Dinner at My In-Laws

Tonight, I ended up not having to cook. We had an impromptu cook out over my In Law's house this evening. My Mother In Law and I ran to Costco to pick up some stuff for a lunch she is hosting tomorrow, and we ended up picking up some really nice steaks to grill. Our dinner was very yummy, and we had a nice visit too. Best of all, she gave my son a much needed haircut after dinner. The boy usually sits still for Grandma's haircuts without much fuss, so I usually ask her to do it. We tried Supercuts once...never again. Also, my son loves to play and run around in their huge back yard, while we all sit on the porch and chat. On nights that we come home from their place, the boy literally conks out without a single peep! That in itself is worth its weight in gold.

The Result: Jen's Mexican Chicken Casserole Surprise

YUM! My invention turned out great. It will definitely be something I make again. I loosely based it off of Claire's enchiladas and another recipe she introduced me to, Taco Crescent Bake. I was very pleased with this hybrid.
Surprisingly,I started this blog after I tried the Taco Crescent Bake recipe, therefore it is not posted on here. However, Claire does have it posted on her blog so you can see what it is all about. I am telling you, I copy her recipes way too much. I recipe-stalk her! That is why I had to be creative on this one. I needed to try and go out on my own...be my own person...make my own meals...I can cook something original, on my own. Now, I can confidently return to my stalking without guilt or shame; at least for a little while. Really, it was all about clearing my conscience. Without further ado, here is my ORIGINAL recipe.

Jen’s Mexican Chicken Casserole Surprise

Ingredients:
1 can of crescent rolls
2-3 small corn tortillas, torn into bite sized pieces
1 diced onion, divided
1 cup canned Pinto beans (or leftover Jen’s Pinto Beans)
2 cooked chicken breast, diced into bite sized cubes
1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese, divided
1 cup of crushed tortilla chips, divided
Cooking spray
Fresh diced tomatoes for garnish

For white sauce:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon Ancho chile powder
1 chipotle pepper, seeded and diced finely
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lime juice
½ cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons milk
8 ozs cream cheese, softened
½ cup of plain yogurt
1 4 oz can of green chiles
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1) In a bowl, mix together the following items to make the white sauce: ½ the amount of the diced onions, minced garlic, chipotle pepper, green chiles, sour cream, milk, yogurt, lemon juice, lime juice, cream cheese, cumin, coriander, chile powder, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
2) Coat 9 x 13 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Unroll unseparated crescent dough sheet and press into bottom of greased casserole dish, making sure to press perforated holes closed.
3) Sprinkle a handful of crushed tortilla chips over the crescent roll sheet bottom (this will prevent the crust from getting soggy during cooking).
4) Spread pinto beans into an even layer over the chips and crescent dough bottom.
5) Sprinkle ½ cup of shredded cheese and the other ½ of the diced onions over the beans.
6) Tear corn tortilla into bite sized pieces and place evenly over cheese layer.
7) Spread spinach over tortilla bites into even layer
8) Place the cubed chicken on top of the spinach, covering evenly.
9) Pour white sauce over the chicken, spreading with a spatula, in an even coating.
10) Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese (or more if you prefer) over top
11) Sprinkle more crushed tortilla chips over cheese layer.
12) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.
13) Let cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fresh diced tomatoes and enjoy!

Jen's Mexican Chicken Casserole Surprise

I am formulating a plan for dinner. I am not sure how it is all going to come together, but I feel as though one of my surprise dinners is in order. I kinda, sorta know what I want...I am just not sure how I am going to pull it off. Does that make sense? No??? Well let me back up and explain.

I am feeling very uninspired today. I am still in my pajamas, and I have not gotten up the gumption to even get in the shower yet. Yeah...it is after noon. My kid is still in his jammies too, but I figure, he is little and he can get away with it. I might decide to dress him before the husband gets home, so I don't seem like a total lazy lima bean.
Anywho...back to dinner. My friend Claire had White Girl Enchiladas a couple nights ago for dinner. They sound really good...but I am faced with a dilemma. I can't bring myself to copy yet another one of her meals.
I have been just copying whatever she has been posting on her blog lately, because it is much easier to plagiarize my meal ideas. It spares me from the whole process of coming up with something original. See, I told you I was uninspired. If I am not ripping off Claire's ideas, then I hunt for someone elses ideas to steal...like Pioneer Woman, Emeril, etc. It is a vicious cycle.
Okay, so of course I want to make Claire's White Girl Enchiladas. They sound excellent. However, I cannot bear to copy yet another dinner of hers. Even I have limits! Besides, it will go straight to her head...(not really). So, instead of being a total copy cat (as I would like to be) I am going to invent something new that is similar...but not the same. See how that works??? My conscience will be cleared and I can still sort of copy. Ha! I love my ethical flexibility!
Also, I have some ingredients that need to be used that I can incorporate into my dish.

I don't have a recipe, because I am literally going to make it up as I go along. I will unveil my surprise concoction with the results in a separate post. Maybe not tonight (I do have somewhat of a life, you know), but soon...probably tomorrow. All I can give you right now is the title to my invention. Oh, and it has chicken in it.

Wish me luck.

Jen's Mexican Style Cole Slaw

Here is my cole slaw recipe. It is loosly based on Beth's Broccoli Slaw dressing, but I added cilantro,red onion, and lemon/lime juices to give it more of a Mexican feel. I wanted the flavors to be better suited for tacos, rather than a traditional American picnic slaw...but it could easily be adjusted to be a regular cole slaw recipe.

Jen's Mexican Style Cole Slaw

Slaw:
½ head of green cabbage, shredded
1-2 shredded carrots
½ of a large red onion, shredded
½ cup of chopped cilantro

Dressing:
¾ cup of mayo
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of white sugar

Directions:
Combine slaw ingredients in bowl and gently combine thoroughly, without breaking apart. In a separate bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and stir until smooth with a wire whisk. Pour dressing over slaw and gently fold mixture to combine.

The Result: Blackened Fish Tacos

My version of blackened fish tacos were really yummy. The husband and the boy both loved them. I used catfish and blackening spice in a cast iron skillet. I used two catfish fillets that I cut into 4 pieces. I coated the catfish pieces with the spice, then pan fried the fish until black on both sides. It turned out flaky and perfectly cooked. Pretty easy. I really just had to season the fish, flip it once, and let it cook for a few minutes on each side. When the fish was done, I let it rest for a bit, then I cut into strips so they would be easier to eat in the taco.

I did make my own slaw concoction which turned out really good, and complimented the tacos well. It tasted slightly more onion-y than a normal cole slaw, with less dressing. I don't know how it would be to eat straight (like you would with a regular cole slaw)...but, man alive, it was perfect with this blackened fish. I will put my slaw recipe in a separate post; just in case anyone is curious to try my version.

Rick's tortillas were great. They were still hot when I served them. Yum. There is nothing like a fresh, warm, soft tortillas. Double yum. The pinto beans and mashed avocado balanced the whole menu out. This is definitely a keeper of a meal. My fish taco craving is totally satisfied!

Rick's Easy Corn Tortillas

I heart Rick Bayless! James Beard Award winner, TV host on PBS, successful restaurateur, husband and father, extensive traveler....I could go on and on about his accomplishments. Most impressive is this guy from the Midwest can cook some serious, authentic, Mexican food.

These are the easiest tortillas I have ever found...literally just masa harina and water for the quick version. Now, these are not your Nana's homemade, super-special tortillas from the old country..but they are a really good facsimile. This recipe/method is great in a pinch and you get the homey, warm tortilla feeling without all the labor intensive work.

Rick's Easy Corn Tortillas

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups Masa Harina(Mexican corn "flour" for making tortillas-Maseca brand is widely available in well-stocked groceries and Mexican markets)
OR
1 pound fresh smooth-ground corn masa for tortillas (available almost exclusively from tortilla factories—make sure they're grinding it from whole corn rather than reconstituting the powdered, which you can do yourself).

Directions:
If using powdered Masa Harina: Measure it into a bowl and add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot tap water. Knead with your hand until thoroughly combined. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

If using fresh Masa: Scoop it into bowl. Break up and knead a few times until smooth.

Set a large griddle (one that stretches over 2 burners) or 2 skillets on your stovetop. Heat one end of the griddle (or one skillet) to medium, the other end (or other skillet) to medium-high.
Gently squeeze dough. If it is stiff (it probably will be), knead in water 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time until the dough feels like soft cookie dough—not stiff, but not sticky. Divide into 15 pieces, rolling each into a ball. Cover with plastic.

Cut 2 squares of plastic bag 1 inch larger than your tortilla press. Open the press and lay in one piece of plastic. Lay a dough ball in the center, and gently mash it. Top with the second piece of plastic and close press. Using the press's lever, gently flatten the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick disk. Peel off the top piece of plastic.

Flip the tortilla onto your right hand (if right-handed)—the top of the tortilla should line up with the side of your index finger. Now, gently roll it onto the side of the griddle (or skillet) heated to medium: Let the bottom of the tortilla touch the griddle, then lower your hand slightly and move it away from you—the tortilla will stick to the hot surface so you can roll your hand out from under it as it rolls down flat.

