Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Gnocchi with Proscuitto, Peas, and Mushrooms

This recipe is from Anne Burrell (food network). It was Really Really Good! And while the gnocchi was time consuming, it wasn't very hard, plus it makes a ton!!!! Also, for those who don't like peas, I really thought this would taste good with spinach, or kale, or even zucchini, etc. Ohh, and also, after reading the reviews, don't add any of the extra salt until the end......I didn't need any because the proscuitto adds plenty of it!!!!!

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh peas (frozen can be substituted in a pinch)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • Pinch crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced into 1/2-inch wide slices
  • 2 cups chanterelle mushrooms, brushed or lightly rinsed and pulled apart (I just used Cremini)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 recipe Chef Anne's Light as a Cloud Gnocchi (I recommend to make a full recipe and freeze half for another use), recipe follows
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano
  • 1/2 bunch chopped chives

Directions

Bring 2 pots, 1 large and 1 medium, with well-salted water to a boil over medium heat. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Blanch the fresh peas in the medium pot of boiling water until they are cooked but still crunchy and then immediately plunge them into the salted ice water. Remove them from the ice water and reserve.

Coat a large saute pan over medium heat with olive oil. Add the smashed garlic cloves and crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium high heat. When the garlic has become golden brown and is very aromatic, remove it and discard. Add the prosciutto and saute until it starts to get crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, and TASTE to see if they are delicious (they should be!).

Add the peas and chicken stock. Season with salt, TASTE IT (it should be more delicious). Simmer until the stock has reduced by about half.

While the stock is reducing, add the gnocchi to the large pot of salted boiling water. Cook the gnocchi until they float and get very puffy. The gnocchi should be really puffy.

While the gnocchi is in the boiling water, add the butter to the pan with the mushroom mixture. Cook over low heat and swirl to incorporate. TASTE and adjust seasoning if needed.

When the gnocchi are cooked, carefully remove them from the cooking water and add them to the pan with the mushrooms. Toss or stir to combine. Cook the gnocchi with mushroom mixture until it clings to the gnocchi. Add the grated Parmigiano and the chopped chives. Transfer to serving bowls and serve immediately.

Call yourself a superstar!

Chef Anne's Light as a Cloud Gnocchi:

  • 5 large Idaho potatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano
  • 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 or 400 degrees F.

Bake the potatoes until they are fork tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check them!

While the potatoes are still hot peel and pass them through a food mill or ricer. (I find that the food mill works just as well as a ricer and is much easier to handle) onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. When doing this pay careful attention to keep the potatoes as light and fluffy as possible. This will aid in keeping the gnocchi light. Refrigerate the potatoes on the sheet tray until cold. This is also a very important step. If the potatoes are warm while adding flour they will require more flour which will result in a much heavier finished product.

When the potatoes are absolutely cold, transfer to a clean work surface. Beat together the eggs and cheese and pour onto the potatoes. Season with salt. Cover generously with flour. It should look like snow on the mountains.

Crumble the potato flour mixture between your fingers. Begin to knead the dough until it is a dry homogeneous mixture. The dough should feel slightly moist, but not tacky. If too tacky, repeat the snow on the mountains stage.

Form the dough into a large log. Cut slices off the log and begin to roll into long ropes that are about 1-inch in thickness. Cut the ropes into 1/2-inch lengths. Cover generously with flour. Place the gnocchi in a single layer on a sheet tray dusted with flour. DO NOT PILE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER!!

Use or freeze the gnocchi immediately. If freezing, place tray directly into the freezer. Once frozen, the gnocchi can be stored in plastic bags, in the freezer, indefinitely. When cooking gnocchi they can go directly from the freezer into salted boiling water.

Note: It is a general practice to take gnocchi out of the water when they float. This is a big mistake. Gnocchi need to be cooked in boiling water until they float and get nice and puffy. Not cooking gnocchi long enough will also result in heavy gnocchi.

P.S. These are Chef Anne "Secrets" to great gnocchi, use them and you will be successful every time.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Sugar-Top Coffee Cake

This is a favorite of mine. It reminds me of special occasions at our house growing up! Super yummy

1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

Beat egg until frothym add sugar and butter. Cream until light and fulffy. Add sour cream and vanilla. Bleand well. Sift dry ing. and mix. Pour into 8X10 pan. Sprinkle on topping.

