Wednesday

Cranberry Curd

You can be fussy about this recipe or you can take a more artisanal approach and accept a level of seeds. I'm comfortable with texture but introduce cheesecloth, if you must.

Ingredients:
4c fresh cranberries (approx. 14oz)
1/2c water
2/3c orange juice (from about 3 oranges)
5 Tbs unsalted butter
1.75c granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks and 1 whole egg

Place cranberries, water and orange juice in a saucepan, cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst - about 15 minutes.

Press cranberries through a sieve, scraping to get all the pulp out. You should have about 1.75 cups of cranberry mash. Discard the remaining solids.

Cook pulp in pan with butter, sugar and salt over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 7 minutes.

Whisk together yolks and egg. Temper with cranberry sauce and add egg mixture to cranberries and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to jar and press plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to cover. Refrigerate. 

Sunday

Thug Burritos

This roasted chickpea and broccoli burrito is complements of the Thug Kitchen blog. The original recipe, complete with colorful language, is available here.

Ingredients:
3 cups of cooked chickpeas  (2-15 ounce cans, drained)
1 large yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
1 large crown of broccoli
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lime

Spice Blend:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander or more cumin if you don’t want to go to the store
black pepper or cayenne pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Chop up the onion, bell pepper, and broccoli so that all the pieces about the size of a chickpea. Chop up the garlic real small but save for later. Place all the chopped up veggies in a large bowl with the cooked chickpeas. Pour in the oil and soy sauce, stir, and then add all the spices in. Mix until all the vegetables are covered.

Bake large rimmed baking sheet for 20 minutes. Take it out of the oven, add the garlic, and bake for another 15 minutes. Squeeze the juice of half of the lime over the pan and stir the roasted chickpeas and veggies all around. Make your burrito with your favorite additional toppings such as avocado, cilantro, and salsa.
Makes 6-8 burritos

Homemade Pizza Sauce

My favorite basic pizza sauce from Pizza and Other Savory Pies by Brigit Binns.

1/4c olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 - 15oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
up to 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
salt to taste

In a small frying an over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to scorch the garlic!

In a bowl, stir together the garlic-oil mixture, tomatoes, dried spices with 1/3c of water and 1.5Tbs of the vinegar. Seasons to taste with salt and vinegar.

Refrigerate up to one week or freeze for future pizzas.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

From Cook's Illustrated, this lovely dish serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a first course.

Ingredients:
Gremolata
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley, stems reserved
2 Tbs minced fresh mint leaves, stems reserved
1/2 ts finely grated lemon zest

Risotto
1lb asparagus, tough ends snapped off and reserved, spears cut on bias into 1/2 thick pieces
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed and sliced think (about 4c) - 2c rightly chopped greens reserved
4c chicken broth
3c water
5 Tbs butter
salt and pepper
1/2c frozen peas
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tsp)
1.5c Arborio rice
1c dry white wine
1.5oz (about 3/4c) grated Parmesean cheese, plus extra for serving
2 tsp lemon juice

Chop tough asparagus ends and leek greens into rough 1/2 inch piece. Bring chopped vegetables, reserved mint and parsley stems, broth and water to boil in large saucepan. Reduce to med-low heat, partially cover and simmer for 20 min. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return broth to saucepan; cover and set over low heat to keep warm.

Heat 1Tbs butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add asparagus spears, pinch of salt  and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4-6 minutes. Add peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to plate.

Melt 3Tbs butter into now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leeks, garlic, 1/2tsp salt and 1/2tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened, 4-5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 min. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 2-3 minutes.

When wine is fully absorbed, add 3c hot broth to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3-4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of the pan is almost dry, about 12 min.

Stir in about 1/2c hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 3 or 4 times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining Tbs of butter, Parmesan and lemon juice; gently fold in asparagus and peas.
Serve immediately sprinkling with gremolata and passing additional Parmesan.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf

A quick and easy meatloaf that has some nice additions to make it a bit different.