After about 30 seconds, the edges of the tortilla will dry slightly and the tortilla will release from the griddle—before this moment, the tortilla will be stuck. With a metal spatula (or calloused fingers), flip the tortilla onto the hotter side of the griddle (or hotter skillet).

After about 30 seconds, the tortilla should be lightly browned underneath. Flip it over. Cook 30 seconds more—the tortilla should puff in places (or all over—a gentle press with metal spatula or fingers encourages puffing). Transfer to a basket lined with a napkin or towel.

Press and bake the remaining tortillas. Stack each newly baked tortilla on the previously baked ones. Keep the tortillas well wrapped to keep warm.

COOK'S NOTES:
Reheating Corn Tortillas: With a microwave oven Dribble 3 tablespoons water over a clean kitchen towel, then use it to wrap your cold tortillas. Slide the package into a microwaveable plastic bag and fold it over—don't seal. Microwave at 50% power for 4 minutes to create a steamy environment around tortillas. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes before serving.

Jen's Notes:
If you live in an extremely dry climate like I do, you may need a couple of extra teaspoons of water in your masa harina dough.


I use this little device to press out my tortillas. I found this cast iron tortilla press pretty cheap, and it is one of my favorite kitchen tools.



Here is the final result. Don't they look yummy??? They are!!! I heart fresh corn tortillas!!!

Blackened Fish Tacos

I saw this recipe on my friend Claire's blog, and wanted to have it immediately. It sounds really good, and I have been craving baja style fish tacos lately. While this is not a traditional baja fish taco recipe, I think it will satisfy my craving quite nicely. I think Jen's Pinto Beans (see previous post) is a good call for a side dish.
I will post the recipe as she has it, but I need to tweak it some due the the ingredients (or rather the lack of ingredients) that I have on hand.
Also, I will be making the corn tortillas from scratch, which sounds impressive...but really, it is super easy. The tortillas only have two ingredients! I will post the tortilla recipe and method separately.

Blackened Fish Tacos

Ingredients:
Slaw:
1/4 cup sliced green onions with tops
2 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Cajun or blackened fish seasoning
2 cups broccoli slaw mix

Fish:
1 pound tilapia or catfish fillets
1 Tbsp Cajun or blackened fish seasoning
1 avocado, seeded and sliced
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
3 medium radishes
Additional snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

For slaw:
combine green onions, cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, sugar, and Cajun seasoning. Whisk until blended. Add slaw mix; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.

For Fish:
Heat grill pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Moisten fish fillets with water and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Lightly spray pan with vegetable oil. Place fillets in pan; cook over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork, carefully turning once. Remove from heat.

Flake fish into bite-size pieces.Cut avocado in half lengthwise; remove seed and cut flesh away from skin. Cut one avocado half into slices. Reserve remaining half for another use.

Warm tortillas in microwave or oven. Once heated, top tortillas evenly with slaw mixture and fish. Grate radishes evenly over fish. Top with avocado slices and sprinkle with additional cilantro.

Jen's Notes:
So, I am changing almost everything with this recipe.

I am using cabbage and making actual cole slaw with red onion and carrot in a light dressing, instead of broccoli slaw. I don't have radishes for garnish. Then, I am going to use a cast iron skillet to really blacken the fish in a little canola oil and not a grill pan. I think I will cook the fish, then cut into strips versus flaking it apart, as directed. Lastly, I will probably just mash 1 whole avocado with lime juice, salt, and pepper rather than putting wedge slices on each taco.

Mine will be similar, yet different.

Jen's Italian Pasta Salad

We are having grilled brats tonight for the main part of our dinner. Since brats are summer food, I wanted some side dishes that also evoke feelings of summertime and outdoor grilling. You know, picnic-type food. I picked up some fresh corn on the cob, but I could not decide on second side dish. Then, my friend Claire reminded me that pasta salad goes well with brats. Eureka! Claire is a very smart girl! Just like that, dinner was planned.

Since I am sure you all can grill brats and fix corn on the cob, I am just going to include my recipe for pasta salad today. This is one of my husbands favorite things. Also, the people at his office are addicted to it...like crack. Every time they have a potluck, my pasta salad is requested. It is very flattering...and we all know that flattery will get you everywhere. I made a big batch, so the husband can take some to work tomorrow.
Originally, this dish came together as one of my surprise concoctions. I had a friend that made a similar version, and I started tweaking it over time. It is simple, refreshing, and reminiscent of Italian antipasto. This is another recipe that I have never written down; so once again, I am glad to have this blog so I can document a family favorite!

Jen's Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 bag of cooked multi colored pasta spirals, drained
1 small OR 1/2 of large red onion
1 small can of black olive slices
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 rib of celery, diced finely
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 bottle of Newman's Own Light Italian Salad Dressing
salt and pepper to taste
fresh grated Parmesean cheese to taste (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup of shredded mild cheddar OR colby jack cheese

You can also add:
fresh sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 green onions, white and green parts, diced finely (optional)
handful of frozen, thawed peas (optional)
fresh broccoli florets (optional)
fresh cauliflower florets (optional)

Directions:
Cook and cool pasta. Combine pasta with all other ingredients and mix thoroghly. Let sit so flavors may combine for minimum 2 hours (overnight is better). Serve cool or at room temerature.

Jen's Notes:
This recipe can be easily doubled by using two bags of pasta, and two bottles of salad dressing. Any italian salad dressing you like will work, but I like Newman's Own the best. This recipe is pretty flexible, so you can really be creative and use whatever different ingredients you like. I have listed some optional additions that I have used in the past with good results.

You can also add cooked chicken, diced into cubes or strips, to this dish. When I was working, I would sometimes mix in leftover grilled chicken breast for a yummy lunch. With the addition of chicken this pasta salad turns into a well balanced, healthy, and substantial meal that kids and adults both seem to enjoy.

The Result: Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken

PW's Crispy Yogurt Chicken....in a word, SUPERGOOD! The boy ate one whole piece by himself, and the husband and I had seconds. We could not get enough of it. So, fantastically, fantabulously, excruciatingly good. I added onion and garlic powder into both the bread crumb mixture and the yogurt mixture (and my paprika). So, so, so good. Try it. You will not be sorry.

Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken

Pioneer Woman never steers me wrong. Her website is always useful...especially her cooking section. There are always yummy recipes that are relatively easy to prepare, and great photos to help guide you along the way. I can only say that I love her website, and you should check it out for yourself.

This recipe looks like a twist on a classic. I am interested to see how the yogurt and lemon coating plays out. I was not excited about the chicken I had planned for tonight, until I found this recipe. I think I will serve this with some glazed carrots (my usual favorite) and baked potato (another usual favorite). Overall, this looks like it will be a simple and delicious dinner.


Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds of chicken parts (legs, thighs, etc.)
2 cups plain yogurt
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
butter to taste (see recipe)
2 cups breadcrumbs, preferably panko
dash of paprika to taste (just for fun)
onion powder to taste
garlic powder to taste

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place 2 cups of yogurt in a bowl with lemon juice, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh minced garlic. Stir to combine.

3) Rinse and pat chicken pieces dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt, pepper (not too much). Set aside.

4) In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs with a small amount of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and paprika. Combine with a fork until spices are thoroughly mixed in with the breadcrumbs.

5) Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with a small amount of butter or cooking spray, and set aside.

6) Working one by one, coat each piece of chicken generously with yogurt mixture and then roll in the breadcrumb mixture until thoroughly covered with breadcrumbs. Then, place finished, coated pieces in baking dish.

7) Place a pat of butter on top of the thickest part of each piece of coated chicken.

8) Cover with foil and cook in a 350 degree oven for 1 - 1 1/4 hours. REMEMBER: Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking time, so the chicken may get golden and crispy. Serve and enjoy!

Jen's Notes:
I did not copy her recipe verbatim, but condensed it and added a additional ingredient. All measurements are approximate, and are what I am going to use (i.e. not in the original version of the recipe).
I think the paprika will be a nice touch and give it a little extra oomph. I will see how much yogurt I actually have on hand; if I am short I will make up the difference with sour cream. Also, I am going to be using dried parsley instead of fresh. All of my chicken is skinless thighs, but I think you can use either skinless or skin-on. PW's photos show that she uses legs with the skin-on. Hopefully, my skinless chicken will be just as tasty. I will report back with the results later.

Leftovers

Nothing exciting here tonight for dinner. We have quite a few leftovers from this past week that need to be used, in addition to some frozen leftovers that I want to get rid of. I need to plan my menus for the next few days, so the extra time ( while I am not cooking) will come in handy. There are a couple recipes in this month's issue of Cooking Light that look promising, and I want to sort through my saved recipes to see if there is something in there that sounds good. Either way, I will be back tomorrow with a yummy dinner.

The Result: Emeril's Mood Beef

Oh man, did Emeril's dish deliver! It was so good!!!! It took a long time to cook, but the process was very easy to follow. It was delicious. The husband and I both had seconds, and the boy gobbled it up. The consistency was like a thick tomato sauce, chock full of flavor. The meat was fork tender, and the dried pasta cooked in the sauce to a perfect al dente texture. It was so satisfying! This dish conjures up images of an Italian (or rather a Portuguese) household with a big pot of rich sauce simmering on the stove, all day long. Absolutely fantastic.