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp. softened butter

Mix until crumbly and sprinkle on top.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 mins. or until it looks done. Serve warm

Cilantro Chicken

From taste of homes. Great every day type of meal

2 tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. honey
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup finely crushed corn tortilla chips
1 jar salsa (16 oz), I like to either make salsa or buy the fresh kind
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/3 cup, shredded monterey jack cheese

In a shallow bowl, combine lime juice, oil and honey. Dip chicken in like juice mixture, then coat with tortilla chips. Place in an ungreased 8x8 in pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25 mins. or until chicken is cooked through.
Combine salsa and cilantro; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. makes 4 servings.

Potatoes Supreme

a.k.a. funeral potatoes, but really good ones.

6 medium red potates, boiled and peeled
1/4 cup butter
1 pint sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (in my opinion, the sharper the better)
corn flake crumbs

cook potatoes; cool, peel, and grate. Melt butter and mix with soup. Blend in sour cream, onion, and cheese. Fold in potatoes. Spread in a 9x13 pan, greased. Top with corn flake crumbs. Cook at 350 for 1 hour. Serves 10.

you could also add chopped ham if you like it.

The Most Wondering Cherry Jello You Will Ever Taste in Your Entire Life

quite the title ehh? But really very good!

1-6 oz pkg. cherry jello
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1-3oz pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1 cup milk
2 cups cool whip

Combine cherry gelatin with 2 cups boiling water. Omit 2 cups cold water or ice cubes. Add crushed pineapple with juice and cherry pie filling. Chill. Combine pudding with 1 cup milk and beat. Add cool whip. Spread over chilled jello. Serves 8-10. enjoy!

Grandma Hicks Roll Recipe

Dissolve 2 Tbsp. yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Set aside.

Beat 3 eggs and add:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soften butter
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 scant tsps. salt

Mix until smooth then add yeast. Add more flour (about 2 cups). Should be a sticky dough. Butter a big bowl and put in dough. Let rise until double. Punch down. Butter foil and put on top. Refridgerate overnight then punch down again. roll out in morning (about 3 hrs from time needed) Then cut out with a large mouth glass jar. Dip half in butter and fold into 1/2 moons and press together. Rise until double. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

These are always very good.....but do take some preparation!

Zucchini Casserole

So I've decided to start putting recipes on here that maybe you all might already have....but I'm tired of looking through all my papers to find them.

1/4 cup chopped onion
6 cups sliced zucchini (the recipe says to peel it, but I never have)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
2 cup shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar)
8 oz stuffing mix
1 cube melted butter

Cook onion and zucchini for 5 minutes in boiling water. Drain. Combine soup, sour cream, and cheese. Add drained zucchini and onion. Combine stuffing and melted butter. Put 1/2 stuffing in bottom of 9X13 pan then put veggie mixture on and top with the other 1/2 of stuffing. Bake at 350 for 30 mins.

This is definitely an everyday kind of meal, but I really like it!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Field Greens with Blood Oranges, Pistachios and Pomegranates

This salad is very tasty. Blood oranges are a seasonal fruit mostly found around Christmas. They can be purchased at the Real Foods Store when they are available. However, when not avaibable regular oranges work but they don't have the rich color and flavor of the Blood oranges. If you use regular oranges, you may want to use some red food coloring to enhance the color.

Dressing: ( would probably recommend doubling or tripling this recipe and have a little extra on hand)

3 Tbs. fresh blood orange juice
1 Tbs. unseasoned rice vinegar ( used seasoned rice vinegar and it was fine)
1 Tbs. agave or honey
3 Tbs. hazelnut oil (This is hard to find, but they sell it at the REAL FOODS STORE. Macadamia nut oil or walnut oil could be substituted)

Mix well.

Salad:

2 blood oranges, sectioned and/ or cut up (or you can use clementines)
field greens ( I used Spring Mix)
pistachios
1/3 Cup fresh pomegranate kernals and/or dried cranberries ( can use other fruit as well. I halved some red grapes and added them)

Serves 4

Jade Pearl Rice with Vegetables

I really love the taste of this rice dish. The Rice is a specialty rice and can be purchased at REAL FOODS.

