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Saturday, October 29, 2011

roasted cauliflower soup

2 heads cauliflower
3 garlic cloves
2 shallots
2 tablespoons evoo
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2 cups heavy cream ( 1/2&1/2)

preheat oven to 425

cut cauliflower in florets(about 10 cups). in large baking sheet?pan toss cauliflower,garlic,and shallots with oil and roast in middle of oven for 30 mins or until golden.

in a 4qt. pot, simmer broth, water, roasted cauliflower mixture, and herbs for 30 mins or until tender,. Discard bay leaf and in blender, or immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. transfer to pot and stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. Heat until warmed through.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Ghostly Meatloaf!


This is the turkey meatloaf recipe cut into fifths to shape  ghosts topped with Mozz and BBQ sauce! (baked in pyrex for 20 - then add cheese and sauce - cook till melted! Served with bake potato clouds and zucchini moon on a dark plate (not my cheesy generic white ones) and you have a Halloween Treat =  Big win with the children tonight! 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Halloween Eye of Newt (Deviled Eggs)


I originally found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I've tweaked it a little bit to suit our taste. If you like deviled eggs prepared with relish & mustard, feel free to search allrecipes for it. :)
Here's our version:

12 hard boiled eggs
mayonnaise (Use as much or as little as you like)
2-3 drops of blue food coloring
1-6oz can of sliced black olives, drained
red food coloring
a couple of toothpicks (to draw the veins in the eyes)

After you peel the boiled eggs, slice them in half lengthwise.
Place the yolks in a separate bowl and save the whites on the side.
Mash up the yolks and add the mayonnaise until the mixture is the consistency that you like.
Add the blue food coloring & mix it all in until you get a green color (it's about 2-3 drops)
Dip the toothpick into the red food coloring & paint the tops of the egg whites so they look like veins in an eyeball.
Spoon the yolk mixture back into the egg whites.
Place a sliced olive on top to make it look like an eyeball.
If you feel like getting more creative, you can use a toothpick to dab a dot of mayo in the center of the olive to have a color contrast.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Pasta w/ artichokes,peas, and onions

1lb pasta
1 package frozen artichoke hearts (trader Joe's are the best)
1 bag petite frozen peas
2 onions sliced
4-5 garlic cloves chopped
olive oil


coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil, when hot put onions and garlic in. Saute for a bit until onions are translucent. Add artichokes and peas. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Cook pasta and when finished take about 2 cups of pasta water and add it to the veggie mixture. Simmer until heated through. Drain pasta and add veggie mixture to pasta. Toss! Serve with grated romano cheese. I also add a touch of crushed red pepper. Enjoy!!

Turkey/Chicken/Veggie Meatloaf

I know there hasn't been a recipe posted here since May 2011 but I am going to post these recipes because they were a big hit with my family.

1 lb ground chicken
1lb ground turkey
1 small zucchini diced
1 yellow squash diced
1 large onion sliced
1 half package of onion soup mix
about 1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder (few shakes)

Mix everything together and form in a pan.
Put in 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
Serve with chicken gravy (jar)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Oreo(or Strawberry) Cool Whip Pie



8oz Temp Tee Whipped Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Sugar
8oz Sour Cream
8oz Cool Whip
1pkg Chopped Oreo's or Sliced Strawberries
Hot Fudge or Strawberry Syrup
1 Prepared Pie crust

-Mix with a wooden spoon not a mixer the cream cheese and sugar
-Add the sour cream and mix again
-Fold the cool whip into the mixture
-Add the Oreo cookies or sliced strawberries in the mixture ( leave some to sprinkle on top)
-Place the mixture into the prepared pie crust and even it out
-Sprinkle left over Oreo or strawberry slices
- Drizzle hot fudge or strawberry syrup on top
-Chill in refrigerator for 3 hours and enjoy!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Crock Pot Sesame Seed Country Ribs

I got this recipe from Taste of Home magazine. I made it on Mothers Day and everyone loved it.
A little tip I picked up, when cooking your country ribs in the crock pot put them in first without the sauce. Cook for about an hour and then drain all the liquid that the pork releases. Your end result is that your sauce won't be watered down from the pork juices. I really wanted to take these and put them on the barbecue to crisp them up but I cooked them too long in the slow cooker so they were falling apart. After I took them out of the crock pot I took the sauce and put it in a pan and reduced it to about half, and then poured it over the ribs.

5 lbs country ribs
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
3 tbs chopped garlic
1 tbs sesame seeds
1/4-1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper
1 large onion sliced
Mix all liquid and spice ingredients together in a bowl.
After cooking ribs "naked" for an hour, put sliced onion in the bottom of the cooker. Place half the ribs on top of onion and pour half the sauce on the ribs. Continue with the other half and the rest of the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. I guess crock pot temperatures differ because the one I have cooks much faster than my last one. If you're not familiar with your crock pot keep checking to make sure the ribs are tender but not falling off the bone. Once they are done, either crisp them up on the barbecue or under the broiler. Use the sauce to baste. Sprinkle ribs with a few sesame seeds when all done. Enjoy!!

Chicken Chick Pea Stew

Here's one I kind of put together by accident. I wanted to make one chicken dish but didn't have all the ingredients (curry was one of them-I'm a little afraid of curry...I think it will seep out of my pores)so I just took a few of the ingredients I had combined with some other things I had in the pantry. The results were absolutely delicious. If I had to put an ethnicity on it I might call it Morroccan...or at the very least Middle Eastern. So enjoy!! For this I used skinless thighs. Usually I use boneless as well, but I cooked it for quite some time and didn't want the chicken to shred.

6 skinless chicken thighs
1 can stewed tomatoes 15 oz
1 can tomato sauce 8 oz
1 can chick peas 15 oz
1 large onion sliced
1/3 cup of raisins (I used regular raisins because that is what I had in the house)
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
olive oil (to saute onions and garlic)

Saute onion in olive oil, when almost cooked through add garlic and continue to saute without browning garlic. Remove onion mixture from pan and brown chicken thighs on both sides. Once chicken is browned, put back in pan and add onion mixture. Add all other ingredients. Rinse chick peas before adding to pot. Cook on med. low for about an hour. If sauce gets too thick add about a 1/4 cup of water. Serve over basmati (I use basmati) rice or cous cous.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Strawberry Filled Butter Almond Cookies with Lemon Glaze


Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cups butter (room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1tsp almond extract
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup strawberry jam (not preserves)
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375*

Beat butter, granulated and brown sugars on medium speed until well blended. Add egg and almond extract, beating until blended. SLOWLY add flour and salt, mixing until combines. Form dough into 1 inch balls, placing on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart (IMPORTANT: Do NOT overwork dough when rolling, as this will dry out your cookies)

Using your finger, press into the center of each cookie, making a well. Fill each well with 1/4-1/2 tsp of strawberry jam. Bake 9-11 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown.

