Basic Dinner Re-Do's: Keepin' It Fresh

Do you have dinner items that seem to make a reoccurrence at your dinner table all the time?  If you're a budget-minded family, that item is most likely chicken as it is in my house.  I have a love/hate relationship with it--it's so darn inexpensive that I can't help but buy it.  I love the cost.  However, it is pretty basic and hard to really make interesting.  I hate the blah-ness.

As of late, I've been focusing on how to keep the basic meals interesting--kick them up a notch, make the special and above all--different.

Armed with my chicken breast (and a plug for Omaha Steaks-which we started using earlier this year and are 100% in love with--we find the most amazing inexpensive deals there, high quality and it's shipped to us!  Score!) and a house of staples--the challenge tonight was to make it different. (But not so different that my picky husband wouldn't eat it!)

I started with two-day brined chicken breast.  Why two-day?  Because I planned for a Wed. meal and ended up going out for dinner...luckily, double-brining the bird isn't going to kill you.  It will, however, make it a bit more salty, so be forewarned and don't use salt when you cook.   I also decided to use the rest of my black (squid ink) pasta this evening.  We've really embraced this at the house--it has a similar taste, cooks in 3 minutes and just makes us feel a teeny-tiny-more-fancy.  The outcome was a good basic re-do that was pretty light on the budget and calories.

Anti-BBQ, Grilled Chicken &

 Black Pasta w/ a Pinot Grigio reduction 

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts, brined (slow, 24 hours in basic salt brine)

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I use memphis style)

2 Tbs. Worchesteshire Sauce THICK

1 Tbs. Soy Sauce

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar 

2 cups black pasta

1/4 cup green peppers (chopped, fine)

1 carrot, julienne cut

2-3 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup pinot grigio

4 Tbs. olive oil (I use a basil infused one for this recipe)

black pepper

Directions:

In a large saute pan, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat, add garlic cloves and let cook for about 1 minute, or until aroma hits you.  Add peppers and carrots, reduce heat and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stir occasionally.  In a large pot, bring to boil water (with salt!) and add pasta.  Cook per directions--but do not drain/rinse.  In saute pan, add pinot grigio, bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer until reduced.  (I add additional olive oil at this time, so it simmers with the wine)  Once the sauce has reduced and is a little thicker, add pasta, stir and keep on low heat to keep warm.

For the chicken: whisk BBQ sauce, soy, worchesteshire and balsamic together.  Remove chicken from brine, and set in pan, pour mixture over and let sit for 5-10 minutes prior to cooking.  Remove from sauce and immediately place on hot grill, cooking 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked throughout.

Serve chicken atop pasta--and sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese!  

Crusted Salmon & Black Tie Squid Pasta

Have you ever ran across something in the grocery store that you're just drawn to?  Something out of the ordinary that you just don't know about, but yet, you feel compelled to buy it?  I happens to me all the time.   It is ALWAYS something obscure too.  Speck. Check.  Celery Root. Check.

Despite their oddities, I've learned that they are, indeed, good for daily cooking and are very similar to things I already use--but fun substitutes!  Speck, much like pancetta-I use them interchangeably. Celery Root, is similar to a potato, and I've made oven fries and mashed them like potatoes.

Inspired by my love of odd things, and a black bag of pasta that called my name at my favorite market, tonight's recipe was born:  crusty salmon and squid pasta.  (So, it's not actually MADE of squid, but squid ink is used to die the pasta black.)

Crusted Salmon & Black Tie Squid Pasta

Salmon Ingredients (serves 2):
2 fresh salmon filets, skin on
1/2 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 sprigs of tarragon
salt/pepper to taste

Black Tie Pasta Ingredients:
1/4 lb black pasta
1 thick slice of pancetta, finely diced, about 1/2 cup
3 Tbs high quality extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small jar artichoke hearts, roughly chopped, with juice reserved.
1-2 Tbs dry white cooking wine

Directions: 
About 2 hours before cooking; place salmon on a well-sprayed cooking pan, flesh down, skin up.  Evenly spread room-temperature butter on skin, coat entirely.  Place salmon back in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  This time in the cold will firm up the salmon and the butter.  Cold butter = crispy skin.

For the pasta "sauce":
In a medium sauce pan, bring 1 Tbs oil to heat and add pancetta.  Let simmer, stirring frequently until most of the fat has rendered off.  (about 3-5 minutes)  Add garlic and stir frequently, let cook for 1 minute and add shallots & remaining olive oil.  Stir and bring up to heat.  Add artichoke hearts, juice and bring to heat.  Add white cooking wine and bring to slow boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer, add salt and pepper to taste.  Let the sauce reduce by about 1/2.

While the sauce is reducing, remove the salmon from the refrigerator, sprinkle with salt/pepper and place tarragon sprigs on each skin.  Place under broiler until skin is crispy--about 5-8 minutes.

With sauce reducing, salmon cooking, bring water to boil and add pasta.  Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes, until al-dente.  Using a pasta ladle, transfer pasta directly to the sauce (do not drain) and toss well.

Remove salmon from broiler, serve.

I know, it sounds interesting, but I assure you, it tastes nothing like squid.  In fact, unless the kiddos find it cool that squid is in it, you could not even mention it--just call it halloween pasta.  The taste is similar to regular, the cook time is minimal and frankly, it put a grin the size of Texas on the Boss' face.  When that happens, I know I've stumbled up on something fantastic.

Wake-Up-Call Special

If you're anything like me (or desire to be), mornings are completely meditative.  It's the only time in the day that is solely mine.  I like my mornings to linger, and I wake up early so that they can.  The hubs sleeps in later than I do, but Maddox the mad-dog and I are up together and we make the most of some quiet time before we seize our day.  We wake, we walk, we shower, we grab our cup-o-joe and settle into the morning news with breakfast.

If anyone comes between me and my mornings, I'm not a happy camper. 

Because mornings are special, I always think that my breakfasts should be as well.  There's something about sitting down to a nice breakfast before you take on your day that puts you in a better mood and starts you off on the right foot. 

No time for special breakfasts you say?  NONSENSE!  I'm not suggesting you make pancakes, or eggs benedict every morning (although, if you do, can we please talk-I'll be visiting immediately!), but you can prepare a few little things that put a smile on your face, fill your tummy and make you feel as if you've already won the day. 

My individual breakfast casseroles are just that ticket.  Not only do I love them for their simplicity, but I love them for their ability to be customized, jazzed up, or as simple as the basic recipe I'm about to share.  One of my favorite things to do when we have overnight guests is take evening orders; make these bad-boys up, stick them in the refrigerator and in the morning, pop them in the oven before my guests wake.  When they do; they have an prepared-to-order breakfast that is sure to put a smile on their face.  (what's that you say, you're ready to come stay with me now?)

Wake-Up-Call-Special

Basic Ingredients: (serves 4 individual pots)

4 eggs

1 can of cream of potato soup (you can sub cream of celery, chicken or mushroom to taste, but I find potato is a good base that everyone likes)

4 slices of bread (I use whatever I have left in my kitchen, this works well with ANY bread type; even leftover hamburger/hotdog buns!)

