Weekend Dinner

Stocking the Freezer

2010-01-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

I've been really lazy lately. And I blame the cold. I've had the best intentions of starting the new year with a healthier eating plan. I want to stop grabbing take-out or a prepared salad on the way home, and get back into the habit of cooking healthy dinners. I head to work every morning with the best of intentions, and during the day I plan my evening meal. Over the past few weeks, I've cooked amazing dinners in my head! But I get out of work after 11 hours on my feet, and head outside to realize the temperature is still below freezing. Suddenly, I'm less inclined to stop at the grocery store on my way home, less interested in carrying grocery bags the 10 blocks from the store to our apartment. So I get take out. Or delivery.

This weekend I decided to stock the fridge and freezer so that I would not have any excuses not to cook. I bought veggies so I could make salads, and I prepped the veggies so they will be ready to use when I want them. I made a batch of our favorite turkey sausage pasta sauce, and froze it in ziplock bags so I could defrost just enough for 1 or both of us during the week. And I marinated chicken breasts in individual portions for the freezer.

The Ingredients: Zest and Juice of 2 lemons
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds (I prefer these to whole seeds for most of my cooking, but whole seeds would be fine, too)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp granulated onion
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast portions (1/2 breast each)

The Directions:
-Whisk everything together (except chicken breasts). I do this in a measuring cup so I can portion it easily.
-Trim chicken breasts of any excess fat. Put each portion in a quart sized ziplock bag. Pour 1/4 of dressing into each bag. Close bag, removing as much air as possible, then smush chicken around in marinade. Freeze.

I do this in individual portions, so we can cook these up individually as needed. The chicken will keep for months in the freezer, and defrosts in 15-20 minutes in a bowl of cool water (or in the fridge if I remember to move it before I head to work. Or a microwave if you've got one). If you have a larger family, you can increase the amount of marinade, and use a gallon ziplock bag to freeze larger portions. And you can change up the marinade a million different ways. If you've got left over fresh herbs, chop them up or grind in food processor, and add to marinade so they don't go to waste!

These are great simply cooked, served with your favorite sides. Boyfriend will cook some on the George Foreman grill when I'm not home, and make a sandwich out of the grilled chicken. I usually bake in the oven at 350° for 20-25 minutes, until I get an internal temp of 165°. I might serve as whole breasts, or chop up for salad or other recipes that call for pieces of chicken.

Meatloaf

2009-11-11T05:39:00.000-08:00

I usually make turkey meatloaf, but tonight I was feeling like beef. None of the ground meat looked appealing at the grocery store, but we have a butcher shop in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd give them a try. I didn't see any ground meat at all when I walked in, but when I asked about it, the butcher told me he'd grind any cut of meat he had. So I got some freshly ground chuck for this recipe, at at $ .50 less per pound than the grocery store was charging!

The Ingredients:

1 medium onion, small diced
2 stalks celery, small dice
1 small bulb fennel, small diced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry marsala (or good red wine)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1/4 tsp ground fennel seed
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 6oz can of tomato paste
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

The Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350°F.
-Sweat the onion, celery and fennel until soft and translucent. Deglaze the pan with marsala (this is what I have in the house, but red wine would be great here, too), and reduce until almost all the liquid is gone - there should be no more than 1 tsp left. Put the veggies in a mixing bowl and let cool.
-Add the garlic, fennel seed, beef, parmigiano, breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes and egg to the cooled veggies. Mix with your hands to combine all ingredients, but do not over mix. On a foil lined sheet tray, form a loaf with the mixture.
-In a small bowl, combine tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Brush half of the tomato/balsamic mixture over the loaf. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush remaining tomato mixture over loaf. Return to oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before cutting.

This was really tasty. I often make this by grating raw onion and garlic into the ground meat, which is delicious. But I read a recipe that sauteed onions and celery, so I thought I'd try that method, and throw in some fennel since I had some in the fridge. I don't think I reduced the marsala enough, so the meatloaf was a bit crumbly, but otherwise it was absolutely delicious! And we have enough left over for meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow.

I am trying to be better about serving square meals with vegetables and starches/grains with high nutritional value (more whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat couscous, quinoa, or sweet potatoes). So I served this with mashed sweet potatoes and marsala glazed carrots and parsnips.

Rainy Day Lunch

2009-10-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

I've been craving lentil soup ever since the weather started to get cold. Yesterday, I made The Barefoot Contessa's Lentil Vegetable Soup. It made the whole apartment smell amazing, and it has tons of flavor. But I had to modify it a bit - it makes so much soup I didn't have a pot big enough! It calls for a lot of veggies, so be prepared for a lot of chopping. I started cooking it in my round le Creuset dutch oven, but when I started adding the stock, I needed to switch to my larger oval dutch oven. And I still couldn't fit the 3rd quart of stock, but it seemed fine with 2 quarts of stock. (And my freezer is now packed with ziplock bags of the soup!) I also used my immersion blender to puree some of the soup to give it a creamier texture. The recipe calls for finishing the soup with either red wine or red wine vinegar. I tried a bowl with a splash of vinegar, which was nice, but I finished the rest of the soup with red wine, and I definitely prefer how that enhances the flavors in the soup.

Today I had a bowl of the soup with a toasted turkey and cheese sandwich. It was the perfect warm and hearty meal for this cold and drizzly day!

Orange Chicken

2009-10-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

I'd like to try to get this blog going again. Sorry for the long hiatus - my work schedule has changed and I've been making a lot of old favorites for dinner, rather than trying new things. But with the change in the weather, and a renewed interest in eating healthy meals and avoiding take out, I'm going to try cooking new meals and documenting them. I'm also hoping to do a better job of keeping the fridge, freezer, and pantry stocked, so I have food on hand to heat up after work when I'm feeling lazy.

This afternoon I made an Asian-inspired orange chicken. It took about 3 minutes to prepare before throwing in the slow cooker, and it's all ingredients I usually have on hand.

The Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (just under 1 lb), cut into chunks
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce (This isn't the photo, since I realized the sauce needed something else after tasting it)
1 cup frozen green beans

The Directions:
- Combine chicken, flour and salt in ziplock bag and toss to dredge the chicken pieces. Shake off excess flour and put chicken pieces in bottom of slow cooker. (I used my 4 quart slow cooker, but this would fit in a 2 quart)
-Whisk together orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin, and chili garlic sauce in small bowl, and pour over the chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and tender.
-Add beans to slow cooker for last hour of cooking time. (I think I cooked the beans too long - next time I'll just throw them in for 20 minutes or so.)

