MY LITTLE BLACK COOKBOOK

Asian Barbeque Glazed Salmon

2012-01-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

Even if you don't normally like salmon because of its strong taste, you will probably like this! The glaze is so flavorful that it really masks the fishy taste but, in my opinion, compliments the "better" flavors. I'm pretty sure the sauce will be delicious on many other types of meat as well, so I'll be trying that in the future.

This is another Cooks Illustrated recipe that turned out to be a winner. They offered recipe variations for three other different glazes that I'd like to try as well.

For 4 servings, you will need:

1 tsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cornstarch
4 center-cut skin-on salmon fillets, 6-8 ounces each
ground black pepper
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Glaze:
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1. Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and simmer 3 minutes until thickened. Set it aside.

2. Adjust the oven rack to the middle spot and heat oven to 300. Combine brown sugar, salt, & cornstarch in a small bowl. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top of the fleshy side of salmon, rubbing evenly to distribute.

3. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until it's just smoking. Place the salmon flesh side down and sear it for one minute, until well browned. Turn it over with tongs and cook it on the skin side for one more minute.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat, spoon the glaze over the fillets, and place the entire skillet in the oven* for 7-10 minutes until the salmon's thickest part reaches 125 degrees.

*If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the fillets to a baking dish instead.

Another Hungry Girl Favorite: Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup

2012-01-06T10:59:00.001-08:00

Hungry Girl, who I've mentioned before, looooves pumpkin. She uses it in so many recipes, from brownies to soups, and that's a good thing because it's cheap, low-cal, and high in fiber. This soup is spicy and delicious and goes great with some Greek yogurt on top (and bread, since you're saving calories on the soup, of course!)

I found that the salsa really does play a big part in the flavor of the soup, but can also make it quite spicy. You can put a can of Rotel through the food processor instead of salsa, if you like. Just choose wisely, based on how spicy you like things!

You will need:

1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
4 cups (32 oz.) of fat-free broth (chicken or vegetable)
15 ounce can of pumpkin
1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can of corn
3/4 cup of your favorite salsa

Spray the pot with some non-stick spray and add the first three ingredients over medium heat. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, then add the pumpkin, corn, beans, and salsa. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it for ten minutes.

As I said, it's delicious when topped with Greek yogurt (lots of protein), fat free sour cream, or fat-free shredded cheddar. In a soup like this, you'll never tell the difference between these fat free foods and their "real" counterparts.

*Here are the impressive stats for 1/4 of this recipe, according to HG:
163 calories, 0.75 grams of fat, 12 grams of fiber, 10 grams of protein, and 3 WW points.

Absolutely Fantastic Crispy Smashed Potatoes

2011-12-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

These potatoes, with the crispy outside and creamy inside, are pretty much the perfect potato recipe. They are definitely my new number one, and they've been a big hit recently with my fiance and family.

I had a Cooks Illustrated subscription for one year, and what I found is that they've really, really tried everything to make sure that their recipes are virtually foolproof and absolutely perfect. As a result, there are only a few recipes in each bi-monthly issue, but the ones I have tried are all delicious. They are accompanied by drawings (hence the "Illustrated" part) and a detailed break-down of why each step and method is important to the final product. So with that said, I do not Amberize these, and you need to follow the steps just as they say! Don't say I didn't warn you!

Now, on to heavenly Crispy Smashed Potatoes... I had them, slightly burned but still yummy, for the first time about a year ago, then remembered them (and now I wonder, how did I ever forget them?!) recently when Chris and I had our own Christmas dinner here at the house. I made them with a variety of fingerling potatoes, and then again the next week for my grandparents, using baby red potatoes. As the magazine states, you should just stick to potatoes that are NO MORE than 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. I cut a couple of the bigger fingerlings and reds in half, but don't try using diced potatoes; it ain't gonna be the same.

2 pounds small potatoes (Red Bliss, as they recommend, or baby reds or fingerlings)
6 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves (or you could experiment here!)
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Place your oven racks on the top & bottom slots and preheat to 500. Arrange the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and pour 3/4 cup water into the baking sheet. Wrap it all tightly with aluminum foil. (CI states that this eliminates about 30 minutes of cooking time!) Cook on the bottom rack until you can poke a paring knife through the foil & a potato quite easily, 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and cool for 10 minutes. Blot any remaining water with a paper towel. This is how you'll get the creamy inside.

2. Drizzle 3 tbsp. of the oil over the potatoes and roll them around to coat. Spread the potatoes evenly on the sheet as if you're baking cookies and expect them to spread, because here's the fun part: the smashing!

3. Place a second baking sheet on top of the potatoes and smash them all down into 1/2 to 1/3 inch-thick patties, fritters, or whatever you want to call them. This is how you'll get the cripsy outside!

4. Drizzle evenly with the remaining oil and the seasonings. Roast on the top oven rack (without the foil) for 15 minutes, then the bottom rack for 20-30 minutes, or until they're browned to your liking.

Either you are going to love these, or you're going to be WRONG!

Cream Cheese-Green Chile Dip (aka Alice's "Crack Dip")

2011-11-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

My wonderful work neighbor Alice has made this dip a few times at parties we've attended, and it is amazing! You will understand the name when you try it.

It's pretty spicy with the full four ounce can of jalapenos, but Alice suggested cutting it down to two ounces, and even rinsing the jalapenos if you are concerned about heat.

I took the liberty of Amberizing it... less fat and calories, so eat more!

2 8-ounce fat free cream cheese, softened
1 cup fat free mayonnaise
1 cup parmesan-reggiano cheese, halved
1 4-ounce can of diced green chiles
1 4-ounce can of diced jalapenos (adjust according to taste)

Mix 1/2 of the cup of parmesan with all the other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir it well. Spread in a 9-inch pie plate or other shallow baking dish. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of parmesan on top.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes, until it's bubbly. Serve it with tortilla/corn chips and vegetable sticks.

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cranberry Ketchup

2011-11-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to serve this at the first Thanksgiving meal that I've ever prepared tomorrow with my fiance Chris. We will be hosting his family and this will accompany herb-roasted turkey, my Maw Maw's recipe for herb gravy, green bean casserole, rolls, my friend Alice's recipe for "crack" dip, cheddar and black pepper palmiers, and the dressing and pies that Chris' mom is bringing. I will post any other recipes that turn out well, and maybehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif they will appear at your Christmas dinner next month!

Spicy roasted sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetable sides, and such an easy one. My recipe can be found here.

This recipe came from this month's issue of my favorite magazine, Cooking Light.

1 2/3 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shallots
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Combine everything in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Stir it well and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat slightly and cook for 10 minutes or until thick. (It didn't take 10 minutes for me.)

Remove it from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Pour into a blender or food processor and run until smooth. Transfer it to a bowl and chill.

This makes eight 1 1/2 tbsp. servings, with 72 calories and no fat.

Caprese Salad

2011-11-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

I certainly didn't invent (or even change) this one, but I figure many of my friends and family haven't had a delicious caprese salad before! (I hadn't, until I worked for Carrabba's in college.) This takes just a minute to make and is a good use for fresh tomatoes or basil.

Slice up the following:
fresh roma tomatoes
fresh milk mozzarella (spherical or medallions, packed in water...not the shredded stuff for pizzas!)
fresh basil, either whole-leaf or sliced if you prefer

And add these on top:
salt
black pepper
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Hungry Girl's Amazing, Low-Calorie Cheesecake Brownies

2011-11-18T10:57:00.001-08:00

I love Hungry Girl, aka Lisa Lillien, who writes recipes centered around one of my favorite cooking tricks: ingredient swaps (which my mother calls "Amberizing"). Some of her recipes have been a little iffy, but for the most part, she has good ideas, makes a pretty admirable attempt at not only nixing calories and fat but also including lots of fiber, and hits quite a few home runs, like this delicious cheesecake brownie recipe!

So while Lisa Lillien counts her money from her cookbook sales and I lament how I should have thought of that myself... here's how to make them.

1 box devil's food cake mix
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin

Mix these together and spread in a greased 9" x 13" pan. It will be thick but that's ok.

Then whisk together the following ingredients in a bowl until it's smooth:

6 ounces of fat free cream cheese, softened at room temp.
1/4 cup Splenda granulated

and, depending on what you have...
either add 2 tbsp. fat free half-and-half & 1/2 tsp. vanilla
OR dissolve 1 tsp. powdered vanilla creamer in 2 tbsp. water and 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Now you have a nice "cheesecake" topping, so drop spoonfuls over your brownie mix in the pan. Use a knife to make the swirls. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Now for the nutritional information... the serving size on this recipe is pretty generous: 1/16 of the large pan! That amount contains 133 calories, 2 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of fiber, and counts as 4 Weight Watchers Points. Not too shabby!

Pork Tenderloin with Onions and Dried Cranberries

2011-11-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

I had my doubts about the combination of onions and cranberries (?!) but this turned out amazing! This came from an old issue of Cooking Light magazine. It was written by a lady who taught her college-aged sons how to prepare pork, and she stipulates that, "as with any dish that incorporates alcohol, this is intended for students who are of legal drinking age," because, you know, pork loin will get you to' up from the flo' up.

2 pounds of pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into two pieces
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, cut lengthways in half, then sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup light beer
1 cup of chicken broth
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Sprinkle the pork with about 3/4 tsp. of the salt and the pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, brown the pork loins on all sides, for about 6 minutes.

2. Remove the pork from the pan and add the onions. Cook them for about 8 minutes until browned. Remove the onions from the pan and salt them with the remaining 1/4 tsp.

3. Pour the beer in the pan and cook it over high for about a minute, or until it's reduced by half.

4. Return the pork and onion to the pan, add the broth, and bring it to a boil. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat, and simmer it for 30 minutes. Stir in the cranberries, cover, and cook for another 20-30 minutes, until pork is tender and fully cooked to 160 degrees.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and place pork on a cutting board. After letting it sit for 5 minutes, slice it and serve it with the sauce, cranberries, and onions on top. It is great with mashed potatoes! (You're looking at some Idahoan instant potatoes right there, which were helpful after I forgot about--and burned--the rice).

Cindy's Award-Winning Chicken Gumbo

2011-11-06T06:46:00.001-08:00

*Photo by my honey bunny.

My friend's mother--also my high school teacher--Cindy gave me her recipe for her chicken gumbo, which was the winner at the Orange Gumbo Cookoff. (To be clear, I'm from a town called Orange, Texas.) Gumbo, if you're not familiar, is a cajun soup that is generally made with some combination of chicken, sliced link sausage, or seafood. I plan to try a seafood version sometime this winter.