3 Tbs whole milk

1 cup shredded cheese (I use a parmesan/reggiano mix; but you can sub cheddar or any easily-melted cheese you have)

1 tsp garlic salt

1 small scallion, finely diced

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together, whisk for about 2 minutes.  (Yes, it's that easy!)  Prepare 4 individual ramekins (6 oz) or small crock-pots (shown in picture) and pour mixture evenly into it.  Sprinkle a bit of cheese on the top of each.  If using bakeware with lid, place lid on.  If using bakeware without a lid, place a piece of loosely fitted foil on top to prevent the cheese from burning.

Place all pots on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Remove lids/foil and return to oven for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve with fresh fruit & a big glass or orange juice! 

Spice Up The Base!  (my suggestions on what to add--be creative!)

Finely diced onions

Breakfast sausage (brown the meat first, crumble into mixture before baking)

Bacon (cook before, crumble into mixture)

Finely diced tomatoes

Corn

Onions

Mushrooms

Pinenuts (yes!)

Blue Cheese 

Better than Best Burgers

Lately I've been on the perfection kick--mastering and fine-tuning every little recipe I have--which means the old ones have made their way out of hiding and my husband has had to try, compare and rate no less than 10 similar, though slightly-different chocolate chip cookies. (tough gig he's got there, right?!)

On the list of things to-make-perfect was hamburgers.  Juicy, not overcooked, flavorful and dripping with goodness burgers. Well, folks...we can check that off the list!  Perfection.  Pure perfection.

Before I get to the recipe, let me preface this with the disclaimer that I believe meat should taste like meat.  If you buy the best grade of ground beef and lightly season it, it'll do you justice.  I don't like to over-marinate meat, season too heavily or get to crazy with burgers--especially a plain-jane one that people are going to doctor up to their own liking.  Get the base right and people will be thrilled, that's my take.

With that said; this flavorful burger is better than ones I've paid a pretty penny for--and darn it if the hubs didn't ask for seconds.

Better than Best Burger (serving is for 2; double as needed)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (90%)
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. steak sauce (I use whatever is on sale; or in my pantry; this is with A1)
salt and pepper
Cold, unsalted butter, 2 small patties.

Directions: 
Crank the grill up!  I use a cast-iron, stovetop one and am basically in love with it.   Whatever indoor/outdoor grill you use, make sure it's HOT.

In a medium bowl, break up the ground beef.  Add the egg yolk, steak seasoning and mix, gently with a fork.  (The key to this part is to not "do" too much to the meat, don't break it down much, just make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.)  Liberally season with salt and pepper.  Form into 2 patties.  Make an indention in the center of both patties, and place one patty of butter in each.  Form the meat back over the butter so that it's completely encapsulated by the meat.

Place directly on a hot grill--and let cook for 3-5 minutes per side; to your tasting.  Remove, let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Bet you didn't think we were adding butter to a burger, did you?!  I know, crazy.  For me, I don't like a medium-rare burger, it's counter-intuitive to everything I've ever learned about ground beef--which is cook well.  I also don't like a well-done burger because it's so tough.  The key here is add a bit of fat, which will help the burger cook, keep it moist and add a fantastic layer of flavor to it.  Top your burger with all the fixings your heart desires.

I have broken up with Dunkin Donuts

Confession.  I am addicted to coffee.  And when I say addicted, I mean ADDICTED.  I can not start my day without it.  Period.  I like it any way I can get it--hot, cold, straight or fancied up, if you're offering it, I'll take it.

I might take it any way, but I prefer it iced and carmel.

Have you ever had Dunkin Donuts Iced Carmel Latte?  That, to me, is the BEST thing on earth.  It's the perfect marriage of both caffeine and sweetness.  I can suck it down like water.  Actually, maybe even faster than water, because it's a whole lot better!

Since that little sucker is almost $4 though, I've been on a loooong quest to make the perfect replica at home.  My quest has taken me from coffee flavors to syrups to some really horrible "shot syrup" and everything in between.  I have, for awhile now, settled on the method of brewing it hot, refrigerating it in a glass bottle and adding Baileys Coffee creamer.  It was a good solution--it's held me over for a year.  But, I was reading a blog about coffee and decided that it was try to get this right, again.

Can I just tell you:  I WILL NEVER BUY ICED COFFEE AGAIN.  It is that good.

Now, before you read on, please know that this is going to seem a little crazy, and a bit time consuming--but I assure you, it's well worth that effort.  It's my take on a massive cold-french-press coffee, without the french press.  :)  Out of my form though, I'm going to give you some photo illustrations of the processes--

Step 1:  Get a soup-pot and a bag of coffee, ground.  

Step 2:  Place the coffee grounds in the pot.

Step 3:  Add water, just right on top of the grounds!

Step 4:  Mix it up.  Make certain all those grounds are wet and will absorb the water! Cover and let set for hours (I let mine sit for around 6)

Step 5:  Get a large jug/canister that you can transfer the coffee to/dispense from. (pictured is a great refrigerator-jug from walmart that cost about $5)

Step 6:  Cover the top of the opening with a cheescloth and strainer. 

Step 7:  In small batches (about 1 cup each) strain the coffee grounds out--and the coffee into the new container.   You will have to rinse the cloth a few times to get the coffee "sludge" off.  This process is a bit time consuming--so go slow, otherwise you'll end up with coffee grounds in your yummy drinks!

Step 8:  You can choose to leave, or add more water-depending on your taste preference.  The original mixture is strong-and black, so I lightened it up a little bit, with an additional 3-4 cups of water.

Step 9:  Now the fun part--flavor it up!   This is where the real magic happens.  There are a lot of ways you can go with this depending on your preferences.  My goal was to replicate DD's happiness, so I was looking for the perfect combination of sweetness and creaminess.  Do you know what achieves this?!  Canned, condensed sweetened milk and carmel syrup (I used Eagle Brand and Smuckers).  Add just a little sweetened milk and carmel to a glass and stir.  Add ice and coffee--and stir some more.

The result was a light, carmel, lovely iced latte that beats the socks-off of DD.

I'm sorry, Dunkin, we've had a spectacular run, but all good things must come to an end.

Pan-Fried Tilapia and Summer Saute

Holy moly, summer is upon us!  Is it hot enough for you?  The temperature has been rising and we have been sweating our little bums off on the NJ shore.  Thank goodness for air conditioner.

What's good about summer?  Meh, not much in my book.  The ONE thing I look forward to during this time of year is the food--fresh fruit and veggies galore!

We have been munching down on all sorts of healthy goodness around our house this summer and thinking of creative ways to keep it fresh has been a good challenge.  I mean, how many ways can you REALLY make squash?  Oh, and did I mention that the dear husband hates squash?  (who hates squash?!)  To add yet another challenge to the mix, we're also on this whole "see how much we can save in life" kick, which means our meals have to be both a) healthy; and b) cheap.

This week, while shopping, I had a TON of coupons for free and/or low-cost veggies and there was a great sale on fresh fish, so I stocked up.   Armed with with both, I had some serious cooking to do.  Ya.

The outcome was a great meal that prompted a "I still don't understand why you didn't go go culinary school" from the husband.  I think that means he liked it. :)

Pan Fried Tilapia and Summer Saute


Ingredients: 
2 tilapia filets-fresh
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (any kind)
2 eggs
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 squash sliced into thin slices
1 zucchini sliced into thin slices
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp old bay seasoning

Directions:

In a large saute pan, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute.  Add butter and let it melt.  Add zucchini and let simmer for about 1 minute.  Add corn and squash, cook for about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and old bay seasoning.  Let simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and let rest.

