Crispy Chicken Thighs, with Schmaltzy Viaigrette

I made this about a week or so ago - its a Cooking Light recipe - which almost always are excellent.  With this dish, you get all the richness of a roasted chicken, but it uses bone in thighs, instead of a whole bird.  The recipe uses the chicken fat from the cooked thighs ( the "Schmaltz" ) for a really nice, bright vinaigrette sauce over the finished thighs.  I used my cast iron saute pan for even heating, but if you use a steel pan, watch the heat so you don't scorch the fat.  Here is the recipe - this is a GREAT Fall, comfort food meal, that truly does serve 4 at about 420 calories per serving. ( 23g of fat, because of the thighs though)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup EVOO, divided
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 lb small Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into about 3/4 inch pieces
4 (6oz) skin on, bone in thighs
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, divided
2 cups Brussels Sprouts, cut in half
1 1/2 cup rough chopped carrots
3 tbs finely chopped shallots
4 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tbs light brown sugar

1) Pre heat oven to 450
2) Combine 1 to 2 tbs olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and potatoes in a bowl, and toss to coat.  Line a 1/2 baking sheet with parchment paper, add potatoes, and bake at 450 for 15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.  Remove pan from oven, cover with foil to keep warm, and set aside.
3) Place a wire rack on another baking sheet.  Heat 1 - 2 tbs oil in a large cast iron skillet on medium high.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, add to hot skillet skin side down.  Cook about 8 minutes, or until skin gets crispy.  flip and cook 2 more minutes  ( chicken will NOT be cooked through) Reserve drippings in skillet. Place chicken on wire rack, and bake at 450 for about 10 more minutes, or until juices run clear, and temp is 165 degrees.
4) Return skillet to medium high heat.  Add remaining salt, and pepper, halved Brussels Sprouts, and carrots to drippings in the pan, cover, and cook about 8 minutes stirring frequently, until carrots are al dente, and the sprouts are browning.  Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  ( do NOT wipe out pan)
5) Place shallots in a small bowl.  Add vinegar to skillet, and scrape loose brown bits up.  Add this vinegar mixture, remaining oil ( should be at least 2 tbs or so) and brown sugar to shallots, and stir to combine.
6) Place 1 cup potatoes, 1/2 cup veggie mixture on plate.  Top with a thigh, and spoon shallot vinaigrette sauce over ( about 1.5 tbs or so)

Enjoy!

Oh, Man..... the PERFECT Summer Grilling Salad! Grilled Romaine, with Tomato and Corn Tumble.

So I died and went to heaven tonight.  Some of the women with whom my wife works out had been talking about grilling Romaine lettuce during exercise class last week.  She said to me - I think I pulled a recipe for that somewhere...... and lo and behold, in our massive recipe files - she found it!  Its from Better Homes and Gardens, June 2013 ( yeah I know - we save a ton of stuff!!  But in this case it was worth it!)  We did this salad ....... almost....... exactly to the recipe.   It called for grilling corn on the cob, but we were hungry, so I had a bag of frozen sweet white corn, and sauteed it in butter till slightly caramelized.  The finished product was crunchy and nicely charred, the dressing was amazing.  We gave it a 10 out of 10.  In fact, we are going to an outdoor cookout tomorrow night - I think I will bring it - it is the PERFECT company dish.  Especially one to bring and really wow your host.  Make the tumble and the dressing ahead of time - grill the lettuce for a couple of minutes and serve it at the party - guarantee it will be a hit! This will make 4 servings.  We served it with a grilled Rib Eye that we split, and it was plenty!  The flavor of the grilled Romaine really complimented the steak!

Here we go:

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen, or one ear's worth of grilled fresh corn
5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs snipped green chives ( these grow like weeds in our garden)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 hearts of Romaine lettuce halved
1 cup grape and yellow grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup feta cheese

Sautee corn in butter till slightly caramelized if using frozen, grill fresh till slightly charred. Cut kernels from cob, and set aside.

While grilling corn, combine 3 tbs olive oil ( reserve the rest), the vinegar, mustard and chopped chives, and garlic.  Whisk well until emulsified.  ( One of those salad dressing makers with the internal mixer works really well here)

Combine cheese, corn and tomatoes in a small bowl.  Drizzle with some vinaigrette to coat.  Set aside.

Brush both sides of Romaine halves with remaining olive oil ( you might need a little more - don't be stingy here.)  Lightly sprinkle cut half with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Place heads on hot grill cut side up for about 1 minute to soften.  Flip and grill cut side down for about 2 - 3 minutes until lightly charred.  Tip:  DONT walk away, these cook really fast, depending on your grill.  Keep an eye on them, as they will go from perfect to burnt in about a nanosecond!

Place heads cut side up, and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette to tase.  Spoon corn , tomato and cheese mixture over the top - enjoy!!

Bon Apetit!

