Elizabeth's Cooking Experiments

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

2012-01-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

I have two cats. They're wonderful. They were my initially my husband's cats. Then, when we got married, I sort of inherited them. Well, truth be told, one of them came over to my side very shortly after my husband and I started dating. In fact, lately, she's almost quite literally been at my side (or on my lap, or sitting next to me, or laying on top of my arms as I'm trying to type...) most minutes I'm home. She's not really one to take a hint or realize that I have stuff to do.

The other cat took a while to come around. I think she thought I was invading her turf. We're now BFF, but it took her a while to determine that I was OK.

I think what made her come around was that I cook with chicken a lot. She would mysteriously appear at my side and wander through the kitchen with that "oh, hi! I'm just passing through" look about three seconds after the raw chicken got out of the fridge. After a while, she stopped doing it. But recently, she's picked up the habit again. It's so adorable it makes me want to cook with chicken even more. Especially when it's to make such delicious things like this Buffalo Chicken pizza. It's an excellent change in the "pizza night" rotation .

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Recipe from Rachael Ray, adapted

Serves 3-ish

Cook & Prep Time - about 30 min

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
salt & pepper, for seasoning chicken
1 pizza dough (I make my own)
Cornmeal or flour, to handle dough
4 TBSP butter
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
6 TBSP hot sauce (Frank's)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 - 1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles (I leave this off - we don't like it)
3 scallions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and preheat grill pan to medium-high.

Drizzle olive oil over the chicken then season generously with salt & pepper. When grill is hot, add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through and has a nice sear. Let rest for a few minutes and then thinly slice.

Stretch dough to form pizza using cornmeal or flour to help you handle it. Poke it with a fork a few times so it doesn't puff up too much during the cooking. Bake for about 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter and stir in Worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Once combined and warm, remove from heat. Take about half of it and put on top of the pizza crust.

Add chicken to the remaining sauce and coat. Put the chicken on top of the pizza and then drizzle with any remaining sauce. Cover with cheese and then add the scallions. Bake 15-18 minutes or until crisp and the cheese is bubbly.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

2012-01-01T14:47:00.000-08:00

On holiday mornings, I love to wake up to a nice fresh batch of cinnamon rolls. But I seem to always run into the problem that if I make them at night before bed, they're good the next morning, but you don't get that "fresh from the oven" goodness. If you make them in the morning... you have to get up at about 4 am to have fresh rolls by the time normal people wake up. Am I the only one that has that issue? No? Maybe?

When I saw Alton Brown's Overnight Cinnamon Roll recipe, I knew it would be the solution to all my fresh roll issues. The basic idea is that you make the rolls the night before, then in the morning, get them in a nice humid oven, let them rise for a half an hour, and then bake. Unfortunately, the rising didn't happen quite as quickly as Alton said it would. I had to let mine rise for over an hour before they had risen enough to bake. So, instead of having rolls around 10:30 or 11, we ended up eating them closer to noon. That counts for breakfast on a holiday, right?

They were worth the wait, though. They were everything I wanted in a cinnamon roll, and the frosting, while super sweet, complimented the rolls perfectly. As a bonus, they keep really well in the fridge, too - and with a quick zap in the microwave, they taste just about as good as they did when they were fresh!

Because I didn't change his recipe one bit, out of respect for Mr. Brown, you can find the recipe for these amazing rolls here:

Alton Brown's Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

1/2/2012 Update: I've submitted these to the Sweets for a Saturday on Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

Drunken Noodles

2011-11-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

I've never really been much for Thai food. In fact, I'm prettycomfortable saying that I don't like it. There's a Thai restaurant inMinneapolis that everyone goes gaga over. I don't see what's the big deal. Soit might sound weird when I say that when I saw this recipe pop up on my googlereader, I knew I had to make it. Elly's musings on her thoughts about Thai foodrang really true for me. She says “I’m not crazy about peanut sauces, I don’tlike cilantro, and I’m hesitant about coconut milk in savory food. And when youtake away those three things, that leaves you with … well, not Thai.” Except Itake that one step further – I also don’t like Thai Basil. So, when I read onto see that she really liked this recipe, I was in.

Then, I read the ingredients. I had neverheard of Golden Mountain seasoning or Black soy sauce. I read how Elly had totrek across town to try to find them. Seeing as I’m pretty sure Elly lives inChicago, I thought I was doomed to try to find them in the St. Paul suburbs.Much to my surprise, I was able to find them both at the regular grocery storedown the street – granted, in bottles so large I’m fairly certain I now have alifetime supply.

This was really good. I wish it would havebeen even spicier, so I think I would use either more Sambol Oelek or chilesnext time. I also think I would’ve liked it with more crunchy veggies insteadof noodles for some different textures – more bean sprouts, baby corn cobs,thinly sliced cabbage, matchstick bamboo… maybe even some matchstick zucchini.My husband, who generally dislikes the Asian cuisines, ate this without needingto make an emergency McDonald’s run, which I take as a compliment.

Drunken Noodles

Adapted from EllySays Opa, from Bon Apetit

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

8 oz flat ricenoodles

2 TBSP canolaoil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 bell pepper, cut into strips

½ lb chicken thighs, cut into thin strips

1 TBSP fish sauce (I usedsoy instead)

2 TBSP black soy sauce

2 TBSP Golden Mountain seasoning

1 ½ TBSP Sambal Oelek

½ TBSP sugar

¼ cup spinach (I used instead of Thai basil

½ - 1 cup fresh bean sprouts

¼ cup sliced green onions

DIRECTIONS

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat.Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and chicken and sauté untilthe chicken is about half-way cooked, about 2-3 minutes.

Whisk the fish sauce, black soy sauce, Golden Mountainseasoning, and Sambal Oelek together in a small bowl. Add to the chickenmixture and cook until the chicken is done.

Add noodles, bean sprouts, and spinach and toss to coat. Cookfor about a minute. Garnish with green onions.

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

2011-10-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were recently in Mexico. We ate a ton of great food while we were there, including barbacoa and conchita pibil tacos that I still dream about. I even went out and bought achiote seeds so I can make cochinita pibil at home. This is not a post about either of those (yet). Rather, this is my version of Papa Murphy's BBQ chicken pizza. It's going to get cold and snowy soon, so you should make it soon!

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza
Serves 3ish

INGREDIENTS
1 ball pizza dough (I like this recipe)
2 boneless chicken breasts
Barbeque sauce (I like this recipe)
1 small red onion, sliced
3-4 scallions, chopped
4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
2 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your grill and oil the grates. Grill should be heated to about medium.

Season the chicken breasts with salt & pepper. Grill until lightly charred and cooked through. Cut into thin-ish slices and set aside. At the same time as you're cooking the chicken, cook the onions in a grill basket (this is optional, but I think it tastes better go get rid of the raw onion-y flavor).

Roll out the pizza dough to about a 14-inch round. Brush about 1 TBSP oil on the top put the oiled side down on the grill. Cook for about 3 minutes. Take off the grill, oil the raw side, and flip over. Put down your BBQ sauce, cheeses, chicken, onions, and scallions. Put back on the grill, raw side down, and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is cooked through (about another 3-5 minutes).

Chicken in Roasted Tomato Pan Sauce

2011-09-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I shouldn't be allowed at the Farmer's Market. When I get there, I all of a sudden think I'm a hippie nature girl that will have no problem eating tons of vegetables. So, I buy several baskets of tomatoes.... and then realize that only one of the two of us in my household actually likes tomatoes (and that one would not be me). There's something about the texture. I like them cooked, but raw is another thing. I considered buying "rainbow" carrots. I even considered buying some fresh broccoli, until I reminded myself that I think the stuff tastes like grass.

Anyway, back to the tomatoes. I used most of them to make homemade tomato sauce, but when you combine the leftover two with the abundance of ripe tomatoes in my back yard, I needed something to do with them, and quickly. So, I came across this recipe and thought it would be a tasty way to use up those tomatoes. And it was. The sauce was practically jumping with the flavor of the roasted tomatoes and when combined with the hint of dijon mustard, it created the perfect amount of tang. When you add it to the chicken, it was one very delicious, very late-summery dinner.

Seared Chicken Breasts in Roasted Tomato Pan Sauce
Recipe from Food Network, adapted
Serves 4
Prep Time - 5 minutes
Cook Time - 25 min

INGREDIENTS

4 medium tomatoes

2 TBSP canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 TBSP dijon mustard

1 TBSP chopped fresh basil

3 TBSP salted butter, cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place them onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with canola oil and then season with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until they're nice and soft.

Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet to medium heat and add 1-2 TBSP canola oil. Season the chicken with salt & pepper on both sides. When the pan is heated, add the chicken to the pan and cook until brown on both sides and cooked through, probably about 3-5 minutes per side. When the chicken is done, remove from the pan and place on a plate. Tent with foil if you want.

If you have a lot of excess oil in your pan, drain off most of it. Add the chicken stock to the pan to deglaze and scrape up any brown bits. Add the mustard to the pan and whisk together.

Add the tomatoes and any juices from the baking sheet to the pan. Mash up the tomatoes with a potato masher. Add the basil and stir to combine.

Once everything is combined, add the butter and stir it in.

Return the chicken breasts to the pan and let cook for just a couple of minutes to get the flavors to meld a little.

Serve the chicken with sauce on top.

Grilled Pizza Margherita

2011-09-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

My favorite pizza, hands down, is a pizza margherita. A nice crispy crust, a fresh tomato sauce, fresh basil, and mozzarella is all I need. I've been on the hunt for the best pizza margherita since the first time I got back from Italy (12 years ago... *feels old*). I found it a few years ago at a restaurant in Minneapolis, but I don't have the time to drive up there every time I get a craving. By the way, if you're a twin cities resident and you read this blog, please don't recommend Punch. I've been there. Yes, I know they claim the owners are from Naples. Their pizza sucks donkey balls.

During this process, I also discovered that I get irrationally annoyed when people call something margherita but it's clearly not. I was at a pizza place not too long ago where their margherita was advertised as having olives on it. Another one had goat cheese and gorgonzola. I'm pretty sure I saw one once that had bacon on it. Maybe delicious... margherita, not so much.

I also discovered a few places that spell it like the Mexican-ish blended tequila cocktail. I half hoped the pizza had some form of liquor and lime incorporated. But no.

When we were watching an episode of Good Eats not too long ago, we decided we had to give making our own on the grill a go. And despite the fact that pizza should be delivered to my house in about an hour, I venture that this stuff is better than anything you can get at most pizzerias.

So get to it. Make this pizza. And if you do, bring me one, OK?

Grilled Pizza Margherita
Recipe from Alton Brown, Adapted
Makes 1 large pizza or 2 small

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pizza dough
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning (optional, but I recommend it)
4-6 basil leaves, torn
2-4 oz sliced fresh Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Make your dough and roll it out so it's pretty thin - use your judgment how thin, but I'd say we usually do somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 of an inch thick. Lay it on a greased pizza peel or the back of a cookie sheet.

Oil your grill grates and preheat the grill to medium.

Once heated, brush your dough with about 1-2 tsp of oil and put your dough on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Take it off the grill, brush the raw side with oil, and flip it over.

Put the tomatoes on the grill and cook them until they're nice and soft and mashable. This should take somewhere between 5-10 minutes (it usually takes us about 8).

Put the tomatoes on top of the dough (cooked side) and mash up to make the sauce. Put the torn basil leaves on top of the sauce and top with sliced mozzarella. Return to the grill and cook until the crust is done and the cheese is melted, about another 2-3 minutes. Let cool a bit before cutting and eating.

Pot Roast Hoagies

2011-08-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

I spent my childhood consuming a lot of gravy. Specifically, hunks of meat with lots of gravy and either mashed potatoes or egg noodles. I think that's what you get when you're Scandinavian and live in the upper midwest. Most of my friends with similar upbringings share my love for gravy. Maybe you don't even have to be Scandinavian. Maybe you just have to have grown up in the upper midwest. Or maybe you just have to have grown up in the United States in the 1980s. Who knows. This staple of my childhood has stayed with me into adulthood, though I now prefer my gravy-drenched hunks of meat in sandwich form. Pot roast in brown gravy on a hoagie bun? Yes, please.

This is another pre-move clean-out-the-pantry dish. The recipe I based it off of called for brisket, but the stores around here only stock that sporadically, and the only briskets I could find were organic, free range, grass fed, Kosher briskets for somewhere around $20-30/lb. So, I used a regular rump roast instead. I'm sure it would be great with brisket, but considering I'm not Jewish and made this recipe to get rid of some pantry items, spending the money on the hippie Kosher brisket wasn't worth it to me.

I loved this sandwich. My husband thought it was decent. But he's not a big pot roast fan so take his opinion with a grain of salt.

Please excuse the bad picture

Pot Roast Hoagies

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Prep Time - 15 min

Cook Time - 8 hrs on low, 4 hrs on high

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 2-3 lb roast

salt & pepper

3 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 packet slow-cooker pot roast seasoning

2 cups beef stock

2 cups red wine (I used a Pinot Noir)

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 cup cold water

1 packet low-sodium brown gravy mix

Hoagie buns

DIRECTIONS

Put the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the bottom of your slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker on and put the lid on to let it get a bit warm before you add the meat.

Heat a pan on the stove to medium-high heat and put a bit of olive oil in the bottom. Season the meat liberally with salt & pepper on all sides. Add to the pan and sear for a couple minutes per side. Put it in the slow cooker.

In a large bowl, whisk together the beef stock, wine, tomato paste, and pot roast seasoning. Pour the mixture into your crock pot. Add a bay leaf.

Cook on low for 8-10 hrs.

Once the roast is done, take it out of the crockpot and let it sit for a few minutes while you make the gravy.

Pour the liquid through a strainer and add to a large pan or a pot on your stove. Turn the meat to medium.

In a small bowl, whisk together the gravy mix with cold water. Whisk this into your sauce on the stove. Let heat for a few minutes, until gravy thickens. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Cut the meat and put it on hoagie buns and slather with gravy.

Now Blogging from a New Location (and Taco Pizzas)

2011-07-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

I know I've been gone for a while. Quite a while. I have a good reason, I swear! My husband and I bought a house and we moved! We're finally starting to get (at least a little) settled in. I'm still getting used to my new kitchen. It's been a process. But I do have a great recipe to share with you. I came up with this one when I was desperately trying to figure out what to do with various things from my pantry and freezer before we moved. I'm not completely sure why frozen pita bread inspired me to make chicken taco pizzas, but I went with it. At any rate, it was a good decision. You should do yourself a favor and make these.

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizzas
Serves 2ish
Cook & Prep Time - about 50 minutes (30 minutes are inactive)

INGREDIENTS
3-4 pita breads
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Mexican-ish spices (described below)
red onion, sliced thinly
green bell pepper, sliced thinly
jalapeno pepper, sliced thinly
Monterrey Jack cheese
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Make a Mexican-ish spice rub. I combined about 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1/8 tsp dried oregano. Rub this into the chicken breast and let it marinate for about 30 minutes.

Grill the chicken breast and the veggies until chicken is cooked through and veggies are soft. Remove both from the grill and cut the chicken into narrow strips.

Brush the pita breads with some olive oil and put down on the grill. Let cook for about a couple of minutes and then take off the grill, flip over, and brush the other side with olive oil. Top with chicken, veggies, and Monterrey Jack cheese. Return to the grill and cook for a few more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite taco condiments, like salsa and sour cream.