In a large saute pan, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs together.  Place bread crumbs on plate.  Dredge tilapia through egg mixture and roll in bread crumbs-transfer immediately to pan to cook.  Cook on each side until golden and crispy.  Flip only once.

Serve with light scattering of scallions atop both stir fry and tilapia--and add sour cream for a bit of bite!  

Cost Breakdown: $2.75 per person
Calories:  Approximately 320 per person.

Suped-Up Stuffed Chicken

Sometimes I totally forget about the tried-and-true loves of my kitchen.  I'll go months on end without pulling out spices that I adore for no reason at all.  When I find them, tucked in a corner, it's like I've won the culinary lottery--interesting meals are literally right around the corner!

Such was this week when I found old-bay seasoning, nestled in a corner that I'd hadn't reached in months.  Maybe longer.  YES!  I LOVE old bay.  I firmly believe it goes perfectly on just about anything from fries, to chicken, to pork and beyond.  That's where I started this meal-old bay.  What I came up with was delicious chicken that had my husband asking for more.  Winner.

Suped-up Stuffed Chicken:

Ingredients:

2 thin-sliced chicken breasts, brined for 24 hours
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs old bay seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh parsley
2 Tbs blue cheese

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk olive oil, old bay seasoning, garlic salt, lime juice, fresh parsley and blue cheese together.  Poor over chicken and set aside for about 30 minutes.

In a medium skillet, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  Remove chicken from marinade and lay flat.  In center of chicken breast, sprinkle 1 Tbs blue cheese and fold over each side.  Lay chicken in pan, fold down.  Cook until chicken is white-throughout-about 3-5 minutes, turning once.

Served along side old-bay homefries and vegetable tubitini.

Cost:  Approximately $1/person for chicken, prepared.
Calories: Approximately 220, based on chicken weight and cheese brand

Spicy Blue Cheese Crusted Pork

Do you KNOW how hard it is to keep a thrice-a-week-blog?  It's basically like tending to a newborn that never grows up.  It never gets easier and I'm always on the prowl for ways to make it better, help it grow.  

Last time we checked in with one another, I committed that I'd start sharing more of the "healthy" issues as well as the financial ones associated with my food and cooking.  Promises will be made good this evening.  

Since we last spoke, I've actually been devoting quite a bit of my time to my husband and I's new co-blog (oh, wait, snap?  Did you say spill the beans?  Yup, there's a co-blog coming.  Brace yourselves.) and our passion for savings.  Mike's always been thrifty (brag moment: that's how he bought me my big ass engagement ring and why we were able to pay for our honeymoon in cash) and I've been a couponer-in-closet for a few years.  I've talked about it casually, but never really put more than the casual towards it.  Until now.  Not long ago we decided to really make a financial change in our families future--and for us, that also meant building a stockpile.  (ya, ya, ya, we're THOSE people)  I wont go into details here, those are for later (and um, a different blog) but we have seen those efforts pay in our dinners, while still keepin' it fresh.  

Now, on to the real reason you've stopped by: FOOD.

Tonight's dinner was pork.  Why? Because we love it.  And because it's healthy.  And because we had it.  

Spicy Blue Cheese Crusted Pork 

Ingredients:

2 pork chops (4-5 oz each) brined in quick-brine (see recipe)

1 Tbs Dijon mustard, whole seeds

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion salt

2 Tbs crumbed blue cheese

Directions:

Bring indoor grill (or George) to heat.  Remove pork from brine (where you've brined for at least 12 hours, up to 24) and let rest for about 5 minutes.  Pat dry and season liberally with garlic and onion salt.  In small bowl, whisk mustard and soy sauce together.  Coat each side of the pork.  Place pork on grill and let sear for about 3-4 minutes before turning.  Cook until slightly pink in middle, or to temperature.  While still on grill, spoon blue cheese over top and let melt.  

Remove from heat and serve aside roasted garlic potatoes and healthy salad.  Tonight we chose Green Giant microwavable sides.

Calories:  Pork: 250 calories (depends how generous you are with cheese), Potatoes: 150, Salad w/ Dressing: 75.  Total: 475 (roughly)

What'd it cost?  Good question.  The pork I bought on special weeks ago, they had a 5 for $19.99 sale at the store.  For that I got a package of pork that has 2 meals in it.  So, the pork portion of tonight's meal was about $2.50.  The potatoes were about $.50 and the salad figures out to about .25.  (Mostly because I scored salad dressing for free a few weeks ago with an amazing sale at Walmart.)  Dinner for 2: $3.25.  

That's what I call a money-saving-meal.  

Balsamic Dijon Salmon En Papillote

Remember when I said my favorite things to cook cycle?  Well, right now, my cooking radar has landed directly on salmon.

Can I just tell you how much I love salmon?!

Since I'm a big fan of the easy, breezy, Thursday cooking-I turned to En Papillote, which is about the easiest way you could cook, and fancy-which makes it doubly cool.

Armed with my salmon (and my husbands swai) I mixed up the following glaze, en-papilloted our fish in individual papillotes, set them in the oven, and 30 minutes later, voila!  Dinner is served.  Mighty darn tasty too.

Balsamic Dijon Salmon En Papillote

Ingredients:
2 filets of fish, approx. 6 oz each (I used salmon and swai, but you can substitute just about any fish.)
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.

Directions:

Set oven to 350.  In small bowl, whisk soy sauce, dijon mustard and balsamic together.  Lay out parchment paper, set one piece of fish in the center, drizzle 1/2 of mixture over fish.  "Wrap" the fish (click here for demonstration).  Set fish on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray, as not to burn the paper.  Cook for approximately 20 minutes-or until fish is done.  You'll know its done when it flakes away easy with a fork.

Serve along side your favorite rice dish!

Balsamic Honey Pork with Ginger Jasmine Rice

Just a few weeks ago, my local shoprite had an amazing deal on meat.  5 for $20.  For that, you could choose any combination of ground beef, pork, steak, chicken.  When the average price of hamburger around here is over $6/package, this was too good of a deal to pass up.  So we stocked up.  For $20, I scored about 10 meals worth of food.  I also snagged $5 in "backbucks" to use on my next purchase. 

Now, I know I may not have NEEDED that much meat at the time, but c'mon, if you can prepare a meal for your family, with meat, for about $2 a night--that's worth the jam-packed-refrigerator, right?!

With pork in hand this week, I rummaged through my refrigerator and found some fresh ginger, jasmine rice, red bell peppers and honey.  I also had some white balsamic vinegar dressing that just needs to leave my house since there is a sale on salad dressing next week ($.20 a 22 oz bottle) and I plan to stock up.