Ingredients:
1.5lbs ground turkey
10oz frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2c bread crumbs
1c part skim mozzarella, shredded
1/2c minced onions
2 egg whites
2 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 375*. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a greased loaf pan, pack mixure into shape. Bake for 60 minutes or until top gets golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes after baking.

Makes 6 servings
6pp

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

A great comfort food and excellent as leftovers.

Ingredients:
1c brown rice, uncooked
1lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cooked and diced
2c chicken broth
1-2 cubes boullion (I use Better than Broth base)
16oz frozen broccoli
8-10oz frozen mixed veggies
1c reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1.5c fat free sour cream
1c nonfat milk
2 Tbs whole wheat flour
1 Tbs butter
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400*. Spray 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
Prepare rice using chicken broth, enhanced with boullion, rather than water.
Blanche frozen veggies for about 3 minutes. Drain and spread evenly into the bottom of the pan. Top with cooked chicken. Sprinkle with onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Top with 1/2c of cheese and then top that with the rice.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly start adding the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Pour mixture over the rice and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8
7pp

Saturday

Holly's Bartender Margarita

This recipe has been scrawled on a kitchen chalkboard for several years and is almost to be point of being illegible, so I'm transferring it here along with the fond memories of entertaining with my dear friend, Holly!

Ingredients:
1.5 measures Tequila
Splash of cranberry juice
3/4 measure Triple Sec
3 measures Sweet and Sour mix
1/2 a lime
Grand Marnier float

Monday

Chicken Chow Mein

from Skinny Kitchen - 7PP


Ingredients for Chow Mein:

8 ounces dry whole grain spaghetti, see shopping tip
2 cups celery, sliced on the diagonally
2 cups onion, diced
5 cups cabbage, shredded
1½ cups cooked chicken breast, diced
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons vegetable oil


Ingredients for Sauce:



⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce  (6 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic, mined
2 teaspoons ginger (from a jar), see shopping tip
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti for about 6-7 minutes just until soft. Do not over cook.
2. In the meantime, prep all vegetables and dice the chicken. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, add all sauce ingredients and mix until well blended. Set aside.
4. Coat a large nonstick wok or pan with cooking spray. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in pan.
Add celery and onions and saute over medium-high heat for several minutes until onions become soft. Add cabbage and chicken. Saute another few minutes until soft.  Turn down to medium heat, add noodles and soy sauce mixture.  Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until noodles are heated through. Stir constantly to blend everything.
5. Store any leftovers in the fridge for a few days.
Makes 5 servings (each serving, 1½ cups)


Sweet and Sour Chicken


Ingredients

1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons ginger
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
⅓ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 packages Stevia, Truvia, Splenda or your favorite sugar substitute

Instructions

1. Cook rice.
2. In the meantime, coat the bottom of a nonstick pan with cooking spray. Heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken mixture from pan; set aside.
3. Coat pan again with cooking spray and heat remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Add onions, carrots, celery and red bell pepper to pan.  Sauté 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender.  Drain pineapple, reserving ¾ cup juice. Add 1½ cups pineapple chunks to pan; cook 30 seconds (Reserve remaining pineapple for another use).  Combine the reserved ¾ cup pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, flour, sugar and Stevia in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.
4. Return chicken mixture to pan. Stir in juice mixture; bring to boil. Cook 1-2 minute until sauce thickens a bit.
5. To serve: Spread ½ cup rice over each plate. Top each with about 1 cup sweet and sour chicken.
6. This dish freezes great. Mix together the chicken and rice and freeze in individual servings.
Makes 6 servings (1 cup sweet and sour chicken plus ½ cup rice)


From Skinny Kitchen- 7PP



Tuesday

Melanie's Favorite Easter Quiche

This quiche was part of our Easter brunch earlier this spring. The recipe is for a deep dish quiche, that you would make in a straight sided nine inch cake pan, rather than a pie dish. It still works fine in a pie dish, just anticipate that you will have extra pastry and extra filling, which can easily be used to make muffin-sized quiche snacks, and adjust your cooking time.

