Summer Quinoa

This recipe was found on Pinterest but I've adjusted the measurements to my own proportions to suit my taste.


Southwest Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup fresh or frozen thawed corn
3/4  red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mango
less than 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (use less if you don't like the spice) small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
juice from 1 lime
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric

Steps:

Cook quinoa according to package directions and let cool. If using frozen corn in this recipe, you can throw the kernels in to thaw out. You may have to drain some liquid from this mixture.

Then, mix together the beans, quinoa, corn, bell pepper, mango, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a mixing bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and turmeric in a small bowl.

Drizzle over the mixture and toss. Refrigerate until use.

AVOCADOS!

I LOVE avocados. Growing up they just seemed yucky. But my 10 year old self just didn't know what she was missing. I can eat them cut up or if you put a bowl of guacamole in front of me, it WILL disappear quickly. So when I found these two recipes both using avocado and liked them, I knew they needed to be blogged so I wouldn't forget to use them again. FYI, I didn't make these on the same night nor the same week but they are both so easy and tasty. They aren't my recipes since both of them were found on Pinterest but I did make some ingredient tweaks here and there.

Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa Pockets

Ingredients:

cooking spray
1 large puffed pastry sheet, thawed
1 avocado, mashed
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/3 cup salsa
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten

(you probably won't use the full amount of all the ingredients with the exception of the pastry sheet)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. 
2. Once thawed, cut pastry sheet into 9, 2 by 2 in squares.
3. On half the squares, place a dollop of avocado, then cream cheese, then salsa. 
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place remaining squares over filling. Use a fork to seal down edges so nothing seeps out.
6. Brush eggwash over top of each pocket square.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 



Heirloom Tomato Caprese w/ Avocado

Ingredients:
2 Heirloom tomatoes, cubed
2 avocados, cubed
2 balls of fresh mozzarella, cubed/sliced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
handful of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Place tomatoes, avocados, and cheese in a large bowl.
2. Pour oil over and add basil.
3. Toss and season.

Mmm!

Being healthy doesn't have to be boring or bland. In fact, it can be downright tasty as was last night's dinner. Well, except for all that cheese. I suppose that wasn't so healthy but who's counting? Instead of traditional elbow pasta, I tried a quinoa version. I didn't even miss the extra carbs. And this version had the extra protein, iron, and fiber. Win! This is what I used:

I also made a new brussels sprouts recipe. I love them these days! Here are both recipes:

Mac n Cheese with Roasted Chiles
Adapted from Southern Living
makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
4 poblano chile peppers
1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni or quinoa pasta
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup milk
3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 (4-ounce) package goat cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cu  shredded Parmesan cheese
Steps:

1. Broil chile peppers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet 5 inches from heat about 5 minutes on each side or until chiles look blistered.
2. Place chiles in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel chiles; remove and discard seeds, and cut chiles into strips. Set aside.
3. Prepare macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
4. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in cream and milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
5. Stir in 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, crumbled goat cheese, and salt until smooth. Stir in roasted chiles and macaroni.
6. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top evenly with Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
7. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with remaining Monterey Jack cheese.
8. Broil 5 inches from heat about 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts
Source: Southern Living
Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 pounds brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small red onion, cut into slivers (1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
Steps:

1. Rinse brussels sprouts; remove discolored leaves. Cut off stem ends and thinly slice brussels sprouts. (They should look shredded.)
2. Heat butter and oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add shredded brussels sprouts, garlic, and onion slivers. Saute 10 minutes or until brussels sprouts are tender and onion is lightly caramelized. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a serving bowl. Add vinegar and brown sugar to skillet. Simmer over medium heat 30 seconds; pour over brussels sprouts, and toss gently. Serve hot.

  
  

Soup and Salad

I don't have a lot to say today so I just stopped by to post a recipe and a salad idea. This salad will be in regular rotation for me once summer hits (which it kind of feels like it has.)

