Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches

Its been awhile. I have been cooking, but apparently stink at posting that. I'm in the process of moving, so cooking hasn't been a top priority just now.

I did however, manage to cook up a feast last night.

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches
Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 T honey
• 1 rounded tsp cumin (I didn't use cumin - not a big fan. I did, however, use some coriander instead. YUM!)
• A handful cilantro, finely chopped, about 1/2 tablespoons
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, canola, or corn oil
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast (I used chicken cutlets because that's what I had on hand)
• 1 tsp grill seasoning blend or coarse salt and pepper
• 4 crusty rolls, split

Toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sliced avocado
I am not a big fan of these toppings so I bought a bag of cabbage slaw mix and used that. I gotta tell you people....that ROCKED the CASBAH! So crunchy and yummy.

Cilantro Mayo: My own invention and not part of the recipe. But I love cilantro, like mayo - so why not put them together.
A handful of cilantro chopped
2 T or so of mayo, and a squeeze of 1/2 a lime.
Mix those bad boys together and spread on your rolls.
You won't be disappointed.

Directions for chicken:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend or salt and pepper. (I just added the grill seasoning to the bowl with the other ingredients.
Coat chicken in dressing and set aside for 10 minutes.
Grill chicken on a grill (Indoor or electric) 6 to 7 minutes on each side or pan fry over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet uncovered 6 minutes per side.
Slice chicken breasts on an angle and pile meat roll bottoms.

Top with either the recommended toppings, or my cabbage idea.

Chef Notes: I think this would be excellent in tortillas too. In fact, my dinner guest (no nothing serious, just a good GalPal from years gone by) suggested mixing the cilantro and lime in sour cream instead of mayo for the tortillas. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

What did I serve on the side you ask?
Well, a broccoli salad of course. This salad as a number of variations that I add, but this is what I did last night. BTW - it holds up GREAT for a round two should you make too much and have left overs. Like you would if you were me, but you're not...I'm just sayin...

Broccoli Salad
Enough broccoli florets for how many people you're serving
Handful of shredded cheese of some sort (I used cheddar last night because that's what I had on hand)
Sprinkle of bacon bits
Handful of raisins, cranraisins, or anything like that.
I usually, but didn't last night, add a chopped apple or walnuts to this too.

Dressing: Simple Dijon Mustard vinaigrette: 1T Dijon, 1T sugar, 2T olive oil, 2T Rice vinegar (or any vinegar you like), minced a small onion or can use a shallot (which is better but I didn't have any of those.) Shake and pour over salad.

Steak Diane

Wow. Great meal. The recipe suggests making this with a side of Parmesan polenta. Blech! I, instead, made just regular old mashed potatoes. Delicious.

The only thing, and I stress only, I would change in this recipe is I'd lessen the amount of red pepper flakes. It was a tad too spicy for me. But otherwise, this recipe was delicious. Oh and I BBQ'd the steak instead of pan fry it. I'm a BBQ girl, I can't help it.

Steak Diane

Photo courtesy of Cuisine at Home

Courtesy of Cuisine at Home

Serves: 4

• 4 beef tenderloin filets, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 5 c button mushroom, quartered
• 1/4 c shallot, minced
• 1 T red pepper flakes
• 1 c beef broth
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Sear both sides of filets in oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat until deep brown; about 5 minutes per side. Transfer filets to a plate and tent to keep warm.

Saute mushrooms, shallots and pepper flakes in butter in the same pan. Cook until mushrooms are golden and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 15 minutes. (Note: don't salt the mushrooms until they are cooked. Salt makes them release their juices and makes them harder to brown.)

Combine broth and dijon,then deglaze pan with the mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice, then return the filets to the pan. Simmer until sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes, turning meat a few times to coat.

Bombay Chicken and Parmasan Orzo

Not that the two of those were served in one meal. No. Instead they are two of the three recipes I've picked out of the bowl this week.

Parmesan Orzo - good but not fantastic. I most likely won't make it again, but stranger things have happened. Of course, in typical Jenn fashion, I added/deleted from the recipe.