Sausage Ragu, with Polenta

Kudos to Cooking Light for this recipe - REALLY tasty, and fairly easy to make.  Total time to cook, about 25 minutes.  We just used off the shelf  Stop and Shop Italian Sausage links - very tasty, with lots of fennel.... yumm.

Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil
12 oz Italian Sausage - chopped.  If you get links - squeeze out of the skin.
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/2 cups water, divided
1 15oz can  unsalted tomato sauce
2/3 cup polenta
1 oz parm cheese, grated ( about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Heat, oil in large, high sided skillet.  Crumble, and cook until browned, about 6 minutes or so.  Stir in pepper.  Remove sausage from pan, and remove pan from heat - do NOT wipe out pan.  Add onion, carrot and garlic to pan, Cook 7 - 9 minutes until tender ( add a splash of water if needed to help the carrots along), cook until tender.  Add sausage mixture, 1/2 cup water, and tomato sauce to pan, cook a couple of minutes .

While sausage is cooking, bring remaining 3 cups water to a boil in a medium sauce pan, and whisk in polenta.  Reduce heat, and cook for about 3 minutes until thickened, whisking frequently.

Serve pork mixture over polenta, garnish with parsely.

Enjoy!!

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Cauliflower Fried Rice!

Yummy Fried Rice, with no Rice!

So I made this the other night, while my wife is away on a biz trip.  Pretty simple recipe - no rice involved.  You can make it vegetarian, but I chose to add some Chicken.  I also took the time to dice and saute fresh carrots, instead of using the tasteless frozen peas/carrots combo.  I used a knife to dice up the cauliflower - I think a food processor would render it too fine.  It's good to be a little chunky.

So, here it is:

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cleaned, center cut out.  ( I quartered it and diced it by quarter, a little easier, than trying to dice the whole thing)
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup carrots, diced fine ( about 3 medium sized)
2 stalks celery medium diced
1/2 c frozen peas
2 TBS soy sauce
1/2 TSP Sesame oil
Pea sized squirt of Ginger paste ( tubes available in the produce section)
3 Green onions, not the white parts.
2 TBS olive oil
1 pkg pre cooked chicken breast, diced fine ( optional)
Sriracha Sauce to taste ( optional - I like hot...lol)

Directions:

Dice fairly small.

Heat olive oil in large saute pan till hot.  Add onion, garlic and carrots and celery,  saute till tender, about 5 minutes or so.  While that is cooking, mince the cauliflower, fairly fine.  Add to pan, and cook for about 8 minutes or so, stirring constantly.  Cauliflower should be fairly soft.  Add the egg, and cook for another few minutes, till cooked.  Add soy sauce, sesame oil, peas, ginger, and green onions, and chicken if you wish.  Cook till soft and fragrant - probably another 5 minutes or so.  Serve garnished with green onion

Saute till cooked and soft

Blue Apron test

Ok, so I decided to join the prepared meal revolution.  Lynne signed us up for Blue Apron.  I had a co-worker ask me - " so you are a chef... (cook, but that's ok, most don't understand the distinction), and you are getting prepared meals sent to you?"  I was like - yeah - it's ok.  Be interesting to try.  Sooooo, we signed up.  Three meals a week for sixty bucks a week.  Lynne and I tend to sit on Sunday, and go through recipes, etc to decide what we want to eat for the week, then shop for the ingredients.... and hope we feel like making it all as we go.  We are both VERY busy, and some nights, to be frank, we just don't feel like cooking.  I paint at night, she is working on a blog... just  a lot going on.  So, we plan on seven meals, and make maybe three or four.  The rest ends up in the trash after a week or so.  So we thought we would try Blue Apron for Sat, Sun, Mon - when we usually actually DO cook ( Pasta Vita/ salads/ omelets the other nights).

So, Blue Apron....the first box came on a Friday - thank God I went home for lunch, cause the box was sitting on my thousand degree porch in the sun when I got there....  Was well packed, in a lunar insulated envelope ....lol... with two HUGE ice packs.  Meat was still cold, produce, on top was still cool.  Unpacked it all, and stuffed in the fridge.  The first night, we made pan seared Salmon, with Miso Soba noddle salad, with Fairy Tale Eggplant and Baby Greens.

Prep done

All the ingredients come in cool little containers - well marked, and well packaged.   It came with a recipe card, with pictures, and VERY explicit instructions.  I followed the recipe EXACTLY.... which, I have to say, was INCREDIBLY difficult for me.... cause I NEVER follow ANY recipe... I always..... improvise.  But this time I followed it ... almost... exactly....

Making the salad

Dressing

Changes I made:  I mixed the salad ingredients one step early.  I boiled the water for the noodles later than it said...I should have cut the cucumber thinner than it said... I would have diced the egg plant larger than it said.... other than that- it was easy peasey...
making the salad was easy... and the dressing was fantastic....