Chicken Tender Melts

2011-05-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

Like most people, I have fund memories of late nights/early mornings spent at the local Perkins restaurant. If you're one of the unlucky ones to live in a state without Perkins, you have my sympathies. When I was younger, it was either Saturday morning breakfast with grandma and grandpa, or Sunday morning family breakfast/lunch with friends from church. In high school, it was where we'd gather with groups of friends to hang out (especially when Dairyland wasn't open, either because it was closed for the season, or it was too late at night). In college, it was where we'd gather with groups of friends to hang out or study (often into the wee hours), or satisfy that odd craving for a slice of their amazing French Silk pie and a plate of onion rings (a combination I ordered way more times than I like to admit).

When I was younger, one of the things they were known for is serving things (noteably, salads) in bread bowls roughly the size of the average human head . I was so intrigued by the concept of the breadbowl that I found myself ordering various breadbowl salads frequently, despite the fact that I didn't start liking salads until I was about 17. Much to my parents probable chagrin, I ended up eating the breadbowl and the rest of the salad accoutrement, but none of the lettuce.

Then, I discovered their chicken tender melt. Crisp chicken tenders, bacon, and melted pepperjack cheese inside grilled sour dough with a ranch dipping sauce. Delicious! Of course, like a large portion of my favorite chain restaurant items, it's since been taken off the menu. So I tried re-creating it at home. And it was a success.

Chicken Tender Melts

Inspired by Perkins Restaurant

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

6-8 chicken tenders (we made our own)

4-6 slices pepperjack cheese

4 slices sourdough bread

4 strips bacon

DIRECTIONS

Cook the chicken tenders until cooked through. I think frying the chicken tenders would produce the best results (and more true to the original), but I think baking them or even using grilled chicken breast strips would also be really good.

Cook off a few strips of bacon. Drain and set aside until you start making the sandwich.

Assemble the sandwich like you would a grilled cheese: butter the outsides of two slices of sourdough. Place on top of it 1-2 slices of pepperjack, then 3-4 chicken tenders, then 2 strips of bacon, then another 1-2 slices of pepperjack. Top with the remaining slice of buttered bread.

Grill over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides, probably about 4 minutes each.

Chicken in Whiskey Cream Sauce

2011-05-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I blog about something on the same day I make it. Usually, I think about it for a few days (sometimes consult my husband for his opinion) and decide whether it's something I should share. This is not one of those dinners that requires that sort of pondering. However, truth be told, I probably wouldn't blog about this so quickly if it weren't for my wonderful husband deciding to do the dishes and clean the kitchen tonight (I kind of think he was trying to get out of being in the vicinity when I was watching Sister Wives, but whatever...). So, please believe me when I tell you that you have to make this recipe.

For the past few months, I haven't had a ton of time during the week to spend in the kitchen. I miss it terribly. As a result, I end up making a mess of the kitchen on the weekend. Today, I made bagels, pita bread, roasted most of a chicken, and made this little plate of deliciousness. I think I had one clean pan and about 2 inches of free counterspace when I got done in the kitchen. Considering it's raining and a bit cold, I decided a nice chicken in a cream sauce with mashed potatoes would hit the spot. And it did. Boy, did it ever. Go make it now. You won't regret it. And truth be told, this is probably something a person with a normal schedule could make easily during the week. I just don't have the luxury of normalcy.

Chicken in Whiskey Cream Sauce
Serves 2 (sauce probably serves 4)
Prep Time - 5 minutes
Cook Time - 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 pieces bone-in chicken (we used legs & thighs)
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBSP butter
salt & pepper (for seasoning chicken)
1/2 cup whiskey (I used Tullamore Dew - we only buy Irish)
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 small onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup half & half (I'm sure cream or 2% milk would be equally good)
2 TBSP flour
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil & butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Skin the chicken if you want (if you want to be healthy or something - the rendered fat provides great flavor to the onions you'll eventually be sweating). Season the chicken pieces with salt & pepper. Add to skillet and brown on all sides.

Transfer chicken to a roaster and finish in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is done.

While chicken is roasting, add the onions and garlic to the pan and stir. Add whiskey to the pan to deglaze. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add stock and let simmer for a few minutes. Add the garlic. Let simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Add half & half and flour to the pan and whisk together. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. If it starts to get too thick, add more stock or cream (decide which you're going to use based on how indulgent you're feeling).

When the chicken is cooked through and the skin is nice and crispy, remove from the oven and spoon the sauce over the top to serve. Serve with mashed potatoes (I'm sure the sauce would be great over egg noodles, too, and I plan on trying that with the leftovers later this week). Have an after-dinner Bailey's on ice as a night-cap.

Chicken Juicy Lucy

2011-04-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. It's considered a somewhat shameful one for a Minnesotan. When I tell people, I usually get looked at like I have 3 heads. Well, here it is. I don't like Juicy Lucys. For those of you who aren't from Minnesota and don't know what those are, it's a cheeseburger that is stuffed with cheese instead of melted on the top. They're sort of a Minnesota institution. I love the concept, but I have tried many, and the execution is always poor. What should be a delicious, juicy, molten-hot cheese filled burger usually ends up being a dried out, over-cooked molten-hot cheese filled burger. I've even asked if they could please not cook the crap out of my burger, but I always get the same result. So I've given up ordering them in restaurants.

Now, lest I get a bunch of angry comments from people saying I've blasphemed their favorite places, let me make one thing clear. I love the 5-8 Club. I think they have, hands down, the best burgers in the twin cities area. Matt's Bar is great and I also enjoy the Blue Door Pub (I'm purposely leaving The Nook off this list. I understand it's a St. Paul institution. I do not understand why). I just do not like Juicy Lucys.

I remained convinced that a Juicy Lucy doesn't have to be dry. So I tried making one at home with ground chicken. I'm happy to report that my Juicy Lucy remained juicy and delicious. I'm anxious to try making one with ground beef now.

Chicken Juicy Lucy
Serves 2
Prep Time - 10 minutes
Cook Time - 10ish minutes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb ground chicken
10-12 slices pepperoni, chopped into little pieces
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP finely chopped onion
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
shredded cheese
toasted buns
garlic mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add a couple of TBSP of olive oil to the pan.

Mix together the ground chicken, pepperoni, salt & pepper, garlic, onion, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. If it's really wet, add more bread crumbs. Divide into two equal parts. Take off about 1/3 of each one and put to the side. Form the large part into a patty and make it a little thinner in the middle than the edges. Put a mound of shredded cheese (probably 1-2 TBSP) on top of the patty and then take the small part (the 1/3 you took off) and put that on top and completely enclose the cheese. Basically, at this point, it should look like a regular burger patty.

Add the patties to the pan and let cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve on toasted buns with your favorite condiments. We used garlic mayonnaise, which was really delicious.

Mac & Cheese with Chicken Meatballs

2011-04-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

I believe I've mentioned on this blog that I sort of love ground chicken. Especially chicken burgers. They're so versatile and flavorful. So, when I was looking for a non-lasagna way to use up a tub of ricotta cheese and came across this recipe for chicken meatballs, with a mac & cheese, I was in.

This was a fun recipe to make. The meatballs are juicy and practically bursting with flavor and the cheese sauce is a lovely compliment. It's also a really quick recipe - you realistically can get the entire thing done in 30 minutes, which I really appreciate.

Mac & Cheese with Chicken Meatballs

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Prep Time - 10 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb penne pasta (or similar size)

1/2 lb ground chicken

1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 cup ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/3 cup bread crumbs (more if needed)

1 1/2 TBSP olive oil

3 TBSP butter

2 TBSP flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup 2% milk

salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix together the ground chicken, rosemary, garlic, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. If the mixture seems to wet, add more bread crumbs. Form into small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a baking dish and coat with olive oil. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

While the meatballs are roasting, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles to al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour (I also added 1 TBSP minced garlic). Whisk together and let cook for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock and milk and whisk together. Let cook to thicken for 5-10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Add the remaining 1 cup Parmesan cheese and whisk together until the cheese is melted.

Toss with the pasta and serve with meatballs on top.

Apple Skillet Pie

2011-04-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'm the only one who does this, but whenever I buy those pre-made roll-out pie crusts, I end up using only one of the two in the package and never know what to do with the other one. The single crust usually ends up sitting in my fridge for months before I decide there isn't anything I will ever use it for and throw it out. Yes, I know I could avoid this debacle just by making the crust from scratch, but let's face it - as delicious as it is, who has time for that?

That's where this recipe comes in. It has all the great things about apple pie, but takes a fraction of the time to make. I made it in my cast iron skillet, just because I like making things in cast iron, but I'm sure a pie plate would be good, too. It also makes a really tasty breakfast, for those of you who like getting a nice unhealthy start to your day.

Apple Skillet Pie
Serves 8-10
Prep Time - 20 minutes
Cook Time - one hour

INGREDIENTS
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 big apples
1 roll-out refrigerated pie crust
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1-2 TBSP milk
sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter over medium-low heat in a cast iron skillet. Once butter is melted, add the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon and stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

While the butter is melting, start peeling, coring, and cutting the apples into slices. I used 6 really big apples but could've used one or two more because my skillet is really big. Add them to the pan and stir to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and put the pie crust on the top. Cut a few slits in the crust to allow the steam to escape.

Brush the top of the crust with the egg/milk wash and sprinkle with some sugar (this is optional, but it looks pretty).

Put in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the crust is nice and golden brown. Depending on how full your skillet is, you may want to put a cookie sheet under the skillet to catch anything that may seep out of the pan.

Let cool for about an hour before cutting and eating. Enjoy!

Chicken Spanakopita Burgers

2011-04-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

I love chicken burgers. They're such a nice alternative to a regular beef burger - light, juicy, full of flavor. I'm pretty sure my husband thinks I'm a little obsessed. These burgers came on my radar when I had a bunch of leftover feta and tzaziki sauce from the Chicken Souvlaki I made earlier in the week.

Before we get to the recipe, we should be clear on something - this burger tastes nothing like spanakopita, which is a Greek spinach pie. I don't think it's meant to, though. Sure, the general flavor profile is there, but what you get is a really flavorful burger.

Chicken Spanakopita Burgers
Recipe from Rachael Ray
Serves 2
Prep Time - 10 minutes
Cook Time - 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 oz frozen spinach, defrosted
1/2 tsp dried oregano (be generous)
2 oz feta cheese crumbles
1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
toasted buns
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
tzaziki sauce

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions get soft and translucent. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Put the defrosted spinach into kitchen towel and wring out to remove the excess water. Add it to the bowl with the cooled onions and garlic and 1/2 tsp oregano.

Add in the ground chicken, feta crumbles, salt, & pepper. Mix to combine and form into two patties.

Melt 1 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Once the pan is hot, add the patties and cook for about 5 minutes per side.

When cooked through, put them on toasted buns and garnish as desired.

Shredded Beef Patty Melts

2011-04-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Grilled sandwiches are my absolute favorite. I ~~blame~~ credit my husband for this. He makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches on the planet. Really - they're amazing. I don't know what he does, but I can't replicate it no matter how hard I try. He somehow manages to achieve the perfect balance of melty cheese and crispy, not too greasy, bread. When I try, I usually end up with nice melted cheese, but my bread gets to be a soggy mess. It's rather pathetic.

I came up with the idea for this sandwich when I realized I had a bunch of leftover shredded beef in my freezer. I didn't want to do the same old thing with the beef, which is usually making it into a French dip style sandwich. Instead, I decided to try making it into a patty melt, of sorts. I was really impressed with the results. It was reminiscent of the French dip sandwiches I usually make, but the grilled bread gave it a little something extra. I'm looking forward to making these again the next time I have leftover beef.

Shredded Beef Patty Melts

Makes 2 sandwiches

Cook & Prep Time - about 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 slices sourdough bread

6 slices Muenster cheese

shredded beef (I recommend this recipe)

caramelized onions

butter

DIRECTIONS

Caramelize one sliced onion in about 1 TBSP olive oil over medium-low heat. Season with just a little bit of salt to help draw out the moisture from the onions. Stir occasionally.

While the onions are caramelizing, heat up the beef in a medium pot to warm it through.

Once the onions are caramelized, heat a large pan to medium heat.

Build the sandwich in this order: Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 1 1/2 slices of cheese on top of the bottom slice (non-buttered side) for each sandwich (or however much cheese you need to cover the slice). Put a layer of the shredded beef on top of the cheese and put the onions on top of the beef. Top with another 1 1/2 slices of cheese and put the top slice of bread on each sandwich. Transfer to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, or until the cheese melts and the bread is golden brown.

Chicken Souvlaki

2011-03-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

We love to grill. Even though we grilled a few times this winter (including once when it was 1 degree outside), we have started firing up the grill more often since the snow has started melting. One of the first things we made was Chicken Souvlaki, which, basically, a chicken kebab marinated in a blend of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and dried herbs. We served it on pita bread with tzaziki sauce, onions, and diced tomato, sort of like a gyro. The flavors are truly amazing. I was a bit skeptical making a marinade with so much balsamic vinegar, but it really is the star of this marinade. Give it a try - I know you'll love it.

Chicken Souvlaki
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
Serves 3-4
Prep Time - 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time - at least 8 hrs
Cook Time - about 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Optional garnishes:
Pita bread, warmed up
feta cheese
lettuce
diced tomatoes
sliced onions

DIRECTIONS
Mix together the garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, rosemary, salt, & pepper in a zip-lock bag. Add the chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 8 hrs, up to overnight.

About 30 minutes before you're ready to start cooking, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and put on skewers. Discard the marinade.

Pre-heat the grill and place the skewers on the prepared grill. Cook until juices run clear, about 5 minutes per side.

Remove from skewers and put on pita bread and top with your favorite pita toppings.

Pizza Burgers

2011-03-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, my life has changed a lot lately. My work schedule has been a bit crazy and I've been keeping some odd hours. It sort of feels like I've been living in bizzaro-world. The check-out guy at the grocery store recently told my husband and myself to have a good evening. I was so confused... then I realized it was almost 3 pm. I'd been awake for two hours, at most. Luckily, this isn't going to last a whole lot longer.

I recently had about a half of a loaf of some really delicious focaccia bread to use up. Conveniently, I came across a pizza burger recipe that used focaccia instead of regular buns. It sounded interesting to me, and my husband is always up for things involving pizza. Or burgers. I didn't follow the recipe closely but I don't think I'd change a thing about what I did.

This was really good. I don't think focaccia is necessary, but if you have it, I think it added a little something.

Pizza Burgers
Inspired by Rachael Ray
Makes 2 burgers
Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 jar spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce
1-2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 lb Italian sausage
15-20 slices pepperoni, cut into small pieces
1/2 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
~1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (I'm guessing - I eyeballed it)
1-2 leaves basil, chiffonade (optional)
mozzarella cheese
focaccia bread, cut into two burger-sized pieces.

DIRECTIONS
In a small pot, heat up the spaghetti sauce.

Heat up a couple of TBSP oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Also pre-heat the broiler.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, Italian sausage, pepperoni, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil. Form into two patties. Add to the pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Transfer the burgers to a cookie sheet and top with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. Put under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese gets bubbly.

While the burgers are under the broiler, toast the focaccia buns for a couple of minutes (I did this in my toaster oven).

