It's Party Time!

This weekend I threw a surprise party for my parent's 25th wedding anniversary. It was the first time that I have had to prepare food for such a big group and the task seemed a bit daunting at first. To start I had no idea what appetizers to serve nor had I ever really made many appetizers. In the end I settled on one dip, a fruit salad and a pasta salad. All were easy to prepare and only one required the oven, which worked out perfectly. The most difficult part was the sheer amount of prep work. Fortunately I had a handful of kind and helpful family members offer to help. My advice is to set up several stations, then no one is in each others way. We had a fruit and vegetable washing, cutting and assembly stations. I also had a separate area to work on the dip.  All I have to say is that I'm lucky my parents have a decently large kitchen. In total it took 3-4 of us about an hour and a half to prepare all three dished for 20-30 people. In the end it was a big success and everyone seemed to enjoy the food, especially the buffalo chicken dip. The recipes are as follow:

Garden-Fresh Pasta Salad

Ingredients
    1 pkg. (16 oz.) whole wheat farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
    2 cups  broccoli florets
    1 each red onion and red pepper, chopped
    2 cups  halved cherry tomatoes
    1 bottle (8 oz.) KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
    1/2 cup  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

    COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min.

    DRAIN. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Place in large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; mix lightly.

    REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Stir gently before serving; top with cheese

Fruit Salad

Ingredients

    * 7 ounces Greek yogurt (recommended: Fage Total)
    * 1/3 cup good bottled lemon curd
    * 1 tablespoon honey
    * 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    * 2 cups sliced strawberries (1 pint)
    * 1 cup raspberries (1/2 pint)
    * 1 cup blueberries (1/2 pint)
    * 2 tablespoons sugar
    * 3 tablespoons limoncello liqueur
    * 1 banana, sliced
    * Fresh mint springs

Directions

For the lemon yogurt topping, whisk together the yogurt, lemon curd, honey, and vanilla and set aside at room temperature.

For the fruit salad, carefully toss together the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sugar, and limoncello. Allow them to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to let the berries macerate with the sugar and liqueur. Gently fold the banana into the mixture.

Serve bowls of fruit with a dollop of lemon yogurt on top. Top each with a sprig of fresh mint.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

Ingredients

    * 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
    * 2 cups cooked chicken (store-bought rotisserie or canned), shredded
    * 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce, recommended brand Frank's red Hot
    * 2 tablespoons butter, melted
    * 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing 

    * 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Cover the bottom of an 8x8" dish or pie plate with cream cheese.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, wing sauce and butter, and pour over the cream cheese-filled dish or pie plate.

Top with just enough blue cheese dressing and mozzarella cheese to cover (adding too much cheese will cause a thick skin to form that will make eating the dip difficult once the cheese cools).

Heat the dip in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with Scoops (Tortillas or Fritos) alongside for dipping.

 

Lenten Seafood recipes: Oven Roasted Cod with Herbs

In the spirit of Lent I'd love for everyone to share their favorite seafood recipes with me! I'm starting out the Lenten season with another simple and delicious recipe for fish. I particularly liked the breading used in this recipe. The flavors really complement the cod nicely. However, if you don't have any cod I think that most white fish would work well.

Oven Roasted Cod with Herbs

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
* 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 2 large cloves garlic
* 1 lemon, zested
* Coarse salt
* 4 (6 to 8-ounce) cod fillets
* Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Pile parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and a little coarse salt on the cutting board. Finely chop the lemon-garlic mixture, then combine with plain bread crumbs.

Dip each fillet in olive oil and then dredge in the bread crumb herb mixture. Brush a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of a baking pan then place fillet in the pan, crust side up. Roast fillets in oven until firm to the touch, about 12 to 15 minutes.

For the Love of Lasagna

I had a craving for lasagna this week, so I whipped some up. This is another one of my mom’s recipes and, as it happens, it’s one of the first things I learned to cook (probably because it's always been one of my favorite things to eat).  The nice thing about lasagna is that you can do all the prep work before hand and then just throw it into the oven 20 minutes or so before you’re ready to eat. It also makes for great leftovers.What more can I say? I love lasagna.