Pastry Dough   
1.75 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon table salt 
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and frozen 10 minutes 
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/4-1/3 cup ice water  
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Custard Filling  
8 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed 
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
1.5 tablespoons cornstarch 
1.5 cups whole milk 
8 large eggs plus 1 large yolk 
1.5 cups heavy cream 
1 teaspoon table salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg 
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
6 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

Instructions

  1. FOR THE DOUGH: Process flour and salt together in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add butter and pulse until butter is size of large peas, about ten 1-second pulses.
  2. Mix sour cream and ¼ cup ice water in small bowl until combined. Add half sour cream mixture to flour mixture; pulse for three 1-second pulses. Repeat with remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch dough with fingers; if dough is floury, dry, and does not hold together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water and process until dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, three to five 1-second pulses.
  3. Turn dough out onto work surface and flatten into 6-inch disk; cover disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm but not hard, 1 to 2 hours, before rolling. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature 15 minutes before rolling.)
  4. Cut two 16-inch lengths of foil. Arrange foil pieces in round 9 by 2-inch cake pan so they are perpendicular, pushing them into corners and up sides of pan; press overhang against outside of pan. Spray foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
  5. Roll out disk of dough on generously floured work surface to 15-inch circle (about ¼ inch thick). Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into cake pan. Working around circumference, ease dough into pan by gently lifting edge of dough with 1 hand while pressing into pan bottom with other. Trim any dough that extends more than 1 inch over edge of pan. Patch any cracks or holes with dough scraps as needed. Refrigerate any remaining dough scraps. Refrigerate dough-lined pan until firm, about 30 minutes, and then freeze for 20 minutes.
  6. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line dough with parchment or foil and fill completely with pie weights or dried beans, gently pressing weights into corners of shell. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until exposed edges of dough are beginning to brown but bottom is still light in color, 30 to 40 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and pie weights. If any new holes or cracks have formed in dough, patch with reserved scraps. Return shell to oven and bake until bottom is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Remove shell from oven and brush interior with egg white. Set aside while preparing filling. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  7. FOR THE CUSTARD: Cook sausage in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring to break sausage into ½-inch pieces, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Return skillet to medium heat, add rabe, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Transfer rabe to large plate lined with triple layer of paper towels. Gently press with double layer of paper towels to remove excess moisture.
  8. Place cornstarch in large bowl; add 3 tablespoons milk and whisk until cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk in remaining milk, eggs, yolk, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne until smooth and homogeneous.
  9. Scatter sausage, rabe, and mozzarella evenly over crust. Gently pour custard mixture over filling. Using fork, push filling components down into custard and drag gently through custard to dislodge air bubbles. Gently tap pan on counter top to dislodge any remaining air bubbles.
  10. Bake until top of quiche is lightly browned, toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, and center registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 to 1 ¼ hours. Transfer to wire rack and let rest until cool to touch, about 2 hours.
  11. When ready to serve, use sharp paring knife to remove any crust that extends beyond edge of pan. Holding edges of foil, remove quiche from pan; gently slide thin-bladed spatula between quiche and foil to loosen, then slide quiche to serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

From Cook's Illustrated

Sunday

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

This easy recipe would work on the grill or under the broiler.

Ingredients
1½ Tbsp Thai Fish Sauce (for marinade)
1 Tbsp Thai Fish Sauce (for sauce) 
1 Tbsp Ginger root, peeled and minced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Lime Juice (for peanut sauce)
2 tsp Lime Juice (for marinade)
1½ pound(s) Chicken breast, cut into thin 2-inch strips
6 Tbsp Coconut milk, light
3 Tbsp Peanut butter, reduced-fat
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
4 tsp Honey
1 tsp Lime zest, freshly grated
⅛ tsp Red Pepper flakes, crushed

Instructions
Combine 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of the fish sauce, the ginger, garlic, and 2 teaspoons of the lime juice in a zip-close plastic bag; add the chicken. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag; turn to coat the chicken. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, 1 hour. 