This was DELICIOUS! It was so easy to prepare, and cheap! I splurged on organic frozen green beans and organic 100% tangerine juice, but it would be just as good with any frozen veggie and any orange juice. I served this over brown rice, which soaked up all the extra sauce. It was excellent - a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and a bit spicy. I think this is going to become a super easy regular dinner in our house!

Turkey Chili Mac Casserole

2009-07-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! On the way to the grocery store this morning, I had no idea what I would be making for dinner tonight. But as I walked into the store, I decided chili sounded like a good meal for the 4th. As I walked down the pasta/canned veggies aisle to get some tomatoes for the chili, I decided to grab a box of elbows and make it a chili mac casserole. This is an easy and cheap one to make for a few people or a crowd; all the ingredients are inexpensive, and adding more pasta and veggies will help stretch it to feed a crowd. I've written the recipe for 4-6 people, but I usually make all the chili, mix a few cups with 1/4-1/3 of a pound of pasta, and make a small casserole for 2. Then I freeze the rest of the chili and thaw later for other meals.

The Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 package lean ground turkey (1.3 lbs)
2 Tbsp chili seasoning (I used Penzey’s Chili 3000. I am a huge fan of Penzey's seasoning blends*, and picked this one up last time I was in their shop. But plain chili powder would be fine, too.)
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 stalks celery, medium dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ cups no salt chicken stock (or homemade stock if you have some. I did not today.)
1 26oz carton strained tomatoes (Any type of canned tomato is fine. Boyfriend doesn't like chunks of tomato, so I used strained tomatoes.)
1 lb elbow pasta (I used whole wheat. If you're making this casserole for a smaller crowd, make the whole batch of chili, and save it for later. But only make enough pasta for the casserole.)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar.

The Directions:

1. Heat dutch over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat through. Add ground turkey and brown, about 5 minutes. Season with chili seasoning powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add onion, celery, red bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes. Deglaze pan with stock, and stir to get all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in tomatoes, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Cover and let cook at least 15-20 minutes. (The more it cooks, the more the flavors combine, so it can go for hours on low heat if you stir it occasionally),
3. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Bring water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, until just under al dente. Drain pasta well.
4. Combine pasta and chili. Pour into large casserole dish. Top with cheddar cheese, and bake at 350°F until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest 5 minutes, and serve.

This was fantastic! It had a nice chili flavor, was hearty but not too heavy, and an easy meal with minimal effort. I chopped the veggies pretty small, and Boyfriend ate them all without complaint or picking them out. The whole wheat pasta added another layer of texture to the dish, and the nuttiness of the whole wheat blended really well with the flavors of the chili. I think if I make it again, I would add a bit more of the Chili 3000 seasoning, but it was a great and easy holiday meal.

*I LOVE Penzey's. They have a shop near my parents' house and I love going there with my mom. I like being able to buy small quantities of spices that I don't use frequently or want to try. And they also sell some great spice blends. I go through multiple jars of Mural of Flavor a year - it makes everything taste better!

Sesame Peanut Noodles

2009-05-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

This is a super quick and easy recipe that I make as a side dish or as a simple lunch. It's delicious both hot and cold, and I usually have all the ingredients in my fridge and pantry. I like to make this when I get home late from work, have some warm for a late dinner, then refrigerate the rest and eat it cold for lunch the next day.

The Ingredients:

1/3 – ½ lb linguine (I used whole wheat. Any long noodle you have on hand will be fine)
3 Tbsp Peanut Butter
zest of ½ lime
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp chili garlic sauce (I found this on the international aisle of my grocery store. If you don’t have it, or can’t find it, substitute 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes)
1 carrot, sliced into matchstick sized pieces
3 Tbsp starchy pasta water
1 tsp sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
2 scallions, sliced on the bias

The Directions:

1. Follow package directions to cook pasta.
2. Once you drop the pasta into the boiling water, combine peanut butter, lime zest, soy sauce, brown sugar and chili garlic sauce in small saucepan.
3. About 3 minutes before pasta is finished cooking, heat saucepan with peanut butter mixture over low heat, to combine. The mixture will thicken up and become clumpy.
4. About 2 minutes before pasta is done, add sliced carrots to the cooking water. Then add the 3 Tbsp of pasta water to the peanut mixture to thin out to a saucy consistency. The mixture should be thick, but smooth and easy to stir. Take sauce off the heat, add sesame oil and lime juice, and stir well to combine.
5. When pasta is done, drain well, and combine with sauce. Top with scallions.

I usually add snow peas, cut on the bias, if I can find them. I couldn't find them on my way home today, so left them out. When I had a microwave, I would make the sauce right in the serving bowl in the microwave - just cook the peanut butter on high 1-2 minutes, until it's loose and stirs easily, then add all the other ingredients (omitting the pasta water) and stir it all together. Add the pasta water when you add the pasta, as needed. But now that I don't have a microwave, I find the stovetop method is still pretty quick! The peanut sauce is also a great marinade for chicken breasts - let the chicken sit in the sauce for an hour or so, then grill or bake.

Roasted Asparagus

2009-05-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

This is a really simple side dish, that takes advantage of fresh, seasonal vegetables. I made this recipe tonight with asparagus, as a side for spaghetti and meatballs, but I'll follow the basic method and recipe with a number of veggies.

The Ingredients:

1 bundle asparagus
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
1 -2 tsp balsamic vinegar (This is also great with lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, sherry vinegar, or another acid. If you're using lemon, lime or orange juice, add a bit of the zest, too!)
Salt and Pepper to taste

The Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim asparagus spears, removing tough ends.
2. Cover sheet tray with aluminum foil. Place asparagus spears on sheet tray. Drizzle liberally with olive oil. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and grate 1 clove of garlic over spears. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Toss all ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Roast at 400°F for 10 – 15 minutes, until ends start to darken, and spears are tender.
4. These are great served warm, or chilled. Save leftovers and dress with simple vinaigrette for a great salad.
This is so simple to prepare - just toss the veggies with the oil, vinegar and seasoning, and cook until done. Since it's roasting in the oven, it's hands free once you assemble, and it doesn't use up a burner on the stove. The clean up is simple, too, since you've lined the sheet tray with foil, so nothing sticks to the sheet tray. And this method and recipe is great with tons of seasonal veggies - I'll make this with broccoli, broccolini, green beans, broccoli raab, cauliflower, carrots, fennel, zucchini, and probably others I can't think of right now! You could also do this with a mix of veggies. And it's a side dish that's great warm or cold. I'm saving the leftovers for a salad - just toss with some red onion and cherry tomatoes.

