Famous Pork Chops

Call me crazy, but I think its fun to try out different breadings - canned bread crumbs just get a bit old, in my opinion! In college, I discovered "Panko" - i.e. Japanese bread crumbs. Whereas normal bread crumbs can get somewhat soggy and are extremely fine - almost like sand - Panko has a lot of crunch and is made of bigger morsels. A few weeks back, I made chicken with cornflakes and was surprised at not only the crunchy breading but also the nice brown color. And this week, when making these pork chops, I used a totally new "breading" - Ritz crackers!!! The result? Buttery, crunchy, and delicious. And yes, you can totally taste the Ritz!

I made these pork chops with broccoli and creamed corn. It sounds good on paper, but as soon as I sat down to eat, I was slightly disappointed - the ONE thing this recipe was missing was some homemade gravy!!! I almost couldn't believe that I had overlooked it. And, although the pork chops were deliciously juicy, tender and flavorful - mashed potatoes and gravy on the side would have made this a 5-star dish.

Lesson learned!!

Famous Pork Chops

1 C. crushed reduced-fat Ritz crackers
garlic salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
4 pork chops
several TBS olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine crushed crackers, garlic salt and pepper in shallow dish. Dip pork chops in egg batter, then breading mix.

2. Heat olive oil to med-high heat in large skillet. Add pork chops and sear until they have a medium-brown color (1-2 minutes.) Flip and brown the other side.

3. Line a cookie sheet with foil and brush olive oil over the foil. Place pork chops on pan and cook for 20 minutes on one side in the oven. Flip, and bake for another 20 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, turn heat up to 375 to ensure a nice crispy exterior. Cut into one of the thicker porkchops when done baking, to ensure that they are cooked thoroughly - juices should run clear and center will be a creamy/slightly-pink color.

Spicy Orange Chicken with Snow Peas and Red Pepper

This recipe comes from a somewhat unique source (when we're talking about my usual recipe sources, at least.) I am one of those people who actually reads every single cookbook I receive, and this includes creating a little chart in the front with page numbers and names of various recipes I will someday make. This recipe comes from a short, somewhat dated cookbook called "All the Best Stir Fries." Published almost 20 years ago without even a single real photo, I got this little book from my mom on one of my summer trips to California during college. Except for the one time when I went through and marked good recipes, I haven't pulled it off my shelf until last week. I wanted something with ingredients that I had in the pantry, and something quick and easy to pull together. This recipe met both requirements. Depending on your pantry, this rule might or might not be true. Since I cook so often, I've always got things on hand such as cornstarch, rice vinegar, chili paste, sesame oil and of course, ginger.

(Hint about ginger: ginger is extremely cheap when bought fresh at the grocery store. I usually buy a medium-sized root, but since I only use a tiny bit at a time, my trick is to chop the ginger into 1/2-inch pieces, put them into a baggie, and freeze. Each time you cook, pull out one piece, let it thaw on the counter for ten minutes, and you've got the perfect amount of ginger for one dish.)

When I first tasted a piece of chicken that was simmering in the pan before I served dinner, I actually said out loud, "Ohmigod!" To me, this recipe tastes very similar to actual Orange Chicken from a chinese restaurant. I hope you all love it as much as I did!

PS - as you can see in the picture, I served this on top of jasmine rice.

Spicy Orange Chicken with Snow Peas and Red Pepper

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small strips

1 TBS water

1 TBS cornstarch

salt + pepper

3 TBS oil

1/3 C fresh-squeezed orange juice*

grated orange zest from the entire orange*

2-3 tsp sugar*

2-3 tsp rice vinegar*

1 tsp soy sauce*

1 tsp chili paste*

1.5 tsp cornstarch

few drops of sesame oil (a little bit goes a loooong way...don't get too excited with this stuff!)

1 garlic clove*

1 tsp finely chopped ginger*

1 red pepper, cut into thin strips

small bag of snow peas, washed

*the reason I starred these ingredients is because, I rarely (if ever) follow the recipe when it calls for putting together various sauces. We like spicy food, so I used way more than 1tsp chili sauce. I also like sweet sauces, so I used more sugar. My point is, make it how you like it.

