Grilled Garlic Chicken (issahn style)

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

Update June 20, 2022

I made this again tonight. I noticed in my notes that I recommended blending the ingredients together to allow it to combine better. I'm not sure that was the right choice. The cilantro was overwhelming. Good, but overwhelming. 

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
Recipe from Martin Yan
Serves 4

• 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

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 Tacos
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

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 sauté for about 1 minute to render out some of the delicious fat. Add the mushrooms and another drizzle of oil and sauté 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

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
Recipe from Everyday Food

Photo by Everyday Food

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.

Quick Coq Au Vin

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

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
Recipe from 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

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
Recipe from Martin Yan
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

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, delicious.  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 c diced onion
• 1 c 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 tsp vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp 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 sauté 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

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!

Photo courtesy of American Test Kitchen

Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe from American Test Kitchen
Serves: 6

• 1 1/2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 c Low sodium chicken broth
• 2 T 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 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 c whole milk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 T minced fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup frozen baby peas

CRUMBLE TOPPING
I doubled this to have extra topping

• 2 c flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp cayenne

 
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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
Recipe from Taste of Home
Makes 12 cupcakes

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home

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

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 4

• 1large 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

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

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

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

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

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce
Recipe from Pioneer Woman
Serves 4

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

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

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

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

Flank Steak Skewers with Chimichurri

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

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

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

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

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

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


For the Chimichurri:

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

For the steak:

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

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serve with chimichurri sauce on the side.

Grilled Chicken Caesar with Bacon Herb Parmesan "Croutons"

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

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

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

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

Serves 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hazelnut Crusted Chicken

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

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

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

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

Hazelnut Crusted Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce
Serves 4

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

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

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

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

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

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

Puerto Rican Chicken Stew

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

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

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

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

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

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

Puerto Rican Chicken Stew
Serves 6

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

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

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

Nutella Fudge

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

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

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

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

Nutella Fudge

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

Take a 9" 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!