Parmesan Orzo
Makes 3 cups

• 1 c dry orzo
• 1/4 c Parmesan or Asiago cheese (I used Parmesan)
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt to taste

Cook the orzo according to the package. Put it in a bowl. Add Parmesan, olive oil and salt.

I added 1 T of butter. It helped with the consistency and made it creamier.

Bombay Chicken
Quite a good recipe. I didn't let it marinade for as long as it should have (read: I didn't read the recipe correctly at first) and wonder how that would have changed the flavor.

Bombay Chicken

• 1 1/2 c fat free plain yogurt
• 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 T paprika
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom (I didn't have this and so didn't use it. See my note below.)
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 lbs bone in chicken thighs and legs; skin removed (big shock, but I used chicken breasts instead)

Note: I didn't have cardamom and didn't want to spend $14 for an entire bottle. I checked a few websites and they said a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg will give you the same flavor. So I used the required cinnamon in this recipe and used 1/8 tsp of nutmeg.)

In a large ziploc bag, combine all the ingredients except the chicken. Mix well. Add the chicken and let it marinade overnight. (I let it marinaded for 2 hours)

Grill chicken, covered over direct medium hot heat for 15 minutes. Turn, grill for 10-15 minutes longer until juices run clear.

MMM. Enjoy!

Mom's Enchiladas - Secret Family Recipe

You should feel special. It's not every day I decide to post a super secret family recipe. But after having Mom's Worlds Famous Enchiladas last night I feel obligated to share.

The story goes, that WAY back when, before the dinosaurs, there was a little Mexican restaurant on the corner of my mom's childhood street called El Patio. Mom says, the "mother" or "grandmother" who was the main cook there invited her into the kitchen to witness the miracle of making enchiladas. And thus the recipe was born. Not sure how close this recipe resembles that of El Patio, but I don't really care since it's delicious.

Special note - these are not lo-cal, nor should they be. Period.

Ingredients:

• Corn tortillas (a dozen or two depending on how many you want to make - 20 fit in a 13X9 inch Pyrex)
• 1 lb Ground beef
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 can chopped olives - drained
• 12 c shredded cheese, more if you like cheese.
• 1 can Enchilada sauce (DO NOT use taco sauce/salsa. La Victoria - I think - has Enchilada sauce.)
• 1 chopped onion
• Optional: I can green chili's diced. Mom uses this. I didn't, but do now.
• 1 pint sour cream
• Vegetable oil - about 2 cups

Okay, ready for this.
First - turn on your oven to 350F.
Second - cook your ground beef and season with salt and pepper and about 1 T chili powder

Side bar on the super secret ground beef recipe:
Mom never EVER used the taco seasoning from a packet. Instead, cooking the ground beef using salt and pepper as seasoning, once it's cooked and drained - hit it with chili powder. That's your seasoning. I guarantee you you'll never use taco seasoning again.

Put enough oil in a skillet to submerge a tortilla. It depends on the size of the skillet. I usually use about an 8 in skillet. You'll be using this to "relax" the corn tortillas. See, corn tortillas are not very flexible when you get them out of the bag. This is how they did it at El Patio, so that's how we do it now.

When your oil is hot ( I usually pop in a small piece of a tortilla to see if it'll sizzle.) One at a time, dip the corn tortillas in the oil just long enough to make them flexible. Use tongs to flip it carefully to not break the tortilla.  Less than 3 seconds per side. DO NOT over cook - you're not making tostadas. If your oil is hot enough it is literally put the tortilla in, coat it, flip it, and bring it out. Drain them on paper towels.

Now - set up your assembly line. In this order

• Sour Cream 
• Ground beef 
• Cheese (in a bowl makes it easy to grab)
• Onions chopped
• Open the olives and green chili's if you're using it.

SHAKE the enchilada sauce. I use a can opener to pop a hole in the top to make it easy for pouring. So before you open it, shake it. Put a couple of tablespoons in the dish to coat the bottom. 