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken with Crispy Dripping Croutons

2009-04-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

3 days ago, one of my colleagues came to work raving about the chicken she made for dinner the night before. And she's continued to mention the chicken at least 2 or 3 times a day since. It sounded so wonderful, and I've heard so much about it, that I finally asked for the recipe. She told me that she got the recipe from the New York Times , and when I found the recipe and connected article, I was even more convinced that this was the roast chicken for me.

I've never successfully made a roast chicken. Last year on Valentines Day, I tried to make one for a special dinner. I made a delicious compound butter with garlic and herbs that I rubbed under the skin. I stuffed it with lemons, garlic and herbs. And I roasted it for almost 2 hours. It was still very under cooked. Another hour, and it was STILL under cooked. Finally we gave up on a raw roast chicken dinner and got takeout.

This one sounds perfect: no basting, no changing oven temperature during cooking, very easy prep. Plus, it cooks on bread, which absorbs all the drippings and juices and will end up like one giant, stuffing flavored crouton.

The Ingredients:

Sturdy bread (preferably stale) sliced ½ inch thick (I used multi grain bread)
1 tbsp olive oil, more as needed
2 tsp kosher slat, more as needed
½ tsp freshly ground pepper, more as needed
1 4-5 lb chicken, patted dry
1 garlic head, sliced in half horizontally, through the cloves
1 bay leaf
½ bunch thyme sprigs
½ lemon

The Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425°F. Lay bread slices in a metal roasting pan, in one layer. (I don't have a metal roasting pan, so I used my big Pyrex pan.) Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
-Rub 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper inside cavity of chicken. Stuff cavity with garlic, lemon, bay and thyme. Rub outside of chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle all over with remaining salt and pepper. Place breast side up on bread.
-Roast chicken until deeply browned and juices run clear, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with bread from pan.

This was truly amazing. It was so easy, and came out perfectly! The skin was crispy and flavorful, the meat was juicy and lightly flavored by the thyme, lemon, and garlic. And the bread was amazing! Crispy, but moist, full of the flavors of chicken, olive oil, lemon, garlic and thyme. I served the chicken with glazed carrots and creamed spinach for dinner. And the next day, I made a salad with veggies, pieces of chicken pulled off the bones, and croutons of the yummy crisp bread. I think this is going to become a new household favorite - the hands on time of making this is so quick, maybe 10 minutes of prep, and it can be incorporated into many meals and leftovers!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-02-21T15:27:00.001-08:00

Today is Boyfriend's birthday, so I'm making his favorite treat: chocolate chip cookies! I've played around with whole wheat flour in this recipe, and have found that we really like the texture of the cookies when I replaced just under half of the AP flour with whole wheat. And I feel like it's a bit more healthy that way.

The Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
¾ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 bag chocolate chips
splash of milk

The Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
2. While butter and sugars are creaming, combine whole wheat flour, AP flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Add vanilla and eggs to butter and mix to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in thirds. Mix just until combined. Add a splash of milk to make the dough a bit more moist. Stir in bag of chocolate chips.
5. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop cookie dough by heaping teaspoon-full onto lined cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes. Let cool on a baking rack.

This will make just over 3 dozen cookies. Which will last about a week in our house, if I'm lucky. Not only are they a great treat, but they make the house smell fantastic!

Pasta Carbonara

2009-02-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't a true carbonara recipe, but it's my version, based on what I keep on hand. I think it's super tasty, and more importantly, super easy. So on nights that I just don't feel like cooking, this is quick and requires little effort. I serve it with a simple salad, or roasted veggies.

The Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 slices turkey bacon, medium diced
1 shallot, medium dice (or an onion, or some garlic - whatever you have on hand)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 - 1/3 cup white wine, if you have it (I didn't tonight, but use it in this recipe when I have it)
1 1/2 cups stock (vegetable stock, chicken stock - whatever you have)
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
salt and pepper to taste
enough pasta to feed everyone you're cooking for (any shape will do, and the sauce really will stretch so this can serve anywhere from 2-8 people!)

The Directions:

1. Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.
2. While water is boiling, heat saute pan with olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon to pan, and saute until it starts to crisp. Reduce heat to low, add shallots and red pepper flakes, and sweat shallots until soft. Deglaze pan with wine if you have it, and reduce. Add stock to pan, bring to boil, and let reduce, stirring occasionally.
3. In small bowl, combine egg yolks and parmigiano-reggiano. (I whisk the mixture.) When pasta is almost done, temper yolk mixture by stirring in a bit of the pasta water.
4. Drain pasta, and add to saute pan. (At this point, the stock should have reduced to a thicker glaze that just coats the pasta.) Reduce heat to very low, add egg mixture, and toss pasta over low heat for a minute or two until sauce thickens and pasta is well coated with sauce. Season with salt and pepper if needed (remember the cheese and bacon will be salty, so use salt sparingly) If you have some fresh herbs, like parsley or chives, you can garnish with that.

We have this every few weeks in our house. Not the healthiest meal, but quick, cheap, filling, and easy to make with pantry ingredients. And VERY yummy!

What's in your pantry and fridge?

2009-02-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

I'm fascinated by what people keep on hand so they can cook without having to run to the grocery store before making dinner. I live in a one bedroom apartment in New York City, so space is seriously limited. While our kitchen is pretty large by NYC standards, it's still tiny, so I try not to keep stuff on hand that I won't use.

Here's what I try to keep in my kitchen. I'm sure I've forgotten a few staples.

