Chicken Cordon Bleu

I didn't intend for the teacher appreciation luncheon menu to be a throwback to the 80's, but it did turn out that way! I considered serving chicken Oscar to coordinate with the Academy Award theme but wasn't convinced everyone would love it. I chose Chicken Cordon Bleu (Blue-Ribbon Chicken) and renamed it Academy Award Chicken.

You can make it look a lot prettier if you pound and flatten the chicken breasts, but I didn't do that because of the time it would take. I sliced the breasts length-wise, rolled them up, and secured them with toothpicks which seemed to work pretty well.

This is a great make-ahead dish because you can roll the breasts and brown them on the stove but finish them later in the oven.

One of my friend's husbands ate some leftover chicken for dinner, and she texted me that he said, "I am fixing to smack somebody" after eating it. I had to ask her if that was a good thing, and she assured me it's very good - in a redneck way!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs.)
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices smoked ham
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon chicken base (like Better Than Bouillon)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Slice the chicken breasts in half the long way. Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.
2. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides.
3. Remove the chicken from pan. Bake for 20 minutes in a 350 oven.
4. Add tablespoon of flour to skillet and cook for one minute, stirring. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer while the chicken bakes. 
5. Remove chicken from oven. Whisk cream slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati chili is unique for its lack of beans, fine ground beef, and use of spices like cinnamon and cloves. It's served over spaghetti and topped with raw onions, beans, shredded cheese, and oyster crackers. It will never replace our favorite "regular" chili, but it is a nice change. You can make it in the crock pot for convenience.

Cincinnati Chili

2 pounds ground beef
2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate OR 1 1/2 T. cocoa powder
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

shredded Cheddar cheese
chopped raw onions
oyster crackers

Directions:

1. Add beef and beef broth to a dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through.
2. Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, chocolate, beef broth, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and red pepper. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the bay leaf. Reheat gently over medium heat. Serve over hot, drained spaghetti. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, onions, and crackers.

Juicy Lucy Burger

Disclaimer: this recipe has nothing to do with our dog, Lucy!

Juicy Lucy burgers are native to Minneapolis - they're burgers with a molten core of cheesy goodness. Be careful, because the first bite is messy and potentially super-hot! They are fairly easy to make, as long as you tightly seal the burgers around the cheese. You can see a bit of cheese escaping from the burger above, but that's not a big deal. I like to serve burgers on slider buns - it always seems like there is too much bread in the standard buns. A great accompaniment are these five-star oven fries.

To make the burgers, form eight very thin burgers; put the cheese, folded into fourths, on top of one burger; then top with the other burger. Pinch the edges and form into patties. They should look like this when you start cooking:

Juicy Lucy Burgers

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 1 1/4) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper 4 slices American cheese 4 hamburger buns, split

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Form 8, thin patties from the beef. Each patty should be slightly larger than a slice of cheese.
2.	Cut each slice of American cheese into 4 equal pieces; stack the pieces. Sandwich one stack of cheese between 2 ground beef patties. Tightly pinch edges together tightly seal the cheese within the meat. Repeat with the remaining cheese and patties.
3.	Preheat a cast-iron or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers until well browned, about 4 minutes. It is common for burgers to puff up due to steam from the melting cheese. Turn burgers and prick the top of each to allow steam to escape; cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside; about 4 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

Kielbasa and Cabbage

Kielbasa is not something I ever buy, but we had some leftover from the cassoulet. I made kielbasa and cabbage, and we were surprised how much we liked it! It must be the bacon.

Now that the weather is getting cooler (finally!), it would make a great fall dish.

Kielbasa and Cabbage (adapted from allrecipes.com)

6 slices bacon
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar (could use one tablespoon)
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 teaspoons caraway seed (I left this out)
1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges
1 pound Polish kielbasa

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut the kielbasa into several pieces and slice lengthwise. In a large skillet, fry kielbasa in a little olive oil until browned. You could also grill it. Remove kielbasa and set aside.