Take a tortilla on a flat surface (mom rolls them in the Pyrex she's baking them in - I use a cutting board and move them to the Pyrex).
Slather with sour cream down the middle. Just enough to coat it. A spoon full should do it. Make sure the sour cream extends to both sides. You want to be sure to get sour cream in each bite.
Next - put a spoonful of beef over the sour cream.
Next - cheese, onions, olives and green chili's if you're using them.
Roll the tortilla into a tube. Transfer it to the pyrex with the seam down.
Repeat until all the tortilla's are used.

The key is to not over stuff them. You'll get the hang of it. 

Family tradition, according to mom, is the cook gets to "test" one. So after you roll it and put all the goodies in it, the cook gets to eat it. Her theory was "Just n case, cuz you never know if it'll be good or not."  Plus, there's always one tortilla that gets a hole in it or ripped.

Now that you've got them all in a dish. Pour over the enchiladas covering each one of them, from end to end, completely. Don't just pour it over haphazardly, take your time. Use a small stream of sauce and cover each one lovingly.

Cover with cheese and remaining olives and chili's.

Bake at 350 until the cheese is bubbling. Let stand for as long as you can stand it (5 minutes) and dig in.

Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo

It's been WAY too long, I know. But I'm about done with the challenge of a lifetime, and I promise to add more recipes as the fall sets in. Cross my heart, hope to die.

Many moons ago I lost all my recipes to a tragic computer crash. Since that time I've been putting them back into my computer and finding some great ones that I tried, but neglected to share with you. This is just one of those.

As I recall I made this for a bunch of people - which included the crush at the time - and it was overwhelming good.

Grilled Meats and Vegetables over Saffron Orzo

Courtesy of FoodNetwork

Courtesy of FoodNetwork
Servings 6

For marinade:

• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup Fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup Chopped flat leaf parsley

For the grill:

• 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 3 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp; peeled and deveined
• 2 ears corn; husked and cut into thirds
• 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper halved and cored
• 1 yellow bell pepper halved and cored
• 1 orange bell pepper halved and cored

Safron Orzo

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 pound dried orzo
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a medium bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine half the marinade with the chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and shrimp. Toss to combine. Cover and let marinate for at least 1 hour. If marinating for longer than 1 hour, make sure to refrigerate.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the corn with reserved unused marinade and wrap in foil. Toss the mushrooms with 1/4 cup of the reserved unused marinade. Grill the chicken breasts and thighs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 7 minutes a side. Grill the corn inside the foil, for about 5 minutes a side. Grill the peppers for about 5 minutes a side. Grill the shrimp and the mushrooms, about 2 minutes a side. Brush the grilled peppers with the last of the reserved unused marinade. Slice the peppers and mushrooms before serving, if desired.

Arrange grilled meats and vegetables over the saffron orzo on a large platter and serve immediately.

For Saffron Orzo:

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, bringing the stock to a simmer. Add the saffron, stir, and allow the saffron to bloom, about 5 minutes. Return the heat to medium and the stock to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain orzo and transfer to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss to combine.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Mushrooms

Blueberry was over for walking tonight. After we took to the kitchen. I actually let her in the kitchen with me today. Not sure why yet, but it still worked out just fine.

A couple of years ago I bought this massive cookbook called Cover and Bake. It's full of casserole type dishes. I'm not a big casserole fan so I'm unsure why I bought it. Still, the recipe I picked from the bowl today was this one. It was bomb-diggity.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli and Mushrooms
Serves 6-8 - Um yah it does. I have 14 gallons of left overs. Anyone hungry?

• 4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
• 2 T Unsalted butter, melted
• 1 bunch broccoli, stalks discarded, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieced
• 3/4 pound penne
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds cremini Mushrooms, stemmed, sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 8 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 T minced fresh thyme
• 1/4 c flour
• 1 c white wine
• 2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1 c heavy cream
• 1 1/2 pounds Boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 ounces Asiago Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the topping: process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground, about six 1 second pulses.

For the filling: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400F. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a dutch oven over high heat.

Add pasta and cook to al dente. Do not over cook. Drain and toss with 1 T olive oil; leave in the colander and set aside.

Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 2 T oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the cremini and 3/4 tsp salt; cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and are brown around the edges; about 10 minutes.

Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Off the heat stir in broccoli, asiago and pepper.