To prepare the peanut sauce, combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, cilantro, honey, the remaining 1 tablespoon each fish sauce and lime juice, the lime zest, and red pepper in a  medium bowl; whisk until smooth. 

Preheat the broiler or prepare the grill for a hot fire; spray the broiler pan or grill rack with nonstick spray. Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers, then broil or grill the skewers 4 inches from the heat, turning once, until they are cooked through, 3–4 minutes per side. Serve at once with the peanut sauce. 

Yields 4 servings with about 2 tablespoons peanut sauce per serving.
4pp

Thursday

44-Clove Garlic Soup with Parmesan

This little gem was discovered via Smitten Kitchen where she credits adapting it from Bon Appetit, February 1999. This would be a great small soup course to a multi course meal.

Ingredients:
26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 1/4 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
18 garlic cloves, peeled
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream (I think half and half would work as well)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
4 lemon wedges


Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 18 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken stock; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide grated cheese among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve.


Coconut Bread

This wonderful recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen.
Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (295 ml) milk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
5 ounces (140 grams) sweetened flaked coconut (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray for baking pan

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add sugar and coconut, and stir to mix.
Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Add butter, and stir until just smooth — be careful not to overmix.
Butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or coat it with a nonstick spray. Pour batter in pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, anywhere from 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan five minutes, before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Note: This makes a very tall loaf. A bread pan with high sides is beneficial.


Monday

Oven Steamed Mussels

We don't know why, but somehow these taste so much better oven steamed. And every single one opened!

 Ingredients:
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
4oz diced pancetta
2 garlic cloves, minced 
pinch of red pepper flakes 
1/2c white wine 
2 sprigs fresh thyme 
1 bay leaf 
1/4 tsp salt 
2# Penn Cove mussels 
2 Tbs unsalted butter 
1/4c minced fresh parsley 

 Adjust oven rack to lowest shelf and preheat oven to 500* On the stovetop, add olive oil and pancetta to a heavy dutch oven (with lid) and cook on medium heat until pancetta is crispy. Scoop out pancetta. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, thyme and bay leaf. Bring wine to a boil. Add mussels and salt. Stir to coat. Put tight fitting lid on pot and transfer to hot oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Take out of oven, push mussels to the side and add butter, stirring until melted. Add fresh parsley and reserved pancetta. Stir to coat. Divide between 2 bowl (entree size) or 4 bowl (appetizers) and serve with crusty bread.

Thursday

Penne with Tomato Vodka Sauce

Compliments of Rachael Ray

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
Coarse salt and pepper
16 oz pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread, for passing

Directions
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Gently saut̩ the shallots for 3-5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add the vodka to the pan Рthree turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce the vodka by half, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While the pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir the cream into the sauce. When the sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from the heat. Drain the pasta. Toss the hot pasta with the sauce and the basil leaves. Pass the pasta with crusty bread.


http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/rachael-rays-vodka-cream-pasta 

Shepherd's Pie


Ingredients
1.5 pounds 93 percent lean ground beef
Water
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1onion, chopped
4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped (omitted when cooking for Seth)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Madeira or ruby port
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1.25 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, peeled and chopped 
Assorted frozen veggies like peas and corn
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Mashed potatoes per your favorite recipe


Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to soften and dark bits form on bottom of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and garlic; cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add port and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. 

Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. 

Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2-inch chunks to broth, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and breaking up meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through. Add frozen veggies and cook until heatedvthrough. Stir cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water together in bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into filling and continue to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top with mashed potatoes and place under a broiler until potato crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.



French Onion Pasta

So this is on the verge of a little to 'pre-packaged' for me, but I gave it a try and I have to say I was rather pleasantly surprised. If you're willing to eat dip made with Lipton's french onion soup mix, you should try this.

