Green is the New Yum

For Christmas, my husband did a super nice thing and bought me a subscription to Cooking Light.  I love this magazine!  I'm always on the lookout for good recipes that are healthy and that will not be detrimental to my current weight loss plan.  Cooking Light never fails.  The January/February edition featured so many yummy sounding recipes that I created an online recipe file to keep everything handy (I hate dealing with clipped out recipes--they're so messy!).

As we all know, Super Bowl Sunday was this past weekend.  In our family, football is something other people watch.  I don't think I have ever sat through a Super Bowl in my life, but since easy, crowd pleasing football friendly recipes were everywhere, I thought I'd get into the spirit and whip up some chili for me and the hubs.  I turned to the January/February edition of Cooking Light and found Green Chile Chili.  Wow!  This is a winner.

Not only is it easy, but it's really, really tasty.  Plus--thanks to the Cooking Light folks--it does not have a ton of calories or fat.  My Weight Watchers plan and my taste buds send major thanks to CL. 

Click over to Cooking Light's website for the recipe.  I'll show you the creation of the meal in progress.

First, I got my ingredients ready to go.

I browned some ground beef in my trusty Le Creuset, then I added chopped onions, chili powder and paprika, followed by garlic.  (The kitchen smelled so good at this point...and the yumminess just intensified as I cooked along!).

In went a bottle of dark beer that I let bubble and reduce down until there was almost no liquid left.

Then I added salsa verde and chopped green peppers (the green of my green chile chili), crushed tomatoes and kidney beans. Everything mingled together for a few hours, then I served it with shredded cheddar and tortilla chips.

OMG--this was so yummy and so easy...you better believe I am making this one again!

One Hot Dish!

Friday night I took on my first meal in 2011. I decided that I would make somehting Italian and somewhat spicey. The night before, Lydia and I had been at the meat counter in Central Market and I saw that they had loose Hot Italian Sausage and I thought about how and what I might add together to come up with a meal.

Spicey Pork Sauge and Orecchiette

1 1/2 pounds Hot Italian Sausage (removed from the casing)

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 onion diced

cooking spray

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup capers, rinsed

12 white mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 box orecchiette

parmesan cheese to top

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, spray bottom of pot with cooking oil and add, garlic, onion and pork; season with salt & pepper to taste. Heat until fully cooked.
2. Reduce heat to simmer and add tomatoes, wine, capers and mushroom. Allow to simmer for several hours; stir often.
3. Cook orecchitte according to instructions. When cooked, pour in to a large pasta serving bowl. Add sauce on top; top with parmsan cheese.

This dish was delicious, but I fear that I was the only one that really fully enjoyed it - I love the heat and the rest of my family does not (so much). Everyone had seconds, but I still have my doubts. If I make this in the future, I would use 1/2 spicey pork and 1/2 plain pork to balance out the heat.

Overall, I was happy with the dinner and I served it with a nice loaf of french bread and a spinach salad. Everyone was grateful for the chocolate ice cream that we had for dessert - I thought that the ice cream might help with the heat too!

Perfect (and Beautiful!) Banana Muffins

I love bananas and eat them almost daily.  However, when it comes to banana flavored stuff, I'd prefer to pass.  I don't know what my problem is, but I do not like banana bread, banana muffins, etc.  My sister is even worse--she doesn't like bananas in any way, shape, or form.

Because I am a big banana eater, I often end up with leftover bananas that turn soft and brown on my counter.  I hate to throw them out because my husband LOVES banana bread, muffins, etc.  I had four well-aged 'naners on my counter the other day and decided to try out a recipe I found in Nigella Kitchen (see Monday's Cookbook Corner for a book review).  The result?  Muffins that were easy and fast to make that looked amazingly beautiful.  My husband loved them, as did my parents.

Make these when you want something homemade that doesn't take a lot of time (if you like bananas, that is!)

CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS

3 very ripe or over ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin cups.
• Place bananas in the bowl of a freestanding mixer; turn on to mash up the bananas.
• With the mixer still going, add the oil followed by the eggs and sugar.  Combine well.
• In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, and baking soda). Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, beating gently.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups (note: the muffin cups will be filled up, almost to the top).
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until muffins are dark, rounded, and peaking (as Nigella says) "proudly."  Let cool in the muffin tin  for a few minutes before taking the muffins out of tin and cooling on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

NOTES:

• These really are some of the easiest, prettiest muffins I've made in awhile
• My husband has requested the addition of walnuts and/or chocolate chips the next time I make these--I think both sound right!
• Since my husband and I are on Weight Watchers, I ran this through their recipe builder.  One muffin is about 6 points...in case you care!

Cottage Pie - A New Take on Sheperd's Pie

My mother HATES mashed potatoes and will not eat them in anything. We rarely had them growing up and the only time I ever ate a Sheperd's Pie would be at a restaurant. So I was a little surprised when my Mom found a recipe in Everyday Food by Martha Stewart for Cottage Pie and wanted me to make it - the kicker, no mashed potatoes.

Here is the original recipe for Cottage Pie per Everyday Food.

3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
coarse salt & pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground beef or lamb
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 cup dark (porter) beer
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cups frozen peas
1 large russet potato, very thinly sliced

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in tomato paste. Add meat and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, 3 minutes. Add thyme and beer and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly reduced, 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Add 1 cup water and cook until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in peas and season with salt and pepper.

• Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with potatoes, overlapping slices. Season potatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake until potatoes are browned around edges and tender when pierced with a knife, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

The family really liked this dish and we served it with sweet Hawaiian rolls and salad. I added fresh mushrooms and used dried thyme. I would also like to add in pear onions to the dish, as I think that it would add a little kick to it. For my first attempt, I used ground beef, but I think the ground lamb would really be nice and give a bit more flavor too.

Anyway, thank you Martha for providing a recipe that even my Mom would like - although, I missed the mashed potatoes!

Getting Ready For Turkey Day

So Lydia told you all that she is making Thanksgiving Day dinner this year - this is one of the first years since graduating from college that I am not cooking the meal! In 2006, I listened to an interview on NPR with Greg Atkinson and he talked about brining the turkey and I thought that sounded really good - so I gave it a try. Since then, I have made a brine for my bird and have been really happy with the results.

The first thing to making a delicious turkey is to order a fresh bird from the meat department at the grocery store. I usually put in my order in mid-November and schedule to pick it up at least one day before the big day. I also try to get a 14-16 pound bird (enough to feed everyone and still have leftovers -because what is Thanksgiving without leftovers). Also for the brine, use Kosher salt.

Here's how to make your brine, based on Greg Atkinson's recipe.
1 14-16 pound turkey (fresh or thawed)
4 cups Kosher salt
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
1 gallon boiling water
1 gallon ice

• Wash out a medium-sized cooler. Unwrap the turkey, remove all the giblets and wash it well; place the turkey in the cooler.

• Make the brine. Stir the kosher salt, brown sugar, and peppercorns into the boiling water and let it steep for 20 minutes. Stir in the ice water and continue stirring until the ice has melted. Pour the cold brine over the turkey and cover the cooler. Allow the turkey to soak for 12 to 24 hours - make sure that the bird stays cool (you can use gel packs for this purpose).

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the turkey on a roasting pan and discard the brining solution. Roast the turkey until the thigh meat reads 180 degrees, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Cover the breast with aluminum foil during the last hour to prevent it from over browning. Allow it to sit for at least 20 minutes prior to carving it.
  

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds - A Fall Treat

Last week I carved pumpkins with my son. As with most kids, when he was searching for the perfect pumkin from the pumpkin patch he wanted the largest one that he could get Mom to ok. Now for him, it wasn't just because it was huge, it was because in his mind the larger the pumpkin the more seeds. He loves pumpkin seeds and always looks forward to the buttery, salty, crunchy treat that comes from some ooey, mushy diggining in pumkin guts!

Here is how I was taught to make them - as Lydia said, low and slow.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Carve your pumpkin and sort through all the pumpkin guts for the seeds. I use a large bowl to put all the cravings in and then place the seeds in a large collendar. Once I have everything sorted, I run cold water over them and pull off any remaing pumpkin pieces - you can also let them soak in cold water for about 15 minutes.