Add the cooked pasta; stir to combine. Transfer to 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake until casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly brown, about 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

Rachael Ray...oh how she sometimes comes up with a quick, simple, and delicious recipe.

I picked this recipe out of the bowl and made it last night. Naturally I couldn't just follow the recipe. I had to "enhance" it. But I only enhanced it by adding mushrooms. I had them and they needed to be used.

Piccata is a meal with a quick cooking time, but there are a lot of stages to get to that quick cooking time. This recipe took out some of those steps. It also a bit lighter. Traditional piccata is done with butter and is quite heavy. This is done with chicken stock and makes it lighter.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss
Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

• 1 lb penne - cooked al dente
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 lb chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T butter
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 2 T flour
• 1/2 c white wine (if you don't cook with wine, just use chicken stock)
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup chicken stock (add another 1/2 cup if you're not using the wine)
• 3 T capers (I didn't have capers so I substituted green olives)
• 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
• Chives for garnish.

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.

I switched up the recipe here. I browned and sauteed some mushrooms in oil before this next step. Took them out and added them to the bowl of chicken before the next step.

Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Sauté garlic and shallots 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes.

Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.

Beef Bolognese

Last week I got 4 new cookbooks from Cuisine at Home. I heart Cuisine at Home. It's my favorite magazine ever and they do some damn good cookbooks.

I'm a huge fan of Bolognese. Whenever I get a chance, I try a new recipe. Tonight I tried a speedy Bolognese. I wasn't sure it would have that all day taste that I love in standard Bolognese. But I was pleasantly surprised that it did have that taste and then some.

Beef Bolognese
Makes 6 cups

Brown in 1 T Olive oil:

• 1 lb ground chuck
• 1/2 lb Italian sausage

Add and saute:

• 1/2 cup each onion, carrot, and celery - all grated or diced finely
• 3 T tomato paste
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 1 Bay leaf

Deglaze and reduce; Stir in:

• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 1 cup Heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with:
Chopped fresh parsley
Grated parmesan

Brown ground beef and sausage in oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

Add onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, garlic and bay leaf. Sauté until onions soften, about 5 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with wine; bring to a boil and simmer until almost evaporated. Stir in tomatoes and cream and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over spaghetti.

Garnish with parmesan and parsley.

Jenn's Kick Ass Stroganoff

So for many years now I've been trying to master THE perfect stroganoff. I think I finally have it. Tonight, I witnessed history as I cooked, what I consider, the most BESTEST stroganoff in all the world.

Jenn's KickAss Stroganoff

• Beef - some type of beef, sirloin or flank or whatever, sliced in thin strips
• 1lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 tsp Ground Mustard
• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• pinch and a half of Cayenne
• 8 oz sour cream - I used low fat
• Salt and Pepper
• Cornstarch
• Water

If the beef is wet, dab it with paper towels. Slice the beef into thin strips. Sprinkle cornstarch on beef and dust beef.

Heat 1 T vegetable oil in a skillet on high - as if you are going to stirfry the beef. When it's hot, toss in the beef. Salt and pepper to taste.

When beef is just about done, toss in the onions and mushrooms.
Cook for a minute or so on high. Stir constantly so the onion doesn't burn.
Salt and pepper to taste. You should season in layers to make sure its solid flavor.

Lower the heat to medium high, sprinkle beef with ground mustard and cayenne. Stir.
Add Dijon mustard, stir. Cook for 3 minutes or so.
Put in the cream of mushroom soup. Stir.
Put in about 1/2 cup water, to make it the consistency of say chowder.
Cook for a minute or so. If it's too thick, add water to keep the consistency of chowder.
Add Worcestershire sauce and sour cream.

Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add your favorite pasta or rice to the mixture. I assure you, you will not be disappointed. In fact, if you're in town, I'll be glad to cook for you.

French Spaghetti

It was a good week for recipes. In my natural Jenn fashion I "followed" them as close as I could. I can't help it. I'm just sure I can improve them.