It is probably worth mentioning that this dish would be better suited for a winter meal. The overall feeling of the recipe screams "cold weather food". It was very hearty, and it seems to warm you from the inside out. Maybe not as much fun in the middle of summer, but still great nonetheless. I am definitely going to make this recipe again during cooler temperatures. Emeril rocks!

Emeril's Mood Beef (Portuguese-Style Beef with Peppers and Ditalini)

I am using the last of my freezer gems for tonight's dinner. Whew! I am officially caught up to July on my stored food supply. There have been several times in the past where I thought that I had found all the old items, only to have another one mysteriously appear at the bottom of the freezer. For a while, I thought someone was trying to "gaslight" me, until I realized that it is easy for items to slip undetected into the trenches of the huge bin. Ugh. I did a thorough inventory and organization project, so there should be no more freezer mishaps. Well, that is to say, until it gets messy again.

I have never worked with round steak, so this should be an interesting experiment. I did a search on the Food Network website, and this recipe jumped out at me. I usually have good luck with Emeril's recipes, since they are typically not that difficult to prepare and big on flavor. It sounds more Italian, than Portuguese-style....but what do I know???? I have had a string of bad luck in the kitchen these past couple days, so I am hoping that nonsense is over. I am planning to redeem myself tonight, with Emeril by my side. Also, I liked the title....Mood Beef. It seems to imply a good mood, and I hope that is true.

One last note, Ditalini is a small pasta (use link to see specific shape), that you can actually find at the regular grocery store. I found mine at Fry's, in the pasta aisle. If you cannot find Ditalini, the reviews indicate that any small pasta will work (such as orzo).


Mood Beef (Portuguese Style Beef with Peppers and Ditalini)
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds beef round steak, cut into thin strips
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 green peppers, cut into thin strips
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (35-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed with your hands, with their juice
1 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup ditalini pasta OR OTHER SMALL PASTA (orzo, etc.)
2 tablespoons minced parsley leaves

Directions:
In a Dutch oven or heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the beef with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper. Saute the beef, in batches if necessary so that the pan is not crowded, until well-browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and green peppers to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and caramelized around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes, water, bay leaf, crushed red pepper and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.

Return the beef to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Add the ditalini to the gravy and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.

Add the parsley. Serve immediately.

Episode#: EM2A26
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

No Dinner

We are going over to my friend Laura's house for dinner tonight. I volunteered to bring Jen's Top Secret Cheesy Potatoes as a side dish (see previous post)...but for the most part, I get to relax and be a guest. My potatoes come together pretty easily, so it is really no sweat effort-wise. Laura is making her yummy meatloaf, and an ice cream pie for dessert. I know we are going to have an excellent time! I will be back to my regular cooking schedule tomorrow.

The Result: Pasta & Co. Black Bean Lasagna

It took me 4 hours to make this dish. 4 hours. 4 hours!!!!! It was so labor intensive! I really don't think that the flavor was enough of a reward for the 4 hours of prep and cooking. The overall taste was decent; actually, a bit on the bland side. The thing that horks me off is that I frittered away precious toddler napping time! I only have a small window of time by myself during the day, while my son is taking a nap. It is a wonderful time of the day. I don't have to parent during nap time. It's total "ME" time. That nap time is gold! When that precious little interlude is interrupted, I get a little perturbed. Today, I spent my "me" time making this recipe, when I could have been doing more worthwhile things...like sitting on the couch reading my new copy of Cooking Light magazine! Do you see the problem??? Ugh.

Back to the boring, and somewhat bland, time-suck of a lasagna....

The funny thing was that the ingredients list has some pretty flavorful items on it, but in small quantities. I guess the amount of spices are so small, the result ends up being a not-that-great type of experience. Especially with 4 hours worth of effort! Did I mention the wasted 4 hours of my day???? I just want to make certain everyone understands that I am annoyed.
Also, the black bean sauce made the whole thing soupy. The texture was not like a true lasagna should be. We have 1/2 a pan leftover, so I am hoping that the flavors get stronger and the texture gets firmer with a little time in the fridge. Cross your fingers. Otherwise, if it does not improve, I think the dogs are going to have a feast within the next couple days.

In light of my fiasco last night, I made sure to follow the ingredients list and measurements exactly (hence the 4 hours of my life that I can never recover). What I am trying to say, is that any negative outcome is totally not my fault...and I played by the rules by following the recipe. Which brings me to another thought that I had while cooking...and cooking....and cooking....and cooking. I really do not like to follow recipes word for word. I am impatient. I don't like measuring. I don't like a lot of fussy little steps.
When I find a new recipe, I typically read it over and make sure I have everything for it. I get a mental game plan of how everything is going to be prepared and in which order. I think about the method, rather than the individual steps. Then, I do all my prep work. Once everything is set up, I just cook from my game plan. I will refer to the recipe, but not follow it word for word. Ninety eight percent of the time this process works out to my advantage.
Today, I actually followed the recipe step by step. I found it tedious, and the result was just okay....not great. I can now understand why people find cooking to be a chore. Cooking is usually relaxing for me, but it was not today (or yesterday, for that matter). Strictly following the recipe made me uptight, and stole the pleasure out of the whole process.
I think I learned that I should just stick with how I normally do things. The fun part of cooking, for me at least, is the creative part. Apparently, I get a little cranky when I don't get the freedom to improvise. I think it is the whole "I don't like to follow the rules all the time" attitude I sometimes have. Recipes are for squares! Okay, just kidding....maybe I am getting a little carried away. Anyway, no more exact recipes.

Oh, and I won't be wasting another 4 hours on this dish any time soon.

Pasta & Co. Black Bean Lasagna

I am still a little defeated from last night's dinner debacle. I was debating if I should try this new recipe tonight, or save it for another time...due to my loss of confidence. Then, I was inspired by the Olympics. An Olympic athlete would persevere....and so will I! I may not be able to pole vault or dive or swim or play beach volleyball or do gymnastics or platform dive or run or throw a disk thingy or jump hurdles or....(okay, we would be here all day if I listed all the events that I would suck at)....BUT I CAN COOK! I MUST COOK! I think I can...I think I can...

Okay, enough tomfoolery. I photocopied this recipe from my friend Claire's Pasta & Co. Encore cookbook. It looks really tasty and I cannot wait to try it. I love all the flavors included in the ingredients, but I am dying to find out how the whole thing comes together. This is a long recipe, so prepare yourself...

Pasta & Co. Black Bean Lasagna
Serves 6 to 8

Rice mixture:
1 can (15 ounces) black beans
2/3 cup uncooked brown rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
Heaping ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, rinsed and drained but not cooked
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable stock
1/3 cup seeded and diced Anaheim peppers
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, well drained
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Bean sauce:
¾ cup vegetable stock, divided
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1-½ teaspoons dry sherry
½ teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

To assemble:
2 2/3 cups marinara sauce
6 sheets fresh lasagna (or enough cooked dried lasagna noodles to make three layers in a 9-by-13-inch pan)
1 cup nonfat quark or ricotta cheese
2 2/3 cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ cup freshly made bread crumbs

Directions:
1. To prepare the rice mixture: Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Measure 2/3 cup of the beans for the rice mixture and reserve. Save the remaining beans and liquid for the bean sauce.

2. Cook the rice according to package directions until tender. In a dry skillet, roast the cumin and coriander, taking care not to burn them. Mix hot spices with cooked rice, stir in salt and pepper, and let cool. Stir in corn, vegetable stock, Anaheim peppers, chilies, cilantro and reserved 2/3 cup black beans. Set aside.

3. For the bean sauce: Place 2 tablespoons of the vegetable stock in a saucepan. Add onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, chili powder, pepper, sherry and sherry vinegar. Simmer 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and the remaining black beans and their liquid and cook for another 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Place bean mixture in the work bowl of a food processor equipped with a steel blade. Process until almost smooth, leaving some pieces of bean intact. Add the remaining vegetable stock and cilantro. Reserve.

5. To assemble: Spread 2/3 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with one layer of uncooked fresh lasagna (or cooked dried) noodles. Spoon on half (about 2 cups) of the rice mixture and ¾ cup of the bean sauce. Top with ½ cup of the quark or ricotta and 1-¼ cups of the mozzarella. Cover with another layer of lasagna noodles and 1 cup marinara sauce. Follow with the same amounts of rice, black bean sauce and cheese as before. Top with the last layer of noodles and press lightly with fingertips to distribute ingredients evenly in the layers. Top with the last cup of marinara sauce, the remaining mozzarella and bread crumbs.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake lasagna for 35 minutes, or until sauce bubbles around the edge and top is nicely browned. If top browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of cooking. If baking lasagna straight from the freezer, add about 20 minutes to cooking time. Once out of the oven, let lasagna set up for approximately 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. (This is critical for ease of serving.)

From "Pasta & Co. Encore" by Marcella Rosene.