Like many recipes of this type, I suspect that there's no "exact" way to make it, which is why mine has never turned out quite as good as hers, but I am getting better at it. Here's exactly how I prepared it last night, to positive reviews from my fiance and his family:

1 whole chicken
1 cup flour
1 cup oil (Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as grapeseed or peanut oil. Vegetable and olive oil will taste smoky before the roux gets brown.)
1 yellow onion
1 bell pepper
3 stalks of celery
64 ounces of chicken stock (8 cups)
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 bay leaves
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. red pepper
Additional pepper, Cajun seasoning, or hot sauce to taste

*You can use a seasoning like Tony Chachere's or a blackening spice to substitute for some of the spices. I actually did that, but I realize those may not be available just anywhere. You will get generally the same result with what I listed. Keep tasting it as you go along!

1. Boil the chicken in water for an hour and a half. Cool it and pick the meat off. Tear into bite-sized pieces.

2. Chop all the vegetables and set them aside.

3. Pour the oil in a medium-large skillet and heat it on high. Whisk in the flour and keep stirring as the roux browns. This could take up to ten minutes, but when it starts browning, it will happen quickly. When your roux is the color of milk chocolate, add the vegetables and cook, with the heat turned down halfway to avoid overcooking the roux itself.

4. Place the shredded chicken, the roux and veggies, and the chicken stock in a large pot and turn to medium heat. Add the spices, stir well, and start tasting!

5. Once it's seasoned to your liking, cook it for about 45 minutes to 1 hour on low-medium heat.

Serve this over rice with saltines. It is also great with some potato salad in the bowl!

Slow-Cooker Mojito Lime Chicken

2011-10-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from the new website Crock Pot Girls, which is growing fast and has lots of good looking meals to make in the slow cooker. This is the first one I have tried, and it was amazing! I added some more seasoning at the end and it turned out perfectly.

I'd estimate that you can get about 15-18 soft tacos out of this amount of chicken, depending on how much meat you use per tortilla.

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
28 ounces of low sodium chicken stock
1 package McCormick Mojito Lime grill seasoning
1 small onion, cut in wedges
juice of 3-4 limes
salt & pepper
cumin

Mix the ingredients together in the slow cooker to cover the chicken. Cook on low for 7 hours.

Take the chicken out and shred it using two forks. Return it to the broth and check the taste to see if you want to add any additional cumin, salt, pepper, or lime juice.

Serve on hot flour tortillas with rice, beans, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, and salsa!

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Fajitas

2011-10-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is my first slow-cooker recipe on this site. I won a Crock Pot at Project Graduation over twelve years ago and have used it from time to time (for the best roast ever, among other things) but I think in light of my drastically increased busy-ness this school year, I will start seeking out more of these recipes. Chris made these delicious fajitas the other day.

An added bonus is that these recipes almost always use an inexpensive cut of meat!

From Betty Crocker's Pulled Pork Fajitas:

2 1/2 lb. pork loin roast, boneless & trimmed of fat
2 Tbsp. fajita seasoning
1 to 1 1/2 cups salsa (We used a homemade jar from Chris's dad, but any kind will do, and can really determine the flavor you get.)

Rub the meat with the fajita seasoning, cover with salsa, and cook on low for about 9 hours. Don't lift the lid while cooking. (If in doubt of doneness, use a meat thermometer to check: pork should reach 145° inside, at least.)

When the meat is about 30 minutes from being done, take it out and use two forks to pull it apart. Place it back in the slow cooker with:

2 bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
1/2 to 1 whole onion, sliced into strips and separated

Cook for 30 more minutes so vegetables are tender and meat is thoroughly done.

Serve with flour tortillas, cheese, and sour cream.

Gnocchi Alfredo with Grilled Shrimp

2011-09-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

Gnocchi are delicious small potato dumplings with a chewy texture. I've also made "potato" salad with them before (Rachael Ray's idea) and it was really popular. I made this (relatively light) version of gnocchi alfredo for dinner last night and served it with a salad. I can't remember where this recipe came from or if I made it up. Anyway, gnocchi alfredo with shrimp...

1 box potato gnocchi
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 cup milk (approximately)
3/4 cup shredded or grated parmesan (approximately)
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
salt & pepper
10-12 raw shrimp, tails & shells removed

Bring a small pot of water to boil. When it boils, add the gnocchi and cook about 3-5 minutes. When they're nearly done, add the peas, which will cook almost instantly. Drain & return to pot.

Meanwhile... in a large skillet, melt the butter and immediately whisk in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly to create a smooth roux. When it's smooth, begin adding milk a little a time, whisking it in until you have a nice alfredo sauce thickness.

Add cheese and whisk until smooth. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little more milk. Salt & pepper the sauce to taste. Set this skillet aside.

In a separate medium skillet or grill pan (or, I guess you could use the gnocchi pot if you leave the gnocchi and peas in the colander), heat a little olive oil and cook the shrimp. Add the mushrooms midway through the cooking. Salt and pepper them, and you may choose to add a little oregano or other spices.

Now that everything's done, toss the gnocchi and peas in the sauce, then top with the shrimp and mushrooms!

This makes two servings.

Delicious, Healthy (Store-bought) Snack Foods: Popchips & Laughing Cow Cheese

2011-07-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Popchips:

These are fantastic and will be kept in my desk drawer (known as the candy drawer) at work this year. A single serving bag isn't small (about 18 chips, says the label) and has 100 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. That is far less than regular potato chips, and they don't taste like cardboard ass (like baked ones do). They are somehow "popped", as the label says they start with potato (flakes, but it doesn't matter) and use heat and pressure to make them into a chip. I've seen four flavors: original, BBQ, cheddar, and sea salt & vinegar. Now I've learned that there are at least 5 more, including a salsa corn chip and wasabi rice chips. So now I'm on a mission.

Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges:

These wedges are 35 calories each with 1.5 grams of fat, and are soft enough that you can cut them with the cracker you're eating, so you can eat it at your desk at work and not make a mess. I've tried the mozzarella, sun-dried tomato, & basil, and garlic & herb flavors and they're good with crackers and baby carrots. Other light flavors include Swiss, queso fresco chipotle, and blue cheese.

Crab- and Brie-Stuffed Flounder with Lemon Buerre Blanc Sauce (Also, Cooking School #2!)

2011-07-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

This was the menu that we (sort of) prepared at my second Central Market Cooking School class, Seafood 101. We actually just learned how to make the sauce and more importantly, scale and filet the fish. The rest was lagniappe that they had prepared ahead of time. Additionally, we learned how to choose a good fish in the grocery store. Great class, and incredible food served!

(That's the stuffed flounder in the top left part. The other is Trout Amandine with Celery Root Puree and Brown Butter, which I'll try cooking some other time.)

This is the fanciest dinner I have made, as it was accompanied by seared scallops wrapped in prosciutto in a spinach puree, topped with a leek emulsion sauce. I can't believe I made all that, but the stuffed flounder part was so easy.

Prosciutto-wrapped seared scallop appetizer before...

...and after about thirty seconds.

The spinach and leek sauces were ok, but I won't go to that trouble again, as the scallops would have probably been even better if served with the lemon buerre blanc sauce. So, lesson learned, and time and expense saved in the future.

For two servings, you will need two long fish fillets. It doesn't have to be flounder--this recipe originally recommended dover sole, but ask the person at the fish counter what they'd recommend for this purpose.

So, you will need:

1/4 cup lump crab, picked over for shell
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1/4 lb. of Brie cheese
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 Tbsp. dill
1/2 tsp. Italian parsley, chopped
salt, pepper, and paprika (optional) to taste
2 white fish fillets

Season the fillets with salt and pepper. (Remove the skin first if you didn't already have that done for you at the store.) Mix up all the remaining ingredients except the crab meat, which you will add last after the rest tastes properly seasoned. Spoon half on to each fillet, and fold the ends in. Place it in a baking dish and sprinkle paprika over the top. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Easy.

Lemon buerre blanc sauce (street name: crack!):
This is enough sauce not only for the fish, but for your accompanying vegetables/scallops/bread/whatever. Half the recipe if you'd like.

1 large (or 2 small) shallots, minced
1 cup of dry white wine
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. lemon juice
6 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound (that's 2 sticks!) butter, unsalted, cubed, and cold
salt and pepper to taste

(Obviously this is not an every day food because it's a calorie-fest, but how often are you making stuffed flounder? Not very often. Unfortunately, it is really delicious.)

In a small saucepot, combine wine, vinegar, shallot, and juice, and boil. Boil until it's reduced to about 1/4 cup of liquid. Then add the heavy cream and cook to reduce it by half.

Reduce the heat to medium, and then whisk in only one cube of butter at a time. Once half of the cubes are melted in, you can add them 2-3 at a time, melting them completely before adding more, until it's all used.

Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.

And by the way, the seared scallops:
Take 4 large (U10 size) sea scallops and season with salt and pepper. Get some oil (olive, grapeseed) HOT in the pan, then sear the scallops by placing them in the oil and LEAVING THEM ALONE! If you move them you will not get a good sear. You can tell that the edges are browning well when they're ready to flip.

Then take a slice of prosciutto and cut it lengthwise to wrap around one scallop. (So 2 slices of prosciutto for 4 scallops). Place on a baking sheet under the broiler until the prosciutto is crisp and browned. Top with buerre blanc sauce!

And to serve with it:
Thin, lightly sauteed asparagus, broccolini, green beans... something light, plain, and probably green. This is a heavy meal! You will not want anything starchy or creamy on the side of your plate.

Key Lime Pie with Homemade Whipped Cream Topping

2011-07-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

*Once again, I'll add a picture after the technical difficulties with that camera are resolved. But pretty much all key lime pies look the same.

They served us a little (very little) piece of this at the end of my Central Market Seafood 101 class. I made it last week along with the fancy seafood recipes that were in the packet for one giant dinner!

For the crust (or buy a crust if you'd rather):

1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the crust ingredients and press into a 9" pie dish with a fork. Bake it for 10 minutes and cool it completely.

For the filling:

6 egg yolks at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar (I used Splenda, worked perfectly. It will be pretty tart at this quantity, so add more if you want it sweeter.)
14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. lime zest
3/4 cup of key lime juice

A word on the lime juice: don't use the stuff in the little green bottle. That's not key lime juice and it doesn't taste the sameBuy about 20-25 key limes and juice them. It's the hardest part but it's not that bad if you have a juicer or just some type of juicing tool. Remember to strain for seeds afterward.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk. Add the milk, zest, and juice. Pour it in the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Cool it completely, first at room temperature, then in the fridge.