1. In ziploc bag, combine chicken, pinch of salt+pepper, cornstarch and water. Let sit for at least half-hour in the fridge, or up to 24 hours.

2. Combine orange juice, orange zest, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili paste, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Whisk thoroughly.

3. Heat 1 TBS oil in large skillet. When hot, add red pepper, snow peas and ginger. Ensure your pan is really hot - you want your veggies to get a few spots of brown on them (I recently learned, in Chinese this is called "wok hey" - a few charred spots on the vegetables that you won't achieve if you let them cook more slowly.) Cook for a couple of minutes, tossing frequently. Set hot veggies aside.

4. Add a bit more oil to pan and add chicken. Stir-fry for several minutes until cooked through, with a nice brown color. Add garlic at the last minute - add more oil if necessary so garlic doesn't stick and burn. Return veggies to pan and lower heat; add orange sauce. Stir until everything is glazed in the sauce.

Turkey Artichoke Paninis

This recipe was inspired by one of our favorite places - Panera. Brett and I have always thought their "turkey artichoke" is just about the best sandwhich ever - served piping hot, and loaded with a creamy artichoke sauce. A few years back, to replicate this sandwich, I wanted to go all out with either an electric grill, or panini maker. I can't remember for which birthday I requested a Cuisinart Griddler, but it has been a great addition to my various kitchen appliances! It has not only "grill plates" (with ridges as any other electric grill would have) but also "flat plates" for eggs, pancakes, etc. It also works great for burgers, steaks, etc.

I re-created this recipe based on ingredients that are in Panera's turkey artichoke sandwich. No, it doesn't taste identical, but that's perfectly ok - there are likely one or two special ingredients which I've missed out on - but I can guarantee that my version is healthier and contains less preservatives/fat. If you don't have an electric grill, its TOTALLY fine - this could easily be done by just sticking the sandwich in the oven until the bread is nice and toasted, and the inside sufficiently warmed.

Lastly, one reason I love this recipe is because it's something Brett and I can do together. Whereas most meals, I cook and he does dishes, this meal is something I put together (i.e. make the sandwiches) and he cooks (i.e. works the griddler.) The very first time I used the griddler, I literally scorched our sandwiches - they were ruined! Since then, I've declared a strict "hand-off" rule: I am not to touch the griddler! A perfect excuse to let Brett do the cooking while I relax! :)

Turkey Artichoke Paninis

loaf of asiago cheese bread
1 lb deli turkey
6 oz cream cheese (we used fat-free and it tastes great)
1/2 can artichoke hearts (in water, not oil)
1 large tomato, cut into thin slices
1 red onion, cut into slices
salt and pepper

1. Carmelize the red onion by sauteeting in a bit of butter or oil until a deep purplish-brown. Taste a small piece - it should be sweet!
2. Finely chop the artichoke hearts and set aside.
3. Take your bread and slice into sandwhich-sized pieces. Spread cream cheese on both the top and bottom slice. Layer your sandwiches with turkey, tomato, artichoke, carmelized red onion, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Place your sandwiches on the grill, or in the oven, and cook until heated through.

Apple Cinnamon Chips

Occasionally I'll get an envelope in the mail from my Mom - not for a birthday or holiday, but "just because." These envelopes very often contain recipes - and not just one or two - her latest had 8 recipes!!! This particular recipe is something she mailed last fall, which was perfect since all sorts of apples are in season in the fall. I'm not sure what inspired me to finally try this recipe today - all I needed were two apples, and I felt like doing something fun and new.

These little chips are indeed a ton of fun and very yummy! They're crunchy and sweet with just the right amount of tangy-ness (I just made that word up.) They will work perfect for a snack at work - I'm always looking for something light to munch on. And, these are healthy and nutritious! Great recipe -thanks Mom!