Spice Rack:
Kosher salt
coarse black peppercorns to grind
chili powder
ground cumin
grill seasoning
Hungarian sweet paprika
smoked sweet paprika
whole nutmeg
curry paste and/or powder
ground coriander
turmeric
garlic powder
dried minced onion
bay leaves
red pepper flakes
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
a couple of salt-free seasoning blends (I love a number of the Penzey’s blends)

Fridge/Freezer:
milk
unsalted butter
eggs
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Turkey bacon
Sharp cheddar cheese
Dijon mustard
flat-leaf parsley
fresh thyme
celery
carrots
frozen peas
frozen corn
frozen veggie medley
frozen artichoke hearts
turkey or chicken sausages (I try to buy organic, and I get a variety of flavors)
ginger, peeled, cut into 1-2” pieces, and frozen
plain bread crumbs (I buy a bag from my local bakery, but you could make your own from stale bread. Either way, I keep the bread crumbs in my freezer and they last for months.)
Spanish or yellow onions
shallots
garlic

Pantry:
Low sodium, organic vegetable stock (if I haven’t made veg. stock from scratch)
canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes
carton of crushed tomatoes
tomato paste (I prefer tomato paste in a tube, and keep it in the fridge once opened)
black beans
cannellini beans
variety of long- and short-cut pastas, plain, flavored, and whole wheat
whole wheat couscous
quick cooking brown rice
quinoa
all-purpose flour
whole wheat flour
granulated sugar
brown sugar
baking powder
baking soda
pure vanilla extract
neutral vegetable oil, such as canola oil
extra virgin olive oil
sesame oil
soy sauce
hoisin sauce
chili garlic sauce
balsamic vinegar
red wine vinegar
honey
Calvados
Marsala
A white wine that I would drink as well as cook with

Also, lots of pots and pans, a food processor, a stand mixer, and a few other kitchen gadgets and toys...

Is there anything you can't live without that I don't have on the list? I worry that there are things I am missing out on because I haven't tried or thought to keep around.

Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup

2009-02-09T14:28:00.001-08:00

Boyfriend has a bad cold. He's been sick for a few days now, with a very sore throat, and a bad cough. He hasn't felt like eating much, so I thought chicken soup would be just the ticket to a speedy recovery. Yesterday, all he ate was canned chicken noodle soup, so today I tried to make something slightly different. This is a great comfort soup, and is a great way to use up stuff you have around the house.

The Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, large dice
1 medium bulb fennel, medium dice
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 stalks celery, medium dice
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 quart chicken stock (I had some homemade stock frozen, but a low sodium store bought stock would be fine, too)
1 package noodles (I found some spinach chive linguini at Trader Joes that I though might be tasty in the soup. But egg noodles, pastini, rotini, or whatever pasta you like would be fine. This would also be a great way to use up ends of boxes of pasta, if you're like me and have multiple boxes of pasta with one serving or less remaining.)
dark leafy greens, if you have them (I had some kale in the fridge, so threw it in)

Meatballs:
1 lb ground chicken
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1 egg
1 sprig thyme, minced
1 pinch dried minced onion
1 pinch garlic powder
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp grill seasoning
1 shallot, grated

The Directions:
1. Heat dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat through. Add carrots, fennel, onion, and celery, and sauté 5 minutes, until they start to become tender. Add 2 sprigs thyme, bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté 1 or 2 minutes more. Add stock, and bring to boil.
2. While stock is coming to boil, make meatballs. Combine all meatball ingredients and combine well with hands. Do not over mix. Form golf ball sized meatballs, and drop into soup. (I ended up using about 2/3 of the meatball mix before deciding that was enough for 2 of us. So I'm saving the rest and will bake off meatballs tomorrow for lunch. 350° for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through) Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook 45 minutes or so. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors will combine.
3. Before serving, bring back to boil and add noodles to soup. Cook until noodles are al dente. If you like, add a few handfuls of dark, leafy greens, chopped to bite sized pieces when you add the noodles.

This was SO good. It had tons of flavor, and the whole apartment smelled yummy. I loved having meatballs, rather than shredded chicken, since I think it gave an additional depth of flavor. The kale was a great twist, too. I wanted to boost the healthy factor, so Boyfriend will feel better as soon as possible, and thought that the vitamins in the kale would be a good way to start. And it's such a hearty green, that it doesn't get too soggy or soft. We have enough left over for a couple of lunches, and I think we'll both be sad when it's gone. I may have to make another pot!

Slow Cooker Chicken "Lo Mein"

2009-02-03T08:35:00.001-08:00

I haven't cooked for a couple of weekends, so I decided this weekend will be full of home cooking. I didn't start thinking about dinner until pretty late, so I needed something that didn't take all day, but I am still obsessed with my new slow cooker. I went through my cookbooks looking for a quick cooking slow cooker recipe, and found a Cashew Chicken Lo Mein recipe in Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two cookbook. I didn't think the cashews would go over well with Boyfriend, and I also wanted to try to use stuff I had around the house instead of buying a bunch of new ingredients. So I modified the recipe quite a bit.

The Ingredients:
-1 – 1 ½ boneless, skinless chicken breast halves per person (I bought a package with 3 chicken breast halves, and used them all)
-1 tbsp canola oil
-½ medium onion, thinly sliced
-1 inch peeled ginger, grated*
-1 garlic clove, grated
-zest of ½ lime
-1 tbsp hoisin sauce
-3 tbsp soy sauce
-2 tsp chili garlic sauce
-1 splash of sesame oil
-2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetable blend, thawed (I found one with broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts)
-6-8 ounces ramen noodles (or udon noodles, or whole wheat spaghetti)
-juice of 1 lime
-2 tbsp sliced green onions

*I buy a big piece of fresh ginger, peel the whole thing, and cut it into 1-2 inch pieces. I then freeze it, and grate it with a microplane when a recipe calls for ginger. The ginger lasts for months, and is much easier to grate when frozen. Here's a photo of my ginger all peeled and cut up, before I froze it.

The Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp canola oil (or other light colored oil) in sauté pan. Cut chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Sauté over medium heat until browned. They do not need to be cooked through.
2. Put chicken in bottom of 2 or 3 quart slow cooker. Cover with sliced onions, grated garlic, grated ginger, lime zest.
3. Combine hoisin, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil. Add to slow cooker, stir to coat chicken. Cook on LOW for 2 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
4. When chicken is cooked through, add veggies to slow cooker, stir to combine, and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
5. Once veggies are added to slow cooker, prepare noodles according to package directions.
6. When veggies are cooked, add noodles and lime juice to slow cooker, and stir gently to combine. Garnish with green onions and serve.

This was really tasty! I thought it was a bit too spicy, that maybe I should have used a bit less ginger and a bit less chili garlic sauce. But it wasn't overwhelmingly too spicy. Boyfriend really liked it, and didn't think it was to spicy at all. So maybe next time I'll find a way to tone it down, but just a little. It was really easy, and the chicken was nice and tender, since they were slow cooked. When I told my mom what I was making, she asked why I didn't cook the same thing on the stovetop - it would probably only take 30 minutes or so. She's right that the stovetop would take way less time, but I like to think that using the slow cooker lets the flavors combine more and makes the chicken more tender.