For the topping:

1 cup of cold heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup of sugar (Again, Splenda works just the same here.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
thin slices of lime or strawberries (for garnish)

Beat the heavy cream on high speed with a mixer, using the whisk attachment. Add the sugar and vanilla after soft peaks form, then beat it until stiff peaks form. Smooth it over the pie with a spatula, and then garnish with fruit slices.

Chopped Vegetable Salad with Creamy Feta Vinaigrette

2011-07-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

I read some salad dressing recipes recently and clipped a few to try. The preceding article pointed out that salad dressings are really easy to make, and bottled ones contain all sorts of unpronouncables. I made this feta vinaigrette to use a veggie dip, but it was too thin for that use. So today when I had only about half a cup of lettuce left, I chopped up all the vegetables I could find in the fridge, and gave it an official name!

Obviously you can use any vegetables, but I used finely chopped...

carrot
cucumber
Roma tomato
celery
red onion
broccoli

Season the vegetables with some herbs and spices. I used white pepper, salt, oregano, and garlic.

Now for the feta vinaigrette dressing:

3 ounces crumbled feta cheese (3/4 cup)
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a food processor, pulse the crumbled feta with the red wine vinegar, water, oregano and olive oil until the vinaigrette is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

I added in some croutons and shaved parmesan, too, of course.

Chicken with Leeks, Lemon Rice Pilaf, and Lemon-Butter Broccolini

2011-07-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

This is one very quick three-course meal: chicken, rice, and broccolini. I got all three of these dishes from Rachael Ray's Classic 30-Minute Meals cookbook and you really can do the whole thing in about half an hour (ok, maybe 45). This is for two people, with some leftovers perhaps.

My suggestion is that you chop your vegetables and zest your lemon ahead of time, and don't even begin the broccolini until everything else is nearly done, as it takes only six minutes and will get cold easily.

First of all, this is what you're looking for in the produce department...

leeks...

...and broccolini, which I somehow did not know existed until recently.
(Way better than broccoli!)

First, start the rice:

1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1 1/2 cups brown rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
dried thyme
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water (more if needed)
grated zest of 1 lemon
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
slivered almonds, toasted in a skillet (do this first and re-use the skillet for the chicken)

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, then melt the butter and heat the oil. Drop in the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and lightly brown it for 3-5 minutes. Add the wine and allow it to evaporate completely, which takes 1-2 minutes.

Add the thyme, then chicken broth and cup of water and bring it to a boil. Cover the rice and reduce heat. Cook it for 20-30 minutes, until it's soft enough. (Keep in mind that brown rice is inherently crunchy, so it won't be soft and sticky like white rice.) *While it's cooking, then you can begin the chicken!

Before serving, stir in the lemon zest, parsley, and toasted almonds.

Chicken with leeks:

2 leeks, washed and sliced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinned out with a meat mallet (this part is important!)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. olive oil

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and brown them for 3-4 minutes on each side. Set these aside on a plate when you're sure they're cooked through.

Cook the leeks in the same pan for about 5 minutes, using more oil if necessary. Add the wine, then return the chicken breasts to saute' in the pan for 5-7 minutes on low heat. *At this time, start the broccolini cooking!

Place the chicken on the rice, and the rice on the chicken.

And the lemon-butter broccolini:
one bunch of broccolini (that will be 2 good-sized servings)
1 lemon, zested and set aside to squeeze over before serving
1 cup water
salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp. butter

Just trim the tough ends, then place the water, broccolini, and lemon zest in a bowl (preferably glass, with a lid), cover it up, and microwave for 5-6 minutes, or until tender.

Drain it, squeeze the lemon over it (watch for seeds), and stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter, depending on your preference. Salt and pepper it and you're done.

Calabacitas Casserole with Polenta & Cheese

2011-07-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is another Rachael Ray one, and it is delicious and healthy! I chopped my vegetables the day before because I knew I had a busy day coming up, and after that the casserole took only about 15 minutes to assemble. Polenta is a cornmeal dish that, in this case, comes in a sliceable form that you'll use to make the base and the topping of the casserole.

You will need:
2 tubes of polenta (pictured below, so you know what you're looking for)
olive oil
2 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of chopped garlic
2 cups corn
1 green chile or 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
1 can (14 oz.) stewed tomatoes
1 to 2 cups of shredded cheese of your choice
3 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro...yeah Mom, you can leave this out ;)

1. Preheat the oven to 500.

2. Coat the bottom of a casserole dish with 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Cut one tube of polenta lengthwise in 1/2" slices and lay them in the bottom of the dish.

3. Heat a large skillet with another 2 tbsp. of olive oil, then add the garlic, chili/jalapeno, and corn. Saute it for 2-3 minutes, then add the zucchini, squash, and onions. Stir in the chili powder and season with salt and pepper as it cooks for 7-8 minutes. Add the stewed tomatoes and heat it through.

4. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the baking dish, then slice the other tube of polenta into 1/2" round slices to lay across the top. Sprinkle as much or as little cheese as you'd like over the top and bake it for 8-10 minutes. Top with green onions and cilantro!

Any-Flavor-You-Want Five Minute Pie

2011-03-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

So easy and so good! You can choose whatever flavor you like, and add fruit to make it more nutritious and substantial. This recipe uses relatively low-fat, low-sugar ingredients, especially if you choose light Cool Whip and sugar-free Jello. (The sugar-free Jello doesn't mix in as nicely and looks a bit gritty, but tastes the same.)

I made this pie with strawberry jello, vanilla yogurt, and diced strawberries.

1 graham cracker pie crust (a larger size if it's available)
1 single-serving container of yogurt, any flavor
1 small package of Jello
1 container of Cool Whip

Mix the last three ingredients together, add fruit or whatever you want, and spread it in the crust. Let it set in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Central Market Cooking Class #1: Sauces 101

2010-12-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

This post is very belated--I took two of these classes over the summer, and one last month. Nevertheless, I wanted to write about them and encourage you to try them sometime! You will leave full of food, wine, and flavored teas, and learn a lot.

I decided to start with the 101 series because I assumed (correctly) that although I'm not an absolute beginner, I am mostly self-taught and therefore I do things my way, not necessarily the right way.

There seems to be some debate out there over which are the official Mother Sauces. According to Central Market Cooking School, there are five of them: béchamel, velouté, hollandaise, espagnole, and vinaigrette. (I think that last one was their own executive decision, as I'm finding that tomato is generally considered to be the fifth.) The sauces in a nutshell:

Béchamel is a creamy flour, butter, and milk sauce. We formed a light roux from the first two ingredients, then added the milk, and finally cheese, to make...mac and cheese. Very fancy!
Velouté is very similar, as it is also made from a light roux, but instead of being thinned with milk, you can use chicken, beef, fish, or other stock.
Hollandaise was the trickiest sauce to make, because you have to make a double boiler of a metal bowl suspended over a saucepan of boiling water, and then manage to cook the egg yolks without scrambling them. This sauce is egg yolks, melted butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simple, but not really.
Espagnole takes so long to cook that we didn't do it in class. The instructor served us some over a chicken thigh, and it was outstanding. This sauce is composed of a darker roux, vegetables, herbs and spices, tomato paste, and some type of meat stock. I guess it's the kind of thing that you'd want to make in bulk, and then freeze.
Vinaigrette is just oil, your choice of vinegar, herbs, and spices, of course.

Classes are offered nearly every day and are about $60 for a hands-on class (and you get a meal out of it, too). They're about 3 hours long and are generally in the evening.

The other classes I've taken are Seafood 101 and Knife Skills 101. More to come!

Pizza Bianca

2010-12-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

I've recently become a big fan of Pillsbury pizza crust. For some reason, although I like to make most things as much from scratch as time allows, I have never really felt the need to extend this principle to breads that require yeast, cakes, and even most cookies. So I've begun to try a few different toppings for unusual pizzas using this handy dandy ready-made crust, and this is one that I feel is really worth posting here.

I got the idea for this one from Adultlescence, in a post that discusses the author's general disdain for cooking (and how easy this one was for her). I changed it up, as is my way... and kept the name anyway.

1 can of Pillsbury refrigerated thin pizza crust
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
chopped red onion
sliced gouda cheese
olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray and/or cornmeal

Spray a large cookie sheet (Airbake is best for this), and add a dusting of cornmeal if you like. Roll out the dough and cook at 400 degrees for a few minutes, until it is about halfway cooked.

With a pastry brush, spread a thin layer of olive oil over the crust. Then add the thinly sliced zucchini, the red onion, and then top with gouda slices that you've torn or cut into smaller pieces. Grind some pepper over the cheese, and cook until the dough is golden brown and the vegetables are softened.

Chocolate Waffles and Strawberry Sauce

2010-12-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

I got a new waffle iron, and this recipe was the best possible way to break it in! I combined a couple of ideas I saw on FoodNetwork.com--chocolate waffles and plain waffles with strawberry sauce. The combination was wonderful, and even better when I added cool whip on top.

These were also really quick. Counting my trip to the store, making the batter, and cooking two waffles (I saved the rest of the batter for later), it took me only an hour.

Alton Brown's recipe for Chocolate Waffles (makes about four 8-inch waffles):

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs, beaten
16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips
cooking spray for waffle iron

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add in vanilla, butter, and then buttermilk. When combined, add in chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed. Spray the iron with cooking spray, then ladle it into a hot waffle iron and cook for 4-5 minutes.

For the Neelys' Strawberry Sauce (or my loose adaptation):

1 bag frozen strawberries, hulled, and sliced if you want (the recipe calls for a quart of fresh)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar

Cook in a saucepan until the strawberries are thawed, warm, and softened. Simmer until the mixture thickens slightly.

Top everything with Cool Whip or whipped cream!

Cheddar & Black Pepper Palmiers

2010-12-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

I brought these to Thanksgiving dinner at the Billings' house this year. They were amazing and simple to make.

From kitchendaily.com:

1 1/4 cup finely grated sharp cheddar; 3 1/2 ounces

1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 puff pastry sheets (from a 17.3-ounce package); thawed if frozen

Mix the cheeses, pepper, and salt in a bowl.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese mixture onto a work surface. Unfold 1 pastry sheet and place over cheese. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a 10-inch square, then sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese mixture all over top of pastry, pressing lightly to adhere. Fold sides of 2 ends to meet in center, then fold once more into center and press ends together. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour (or freeze 15 to 30 minutes). Repeat with remaining cheese and second sheet of pastry.