Lasagna

Ingredients 
*3 Tbsp. olive oil
*½ c. chopped onion
*½ c. chopped carrot
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1 lb. lean ground beef
*3 c. canned Italian plum tomatoes
*3 Tbsp. butter, melted
*1 Tbsp. basil, crumbled
*1 tsp. oregano, crumbled
*1 tsp. salt
*½ tsp. ground pepper
* ½ lb. lasagna noodles, cooked
* ½ lb. mozzarella cheese, grated
* 2 c. ricotta cheese
* ¼ lb. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat the oil in skillet. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic, and cook, stirring until they are lightly browned. Push to the side of the pan and add the beef. Break it up into bits, cooking until it loses its pink color. Purée the tomatoes in a blender or food processor, add to the meat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add spices and butter simmer 30 minutes partially covered. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Assemble the lasagna by drizzling some sauce over the bottom of a shallow rectangular baking dish. Put in a layer of noodles, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and spread on a layer of ricotta. Make another layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella, and ricotta. Finish with noodles and sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly over the top and bake 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. (serves six)

Tomato Sauce challenge – Part #2

I believe I have found two winners. Listed below are a traditional marinara sauce and a tomato basil cream sauce. The tomato basil cream sauce is my personal favorite, but both are delicious. I found that in the end the key is buying quality San Marzano tomatoes and using fresh herbs. I promise you’ll be able to tell the difference, I certainly can.

Makes all the difference!!

 

I would recommend making double batches of these sauces and freezing half. I’ve started the habit of making a big batch of tomato sauce at the begging of the week and incorporating it in to other Italian dishes. And if you’re busy that always leaves the option for a simple pasta dish in the amount of time it takes to cook some spaghetti. 

 

Spicy Tomato Sauce     

                     

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (24 oz San Marzano canned diced tomatoes)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, and black pepper and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaf, and chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add the basil and oregano the last 5 minutes of simmering.

Remove from the heat, remove and discard the bay leaf, and pulse the mixture in a food processor or blender (can use emersion blender) until pureed but still slightly chunky. Serve immediately or store, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onions

·         2 teaspoons minced garlic

·         3 cups peeled, chopped, and seeded tomatoes (24 oz San Marzano canned diced tomatoes)

·         1 sprig thyme

·         Kosher Salt

·         Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

·         1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth

·         2 tablespoons tomato paste

·         1 cup heavy cream

·         2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

·         Sprigs of fresh basil, for garnishing

·         Lightly toasted pine nuts, for garnishing, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and thyme. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, and cook until the tomatoes give up their liquid, about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the chicken broth and tomato paste, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by 1/3 in volume (about 15 minutes). 

Add the cream and cook until reduced by 1/3 in volume (about 15 minutes), or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the butter and basil and stir to combine. Remove the thyme sprigs. With an immersion blender, puree the sauce. (Alternatively, the sauce may be pureed, in batches, in a blender - be careful if the sauce is hot as it may splatter.) Taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency if necessary.

It’s Grill Time!! – Chicken Tikka

This is another classic Indian dish passed down by my father. This one is super easy and packed with flavor. It’s perfect for the grill and a frequent member of our summertime cookouts.  As it happens, Greg is extremely excited  about his new grill and plans on cooking this dish frequently over the next few months. Another positive, for those who are a bit timid when it comes to spice, is that this dish, though flavorful, is pretty mild. It’s also easy to broil in an oven during the cold winter months.

Chicken Tikka

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 Cup yogurt
• 6 cloves of garlic
• ½ inch ginger
• Juice of 2 small limes
• 2 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup corn or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala

 Directions

Cube the chicken breast and set aside. Peel and  grate the garlic and ginger using a fine grater.  Blend the yogurt,  garlic,  ginger, lime juice, salt, sugar, oil and spices on  low in a food blender for about 10 seconds or less. Mix the cubed chicken breast with the tikka mix and let stand, covered in refrigerator for about 1 or 2 hours. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water prior to grilling. Skewer and cook at high heat on grill or broiler about 10 minutes.