Holy Crap, this was HOT

Over all, I would give the meal an A- for taste, ease of making, and ingredients.  It truly is amazing the freshness of the ingredients.  the Gochulang - which I have never used was HOT!!  Used about 1/3 for the dressing. If we had used it all, would have blown our heads off!!!! - Will use the rest in SOMETHING for sure... and here we have the best benefit to this program:  NO WASTE!!

One thing to add - I am a fish snob - and this Salmon was AMAZING!!  Not fishy, fresh, not farm raised.... I would NEVER eat salmon from a source I did'nt know... and this was really good...

 They send you ONLY what you need - so there is no waste...  You don't have to spend 3 bucks on a bunch of something fresh you are only going to use a tablespoon of.   We have spent $60 bucks on the ingredients to ONE meal - and this is THREE.  The waste is the key, and there is none!!    Very easy to follow instructions, minimal equipment needed - a good non stick 10" frying pan is about it....

Final Product

Time wise, they pretty much hit it on the head - 15 min or so prep, 20 cooking... takes about 45 min total...   You can plate it to look restaurant quality... it's really that good.
I would give this an A so far....two more meals to go...

This is a home run, because, you can cook things outside your comfort zone, that taste amazing, without wasting a ton of money on excess ingredients....  It's not like the stores that sell pre made meals - you have to COOK.... there just is no waste..  HOME RUN!!! in my book.  Gets you out of your comfort zone for ingredients and techniques... and makes tasty meals.... yup.
.

Dan's Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade Sauce

This is a favorite of Lynne and I  - always good.  Serve it with boiled baby reds ( or tri colors in this case) and home made slaw.... yum

Dans Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce: (Serves 6 dinner portions)

In a large stainless bowl:

·          

·         1lb fresh crab meat ( I use claw - it's fine, and it's not worth spending 10 bucks more for lump - really doesn't make that much of a difference)

·         4 cloves garlic minced

·         1 shallot minced

·         3/4 cup frozen tri color pepper strips, minced when frozen

·         2 tbs butter

·         (combine last 4 ingredients in a fry pan, and saute till translucent,  then add to bowl with crab meat)

·         1/4 cup mayo

·         1 egg, beaten in a cup

·         2 tsp dill

·         3/4 cup parm cheese

·         3/4 cup bread crumbs

·         3 tbs old bay seasoning

·         1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

·         1/4 tsp ( to taste ) cayenne

·         3/4 tsp garlic powder

·         3/4 tsp celery salt

·         1 cup panko bread crumbs

Mix mixture in bowl until will mixed.  Let stand for an hour or so to let flavors blend.  When ready to cook, use 6 or 7 tbs of lite olive oil, and heat in fry pan till simmering.  While heating, form cakes into 3inch wide, by about 3/4 inch high patties.  Put panko crumbs on a plate, and coat each patty with the panko crumbs.  Fry for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.  I often mix black pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese in with the crumbs.  Serve hot with Remoulade or Tartar sauce.  Serves 4.

Dan's Remoulade Sauce:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine:

·         3/4 cup mayo

·         2 tbs dijon mustard

·         1 tsp paprika

·         2 tsp horse radish

·         2 tbs chopped bread and butter pickles

·         1.5 tsp tobasco

·         1 tsp garlic powder

·         1.5 tbs capers, minced

·         2 shakes Worcestershire

·         2 tbs lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients together, and let sit in the fridge for at least one hour to blend flavors.

Poached Coconut Curry Mahi Mahi with Mango Pineapple Salsa and Coconut Rice

Made this last night - super simple, and really tasty.  The salsa was a little sweet, a little spicy - and a fantastic compliment to the fish.  The fish is simply poached in a foil pouch on the grill, in coconut milk, with a little red curry paste in it, and a few extra pieces of fruit in there.  I just bought the pre peeled fruit in the produce section of my market. The coconut rice simply replaces half the water with coconut milk - perfect with Jasmine rice.


Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk, stirred, and divided in half.
4 small Mahi Mahi fillets
2 cups mango chunks
2 cups pineapple chunks
1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs white wine
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ( to taste)
1 tsp red curry paste
1tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup sliced green onions, divided.

Directions:

For the fish:

Lay two pieces of foil, about 18" long on the counter.  Lay fish fillets in center, season with salt and pepper.  Fold edges of the foil op to make a "boat".  Add 1/2 can coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce and a few mango/pineapple chunks.  Carefully fold edges of the foil over the fish, to make an tight seal.  Wrap another piece of foil around it if you have to, but this is an important step.  Place on pre heated grill on med high heat, and cook for about 12 minutes.


While fish is cooking, start the salsa and the rice.

For the Salsa:
In a small sautee pan, heat olive oil.  Add onions, and cook till they start to get translucent - about 3 minutes.  Add diced red peppers and cook for another couple of minutes till tender.  Add fruit, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes, the white wine, and some of the green onion slices.  Stir until heated through, but not boiling hot.