2. Clean large skillet and fry bacon over medium high heat until browned, turning once. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1-2 T. drippings, and place on paper towels.

3. Stir water, sugar, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and seasoned salt into drippings. Add cabbage, and gently stir. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Add kielbasa to the pan. Cook, covered, for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Crumble bacon over top, and serve hot.

Catherine's Birthday Dinner

It was Catherine's birthday tonight, and I decided to try something I've wanted to make for a while: cassoulet. I know that making French food for Catherine is a bit like taking coals to Newcastle, but I've never had cassoulet and wanted her opinion. I didn't make the traditional, three-day, pork rind-lamb bones-and goose fat version: this is yet another Pam Anderson simplified and slightly Americanized version. Cassoulet has many different versions, but it's basically a slow-cooked stew of meat and beans. Catherine liked the bread crumb topping, which is apparently not traditional.

Since cassoulet is so heavy, I started with crudites in vinaigrette and a blue cheese dip and finished with a bright green salad. I'll post those recipes, along with the carrot/pineapple cupcakes we served for dessert, in another post.

Note: Cassoulet is a great choice for a fall/winter buffet, especially one where guests aren't eating at table. Everything is bite-sized, so there's not need for a knife. It can be made a day or two ahead of time and finished before serving - in fact, the flavors will be better if they have time to meld.

Cassoulet (adapted from Pam Anderson)

3 pounds boneless lamb or pork shoulder roast, cut into 11/2-inch cubes (I used pork)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound mild Italian sausages
1 cup water for sausages
1/2 pound kielbasa, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/2 pounds boneless duck breast halves (I used three duck legs)
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup full-bodied dry red wine
reserved duck fat
2 large onions, cut into medium dice
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, minced (I used bacon)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 (16 ounce) cans white beans, drained
3 cups fresh bread crumbs (process sliced bread in a food processor or blender)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Place pork cubes in a bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, turning to coat.

Place Italian sausages, 1 cup water, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy roasting pan set over two burners. Cover with heavy-duty foil and turn heat to medium-high. Cook until sausages lose their raw color, about 5 minutes. Remove foil (reserve it) and continue to cook until water evaporates. Add smoked sausages and cook, turning frequently, until all sausages are browned, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, cut Italian sausages into bite-size chunks. Halve smoked sausages lengthwise. Set aside.

Generously sprinkle duck breasts/legs with salt and pepper. Reduce heat under roasting pan and add duck breasts, skin side down. Cook until fat has rendered and skin is mahogany brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Turn duck breasts over and continue to cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes longer.
Remove duck from pan. Drain fat from pan and reserve. Slice each breast crosswise into 4 pieces. (I just shredded the meat.)

Return roasting pan to medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and cook, turning once, until a brown crust forms on two sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to a large ovenproof pot; set roasting pan aside. Add broth mixture and wine to lamb and cover with reserved foil, pressing down so that it almost touches meat, then sealing foil around top of pot, leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Bring to a simmer and simmer for a few minutes to burn off alcohol. Seal foil completely, then cover pot with lid. Bake, without checking pot, for 1 hour and 15 minutes; meat will be very tender.

Meanwhile, reheat roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add enough reserved duck fat or olive oil to pan to equal 2 tablespoons. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add bacon and thyme and saute to blend flavors, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and beans and simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Transfer cooked lamb and broth to roasting pan. Add duck, sausages, and enough water to make a soupy, moist casserole. You can let the cassoulet mixture stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

An hour before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring cassoulet to a simmer.

Mix bread crumbs, melted butter, and parsley and sprinkle over cassoulet. Bake until crumbs are golden and stew is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, and serve.

