Roasted Asparagus

This was another vegetable side dish that I made for our Easter dinner.  We always have asparagus at Easter.  They are in season at this time of year and usually on sale.  This dish is super easy to make and so simple, yet very tasty!  This is definitely going to be our go-to asparagus recipe.

Roasted Asparagus
recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Tyler Florence, How to Boil Water

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches medium asparagus
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated or shaved Parmesan, optional

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Trim the woody ends from the asparagus, usually about 1 1/2 inches. Spread the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with t tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and roll to coat thoroughly.

Roast the asparagus until lightly browned and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes, giving the pan a good shake about halfway through to turn the asparagus.

While asparagus are cooking heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in small saute pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.  Mix into roasted asparagus on baking sheet.

 Arrange the roasted asparagus on a serving platter and top with some Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Family Rating:  2 thumbs up.

Sweet Skillet Cornbread

I have tried many cornbread recipes.  I love making cornbread in the cast iron skillet so it gets a little crusty on the outside, but warm and moist on the inside. I know traditional cornbread is not sweet.  But I guess I'm not traditional since I really like a little sweetness to mine.  This was easy to put together and was super tasty!  I like to make cornbread when I'm making a soup or chili that I'm not sure the kids will like.  I know they will devour their cornbread.....which they did with this one.  They too prefer the sweet to the traditional cornbread.  I think this will be my new go-to cornbread recipe.

Sweet Skillet Cornbread
recipe from Food Network Magazine, June 2011

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Cook 6 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes; remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs and honey in a bowl, then whisk in the milk, sour cream and browned butter. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat until it foams. Remove from the heat and add the batter. Transfer to the oven; bake until the cornbread springs back when pressed, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the skillet before slicing.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Baked French Toast Casserole

We first made this dish for our Christmas morning breakfast.  And then we made it again a few weekends ago when my sister and her family were up visiting from Maryland.  Both times it was delicious.  Warning:  it is a Paula Deen recipe and it is NOT low-fat!  It uses half-and-half in the french toast and a LOT of butter in the praline topping.  My husband helped make this and he ended up halving the butter and sugar in the praline topping to try to cut down on some of the butter and sweetness.  This is sweet enough that it does not need maple syrup. This is one of those recipes that you can put together the night before, and then in the morning spread the praline topping on and stick in the oven. This is definitely a keeper for an occasional breakfast treat!

Baked French Toast Casserole
recipe from Food Network, courtesy of Paula Deen, Paula's Home Cooking

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows

Directions:
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each.  Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This post is shared at:
Showcase Your Talent Thursday @ What's Cooking Love?
Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Foodtastic Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes

Sausage Broccoli Rabe Risotto

My husband and I enjoy risotto but it's a time-consuming dish (and not in the takes a while in the oven....I mean active, stirring, cooking time).  I had torn this recipe out of Food Network magazine back when I still had a subscription and have been meaning to make it for awhile.  I recently bought some sausage and with the cold weather, risotto sounded really good.  The grocery store didn't have broccolini, which was what the original recipe called for, so I substituted broccoli rabe.  I was a little skeptical of this recipe because it cooks in a Dutch Oven with little stirring involved.  I have previously tried making risotto in a slow cooker with little luck.  I figured the constant stirring was key.  However, we were pleasantly surprised at how good this turned out!  The flavors were really good.  Even leftover this was super tasty.  I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, but ended up eating this for lunch two days in a row.  This is definitely worth repeating!

Sausage Broccoli Rabe Risotto
recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped (about 8 ounces)
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and stir-fry until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the sausage, onion and carrot to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 5 more minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 more minute.

Add the wine to the pot and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and 1 cup water; cover and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven. (Don't worry if the risotto seems wet; it will thicken when you add the cheese.) Vigorously stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the cheese until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broccoli rabe and divide among bowls.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!