Prepare the Jasmine Rice as directed on package, but substitute 1/2 of the water for coconut milk.  You can add a little sugar to it to sweeten it up, but I didn't and it was fine.

CAREFULLY open foil packet with fish - it will be steaming hot, and very easy to get burned, so go slowly.  Place fish over rice, spoon some sauce from the packet  over fish and rice.  Top with salsa, and garnish with green onion slices.  I added some sauteed green beans to mine for a pop of color, and a veggie.

Enjoy!

Poached Sea Scallops, with Burnt Butter, Bacon, Wine and Veggies

This is totally NOT the way I would cook sea scallops, but had  a work friend recommend this recipe with HUGE props.  I complicated it a bit, but it really WAS good.  I downloaded the pics, but lost them somewhere in the morass of my laptop..... so this is an artless post....lol.  This dish is cooked on the grill in foil - kind of like the old Boy Scout recipe for cooking on an open fire.    So, here it is:

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic - minced
2 small summer squash - I spiailized mine - but sliced THIN will work
One lemon - zested, ( and put aside) and the juice separated
3 pc of bacon, cooked, and diced
3 slices of tomato - cubed to about 1/2 inch

Garlic and onions in burnt butter

1 tbs onion - minced
2 tbs butter
5 tbs white wine

Heat butter in sautee pan, Add onions, and garlic, and sautee till the butter turns slightly brown.  Remove from heat, and set aside.

Make tin foil tray, and add burnt butter, garlic and onion mix.  Add 5 tbs of wine - or more if you want - , scallops, then tomatoes, squash, salt and pepper to taste, and a couple tbs of butter  Wrap all in tin foil, so it is air tight, and put on grill on med high - about 350 degrees.  Steam for about 13 minutes, serve over rice, ladling sauce over rice.  Killer dish - easy and good.....

Fully Cooked

Finally found the pics!

Make sure pouch is well sealed

Pan Seared Scallops with Asian Chile Lime Sauce, and Roasted Baby Bok Choy

This is one of my favorite recipes - very easy to make, and really tasty!  Make the sauce the day before so it has a chance for the flavors to blend.  If you don't have a red chile pepper, use about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes  - to your taste.  I added some roasted sweet peppers too.

Sauce:

1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small fresh hot chile, chopped, including seeds ( careful here - if you don't like heat, leave the seeds out)
2 1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs fish sauce
1 1/2 tbs water
1 tbs fresh lime juice ( about the juice from one lime.  zest it first, and reserve for garnish)

about 1/1 - 1 lb fresh sea scallops - 12 or so
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 tsp sesame oil

3 Baby Bok Choy, washed, sliced in half,  and tossed in olive oil and garlic powder.  Roast at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes until starting to brown.

Preparation:For the sauce - pound garlic, chile and sugar to a fine paste with a mortar and pestle. ( use the back of a spoon if you don't have one)  Stir paste together with fish sauce, vinegar, water and lime juice.  You also can puree them in a food processor.  Let sit for at least an hour - preferably over night

Pat dry the scallops, season with salt and pepper.  Heat oils, butter in a 12" skillet, over med high heat till hot.  Carefully place scallops in pan, separated.  Cook about three minutes, then with tongs, turn each scallop over and cook another 3 minutes till golden brown and translucent.

Serve over rice, with warmed sauce spooned over the top, garnish with lime zest.

Egg Plant Rolotini - super easy, super tasty

Made this tonight after trying for about three weeks.  Events kept coming up, didn't have the time,,,, yada yada yada.  This is my favorite dish at a local restaurant, and I wanted to try and reproduce it.  It is very simple in theory, but a little more complicated in practice.  I don't often fry things, so I am not so good at oil temps and breading per se.  That said, this is pretty much a fool proof recipe.  I used a mandolin to slice the egg plant, though I suppose it is possible to do with a good knife and a steady hand ( I have plenty of the first, and none of the second....lol)  So, here it goes:  (Please keep in mind ALL measurements are approximate - season to taste)

Pre heat oven to 375

Combine 2/3 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs with:

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp each salt pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/4 cup parm cheese

beat 2 eggs, put on a flat plate

put about 1/3 cup flour on a flat plate.

One eggplant

Slice eggplant on mandolin to about a little less than 1/4 inch thick, lengthwise down eggplant.

Dredge in egg, then coat both sides evenly in bread crumbs.  ( I would try coating the veggie in corn starch first, then egg, then crumbs to make them stick a little better next time....and use a combo of regular and panko crumbs... but that is just me)

Stack on plate.

In large skillet, heat about 1/4 cup light olive oil, and 2 tbs butter over medium high heat, till oil is hot.  Make sure oil is hot - if it doesn't sizzle when you put the ep in, then it is not hot enough, and the oil will soak in.

Rolls before baking

Carefully fry slices till golden brown.  I stacked them between paper towels to absorb extra oil.