Put the burgers on the toasted buns and enjoy!

Oh, the Times, They are A-Changing

2011-03-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hello - I'm back! As you can see, I've made a few changes around here. My life has changed a bit over the past month and half, and I've found myself needing a lot more fast, easy meals. When I get home from work, I want to make simple things I can get done in less than 20 minutes. While I don't expect this re-emerged craziness to last too long, I've been really enjoying the different type of cooking I've been doing. So, I am changing the focus of my blog. From now on, my blog will focus on the many wonderful sandwiches, burgers, and homemade pizzas that have now become a weekly staple in my life. Don't worry - that doesn't mean I'll completely abandon my yummy deserts, pastas, or deep fried goodies completely. You'll still see plenty of those mixed in. But I hope to make this blog a source of quick, satisfying meals that everyone in your family will enjoy.

I hope you like the changes I'm making and please feel free to leave me any feedback in the comments!

Hiatus

2011-02-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

Life is getting hectic and I'm going to be taking a break from posting for a while. I hope to be back to my regularly scheduled blogging soon.

Queso Fundido Burgers

2011-01-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

When I was on vacation a couple of months ago, the resort we stayed at had a great Mexican restaurant. One of the times we ate there, the hostess gave me a Spanish-language menu. I don't speak the best Spanish, but I do alright. It ended up being a great thing, because the Spanish menu had Queso Fundido on it. Turns out the English menu did too, but they called it something like "Melted Cheese Dip." Apparently we were supposed to understand that meant something different than a pot of melted cheese with tortilla chips to dip in them. I knew it was going to be great when the waiter came out with a smoking molcajete filled with the cheesy goodness. I've been searching for similar recipes ever since we got home.

Of course, if I do find one, I'm going to have to find a molcajete to prepare it in, but I'm not concerning myself with that too much. They sell those at Williams Sonoma, right?

Anyway, my search for the perfect queso fundido recipe led me to this recipe. My love of Rick Bayless recipes is no secret. My love of burgers isn't, either. Combine the two? I'm in.

This was a really good burger. The combination of beef, chorizo, and roasted poblano was great. However, the chorizo was a bit strong and I think this burger would also be great without it. I'm considering making them again soon without the chorizo and with ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. I'll let you know how that goes.

Queso Fundido Burgers

Recipe by Rick Bayless, adapted

Makes 3-4 burgers

INGREDIENTS

1 poblano pepper

1 large onion, half minced and half sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground beef

1/4 lb chorizo

1 chipotle in adobo, seeded and finely minced

salt & pepper

Sliced Monterrey Jack cheese

toasted buns

DIRECTIONS

To roast the poblano, preheat the oven to 450. Put the poblano in the oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn it over and roast it for 5 more. Repeat this process until it's blistered and blackened all over (this took me about 20 minutes).

Take it out of the oven and put it in a ziplock bag for about 20 minutes. After about 20 minutes, take it out of the bag and peel off the skin (it's really more like a combination of peeling and rubbing) and take out the seeds and ribs. Chop the poblano into a small dice.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chorizo, minced onion, garlic, poblano, salt & pepper, and the chipotle in adobo. Divide the meat into 3-4 equal portions (depending on how big of a burger you want).

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Put a couple TBSP of oil in the pan. Put the burgers in the pan and cook for about 5 minutes a side.

Meanwhile, put another couple of TBSP of oil in another pan and cook the sliced onions till not quite yet caramelized.

In another pan or in the oven, toast the buns.

Just before the burgers are done, preheat the broiler.

When the burgers are done, top them with the sliced Monterrey Jack cheese and put under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese gets melty and bubbly.

Take out of the oven and put the burgers on the toasted buns. Top with the fried onions and enjoy.

Fetuccini in Roasted Garlic Pesto Cream Sauce

2011-01-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

Dishes like this are what happen when I don't know what to make for dinner but discover about a half of a box of fetuccini, a half of a tub of roasted garlic pesto sauce, and some dairy liquid in my fridge. The combination of the roasted garlic pesto with the slightly-cheesy cream sauce was the perfect combination and a great dinner for a cold night.

Fetuccini in Roasted Garlic Pesto Cream Sauce

Serves 3-4

Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Fetuccini noodles (I used a little more than 1/2 of a box)

1 TBSP butter

1-2 TBSP flour

2 cloves garlic

1 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

1/4 cup (or so) pesto sauce

salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Melt butter over medium heat in a big pot or dutch oven. Whisk in the flour and let cook for about a minute. Add the milk and stock and whisk. Let cook for a few minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the garlic and season with a bit of salt & pepper.

Add the cheese and whisk together. Cook for a few more minutes.

Stir in the pesto sauce and toss with the noodles. Serve and top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Fudge

2011-01-09T08:26:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, I decided I wanted to be eating some fudge. I decided this knowing full well that I didn't have most of the ingredients for fudge. The grocery store was out - it was about the last place I wanted to be. I decided to brave Target, and if the parking lot was too scary, I'd just turn around and go back home and forget about the fudge I was so wanting to eat.

It ended up being fine. Much less busy than I thought it would be. The amount of people there who seemed to be doing every last bit of their Christmas shopping (at about 4 pm on Christmas Eve) was a little shocking, but I guess some people don't really plan ahead.

I've made this fudge before and always have great results. I've tried other recipes and they never get quite as smooth as this one.

Fudge

Recipe from Carnation

Total Prep & Cook Time - about 15 min

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)

2 TBSP butter

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Line an 8x8 pan with foil. Set aside.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly. Bring to a full rolling boil. Keep it boiling and keep stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Stir until everything is melted and combined. This should take about a minute.

Pour into the pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs. When firm, take them out of the pan and remove foil. Cut them into small slices to serve.

Enchiladas Suizas

2011-01-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

If you've never eaten at one of Rick Bayless's restaurants or made one of his recipes at home, you're truly missing out. I'm amazed by each and every one I make. These enchiladas are really no exception. They're the type of dinner that you tell yourself you're going to stop after one enchilada, but by the time you've stopped eating, you've mysteriously devoured two (or more).

Because I took this out of my Rick Bayless cookbook, I'm not posting the recipe. But that should just be more incentive for you to go out and buy your own copy, right?

Roasted Chicken

2010-12-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

For my birthday last year, one of the things my husband got me was Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I am disappointed in myself to report that this is the first and only recipe I have tried from it in almost a year. In my defense, I thought about it several times but every time I considered it I decided I didn't want to spend 6 hrs in the kitchen cooking. Finally, I broke down. Unfortunately, I didn't follow the traditional wisdom to add one hour to your calculation of however long you think you will spend cooking whenever you make a Julia Child recipe, and we ended up eating dinner at about 9 pm. However....

This was the best roasted chicken I have ever eaten. I'm not exaggerating.

Roasted Chicken
Recipe by Julia Child, adapted slightly
Serves 4
Cook & Prep Time - The recipe said 1 hr, 10 minutes, but it took me at least 3 hrs from start to finish

INGREDIENTS
1 (3-4 lb) chicken
1 onion, quartered, and one small onion, diced
1-2 ribs celery, chopped into thick pieces
1 carrot, chopped into thick pieces
butter
salt & pepper
1 cup chicken stock

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Melt butter (about 1/2 stick)

Rinse the chicken and dry thoroughly. Rub butter on the inside cavity and season with salt & pepper. Tie up the legs with kitchen twine and then rub butter all over the chicken. Season very lightly with salt & pepper.

Place the chicken breast-side up on a roasting rack.

Put the onion, celery, and carrot scattered about in the roasting pan.

Roast the chicken for 15 minutes total at 425 degrees F. After 5 minutes, turn it onto the left side and basted with butter. After 5 minutes there, turn it onto the right side and baste with butter. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Baste the chicken with melted butter. Leave the chicken on its right side and roast the chicken for 10 more minutes and then baste again.

About halfway through the estimated roasting time, salt the chicken and turn it on its other side. Baste.

About 15 min before the bird is done, salt again and turn the chicken breast-side up. Salt that side and baste.

Continue this process until the juices run clear, or about 1 hr and 10 minutes of total cooking time. Use the fat from the roasting pan or melt more butter when you run out of the original butter you melted.

To make the sauce, remove the chicken from the roast pan and put on the stove top. Remove all but 2 TBSP of fat from the pan. Stir in the diced onion and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock and boil rapidly over high heat, scraping up the brown bits. Let reduce by about 1/2. Season with salt & pepper. Turn off the heat ad just before serving, swirl in about 1-2 TBSP of butter.

Carve the chicken and pour a spoonful of sauce over each piece.

Roasted Garlic Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

2010-12-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, I just want mashed potatoes. Add in roasted garlic and mascarpone cheese and I'm all the more interested. I made these to accompany Julia Child's Roasted Chicken, and they were fantastic.

However, when I went to make them, I realized that I didn't have the hour to roast the garlic. Luckily, my America's Test Kitchen cookbook provided an alternative. I ended up putting the individual cloves, in their skins, in a dry skillet over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, turning them occasionally, and ended up with perfectly roasted garlic. It's a slightly different flavor than traditional roasted garlic, but just as good.

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Mascarpone Cheese
Recipe by Bobby Flay

INGREDIENTS
3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled & cut into large chunks
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 cloves roasted garlic, pureed
1/2 stick butter
8 oz mascarpone cheese
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place the potatoes in a big pot and cover them with cold water. Add some salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, combine the milk, butter, and pureed garlic over low heat.

Drain the potatoes and give them a rough smash. Add the warm milk mixture gradually and smash as you go along.

Stir in the mascarpone cheese and season with salt & pepper, to taste.

"Wine-Can" Provencal Roasted Chicken

2010-12-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

I love beer can chicken. Love. It. Last winter, when it was too cold to grill, I tried making it in the oven with some success, but it just didn't taste the same and I ended up being disappointed.

Then, a lightbulb went off in my head. Why not try making it with wine instead of beer? The idea seemed much more oven-friendly and perfect for a cold Sunday evening. About 3 months later, I actually made it. (If you're a regular reader of my blog, you've probably noticed a pattern. I get an idea but then don't act on it for months. I'm trying to get better).

We both really liked this. The wine made the chicken nice and moist and the skin was nice and crispy and the meat had a ton of flavor. I'd definitely do this again. I didn't follow a recipe, so here's a description of what I did:

Wine-Can Provencal Roasted Chicken
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Inside Rub
1 (3-4 lb) chicken
3 TBSP butter (or so), softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
2-ish TSP herbes de Provence
1/4 dried Parsley
1/4 tsp dried basil

Outside Rub
2-ish TSP herbes de Provence
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp dried Parsley
2-3 TBSP olive oil

wedge onion
white wine
Minced garlic
fresh herbs (I used rosemary and oregano)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken and thoroughly pat dry. Set aside for a few minutes.

Clean out a beer (or soda) can. Pour wine about 3/4 of the way. Add minced garlic and some fresh herbs to the can. Put in beer can holder for chicken.

Mix together all the butter rub ingredients. Find a few natural openings in the chicken skin and stick a clump under the skin and start to massage it in so that the skin is mostly covered in this rub. Do this on the breasts, legs, and thighs. Put any remaining butter mixture in the cavity.

Place the chicken on the beer can holder.

Mix together the oil rub ingredients and use a brush to rub this mixture all over the chicken.

Place a small onion wedge in the neck of the chicken to prevent any air from escaping.

Bake for about 1 to 1 1/2 hrs or until the chicken is done and juices run clear.

Remove from the beer can holder and let stand for 5-10 minutes before carving.

Sloppy Lasagna

2010-11-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

Growing up, my family's lasagna was always a jar of spaghetti sauce (usually Prego) mixed with ground beef and some mushrooms, layered with noodles, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Nothing fancy, but it did the trick. Then, I went to Italy and discovered that lasagna can have a white sauce, too. I was in heaven. It was like a whole new world opened for me.

My husband, on the other hand, prefers his lasagna to be white-sauce-less. This has become an incredibly minor point of contention.

I watched Rachael Ray make this one day and decided I had to try it. You should too. It's pretty quick to put together despite the miles-long ingredient list and was really rich and comforting. I made quite a few changes to the original recipe, but and I think I would keep every single one of them.

Sloppy Lasagna
Recipe from Rachael Ray, adapted
Serves about 8
Prep Time - about 20 minutes
Cook Time - about 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 lb lasagna noodles (not the no-boil kind)
salt & pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
pinch of cinnamon
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 jar marinara sauce
a few fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
4 TBSP butter
4 TBSP flour
2 cups 2% milk
pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese (or ricotta)
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Break the lasagna noodles up into irregular-sized pieces. Cook to just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the meat and brown. Once the meat is almost browned, add the onion, carrot, garlic, and bay leaves. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Once the meat is browned, drain the meat, if necessary. Return the meat to the pan and add the cinnamon and tomato paste. Cook for about 1 minute before adding the stock. Continue cooking for about another minute before adding the marinara sauce. Reduce heat and add the basil.

While the sauce simmers, melt butter over medium heat in a medium pot. Whisk in the flour. Cook for about a minute and then whisk in the milk and nutmeg. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Cook for a few minutes, to thicken, and then stir in half of the cheese. Turn off the heat.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add about 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the cottage cheese and stir together.

Add the pasta to the meat sauce and mix together (stop adding pasta when you have reached your desired level of sauce-y-ness). Put about 1/2 or 1/3 of this mixture into the bottom of a lasagna pan. Add 1/2 or 1/3 of the cottage cheese to the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and pour 1/2 or 1/3 of the white sauce over all. Continue layering as such until you are out of all ingredients. Top with the rest of the Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese.

Put in the oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the broiler on and keep it under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble.

Chicken Bolognese

2010-10-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

There isn't much to say about this recipe. It was really tasty and quick to make for a week-night dinner. I'm not convinced it's actually a bolognese, but I don't want to doubt Wolfgang Puck. My understanding is that a bolognese is a rich, thick meat sauce (usually made with a combination of beef, veal, and pork) with a bit of cream and usually a tiny hint of cinnamon. Have I been wrong all these years? Or am I right and Wolfgang is taking liberties with his recipe titles? You should make it and then decide for yourself.

Chicken Bolognese
Recipe by Wolfgang Puck, adapted
Serves 4
Cook Time - 20 min
Prep Time - 40 min

INGREDIENTS
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 TBSP fresh thyme leaves
pinch red pepper flakes
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb penne pasta

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook until browned, stirring occasionally; about 8 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and red pepper flakes, and cook about 5-8 minutes, or until veggies are soft.

Deglae the pan with the wine and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost completely evaporated.

Add the tomato sauce and tomato juice and simmer about 20 minutes, until the sauce has a thick consistency. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

While the sauce is cooking , cook the penne to al dente. Drain and set aside. If necessary, add a few TBSP of the starchy cooking water to the sauce (I didn't do this). Add the pasta to the sauce. Top the pasta with the Parmesan cheese and toss until well combined. Garnish with parsley leaves and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Fried Chicken

2010-10-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

What's not to love about fried chicken? I maintain there is nothing. I'm pretty much always willing to try a new recipe, and considering I had a bunch of buttermilk to use up one day, this Alton Brown recipe fit the bill perfectly. Most of my fall-back recipes don't marinade in buttermilk, so I was curious what the difference would be.