Remove them from their bath, dry them a bit and spread over a large baking pan. Generously sprinkle the seeds with salt and drop pats of butter over them. Bake for about 3 hours, turning them every 45 minutes (or so).

They should be brown (not burned/black) when done. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Enjoy!

I was also playing with the idea of making a sweet version this year by adding cinnamon and sugar (with the butter) instead of salt; my son would have none of that though.

Beef and Cheddar Pie: Warm, Hearty Fare

Warning: This is not a low calorie dish!

This meal is absolutely easy, filling and guaranteed to be devoured with no hope of leftovers, but it is not that healthy, is full of cheese and meat and should be eaten only once in a while. However, this is wonderfully delicious and is a treat to eat.

We love this meal (even my son, the picky eater likes this). We usually have a salad to go with the pie and it really rounds out the dish. Serve this on a cold night and enjoy with a nice glass of red wine!

The following recipe is taken from Country Suppers: Simple, Hearty Fare for Family and Friends by Ruth Cousineau.

Beef and Cheddar Pie

For The Filling
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beed
1 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

For The Biscuit Dough (double this recipe)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. To make the filling, cook the beef with the onions in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the beef loses all its pinkness, 5 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle with the mustard, salt, pepper, and flour and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, stirring the mixture well. Stir the Cheddar and set aside to cool.

• To make the dough, place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or two knives or rub it in with your fingers until the mixture resembles oatmeal. Stir in the 1/4 cup milk with a fork just until the dough holds together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured worktable and knead 10 to 12 times. Cut the dough in half and roll one half into a 12-inch circle. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate and spoon in the filling. Roll out the remaining dough into a 12-inch circle and drape over the filling. Trim off the excess dough and crimp the edges to seal. Cut several steam vents in the top crust and brush it with the remaining tablespoon of milk.

• Bake until the pie is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. let it rest for 10 minutes for easier slicing.
  

Mom's Artichoke Chicken

A few weeks ago my Mom was rummaging through her pantry in hopes of finding inspiration for a chicken dish. She found a can of artichoke hearts and then she turned her attention to recipes and how to make use of them. What she found was a recipe in the Southern Living Cookbook for Baked Chicken and Artichoke Hearts - it was delicious and I would happily eat this again, often. Here is the recipe.


Baked Chicken and Artichoke Hearts
6 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup canned diluted chicken broth
3 tablespoons dry sherry (Mom used Marsala)

• Sprinkle chicken with salt, paprika, and pepper. Brown chicken in butter over low heat; transfer to a lightly greased shallow 2-quart casserole, reserving drippings in skillet. Arrange artichoke hearts between chicken breasts.

• Saute mushrooms in reserved drippings 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook 1 minute. Gradually add chicken broth and sherry; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Pour over chicken and artichokes. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

This was a really good dish! Mom served it with rice and green beans & toasted almond slices. It was very much a comfort food dish and I would recommend it for a yummy take on chicken. Thank you Mom and Southern Living!

My Favorite Comfort Food: Spaghetti

Yesterday I talked about soup and sandwiches, today it's my very favorite comfort food - spaghetti. When I was pregnant with my son, I ate this everyday for a month (I was craving tomatoes and this was a way to get my fix). I love this dish because it is easy to make, can be dressed up or down, is relatively inexpensive to make, and can feed a family with leftovers!

Spaghetti Sauce:
1 lb ground beef
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 medium can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar
salt & pepper

• In a medium-large pot, brown ground beef and onion; add salt & pepper to taste. Drain all the fat when done cooking.
• Add the meat and onions back to the pot and add all ingredients. Simmer for at least 1 hour (the longer the better).
• Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles and top with Parmesan cheese.

You can add all sorts of things to this basic recipe - sub in sausage for beef, add mushrooms, carrots, or peppers to the sauce.

A Fall Favorite: Soup and Sandwich

Since fall has started to make its presence know, I have been wanting warm, soothing foods - what better than soup accompanied by a sandwich!