This post is shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Show Me What You Got Tuesdays @ Our Delightful Home
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box

The Weekend Chef: Indian Rice Pudding

For our Indian themed supper club my husband decided to make Indian Rice Pudding.  When he did a search for Indian desserts this was by far the most popular.  We've eaten this plenty of times at the local Indian Buffet.  But I have to say that this isn't my most favorite dessert.  If I'm going to eat rice pudding, I have to admit that I like it plain, without the spice and in this case, pistachios.  This did get me to visit the local Middle Eastern store to buy some rose water.  While the recipe is easy enough, like my recipe for Saag Paneer, the cooking time does not account for the constant stirring of the milk to bring it to a boil which took forever!  Everyone at supper club seemed to enjoy this....so I think it's my own biased opinion (and blog!) that's giving this 1 1/2 thumbs up versus the 2 that my husband would like to give it!

Indian Rice Pudding
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Aarti Sequeira

Ingredients:
1/2 cup basmati rice
6 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon rosewater, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons minced unsalted pistachios or almonds, plus extra for garnish

Directions:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the rice, milk, and cardamom to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a heat-safe spoonula to help keep the milk from burning.

Reduce the heat so that the milk is gently simmering and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring often. The rice should be tender and the milk will have reduced by half, giving a porridge-like consistency.

Add the sugar, rosewater or vanilla, and pistachios. Stir and turn off the heat. Serve either warm or chilled, garnished with extra pistachios. Goes well with fresh fruit too.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Saag Paneer

This month's supper club theme was Indian.  I LOVE Indian but rarely cook it.  The ingredient list for most recipes is usually a mile long and I just don't have the time or patience.  But oh how I love to eat it!  About once a month or so I suggest to my husband that we go to the local Indian restaurant for their buffet lunch.  I love being able to try a whole bunch of different and new things, rather than stick to what I know and like (which I'd do if I was only able to order one thing).  So after much deliberation and searching for a recipe that didn't have a gazillion ingredients I decided to make Saag Paneer.  This wasn't a new dish for me since I've eaten and have enjoyed it many times before.  This was my first recipe from Aarti Sequeira though.  I watched her win The Next Food Network Star but never tried anything of hers until now. I'm so glad that I did.  I found the recipe to be very easy to follow....although the cheese took a VERY long time to make.  With the stirring of the milk and the draining, and pressing I think it took over an hour plus.  Then I had to make the actual saag.  Luckily, I had most of the day free to spend doing this.  And I'm glad that I got the chance to make homemade paneer.  However, if I ever find paneer in a specialty market (though I've never seen it before) I would definitely pick it up for a dish like this!  I think the paneer could have pressed for even more than the 20 minutes but I didn't have the time.  It ended up crumbling once it got put in the spinach mixture.  Overall though this was tasty and everyone at supper club enjoyed it. 

Saag Paneer
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Aarti Sequeira

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces paneer, (Indian cheese, either store-bought or made from my recipe, recipe follows), cut into 1-inch cubes, see Cook's Note*
1 (16-ounce package) frozen chopped spinach
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 (1-inch thumb) ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed if you don't like it spicy!)
1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade garam masala, recipe follows
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: saute the mixture until it's evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.

*Cook's Note: Paneer is very easy to make at home, and my recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. I also think homemade has a better texture than anything store-bought. If you'd like to buy it, this cheese is available in better supermarkets as well as specialty Asian markets.

Paneer: Homemade Indian Cheese:
Cheesecloth
8 cups whole milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed, see Cook's Note*

Directions:Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.

In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!

Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!

*Cook's Note: If the milk doesn't separate juice some more lemons and add another tablespoon or two. Boost the heat again and the milk should separate. Stir in a motion that gathers the curds together rather than breaks them up.

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!

Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.

Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.

Yield: Makes 12 ounces of cheese.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Zucchini Bread

I had bought some zucchini with the intention of cooking it as a side dish one night.  However, when looking for a muffin recipe, I thought that I'd go with a bread instead.  I'm always making muffins and I thought some zucchini bread sounded good.  I posted the original recipe below but I ended up halving it and making only one loaf.  The recipe was easy to put together and really tasty!  This was a great breakfast for everyone and I probably should have made the second loaf and frozen it.  We ended up slicing and freezing half of the one loaf I had made and had some for breakfast days after. 