1 Cup Jade Pearl Rice (Lotus Foods)
1/3 Cup finely cut carrots
1/3 Cup finely cut celery
1/4 Cup fresh parsely, chopped
1/4 Cup grapeseed oil (also available at the health food store)
Herbes de Provence
Real Salt
Beau Monde
Pepper

Cook rice in rice cooker according to directions on package. Meanwhile, using a large sautee pan, sautee carrots and celery in grapeseed oil until slightly tender. Add parsley and 1 tsp. Herbes de Provence - cook a few minutes longer. Once rice is done, add rice to the vegetables and mix well. Season to taste with a little Beau Monde and/or Real Salt and pepper. (If it seems too dry, add a little more oil)

Serves 4

Marinated Flank Steak

These are the recipes from my healthy friend, Sue. This flank steak recipe is very easy and very tasty. The meat is very low in fat so it is healthy too!

Put 1 large flank steak in a gallon ziplock bag or container; cover in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, turning the bag over after 2 hours.

Broil or barbeque the steak for about 10 minutes on each side or until done to your preference. I would be careful of overcooking as the meat could be dry and tough. Slice in very thin slices cross grain. Serve immediately.

Teriyaki Marinade:

1 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. maple syrup (Sue says this has to be the real stuff-I got it at REAL FOODS)
1/2 C. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. minced ginger or 1 1/2 T. ground giner
1 tsp. Real Salt
1 tsp. pepper

Or, you can use Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce instead

( This marinade is delicious on chicken, too!)

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Our Favorite Lasagna

This is the recipe I've put together that we all seem to like the most. It makes a ton (I like this because of the leftovers!)

1 pkg. Whole wheat lasagna noodles (better for you, and you really can't tell the difference)
1 16 oz cottage cheese, low fat
1 16 oz ricotta cheese, from skim
1 pkg. sliced provolone cheese
1 pkg. sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pkg. Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 eggs.
1-2 tbsp. dried Parsley
one small pkg. frozen cut spinach, thawed and drained (I like to squeeze the juice out with paper towels)
1 tsp garlic powder
2 bottle's of your favorite canned tomato sauce (I like either Prego's meat flavored sauce, or classico's Italian sausage sauce)

Directions:
1.Cook noodles according to package directions, do not overcook. let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
2. mix together cottage and ricotta cheeses. Add in eggs, parsley, spinach, and garlic powder. Mix. Then add about 1/4 cup. Parmesan and mix.
3. put a little sauce on the bottom of a deep 9X13 or 11X13. Layer noodles than cottage cheese mixture than provolone and mozzarella then another layer of sauce. repeat 2 or 3 times depending on size of pan. top with more Parmesan cheese.
4. Cook 30-45 minutes. let stand for about 10 mins, and enjoy.

Rice Pudding

I made a ton of brown rice the other day and am trying to use it before we leave town so I just made this and am eating as I post. It turned out sooo yummy, it's very creamy not thick like other recipes I've tried! and it's easy

1 1/2 c. cooked rice (I used brown and it turned out great)
2 c. milk, divided (I ran out of reg, so for the rest I used evaporated)
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg beaten
1 T. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. raisins (I didn't add)

Directions:
1. put rice and 1 1/2 cups milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer for 15-20 mins, until it's thick and creamy.
2. add remaining 1/2 cup milk and beaten egg and cook for two more minutes, stirring constantly.
3. remove from heat and add butter, vanilla, and raisins if you use them.

Also, I added about a 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and that did it for me! it just enhanced the sweetness.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Deep, Dark Chocolate Brownies

Camille made these brownies for Emree's blessing, and they were so good that I actually wanted to make them (I usually don't feel this way about brownies!). Thanks Camille for finding them. Ohh and the recipe came from Melskitchencafe.com

2 sticks (8 oz) butter
8 oz good-quality semisweet chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 inch metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Alternatively, you may use parchment. These are pretty sticky at first!

Melt butter and chocolate in a 3-qt heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the hot chocolate mixture. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.

Whisk in remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time until mixture is glossy and smooth. Whisk in salt and cocoa powder, then add flour and stir until it disappears (do not overbeat).

Spread in pan and bake until a pick inserted in center comes out with crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature then chill for an hour or more. Lift from pan, place on a cutting board, cut into squares.
Makes 1 13×9 inch pan (yield depends on how big you cut your brownies, but they are rich, so small is fine.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

My version of California Pizza Kitchen's BLT pizza

We took the kids to CPK awhile back and had their BLT pizza. It was good! I studied it and decided to give it a try.