While dough chills, preheat oven to 400F with racks in upper and lower parts of oven. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with 1 piece at a time (keep remaining chilled until ready to use), unwrap pastry and use a good, sharp, chef's knife to cut, seam side up, into 1/4-inch-thick slices, arranging them 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake, turning palmiers over and switching position of pans halfway through, until golden and pastry is cooked through, 18 to 22 minutes total. Transfer palmiers to rack to cool. Repeat cutting and baking remaining pastry on cooled sheets.

Sausage & Corn Chowder

2010-11-09T18:07:00.001-08:00

This was today's recipe of the day from Taste of Home, and it takes practically no time to prepare. All this delicious cold weather food I'm making... and it's 75 degrees. I added carrots to up the vegetables, topped it with some shredded cheddar, and ate it with French bread from the bakery at Sprouts!

1/2 lb. ground pork sausage (I used spicy Italian)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 cups water
2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 cup corn
1 cup sliced carrot
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/8 tsp. black pepper

In a large saucepan or pot, cook the sausage, onion, celery, and carrots until the meat is fully cooked through. Drain if necessary, and then add the 3 cups water, potatoes, bouillon granules, and corn. Bring it all to a boil and then reduce heat, cooking for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, make a bechamel sauce to thicken your soup by melting the butter, then stirring in the flour and pepper with a whisk until it's smooth. Gradually add the milk and whisk it together, until all the milk is in there and the sauce has thickened like gravy and become very smooth.

Add the bechamel sauce to the sausage and vegetable mixture and stir. Top the soup with cheese and serve it with hot bread.

Savory Beef Stew

2010-11-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

I started making this stew in Hungary because the ingredients were very basic and it was easy to find everything I needed. I eat it several times every fall/winter, and it was my first "cold weather meal" this season. Plus, it only takes about 5-10 minutes to prepare!

From BettyCrocker.com:

1 1/2 lb stew meat
1 14-ounce can of stewed tomatoes, undrained
8 ounce bag of baby carrots (about 30), cut in half at an angle
1 1/2 pounds of red potatoes, cubed
1 medium yellow onion, cut into large chunks
1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt (Tex Joy steak seasoning is good)
black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. flour

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Cut the potatoes and carrots while it heats.

2. In a Dutch oven or 9 x 13 baking dish, mix together the beef, carrots, onion, potatoes, seasoning salt, and pepper. Mix the flour and water together, then add to the stew mixture. Place the bay leaf in the dish.

3. Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the vegetables are tender, covered in foil. Stir once or twice to keep the onions from drying out on top.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks

2010-10-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

This marinade from allrecipes.com left the swordfish very flavorful and juicy. I left it on there for just under an hour, and grilled the fish for about 5 minutes on each side. Preheat your grill to high, then turn down the heat to medium when you put them on.

I didn't measure the ingredients, but just to give you an idea, here are the quantities. The wine gave it the best flavor, so maybe go heavy on that.

For 4 swordfish steaks:

4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Cream Cheese Corn with Green Chiles

2010-08-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Between the avocado fries and this cream cheese corn, tonight's dinner was pretty phenomenal, despite the fact that I had a pretty lackluster main dish. I had corn like this at the wedding of my friends Megan and Joel, and I've wanted to make it ever since. Now, two years later, I finally did. Two Hall-of-Famers in one day.

From bigovencom:

2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz reduced fat or fat-free cream cheese
2 16-ounce cans of whole kernel corn, drained
4 ounces of canned green chiles
2 tsp. minced onion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
cayenne pepper to taste

In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the cream cheese and stir to soften. Add the corn and stir it to help break up and fully melt the rest of the cream cheese. Add the green chiles, minced onion, salt, and garlic powder. Stir over low-medium heat until heated through and onion is softened. Add the cayenne pepper to taste.

Avocado Fries

2010-08-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today was a very eventful--and successful!--day in my kitchen, due to a number of reasons. It was my first day back from being out of town for about a week and a half, I needed to catch up on my recipe-a-day project, and I had absolutely nothing to eat until I loaded up on groceries this morning. Also, I was feeling motivated by my second cooking class, which I attended last night at Central Market. (I'll write about those soon.)

These avocado fries were just as amazing as you'd expect. I didn't keep the earlier ones in the oven while the others fried, and I should have, but still, fried avocados! Hard to imagine how that wouldn't taste great.

This was from myrecipes.com and was shown to me by my friend Seth. This one has earned a place in my LBC Hall of Fame!

2 firm-ripe medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
1 1/4 cups Panko breadcrumbs
canola oil
2 eggs, beaten in a bowl
1/4 cup flour

1. Preheat oven to 200°. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 in. oil until it registers 375° on a deep-fry thermometer.

2. Meanwhile, mix flour with 1/4 tsp. salt in a shallow plate. Put eggs and panko in separate shallow plates. Dip avocado in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, then panko to coat. Set on 2 plates in a single layer.

3. Fry a quarter of avocado slices at a time until deep golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer slices to a plate lined with paper towels. Keep warm in oven while cooking remaining avocados. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Basil Pesto

2010-08-10T15:09:00.001-07:00

I know it doesn't look like much. Pesto in a bowl is not very visually appealing, but it is delicious on whatever you serve it! This recipe came from my friend Garret. Although I eat rather a lot of pesto, especially on paninis, it was my first time to make it rather than using store-bought. I'll be bringing this to lunch at my friend Stephanie's house tomorrow, where it will be used on Italian chicken paninis. (I hope my friends are ready for garlic, because I may have used a bit much.)

Here's the original recipe. You will need a food processor. (Mine is small, cheap, and old, but I chopped it in two batches.)

3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup of coarsely grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (2 ounces)*
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3-4 cups loosely packed fresh basil
2/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

Peel the garlic cloves. Here's an easy way: Place them one by one on the counter and put your knife blade sideways and flat against it. Mash the knife down with your palm and it will crack the clove. The skin will peel off easily after that.

Chop the garlic in the food processor. Then add nuts, cheese, salt, and pepper and process until finely chopped. Add the basil and do the same, then add in the olive oil and process until combined.

That's it! Use this sauce on pasta, paninis or other sandwiches, bruschetta, grilled chicken, or whatever.

*One more thing--long story short, I was going to double the recipe, then changed my mind. I forgot to change the quantity of the cheese, however, and put more like 4 ounces (1 1/3 cups) instead of 2. Doubling the cheese turned out to be a delicious "idea" (or mistake), and I'll do it next time!

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

2010-07-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

This was a pretty easy soup to make, and is high in vegetables and low in sodium and fat. If you like sweet vegetables (like corn and squash), you'll like this soup... if you don't, you won't. Simple as that.

(I know it looks exactly like the potato soup I posted before.)

3/4 cups sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 pound yellow summer squash, cubed
1 pound frozen white and yellow corn kernels, thawed
2 1/4 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

for topping:
shredded cheddar
3-4 slices of bacon
chopped green onions
sour cream

1. Cook the bacon on medium high heat in a large pot until crisp. Set it aside and save about 2 Tbsp. of the drippings in the pot. Add the green onions, celery, squash to the bacon fat and saute for 8 minutes, or until tender.

2. Set aside 1 cup of corn, and place the remaining corn in a blender with 1 cup of the milk. Puree it until smooth, then add the remaining milk, thyme, salt, and pepper. Process it just until combined.

3. Add the pureed mixture to the pot of vegetables, along with the remaining cup of corn. Reduce the heat to medium and heat it through, stirring constantly. Add some more salt, pepper, and maybe some granulated garlic to taste. Top each bowl with some crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, cheese, and sour cream.

Makes about 6 cups.

Chocolate Chip and Walnut Blondies

2010-07-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray an 8 x 8 inch pan with cooking spray, and then lay a piece of foil across the bottom, allowing it to hang over the edges on two sides. Press the foil down into the corners of the pan.

After melting the butter, put a spoonful onto the foil and spread it around to completely grease the foil.

With a whisk, combine the remaining butter and the two sugars in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. Then add the flour and salt, and mix until combined and moistened. (Do not overbeat.) Add in half of the chocolate and walnuts and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Then top the blondies with the remaining chocolate and walnuts.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Pick the foil up out of the pan and place the whole dessert on a wire cooling rack.

Cheddar-Dill Biscuits

2010-07-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

I had these with the roasted citrus-crumbed cod and cheddar sage mashed potatoes last night, as well as two more when they were fresh out of the oven that afternoon. I've had this recipe for a long time and have just never tried it. Another one that's really easy, really delicious!

1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut up
2 Tbsp. dill
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375, with the rack in the middle.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, paprika, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter pieces and blend with your fingers until it forms a coarse meal with pea sized butter lumps. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until a dough forms.

3. With floured hands, divide the dough into eight portions and gently form 2" high biscuits on a cookie sheet, placing them 2" apart. Bake until bottoms are golden and are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

*I decided to put a tiny piece of butter on top of each biscuit right as they came out of the oven, so it would melt into it.

Roasted Citrus Crumbed Cod with Cheddar Sage Mashed Potatoes

2010-07-10T06:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a smashing success in the One-New-Recipe-A-Day-From-July-1st-Until-School-Starts Challenge! I made four new things in order to get ahead of the calendar, because I will be taking trips to Chicago and South Padre Island soon. I'm in charge of food for twelve people on the SPI trip, so I can try maybe one or two new recipes then. But I think we'll be mostly relying on some really easy foods.

So, here's a really, really delicious recipe for baked fish and mashed potatoes that has lots of flavor and is healthy and easy. I thought it would be pretty good, but in the end it exceeded my expectations. As I usually do, I made less than the recipe called for (six servings), because I don't want to eat anything for six meals in a row, except maybe chips and salsa. So I treated the measurements pretty loosely, and ended up heavy on the zest, salt, and cheese. And it was perfect that way. This recipe is adapted from Redbook online.

Potatoes:
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 cup milk (I added a little whipping cream too, just because I had some)
1 tsp. dried crumbled sage
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cod:
1 1/2 cups panko Japanese breadcrumbs (don't use another kind)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp. grated orange zest*
2 tsp. grated lemon zest (save the lemon to squeeze over the finished fish)*
2 tsp. grated lime zest*
6 (6-0z.) skinless cod fillets (1 1/2 inches thick, pin bones removed if necessary)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oven to 450. Place a wire rack (like one used for cooling cookies) on top of a cookie sheet.

2. Put the potatoes in a pot of cool water and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 12-15 minutes, until they are tender.

3. Meanwhile, combine the panko, zest, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish for breading. Coat each piece of fish in the breadcrumb mixture, and place the fish on the wire rack on the baking sheet. Roast the fish at 450 for 8-10 minutes, until breadcrumbs are browned and the cod is barely opaque at its thickest part.