Zucchini Bread
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional - I left them out)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Family Rating: 2 thumbs up.

This recipe is shared at:
Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green
Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box
Show Me What You Got Tuesdays @ Our Delightful Home
Tempt My Tummy @ Blessed with Grace

Sauteed Cabbage

I made corned beef in the slow cooker for dinner recently.  We love corned beef and I figured we could eat it more than just on St. Patrick's Day!  Plus, it's so easy to make in the slow cooker it's a perfect weeknight meal!  When I was talking to my husband about making the corned beef we both agreed that we didn't want to eat it with the usual slow cooked cabbage and potatoes.  Neither of us find it tasty but I wanted to still serve it with the traditional sides.  So I ended up mashed potatoes and this cabbage recipe.  The sauteed cabbage reminds me of the halushki that my mom made us growing up (a Polish recipe of noodles and sauteed cabbage and onions).  This cabbage side was much tastier than the traditional slow cooked cabbage we normally eat.  The kids had a taste but didn't eat much of this.  As much as I enjoyed this, I definitely enjoy sauteed cabbage more mixed with egg noodles, onions, and butter!

Sauteed Cabbage
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:
1 small head white cabbage, including outer green leaves (2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut the cabbage in half and, with the cut-side down, slice it as thinly as possible around the core, as though you were making coleslaw. Discard the core.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and begins to brown. Season, to taste, and serve warm.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Tangy Meatloaf Burgers

Every other Thursday night is a little crazy in our house because my daughter has her Girl Scout meetings from 5:45-7 PM at the school.  So I have to get her fed before she goes to the meeting.  Last Thursday was even more challenging because I volunteered to be a meeting helper so I had to make sure that we had all eaten!  I ended up pre-making the burgers earlier in the day and let them sit covered in the fridge until I was ready to cook them.  Then, while I was cooking the burgers I heated up some french fries in the oven.  This meal ended up being quick, easy, and tasty.  I used the meatloaf mix for the burgers because I feel like ground turkey tends to be a little dry (or maybe that's just me overcooking it!).  These burgers were super moist!  Plus, it gave me an excuse to use up all of the duck sauce packets that we get with Chinese take-out. As you can see from this picture, I did not garnish our burgers with lettuce, tomato, and onions.  I do not like lettuce on my burger and I'm not buying lettuce just for my husband's burger!  I had saved the half of the onion to slice into rings and soak in the water, but forgot about it in the refrigerator.  Honestly though, I did not think that these needed the extra onion.  I thought they were almost too oniony and was surprised that my daughter didn't complain.  Next time I might try sauteing them first before adding them to the meat mixture.  I started each of the kids with half of a burger and was pleasantly surprised when my daughter ate her half and asked for more! My son ate half of his half but of course ate all of his french fries! I printed the original recipe, as is, but I don't have an indoor grill pan.  I ended up microwaving the burgers for a couple of minutes and then cooking them the rest of the way through in our cast iron skillet. If you pre-make the burgers the night before, these can be a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

Tangy Meatloaf Burgers
recipe from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
1 small onion (1/2 sliced into rings, 1/2 diced)
1 pound meatloaf mix (ground pork, beef and veal) or ground turkey
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (preferably panko)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup duck sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 potato buns or other rolls, split
Lettuce, sliced tomato and pickle slices, for topping
Sweet potato chips, for serving (optional)

Directions:
Preheat a grill to medium high. Soak the onion rings in a bowl of cold water. Meanwhile, combine the meatloaf mix with the diced onion, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg, paprika, 1 tablespoon each ketchup and duck sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Gently form into four 1-inch-thick patties; make an indentation in the center of each.

Brush the patties with the olive oil and grill until marked on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ketchup and duck sauce in a small bowl for brushing; set aside a few tablespoons. Turn the patties, brush with the ketchup mixture and continue grilling until cooked through, about 5 more minutes. Toast the buns, if desired.