It's arugula tossed with a quality olive oil and some apricot-infused balsamic vinegar. Then, I added in some toasted pecans, sliced strawberries and goat cheese.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Ingredients:
3/4 tsp of minced garlic
2- 2 1/2 lbs. red potatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 chicken boullion cube
4 cups water
8 oz. package of cream cheese, cut into small pieces
cheddar cheese, shredded
chives
bacon (optional)

Steps:


Put garlic, potatoes, pepper, salt, boullion, and water into the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.  Thirty minutes before the time is up, mix the cream cheese into the soup and let it blend together. Serve in bowls and garnish.
 

Penzeys and Fishy Times

Have you ever shopped at Penzeys? This is one of my new favorite places! They recently opened a store in Sandy Springs but you can also shop online or through their catalog. One of my cooking friends turned me on to this place. There have a really nice variety of spices and better prices than the grocery store. Though this might not be true if you have steep shipping prices. So you may want to see if there is a brick and mortar store in your area. The spices here also seem fresher than the ones bought at the grocery store. You can even smell them while you shop (if you go to a store.) So far, I've gotten the following spices: Sunny Paris, Fox Point, Bold Taco Seasoning, and Chicago Rub. Their catalog has some good recipes as well which leads me to what I made...Baked Tilapia and the healthier side dish. I halved the recipe for the fish. You might remember me saying that I hate cooking fish at home and rarely do it because of the smell. I don't know if it was the type of fish or the fact that it was marinated first, but no smells here!

Baked Tilapia with Sunny Paris
Source: Penzeys Catalog

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia filets
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice, plus additional lemon to squeeze over fish
1 cup panko crumbs
2-3 tsp. Sunny Paris seasoning (purchased from Penzeys)

Steps:

Combine olive oil and lemon juice in a bag or container. Add the tilapia and slosh to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for up to an hour.

Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl, combine crumbs and seasoning. Remove fish from marinade place in the bowl making sure to coat both sides of the fish. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil that is sprayed with cooking spray. Don't crowd the filets. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes or until the crumbs start to brown.

Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower
Source: Cuisine at Home

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 lb. cauliflower florets
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup buttermilk or 2% milk
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
Chives, chopped


Steps:


Boil potatoes, cauliflower, and garlic in a pot of salted water until tender when pierced with a fork (15ish minutes). Drain, return vegetables to the pot and cook over medium heat until excess water is evaporated.

Mash vegetables with milk and butter using a hand mixer on low speed or potato masher utensil. Season and top with chives.

A Dinner Success or Disaster?

I love to cook, I really do. But there are some days that things go wrong and it makes you want to smash all your dishes and and throw your hands up and say "let's just order a damn pizza." But that wouldn't have worked for me since I just made a pizza the other day, right? I decided I wanted to make spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, roasted brussels sprouts and a chocolately dessert. In the end, everything was wonderful. It just took me awhile to get there.

I started prepping for the meal by making the table and cutting up all the veggies, etc. I put the tomatoes in my blender to puree them for the tomato sauce. But since I was wearing a silk dress, I realized I better put on an apron which was in one of the top kitchen cabinets. I grabbed a chair so that I could climb up and reach it. While standing up there I thought about this perfect dinner I was making and then had a bad thought...I was too smug and I was either going to fall and break something or something from the cabinet would fall and break. I spot my apron and start to pull it down when two huge light bulbs not in packages (I DID NOT PUT THIS IN THERE) came flying out and crashed down along the way. The glass managed to get all over my counters, floors, in my toaster, cabinets, and in some of my cooking utensils. My poor cats were terrified and didn't know what to do. See picture:

After some foot stomping, I carefully picked up and vacuumed all the shards. This also required me to do some kitchen cleaning and delayed my dinner plans. Finally as I get back on track and don my apron, I puree the tomatoes. I go to take the blender apart so I can pour the tomatoes into the pan with the onions and garlic I just sauteed and then the blender BREAKS APART and the tomato sauce goes all over me in my dress and apron and the rest of it all over my just cleaned kitchen. I think I had one of those my life is over moments. But after calming down and cleaning yet again, a grocery store run was made for more tomatoes thus delaying this dinner even more. But luckily after that, everything was back on track and the dinner came out beautifully. I've blogged this spaghetti recipe before but I'm sharing it again since it's so good. I'm linking up the recipes but at least I have some pictures! One tip: Buy San Marzano tomatoes if you can budget it. It really does make a difference! Oh and check your blender before you put them in there...