Combine 2 cups Ricotta Cheese, 1 cup shredded Mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbs finely chopped fresh basil, 1 tbs finely chopped fresh ( or 1 tsp dried) oregano till evenly mixed.  

Grease 9x12 or so baking pan.  Take about a fist full of cheese mixture ( about a half cup), and roll into the eggplant.  Line baking dish with finished rolls.  Top with more mozzarella cheese, and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is brown.

After baking

Meanwhile, cook enough fettuccine for two, and heat up some pasta sauce.  I always add one of my famous "cubes" to the sauce - I roast, then boil down 20lbs of tomatoes into two ice cube trays of paste, then freeze.  Adds incredible flavor to any store bought sauce in an instant.

Plate rolls, add pasta, top with sauce - and enjoy! ( I also chiffoned some basil - tightly rolled leaves cut into about 1/8 wide slices for the top)

Thai Beef and Basil

Thai Beef and Basil - a recipe given to me by Victoria, that I .... tweaked.... a little.  Really yummy.  Plus, I got to use my new fancy cutter - essentially a cutter that spiral slices, or cuts long noodle cuts - paid $40 for it - and it's gonna be worth it!  Here is the recipe:

1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup loose chopped basil
1/2 cup beef broth
1 cup frozen tri color peppers
2 tbs lime, 2 tbs soy, 2 tbs fish sauce

Carrot Basil Slaw:
4 carrots, spiral sliced - or julienned
1/4 cup basil, chiffonaded - ( rolled like a cigar and sliced thin)
zest from 2 limes

Dressing 3 tbs lime juice ( from 2 fresh limes) 2 tbs soy sauce, 2 tbs fish sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions:

Press beef down into a thin pancake, and cook till crispy on one side, then flip.  Cook till crispy on second side, drain fat.  Chop up into pieces, add basil, broth and lime juice, soy, and fish sauce.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add peppers, and simmer till warm - and sauce is reduced.

Mix carrots and basil for slaw, and coat with dressing.

Serve beef over jasmine rice, top with slaw, and enjoy!  Very tasty!!

Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

Made this tonight - a nice cold late fall day - fire going, perfect comfort food  night.  Had some chicken thighs in the freezer - and looked for recipes.  Came across this one on allrecipes.com.  Followed it pretty much to the letter - although I cooked the thighs in a 1.5 qt Le Creuset braiser - covered, for about 20 minutes.  Served it over risotto - REALLY tasty.  My first Indian food experiment, and I was very pleased with it!

Original recipe makes 4 servings

 1 tablespoon peanut oil

 1 shallot, finely chopped

 1/4 white onion, chopped

 2 tablespoons butter

 2 teaspoons lemon juice

 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

 1 teaspoon garam masala

 1 teaspoon chili powder

 1 teaspoon ground cumin

 1 bay leaf

 1/4 cup plain yogurt

 1 cup half-and-half

 1 cup tomato puree

 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

 1 pinch salt

 1 pinch black pepper

 1 tablespoon peanut oil

 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs ( I use 4)

 1 teaspoon garam masala

 1 pinch cayenne pepper

 1 tablespoon cornstarch

 1/4 cup water

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.

Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened

Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup

Ok, I have been TERRIBLE about posting new recipes for the last year - new job, bunch of life going on - what can I say.  But we are getting into cooking season - and this year I am going to be focusing on more healthy recipes.

Simply awesome!

So, today was the first really chilly day of the year - cold, rainy - just kind of nasty.  Can you spell SOUP????  Threw together an amazingly simple cauliflower soup - it was awesome, and GARLICKY - you might want to cut back on the roasted garlic if you want to talk to anyone for about three days.  If you love garlic - then go with it!

This recipe is so simple - I used frozen chicken broth that I make from scratch every year - but store bought is fine.  

There it is:

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, broken up into chunks

5 cups chicken broth

1 whole head of garlic

2 tsp fresh thyme - separated

olive oil

salt, pepper

Instructions:

Roasted Veggies

Place cauliflower on cookie sheet, and coat with extra virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Cut top of garlic head off, coat with oil, and place on sheet with cauliflower.

Place veggies in oven pre heated to 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.

After roasted - chop cauliflower fairly fine, and add to stock pot with chicken broth.  Squeeze garlic cloves out of head, and add to soup.  Add one tsp thyme, one tsp salt, and pepper to taste. 