The following recipe is supper easy to make. The most involved part is cleaning and chopping the escarole. I made this the other day while on hold with my insurance company (I was on hold for about 25 minutes) and by the time I spoke to a human, the soup was ready! This is a really good recipe - it doesn't look or sound like much, but it is delicious and very satisfying. If you like soup, try it! It is also very low in calories (if you are watching your caloric intake).

Escarole and White Bean Soup

8 ounces escarole
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 cans of chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
salt & pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

• Cut base off escarole; rinse and drain leaves. Cut leaves crosswise into 1/4 inch wide strips.
• Set a 4- to 5-quart pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil, onion and garlic; stir often until onion is limp, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add broth and beans, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in escarole and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

I brought this to work for a pot luck and my co-worker (Jaime) made grilled apple and cheese sandwiches to go with it - it was the perfect accompaniment! The following is Jaime's recipe.

Grilled Irish Cheddar and Honeycrisp Apple Sandwiches

1/2 lb sliced Artesian Irish Cheddar Cheese (or your favorite cheddar)

1-2 Honeycrip apples, sliced thin
1 loaf Rustic sourdough bread (we had a round loaf), sliced
olive oil

• Lightly brush 2 slices of bread with olive oil (only on one side).
• To the "naked" side add a slice of cheese, then an apple slice, more cheese, another apple slice, cheese, the top with the other slice of bread.
• Either use a panini press or grill in a pan - both sides of the sandwich until the bread is nicely browned.
• Cut the sandwich in half and serve with the soup.

You will find that the cheese is gooey and the flavors are wonderful. I really enjoyed this meal! It really celebrated the flavors of Autumn and had I not been at work, a glass of wine would have made this a gourmet meal!

Monday Night Pot Luck

Continuing with the tradition of Monday night meals at work, on Labor Day we had Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff over noodles, steamed (microwaved) green beans, bread (for all the sauce) and Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake. I would love to claim credit for this meal, but it was the brain-child of my coworker, Jamie and it was delicious.

Here are the recipes for the stroganoff and cake. As you can see, both do not require many ingredients and were really yummy! FYI - my crappy pictures do not do either of these dishes justice.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

1 pound cubed beef stew meat
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
4 ounces cream cheese

Directions
In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water. Cook on low setting for 8 hours or on high setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.

Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake

Ingredients
1 can (16 ounce) crushed pineapple
1 can (30 ounce) cherry pie filling
1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup butter
Optional: 1/2 to 2/3 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Dump in the pineapple and juice, spreading evenly. Pour cherry pie filling over the pineapple, spreading evenly. Add dry cake mix evenly over the fruit. Add nuts, then slice butter and lay all over the top. Do not mix. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 - 55 minutes.

Both of these dishes were really good! The cake would go great with coffee, as the sugars in it make a nice crunchy crust that would melt in your mouth with a hot cup of joe. We had the stroganoff over noodles and Jamie and I both thought that adding a little Marsala and extra mushrooms to the recipe would really make this even more mouth-watering.

Carnitas - Straight Out Of America's Test Kitchen

Every Saturday at 4:00 pm, our local PBS station airs America's Test Kitchen. It is a 30 minute show full of great recipes, gadgets and interesting personalities - I love it and try to watch before I head off to work. A few weeks ago, they aired a show on making Carnitas which is braised or roasted pork in Mexico. This dish looked so mouth-watering good, I thought I would give it a try - and I am so happy that I did!

The meat fell apart and with the addition of a little fresh squeezed lime juice was a little taste of heaven!! I could not find pork butt at my grocery store, so I used pork shoulder and it turned out wonderfully. I also had Lydia make some fresh guacamole to go with the carnitas, because there is never a bad time to add guacamole.

This and many other recipes are available on the America's Test Kitchen website, so I encourage you to check them out and watch the show.

Here is the recipe for Carnitas - you can also watch the show (and many others) on their website!

Mexican Pulled Pork (Carnitas)

From the episode: Supper From South of the Border

Serves 6

We like serving carnitas spooned into tacos, but you can also use it as a filling for tamales, enchiladas, and burritos.