4. Drain the potatoes, then return to the pot. Add the milk and sage, and mash them until smooth and creamy. Stir in the cheese until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the fish on a bed of mashed potatoes. I still had some zucchini and pico left, so I ate these with stuffed zucchini boats again, although I tried them in the oven this time, without the cumin. The oven worked well for it, and they were delicious with the fish and potatoes!

* I had previously used a hand zester, which works but is slow going. At the recommendation of Travis, who watches a lot of cooking shows and hearts Cooks Illustrated, I got a Microplane zester. They're $10 or so, are a lot faster and easier, and can be used for garlic, spices, citrus zest, or whatever else needs to be very finely grated.

Peach Sangria with Raspberries

2010-07-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

This was another recipe I decided to try after having it at Julie's house. She got this recipe from Southern Living, and we polished it off. It's good to have a spoon when you're done, because the fruit is the best part. I made a double batch of this for a Fourth of July party, and it was pretty popular.

1 bottle of rose or blush wine
3/4 cup vodka
6 tbsp. frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 cup peach nectar (in the Mexican foods section)
2 tbsp. sugar
1 lb. ripe peaches, peeled and diced
6 ounces of fresh raspberries (or frozen)
2 cups club soda, chilled

Combine the first five ingredients in a pitcher, and then add the fruit. Let it sit over night for the flavors to blend, and add the club soda right before serving.

Russian Tea Cakes

2010-07-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

My friends and I got together at Julie's house last week, and Danelle brought some delicious little cookies from Mandola's Italian Market in Austin. These aren't the same kind, but they aren't far off, and I had never made tea cakes (or wedding cookies, or whatever you may call them). They are delicious and simple!

From allrecipes.com:

1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tsp. confectioners' sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts/pecans
additional confectioners' sugar to roll in after baking

Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add in the 6 tsp. of sugar and flour until just blended, then mix in the nuts.

Roll the dough into 36 one-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, two inches apart. Bake them for 12 minutes, then roll in the extra confectioners' sugar while still hot. After they cool, roll them again.

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini Boats

2010-07-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

4 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1/3 cup shredded cheddar-monterrey jack cheese
pico de gallo
cumin
salt & pepper

You can use store-bought pico de gallo or make your own, finely chopping the following:
4 roma tomatoes, seeded
1/2 to 1 whole red onion
1-2 jalapenos
handful of cilantro
lime juice

Preheat your grill to 400.

Scoop out the seeds from the zucchini halves with a spoon. Season the insides with cumin, salt, and pepper.

Mix the cheese in with the pico de gallo. Spoon it evenly into the zucchini boats and place them all on a piece of foil.

Grill them on the foil for 15 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted.

Mustard-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

2010-06-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

Somebody at work printed this recipe from RealSimple.com and forgot it on the printer, so I took it home. It is really easy and delicious, but the hard part is eating it. I'm going to try it with just chicken breasts next time, because it was quite a mess--for me, anyway. My Kenyan roommate handled it without getting it all over herself, probably because of the fact that they buy chickens live at the market, have them slaughtered, and defeather the birds themselves. I guess a few bones are nothing after that.

1 4-pound chicken, cut up into 8 pieces
3 tbsp. whole grain mustard
2 tbsp. soy sauce
kosher salt and pepper
4 small carrots, cut up, or baby carrots
1 medium fennel bulb, cut into wedges
1 red onion, cut into wedges
8 sprigs of thyme (which I forgot--I just sprinkled dried thyme over the top at the end)
2 tbsp. olive oil

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine the mustard, soy sauce, 1/4 tsp. of pepper, and spread it over the chicken. I put it mostly beneath the skin, and just a little on the outside.

Combine the vegetables and thyme in a baking dish or roasting pan, and drizzle olive oil over the top. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Lay the chicken pieces among the vegetables.

Roast for 45-50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

I ate these with mashed potatoes. (Instant ones, butter and herb Idahoans with sour cream mixed in, and I offer no apologies for it!)

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

2010-06-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

I ate these last weekend with steaks marinated in French dressing mixture and key lime bars!

I'd made these before, but didn't remember them being this good. I think I'll be eating these a lot now. They're really easy, and of course, very nutritious.

2-3 sweet potatoes, bad spots cut off but not peeled, and cut into wedges
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Adjust the amounts according the the size of the potatoes and how spicy you want them.

Coat the potatoes in oil first in a mixing bowl. Add the spices gradually, stirring several times to make sure they coat evenly.

Place them on a baking sheet and cook at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn them over and bake them for another 10. The high heat gives the outside a nice roasted texture, and gets the inside tender.

Tropical Fusion Salad with Spicy Tortilla Ribbons

2010-06-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

This salad was on the cover of Taste of Home this month, and was contributed by an Austin reader. For the tortilla strips, I just baked some leftover Southwest tortillas that I had from HEB's tortilleria, but you can make your own by slicing some corn or flour tortillas into 1/4" strips, sprinkling them with about some more ancho chili powder, and baking at 350 until they are crisp. (I use a pizza pan with holes for this.)

For the salad, mix all these ingredients together:

2 cups peeled and cubed papaya
1 can of black beans, drained and fully rinsed
1-2 avocados, diced
1 cup corn
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground ancho chili pepper (you may use some of this on the tortillas, or just mix it all in the salad otherwise)
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

A few notes on the ingredients: first off, serrano peppers. Use gloves, or a plastic bag over the hand that holds the peppers, or something. These will burn the hell out of you when you touch your eyes later. With that said, they're not that hot in the salad.

Second, I have had trouble finding ancho chili pepper around here. I bought one dried poblano from the bulk peppers section (in the produce area), pulled it apart and seeded it, and then put it in the food processor. It was not even close to qualifying as "ground" pepper, but it did the job. I'll have to find or order some ground ancho chili powder soon, because I want to make a pork loin with it too.

Another thing to try is dicing the avocado. Don't peel it and try to dice it on a cutting board. It will take forever and won't look nice. Instead, cut it in half and remove the pit by tapping your knife into it longways, then twisting to loosen the pit. Then, just dice it right there in the skin, and use a spoon to scoop it out into the salad bowl. I'd never thought of this until I saw it on a cooking show. Here's a video clip:

Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach

2010-04-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

4 cups chicken stock
6 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup chopped shallots
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces of cremini mushrooms (baby portabellas), sliced
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
4 ounces oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1/3 cup Madeira wine (or dry sherry)
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated fresh Asiago cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Let me start by saying that, number one, I forgot the garlic completely. I think it would have made the flavor better, but I don't know about 4 cloves. So I'd say choose an amount dependent on how much you like garlic. Number two, I went to two stores, and Sprouts was out of oyster mushrooms, while HEB just didn't carry them. Instead, I used brown pearl mushrooms. This recipe came from Cooking Light.

1. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan and keep it warm without letting it boil.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon, and cook it 8 minutes until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add the shallots, oil, thyme, and garlic to the bacon drippings and cook for 6 minutes until shallots are tender. Stir in mushrooms, cook for 8 minutes. Then add the rice and cook for one minute.

3. Add the Madeira wine, and let it cook off, which should take about a minute. Then start with one cup of broth, letting the rice absorb it completely (about 4 minutes) before adding more, 1/2 a cup at a time. Stir it constantly the whole time. This whole process may take about 25 minutes total.

4. Stir in the spinach and cook for a minute until it wilts. Remove the pot from the heat and add in the cheese, salt, and pepper. Spoon it into bowls and top with the bacon!

Pork Chops in Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce with Bacon & Pea Polenta

2010-03-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

This is another Rachael Ray recipe, and I didn't really change it at all. I have never liked pork chops much because I think they can be a bit plain (my mother always made me something else on pork chop or lasagna night), but I love tomatoes, and the sauce gave it a good overall flavor. Polenta is a cornmeal dish that ends up looking similar to cornbread Thanksgiving dressing, and is of a similar consistency.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 1-inch thick bone-in pork chops
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch of scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 strips of bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
28 ounces of fire-roasted canned tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk
10 ounce package of frozen peas
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 cup grated parmesan

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it's hot, season the chops with salt and pepper, then sear them three minutes on each side until golden-brown. Put them on a plate and cover with foil.

In the same pan, add the garlic and scallions. Cook them for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the chopped bacon in a medium pot on medium heat until crispy.

When the scallions and garlic are done, add the can of tomatoes, vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring it up to a bubble and add the chops, cooking them in the sauce for about 4 more minutes until done.

Remove the bacon and put it aside, and save 1 Tbsp. of the bacon grease in the pot. Add the chicken stock, milk, and peas, and bring everything to a boil. Gradually add the polenta, whisking constantly as you add it and for about 2 minutes while it thickens up. Add some salt, pepper, the parmesan, and then the bacon.

Groves Pony Colt Chili

2010-02-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

This is the best chili of all time--at least in the faculty category at the DW Elementary Chili Cookoff for two years now, thank you very much. Friday night I'm going for my third Chuy's gift card, thanks to this recipe that came from the ballpark where my Uncle Harrell played when he was little. Now it's our family recipe, despite the fact that no one in the family was responsible for its creation. I did, however, add the kidney beans and substituted the stewed tomatoes for some of the sauce.

So here it is, and I will add a picture this weekend after making it!

3 lbs. ground beef
1/2 stalk of celery, finely chopped
2 cups chopped onion
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
60 ounces tomato sauce (approx.)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. red pepper
2 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper

Brown the beef, then add all the remaining ingredients. Bring it to a boil, and turn down the heat. Cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Send Some Plumpy'nut to a Malnourished Child

2010-01-25T17:47:00.000-08:00

I first heard of Plumpy'nut through World Vision, who distributes it as a therapeutic food to malnourished children. Plumpy'nut is a fortified, peanut-based food that can save a child's life by causing rapid weight gain. Developed in 1999 by a French pediatric nutritionist, it was inspired by delicious Nutella! Since its first use during the 2003 crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, it's been widely used by other aid organizations worldwide, including Doctors Without Borders. Its long shelf life makes it ideal for remote regions and hot climates.

I know everyone has probably given to Haiti recently, but consider this the next time you would like to make a charitable donation. Here's World Vision's donation site for Plumpy'nut, as well as many other gifts.

Now, here's a little cutie pie enjoying his Plumpy'nut:

Parmesan Meatballs

2010-01-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

All the cheese that's in this recipe breaks up the plain beef texture and taste, which I have never liked.

I started with a delish.com recipe, but slightly changed some ingredients, as well as the cooking method. I browned them in a pan and finished them in the oven, whereas their idea was to drop the raw meatballs right in the sauce to boil. Gross.

1 lb. ground beef (lean or 93%)
¾ cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp. minced garlic
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 egg

Mix everything well, and form the mixture into meatballs that are about 1 inch in diameter.

