Creamy Balsamic Chicken June 25, 2009

I had planned on making a different balsamic chicken meal tonight – one that called for sun dried tomatoes.  Well, the only ones in stock at the grocery store cost over $7 and I thought that was absurd.  I like them, but I don’t love them, and they are definitely not worth $7 to me.  So, I just figured I’d compromise when it came time to cook the meal.  When I got home and told Ross, he informed me that he doesn’t really like sun dried tomatoes anyway… news to me, but it worked out well!

So, tonight I had to come up with something for our chicken.  I kind of had the balsamic idea in my head, so I searched for some recipes.  I found one on all recipes.com that I modified a bit.  Here’s what I did:

I sprinkled the chicken breasts with salt pepper, and a tiny bit of garlic powder.  In about a tablespoon of olive oil, I sauteed a sliced onion until they were golden brown.  I placed the onion in an 8×8 baking dish and added a bit more olive oil to the skillet.  I browned the chicken on both sides (3-4 minutes on each side) and then put them on top of the onions.

Meanwhile, I made the sauce.  In a saucepan I melted 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  I added 2 cloves of minced garlic and cooked for a few minutes until golden brown.  I added 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and cooked for another minute.  I then added 2 teaspoons of chicken boullion and about a tablespoon of flour and whisked it all together.  I slowly added about a cup of milk and cooked it until it was just at a simmer.  Once I removed it from the heat, I added somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 (maybe 1/3?) cup of parmesan cheese and whisked the sauce until the cheese was incorporated.  I poured this over the chicken and baked it for about 40 minutes at 350.

It turned out so good!  We had this over some whole wheat egg noodles.  I like most healthy things, but I do not like whole wheat pasta at all.  It has a gummy texture to me which just doesn’t seem right for pasta.  Ross loves it and buys it when he is in charge of shopping.  I decided to be nice and cooked the whole wheat egg noodles with the meal tonight, and with the creamy sauce over it, they weren’t all that bad.  I still prefer regular or spinach pasta, but I can handle the whole wheat now and then. 

We had some peas on the side, and for a girl whose food isn’t typically allowed to touch, they even tasted pretty good with some sauce touching them!

Pork Chops and Polenta June 24, 2009

We tried a new pork chop recipe tonight which ended up being pretty good.  We also had polenta for the first time, which we both loved!

The pork chops were pretty simple – brown them for a few minutes on each side and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, squirt some lemon juice on top, and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Mix together a small can of tomato sauce and about a tablespoon of dijon mustard and pour over the top of the chops.  Add about 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes.  They weren’t the best things in the whole world, but they were good and I would make them again.  They were quick and easy to prepare, that is for sure.  Here’s the link to the recipe.  I didn’t do exactly everything it said, but it was close…  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Pork-Chops-II/Detail.aspx?prop31=5

 

We bought polenta on a whim at the grocery store awhile back, but I haven’t made it yet.  I decided to try it tonight.  It was simple to make – I just followed the directions on the back of the bag.  It was very tasty with the sauce from the pork chops over it. 

We had this along with some fresh broccoli that I baked with a little garlic and  a little lemon.

Tomato Pie – Version 2 June 21, 2009

Last week when I was searching for the recipe to make this side dish, I found the recipe for this Ham-and-Tomato-Pie.  It wasn’t the one that I was looking for, but it sounded so good to me.  While the first one is mostly tomatoes and zucchini, the one that I made tonight has ham as well, making it more hearty and filling for a main dish, yet perfect for a hot summer night like tonight. 

Here’s the basic idea:  Take a pie crust and spread some dijon mustard on the bottom.  Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top of that.  Saute some green onions and diced ham (just to get the water out of the ham pretty much) and put that mixture on top of the cheese.  Top with sliced tomatoes and more mozzarella.  Whisk an egg and some half and half (I used skim milk, and though it needed to cook a little longer, tasted just fine to both of us) and pour on top.  Sprinkle with basil and pepper and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

 

It was so delicious.  We were thinking of different versions we could make while we were eating it and the opportunities are endless!  We had this with a tossed salad and some sauteed asparagus.  It was a fresh, healthy meal that was just right on this crazy hot 100 degree day.

Sirloin Marinara with Garlic Mashed Potatoes June 19, 2009

I put this in my online recipe box months ago but never made it.  This week when I was searching for recipes, I needed a red meat meal in the mix, so I decided we’d try it out.  I read through the reviews and one of them mentioned serving it over garlic mashed potatoes, which I thought sounded really good.  Plus, it seemed like a nice alternative to pasta.

The basic idea is to saute some onions in olive oil, add some strips of steak and cook thoroughly.  Drain.  Add 2 cups (it was close enough to a whole jar, so I just added the whole thing) of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup of red wine and 2 cloves of garlic.  Let it simmer for about 15 minutes. 