The Result: DeCio's Corn and Pasta Frittata

Yeah...not good. Not good at all. Although, I must confess...this one is mostly my fault. I totally goofed it up. First, if you actually read the recipe (a novel idea) it says to use only 3 oz. of pasta. Yeah, I used the whole pack. Oops. Then, I was on the phone yapping with Barb (Hi, Barb!) and I lost track of time. I totally overcooked it. It looked like some sort of old brown shoe. Really not good. The husband is reluctantly taking a piece for lunch tomorrow...I think only to spare my ego.
The part of it that was not my fault were the flavors. I think they were a bit strange. The sweet corn and flavored pasta threw a weird, mish-mashed (is that a real word???), funky-in-a-bad-way, taste into the dish. The only word I can think to describe it properly is YUCK!
Normally, when I bomb a dinner I will remake it at some point, just to prove to myself I can do it. Not this one. I really disliked it. My brusied ego is not worth having to eat this meal over again. Okay, okay....to be fair, it could have been horrible just because I screwed it up so bad. I just don't care enough to find out.

DeCio's Corn and Pasta Frittata

I am taking a break from cooking my freezer gems. All the recipes that I have made from those protein items are heavy and/or gravy laden. I am actually getting tired of sauce/gravy. "Inconceivable!" you say????? Well, I just need to make something lighter tonight. Also, I am using my slow cooker so much, my other cookware is getting jealous. I can't have those negative emotions swirling around in my kitchen. The Le Creuset pieces can be especially vicious (they are French, you know).

I found this recipe on the DeCio website, and it sounds promising. I love a good frittata, and this one has an ingredients list that seems pretty tasty and very easy. I have a busy day planned again, so I really need something that I can throw together quickly. I will let you know if this frittata delivers!

DeCio Corn & Pasta Frittata
This sweet, fresh tasting frittata is great with any pasta, especially the spinach and red bell pepper varieties.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups eggs
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 tsp butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup corn either fresh frozen or canned
3 oz uncooked pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Cook pasta to al dente. Combine eggs, breadcrumbs, and provolone cheese in a small bowl. whisk and set aside. In medium skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms, onions, and corn 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Add egg mixture and cook until set around edges. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 450 until center is set.

Jen's Notes:
I will use DeCio's Spinach Basil Garlic linguine in this dish. Also, I don't have any provolone cheese, so I will substitute mozzarella. Lastly, I will use a small yellow onion as a substitute for the green onion.

The Result: Korean BBQ Short Ribs

I am going to make this post a little short tonight. I know, I know....I am robbing you of my fascinating anecdotal commentary. Please don't cry out in anguish....please do not rise up in a riotous mob...please do not picket or protest or anything else unpleasant. I am sorry to disappoint my throngs of blog fans...well, maybe just my mom. Hi, mom.

I was really pleased with the slow cooker application of this recipe, and the overall flavor of the dish. I think that I would have had a better outcome if I had used a different cut of meat. The 3 short ribs I had were a little too fatty, so that took away from the final result. I think a chuck roast/pot roast would be perfectly suited for this dish. Another great variation would be chicken. In my esteemed opinion, this recipe is worthy of a try. Next time I will just use a better quality short rib or a another cut of meat.

Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Gal-Bi): Adapted for the Slow Cooker

For some reason, I am have been head-over-heels in love with my crock pot, lately. I am rediscovering the honeymoon phase of our relationship...my slow cooker is perfect. I love the freedom it gives my afternoons. I love the good, home cooking type of smells that it emanates. I love that it does not heat up my house...which, by the way, is very important during a nasty Phoenix summer. I love the sleek chrome finish. I love it's size. I love that it can accomodate any thing I throw into it. I love that it makes my husband think I have been slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon but in fact I was sitting on the couch watching Oprah. Yes, that was a run-on sentence. I love how easy it is to clean. Oh, slow cooker...if I were not already married....

But I digress.

Once again, back to my recipe. I am doing some creative cooking today (i.e. improvising). I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I am adapting it to my needs (i.e. my gorgeous slow cooker...hello, lover).
I will post the original recipe, but then include my changes in the notes at the bottom of the post. I added a couple extra tidbits that were not in the recipe and I have to stretch the meat component. I only have a total of 3 short ribs, so I am going to make an extra side dish. I want to make sure there is enough leftovers for the husbands lunch tomorrow.
I think I will serve this dish with white rice, stir fried veggies, and some baked spring rolls. Since we have never tried this version of short ribs before, I will review the results later.

Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Gal-Bi)

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 large onion, minced
3 pounds Korean-style short
ribs (beef chuck flank end, cut
1/3 to 1/2 inch thick across
bones)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour soy sauce, water, and vinegar into a large, non-metallic bowl. Whisk in brown sugar, white sugar, pepper, sesame oil, garlic, and onion until the sugars have dissolved. Submerge the ribs in this marinade, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 7 to 12 hours; the longer, the better.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
3. Remove ribs from the marinade, shake off excess, and discard the marinade. Cook on preheated grill until the meat is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes per side.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Jen's Notes & Slow Cooker Adaptation:
I only had 1/2 cup of soy sauce, so I added some Teriyaki sauce to make up the difference for the amount needed. I used a combo of white vinegar and white wine vinegar, since I did not have the whole amount of either one. Lastly, I added about a tablespoon Chinese Five Spice powder. Why you ask? It struck my fancy when I was foraging in the pantry.

Instead of marinating then grilling (as the recipe suggests), I just threw all the ingredients in the slow cooker. I think 4 hours on the 'high' setting should be a sufficient cook time, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for good luck.

Jen's Oatmeal Cookies

On Monday, my niece Kate and I made some cookies to give to my in laws (as an anniversary gift from their three grandchildren). This is my favorite cookie recipe, and I always have all the ingredients on hand. It is very easy to just whip up a batch, when needed. Since I don't usually bake, I figured I would post this recipe to celebrate this rare event.

Originally, these little lovelies came into my life through my friend Dawn. I am not sure where she got the original recipe, but I am thankful she introduced me to them. I have added some ingredients, changed some of the measurements, and played around with the method, to make these cookies my own.

Jen’s Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) margarine or unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins (OR ALTERNATE: 1 cup of chocolate chips) (OR ALTERNATE: ½ cup of raisins and ½ cup of chocolate chips)

***Mixture of cinnamon/granulated sugar for topping***

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins (&/or chocolate chips); mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; Sprinkle top with cinnamon/sugar mixture & remove to wire rack. Cool completely.
Store tightly covered.

Cook Tips and Variations:
BAR COOKIES: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered,24

BARS VARIATIONS: Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts. Substitute 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or candy-coated chocolate pieces for raisins; omit cinnamon.Substitute 1 cup diced dried mixed fruit.

HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Increase flour to 1-3/4 cups and bake as directed.

Recipe Yield:
ABOUT 3 to 4 DOZEN

The Result: Jen's Pork Chop and Mushroom Gravy Surprise

The surprise was pleasant. Not super-fantastic and unique, but really good in a stick-to-your-ribs, comfort food, kinda way. The flavors were all very familiar. It tasted like a typical crock pot meat and gravy meal. The dish gave the impression that it took more time and effort than it actually did...so that was very cool.

The meat was literally fall off the bone tender...I had to fish the bones out of the gravy before serving. I felt that the gravy was a little thin, but really that was my fault. I did not feel like putting a lot of effort into thickening the gravy. I did not want to fight with consistency, so I let the thin gravy slide...the overall taste did not suffer.
I tempered some sour cream, a tablespoon of butter, and a little splash of milk into the pot to dress up the gravy. To do this, I mixed the new ingredients together in a separate bowl. I put some of the hot liquid in the separate bowl, as well. This allowed the different temperatures time to get used to each other (so the cold ingredients did not curdle). I mixed everything together before adding to the big slow cooker. Then, I just turned off the slow cooker, removed the meat bones, and mixed the contents of my second bowl into the slow cooker with a wire whisk. Once everything was smooth and combined, I served the meat and gravy over rice with green beans on the side.

Overall, I was happy with the result. It was yummy and very, very easy. I would make this again in a heartbeat. Also, I think you could use any protein and get the same outcome. Chicken would definitely work. This was a great no-fuss, time-saver of a meal.

Jen's Pork Chop and Mushroom Gravy Surprise

Tonight's dinner will be a total surprise. This is one of my creative concoctions that is born out of necessity. My nieces are with me again today, and we are going to have to take them back to my in law's later this afternoon (probably around dinner time). Since timing is an issue for us this evening, I decided to employ the use of my trusty slow cooker.
I had some pork chops that I found in the freezer (from who knows when) and my friend Laura gave me bag of fresh, sliced, button mushrooms that she couldn't really use. I cooked the mushrooms about two days ago, since I was afraid they would not keep for very long. I sauteed them in olive oil with salt, pepper, and thyme. I added a splash of white wine and about a 1/2 cup of chicken stock in with the 'shrooms and let the mixture reduce down. Once I thought they looked like they were ready, I let them cool, packaged them up, and saved them in the fridge. I was not sure how I was going to use my newly cooked mushrooms, but I knew I would think of something. The pork chops caught my eye this morning, so I figured I could pair the mushrooms with the pork chops somehow. I thawed the frozen pork chops, hoping I would think of a way to prepare them. I really could not think of anything, so I decided I would wing it. I waited until all the kids were sleeping, then I made my move.