Ingredients

Pork

• 1 (3 1/2-to 4-pound) boneless pork butt , fat cap trimmed to 1/8 inch thick, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 small onion , peeled and halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lime
• 2 cups water
• 1 medium orange , halved

Tortillas and Garnishes

• 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas , warmed
• Lime wedges
• Minced white or red onion
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Sour cream

Instructions

• 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, onion, bay leaves, oregano, lime juice, and water in large Dutch oven (liquid should just barely cover meat). Juice orange into medium bowl and remove any seeds (you should have about 1/3 cup juice). Add juice and spent orange halves to pot. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover pot and transfer to oven; cook until meat is soft and falls apart when prodded with fork, about 2 hours, flipping pieces of meat once during cooking.
• 2. Remove pot from oven and turn oven to broil. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl; remove orange halves, onion, and bay leaves from cooking liquid and discard (do not skim fat from liquid). Place pot over high heat (use caution, as handles will be very hot) and simmer liquid, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy (heatsafe spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 8 to 12 minutes. You should have about 1 cup reduced liquid.
• 3. Using 2 forks, pull each piece of pork in half. Fold in reduced liquid; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread pork in even layer on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet or on broiler pan (meat should cover almost entire surface of rack or broiler pan). Place baking sheet on lower-middle rack and broil until top of meat is well browned (but not charred) and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip pieces of meat and continue to broil until top is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Serve immediately with warm tortillas and garnishes.

Easy Meal: Chicken Curry

Some of my favorite meals are ones that you put in a big pot, place on simmer, walk away and eat a few hours later. Chicken curry is one of those dishes! You can pretty much use what ever you have on hand and end up with a dish that is both delicious and easy and if you manage to have leftovers, heat up well and taste even better the next day.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons curry paste
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced (I use shredded carrot about 1/2 cup)
6-8 mushrooms
1 zucchini, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup cashews, toasted and chopped

Directions:

• In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, add the curry paste and stir well. To the chicken, add the onions and carrots and cook until translucent.

• Turn down the heat to simmer and add the coconut milk and chicken broth; stir well. Cover and allow to simmer at least 1 hour; stir occasionally.

• One half hour prior to serving, add the mushrooms and zucchini and allow to simmer.

• When ready to eat, serve over rice and top with some of the chopped cashews.
  

I cheat and use a curry base from A Taste of Thai - you can find this right in the grocery store and their products are really good! You can multiple meals out of the curry pouch too and the leftover paste can be stored in the refrigerator.

Sausage & Hasbrown Breakfast Casserole

So I started a new job about a little over a month ago and one of the things that my coworkers like to do is eat and do themed pot lucks - I love it! Our most recent one was breakfast and I wanted to make something that would be relatively easy and could also reheat well, I came up with the following casserole.

Ingredients:
1 pound pork sausage (not in casings)
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 mushrooms
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/3 cup sour cream
10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 pound frozen hash browns
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Over medium-high heat, saute the sausage; remove from heat and place in a bowl. Using the grease from the sausage, cook the onions and mushrooms. Saute until the onions are translucent; add this to the sausage when done.

• In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, soup, milk and seasonings.

• Prepare a baking dish by lightly greasing it (I use Pam for this). Pour the hash browns in the bottom of the dish. Add the meat mixture over the hash browns and pour the sauce over the meat.

• Top with cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes.

This is delicious right out of the oven. I let it cool and took it to work and refrigerated it until we were ready to eat. I cut out servings and microwaved them for about a minute and it was still really good. This was very easy to make and it seemed to go over well at work too!

Grilled Peaches

Summer fruits are my favorites - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, nectarines, cherries, and peaches. I love them fresh, in pies, cakes, cupcakes, etc., but I have never tried to cook fruit on the grill. I was already going to make chicken on the grill and had an apricot marinade going (see Monday's blog) and I wondered how a grilled peach would do to accompany it? Answer - DELICIOUS!

Here is what I did...

3 large peaches
2 tablespoons olive oil
Chipotle powder, light sprinkle on each
Sea salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp brown sugar per peach
1 pat of butter per peach

• Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits; I looked for firm peaches (I thought that if they were too ripe, they might fall apart). Pour olive oil on a baking sheet or plate and lightly coat the peaches. Sprinkle with Chipotle powder, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Place butter over seasonings.