This was a great chicken recipe, though a bit salty. I would probably cut down the salt if I make it again in the future. I couldn't tell much difference in the flavor of this chicken meat compared to other recipes I've made where the chicken was not soaked in buttermilk, but I'm sure in a side-by-side comparison it would've been more clear. I'm not sure this will be my go-to recipe for the future, but it's certainly something I'll consider the next time I make fried chicken.

Fried Chicken
Recipe by Alton Brown, adapted
Serves 3-4
Prep Time - 20 minutes (plus 12-24 hrs inactive)
Cook Time - 15 min

INGREDIENTS
1 chicken, cut up into 8 pieces
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 TBSP kosher salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TBSP paprika
flour, for dredging
peanut oil, for frying (Alton uses shortening)

DIRECTIONS
Put chicken into a large plastic bowl and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hrs (the longer you let it sit in the buttermilk, the more tender the chicken will be).

Heat the oil to 325 degrees (we used our deep fryer, but if you're using a pan, let the oil come up to about 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch up the side of the pan). Do not let the oil go over 325 degrees.

Drain the chicken in a colander.

Combine the salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Season the chicken with this mixture. Dredge in the flour and then put in the oil. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes per side. We used chicken legs only, so I think our total cook time was about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oil and drain on a cooling rack before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

2010-10-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

I'm finally able to admit to myself that I generally like Rachael Ray's recipes. Her personality I could do without most of the time, but I will occasionally watch her show and usually find she has some great tips and is really encouraging for people to use their creativity when cooking rather than strictly follow the recipe.

This Buffalo Chicken Chili is a recipe I've had printed out for a long time but always passed on for one reason or another. I love buffalo wings, but had a hard time imagining how it would translate into a chili. On top of that, it was so hot this summer that eating a spicy chili wasn't high on my list. Then one day a couple of weeks ago, when it started to get cooler, I had the right combination of ingredients in my fridge and pantry that I decided it was time.

We both liked this. I think I liked it more than my husband did. He said he had a hard time deciding what he thought of it because it wasn't really like anything he'd had before. I did change up the original recipe quite a bit, but I think I all were changes I'd keep if I make this again.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Recipe by Rachael Ray, adapted

Serves 4-6

Prep Time - 15 min

Cook Time - 30 min

INGREDIENTS

1 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP butter

1 lb shredded rotisserie chicken

1 carrot, shredded

1 onion, chopped

1 rib celery, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP paprika

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper, to taste

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup hot sauce

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (15 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

cheese, for garnish

tortilla chips, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf, and some salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 min, stirring frequently. Add the shredded chicken and stir. Cook for a couple of minutes, just to get the chicken warm.

Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and stir. Simmer for a minimum of 15 min (but 30 is better).

Serve and garnish with cheese (Rachael recommends Blue cheese, but we don't like it so we used some shredded cheddar) and tortilla chips. Use extra chips for dipping.

Italian Beef Stew

2010-10-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Beef stew is something I never liked growing up. I'm not completely sure why. I loved gravy, so it should have been a perfect fit. I think it's a combination of not having it very much and not really liking beef in an not-ground form.

It took me going to Ireland and trying Guinness stew at a little pub tucked away in the Wicklow Mountains to discover what a wonder stew could be. After having moderate success recreating Guinness stew over the years since, I've broadened out to stews that don't involve stout. My most recent was an Italian version - that used white wine and tomatoes. My husband is somewhat of a stew purist, and he was skeptical (to be polite) after reading the recipe but in the end, we both agreed. This was a great recipe for a change, but we prefer our "regular" recipe. I think he may have had a higher opinion of it if I had put more carrots in the stew, though.

Italian Beef Stew

Recipe from Italian Foodies blog

Serves 4ish

Prep Time - 20 min

Cook Time - 2 1/2 hrs

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lb stewing meat, cut into small cubes

3 TBSP canola oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, cut into chunks

1-2 ribs celery, sliced

5 TBSP dry white wine

1 can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1 big sprig of thyme

salt & pepper, to taste

2 TBSP flour

2 cups beef broth

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a big pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 5-7 min, or until soft. Add bay leaves.

Add carrots, celery, and thyme and cook for about 10 min, stirring occasionally.

Add meat and flour and cook until browned.

Add wine and cook until it is almost all evaporated. Add tomatoes and beef broth (start with 1 cup of broth and then add more if it's looking a bit dry. Season with salt & pepper (I think I ended up using about 1/2 tsp of both). Cover and cook over low heat for about 2 hrs.

Serve with thick bread for dipping.

Apple Cake

2010-10-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I should've called this post "Apple Butter Cake." Or "Death by Butter." At any rate, I'll clear the air before you read any further. This cake uses almost 3 sticks of butter. Yes, you read that right. As much as I love her recipes, I've got a hunch that Pioneer Woman has a phobia of cooking without butter.

I made this cake one night when I had a bunch of apples I needed to use up. I'd heard many raves about this cake, so I was really excited to finally try it. Unfortunately, I was just a tiny bit disappointed. I thought that the cake was a bit dry and too dense. So, why I am I posting it, you ask? Well, two reasons. First, I seemed to be alone in that opinion. Because of the aforementioned 3 sticks of butter, we pawned off about half the cake on nearby relatives. They all went crazy over the cake. Second, the apple portion of this cake is basically to die for. I still have dreams about it on occasion. I want to eat a big bowl of apples sauteed in butter with brown sugar and cinnamon. Or eat it over ice cream. Or perhaps just eat it out of the skillet.

Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet
Recipe from Pioneer Woman, adapted

INGREDIENTS
4-5 whole tart apples, peeled & cored, and cut into 8-10 slices
1 3/4 stick butter
3/4 cup sugar

Cake
1 stick butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into tiny pieces

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a 10-inch skillet, melt 1 3/4 sticks butter over low heat. Add 3/4 cup sugar to the pan and stir. Place sliced apples in the pan. Don't pack them too tightly, but try not to leave many gaps.

Cook over low or medium low heat while you make the cake batter, or about 15 min.

Beat 1 stick of butter with 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and eggs. Add sour cream and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the cake batter and mix until just combined. Stir in the chopped apple.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Spoon the batter over the top and spread it around gently so that the batter is evenly distributed. Bake for about 20-25 min, or until the cake is golden brown and bubbly.

Allow cake to sit and cool for 5-10 min, and then flip over onto a serving platter. Cut a big slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Spaghetti Pomodoro

2010-09-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

The first time I went to Italy, I was 18 years old. While not particularly well-traveled, I knew that the food in Italy wouldn't taste anything like the spaghetti or lasagna my parents made or the stuff they served at Olive Garden (the closest thing to "authentic" my readily available when I grew up). I didn't know how simple and delicious it would actually be. I also had no idea that pasta is generally a first course.

On our first night in Italy, we were served a big plate of pasta and it was so delicious that when the waiters came around asking if anyone wanted any more, we all happily took some. Imagine how surprised (and stuffed!) we were when they took our plates away and brought us each a couple of pieces of roasted chicken and potatoes. We learned our lesson the next night, and while we definitely still over-indulged in every dish of pasta the waiters put in front of us, we knew to save room for the equally delicious second plate that was about to come our way.

I've been trying for a while to make a good spaghetti pomodoro, plain and simple, like what you can find in pretty much every restaurant and cafe across Italy. I tried several recipes with no luck. I think I was over-thinking it. So, one day, I decided to just throw things that made sense into a pot and see what came out. I think I hit it with this one. I'm not saying this is going to be better than your Italian grandmother's, but I'll be flattered if you think it is.

I'm going to submit this to this week's Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Ruth of the great blog Once Upon a Feast. I haven't participated in a while and am looking forward to getting back into it!

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Pomodoro
Serves 4

Cook & Prep Time - 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken or veggie stock
salt & pepper
6 basil leaves, chiffonade
dash red pepper flakes
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 TBSP butter

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Heat about 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Add the garli and sautee for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the red wine vinegar and cook for about 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the tomato sauce and stock and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper, to taste (you shouldn't need much). Add the basil and red pepper flakes and stir. Cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Add the hot pasta to the pot. Top the pasta with about 1 TBSP of butter and toss to combine. Top with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

Gizmos

2010-09-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

This year, I was clued in to a sandwich at the MN state fair called the Gizmo. It's basically a sloppy joe type sandwich with Italian sausage and ground beef, topped with melted cheese. Local chef and Travel Channel TV host Andrew Zimmern claims it's the best thing at the fair. While I really enjoyed it, I'm not completely sure I agree. I'm really more of a roasted corn and pronto pup type of girl. But, I liked it enough to try to re-create an even better version at home.

Surprisingly, I found several recipes online, which I tweaked to my tastes, and ended up with one very delicious sandwich.

Gizmo Sandwich
From the MN State Fair
Serves 4
Prep Time - 10 minutes
Cook Time - 15-20 min

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP or so Olive Oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
2-ish cups marinara sauce
hoagie buns
Italian cheese (I used mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS
Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage over medium heat in a big saute pan. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. When the meat is about 1/2 done, make a little well in the middle and add the onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the veggies are soft. This should be about 10 minutes or so.

Drain any excess fat and bring back to the pan and add the marinara sauce. I'd do about 2 cups, but feel free to add more or less depending on how saucy you want it.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. If yours has a high and a low setting, set it to low.

Split your hoagie buns in half, but not all the way through, so that the buns stand up on their sides. Fill with the meat/sauce filling and top with cheese.

Put under the broiler for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce

2010-09-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

My tomatoes this year are doing pretty well. I planted a bunch of seeds from a variety pack, so I really had no idea what I'd be getting when I planted them. It's so much fun to see them grow and ripen. One of my plants is a little yellow cherry tomato plant. For my first harvest from that plant, I decided to make some sort of sauce. A while back, I saved a recipe from Savory Spicy Sweet for Chicken Pomodoro and used that for inspiration to come up with this chicken in a creamy tomato sauce. It's delicious and I'm sure it'll be a hit at your house.

Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce
Serves 2-4
Prep Time - 15-20 min
Cook Time - 15 min

INGREDIENTS
4 chicken cutlets, butterflied and pounded thin (I used 2, but there was enough sauce for 4)
flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
2 TBSP canola oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup + 1 cup chicken broth, divided
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 cups tomatoes, chopped (I used a combination of fresh and canned)
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I'm sure any dairy liquid would work)
A few leaves of basil, chopped or torn

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a big pan over medium heat. Dredge the cutlets in flour seasned with salt & pepper. Saute the cutlets a few minutes per side, until cooked through.

Remove from the pan and cover with foil.

Add onions and garlic to the pan and saute for a few minutes, or until the onions begin to get translucent. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth to de-glaze the pan and cook until the chicken broth has almost evaporated. Add the rest of the broth, lemon juice, and tomatoes. Add the cutlets back to the pan and cook for one minute per side.

Put the cutlets on plates and finish the sauce with the yogurt and basil. Stir till combined and cook just a minute or two. Top the chicken with the sauce to serve.

Murray's Steak Sandwiches (a la Target Field)

2010-09-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

At Target Field, they have a really great sandwich - The Murray's Steak Sandwich. It's steak with melted provolone cheese and caramelized onions on ciabatta bread. Granted, the steak is always a little more done than I would like, but still, it's delicious.

So, the last time we were at a Twins game, I decided I had to try making the sandwiches at home. And they were amazing. I could've eaten them even without the steak and been perfectly happy.

Murray's Steak Sandwich
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
2 steaks (6 oz or so)
2 ciabatta rolls (big enough to fit the steak)
provolone cheese
caramelized onions (about 1 1/2 medium onions worth for 2 people)
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS
Start caramelizing the onions about 45 minutes to one hour before you actually want to eat. Do this by melting about 1 TBSP butter in a big pan with about 1 1/2 tsp olive oil. Let that melt over low heat while you slice your onions. Put them in the pan and sprinkle with just a little bit of sugar (like 1/4 tsp). Stir just a little and let cook for about 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes, sprinkle with just a little salt. Stir. Continue this process for about 45-60 minutes total, stirring about every 10 minutes until the onions get a nice brown color.

After you put salt on the onions, season the steaks with salt & pepper on each side. About 25 minutes before you want to be eating, start heating up a pan on medium high heat. Add about 1 TBSP butter and about 1 TBSP olive oil. Let it heat up for about 5 minutes. Add the steaks and cook 1 minute and then reduce the heat to medium and cook another 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare. Increase the cooking time by about a minute or two per side if you want it more medium.

Let rest for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler (mine has a high and a low setting - if yours does too, put it on low) about 5 minutes before the steaks are done. While the steak is cooking, put cut your ciabatta rolls in half and put cheese on each side of the rolls.

Once you take your steaks out to rest, put the rolls under the broiler for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. Mine took about 3 minutes.

Once the rolls come out of the oven, put caramelized onions on the bottom of each roll and put the steak on top of the onions. Top with the top half of the ciabatta and enjoy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

2010-08-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I made Chicken Parmesan burgers and they were fantastic. So, when I saw this recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu burgers, I had high hopes. They did not disappoint. In fact, I think I may have liked them better.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

Recipe by Rachael Ray, adapted

Serves 4

Prep Time - 10 minutes

Cook Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp olive oil

4 slices deli ham or Canadian bacon

1.25 lb ground chicken breast

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp grill seasoning (or salt & pepper)

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 slices deli cheese (I used Muenster)

4 Kaiser rolls, toasted

garlic mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS

Preheat a large skillet to medium high heat and place the oil in the pan.

Combine the chicken, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, shallot, and garlic. Form the meat into 4 patties.

Put the patties into the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Top the patties with the ham and the cheese.

Put under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes or until the cheese gets bubbly.

Put the mayo on the buns and then top the burger with any other desired condiments.

Peach Pie

2010-08-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm not the biggest fan of fruit pies. Unless it is an apple or rhubarb pie with a crumbly top, you can forget about it. Yes, this means that I do not like cherry or blueberry pie. I do not like any fruit pie that has a lattice or a regular pie crust on the top. I know that might take a while to process.

I do, however, love my grandmother's fresh peach pie. And it's not surprising - it's not baked, it has a graham cracker crust, and is served cold. Plus, the main ingredient is peaches, which I love.

One of my favorite things about this pie is that it requires absolutely no cooking. Sure, I feel a little Sandra Lee-ish when I make it, but I really don't care. If you want to make your own graham cracker crust and your own whipped cream to make this a bit more home-made, I'm sure it would be absolutely delicious. I'm sure I'll get around to trying it that way one day, too.

Grandma's Peach Pie

Cook & Prep Time - less than 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4-6 peaches or nectarines (depending on size)

1 tub cool whip

1 jar marshmallow fluff

1 pre-made graham cracker crust

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, stir the marshmallow fluff and cool whip until well combined.

Cut up the peaches, and remove the skins, and place the slices into the bowl with the cool whip mixture. Stir until the peaches are coated.

Pour the peaches into the graham cracker crust and let refrigerate for at least an hour.

Chicken & Chips

2010-08-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

When I was in law school, I did a summer study abroad program in London. I think I survived almost entirely on chicken & chips and sandwiches from Pret-a-Manger. Basically, chicken & chips is the English version of chicken tenders and fries, but with a subtly-flavored, airy, crunchy breading. The secret to a great breading is to use beer as your liquid. If you don't, your breading will take on an entirely different texture. If you've never had chicken & chips before, I urge you to try this recipe straight away. And if you have had them, this recipe is sure to cure any craving you're having.