Slow Cooker Chili Casserole

2009-01-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

So I'm still breaking in the slow cooker, and thought I'd try a traditional slow cooker meal: chili. I decided to put a twist on it by topping it with cornbread and cheese, because what could be better than chili with cornbread and cheese?! This is another super easy one, and perfect with a green salad or other simple vegetable.

The Ingredients:

-1 ½ lbs ground beef
-1 large (2-3 small) onion, small dice (I could only find tiny onions at the store, so I used 3)
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 red bell pepper, medium dice (any color would be fine)
-1 tbsp chili powder
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 chipotle in adobo (depends on how spicy you like this. Next time, I might add 2)
-½ cup low sodium vegetable stock (chicken or beef stock would be fine, too. This is what I had on hand.)
-1 can black beans, strained (I had black beans in my pantry, but kidney beans would great here, too.)
-1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
-1 box cornbread mix
-1 egg (or whatever the package directions are for the cornbread)
-1/3 cup canola oil (or whatever the package directions are for the cornbread)
-1 ¼ cup milk (or whatever the package directions are for the cornbread)
-1 cup grated cheddar cheese
-1-2 tbsp minced cilantro

The Directions:

1. Brown beef over medium heat. Drain fat from beef and return to heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and chipotle, and sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add stock and bring to boil, about 2 minutes.
4. Put meat mixture in 4 quart slow cooker. Top with can of black beans and can of tomatoes. Cook over low heat, 3-4 hours.
5. Prepare cornbread batter according to package directions. Stir ¾ cup of grated cheddar into batter. Spoon batter over chili, cover and cook on high another hour. (I think this had too much cornbread for the amount of chili. Next time, I'll use half the batter on the casserole, and bake off the other half in muffins.)
6. Top bread with remaining ¼ cup of cheese, cover, and cook until cheese melts, about 5-10 minutes. Top with cilantro and serve.

This was great! I was worried that Boyfriend wouldn't like it, but he really loved it and had seconds. He usually complains that chili isn't a particularly satisfying meal, but the addition of the cornbread made it heartier, and he thought it was perfect. I liked it too, although thought there was too much cornbread. And next time, I'll add more chipotles and chili powder - it could use a bit more kick. I think this would also be great with ground turkey, rather than ground beef.

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Sausage and Artichokes

2009-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

I've been on a cooking hiatus - the holidays have made my weekends more crazy, and then I got a bad cold which has made me even less motivated to cook. But today I decided to break in the awesome slow cooker I received for Christmas. Boyfriend's family also gave me a couple of great slow cooker cookbooks, and this dinner was inspired by Saucy Italian Chicken Thighs from the Cooking Light Slow Cooker cookbook. I modified the recipe only slightly, adding sausage (which I knew would be a winner with Boyfriend) and artichokes (for me).

The Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken thighs (skin removed)
2 skinless chicken sausages (I used Fire Roasted Red Pepper flavor)
1 small onion, medium diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 9oz box frozen artichoke hearts
1 500g box chopped tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 tsp Italian Seasoning

The Directions:

1. Place chicken thighs in bottom of 4 quart slow cooker.
2. Slice 2 chicken sausages into bite-sized pieces, and layer over chicken thighs.
3. Cover with diced onion, minced garlic, box of artichoke hearts, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. (After about an hour of cooking, I realized that the original recipe recommends combining all of these ingredients and then topping the chicken. I didn't do that, just dumped each ingredient in one on top of another, and it turned out just fine.)
4. Cook on High setting for 1 hour, then cook on Low for 5-6 hours, until chicken is fully cooked and tender.

This was super easy. I picked it because it had very little prep, just dump stuff in the slow cooker and turn it on. After a few hours, the apartment smelled great! I served it over some "instant" brown rice that I cooked in chicken stock. It was a huge hit! The chicken was incredibly tender and fell right off the bone. The chicken also gave off a lot of juices, which combined with the tomatoes to make everything very saucy. I think the addition of sausage and artichokes really boosted the flavor of the dish, and worked with the chicken. I plan to reheat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch and serve over spinach pasta. This is definitely a keeper, although in the future, I might add some dark greens, like kale or spinach, for the last hour of cooking.

"Spinach and Artichoke Dip" Pasta

2008-12-01T17:56:00.001-08:00

This is the combination of two of my favorite foods. I am a sucker for artichoke dip in all forms, and could eat pasta 365 days a year if not for a nagging fear that I would be 365 pounds if I did. I originally came up with this recipe when going through my pantry and fridge trying to come up with something new for dinner - the first edition had frozen artichoke hearts (which I couldn't find at the grocery store today), didn't have any fresh spinach, and was topped with fresh mozzarella. It was more an artichoke dip mac and cheese. Today I didn't have mozzarella, and tried to make it more healthy with the addition of spinach. I think the mozzarella would make this even better, but it was pretty perfect as is.

The Ingredients:

-1 14 oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained (or 1 bag frozen artichoke hearts, thawed)
-1 5 oz package baby spinach
-1 15 oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
-1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
-2 large garlic cloves
-½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
-1 pinch crushed red pepper flake
-Salt and Pepper to taste
-1 box spinach penne
-handful of breadcrumbs

The Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain just shy of al dente.
3. While pasta is cooking, combine artichokes, garlic, spinach, red pepper flakes, and 1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano in bowl of food processor. Pulse to combine. Thin out to saucy consistency with stock. Season to taste with salt and papper
4. Combine artichoke mixture with drained penne. Transfer pasta mixture to gratin dish. Top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and more parmigiano reggiano. Bake at 375°F until cheese melts and top gets bubbly and brown, about 15 minutes.

I feel like using ricotta makes this healthier than a traditional artichoke dip - it's a lot of veggies, less cheese, and no mayo (which is what I usually use in artichoke dip). This would be great with whole wheat pasta, too, if you wanted to make it even healthier. It's so good! I had 2 helpings, and am already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. Minus the pasta, you could just heat up the artichoke mixture for a good dip, too.

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

2008-11-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

This is another favorite in our house. I have played around with a number of meatball recipes, and have found that adding grated onion and garlic not only gives a ton of flavor to the meatballs, but they keep them incredibly moist! If I'm in a rush, I sometimes bake the meatballs and then add them to the sauce, but cooking them in the sauce for as long as possible makes the most flavorful meatballs and sauce, so I try to do that when I have the time.