Spaghetti & Meatballs

I added some freshly grated parm after I took the picture.

Garlic Bread

No picture but the only change I made was to leave out the cheese and parsley.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Aside from the dessert, this was my favorite part of the meal. I know they look burnt but they are not. The charred part was pure deliciousness. The insides were really tender and the charred outside had a similar taste and texture to kale chips. This was the easiest part of the whole meal as well.

Dessert! This was the first time I made this and it was pretty much amazing not to mention so simple. If you need something easy to impress dinner guests, this is it. I did forget to sprinkle the sugar over the top though but cut me slack. It was a rough night!

Chocolate Spiced Cabernet Molten Cakes
My ramekins were about 4 oz. a piece and this recipe made three servings.

 

Ingredients:

 1/2 stick of butter plus extra for greasing

2 oz. Semi-Sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup confectioners sugar plus extra for garnish 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Cabernet Sauvignon

1 egg yolk

1 egg

3 Tbsp flour

very tiny sprinkle of ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Steps:

Use butter to grease ramekin dishes and preheat oven to 425. 

In the microwave, heat butter and chocolate for one minute. Whisk together briefly to blend. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and wine. Then add eggs. Lastly, stir in flour and spices until well blended. 

Divide batter into ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 13 minutes.  Let stand for one minute and then use a knife to loosen the edges. Invert onto a plate and sprinkle with the confectioner's sugar. Serve warm.

Slow Cooker Short Ribs Plus A Veggie

Yay for easy recipes, right? I'm on a roll this week. This was a delicious and easy meal. There are two recipes in this post one for the ribs and the other for the veggie. These are from other blogs so I will just link them up here with my own pictures.


Crockpot Korean Short Ribs
I bought grass-fed already cut short ribs at Whole Foods so I didn't do the whole uncut ribs. Also, I only bought 2 pounds which was more than enough food for two people. As you can see, I served it over Basmati rice.

Roasted Broccoli

 With this one, I only bought one package of broccoli which equated to 1 pound so I adjusted the measurements accordingly. Like the blogger, I left the basil out as well though I did throw in a few pine nuts.

Happy New Year

So, I've been a bad blogger. I keep forgetting to come back and post the recipes I've been making and the wine I've been drinking. In fact, the one that I want to share today was made over a week ago... I think this year I will either do something more with this blog or do something completely different. Either way, I will keep trying new recipes and drinking wine of course.

These empanadas were delicious and the slaw went wonderfully with them. However, I wasn't totally crazy about the cheese sauce but others may love it. I can't even remember if I took a picture of these or not. Sorry!

Empanadas con queso (with Jicama Slaw)
 Source: inspired by recipe in Cuisine At Home

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground sirloin or sirloin steak (minced)
1/2 tsp. Cajun spice
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup frozen corn kernals
1/4 cup thick salsa
2 Tbsp. beef broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded


Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss meat with seasonings.  Add oil to a pan and cook meat over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Remove from pan.


In the same pan, cook onions for a minute. Then stir in corn, salsa, and tomato paste. Simmer until thick and then add meat back to the pan. Simmer briefly. Spread mixture on a pan and chill briefly in the freezer while you prepare the rest.

Roll out pastry sheet and cut 4 (or more) circles. Whisk together egg and water.  Place 2 Tbsp of meat mixture in the center of the circles. Fold pastry over mixture and seal edges with a fork.

Place Empanadas on a baking sheet and brush with egg mixture. Pierce the tops to vent steam.  Bake for 15 minutes.

While Empanadas are baking, prepare sauce. Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook one minute and then whisk in milk until well combined. Gradually stir in the cheese until it melts. Season as needed.  Drizzle over Empanadas.