Chicken & Chips

Recipe by Ann Burrell, adapted

Serves 2-4

Prep Time - 20 min

Cook Time - 20 min

INGREDIENTS

3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch wide sticks

1-2 lbs chicken tenders, or chicken breasts cut into wide strips
2 cups flour
2 tsp Old Bay seafood seasoning
1 tsp baking soda
Kosher salt
1 bottle cold beer

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil to 325 degrees F in a large deep, pot over medium heat. Regulate the temperature with a candy thermometer. (We used our deep fryer for this so there was no need for the thermometer). Keep the potato sticks in a bowl of water to prevent browning before frying. Remove to paper towels and dry well before placing in oil. (Drying is critical to help get the perfect texture). Fry the potatoes until they are cooked through and tender but have no color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Be sure the fries have plenty of room and gently swish them around as they are cooking, so do this in batches, if necessary. Remove them from the oil and put them immediately on a paper towel lined baking sheet to absorb any excess grease.

Raise the temperature of your oil to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, seafood seasoning, baking soda and pinch of salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and gently stir in the cold beer. Mix until just combined.

Dip the chicken tenders in the batter mixture and coat generously. When adding the chicken to the oil, dip about 1/3 to 1/2 of the tender into the oil and swoosh it around for a second to allow the batter to start puffing and then gently slide it into the oil all the way.

Fry the chicken until they are golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes turning the chicken over during the cooking time. Again, do this in batches if necessary to prevent over-crowding.

When the chicken is done, remove from the oil and put immediately on paper towels to blot the excess oil.

Working in batches, fry the fries a second time at 375 degrees F, until they are golden brown and crispy, a couple minutes. Remove them from the oil, immediately put them on paper towels and toss with kosher salt. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the fries.

Croque Monsieur

2010-08-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

When I was in France about 10 years ago, I was first introduced to the Croque Monsieur and couldn't get enough. It's a simple enough sandwich - basically a grilled ham & cheese. I've had several different ones throughout the years at French restaurants in my area, and while good, nothing really compared to the sandwiches I had in France. So, when I found this Ina Garten recipe, I had a hunch it would be good. And Ina didn't let me down. It was everything I remembered the sandwich being.

Croque Monsieur

Recipe from Ina Garten, adapted

Serves 2

Prep Time - 5-10 min

Cook Time - 25 min

INGREDIENTS

2 TBSP butter

3 TBSP flour

2 cups hot milk (not skim)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

pinch nutmeg

6 oz grated Gruyere cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

4 slices white bread (thicker is generally better)

mustard (we used regular but Dijon is traditional

4-6 slices deli ham

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat and add the flour and stir till combined. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of Gruyere, and the Parmesan. Whisk until combined and set aside.

Toast the bread by placing it on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Turn over each slice and bake for another 2 minutes.

Lightly brush two of the slices with mustard. Add about 2 slices of ham to each (maybe 3 if your bread is thick. Put a couple tablespoons of the cheese sauce on top of the ham and sprinkle with the grated Gruyere (about 1/4 of the total remaining on each). Top with another piece of toasted bread.

Slather the tops of the bread with the cheese sauce and then put the remaining Gruyere at the top (NOTE - You will have cheese sauce left over. I used my leftovers to make a really delicious mac & cheese). Bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and bake for another 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Pronto Pups

2010-08-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

If you are a Minnesotan, or you know a Minnesotan, or if you've ever been to the Minnesota State Fair, chances are you know what a pronto pup is. And you probably have very strong feelings about them. Basically, a pronto pup is like a corn dog, but with one major difference. It uses a wheat batter instead of a cornmeal batter. This makes it better.

A couple of years ago my husband wrote a nice, long description about the differences between a corn dog and a pronto pup on his blog, which he has apparently decided to no longer update. He wrote: "For those who don’t know (i.e. non-Minnesotans), the pronto-pup is basically a corndog but the hotdog is dipped into a wheat-based batter rather than a corn-based batter. It is far and away better than the corndog, although many a riot has been started at the fairgrounds over just this issue. Naturally corn-dog people are wrong, but they just don’t listen to reason. It’s a similar argument as to which stand has the best mini-donuts. Some people say Tiny Tim, and the right people say Tom Thumb."

We decided to try to re-create them one day and I think we came really close. Of course, this won't alleviate the need to start out the day with a pronto pup every time we go to the state fair. I know it's not feasible for most of my readers to ever get to the Minnesota State Fair (a.k.a. "The Great Minnesota Get-Together") but if you ever find yourself in Minnesota sometime during the 12 days before Labor Day, try to make it out to the Fairgrounds on Snelling Ave. in St. Paul.

Pronto Pups

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup plus 2 TBSP flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

3 TBSP sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup, plus 3 TBSP milk

canola oil, for frying

hot dogs

wooden skewers

DIRECTIONS

Soak your skewers in water for about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients slowly. When finished, it should be about the consistency of pancake batter. Maybe a little thicker.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.

Pour the batter into a cake pan or something else shallow.

Put the hot dogs on the skewers and coat with the batter and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce

2010-07-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

At the grocery store, I came across a bottle of roasted red pepper Italian dressing and thought it looked interesting. Unfortunately, it's a bit too strong to eat on lettuce, so I was left to figure out what I could make with it. A pasta sauce came to mind. It was delicious, if I do say so myself. The red pepper flavor came through clearly and complimented the marinara sauce beautifully.

Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce

Serves 4

Cook & Prep Time - about 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper

1 jar marinara sauce

1/4 cup roasted red pepper Italian dressing

3ish oz cream cheese

1 lb pasta (I used farfalle)

DIRECTIONS

Cook the onions and garlic in the oil for a few minutes over medium heat, until the onions begin to soften and get translucent.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Add the marinara sauce and red pepper dressing. Stir to combine. Add the cream cheese and let it melt for a few minutes. Once the cream cheese is soft, stir to combine until the cream cheese is mixed through.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Applesauce Bread

2010-07-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

I love making quick breads. They're such easy things to whip up and they make a great breakfast or snack in the morning. My husband's mom makes applesauce muffins every once in a while, and they're always great, so when I came across this recipe for applesauce bread, I knew I had to make it straight away. I loved it. However, I felt like it was missing a little something so next time I make it, I'm going to add a bit of nutmeg or allspice to give it an extra kick. I halved the recipe to make only one loaf, but next time I will definitely make the full amount.

Applesauce Bread

Recipe from allrecipes, adapted

Makes 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups flour (I did 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose)

1 egg plus one egg white

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup applesauce

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg or allspice

1 generous tsp baking soda

1/4 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.

Dump all ingredients into a bowl and mix together until well combined.

Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cuban Sandwiches

2010-07-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have to confess. I'm in love with a sandwich. Specifically, the Cuban sandwich. I don't know how I survived my nearly 30 years without them. If you've never tried one, you must. This was honestly one of the best things I've eaten in a while, and certainly the best sandwich I've had in a long time.

The Cuban sandwich is traditionally a pressed sandwich made with roasted, shredded pork, ham, cheese, mustard, and pickles. I tried a bit of my sandwich with pickles and some without and I very much preferred it without. But, I generally dislike pickles on sandwiches, so it was pretty much expected. However, I also generally dislike mustard, but I really liked mustard on this sandwich, so if you're like me, don't immediately write off the mustard.

Cubano Sandwich

Recipe by Tyler Florence, adapted

Makes 4 sandwiches

Prep Time - 10 min

Inactive Cook Time - 6 hrs

Active Cook Time - 10-15 min

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless pork roast (I used country ribs)

salt & pepper

cumin

dried oregano

2 TBSP olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 medium onion, sliced

1 cup orange juice

1 lime, juiced

1 cup chicken broth

2 bay leaves

4 Cuban rolls (baguettes would be good too)

Yellow mustard

12 slices Muenster cheese

8-12 slices deli ham

salt & pepper

pickle chips

canola oil

DIRECTIONS

Spray the ceramic of your crock pot with cooking spray. Slice the onion and place at the bottom of your ceramic. Smash the garlic, peel off the skin, and add those, too.

Heat the oil and chili flakes in a skillet over medium heat. Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Sear the meat for just a couple minutes per side. Place in the ceramic of your crock pot. Add the orange juice, chicken broth, lime juice, and bay leaves. Cook on low for about 6 hrs, or until the meat is tender enough to shred.

To prepare the sandwiches, cut the rolls in half. Put mustard on the bottom of the roll and put about 1 1/2 slices of cheese on top. Add a layer of pickle chips. Next add the pork. Season the pork with salt & pepper and drizzle a little bit of the cooking liquid over the top. Then 2-3 slices of ham, and then another 1 1/2 slices of cheese.

To cook, heat a large grill pan or cast iron skillet. Lightly coat with oil and place the sandwich(es) in the pan. Firmly press down with something heavy. Keep pressing and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side.

Roasted Chicken

2010-07-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

I went to Frontera Grill in Chicago in May and I'm only half joking when I say that it kinda changed my life. I've been making lots of recipes from his cookbook "Mexico: One Plate at a Time" and while this Chicken Adobado wasn't my favorite, it was definitely the prettiest. That's not to say it's not good. It's really delicious and extremely tender. But, it's roasted chicken, which, in my opinion, really can only be so good. Of course, I still think you should make it. Just don't expect it to forever change the way you look at roasted chicken.

Since I got this recipe from an actual cookbook, I'm not going to re-print it here. Sorry. But you really should buy the cookbook anyway.

Grandma's Zucchini Bread

2010-07-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Zucchini bread was one of my favorites when I was a kid, and nobody made it quite like my grandma. Well, truth be told, when I was a kid there were a lot of things nobody could make quite like my grandma could. This is my take on her recipe. I've tried to make it just a little healthier so you don't feel quite so bad about eating it.

Zucchini Bread

Grandma Ann's recipe, adapted

Makes 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

1/3 cup water

4 eggs

2 1/2 - 3 cups grated zucchini

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce*

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, salt, sugar, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together the canola oil, water, eggs, and lemon juice. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined. Add zucchini and applesauce and stir until combined.

Pour into pre-greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hr, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*If you want, you can eliminate some of the oil by swapping out an equal amount of oil for apple sauce. So, for example, if you only add 1/2 cup of oil, add 1/2 cup more of the applesauce, for a total of 3/4 cup.

Tandoori Chicken

2010-07-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when you need a small amount of something for a recipe, but end up having to buy a huge quantity of it because the store doesn't sell any other quantity? I recently found myself with a big tub of plain yogurt and had no idea what to do with it, aside from the half cup I needed for a stroganoff recipe. So, after I made the stroganoff, the yogurt sat in my fridge. Then, when I was looking through my recipes, I found a recipe for tandoori chicken that looked great. And it was. Even my husband, who previously thought he didn't like Indian food liked it.

Tandoori Chicken

Recipe adapted from several at Allrecipes

Serves 4

Prep Time - 10 minutes (plus marinading time)

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 medium onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP freshly grated ginger

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp ground cloves

8 chicken pieces, bone-in

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon, onion, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, garam masala, cayenne, cumin, coriander, and cloves.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Cut a few small slits, lengthwise, into the chicken pieces and place them in a ziplock bag. Place the yogurt over the chicken and refrigerate for 6-24 hrs (generally longer is better).

About 30 minutes before you're going to cook the chicken, take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter.

Preheat your grill and lightly oil the grate. Take the chicken out of the bag and shake off any excess marinade. Cook the chicken until cooked through, turning a couple times, about 20-30 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

2010-06-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

I'm always up for trying a new Chicken Parmesan recipe, so when I came across this one, I fought against my natural instinct to dismiss it because of the crazy name Guy Fieri gave it, and actually looked at the recipe to give it a try. I'm glad I did. It probably won't become my go-to recipe (mostly because it was really time consuming), but there are definitely elements I'll combine into my standard recipe. I loved the breading on the chicken, and I thought that brining the chicken made the meat a lot more juicy than normal. I also loved the crispiness the chicken got when putting it under the broiler for a couple of minutes.

Chicken Parmesan
Recipe from Guy Fieri
Serves 4
Prep Time - 60 minutes (30 minutes are inactive)
Cook Time - about an hour

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 quart water
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 lb grated Parmigiano cheese
oil, for frying
tomato sauce (make your own or use a jar - the homemade that went with this recipe wasn't worth it)
Spaghetti noodles, cooked to al dente.

DIRECTIONS
Pound the chicken breasts to about 1/2-inch. Combine the salt, sugar, and water in a large ziploc bag; shake until dissolved. Add the chicken breasts and soak at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Mix the eggs and milk in medium bowl and whisk thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine the bread crumbs, oregano, basil, parsley, sea salt, and pepper.

Remove the chicken from the brine, pat cry, and lightly dredge the chicken in the flour. Shake off the excess flour. Dredge the chicken in the egg and milk mixture. Dredge the chicken into the bread crumb mixture, and lightly pat down in the bread crumbs to adhere. Let the breaded chicken sit for 5 minutes before frying.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the broiler.

In a medium pan on medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to come 1/3 up the side of the chicken. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan when cooked and place on a sheet tray.

Top the chicken with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Place under the broiler for a couple minutes, or until the cheese bubbles.

Serve chicken over pasta and ladle marinara sauce on the top. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Fetuccini Bolognese

2010-05-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Considering it was about 90 degrees outside yesterday, I know this seems like a weird recipe to post. But, I actually made it about 2 months ago and keep forgetting to post it. So don't question my cooking/weather sanity just yet.

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect bolognese. This recipe came close, but it's not quite there. Even though I let it simmer for the full two hours, the taste of red wine was still a little strong. If I make it again, I think I'll reduce the amount of wine and maybe add some Italian sausage in with the ground meat.

Fetuccini Bolognese
Recipe from Pastor Ryan, via Pioneer Woman (adapted)

Serves 6

Prep Time - 30 minutes

Cook Time - 2 hrs

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cups Olive Oil
3/4 cup grated carrots
1 medium-large onion, diced
2/3 lb ground beef
1/3 lb ground pork
1 TBSP dried Oregano
2 TBSP dried basil
3 oz tomato paste
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry red wine (Chianti was great)
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
3 cans tomato sauce or tomato puree
1 can diced tomatoes, with juices
1/2 cup milk
salt & pepper, to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb fetuccini noodles

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and then add in the ground beef and ground pork. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.

Add the oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it. If you don’t, it’s fine (if you do, double the amount used). When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat. Add garlic and stir to combine.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together. Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you can wait the 2 hrs, really try to give it the full 2 hrs because the flavors will really develop by cooking it for so long.

Serve with pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Barbeque Sauce

2010-05-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

I know that ketchup is one of the main ingredients in barbeque sauce. So, it shouldn't have surprised me when I looked at the ingredients to my favorite barbeque sauce and saw that the first ingredient on the list was high fructose corn syrup. I was prepared for it to be high on the list, but first absolutely floored me.

A while ago, I started buying organic ketchups because we decided we like the taste of ketchup made with sugar better than ketchup made with high fructose corn syrup. Unfortunately, I went a little crazy at the store and made our fridge look like we were on a ketchup bender - we ended up with about 3 bottles of the stuff in the fridge. So, I decided to make barbeque sauce. I was a little hesitant at first, after one terribly failed attempt, but I gave it another try and I am so glad I did. This sauce had nice heat to it, and we have now tried it with both chicken and pork and it's fantastic with both. I'm glad I made a double batch.