Pollo al Mattone (Chicken under a Brick)

Pollo al Mattone has a lot of potential - the bricks on top of the chicken flatten it, which makes it cook faster, and force it to come in contact with the very hot pan, which makes it crispy. I tried chicken breasts under a brick a few weeks ago and they were a disaster. I don't think they were totally thawed, so parts of them were undercooked while others were burnt. But I didn't want to give up, so I tried Mark Bittman's recipe which starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. A cast iron frying pan is great for this meal. The chicken turned out juicy and crisp - incredibly flavorful. It cooks very quickly, too. However, if you are not excited about getting your hands all up in the chicken's business, and if it bothers you to cut through bone with kitchen shears, this is not the dish for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend it!

You'll need to start with a whole 3-4 lb. chicken that you butterfly (cut the backbone out). I've given instructions in the first step here. If you want to get really fancy, you can do what I did this time and spatchcock your chicken. Yeah, that's right. You'll cut out the backbone and the breastbone, and your chicken will lie very flat and be easy to carve.

Prep the chicken ahead of time so you can marinate it (the recipe below will go into detail). Take some bricks, or a heavy tile, or another cast iron pan to weigh down the chicken. Wrap your bricks in aluminum foil. Once the chicken is in the pan and the bricks are on top, it will look like this:

Ingredients

1 whole 3- to 4-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed, dried and split, backbone removed
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon peeled and coarsely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, optional
1 lemon, cut into quarters

1. Place the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down, and using your hands, press down hard to make it as flat as possible. Mix together the rosemary leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and rub this all over the chicken. Tuck some of the mixture under the skin as well. If time permits, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for up to a day (even 20 minutes of marinating boosts the flavor).

2. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet (preferably cast iron; nonstick usually is safe to 450) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Press rosemary sprigs, if using, into the skin side of the chicken. Put remaining olive oil in the pan and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat up.

3. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, along with any remaining pieces of rosemary and garlic; weight it with another skillet or with one or two bricks or rocks, wrapped in aluminum foil. The idea is to flatten the chicken by applying weight evenly over its surface.

4. Cook over medium-high to high heat for 5 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and remove the weights; turn the chicken over (it will now be skin side up) and roast 10 minutes more, or until done (large chickens may take an additional 10 minutes or so; cook the breast to 160 or the legs to 165). Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy

This one goes out to intrepid commenter Alison! Note that there are only five ingredients besides salt and pepper.

I wanted to make our favorite grilled pork chops tonight, but we are living through the third blizzard of the season down here in Georgia, so grilling was out. This recipe is adapted from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook. I added mushrooms and just a bit more butter and adjusted the cooking time.

Served with roasted mixed vegetables and parmesan polenta, this was a meal everyone loved!

Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy

4 4-ounce boned loin pork chops, about one inch thick (mine were closer to 1 1/2 inches thick)
4 oz. sliced mushrooms (break up the bigger ones)
2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt (can use a bit less)
1/4 to 1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk, divided (I mixed a splash of heavy cream with skim milk)
1 T. butter

1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top bag. Add pork; seal bag, and shake to coat pork with flour mixture. Remove pork from bag, reserving reminaing flour mixture. Place flour mixture in a small bowl. Gradually add 3/4 c. milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and pork; cook chops 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Add milk mixture; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Uncover pork and turn to the other side. Stir in 3/4 cup milk and cook uncovered 10-15 minutes or until gravy is thickened. Check to be sure chops are cooked through - I let them get to 160 degrees to be sure. Thinner ones will obviously cook faster and will tend to dry out if you're not careful. Spoon gravy over pork to serve. Yield: 4 servings

Calories: 264 Fat: 12 g. Protein: 28.4 g

Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon and Jalapeños

"This is the best macaroni and cheese you've ever made!"

 I love classic mac 'n' cheese, and I wondered if the additions would detract from the traditional flavor. They didn't! I still knew I was eating macaroni and cheese; it just had a spark of flavor every now and then.

This recipe was developed by a Cooking Light message board poster named Canice. It's not light, but it is not as decadent as many versions, such as this delicious one from Martha Stewart. To make it more kid-friendly, I baked a portion without peppers in a glass pie plate.

Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon and Jalapeños

8 ounces cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni
Two strips bacon
Two jalapeño peppers: slice lengthwise and remove membranes and seeds. Cut into thin half moons.
Two Serrano peppers, sliced thinly (retaining membrane and seeds)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1-3/4 cups milk, slightly warmed or room temp
6 ounces sharp orange cheddar cheese
4 ounces Monterey jack cheese
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, draining after minimum stated cooking time. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

While pasta cooks, prep peppers and shred/mix cheeses. Reserve one cup cheese mixture.

Using the same pot, cook the bacon until quite crisp. Remove bacon and set aside on paper towels. Reduce heat and add peppers and garlic to hot bacon fat and cook until soft. Set aside with bacon and wipe out pot.

Place butter in pot and melt over low flame. When the butter has stopped foaming, stir in flour and whisk continuously for three minutes, to cook out raw flavor. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook five minutes, whisking continuously.

Remove from heat and whisk in cheese, keeping mixture in motion until cheese is melted.

Crumble bacon into cheese mixture and stir in cooked peppers and mustard.

Pour in cooked pasta and mix well to combine.

Place in a heatproof 9x11 or casserole pan and bake 30 minutes, uncovered.

Remove and top with reserved cheese and cook 10 minutes more. Finish under broiler for a minute or two if you like the top to get crunchy.

Let rest five minutes before serving.

Baked Scallops

My mom made these for my birthday this year, and they are delicious. I got great scallops at Super H Mart the other day, so we had these with crusty multi-grain bread and green beans. The picture is from an iPhone; they aren't really so pink.

This is a quick but impressive recipe. Rinse and drain scallops on paper towels before using.

Baked Scallops

1 c. cracker crumbs or panko bread crumbs
2/3 c. light cream, half and half, or buttermilk (Legal Seafood uses buttermilk)
salt and pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste
1 lb. sea scallops, patted dry
1/4 c. butter
flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
lemon wedges

Melt butter and mix with crumbs. Add garlic salt and parsley. Put scallops in casserole dish. Add cream and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees, uncovered.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Spaghetti Sauce

I love spaghetti. I love the thin, flavorful kind restaurants serve that I can't recreate at home. I love the thick, rich sauce my mom makes and the fine ground beef and basil kind my sister-in-law makes. Marinara, bolognese, red sauce - I won't turn it down.

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And here is my current favorite way to make spaghetti. It comes from a prolific poster on Recipezaar whimsically named "Jo Mama." Here's her original recipe. I haven't really changed it, but it is easy to make substitutions based on what you have in the house. This recipe make a ton - you'll have enough for probably 3 lbs. of spaghetti, but it freezes very well.

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The whole family - even Ben! - loves this sauce. I hope you will, too!

Spaghetti Sauce

2 lbs Italian sausage, casings removed (mild or hot or combination)
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes*
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 cups water (for a long period of simmering for flavors to meld. If you don't want to simmer it as long, add 1 cup)
3 teaspoons dried basil (if you are using fresh, add 1/4 cup chopped before serving)
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine
1 lb thin spaghetti
1 T. butter
parmesan cheese

1.In large, heavy stockpot, brown Italian sausage, breaking up as you stir.
2.Add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened.
3.Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water.
4.Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.
5.Stir well and barely bring to a boil.
6.Stir in red wine.
7.Simmer on low, stirring frequently for at least an hour. A longer simmer makes for a better sauce, just be careful not to let it burn! If the sauce is thick and you would like to continue simmering it, add another 1/2 cup of water.
8.Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Toss with butter.
9.Add sauce to drained spaghetti noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

*Note: you do not need to be too careful about which tomato products you use, as long as you are using tomatoes packed in sauce, not juice. For example, the last time I made this sauce I only had crushed tomatoes, so I used 70 oz. (the equivalent of all three tomato items in the recipe).