The Ingredients:

-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 spanish onion, fine dice
-1 clove garlic, smashed
-¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-½ cup wine (Whatever you have on hand. Stock will also work if you prefer)
-2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
-Salt and Pepper, to taste
-2 lbs ground turkey
-½ Spanish onion, grated on Microplane or box grater
-2 cloves garlic, grated on Microplane
-1 tbsp minced parsley (or other herbs you have on hand - I have also used oregano and basil in this recipe)
-½ cup breadcrumbs (I get breadcrumbs from my local bakery - a bit of a splurge, but I keep a bag of the breadcrumbs wrapped tightly in the freezer and they last for months!)
-1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
-1 tsp tomato paste
-½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
-1 egg
-1 box spaghetti

The Directions:

1. Heat dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sweat diced onion, about 5 minutes. Add 1 smashed clove of garlic and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, sauté 1 minute. Deglaze with wine (red or white, whatever you have on hand), and reduce 1-2 minutes. Add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. In large bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, tomato paste, grated garlic, grated onion, minced parsley, red pepper flakes, egg, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Form turkey mixture into golf-ball sized meatballs and drop into simmering sauce. Cover and simmer. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors will combine. I try to cook for about 2 hours, but cook at least until the meatballs are cooked through. Stir occasionally.
4. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Toss spaghetti with half a cup of tomato sauce, then serve and top with more sauce and meatballs.

I served this tonight with some simple roast broccolini: I tossed broccolini with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and a splash of olive oil, then sprinkled with Parmigiano Reggiano, and roasted at 450°F for about 15 minutes, until the tips started turning brown and a bit crispy. It's a perfect hearty dinner for the cold weather we've been having. And we have plenty of meatballs left over for sandwiches during the week!

Crock Pot Chicken Stock

2008-11-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

I make stock just about every other weekend. It's a great way to clean out the fridge, it's super easy, and it's much cheaper than buying stock. Plus, home made stock doesn't have any of the salt or preservatives that store bought does. I have a basic recipe that I follow, but I adjust according to what I have in the fridge. You can certainly make it on the stovetop, too, but I think using the Crock Pot makes it even easier and gives me the freedom to leave the house while it cooks.

The Ingredients:

-1 lb Chicken backs (My Whole Foods sells these pre-packaged in the organic chicken case, and charges just $2 a pound or so. But you could use chicken bones left over from a roast chicken, or a package of bone-in chicken legs)
-1 spanish onion
-2 carrots
-2 stalks celery
-2 bay leaves
-4 sprigs thyme
-5-6 sprigs parsley (I didn't have any parsley today so just omitted it, but I usually use it in my stocks)
-5-6 whole peppercorns

Then I usually throw in any other veggies I have in the fridge - leeks, tomatoes, mushrooms, parsnips, etc. I sometimes save trimmings when I prep veggies for other meals and freeze them for stock. Today, I didn't have any suitable veggies (I didn't think cabbage or broccolini would be great) but I threw in a couple of whole garlic cloves.

The Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450° F. Peel carrots and cut into large chunks. Peel and quarter the onion. Cover a sheet tray with tinfoil and place carrots, onions and chicken backs on sheet tray. Roast at 450°F for 15 minutes. (I find that roasting the chicken and veggies for a bit give a richer flavor, and is an easy way to get a lot of the fat off the chicken. If using chicken legs, I take the skin off before roasting.)
2. Put thyme, parsley, bay, and peppercorns in bottom of Crock Pot. Cut celery into large pieces and add to Crock Pot. Cover with roasted carrots, onions and chicken backs. Fill Crock Pot with cold water.
3. Cook on High for 1 hour, then turn to Low and cook 4-5 hours.
4. Strain stock, cool, and store.

I usually get 2+ quarts of stock from this recipe (because my Crock Pot isn't very big), and I freeze it in ziplock bags. I measure out the stock in 1 cup, 1 1/2 cup and 2 cup portions and label the bags so that I can defrost just what I need for recipes. And I try to freeze some in ice cube trays in case I need a few tbsp here or there. Because there aren't any preservatives in the stock, it will only last in the fridge for a couple of days, so I just defrost it as I need it. You could also use this method for turkey stock with left over bones from Thanksgiving, or you can make a vegetable stock in the same method by just omitting the chicken bones and adding more veggies.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

2008-11-19T20:28:00.000-08:00

I came home from work early yesterday, and called out sick today. I've been fighting something(s) for over a month now, and with the weather change, I got worse. But by this evening, I was feeling a bit better, and hungry for something really comforting. I was tempted to make a big pot of soup, but I've seen a ton of Shepherd's Pie recipes recently, and thought I'd come up with one of my own. I thought Thanksgiving flavors would be a good idea, and it basically turned into Thanksgiving dinner in one dish.

The Ingredients:

-1 1/3 pounds ground turkey
-3 Idaho potatoes
-1 Spanish onion, medium diced
-1 large carrot, medium diced
-2 stalks celery, medium diced
-Salt and Pepper to taste
-1 stick butter
-10 leaves sage, torn, plus 6 or 7 leaves sage, minced
-4 sprigs of thyme
-1 tbsp flour
-1/2 cup white wine
-2 cups chicken stock (I think this made the end result a bit too soupy, so next time I'll probably use 1 - 1 1/2 cups)
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

The Directions:
-Pre-heat oven to 350°F. In large saute pan, brown the ground turkey. In small saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter and add 10 torn leaves of sage.
-Peel potatoes, slice or large dice, and put in medium saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and cook until tender.
-When turkey is browned, add carrots, celery, onions, thyme sprigs and minced sage. Sweat for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add 1-2 tbsp of the melted, sage-infused butter to turkey. Stir in 1 tbsp flour, and cook for 2-3 minutes. (This will make a roux, which will thicken the sauce). Deglaze pan with wine (if you have it on hand - no need to but wine if you don't have it), and let reduce 1-2 minutes. Add stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and simmer until potatoes are ready. Sauce will thicken and become a gravy.
-When potatoes are tender, drain, and mash with remaining sage-infused butter and the heavy cream.
-Spray baking dish with pan spray, then turn turkey mixture into pan. Spread potatoes evenly over the turkey mixture. Top potatoes with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake 15 minutes, until bubbly. (I threw it under the broiler for a minute to get it really bubbly). Let rest 5-10 minutes then serve.

