Spinach-Mushroom Melts

 

I have been an on and off vegetarian my entire life. Starting at age 11 and trying at least 5  times since; my most successful stint being for 5 years. As you can tell by my recipes, I have given up on the vegetarian way of life. However, I would love to share a few recipes I use to eat as a vegetarian. This was one of them. Found in Vegetarian Times magazine, Jan 2006 issue.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces Portobello mushroom caps (about 4 medium), stemmed
  • 2 TBS pine nuts
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 4 green onions (white and pale green parts), thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp)
  • 1/2 lb fresh spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
  • 4 slices country bread, 1/2 inch thick, lightly toasted
  • 3/4 cup shredded smoked mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F, wipe tops of mushroom caps. Using spoon, remove gills from inside caps and discard. Cut caps in quarters and thinly slice.
Toast pine nuts in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often until golden and fragrant, 1-2 minutes, transfer to a bowl.
Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in same skillet over medium heat, add mushrooms and green onions until mushrooms begin to soften, 4-5 minutes, season with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl.
Add remaining 1/2 tbsp oil to skillet and heat over medium heat, add garlic for 15 seconds, add spinach and toss until wilted, 2 minutes, remove from heat and add mushroom mixture, stir in pine nuts and toss.
Arrange bread slices on baking sheet; top with spinach-mushroom mixture, dividing equally, and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Delectable Marinated Chicken Thighs

 

I was looking for a marinade for the boneless, skinless, chicken thighs that I wanted to BBQ later. I came across this one on Allrecipes.com I did not have the smoke flavoring or sesame seeds and my son dislikes teriyaki sauce so I omitted all three ingredients. Also, I used olive oil instead of canola oil. The children devoured the chicken and my son’s friend, who joined us for dinner, asked me to let him know the next time I am making these so he can join us again. It was a hit.

Ingredients:

  • 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 TBS teriyaki sauce
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring
  • 1 TBS molasses
  • 1 TBS sesame seeds
  • 1 TBS brown sugar
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp garlic pepper
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Directions:

Mix together Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, liquid smoke, and molasses in a resealable plastic bag until the molasses has dissolved. Add sesame seeds, brown sugar, paprika, garlic salt, garlic pepper, minced garlic, and canola oil; mix well. Coat chicken thighs with the marinade, seal, and marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator, redistributing the chicken in the marinade occasionally.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.

Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Grill on preheated grill until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), and is firm and opaque, about 12 minutes per side. Discard any remaining marinade.

Best-Ever Oven Baked Ribs

 

I use to BBQ ribs so tender, I never needed to bake in the oven or boil to start, the good old days. For some reason, lately, all my ribs are turning out dry. So I tried this recipe found in the July 2012 issue of Bon Appetit and damn! They are tender and good. I have tweaked the recipe to give you the option of cooking the entire dish in the oven. Give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 TBS dry mustard
  • 1 TBS paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 lb baby back pork ribs (Okay, I admit, I did not make this many ribs, make enough for however many people you are feeding)
  • low salt chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups store bought or homemade BBQ sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Place each rack of ribs on a double layer of foil. Sprinkle rub all over ribs. Wrap racks individually and divide between 2 baking sheets.
Bake ribs until tender but not falling apart, about 2 hours. Carefully unwrap and pour juices into bowl, reserve. Let ribs cool completely.
If you want to get that BBQ flavor, build a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill. Otherwise, set oven to broil and continue. Add broth to rib juices to make 1 1/2 cup. Whisk in BBQ sauce to blend. Grill ribs with direct heat, basting with BBQ sauce mixture and turning frequently, until lacquered and charred in places and heated through, 7-10 minutes. Serve with additional BBQ sauce.

Scottie’s Fatty Cheese Lasagna

This is my boyfriends’s lasagna recipe and it is super cheesy and delicious. He changes it up each time but this is the basic recipe. The difference from many lasagna recipes is that you slice, not shred, the cheese. Also, you add Monterey jack into the mix and there is lots of cheese.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 jars of your fav spaghetti sauce or make it homemade
  • 1 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1 pound Monterey jack cheese, sliced
  • 1 pound part-skim ricotta
  • 1 small can black, pitted, olives, sliced
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Italian seasoning
  • 1 pnd lasagna noodles

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil and sauté onion until tender in large sauté pan. Add ground beef with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook until browned. Dispose of grease and add spaghetti sauce. Meanwhile, boil noodles as directed on package. Mix ricotta cheese with olives and season to taste. Layer the lasagna by starting with sauce, noodles, a layer or ricotta mixture, noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese slices, noodles, sauce, Monterey jack cheese slices, noodles, sauce…..until lasagna is complete. 

Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for another 25 minutes.

Chicken Fajitas

I finally bought my first Jamie Oliver cookbook. I choose The Food Revolution because it is full of healthy recipes. This is the first recipe I made from it and it was so simple and delicious. I really admire the things Jamie has done for schools across the USA; he has tried to make school lunches healthier with much push back from the bureaucracy.
I have altered the recipe but the basic ingredient’s are from Jamie’s book.
Ingredients:
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 medium red onion – you can use yellow if you prefer
  • 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets
  • Smoked paprika to taste
  • Cumin to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 limes
  • Olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Flour tortillas
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Halve and seed bell pepper and cut into thin strips. Peel, halve and finely slice the onion. Slice the chicken length ways into long strips. Put bell pepper and onion in one bowl and chicken into another bowl. Season both mixtures with paprika, cumin, salt,  and  lime with a finishing of olive oil. Mix well and marinate for a bit.

