assured me this recipe was YUMMY!

Its a Cooking Light recipe, so it's good for you too. That's always a plus.

Roasted Tomato Garlic Sauce
Recipe from Cooking Light

Serves 6

• 1 c chopped onion (I used a whole medium onion)
• 1 T Vegetable oil (I used EVOO - extra virgin olive oil)
• 25 cloves of garlic (The recipe has a note to not be concerned about so many cloves since you'll be roasting it and that makes garlic more mellow. I used about 20 cloves and could taste a nice garlic flavor. But remember, I can't taste anything.)
• 5 Large red tomatoes (about 3 lbs), each cut into 8 wedges
• 1/2 c water
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450F

Combine onion, oil, garlic and tomatoes in a 13 X 9 in baking dish. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. (I covered a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and used that instead. Quick and easy clean up)

Combine the tomato mixture, water, vinegar and salt in a large sauce pan; bring to a boil. Cook over high heat for 10 minutes. Place mixture in a blender or food processor, process until desired consistency.

Serving size: 1/2 cup
Yields 5 cups.

The Ultimate Beef Stew

And yes it was. I love Tyler Florence. If I could convince him to leave his wife then I'd be a happy woman. But alas, I won't be a home wrecker - besides I'd weigh 4000 pounds if I lived with him.

Not always a fan of all his recipes, but occasionally one comes along that I just love. And this was such the case for my Sunday Dinner. I like to cook something hearty and big on Sunday's so I have lunch for a couple of days during the week. Stews and soups are awesome for this. Last night, I made Tyler's Ultimate Beef Stew.

I'd do a few things differently next time. For starters, I'd actually read the recipe before 4:30 and realize it calls for 2.5 to 3 hours to cook. But I proved that you can still have an ultimate beef stew in an hour or so.

I'd also no put in as much ground cloves as it calls for. I'm not a huge fan of the flavor. But it was the smell that got me. All night the place smelled like one big clove...and I guess it could have been worse.

And lastly I didn't do the horseradish sour cream he recommended. Figured I didn't need it.

So here's the recipe on Food TV. But in case you're lazy like me and want to just read it...here it is.

The Ultimate Beef Stew

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork

Courtesy of Tyler Florence, FoodNetwork
Serves 4-6

• 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus more to drizzle
• 3 T butter
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 2 to 3 lb beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (this cut is also called chuck shoulder pot roast and chuck roast boneless)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bottle good quality dry red wine (recommended: Burgundy)
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 orange, zest removed in 3 (1-inch) strips
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 c beef stock
• 9 small new potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in 1/2
• 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 c frozen pearl onions, a large handful
• 1 lb white mushrooms, cut in 1/2
• 1/2 lb garden peas frozen or fresh
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter.

While the pan is heating, arrange the flour on a large dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides. Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve.

Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits. Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strip, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 hours add halved potatoes, sliced carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add the frozen peas during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Thai Style Chicken Soup

Also Know as Tom Ka Gai or something like that. It's my favorite Thai soup. And one I generally only order in the winter time. It's not exactly low cal - but can be.

It also doesn't warm up well at all. I highly recommend eating it all in one sitting. The coconut milk and chicken broth tends to separate when cooled. Then when warming it up, it doesn't really ever join back together for a creamy goodness it once was.

I cut this recipe in half for myself.

THAI STYLE CHICKEN SOUP
Serves: 6

• 1 Tsp Vegetable oil
• 3 Lemon Grass talks ; tough outer leaves removed, bottom 5 inches halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise (I couldn't find lemon grass so I cut one lemon in half and put it in there. Don't squeeze it, just plunk the lemon in the soup. You'll be draining it later so it doesn't matter. You just want that lemon flavor.)
• 3 Large shallots, chopped (Yah, I didn't have shallots either. I used the half of a yellow onion and it seemed fine)
• 8 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped coarse
• 3 T Fish sauce
• 4 c Low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans coconut milk (14 oz) shaken well ( I used the low cal or lite coconut milk)
• 1 T sugar
• 1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and sliced on bias into 1/8 inch pieces
• 3 T lime juice
• 2 tsp Thai Red Curry Paste

Garnish

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 Serrano chilies, sliced thin (I didn't bother with these it was already hot enough from the curry paste)
• 2 scallions, sliced thin on a bias
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until just shimmering. Add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro, and 1 T fish sauce; cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, 2-5 minutes (vegetables should not brown).

Stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk, bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors have blended, 10 minutes. Pour broth through fine mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer Rinse saucepan and return broth mixture to pan.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Stir remaining can coconut milk and sugar into broth mixture and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms, and cook until just tender, 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and cook stirring constantly, until no longer pink, 1-3 minutes. Remove soup from heat.

Combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining 2 T fish sauce in small bowl; stir into soup. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, chilies, and scallions. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Phad Thai

I've recently discovered that there are two things I cannot, without a doubt, cook. The first is banana bread. No matter how I try, I cannot, for the life of me, bake banana bread. I've tried twice in the last week and both times - once in a loaf pan and once in muffin form -I've burnt the little bananas to a crisp. I give up.

The second thing I cannot cook is rice noodles. I think I'm lacking patience when it comes to these and so don't cook them enough and they end up, well, more than al dente.

This brings me to this weeks recipe. Phad Thai. Now, normally I love Phad Thai, especially when someone who knows how to cook rice noodles does all the heavy lifting. I found a recipe that doesn't call for rice noodles. Me thinks we have a winner.

Phad Thai
Serves: 4

• 6 OZ Dried Chinese Egg Noodles, broken in half
• 1/2 tsp cooking oil
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 3 T Dry sherry
• 3 T Rice vinegar
• 2 T Brown Sugar
• 2 T soy sauce (I used the low sodium on this)
• 2 T Oriental chili sauce (I used just Tapatio hot sauce)
• 1 T cooking oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 cups FRESH bean sprouts
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced at an angle
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

Heat a wok or large skillet, add 1/2 tsp oil. Add eggs; lift and tilt the wok to form a thin egg sheet. Cook, without stirring, about 2 minutes or just till set. Slide egg sheet onto a cutting board; cool roll up egg sheet and cut into thin slices. Set aside.

For sauce, combine sherry, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and chili sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in wok or skillet. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add sauce and noodles, toss until heated through. Add bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, peanuts and sliced egg.

Toss well; serve at once.

Chorizo-Tomato Stew

I am not, normally, a left over girl. I tend to not like left overs, but I know that being single and a cook, I will have left overs. So I've tried many'a recipes that will, in my opinion, give me the best left overs, thus reducing my lunch out bill.

And I think I have found one such recipe. It's a Rachael Ray / modified for Jenn recipe. It was one of those nights when I hadn't decided what to do for dinner. Was watching 30 minute meals and thought, "I have that. I have that. And I have that ingredient." Done.

Here's a link to Rachael's true recipe.

Here's my version.

Chorizo-Tomato Stew
Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil,
• 2 turns of the pan plus some for drizzling
• 3/4 lb chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped (I didn't have celery so I didn't add it...)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 6 medium size red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced Salt and pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes (didn't have fire roasted so used regular)
• 2 c chicken broth

Preheat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic, onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, salt and pepper, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and bring up to a bubble, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Jalapeno Lime Marinade

Buddy KimR stopped by Saturday night with a 12 pack of Corona. She knew I was fixin' to BBQ up some flank steak that had been marinadin' in a Jalapeno Lime Marinade. This marinade is not for the faint of heart. Nahhh...just kidding. It was yummy. Even Kim, who doesn't cook, ask for the recipe.

Jalapeno Lime Marinade
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Yield: 1 1/3 c

• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1/2 c fresh lime juice
• 1 small white onin, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, chopped ( i used just one big one)
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin (I'm not a big cumin fan so I just used about 1/2 tsp)
• Freshly ground pepper.

Mix all the ingredients together and let them stand together for about 15 minutes. Put in the meat and marinate for up to 6 hours.

Pasta da Vinci

A week ago, I met an old high school friend at the Cheesecake Factory. Jenny and I split a pasta dish called Pasta DaVinci. It was quite possibly the best pasta dish I've had in ages. And so, me, being me, headed to the world wide web to find a recipe. I found two. And in Jenn fashion I combined them two recipes to one FABULOUS recipe.