While cookies are baking, stir together powdered sugar and 2tsp lemon juice; if necessary (for me it always is), add additional lemon juice to get drizzling consistency. Remove cookies from oven and drizzle with lemon glaze. (I usually remove cookies from pan and place them on a cooling rack with towels under them prior to the drizzle step to avoid pouring sugar on my pans... it could be a pain to clean up). Makes 2 dozen cookies

Monday, April 18, 2011

Crock-Pot Chicken


Crock Pot Chicken
Ingredients:
  • 4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 large roasting chicken (it's best to make sure the sucker will fit into your crock pot before you begin)
Directions:

  1. Remove any giblets from chicken and clean chicken. (I drink wine while doing this to avoid a gag reflux, this is not required, just a strong suggestion). Pat chicken dry and set aside
  2. In a small bowl, combine dry spices
  3. Mix chopped onion and minced garlic and put in bottom of crock pot (I ALWAYS use slow cooker liners, but for this dish, it's especially useful if you plan to make gravy)
  4. Cut lemon in half and stuff into chicken cavity (Again, for me, this means more wine)
  5. Rub spice mixture onto the chicken (more wine, ugh raw chicken is gross)
  6. Place chicken on top of onion, and cover (it will look like the picture posted above)
  7. Cook for 6-7 hours on low
Note: I usually prepare the night before, refrigerate over night and start the crock pot the next morning as I go to work. This is how I am able to drink the wine ;)


For Gravy:

  • After removing chicken from crockpot onto a platter, Pour all the liquid into a saucepan on the stove (there will be a lot of liquid) put it on a low setting
  • If you used a liner, simply pull out the bag, and slice a small hole in the bottom to drain liquid into sauce pan
  • Mix cold water with cornstarch and add to chicken liquid (more wine drinking for me)
  • Stir frequently and let it heat up. It should thicken up quickly, serve with rice
**caveat: we're not big gravy people here, so I usually skip this step, but I know we're in the minority on this***

Serve with you favorite sides and take credit for slaving away all day...oh, and don't forget the wine ;)

Friday, April 15, 2011

Sausage & Rice Stuffed Portabellas

We came across this recipe while food shopping in Publix last week. They were doing a demo on it & we got to taste it. Obviously it's delicious because here I am sharing it ;)

4 whole portabella mushrooms
2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley coarsely chopped
2-3 links of mild Italian (chicken or pork) sausage
1 (8.8oz) pouch of pre-cooked brown rice (Uncle Ben's makes a microwaveable pouch) or you can make your own
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
1 1/2 cups of tomato basil sauce

Preheat oven to 400
Remove stems & gills from mushrooms being careful not to break them
chop the parsley
remove the casing from the sausage

1. Preheat a large saute' pan on medium for 2-3 minutes. Put the sausage in the pan to cook. Cook for 3-4 minutes stirring to crumble the sausage or until no pink remains.
2. Remove pan from heat.
3. Stir in the rice, parsley, both cheeses & cream cheese.
4. Fill the mushrooms with the sausage mixture.
5. Place them on a baking sheet & bake for 10-12 minutes or until they're hot & the cheese is melted.
6. Serve the pasta sauce with mushrooms.

Add a salad & the meal is complete!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Chicken Spinach Chimichanga (Baked!)



Once you get the flavors and super simple technique down for the baked chimichanga, you can go 'chalupa' with combinations. Hahahaha! This is so great to use up leftovers as I have done here.

2 cups chopped or shredded Chicken (I used leftover roast chicken)
3-4 cups Baby Spinach washed and dried
1 bunch Cilantro chopped
2 Scallions sliced
1/2 can Diced Tomatoes (about 8oz) pureed
2 cloves Garlic minced
1 small yellow Onion diced
1/4-1/2 TSP Ancho Chili Powder
1/2 TSP ground Cumin
4oz Cheddar Cheese shredded (or crumbled if you are using aged -that's my favorite)
Salt & Pepper
6-8 Whole Wheat Tortillas
Vegetable Oil

Preheat oven to 400*
Lightly grease a flat pan with Oil
In a large bowl, mix together Chicken, Spinach, Cilantro, Scallions, Tomato Puree, Garlic, Onion, Chili Powder, Cumin and Cheddar until well combined.
Season with Salt and Pepper.
Place about a tennis ball sized amount of mixture into a log sort of shape on a Tortilla and fold up the sides of the tortilla with your fingertips and use your thumbs to fold up the part closest to you while you hold the sides up. Work the end up and over with your thumbs and your palms as you keep the sides pulled in. Roll the that end all the way over until it reaches the inside of the top part of the tortilla as you keep the filling inside and place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the flat pan.
Repeat process with more tortillas until you are out of filling.
If you don't know how to roll it, it is going to probably take a few tries and a few bouts of cursing. Stick with it, you'll get it and then you'll think you should move to Havana and roll cigars for a living and you'll be able to make all sorts of chimichangas to live in the meantime.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve.

Death By Chocolate- The Easy Way!



OK, so this recipe is SHAMEFULLY easy, and always gets rave reviews!

1pkg Chocolate or Devil's Food Cake Mix, and necessary ingredients
1 8oz tub of CoolWhip
1pkg of pudding OR a 6pk of Jello Pudding snacks
2 Heath bars

Prepare and bake the cake in a 9x13 pan, following the directions on the box. COOL COMPLETELY. Some folks use an already made cake, but it's difficult to find the un-frosted kind. I just bake my own, using a devil's food mix.

Prepare the pudding, following directions on the box, and chill as directed

Once the cake is cooled, cut it up into squares (about 1" is fine) and throw in a large, deep salad bowl.

Stir in pudding. Don't worry about making it pretty. It will look like a pile of delicious mud.

Spread Cool Whip on top, in a thick layer.

Break up Heath Bars and sprinkle on top

Enjoy!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Chicken Asparagus Pasta


I'm not the biggest pasta fan. To me, pasta is a waste of calories. I'd really rather eat the sauce. Solo. I feel the same about rice. Hubs loves pasta, so do the boys, so I make it, but you had better believe it is whole wheat because if I'm going to eat it, its going to be useful to my body. Enough preaching, onto this pretty healthy pasta recipe:


4 servings of Whole Wheat Pasta

1/2lb Chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces

1 14.5 can of Diced Tomatoes

1 bunch Asparagus (trimmed and cut into bite size pieces)

1/4 cup marinated Olives (pitted)

1 small Yellow Onion diced

2 cloves Garlic sliced

1/8 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flake

1/2 TSP Oregano

1/2 TSP Thyme

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper


Make pasta according to package instructions and while at that....