This was exactly what I needed to make me feel better. It was a bit too soupy, so next time I'll cut back on the stock. But it was like a cross between chicken and vegetable soup and Thanksgiving dinner! It was so comforting, and full of flavor. And while making this, I kept thinking of ways to twist the basic recipe - adding tomatoes and basil, topping with polenta, or chipotles and tomatoes, topping with sweet potatoes... And this could totally be made with Thanksgiving leftovers - just use left over turkey meat, throw in leftover vegetables, and use left over mashed or sweet potatoes! I'll definitely be trying this again!

Pumpkin Spice Cafe au Lait

2008-11-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

For me, one of the signs that fall is here is when Starbucks brings out the Pumpkin Spice Lattes. I rarely get them, both because of price and because I think it's too rich. But I do love splurging and getting a pump or two of the pumpkin spice in my regular coffee.

Today is pretty gloomy, so as a treat at the end of a rough week, I decided to try making my own pumpkin spice coffee. I didn't take photos (sorry!), but imagine an oversized mug of warm, spicy, fall-flavored coffee!

The Ingredients:

I did this right after I woke up, cranky from a bad dream and achy from a rough week at work. So I just eyeballed everything. Taste as you go and adjust for your tastes. For me, a pinch is with thumb, index and middle fingers.

-1 tbsp pure pureed pumpkin
-1 small pinch ground nutmeg
-1 large pinch ground cinnamon
-1 small pinch ground clove
-1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
-1 tsp sugar (I keep a jar of sugar with vanilla beans in it for my coffee, so I used that)
-1/2 cup milk (we use 2% in our house, but you could use whatever you drink in your coffee)
-2 cups coffee

Directions:

Combine everything but the coffee in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until it comes to a simmer. Divide between 2 mugs, and add 1 cup coffee to each mug. Taste and adjust seasonings. (I added a bit more vanilla sugar to mine.)

This was a perfect way to cheer me up. I think it's far more delicious than Starbucks' pumpkin spice! It is creamy (the pumpkin makes it thicker and richer feeling than milk alone), spicy, warm, but not too sweet. It tastes a bit like a pumpkin pie or a spice cookie. I recommend drinking it in your favorite pajamas while catching up on the tv you DVRed during the week. Because who can't be cheered with pumpkin, fuzzy pants, and Survivor?

Country Beef Stew

2008-11-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

I love stew in the fall and winter. To me, stew is the culinary version of curling up on the couch in my pyjamas and watching tv - it's so cozy and comforting. I make a cheater version of boeuf bourguignon with diced onion rather than pearl onions (I'm too lazy to peel all those little onions) that is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. And I have a recipe for chicken stew with tomatoes and tarragon that I love almost as much. Today, I couldn't decide which I wanted, so decided to combine the two and make a beef stew with burgundy, tomatoes and tarragon.

The Ingredients:

-4 strips bacon, cut into 1” pieces (in our house, we prefer turkey bacon, but use whatever you prefer)
-1 large onion, medium dice
-3 carrots, peeled and large diced
-8-10 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (today, I used shiitakes, but button mushrooms, portobellos, or creminis would all be good, too)
-1 ½ - 2 lbs beef chuck, cubed
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1 tbsp butter
-salt and pepper
-flour, for dredging
-1 26 oz box tomatoes (or a can of tomatoes, whatever you have in your pantry. I used diced here, because I like the texture, but use whatever you have on hand.)
-1 bottle red wine (I used a burgundy, but any red wine that you'd drink is good. Or use stock if you prefer.)
-2 bay leaves
-3 tbsp minced tarragon, divided
-1 bag wide egg noodles
-½ tbsp butter

The Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300° F. Heat dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter melts, sauté bacon and onions until onions are translucent and start to caramelize. Remove from pan and reserve.
2. Season beef with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour. Sear in batches in dutch oven until all sides are browned. Add all beef back into dutch oven. Add box of tomatoes and enough wine to cover beef completely (it took a full bottle for me to cover the beef, but you may not need a full bottle). Add 2 bay leaves to dutch oven, cover and place in oven. Cook 2 -3 hours (the meat should be very tender and start to fall apart when touched – time will vary depending on size of cubes), stirring occasionally.
3. After 2 - 3 hours, add reserved bacon, onions, carrots and mushrooms to stew, cover and put back in oven to cook for 1 more hour.
4. About 20 minutes before stew is done, bring water to a boil for egg noodles, and cook noodles according to package directions. (Make the amount you will eat with the stew – save the rest to make with leftovers.) Toss noodles with butter and 1 tbsp tarragon.
5. When stew is done (the meat should fall apart when you touch it), stir in 2 tbsp tarragon and serve over egg noodles.

The stew was everything I hoped it would be. I cooked it for about 4 hours total, and the meat was so tender, it fell apart when I touched it with a fork. The flavors of wine, tomatoes and beef all combine for a rich gravy, and by adding the veggies and bacon at the end, they aren't totally mushy and still have a strong flavor. And the tarragon gives a great earthy flavor, but also gives it some brightness. I think adding rosemary would be another great way to go with this stew. We definitely have enough left for lunches during the week!

Pumpkin Muffins

2008-11-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

I saw a recipe for pumpkin muffins in the November 2008 issue of Gourmet Magazine. It looked great, but I tweaked it a bit - I swapped dried cranberries for raisins, substituted some whole wheat flour for some of the AP flour, and used cardamom instead of allspice, since that's what I had in the house. So this is basically the Gourmet recipe, but I made it something we'd prefer to eat in our home.

The Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 ½ cups AP Flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup canned pure pumpkin
¼ cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Soak cranberries in warm water to rehydrate while you make the rest of the batter.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in large bowl.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, butter, brown sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Drain cranberries, then add cranberries and pumpkin seeds to batter.
4. Divide batter among cups of muffin pan (if not non-stick, pray with pan spray before filling). Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

These are great! Moist, not too sweet, and they have a good amount of spice. I wanted something that would be a good cookie alternative for Boyfriend, and that I could eat for breakfast before work. This is definitely a recipe I'll make again!

Chicken "Tikka Masala" with whole wheat couscous

2008-11-08T17:18:00.001-08:00

I love Indian food, but we don't have any good Indian restaurants in our neighborhood. When I'm craving my favorite, chicken Tikka Masala, and don't want to travel far to eat, this is a pretty good substitute. Boyfriend, who's a picky eater and "doesn't like Indian food" likes it, too!