Simmer for about 20 minutes or so till all is tender.  Add to blender ( or use immersion blender) and reduce to thick liquid.  ( if using blender, BE CAREFUL, and only do small amounts on very low speed)  Salt to taste, serve with sprinkle of fresh thyme, and drizzle of olive oil.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Warm Chili Corn

This was a totally easy, and REALLY tasty vegetarian midweek entree.  Total prep time was about 20 minutes, plus another 15 to cook.  Very simple to make, but amazingly good.  Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
3 tsp chili powder
1 lg onion, chopped
3 tbs light olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 15.5 oz can black beans rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and shredded
3 cloves garlic diced fine
2 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp dried celantro
2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 lb shredded cheddar
6 flour tortillas
3 scallions, sliced thin, whites/ greens separated
2 cups frozen corn

Instructions:

1 - pre heat oven to 450.  In food processor, puree the tomatoes, dash of hot sauce, 2 tsp chili powder, half the onion 1 tbs oil, salt and pepper to taste until smooth.
2  Heat 1 tbs oil in large skillet, add remaining onion, half the garlic, and saute till soft - 2 to 3 minutes.  Add sweet potatoes, and saute for 5 minutes till potatoes start to reduce.  Add black beans, salt and pepper, 2 tsp cilantro, oregano, 1 tsp hot sauce, and stir till cooked through.  Add 1/2 cheddar cheese, mix well, and set aside.
3- Spread 1 cup tomato mixture in bottom of 9x13 baking dish.  Roll the bean mixture in the tortillas - about 1/2 cup each.  Place rolls seam side down on sauce.  Top with remaining tomato sauce, sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake on top rack of oven till cheese is brown and bubbly.
4 - Add last tbs of oil to small fry pan, and saute remaining garlic, and whites of scallions till soft.  Add frozen corn, balance of cilantro, salt pepper, balance of chili powder and several shakes of hot sauce.  Saute till warm.
5 - Serve enchiladas with daub of sour cream, scallion greens, and warm chili corn.

Potato Leek Soup, with Pan Roasted Garlic, Wine, and Bacon

Potato Leek Soup, with Pan Roasted Garlic, Wine, and Bacon

So Lynne and I went to a totally cool winter Farmers Market, at the old Velvet Mill in Stonington, Connecticut. ( I HIGHLY recommend this if you live here – everything from fresh local meat, eggs, produce, sauces, jellies, jams, artwork….. a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.)  We picked up some fresh, organic sweet leeks, and a loaf of fresh sour dough bread…. And I thought…. Well – what else besides potato leek soup?  We also picked up a bottle of green curry pineapple satay hot sauce from Dragon’s Blood Elixir hot sauce – dragonsbloodelixir.com.  This guy had awesome hot sauces – I really liked the sweet potato hot sauce!  I had Lynne try some – forgetting that her tolerance for heat is infinitely lower than mine…… oops)  We had the grand daughter with us – no I didn’t have her try any!  It was a nice morning for sure!  Anyway… the soup.

Most tater soup recipes are pretty similar – potato’s, celery, thyme, chicken stock, and usually cream.  I thought I would mix it up a bit.  No cream, a little white wine for some acidity, some roasted garlic, and …. Of course …. BACON.  I mean what else goes with potatoes?  If I could have thrown some eggs in I would have!  This soup is “souper” simple to make – takes about 20 minutes of prep, then about 40 minutes of simmering.  A note about the leeks – slice them up, and place in a bowl of cold water – swish around every few minutes to clean the sand out of them…. Otherwise your soup will be very gritty.

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 – 4 leeks, sliced thin, and soaked in cold water to rinse

3 stalks celery, sliced ( grab some leaves and rough chop for garnish)

2 tbs butter

6 cups chicken stock ( I cheated and used store bought instead of home made…. Didn’t feel like defrosting it)

2 cups water ( you may need to add more as the soup simmers)

½ cup dry white wine ( Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio are fine – do NOT use a sweet wine like Riesling)

2 – 3 lbs potatoes, peeled, and diced into ½ inch ish pieces

4 slices cooked bacon chopped rough ( 2 tbs reserved for garnish)

¼ cup fresh parsley

1 tsp thyme

Pinch red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1)      Slice the leeks, and soak as instructed.  Peel potato’s and place in a bowl of water to keep from oxidizing.

2)      In a small sauté pan, add butter and garlic.  Sauté until garlic starts to brown – DON’T burn it!.  Drain leeks, add to pan with celery.  Sauté for about 10 minutes until starting to soften.

3)      In a medium saucepan, add broth, water, wine, salt pepper, thyme, bacon and potatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Add leeks and garlic before this comes to a boil.  Simmer for 20 – 30 minutes until potatoes are soft and falling apart. You may need to add water as the potatoes absorb liquid.

4)      Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.  You can use a blender to do this, but only put fill about ½ blender at a time, and CAREFULLY pulse at a low speed to blend.  If using a blender, please be CAREFUL!!  Hot liquids have a tendency to explode out of the top if you just crank away at high speed.

5)      Serve with fresh bread, garnish with celery leaves, parsley, and a little chopped bacon

This was a really good, rich soup – awesome in front of a roaring fire on a cold, snowy day!

Enjoy!

