Philly Cheesesteak Night!

My husband is a good man... he eats just about anything I put in front of him. Not only that, he usually loves it and thanks me profusely for it! I find a lot of joy in cooking with exciting ingredients like new produce, cheeses, and other wonderful items from different regions of the world. I will spend 2 hours over the stove happily if it means creating a real gourmet masterpiece.

Adam... well, he loves all that stuff, but he find just as much delight in pasta with sauce from a jar, chicken patties on a bun (who doesn't love those though?), and mac n cheese from the blue box. So as a special treat a couple of months ago, I made the man Philly cheesesteaks for us! Oh man, he was so freaking happy!

They were in fact delicious. Nothing fancy, nothing gourmet- just simple comfort food.


Philly Cheesesteaks
From Hannaford Grocery fresh Magazine

• Vegetable Oil
  
• 1 Green Pepper
  
• 1 Large Onion
  
• 1 Package Premium Shaved Beef
  
• Provolone Cheese Slices
  
• 4 Submarine Rolls

1. Slice the green pepper and onion into long thin strips.
   
2. Heat a little bit of oil (1-2 tsp) over medium heat in a large skillet. Add in the peppers and onions.
   
3. Cook veggies until they are soft, darker, and a little caramelized. This will take a little while- 10-20 minutes. You don't want them to burn; if things seem too hot, add a little water.
   
4. When the peppers and onions are cooked, remove to another dish and cover with foil, tenting it to let steam escape.
   
5. Increase the skillet's heat to high and add in a little more oil.
   
6. When hot and smoking a hair, add in the beef. Grind a little black pepper over it if you are inclined.
   
7. Allow the meat to cook on one wide for about 2 minutes, until it is nice and brown. Use a spatula or tongs to break up the beef into smaller pieces and to press it down against the pan to aid the browning.
   
8. Flip the meat over onto the other side to cook it. Cover the beef in the pan with slices of provolone. Don't be stingy- nobody wants a cheesesteak that goes easy on the cheesy!
   
9. When the cheese is melted, make the subs with the cooked steak and top with the pepper and onion mixture. Serve hot with a good cold beer!

Spicy Black Bean Cakes

I love reading other food blogs for a few reasons. One is that I'm nosey; I like to know what other people are doing and being voyeuristic. Another is that I get so many great recipes and inspiration from others. Sometimes I see something that reminds me of something I wanted to make or gets my mouth hungry for a certain culture's cuisine. Sometimes there is a recipe that looks delicious and interesting just the way it is.

These black bean cakes fall into that second category. Tara from Smells Like Home featured this Martha Stewart recipe and I was intrigued by the orange color (from sweet potatoes) and the healthy, vegetarian aspect.

I've made these twice now and the hubs and I just love them! I never would have thought that you can take raw, grated sweet potato and prepare them like this to end up with such a flavorful addition to dinner. These have always been the star of the show. And don't tell, but they are super simply and quick to make! Bonus!!!


Spicy Black Bean Cakes
From Martha Stewart by way of Smells Like Home

• 2 Green Onions, chopped
  
• 2 Tbsp. Sliced Jalapenos, chopped
  
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
  
• 1 Tbsp. Cumin
  
• 1 Can of Black Beans, drained
  
• 1 Sweet Potato, peeled and grated
  
• 1 Egg
  
• 1/2 C. Bread Crumbs

1. In a small saute pan, cook the onions, jalapenos, garlic, and cumin with a little olive oil on medium heat. The onions will be translucent when done.
   
2. In a large bowl, pour in the drained black beans. Add in the mixture from the pan and mash everything using a fork. You will want the beans to be smashed, but it's perfectly ok to have some that are still whole. Don't go nuts about it!
   
3. Fold in the rest of the ingredients until they are well mixed.
   
4. Form small cakes, about 3" across and around 1/2" to 1" high.
   
5. Place on a cookie sheet or flat pan. Broil on high for 10 minutes. Be sure they don't start to burn- if so, turn the broiler down to low.
   
6. Flip the cakes after the initial 10 minutes and then return to broil for another 2 minutes.
   
7. Serve warm. These are excellent with sour cream or a little lime juice.

Classic Potato Salad

We had a low key 4th of July this year. Many years we'd go to my parents' place to hang by the pool and eat cookout food. Recently we've been doing casual neighborhood get togethers where we eat cookout food. This year we kept it a private day with just the two of us... eating cookout. Are you seeing a trend?

My neighbor Cathy makes a kick-ass potato salad, but I didn't want to call her for the recipe this year just out of the blue. The biggest thing I always love about her recipe is that it has tons of hard boiled eggs. Yum! This recipe that I used was based off a number of recipes and was really tasty. We kept picking at it for days afterwards and it will come back for the next cookout we have- with or without others!


Red Potato Salad
Based off recipes from AllRecipes.com

• 6 Red Potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
  
• 5 Eggs, hard-boiled
  
• 3/4 C. Low Fat Mayonnaise
  
• 1/4 C. Sour Cream
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Chives, chopped
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
  
• 1/4 tsp. Dried Dill
  
• 1/4 tsp. Paprika
  
• 1 Tbsp. White Vinegar
  
• 1 Tbsp. Pickle Juice

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the cubed potatoes, with skins on, until they are just tender. It should be around 15 minutes, but do check them by piercing with a fork because mushy potatoes are no good.
   
2. Drain the cooked potatoes and cool. Add to a large bowl.
   
3. Slice the hard boiled eggs. Add to potatoes.
   
4. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients to make the dressing.
   