Season Chicken with Salt, Pepper, Half the Oregano and Half the Thyme.

In a large skillet, Heat 3TBS Oil over Medium heat.

Add seasoned Chicken to Pan.

Lightly brown chicken on one side and toss.

Add Red Pepper Flake, Onion, Garlic, the rest of the Oregano and Thyme and Olives and let cook for 1-2 minutes.

Toss that mixture.

Add Tomatoes and toss.

Cook for 1 minute.

Add Asparagus and toss.

Cook for 8 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve over cooked pasta with grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Pork Chops with Cabbage, New Potatoes and Apple

This might be better suited for October than Spring, however, considering the cold weather that simply won't go away this struck me as a good cold Spring dish to bang out today. This was inspired by a dish my sister-in-law made for us and I took the layering concept of her dish and ran with it........

6 Center Loin Rib Chops (1/2" thick).
1 small head Green Cabbage sliced (shredded).
1/2lb-3/4lb Red New Potatoes cleaned.
1 Apple (pick your favorite type) cored and cut into bite sized cubes.
1 tennis ball sized yellow Onion sliced.
2 cloves Garlic sliced.
1/4 TSP Ground Sage.
1/4 TSP Oregano.
1/4 TSP Paprika.
1.5 TSP Black Mustard Seed.
1 TSP Caraway Seed.
2 CUPS Vegetable or Chicken Stock.
3 TBS Vegetable Oil.
Salt and Pepper.
1 CUP Flour.

Heat oven to 325*.
Season Pork Chops with Salt, Pepper, Sage, Oregano and Paprika. Dredge Chops in Flour.
Heat Oil in Large Enameled Cast Iron Pot (with a cover) over Medium-Hi heat.
Brown Chops in batches placing browned chops aside (1-2 minutes per side).
Turn heat down to Medium.
Add Onion to pot and saute for about 3-4 minutes.
Add Mustard Seed and Caraway Seed stir and let cook for 30 seconds.
Add Garlic, stir and let cook for 30 seconds.
Add Apples, stir and let cook for 30 seconds.
Add Potatoes and stir.
Season this mixture with Salt and Pepper to taste.
Top with Cabbage and add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Fan the Chops over the cabbage around the pot.
Pour the stock over the chops.
Turn the heat up to Hi and let the stock come up to a boil...you won't see it happening because its under the chops but give it about 2-3 minutes.
Cover with lid and place in 325* oven.
Let cook for an hour.
Serve chops with cabbage, potato and apple mixture.
An extra yummy is to serve it with warm buttered pretzel rolls....oh dear....those are better for Fall...not just before bathing suit season....no matter how cold it is!!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Pasta Puttanesca

Here we go again, once again I don't have measurements so I will do my best to figure it out for you.
 1 lb linguini
 1can crushed tomatoes 28oz
 1 can anchovies
 kalamata olives about 20
 3 heaping tablespoons capers
1 medium onion chopped
 4-6 cloves garlic chopped
 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2-1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
 olive oi
l Cook onion until translucent in olive oil, add chopped garlic Cook until lightly toasted Add anchovies and their oil, cook another minute or so Add tomatoes, olives and spices Add 1/2 can of water (tomato can) Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and cook for about 45 minutes stirring occasionally Cook linguini according to directions and add sauce. Enjoy!!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Michele's Nostalgic Vegetable Meatball Soup (ABC Soup)

1/2 C onion, diced
1/2 C potatoes, diced
1/2 C celery, diced
1/2 C carrots, diced
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 can seasoned diced tomatoes
1/2 C frozen corn
1/2 C frozen cut green beans
1/2 C white kidney or lima beans
2 QT (64 oz) beef stock
1/2 lb ABC pasta or any small pasta like ditalini

Turkey Meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey
salt and pepper
garlic powder
bread crumbs
grated parmesan cheese
EVOO


-Saute onion, potatoes, celery, carrots and garlic till veggies begin to soften
-Add stock
-Puree canned tomatoes and add to the pot
-Cook until veggies are completely cooked
-Once veggies are cooked, add frozen veggies. Allow to cook a few more minutes until frozen veggies are no longer cold.
-Add beans
-Add meatballs and cooked ABC pasta and serve

To make meatballs:
Combine turkey, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and basil.
Add enough bread crumbs to give meatballs body and texture
Roll into small bite-sized meatballs
Shallow fry meatballs in EVOO till browned on all sides and cooked through.
Drain on paper towel

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Elvis' Favorite Muffins

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA OATMEAL MUFFINS

1 cup flour (white or whole wheat)

1 cup quick cook oats

1/2 tablespoon of baking powder

1/3 cup honey OR brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

1 egg

1 cup skim milk

2 mashed bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together dry ingredients (including brown sugar if you are using in place of honey) and set aside.

Whisk together egg, milk, peanut butter, honey, milk and vanilla.

Add wet mixture and mashed bananas to dry mixture and stir until just combined.

At this point, feel free to add nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, or whatever floats your boat. Just a handful or two.

Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin pan.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Find Elvis.

Simple Skillet Stroganoff (shortcut style)


This is a simple one pot meal that my kids LOVE!!!

1-2 lbs ground beef. (Ground sirloin is choice, but meatloaf mix is cheaper)
1-2 jars beef gravy (depending on beef poundage)
8 - 16 oz sour cream (see above)
sweet baby peas
i medium onion chopped
1 bag of egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste

 Boil Egg noodles according to instructions.  Sautee one chopped onion in  just a dash of oil in large skillet. Add beef  and Brown and drain. Add gravy stirring till heated thru. add sour cream  stirring slowly as this will cool and thicken very quickly. When you get the consistency you want throw in some cooked peas and pour over egg noodles and call yourself a cook.

Steakhouse Mushrooms

This is a great easy side dish to steak or a pork roast.


Steakhouse Mushrooms

2  containers sliced mushrooms
1 large onion cut to bite size
1 pat butter
Olive oil
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Add butter and a bit of olive oil to saute pan. Once hot add onions and cook til translucent. Add mushrooms and cover. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce. Lower heat and simmer for another 8-10 minutes.


Serves 4.


Enjoy!













Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Chicken Wok this Waaaayyyyy!!!

I am about to hit onto a stir fry kick because I love my newly discovered Asian market and I remembered I had a wok. You all have one. You all registered for one when you got married. Its an awesome tool because its just one pan and your cook time is minutes. MINUTES. If you don't have a wok (I doubt it) go buy one or use a large skillet for this recipe, but nothing beats a wok. The way the thing heats is just unparalleled. Wok this way....