French Spaghetti
Serves 8

• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 2 T butter
• 1 can whole tomatoes (16 oz), undrained and chopped (no shock here I just used a can of diced tomatoes.)
• 1 can sliced mushrooms (I had some mushrooms in the fridge so I chopped them up and used them. I'm not a big fan of canned mushrooms anyhow.)
• 1/4 c sliced pitted ripe olives; drained
• 4 tsp flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c whipping cream
• 3/4 c milk
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese; grated

Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside.

For tomato sauce: Cook onion in butter in a skillet until tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and drained olives.

For white sauce: Melt 1 T butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour and salt. Cook it slightly. Your nose will know it's done cooking (30 seconds) as it'll smell kinda nutty. WHISK in cream and milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat.

To assemble: Arrange pasta in a 2 quart square baking dish. Top with white sauce, then tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes in a 350F oven.

Now, what I didn't do. I am not a fan of baked pasta, so I simply mixed the white and tomato sauce together and put it over the spaghetti. I topped mine with some parsley too since I had it on hand.

Spicy Szechwan Chicken

ZOMG...so goood! I know I say that about almost every recipe I try. But seriously! I kicked white ass tonight making this.

Though mine looks nothing like the photo in the cookbook, it was gosh, darn golly gee whiz good.

And despite what the title says, it wasn't spicy at all. I can see how you can make it more spicy, but this batch wasn't. I'm not a huge fan of "burn your lips off" spicy. I like my spicy to be more flavorful than hot.

Spicy Szechwan Chicken
Serves 4

2 Frying chickens, cut into pieces ( I don't do fryer chickens. Too much food for a single girl, and I hate dark meat. So I did this with two chicken breasts)

Spicy Szechwan marinade:

• 3 T Chinese rice wine or dry sherry (yah so I misread this and used rice wine vinegar - not a big deal I don't think as it still kicked ass)
• 3T hoisin sauce
• 3 T thin soy sauce (I have no idea what "thin" soy sauce is. I used my ordinarily every day soy sauce - low sodium)
• 2T oyster sauce (didn't have oyster sauce, so used fish sauce)
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T dark sesame oil (um yah, don't like sesame so used just regular cooking oil)
• 1 T Asian chili sauce (here is where you can add more if you want it more spicy)
• 2 T sugar (as I mixed this I thought brown sugar would be good here as well)
• 1 T finely minced garlic
• 1 T very finely chopped minced ginger
• 2 whole green onions, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Mix all the ingredients together, besides the chicken.
Put the chicken in a resealable zip loc bag; pour the marinade over it. I reserved 1/4 cup of it to put on the chicken as it cooked. Let marinade for 30 minutes; or up to 8 hours. I did it overnight and it was sooo good.

Grill; bake; broil; do whatever you do with chicken. I slow grilled it. DELICIOUS! Doused it with the reserve marinade on each flip.

Though looking back at the recipe and what I "changed" in it, I now wonder what it would have tasted like had I actually followed the recipe. Huh! Oh well, maybe next time.

Enjoy!

Spanish Chicken & Rice

Today is Easter, and for my Easter dinner I'm having the not so traditional Spanish Chicken and Rice. I'm a BIG fan of Paella, except I usually don't like the fishy part of it. Which is, as you may know the reason for Paella. No matter. I found a substitute. And by "found a substitute" I mean I changed the recipe up some.

Spanish Chicken and Rice
Serves: 4, but it does serve more than that.

• 3 lbs chicken
• 2 T flour
• Salt and pepper
• 4 T vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 14 oz can of tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes, but you could use tomato sauce too)
• 6 oz canned pimientos, drained and sliced (so I just used the green olives stuffed with pimientos)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 8 stuffed green olives (Right! only 8. Whatever)
• 3/4 c long grain rice
• 1/2 lb chorizo sausage; cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 cup frozen peas

Toss chicken pieces in flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet, brown the chicken on all sides and remove. Add the onion and fry until golden brown.

Here's where the recipe got weird for me. It says to drain tomatoes and add enough water to make 3 1/4 cups. Since I chose to use crushed tomatoes, I used a 28 oz can instead and the made sure I had 3 1/4 cups total liquid. I like more tomato flavor than not.

Return chicken to pan. Add the tomato juice (see above note), olives, pimientos, bouillon cubes, rice, and chorizo.