5. Pour the dressing onto to the eggs and potatoes and stir to coat. Cover and let sit for an hour or two to let the flavor meld together. Serve chilled with a good burger and local microbrew.

Fiesta!

Many years ago my mom hosted a Pampered Chef party after attending one herself. She purchased a few things, including my first chef's knife and a pizza stone. Over the course of time, she upgraded to a better stone and I inherited her old one, as well as a random PC cookbook. The only thing I've ever made out of that little 30 page booklet is the Fiesta Tortilla Stack, known more commonly at our house as just Tortilla Stack. (I mean really, how many different variations could I have that warrant different names?) I probably first made it 7 or 8 years ago when I first got the stone and it is in fairly regular rotation in my kitchen.

This thing feeds us for days, is gooey on the outside and crunchy on the inside, and is a nice change of pace for dinner. It is also heavy as a bag of bricks and a bit labor intensive to put together, but honestly it's worth it. My husband loves this meal and was so excited when I told him I was making it. We hadn't had it in ages and it totally hit the spot. With all the great ingredients though, how can you go wrong!


Fiesta Tortilla Stack
From Pampered Chef, 'Season's Best Recipe Collection 1999 Fall/ Winter'

• 5-6 Large Burrito Sized Tortillas (I always buy flour and don’t know if corn would be good.)
  
• 2/3 Can Refried Beans (I use fat-free or vegetarian style.)
  
• 1/2 C. to 3/4 C. Sour Cream (Again, I use fat free.)
  
• 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
  
• 2 tsp. Cumin Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  
• 1 C. Cooked Chicken, chopped
  
• 1 Medium Onion or 3-4 Stalks Green Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Red/ Orange / Yellow Pepper, chopped
  
• 1 Small Can Sliced Black Olives, drained
  
• 1/2 C. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
  
• 1-2 C. Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
  
• 1 Large Tomato, chopped
  
• Olive Oil

1. I always start by cooking the chicken. I will cut up 2 chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and then cook them in water in the microwave. About 3-5 minutes in the zapper and my chicken is ready.
   
2. Pre-heat oven to 375.
   
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, refried beans, and spices and beat manually until smooth.
   
4. In a large bowl, mix together all the veggies and chicken and cilantro and cheese.
   
5. On a pizza stone or large baking sheet, place a single tortilla in the middle.
   
6. Here is where I can never decide which I like to do first- bean mixture or veggie mixture. It can go either way, so I'm just going to flip a coin... heads- bean spread!
   
7. Ok, so slather on a quarter of the bean dip and spread it all over the bottom tortilla, getting it very close to the edges.
   
8. Pile on a quarter of the veggie/ chicken mix on top of the bean spread. Again, try to push the goodies as close to the edges as possible. On the bottom layers it is most important to get everything out to the edges so the top layers don't slouch down.
   
9. Top bottom layer with a tortilla.
   
10. Repeat the process- bean spread, veggies, tortilla- for another 3 layers. On the very top layer, you may want to save a nice heaping tablespoon of bean dip stuff to use as "glue" underneath the top tortilla.
    
11. Drizzle a little olive oil (just a little!) and use your fingers to spread it out across the top and along the edges.
    
12. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tortilla is golden brown and the mixture is lightly bubbling along the edges.
    
13. Remove and use a sharp, large knife to cut slices. Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Reliving Napa: Creamy Polenta

Adam and I took a week long trip to San Francisco and Napa at the end of May for a much needed vacation. When choosing any destination to visit, we must have two things- beautiful free things to see including nature and architecture AND delicious food! Italy had been our first choice- too pricey. San Francisco was a wonderful runner up. You just can't go wrong with so many cultures blending in one lovely progressive area!

The highlight of the culinary adventure (which is hard to identify with all the great things we ate) was in Napa at a place called The Restaurant Pearl. We both just had excellent meals- simple in their ingredients, excellent in their execution.

When I returned home, I wanted to relive a little piece of that California experience, so of course I went to the kitchen! I figured Adam's dish was the easier of the two to try- Soft Polenta with seasonal veggies and roasted tomato sauce.

This was my first time making polenta from scratch. Wow, so simple! With the addition of fresh vegetables and a spicy prepared tomato sauce, this dinner was healthy, flavorful, and hearty. Polenta is going to show up in the line up more often I thnk!


Creamy Polenta with Veg and Sauce
Inspired by The Restaurant Pearl

• 1 C. Cornmeal
  
• 3 C. Water
  
• 2-4 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
  
• 1-2 C. Spicy Tomato Sauce (homemade or jarred)
  
• 2 Carrots, sliced into long discs
  
• 1 Zucchini, sliced
  
• Handful Asparagus, chopped into 3" pieces
  
• 1 Summer Squash, sliced

1. In a medium saucepan, heat water to boiling. Stir in the cornmeal and continue to let boil over medium heat. Stir the meal regularly to prevent sticking, burning, and uneven cooking.
   
2. The polenta should thicken up to a thick but not solid state. You want to be able to stir it, although the spoon should not just slide right through- it should resist a little. Add more water or cornmeal as you see fit.
   
3. When cooked, stir in the desired amount of cream until it is a consistant thickness and delicious! Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
   
4. While the polenta cooks, steam the veggies until just tender. You will want them cooked through, but still with a little bite to them. I believe I started the carrots in first, then the asparagus, then the squashes. It only took a few minutes to cook them all.
   
5. Just before you are ready to serve, heat a couple of cups or so of sauce in a small saucepan.
   
6. To serve, place a large helping of polenta in the center of your bowl. Pour a small amount of sauce around the edges of the polenta and pile the veggies on top. Eat each bite with a nice mix of all the flavors together!