Más Carne Por Favor - Carne Asada

In general I cook very little red meat of any kind. I tend to stick to white fish, shrimp or chicken. But, I’m thinking that’s a bit boring and I need to push my culinary boundaries. So here’s a dish that involves some round steak. This particular recipe is one that my mother picked up in Texas and was one of my favorites growing up.

Carne Asada

Ingredients

* Round steak (I usually use between 1.25 to 1.5 lbs.) cut into I inch strips
* 2 or 3 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
*1 onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic minced
* 1 tsp. cumin
* 2- 14.5 oz. cans Mexican style diced tomatoes
* (14 oz.) can tomato sauce

 Directions

Sauté onion and steak until browned. Add garlic, cumin, jalapenos, tomatoes and sauce. Cover and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours until meat is tender. Serve with hot rice.

Desert in a Flash – Lemon bars

I realize that using boxed cake mixes barely counts as baking, but this desert really is delicious. It’s one of Greg, Dad’s and my favorites. But then again how can anything that involves lemon, cake and cream cheese not be amazing?

Lemon Bars

Ingredients

·         1 Lemon cake mix

·         1 8oz. pkg. Cream cheese softened

·         2 eggs

·         1/3 c. oil

·         1/3 c. sugar

·         1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

Thoroughly mix cake mix, oil, and one egg until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup. Press remaining mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Spread over crust. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup cake crumbs over top. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Creamy Lemon-Pepper Shrimp Fettuccine

So I’m a bit predictable. This dish involves yet more lemon and more pasta. But if you’re looking for a wonderful creamy Alfredo sauce, this is where it’s at. This dish is just full of yummy cheesy goodness.

Lemon-Pepper Shrimp Fettuccine

Ingredients

• 1 pound (34 to 50 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12 ounces fettuccine
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 to 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for garnish (Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 2-3 tsp Freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup dry white wine

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook as the label directs.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for an additional three minutes or until shrimp turn slightly pink. Whisk the cream, cheese, egg yolk and lemon zest, 1 tsp salt, and 2-3 tsp pepper in a bowl. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream mixture to the skillet. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Next add about 1/3 cup wine to loosen the sauce. Finally add the pasta to the skillet and toss. Cover and heat on low until ready to serve. Divide among bowls and garnish with more pecorino. Serve with garlic bread, if desired.

Gnocchi!!!

Yes. I did it. I made fresh gnocchi and while it might not have been the prettiest (I plan to improve upon that next time), it certainly was tasty. This recipe was passed on to me by a co-worker and I was quite pleased with it (and Greg was probably pleased that I made an Italian meal that didn’t involve tomatoes). This meal was a bit time consuming, but mostly only due to the gnocchi preparation. My recommendation would be to have the gnocchi frozen a ready to go the night before you plan to cook this dish. If you make a full batch the gnocchi will last you 3-4 meals for two people. I was also partially inspired to make gnocchi after watching Fabio (my favorite) make it several time on Top Chef (Love that show!).

Gnocchi with Prosciutto, Spring Peas, and Chanterelles

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh peas (frozen can be substituted in a pinch)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced into 1/2-inch wide slices
• 2 cups chanterelle mushrooms, brushed or lightly rinsed and pulled apart
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 recipe Chef Anne's Light as a Cloud Gnocchi (I recommend to make a full recipe and freeze half for another use), recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano
• 1/2 bunch chopped chives

Directions

Bring 2 pots, 1 large and 1 medium, with well-salted water to a boil over medium heat. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Blanch the fresh peas in the medium pot of boiling water until they are cooked but still crunchy and then immediately plunge them into the salted ice water. Remove them from the ice water and reserve.
Coat a large saute pan over medium heat with olive oil. Add the smashed garlic cloves and crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium high heat. When the garlic has become golden brown and is very aromatic, remove it and discard. Add the prosciutto and saute until it starts to get crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, and TASTE to see if they are delicious (they should be!).
Add the peas and chicken stock. Season with salt, TASTE IT (it should be more delicious). Simmer until the stock has reduced by about half.
While the stock is reducing, add the gnocchi to the large pot of salted boiling water. Cook the gnocchi until they float and get very puffy. The gnocchi should be really puffy.
While the gnocchi is in the boiling water, add the butter to the pan with the mushroom mixture. Cook over low heat and swirl to incorporate. TASTE and adjust seasoning if needed.
When the gnocchi are cooked, carefully remove them from the cooking water and add them to the pan with the mushrooms. Toss or stir to combine. Cook the gnocchi with mushroom mixture until it clings to the gnocchi. Add the grated Parmigiano and the chopped chives. Transfer to serving bowls and serve immediately.
Call yourself a superstar!
Chef Anne's Light as a Cloud Gnocchi:

• 5 large Idaho potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano
• 2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour (need into potatoes slowly until slightly moist)
• 1 tablespoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 or 400 degrees F.
Bake the potatoes until they are fork tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check them!
While the potatoes are still hot peel and pass them through a food mill or ricer. (I find that the food mill works just as well as a ricer and is much easier to handle) onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. When doing this pay careful attention to keep the potatoes as light and fluffy as possible. This will aid in keeping the gnocchi light. Refrigerate the potatoes on the sheet tray until cold. This is also a very important step. If the potatoes are warm while adding flour they will require more flour which will result in a much heavier finished product.
When the potatoes are absolutely cold, transfer to a clean work surface. Beat together the eggs and cheese and pour onto the potatoes. Season with salt. Cover generously with flour. It should look like snow on the mountains.
Crumble the potato flour mixture between your fingers. Begin to knead the dough until it is a dry homogeneous mixture. The dough should feel slightly moist, but not tacky. If too tacky, repeat the snow on the mountains stage.
Form the dough into a large log. Cut slices off the log and begin to roll into long ropes that are about 1-inch in thickness. Cut the ropes into 1/2-inch lengths. Cover generously with flour. Place the gnocchi in a single layer on a sheet tray dusted with flour. DO NOT PILE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER!!
Use or freeze the gnocchi immediately. If freezing, place tray directly into the freezer. Once frozen, the gnocchi can be stored in plastic bags, in the freezer, indefinitely. When cooking gnocchi they can go directly from the freezer into salted boiling water.
Note: It is a general practice to take gnocchi out of the water when they float. This is a big mistake. Gnocchi need to be cooked in boiling water until they float and get nice and puffy. Not cooking gnocchi long enough will also result in heavy gnocchi.
P.S. These are Chef Anne "Secrets" to great gnocchi, use them and you will be successful every time.

Down Home Cookin’ - Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

This was definitely the first time I’ve cooked grits. In fact, it might be the first time I’ve eaten grits. To those of you who grew up in the south this probably comes as a shock. But what can I say, my Mom’s from up North and as for my Dad, well there aren’t many grits involved in Indian cooking. However, when I found this recipe I couldn’t pass it up. It basically involves all of my favorite ingredients. They had me at “Lemon-garlic.” So in the end I tried my first grits and I must say that I was not disappointed. The slightly spicy sauce was delightful and tasted fantastic with the grits.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup instant grits
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼-½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges for serving
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered. Uncover and slowly whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic and cayenne, if using, and cook, tossing, until the shrimp are pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons water, the lemon juice and parsley; stir to coat the shrimp with the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the grits among shallow bowls and top with the shrimp and sauce. Serve with lemon wedges.

A New Take on Chicken - Walnut & Herb Encrusted Chicken

This isn’t your everyday plain grilled chicken . . . it’s so much more. And for those of you (like me) who didn’t really know any other way to prepare chicken, this will come as welcome change to your palette. I felt that coating the chicken breast in walnut provides a nice crispy exterior, while avoiding the health hazards of fried foods (even though they are really tasty).