I decided to marinate the pork overnight, grill and do a rice side.  Outcome-divided.  The hubbs doesn't so much enjoy dressings of any kind, I love them.  While he might not SAY he liked it (he's stubborn that way), he sure gobbled it up quickly.  The meal is quick and easy-under 30 minutes and around 370 calories.  (400 if you want to be really safe)

Balsamic Honey Pork with Ginger Jasmine Rice

Ingredients:

2 Boneless pork chopes, marinated overnight, in 2 cups dressing and 1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup white onion

1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped

1/2 fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tsp. garlic salt

1 TBS olive oil

Jasmine Rice prepared as directed

Directions:

Heat indoor grill up.  Remove pork from refrigerator and marinade, let rest about 10 minutes before placing on hot grill.  While pork is down on one side, in a large skillet, bring olive oil to heat.  Add onion and peppers, saute until onions are translucent.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and mix. Add ginger, stir once more and remove from heat.  Mix onion/pepper mixture into prepared jasmine rice. Set aside with lid covering to let flavors marry together.

Flip pork, let cook until 145-160 degrees on thermometer.  (Slightly pink, but mostly brown on inside.)  Remove from heat, let rest 2 minutes and serve.  

Vacuum Sealing In Everyday Kitchens

In college I went through a phase that I wanted "space saver bag" EVERYTHING.  It was an obsession.  I bought the bags, filled them up and giggled with joy as they condensed all the crap I had into one tight little package that I stuffed under a bed.  To say I had odd interests in college would be an understatement.  (or, perhaps I've just always been a housewife-ish-girl?)

What's that got to do with cooking you ask?  Well, my friends, apparently my obsession with vacuuming the air out of things doesn't end with pillows and last seasons clothing.  I also have a love for my food-vacuum-saver.

Last Christmas I put this handy little item on my wish list and my oh-so-fabulous mother got it for me.  Let me just say, the first several weeks of this appliance didn't go all that swell.  I found I wasn't using it as often as I thought and frankly, we just didn't have a ton of leftovers.  It just didn't fit into many practical areas of my kitchen.

That is, until I started marinating in it!

Let me tell you-this thing is the wonder-marinater.  Whisk up some marinade, lay the meat in the bag, pour the marinade over it, seal and suck.  Suck with all the might it will allow--and then set it in the refrigerator and walk away for 24 hours.  Take the package out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking and let the meat rest--and you're good to go.  This little dream-machine will have marinated your  meat, fish, etc. to a lovely flavor that is deep within every nook of your meal.

Again, I'm obsessed.

Tonight, I had top sirloin steak from Omaha Steaks (which, I have to say, were amazing) and had marinated them overnight in soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and white balsamic vinegar, with just a tad of whole-grain dijon mustard.  Hot-dang were these good steaks from the grill!

I shall never marinade any other way.

So, ladies, if you're in the market for a new "must-have" kitchen gadget, this is the one I'm saying  you need.  It preserves, it marinades, it's compact and its cheap.  Really, an all-around-win.

Omaha Steaks, you have the BEST chicken breasts!

Did you know that Omaha Steak company also sells chicken breast?!  No?  Neither did we!  That is, until I found a super-stellar-savings-deal on meat that just couldn't be passed up.

For just $39.99 we ordered Filets (2), Top Sirloin (2), Chicken Breast (4), Steak Burgers (10), Beef Franks (4) and Stuffed Potatoes (4).   That's 11 meals for us, for under $40.  Can you say, "steal?"

You can find that deal here.  

Armed with my super-cheap, chicken, I decided to see what goodness it had in store for us.  Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant--a few friends of mine didn't rave over their Omaha purchases--but, we bought it, and were committed.

As many of you know, I also planted my first garden this winter--and have been babysitting herbs for the better part of 6 months.  Now that they're growing like mad, it was time to use some of my precious babies.  Chicken and rice it was.

What started as a skeptical dinner, quickly turned into one of the best dinners we've had, literally.  For about 350 calories, we sat back, satisfied and looking forward to the next package of meat we tear into.

Spicy Chicken Breast w/ Jasmine Veggies

Ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts (4 oz each), brined in simple garlic brine for 12 hours
1/2 white cooking onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly minced
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 red pepper, chopped lengthwise
1 tsp season salt plus sprinkle
1 tsp garlic salt plus sprinkle
1 tsp paprika plus sprinkle
Sprinkle of cheese
2 tsp finely chopped parsley, oregano

Jasmine Rice, cooked to directions.

Directions:

Heat indoor grill (or outdoor).  Remove chicken from brine and set aside on counter, let rest about 15 minutes.

In a medium saute pan, bring olive oil to heat.  Stir in garlic and cook down for about 1 minute.  Add onions and cook over medium flame until onions have "sweat" and peppers are fork-tender.  Add season salt, garlic, paprika and stir for about 1 more minute.

Add chicken to grill, let cook on one side for about 3 minutes.  Sprinkle side up with garlic salt, paprika and season salt.  Turn and cook until done.  DO NOT cut into the meat to check doneness.  Use a meat thermometer, it'll save the moistness!

Remove from grill and let rest 1 minute.  Serve along side 1/4 cup jasmine rice, topped with onions and peppers, with a sprinkle of cheese.

Cost and Calories: Your Questions Answered

Today I'm going to address two questions I get daily--that of both cost and calories.  The way people ask is different--but the underlying questions are 1) how do you afford to cook these meals; and 2) I'm watching my diet, I can't cook like that and still manage to lose weight.

I haven't specifically addressed either of these questions, because that's not really what my blog is about, but since I've had SOO many inquiries, I figured it's 'bout that time.  

Cost.  Let me be clear: I'm a cheapster.  My husband and I budget EVERYTHING, down to the last cent.  Really, we do.  I am also a coupon-lady.  (perhaps a Krazy Coupon Lady) We watch what we spend and have a strict food budget that we don't go over.  In fact, our goal in May is to cut our food budget by 1/2.  That means I can only spend $50/week on groceries.  That has to cover 7 breakfasts, 14 lunches, 14 dinners and snacks.  It's a challenge.  Especially since we don't do box foods/prepared meals.    The key, is really to watch for sales and stock up.  For example, we have enough meat in our home to last a month-at least.  Why? Because it was all on sale, at a price that made sense.  It's kind of like the stock market--buy low, sell high, but there's no selling.  We just buy low and wait until we can buy low again.  The second part of watching your budget lends to the transition of calories.

Stop stuffing your face.  

Yes, I said that.  We eat FAR to much as a society.  Look at serving sizes and then calories, I promise you, you'll be in shock over what you're actually consuming.  The excess calories aren't just tough on your body, they are also tough on your budget.  If you start watching serving sizes, you'll start cooking less and ultimately, that will cost less.  I promise you.  A serving of chicken breast is typically 4oz.  Most standard chicken breasts are 8oz.  Normally, you'd probably cook a breast for each person, right?  But, what if you did 1/2 a breast for each person, and filler food that is less expensive?  You'd save on both calories and cost.  

Since the husband and I are both meticulous about counting our calories, I strive to make our all diners under 500 calories, if you've been watching the recipes, you'll have noticed that's generally the case.  Sometimes we go over on Friday Pizza Night, but not normally.  You'll see, cooking fresh is actually pretty healthy!  But going forward, I'll start listing the estimated calories as well--because you asked for it!  

Moving forward, I will be working to talk a bit more about the cost aspect in my blogs--and show you where you can find some savings.  What I will not be offering though, is ANY nutritional advice other than estimated calories.  You know the food pyramid, you can read the FDA website and you should talk to your doctor.  Since I think it's dangerous for people who aren't qualified to talk about nutrition, I'm steering clear.