1lb Chicken breast (I use tenders because it cuts down on my cutting time a bit) cut into bite sized pieces
2 large Carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup of Baby Bok Choy (you can use spinach, snow peas, just something green)
1 Quarter of a Yellow Bell Pepper sliced into bite sized strips
1 Quarter of a large Yellow Onion sliced into bite sized strips
2 Garlic cloves sliced
1 inch fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 TSP Chinese Five Spice
Salt and Pepper
2 Dashes Soy Sauce
1/3 + 3TBS Chicken Stock
3 TBS Corn Starch
3TBS high smoke point oil (I used about 1.5TBS of Toasted Sesame and 1.5TBS Corn -the Toasted Sesame gives a very nice flavor. You can use Peanut, Safflower, Corn, Canola, Vegetable, Rapeseed..high smoke point..)

Season Chicken with Salt, Pepper and Chinese Five Spice
In a small bowl, mix together 3TBS cold Chicken Stock with 3TBS Corn Starch until fully incorporated (this mixture is called 'slurry') and leave aside.
Place Oil in Wok, add Garlic and Ginger and turn heat up to Medium-HI.
When the garlic and ginger start to sizzle, swirl the oil around the pan and up the sides and add the seasoned Chicken.
Let the chicken seal about 40 seconds and toss around, let cook another 40 seconds and toss, another 40 seconds and toss. (When I say 'toss' I don't mean throw the meat around in the pan, I mean stir it up like its a salad with tongs.)
Move the chicken up the sides of the wok and add all the remaining vegetables into the middle.
Let them cook for about a minute.
Add the Soy Sauce, stir around and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add Chicken stock and cook for 4 minutes stirring occasionally (every minute or so).
Add slurry and cook for one or two minutes more while stirring to incorporate the slurry -you'll see it get so nice and thick like the ultimate gravy coating all over everything and when it looks delicious like that, its DONE. Serve it (with rice or noodles if desired).

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Fish Livornese

I'm on a total fish kick lately. I think I may have posted enough fish recipes to get you through Lent Fridays if that's your thing. This one is super easy. I threw it together for the boys just before the babysitter showed up for my night out. It all stuff that you'll have on hand (except maybe the fish although I always have a hunk of fish somewhere) so its brainless. While on the topic of being brainless, I had no clue that this was in no way original thought and was informed by a foodie friend of mine that this tomato, olive, garlic and oregano combination is Livornese style. I will have to look up what the heck Livornese is but I'll assume its an Italian region of some sort. I originally put up a dilly of a title and renamed it to give credit where credit is due...so to the Livornese: no disrespect peeps, I had no idea I was passing off your goodness as my own.


1lb fleshy white fish like Haddock, cod, scrod, monkfish -you get the picture
1/3 can diced Tomatoes drained
8-10 pitted Olives sliced
1 clove Garlic sliced
1/4 TSP dried Oregano (or 1/2 TSP fresh Oregano)
1/4 TSP dried Thyme (or 1/2 TSP fresh Thyme)
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

Heat oven to 425*
Season both sides of Fish with Salt and Pepper
Tear a piece of foil about twice the size of your fillet of Fish
Drizzle some Olive Oil on the matte side of the foil and place the seasoned Fish on it
Cover the Fish with drained Tomatoes
Toss the sliced Garlic and Olives over the fish
Sprinkle the Oregano and Thyme over everything
Add some more Salt and Pepper if you so desire
Pull the foil up and over the fish crimping the edges together so you make a nice packet with plenty of space in there.
Place in oven for 10-12 minutes
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before opening packet and serving.

yum.




Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Maple Carrot Banana Apple Muffins With Cream Cheese Icing







2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup of sugar
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp all spice
1/2tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil ( I use smart balance brand )
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups of grated carrots
2 granny smith apples grated up
2 smashed bananas

Frosting
1/4 cup butter
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese. ( I used reduced fat )
1/4 maple syrup
1tsp vanilla extract
4 table spoons of confectioners sugar

Directions:
1. In large bowl combine the 1st 7 ingredients. In another bowl beat eggs, oil and syrup. Stir into dry ingredients mix until smooth and moistened. Fold in carrots, apples and mashed bananas. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
2. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 min before removing from pans.

For the frosting. You can make this ahead of time so you can chill it and it will thicken. Combine cream cheese, butter, syrup, vanilla and confectioners sugar in mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Chill for 1 hour.

Tips: I put some green food coloring in the icing to make it fun for the kids and I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar mixture over the frosted muffins for extra sweetness. You can also use raisins and or nuts in this recipe.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Roast Dinner III Rack of Lamb!!!

I have come across many people who claim to NOT like lamb. My response is always, "You have just never had it done right." And its true. If you eat overcooked lamb, its awful, its chalky, its kind of gamy, its just unpleasant, like any red meat really but yet less acceptable than say overcooked beef . So, if you happen to be anti-lamb, please please do yourself the favor and try it one more time and IF you don't want to risk making the following recipe(which is a little crazy because its SO easy and you will feel like a champ when you make it), go to a GOOD restaurant and have some lamb. Order it rare or medium rare. Its a beautiful thing.

Lamb
1 Rack of Lamb
Zest of one Lemon
1 Garlic clove pressed
1 TBS Dried Rosemary
1/2 TSP Ground Cumin
1/2 TSP Ground Coriander
1/2 TSP Sweet Paprika
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

Set oven to 350*

In a small bowl mix together Lemon Zest, Garlic, Rosemary, Cumin, Coriander, Paprika, Salt and Pepper (to your taste maybe about 1/4 TSP each -I use big grinders for both Salt and Pepper and I would say its about 20-30 turns). Add Olive Oil to this mixture until you have a spreadable paste. I tend to grind my own spices so I will throw all my dried herbs and spices in and grind them up, it makes a pretty awesome spice mix that way. I broke my last spice grinder and have been using a coffee grinder. In my opinion, freshly ground spices are just better, but the pre-ground stuff is perfectly good to use.

Spread this all over your lamb rack placed in a shallow baking pan. Pop in your temperature probe and set aside for the moment so the meat loses the chill from being in the refrigerator.

Roast Potatoes
4 Russet Potatoes peeled and cut to desired size.
1 TBS Dried Rosemary
1/2 TSP Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup Olive Oil

Boil Potatoes for about 8-10 minutes.
Drain
Toss Potatoes with remaining ingredients and pour mixture into a shallow metal pan and place in oven.
Toss potatoes around 10-15 minutes or so to get an even brown.