Enjoy

PASTA DA VINCI
Serves 4

• 1 box Penne Pasta ( I used the mini penne)
• 3 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
• 1 medium Red onion, chopped
• 2 medium cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cup Madeira wine ( I haven't tried this with Marsala, but its possible you could use Sweet Marsala. The recipe should be more sweet tasting than dry.)
• 1 c Heavy cream
• 1/2 c Sour cream
• Butter

Melt butter in a skillet, brown chicken on both sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package.

In skillet, add a few more turns of the pan of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil).

Add mushrooms, onions and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Pour in wine. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until liquid has reduced by 2/3rds. Add sour cream and heavy cream; bring to a boil.

Add chicken back to the pan and let simmer for a couple of minutes.

If the liquid isn't reduced by enough, you can, like I did, add cornstarch and water to the mixture for a thickening agent. If you have patience though you might be okay. I, on the other hand, do not.

Remove from heat and toss with pasta. Serve immediately.

Italian Meatball Soup

SLSIL (St. Louis Sister-In-Law) is in town and made this tonight for dinner. It's quick, easy, and delish. Which, in case you don't know means DELICIOUS. It's a "pantry" meal in that just about everything you need for this is likely in your pantry - if you have a stocked pantry.

Italian Meatball Soup
Courtesy of Bev Wraspir
Servings: 6

• 18 oz Package frozen fully cooked Italian seasoned meatballs (35)
• 2 c Frozen mixed vegetables
• 32 oz Beef Broth (large box)
• 14 oz (1 can) Italian style diced tomatoes
• 1/2 c water
• 1/3 c Uncooked small shells pasta (you can use another small type of pasta)
• Shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until pasta is tender.

Serve with cheese sprinkled over the top when served.

I kid you not when I say this is tasty. And the best part it has left overs and I'll be sure to let you know how those are tomorrow.

Turkey Cutlet Salad

I love making up recipes. I don't do it too often because I don't like the idea of possibly throwing away food. But in this case, I knew it would be easy. I decided to try to eat through my freezer considering I have a ton of food in there that really needs to be eaten.

First item out Turkey Cutlets.

Turkey Cutlet Salad
Serves 4

• 4 Turkey Cutlets
• 1/2 c Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 c Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 c grape tomatoes
• 1 c English cucumber, chopped
• handful of bacon bits
• handful of shredded cheese
• handful of croutons
• Dressing of choice ( I used Claire's Blue Cheese dressing)

Mix Italian bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Dredge cutlets in the bread crumbs and coat them. Add 2 T of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in a skillet, bring to just smoking. Put in cutlets and brown on both sides (about 3 minutes on each side).

Mix all the other ingredients together.

When turkey cutlets are done, move to a paper towel to drain any oil. Slice and add to the top of the salad.

Enjoy! Burp!

Basic Beef Stew with Carrots and Mushrooms

I love stews. They're so simple, and so comforting. Nothing is as good on a cold winter day than a good stew and a good book. The stew will have to do for now.

The stew I made on Saturday was just a "toss together" meal. Using skills and knowledge from other recipes, I just gathered what I consider stew ingredients and put them together. Cousin Sherrie was over and was surprised that it turned out so good without a recipe. Who needs a recipe?

I did promise friend Vicky that I'd post my favorite stew recipe. I've made this one on a number of occasions. And its tasty.

Basic Beef Stew with Carrots and Mushrooms
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Serves 4

Photo courtesy of MyRecipes

• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 lb Cremini mushrooms (I've made it with white button mushrooms, but its not as good)
• 2 c chopped onions
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/3 c all purpose flour
• 2 lbs lean stew meat
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 c Dry red wine
• 1 T Fresh Thyme
• 2 cans Low sodium beef broth
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 c peeled, white potatoes, cubed
• 1.5 c Carrots, sliced about 1/2 inch
• 1/2 tsp Fresh ground pepper

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add mushrooms, and sauté for 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown.

Spoon mushrooms into a large bowl.

Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, sauté 1 minute. Add onion mixture to mushroom mixture.

Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to mushroom mixture.

Add 1 cup in to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add thyme, broth and bay leaf, bring to a boil. Stir in beef mixture. Cover, reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is just tender.