Tasty Little Salad

The hot weather is here which means the grill is going to start racking up the miles and the salads are going to increase. This little ditty is nothing so exciting, but it sure was tasty! Paired with a mustard based marinade on the grilled chicken, it was a great side.


Apple and Cheddar Salad

• Raw Spinach
  
• Iceberg Lettuce
  
• Sliced White Mushrooms
  
• Granny Smith Apple, cored and cubed
  
• Walnuts
  
• Sharp Cheddar, cubed
  
• Honey Mustard Dressing

1. Tear up the lettuce and place it and the spinach on a plate as a bed.
   
2. Mix in the mushrooms, apples, cheese, and walnuts to your liking.
   
3. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy on a hot day!

Leaning Towers of Eggplant

As with the chicken recipe featured just before this, I found it on another blog that I subscribe to, Dori's The Foodie Fashionista. And like the previous entry, it was delish!

Now I recommend that you click on the link below in my recipe source to view the original blog entry. Her stacks are lovely and tall and certainly not melty and keeling over. Mine however, as exhibited in the photo below, were less that attractive. Ok, they were a mess! I think I maybe got a little too enthusiastic with the cheese filling. What can I say, I love cheese.

The eggplant had a wonderful flavor and I loved that this was vegetarian, but not your standard lasagna. The smell in the kitchen was so tempting too. But when I took a peek in the oven to check the progress of my completed, it was clear this was not going to be a smooth transfer from pan to plate. As soon as I touched the first stack in an attempt to serve it up, it slid apart. Eh, that's ok- we ate them as was and enjoyed every bite!


Baked Eggplant Stacks
From The Foodie Fashionista

• 1 Large Eggplant
  
• Salt (I used Kosher salt, but I think any will do.)
  
• Olive Oil or Other Non-Stick Cooking Spray (Seriously, you'll need this. I didn't bother and it was a mistake.)
  
• 1 C. Ricotta Cheese (I used part skim.)
  
• 1/2 tsp. Basil
  
• 1/2 tsp. Oregano
  
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  
• 1 C. Shredded Mozzarella
  
• 2 C. Pasta Sauce

1. Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/4" thick.
   
2. Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant rounds with salt and place in a colander in the sink, allowing the moisture and bitterness pull out of the veggie. After about 30 minutes, rinse off the slices and pat dry with a paper towel.
   
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with the olive oil or cooking spray. If you don't do this, your thin rounds will adhere to the surface and have a critical failure when you try to scrape them off later. Foil is not a good alternative to greasing- I promise.
   
4. Bake rounds for about 30 minutes, flipping once mid-way through roasting, until the eggplant is tender and aromatic.
   
5. While the eggplant bakes, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, and herbs.
   
6. Remove baking sheet from oven after the 30 minutes to start assembling the stacks.
   
7. Place some of the ricotta mixture in the center of one eggplant round. Carefully stack a second round on top of that using a spatula. Continue repeating the cheese and eggplant layers until you are satisfied with the size of the portion. It is not a bad idea to build multiple towers at the same time to judge how many you will end up with.
   
8. Once you have built the tower up to the desired height (not too high- they'll topple!) place a dollop of the ricotta mixture on top and then smother with a nice spoonful of the pasta sauce. If you'd like, add some more mozzarella on the very top for melty goodness.
   
9. Return baking sheet to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until everything is warmed through and melted.
   
10. To serve, every so carefully with a spatula attempt to remove a stack without it falling over. If it falls over, it's ok, serve it up anyway and eat all the pieces as they are delicious! I served this with a side of pasta and used the extra sauce for dipping the stacks in and for the ziti.

Fast and Fancy Salad

The star of dinner last Thursday was supposed to a cut of fresh, sushi grade salmon. Honest, it was! But this salad stole the show. Let me backtrack a little here...

So I spent last week fighting my next Homegrown Gourmet entry, which as you'll see in another upcoming post, did not go so well. I needed to get more high quality chocolate for the recipe as I had used up what I started with. I decided to stop in Browne Trading Company, a local gourmet food shop (maybe even a shoppe, it's so fancy) walking distance from my office to pick up the chocolate. Since I had no plans for dinner, I figured while I was there I'd get some fixin's for dinner that night too.

I got a beautiful fillet of salmon, as well as some mussels. Knowing I had strawberries and greens in the fridge, I picked up some blue cheese for a nice salad to accompany the fish.

Well, wouldn't you know, the way I cooked the fish was just ok, the brown rice I threw in there too was just an ordinary side, and the sweet strawberries, tangy balsamic, crunchy walnuts and shallots, and creamy cheese blew everything away. There were many a "Mmmmmm" coming from the couch as hubby and I chowed the healthiest part of dinner off our plates first! I wish the whole dinner was just this salad it was so good!


Upperclass Strawberry and Blue Cheese Salad

• 1 Shallot, sliced into thin pieces
  
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 4-5 Strawberries, sliced
  
• 1/4 C. Walnuts, toasted
  
• 2 Tbsp. Blue Cheese, crumbled
  
• 2 C. Iceberg Lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Strawberry Infused Balsamic Viniagrette

1. In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the shallots and cook over low heat to caramelize, about 15 minutes. My oil was too hot so I mostly fried my shallot ribbons. This was still tasty, but not what I had in mind. If you fry yours by accident too, drain on a papertowel.
   
2. When cooked, remove shallots and set aside to cool. Turn off stovetop.
   
3. Toss together all of the salad ingredients, except the dressing. You may also choose to arrange on a plate to prevent the berries from getting smooshed.
   