Ingredients:
2 cups of uncooked penne pasta (I snuck in whole wheat pasta)
1 cup of chicken stock
1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup mix
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup of marsala wine
4 tablespoons of light cream
1 tablespoon of flour
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil



In a large oven safe saucepan, heat the oil. Add the scallions and garlic, stir continually until soft and fragrant. Add in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. A light brown fond will form on the bottom of the pan, so long as it doesn't blacken, don't worry. A nice dark brown is ok.
Add the marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on business.
Add the stock and soup mix packet, allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook your pasta al dente.
Reduce heat and add the light cream, mix well.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, stir well. Arrange evenly in saucepan and top with the mozzarella cheese. Set it under the broiler until the cheese gets a little crispy.

Tuesday

Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork in the crockpot

This recipe sounded a little more sophisticated than the gazillions of crockpot pulled pork recipes. It wasn't as simple, as you do need to make the sauce on the stove top for 25min, but it didn't fail to disappoint!

Ingredients:
for pork
2.5-3# boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat
1 onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 cup chicken broth

for sauce
1c balsamic vinegar
3/4c ketchup
1/3c packed brown sugar
1/4c honey
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Place pork, onion, pepper, herbs and broth in slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10hrs or high for 4.5-5hrs.

Make BBQ sauce by combining ingredients in heavy saucepan. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring occassionally.

Transfer meat to cutting board and shred using two forks, discarding any fat.
Strain vegetable mixture and discard liquid. Return meat and veggies to crock pot. Add BBQ sauce and stir to coat meat evenly. Adjust slow cooker to low for 1 hr.

Serve on slider buns with coleslaw and pickles.

Monday

Corn and Crab Chowder

From Rachel Ray via the Food Network. This is how I used a surplus of crab meat from my Uncle Bill.

Ingredients
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, choped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 Tbs Old Bay seasoning
3 Tbs flour
2 c vegetable or chicken stock
1 quart whole milk
3 c corn kernels (frozen works fine)
8 oz lump crab meat
for garnish: tabasco, oyster crackers, or sliced scallions

Heat a deep pot over moderate heat. Add oil and butter. Add veggies to the pot with a bay leaf. Season with salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Saute veggies for 5 minutes, then sprinkle in flour. Cook flour for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and combine.. Stir in milk and combine. Bring soup to a bubble. Add corn and cram meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning and remove the bay leaf before serving with garnish.

Fast Chicken Posole Soup

This recipe is from my mom's wonderful friend, Melanie. It's a great quick recipe that's tasty and satisfying.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c onion, diced
1/2 c celery, diced
4 fresh tomatillos, coarsely choped
2 (14oz) cans chicken broth
1 (15oz) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
2 c choped, skinless, boneless chicken breast - cooked (use a rotisserie chicken!)
1 Tbs lime junice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
for garnish:
1/2 ripe avocado
4 radishes, thinly sliced
cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat.
Add spices, garlic, onion and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
Stir in tomatillos; cook 1 min.
Add broth and hominy; cover and bring to boil. Uncover and cook 8 minutes.
Add chicken and cook 1 minute or until heated through.
Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, salt and pepper.
Serve in bowls and garnish.

Saturday

Crockpot Thai Chicken

In my search for more crockpot dinners, this was a big hit. Not too spicy and excellent served over rice.

Ingredients
2 medium onions cut into thin wedges
1.5 cups sliced carrot (3 medium)
1 small red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce 
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2-3 teaspoons red curry paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
Hot cooked rice
Chopped peanuts (optional)
Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a slow cooker, place onions, carrot, and sweet pepper. Top with chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, peanut butter, lime peel, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, curry paste, and garlic until smooth. Pour over all in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in coconut milk and peas. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Serve chicken mixture over hot cooked rice. If desired, sprinkle each serving with chopped peanuts and cilantro.