Spread the buns with the reserved ketchup mixture. Drain the onion rings. Serve the patties on the buns; top with the onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles. Serve with sweet potato chips, if desired.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This recipe is shared at:
Foodtastic Friday
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating
Friday Favorite Finds @ Finding Joy in My Kitchen
Simple Meals Friday @ Mexican Wildflower

Jack O'Lantern Couscous Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce

Happy Halloween!  Hopefully you have many more treats than tricks today!  I am sitting here in New York typing this post Sunday evening because I don't know if I will have any power as Hurricane Sandy, a.k.a. "Frankenstorm" approaches.  It's predicted to hit us sometime tomorrow morning and last until at least Tues. night.  Last year we had a snow storm this year a hurricane.  Luckily, we already went to a friend's Halloween party this past Sat. and tonight we had our "Halloween" themed supper club.  We brought the kids in costume and had Halloween food.  As I was searching for recipes, I found lots of cute food, like mummy hotdogs, which I plan to make for my kids for dinner Halloween night.  Unfortunately, I didn't see many recipes that involved a high caliber of cooking.  Then I came up with the idea of making jack-o-lanterns out of peppers and then went in search of a stuffed pepper recipe.  I finally found this couscous stuffed pepper recipe which was perfect because I wanted more of a side dish type stuffing versus a meat-filled pepper. This dish can be made vegetarian by replacing vegetable broth for the chicken broth and can totally be a main meal. I just knew that there were going to be other protein filled dishes tonight.  Of course I had to go with orange peppers!  I never make stuffed peppers because I don't really like cooked peppers all that much.  However, I found that orange peppers are much sweeter than green and I actually enjoyed them.  This recipe has an interesting Greek influenced filling.  Posted below are the ingredient amount changes that I made since I made 7 stuffed peppers.  Overall, I found this dish really tasty.  I really liked the basil sauce mixed with all of the other flavors.  The kids weren't big fans, mostly I think because of all of the "stuff" that's mixed in the stuffing.  Normally, they do eat couscous.  With the muffin meatloaves that The Weekend Chef made (recipe coming soon!) and the chicken and pasta that were the other mains, I was stuffed after eating! This wasn't complicated to make, it just takes an hour to cook, so not a good weeknight meal.  I will definitely try making stuffed peppers again and use the orange peppers.

Before cooking

After cooking

Coucous-Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 cups dried couscous
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 packed cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 medium orange bell peppers
Hot water, as needed

Sauce:
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche (I couldn't find so I used sour cream)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed

Directions:
Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, cranberries, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Cut out jack-o-lantern faces, if desired!  Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an rectangular baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes.

Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)

Sauce: In a blender, combine the basil, creme fraiche, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This recipe was shared at:
Tasty Thursdays
Full Plate Thursdays
Creative Thursday

Fish Tacos with Fresh Salsa

My kids will usually eat anything in a tortilla.  I had not made fish in awhile and thought that fish tacos sounded good.  I liked that this used a tomatillo since I had thought about cooking with tomatillos for this month's Eating the Alphabet Challenge.  I wasn't that impressed with these, which is probably my fault.  I don't really like catfish and next time might try a different type of fish like tilapia.  I also didn't have Wondra (and actually never had heard of it before) so I used regular flour.  Bad idea....everything got kind of soggy.  The salsa was tasty though.  The tomatillos have a slightly bitter/sour taste and paired well with the tomatoes, onions, and lime juice.  The kids had just the fish in the tortilla.  My daughter really enjoyed it, while my son did not. I'm not opposed to fish tacos, just won't be making these again.  However, based on the reviews at foodnetwork, others have enjoyed these.

Fish Tacos with Fresh Salsa
recipe very slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
1 large tomatillo, husked, rinsed and chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/4 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup instant flour (such as Wondra) or cornstarch
8 small flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:
Make the salsa: Mix the tomatillo, tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl and season with salt.

Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Season the fish with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then toss with the flour in a bowl. Fry the fish in 2 batches, turning as needed, until golden brown and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; season with salt.

Fill the tortillas with the fish and salsa. Serve the tacos with lime wedges.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.