Apple Cinnamon Chips

2 granny smith apples
cinnamon
sugar

Slice apples paper thin. Mom used her cheese-grater (one part of the grater can slice into thin strips) but I struggled with this; I used a sharp knife instead. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place apple slices on baking sheet. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of apples. Bake at 225 degrees for 2 hours, turning the apples over once and sprinkling the other side with sugar and cinnamon. The apples are done when they are light brown (this was about 2 hours and 10 mins for me.) Let cool. Do not place in airtight containers, or wrap the apple chips up. If you do, they will get slightly soggy. It is best to let them sit on a plate - don't worry about them going bad!

Note: when you first pull them out of the oven, they won't be crispy right away - give them five minutes!

Warning: these are addictive...!

Butterscotch Bars

This week I decided to switch it up a bit - away from chicken, anything Asian, anything with garlic, basil, tomatoes or rice! I was also in the mood to bake - I don't bake very often, in terms of making cookies, cakes, or muffins. But, I love to bake! Especially in the winter or fall, I find it so relaxing to put together pumpkin pies, quick breads, etc.

A couple of months ago, a picture in Cooking Light jumped out at me - and I just KNEW I would make this recipe someday. Of the dozens of recipe "cards" that I have for all of my cooking magazines (I write down the name/date/page number of recipes which I genuinely expect to make someday)...this is the one I pulled out of the box last week when I started looking for something sweet to bake.

My favorite part of this recipe is the crunchy outside - it's buttery, sweet and has a great texture. The center, on the other hand, has most of the flavor and is quite a bit softer. I would love to try this recipe with melted caramels in the center, or white/dark chocolate - and for the record, it goes perfectly with a glass of milk before bedtime :)

Butterscotch Bars

1 C packed brown sugar

5 TBS butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
9 oz all-purpose flour (just over 2 cups)
2.5 C Quaker oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 C fat-free sweetened condensed milk (I used lowfat)
1 1/4 C butterscotch morsels
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 C finely chopped walnuts (I used food processor - way faster!)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in vanilla and egg. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, and level with a knife. In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, 1/2 tsp salt and baking soda. Add oat mixture to sugar mixture; mix with a fork until combined (this will take some arm strength! It's a pretty thick, crumbly mixture.) Place 3 cups of the oat mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (spray with PAM first.) Press firmly into bottom of pan; set aside.
3. Put condensed milk, butterscotch morsels and 1/8 tsp salt into microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stopping every 20 seconds to stir well. Stir in walnuts. Scrape mixture into pan, spreading evenly over oat crust. Sprinkle evenly with remaining oat mixture, gently pressing into butterscotch layer. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until top crust is a golden brown. Run knife around edge of pan - and although this is the hard part, do not eat until bars have completely cooled, at least 2 hours...!!!!! Cut into squares. Otherwise, it will be more of a mushy cobbler - once they are set, they are perfect little bars!

Braised Balsamic Chicken

Let me start this post by saying: this recipe received a "5" on Brett's rating scale - for those of you who haven't read many of my posts, Brett rarely issues a "5"....!!! I whole-heartedly agree with him on this one. The chicken is so flavorful, so juicy, and I'm totally serious - it was less than half hour from start to finish! I already can't wait to make this one again.

I figured it might be worth a second to share more about my obsession with Allrecipes.com - after all, it has brought more delicious meals to my table than any cookbook, magazine or family recipe. What I love about Allrecipes is that its dynamic - always changing with the season or the latest trends. It's "live" - the reviews are updated every day, and questions are quickly answered ("what is the difference between rice wine and rice wine vinegar?") I actually even have one recipe that was published on Allrecipes - and 39 of my own reviews!!! I really need to catch up, seeing as my last review was in March 2009. If you promise not to make fun of my obsession, here is the link to my profile on Allrecipes. If you look through the photos and reviews, you're likely going to see quite a few familiar things!

Now back to this chicken - maybe you just need to make it, and taste it, to really understand how AWESOME it is. I was a bit worried about the balsamic vinegar - it calls for 1/3 C so I knew once I poured it in, there was no going back! As recommended in the original recipe, buy the best balsamic you can find for this recipe. As the name entails, its the star ingredient. The original recipe also calls for canned tomatoes - c'mon, in the middle of summer? No way baby! Use a couple fresh romas. Finally, I just HAD to use herbs from my brand-new herb garden. I just planted it last week and it's filled with oregano, rosemary, basil, sage and parsely. It was so fun taking off those crisp green leaves, chopping them up, throwing them in the pan and eating a few minutes later - the flavor just can't be replicated with dry herbs.