Cover pan tightly and simmer gently for 45 minutes, forking carefully through the rice occasionally to prevent it sticking.

Add peas to pan, cover again and simmer for another 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Adjust seasoning before serving.

Okay, and here's some more adjustments. I like my chorizo to have a browned texture to it. So I generally brown the chorizo separately and have it ready. I also do not include the bouillon cubes. Earlier when I said I add enough water to the crushed tomatoes, I've added chicken stock instead on some occasions, and it tastes just fine. I didn't find the bouillon cubes added any other flavor.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

It's been recently pointed out to me that I've been slacking on my duty to post recipes here. It's not because I have lost the love...it's because Jenny Craig doesn't really accommodate my type of recipes. Though I think they should!

Anyhow, for the said person who was complaining (and I'm sure it was her husband who was complaining and not her. She seems so nice and docile unlike his grumpy self.) I give you one of my all time favorite recipes. It's quick and easy and oh so delicious. Not to mention created by my future husband (as soon as he dumps his current model like wife), Tyler Florence.


Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa
Courtesy of Tyler Florence, FoodNetwork
Serves 4



Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa (I totally cheat on this and buy two jars of the tomatillo chile salsa made by....um...er... someone...). The first time I made this I made the salsa and it was simple, but I found the jarred version just as nice.

• 1 lb tomatillos, husked
• 1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 tsp ground cumin (I'm not a big cumin fan so I cut this in half)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin (didn't even use the cumin in this)
• 1/4 c all-purpose flour
• 2 c chicken stock, store bought
• Chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded (You can also use left over chicken if you should have any after baking up a chickee)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 large flour tortillas
• 1/2 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 c sour cream
• Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the salsa: On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. or blender. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:
Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute.
Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute ( I had to look up what this was the first time I made it)

Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens.
Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat.

Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish.
Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa.
Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or microwave them briefly like I did. You just need to make them plyable).

Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas.

Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.

Parchment Halibut with Pesto, Zucchini and Carrots, Garlic and Ginger Rice, Sweet and Sour Green Beans

I'm going to try to be better about posting my recipes this next year. I sure tried a lot last year and plan on doing more this year.

New Year's Eve dinner was delicious. Parchment baked Halibut with pesto, zucchini and carrots; Sweet and Sour Green beans, and Garlic And Ginger rice. All three were delicious. I can't say the Asian flare of the sweet and sour and garlic/ginger fit with the Italian pesto, but I heard no complaints. They wouldn't' dare.

Parchment Halibut with Pesto, Zucchini and Carrots
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Servings 4

• 4 sheets parchment paper
• cooking spray
• 4 halibut steaks (6 oz each)
• 1/2 pesto sauce
• 1 c shredded carrots
• 1 c shredded zucchini
• 3/4 tsp salt; divided
• 1/2 tsp pepper; divided
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 4 tsp dry white wine

Preheat oven to 450F. Fold parchment in half; cut into heart shapes. Place ingredients near the fold. Spray cooking spray on parchment before placing ingredients on fold.

Place fillets on one side so that it touches the fold; but not the ungreased border. Spread 1 T pesto over fillet; top with 1/4 cup carrots and 1/3 cup zucchini, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle fillet with olive oil and 1 tsp wine.

Fold paper; seal edges with narrow folds.

Place packets on baking sheets. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. To serve open packets and transfer the fillets with their vegetables topping to plates.

Garlic and Ginger Rice
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Servings: 8

• 2 c uncooked Jasmine Rice
• 1 T vegetable Oil
• 1 T grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 c Asian chicken stock
• 1 c chopped cilantro

Place rice in a colander in a bowl. Cover rice with water, stir rice until water turns white. Lift colander, drain liquid in bowl. Repeat procedure twice. Drain.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in cilantro. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans
Courtesy of AllRecipes.com
Servings: 4

• 4 slices Bacon
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 1/4 c cider vinegar
• 1/4 c sugar

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium until browned, 3-4 minutes per side. With tongs transfer to a paper towel (reserve skillet drippings).

Add onion to skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to brown. Add green beans and 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing occasionally, until beans are bright green and tender, about 10 minutes.