The Ingredients:

-1 cup greek yogurt
-1 inch peeled ginger root, grated or minced (I peel a large piece of ginger root and cut it into 1 inch pieces, then freeze it. It keeps for months and grates really easily when frozen.)
-4 cloves garlic, grated or minced (I'm lazy and usually grate my garlic and ginger on a microplane rather than mince them)
-Zest of 1 lime
-2 tbsp chili powder
-4 tsp coriander
-2 tsp smoked paprika
-1 tsp turmeric
-2 tsp ground cumin
-1 pinch cinnamon
-2-3 tbsp olive oil
-Salt and Pepper
-1 ¼ - 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken (today I used breasts, but I really like this dish with thighs)
-1 14.5 oz can tomatoes (I had Fire Roasted Tomatoes in my pantry, but any kind of tomato works)
-½ cup chicken stock (I make my own chicken stock and freeze it in small quantities to use throughout the week, but will substitute a good low-sodium stock in a box if I don't have homemade on hand)

-½ cup whole wheat couscous
-2/3 cup chicken stock
-¼ cup slivered almonds

The Directions:

1. Preheat oven as high as it goes, 500° or 550°F.
2. Combine chili powder, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon. Reserve 1/3 of spice mixture for the sauce and the couscous. Combine two-thirds of spice mixture with yogurt, grated ginger, lime zest, and 3 cloves grated garlic. Thin to saucy consistency with olive oil (about 2 tbsp). Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to yogurt mixture, and coat chicken thoroughly. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
3. Line a half-sheet pan with foil. Lay coated chicken breasts on sheet pan. Bake at 550°F for 20 minutes.
4. While chicken is baking, make couscous and finish sauce. In saucepan, sauté ½ of remaining spice mixture and almonds for 2-3 minutes, until lightly toasted. Remove almonds and spice mixture, add ½ cup chicken stock and bring to a boil. When stock comes to boil, turn off heat, add couscous, toasted almonds and spices to stock, cover and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
5. Heat 2nd saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute 4th clove of grated/minced garlic and remaining spice mix for 2 minutes. Add can of tomato sauce and ½ cup chicken stock. Simmer until chicken is done.
6. When chicken is done, cut into bite-sized pieces and add to tomato sauce. Simmer 5 more minutes, then serve over couscous.

This is such an easy method - you can substitute so many different spice/herb combos and make completely new meals. This "Indian" version can be made even more simply with a pre-blended curry spice blend, or with curry paste. And the spice blend will keep for weeks in an air-tight container, so you can make a double or triple batch and then won't need to make it every time you make this meal. This is also great without the tomato sauce. Just the marinated, baked chicken is very similar to Tandoori Chicken and is a yummy dinner, too!

Tonight, I served it with kale, which I sauteed in a tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 cup of chicken stock, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. A pretty great square meal, and it got a vote of confidence by Boyfriend, despite his worry about eating "Indian" chicken and "the green stuff".

Favorite Weekend Dinner: Lasagna!

2008-11-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

Lasagna is one of Boyfriend's favorite dinners. I love that it's relatively easy, and that it gives us plenty of leftovers for the week. I usually make extra sauce, so I can freeze it for another meal.

Today, I used:

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil – as needed
-1 tbsp butter (optional)
-1 ½ - 2 lbs sausages, casings removed (I used a combo of Sweet Italian chicken sausage and Spicy Italian chicken sausage from Whole Foods, but any combo of sausages will be yummy!)
-1 large or 2 small onions, small dice
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 26 oz boxes tomatoes (I love the Pomi tomatoes in a box - the ingredients list is just tomatoes, no salt, citric acid or other preservatives. But any boxed or canned tomatoes will be fine.)
-salt and pepper, to taste
-1 15 oz tub of part-skim ricotta cheese
-Splash of milk
-1 ball fresh mozzarella (You could certainly use grated mozzarella, but I think the ball of fresh mozzarella makes a big difference in flavor and texture.)
-8 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles (or however many you need to cover your baking dish. I used a whole wheat variety, which I find really tasty.)
-parmigiano reggiano cheese, to taste (I get the imported kind at a local Italian market, and have them grate it. It keeps for weeks, and the flavor is so strong that a little goes a long way.)
-minced fresh herbs (optional)
-Wine (optional)

The Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. On stovetop, heat dutch oven, stock pot, or large saucepan over medium heat. Lightly coat bottom of pan with olive oil, and melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter, if desired. (I think the butter makes the sauce more rich and flavorful, but it will be great without, too) Add sausages and break apart with back of wooden spoon. Brown sausages, stirring frequently.
2. When sausages are almost fully cooked, add diced onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes, then add minced garlic. Stir to combine.
3. At this point, if you have wine (either white or red, but a good wine you would drink) deglaze the pan with about ¼ cup. Cook until wine is gone. (The wine isn't necessary, but will add another layer of flavor, so if you have some on hand, throw it in, But don't worry about buying wine just for this.)
4. Add tomatoes, and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10-15 minutes. Taste and season again as needed. (I added 3 large pinches of salt total, and no pepper, but do what tastes good to you.)
5. While sauce is simmering, pour ricotta into small bowl. Add splash of milk and stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (If you have fresh herbs, stir in a few tbsp of minced herbs to the ricotta. Parsley, basil, chives, oregano would all be good in this. I had parsley, so I added a bit, but it's just as good if you don't have the herbs.) Slice mozzarella as thinly as possible.
6. When sauce has simmered, place baking dish on foil-lined baking sheet. Spoon small layer of sauce on bottom of pan. Place 2 noodle sheets side by side on sauce (or however many it takes to cover the bottom of the dish). Spoon 1/3 of ricotta mixture on noodles. Cover with more sauce. Place ¼ of mozzarella on sauce. Repeat layering noodles, cheeses and sauce 2 more times, rotating direction of noodles with each layer. Top with 1 final layer of noodles, cover completely with sauce, then a layer of mozzarella, then top with grated parmigiano reggiano.
7. Cover baking dish with foil and cook at 400°F for 45 minutes. Uncover, and broil until cheese is brown and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Cut and serve!

It was delicious! I used 3 sweet sausages and 2 spicy, and there was a perfect balance of heat. It was gooey and cheesey, and the whole wheat noodles have a great texture. We both had seconds, and I have enough left over for 2 weekday lunches! And I have 2 quart bags of sauce left to freeze for other meals. The photos didn't come out as well as I hoped, but I'll work on that next weekend.