***After 15 minutes add the lamb to the oven***

Mashed Carrots
1 Bunch Carrots
Stock

Boil Carrots in stock until soft.
Drain Carrots and mash.

When your temperature probe reaches 130* (about 30 minutes) remove the lamb from the oven and tent with foil for about 15-20 minutes. Jack your oven up to 400* to brown up your potatoes while the lamb rests. If you are using the temperature probe, you will see how the lamb's temperature continues to climb and climb, eventually, it plateaus and begins to go back down. Once it is back down to around 140* or less, then carve it.

Make the following while the lamb is resting
Sauteed Spinach with Mushrooms
2 Handfuls Cremini Mushrooms stemmed and sliced
1 Clove Garlic peeled and crushed
4 Handfuls Baby Spinach, washed and dried
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

In a large cold saute pan, add 3-4 TBS Olive Oil (enough to give the bottom of the pan a good coating but not fully covering) and the crushed garlic. Turn on heat to medium.
When the garlic begins to become fragrant and to slightly sizzle, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
Saute for about 3 minutes stirring every minute.
Add the spinach, season with Salt and Pepper and place lid on the pan.
Lift lid and stir every minute for the next 3-5 minutes until the Spinach is wilted down but still a bright green.

Carve your lamb and plate, serve with potatoes, mashed carrots and spinach-mushroom mixture.

Hubs loved it tonight. The Boy loved it (3 years). I pureed all this together for the baby and he devoured it too (8 months). One happy family.

Sunday Roast is such a lovely thing and a tradition I am proud to adopt for my family.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Thai(ish) Rainbow Trout


I call this Thai(ish) because it has some Thai flavors but not all the Thai flavors I wanted to incorporate...I was out of stuff and just made do with what I had on hand. It was yummy though. I know looking at that big brown lump might seem a bit off putting, but make no mistake, the flesh is flaky and tender and the skin is crispy and enjoyable to eat. I ate this one fish on my own with a few pieces going to my son (maybe a quarter of the fish at best). So, shop at your fish monger accordingly and increase ingredients accordingly (of course!)
1 Rainbow Trout cleaned (if you cannot handle the head, feel free to ask your fish monger to cut it off, its not that big a deal but fish cheeks are delicious)
1 Garlic clove pressed
Fresh grated Ginger -equal amount as the pressed Garlic
Zest of one Lemon or Lime
1/2 TSP Roasted Red Chili Paste
1 Dash (about 1/8 TSP) Nam Pla (Fish Sauce)
1 Dash Soy Sauce
1 Dash Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Dash Red Pepper Flake
1 TBS chopped Basil leaves
Salt and Pepper
Flour
Vegetable Oil
Lemons for garnish
In a small bowl, mix together Garlic, Ginger, Zest, Chili Paste, Nam Pla, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Red Pepper Flake and Basil.
Open up the trout so the inner white flesh is exposed. Spread the mixture evenly on both sides of the flesh. Close the cavity and sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper.
Dredge Trout in flour.
In a large pan, heat about 1/8-1/4 inch of Vegetable Oil over Medium heat until oil is hot enough for a nice fry (use a wooden spoon to determine this. place the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and if bubbles appear like its a glass of good champagne, the oil is ready).
Fry trout for 5-6 minutes per side. Set on a cooling rack to let the skin cool down a bit and not get soggy.
Serve with Lemon wedges.
Sidebar
Now, here's the interesting thing about serving lemons with fish. Apparently, the practice began a long time ago and it was not really to be squeezed all over the fish. Lemons were served with fish because if you get a bone stuck in your throat, sucking a lemon will help dislodge it and send it on its way. Interesting little fact, no? I had to look into why lemon was served with fish as I couldn't understand that if it were MEANT to be on the fish, why wouldn't the cook squeeze it on themselves? Another thing that helps with bones, apparently, is potatoes. Because of this, I often serve my fish with some form of potato, usually smashed new potatoes. Tonight's fish was also served with Red Swiss Chard, in case you were wondering what the red and green pile was...

Friday, March 11, 2011

Easy Pasta Fagioli

This is my Aunt Pat's (RIP) recipe for pasta fagioli. More than not pasta fagioli(pasta and beans) is served very soupy. This version is not, but still delicious...and super simple! Very lent friendly!

1 28 oz can of tomato sauce
1 large can cannellini beans unrinsed
1lb of small pasta (I usually use ditalini, elbows or small shells)
6-8 cloves garlic
olive oil

Saute chopped garlic in olive oil until toasty
Add tomato sauce and 1/2 can of water and beans in their liquid.
Cover and simmer on med for about 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Cook pasta al dente and tranfer to a bowl
Pour entire contents of sauce over pasta and toss. Serve with grated parmesan or locatelli romano.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Ribs That Make You Stop Talking So You Can Get'em In

Ribs ribs ribs ribs! Ribs ribs ribs ribs! Mantra. Ribs mantra. Make good ribs and you are a God(dess). I make great ribs (pat pat on my back). I have been told this and I, personally, can sit and eat an entire rack on my own for sure. They are not just for summer. Of course I make them on the BBQ out back but I also make them in the GASP oven!!! In the oven, they come out much more tender -fall off the bone- who needs a knife -you barely need teeth -COMFORT + LOVELY all the way. Welcome to Julia Beynon's OMG Thank You For Breathing Ribs:

1 Rack of Baby Back Ribs (aka loin ribs)
1 Handful of Brown Sugar
1 TBS Salt
1 TSP Ground Black Pepper
1 TSP Ground Cumin
1 TSP Ground Coriander
1 TSP Granulated Garlic
1/8 TSP Chipotle (or to taste -maybe you like heat, add more, maybe you don't, add less)
1/8 TSP Cayenne (ditto to Chipotle)
Your Favorite BBQ Sauce (Homemade??? Have at it! Enough to cover your rack)

Mix together the Brown Sugar, Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Coriander, Garlic, Chipotle and Cayenne until thoroughly combined.
Pull out a piece of aluminum foil over twice the length of the rack, place this on a flat baking pan and place the rack on the foil.
Rub the spice mix all over your rack (the ribs, dirty girl -or truly twisted guy).
With the arch of the bones facing up (upside down smiles) make a packet with the foil, enclosing the ribs.
Put this in the oven and bake at 325* for 2 hours (30-45 minutes less if you want a chewier rib, I like mine tender as tender can be)
When that time is up, remove the ribs from the oven and pull back the top of the foil to expose the ribs.
Turn the rack over and brush on your favorite BBQ sauce.
Turn on the broiler and place the rack about 5-6 inches away from the heat source and put ribs back in under the broiler keeping an eye on them until the sauce is caramelized.
Pull out the ribs, flip, brush sauce on the tops and replace under broiler.
Wait until bubbly and caramelized, pull out, slice up and serve with a tossed salad. Below is tonight's salad choice.