There is really no recipe, since I literally threw ingredients into the crock pot that sounded like they would be good together. I will serve my creation with some steamed green beans, as a side dish. Wish us luck! I will report back tonight and let you know how it goes.

Jen's Pork Chops and Mushroom Gravy Surprise
Ingredients:
4 bone in pork chops
1 cup of cooked button mushrooms (see above for details)
1 jar of mushroom brown gravy (I used Heinz brand)
1/4 cup of water
1/3 cup of chicken stock
paprika to taste (a decent pinch)
dry mustard powder to taste (a few shakes)
onion powder to taste (a decent pinch)
minced, dried onions to taste (a decent pinch)
garlic powder to taste (a decent pinch)
salt and pepper to taste (use your imagination)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir lightly to combine. Cook on high for 4 1/2 hours. Add more liquid during cook time, if needed. Keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Serve pork chops and gravy over egg noodles or white rice.

Jen's Notes:
At the end of cooking, I am going to try and make a creamy gravy by adding some sour cream. Since I am not sure how I am going to specifically accomplish this little task, I will post the final instructions in my result post later.

Dinner at My In-Laws

My nieces are in town from Reno this week, and are staying at my in law's. Yesterday morning they came over for a visit, and I ended up juggling three kids for the better part of the day. They were very well behaved and Connor and I loved spending time with them. I had a really fun day with all the kids, and we had a lot of activities planned to keep them busy. When the husband came home from work, we loaded up the children and took them back over to my in law's house. Once we got there, they had pizza was waiting for us. I really have an awesome family! We stayed and ate pizza, played with the kids some more, and then came home. We all had a great time, and I got off the hook for cooking!

Grilled Steaks, Brussels Sprouts, & Leftover Potatoes/Mac and Cheese

I decided to make a easy dinner again tonight, because I wanted to spend most of the day getting caught up on chores. I really need to get my house in order for the upcoming week.
I found two steaks on sale last week (during my bargain meat bonanza) and that seems like a good choice for tonight. All I do is thaw the protein, smother with a bottled bbq sauce, let it marinate for a few hours, and then the husband grills it outside. Ridiculously easy.
We still have leftover mashed potatoes and mac & cheese, so those will be tonight's side dish. For a veggie, I found a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts on the bottom of our big freezer. Since I am not sure how long they have been down there, I will just cook 'em up. I steam the Brussels sprouts until tender, melt a tablespoon of butter over them, use a tiny splash of lemon juice, and then salt and pepper to taste. That's it!

I found some other freezer gems that I will make during the week that will be a little more involved. But tonight, it is steak night!

Jen's Stuffed Peppers

I had traffic school this morning, so I wanted something easy for dinner tonight. Yes, I am a speeder/traffic citation earner. After sitting in a five hour class about Arizona law and defensive driving, I needed a no-brainer type of meal. Also, we still have a ton of leftovers that we need to eat up. I have mashed potatoes, cheesy potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli slaw still in the fridge. They all have worn out their welcome, and they need to go. Oh wait, there's more! In addition to the excess amounts of leftovers, I had two green, bell peppers that were on the brink of not being edible. Since they were looking a bit dodgy, I decided that today was the day...use 'em or lose 'em. This recipe is the perfect protein vehicle (ha, ha...get it....traffic school....vehicle...I crack myself up) to accommodate all these factors.

I think I am in comfort food mode, because this is another recipe from my mother. I have changed it a little and have adapted it to work in the slow cooker. Again, this is a family recipe that has never been documented. See I am not only blogging, but I am preserving history in the process. Anyway, moving on...
A slow cooker is not necessary, because that was not the original way to make this dish. The end result is just as good if you make this recipe on your stove top...but the slow cooker saves you from some stuffed pepper babysitting. Trust me...just use the slow cooker. Okay, okay...I will post both methods of preparation, just in case you are curious. Sheesh.

One last thing, I don't like eating the pepper-part, per se. I like the flavor the stewed peppers lend to the dish, but I don't like to eat soggy green peppers. Its just a personal preference. My husband likes the pepper-part and he will eat them. So, I typically use 2 peppers for flavor and make the rest of the filling into meatballs to cook along with the actual stuffed peppers. This way, everyone is happy and I am not wasting the pepper portion.

Jen's Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
2 green bell peppers, seeded and halved
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb. of ground beef
1/2 cup of instant white rice
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste (very important...don't skimp!)
1 large can of tomato juice, undiluted
1 teaspoon of dried minced onion (optional)
1 clove minced garlic (optional)

Directions:
1) Cut peppers in half to form cups and remove ribs and seeds. Set pepper halves aside. I always cut the peppers in half vertically, but it does not matter.

2) In a slow cooker insert pot or a large stock pot mix hamburger, diced onion, rice, egg, salt, and pepper WITH YOUR CLEAN HANDS (I don't know why, but it tastes much better if you hand mix it).

3) Take a palm full of meat mixture and press into pepper cups, packing firmly. Arrange filled pepper cups at the bottom of slow cooker or stock pot.

4) Take any leftover meat and form into meatballs, and place in between pepper cups (if no space is left just sit meatballs on top of pepper cups).

5) Sprinkle garlic, minced dried onion, and additional salt and pepper (if needed) on tops of meatballs and pepper cups.

6) Pour entire large can of tomato juice on top of meatballs and pepper cups. All ingredients should be submerged, or close to submerged.

7) Cover and cook in slow cooker on high for 2-3 hours OR low for 4-5 hours. When finished, let cool for 10 minutes and serve.
***************************OR*******************************
Alternate method for stove top preparation: Place large stock pot on stove top and cook on high for 1 hour, with lid partially on (liquid should be boiling). Check periodically for evaporation...add more tomato juice if liquid evaporates by more than half). Let cool and serve.

Jen's Notes:
I use the same pot that I am going to cook this dish in for the mixing bowl. This way, I don't dirty an extra bowl and it is much easier to clean up.

This recipe can easily be adjusted for increased quantity (i.e. more people) by doubling all ingredients.

The Result: Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese & Marinated Grilled Whole Chicken

Alright, I need to come up with some new adjectives. I keep writing that dinner was "good", "fantastic", "awesome", "great", "yummy", etc., but those words do not always convey how fabulous certain recipes turn out. I think I need a better vocabulary. If my adjectives were more accurate, then I could express my opinion more clearly. So, until I can become a little more descriptive you will have to put up with my loquaciousness (now there is an adjective). Anyway, back to my post.

Tonight's dinner was awesome.

The marinade and the mac and cheese recipes were phenomenal (there is a good one, too). The chicken grilled up perfectly, producing tender, juicy, flavorful meat, with crispy skin. Totally Yummy!
The mac and cheese was great, despite an earlier mishap. While I was boiling the water for the noodles, I mixed the cheese sauce in a separate bowl. I measured out the dry pasta, and instead of putting the dried pasta in the boiling water (where it was supposed to go) I accidentally put the dried pasta in the cheese sauce mix. Yikes! Thankfully, I did not stir. All the uncooked noodles were sitting on top, and I was able to pick all of them out and toss them away. I am glad I had a big box of dried pasta because I just boiled the other half I had left (rather than rinsing each dried noodle one by one). It was a little stressful, but at least I saved the mac and cheese.

My whole family seemed to thoroughly enjoy each dish...in fact, I think my father in law had thirds on some items. I will make both these recipes again!

Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese

I am not sure who Chuck is, but this mac and cheese recipe that he submitted on allrecipes.com looks really, really good. I have mostly everything on hand for this, with the exception of the cottage cheese. I did ask the husband to stop at the grocery store on the way home to pick some up for me, so that solves that problem. I have never heard of mac and cheese with sour cream and cottage cheese in it, but all the reviews are positive. I will let you know how it turns out.

Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package elbow
macaroni
1 (8 ounce) package shredded
sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) container small
curd cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour
cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, added to cheese mixture (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
2. In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Jen's Notes:
The only variation I made was that I added a pinch of cayenne pepper, but not very much. I did not want this dish to be spicy, but I wanted a little extra layer of flavor. I used about 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in the cheese mixture. The cayenne was great and gave a little extra 'umph' without being obvious.

Grilled Marinated Whole Chicken

My In-Law's are coming over for dinner tonight, so I decided to try a new marinade on a whole grilled chicken. I found the recipe for the marinade on allrecipes.com, and it looks very similar to one that my friend Claire uses all the time.

To prepare the chicken for the grill, I cut the backbone out of the chicken, flipped it over, and pounded the breast bone to flatten the whole thing. Then, I tuck the wings behind the shoulders so they stay in place ( as mentioned in a previous post, this method is sometimes called 'spatchcock'...that term always makes me giggle). I have the bird marinating for approximately 3 hours, and I will turn it over once to make sure the marinade penetrates all parts of the meat. After that, we just throw the whole thing on a medium grill (we have a 3 burner grill, so we light the 2 outside burners and leave the middle one off) and cook for 1 hour without flipping. The chicken always comes out perfectly done.

I am not sure what I am going to serve with this dish. We have a ton of leftover broccoli slaw, so I think I may do that for the veggie portion of the meal. As for the starch, I am still not sure. I have a potential candidate...but nothing set in stone. I am going to dig around for a mac and cheese from scratch recipe and see how involved that is. Here is the chicken marinade recipe. I will post other dishes later on tonight, after I decide.