Ok, that's 2 down.  18 more to go. 

  

Eek, I digress.

Remember me?  Yes, I'm that food-cook-blogger you read that suddenly fell off. 

I apologize.  I promise, though I've been absent from the blog-o-sphere for awhile, I have not been out of the kitchen.  In fact, anything but!  I have actually been oh-so-busy by my oven, cooking, baking and yes, keeping it all fresh.  

Between a crazy job, and life, I just haven't had a free moment to sit down and share with you what I've been creating.  My apologies.

Aside from sharing recipes, the other thing I haven't done lately is respond to readers!  Geesh, I'm terrible.  So, since I've neglected you all for awhile, I thought I'd get to some of the questions first--then, back on the blog-track.

A friend of mine recently asked "what do you suggest for steak?"  Good question, dearest.  Despite my love of flavor, I'm actually quite a food purest when it comes to steak.  My theory: buy the best cut of steak you can afford and let the meat speak for itself.  We prefer a filet in our house, and while we rarely buy, when we do, we splurge.  Go big, or go home, ya know?  Let the meat rest on the counter for about 30 minutes prior to baking/grilling/whatever, then season liberally with salt and pepper.  Make certain the grill is HOT, because the first lay-down of the meat should sear it.  Let it sit on one side for 3-4 minutes, until a good crust forms, then flip.  Whatever you do, DO NOT CUT INTO IT to check it's doneness.  I promise you, that's a terrible mistake.   Get out the thermometer, check the temperature and go by that.  Once the meat is cooked, let it rest another 5 minutes before serving.  

So there you have it, one question down. 20 more to go, literally.

I'm back on track though, so stay tuned.  Much excitement to come, friends!

Meatless Monday's Have Arrived!

No, no, no, no need to worry, or call out the reinforcements--we haven't lost our minds and gone vegan, or vegetarian, or whatever that nonsense is when people don't eat meat.  I'm from the midwest.  I HEART meat.  Nothing tops a big, juicy filet Mignon.  Nothing ever has, nothing ever will.  I promise.

With that said, I've been a bit obsessed with budgets as of late and focused on reducing our food budget by 50%.  One BIG expense is meat--and even though I try and buy it when it's on sale, and use coupons, it still adds up.  With that in mind, I've decided that Monday's in our house will be meatless.  It's good for our wallets, but also good for the environment--since reducing the meat you eat, reduces your carbon footprint. Double win, right?!

So, the dear hubbs is none to thrilled with this change in menu, he believes (and I quote) "it's not a meal without meat."  With that as our starting place, I had to ease into this transition with something he loves: macaroni and cheese!  (I know, he hates cheese, but this and pizza are the exceptions, crazy!)  

But, as with many of things, we are also a house divided.  Mike likes a traditional mac-and-cheese, while I would rather explore the fromage and all the goodness that comes with every stinky cheese known to man.  To satisfy both in our house, I decided to do "individual pots" and made his bland-and-boring and mine fit for a blog.  Happy campers all around our house tonight.

Macaroni and cheese is such an easy dish to play with--because you basically can't screw it up!  Veggies, meat, spices, you name it--it ALL goes together!  Tonight's delight came from a bit of all sorts of goodness I had lingering in the kitchen!

One-Pot-Queso

Ingredients:

2 cups macaroni noodles, cooked al-dente

1/4 cup white onions, chopped

1/4 red pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbs butter (unsalted) 

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp flour

1-2 Tbs white queso

1 1/2 cups Parmesan/reggiano cheese

1-2 tsp paprika

garlic salt, pepper to taste

Directions

In medium sauce pan, melt butter.  Add onions, peppers and garlic.  Saute until tender, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in flour, heavy cream and milk.  Bring to heat--sauce will thicken.  Be careful not to let it thicken too much--you want to be able to add in the cheese--and have it still a bit liquid.  If it's too thick, add a bit more milk.  Remove from heat.  Add queso and parmesan cheese. Stir until melted.  

Gently fold mixture into a bowl with cooked, drained noodles in it and stir until well coated.  Be careful not to add all the cheese sauce just yet--you might not need it all, depending on the consistency you prefer/size of noodles/etc.  You want the sauce to cover the noodles, coat it, be a "little" saucy, but not too much.  Fold mixture into individual baking dish.  Sprinkle with panko crumbs. 

Bake in oven set to 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until top is golden.  Because the mixture might bubble over, its a good idea to set the baking dish on a baking pan to protect the oven.  

Serve and enjoy!

Herb crusted, raspberry Glazed Pork

For a week now I've been battling onehellofa cold/sickness and haven't so much as even thought of cooking, let alone trying anything new.  The poor husband has been eating frozen food for over seven days and he was oh-so-happy to see me in the kitchen again this evening.  (forget that I'm feeling better, he's stoked he gets to eat again!)

Tonight I decided to go with a tried and true pork--but spice it up a bit for both of us.  First up, herb-crust, topped with a raspberry glaze/sauce.  While the hubbs hasn't embraced the love of all things sweet with pork, he did give it a "it's good" and I devoured it.  If you like the combination, give it a whirl, its not going to disappoint.

Herb Crusted/Raspberry Glazed Pork


Ingredients
1 pork tenderloin roast (approx 1lb) BRINED
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs dried basil
1 tbs dried oregano
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp season salt
1 tsp paprika
1 cup raspberries
2 tsp sugar
3 tbs orange juice
splash soy sauce
1 tsp cider vinegar

Directions:


In a medium mixing bowl, whisk olive oil, oregano, basil, garlic, season salt, paprika and salt/pepper together.  Place pork roast in medium baking pan that's been sprayed with cooking spray.  Rub mixture over entire roast--until fully covered.  Place in 350 degree oven until cooked--about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small saucepan, mash fresh raspberries.  Over LOW heat, whisk in orange juice until a liquid consistency.  Add sugar, cider vinegar and soy sauce.  Whisk together and bring to heat.  Don't boil, remove right before and let sit.

Drizzle over pork.

Chicken with Artichoke Hearts, Capers and Angel Hair Pasta

More often than not, I get to trying new things and love them, then decide to pair them in a round-two recipe with something else from that region that I don't use often.  Such was the case tonight with my capers from Monday.

The caper love from Monday evening got me thinking about the Mediterranean, and what other things I love from that region.  Artichoke!  Don't you just LOVE artichokes?  I do.  Steamed, with butter, or just the hearts, they're pretty amazing little things.  Deceiving since their appearance is so prickly.  

So tonight I paired those two things and whattda know, they make an amazing dinner with chicken and angel hair pasta!  

Chicken with Artichoke Hearts, Capers and Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients: (note, this recipe is for 2, you can double for more!)

2 chicken cutlets, medium size

1 Tbs capers

1 cup chicken broth

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and halved

1 Tbs corn starch, mixed with water until thin and runny

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

4 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked al-dente

1 Tbs butter

1 tsp garlic salt

Parsley-finely chopped

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium frying pan, bring EVOO to heat.  Add chicken, cook on each side until slightly golden, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove from heat, set aside.  Drain oil.  Pour chicken broth into pan, heat until boiling, let simmer until reduced by about 1/2.  During this process, add a bit of corn starch mixture, gradually, by the tsp. until a "little thick."  (just until it seems less like a broth, but not a creamy texture)  Add Artichokes, capers and chicken.  Stir and let simmer for about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat, add butter and stir until melted.  Add garlic salt, stir.  Serve over pasta, ladle sauce over both chicken and pasta.  Sprinkle parsley over top.  

