jay's chili

I promised Jay I would post this recipe for him.  I am not a chili fan, and not sure I ever will be, so I cannot tell you for sure if this is actually good or not. But according to my husband, this chili kicks some chili butt, so you will have to take his word for it.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (Jay used leftover turkey from Thanksgiving)
1 (14 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (30 oz.) can kidney beans
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 large red onion, diced
1 cubano pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and cut in half (use more for added heat)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 (8 oz) package shredded cheddar cheese (to top with at end)

Brown turkey in saucepan on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes (skip this step if using leftover cooked turkey.)  Combine all ingredients (except cheese) in slow-cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.  Top with cheese and serve.

I neglected to take a photo of the finished product, but this looks much prettier anyway.  Jay said it turned out great and we were able to freeze a lot for leftovers, which means I can slack off on a few dinners coming up.  Enjoy!

shrimp stir-fry

I love stir-fry because it's so versatile.  Don't like shrimp?  Make it with chicken or beef.  Only have red peppers?  Use them instead of green.  Personally, I had a huge yellow onion left over from Thanksgiving so I ended up using that instead of green onions that are supposed to go in this recipe.  We've made stir-fry a lot, and usually just throw in some teriyaki to give it a "sauce", but that always ends up too watery.  This recipe calls for teriyaki, soy sauce, chicken broth and cornstarch to make the sauce and it turned out just right.  I recommend using low-sodium teriyaki and soy... otherwise it would be too salty.

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/4 tsp. ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/s tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. crushed red pepper
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 green or red bell pepper, sliced
4 green onions, sliced (or one large yellow onion)
4 tbsp. low-sodium teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 lb. snap peas
1/8 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt

Boil water, salted, and then add rice.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

In large bowl, combine shrimp, cayenne, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, and black pepper.  Set aside.

Heat sesame oil in wok.  Add bell peppers and onions and saute for 4 minutes.  Add teriyaki & soy sauces.  Add snap peas and saute until soft.   Add shrimp mixture and cook until they turn opaque.

Stir cornstarch into chicken broth and add to wok.  Cook until it comes to a boil, stirring frequently.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with crushed red pepper.

french onion soup

What do soy sauce and apple butter have in common?  Before I would have thought absolutely nothing, but both of them together make this french onion soup rock!  My mother-in-law is cringing as she reads this, because when I mentioned this concoction to her last week she cried in an e-mail "no, no no!" and pleaded for me not to attempt this strange combination. But like a little kid, that made me want to try it even more, and I am so glad I did!  The combo of soy sauce and apple butter give this soup a silkiness that I have not found yet in other recipes.  I've tried french onion soup in the slow cooker several times before and even, gasp, added onion soup mix to it in the past (the soup ended up tasting like powder and had a way-too-strong onion taste and smell.)  Give this recipe a try, Arlene, I promise you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef bones (found in the freezer section --- ask the butcher if you can't find them)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 large vidalia onions, about 4 lbs. Halved and cut into 1/4" slices
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
5 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 cup apple butter (found in the jelly aisle)
3/4 cup dry sherry (not cooking sherry --- the real stuff)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
Salt and pepper
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 1/2 cups Gruyere and/or Swiss cheese, shredded

Arrange beef bones on a paper towel-lined plate.  Microwave 8-10 minutes until well browned.  Meanwhile, set slow cooker to high, add butter, and cover.  When butter is melted, add onions, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, brown sugar and thyme.  In a small bowl, stir together flour, apple butter, sherry and soy sauce until smooth.  Pour over onions and toss to coat.  Tuck beef bones under onions and around the edges of the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 8 - 10 hours until onions are softened and deep golden brown.

This is what it looked like after 8 hours.  The liquid should be nice and thick.

In medium saucepan, heat broths until boiling.  Remove beef bones from slow cooker and discard.  Stir broth into slow cooker and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange bread on baking sheet and bake 5 - 8 minutes, until edges are golden brown.  Divide cheese evenly among the bread, and broil on high until bubbly, about 3 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with 2 bread/cheese croutons each.

I had a lot of extra swiss/gruyere cheese left so after I placed the bread on top I then covered it again with cheese and stuck it under the broiler once more for about 2 minutes until the cheese started to brown.

So in the end, soy sauce and apple butter truly do go together!  We couldn't taste either of them, but again, their main purpose was to create a silky-smooth texture.  This one is definitely a keeper!

tomato mac and cheese

I love cheese.  All kinds of cheeses.  Fresh mozzarella, brie, feta, gruyère, whatever I can get my hands on.  This recipe brings it back to the simple mac and cheese days where a good slice of cheddar (or shred in this case) is all you need.