Stir in potatoes and carrots. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beef and vegetables are very tender and sauce is thick.

Discard bay leaf.

******************************
This particular recipe I've not messed with much. I have made it without the bay leaf. I'm not convinced a bay leaf adds all that much flavor. But who am I?

Spaghetti & Meatball Stoup

"Stoup" is a Racheal Ray-ism. It's thicker than soup, but thinner than stew = Stoup.

I've been craving this for a couple of days now. I think I'll make it tonight. It makes KILLER left overs. I've not frozen it yet to see how it does. Then again, it's rarely around long enough to freeze.

Its a quick recipe too. Don't let the list of ingredients fool you. This is totally a Rachael Ray 30 minute meal. I can do it in 40 minutes, but that's because I'm slow making meatballs. Ahhh, actually, I bet you could make extra meatballs, and freeze half. Oh man...I'm gonna do that tonight.

Spaghetti and Meatball "Stoup"

Photo courtesy of Food Network

Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped into a small dice
• 1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
• 2 small ribs celery from the heart, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 c tomato sauce or 1 (14-ounce) can plus 1 (8-ounce) can
• 3 c chicken stock
• 1 lb ground beef, pork and veal mix (meatloaf mix) available at butcher counter
• 1/2 cp grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano
• 1/2 c Italian bread crumbs, a few handfuls
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 T chopped parsley leaves
• 1/2 pound spaghetti, broken in half
• 1 c basil leaves, torn or shredded
• 1 loaf Italian crusty bread, for dunking

Preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, carrots, onions, celery, garlic and sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stock and cover pot. Turn up heat and bring to a fast boil.

While soup comes to a boil, mix the ground meat with cheese, bread crumbs, egg and parsley. Roll into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls.

Remove lid from soup and slide balls into soup. Bring back to a boil then stir in spaghetti. Reduce the heat and simmer soup 10 minutes more, until pasta is tender and balls have cooked through. Stir in basil and remove "stoup" from the stove.

Serve soup with bread and cheese.

On a side note, I decided to become my dad temporarily this weekend. I bought onions in bulk and decided to "chop" them and freeze them (in case you don't know me, and my dad, he loves to shop for things in bulk.). Anyhow, chop I did. My eyes watered soooo much that my eyes hurt for a day or so. And frankly, I think they still hurt.

Steak Tips with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Thyme

I love to cook on Friday nights. Most people, I think, are probably too tired to cook on Fridays. All that aside, I made a fantastic dinner tonight. Dinner guests included me and the movie Persuasion.

Steak Tips with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Thyme
Courtesy of Cook's Country
Serves: 4

Photo courtesy of Cook's Country

• 2 T Vegetable oil
• 10 ounces White mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 lb Sirloin steak tips, patted dry
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 c Brandy
• 3/4 c Low sodium Chicken broth
• 2 tsp Roughly chopped thyme
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 T Unsalted butter

Heat 1 T oil in a large non stick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until brown in spots.

Reduce heat to medium and push mushrooms to sides of the pan. Add 1 tsp oil and garlic to clearing in center of pan and stir until garlic is browned and crisp, about 30 seconds.

Stir garlic into mushrooms, cook for 30 seconds, then transfer mixture to serving platter.

Increase heat to high, add remaining 2 tsp oil to skillet, and season steak with salt and pepper. Place steak in pan so pieces are not touching. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until well browned, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer steak to platter and tent loosely.

Combine brandy and chicken broth in small bowl. Add to pan along with thyme and mushroom mixture. Using wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits from bottom of pan. Simmer until thicken, 5-7 minutes.

Add accumulated beef juices back to pan, whisk in mustard and butter, and season with salt and pepper. Pour mushroom and sauce over meat.

Serve.

*******************
So, what did I do different? Someday I may learn to follow a recipe, but until then...

I didn't have any chicken stock, but conveniently I had about a cup of beef broth. It might have made the sauce a bit too rich, but it was still quite good.

I used dried thyme instead of fresh, and may have used a bit too much. If you're using dried, use less than the recipe calls for.

I served this with rice - which I cooked wrong, but that's another story. And a nice meaty Merlot, of which I'm still "finishing".

Would I make this again? In a heart beat. It was easy, quick and filling.