Spicy Barbeque Sauce

Recipe from Epicurious, adapted

INGREDIENTS

2 TBSP oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped celery (I think I used 2 ribs, total in my double batch)

1 TBSP minced garlic

1 TBSP paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 cup ketchup (try to use organic)

1/2 cup beer

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion and celery and cook until tender, probably about 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices and stir. Cook for about a minute. Add the ketchup, beer, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Chicken in Milk

2010-05-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of Jamie Oliver. I was a fan of the show "Food Revolution" and am an even bigger fan of his recipes. I've had my eye on this particular recipe for a while. I had the day off yesterday and decided to make it. Then, later, I realized that I had absolutely none of the ingredients for it except the salt & pepper. So, off to the grocery store I went.

I think you need to make this chicken. Like right now. It's tender, juicy, and has amazing flavor. The meat practically falls off the bone. This picture below doesn't do it justice, but I think it does a decent job showing the beautiful color you get on the chicken from browning the chicken before the braise. Try not to let the bad picture sway you away from the recipe.

Chicken in Milk

Recipe by Jamie Oliver, ever so slightly adapted

Serves 4

Prep Time - 5 minutes

Cook Time - 1 hr, 45 min

INGREDIENTS

1 3-lb chicken

salt & pepper

1 stick butter

1/2 cinnamon stick

handful fresh sage leaves

zest of 2 lemons (I used one)

2 cups milk (I used 2%)

6 cloves garlic, skin left on

4-5 sprigs thyme (i added)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Use a dutch oven or small roasting pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt & pepper and brown on all sides. Set the chicken aside and pour the butter from the pan into a bowl (The original recipe says to throw it out but I saved it for basting).

Put the chicken back into the pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Bake for 1 1/2 hrs. (I covered it with foil for the first hour and then took the foil off and baked it uncovered for the last half hour).

Baste with the cooking juices a few times (I basted 4 times total, rotating basting with the juices and the leftover melted butter).

Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce from the pan, if desired. We didn't do this because we thought the chicken was too wonderful on its own.

Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich

2010-05-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

I really love Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwiches. In fact, I'm not sure I know a single person that doesn't love them. I do not, however, like the seemingly ever-increasing price tag that comes with them. I'd been toying with the idea of making them at home for a while, but I was a little afraid I'd end up disappointed. However, one day I brought up the idea of making them to my husband, and he was game. So, we tried them.

They were excellent. I wouldn't say they taste exactly like Wendy's, but they're really close. And, since you make them, you have the added bonus of knowing exactly what you put in them.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from various websites

Serves 4

Cook & Prep Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup Frank's hot sauce

2/3 cup water

1 cup flour

2 1/2 tsp salt (I thought this was a bit much so I would probably do 1 1/2 tsp instead)

4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp garlic powder

4 boneless chicken breasts

oil, for frying

4 buns

Mayonnaise

Lettuce

Tomato slices

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.

Mix together water & hot sauce in one bowl or shallow dish. Mix together the flour, cayenne, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in another bowl or shallow dish.

Pound the chicken just a little bit and dredgein the flour mixture, then dip in the hot sauce mixture, and then back into the flour.

Drop into the hot oil and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees F.

Serve on buns and garnish with the tomato, lettuce, and mayonnaise.

Frontera Grill

2010-05-10T20:25:00.001-07:00

I was just in Chicago and was able to eat lunch at Frontera Grill. If you ever find yourself in Chicago, you should go. It's amazing. You won't regret it.

Italian-Style Drip Beef

2010-05-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Yep. This is another sandwich. You'll love it, I swear. As you may recall, I recently blogged about Pioneer Woman's basic Drip Beef and was only so-so on it. I figured we would like this one better, and I was right. It was fabulous. It's basically everything you would want in a sandwich.

Italian Style Drip Beef
Recipe from Pioneer Woman, adapted

INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
2-3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup sherry
¼ cups Water
1 packet Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Salt
3 TBSP whole peppercorns
3-4 sprigs rosemary
½ jars (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice (I omitted, but would use next time)
cheese slices (I like Muenster)
Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

DIRECTIONS
Spray ceramic of crock pot with cooking spray and add onions and garlic. Season roast with salt & pepper and place on top of the bed of onions. Add liquids, Italian seasoning, peppercorns, salt, rosemary, and pepperoncini. Cook on low for 8 hrs.

Take the meat out of the crock pot after about 8 hrs and shred with forks. Season the meat with pepper.

Place meat and onions (if desired) on top of buns and then top each sandwich with cheese. Put in the oven or under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Croissant Panini

2010-04-25T21:10:00.001-07:00

Another day, another sandwich. I swear, I do eat more things than sandwiches lately. I hope you like this one. It's really rich and great if you need something comforting at the end of a long day.

Croissant Panini
Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, adapted
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 croissants
4 ounces Gouda, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
8 teaspoons grated Parmesan
16 slices Genoa salami
8 slices ham

DIRECTIONS
Heat a panini grill. Place about 1/3 cup gouda on each croissant. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese. Top each side with about 3-4 slices salami and 1-2 slices of ham. Put the top of the croissant on each sandwich and grill the panini until the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. (I don't have a panini press so I used my grill pan and placed a heavy skillet on top of the sandwiches. I grilled for about 3 minutes per side).

Venetian Panino

2010-04-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

There isn't a whole lot to say about this sandwich except that it's really simple, but one of the best sandwiches I've eaten in a while. So I'll keep this post simple and tell you that you have to make one. In fact, make one as a snack right now.

Venetian Panino
Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, adapted
Makes 6 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces Gruyere, shredded
4 TBSP butter, at room temperature
1 garlic clove, chopped
12 ounces sliced turkey (I think proscuitto would be great, too)
12 slices sourdough bread
6 TBSP olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Mix together the butter, cheese, and garlic in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is thick, but spreadable.

Spread the cheese mixture over 1 side of each slice of bread. Place 2 slices of turkey on top of 6 of the slices of bread. Top sandwiches with the remaining bread slices, cheese mixture side down, pressing gently to adhere.

Heat oil (about 3 TBSP) in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Cook half of the sandwiches until golden brown and heated through, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and sandwiches. Cut in half or thirds and serve immediately.

Bagel Sandwiches

2010-04-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

I almost feel silly posting this because it's so simple. However, I decided to go for it because I think these sandwiches are great and because, as I've said before, I firmly believe everyone needs basic, quick recipes for those nights where you just don't have the time or energy to cook.

This is one of my favorite sandwiches. It's incredibly satisfying and it can be put together in a matter of minutes. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Turkey Bagel Sandwiches

Cook & Prep Time - 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Everything bagels

sliced deli turkey (any lunch meat would be great - turkey is my favorite)

sliced onions

sliced tomato

sliced cheese

DIRECTIONS

Lightly toast the bagels.

Assemble the sandwiches by placing the lunch meat on the bottom of a bagel. Top with sliced onions and any other veggies you want, like tomato. Top with your favorite sliced cheese.

Bake for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese begins to melt.

Pioneer Woman's Drip Beef

2010-03-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

I love sandwiches. I really don't think there's much in the world that is more satisfying. Luckily, my husband agrees and is usually in at the mention of a sandwich.

I also love using my crockpot, especially when I use it in ways most Minnesotans don't. This drip beef sandwich recipe is a great example of this. I loved how I started this in the morning and it was all ready to go when I got home from work. My house smelled so good when I walked in the door and the meat could not have been more tender. Our one complaint is that the soy sauce flavor was a bit strong, so if I were to make this recipe again, I would probably cut the amount of soy sauce by about half.

Drip Beef

Recipe from Pioneer Woman, adapted

Serves about 6

INGREDIENTS

1 whole 3-4 lb chuck roast

1 large onion, sliced thick

3 cloves garlic, crushed & peeled

1/2 cup soy sauce (try to get low sodium)

1 cup Sherry (cooking Sherry is fine)

2 cups beef broth

1-2 cups water

3-4 sprigs Rosemary

1-2 TBSP whole peppercorns

deli rolls

sliced cheese (we used Muenster)

DIRECTIONS

Spray the ceramic part of the crock pot with cooking spray. Put onions and garlic on the bottom. Place the roast on top of the onions. Pour the soy sauce, Sherry, beef broth, and water in the crock pot. Add rosemary and peppercorns.

Cook on low for about 8 hrs.

At the end of the cooking time, take the roast out of the crockpot and pull with two forks.

Put the meat on the deli rolls, pour a bit of the liquid from the crockpot on top, and place cheese on top. Put in the oven to melt the cheese for about 5 minutes, if desired.

Serve with a bowl of the liquid for dipping.

Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy

2010-03-27T12:43:00.001-07:00

This recipe had been on my to-make list literally for years. For some reason, I shied away from making it. I'm pretty sure it's because I have a subconscious prejudice against Campbell's soup recipes. However, my current arsenal of quick recipes is dwindling so I decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did - this was delicious! The chicken had a great seasoning combination and it paired really well with the gravy. As an added bonus, it took less than 20 minutes to make, start to finish.

Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy

Recipe from Campbell's Kitchen

Serves 2

Cook & Prep Time - 15-20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp butter

1 tsp oil

1 can Cream of Chicken soup (try to get the low sodium healthy request stuff)

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream (low fat works well)

salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine the flour with the paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and combine with the oil.

Pound the chicken a bit. Pat dry. Dredge in the flour mixture and cook the chicken until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in another skillet or saucepan, combine the soup & sour cream. Bring to a low boil. Season with salt & pepper. (The original recipe said to do this in the same pan as you that you used to cook the chicken after you cook it, but I did it in a separate pan to save time).

Serve the sauce over the chicken. I served it with egg noodles, but I can imagine it would also be good with rice or a green vegetable.

Meatball Subs

2010-03-14T11:41:00.001-07:00

Over the past month and a half, my cooking has taken a bit of a different turn. I've been working later hours, so I've had to concentrate on preparing things that can be made in about 25 minutes or less. On weekends, I still try to spend some quality time in the kitchen.

I made these meatball subs on a weekend, and could easily be made ahead of time and then re-heated before you actually plan on eating them. And, they're delicious. You'll love them.

Meatball Subs

Serves 4

Prep Time - 15 minutes

Cook Time - 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 - 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp oregano

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 jar marinara sauce

hoagie rolls

Muenster cheese

DIRECTIONS

Mix together all meatball ingredients until combined. Roll into medium-sized meatballs (about 1" in diameter) and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until browned. Take the meatballs out of the oven, but keep the oven on.

After you take them out of the oven, put them in a pot with the marinara sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Place meatballs and a bit of sauce on the bottom of each roll and cover with cheese (3 meatballs and 2 slices of cheese worked great on the size roll we used). Place in the oven and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until cheese melts. Serve with extra marinara sauce on the side, if desired.

Pioneer Woman's Rosemary Rolls

2010-03-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

To go with my turkey dinner, I wanted to make fresh bread. I'd been eying Pioneer Woman's Rosemary Rolls for some time and thought they'd make a nice accompaniment.

They were great, and they couldn't have been easier. They were almost like little mini focaccia buns. They were great on their own, and I'm sure they'd be great with marinara as well, and they were delicious accompanying my gravy. You really should make them.

Rosemary Rolls

INGREDIENTS

Frozen, unbaked dinner rolls

melted butter

coarsely chopped rosemary

coarse sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Spray a small cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Place frozen rolls in the skillet and leave room for rising. Cover and let rise for several hours. Mine rose for about 4 1/2 hrs and could've used at least another hour.

After rising, brush the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with rosemary and just a little sea salt.

Bake according to package directions, usually 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are a deep golden brown.

Roasted Turkey & Gravy

2010-02-28T17:14:00.001-08:00

Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that turkey & gravy is one of my favorite meals. Because of that, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. However, despite loving turkey as much as I do, I'd never made one. So, last weekend, I decided to take the plunge and make one. I do have to say it was the best turkey I've ever eaten (no offense to my family). It was so juicy and flavorful - everything a turkey should be.

To any family members who may be reading this - don't worry.

I used this picture because my gravy-laden plate didn't

photograph very well.

To start, I brined the turkey overnight using a variation of Pioneer Woman's turkey brine:

Turkey Brine

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 gallons water

2 cups apple juice

1 cup sea salt (plus a few shakes extra)

2 cups brown sugar

4 cloves garlic, crushed

5 bay leaves

3 TBSP whole black peppercorns

1 TBSP dried rosemary

DIRECTIONS

Combine all in a really big stock pot (at least 8 qt) and bring to a boil. Stir. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow the mixture to come to room temperature. Once it cools, put in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.

Once you're ready to brine the turkey, put the turkey in a brining bag or a really huge pot and pour the cool liquid over the turkey. Place in the fridge or in another cold place up to 24 hrs.

*This recipe works for an up-to 20 lb turkey. Do not use if you're using a frozen turkey injected with a sodium solution - it works best for a fresh turkey or a frozen turkey without that sodium solution.

Roast Turkey

Once you're ready to cook the turkey, take it out of the brine and rinse it with cold water. Pat dry. Put in a turkey roaster on a roasting rack, sprinkle with a little salt & pepper, stuff the cavity with onion, celery, and garlic cloves (optional, but helps with flavor), and add a bit of liquid to the bottom of the pan, and cover tightly with foil.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs.

Just before 1 1/2 hrs, melt a half stick of butter.

After 1 1/2 hrs, remove the turkey from the oven and increase heat to 375 degrees. Baste with butter all over the bird.

Put back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove from the oven and baste again. Bake for another 30 minutes.

At this point, the turkey should be done, but if the thermometer hasn't popped up yet, baste with more butter and return to the oven. Baste every 30 minutes until the turkey thermometer pops, or the turkey is no more than 165 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Serve with mashed potatoes & gravy.

Gravy

adapted from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

4 cups turkey stock (chicken stock will work, but do try to get turkey stock)

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp poultry seasoning

~1 tsp salt (to taste)

turkey drippings, to taste (I used about 1 1/2 gravy ladles full)

DIRECTIONS

Combine butter & flour. Add turkey stock, poultry seasoning and salt and whisk together. Bring to a low boil. Add turkey drippings and whisk to combine. Keep on low until the turkey is ready.

Linguini Carbonara

2010-02-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

I confess: I've been terribly afraid of making carbonara. I love it so much, but the idea of myself trying to cook eggs with nothing but hot pasta scared me. A lot. So... I just never made it. Then, a few days ago, I decided to be brave. Despite my husband's skepticism and jokes of omelet pasta, I made it.

Wow. This was delicious. And as much as I fretted, it really was one of the easiest pasta dishes I've made in quite some time. You need to make it. Like, now.

Linguini Carbonara

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman/Pastor Ryan

Serves 2-3

Cook & Prep Time - about 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS*

1/2 lb linguini noodles

4 TBSP butter, divided

1-2 TBSP olive oil

1 small onion, diced finely

5 cloves garlic, crushed (or minced)

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 eggs

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. While bringing the water to a boil, chop up your onions and garlic.

Crack the eggs in a bowl and get them ready to mix together with the Parmesan cheese (I mixed them in my food processor).

Drop pasta in the water and cook to al dente. It's very important that the noodles stay in the boiling water until right before you mix them with the sauce. The noodles have to be really hot.