For the mashed potatoes, I peeled and boiled 3 large potatoes.  I added about 1/4 of an onion and 2 cloves of garlic to the pot while it boiled.  When tender, I whipped them up with a few tablespoons of butter, some milk, about 1/2 cup of sour cream and maybe 1/4 cup of cream cheese – whatever I had left in the fridge!  Threw in some salt and papper and mashed the onions and garlic right in with them.  Super tasty, and they tasted great with the sirloin marinara on top!  We had some roasted broccoli on the side and it turned out to be a great meal.

 

Here’s the link to the recipe if you want the official one: 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sirloin-Marinara/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork June 17, 2009

OK, I know I’ve said a lot of meals that I’ve made were easy, but I really think this one takes the cake. 

• Toss a pork tenderloin in the crock pot
• Pour a bottle of root beer over it
• Cook for 6-7 hours
• Remove pork, pour in a bottle of BBQ sauce
• Pull pork apart, put back in crock pot and cook for another 20-30 minutes.

Seriously, that is all.  All I did this morning before I left was toss meat in the pot and pour root beer over it.  And dinner was pretty much ready when I got home!  And it tasted soooooooo good.  Ross can’t stand root beer, so I thought about lying to him about it, but I was nice and told him.  He still loved it.  It was the perfect combination of sweet and tangy, and a nice mix between a thin, vinegar sauce and a thick BBQ sauce.  I am sure you could use any cut of pork and not just a tenderloin, but they were on sale so that is what I bought.  The recipe, shockingly, is from allrecipes.com.

We had this with some cole slaw that I wanted to love but I didn’t.  It was a Sandra Lee recipe, a combination of slaw mix, mayo, sour cream, lime juice and hot sauce.  It was way too lime-y and didn’t taste really like slaw to me.  I think I’ll search for a new recipe for next time.  We had some fries and baked beans, too.  A great meal all in all!

We both had thirds. June 16, 2009

This was super, super good.  And oh so easy.  I am glad it tasted as good as it did, because I looked forward to it all day.  When I was planning meals for the week, I checked my online recipe box on allrecipes.com.  I saw a pasta primavera recipe, and that made me crave that dish.  However, this recipe was a brothy sauce and had Italian turkey sausage.  Neither of those reall appealed to me, so I went back to allrecipes to look for another recipe.  I found this one, added to the website by Philadelphia cream cheese.  It sounded delish, so I added it to my list.

 

All that you have to do is boil some penne.  While doing that, heat some Italian dressing in a skillet and saute some chicken with chunked zucchini, asparagus and red bell peppers.  Mix in 4 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat and it tasted great), a cup of chicken broth and some Parmesan cheese.  Toss it all together.  I had no Parm, but a bunch of mozzarella, so I added some of that.  We both loved this.  I can’t wait to make it again, and it is great for a night when you need something quick!

Tomato Pie June 14, 2009

At least, that’s what I call it.  I can’t remember the real name, but I know it was from Southern Living magazine.  I think.  My mother-in-law made it a summer or two ago and I loved it.  I kind of forgot about it, but I’ve really been craving it lately.  We’re going to a cookout tonight, so it seemed like the perfect thing to bring along.  I tried to find it on the website but I couldn’t… maybe because I am way off on the name.  Anyway, I finally found it scribbled on a piece of paper.  Here’s the recipe.  It is so tasty, fresh, and healthy too. 

Tomato Pie

 1 frozen pie crust

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 medium plum tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

Saute the zucchini in the olive oil until tender.  Drain.  Poke holes in the bottom of the pie crust with a fork.  Place the cooked zucchini on the bottom, place the sliced tomatoes on top.  Mix together the rest of the ingredients and drop by teaspoonfuls on top of the tomatoes.  Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes.

 

One of the meals I am going to make this week is a variation of this that is more like a quiche, including eggs and ham along with the tomatoes and cheese.  I’ll post that after I make it!

Stuffed Shells June 10, 2009

Tonight’s dinner was made last night, which made it perfect for a night that we were getting home late.  It was also perfect seeing as though Ross has been working on building a fence in our yard all week, so I was able to get all of the other stuff done without feeling too overwhelmed and having to cook, too (ok, well, I still felt overwhelmed all night, but I shouldn’t have!).

Last night, I boiled a box of jumbo shells.  While they were boiling, I sauteed a clove of garlic and about 1/2 onion, diced, in some olive oil.  I added a pound of ground beef and let it brown until cooked through.  I then drained the meat and set it aside. 

Meanwhile, I mixed together a medium sized container of cottage cheese and about 1/2 cup of sour cream.  I’ve used cottage cheese before in baked ziti, but never in stuffed shells.  The cottage cheese/sour cream combo was very tasty.  And I HATE cottage cheese.  Anything with the name curds in it just should not be edible to me.  But I actually really like it baked in Italian meals instead of ricotta.  Adding the sour cream to it made it a little thicker, a little creamier and just a tad richer, while still tasting a little lighter.  Along with the cottage cheese and sour cream I added 1 egg and about a teaspoon of dried basil and a teaspoon of oregano as well as some salt and pepper.  I mixed in a cup of mozzarella cheese and a little Parmesan.  The meat mixture was added to the cheese mixture and all was stirred well. 