Enjoy!

Braised Balsamic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced (try to leave a few rings, for a prettier display!)
1/3 C balsamic vinegar
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 TBS fresh herbs - I used sage, rosemary and basil

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add chicken, browning on both sides - don't move the chicken around or it won't get the nice brown look. Add the onions, and cook until tender. Add the garlic, and cook for one minute or so (never burn your garlic...the dish is ruined!)

2. Turn heat to low. Add tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and cook for 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Add fresh herbs and more salt if desired.

American Lasagna

The last time I remember making lasagna was in college, a couple years ago, for a big group of friends. This is really the only lasagna I've ever made - its meaty, cheesy, saucy...and delicious!!! Sometime I would like to try a "fun" lasagna like vegetarian, or spinach alfredo lasagna. But for now, this more than meets my lasagna cravings!!!

This recipe, like any from-scratch italian recipe, is quite a bit of work - but in my opinion, pretty foolproof if you just follow the directions! I was pretty exhausted by the end of the preparation but its nothing that a glass of wine won't cure :-) Be careful moving the pan to and from the oven - it seriously weighs about 6 or 8 pounds! The original recipe also states that this can be made two days ahead of time, and just pop in the fridge until you're ready to bake.

I doubt I will ever go searching for a basic lasagna recipe again - there's just no need!



American Lasagna

2 lb ground beef/turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3-4 cloves)
1 TBS chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 TBS brown sugar
salt + pepper
29 oz can diced tomatoes + 15 oz can diced tomatoes (juice drained)
2 6-oz can tomato paste
12 cooked lasagna noodles - blotted dry - cook just a few minutes too short, so not quite al dente
3 eggs beaten
1.5 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C parmesan cheese
2 TBS dried parsely
1 lb. mozzerela cheese

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic. Drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt/pepper, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: the measurements are just a start. Make the sauce your own and save yourself a few dishes - add things as you like - if you like sweet meat sauce, go heavy on the brown sugar.

2. Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, parmesan, parsely, and a pinch of salt.

3. Take the largest glass baking pan that you have. Put down a layer of noodles. Cover with 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 1/2 of mozzerela cheese, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. If you have extra of certain ingredients, just keep creating layers until you run out of room! Word of advice - ensure that your top layer is never noodles - it needs to be covered with something or you'll have a nice crunchy top layer. And the very top layer should be sprinkled with cheese!

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note - my layers were basically overflowing my 9x13 pan. I covered with foil in an attempt to hold everything in. I also put my dish on a larger cookie sheet in the oven, in case anything overflowed.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

This past weekend, we joined Brett's parents and their good friends Jim and Susie for an awesome getaway at the lake of the Ozarks. It's amazing how just three days away can be so refreshing - we spent our time taking the boat out, drinking sangria in the water, playing Farkel and Catchphrase, waterskiing, jetskiing, shooting the minnow....and of course eating tons of delicious food!!! I feel so spoiled at the lake - but I love it!

My "assignment" was to make an appetizer for Saturday night. Truthfully, I felt like my options were fairly limited - I couldn't make any of Ellen's recipes, and I couldn't make anything with too many refridgerated ingredients (we had a 5 hour car drive to get there,) and I couldn't even make a few of my tried-and-true recipes which I'd given to Ellen. I wanted something original, something flavorful, and something that everyone would love!

After a good online search, I came across this recipe on Allrecipes - what could be more summery than tomatoes, garlic and olive oil brushed onto some crispy bread?! This bruschetta recipe is TO DIE FOR - though I do have several recommendations! I will make this over and over again - if I'm lucky, it might become a lake tradition!!