Steve Raichlen's Barbecued Brisket

This is a picture of our grill, though it also has a smoke box on the end. It takes up more than half our deck, but it has a burner, a gas grill, a charcoal grill, and a smoker. We love it. We've only had gas grills in the past, but now we really only use gas when we are grilling for lots of people and need the space in addition to the charcoal side. The smoker is awesome: we've made smoked turkey, brisket, and pulled pork. Pictured above is Steve Raichlen's smoked beef brisket. His book, How to Grill, is a fantastic resource for all kinds of grilling - everything we've made from this cookbook has been 5 stars.

We barbecued Texas-style brisket a couple of weekends ago. It's a great thing to do when the weather is nice and you don't mind being outside all day. Actually, you really are in and out once an hour; it's not that difficult, but for brisket to turn out well you need to cook it low and slow. Brisket is a cheap cut of meat and will turn out tough and flavorless if you rush it. Try to choose a brisket with a layer of fat on the bottom to keep it from drying out. Serve with rolls or toast and barbecue sauce.

Barbecued Brisket

Main Ingredients:

1 trimmed beef brisket (5 to 6 pounds), with a layer of fat at least 1/4-inch thick
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mop Sauce:
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup apple cider/juice/broth/beverage of your choice
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper

6 cups wood chips, preferably hickory or oak
1 aluminum foil pan (disposable)

Directions:

1.Rinse brisket under cold water, blot dry. Combine ingredients for rub. Rub onto both sides of brisket. Cover and let stand in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight; if you don't have time, it's okay to start right away.

2.Soak wood chips in cold water to cover for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Combine mop sauce ingredients in a glass bowl; stir well. Set aside.

3.Set up the grill, gas or charcoal, for indirect grilling. Pre-heat gas grill to high, place wood chips in a smoker box or small aluminum pan. Set in lower left of grill under the rack. When you see smoke reduce heat to low. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-low coals around a drip pan that is placed in the center of the grill. Place 1/4 of the wood chips over the coals. During cooking you will need to add fresh coals and 1/2 cup woodchips every hour or so. Keep the temperature around 250 degrees.

4.Place the brisket, fat-side up, in an aluminum foil pan and place in the center of the hot cooking grate, over the drip pan. Add 1-cup water to pan to start. Cover grill. Open vents slightly on charcoal grill. Baste the brisket with the mop sauce every hour. Plan for 1 hour cooking time for each pound of brisket, but use a meat thermometer for best results. (Cooking time will depend on size of brisket and heat of the grill.)

5.When brisket reaches an internal temperature of 160F on an instant-read meat thermometer (after 3-4 hours), remove it from the grill; double wrap in foil, leaving an opening at top so you can continue basting. Return to grill. It is finished when it is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 180F to 190F. Transfer brisket to a cutting board, let stand for 10 minutes.

6.Thinly slice across the grain with an electric knife or sharp caring knife. Put slices on a platter and pour pan juices on top. For extra flavor, add a little ketchup to the pan juices. Serves 10 to 12.

Grilled Moroccan Chicken and Greek Couscous

We had my wonderful in-laws over for dinner tonight, and I wanted a nice summery meal. It's been years since I've made Moroccan chicken, and though I've made other couscous salads, this one was new to us. We also had grilled corn on the cob and Paula Deen's peach cobbler for dessert. Yum!

Use a charcoal grill if at all possible. The couscous would make a great, healthy lunch. Both recipes are adapted from Recipezaar.

Moroccan Chicken

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped scallion (white part only)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1.Combine oil, scallions, parsley, cilantro, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper in the container of a food processor.
2.Process until smooth.
3.Rub the mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts and let stand 30 minutes.
4.Preheat the grill to medium hot.
5.Grill chicken breasts 5-7 minutes on each side, or until done.