Your favorite recipe of pizza crust
1-2 T. olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2-3 tomatoes, sliced thin (I also let them sit on a paper towel for a while so they would get the pizza all soggy)
4-5 strips of precooked bacon, crumbled
shredded mozzarella cheese, how much you like on pizza.
Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 head of chiffonade (thinly sliced) cut romaine lettuce
Favorite ranch dressing (I used and a Caesar ranch dressing, it was great)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out pizza dough, brush on olive oil and evenly sprinkle garlic. Put on your cheeses. Put on tomatoes and bacon. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

While pizza is cooking toss lettuce with dressing. When the pizza is baked let it cool for a few minutes. Put the lettuce on top and enjoy! This isn't a pizza that you can save for leftovers. The lettuce wilts a little bit after awhile.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

This recipe is from Joyce....we had it at Marsha's shower and it was soooooo good!!! Thanks Joyce!

2 ½ cups cake flour
 (I used the substitution listed at end of recipe)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature

3 tbsp grated lemon zest (about 3 lemons)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

12 tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature

FROSTING:
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp buttermilk

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a glass 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Combine flour, powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl. Combine buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla.
Beat granulated sugar and lemon zest until moist and fragrant, about 1 minute. Reserve 1/4 cup of sugar mixture; cover and set aside. Add butter to remaining sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Mix until smooth about 30 seconds.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
For the glaze:
 While cake cools, whisk confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice and buttermilk until smooth. Gently spread over warm cake. Sprinkle evenly with reserved sugar. Cool completely, at least 2 hours.
Variations:
 Substitute for cake flour- 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 5 tablespoons corn starch.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Apparently these are delicious. I took them to a wedding shower, without really tasting them BTW, and (not to brag just illustrating their deliciousness) they were the hit of the night. I should have doubled the recipe because they were seriously gone in 10 minutes. Everyone wanted the recipe. So I'm sharing with you. (These look a lot harder than they are, these are just extremely detailed instructions.

MAKES ABOUT 30Lemon Cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. Lemon Zest (about 2 Lemons)
2 Tbsp. Lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
12 Tbsp. ( 1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes
1 lg. egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze
1 Tbsp. softened cream cheese
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
yellow food coloring (optional)
lemon zest (optional)

Directions Cookies:
1. For the cookies: Adjust oven racks so cookies can cook in the middle; heat oven to 375 degrees F. (Note: I'd wait until you take dough out of the freezer.)

Method 1 : Food Processor
2. In the bowl of food processor, process granulated sugar and zest until it looks damp and zest is thoroughly incorporated, about 30 seconds.
Scatter butter chunks over. Pulse until mixture resembles fine cornmeal, about 15 one-second pulses.In a measuring cup or small bowl, beat lemon juice, yolk, and vanilla until combined.With machine running, add juice/yolk mixture in slow, steady stream (process should take about 10 seconds); continue processing until dough begins to form ball, 10 to 15 seconds longer. Continue to step 3.

Method 2: Stand or Hand Mixer
2. Use softened butter.Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until wet and sandy. Cream softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients in several additions, mixing well after each addition. The dough will be crumbly.Continue to step 3.

3. Turn dough and any dry bits out onto counter (or board); working quickly, gently knead the dough together to ensure no dry bits remain and dough is homogeneous. (Note: My dough was really wet, I think it's because I didn't really measure my lemon juice and used the juice of two lemons. Anyways if it is wet roll it around in extra flour until it's not so sticky.) Roll dough into a large disk.Wrap disk in plastic wrap. Chill dough until firm and cold, about 45 minutes in freezer or 2 hours in refrigerator. (Note: don't skimp on this part, if the dough isn't cold enough it'll be really hard to work with.)

4. Spray baking sheets with nonstick spray. Remove dough from wrapping and shape into 1" balls. Place on baking sheet, spacing them about 1" apart. Place dough back in freezer between bakings.

5. Bake until edges are barely brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet about 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack, or wax paper and cool to room temperature before glazing.

Glaze
1. Whisk cream cheese and lemon juice until no lumps remain. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. (Note: I added yellow food coloring to my glaze so it would look more lemony and less eggy.)

2. When cookies have cooled, working one at a time, hold them with your fingertips on the side and dip top of cookie into glaze. Shake of excess glaze as your lifting cookie out. Turn cookie upright and give it a little shake to smooth out glaze. (Note: because I was taking them to a shower I wanted people to know they were lemon, so I added zest on top. Make sure you put the zest on right after you glaze them because the glaze dries fast.) Let glazed cookies dry at room temperature, about 1 hour.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

I got this recipe from here.