• Place on hot grill over high to medium-high heat, seasoned side up. Grill for 3-5 minutes. The skin should have a slight char and the butter & sugar should be melted.

• Remove from heat and eat up!

These were really easy to make and everyone loved them. You could make more than 3 - I did one per person. You could also make this a dessert and serve them with ice cream or whipped cream. I thought that they paired well with the grilled chicken though. The peaches were sweet, but also had a little heat from the Chipotle pepper and they were perfectly cooked - not too firm and not mushy.

Apricot Grilled Chicken

Time for me to make dinner, time to get out and grill up something yummy! For this meal, I had boned, skinned, chicken breasts and a request for more grilled polenta. Here is what I came up with...

Ingredients
4 chicken breast, halved
1/4 cup Apricot jam
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup Chardonnay

• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine jam, garlic, ginger, onion, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper and Chardonnay; whisk until well combined. Remove 4 tablespoons of the marinated to a smaller bowl, cover and refrigerate.

• In a large zip locked bag, add the chicken and the majority of the marinade; close the zip locked bag, coat well and refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour.

• Prepare grill and get the temperature to medium-high. Add the chicken and cook for approximately 10 minutes per side. You don't want to overcook the chicken or it will be really dried out and burned - so check it and adjust your grill as needed. When you have about 2 minutes left to cook, baste the chicken on each side with the marinade that you removed earlier.

I served this with the grilled polenta that I blogged about earlier - the grilled polenta has become a family favorite and grilled peaches (see Wednesday's blog). I think that this would have also made tasty kabobs, you would just need to cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, soak some skewers and cut down on the cooking time. I thought that the marinade lent itself well to the chicken and I enjoyed the balance of savory and sweet.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Since Aidan and I went blueberry picking last week, we have lots of fresh, juicy, delicious berries to eat! I was flipping through various recipes and remembered this one from my favorite cookbook, The Southern Living Cookbook.

I have made this recipe before, but I have never used fresh blueberries. It is a really easy recipe and the muffins are really good! They have lots of berries, are soft and tasty, and have a crunchy streusel top. They make a wonderful breakfast or dessert and really compliment coffee!

Muffin Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen can also be used)

Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 cup butter, softened

• Cream butter; gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, beating well.

• Combine 2 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and fold in blueberries.

• Spoon batter into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and cinnamon; cut in 1/4 cup butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle on top of muffin batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately. Yield 1 1/2 dozen.
  

Farfalle with Hot Italian Sauge, Mushrooms, & Peas

I threw this dish together one night and it got rave reviews from the family. I was asked to write the recipe down so that I can make it again. I modeled this recipe after one that I saw in Giada De Laurentiis's cookbook, Everday Italian - her recipe is for Orecchiette with Spicy sausage and Broccoli Rabe. I changed it up a bit to make the family happy (Lydia HATES broccoli) and I thought adding peas and mushrooms would be delicious. Plus when I was buying ingredients, I could not find Orecchiette for under $6.50, but the Farfalle was on sale for $1.00 per box (so I went with bow ties).

Salt
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
1 box Farfalle (bow tie) pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds hot Italian sausage
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

Place the frozen peas in a large strainer. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the frozen peas (in the strainer) to the boiling water for about 30 seconds; remove from the boiling water and set the peas aside. Cook the Farfalle in the same boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite (approximately 12 minutes), stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until the sausage is brown and the juices form, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the peas and pasta and coat well. Add enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and pepper and transfer to a pasta bowl.

Serves 6.

Vaction Food, Part 2

In my real life, I don't get to cook much.  I've mentioned it before, but my husband has a crazy/awful work schedule (he gets home at 9:30 pm), so I don't get to cook dinners the way I'd like to.  When you have to reheat dinners, you tend to go with things that won't dry out in the microwave...argh!  The mister's schedule is the bane of my existence.