Chicken Marinade

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced
fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir in mustard powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use to marinate chicken before cooking as desired. The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have.

The Result: Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish, Broccoli Slaw, Tartar Sauce, and Potatoes

This dinner turned out awesome. Everything I made cooked perfectly, and all the flavors were complimentary. I will give you the run-down for each item, since I made so many items from scratch.

My bargain fish was still firm and fresh, and it tasted exactly like I expected. I love catfish. I know I proclaim to love a lot of food...but it is all true! I grew up eating catfish, and the flavor just brings me back to my childhood. This recipe was probably one of the best applications of a cornmeal, battered catfish that I have tried. The batter flavor did not overwhelm the fish, and it fried up to a beautiful light, golden brown color. I halved my 2 fillets to make 4 sandwich sized pieces. I served them on lightly toasted hamburger buns. My husband, who has a discerning palate when it comes to fish, really liked this recipe. My son ate a whole sandwich sized fillet by himself. I will definitely keep this dish to use again for my future catfish endeavors.

The tartar sauce was also a winner. It had a complex flavor, but at the same time, it was very well balanced. No single ingredient overpowered another. I only used about a teaspoon of tartar sauce on each bun, which was plenty. I wanted to be able to still taste the fish, and tartar sauce can be too strongly flavored if a lot is used. I would make this again in a heartbeat.

Beth's Broccoli Slaw was delicious, too. But I knew that already. I did like the addition of the celery. It gave it a nice bit of extra crunch. I am happy we have a bunch leftover!

Lastly, my potatoes. Ah, cheesy potatoes. So, so , so good. I love that little brown bits of cheese that bakes around the edges; almost like little cheese crisps. When no one is looking, I pick them off and eat them straight out of the pan. Seriously, they are little nuggets of crispy, crunchy, cheesy goodness. It is worth making these potatoes just for the brown edges.

Everyone at my house was very happy with all the components of this menu. I think this meal will be put in the regular dinner rotation.

Tartar Sauce

I found this recipe yesterday on epicurious.com. The recipe notes that it was originally published in Bon Appetit magazine in January 1999, to accompany a different seafood dish. I enjoy out-of-the-norm flavors, so I thought this was an unusual twist on boring tartar sauce. I have all the ingredients on hand, so I thought I would give it a go. I will let you know how it goes when I do the result post later. I am really looking forward to this dinner!

Tartar Sauce
Makes about 1 1/3 cups

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Jen's Notes:
I need to supplement some of the ingredients, based on what I have on hand. For example, I don't have dill pickles...but I do have dill pickle relish. Also, I have bottled lemon juice, not fresh. I think I will use a little fresh dill in this recipe too, because I need to use it up...but only a tiny amount.

Jen's Top Secret Cheesy Potatoes

This is another hybrid recipe from my mom. She found it in a magazine about 25 years ago, and we have been making it in my family ever since. I have jazzed it up with some additional spices and ingredients that were not in the original recipe.
I named it "Top Secret" because an old co-worker of mine kept asking for the recipe whenever I brought leftovers for lunch. I would tease her and say that the recipe was "top secret" and I could not divulge my information. This game went on for about 2 years...every time I brought these potatoes to work. When I found another job and put in my notice to quit, I finally wrote down this recipe and gave it to her. The name stuck and that is what we call this dish now.

Jen's Top Secret Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 cans of Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
5-7 medium Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into thin disks
1 cup Shredded cheese (Colby, Mild Cheddar, or Monterrey jack), divided
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste (don’t be shy)
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Coat glass 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Peel and slice potatoes into thin disks and place in mixing bowl. Season the potato disks with ½ cup of shredded cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix to combine so each piece of potato is coated with spice/cheese mixture.

Combine seasoned potato mixture with both cans of undiluted Cheddar Cheese soup. Mix until potato mixture is well coated with spices and soup.

Dump cheesy potato mixture into greased casserole dish, spread in an even layer. Sprinkle top with remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes has elapsed, remove foil and bake and additional 20-30 minutes uncovered (top should be golden brown in spots, cheese should be melty, and potatoes should be fork tender). Total cook time should be approx. 1 hour, but can be a little longer depending on if the potatoes are done.

Let sit for approx. 5-10 minutes until potatoes are set and they are cool enough to serve.

***This recipe will self destruct***

Beth's Broccoli Slaw

Yum! My friend Beth from MOMS Club brought this over last week, and I have not stopped thinking about it since. I have issues...
Only someone who likes to cook and eat would daydream about broccoli. This is super-simple and very refreshing...perfect summertime food. Thanks for a great recipe Beth!

Beth's Broccoli Slaw

In large bowl mix:
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets and finely chop about 1/2 of the stalks, cut about 15 baby carrots. Approx 1/2 cup of raisins, Approx 1/4 cup of cashews.

In medium bowl mix:
1 cup mayo, 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Directions:
Pour Mayo mixture over broccoli mixture, toss, and chill for minimum of 1 hour before serving.

Jen's Notes:
I added 2 stalks of finely chopped celery, too.

Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish Sandwiches

I get goosebumps when I find a smokin' deal. I think it is all about the 'thrill of the hunt'. Finding good ingredients for a great price is one of my favorite things in the world. Yesterday, I was at the grocery store, minding my own business, and I decided to peruse the Meat and Seafood cases. Low and behold, there were some "manager's specials" for decent quality meat/seafood that was very inexpensive. Score! I picked up a whole pork tenderloin, 2 t-bone steaks, and the catfish for this recipe for $13. Yup, all that for $13! I packaged and froze all items (but the catfish) right away. The 2 catfish fillets were $1.67 and $1.87, respectively. They are good sized so they could easily be halved to create 4 small fillets...perfectly sized to fit on a bun. What a deal!

Now, I was skeptical about buying discount fish. I really am picky when it comes to what I feed my family. I inspected it carefully, and I noticed the use/freeze date was 8/15. Okay, it was still good. I gave it a rigorous smell test. I mean, I put my face right up against the packaging and whiffed away right in the middle of the store. No fishy smell at all. PS-If fish ever smells even remotely fishy, do not buy it! I jiggled the package to see how firm the fish was...the jiggle factor is important with seafood. It was jiggle-free. I poked and prodded through the plastic wrap, too. Again, all was okay. It appeared to be good fish...no discoloration, no weird spots. I was starting to get funny looks at this point, so I decided that I would buy it and take it home for more experimentation. If it turned out to be bad, I would chuck it in the trash and only be out about $3. When I brought it home I unwrapped it right away. Again, no fishy smell. I poked. Very firm. I jiggled. No watery jiggles. I am fairly confident that this fish is good...and a total bargain. Yes! I carefully packaged it up and left in the fridge for tonight's dinner. I will inspect it again before cooking, but I think it will be fine.

I decided to make catfish sandwiches, broccoli slaw, tartar sauce, and my top secret cheesy potatoes. The recipe for the catfish was found on allrecipes.com and is similar to a recipe that my friend Claire had on her blog for Po' Boys. I am curious to see if there is a difference, so I am going to try the new recipe instead of her standard...just for fun.

The only recipe deviation is that I will slap the final result on a hamburger bun with homemade tartar sauce. There are quite a few things to make for tonight's dinner, but I am hoping to get some of it done during my son's nap time. Make ahead food is the best. I will post all the other recipes in separate posts, following this one. As usual, I will post the results after our meal.

Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish

INGREDIENTS:
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6 ounce) fillets catfish
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a shallow bowl, combine the egg and lemon juice. In another shallow bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt. Dip catfish into egg mixture, then coat with cornmeal mixture.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Fry fillets, two at a time, for 5-6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

NOTES:
To help breading adhere to the fish, pat fillets dry and coat lightly with flour before dipping in egg and dredging in cornmeal coating. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before frying.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Jen's Notes:
Place on hamburger bun or your favorite roll, with tartar sauce, for a yummy sandwich.

Jen's Swiss Steak

I went out to my extra freezer this morning (it is out in our garage) and I saw that I had some cube steak in there from May. May!!!! It is currently August. Ugh.
I typically shop for meat on sale, then package it up with my trusty Food Saver, date, and freeze. I always adhere to the first-in/first-out rule, and I thought I had used up all the meat purchased prior to July. I was wrong. There, toward the top, was the cube steak from May...mocking me and my organizational skills. Sheesh. Obviously, my protein choice for tonight is a no-brainer.


This was my grandma's recipe, that she taught my mom, when my parents were first married back in the early 60's. My mom taught me how to make it when I was pregnant and having a mysterious craving (after not eating it for at least 12 years). We have always called it 'Swiss steak', but I am not sure if it represents true 'Swiss steak'...this is just my families version.
This is the first time this recipe has ever been written down, and since I am the one doing the writing, I am taking credit for it. Despite the fact that there are only 7 simple ingredients, this dish is a bit tricky to master. It has to be watched closely during preparation, but it does becomes easier once you get the hang of it. If done properly, the meat is tender and a sumptuous gravy magically appears.
Anyway, my family and I love it. It is total comfort food and I hope to pass it down someday.
I am going to make glazed carrots and garlic mashed potatoes (see previous post) to go with it. The gravy is a perfect match for mashed potatoes. This dish is traditional food at it's best!