4. Drizzle just a little viniagrette over the salad once plated.

Pork Dumplings with Cheater's Asian Veggies

Adam mentions a couple weeks ago that we haven't had the pork dumplings I made once or twice a long time ago. Shoot, he was right- those were tasty and I had forgotten all about them!

So onto the weekly menu they went. I planned them for a midweek meal on a night I knew I'd have some time to put them together- they aren't the fastest meal to assemble after all.

Sadly, my memory of these was better than reality. The hubs thought they were tasty enough, but I thought they were just kind of bleh. The fact that they look like brains doesn't help either! We made a huge batch of these thing- around 4 or 5 dozen- and I froze half. I'm planning to pan fry the frozen ones and make a dipping sauce in hopes it will kick up the flavor.

There were two good parts of this dinner though... the first was a pretty side dish that I whipped up. Nothing fancy, but it looked really nice and I thought it was quite good. (Adam thought it was just ok.) The other highlight was that we both made the dumplings together, which not only made the preparation go twice as fast, we enjoyed spending the time together in the kitchen. With our small space and my dictator like style in the kitchen, we rarely get to make food together. Aw, cheesy happy moment!


Asian Pork Dumplings
Modified from AllRecipes.com

• 1 Lbs. Ground Pork
  
• 1 Package Wonton Wrappers, around 50-60 count
  
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
  
• 1 Egg
  
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
  
• 2 Green Onion Stalks, chopped
  
• 1 tsp. Grated Fresh Ginger
  
• 1 1/2 C. Red Cabbage, finely chopped

1. In a large bowl, blend all of the ingredients except the wonton wrappers to make the dumpling filling.
   
2. Heat a large pot of water on the stovetop to boiling. This will be the water you boil the dumplings in. I flavored my water with fresh ginger, soy sauce, a few chopped pieces of green onion, and a little sesame oil. Next time I'd use less or no ginger and I will boil for half the time, moving dumplings to a saute pan to finish off the cooking.
   
3. Place one wonton wrapper on a cutting board or other clean surface. Lightly wet the edges on one side.
   
4. Take a small spoonful of the filling mixture and place it in the middle of the wrapper. You'll learn quickly two facts: 1. Too much filling doesn't work and oozes out the sides, making a huge mess. 2. If your cabbage isn't chopped enough, large knife-like pieces will slice through your wrapper, wrecking everything.
   
5. Fold the wonton wrapper over onto itself, making a triangle shape with the filling in the middle.
   
6. Press down on the moist sides, trying to push out as much air from the middle as possible.
   
7. Pick up the dumpling and take the two opposite triangle points and fold them on top of each other and press down to connect. This leaves the top point remaining and the filling well sealed up inside.
   
8. Repeat for as many wontons as you can fill, or until you run out of wrappers like we did. As you finish the dumplings, put them aside. If you place them on a cookie sheet with plastic wrap, you can put the whole sheet into the freezer to freeze dumplings. Once hard, move unused dumplings to a ziplock bag for long term storage.
   
9. With the water boiling, gently place as many dumplings as you want in the hot liquid. Be careful not to splash hot water on yourself!
   
10. Cook the dumplings for about 5-10 minutes. They will inflate like puffer fish if there is air inside! The pork does not take long to cook. Again, next time I will mostly cook through and then drain and finish in a pan.
    
11. Serve either with a little broth or dry with a soy sauce based dipping sauce.

Cheater's Asian Veggie Side Dish

• Frozen Stir Fry Veggies (as much as desired)
  
• Sliced Red Cabbage
  
• Fresh Mushrooms
  
• Soy Sauce
  
• Sesame Oil
  
• Sesame Seeds

1. Heat the frozen veggies in the microwave like any vegetable from the freezer.
   
2. Plate hot veggies in the center of a dish.
   
3. Add some cabbage and fresh mushrooms.
   
4. Lightly drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
   
5. Eat while hot!

A Touch of the Irish Stew

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Today is the day where everyone is a little Irish and green is prevalent everywhere you go. My great grandmother's family came from Ireland to Nova Scotia and I have the fair skin of a wee bonny lass, though I'm not as wee as in years past! Tonight I wanted to have a good hearty Irish meal, and not corned beef either- blech.

On a blustery day like today, stew makes for a perfect meal to warm you up from the inside. And I had planned head and purchased some lamb meat to serve as the main inspiration for my Emerald Isle stew. Carrots, potatoes, and turnips rounded things out in the pot, although I hear for this to be truly traditional, I should have had some barley in there too, but I didn't have that on hand.

After letting this simmer on the stove for a nice hour and a half though, this was perfect, especially with the Bisquick biscuits hubby whipped up.


First though we started the meal with some Guinness, of course, and a delicious Dubliner cheese- yum!


Traditional Irish Stew

• 1/2+ lbs. Lamb, cut into small chunks
  
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 Medium Onion, coarsely chopped
  
• 3 C. Light Beef Broth
  
• 3 Carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  
• 2 Turnips, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 Celery Stalk, sliced
  
• 4 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed
  
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme Leaves
  
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Rosemary
  
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• Dash Salt

1. In a large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and saute a few minutes until slightly softened.
   
2. Add in the lamb meat and brown on all sides. Reduce heat to medium.
   
3. Add in broth, vegetables, and spices. Cook on a low simmer for an hour to an hour and a half, stirring occasionally and keeping from boiling too hot.
   