Preheat sauté pan with oil and first add vegetable mixture for 5-6 minutes and then add chicken mixture, cook for another 6-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Once cooked through, add more juice of lime to finished dish.
Warm your tortillas, grate your cheese and serve it all together with cilantro.

Chicken Marsala

 

I had forgotten to look up a recipe for dinner and wanted to try something new so I just got onto the epicurious app and found this gem of a meal. Very delicious and rich in flavor. I had never tasted Marsala wine and, of course, a chef must taste the vino they are putting into the recipe. It has a very unusual consistency, almost like a liqueur. This is the recipe my son and I made together in Canada when he wanted to start learning to cook.

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
  • 2 Tbs finely chopped shallot
  • 5 Tbs unsalted butter
  • 10 oz mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 lb total)
  • 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200°F.

Bring broth to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Cook shallot in 3 tablespoons butter in an 8- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, 1 tsp sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put flour in a wide shallow bowl. Gently pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, 1 piece at a time, shaking off excess. Transfer to sheets of wax paper, arranging chicken in 1 layer. Heat 1 Tbs each of oil and butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté half of chicken, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer cooked chicken to a large heatproof platter, arranging in 1 layer, then put platter in oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and cook remaining chicken in same manner, then transfer to oven, arranging in 1 layer. Add 1/2 cup wine to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30 seconds. Add reduced broth, cream, and mushrooms, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons wine and 1/2 tsp sage.

Serve chicken with sauce.

Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc

 

 

Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter

I know, I know, Brussels sprouts blahhhhh….but try these before you turn your nose up to this vegetable. Anything braised in butter is good! This recipe is from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Ingredients:

  • Brussels sprouts
  • Salt
  • Butter
  • Wax paper

Directions:

Trim the base of each Brussels sprout with a small knife and pierce a cross in it for quick cooking. Remove any wilted or yellowish leaves. Drop the sprouts into a rapidly boiling pot of water 1 ½ tsp salt per quart, bring to boil for 6-8 minutes, drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and smear butter inside a casserole or baking dish. Arrange the sprouts heads up in the casserole dish; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and with 2-4 Tbls melted butter.

Take a round of lightly buttered waxed paper and lay it over the sprouts. Cover and heat on top of the stove until vegetables begin to sizzle, then place in middle level of oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tender.

 

Breast of Chicken with Duxelles Stuffing

I bought my first $50.00 app on my iPad the other day. The Professional Chef, which is the Culinary Institute of America’s textbook. I am very pleased with it and this is the first recipe I tried. Mouthwatering delicious! I had no idea what duxelle was until I attempted this recipe. I have a feeling this app will be teaching me a lot.

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless chicken breast
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 lb. duxelles stuffing (recipe follows)
  • 5 oz all-purpose flour
  • 6 fl oz egg wash (recipe follows)
  • 12 oz dried bread crumbs
  • 24 fl oz clarified butter or oil, or as needed

Directions:

Trim the chicken breast and remove the skin if desired. Butterfly each breast portion and pound between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to even thickness.

Blot dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Spread each breast with a portion of the duxelles stuffing and roll the breast around the stuffing. Overlap the edges to form a seam.

Apply a standard breading: dredge the chicken in flour, dip in egg wash, and roll in bread crumbs.

Heat about 1/2in/1cm butter to about 350 degrees in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken to the butter, seam side down first, and pan fry until golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Turn once and finish pan frying on the second side until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 170 degrees, about 3 more minutes. Finish cooking in a 350 degrees oven once the crust is properly browned, if preferred.

Duxelles Stuffing

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz minced shallot
  • 2 oz butter
  • 2 lb small dice mushrooms
  • 1 Tbls salt
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 8 fl oz heavy cream that has been reduced by half
  • 8 oz bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbls chopped parsley

Sweat the shallots in the butter in a sautoir over medium-high heat until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté them until dry to create a duxelles. Season the duxelles with some of the salt and pepper.

Add the cream, breadcrumbs, and parsley and mix well.

Egg Wash

Ingredients:

  • 5 eggs
  • 5 oz milk
  • Pinch salt

Directions:

Combine using a wire whip.

Chicken Cacciatore Easy Version

I just wanted to try something new for the children and I was not sure they would eat chicken with a tomato sauce. My son had his friend over and I served this dish. His friend asked me to give the recipe to his mom and my son said “please make this again.” Success! Even my daughter, who is a picky eater, ate dinner that night. This recipe is very easy and found in the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine magazine.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 oz Cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
  • 2 Tbs tomato paste
  • 1 can peeled Italian tomatoes, pureed, 28 oz
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

If you like; Crusty bread for serving or noodles.

Directions:

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to skillet and cook over high heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and rosemary to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the pureed tomatoes and ¼ cup of water. Add the chicken and any juices and bring to a boil.

Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and serve with crusty bread.

Wine pairing: Earthy, spiced Chianti: 2009 Coltibuono RS Chianti Classico.