Two-Way Tilapia

Plain Tilapia w/ Garlic

Sometimes, even if you're the BEST cook, a household is divided.  That's us.  We're divided during March Maddness (the hubbs is cheering on some school named Richmond, while I'm following an ACTUAL school from Kansas) and we're divided on fish.

I think it's fun to add stuff, seasoning, sauce to fish, while my food-purest husband prefers his fish lame-o, bland and baked.  I swear, if I fed him baked fish, plain potatoes and salad without dressing every night, he'd be happy as can be.  But, we all know that's not me to people-please---and that'd be boring.

So tonight, armed with two tilapia filets and a plan for two meals, I created Tilapia, two-ways, to appeal to a diverse family.

With that said, let me arm you with this: the "Dill Way" is the BEST WAY.  Seriously, I'm not a big fish fan, and I'd eat this every night.  I think its a good introduction for those who aren't big fish eaters or kids. (although,  I haven't tested the kid-theory.)

Dill Tilapia

Two-Way Tilapia

Ingredients:
2 Tilapia filets (we use fresh, never frozen)
1 Tbs. miracle whip (or you could use mayonnaise)
2 tsp fresh dill, chopped finely. (or 1 tsp dry as it's stronger)
1/2 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
Pinch of garlic salt
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  On a large, rimmed baking sheet, coat with cooking spray and lay filets down.  On one filet (plain) sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic salt.  On the other filet, spread miracle whip evenly over filet, sprinkle dill, garlic salt, salt, pepper on top.

Bake until opaque throughout--about 10 minutes, depending on size of fish.


Serve with lemon wedges!

Pork Brine

This is a great easy-brine for pork!  Remember when you're doing a brine, let the water cool completely before adding meat--you don't want to start the cooking process!

Ingredients:

2-3 cups water to boil, plus 1-2 cold after
1/4 cup salt
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 rosemary sprig
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp peppercorns

Directions:

Bring water to boil, add salt, sugar and dissolve.  Remove from heat and add garlic, rosemary and peppercorns.  Let mixture cool to room temperature, add additional water.  Pour mixture over pork, in a zip-lock bag.  Let pork brine for 12-24 hours.

Capered Pork

I'm on a lifelong quest to find easy fixes for everyday food.  Its pretty much a passion of mine during the week.  If I can take a simple protein, spice it up in a few simple steps and have a ready-to-eat meal on the table in less than 45 minutes, I feel as if I've conquered the world.

I find my inspiration from a ton of places, this week's inspiration came from a cooking class I went to with my fabulous mom and mother-in-law.  (we had a spectacular girls Sunday!)  The cooking class offered a caper-sauce that I could have drank by the gallon!  I had to re-create, and make it my own.  After a week of looking for capers in the grocery store (NOT in the spice aisle as I'd have thought!), I was prepared to make my own fun spin.  If you like a tangy, non-traditional sauce that's light, this is for you!  It paired nicely with pork, but would also go with chicken I imagine.

I also decided to try brining my pork this week.  Shocker that I've never attempted to brine pork before, given my love for all things brined--but I hadn't until now.  Rest assured, I'll never go back.  Peeps, you MUST BRINE PORK.  Seriously, it makes that much of a difference.  Rather than using my go-to-brine, I created a pork-brine, and left the pork roast in for 24 hours.  I'm certain you could skip this step--but it's so simple, why would you, right?

Capered Pork (and potatoes)

Ingredients:

1 pork roast (about 1.2lbs) brined, 24 hours
1/3 cup capers
1 1/3 cups dry white cooking wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp cider vinegar (or any white vinegar)
2 Tbs whole grain dijon mustard (or regular whole-grain mustard)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:

Set pork to broil, under 525 degrees.  If desired, sprinkle pork with salt/pepper before cooking.  Cook until done, a SLIGHT pink tint in the middle.  (about 15 minutes)

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring pan to medium heat and add capers.  Let cook for about 2 minutes, add wine. Stir and let cook until reduced by about 1/2.  (about 3-4 minutes)  Add cream, vinegar and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, or about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in dijon mustard.  Season with salt/pepper to taste.

Drizzle a bit over pork and potatoes for serving.

Pollo Frito Con Ajo

I am exhausted.  I also have a serious addiction to spicy/Mexican food these days.

No, Pooky, I'm not pregnant. I swear.

No bun-in-the-oven-reasoning,  but I've been making all sorts of Spanish/spicy food as of late and thought it'd be fun to share with you just a few of these recipes.

Tonight's dinner was totally not planned--I had a ton of stuff in the house, but nothing really figured out.  It was kinda a hodge-podge dinner tonight as well, because the hubbs hasn't figured out that cheese is delicious--so I made several side dishes to go with the Pollo Frito Con Ajo.

So what IS pollo frito?  Fried Chicken with Garlic.

The recipe is easy, under 30 minutes to make (sans brine) and turned out amazing.

Pollo Frito Con Ajo 

Ingredients:

1 package chicken cutlets (approx 4 cutlets) that have been Easy Brined (See Recipe in sidebar)
3 cups vegetable oil
3-4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs paprika
2 tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp season salt
2 cups plain natural yogurt
1-2 tsp hot sauce (to taste)

Directions:

Remove chicken from Easy Brine and pat dry.  Set aside on plate.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt and hot sauce, whisk well.

In large plastic zip-lock bag, combine flour, paprika, season salt, garlic salt.  Shake well.

In large skillet, bring oil to heat over medium flame.

Dip chicken cutlet into yogurt, cover thoroughly and place in bag, one at a time.  Zip, shake well.  Remove from bag and place in pan w/ oil.  Let cook until golden brown on one side, approximately 3-4 minutes.  Flip and let cook until golden brown on second side.  Remove from oil, let drain on paper towel.  You'll want to cook the chicken in batches, adding each to the oil separately after shaking.  I find this takes about 12-15 minutes to cook all 4 pieces.

After drained, serve with favorite side.  My favorite is Esquites (recipe on sidebar) and a bit of black bean salsa on top (see sidebar for recipe).

Enjoy!

Sausage Penne Ragout

Yes, yes, yes, I've been slacking.  I apologize.  I have been cooking (ish) but nothing new the past few days since I've been swamped with work and life and company.

Do not dispair!  I'm still alive, still creating and still blogging.  (whew, right!  whatever would you do without my blog?!)

On my "cheat" nights where I don't do any cooking, we have a meal from a bag (gasp!) that we adore.  I won't name brands here, but its a similar dish and we love it.  I've had it on the "create your own" back-burner for awhile, so tonight it was time to mix it up!

My version turned out different than expected, but good.  Although, a bit more kick would have been good.  Next time I'll add a tad more of the hot sausage!

The great thing about this recipe is you can alter it to your families taste--like sweet vs. spicy, not a problem, just use all sweet sausage.  Have dairy issues, leave it out.  For families who have different tastes, you can even split and make two dishes.  Diversity at its best!