4. The stew is ready when the potatoes are soft and the meat is tender.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Chicken

It’s been a while since I dug into my Google Reader for a dinner recipe and I was looking for something new and exciting to make this week. I perused my starred recipes and found something delicious looking from Lani. It has multiple foods that we love- artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken. How could we go wrong!?

We couldn’t- it was delightful! I modified her recipe just a bit- subbed in heavy cream for butter, reduced the amount of chicken, and didn’t bother with the flour. We served this over egg noodles and loved it. My husband kept saying how much he liked the tomato flavor!

Oh, there was one horrible thing about this meal, and it has nothing to do with the recipe. So I needed canned artichokes- great, I had 2 cans of Reese Artichoke Hearts in the pantry. These are good quality, large artichoke hearts that have a good flavor and seem pretty fresh. I opened up a can and pulled out 5 hearts to include in this recipe. I would slice each one in half, and then cut each half into a few pieces. La dee da, I get to the 4th one and slice it in half. Something catches my eye and I think it is a mini artichoke bud inside the middle- you know, like what green peppers start to grow along the stem when you let them sit too long?

I am so very very sad to say it was not a mini artichoke growing inside, though it was organic. It was a dead green caterpillar!!!!!! EW EW EW EW!!! Hubby was there when I was picking it out with my fingers to see what it was and we both proceeded to do the icky icky gross dance after I dropped the misplaced insect onto the cutting board. EW EW EW!!!!! Thank god I didn’t cut the thing in half- I might have barfed. This thing was folded/ curled in half and was at least an inch long if I had stretched it out. EW. Needless to say, we threw out the bug and the artichoke it came from. We went ahead and ate the other ones from that can, figuring (praying?) any grossness would be cooked off. Still, ew.

Don’t let that dissuade you from trying this recipe though- just check your ‘chokes!


Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Chicken
Modified from Lani’s Pleasure Cooker

• 1 Large Chicken Breast, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• Olive Oil for sautéing
  
• 1/2 C. White Cooking Wine
  
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
  
• 1 C. Artichoke Hearts, drained, sliced, and de-wormed (EW!)
  
• 1/3 C. Julienne-cut Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  
• 6-8 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 C. Heavy Cream
  
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
  

1. In a large sauté pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat and cook the chicken. Do not overcook it though, as it will continue to sit in the hot pan while the rest of the ingredients are incorporated.
   
2. Add in the white wine and cook over medium-high until it reduces, about 2-3 minutes.
   
3. Stir in the lemon juice, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and stir those in with the salt & pepper. To get the leaves off of fresh thyme, hold the leafy end of the sprig in one hand with your thumb and finger. Using the thumb and finger of your other hand, gently and quickly snap the leaves off, moving from the top of the sprig to the bottom. This reverse directional motion with your fingernails should pop off the leaves- and leave your hands smelling lovely!
   
4. Stir in the cream to the mixture and let it simmer for a couple of minutes, again to reduce the liquid.
   
5. Just before serving, stir in the grated cheese so that it all melts into the recipe. Serve over egg noodles, other pasta, or even rice or bread for a hearty meal!

Delicious Cheese Fondue

The Superbowl calls for fun foods that are a little more extravagent than usual- usually involving things like meat, cheese, nachos, and beer! Our Patriots were going in to the big game with a crazy undefeated record and so hubby and I needed something extra special to nosh on.

Rather than pub food like fried mozzarella or greasy nachos, I opted for a great cheese fondue. Yeah, you can't go wrong with tasty foods dipped in molten cheese!

So the Pats played poorly- and lost. It was a major bummer. But you know, we didn't feel that bad because this fondue was especially delicious!

The dipping stars were broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and pumpernickel rye bread. All the veggies were raw, so we upped the healthy factor since we were eating cheese for dinner! We also had cauliflower, granny smith apples, and french bread.


Cheese Fondue

• 1 Shallot, chopped
  
• 1/2 lbs. Gruyere cheese, grated
  
• 1/4 lbs. Fontina cheese, grated
  
• 1/2 C. Cheddar cheese, grated
  
• 1 1/2+/- White Cooking Wine
  
• 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
  
• 2 tsp. Ground Mustard
  
• Items for dipping

1. Mix together the cheeses, cornstarch and mustard.
   
2. In the fondue pot, saute the shallots over medium heat until soft. (I didn't bother with oil or butter, I just put them in the hot pot.)
   
3. Add in the cheese mixture and a little wine- maybe 2/3 C. Stir until the cheese melts.
   
4. Continue to add the wine until the cheese is the liquid consistancy you desire.
   
5. Keep fondue over low heat while eating to reduce the cheese burning to the bottom of the pan. Be careful when eating, as the cheese is quite hot and can burn your mouth; dip and blow on it a little before eating!

Mediterranean Eggplant & Chicken

Do you ever get sick of the same flavors over and over again in your meal rotation? I do. We eat a lot of italian, mexican, and american inspired foods. Out of the ordinary is asian or greek. But even those get old!

I bought an eggplant recently with no real plan for it. When it came to find a recipe for it that wasn't the boring ol' standards, I came across an interesting recipe at AllRecipes.com. It was mediterranean and had lots of great ingredients- so I gave it a whirl with some modifications.

Oh my, yes! This was the change I was looking for! The sauteed eggplant flavor was subtle and really really good. Then with the feta, olives, and chicken- very tasty! I highly recommend this one if you're looking for something to break the cycle.


Mediterranean Eggplant & Chicken
Inspired by AllRecipes.com

• 1 Eggplant, sliced lengthwise
  
• 1 Tomato & 2 Tbsp. Water, or 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
  
• 1 Small Onion, chipped
  
• 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
  
• 2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• 1/4 C. Feta Cheese
  
• 1 Small Can of Whole Black Olives (or Kalmata olives would be great!)
  