I was surprised at how good this really was. Such simple ingredients made an old boring fruit salad into something worth sharing. I also liked how the few ingredients made it special but the salad is still healthy.

*Note: This fruit salad is best served right away (or at least within an hour of making) because the strawberries tend to stain the light colored fruit. It doesn’t affect the taste at all but is a slight bummer for presentation. I just added the strawberries right before serving.

*Serves 4

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well
1 can mandarin oranges, drained well
2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons
1 cup green grapes, halved
1 cup strawberries, quartered
Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 banana, sliced into thick half moons (optional) This was my addition

Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey. Serve.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Star French Toast

I really like this recipe for French toast.

8 1 inch slices French bread
4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T. orange zest
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup butter

In medium bowl, beat together eggs, cream, honey, salt, cinnamon, orange zest and vanilla.

On a griddle, melt butter on medium high heat. Dip bread in egg mixture and brown on both sides. Serve with fresh berries and buttermilk syrup.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I know, I know. You all have lots of enchilada recipes but here is another one. I thought it was pretty good and I will throw it into the enchilada rotation. I got it as sisters cafe

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced

Enchiladas:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock, storebought (I used bouillon)
Chopped cilantro leaves
1 deli roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded - I used chicken breastsSalt and freshly ground black pepper
10 large flour tortillas
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup sour cream (plus extra for serving)

Chopped tomatoes and cilantro leaves, optional- for garnishGuacamole, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt and cilantro and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). (I just microwaved my tortillas for a second - the point is to make them soft and pliable.) Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll up. Place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top.

Garnish with cilantro and tomato.Serve hot with the remaining tomatillo salsa, sour cream, and fresh guacamole, if desired.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Cape Cod Chopped Salad

This salad is so yum! I did double the syrup because I like my dressing more sweet, but it's up to you. By Ina Garten.

Ingredients

8 ounces thick-cut bacon, such as Niman Ranch
8 ounces baby arugula
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped (see note)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons good apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup good olive oil


Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese.
For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Chop the bacon in large pieces and add it to the salad. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmigiana

This is so yummy! I love the sauce, I could just eat that over the noodles. I would recommend cutting the chicken breasts in half before cooking, they are huge if you don't. I made this before Christmas when I wasn't trying to be healthy so it is definitely not healthy but so good.

Ingredients
4 whole (up To 6) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat
½ cups All-purpose Flour
Salt And Pepper, to taste
½ cups Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)
3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Sugar
¼ cubes Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pound Thin Linguine

Preparation Instructions

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.

At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.
Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.

Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.

Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.

Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

A not very healthy and not as easy meal by Giada.:) But it was yummy! More of a Sunday meal.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette

A very healthy easy meal from Giada.

Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces ( I just used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was great)
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions
Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

So good. I made these to eat with Camille's french onion soup. Yum!

*Makes 24 muffins

For the muffins:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar and whip until smooth. Form into a log on plastic wrap or greased foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours.

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In another large bowl combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well 1/3 of the way with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice on top of the batter in each muffin well and gently press (don't press all the way to the bottom but just slightly into the batter). Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the top of the muffin (about 1/3 of the way down) comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls

A healthy every day type meal.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large red pepper, diced small
1 10-ounce package baby portebello mushrooms, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 average-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced small
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained, diced small
2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 cups of hot cooked rice
romaine lettuce leaves
sesame seeds
scallions, thinly sliced

Heat oil over medium high heat in a large saute pan. Add red pepper and mushrooms and saute for 5 - 6 minutes until tender. Add garlic and saute an additional minute.

Add chicken to pan and cook for 6 - 8 minutes or until cooked through. Stir chicken and red pepper mixture occasionally while it cooks. Add water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and hoisin sauce and stir to coat the chicken and vegetables. Continue cooking until heated through.

To serve, line a single serving size bowl with romaine leaves. Top with a large scoop of rice, some of the hoisin chicken, and a sprinkle of the sesame seeds and scallions.Alternately, you can serve the hoisin chicken mixture wrapped in lettuce leaves or omit the lettuce leaves completely and serve the chicken over rice.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

This is the best replica of Cafe Rio's I have ever made. I even wanted to lick my plate.:)

1 1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing
3/4 cup buttermilk
3-4 tomatillos
1/2 seeded jalapeno
1 bunch cilantro
1 lg. garlic clove or 2 small
juice of one lime
salt to taste

Blend all ingredient in blender until smooth and creamy.