Jicama Slaw
makes 2 cups. Source: Cuisine At Home

Ingredients:
2 cups jicama, peeled and julienned
1/3 cup carrots, peeled, shredded
2 Tbsp scallions, minced
1 Tbsp jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt  

Steps:
 Combine all veggies in a bowl. Whisk together juices, oil, honey, and salt. Pour over slaw mixture and toss well.
 

Tequila in My Salad?

So I made another awesome soup. And this one definitely had a kick to it so I was glad I made the pepper salad. I think the zestiness of the salad complimented the spice factor nicely. It was an unusual salad but excited me for the use of tequila alone!

"Cool Nights" Chili with Chicken, Corn, and Chipotles

Source: Sunday Soup

Ingredients:

5 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or 5 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon grd cumin
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken stock
1 (28 ounce) can italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped
3 1/2-4 cups fresh corn kernels (or frozen corn kernels, thawed)
2 (19 ounce) cans dark  kidney beans, rinsed and drained 
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
lime wedges

 Steps:
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large, deep-sided pot (with a lid) set over med-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and saute until light golden, for 4-5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and drain on paper towels.

Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan; when the oil is very hot, add onions and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, for 3-4 minutes. Return sauteed chicken to the pan.

 

Stir together the flour, chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; sprinkle the mixture over the onions and chicken, and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add in stock, tomatoes, and chipotles; bring mixture to a simmer. Decrease heat, cover, and cook until chicken is fork-tender and mixture has thickened slightly, for 25-30 minutes. Add in corn and beans; cook for 10 minutes. Taste chili and season with salt, if needed.

 

Garnish each serving with a generous dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. Squeeze lime over the top.

 

Red, Yellow, and Orange Pepper Salad with Tequila-Lime Dressing

Source: Sunday Soup

 

 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

1 1/2 tablespoons tequila

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled

 

1 medium red bell pepper

1 medium yellow bell pepper

1 medium orange bell pepper

mixed greens

2 teaspoons chopped cilantro

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

 

 

 

Steps: 

 

Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and zest, tequila, salt and red pepper flakes in a small, non-reactive bowl. Add the smashed garlic clov.

 

Stem the peppers and halve them lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and membranes. Cut halves into 1/4 inch thick julienne strips. Put peppers in a large nonreactive bowl and toss with the dressing. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.

When ready to serve, remove and discard the smashed garlic clove from the marinated peppers. Add the lettuce and cilantro to the bowl and toss to combine. Season salad generously with salt and pepper.

 

 

French Lentil Soup with Garlic Sausage plus Salad

Sometimes the best dinners are the simple ones. One of my favorite things to have for dinner is a simple (or fancy) grilled cheese sandwich with a cup of tomato bisque. While we didn't have that last night, we did have a pretty simple meal consisting of soup, salad and a Black Pepper Parmesan roll from the Whole Foods bakery (yum.) Somehow I clicked delete when transferring my pictures over so I don't have any today. And my salad looked so pretty but for whatever reason my soup didn't look like the picture in the cookbook. There's had a black base which I couldn't quite figure out. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

French Lentil Soup with Sausage 
Makes 6 full cups
taken from Sunday Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup carrots diced (1/4" dice)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery diced 1/4" dice)
3 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
6 ounces kielbasa or garlic sausage -- cut into 1/4" dice
2 teaspoons thyme dried
9 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 pound Puy lentils (these are green lentils that can be found in the bulk section of WF)
kosher salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


  Steps:

Heat oil in a large pot (with a lid) over medium heat. When hot, add the carrots, onion, and celery. Cook stirring often, until the vegetables are just softened, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage, and thyme, and cook 1 minute more.

Add the stock and bay leaves, and bring mixture to a simmer over high heat. Stir in the lentils, then reduce heat, cover and cook at a gentle simmer until tender, for about 50 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove the garlic pieces and transfer to food processor. Using a slotted spoon, strain 1/2 cup solids (vegetables and sausage) from the soup and puree them with garlic pieces in a food processor or combine them with garlic pieces in a small bowl and smash with the back of a fork. Stir the pureed mixture into the pot; this will thicken the soup slightly. Taste the soup and season with salt, as needed.