Greek Couscous

1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 cup uncooked couscous (about 1 10 oz. box)
1/2-1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1-2 cup diced peeled cucumber
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, well drained (garbonzo beans)

1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
salt (to taste)

1.Bring the 1-1/2 cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir in the couscous and oregano, remove from heat; cover, and let stand 5 minutes.
2.Fluff with a fork.
3.Combine the couscous with tomatoes and the next 5 ingredients (tomatoes through chickpeas) in a bowl; set aside.
4.Combine 1/4 cup water with the remaining ingredients; stir well with a whisk.
5.Pour over the couscous mixture, tossing gently to coat.
6.Season with black pepper and salt.
7. Drizzle with a little more lemon juice and oil if salad dried out. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Beef Enchiladas

Periodically I decide to make some meals and sauces and prepare some meat to stock the freezer. It's usually when we've been busy and I decide we've had too much "ordered" pizza or Chinese. I made a double batch of enchiladas yesterday and a triple batch of sauce, so I wanted to share this recipe.

Enchiladas are time-consuming, but they freeze and reheat well, so they're worth it. Traditionally, they are made with soft corn tortillas which have been fried, but *other people* in this family prefer flour, so that's what I'm using in this recipe. Corn is a whole grain, but you fry them, so nutritionally it's probably a wash - just use whichever you prefer. If you do use the corn tortillas, you'll get close to twice as many enchiladas. Heat an inch or so of vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pot and fry tortillas one at a time on each side (30-60 seconds each); drain on paper towels.

Beef Enchiladas

Makes 6-8 large flour enchiladas.

3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 T. chili powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cumin
3 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 14 oz. can low sodium beef broth

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 onion, diced

3 cups cheddar or Mexican cheese, shredded

Brown ground beef with onions until done; drain.

Melt butter in a deep skillet or sauce pan. Add flour slowly, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and golden brown. Add spices and cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomato sauce and broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth and thickened. Add 1/4 c. water if it is too thick.

Ladle some sauce into the bottom of a 9X13 pan, just covering the bottom. Put the meat mixture in a bowl and add a little sauce, stirring it in. Put a flour tortilla on a plate and scatter about 1/2 c. of meat mixture and a sprinkling of cheese on one side; roll up tortilla. Place in pan seam side down.

When pan is full of enchiladas, pour the rest of the sauce on top and cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce.

Island Pork Tenderloin Salad

This recipe from Gourmet magazine is probably my favorite thing to make for company. It's delicious, unusual without being inaccessbile, and indulgent but not rich or heavy. It does have a lot of steps, but you can do many of them ahead of time. Serve it with this coconut bread. Just make the bread ahead of time so you can refrigerate it (makes it less crumbly).

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Island Pork Tenderloin Salad

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 main-course servings

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For pork

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds total)

2 tablespoons olive oil

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For glaze

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon Tabasco

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For vinaigrette

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

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For salad

3 navel oranges

5 ounces baby spinach, trimmed (6 cups leaves)

4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (from 1 medium head)

1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips

1/2 cup golden raisins

2 firm-ripe California avocados

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Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

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Prepare pork:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub.
Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.

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Make glaze and roast pork:
Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140°F, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 155°F while standing.)

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Make vinaigrette while pork roasts:
Whisk together juices, mustard, curry powder, salt, and pepper, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.

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Prepare salad ingredients while pork stands:
Cut peel, including white pith, from oranges with a sharp knife, then cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, and raisins in a large bowl with about 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Halve, pit, and peel avocados, then cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

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Assemble salad:
Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Line a large platter with dressed salad and arrange sliced pork, oranges, and avocados in rows on top. Drizzle some vinaigrette over avocados and oranges. Pour any juices from skillet over pork.

Peanut Sauce

Here's a great, classic Cooking Light recipe. It's actually from a recipe called Peanutty Noodles, but I make the sauce separately sometimes. You can use peanut sauce on lots of things, from spaghetti to Asian noodles to chicken satay. You can make a big batch and freeze it; just gently warm it and whisk thoroughly to combine.