Pomegranate Cheesecake

If you like cheesecake, you will love this. I made it for our Christmas dinner. It was time consuming, so better for a special occasion. And make it to share because if you don't you'll eat it all!

Crust:1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Filling:4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream (reduced fat worked great)
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Topping:
1 1/2 cups sour cream (again, reduced fat worked great)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pomegranate Glaze:
1-16-ounce bottle pomegranate juice (usually found in the refrigerated section of juices)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

For the crust:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl beat butter on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar. Beat until combined. Add egg; beat well. Beat in flour until combined. Divide dough in half. Cover one portion and set it aside.Remove the sides from a 10-inch springform pan and set aside. Spread first portion of dough on just the bottom of ungreased springform pan base, spreading dough to edges. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely. When cool, attach sides of pan. Press chilled dough onto the sides of the sprinform pan to a height of 1-3/4 inches, using a thin metal spatula, like an offset spatula, to spread dough.

For the filling:

reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. In an extra-large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the flour on low speed until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla all at once, beating on low speed just until combined. Mix in sour cream and lemon peel. Then, using a wooden spoon or a spatula, gently fold in pomegranate seeds (if you use the electric mixer for this part, the seeds will burst and stain the filling with the juice - and it won't look as pretty).Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 65 minutes or until edges are puffed and center jiggles slightly when gently shaken. Remove from oven. (It doesn't matter if the cheesecake cracks on top since it will have a sour cream topping.)

For the topping:

stir together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread sour cream mixture over top of baked cheesecake, spreading gently to the edges. Return to oven; bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan; cool completely. Cover; chill 4 hours or overnight.

For pomegranate glaze:

in a medium saucepan bring pomegranate juice to boiling; reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, until reduced to 1 cup (12 to 15 minutes). In a separate bowl, stir together brown sugar and cornstarch. Add to juice. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl; cover surface with clear plastic wrap. Cool to room temperature. Store, covered, in refrigerator until serving time.When ready to serve, remove cheesecake and pomegranate glaze from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving. Spoon some sauce over top of cheesecake; pile remaining pomegranate seeds in center of cheesecake. To serve, slice cheesecake. Pass remaining sauce. Makes 16 servings.

Bowtie Pasta Salad

I love salad for dinner and this was good.

Dressing:

1 cup canola oil
1/3 - 2/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce (I used 1/3 cup but you may want to add more depending on your taste)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad:
16 oz. bow tie pasta, cooked al dente, drained and cooled
1 bag fresh spinach (9 - 10 oz)
6 oz. craisins
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and slivered
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (I prefer it without the parsley, lately I haven't liked parsley)
4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted6 oz. honey roasted peanuts
2 cups cooked chicken, tossed with 2-3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients and blend until well combined and smooth. Mix about 1 cup of the dressing with the cooked pasta in a large bowl and marinate for at least one hour. Combine the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. Just before serving, add pasta and toss. Add dressing to taste and toss. Serve immediately.

Crockpot Chicken Nachos

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I'm not in the cooking mood. So when I found this recipe I was happy because it's super easy and my (Mexican at Heart) husband loved it! This recipe is super easy, and really good but not too diet friendly.

Prep Time: 3 Minutes
Cook Time: 4 1/2 Hours

Ingredients List

4-5 Frozen Chicken Breasts
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can Drained Canned Whole Kernel Corn (I used frozen corn and just added what I thought looked good)
1 (15oz) Jar of Salsa (recommend medium or I like Jacks salsa from Costco)
1 (8oz) Package of Cream Cheese

Cooking Directions

1. Take 4-5 frozen boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot
2. Add corn, black beans and jar of salsa. dump it right on top of chicken
3. Cover and cook in crock pot on high for 4-5 hours or until chicken forks apart.
4. Shred chicken and add back to crock-pot
4. Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top) and let sit for about 1/2 hour and then stir in.

I like to serve this on top of a pile of melted cheesy (Tostidas Hint of Lime) chips and garnish with salsa and cilantro. You could also just serve it on rice.

**Mine was a little runny (probably because of the frozen chicken) so if you make it the way it says use a slotted spoon to serve, or you could try fresh chicken.