Oh PS, everyone is going to love you forever.

Spinach, Cherry, Walnut & Bleu Cheese Salad

2 Handfuls Baby Spinach washed and dried

1 small Handful Walnuts

1 small Handul Dried Cherries

1 oz Bleu Cheese crumbled

1 clove Garlic pressed

1 TSP Mustard

1 TSP Honey

1 TSP Balsamic Vinegar

1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a small bowl, mix together minced Garlic, Mustard, Honey and Vinegar until well combined. Whisk in oil until emulsified, You will never buy dressing again, I haven't in years.

Combine spinach, cherries, walnuts and bleu cheese in a large bowl, pour in dressing, toss to coat.

Mmmm. Salad.

Turkey Meatballs Sliders in Pumpkin Spice Sauce

I just created these tonight! The Husband and Kids loved them.
I didn't really measure anything. I just eyeballed the ingredients.
I think I will try them in a crock pot next time.

2.5 lbs of turkey chop meat
2 eggs
1 1/2- 2 cups of Panko crusted bread crumbs
1 tsp sage
1/2tsp thyme
1/2tsp rosemary
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp pumpkin spice
1/2tsp cloves
1/2tsp all spice
1 16 oz can of chicken stock
1 can of pumpkin
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup of honey

Preheat oven to 350. Put some oil of your choice in a saute pan on the stove top.
Mix and mush chop meat, eggs, breadcrumbs & spices. Roll into medium balls and then flatten them out a little. Kind of like part meatball part patty. Put them in saute pan on med/low cover and lightly brown each side. I sprinkled some extra pumpkin spice on them as they were sauteing. While they are sauteing in a pot dump the can of pumpkin, brown sugar, honey and chicken stock and add additional spices to the sauce. Mix well and cover until it comes to a slight boil. Remove meatball sliders from the saute pan and place them in an oven pan than pour over sauce. Bake for about 30 min. All ovens vary and depending on the size of the meatballs. You may have to cook them a little longer. Cut one in half to make sure it is done in the middle.
I served it with brown rice and honey glazed carrots. Enjoy!

Mouth watering fall apart roast & veggies

Yummy roast... throw it all in a dutch oven and forget it!!

INGREDIENTS
1- 3 or 4 lb boneless chuck roast
1 package of Lipton Beefy Onion soup mix
1 cup of white vinegar
1 small onion
3 tbsp canola oil
2- 2 1/2 cups of water
pinch of salt...pepper
2lbs of carrots
1 potato for each person

DIRECTIONS

In a dutch oven put 3tbsp of canola oil and warm over med heat....chop onion and place in oil. cook till onion is tender. turn to high heat~ season chuck roast with salt & pepper on both sides and sear meat (to keep juices in) Mix soup mix with vinegar & water pour over roast. once the liquids have come to a low boil ~ lower the heat to low. place carrots & potatoes in same pot and cover. Cook for 2.5 to 3 hrs on low until meat is fork tender & peels. (this usually depends on the size of your roast! You can also do this recipe in a crock pot or a tightly covered pot on your stove.

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Peanut Butter Cheesecake



As promised, here is my recipe for Peanut Butter Cheesecake. I don't remember where I got the recipe, but it is delicious. Not too sweet, just right.




Crust
2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
4 tbs melted butter


Mix together and press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan
Bake at 325 for 10 minutes.
Let cool while you mix filling.


Filling
2 8oz bars cream cheese (room temp)
3 eggs plus 3 yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup creamy peanut butter


Blend everything together in a food processor or Kitchen Aide. I actually do this with my hand mixer, but if you do, be sure to get out any lumps of cream cheese.
Pour mixture into the springform pan. Put springform pan in a water bath and bake at 325 for 1 hour. Check after 45 minutes. It will look a little loose in the center but after an hour it is ready to come out. Let cool, and try to refrigerate overnight or at least a few hours.


Topping
1 cup "milk chocolate" chocolate chips
1 cup sour cream
Mix both in saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly until melted and blended. Pour over chilled cheesecake and put back in refrigerater to let topping set. Enjoy!!!

Banana Nilla Pudding Smoothie!

4 cups of milk
2 Bananas
1 pkg of instant vanilla or banana pudding mix. You can use chocolate if you want too.
20 nilla wafers
Lots of ice cubes

Put it all in a blender and blend!

Top with whipped cream and a nilla wafer.

The kids love this. It is an awesome quick treat for them.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Spinach Pie


This recipe is very easy & tastes delicious! It's been a family recipe for as long as I can remember (thanks Nanny!). Serve it as an appetizer, party food, grab a slice for a light lunch on the run or as a snack. It can be eaten hot or even cold right out of the fridge the next day ;)

1 pkg of frozen chopped spinach thawed & drained
5 eggs
1/2 cup grated parm. cheese
1 8oz. pkg of shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup of oil
1 cup of bisquick
a sprinkle of garlic, salt & pepper (sorry I usually just do it by eye)

Mix everything together in a big bowl. I usually do the eggs first so I can scramble them a little before I add everything else but I don't think it matters.
Pour mixture into a greased pie dish.
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. It will start to brown a little & then you know it's done.

Armanian Rice

I swear I got this recipe from the ADT installation guy. We got to talking about food - I must have been pregnant at the time ;) - and before I know it - he is on his cell phone with his mother and jotting down this recipe for me. Random ? Or divinity? You be the judge - and let me know how it is !!!!!

1 c long grain rice
2 1/4 c Chicken broth - heated
2 c orzo (or fine egg noodles, thin spagetti, or goodman noodles)
salt and pepper
1/2 stick butter
2-4 Bouillon cubes
Wash and drain rice. Melt butter in large sauce pan, add orzo stirring till browned.   Add rice and coat with butter. Add broth, bouillon, s + p stirring to just about boiled. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes (until rice is cooked and water is absorbed)

Monday, March 7, 2011

Simple Roast Chicken



A simple roast chicken is a wonderful thing. It is both easy to make and sure to impress yet can also make a fantastic casual meal that require practically no effort. Using a cast iron skillet takes advantage of the natural non stick nature of the pan as well as allowing you to get a head start cooking the dark meat thus keeping the breast meat moist. If you don't have a cast iron skillet use any oven safe roasting pan. Serve with roasted veggies and a great bottle white wine.