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
  
• 1/2 C. Water
  
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1. Lightly salt both sides of the eggplant slices and place them in a colander in the sink. Let them stand for 25-30 minutes so the eggplant will "sweat" out the bitterness.
   
2. In the meantime, chop the tomato and saute in a large pan over medium heat with the 2 Tbsp. water until it is reduced. When reduced down, remove from the pan and set aside.
   
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
4. Rinse the eggplant slices when they are done sweating. Drizzle some oil in the saute pan and heat on medium. Cook the eggplant slices in a single layer until browned- flipping once to cook the other side. Cook in batches if necessary.
   
5. As eggplant finishes cooking, place the slices in a large casserole dish, layering on the bottom.
   
6. In the saute pan, cook the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add in the chicken pieces and continue to cook until the chicken is about half cooked.
   
7. Stir in the 1/2 cup of water, oregano, balsamic vinegar, and reduced tomato. If using tomato paste, add it in now. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked and sauce is thickened. Stir in drained black olives.
   
8. Sprinkly a generous amount of feta on top of the eggplant layer. Then pour on the chicken and sauce on the top.
   
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot straight from the casserole dish. I served it with green beans and spiced cous cous, seasoned with middle eastern spices and OJ.

Greek Chicken Salad & Lemon Cous Cous

I mentioned in my last post, I have been a super slacker in the kitchen this week. I had to snap out of it last night- I mean, it is the weekend where I have tons of time to cook and I was once again out of ideas.

We did however have some great raw ingredients to work with, so I I pushed myself for a new dinner. Feta cheese, green olives, spinach, and Greek dressing worked together for a really great meal. Hubby can't make it through a meal without a starch, so along side the healthy salad, I made a quick cous cous meal. I wish I had more lemon juice- a little more tang would have been nice.

I'd like to put down on the record that hubby lit the grill and I went out and endured grilling in sub-freezing temperatures. That's right, I'm hearty New Englander baby!


As Grilled Chicken Greek Salad

• 1 Chicken Breast
  
• 1/2 C. Greek Dressing
  
• Fresh Spinach
  
• 3 Medium Tomatoes, cut into large slices
  
• Green Olives, cut in half
  
• Feta Cheese
  
• Greek Dressing

1. Marinade chicken breast in the 1/2 C. of dressing for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
   
2. Grill the chicken until cooked through but still moist. Remove from grill and when safe to touch, slice into long pieces to top salad.
   
3. Arrange the spinach, tomato, green olives, chicken, and feta on the plate. Drizzle with Greek dressing to taste.

Lemon Cous Cous

• 1 C. Water
  
• 1 C. Plain Cous Cous
  
• 2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (either fresh squeezed or another 2+ Tbsp. would have made this better.)
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Pine Nuts, toasted
  
• Black Pepper to taste
  
• Olive Oil to moisten cooked pasta

1. Bring water to a boil. Stir in cous cous, remove from heat, and cover.
   
2. After 5 minutes, cous cous should be cooked. Stir in lemon juice, a splash of oil, pine nuts, and a grind or two of pepper.
   
3. Enjoy warm with some feta sprinkled on top if desired.

Roasted Eggplant Rounds

I really do try to incorporate more vegetables into our diet. It's not that I have a problem with veggies, it's just I'm not as accustomed to cooking with them. Meat and pasta are a lot easier as the main stars.

I bought this eggplant with the intention of making eggplant rollatinis. Unfortunately a chunk of it started to rot and we were out of pasta sauce. (Hubby goes through sauce like water- that man of mine loves pasta!) Then ensued the quick scramble to come up with something to use up the eggplant before it goes bad and doesn't involved tomato sauce.

This is what I came up with- roasted eggplant rounds. They were pretty good! Some of the rounds got a little soggy, and I could have used less sausage (ok, fake sausage). But it was very good over cous cous and we still got the eggplant flavor.

I should note that I hope I get this recipe right- I made it over a week ago now from when I'm typing this and sometimes I forget what the heck I did. Sorry in advance!


Roasted Eggplant Rounds
Inspired by AllRecipes.com

• 1 Large Eggplant
  
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Clove of Garlic, minced (I'm guessing I used garlic- I use garlic in everything.)
  
• 1 Tomato, chopped
  
• 1 C. Cooked Sausage Meat (I used our generic soy sausage stuff.)
  
• Oregano, Basil, Black Pepper and possibly other Italian type spices
  
• 1/2 C. (or less) Shred Mozzarella Cheese
  
• Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
   
2. Discard the very top and bottom of the eggplant. Slice 1/2"-1/4" rounds starting from the top. You'll want around 18 rounds. The remaining base should be chopped into cubes.
   
3. On a cookie sheet, place rounds in a single layer. I did not treat the baking pan and probably should have lightly rubbed olive oil on it to keep the rounds from sticking. Bake eggplant for about 15 minutes.
   
4. In a small saute pan, heat some olive oil and saute the onions and garlic. When tender, add in tomato, eggplant chunks, and spices. Simmer until eggplant is tender.
   
5. When done, put into a bowl or container on the side. Stir in the cooked sausage.
   
6. When eggplant is baked, remove from oven. Spoon small amount of the sausage mixture onto each round. Sprinkle a pinch of mozzarella onto each round and return to oven for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
   
7. Remove from oven and grate fresh Parmesan on each round. Serve over jasmine rice or cous cous.

So Gooooouda!