Double Tomato Bruschetta
6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 C. sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped (I used food processor)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 C olive oil - plus a bit more for brushing on the bread
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1/4 C fresh basil(I implore you to not use dried herbs in this recipe)
salt + pepper
1 French baguette
2 C shredded mozzerela

1. Mix sundried tomtoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Let sit in fridge overnight.
2. About half-hour before serving, add chopped roma tomatoes and basil. Set aside.
3. Cut baguette into slices and brush with olive oil. Put in the oven (broil) for several minutes until toasted. Hint: Use a wire rack pan, if you have one - this lets the heat come on all sides of the toast.
4. Take the bread out of the oven. Top with tomato mixture and cheese. Put back into the oven until cheese is toasted.

And just a final thought: Susie made a great suggestion, that instead of mozzerella, using something more creamy (like goat cheese) would be the perfect topping to this already delicious appetizer. I will definitely be trying this next time!

Shrimp Rice Bowl

As I'm sure you all realize by now, my list of stir-fries or other Asian-inspired dishes can go on and on.... but what can I say?! Cooking fresh veggies in a sweet and spicy sauce over hot oil, then eating alongside yummy jasmine rice....well, it's about as good as it gets! This dish is extra fun because it literally is a rice bowl - you stuff a small bowl with sticky jasmine rice like this:



Then flip into a second bowl for eating out of:

..and top with your delicious shrimp and veggies:

...TA-DA!!!

This recipe is something I sort of just made up, and that's not saying anything special - you could substitute beef/chicken/scallops, use whatever fun veggies are on sale, and switch up the sauces. I do think the pineapple is a must, however - it adds a sweet touch to an otherwise spicy and salty dish.

Shrimp Rice Bowls

15-20 large shrimp, raw and de-shelled
2 bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into chunks
1/2 can pineapple cubes
1 TBS fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
a couple drops of sesame oil
1/4 C Stir-fry sauce (I used Kikkoman's)
1/4 C Bangkok Hot Peanut Sauce
jasmine rice, cooked

1. Sautee shrimp and garlic in a bit of olive oil, with several drops of sesame oil. Cook just until pink (1-2 minutes) - you do not want to overcook the shrimp or the texture will be tough! Remove shrimp and set aside.

2. Add more olive oil to pan and sautee peppers, onion, and ginger over high heat. Turn heat to low. Add sauce, cooked shrimp and pineapple. Heat through. Spoon over hot rice.

Mom's Chicken Broccoli Casserole

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe on my blog yet...but better late than never! I consider my mom's chicken broccoli casserole to be a real comfort food - it's rich (as in, a-cup-of-mayonnaise-rich!), it's piping hot, and the flavor is something that brings me waaaay back to when I was young and Mom would make this on my visits to Cali. I love classic dishes like this that are always good and have a story attached - someday I will pass this recipe on to my own kids but by then, it will be "grandma's chicken broccoli casserole"!!!

I've got no secrets or hints for this one - it's straightforward enough! It does bake for an hour, so factor that into your cooking time. This would be a good one to make ahead for a weeknight dinner, and if you can't eat the whole pan, just freeze half of it for another time.

Kudos to Mom!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

2 10-oz packages of frozen broccoli, cooked and drained
3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 C real Hellman's mayo
1 TBS lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 C toasted almonds
1/2 C toasted bread crumbs
2 TBS melted butter

Put broccoli in bottom of 9x11 greased casserole pan; spread diced chicken over the top of the broccoli. In a medium bowl, mix soup, mayo, lemon juice, curry, cheese and almonds. Pour over chicken. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over casserole. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil for last ten minutes to toast bread crumbs. Let sit five minutes before eating.

Gary's World-Famous Sloppy Joes...

Any time I complement Brett's dad, I'm accused of trying to get "brownie points." Now that I'm posting his world-famous sloppy joe recipe, I can already see it comin'.....

Sloppy joes are one of those super-cheap-and-easy-to-go-to meals. Brown a little meat, add a few seasonings, bam, let's eat. Normally I use the William's dry seasoning mix but upon mentioning sloppy joes to Brett a few weeks back, he begged me to get his dad's recipe. Great, I thought, sloppy joes made from scratch? So much for super-cheap-and-easy-to-go-to! I sent Gary a quick text message, and he sent the recipe back almost immediately - with THREE ingredients! Oh yeah, I can handle that.