Enjoy!

Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans

Vicky asked me yesterday for the recipe for the green beans I made on Thanksgiving. It was a recipe that I got from the Food Channel, which I should buy stock in since I watch it ALL The time. So here's the recipe. For like, once in my life I didn't actually mess with the recipe. I did, however, forget the last step of topping it with the toasted almonds. So guess what ended up on my oatmeal the next morning. Yum.

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork

Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans
Courtesy of Dave Lieberman, FoodNetwork
Serves 4 to 6

• 1 pound string beans, trimmed
• 1/2 c sliced almonds
• 1/2 c olive oil
• Salt
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1-inch piece ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for just 1 to 2 minutes, until the beans turn bright green. Strain them and run under cold water to stop them from cooking.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast them until golden brown, about 4 minutes, shaking the pan often to avoid burning the almonds. Remove the toasted almonds from the pan.

Return the skillet to the burner and increase the heat to medium-high. Heat the olive oil in the pan and add a few pinches of salt, the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Cook just until the garlic starts to brown. Add the vinegar and let cook down for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and toss in the beans to coat them thoroughly and evenly with the dressing.

Serve on a platter and scatter the top with the toasted almonds.

Farmer's Market Chicken

Welcome! Welcome to my new adventure. While I do have a regular blog, Jenn's Doings, this blog, however, will be all about cooking, eating, and anything related to food.

I have wanted to start writing about food and cooking for awhile. I love to cook. I live to cook. And so it seemed so fitting that I create a venue in which I can share my wisdoms, my recipes, and my general wit about cooking. The occasional flaw in my meal preparation will also show its ugly face here.

I do not pretend to be Rachael Ray - well maybe just a little. And I do not proclaim to be the best cook in all the land - well, maybe just a little. But, I do know that I can cook, my friends have experienced it and have gained many a unwanted pounds because of it.

I will admit I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to recipes and cooking. I come by it naturally though, my mom and dad are both cookbook/recipe hounds. So it just so happened that this apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Just how "freakish" am I? I call it brilliant, but I can see how some might think it's, well, odd. But here it goes.

I have about 800 recipes. The soups to nuts gamut of recipes. Appetizers to desserts. I focus, though, on main dishes or side dishes. Not much of a baker anymore. Takes too long (this is where the Rachael Ray part of me comes into play - little patience for baking). Of these 800 recipes approximately 500 are main dishes or side dishes. All 500 of them have at one time been put in a BIG brandy snifter. Every week, I pick ONE recipe from the snifter to make. It sure is helpful when it comes to planning my week of meals. I've gone through about 45 recipes in the year 2006.

But, you'd think I'd get through with all these wouldn't you. Well no, because on average, I add about 10 a month to the snifter. See, I read cooking magazines, watch food channel, etc. I'm always being graced with a new recipe.

So stay tuned. This blog will be a blast. To start you off. THIS was my recipe of the week this week.

Farmer's Market Chicken
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Serves 4

Photo courtesy of My Recipes

• 1 T Tomato Paste
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 1 can Low salt chicken broth (10 Oz)
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
• 2 T Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 4 skinned, boneless chicken breasts, halved
• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 c Diced Carrot
• 1 c Diced yellow squash
• 1 c Diced zucchini
• 1 c Diced red onion
• 2 T Dry Vermouth
• 4 c Hot cooked long grain rice
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Combine Tomato paste, salt, pepper, broth and garlic. Whisk well.
Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large non stick skillet over med-high heat; add chicken and saute 6 minutes on each side.

Remove chicken from skillet. Add carrot, squash, zucchini, red onion, dry vermouth, saute 3 minutes stirring occasionally.

Return chicken to the skillet. Add the broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve chicken and vegetable mixture over rice, sprinkle with rosemary.

So, what did I do different? Well, I missed the vermouth step. Seemed to taste just fine. Also used more than one clove of garlic, dah. I used 3 medium cloves. Who uses just one clove of garlic?

I also didn't have any tomato paste on hand. Instead I took tomato sauce and used 4 T instead of 3 T of paste.

For my rice, I actually did a rice pilaf type. Sauteed onion, garlic, then used basmati rice and chicken broth. The combination with the chicken was really good.