Sausage Penne Ragout


Ingredients:
2-3 cups penne, cooked a little LESS than al dente. (you'll want to cook longer in the sauce, and the noodles should FINISH cooking in that, so watch close, you don't want soggy noodles!)
1 can tomato sauce
1 package italian sausage (I used 1/2 hot and 1/2 sweet).  You can crumble or cube--or both, which I did.
1 cooking onion, chopped, larger pieces
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbs italian seasoning
fresh chopped parsley and sour cream to taste

Directions:


Cook pasta per directions--but less than al dente.  Keep an eye on this--it can happen fast!  In a large pan, over medium heat, brown sausage until cooked through.  Add onions and garlic, simmer for about 1-2 minutes.  If there isn't a lot of moisture in the pan, you can add 1 tbs EVOO to help onions cook down.  Add tomato sauce and stir well.  Add pasta and mix.  bring to a slow simmer, add cream and italian seasoning, stir.  Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.  Serve w/ sour cream!

Asian Swai with Lemon

So I've "kinda" been on this work-out tip, which has "kinda" led me to obsess over calories we consume in this house.  Both the hubbs and I are tracking the calories we are allowed to consume and are really focusing on making healthy choices in our daily eating habits.  Ya know, gotta get an early start to setting good habits for our kids. :)

To this end, I've also been obsessed with cooking seafood, something that is new for me.  I LOVE the seafood department these days--there's so much to chose from!  This week I picked up swai.  Have you heard of it?  Tried it?  We hadn't.  It's a white fish, similar to tilapia, but the monger said it was a bit "lighter" and "meatier."  I wondered how that could be true, but figured I'd give it a go. 

As with all new fish I try, I introduce it to our table pan-friend in panko--because for the most part, I believe you can't go wrong with a panko pan fry.  If it's good, we like it, then I'm willing to nix the fry and steam/bake/etc. on the next go rounds.  

Tonight I decided to add a bit more flavor with an asian flair as well.  The turnout--delish!  And the monger was right--it was both a lighter taste, and meatier fish.  With tilapia, it so easily falls apart, but this fish held together very nicely while cooking--which I appreciate.  

One thing I learned was that the filets are rather large.  I had asked for 2, as I normally do fish, but didn't notice the size.  One filet is quite enough for 2 people if you aren't starving.  

Additional upside: swai, pre-cooked, is only 100 calories for 4 oz!  

Asian Swai w/ Lemon

Ingredients:

1 fresh swai filet

1 cup flour

1 cup pank crumbs

1 egg, beaten

4 tbs asia stir-fry oil (it's infused with ginger, garlic, etc.)

1/2 fresh lemon

Directions:

On 3 separate plates, lay out flour in one, egg in one and panko in the last.  In a medium pan, bring oil to heat over medium-high.  Dredge the fish in the flour, making certain to cover it all thoroughly as it'll help the egg stick.  Next, dredge the filet through the egg, ensuring total coverage and then through the panko crumbs, coating each side.  Transfer to the frying pan and cook until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove from heat and transfer to plate with paper towel---let drain for 30 seconds.  Squeeze lemon juice on top of filet and serve! 

Italian Style Meat Loaf

I was at the grocery store on Sunday morning, beating the rush of mad-ass-women who will all but run you over with their coupons and carts, when I ran across the most disgusting thing in the meat aisle: meatloaf mix.


Does anyone else eat meatloaf with lamb, turkey and ground beef?!  Bleh.  That does not sound good, at all.  Maybe my mom just saved me by serving it with meat--but I firmly believe that's the way it ought to be.  I'll skip the other meat forms, thanks.

Despite the bleh-factor over the multiple-meat-loaf, it did make me crave some old-school style meatloaf that mom made, but kicked up a notch. (because what good would a cooking blog be if I didn't try something new?!)  The outcome was different than mom's, but equally yummy I believe.  I'll go ahead and say it's a tad more "italian" too.

Italian Style Meat Loaf

Ingredients:


1.5 lbs ground sirloin (or beef)
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1.5-2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
ketsup, to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the bread crumbs.  Mix until well combined.  Add bread crumbs and mix with hands, until completely incorporated.  The mixture should be moist, not runny and easy to form.  If not, add a tad more breadcrumbs.  If mixture is too dry, add milk, one tablespoon at at time.

In a baking pan, spray bottom of pan with spray and form loaf with the meat mixture.  Drizzle ketsup over top.  Place in oven, preheated to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.   To avoid burnt bottoms, you can add 1/2 cup beef broth to bottom of the pan.

Maple Glazed Pork Kebabs

Man-oh-man, does pork and pineapple go good together or what?!  Yup, sure does...at least in our house.  After the rave reviews from the hubbs on the last combination, I decided to mix things up a bit and kebab it our place tonight.  Ya know, always keepin' it fresh around here.

I also found these cute (a fruit can be cute, right?!) heirloom tomatoes at the market the other day that basically asked to be skewered.

While I'm on the subject of markets--if you're in NJ and haven't made the trip to Sickles yet--put down the computer, grab your keys and drive there, immediately.  This place is all sorts of amazing.  Although a tad overpriced, this place is the original whole foods--full of healthy, yummy goodness and a cheese section to die for.  I feel very much like Martha Stewart in this place--and always find the most delightful food.  Go, now!

Ok, back to the real reason you're here--the recipe!

Maple Glazed Pork Kebab

Ingredients:

1 pork loin
1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1 container of heirloom tomatoes or grape tomatoes
6 kebab sticks, soaked in water, either over night, or at least 30 minutes prior to cooking
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
2 tsp soy sauce
1 garlic, minced

Directions:

Turn the broiler on in the oven--mine is set to 525 by default, and that's a good temperature.

Cube the pork into even pieces.  Skewer the pork, tomatoes and pineapple on each stick, alternating.  Lay sticks on baking pan, width-wise, so that the ends of each skewer are resting on the side of the pan, elevating it a bit.  (this will help cook the pork and ensure there is no clinging to the pan)

In a small bowl, whisk the syrup, mustard, soy sauce and garlic.  Check taste--you can add more syrup or soy to your liking.  Drizzle over the kebabs.  Stick under the broiler and cook until crispy and meat is cooked through.

Served great with jasmine rice!

Linguini Bolognese

There's an epic debate that takes place in our house each and every time we want to make spaghetti:  thick or thin sauce.

I am of the belief that it doesn't always need to be this thick, chunky sauce that's heavy.  Occasionally, I enjoy a lighter sauce that's not-so-heavy and lets the pasta shine through. Mike, on the other hand, wants his spaghetti served with sauce and meatballs each and every time.  He'd also be happy with canned Ragu sauce.  (which I banned from our house entirely)

Since we always seem to have this debate, tonight I decided to ditch the spaghetti noodles all together and use linguini--because if we use a different noodle, we can't have the debate, right?  It's inherently NOT spaghetti and I can do as I please.

I've been watching a TON of travel shows lately, mostly because they talk about traditional cuisine--which I find inspiration from.  Last week, I saw a show on Italy and it showcased traditional sauces from various regions and I decided to use that as my starting point.  I was interesting to see that the traditional ragu  actually uses milk--so I figured I'd give it a shot.  Surprisingly, it was fantastic.  

This meal came together really quickly, so it's certainly going to be a mid-week work-in.