Gary's World-Famous Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 16-oz can Manwich BOLD sloppy joe sauce
1 jalepeno, minced

Brown beef. Add sauce. Add jalepeno. Stir. Heat. Eat.

Emeril's Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

I'll be the first to admit, I have never been a huge fan of Emeril Lagasse. His energy is amazing but sometimes, too much - I like it in small doses, you know? A few years ago, I happened to watch one of his episodes where he was putting these wraps together. I don't remember why I was intrigued, or why I chose to write down the name of the recipe, or why I later went back and googled it. Whatever the reasons, I'm glad I did!!

This recipe is, well, FUN! It's relatively easy to make, always delicious, and a very pretty layout on the table - cool lettuce wraps, hot marinated pork, a spicy and sweet sauce.

I think the least fun part of this recipe is finding a way to successfully come up with 6-8 pretty lettuce cups. I always buy the biggest head of lettuce I can find, spend 15 minutes slowly peeling away layers, and I STILL don't know the secret. That's something I need to google, as I'm sure there's an easier way. When I re-heated leftovers on day 2, I actually just used chopped lettuce, like for a salad. Of course it tastes the same, but it isn't nearly as fun :)

PS - I served this with homemade asian slaw.

Emeril's Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

medium pork tenderloin, trimmed (1-1.5 lb)
1/2 C soy sauce
1 TBS sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 C chopped green onions
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS fresh minced ginger
2 TBS hot chili sauce
2 TBS honey
vegetable oil
seasame seeds
2 C cooked jasmine rice
1 large head letteuce, leaves separated, washed and patted dry

After trimming the fat off the pork, wrap tightly in several sheets of plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 40 mins. You want it to be the shape of a slender log.

In a large casserole dish, add soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, green onion, garlic and ginger. Whisk together. Take the pork out of the freezer and cut into half-inch medallions. Place the pork in the marinade, cover and put in fridge for 1 hour-overnight.

In a small mixing bowl, combine hot sauce and honey. [note - this is the sauce noted in the original recipe. You can have fun with this part - I sometimes add hoison, horseradish, orange marmalade, etc.]

When the pork has marinated, remove from fridge and let sit 15 minutes. Heat several TBS of oil in a large skillet and carefully add pork medallions - be careful!!! It will splatter some oil - ensure your oil isn't too hot. Cook the pork for several minutes on each side, until cooked.



Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

To serve, lay out the lettuce wraps, rice, pork and sauce. Take a lettuce cup, put rice inside, and a pork medallion, and drizzle some sauce. Wrap up and eat!

Dijon Mustard Chicken Fricassee

Before I get started, its worth nothing that Brett gave this a 5 - he NEVER gives out fives! I was so excited when he gave his "official rating." We're nerds, huh?

Today I found myself getting a little bit too excited to come home and cook dinner - but I honestly think I'm over the month-long break where I was just too busy/concerned with other things. You always go back to the things that mean the most, right? Cooking has been a hobby of mine for nearly 4 years now...and though our upcoming wedding is at the forefront of my mind, cooking is not something that will so easily fall by the wayside.

I stumbled across this recipe in one of my Cooking Light magazines a few months back...on the page, it not only looked delicious, but featured one key ingredient that I have been wanting to use - Dijon mustard. I'm not a huge mustard fan but in the right dish, the flavor can be delicious. So today after work, I bought a bottle of good Chardonnay and put this dish together. The result? Incredible. I made it with mashed potatoes (WITH skin) and my hunch was correct - the gravy that goes over the chicken tastes just as good over the potatoes.

Have fun! Thanks for sticking around :)

Dijon Mustard Chicken Fricassee
1/4 C. Dijon mustard
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley (I used dried herbs)
1 TBS chopped fresh thyme
4-5 chicken breasts
salt, pepper olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C dry white wine
1 C chicken broth

1. Combine mustard, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. In a ziploc plastic bag, toss chicken in this marinade. Refrigerate overnight or for 24 hours.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and don't touch them (!) so they brown nicely. Cook 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken breasts from the pan and set aside.