One awesome part of being on vacation was getting to actually COOK a few meals.  I even grilled a few times (that's a big deal for me since I don't own a grill, thank you very much).  Here's one of the better meals I made:

Argentine Grilled Steaks with Peppers and Onions
I found this yummy sounding steak rub called Argentine Steak Rub while wondering around Cost Plus prior to vacation.  The spice rub contains salt, pepper, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, and fennel.  Unlike Greta, I love fennel (side note: have you ever tried grilled fennel? OMG...so amazing!).  Since the spice rub was already mixed and ready to go, I thought this would be an easy option for vacation cooking.

I bought a packet of sirloin steaks from the grocery, rubbed them down with a generous amount of the Argentine Steak Rub and then grilled them over a hot grill.  I like my steaks bloody (red and dripping!) but the hubs prefers his meat to be more on the "done" side, so I let the steaks go a little longer than I would have if I were just cooking for myself.  I let the meat rest and then sliced it up.  I was happy that there was still some pink, even if the blood wasn't running the way I like it.  I squeezed a lime over the sliced meat and served it with tortillas, peppers, onions, and guacamole.

I love fajitas--the combo of onions, peppers, and meat can't be beat!  So to add to my dinner, I sauteed some red, yellow and orange peppers with a Walla Walla sweet onion in olive oil.  I threw in garlic, salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of sugar to the peppers/onions and let them get good and cooked.  Nothing is better than caramelized onions and peppers!  I usually add thyme to my onions and peppers, but I wanted to keep things simple since I knew the meat was going to add all the herbs and spices I needed.

I also smooshed up an avocado together with a few cloves of garlic, a few scoops of already-made (store bought) salsa, and the juice of a lime.  I've been craving guacamole ever since my molcajete experiment, so I did a quick and easy version to satisfy my culinary urges.  Let me say this right now: I am freaking awesome with an avocado!  Though my quick guac paled in comparison to the real deal I made recently, it was fresh and yummy.  I even got my husband to try some and he actually liked it (this is a big damn deal!).

To finish the dinner off, I threw some tortillas in foil and tossed it onto the grill.  The bottom tortilla got slightly burnt by the grill, but this was a happy accident.  We used it to scoop up the guac when we were done with dinner, and I swear--that was better than any dessert I could have whipped up!

Burnt tortillas & guac--a happy accident!

Even though I had to cook and my poor (but well-fed) husband had to clean, this was one of the best meals we had all vacation.  I still have no plans to buy a grill, but I could get similar results on my grill pan, in the dead of winter when I need to conjure up some summertime memories.

A Morning At The Farm

We live north of Seattle above the Snohomish Valley - that is filled with farms. On one of my recent trips in to Snohomish, I noticed a large ad for Mountain View Blueberry Farms - U Pick Blueberries and was reminded of the fun I had last year taking my son picking (and eating). I checked out their website, found their hours and asked Aidan if he would be up to blueberry picking with Mom - he gave me a big YES!

Aidan and I got up around 08:30, had a good breakfast, covered ourselves in suntan lotion and then headed out to pick some berries! We were there for a little over an hour and picked about 3 pounds of berries (about $6.00 worth). We both had fun together and the weather was perfect for picking berries! The blueberry season will continue to the mid-to-end of August, so we will probably get the opportunity to go again!

Tips for picking fruit: Check the farm's website before you go! Lots of places only take cash and can be open at off days/times. Make sure you wear sunscreen and hats - my kid complains about being sticky, but a sunburn is not fun or safe. If you are going for a long time, make sure that you take water with you and some wet wipes for your hands. Picking the fruit right at the farm is a really nice outing for the family and the results are fresh fruits that you can all enjoy!

Here is a recipe for Fresh Blueberry Coffee Cake (from my trusted Southern Living Cookbook):
1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Glaze (3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon warm water, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; combine all ingredients, stirring well)

• Combine blueberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly. Set aside.

• Cream butter; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

• Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in almond extract.

• Spoon half the batter inot a greased 10-inch Bundt or tube pan; spoon on half the berry sauce, swirling partially through batter with a knife. Repeat with remaining batter and berry sauce. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until done. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from pan. Invert onto serving plate, and drizzle with glaze.