Ingredients:
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 (28 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes (Hunts is preferred)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 cups half-and-half
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In medium pot, bring 4 quarts of water to boil over high heat and stir in one tablespoon of salt.  Place macaroni in pot and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes.  When pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot.  Pour in tomatoes (with juices) and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir occasionally.

In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until it begins to foam.  Stir in flour and cayenne pepper and cook until golden, about one minute.  At this point it will be a flaky, dough-like consistency.  Whisk in half-and-half and broth until smooth.  Bring to boil and then reduce to medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in cheeses, one teaspoon salt and one teaspoon of pepper until cheeses melt.  Mix in macaroni / tomato mixture and stir to combine.

Scrape mixture into large casserole dish and bake until top begins to brown, about 15 minutes.  Let it rest about 10 minutes before serving, or else it will be soupy.

Seriously, this mac and cheese rocked!  Cayenne pepper gave the dish a great flavor, and the tomatoes were sweet and offered a nice texture.  Thanks again to Cook's Country Magazine for bringing the real thing back into my life.

One warning though.... I didn't realize how much this was going to make!  After looking back I realize the recipe was for 8 - 10 people, and since it's just me this week I am left with 5 tupperware containers full of the stuff.  I'm going to attempt to freeze what's left, but next time will cut the recipe in half.

sriracha chicken

This recipe was taken from my favorite website:  www.skinnytaste.com.  I discovered this food blog when I was on weight watchers (which I have failed miserably), however this food blog has so many great recipes that I continue to refer back to it.  Every recipe that we have made so far has been a hit, and this one in particular we have made 3 times - once with drumsticks, once with chicken breast cut into cubes, and this time with chicken thighs.  The main ingredient is Sriracha hot sauce, which can be found in the ethnic food aisle at your grocery store, near the Asian items.  You can't miss it... it is a large red plastic bottle with a drawing of a large rooster on it.

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken (drumsticks, breast cut into cubes, or thighs.)  I used thighs this time.
Spray olive oil
1 cup water
1 tbsp. Sriracha hot sace
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 tsp. agave nectar (or sugar)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ginger, grated
2 tbsp. chopped scallions
1 tsp. sesame seeds

Spray olive oil in heavy large saucepan and heat to high.  Brown chicken for 3 minutes on each side.  Add in water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave nectar (or sugar), garlic, ginger, and sriracha hot sauce.  Cook on high until liquid comes to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  Remove cover and bring heat to high and reduce sauce for about 10 minutes until it becomes a thick glaze.  Stir often and be careful not to burn the sauce as it will seem as if it's taking forever to thicken and then all of a sudden it will get thick FAST.  Turn chicken every minute or so.  Transfer chicken to plate an cover with glaze.  Top with scallions and sesame seeds.  Serve.

I served the chicken on top of a bed of jasmine rice and steamed broccoli and it was super delish!  I did forget to sprinkle it with sesame seeds before I took the pic, but make sure you don't forget them completely... they help balance out the heat in the sriracha hot sauce.  Next time we will try this with chicken wings.... can't wait!

chicken parm

My husband, Jay, turned 30 this week, and to celebrate I decided to make him his favorite dish.... chicken parm!  It's not exactly my favorite meal as I'm not too big on breaded chicken and it always seems too "heavy" of a meal.  However, this time I made it with very thin chicken cutlets instead of a big hunk of chicken breast.  This made a world of difference, and I even managed to eat an entire piece by myself instead of passing my leftovers on to Jay's plate.  I will also forgive Jay for saying to me while cooking in the unbearably hot kitchen: "wow, if only you were pregnant" to which I replied "excuse me??" to which he in turn said "that's how I like my women... sweaty, pregnant with an apron on, and cooking me chicken parm."  I almost smacked him and swore off chicken parm forever, but then I remembered that it was his 30th birthday and he must be suffering from some old-timers condition that makes you say stupid and offensive things.

Ingredients:
1 lb. very thin chicken cutlets.  You can also use chicken breast, but cut in half and pound till thin, about 1/4"
1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat flour)
2 cups plain bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tsp. milk
12 oz. marinara sauce (I used my homemade sauce, but you will never get that recipe as it is a Bartolone family secret)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
Olive oil spray
Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Set up three bowls: #1 - Mix milk and egg together with fork, #2 - Flour, #3 - Breadcrumbs
3. Rinse and pat dry chicken.  Season with salt and pepper
4. Put chicken in bowl with flour, make sure the entire piece gets covered with it
5. Dip chicken in egg/milk mixture
6. Place chicken in breadcrumbs and make sure the piece gets completely covered
7. Spray large skillet with olive oil spray and cook chicken approx. 3 minutes each side.  Place on paper towels when done.
8. Spray large glass dish with olive oil.  Spoon about 1/8 cup of marinara sauce and spread out on bottom of pan.
9. Place chicken in pan.  Do not overlap.

10. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce.
11. Cook until sauce is slightly bubbly and chicken is cooked all the way through.  Serve with your choice of pasta.

We enjoyed this with a nice spinach, onion, roasted plum tomato, blue cheese and balsamic vinegar salad.  Yum!

I don't want to assume anything, but Jay seemed pretty pleased with his birthday meal.

Or maybe it was just the wine?

italian skillet chicken with orzo

I've only cooked with orzo once before, and if my memory serves me right all I did was put grape tomatoes and Feta cheese in it.  This recipe for Italian chicken was just as simple and involved only a few more steps.  Also, toasting the orzo before you cook it brings out a nutty flavor that blends well with the Italian seasonings.  I never heard of toasting pasta before cooking it so this was definitely brand new to me and it worked out great!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 cup orzo

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper

1. Rinse chicken and pat with paper towels.  Rub all over with oregano and pepper flakes.  Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toast orzo until golden-brown, about 3 - 5 mins.

3. Transfer orzo to bowl and then heat 1 tbsp. oil in skillet until it sizzles when you place a few drops of water in.  Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer to plate.

4. Add garlic and remaining oil to empty skillet and cook for 30 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant.

5. Add tomatoes, broth and toasted orzo and bring to a boil.

6. Return chicken to skillet and cook, covered, over med-low heat until chicken is cooked through and orzo is tender, about 10 - 12 minutes.  Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Another slam dunk that we will add to our dinner rotation.  It had just enough spice from the red pepper flakes, balanced out with the sweetness of the tomatoes.  

I apologize for the quality of my photos --- they need more work than the recipes.  It's funny how the "food" setting on my Nikon S8000 can take great pictures of babies but takes not-so-great photos of my food.  Oh well, there's always room for improvement!

toasted ravioli with goat cheese & pesto

I'll begin by thanking my Mother in Law, Arlene, for my first blog meal.  She is always sending me magazines in the mail that have great recipes, but this one really takes the cake.  I never heard of "Cook's Country" before she sent this one to me, but I am definitely going to look into buying a subscription (as long as I can find a promo code for it --- more to come on my coupon obsession in future posts.)  Anyway, the issue of the magazine I have includes a recipe for old-fashioned mac n cheese, slow cooker french onion soup, Italian skillet chicken with orzo, and chicken cordon bleu.  Mmmm!

The one that most caught our eye was the toasted ravioli with goat cheese & pesto, so we thought we'd give it a try:

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 (9 oz.) packages fresh cheese ravioli (we used Buitoni brand)

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup basil pesto ( we used the refrigerated Buitoni one.  Don't use the shelf-stable kind... it won't taste right)

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

3 plum tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

Salt & pepper

1. Place oven rack on highest position and heat broiler on high.

2. In large nonstick skillet, melt butter over med-high heat.

3. Add ravioli and cook.  Stir occasionally until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Stir in broth and cream and cook, covered, until ravioli are tender.

5. Remove lid and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and ravioli are completely tender, about 3 mins.

6. Remove skillet from heat and stir in pesto & 1/4 cup of the goat cheese.

7. Transfer to broiler-safe 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and arrange tomatoes over ravioli, then season with salt & pepper.

8. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and broil until golden brown, about 4 mins.  Serve.

Super delish!  We gobbled it up, and had plenty left that we enjoyed it again for dinner the next day.  When we decide to make this again, which we definitely will, I will use regular cream instead of heavy to make it a bit lighter, I'll make my own homemade pesto, and may also attempt to make fresh ravioli.  We'll see how motivated I am to do that :)  Next up, Italian Skillet Chicken with Toasted Orzo.  Yum!

a farewell to eggs and toast

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  Actually, it's more like my favorite meal of all day.  I could eat banana pancakes for breakfast, a bowl of cereal for lunch, and then my favorite dippy eggs with a Thomas' Everything Bagel Thin for dinner.  Sounds like a pretty well-rounded and nutritious day, huh?  Okay, so I don't really eat that everyday, but I could.  And with my husband working evenings for the six years we have lived together, eating eggs and toast was my easy way out.  Actually it was more like being lazy. Yep, that's exactly what it was!

Now that Jay has a super awesome new job where he gets to work from home, that means not only do we finally get to spend time together, but it also means that I cannot take the easy way out and make breakfast for dinner anymore (it's true... breakfast foods are definitely not on Jay's "favorite meals" list.)  I might be able to squeeze in french toast or pancakes every once in a while.... but it will be more like twice a year, not twice a week like I am used to.

We loved to cook on the rare occasions that we had a night off together, so I thought I'd start this blog to keep track of all the yummy dinners we are going to make.  Sometimes the entire recipe will be homemade, and sometimes it will be semi-homemade... it all depends what we feel like doing.  The main goal is a scrumptious meal... and maybe slightly healthy too.  We'll see :)