3. Add chopped onion to pan (still over medium-high heat - add more oil if needed.) Cook several minutes, until tender and translucent. Add garlic. Cook one minute, then add chicken broth and wine. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

4. Bring remaining sauce to boil for 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken before serving.

And for a better picture/original recipe, see link

Next week's menu...

....Dijon-marinated chicken from Cooking Light.
Tuna and shells from Rachael Ray.
And turkey meat tacos from, well, me!

Pina Coladas!!!

The week of March 17, 2007, Brett and I embarked on our first big, alone trip. We took a lovely vaca to the Bahamas on the Royal Caribbean cruiseline. To this day, I call it "the best week of my life." Tango lessons, endless beaches, steak with scallops, aqua water, and all-you-can-drink Pina Coladas...that is just the beginning of it. The best part of it all, of course, is that Brett and I were there together. We left Miami on the last day, talking about the next time we would see the beach together....

....and I have this little inkling that it will be next summer!!! On, oh, maybe a honeymoon??!! Probably not the Bahamas but somewhere tropical, you bet.

In honor of the past and the future... here is a yet-to-be-tried Pina Colada recipe. But, it's very fitting that I went searching for this recipe today. This Saturday is Brett's big graduation party, and you better believe I am whipping some of these up and garnishing with sweet pineapple!


Celebratory Pina Colada's!!!

1 C coconut milk or cream of coconut
1 C pineapple juice
1/2 C rum
4 TBS white sugar
2 C ice

Blend all in a blender. Pour into glass. Garnish as desired.

...A Post this Week, I PROMISE!!!

I am determined to not let my new-found wedding planning interrupt my other passions...now that things have cooled off a *tiny* bit (who am I kidding?) I promise to post a blog entry this week. Hang in there with me!!!

Thai Curry Soup

I have to admit...I have been SO bad about cooking new, original, healthy, delicious meals lately! I don't know what has gotten into me. A sampling of last week's dinners included Subway and macaroni...pitiful!

I promise this is just a temporary phase. Brett moves home FOUR weeks from today (!!) and I can't wait for "meal-planning" evenings. That basically consists of throwing on some PJs, grabbing a beer, and flipping through my magazines and recipe books to choose dinners for the next two weeks. That's my kinda night!

This is something I made a few weeks back. I was trying to clear out my pantry and I did an ingredient search on a couple random things I had, including coconut milk and rice noodles. This recipe was really, really good. I left out the shrimp and instead, used chicken (but only because I had chicken in the freezer!) If you do use chicken, ensure that its fully cooked before you add to the soup. I also left out the spinach because I haven't had the best of luck using spinach in soups...it tends to get wilt-y. Yuck!

World Market sells red curry paste, by the way. Also, I love spicy food, and I simply could not get this soup to be spicy enough. I increased the curry paste, I added red pepper flakes...and finally, I resorted to my most fool-proof SPICE enhancer...cayenne pepper. I didn't want to alter the flavor of the soup (cayenne pepper has sort of a smoky flavor) so I added as much as possible without overdoing it.

Thai Curry Soup

• 2 ounces rice noodles (pad thai noodles)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced lemon grass (I omitted b/c I couldn't find any)
  
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used fresh)
  
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste (I used 3-4 TBS)
  
• 1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, lemon grass, and ginger; cook and stir until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste, and cook 30 seconds more. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, and stir until the curry paste has dissolved, then pour in the remaining chicken stock along with the soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stir in coconut milk, shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, lime juice, and cilantro. Increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. To serve, place some rice noodles into each serving bowl and ladle soup on top of them. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of sliced green onion.

Shrimp Limone

Zio's Italian Restaurant in Olathe, KS...one of my all-time favorite Italian restaurants (and even one of my first employers, from my high school days!) I always order one of two things: Spaghetti with meat sauce and alfredo (trust me, it's a-MA-zing) or a super delicious dish called "Shrimp Limone."