Crumble bacon into skillet; add vinegar and sugar. cook until syrupy sauce forms, 2 minutes, tossing to coat.

Mexican Steak and Rice

My goodness, I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted something here. I assure you I've been trying new recipes. Some good, some bad, and some down right disgusting. My most recent recipe I made last night and loved. Quite tasty and alas, a recipe in which I will actually eat the leftovers. Amazing!

Mexican Steak and Rice
Courtesy of Mexican Family Favorite Cookbook

• 2 lbs round steak (tenderized)
• 1 to 2 tsp oil
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup water

Cut meat into cubes. In a skillet, heat oil and saute garlic cloves. Add meat cubes and water. Cover and brown meat over reduced heat. When meat is cooked, drain meat juices and save. Place meat in a bowl and put aside.

• 3 T oil
• 1/2 lb long grain rice
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2/3 c meat juices (I didn't have 2/3 cup so I put chicken stock to fill to 2/3 cup)
• 2 c hot water
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 T salt
• 1/4 c crushed Cilantro
• 6 oz Tomato sauce
• 2 oz Tomato Puree (I used 8 oz tomato sauce)

In same skillet, heat oil, add rice and brown medium heat, stirring constantly. Add onion and saute briskly. blend in meat juices and add water. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Add meat, cover and cook over medium heat for 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking. Cook until rice is tender. (Serves 6 to 8)

I actually made this recipe and didn't adjust it for one person. It was my main dish though and it gave me enough for two dinners and one lunch. So serving 6-8 is assuming it's a side dish I think.

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak, Sugar Glazed Roasted Carrots, and Swiss Baked Potatoes

So this year's annual pumpkin carving extravaganza, I decided to try all new recipes for the meal. And man, what a meal. Everyone loved all the food, so much so, that I ended up with two little pieces of steak left and that was it.

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak

Photo courtesy of Everyday Food

Courtesy of Everyday Food
Serves 4

• 1/2 c balsamic vinegar
• 2 T light brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp crushed dried rosemary
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 lb skirt Steak

Mix all ingredients in a resealable bag. Pork the steak with a fork; add to marinade. Let marinade at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Or cover and let marinade for one day.

Heat grill on high. Grill steak for 2-4 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Sugar Glazed Roasted Carrots

Photo courtesy of Cook's Country

Courtesy of Cook's Country
Serves 4

• 1 1/2 Pounds Medium Carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt and Pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. heat rimmed baking sheet in oven for 10 minutes.

Toss carrots, melted butter, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl thoroughly coating carrots.

Remove pan from oven and place carrots in single layer on hot baking sheet.

Roast until carrots are beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

Swiss Baked Potatoes
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Serves: 12

• 6 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• Cooking Spray
• 1 1/4  c thinly sliced onion
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 c (2 Oz) Shredded Gruyere Cheese
• 2 T butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 3/4 c Fat Free Beef Broth

Preheat oven to 375F.

Arrange one-third of potato slices in the bottom of a shallow 2 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with one-third of onions. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle with one-third cheese.

Repeat layers twice, ending with cheese.

Dot with butter. Pour broth over potato mixture. Coat top layer with cooking spray. Cover with foil, and bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake additional 30 minutes or until tender.

Italian Beef Stew

Just because I know you all love to cook, I've encountered the best beef stew recipe and I made it the WORLD's best by changing the recipe ever so slightly.


Italian Beef Stew
Courtesy of Taste of Home
Serves 2

• 3/4 lb beef cube steak, cubed
• 1 c water
• 1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
• 1 small potato; peeled and cubed
• 1/2 c sliced fresh carrot (I just tossed in a handful of those baby carrots)
• 1/2 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1/2 small sweet red pepper, chopped ( yah um, my world's greatest stew doesn't have bell peppers in it)
• 1 T onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (I'd likely leave this out next time. I'm not a big fan of oregano and it was a bit overwhelming.
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 c frozen peas

In a large saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, brown the meat over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the water, tomato sauce, potato, carrot, onion, red pepper, soup mix, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir in peas; simmer 15 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Yield: 2 servings.