Whoo-wee baby, dinner was so darn tasty last night. I mean, seriously good. And simple- I love it!

I have a variety of odds and ends left over from the Halloween party last weekend. I hate letting things go to waste, so this week I've been trying to plan meals around what's poking around the ol' fridge.

Things to be used up last night: very ripe avocados, smoked Gouda cheese
Things to be made: Avocado & Corn Salsa, Quesadillas with Gouda & Caramelized Onions

Wow- so tasty. They paired really well together too... the cool salsa meshed well with the rich quesadillas, though I admit, I pretty much chowed my 2 quesadillas without much regard for the salsa. It was a side thought as I mowed through the good stuff.


Quesadillas with Smoked Gouda & Caramelized Onions
From Epicurious.com

• 1 Large White Onion, chopped into thin slices
  
• 1/2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
  
• 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 tsp. Brown Sugar
  
• 1 C. Finely Grated Smoked Gouda Cheese
  
• 1/2 C. Finely Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  
• 1/4 Lb. Thick Sliced Prosciutto, chopped into .25-.5" squares
  
• 4 Large Tortillas

1. In a small saute pan on medium-high heat, heat the vinegar and oil.
   
2. Add in the onions and saute for a minute or two. Reduce heat to medium.
   
3. Stir in the brown sugar to coat onions as best as possible. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes to caramelize. Finish cooking onions before prepping the quesadillas.
   
4. In a large skillet, place a tortilla in the pan and heat over medium to medium-high. Place a quarter of the shredded cheeses (reserve a pinch of the quarter of cheese), then prosciutto, and then caramelized onions to one side.
   
5. Sprinkle remaining pinch of the quarter of cheese on top of the other fillings. Heat tortilla for about 30 seconds and then fold uncovered side.
   
6. Heat quesadilla through so cheese melts. Flip if you don't think it will fall apart. Serve hot or warm.

Corn & Avocado Salsa

• 2 Avocados, cubed
  
• 1/2 C. Frozen Corn Kernels, defrosted, but not hot
  
• 1 Can of Mexican Seasoned Diced Tomatoes
  
• 1 Small Can of Sliced Black Olives

1. Mix together all ingredients and let sit for a few minutes for flavors to blend. Serve as a complete side or as a topping.

Pecan Stuffed Mushroom Caps

I have a great stuffed mushroom recipe that uses a white sauce to create a thick, creamy filling that gets coated with breadcrumbs and really melts in your mouth. It also takes forever to make and time was something I did not have with such an ambitious party menu plan and busy work week!

So instead I came up with this stand in. I was able to make the filling early in the week and then throw the caps together when the first guests started to arrive. They were reminiscent of Thanksgiving stuffing and had a really nice crunch that paired with the soft texture of the mushrooms.

Apologies for the pictures... in my haste to just get everything on the table as everyone was already streaming in the door! Most items were photographed on the table, in the dark, after being picked over. Better late than never?


Pecan Stuffed Mushroom Caps

• 2 Large Packages of White Mushrooms
  
• 2 Stalks Green Onions, finely chopped
  
• 1 tsp. Thyme
  
• 1 tsp. Rosemary
  
• 1/2 C. Chopped Pecans
  
• Kosher Salt
  
• Parmesan Cheese

1. Pop mushrooms stems off of the caps, being careful to not damage the caps. You can use gentle pressure with your thumbs to separate the stem from the cap, but if you run into trouble, a paring knife or your CLEAN thumbnail can dig out any remaining pieces. Set aside the caps.
   
2. Chop the stems into small pieces.
   
3. Using either paper or cloth towels, press the stem pieces to remove as much moisture as possible.
   
4. In a small to medium saute pan with a small amount of oil, saute the green onions and mushrooms.
   
5. Add in the herbs and continue cooking mushrooms over medium heat until most of the moisture has cooked out. The mixture will reduce in size significantly and will smell FANTASTIC!
   
6. Stir in pecans. At this point, you can let the filling cool and store it for up to a week until final preparations.
   
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
8. Wash the mushroom caps and pat dry as best as possible. Arrange caps on a cookie sheet and lightly sprinkle the insides with the kosher salt.
   
9. Spoon a heaping mound of the filling into each cap. Grate a small amount of Parmesan cheese on each cap.
   
10. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Serve either warm or cold.

Cashew Chicken

Unlike the rest of the recipes from my 2 week "hiatus" from posting, I was a good girl for this one and [drum roll please] actually wrote down the recipe as I made it! I know, it's a modern miracle.

And I'm glad I did- it was really good! I don't often make Chinese or Chinese-American food at home. I don't have a good reason for that, it just doesn't come to mind. But I saw a recipe on Joelen's blog for something called Bourbon Chicken and it made me think of one of my favorite Chinese take-out recipes, Cashew Chicken. I reviewed her recipe as well as a bunch online and took all that info and made up my own.



I served this with brown rice. I haven't had it before and it was so freaking good with this. I'm sure white rice or fried rice would be a good match, but the brown rice just had the perfect added-depth flavor that worked. Yum.


Cashew Chicken

• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 1 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1 C. Fish Broth (I used lobster base.)
  
• 2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
  
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
  
• 1 T. Apple Brandy (next time I won't bother)
  
• 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  
• 1/2 tsp. 5 Spice Powder
  
• 2 Chicken Breasts, cubed into bite sized pieces
  
• 1 Package Frozen Stir Fry Veggies
  
• 1/2+ C. Raw Cashews

1. In a large saute pan with lid, saute garlic and onion in sesame oil over medium heat.
   
2. When onion is tender, pour in liquids, spices, and brown sugar. Stir and let simmer over medium heat for a few minutes.
   