To serve, ladle the soup into soup bowls and sprinkle with some parsley over each serving. 






Simple Salad Dressing Recipe for Mixed Greens

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Combine vinegar,  mustard, salt and several grinds of pepper in a bowl. Whisk to blend. Next whisk in the olive oil. Cover and refrigerate or serve right away.

Cajun Pasta and Da Beans

Okay so maybe you can get sick of pumpkin. I'm admitting defeat. Me and the pumpkin are taking a little break because I may have eaten a little too much of that yummy cake in my last post. But a good friend of mine sent me some pumpkin butter in the mail for my birthday so I'm pretty sure this will be a quick break so I can jump right in to that. Said friend also sent me an awesome soup cookbook from Crate & Barrel. I can't wait to share some of those recipes with you!

Last night's dinner was really good and didn't take long at all, maybe 30 minutes. The key to this meal is to make sure you time everything just right so that the pasta and the sauce are ready at the same time. (It would also help to have the green beans finished then as well.) Oh and of course, don't forget the wine! Also, I halved the actual recipes listed.

Brown Butter Beans
Source: Cuisine At Home

Ingredients:
4 cups green beans or haricot vert
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt, pepper

Steps:
Boil green beans for 4 minutes in a large saute pan. Drain,
Use pan to melt butter over medium-high heat until light brown.
Stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
Deglaze pan with lemon juice. Remove from heat.
Add beans and toss before seasoning.


Cajun Shrimp with Fettuccine
inspired by recipe from Cuisine At Home
makes 6 cups

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. FRESH fettuccine
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 lb. turkey kielbasa, sliced
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup green onion, chopped

Steps:

Bring water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Prepare sauce while water boils. Drain pasta.

Saute kielbasa over medium-high heat in a pan about 1 minute on each side. Add shrimp and garlic. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Be careful not to overcook. Remove shrimp and kielbasa from the pan.

Deglaze the pan with sherry. Scrap up the brown bits in the pan.

Add cream, butter, chicken broth, and cayenne to the pan. Then add the pasta, kielbasa, and shrimp back in. Off heat, mix in the egg yolks and parm. (The heat will cook the yolks.) Garnish with green onions.

Seriously Good

I'm really excited about this recipe because it was fairly easy and the results were amazing. I had always had bolognese sauces with pappardelle which is delicious too but I was missing out all these years. Creamy polenta is the way to go but not just the packaged kind. Try preparing your own, it's quick and easy. I will definitely be making this again. While it tastes good, it unfortunately doesn't make for a really pretty picture.

Beef Bolognese Sauce
makes 6 servings
Source: www.CuisineAtHome.com

Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. ground chuck (I used grass-fed sirloin instead)
1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage, crumbled (I like to use the spicy version for a kick)
1/2 cup onions, minced
1/2 cup carrots, grated
1/2 cup celery, grated
3 T. tomato paste
1 T.  garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry red wine
1 can crushed tomatoes (14.5 oz.)
1 cup heavy cream (less if you don't want the added fat)
salt and pepper
fresh parsley
grated Parmesan


Steps:

Brown the beef and sausage in olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.


Add onions, celery, carrots, tomato paste, garlic, and bay leaf. Saute about 5 more minutes.

Deglaze pan with wine; bring to a boil and simmer until almost evaporated. Stir in tomatoes and cream, simmer over medium-high heat 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over polenta.

Garnish with parsley and parm.

Creamy Polenta
makes 4 cups
Source: www.CuisineAtHome.com

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
2 T. olive oil


Steps:

Bring broth, milk, salt, and pepper to a boil. Whisk in the cornmeal, reduce heat to low and continue stirring for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in cheeses and oil. Serve with sauce.
 

Don't Knock The Sprouts, Kids

Okay, I can't totally blame someone whose first reaction to brussel sprouts is "yuck." If anyone offered me some sprouts when I was younger my response would have been something along the lines of "that's nasty." But I was oh so wrong. In fact, brussel sprouts are freaking delicious especially if you roast them in a pan with a little olive oil. Who knew that something with such a bad connotation could be so yummy. I'm sharing a recipe that I liked and will hopefully get you to start loving brussel sprouts if you don't already.