Thoroughly heat a skillet, then place the meatballs in there (do two batches), turning them regularly to try to brown them all over. You don't have to brown them completely or very evenly. Just like this... except try not to have a nasty-ass looking pan:

I feel like this pan-browning step helps them to hold their shape, and have a little bit more texture on the outside...but I don't really know that for sure.

Bake them at 375 for about 20 minutes in a small baking dish. You will want to move them around midway through cooking.

I had them with linguine and jarred pasta sauce--next time maybe I'll try a sauce recipe too, so I can really be legit.

Chicken Breasts with Creamy Vegetable Topping

2010-01-10T15:36:00.001-08:00

My mom bought me a new cookbook for Christmas, Quick from Scratch Chicken Cookbook from the publishers of Food and Wine magazine. This is the first one I've tried from it. I ate some of the topping on Ritz crackers and had to make myself stop! So you could conceivably use this as a dip for crackers too.

By the way, the veggies in the picture are another recommendation of mine--Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers. I had the roasted red potatoes, green beans, and rosemary butter sauce. They're almost as good as making your own side, and of course just need to be popped in the microwave.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
8 ounces of cream cheese (I used Neufchatel, may try fat-free next time)
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
salt & pepper

1. Heat the oven to 425. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, then add the red bell pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the carrots and green onions. Cook for 2 more minutes.

2. Take the pan off the heat and add the cream cheese, about 3/4 tsp. salt, and some black pepper. Mix it all up thoroughly.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and put 1/4 of the topping over each chicken breast in a oven dish.

4. Bake it at 425 until just done-- 20 to 25 minutes.

*The book recommends crisp and fruity white wine to go with this dish, as well as a simple vegetable to balance the creamy sauce. Their wine recommendations are rieslings from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region of Germany, or from the Finger Lakes in New York. (Or, you know... Franzia Crisp White!)

*Another note--since I live alone and will eat this for a few meals before I run out, I decided to just make the topping and store it in the fridge so that I can bake the chicken breasts one at a time when I'm ready to eat it, instead of microwaving leftovers. Much better!

The Martinez Family's Secret Mexican Cookie Recipe

2009-12-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

My best friend Charity (of the Martinez family) made these cookies when I visited last weekend. They have the best texture and aren't so sweet that you get sugared out. For that reason, as her dad wrote on the recipe card, they are "habit forming".

This recipe has been handed down for generation to generation, guarded very closely within the Martinez family. The Martinez curse will fall upon you if this recipe is revealed to anyone outside the Martinez family. Be therefore warned of this curse and place this recipe in a safe location.

Well, now Charity's let a white girl get ahold of it, so she better look out...

4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups Crisco
6 egg yolks
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks into Crisco, then combine with flour mixture. Add in nuts. Roll into round balls, the size of walnuts. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Press down with finger. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Makes about 10 dozen.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2009-12-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

I've had red pepper hummus a few times recently at the Alamo Draft House and decided to make my own. It was really easy, cheap, and it's pretty good for you.

1 can of chickpeas (15 ounces, also called garbanzo beans), drained
3 Tbsp. tahini*
1/4 cup lemon juice (start with less and see how it tastes to you)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)
salt and red pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and run it until it's fairly smooth.

*Tahini is sesame seed paste. I didn't see it at the store, so I made it, which only entails roasting the seeds very lightly in a skillet (don't let them get brown), and stirring in some olive oil to make a paste. And this amount is flexible--just use however much you like according to how much you like sesame seeds.

When I was researching hummus recipes, I quickly learned that recipes are really flexible. So my advice is start with little if you're unsure about an ingredient. You can always taste it and add more!

Brazilian Chicken Cutlets with Raw Tropical Salsa

2009-11-29T08:27:00.000-08:00

This is another Rachael Ray recipe from Big Orange Book. Serve it with the Cilantro Lime Rice below, and black beans. You can make the salsa ahead of time, so I will list it first here.

Salsa:

1 large, ripe mango, pitted and chopped
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I used 2 Roma)
1/4 cup red onion (the book says 1/2 an onion, I thought that was too much)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
few dashes of hot sauce
salt and pepper

Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
4 tbsp. olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 250.

2. Flatten the chicken breasts into 1/4" cutlets by butterflying them open and pounding them with a meat mallet.

3. Put three shallow dishes on the counter, and in the first one put the eggs (beaten with a splash of water), in the second one put the flour, and in the third, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, and lemon zest.

4. Bread the cutlets in this order: flour, egg, breadcrumb mixture.

5. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, cook the cutlets in batches for 4-5 minutes each side, adding more oil as needed between batches. When each batch finishes cooking, put them in a baking dish in the warm oven while the others cook.

6. Serve them with the raw salsa on top and lemon wedges to squeeze over the cutlets.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2009-11-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is good to go with anything, especially Mexican and South American foods. It's way better than using Uncle Ben's flavored rice, and really it's just about the same amount of work. It's pictured above with the Brazilian Chicken Cutlets, mixed together with black beans.

The recipe came from allrecipes.com, and you can visit the site to use their measurement converter if you want to make more or less of this rice. (This recipe is six servings.)

1/4 onion, chopped
2 oz. green chiles
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 of a bunch of cilantro
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. butter, softened
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice

1. Blend the first four ingredients in a food processor until pureed. Add the cilantro and pulse it until the cilantro is finely chopped up in there.

2. Boil the water in a saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer until the rice is cooked and has absorbed the water, about 20 minutes.

Creamy Potato Soup

2009-11-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here's the inaugural post to my new site! This soup was really easy and doesn't call for many ingredients. Go easy on the salt and pepper--I salted it too much, considering that there's broth in it. I found this on (don't laugh) Oprah.com when it was featured on CNN.com. She actually has tons of recipes so I might get some more from there in the near future.

3 pounds of baking or russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 slices of bacon
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
shredded cheese
sour cream
chives

1. Cook the bacon, crumble it up and set it aside, and save at least 2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat. Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook it for several minutes, until golden. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute more.

2. Combine the onion mixture, potatoes, and broth into a large soup pot. Let it boil, then reduce the heat, and stir often for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

3. Puree the soup in a blender until it is completely smooth and creamy. Serve it topped with cheese, sour cream, chives, and the bacon bits.

Stephanie's Lemon Potatoes & Carrots

2009-11-26T11:00:00.001-08:00

My friend Stephanie I. brought these vegetables to a cookout we had a few weeks ago. She always makes good vegetable side dishes. Anyway, I loved them, so I made them myself on Friday. I'd never thought of putting lemon on potatoes and carrots before, and it was delicious and kind of different. (Shown here with Chicken Saltimbocca.)

(For four servings):

4 red potatoes, diced
about 1 cup baby carrots, cut in half
1-2 Tbsp. chopped green onions (as many as you like)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt & pepper
olive oil

Heat the oven to 425°, then drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and carrots in a glass baking dish. Stir them around to coat. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and tender.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and chives. Stir around to coat, and to unstick any potatoes from the bottom of the dish.

Bake for 3-5 more minutes.

Roasted Corn and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

2009-11-26T10:58:00.001-08:00

This recipe came from Cooking Light magazine. I've made these a few times now, and while shoveling them into my face the other day, filling falling out all over the place, it dawned on me that it must be a disgusting sight to watch me eat these. They're that delicious! So you'll need a fork or spoon to finish off the filling that falls, just keep that in mind. If you're delicate, I guess use a fork and knife for the whole thing.

For the corn, you can use corn on the cob, or you can use canned corn. I didn't find much of a difference.

4 ounces soft goat cheese
10 corn tortillas
1 cup cooked corn
1 Tbsp. chives, finely chopped (optional)
tomatillo salsa (may be labeled "Mexican green salsa" in the international foods aisle)
olive oil
cooking spray

1. Pour about 1 Tbsp. of olive oil into a pan over medium-high heat, then add the corn. Stir it often until it begins to brown slightly. Empty the corn into a mixing bowl.

2. Add the goat cheese and immediately combine until it's well-mixed and smooth. The heat of the corn helps soften the goat cheese. Then add 2 Tbsp. of the tomatillo salsa and stir well. Add chives if you want them.

3. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Make half-moon-shaped quesadillas with the tortillas and filling and press them out flat and evenly. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side.

4. Cut each quesadilla in half with a serrated knife, and serve with more tomatillo salsa. (The salsa really adds to the flavor, so don't skip it!)

Lemon-Cream Chicken and Champagne Risotto with Asparagus and Pancetta

2009-11-26T10:56:00.002-08:00

This was so good! I didn't feel like it was really too much work, though it was a full page of instructions in Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book. Even if you think it is, it's definitely worth it. I have tried to arrange the instructions so they're more concise. As the cookbook suggests, read throught the steps a couple of times first--that did help me get the timing down.

This recipe makes two good-sized servings.

3 1/2 cups chicken stock
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped (I used about 1 cup chopped frozen)
2 garlic cloved, chopped (I used 1 tsp. minced)
1 cup arborio rice (don't use regular rice)
salt & pepper
1 split of sparkling wine (or 1/2 of a regular bottle)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lemon
cayenne pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 1/8"-thick slices of pancetta (or 2 slices bacon), chopped
1 small bundle of asparagus, tough ends trimmed, then cut in 1" pieces
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped (I used dried, it was fine)

1. Heat 3 cups of stock in a small pot over very low heat and keep it there.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and toss to coat, then season with salt & pepper. Pour in the sparkling wine and allow it to cook off for about 1 minute.

3. Add in the 3 cups of stock, a few ladles at a time, until the rice is creamy and tender. Allow the rice to absorb the stock somewhat before adding more. In all the risotto will take about 20 minutes.

4. While the risotto cooks, heat the cream in a small pot with a 3-inch piece of lemon zest (strip of the outer peel) and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook gently over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, until it thickens and is reduced by about half.

5. Season the chicken with salt & pepper, and heat 2 Tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side, then slice it and leave it on a plate to rest. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock to deglaze the pan, and then pour it all into the risotto and stir.

6. In the chicken skillet, heat the last tablespoon of oil and add the pancetta. Cook for 3 minutes or so, then add the asparagus and shallot. Cook this for 3 minutes more, until it's tender. Add the chicken to the pan for a minute or two to make sure it stays hot for serving.

7. Before serving, stir the Parmesan and thyme into the risotto and check the temperature. Spoon the risotto onto the plate, then top with the chicken and asparagus mixture.

8. Squeeze the lemon over the asparagus and chicken, as much as you like, then top with some of the cream sauce (minus the lemon zest).