My variations:
I coated the beef with flour and then cooked it. Once it was browned I used about a half of cup of beef broth(in addition to the water that's already in the recipe) to deglaze the pan. I let that simmer down, then followed the remaining recipe. At the end, for seasoning, I added a dash of hot sauce, I like to spice it up a bit. And I added a dash of Worcestershire sauce

Yakitori

It's been a while since I actually posted a recipe let alone actually cook a new one. This week the recipe of the week is Yakitori. Now, I'm not a big fan of sake, but in this marinade it kicks ass.

Yakitori
Courtesy of MyRecipes
Servings 4

• 1/4 c sake
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 3 T sugar (I used brown sugar instead of white sugar and I think it added a nice flavor to it. I think honey would be good too.)
• 2T grated peeled ginger
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes ( I used 1/2 tsp and it was fine)
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Mix the above together in a sauce pan. Heat to a boil. Allow to boil at a rolling boil until liquid reduces to 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and cool.

1 lb skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces (I'm not a dark meat fan so I used chicken tenders)
5 green onions, cut into 4 2" pieces

Combine the soy sauce mixture with chicken, cover and marinate for 1 hour. Heat a large grill pan over medium high heat. Thread 6 chicken cubes and 5 green onion pieces alternately onto a skewer. Brush kebabs with soy mixture. Grill.

Jambasta

I made this Rachael Ray meal last night. I misread the directions a bit, but it turned out just fine. I think overall I still prefer rice with my Jambalaya. And obviously I didn't put in the bell pepper...but at least I'm getting better about including it with the recipe for those of you crazy people who like bell peppers.

Jambasta
Courtesy of Rachael Ray, FoodNetwork
Serves 6 to 8

• Salt
• 1 pound penne rigate, pasta with lines
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 2 T butter
• 1/2 lb andouille sausage, any brand, casing removed and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped or thinly sliced (1 large jalapeno my be substituted)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 ribs celery from the heart with greens, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1 c beer, 1/2 bottle
• 1 c chicken stock
• 1 (14-ounce) can, crushed tomatoes
• 2 T hot sauce (recommended: Franks Red Hot or Tabasco) eyeball it
• 2 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1/2 lb chicken breast, diced into small pieces
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, cleaned and tails removed
• 1/4 c heavy cream, eyeball it
• 2 scallions, sliced

Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta and add salt to it then pasta. Cook to al dente and drain.

While pasta works, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, butter and andouille. Brown the sausage 2 to 3 minutes to render the fat. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Add garlic, peppers, celery and onions. Sauté the veggies for 5 to 6minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and add flour to the pan. Cook flour with veggies 2 minutes more then whisk in beer. Cook beer out, 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock, tomatoes, hot sauce and thyme. Bring liquid to a bubble and add chicken and shrimp. Cook 6 to 7 minutes until chicken is firm and shrimp are opaque and firm. Stir to mix in cooking juices then add in cream. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.

Ladle up the jambasta and top with chopped scallions and reserved crispy andouille.

Skillet Beef Stroganoff

I love stroganoff. I have had many recipes for stroganoff and all of them good. This one is very tasty. It's going down in the MUST have cook book.

Skillet Beef Stroganoff
Serves 4

• 3 T Vegetable oil
• 10 oz white button mushrooms, brushed clean and trimmed then quartered
• 1.5 lbs top blade steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1.5 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1 T flour
• 1/4 c dry red wine
• 2.5 c chicken broth
• 1/2 lb thin egg noodles
• 1/4 c sour cream

Heat 1 T of the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Dry the beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Add 1 more T oil to the skillet and return to medium high heat until just smoking. Sprinkle the beef into the skillet and cook, without stirring until well browned, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the beef to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Add the remaining T oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 tsp salt; cook, stirring frequently, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the skillet, until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, sugar and flour. Whisk in the wine and chicken broth until smooth. Return the mushrooms and browned beef, along with any accumulated juices, back to the skillet; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the beef is tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the noodles and continue to cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 12-13 minutes. Whisk 1/2 cup of the sauce with sour cream in a small bowl, then whisk the mixture back into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.