Thai lime chicken soup

Just made this again tonight - was really good!  I made a few changes to the following recipe: I used baby bok choy instead of spinach.  I chopped the leaves, and added to the broth, and I pre roasted the stems, after quartering them.  I also added a can of coconut milk to it.....  I used fresh made chicken broth, made from the bones, wings and thighs of a roasted chicken we made the night before last.  Great recipe - kind of a kitchen sink thing - you can add whatever you want to it and it still tastes good!

Thai Lime Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 sm pkg Shitaki mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

2 tsp fresh ground ginger root ( to taste - a little goes a long way)

3 tbs fish sauce ( to taste - again, a little goes a long way)

1/4 tsp yellow curry powder

1 tsp Thai seasoning (totally optional - I keep this around normally)

zest and juice from 2 limes

2 tbs fresh rough chopped cilantro

3 tbs fresh rough chopped basil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 seeded, sliced Thai chili pepper ( or small Jalapeno)

1 leek, dark green part removed, sliced into thin rings, rinsed well and separated

1 9 oz pkg Perdue Short Cuts pre cooked chicken breast

1/4 pkg ( about 4 oz ) Thai rice noodles

1 cup rough chopped spinach, raw

Instructions:

Soak rice noodles in HOT water, according to instructions for about 15 minutes, or until soft.  Drain, put to side.  In med - large sauce pan ( at least 4qts) add everything but the noodles and the spinach.  Bring to a boil over med high heat, then lower to med low, and simmer for about 20 minutes or so.  Add noodles, and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add spinach, and simmer till wilted - about 5 minutes more.

Using tongs, pile a portion of noodles into a soup bowl, then ladle liquid/chicken etc over the top.  Garnish with a few fresh copped cilantro leaves, and if you want to spice it up a bit, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes, and enjoy!  This soup is as good as any I have had in a restaurant!

One note - please taste as you go - basil, cilantro and ginger are VERY strong ingredients - you may want to alter the quantities up or down to your taste as you go!

Hot Turkey Sausage, Roasted Garlic and Tri Color Peppers A Olio, over Basil Whole Wheat Spagetti

Yummy and relatively low calorie!

Ok, time to loose the weight!!  Been saying that for years, and been cooking like Paula Dean for years..... and I am still fat.  Trying to make some..... healthier..... recipes that still taste good. This was quite tasty, and only about 600 calories per serving.... mostly because it has about 4 tbs of olive oil in it.  But NO butter!!!  This was pretty much a "whats in the pantry" dish - feel free to change things around!  Olive oil, basil and garlic powder measurements are..... approximate... lol.

Ingredients:

3 hot turkey Italian sausage sliced into 1 inch chunks...( Ok, kind of an oxymoron, I know.. but .... think HEALTHY)
about 2 cups frozen tri color peppers
2 heads of garlic, tops cut off ( about 3/4 from the bottom)
4 tbs olive oil, reserved
about 1 inch around, whole wheat spaghetti
garlic powder - 1 tsp
dried basil 2 tbs, reserved
1 tsp salt
fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.  When up to heat, place garlic heads on baking sheet ( cover with foil to save washing later), and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Roast for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  When done, pull out, and squeeze out cooked cloves ( I use a paper towel to hold the head and avoid the heat) Mince garlic, and put aside.

As the oven is warming, ad 1 tbs olive oil to a 10" saute pan over med-high heat, and begin to cook.  Stir frequently, until sausage is browned on all sides.  Deglaze the pan with a little white wine, or water and scrape up the brown bits, and cook down till thick.  Add 2 - 3 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs basil, and 3/4 of the roasted garlic, minced, and the frozen peppers.  Simmer until savory and done - about 5 minutes  - total cook time is about 20 minutes total.  Save the remaining 1/4 roasted garlic for a salad dressing, or pasta sauce - will last a week or so in the fridge.

When you put the garlic in, in 3 qt sauce pan, fill about 2/3 with water, add 1 tsp salt, garlic powder and a tbs of dried basil.  Bring to a boil, then add spaghetti.  Stir occasionally, about 15 minutes until slightly al dente.  When done, drain water, sprinkle with garlic powder, 1 tsp or so basil, a little Parmesan cheese ( the kind in the canister from a store - fine powder - not fresh shredded) salt and pepper, and about 2 tbs olive oil.  Stir to mix well, and cover to keep warm..

All of the pieces should be done about the same time  - in about 20 - 25 minutes.  Place about 1/3 of the pasta on a plate, and cover with sausage/pepper mixture.  Top with a sprinkle of dried basil and fresh grated parm cheese.  Fresh basil would be awesome with this dish, if you have it.

Enjoy - Bon Appetit!

Post Thanksgiving Turkey and Rice Soup..... a no brainer!