Brussel Sprouts Hash
as seen in the AJC - serves 4

Ingredients: 
1 lb. brussel sprouts, rinsed, dried, ends removed
1/4 lb. bacon, diced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 Fuji apple, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
salt
pepper


Steps

Cut sprouts in half and slice.  Set aside.

In a large pan/skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Set cooked bacon aside.

Add butter to the pan. Once the butter stops foaming, add the onion and cook until lightly browned about 7 minutes.

Add sprouts and toss. Cook until sprouts begin to brown. Then add the apple.

Stir in the vinegar to scrape brown bits off the pan. Add stock and cook until almost all liquid is reduced.  Add bacon and season with salt and pepper before serving.

A New Pork Chop Option and Some Greens

I have a new quick and easy recipe for pork chops. I tried it last night and it was delicious! The preserves that I used were a Peach Chipotle. It was a great flavor because it had a spice flavor to it that felt perfect for fall. If you can't find a jam/jelly in this type of flavor, I'm sure you could substitute it with something else you like. I used this one which I picked up at a local farmer's market.

On the side, I made some mustard greens. At least I think they were mustard greens. My father-in-law grew them in his garden with some other things and I have to be honest, I don't know my greens at all. Either way, I used this recipe to make them and they were pretty awesome. I guess you could say I was celebrating the pork last night.

Chipotle Peach Pork Chops

2 8-oz. Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin Chops
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup Chipotle Peach (or similar flavor) jelly preserves
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 cup scallions, sliced 

If you get really thick pork chops, you may want to cut them in half so that they will cook faster.

Spray a pan with cooking spray and set to medium-high heat. Cook pork chops until fully cooked about 160 degrees. Depending on the thickness of the chops, it should be around 6 or 7 minutes for each side.

Remove the chops from the pan to make the sauce. In the same pan, cook onions until they are lightly- browned.

Next, add the garlic, jelly, soy sauce, and salt. Stir until blended and let thicken. Once thickened, add chops back to the pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle in the scallions and serve excess sauce over the pork.

Simple Salad Doesn't Have To Be Boring + Pork

The following two recipes will both serve two people and are really easy to make on a weeknight since they don't require a lot of materials or time. The salad looks really simple since there are essentially no toppings. However, Arugula is really flavorful in itself and the dressing adds a good punch. I may have even heard "this might be the best salad dressing that I've ever had" uttered last night. The pork chops were tasty as well and satisfied my craving for some traditional comfort food.

Dressing for Arugula

Ingredients:
lemon
shallot
honey
dijon mustard
salt
pepper
extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of finely chopped shallots, 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. dijon mustard, and 1/4 tsp of each salt and pepper. Next, add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and whisk until blended.  Pour over a few cups of arugula. Enjoy!

   
Panko-Crusted Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 Center-cut boneless pork chops
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup Panko crumbs (Japanese section)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp and 1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Steps:

Pound pork chops to about 1/2 inch thick. (Think cutlets). Season with the 1/4 tsp sea salt.

In a shallow dish, mix thyme, crumbs, pepper, and 1 tsp salt.

Coat the pork chops in the egg and dredge through the mixture making sure to press the crumbs into the chops in order to coat completely.

Heat both the oils over medium high heat and then add the meat.  Cook about 6 minutes on each side or until they turn golden and reach 160 degrees.

 

Stir-Fried Napa Cabbage

Don't be turned off by the title of this post. (I know I probably would be.) I mean who really gets excited about cabbage or the effects it has on people...

But if you like thai food, this side dish is a must! I wasn't totally excited about making it because again it's cabbage but it was SO delicious. I actually could have eaten this as my meal. But, I love Thai food and this incorporated so many Thai-like flavors. If I hadn't made it myself and someone asked me what I thought was in this, I probably would have said things like lemongrass, curry, or coconut milk. I would have been wrong since it doesn't even use any of those ingredients. Give it a try!