1 whole chicken about 3-5 pounds
1 stick butter
2 sprigs rosemary
4 springs thyme
1/4 bunch parsley
6 cloves roasted garlic
2 lemons
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups chicken stock
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 450° place cast iron skillet in oven to heat up. Soften butter and place in food processor. Add zest of both lemons and juice of 1 1/2 reserving last half lemon for chicken. Chop 1/2 of the rosemary and thyme, add to processor. Remove parsley leaves from stem and reserve stems for chicken, add to processor. Pulse processor until butter is well combined, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Generously season cavity and outside of the chicken. Gently work your fingers under the breast skin to loosen skin from meat being careful to not tear skin. Work 1/2 the butter mixture under skin as well as across breast and leg meat. Place lemon half and remaining herbs in the cavity of the chicken.
Remove skillet from oven and add 2 tablespoons of the herb butter, then place chicken in pan. Return to oven and cook until meat thermometer reads 165° about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, basting with butter occasionally. Set chicken aside to rest before carving while you make pan sauce.
Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the accumulated fat from skillet. Add flour and cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes stirring often. You want the flour to darken slightly while removing the floury taste. Slowly pour in stock while whisking. Bring sauce to a boil and then simmer for about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of herb butter, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Carve chicken pouring any juices into the sauce.

Shake it Up!

Vanilla Milk Shake

4 cups vanilla ice cream
2 cups milk
2 tsps vanilla
5 tbsp sugar

Perfect Milk shake in the blender for 1 minute - Serves 4
*If you're not pregnant add a couple of ounces of Baileys  for good measure ;)

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Sunday Roast II

As a Sunday roast, this got a thumbs down from the Hubs because I cheated and used BBQ sauce and to be fair, BBQ sauce probably does not have any place in the Sunday roast repertoire HOWEVER, it was delicious and the Boy couldn't get enough of it down his throat. So, a slightly disgruntled husband is small potatoes in this case. It all boils down to his stubborn Britishness. Had this meal been served any other day of the week, it would have been fine. My fellow Americans, boycott stifling traditions! Pour BBQ sauce on your pork tenderloin like you're dumping tea in the Boston harbor! REVOLUTION!!!

Pork Tenderloin(s) enough to feed your people (one is more than enough for us but I make two at a time because pork sandwiches are yummy!)
1 russet Potato per person cut into large chunks
1 butternut squash cut into 1/2" chunks or balled with a melon baller (my fave)
Frozen Peas
Olive Oil
Ground Sage
Salt & Pepper
Bay leaves
Juniper Berries (optional)
BBQ Sauce (store bought or self made)
Sugar

Brine the pork tenderloins 3-5 hours prior to cooking. Fill a container large enough to hold your tenderloin(s) with about a quart of water. In a cup of boiling water, dissolve 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup sugar and add this mixture to the water in the container. Add 2-3 bay leaves, 10 crushed juniper berries and 10 peppercorns. Add pork tenderloin(s), cover and place in refrigerator for 3-5 hours.

Set oven to 350*

Remove pork from brine and discard brine. Dry pork with paper towels and place in baking dish. Brush pork with BBQ sauce and insert temperature probe. Set aside for a bit to get the chill off the meat.

Boil potatoes in salted water for about 5 minutes. Toss with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and sprinkle with ground sage. Place potatoes in a metal baking pan.

Toss squash with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper and place in baking dish.

Place all three in the oven.

Every so often toss the potatoes and the squash around to get an even brown. (maybe once every 15 minutes). Take them out of the oven to do it so your meat isn't very subjected to crazy temperature changes by leaving the door open for a long time.

The tenderloins should take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, I rely on my probe to let me know when its ready. I highly suggest using a probe for roasts. STRESS FREE!!!

When your tenderloin reaches 160* remove and tent with foil to rest. Whack the oven up to 400* to get the potatoes extra crispy and the squash extra caramelized.

Put pot with about 1/2" water over high heat to bring to a boil while you wait for the pork to settle (about 10 minutes)

When the pork is ready to slice, toss the potatoes and squash around again, throw your peas in the pot and lower the heat to medium. Slice up your pork, drain your peas (don't overcook your peas -read the package and cook for a minute or two less than what they tell you and you'll have lovely peas) and plate everything. Voila! A Sunday roast fit for an American!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Thai It, You'll Like it Chicken-30 minute Meals-Rachael Ray

*** See the disclaimer at the bottom***

Thai it... Chicken

2 tablespoons sesame or peanut oil
1 pound chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano hot pepper @
4 table spoons hoisin sauce @
2 tablespoons Thai Fish Sauce or Soy sauce @
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup basil leaves, loosely packed

Heat oil, brown chicken,
Add peppers & garlic, cook for 4 minutes
Add hoisin, fish sauce, sugar, water
Toss in baisil till it melts

Serve over jasmine rice

I have tossed in broccoli, snow peas & carrots at the end as well!

@We don't like spicy food here so I leave this out
@I use soy sauce, not Fish Sauce....I dont eat fish so i dont even want to know what is in Fish Sauce!!!!!
@Hoisin Sauce is in the Asian ailse of every grocery store I have been in, really easy to find

***I know a lot of people cant stand her. She got me through the days of round the clock caring for preemie twins. She really inspired me to try new ideas & different foods that I never would have tried before. She also has a lot of great helpful hints. She makes everything streamlined & do-able! Most of her recipes taste fancy but they are made with stuff you normally have anyway, which is awesome!.

Curry In A Hurrry-A Rachael Ray Recipe

***See Disclaimer at the end***

Curry In A Hurry-30 minute Meals by Rachael Ray

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunky pieces, dust with flour
1 onion cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 piece fresh ginger root, 2 inch piece @
3 cloves, garlic, minced
1 can chicken broth, 15oz
3 tablespoons curry paste, we use mild, use what you like
Handful golden raisins
3 tablespoons mango chutney @
2 tablespoons sesame oil
salt to taste


Brown chicken in sesame oil, remove from pan, set aside
Saute onion, gingerroot & garlic until onion is tender
Add chicken broth and scrape off the brown bits from the pan
Add curry & raisins
Return chicken to pan
Heat to a boil, reduce heat & add chutney
Simmer 5-10 minutes

Serve over jasmine rice & spinach as a side
Pita also goes well with this


@mango chutney is easily found in every grocery store I have been in, it is in the aisle with condiments
@I buy ginger root in the produce section, its kinda gnarly & cute at the same time, bring it home & cut it into inch chunks then freeze it in a ziplock. When I need it I take it out of the freezer then I peel it & grate it, it keeps longer!!