Walnut & Herb Crusted Chicken

 

Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

·         3/4 cup walnuts

·         Nonstick cooking spray

·         ½ cup plain (or panko) breadcrumbs

·         1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

·         3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

·         2 tablespoons flour

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         ¼ tsp pepper

·         1 egg

·         1 1/2 lbs chicken, thinly sliced

·         1/4 cup(s) fresh parsley leaves, loosely packed

·         1 large egg white

·         1 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard

Directions

1. In food processor with knife blade attached, blend until the walnuts are finely chopped
2. Combine walnuts, bread crumbs, basil, rosemary, flour, salt, pepper, parsley and walnuts.
3. In second shallow dish, lightly beat egg and Dijon until well mixed.
4. One at a time, dip 1 side of each cutlet in egg-white mixture, then into walnut mixture to coat side evenly; press firmly so mixture adheres. Arrange chicken on rack in jelly-roll pan, coated side up; lightly spray with cooking spray.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350° until crust is browned and the chicken is cooked through.

Easy Italian – Chicken Parmesan

This is another favorite of mine when I’m in a pinch. It’s quick, easy and delicious. It’s also an excellent way to use up that extra marinara sauce (which in my case is always available). In fact, in my kitchen most of the ingredients for this dish are present at any given moment. For those of you who hadn’t noticed – I’m kind of a fan of Italian food.

Loooooooooooooooooooove it.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water and seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or pure olive oil
• 24 oz Tomato Sauce
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Fresh basil or parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put each chicken breast between to pieces of plastic wrap and pound them out to a uniform thickness, no more than about 1/3-inch.
Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Place the breadcrumbs in a large plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Dip the chicken breasts into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the seasoned breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Divide the oil between 2 large saute pans and heat over high heat until almost smoking. Add 2 chicken breasts to each pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Layer a baking dish with tomato sauce. Transfer  the chicken to the baking dish and top each breast with the shredded mozzarella and a tablespoon of Parmesan. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 25-30  minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil or parsley leaves.

Serve over a bed of pasta.

Savory Sopa de Lima

This is a traditional dish from the Yucatan Peninsula. Variations of it are also more widely referred to as Chicken tortilla soup. Whatever the name, it’s very tasty and one of my Dad’s personal favorites. I hope to test out other soups of this variety in posts to come. This particular recipe was taken from my new William Sonoma cook book that I received from my sister for Christmas (Thanks Shaheen!!).

This soup is swimming with wonderful southwestern and Mexican flavors. One of my favorite characteristics of this soup is that you can distinctly taste all of its individual elements.  My only complaint was that the chicken seemed a bit bland by comparison to the other vibrant flavors. Next time I plan to actually season the chicken while it’s cooking or perhaps let it soak in the broth a bit longer before serving. 

Sopa de Lima

Ingredients

• 4 quarts chicken stock
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 3 corn tortillas, cut into strips 2 inches long
• 1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs. minced garlic
• 2 to 3 tsp. finely minced jalapeño chili, with or
    without seeds, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
    (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup corn (optional)
• 6 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 12 paper-thin lime slices, cut into quarters

Directions:

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 3 1/2 quarts of the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat so the broth boils gently and boil until reduced by half to about 7 cups, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a deep-fry pan, pour in vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches, drop in the tortilla strips and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried tortilla strips to paper towels to drain.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the chicken breasts with the remaining 2 cups stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the chicken is opaque throughout when cut with a knife, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Discard the broth or reserve for another use. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño chili and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to soften. Add the reduced broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the cooked chicken, tomatoes,  corn, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper, and simmer until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Sprinkle the lime pieces and tortilla strips evenly over the top. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

My kind of comfort food - Mushroom Round steak

Let me just start out by saying that you do not need to love mushrooms to love this recipe (of course if you do it makes it all the better). Growing up this was my absolute favorite thing my mom made (one of my Dad’s favorites too) and I wouldn’t even eat mushrooms. In any case, this remains one of my ultimate comfort foods and my mouth waters just at the thought of it. This is a great dish when serving a big crowd.

Mushroom Round Steak

My Rating: 5/5 *****
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 90 min

Ingredients
1lb. round steak cut into thin strips
1/2 c. chopped onion
5 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
1 small can mushrooms (pieces and stems)
2 cloves garlic (whole)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions
Brown steak in large skillet along with peppers, onions and garlic. Add rest
of ingredients, cover and cook on  medium heat (at a simmer) until meat is
tender about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Serve with hot cooked rice or on a bed of pasta if you prefer.