Ok, two days after Thanksgiving and you are sick of looking at the bird and the leftovers.  Hopefully you haven't tossed the bones, because that is truly nectar on the hoof... well claw....  Assuming you are like me, and save EVERY chicken carcass, turkey carcass, ham bone and lobster shell to make stock out of, you still have the ole girl in the fridge.  GREAT!!  My carcass was so big, had to split it up between my 8qt stock pot and my 5.5 qt Le Creuset pot.  This soup is SO simple, I have never actually written the recipe down - primarily because it changes every time, depending on what I have on hand.  Here is the recipe - the best thing about this is you can put whatever you feel like into it and it will taste awesome!  Here is the recipe for the stock:

Turkey Stock:

I had to split the bird into two pots

1 Turkey carcass after it has been picked clean, including any jellied fat from the platter - plus wings, and leg/thigh bones
1 Bouquet Garnis - or a sprinkling of rosemary, thyme, basil and oregano ) I put one in each pot - plus a sprinkling of the herbs.
1 tbs salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 onion, quartered with skin
4 cloves of garlic crushed with skin
4 carrots, quartered
4 stalks of celery, including leaves

 I also added leftover carrot/turnip casserole, some fresh parsely, some leftover roasted Brussels Sprouts - you get the idea.

Fill the pot to about 1 inch below rim, and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 3 or 4 hours. Cover for the first hour, then let simmer open. Add water when the level gets about 2 inches down, the longer it simmers, the better.  Let it reduce again to about 2 inches below top, and cool.

Strain the water through a pasta strainer - bits and pieces of stuff are fine in the broth.  Discard the solids, and refrigerate.

For the Soup:

To the stock, add:

5 carrots, 3 celery stalks, split in half, then chopped into 1/4 inch thick pieces

A nice fire helps with the soup experience!

Leftover turkey meat, cubed into about 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup mixed rice ( white, red, and wild) or just wild rice
3 cups water to thin the stock
Any leftover mashed potatoes, or mashed sweet potatoes.
Some spinach for color.

Add water carrots, celery and rice to the broth, and bring to a boil.  Simmer for an hour, then add turkey, potatoes, spinach and anything else you feel like tossing in.  Cook for 1/2 hour till all is warmed... serve with thick bread, and a nice white wine!

Enjoy!

Back to business..... hopefully! Herb Roasted Chicken, with Brussels Sprouts, and Mixed Rice

Comfort food at it's best!

Ok, so it's been a while since I have posted..... mea culpa.  Been busy with a new job, and more than a little bit lazy!  So I am making a New Years Resolution....... yes I know it's not new years yet..... just time for a change!  I will try and  put at least one post per week up on the blog - and I hope to make them a little more .....cooking..... oriented - not just recipe oriented.  Let me know what you think.

So, today was a Sunday, cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, and windy as hell.  Ok, that doesn't mean testicles for you dirty minded folk out there - in the 1800's,  a "brass monkey" was the square of brass screwed into ship's deck that held a stack of cannon balls.  When it got cold, it contracted, and the balls rolled all over the place.... hence the saying "cold enough to freeze..."  Well, you get it.  Today's history lesson.

What did I say about cooking...???  lol.  Ok, so cold - we got that - I had a nice fire going, and decided to roast a fresh chicken I picked up at Carlo's yesterday.  Carlo's is our local meat market - good guy, good friend - awesome product.  If you live anywhere near East Lyme, Ct - GO THERE!!!  Well worth it!

This is about as simple a meal as you can get.  First off the chicken:  Pre heat the oven to 425.

Nice and crispy - 175 degrees

1)Remove neck and giblets from body cavity if there.  Separate the skin from the breast, and add 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed spread evenly under the skin.
2) Brush extra virgin olive oil over  the top of the chicken.  Add salt, pepper, lightly sprinkle garlic powder, thyme powder, rosemary and tarragon over the top of the chicken.
3) Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan.  Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to pan, and place in oven.
4) Baste with a basting bulb every 20 minutes.

Set timer for 1.5 hours.

For the Veggies:

Beautiful stalk of sprouts - for less than five bucks!

1) I bought a stalk of sprouts.  $4.99, and it was enough for about 8 servings!  Can't beat that!  Peel outside layers of sprouts, and cut into quarters.  Add one full shallot, cut into 1/8 inch slices, then separate the rings.  Take 3 cloves of garlic, and slice thin.  Add 1/2 cup chopped peppers.  Place all in a steel mixing bowl, add 3 tbs olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.  Toss.
2)  Place on a shallow baking pan, and place in oven when there is 15 minutes left to the bird.  Stir once about half way through.

Rice - Simply cook to package directions.  I used a blend of white, red, and wild rice - simmered with a little butter and salt.

This is a simple, tasty and  perfect winter meal.  I saved the left over meat, and the carcass and pieces separately to make broth out of tomorrow night..... yum!

Ingredient List:

1 whole chicken
6 cloves of garlic, pealed and sliced
1 tsp salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and tarragon
3 tbs olive oil
1 1/3 cups chicken broth, or boullion
20 or so Brussels Sprouts
1 Shallot, peeled and sliced whole
1/2 cup chopped frozen tri color peppers
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt, pepper
1 cup mixed rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 tbs butter.