Melt 2 TBSP butter with 1-2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of a big pan. Add the onions & garlic and season with salt & pepper, to taste. Once the onions soften, increase the heat to medium-high and add wine to deglaze the pan. Cook until the alcohol burns off and the liquid reduces by about half.

Add the chicken stock and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook until the noodles are done.

In the meantime, mix together the eggs and Parmesan. Even though I did this in my food processor, I'm sure a whisk would work, too.

When the pasta is done, quickly drain it and return it to the pot. Immediately add the egg mixture and toss for several seconds. Add the liquid, onions and garlic from the pan and toss for a few more seconds. Then, add remaining 2 TBSP butter and toss until the butter melts and is combined. Season with pepper, to taste.

Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

*I'm aware that a carbonara normally has bacon in it. I don't like bacon. So I left it out.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

2009-12-18T17:35:00.000-08:00

About three weeks ago, I decided I wanted to make some sort of chicken in a wine sauce. When I decided that, I was thinking I was going to make something like the Coq au Vin I made months ago and loved. Apparently I wasn't really feeling it because it stayed on my menu planning list for almost three weeks. Then, tonight, I got inspired and ended up creating something completely different, but very delicious. We both loved this - it managed to be both light and hearty at the same time and bursting with flavor.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce

Serves 2

Prep Time - 10 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 oz egg noodles

4 chicken legs

flour, seasoned with salt & pepper, for dredging

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP olive oil

1 shallot, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4-ish cup white wine

3/4-ish cup chicken stock

1/2-ish cup whole milk (or other dairy liquid)

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dried chives

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil & butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken legs in seasoned flour. Add to pan and brown on all sides. Transfer to cookie sheet and continue cooking in the oven until the sauce is done.

Meanwhile, cook egg noodles to al dente (to have them done around the same time as the sauce, drop them after you put the chicken in the oven).

If your pan is dry, add more olive oil. Add shallots & garlic and cook until the shallots begin to soften.

Add wine to de-glaze the pan and let cook until the alcohol has burned off and liquid has reduced by at least half. Add stock, parsley, & chives, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add milk (I used some leftover whole milk, but I think any dairy you have on hand would do the same thing) and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Season with salt & pepper to taste. If the sauce doesn't get as thick as you'd like, feel free to thicken it with a cornstarch & water slurry.

Spoon the sauce over the egg noodles and chicken. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Feta-Stuffed Chicken

2009-12-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

I like feta cheese, but I don't have many recipes that use it, and most that do only use a small amount. So, I'm always looking for ways to use up whatever I have left. Sadly, I often end up letting some feta to go to waste. Then, one day, I got the idea that I could use it to stuff chicken. So, after looking around my kitchen, I came up with these feta-stuffed chicken breasts.

Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Serves 2

Prep Time - 10 minutes

Cook Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin

3-4 oz cream cheese, softened

feta cheese, to taste (I think I probably used about 1/4 - 1/3 cup)

1/2 tsp oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper

flour, for dredging

1-2 TBSP olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Mix together cream cheese with feta, oregano, and garlic. Put about 1/2 of the mixture on each chicken breast and roll up. Secure with toothpicks, if necessary.

Season some flour with salt & pepper. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and brown on all sides. If necessary to ensure the chicken is fully cooked, transfer to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownies

2009-12-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

How do you make a brownie better? You add peanut butter, of course. And, if you want to make it even better, you add rice krispies and marshmallows. What you get is brownie heaven. I remember my grandma making something similar once or twice when I was younger, and really loved them, so when I found them on a blog I read frequently, I was super excited. You must make these now.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownies

Recipe by Peabody, modified

INGREDIENTS

Brownies

1 cup butter, melted (no substitutes)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

Topping

7 oz mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 TBSP butter

1 1/2 - 2 cups rice krispies

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together all brownie ingredients. Pour into 9 x 13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just done.

Remove brownies from the oven and sprinkle with the mini marshmallows. Immediately return to the oven and bake for another 3 minutes. Remove immediately.

While the brownies are in the oven, mix together the topping by doing the following:

Place the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly, until melted. Remove from heat, add the rice krispies, and stir. Let cool for about 3 minutes and then spread over the brownies. Allow to cool completely and then chill. Serve cold.

English Muffins

2009-11-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

English muffins are one of my favorite breakfast foods. Since I successfully started making bagels, I've been interested in making English muffins. I was curious if the effort and of making them and the taste would be worth it. So, when I had some spare time on a Saturday, I tried making them. Because I love my breadmaker, I used that to knead the dough and let it rise.

They were a bit tedious to make, but in the long run, they're so much better than the ones you buy at the store. I would definitely recommend trying to make them over buying them.

English Muffins

Recipe from King Arthur Flour website (modified slightly)

Makes 16-20 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups warm milk
3 TBSP butter
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 1/4 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp yeast

DIRECTIONS

Place the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine following the manufacturer's instructions. Use the "dough" setting. After the cycle is complete, transfer the dough to a cornmeal-sprinkled surface and roll it out until it's about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out the muffins in about 3-inch rounds. Re-roll and cut out any leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet to very low heat (a hard-annonized skillet didn't work as well). Do not grease, but sprinkle with cornmeal. Cook 4-5 muffins at a time, cornmeal side down first, for about 5-7 minutes per side.

Check after about 4 minutes to see that the muffins are browning gently and are neither too dark nor too light. If they are cooking either too fast or too slowly, adjust the temperature of your pan or griddle.

When brown on both sides, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Spicy Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

2009-11-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

Amatriciana (pronounced: mah-tree-shawna) is a very traditional Roman dish. Word is that you can find it any any osteria in the region. Despite that, I've never had it in either trip to Rome. I don't know why. I think I'm probably just too obsessed with the plain spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza to branch out too much. Call me a creature of habit.

Now, as you should all know, I love simple recipes that don't take a whole lot of time to prepare. So, when I came across this recipe on foodnetwork one day, I knew I had to try it. I took a few liberties with the recipe, and we both really liked it. I can't wait to try making it again with a few simple changes.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Recipe by Michael Chiarello

Serves 4

Prep Time - 5-10 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/4 lb pancetta, cut into thin strips*

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (be generous)

2 tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 1/2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 cup tomato puree

1/4 cup chicken stock

3/4 lb spaghetti

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, and cook the pancetta until the fat begins to render out. Do not let it get crispy. Add onions & garlic and cook until the onions become translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and parsley and stir.

Add the vinegar and let cook until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Add tomato puree and stock. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add pasta to the saucepan and toss to coat. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the pasta absorbs a bit of the sauce. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

*Given the relatively high cost of pancetta around here, I'm going to try to make this recipe without it next time. I think it added something to the sauce, but I'm not sure it adds enough to outweigh the expense.

Chicken Ragu with Whole Wheat Penne

2009-10-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Whole wheat pasta was on a really good sale at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. I'd never tried whole wheat pasta before, but had always been a little curious. When figuring out what to do with it, I came across a Rachael Ray recipe that seemed like it had some good concepts. Since I'm always on the lookout for quick, delicious meals, I decided to run with this one.

In the end, we both loved it. I couldn't taste a whole lot of difference between the wheat pasta and regular white pasta, except that the texture was a little bit different. I'd absolutely make this again, and try playing around with the recipe even more next time.

Chicken Ragu with Whole Wheat Penne

Loosely based on this Rachael Ray recipe

Serves 4-6

Cook & Prep time - 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP olive oil

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

salt & pepper

1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add olive oil. Season the chicken with salt & pepper and brown.

Add onions, garlic and rosemary. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until onions get soft.

Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan and let reduce for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper and red pepper flakes.

Toss with the pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Italian Beef

2009-10-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

A while back, my husband and I were watching Man v. Food. In the episode we were watching, Adam went to an Italian Beef place in Chicago. Shortly after the episode was over, my husband suggested we try making them at home some day. So, we did. They were delicious. I can't say if they're authentic (though I would guess they're not), but they tasted great.

Italian Beef

Recipe from CDKitchen.com

Serves 2

Prep Time - 5 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 cup water

3 TBSP tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 lb thinly sliced roast beef

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 small onion, sliced

2 Italian rolls, sliced in half

DIRECTIONS

Mix together the beef broth, water, tomato paste, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the peppers, onions, and beef. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Build the sandwiches by adding the meat, peppers, and onions to the bun. Dip the buns into the jus and serve.

Cabbage & Meatball Soup

2009-10-10T16:00:00.001-07:00

When I was growing up, one of my favorite meals was my grandma's cabbage & meatball soup. I could've eaten bowls upon bowls of the stuff in a single sitting. Then, I moved away from home and away from Grandma's cooking. Sadly, I was away from my beloved cabbage & meatball soup for almost 10 years.

Recently, I found myself really craving it and decided to take a crack at figuring out the ingredients and making it on my own. I think Grandma would be proud.

Cabbage & Meatball Soup

Serves 6-8

Prep Time - 20 minutes

Cook Time - about 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 TBSP butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1-2 carrots, sliced

1 medium head cabbage (somewhere between 1/2 & 1 lb), sliced

salt & pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

2 cups beef broth

1/2 lb (more if you like) ground beef

2 tsp parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Season with salt & pepper. While the veggies are cooking, chop up the cabbage.

Add cabbage and stir. Let the cabbage cook for about 3 minutes. Add broth & water. Put a lid on the pot and let simmer.

While the pot is simmering, mix together the ground beef, salt & pepper, garlic, parsley, egg, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Form into small balls (about 1" - 1 1/2") and add to the pot. Keep the cover on and let cook for about 10-15 minutes. If the pot comes to a heavy boil, turn down the heat. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Grilled Wings

2009-09-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite restaurants in the twin cities, Khan's Mongolian Barbeque, has these really great chicken wings. I've wanted to try to replicate them for years but could never find a copycat recipe for the marinade. Finally, at the suggestion of my husband, I decided to just look through my fridge and pantry and try to come up with a similar combination. We grilled them, and they were fantastic, but I'm sure they would be great baked or fried, too.

Grilled Chicken Wings

Serves 2-3

Prep Time - 5 minutes

Inactive time - at least 2 hrs

Cook Time - 10-12 minutes

INGREDIENTS

10-12 chicken wings

4 TBSP soy sauce

3 TBSP teriyaki sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4-1/2 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients, soy sauce through pepper in a zip-lock bag. Add chicken wings and make sure the marinade coats them all. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs.

Preheat the grill and cook the wings about for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Serve as either an appetizer or a main course.

Amaretto Cheesecake

2009-09-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

I love cheesecake. I also really love almond flavored desserts. So, put the two together and you'll get something really great, right? If you answered yes, you'd be correct.

After searching through a few online recipes and it seemed most simply replaced vanilla with almond extract and/or amaretto, so I decided to give it a shot. This was easily one of my favorite cheesecakes I've ever made. It's rich and creamy and has a nice subtle almond flavor. It's the perfect ending to a really great meal.

Almond Cheesecake

Serves 8-16

Prep Time - 20 minutes

Bake Time - 1 hr

Cool Time - 2 hrs

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

3 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs, at room temperature.

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp amaretto (optional - if left out, add an additional 1/2 tsp almond extract)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Before starting, wrap your springform pan tightly with foil.

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the springform pan.

In another bowl, beat together cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk. Add eggs, almond extract, and amaretto and beat until just combined.

Pour into the springform pan. Put the springform pan in a larger pan (I use my turkey roaster because it has a roasting rack inside). Put the pan in the oven and prepare the water bath, with the pan in the oven and the oven rack pulled out, by pouring 4-6 cups water, or about 1/4-1/2 inch water, into the roaster.

Bake for 1 hr, or until the cheesecake is almost set, but still jiggly in the middle. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another 15-30 minutes until it is fully set. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hrs. Refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight.

Grilled Pizza

2009-09-05T08:31:00.001-07:00

Have you ever grilled a pizza? And I don't mean getting one of those grilled pizza pans from Papa Murphy's; I mean actually putting the crust on your grill and actually cooking the pizza on the grill. If not, you should. I know, I know, the thought of putting raw pizza dough directly on the grill is scary, but you can do it. I'll be there with you.

Grilled Pizza

Grilling a pizza is a quick process, so before you begin, make sure you have all your ingredients ready to go and outside at the grillside. So, if you're using veggies, get those chopped up and on a platter or bowl. If you're using toppings, get those ready too. If you're making sauce, get that ready, too. Having this all ready and at the grill before you get started cooking it will help you tremendously.

Heat your grill to 350 degrees.

Roll out your favorite pizza crust on a lightly floured surface. Don't worry about it being particularly pretty or organized. What matters is that it's about 1/4-1/2" thick. Put that crust on the back of a cookie sheet (or a pizza peel, if you have one) and take it out to the grill. You can use any crust you want, but I used this one from Mario Batali and it worked great.

Make sure the grate on your grill is well-oiled. Put the pizza directly on top of the grill. Trust me - it won't fall through. Cook for about a minute or two and then flip it over. Immediately after you flip, add your toppings. You should do this quickly to make sure your pizza doesn't burn.

After your toppings are added, cook for another minute or two. Remove from the grill. Let sit for a couple minutes before cutting. Your pizza will have a nice grill flavor, and will also have a great crunch like woodfire pizzas.

Coq au Vin

2009-09-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Who would've thought that when I was looking for meals that would use up all the ingredients in my refrigerator/freezer before moving to a new house, coq au vin would be what I made? I know, I was shocked, too. I had every single ingredient just waiting to be used.

For some reason, coq au vin always intimidated me a little. I really don't know why. I think it's the name. I was really surprised to find that while it took a bit of prep time, making it was super simple. It made my kitchen smell great and it was delicious.

Coq au Vin

Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence & Julia Child

Serves 3-4

Prep Time - 20 min

Cook Time - 1 1/2 hrs

INGREDIENTS

5-6 slices bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

5 cloves garlic, smashed

1 whole chicken, butchered

salt & pepper

1/4 cup brandy or cognac (optional)

3 cups dry red wine (I used Chianti)

2 cups chicken broth

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

1/4 tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

1-2 TBSP tomato paste (optional)

fresh parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Cut the bacon into 1" chunks. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add about a tsp of butter or oil to the bottom of the pot and add bacon. Let the fat render out until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, season the chicken on all sides with salt & pepper. If you like, skin the chicken before seasoning. Add the chicken to the pot and brown on all sides (about 3 min per side). Add the onions, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pan. Saute for about 2 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and add brandy. With a long match or one of those grill lighters, ignite the brandy. The flames should die down within a minute. When the flames are out, return the pan to the heat.

Add the wine and chicken stock to the pot and stir. Add the herbs and stir till well combined. Cover and let simmer for an hour. Remove the lid and let simmer for about 15 minutes. If you would like the sauce a bit thicker, whisk in 1-2 TBSP of tomato paste. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Swirl in 1-2 TBSP of butter to also help with thickening and give the sauce a nice shine.

Garnish with fresh parsley and the reserved bacon. Serve alongside your favorite starch.

**Traditional coq au vin includes mushrooms. We do not like mushrooms, so I completely omitted them. If you're into mushrooms, add two cups of sliced mushrooms at the same time you add the veggies.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

2009-08-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

I'd seen this recipe pop up on several blogs I read, and I was intrigued. I love chicken parmesan, but wasn't sure how it would trnslate into a burger. However, I've been trying to stock my arsenal with quick, easy dishes lately, so I I decided to give it a try.