WARNING: This will probably ruin your diet - Chicken Georgia

Yes, this chicken may ruin your diet, but I assure you it’s totally worth it. In fact I accidentally cooked this for someone who was (yes past tense) on a diet. Of course at the time didn’t know and was about to say “this should be pretty healthy” when I realized it was a Paula Dean recipe involving a stick of butter. . . oh yeah and cheese. Whoops. But as Paula Dean says “"I'm your chef not your doctor.”

“Needs more butter y’all!!"

So the recipe is as follows. It is fairly quick and very delicious. This was in fact the first time I had ever cooked with fresh mushrooms. I like many others before me have often been scared of raw vegetables and have gone for the canned stuff, but truthfully it was very easy and inexpensive. I would recommend that everyone give it a try. The final verdict is that I will definitely be making this again.

Make the right choice ;)

 

 

Chicken Georgia

 

TiMy Rating: 5/5 *****
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 35 min

Prep

5 min

Inactive Prep

--

Cook

35 min

Total:

40 min

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

Melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes on each side, or until tender. Transfer chicken to platter and sprinkle with grated cheese. Top with mushroom mixture. Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Indian Cooking Series Part 2 - Chicken Vindaloo

Oh yes. Chicken Vindaloo is one of my (and Greg's) favorites, so I was a little nervous attempting to cook it for the first time. But I must say that it turned out to be a very successful experiment. This dish is definitely on the spicier side and is packed with a ton of flavor. The great thing about this dish is that it's an all in one meal, due to the fact that the potatoes are cooked right into the dish. I see this as a big bonus as I can avoid preparing vegetables separately. This is one of the dishes that Greg and I have eaten at  restaurants multiple times and I'm happy to report that this recipe definitely lived up to my expectations. 

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients
    * 5 TBS Vindaloo Seasoning - http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysvindaloo.html (the seasoning can be bought at your local Indian grocery store or you can make your own)
   * 1-2 tsp salt
    * 5 TBS water
    * 5 TBS vinegar
    * 2 medium size onions
    * 3 green chillies seeded and chopped
    * 6-8 cloves garlic
    * 1 bay leaf
    * 4 medium sized potatoes, cut in 6 pieces each
    * 15 ounce can tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes)
    * 2 lb chicken cut into small pieces
    * 5-6 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
    * 1 cup water
    * 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions
    * Blend Vindaloo Seasoning, salt, water (5 TBS) and vinegar – this is your vindaloo paste
    * Slice Onions, Peel and chop garlic
    * Preheat Oil in large skillet
    * Brown the onions, then add the garlic,  bay leaf and vindaloo paste
    * Then add the chicken
    * Once chicken is brazed throw in the tomatoes, potatoes and green chilies then stir for a few minutes
    * Add ½ cup of water and cover
    * Cook on medium for about 30 minutes or until your potatoes are cooked.
    * Stir in the chopped cilantro
    * Serve with hot basmati rice and naan.

Easy Bake Ziti and Italian Garlic Bread

This is another time and budget friendly recipe. In this recipe you certainly have the option to make your own sauce (in this particular case I used the leftovers from my previous blog post - it was delicious), but it will still turn out well with store bought sauce, which is also a major time saver. If you are a fan of cheese, tomato sauce and noddles, which I am, then this recipe will be sure to please. It's also great for a big crowd (a double batch will feed up to 10). I love serving this dish with a scrumptious side of garlic bread (recipe listed below).