I coated the bottom of a 9×13 dish with sauce, stuffed each shell with the cheese mixture and set them down, seam side up, in the pan.  I poured the remainder of the jar of sauce over the shells, sprinkled another cup of mozzarella on top and sprinkled with Parm, salt and pepper.  Last night I just covered it and put it in the fridge.  Tonight when I got home, all I had to do was preheat the oven to 350, uncover it and bake it for about 35-40 minutes (probably only 30 or so if you weren’t just taking it out of the fridge).

We both loved it made this way!  I think this will be my new standard for stuffed shells.  Although, I realized as I was eating them that I forgot to add a dash of nutmeg to the cheese mixture, which my aunt always did and I love that.  I will be sure not to forget it next time, it definitely adds a nice, subtle flavor.  We had our shells with some garlic bread and green beans.

I think I love Robin Miller June 9, 2009

Who knew?  I don’t know if I have ever even really watched her show, but I sure love her cookbook.  I haven’t made anything from it yet that wasn’t a success.  Tonight’s meal was no different.  We are going to be home late tomorrow night, so I wanted to make dinner for tonight and for tomorrow.  It worked out perfectly, because this chicken had to marinate for about a half hour, so I was able to make the marinade, cook tomorrow night’s dinner while it sat, and then cook tonight’s meal.  It made a bunch of work really easy to do!  It felt like I only cooked one meal.

For tonight, I made Garlic-Lemon Chicken Thighs from Robin Miller’s The Newlywed Cookbook.  It was quick, easy and so flavorful.  It wasn’t too lemony or too garlicky, it was just a nice combination of flavors that just kind of made their own unique flavor.  We served it along with some teriyaki rice and some steamed broccoli and cauliflower.  The extra sauce tasted great over the veggies!  The meal I made for tomorrow is stuffed shells, which I made a little differently this time.  I’ll share that tomorrow, but I have to taste it first!

Garlic-Lemon Chicken Thighs

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons molasses

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

nonstick cooking spray

In a blender, combine garlic, lemon juice, molasses and Worcestershire sauce.  Puree until smooth.  Transfer marinade to a large zip top bag and add chicken thighs.  Seal and shake gently to coat chicken with mixture.  Refrigerate 20 minutes (and up to 24 hours).  Ross taught me to always poke holes in the meat with a fork before marinating and then all of the juices get into the meat.  I did that, and it turned out incredibly tender and juicy.

Preheat oven to 425.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade, and arrange thighs in a shallow roasting pan that has been coated in nonstick cooking spray.  Pour over remaining marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, spooning marinade over chicken halfway through cooking time.

*This marinade would be good on different kinds of meat, and would be great grilled, too!

Meat, Potatoes and Veggies – Summer Style June 8, 2009

In the winter, when I think of meat and potatoes, the image of a roast with a hearty gravy, cooked along with some potatoes and carrots is the image that comes to mind. 

However, in the summer, meat, potatoes and veggies means something very different.  Our summer version of this meal tonight was something different, a concoction of foods that we came across mostly by accident, but that made a delicious meal.

Yesterday, I ran to Lowe’s to grab just a few things, and happened to see a Shady Brook Farms turkey tenderloin on sale for only $5.  It seemed like it would be a waste not to buy it, so I threw it in my basket.  It was a Rotisserie flavored tenderloin, and when Ross grilled it tonight, he added some Thomas’ sauce while it cooked.  It tasted absolutely wonderful. 

Yesterday, I met my sister at her house before we headed to the Brad Paisley/Dierks Bentley concert (which was amazing, by the way).  One of her patients lives on a farm and had given her a whole bunch of yellow squash.  I cut it up tonight and put it on a cookie sheet.  I sprayed it with canola oil cooking spray, sprinkled it with salt, pepper and basil, and baked it for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  I added some fresh sliced tomatoes that my in-laws brought over to us today, sprinkled it with freshly grated parmesan cheese, and baked it for about 5-7 minutes more.  It was so super tasty.   I could have eaten twice the amount that I made.

Instead of wintry baked potatoes or mashed potatoes, we had potato salad.  I’ve used this recipe in my column before, but in case you missed it, here it is.  It was the perfect potato-ey touch for this delicious summer meal!

Potato Salad

2 ½ pounds potatoes

3 eggs

¾ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

3-4 stalks green onion, finely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons sweet relish

1 teaspoon paprika

 

Peel potatoes partly, boil until tender when pierced with a fork.  Boil eggs until hard boiled.  Cool potatoes and eggs in fridge. 

Dice potatoes and eggs to desired size.  Add mayonnaise and sour cream, mix well.  Add green onion, salt, pepper, mustard and relish.  Mix well.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Chill before serving.