Stir-Fried Napa Cabbage with Garlic, Fresh Chile & Basil
 Source: Fine Cooking

Ingredients:

1 head of napa cabbage
1 Tbsp canola oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (found with the asian foods in the grocery store)
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt
1/2 medium serrano chile, chopped but not seeded
1/4 cup freshly torn basil leaves
2 to 3 tsp fresh lime juice
2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal


Steps:

Slice the cabbage in half lengthwise. Position one half cut side up and slice it across the middle at the point where the leafy top gives way to the white stem. Remove the core. Slice the stem end lengthwise into 1 1/2 in wedges and cut the wedges crosswise. Cut the leafy half in the same way. Keep leaves and stems separate.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add oil to coat pan.

Cook the garlic and stems for about 2 minutes.  Add the fish sauce, salt, chile, and sugar. Toss. Stir-fry another 2-3 minutes.

Add the leaves stirring quickly until barely wilted.  Remove wok from heat and add the basil and lime juice. Season with salt and garnish with scallions.
   

Best Saturday Night At Home Ever!

Saturday night is usually date night in my mind which to me means going out to eat. So it's pretty rare that I (we) make dinner on a Saturday. But I think my mind on that matter is forever changed. We decided that we wanted to BBQ (I think that can be used as a verb?) at our house. The main part of the meal was a smoked brisket that was so so good. We smoked it on our deck all day long with hickory wood chips and then poured some Big Al's Kansas Style BBQ sauce over it. I kind of felt bad for our neighbors. Our street smelled divine and the neighbors were having a birthday party. I imagined that when their guests arrived they said "oh, it smells wonderful" and then realized that they were being served hotdogs or something like that. :-p

If you are interested in the process for smoking the brisket, let me know and I can post the detailed instructions. With the brisket, we had country-style biscuits and mexican-style corn.  For dessert, I made a lower-fat cinnamon chocolate bread pudding.

Okay so, I am not a corn-on-the-cob kind of girl. I don't dislike it but I can easily pass it up at a cookout. This is yet another thing I have changed my mind about if it is prepared like this. I thought the corn was out of this world delicious. I don't even like mayo usually but YUM. I highly recommend trying this since it was pretty easy and so worth the minimal effort required. While I probably wouldn't change a thing, I think you could try it with sour cream instead of mayo and cayenne or paprika instead or chili powder if you wanted to.

Mexican Corn-on-the-Cob
Serves 3

Ingredents:

3 ears of corn (husks and silk on)
Canola/Vegetable Oil
Mayonnaise
1 lime, quarterd
Red chili powder
Parmesan cheese, grated

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Put corn in a large pot. Cover with water.  Bring water to a boil and cook for a minute. Take corn off the stove and rinse with cold water.
3. Peel husks and silk.
4. Brush corn with oil.
5. Roast corn in roasting pan for 30 minutes.
6. Let corn cool before slathering on the mayo. Then, squeeze lime juice over the corn.
7. Next, liberally shake chili powder and cheese over the corn and enjoy!

Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Pudding
Source: SparkPeople 

Ingredients:
5 slices white whole-wheat bread (yes, it exists or at least Sara Lee makes it), torn into small pieces
2 large eggs
12 ounces evaporated skim milk
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt
Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread the bread in the dish in an even layer. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the evaporated skim milk, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until the sugar and cocoa dissolve. Pour the cocoa mixture over the bread. With a fork, mix in any unsoaked bread pieces. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and let stand for 10 minutes. Bake for 35 minutes, or until puffed and set in the center. Serve warm, with a scoop of the frozen yogurt on top.

Makes 6 servings.  

Happy Easter and Recipes For Your Next Cookout!

I was very fortunate that the Easter Bunny made a visit to my house even though I said that I didn't believe in him. How embarrassed am I?! Also, who knew the Easter Bunny was a foodie? He must know me well because look at the treats that he brought me!

And there was more fun to be had this past weekend since we had some friends over for a cookout. We had quite a few things but I'm just going to share a few of the recipes for time's sake.