Linguini Bolognese

Ingredients:

3/4 lb ground beef
1/2 package linguini noodles, cooked al-dente. (reserve 1/2 cup pasta water)
4 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh parsley
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

In a medium pan, melt butter and olive oil.  Add onions and cloves.  Cook until translucent.  Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.  DO NOT DRAIN.  (Odd, I know, but trust me on this one!) Add tomatoes, crushing with the back of your spoon.  Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, thyme, parsley and milk.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

Once sauce is done, gradually add sauce to pasta and mix.  Add in a bit of the past water--the starches will help the noodles marry with the sauce and it thicken up.  There's no real science to how much you add back in, just eyeball it--and add based on your desired consistency.


Now, Mike still likes his sauce thick, with meatballs...so that's how we'll do spaghetti.  When I'm in need of a different version, we'll just call it linguini bolognese.

Easy, Breezy, Thursday: Teriyaki Burgers and Bok Choy

I hate to speak to soon, but I think spring officially hit the jersey shore today---it was BEAUTIFUL!  As I gazed out over the ocean from my office, I was dying to leave, get home, open the house and relax.

I was also in the mood for some lighter food--'tis almost summer!

I had some ground sirloin (err, more red meat!) and baby bok choy I'd picked up because it was to cute not to.  Out came a fun meal, that while not perfect, is certainly worthy of the pass-along.  Hey, if my husband goes back for seconds, it's ok, right?

Summa-summa-summa-time....our house is open, heat is off...too soon?

Teriyaki Burgers and Bok Choy

Burger Ingredients: (Note, these are more "steak" than burger.)

1 lb ground sirloin
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tbs of each soy sauce and teriyaki sauce per patty

Directions:

Heat up the indoor grill or skillet with a bit of cooking spray in it.  Make beef patty's (makes about 5-6 depending on size)  sprinkle with sirloin and powder.  To each burger, add soy and teriyaki sauce.  Grill until done.

Boy Choy Ingredients:

1 package baby bok choy, rinsed
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tbs. Asian cooking oil

Directions:

In a skillet, bring cooking oil to heat, add boy choy and cook, turning, until leaves just start to wilt-about 2 minutes.  You still want them a bit crunchy--so remove before totally wilted.  Sprinkle with garlic salt.

Fried Brown Rice Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 white onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 ginger root, shredded
2 tbs Asian cooking oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbs butter
1 egg

Directions:

In pan, melt butter and gently scramble egg.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add oil to skillet, bring to heat.  Add garlic, onions and pepper, cook until tender/translucent.  Add ginger, rice and egg--stir until combined.  Add soy sauce and heat.  (Depending on taste, you might want more soy sauce.)

Serve boy choy, rice under burger.

Cheddar Sprinked Roasted Chicken

The past few days we've kinda-sorta-really been on a red meat kick.  Pot roast, steak, post-roast reinvented pasta...you get the idea.  Although I didn't think it was possible, we needed a break from the red meat.  (shh, don't tell my farm-family I said that!)

As you are all aware, I'm obsessed with whole chickens at the moment and after last nights succulence, there's really no end in sight.  I can't be sure if it's just because we've eaten ourselves sick of other meat this week, or if it was just really darn good, but last night, we almost ate the entire chicken it was so good. 

Mmm. Chicken.

Cheddar Sprinkled Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, brined for 24 hours
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tbs. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tbs finely grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Remove chicken from brine and let sit on counter for about 1/2 hour before cooking.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Pat the chicken dry and sit in roasting pan--without the rack.  Spread entire stick of butter over chicken, sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  Pour chicken stock into bottom of pan and drop in bay leaf. 

Sit chicken in oven, and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes.  Drizzle pan drippings every 20 minutes.  Turn oven to 380 and bake for another 20 minutes or until the thigh reaches about 175 degrees.  Do yourself a favor and use a meat thermometer--the skin is going to be delightfully crispy and traps the moisture in/helps it cook--cutting into the bird will release that. 

Remove from oven, and let bird sit for 10 minutes prior to serving.

Once cut, sprinkle cheddar cheese on moist chicken and potatoes.  MMM.

Lovin' the Love and Blue Cheese Crusted Filet

Happy V-Day!  Moreover--Happy 3-years-to-the-date-of-our-first-date to my husband. 

Yup, that's right, we had our first date on Valentines Day.  Risky, huh?  I don't remember exactly why we thought that'd be a good idea, because it could have gone really bad.  Lucky for us, it didn't--and three years later, we're married, settled in one place (best gift ever!) and celebrating love on the low...because really, we love eachother daily. :)

We do, however, have a routine of steak for special days--so this year, I whipped us up some blue-cheese crusted, broiled filets, garlic mashed potatoes and cute lil' carrots.  Finished it off with chocolate chip cookies and chocolate covered strawberries. 

Simple meal really, so no real directions for this post, just pictures. I suppose if you've got questions, feel free to ask!

Throw-down worth salsa

Since I started blogging, I've gotten a few emails about "the one thing I make the most."  Simple, salsa.

A few years ago, my mom passed down a recipe for salsa that was amazing--and since then, I've tweeked it to the point where I could eat it 24/7.  Literally.  I make this almost weekly--and it goes on just about anything.  It's easy, semi-home-made and I promise you, will get rave reviews at any pot-luck.

Shoepeg/Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:

1 jar Pace Salsa (or any salsa you'd like, I prefer chunky, mild)
1 can shoepeg corn
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped.

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together.  You can serve immediatly, but if you let it sit overnight, it's even better.  Depending on the salsa you use, before you serve it, you might need to add a bit more olive oil. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Paprikash-oh, how I missed you kitchen!

Happy....happy...happy!  After a looong week of working late nights and no cooking, I was oh-so-happy to step back into the kitchen tonight and test my culinary abilities.

For awhile, I've been slightly (err, really) obsessed with paprika--and I've been putting it on just about every meal of my day.  Eggs, check.  Sandwich, check.  Pasta, check.  It's become a wee-bit-of-an-obsession.  So tonight I decided to whip up a modified version of a favorite Hungarian dish--chicken paprikash.

The traditional dish is bit creamy (and delightful really) but Mike's opposed to the whole creamy thing.  (I don't think he knows what he's missing.)  I decided to make the dish w/o and with...which ended up surprisingly fantastic.

This dish is super easy to make and is under thirty minutes.

Kitchen, I love you!


Chicken Paprikash w/ Pappardelle

Ingredients:

1 package bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
4 Tbs olive oil
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1 Tbs paprika
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. dill
1 Tbs. sour cream
8 oz. pappardelle noodles or egg noodles, cooked as directed.
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

In a large skillet, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.  Brown on each side of the chicken, about 5 minutes on each side.  Remove and set aside.  Add remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil to pan, with pepper, garlic and onion.  Saute until tender, about 4 minutes.  Add entire can of tomatoes--breaking them apart as you add them in and with spoon.   Add paprika, salt and pepper.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and add chicken back to pan.  Slightly cover and let simmer until chicken is cooked through--about 20 minutes.  While not necessary, you can turn the chicken occasionally to ensure full flavor.

Drain pasta and serve under chicken--ladle with sauce.   Serve as-is for a non-creamy version.  For a creamier (and better!) version, add 1 Tbs sour cream atop the chicken and sprinkle with dill.