Jen's Swiss Steak
Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons of canola oil
1 onion, sliced into thin strips
4 pieces of cube steak
1 cup of flour
salt to taste
pepper to taste
water (added in 2 cup increments)

Directions:
1.) In a large skillet, heat oil on stove top over medium-high heat.

2.) Saute onion slices in oil until you see onions start to turn brown.

3.) While onions are browning, put flour in a shallow dish or plate.

4.) Remove cube steak from package, but do not dry (this will help the dredge stick to the meat).

5.) Salt and pepper both sides of cube steak generously and dredge in flour. Do not shake off excess flour since this will help form the gravy.

6.) Make room for meat in skillet by moving onions to the sides of the pan with a wooden spoon.

7.) Place floured, seasoned meat in skillet with onions and brown both sides of meat. Make sure there is a dark brown (but not black) crust on both sides of the meat. The browner the meat and onions mixture is, without being burnt, the more flavorful the gravy will turn out.

8.) Add 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let mixture vigorously simmer uncovered until reduced by two thirds. This is the tricky part, because you do not want the water to evaporate completely or the whole thing will burn...but you do want the mixture to thicken/reduce.

9.) Once water reduces by two thirds, add another two cups of water. You need to simmer the meat for a total of 1 hour so the meat gets tender. Keep adding 2 cups of water and let it reduce, as needed. I keep a full glass of water by the stove, and just watch it closely adding water every 10 minutes or so. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

10.) Upon the 1 hour mark, see how much water is in the skillet. If mixture is gravy consistency, pull off the heat and serve. If not, add one more batch of water and let it reduce down until a gravy consistency is obtained. Serve meat with gravy spooned over top.

The Result: Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

Well, the Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta got mixed reviews at my house. I really liked it. My husband did not. Please know that it was not the recipe itself that he did not like...just some of the ingredients. I should explain that my husband hates feta cheese. Overall, he said the dish was okay (he did eat his portion), but the use of feta turned him off. The other issue he had was the use of too many fresh herbs. Greg likes a more conservative approach to fresh herbs, due to their strong flavor. He thought that this recipe was a little too herbaceous.

I totally disagree on both accounts. But then again, I love feta cheese and fresh herbs. I think that if you like feta and fresh herbs, then this recipe is worth the effort.
I thought it had a very fresh and flavorful taste, without being overly rich. It is rare that seafood can be paired with cheese, but this dish balanced those ingredients perfectly. Also, this meal was satisfying without being heavy. I like the idea that a recipe can be both healthy and substantial.

I made one small adjustment to the ingredients. I added about a half a cup of dry white wine to the simmering tomato mixture to give it a little more depth during the reduction process. The wine addition was awesome, and was exactly what I wanted in the final result.
The only criticism I have is not about the flavors, but rather, a serving issue. I think this would have been better if left to cool a little before serving. I plated it right after it came out of the oven, and I think it took away from the overall result. The fresh flavors did not match the hot, just-out-of-the-oven temperature. Warm would have been preferable to piping hot. I think if it rested for about 10 minutes before serving, it would have been perfect.

I would love to make this recipe again, but I will have to figure a way around the husband's preferences. I think I will only sprinkle feta on half of the top and reduce the quantity of both the parsley and dill. I am hoping that I can adjust this recipe so we can both enjoy it next time.

****UPDATE****8/13/08****

I ate some of the leftovers of this dish for lunch today, and I think it was better than yesterday! A night in the fridge did this dish some good, since all the flavors had a chance to marry. My husband remains unconvinced.

Also, I forgot to mention the orzo in last nights post. I just cook 1 cup of dried orzo in 1 1/4 cup of water and 1 1/4 cup of chicken broth. I bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer. It is done when all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

I got my dinner plan together early today. I looked in my freezer and realized that I have a bag of shrimp that I need to use, since I don't remember exactly when I purchased it. I am really not sure how long I have had it, so I better cook it today. I could not decide how I would cook the shrimp, so I grabbed a cookbook off my shelf and just started flipping through it. This recipe was the first shrimp dish to jump out at me. I have all the ingredients, and it looks really yummy.

This recipe can be found in Ellie Krieger's cookbook The Food You Crave and the Food Network website. The reviews on foodnetwork.com were very positive, so I thought I would give this dish a shot. The photograph of this recipe shown in her cookbook is nothing short of gorgeous. I have made a few of Ellie's recipes in the past, and they always turn out fantastic. Personally, I think she is fairly under rated and I would like to see more from her. I love healthy flavorful food, and Ellie seems to always deliver. As the recipe suggests in the cookbook, I will serve this over orzo. I will include the nutritional info at the bottom of this post, and I will let you know how it turns out.


Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 (14.5-ounce) cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
1/4 cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, dill, and shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and cheese melts, about 12 minutes.

****SERVE OVER ORZO****

Nutrition Information
Yields 4 servings: serving size 1 1/2 cups
Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Calories 300
Total fat 11g
Saturated fat 4.5g
Monounsaturated fat 4g
Polyunsaturated fat 1.5g
Protein 35g
Carbohydrates 12g
Fiber 2g
Cholesterol 240mg
Sodium 710mg

Episode#: EK0402Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reservedr.

The Result: Vegetarian Frittata

I think this frittata is one of my all-time favorite dinners. Whenever I make this dish, I fall in love with it all over again. It always hits the spot!
Tonight, I added 1 clove of minced, fresh garlic and I added some additional peppers. I had a green pepper that needed to be cooked up, so I sauteed that with the caramelized onions. I also used a jar of roasted red and yellow peppers that I drained and added to the mix. Oh man, was it good! We skipped the soup and just had some crusty bread. It was the perfect light dinner to end my day of heavy eating.
The husband is taking the leftovers to work tomorrow for breakfast, and I am actually a little sad. He is lucky I love him. Otherwise, that frittata would not leave this house.

Vegetarian Frittata

I decided that I wanted something light for dinner tonight, since I ate way too much food at lunch today. I am stuffed! My friend Laura and I took the kids to a tumbling class this morning, and then she invited Connor and I to stay for lunch at her house, afterward. We feasted like royalty. I had not one, but TWO, meatloaf sandwiches...yes, they were that good....corn, and mashed potatoes and gravy. The boy ate chicken nuggets, a small container of applesauce, and a whole can of Mandarin oranges by himself. We were very hungry people, and Laura took care of us. Consequently, I am now uncomfortably full. At any rate, I thought a frittata would be a nice, light choice.

This recipe came to me via my friend Claire, who found it in one of her cookbooks and posted it on her blog Cooking Claire. I really, really love this vegetarian frittata. Surprisingly, the husband and boy really like it too (despite the lack of meat). The recipe calls for 6 eggs, and I have made it before with EggBeaters or a mixture of egg whites and a couple whole eggs to cut down on fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Regardless of the type of eggs used, it still turns out great. I will serve this with some leftover soup from last night and some crusty bread. I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so this dish is always economical and super-easy for me to make.

Vegetarian Frittata
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch crescents
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, cut into a chiffonade
1 bell pepper, preferably red, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch die
6 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
8 grinds cracked black pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Generously butter a 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add onions and saute until browned. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Stir in the roasted pepper and remove from heat. Spoon the vegetables into the buttered pie plate, distributing evenly. Let cool.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large bowl just until yolks and whites are blended. Add salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly.

When vegetable mixture has cooled, pour egg mixture over it, again making sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed. Dish can now be set aside, covered and refrigerated, for up to 8 hours before baking.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the frittata are golden brown and the center is set but still slightly creamy. Do not over bake. Remove frittata to a rack and let cool approximately 15 minutes. Carefully loosen frittata from the pan with a metal spatula. Slide out and continue to cool on rack. To serve either hot or at room temperature, slide frittata onto a flat surface and cut into wedges.

Jen's Notes:
I think I will deviate from the original recipe by using frozen, chopped spinach instead of fresh. I have frozen on hand, and I do not want to make a special trip to the store just for spinach.

Before cooking, I will thaw spinach out in a colander and drain by hand-squeezing as much excess water out as possible. It is critical to get as much water out as you can, or it will affect the outcome of the frittata. Watery frittata is not very appetizing.

The spinach will be pre-chopped so there will be no need to cut into a chiffonade. Typically, one package of frozen, chopped spinach will do the trick.

The Result: Jen's Chicken Tortilla Soup via Slow Cooker

As always the soup was fan-freakin'-tastic. I decided to post a review because I tried a different preparation this time, and I wanted to share.

First, I added some additional spices for kick that are not indicated on the original recipe. Cumin, coriander, oregano, ancho chile powder, a small can of green chiles, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and 1 chipotle chile with a little adobo sauce. Basically, the whole spice shelf.