I am proud to say that I have artfully mastered - yes, nearly mastered! - this dish to the point of tasting nearly identical to the restaurant. My first attempt was in college and while it was good, I didn't quite understand the principle of creating good cream sauces. Practice makes perfect, right?

I guesstimated the proportions listed below, and every time it's even better and closer to the real thing. Why am I posting this today, you might wonder? Well, tomorrow night, Brett is taking me on a date at Zios - and even better, it was HIS idea! Since I just made Shrimp Limone last week, I might have to go with the spaghetti tomorrow night...we will see!

Shrimp Limone

2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
1 pint half & half (2% milk will work, too)
salt, pepper, oregano
2 TBS lemon juice

1-2 TBS olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
2 roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
angel hair pasta

1. In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, and whisk for 1 minute. Add half & half, and raise heat until sauce is boiling. Reduce to a simmer, and continue to whisk to remove lumps. Add salt, pepper, oregano and lemon juice. Adjust/add seasonings to taste.

2. In large skillet, sautee garlic in olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add artichoke hearts, tomatoes, shrimp, and cream sauce to pan. Cook all until heated through.

3. Boil angel hair pasta as directed. Serve shrimp mixture over angel hair.

Mom's Poppy Seed Bread

A short story...
On this shelf of mine, I have a very special cookbook, given to me by Mom a few years back.




I go through it ALL the time and am dreading the day when I have to decide what to do - oh my! - when it fills up.



Mom spent a lot of time on this, you can tell...and probably far too long in the Hobby Lobby sticker aisle.




Every now and then, I get the urge to bake a treat for myself. Since it's only me for the time being, a loaf of bread or batch of cookies generally lasts me all week. While flipping through Mom's cookbook, I decided to give her poppy seed bread a try. I remember her making it for co-workers when I was a kid, and wrapping it in cellophane, then giving away as gifts. Mom, I might steal your idea and give it away myself this Christmas!

It's simply awesome. So moist, very fluffy yet dense at the same time, sweet enough without being too sweet, and it goes perfect with a glass of milk before bedtime. What's even better is that there's no "mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, blah blah blah" - you get ONE bowl and add FIVE things (okay, six, but water doesn't count.) Then stir, and bake. Ta da!



Mom's Poppy Seed Bread

1 pkg yellow cake mix (2 layer)
1 pkg instant coconut pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 C oil
1 C hot water
1/4 C poppy seeds

Using mixer, mix all ingredients for 4 minutes. Bake in 2 loaf pans for 35 minutes at 350.
(PS - it freezes wonderfully!)

BBQ Beef and Cornbread Casserole

Yes, it sounds really weird, I know. It sounds so weird, I almost didn't make it. But then I thought to myself, "how hypocritical - I call myself 'adventurous' and 'willing to try new things' yet I am so quick to steer clear of a recipe that SOUNDS odd?" So, possibly for no reason other than to fulfill my own claims, I wrote down a grocery list and gave this one a try.

This recipe was good but didn't quite hit it outta the ballpark. I don't want to scare you away - "it sounds weird AND she says its just okay..." - because it IS good and I WILL make it again, definitely. The cornbread bakes on top of the ground beef mixture and stays surprisingly crunchy (i.e. not soggy at all) and the beef mixture has an awesome flavor. In some ways, this recipe is exactly like chili but baked in a casserole pan and made with BBQ sauce rather than chili powder.

Without further ado!

BBQ Beef and Cornbread Casserole

2 lb ground beef (I use 93/7 so no need to drain fat)
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
10 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1C your favorite BBQ sauce
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 pkgs corn bread mix (to prepare, may need eggs/milk depending on brand)

1. Brown meat (drain grease if needed.) Add onion and green pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add corn, BBQ sauce and tomatoes.

2. Prepare corn bread batter as directed.

3. In 9x13 casserole dish, pour beef mixture on bottom and spoon cornbread batter on top, smoothing out to cover beef mixture.

4. Bake in 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cornbread comes out clean.