Easy Baked Ziti

My Rating: 5/5 *****

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30-45 mintues
Level: Easy

Ingredients
- Cooking spray

- 3/4 lbs ziti or other short pasta

- 1 (15-ounce) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoons garlic powder

- 1 teaspoons dried basil

- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

- Coarsely ground black pepper

- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

 - 1 cups shredded mozzarella or Provolone cheese

 - 28-32 oz tomato sauce

Directions

1.       To prepare sauce, heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add salt, sugar and pepper.
2.       Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
3.       Cook ziti about 3 minutes less than the package directions indicate. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of cooking water.
4.       Place pasta, ricotta, salt, garlic powder, basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and half the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix diluting with a few spoons of pasta cooking water until creamy. Add tomato sauce and mix. Place in baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella and remaining Parmigiano Reggiano. Cover with foil and bake 30 to 45 minutes until thoroughly heated. Remove foil during last 10 minutes of cooking time to brown. Serves 5.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients

 -          1 loaf Italian Bread

-          4 TBLS Butter

-          2 cloves garlic

-          Salt

-          Pepper

-          Italian Seasoning ( I use Private Select Spicy Italian Herb Blend from Kroger – includes rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper)

Directions

Turn the oven broiler to high. Cut the loaf of bread in half and lay both sides open faced on a cookie sheet. Next make your garlic butter. Dice the garlic cloves in a food processor. Then add the softened butter and run the processor until they are evenly combined (add salt and pepper to taste). Spread the butter over the bread and sprinkle the top with a generous amount of seasoning. Broil 3-5 minutes or until the bread is browned around the edges.

Tomato Sauce Challenge

It’s time to issue my next challenge – Tomato sauce. I just can’t accept that a homemade sauce isn’t able to live up to a jar or restaurant sauce. As marinara sauce makes up a large portion of my diet, I have made it my mission to find the perfect recipe for homemade tomato sauce. Once again, if anyone recipes of their own to share I would be extremely grateful. After a few attempts at sauce in the past that were good, but not great, I have a sneaking suspicion that the problem leads back to the quality of tomatoes that I have been using. So if you have any suggestions there, that would also be helpful (I have been told that San Marzano tomatoes are the best, but cannot get them at the regular grocery store).  So here is my latest experiment in the quest to find a great sauce.  

Tomatoes: The source of everything delicious.

The final verdict is that the sauce is tasty, but still lacks in some sweetness. To remedy this next time I would try a different barnd of tomato or use fresh (I used Hunt’s on this occasion). I would probably also add even more carrot and sugar to cut the bitterness. I would probably add even more carrot and sugar to cut the bitterness and possibly a small (8 oz) jar of tomato paste to improve the consistency – if you like your sauce smooth. I did like the flavor that the bay leaf adds and recommend the red pepper flakes if like a little bit of a kick.

 

Tomato Sauce #1

Ingredients

- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- ¼ cup carrot, peeled and finely chopped (increase to 1/2 cup)

- 1 teaspoon sea salt

- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional for a spicier sauce)

- 1/2 tsp sugar (increase to 1 tsp)

- 1 tsp oregano

- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, washed (or 1 tsp dried basil)

- 1 dried bay leaf

- 1 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (try San Marzano)

- 1 8 oz can tomato paste

- 3/4 cup water (or as needed)

Directions

Place the tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and saute until about another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and all remaining spices. Simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 30-45 minutes. Add water as needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf.  I would also recommend using an immersion blender as a last step to create a smoother finish.

Fast and Easy Monday Night Meal - Lemon Pepper Baked Tilapia

You can never have too many lemons.

This dish is EXTREMELY fast and easy and great to serve in a pinch. I keep frozen tilapia on hand. I can easily pull the whole dish together in under 30 minutes. It has become one of my standard lazy Monday night meals. But despite the simplicity of the recipe, I must say that the dish turns out absolutely delicious. (No surprise that the main ingredients in this once again involve lemon)

Baked Lemon Pepper Tilapia

 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Level: Easy

Ingredients 

-          4 Tilapia Filets

-          ½ cup olive oil

-          1 ½ TBLS lemon pepper seasoning

-          2 lemons

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning to create the marinade. Thinly slice one lemon. You’ll need 2 lemon slices per tilapia filet. Cut the remaining lemon in to wedges. Coat the tilapia in marinade and place in a glass casserole dish. Pour the remaining marinade evenly over the fillets. Place two slice of lemon on each fillet and squeeze the juice of approx two lemon wedges over the dish. Place the casserole dish and cook for 15 minutes. The fish should be white throughout when fully cooked. I like to serve this dish with dinner rolls and steamed broccoli.