Then, (drum roll, please) I made the soup in the slow cooker. Yes, you read right...the slow cooker! I know, I know....I am an evil genius! What is that quote about "necessity being the mother of invention"???? Bingo! The family and I had to do an airport run, right in the middle of dinner time. My in-laws just came back from a vacation, and I really wanted to go greet them with my husband and son....BUT I really wanted this soup for dinner, too. Quite the dilemma! So, I plotted and planned. At last, I came up with the idea of putting it together before we left and then eating it after we got home. Ah-ha. The slow cooker. I did a quick saute of the chipolte chile, garlic, and onions in olive oil and scooped them into the slow cooker. Next, I diced up the already-cooked chicken breasts that I had in the fridge and then added the meat in to the mix. Then I put all the other ingredients into the pot; with the exception of the cilantro and lime juice. I put that baby on high for 2 1/2 hours and let 'er rip. When we came home, the time was up and our soup was waiting for us on 'keep warm' mode. I added some cilantro and lime juice and it was finished. Total perfection!

Jen's Chicken Tortilla Soup

All of my Cooking Club peep's in MOMS Club will recognize this recipe, since I made it for our inaugural meeting. My husband is a little under the weather this weekend, so I decided to make this dish for him (it is one of his favorites). Actually, I am just trying to score wife points so eventually I will earn something sparkly (like a La Cornue oven or a new set of All Clad Copper Core cookware...HINT...HINT).
This is an easy, foolproof recipe that is always well received. Usually we save it for cooler temperatures, but I am making an exception. My cousin/BFF Barb introduced a version of this recipe to me years ago, and I have tweaked it some since then to make it my own. This soup is definitely considered comfort food in our house.

Jen's Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves of minced garlic
1 container of salsa
6 regular cans of chicken broth (or 2 large)
1 lime, juiced
1 bag of tortilla chips
¼ cup of fresh Cilantro
* hot Sauce to taste
* shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese to taste
* cooked chicken to taste

Directions
1. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil.
2. When oil is heated, sauté onions until translucent.
3. Add garlic and sauté for a few more minutes.
4. Add cooked chicken, chicken broth, salsa and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, add cilantro, lime juice, and hot sauce to taste.
6. In individual serving bowls, place some tortilla chips in bottom and sprinkle with Monterrey Jack cheese.
7. Pour the hot soup over the chips and top with more cheese (if desired) and serve!

The Result: Garlic Cheddar Chicken

The Garlic Cheddar Chicken was a big hit. My mom, husband, and son loved it! The chicken itself was super flavorful and the bread crumb/cheese topping was addictive. I did not want to stop eating it. The husband said that he was impressed. My mom said that she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not ooey-gooey. Despite the large amounts of both cheese and butter, the dish was much lighter and crunchier than we expected. The cheese/bread crumb mixture slightly crisped when baked and kept the texture of the chicken moist....very, very yummy.
The only critique I have was that the cook time written in the recipe was not accurate for me. It took closer to 40 minutes; rather than 30 minutes. The only recipe deviation I made was that I added some Japanese Panko bread crumbs into the mixture. I also flipped on the broiler for about 3 minutes to set the crunchy topping. I will definitely add this to our list of go-to chicken recipes.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

Can you think of anything that sounds better than breaded, buttery, garlic, cheesy, chicken??? I can't. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and I cannot wait to try it. It sounds absolutely decadent! The majority of the user reviews (a total of 664 on the website) are positive. I think I will make baked potatoes and saute some zucchini to go along with this dish. I am not sure if I will need to make any changes yet, but I will let you know how it turns out.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar
cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black
pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 skinless, boneless chicken
breast halves - pounded thin


DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.

4. Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.

5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com
Printed from Allrecipes.com 8/9/2008

Mushroom-Prosciutto Pizza

I was able to make one dish this past week that turned out AWESOME! This was a Cooking Light recipe that my friend Claire posted on her blog a little while ago, and I think this will become a staple in our pizza rotation. The only change I made was that I used whole wheat pizza crust and mozzarella (in lieu of fontina). I topped it off with fresh Parmesan; it was delicious.

Mushroom-Prosciutto Pizza
Cooking spray
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 (10-ounce) Italian cheese-flavored thin pizza crust (such as Boboli) OR WHOLE WHEAT CRUST
2 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese OR MOZZARELLA

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and shallots to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add garlic and thyme; sauté 1 minute. Stir in vinegar; remove from heat.Place crust on the bottom rack of oven. Bake at 450° for 4 minutes.Place the crust on a baking sheet. Spread mushroom mixture evenly over crust; sprinkle evenly with prosciutto and fontina cheese. Bake at 450° for 6 minutes or until cheese melts.

No Dinners

I have not been cooking due to a death in the family. Hopefully, I will be back to cooking and posting soon. Some of my friends in my MOMS Club have been bringing us dinners; their help has been a blessing. Thanks to all of you for your support, thoughts, prayers, and meals.

The Result: RR's Spanish Burgers with Chorizo Hash Browns

I probably won't make this recipe again. I was not impressed, and I am really glad I did not get the expensive cheese. The burgers were good, but nothing special. The spices were okay, but not stellar. The flavors were not unusual, and only mildly resembled Spanish cuisine. It just tasted like a normal, spicy burger with cheese. The roasted red pepper/hot sauce topping was probably the best thing out of the whole dish. You could easily make that by itself and put it on regular hamburgers, for a similar outcome. I think I will use the roasted red pepper spread again, sometime.
Also, I realized that I really like hamburgers on the grill much better. These were done in a skillet, and they were a little too greasy for my taste. They were not bad burgers; but certainly not anything noteworthy.

Now lets talk about the potatoes. I totally screwed up the potatoes. There were a series of mistakes that I made with the potatoes, that in essence, ruined them. Yup. Ruined. I am talking barely edible. Bad. First, I burnt the chorizo. Then, I totally over-seasoned them. They were unpalatable. Way too salty and too peppery. Bad, Bad. I am typically thrifty with leftovers, but not this time. All of the leftover potatoes went into the dog bowls, and I did not even wince. Too bad; I hate wasting food.
I will say this: If I made the potatoes perfectly, I still don't think they would be all that great. They were literally hashbrowns with onions and chorizo. Nothing exciting. I really do not care enough to try to make them again, and avenge my disaster. The flavors were too boring.

As I said before, I think I am cursed when it comes to RR's food. Her recipes never turn out good for me! Some day I will learn and stop trying.

RR's Spanish Burgers with Manchego & Chorizo Hash Browns

This is the recipe that we were supposed to try last night. I saw it demonstrated last week on Rachael Ray's show, 30 Minute Meals, on the Food Network. It looks interesting, but I have not had good luck with any of RR's recipes in the past. Typically, they take way longer than 30 minutes to assemble and sometimes the flavor combinations are strange. With that said, and for reasons unknown, I am compelled to watch her. I think I may even like her; despite the fact that she annoys me. Go figure!
Well, we will try this one with some moderate changes. For example, the husband does not like cucumbers so we will leave them out. Also, I have dried herbs today...I will use those in lieu of the fresh herbs that the recipe calls for (such as parsley, thyme, etc.). I could not find piquillo peppers, so I will make due with roasted red peppers. I will use regular paprika, instead of sweet, smoked. Finally, I found Manchego cheese at Trader Joe's but I did not purchase it. Why, you ask??? Well, it was $11.49 per pound! Now, I do not mind splurging on expensive cheese, but I read the reviews and a few people indicated that the Manchego really did not do that much to help the recipe. Most reviewers suggested the use of regular jack cheese instead. So, that is what I bought...regular jack cheese...and I am okay with that.
I will make the Chorizo Hash Browns and a vegetable side dish; maybe I will use up some leftover green beans. I like the idea of an unusual, Spanish twist on a hamburger. I will review the results after dinner tonight.


Spanish Burgers with Manchego and Chorizo Hash Browns
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 pound chorizo, chopped
1 onion
2 pounds ground sirloin
4 to 5 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, 1/2 of a 26-ounce bag
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
2 cloves garlic, grated
Salt and pepper
8 thin slices manchego cheese
8 piquillo peppers, drained or 3 roasted red peppers
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, to taste
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1/4 seedless cucumber, very thinly sliced on an angle
1 large vine-ripe tomato, sliced
4 crusty rolls, split and toasted

Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat then add chorizo.

While chorizo is rendering and browning, peel onion. Place meat in a mixing bowl. Grate a few tablespoons of onion directly over the meat. Quarter the remainder of the onion and thinly slice.
Add potatoes and onions to the chorizo. Season the hash browns with salt and pepper and fresh thyme. Once the potatoes are lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes, flip them and press them down with a spatula to crisp them, continue to cook 7 to 8 minutes more.

To the sirloin, add parsley, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix the burgers to combine and form 4 large patties. Create an indentation in each burger using the heal of your hand to counter the bulge at the center that happens to burgers as they cook - your burgers will be nice and flat for topping if you use this trick!

Heat the remaining extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers to the skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare burgers and up to 6 to 7 minutes on each side for well done. Melt cheese, 2 thin slices on each burger, the last 2 minutes they are in the pan. Tent the skillet with loose foil to trap enough heat to melt the cheese.

Place piquillo peppers in food processor and add hot sauce, salt and pepper. Process the peppers into a smooth paste.

To assemble, place burgers on bun bottoms and top with sliced red onion, cucumber and tomato. Slather the bun tops with pepper paste and set into place. Serve crispy hash browns with chorizo along side.

Episode#: TM1624 Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.