Peanut Sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger or 3/4 t. powdered ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee or Sriracha) add more if you like more heat
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and minced garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and the next 5 ingredients (broth through salt); stir until well-blended. Reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and keep warm.

Peanutty Noodles Variation

Peanut sauce
8 oz. linguine or spaghetti, cooked
1 1/2 cups grilled or roasted chicken, cut into chunks
Vegetables of your choosing: sliced red bell pepper, snow peas (lightly steamed), carrots (peeled into strips), steamed broccoli, etc.
Minced cilantro

Toss pasta, peanut sauce, chicken, and vegetables in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Peanut Chicken Skewers Variation

Peanut sauce, divided in half
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Slice chicken lengthwise into 1-in. strips; thread onto skewers (if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water first for at least 20 minutes). Grill, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 2 minutes (or broil); turn and brush with peanut butter sauce. Continue turning and basting for 4-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with remaining sauce.

Fish Tacos

Jack loves fish and seafood almost as much as I do - he cheered when I told him what we were having for dinner tonight. These fish tacos are a healthier version of the ones you get in a restaurant, since they are not deep fried. I ate them with traditional soft corn, and Jack liked hard shell corn tortillas. I tried his, and I think they made the tacos taste a bit more like restaurant ones because they are crunchy and fried.

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The toppings for these tacos came from Sara's Secrets, a cookbook I really like.

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1 lb. tilapia

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs (Kikkoman is a common brand)

1-2 T. butter, melted

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2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

2 chipotle peppers, diced

1 T. adobo sauce (from the chipotle can)

2 T. lime juice

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2 cups shredded cabbage

1/4 t. salt

2 T. unseasoned rice vinegar

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1 avocado - diced

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Tortillas - soft or crunchy corn recommended

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Combine flour with 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper. Dip fish into flour, coating lightly. Dip into egg, and finish with panko breadcrumbs on both sides. Place on a baking dish and drizzle fish with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

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Combine sauce ingredients (mayo through lime juice). Chill until time to serve.

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Just before fish is finished cooking, toss cabbage with salt and rice vinegar.

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When fish is cooked, cut into chunks. Serve at the table with tortillas, sauce, cabbage, and avocado.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

This recipe is actually for tacos, but I liked it even better with the filling used as a salad. You can wrap the filling in any kind of tortillas you like: flour, hard shell, or soft shell corn. I got the original recipe from Recipezaar, but I streamlined it to make it easy for weeknights.

Note: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are sold with the Mexican products. You can take out the two you need for this recipe and freeze the rest for another time.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped
salt
1 package coleslaw* mix with carrots (can also used chopped napa cabbage and carrots)
1/2 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded (or three cups cooked chicken)
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup coarsely grated mexican queso anejo or queso fresco (like Romano or feta, respectively)

warm tortillas (if you want a wrap rather than a salad)

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*Bagged coleslaw mix is next to bagged lettuce; it won't have dressing on it.

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In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and chipotles.
Season generously with 1/4 t. salt.
Add the coleslaw, onion, cilantro and chicken.
Toss everything together and let stand for 15 minutes.
Taste and season with additional salt if necessary.

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Scoop the filling into a wide shallow serving bowl, dot with the cubed avocado and dust generously with the cheese.

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Serve with warm tortillas, if desirted.

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas Verde

This is not a picture of my enchiladas. If I posted my picture, you would not want to make this recipe - green enchilada sauce does not photograph well. If you want to see what I mean, look up green enchiladas in Google images, and you'll see - the pea soup over tortillas look is not very appetizing.


But these were so good! I made them a few days after the 4th of July with some leftover corn salad (made from corn scraped off the cob).

Green enchilada sauce is made from tomatillos and is a little more fresh and tart tasting than red. It's widely available with other Mexican food products.


This is a rare recipe that I developed myself. The amounts are approximate.



Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas Verde



1 T. olive oil

1 T. lime juice

1/c. red onion, diced

1.5 - 2 cups of corn

1 can black beans (or 2 cups), drained and rinsed

1 can Rotel tomatoes, any kind

8-12 flour tortillas

1 large can (28 oz. +) green enchilada sauce (I often make my own, but didn't have time)

1 12-oz. package Queso Fresco (Mexican crumbling cheese - texture of feta)



Mix together corn, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, and diced red onion. Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice and stir to combine. Pour in 1/4 - 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and combine.

Place a tortilla on a dinner-sized plate, and put 1/4 cup of the filling on one edge of a tortilla. Wrap it up, trying not to spill the filling out. Put the tortillas, seam side down, in a baking dish. Pour rest of enchilada sauce on top of tortillas, trying to cover completely. Crumble and sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn on a broiler for a couple of minutes (watching carefully) until enchiladas are slightly browned and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce, etc.

Italian Beef

Let's see - I've been married for almost 10 years, and I've been making this recipe for about that long. I heard a Chicago radio DJ give the down-and-dirty, bare bones version, and I've added to it a bit since then. But it's one of my easiest recipes and great for casual company or busy weekends, because it uses the crockpot.



Italian Beef

3-5 lb. chuck, shoulder, or rump roast, fat trimmed

1 packet Italian dressing mix (Good Seasons)

1 can beef broth

1 16 oz. jar pepperoncini peppers, undrained (sliced are prettier, but whole ones are fine)

6 hoagie/sub rolls

12 oz. shredded or sliced mozzarella or provolone cheese

Mix peppers, dressing mix, and beef broth in the bottom of the crockpot. After you trim the visible fat from the roast (you don't need to be too particular: just remove the big chunks of fat), place it in the crockpot. If you need to add a bit of water or beef broth for a larger roast, that's fine - it's okay, too, if it's not totally covered at first. Turn on low and cook for 6-10 hours, until it can be easily shredded with a fork.

Once the beef is shredded, return it to the crockpot. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Split the rolls, and line or sprinkle them with 2 0z. mozzarella cheese. Toast for about five minutes in the oven.

Put the shredded beef on the rolls and spoon some au jus over the top of the meat before putting the top piece on. You can serve this with Italian giardiniera if you like.

Note: to remove some of the fat, make the day before. Pour the contents of the crockpot into a strainer with a bowl underneath. Refrigerate the au jus, and skim the fat off the top before reheating it with the beef.

Fried Rice

I love to make fried rice with leftovers. In fact, it pretty much has to be made with leftovers, because you need to start with cold rice. If you use hot, fresh rice, the oil won't coat each individual grain - big clumps of it will soak it up and you'll have to use a lot more.

I like fried rice with brown or white rice, but in this case we had white leftover. We also had extra chicken from roast chicken and about 3-4 oz. of leftover steak. I used edamame and carrots for vegetables, but I like broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, mushrooms, and peas as well. This recipe is adapted from Recipezaar.

Fried Rice

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
1-2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 drops of soy sauce

3 drops of sesame oil (optional)
1 T. chopped fresh ginger or 1 t. dried ginger

2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 ounces cooked chicken, beef, or pork, chopped
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
4 cups cold cooked rice, grains separated (preferably medium grain)
4 green onions, chopped
4 tablespoons light soy sauce (add more if you like)

1 t. sesame oil (optional)

Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add chopped onions and stir-fry until onions turn a nice brown color, about 8-10 minutes; remove from wok.

Allow wok to cool slightly.

Mix egg with 3 drops of soy and 3 drops of sesame oil; set aside.
Add 1/2 tbsp oil to wok, swirling to coat surfaces; add egg mixture and stir-fry until dry. Remove egg from wok and chop into small pieces.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add ginger and garlic to work; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add selected meat to wok, along with carrots, edamame, and cooked onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add rice and green onions, tossing to mix well; stir-fry for 3 minutes.

Add 4 tbsp of light soy sauce and chopped egg to rice mixture and fold in; stir-fry for 1 minute more; serve.

Servings: 4

Calories: 498