***I know a lot of people cant stand her. She got me through the days of round the clock caring for preemie twins. She really inspired me to try new ideas & different foods that I never would have tried before. She also has a lot of great helpful hints. She makes everything streamlined & do-able! Most of her recipes taste fancy but they are made with stuff you normally have anyway, which is awesome!. Let me know what you think if you try this!!!!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Hungarian Chicken

I call this Hungarian Chicken because of the paprika, caraway and sour cream. When I was in Budapest I loved the food and I often ate these sort of stewie, raguey dishes, which often had those three ingredients. I used quite of bit of sour cream this time around (guess I need the comfort) but it is usually a touch more red than this.

8 Chicken Thighs (I like having the skin and the bone, you can do skinless and/or boneless) washed and dried
2 handfuls Cremini Mushrooms (Baby Bellas) sliced
1 ginormous Yellow Onion diced
3 cloves Garlic diced
Sweet Paprika
Hot Paprika
1 TSP Caraway Seeds
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Chicken Stock
Sour Cream
Flour

Season chicken all over with Salt, Pepper, Sweet Paprika and Hot Paprika -how much? Its really to your taste. I sprinkle it all until its looking like it will taste good to me. I like a lot of seasoning, so that chicken is looking plenty red but with more sweet than hot paprika because I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to fire in my mouth, maybe you like that endorphin rush, do what makes sense. Trust your tastes, or just experiment, its only one meal, if you don't like it, adjust it next time around.

Sprinkle chicken with flour.
Heat oil over medium heat in an enameled, cast iron pot (that's what I use, just make it a big pot).
Brown chicken on both sides, (don't cook through) in batches, placing browned pieces in a bowl as you go along.
Once done browning, add onions and mushrooms. Let this mixture cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms are becoming fragrant, stirring occasionally.
Add Garlic, Caraway seeds, 1 TBS of whatever combination of sweet and hot paprikas you like (half and half of each, all sweet, all hot, 70/30? 25/75? its your call to your taste) more salt and pepper
Stir around once or twice for about 30 seconds.
Sprinkle about a TBS of flour and mix well until it gets sticky
Add some stock and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
Add the chicken back in along with accumulated juices, nestling it in the onion/mushroom mixture.
Add stock until it reaches halfway up the chicken
Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer.
Let simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Take off lid, using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chicken thighs to a bowl.
Whack up the heat.
Put 1/2 cup sour cream in a small bowl and scoop out some of the sauce from the pot and add it to the bowl mixing thoroughly (this is called "tempering" the sour cream -it brings the sour cream up to temperature so it doesn't break up upon hitting that hot sauce).
Add the tempered sour cream to the pot and mix quickly.
Add the chicken back and stir to coat.

Serve with spaetzle, mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes, egg noodles, whatever floats your boat. I did polenta here because I had the desire. Its not Hungarian, but I'll call it Hungaspangarianish Fusion.

Buttermilk Brine Pork Chops

The following recipe sounds weird but the buttermilk works on the pork chops to make them absolutely mouth watering and soooooo tender. Serve with baked sweet potatoes and a salad and you are set.
Buttermilk Brine Pork Chops

Ingredients

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 t. dried.
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or 1/2 t. dried.
  • 4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • Cooking spray

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag or a shallow baking dish. Shake or stir well to dissolve salt and sugar. Add pork; seal or cover and refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle pork with pepper.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pork on a broiler pan. Cook pork for 3 1/2 minutes per side or until done

Fish Pie



Fish pie is such a nice comfort food. If you want it uber-comforting, by all means, use more butter and cream than I've used here, it will surely be better. I'm trying to be a little healthier these days so I've cut the fat a bit. But really -you add butter, cream, bacon or deep fry anything and its going to be better!! This has a lot of comfort and half the guilt!


3 big fat fillets of Haddock (or cod or scrod or any nice, firm, fleshy fish)

3 large russet Potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

1 large Leek sliced into rings and rinsed

1 medium yellow Onion diced

2 handfuls of baby Spinach leaves (or chopped big boy spinach leaves)

1/2 bunch Parsley chopped

1 pint Heavy Cream

1 cup plain Yogurt (there or there abouts)

Salt and Pepper


Set oven to 350*

Season Fish with Salt and Pepper.

Place Fish in a baking dish that will hold it nice and snug (overlapping is okay -in fact, its good).

Place Onions, Leeks and Heavy Cream in a small pot over medium flame and keep an eye on it, stirring occassionally until it thickens up a bit (about 5 minutes or so)

Season this mixture with Salt and Pepper and pour it over the fish evenly (that already looks nice now doesn't it?)

Place the dish in the oven and let that cook for about 15-20 minutes, when you smell it, its done.

While that's doing its thing, boil the potatoes until they are to the mashing consistency.

Drain, mash mix in Yogurt to desired creaminess. (Of course, this is where you can add butter, cream, milk, whatever it is you like to creamify your mashed potatoes, I'm trying to be healthy, thus the yogurt. If you don't want yogurt, that fine, it will be divine with butter and cream!)

Add Salt and Pepper and 1/2 the Parsley to the mashed potatoes

When fish is done, remove dish from oven and add the spinach leaves and remaining parsley, mix it all around in there. This part can get messy trying to get the raw spinach leaves to meld in with the fish, just be patient.

Spread mashed potatoes over the mixture in the dish and place back in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is browned. (I whacked up the broiler on mine because of time constraints-ps-never do with Pyrex even though I do all the time, I like to live dangerously but do as I say not as I do!)


Once browned, take out and let settle for about 8-10 minutes. Serve!


I like this dish because I can do it in parts thoughout the day to fit in with the whims of my children. I only have to add to cooking times appropriately...

Super Juicy & Easy 5lb chicken!!

I could not believe this chicken when I saw it & tasted it!!

This is another Tupperware recipe that I learned when I joined Tupperware. You will need the Stack Cooker for this recipe. www.my.tupperware.com/jeffreyfall


Ingredients
Approx ~ 5lb chicken
1 medium onion
1 tbsp Tupperware southwest chipotle seasoning (or your favorite herb mix)

Directions
Clean, rinse & dry chicken completely. Place peeled onion into cavity of chicken. Place chicken into casserole section of stack cooker. DO NOT ADD ANYTHING ELSE ~NO FLUID NEEDED!!!! Sprinkle with seasoning. Cover & cook at 100% power in microwave for 6.5 minutes per pound. (if your chicken is 5lbs ~ cook time = 33 minutes) When finished let chicken sit for 5-10 minutes to rest before cutting. There will be a ton of juice in the stack cooker to make gravy if you would like. Remember add NO FLUID... JUST CHICKEN, ONION, SEASONING... COVER & COOK!