Gnocchi Alfredo

2009-11-26T10:56:00.001-08:00

I learned that I like gnocchi (potato dumplings) while trying them for the first time on my trip this summer. Occasionally we prepared meals in our hotel room, when possible, and that usually meant ravioli, spaghetti, tortellini, and gnocchi, with either tomato sauce or pesto. Gnocchi are round, about the size of a grape, and have a chewy, soft texture. They will probably be in the refrigerator/freezer section at the grocery store.

Recently I found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine. It was really quick to make, and you can add other things to the pasta if you choose. (I added green peas, in fact.)

This recipe is for two medium-sized portions:

16 ounce package of gnocchi
6-8 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 cup milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 Tbsp. butter (for sauce)
1 Tbsp. butter (for gnocchi)
1 tbsp. flour

1. Boil the gnocchi according to the package. When they're done, turn off the heat and add the mushrooms for a minute or so. Then drain it all.

2. While you're boiling the gnocchi, melt the 1/2 Tbsp. butter and then stir in the flour. When it's mixed in, add the milk. Bring it to a boil and let it thicken while stirring it for about 2 minutes. Turn the heat down and stir in the cheese until smooth.

3. In a skillet, melt the 1 Tbsp. butter and add the gnocchi and mushrooms. Allow them to brown, but stir to prevent burning and sticking. Add the sauce and you're done!

Parmesan Knots

2009-11-26T10:55:00.001-08:00

Oh, these are good. I made them at lunch and they were really good hot, but I've continued to eat them at room temperature throughout the day, and they're still good. The recipe originally came from Taste of Home magazine, and I changed it a bit. (And they only take like 5 minutes to prepare!)

You will need:

1 12-ounce can buttermilk biscuits

1/4 cup margarine (or use spray butter)

oregano

garlic powder

salt

parmesan cheese

Cut each biscuit into thirds, and roll the pieces out into a thin rope, then tie in a knot. Tuck the ends under and put them on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

While they're baking, melt the butter and mix in the oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Just use as much as you like, depending on how much you like each taste. Then move all the baked knots together on the cookie sheet and brush the butter mixture over them. Finally, sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top!

*Edited to add, 8/9/09 - Oh, and don't let them fall off the cookie sheet. Then they'll lie on the bottom of the oven and burn black and smoke up your house the next time you bake something. I learned this the hard way!

Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella Panini

2009-11-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is hardly an earth-shattering "recipe"--in fact, it's not a recipe, it's a sandwich, but I thought maybe some of you haven't really tried this type of sandwich before, and of course it leaves lots of room for you to change it. I had a lot of these sandwiches on my trip to Europe this summer, and I have been using my George Foreman grill to make them at home now. (Finally, a good use for it!)

To make one like mine, you will need a sub-roll shaped bread (I use bolillos from HEB, they're 25 cents each), one roma tomato, shredded mozzarella, and basil pesto. Again, HEB's brand of pesto is good, for $3.99.

Slice the tomato and stuff the sandwich how you want it, adding or taking out ingredients, and put the grill on medium heat. Use the lid of the grill to mash the sandwich flat and let it cook through to melt your cheese.

Chutney and Cheddar-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Vegetables

2009-11-26T10:52:00.002-08:00

This is another good meal from Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book. If you aren't familiar with leeks and/or chutney, don't let that stop you! They are a bit uncommon, but you can find them in your grocery store. Leeks (here's what to look for) are a member of the onion and garlic family, and chutney is basically hot mango jelly, so look in the specialty jellies and jams.

The chicken turned out really moist and flavorful, and even a bit spicy, which I hadn't expected. I suppose it shouldn't have been surprised since the jar said "hot mango chutney".

So... here's what you will need for two servings:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut horizontally to make a pocket
2 slices of sharp white cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of chutney
4-5 small red potatoes
1 leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
2-3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced into large pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock
olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Heat the oven to 425. Dice the potatoes into one-inch cubes, and coat them in 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl, then salt and pepper them. Roast them on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

2. Coat the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of oil and salt and pepper, then add to the cookie sheet. Put the tomatoes and potatoes back in the oven, and roast for 15 minutes.

3. Slice the chicken to make a pocket, then spoon in 1 tablespoon of chutney and a slice of cheese, cut up, into each one. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and sear the chicken breasts on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. (It won't be thoroughly cooked, but it will go in the oven next.)

4. Place the chicken in a baking dish and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Keep the skillet out to use for the vegetables.

5. Put the leeks in the skillet, and add a tiny bit more oil if necessary (but it probably won't be). Cook them on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, then add the potatoes and the chicken stock. Turn up the heat to high to allow the chicken stock to cook down and soak into the vegetables completely. Then add the tomatoes and stir it up.

Amazing Cheese Fondue

2009-11-26T10:52:00.001-08:00

My friends and I made this awesome cheese fondue on Saturday night. We read a few recipes, but decided just to wing it instead. We cut up some French bread and baguette to dip in, but you could also use vegetables if you like.

16 ounces of cheddar cheese, grated or cubed
8 ounces of Emmentaler cheese
3/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk, added gradually to thin it out as you like
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
red pepper to taste

Add the ingredients all to a fondue pot of double boiler, saving the milk to add gradually after the cheese is melted.

Crispy Portobellos

2009-11-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

These are SO delicious that I dropped three of them on the floor tonight and ate them anyway. (Oh, I washed them.) These are a side dish from one of the meals in Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. The entree is ok, but these are outstanding.

A word of advice: make sure your oven is clean and free from previous spills before you turn it to 500°. Mine wasn't, and I set off one.. two... three smoke alarms at once this evening!

2 portobello mushroom caps per person
dried parsley
garlic powder
olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Wash the mushrooms, remove the stems, and use a spoon to scrape out the brown gills from the underside. Slice them into 1/2"-thick pieces. Preheat oven to 500°.

2. Pour oil over mushrooms in a mixing bowl (about 1/8 cup for every two mushrooms), then sprinkle on parsley and garlic. Do NOT salt or pepper yet--they won't crisp if salted beforehand! Stir them to coat.

3. Bake at 500° on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Open the oven as little as possible during baking. After they're done, salt and pepper them to your liking.

Parmesan Pork

2009-11-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

I first had parmesan pork at a wonderful restaurant in San Francisco called Espetus, an all-you-can-eat buffet at which servers visit your table with 12-15 different types of meat. I read several recipes online for parmesan-based pork dishes, and used them to come up with this. It's pretty simple, and just use your judgment on the amount of the seasoning ingredients, as it will just depend on how thickly you bread it, and the size of the tenderloin.

(That's what she said.)

You will need:
pork tenderloin, white membrane removed and sliced 3/4" to 1" thick
parmesan cheese
plain breadcrumbs
granulated garlic
dried diced onion
salt and pepper
olive oil

1. Mix 2 parts parmesan, 1 part breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Season with a sprinkling of granulated garlic, diced onion, salt, and pepper--to your liking. Stir well.

2. Bread the slices of pork tenderloin in the mixture and add to a skillet of hot oil. Brown on both sides.

Ugh, my food pictures are no fun...

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Gorgonzola and Pecans

2009-11-26T10:49:00.002-08:00

I just finished eating this dinner about five minutes ago, and I'm already posting the recipe. That's how good it was. Sorry, the picture I took is crummy--I have not mastered the art of photographing food yet.

(Speaking of which, are you keeping up with my daily photo? They're much better than this one. Look in the box on the side of the screen for a link to my Flickr album!)

From Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book:

Chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

salt and pepper

1 cup gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted beforehand

2 scallions (green onions), chopped

4 slices of center-cut bacon (optional--it's fine without, too)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Sauce:

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup half-and-half or cream

2 Tbsp. grainy mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing them horizontally, but not all the way through, so it opens like a book. Season them with salt and pepper.

2. Mix scallions, cheese, and pecans together and spread over the butterflied chicken breasts. Roll them up and wrap each with a slice of bacon. Use wooden toothpicks to secure it.

3. Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the oil and brown it all over, for 5-6 minutes probably. Pay attention to really fat pieces--you may need to prop them on their sides to make sure it gets started cooking there.

4. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and put in the oven for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. While it's cooking, you can prepare the sauce.

5. For the sauce, melt the butter on medium heat, then stir in the flour with a whisk. Cook for one minute before adding the chicken broth. Stir with the whisk until the bits dissolve. Add the half-and-half, mustard, salt, and pepper. Put the chicken on plates and spoon the sauce over it. I put a little parsley on top for color.

Mulled Wine

2009-11-26T10:49:00.001-08:00

Mulled wine was popular during the holidays in Hungary, though my mulled wine drinking was savagely cut short that year by an appendectomy. This recipe was sent to me by Sarah, my fellow American teacher and neighbor during that wonderful year. It comes from PestiEst, the weekly Budapest entertainment guide. I will be making it for my Christmas party this coming weekend.

1 liter of red wine
4-5 Tbsp. sugar
1 stick of cinnamon
5 cloves
2 pieces of whole black pepper (peppercorns)

Bring to a boil in a saucepan, and then remove from heat. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Serve in a mug with a slice of orange or lemon on top.

Boldog Karacsonyi!

Chipotle Chicken Rolls with Avocado Sauce

2009-11-26T10:47:00.002-08:00

This recipe comes from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. I Ambered it up a bit (because well-enough should never be left alone), and had it with chips and black bean and corn salsa, one of my favorite snacks/sides.

Chicken Rolls:
1 pound of ground chicken or turkey
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups grated fat-free Cheddar Cheese (in this recipe, you won't know the difference between regular and fat-free)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons of chipotle-flavored salsa (look for a small, cheap can in the international foods section--it's not necessary to buy a $4 jar)
salt and pepper
frozen phyllo dough (look in the frozen pastry section)
spray butter

Dipping Sauce:
2 ripe avocados
lime juice
cilantro leaves (a handful)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400˚. In a bowl, combine the chicken, onions, cheese, garlic, salsa, salt, and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a quart Ziploc bag. Cut a hole in the corner to make a squeezable pastry bag.

Lay out one sheet of phyllo dough on the countertop. Spray butter on the dough, then squeeze out a bit of the chicken mixture from the bag. (Use about a tenth of it--you're aiming for about 10 chicken rolls.) Fold the ends in and roll it up like an egg roll.

Once you've completed all the rolls, spray with a bit more butter spray, then bake at 400˚ for 15 minutes, or until the rolls feel firm.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by processing the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, oil, and salt in a food processor until smooth. (Add the lime juice a bit at a time to avoid putting too much, like I did.)

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

2009-11-26T10:47:00.001-08:00

I made this cake recently, and it was so awesome that I'm thinking of renaming it "Obama Cake". It's even the exact same color as his handsome face.