We both really liked these. They definitely tasted like chicken parmesan, and the toasted buns were a nice touch. I'm sure ground turkey or ground beef would be delicious, too.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

From Elly Says Opa!, adapted

Serves 2

Cook & Prep Time - 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb ground chicken (1/2 of my 1.25 lb package)

1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, diced fine

1/8 cup parsley, chopped

salt & pepper

marinara sauce

Shredded Italian cheese

2 toasted buns

DIRECTIONS

Combine meat with Parmesan, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic, shallot, parsley, and salt & pepper. Form into two patties.

Meanwhile, heat a about 1 TBSP of butter with some olive oil in a skillet. Also heat up marinara sauce in a small saucepan.

Cook the burgers about 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Top with marinara sauce and Italian cheese and bake at 450 for about 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese gets bubbly. Serve on toasted buns.

Garlic Scape Pesto

2009-08-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

I first tried pesto when I was 17 and in Minneapolis for the spring All-State Band festival. My high school band director took myself and my fellow band geeks to Edwardo's Natural Pizza (unfortunately, now closed) for what was pretty much the best pizza I've ever had, even to this day. It was a deep dish with pesto sauce, roasted garlic, and mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan cheese.

I liked it so much that I made my parents go to this pizzeria with me the next time my family went to Minneapolis to visit family. My mom agreed with me; my dad kept complaining that there wasn't any meat on the pizza (silly dad).

I still crave that pizza occasionally.

A few weeks ago I went to the Farmer's Market and picked up a bunch of garlic scapes and decided to make pesto out of those. I was a bit nervous, but it was delicious! I wish I had made more batches to freeze.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Serves 2-3ish

Prep Time - 15 min

INGREDIENTS

10-12 garlic scapes, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine all in food processor until it reaches your desired consistency. Since I like pesto thinner, I used close to a full 1/2 cup of the olive oil, but depending on your preference, you may use more or less.

Toss with cooked pasta. I used fetuccini, but it's great on almost anything. Top with Parmesan cheese.

** Pesto also freezes really well. Store in an airtight container and it will freeze for several months.

A Serious Note

2009-07-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

While I don't normally do this, I'm going to write about something other than cooking for one post. I'm sorry to my readers who were hoping for a new recipe, but I think this is important enough to devote a post to it.

Two weekends ago, my husband and I went "up north" to visit my family and spend time at the lake. That Saturday evening was one of the scariest nights of my life. We were outside grilling burgers & pork chops for dinner, and we heard some very loud, repeated popping noises. Considering we were in the country, and basically in the middle of BFE, we both assumed either someone was playing with some leftover fireworks from the previous weekend or was shooting stuff, or something similar. However, it was really loud. And it smelled funny. And made a lot of cracking sounds. And pretty soon the sky was filled with really black smoke. It wasn't fireworks or a gun - it was a fire. And it was 3 doors down from my grandmother's house.

I immediately noticed a girl on a golf cart with a phone up to her ear so I ran over to her and asked if she was calling 911. She said no, she was on the phone with her mother. While I was confused why she found it more prudent to be talking to mom rather than the 911 dispatcher, I ran into the house and called 911. I was comforted someone had called before me, and the dispatcher informed me that the fire trucks were en route. I was told that it was a garage fire, and was instructed to make sure to stay a safe distace away.

When I got out of the house, a crowd of neighbors began to form, standing basically in the middle of the road, just watching the fire burn and marvelling at how high the flames were, how they could feel the heat from the flames even where they were. Soon more people arrived, in cars, parking on both sides of the road, leaving only a small path to drive through, and joined the crowd. Some of them even brought cameras and were taking pictures.

I have never felt so helpless as I did that night as I stood there, in our driveway, waiting for the firemen, watching the fire engulf not only the garage and takeover the storage shed and a nearby tree.

The firemen arrived about 10 minutes after I called 911. Gawkers from the area continued to gather. I actually watched two cars, and several crowds of people, either not pull over for the trucks, or fail to move out of the way.

Thankfully, the firemen were able to contain the fire in less than 5 minutes, and completely extinguish it within 10. The firemen from the nearest neighboring town even came to help out. I'm sure that every one of these men on both all-volunteer squads would've rather been doing whatever it was that they had been pulled away from. I'm sure their wives or girlfriends or families would've preferred that, too. However, their efficiency, and their obvious concern for not only the aforementioned property, but for the neighboring properties as well, was impressive.

In the end, the garage, shed, and the contents of both, including two vehicles, were completely lost, but the house and the neighboring properties remained virtually unharmed. Sure, the front of the deck was charred, and the siding had basically melted off. The siding on one side of the neighbor's garage had melted off and had some smoke damage. The front end of the neighbor's truck basically looked like melted plastic. But the homeowners still had a house to go home to. If the wind had been blowing in basically any other direction than the direction it was that night, the damage likely would've been much more significant and widespread.

I have never been so thankful to live only a few blocks from a fire station with a full-time staff.

And to all my readers, please promise me that if you see a fire or an emergency situation in your area, call 911 immediately. Please do not go out to gawk at it. Do not get in your car and drive to an area where you heard there is a fire, just so you can see it; do not use your police scanner to determine your nightly entertainment. Do not stand in the road, do not park your car so as to make it difficult to impossible for a fire truck to drive down, and do not be so oblivious as to not move out of the way for the emergency vehicles. Use common sense, stay away, and let the emergency services do their job. Just be thankful that you're safe, and hope that everyone at the affected property is safe, too.

Green Beans with Olive Oil & Garlic

2009-07-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hello, there. Remember me? Contrary to any rumors you may have heard, I haven't actually fallen off the face of the earth. In fact, I've been cooking quite a bit. I'm very excited to share this post with you, not because I think it's the beacon of culinary genius, but because it's made (almost) entirely with ingredients from my garden. This last week, I was able to pick some green beans! I decided they'd be the perfect companion to the beer can chicken my husband was grilling. And they were. So I picked them, and they were on my plate less than 20 minutes after I picked them.

By the way, have you made beer can chicken yet? If you haven't, what are you waiting for? I told you weeks ago to make it.

Green Beans with Olive Oil & Garlic
Serves 2
Total Cook & Prep Time - 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
Green Beans
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (this was from my garden, too!)
olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
grated parmesan cheese, if desired

DIRECTIONS
Wash & trim the green beans. Boil them or steam them for just a few minutes, or until they get bright green.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet and sautee the garlic until it gets soft & mellow.

Once the garlic is done, add the green beans to the skillet (I started them both at the same time and the green beans & garlic took about the same amount of time). Toss till combined. Add salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Chicken in Spicy Garlic Broth

2009-07-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

This is a great dish for those nights you've had a long day and really don't want to spend much time cooking. It has great depth of flavor and a nice spicy kick. The best part was that it only took about 15 or 20 minutes from start to finish.

Chicken in Garlic Broth

Recipe from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations, adapted

Serves 2

Total Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts, pounded a bit

1 TBSP butter & 1 TBSP olive oil

Flour, for dredging

Salt & Pepper

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 lb cooked fetuccini

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, heat butter & oil in a large pan over medium heat. Season chicken with salt & pepper and then dredge in the flour. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a covered dish or the oven to keep warm.

Add a bit more oil to the pan if it is dry, and then sautee the garlic and onions until onions are soft. Add red pepper flakes.

Add wine and scrape up any brown bits, then add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Toss pasta in the broth. Return the chicken to the pan and cover the chicken in broth.

To serve, pour some sauce over the chicken and serve next to the pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Beer Can Chicken

2009-06-28T13:30:00.001-07:00

Before I get started with this post, I have to say this: you must make this chicken. Now.

Beer Can Chicken was something I wanted to make for a long time, but didn't because I had a notion that it had to be grilled, and we didn't have a grill. So, when we got a grill, it was one of the first things I decided to make. Well, I should say that I enlisted my husband and his spectacular grilling skills to help me make it. I'm not sure why I put it off for so long - it really couldn't have been much easier and was the tastiest chicken I've ever had. You really do have to make it.

Beer Can Chicken

Recipe by Adam Gertler, via Carrie's Sweet Life, adapted

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

1 (3-4 lb) chicken

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 + 1/8 (0.375) cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup paprika

1/8 cup chili powder

1/2 tsp dried rosemary (crushed lightly)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/8 cup garlic powder

1 can beer

2 sprigs rosemary

2-3 cloves garlic

DIRECTIONS

Mix all spices together. Rub all over the chicken, including the inside cavity. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs, up to overnight.

When time to cook the chicken, open the beer and get rid of about half of it (what you do with the beer after you take it out of the can is your choice. ;) ) Put about 2 sprigs of rosemary and 2-3 cloves of smashed garlic in the can.

Put the can in a beer can holder (as seen in the picture below) and put the chicken on top of the holder.

Grill for about 1 1/2 hrs. Take it off the grill and let rest, either on the can or off the can, for about 10 minutes before carving.

Cheesesteaks

2009-06-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't been intentionally neglecting my blog. I started a new job a few weeks ago where I stare at a computer for most of my day, so when I get home, staring at my computer for more time isn't necessarily appealing. Anyway, enough excuses.

I've never been to Philadelphia. Despite its historical significance to the country, I really don't have a huge desire to go there, either. Unfortunately, that means that I probably will not ever have a true cheesesteak. I wanted to try making one at home, though, so I looked at some "recipes" online that claim to be authentic and took a jab at it.

We were both quite pleased with the results. How it compares to the real thing, I have no idea, but it's probably better for my psyche that I never know that.

Cheesesteaks
Serves 2
Cook & Prep Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb deli roast beef
1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly
1 small onion, sliced
butter & olive oil
salt & pepper
1 hoagie buns
1/3 cup melted cheese whiz or 6 slices provolone

DIRECTIONS
Season roast beef slightly with salt & pepper. Cook in equal parts butter & olive oil over medium-low to medium heat. After a couple minutes, add the onions and peppers to the pan and saute until just tender.

Meanwhile, melt the cheese whiz in a small saucepan or double boiler.

Toast the buns, if desired. Add meat, veggies, and cheese in desired amounts. Consider slicing in half to make it easier to eat, and enjoy.

Rhubarb Pie

2009-06-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

With this post, I'd like to introduce what I hope to be a new segment on this blog called "Stuff I Made with Stuff I Grew in my Backyard." Yep, that's right - I have a garden this year. I'm very excited. My first creation from my homegrown goods was a rhubarb pie.

I grew up eating rhubarb and I love it. When baked, it's somewhat similar in taste to an apple, but softer and more tart. It pairs well with berries, but I prefer it on its own. It's very easy to work with, too. When picked out of the garden, it should look like this:

Don't be alarmed... your pile should be that size. Trim off the leaves. Don't be alarmed if some of your apparently mature rhubarb stalks are more green than red - they taste the same as the deep pink ones, they just aren't as pretty. Don't eat the leafy greens. Be sure to wash the stalks well. When you're all done with that, they should look like this:

Isn't that better? Cut them up into little pieces like you would chop up celery.

For this pie, I used my regular apple pie recipe, but used rhubarb instead of apples and coated them in a bit more cinnamon & sugar than normal. The result is an amazing pie.

You must try it right away.

Fetuccini Alfredo

2009-05-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

Despite how much I love it, eating fetuccini alfredo makes me feel really guilty. My favorite recipe calls for something like 12 tablespoons of butter, over 2 cups of cream, and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty much the best Alfredo sauce ever, but healthy... it is not.

So, along came this recipe. It's great - smooth & creamy, and much healthier than my beloved recipe discussed above. It definitely won't take over the #1 spot, but will enter our regular rotation so we can leave the calorie-laden stuff for special occasions.

Fetuccini Alfredo
Inspired by Cooking Light
Serves 2-3
Prep & Cook Time - 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
8 oz uncooked fetuccini noodles (fresh or dry)
1 TBSP butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP flour
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1-2 TBSP 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cook fetuccini to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant. Add flour and whisk together. Cook for about 1 minute, wisking constantly.

Add milk and combine thoroughly. Increase heat to medium and allow it to simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.

Add cream cheese and Parmesan cheese and whisk together until cheese is melted. Toss with the cooked fetuccini noodles and top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

2009-05-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes there isn't a whole lot that's more satisfying than sitting down to a nice, hot bowl of a tomato-y soup with a grilled cheese. Sure, your exact preferences for the soup and sandwich may have changed a bit from you were a kid, but the combination is always just as satisfying.

This was the perfect twist on the old classic. The soup was nice and creamy with a nice, unexpected hint of spice and paired perfectly with my husband's excellent grilled cheese sandwiches.

Please click on the link below for a much better picture. Thanks.

Tomato Tortellini Soup
Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, adapted
Serves 4
Prep & Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1-2 TBSP butter or olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (try to get reduced sodium)
4 oz flavored cream cheese - chive & onion or garlic & herb
1 can tomato soup
1 (9 oz) package refrigerated cheese tortellini)
dash red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion & garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until onions soften. Season with salt & pepper, if desired.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook the tortellini in the broth for about 5 minutes, or until almost al dente.

Remove about 2 ladles of broth into a smaller bowl and whisk the cream cheese into the broth. Once smooth & creamy, return to the pot and stir until well-combined.

Add tomato soup and stir until combined. Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Add a dash of red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

Italian-Style Chicken & Noodles

2009-05-24T13:46:00.001-07:00

I really wanted to make this recipe for dinner. It had been on my menu planning list for about a week and a half. I'd combed through my cupboards and decided I had all the necessary ingredients. Then, I went to make it. I didn't have a packet of Italian dressing mix. So, I improvised and came up with this really tasty, really easy chicken & pasta dish. We both really liked it and will be making it again.

Italian Style Chicken & Noodles
Serves 3
Cook & Prep Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2-3 TBSP butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
2-3 TBSP flour
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
1/4 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 frozen basil cube from Trader Joe's (or equivalent)
8 oz egg noodles, cooked to al dente

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Season with salt & pepper and let cook until onions soften and begin to be translucent (about 5 minutes). If the skillet is dry, add a little more butter. Add flour and whisk together to form a roux and whisk constantly for about a minute. Add chicken broth and stir to combine.

Reduce heat to medium low and add milk. Stir and let simmer until it begins to thicken. Once thickened to your liking, add Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Reduce heat to low. Add the basil cube and stir until cube is melted and combined in the sauce.

Add chicken and cook until heated through. Serve over the egg noodles.

New Coq au Vin

2009-05-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

I've had traditional Coq au Vin in restaurants, but never made it at home. I'd thought about it many times, but never really was interested enough to spend hours cooking it. Then, I came across this recipe for New Coq au Vin on Epicurious and knew I had to make it straight away.

In addition to finding a great new recipe, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I really like the taste of braised celery. I don't really like celery, but when braised in this recipe, it took on a completely different flavor. It was delicious, and very easy. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take a picture, so you're going to have to use your imagination.

New Coq au Vin
Recipe adapted from Epicurious
Serves 3-4
Prep & Cook Time - about an hour

INGREDIENTS
6 chicken legs & thighs with skin and bone
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 garlic cloves, halved
3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 shallot or small onion, diced finely
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
handful finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS
Season chicken with salt & pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear chicken until the skin is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Cook garlic, shallot or onion and celery in skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add wine and boil, uncovered, until reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a simmer.

Return chicken to the skillet and simmer, partially covered, until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.