This time I decided to do something non-traditional with my pasta salad. There's nothing wrong with serving traditional pasta salad, potato salad, cole slaw, etc. But doesn't that get a little boring? So, I tried something different and added a southwestern flair. I had been meaning to try this recipe for quite some time since so many people were recommending it. I'm actually not sure where it came from so I didn't include my source. I really liked it. But the verdict is that my "other pasta salad" is still better, the more traditional one.


Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad

 


Ingredients:
 1 lb wagon wheel pasta
1- 14 3/4 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10-oz package frozen corn, let thaw a bit
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 oz shredded mexican-blend cheese
1.5 cups salsa
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt& pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado diced
Steps:

Cook pasta. drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa and cheese. Toss with the pasta and mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder. Pour dressing over pasta salad. Add cilantro and avocado right before serving, mix well. season with salt and pepper

I made a casserole also to the tune of a southwest theme. This one I had made before and liked. Also, it's so easy!

Corn Casserole (I don't remember where this one came from either or if I made it up way back when)

Ingredients:

 1 cup biscuit mix

1-14.5 oz yellow cream corn

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large egg, beaten

½ cup milk

1-4 oz can chopped green chilis

6 oz Monterey Jack cheese, sliced

Steps:

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine first five ingredients.

Spread ½  mixture in greased 8X8 pan.

Sprinkle with chilis and cover with sliced cheese.

Add remainder over top of chili/cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Beer-Braised Brats

  

My husband makes these and they are damn good! You will need a large aluminum pan, a grill, uncooked bratwursts, an onion, and two beers (this was for 9 brats.) Basically you put the onion and beers into the aluminum pan and get it heated on the grill. The onions will need to simmer for 15 minutes then you add the brats. The brats will simmer for another 30-45 minutes. Finally, put them on a medium heat grill to crisp the outside (another 10-15 minutes or until done.) You can save the juices and onions from the pan to pour over your brats. Put them on a bratwurst bun and add sauerkraut!
 

Spice Is Nice

After complaining about the price (to no one in particular), I finally left Whole Foods with two grass-fed ribeyes. In reality, I *almost* got a steal when you think about how much those two lovely pieces of meat would have cost had I ordered them in one of Atlanta's nice chop houses. I don't usually order ribeyes because I like my meat leaner. However, grass fed meat is going to be leaner naturally so by getting a cut that usually has some marbling, you end up with a damn tasty steak! Though, I can't take credit for that part of our meal, my husband is the grill master around here. I promise they tasted better than the picture!

With the steaks, I served an interesting pilaf which is the recipe that I'm sharing. Also, I opened one of my cheaper bottles of Cabernet. I think it was $6.99 at Total Wine.  This wine was pretty good for the price. But I've had bottles that were just under $20 that were better so whether I'd recommend it would really depend on your price point.

Orange Spiced Pilaf with Berries and Nuts

Ingredients:
 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 and a half medium onions: 1 onion large slices - half onion diced
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, zest finely grated (1 tsp.) and juiced (about 2-3 Tbs.)
3/8 cup dried tart cherries or cranberry mix
1 cups jasmine rice
3/8 cup pistachios, pecans, or slivered almonds toasted and roughly chopped 

Steps:
 

In a large skillet/saucepan, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook, stirring occasionally for 21 minutes. Add the three spices and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook another 5 min., stirring occasionally, to allow the onion to absorb the flavors of the spices and caramelize a bit more. Season with 1/4 tsp. of the salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.

Pour the orange juice over the berries in a small bowl. If the liquid is not enough to cover them, add water and set aside.

In another large saucepan melt the 1 Tbs. butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and remaining salt and stir well to coat each grain with butter. Toast for a full 5 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the grains separated and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of  the pan. Be careful not to burn the rice.

Add 1-1/2 cups of water, stir once, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the pilaf sit, still covered, for 5 minutes.
Once the pilaf has rested, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Strain the berries and discard the orange juice. Using the fork, gently fold in the berries, onions, nuts, and orange zest. Serve warm.