I used Splenda and Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, as well as egg substitute, though I did use regular powdered sugar for the icing. So that helps the healthy factor, but then again, there is a good bit of butter involved. Try a product like Country Crock Light if you have it.

Cake:
9 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar blend (or 2/3 cups brown sugar)
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 cup egg substitute (2 eggs)
2 egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
2 cups finely shredded carrot (it's easiest to use a food processor)

Icing:
4 oz. fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix 9 Tbsp. butter, brown sugar, and sugar at medium speed until well-blended. Add eggs and egg whites, one at a time, until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.

In another bowl, mix baking soda, flour, cinnamon, and salt, and stir. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture until completely mixed, and then add the carrot.

Pour into the pan, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. I accidentally baked it for 45 and it was still moist, so make sure you stick a toothpick in the center to see that it's done.

Icing:
Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt at medium speed. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat).

Crescent Chicken Squares

2009-11-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

My Granny made these chicken squares when I was visiting last weekend, and they were definitely Mmm Delicious-worthy. She had lots of leftover chicken filling, very similar to chicken salad, which I ate on crackers. For the picture, I tried to cut it open so you can see what's inside.

4 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 c cooked chicken
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. green onions, chopped
1 8 oz. can of crescent rolls
Parkay fat-free buttery spray

Beat cream cheese and butter until soft and smooth. Add chicken, milk, onions, and mix well.

Separate rolls into 4 rectangles and put 1/4 of the chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle. Fold the corners of the dough into the middle to close it up. Spray with the buttery spray. (If you've never used this spray, it's delicious on rolls, popcorn, etc., and cheap!)

Bake at 325˚ for 25-30 minutes (until bread is golden brown).

Spinach Parmesan Gratin

2009-11-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

This is another wonderful side dish that is healthier than the alternative, creamed spinach. It can be made into four individual servings (if you have ramekins to do so), or just made in a skillet. I wouldn't bother with the individual servings, as we ate the entire dish in one sitting.

cooking spray
1 tsp. butter
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion (red, Walla Walla, etc.)
2 cloves minced garlic
10 ounces frozen spinach
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (or Asiago, Romano, etc.)
1 Tbsp. parsley
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

Preheat broiler. In a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, coat pan with cooking spray and add butter, onion, and garlic. Sauté 3 minutes until tender. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes.

Put the flour in a small bowl and gradually add milk in while stirring with a whisk. Stir this mixture into the spinach mixture and add the salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, until thick and bubbly.

Remove from the heat and add cheese, stirring until it's melted.

Due to my broiler space being so small, I had to get creative with the next step, but you do what you can. What I did was pour the breadcrumbs, mixed with parsley, over the top of the spinach mixture in the skillet, and then stick the whole skillet (handle out, of course) under the broiler and wait a few minutes, turning it, until the breadcrumbs were browned.

Baked Zucchini Chips

2009-11-26T10:44:00.001-08:00

If you like fried zucchini, this is a healthier version that is just as crispy. I think I might actually like this more, which isn't always the case with "fried substitutes".

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tbsp. milk
2 1/2 cups zucchini, sliced about 1/4" thick (about 2 small zucchinis)
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425°. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl and stir. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, then breading mixture.

Place the coated slices on an oven-proof wire rack (like a cooling rack for cookies) coated with cooking spray, and then to keep your oven clean, I recommend placing the racks on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes, or until browned and crisp.

Southwestern Falafel

2009-11-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

I ate this on flour tortillas with the bean and corn salsa that I have been making a lot recently.

And don't worry--this is not the type of falafel that greasy, fat-faced Fox News talk show host Bill O'Reilly once offered to rub on the body of producer Andrea Mackris (meaning a loofah), as stated in her sexual harassment complaint. Nope, not at all.

1 15-ounce can of pinto beans, rinsed and chained
1/2 cup of Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup finely crushed baked tortillas
2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions
1 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1 large egg white (or egg substitute)
1 1/2 tsp. canola oil

Mash the beans with a fork, and add cheese and next five ingredients. Stir well until combined. Form into four 1/2 inch-thick patties.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties, cook 3 minutes until browned and thoroughly heated.

Serve on tortillas with your choice of toppings: sour cream, guacamole, bean and corn salsa, or cheese.

Grilled Chicken with Bean and Corn Salsa

2009-11-26T10:38:00.002-08:00

I found a bean & corn salsa recipe and used it as the basis for this dinner. I changed and added a few things, and put it over the grilled chicken and chips to make it into a meal. This is one of the most healthy dinners I've come across in a while, and really, really good.

10 flour tortillas
1 lb. chicken breasts or tenders
1/2 bottle of Mexican-style marinade, such as HEB's Tequila Lime marinade
grated cheese and sour cream for topping (optional)

salsa:
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, diced
3/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup of tomatillo salsa (look on international foods aisle for green salsa, it's much cheaper)
1/3 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup corn, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Marinate chicken for a few hours, grill, and slice it into small pieces.

Heat your oven to 400˚. Cut tortillas into strips, and bake on a cookie sheet until they're light brown and very crispy.

Mix all salsa ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (It's easiest to cut the avocado in half, remove the seed, then use a knife to dice it right there in the skin. Then scoop it out with a spoon.)

Layer chips, chicken, salsa, and optional toppings in a bowl.

Candied Pecans

2009-11-26T10:38:00.001-08:00

Here's a recipe for some candy that I made yesterday. I was reading an article about which nuts are healthiest for you (pecans are one of the six), and that reminded me of all the pecans I had in my freezer. I probably negated the health benefits of the pecans with the cup of brown sugar, so next time I will try it with Splenda brown sugar. If you do that, let me know how it tastes.

1 egg white
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 to 3 cups pecan halves

Beat the egg white with an electric mixer until it's foamy. Slowly beat in the brown sugar mixed with flour. Add salt and vanilla flavoring, then fold in pecans.

Transfer pecans to a greased baking pan and bake at 250° for about 45 minutes.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

2009-11-26T10:36:00.002-08:00

I just finished eating this after making it for the first time, and it was very good. These amounts will make 3-4 mid-sized portions, so double it up if you are making it for a family and would like to have a little left over.

Yes, I know it's true that nearly all Mexican food is some variation of this (meat, tortillas, tomato, cheese, chiles, onion)--but let's just pretend for a minute that it's something brand-new, because regardless, it's tasty!

1 lb. very lean ground beef
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes (plain), drained
3 oz (about 2 Tbsp.) tomato sauce
1 tsp. oil
3 Tbsp. diced onion
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup diced green chiles OR 3 diced jalapeños
10 corn tortillas, cut in fourths
2 cups cheddar-monterrey jack cheese blend (reduced-fat if you can get it)
fresh cilantro, cut into small pieces

Brown meat well in skillet, drain if necessary, and stir in garlic.

In another skillet, mix the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oil, onion, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Then stir in chiles/jalapeños.

Heat oven to 350° and grease the casserole dish (the quantities I am giving you are not quite enough for a 9"x13" dish, so choose a smaller one unless you're doubling) with non-stick spray.

Mix the cheese and cilantro together in a bowl. Keep it away from the heat.

Layer the ingredients in the dish: tortillas, meat mixture, and cheese mixture. You can probably make three layers of each.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until all cheese is melted and it's hot throughout. If you like, serve sour cream on top.

Chicken Saltimbocca

2009-11-26T10:36:00.001-08:00

4 6-7 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
16 fresh sage leaves
4 slices of proscuitto
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
flour
1/2 cup white or marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation:
1. Cut the chicken breasts in half crosswise. Put the pieces, a few at a time, into a plastic bag and use a meat mallet to flatten them out until thin.

2. Place two sage leaves on top of each chicken breast, and then top that with a half a slice of prosciutto. Press it on firmly to attach it to the chicken.

3. Heat the oil in a wide skillet. While it is heating, add salt and pepper to the flour and coat the pieces lightly. Place the pieces, prosciutto side down, in the pan, then turn and cook the other side until both are golden brown.

4. Pour the fat from the pan and return to the heat. Add the wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the pan. Boil until the wine is almost completely evaporated. Then add the cup of chicken broth and boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the butter and when melted, return the chicken to the pan. Boil for about 2-3 more minutes, spooning the sauce over the chicken until the sauce thickens.

This is enough for 4 people. It is very, very good with roasted potatoes and white wine!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2009-11-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

I had this soup for the first time at an employee luncheon last fall when a co-worker made it. I'm posting it now since winter is still holding on indefinitely. Shouldn't spring break be warm?

Soup:
4 cups chopped cooked chicken (or a whole one)
48 oz. chicken broth
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can mild Ro-Tel tomatoes
2 cans corn
1 can chopped green chilies
1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
1 lb. light Velveeta
1 tsp. cumin

Combine chicken, broth, stewed tomatoes, Ro-Tel, corn, chilies, cilantro, Velveeta, and cumin in a big stockpot and bring to a slow simmer to allow the flavors to blend. You can use more or less of the canned vegetables if you like, and can even add other things, like black beans.

Toppings:
sour cream
guacamole
shredded cheese
chopped green onions
crushed tortilla chips

This is one of the best soups I've ever had--certainly the best Mexican-style soup.

Bonus! Bonus!
My very own guacamole recipe:
3 ripe avocados, mashed with a fork
garlic salt, to taste
1 tomato, seeded and diced
dash of ground red pepper
lemon juice

This will get pretty brown and disgusting if you don't eat it all in one day, so I'd recommend only making as much as you will use. It is very easy to make fresh, and you can just save the remainder of the diced tomato for the next day.

Spicy Chicken Chili

2009-11-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

You will need:

1 pound cooked chicken, cut up
1 15 oz. can of spicy chili beans
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
½ tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper

Mix it all up and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer it for about 15 minutes.

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

2009-11-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

I've decided to reward you all for your loyal readership by posting some of my secret family recipes from time to time. This one comes from my aunt, Betty Crocker, though I've doctored it up a bit.

You will need:
10-12 chicken tenders

In a skillet or shallow dish:
1/2 cup melted margarine
1 tsp. chopped chives
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or dried minced garlic)
2 Tbsp. milk (add this last to cool down the hot butter mixture)

In a mixing bowl:
2 cups Corn Flakes, crushed
3 Tbsp. oregano or parsley
1 tsp. paprika

Heat your oven to 425°. Coat chicken in the butter/milk mixture, then the corn flakes mixture. Once it's all laid out in a 9x13 pan, drizzle the remainder of the butter/milk mixture over it, as well as any remaining corn flake mixture. Bake it for 20 minutes.