3. Add in chicken pieces, stir, and cover. Allow pan to simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
   
4. With the heat still on medium, add the frozen veggies. I added them while still frozen. I had to keep them covered, repeatedly stirred to coat with the warm sauce, and turn the heat up to get them to cook. You could save time by mostly thawing them before adding to the pan.
   
5. Once veggies are hot, add in the cashews and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve everything over brown, white, or fried plain rice.

Beet Risotto, Sauteed Mushrooms, & Almost Marsala Chicken

Beet risotto is a menu item that comes up every now and again in our house. We always love risotto- so creamy and cheesy and rich. And we are some of the few people that really like pickled beets from the can. We like them hot, cold, or chopped up in risotto.

I paired this tasty dish with another standard and something I made up and really don't remember what I put in it. The standard was a sauteed mushroom dish- we love mushrooms. The other was a chicken dish that I whipped up. It is kind of like chicken marsala in that is uses marsala wine. Otherwise I just kind of made it up as I went.

That night dinner was delicious. The mushrooms were gone at the end of the night. However, the leftover risotto and chicken were not as good. The risotto was bland and I over nuked the chicken, killing the nice texture it had at first. I'll still make these all again though!


Beet Risotto
Printed from www.kbuxton.com in 2002!

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil or Butter
  
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
  
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Can Pickled Beets, finely chopped
  
• 1 C. Arborio Rice
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine or Vermouth
  
• 3+ C. Hot Chicken Broth
  
• 1/4 C. Grated Fresh Parmesan

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil or butter and saute the garlic and onions until soft.
   
2. Pour in rice and stir to coat with oil.
   
3. Add in wine and stir. Wine will evaporate as you stir.
   
4. Add in chicken stock about 1/2 C. at a time, stirring often. The risotto will slowly absorb the broth, cooking and becoming creamy with stirring.
   
5. About halfway through cooking the rice, add in the beets. This adds a wonderful color and lets the beet flavor absorb into the rice as it cooks.
   
6. When rice is tender (may not require all the broth), stir in the cheese until it melts throughout.
   
7. Serve hot with extra Parmesan on hand for grating on the plate.

Sauteed Mushrooms

• 1 Small Package of Sliced Mushrooms
  
• 3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
  
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  
• Olive Oil

1. In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in shrooms, soy, and garlic. Saute until cooked through and aromatic. Serve hot.

Caramelized Marsala Chicken

• 1/2 Red Onion, sliced into thin strips
  
• Olive Oil
  
• 1/2 C. Marsala Wine
  
• 1 1/2 Lbs. Chicken Breasts
  
• 1 tsp. Thyme (I think- maybe it was Rosemary)
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook red onions until they are soft and starting to caramelize, about 25 minutes.
   
2. Add in marsala wine and stir. Increase heat to medium-high and reduce wine a little.
   
3. Place chicken breasts in pan and spoon marsala and onion mixture on top of breasts. Sprinkle in the herbs and then cover the pan.
   
4. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. When turning, be sure to spoon more mixture over the chicken to keep the flavors melting over.
   
5. Serve warm with onions on top of chicken.

Ziti, Chicken, & Broccoli with Cheddar Wine Sauce

I admit it- I was wrong.

Broccoli is pretty tasty.

I know, it's crazy, I was convinced it was disgusting and yet I made it two nights in a row and it was darn good! Monday I had a simply delicious meal that I got from Katie's blog, Good Things Catered. It involved all sorts of yummy things- pasta, cheese, wine, and yes, broccoli. This really came together beautifully, and quickly too! With Adam's help getting the water steaming for veggies, water boiling for pasta, and the chicken defrosting in the microwave, I whipped this up in under 30 minutes. It took as long as pasta- water heating and cooking time! And yet so gourmet tasting!

The only improvements that we could come up with (and this was hubby's suggestion) is to used grilled chicken, rather than boiled. The chicken was the weakest part of our dinner- although it was still good. I think a simple salt & pepper grilling would be so tasty. It would just add such a nice depth to this already delicious meal.

So thanks to Katie!


Ziti, Chicken, & Broccoli with Cheddar Wine Sauce

• 1 Box Ziti
  
• 1 Breast of Chicken
  
• 2 Stalks of Broccoli
  
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced
  
• 2 Tbsp. Flour
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine
  
• 1/4 C. Dry Vermouth
  
• 2 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1 C. White Cheddar, shredded
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Get a large pot of water boiling. Cook the ziti according to directions. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Meanwhile, cut the florets off the broccoli stalks and steam in a steamer pan. Do not over steam- they should be tender, but still have some crunch to them. Set aside when ready.
   
3. Cut up the chicken breast into small bite-sized pieces. Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes until cooked through. Drain and set aside. (Next time we'll use leftover grilled chicken for more flavor rather than boiling it for the recipe.)
   
4. As all these other things are cooking, heat a large pot over medium high heat. Melt butter in this pan.
   
5. When butter is melted, add in garlic and cook until aromatic.
   
6. Stir in flour and mix until smooth and bubbly.
   
7. Pour in wine and vermouth and stir. When the liquid has reduced by about half, add in chicken stock.
   
8. Heat stock until boiling, stirring often so it will thicken.
   
9. Add in cheese and stir until melted. Taste sauce and add salt and pepper as desired.
   
10. Pour in pasta, chicken, and broccoli one at a time, stirring to coat with the sauce each time. Serve hot.