 

Pilaf for a Curry Banquet

This is the rice dish that I served with the Mughlai Chicken for my supper club's "spice grab bag."  This dish complemented the chicken dish wonderfully and also had cardamom (my spice) in it.  The spices really flavored the rice.  I ate my chicken over the rice, with the sauce.  However, this dish is definitely flavorful enough as a stand-alone side.  It is definitely true to the 8 servings and we had a lot of rice left over.  These were the first Nigella Lawson recipes that I have made.  They turned out really tasty and I may need to try out some of her other stuff!

Pilaf for a Curry Banquet
recipe slightly adapted from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Nigella Lawson, Nigella Feasts

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves
3 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 1/2 cups basmati rice
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions:
Cook the onion in the oil, in a deep saucepan with the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and cumin, until the onion is slightly browned and soft. Keep the heat medium to low and stir frequently; this should take about 10 minutes.

Add the rice and move it about in the oily spiced onion until it is slicked and glossy, then pour in the stock and bring the pan to the boil. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, take the lid off, cover with a tea towel and clamp the lid back on the saucepan. You can leave the rice to rest like this for at least 10 minutes, and up to about 1 hour. Fork the rice through when you are ready to serve it, scattering the toasted sliced almonds and cilantro on top.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up!

Mughlai Chicken

This past month's supper club theme was "Spice Grab Bag."  Each of us wrote down the name of a spice, put it in a bag, and pulled out a slip of paper.  We each had to make a dish using whatever spice we picked.  At of all the spices out there, we ended up with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and three paprikas!  What's even more surprising is how amazing the dinner turned out.  All of the dishes everyone made seemed to complement one another and were really tasty.  I picked cardamom and since we were hosting I decided to make a chicken dish.  I found this recipe on the foodnetwork site.  Nigella Lawson cooked this on her "Spiced Up" episode which I found very fitting.  Plus, it got a lot of really good reviews.  Looking at the recipe list I was a bit daunted....and only for supper club would I even think of cooking something with a ingredient list this long.  But thanks to one of my husband's friends from work, we had a bag of cardamom pods and pretty much everything else minus the almonds to make this.  This is really easy to make and cooks fairly quickly.  I don't cook with chicken thighs very often and didn't know if they'd taste very fatty, which I often find is the case. The results were sooo good!  This dish is really flavorful and the chicken was so tender, which I think is because I ended up cooking this in the Dutch Oven.  We had leftovers for lunch the next day and it tasted just as good.  The kids ate the chicken and rice, although they weren't huge fans.  Unforunately, the dish doesn't photograph that well, as seen below.  And it was just too crazy in the kitchen the day of cooking to get a pic of the dish cooking in the pot.  I served this with a rice dish (see tomorrow's post!). 

Mughlai Chicken
recipe from foodnetwork.com, courtesy of Nigella Lawson, Nigella Feasts

Yield: 8 servings


Ingredients:
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
4 tablespoons ground almonds
1/2 cup water
5 cardamom pods, bruised
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 pounds boned chicken thighs, each cut into 2
2 onions, finely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish

Directions:
Put the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili into a food processor, or into a mortar and pestle, and blend to a paste. Add the ground almonds and water and then blend again, set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chicken pieces - in batches so they fry rather than stew - and cook them just long enough to seal on both sides, then remove to a dish.

Add the spices and turn them in the oil. Add the onions and cook them until softened and lightly browned, but keep the heat gentle and stir frequently, to avoid sticking. Pour in the blended paste, and cook everything until it begins to colour. Add the yogurt, half a cup at a time stirring it in to make a sauce, then stir in the stock, cream, and sultanas.

Put the browned chicken back into the pan, along with any juices that have collected under them, and sprinkle over the garam masala, sugar, and salt. Cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, testing to make sure the meat is cooked through.

It's at this stage, that I like to take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool before reheating the next day.

So either now, or when you've reheated it, pour into a serving dish and scatter with the toasted flaked almonds.

Mommy & Daddy Rating:  2 thumbs up!

Asian Style Slaw

I think that this salad was our favorite of the barbecue.  I'm not usually a big cole slaw eater.  I prefer my cabbage cooked!  My husband wanted a cole slaw though so he picked this recipe out and made it.  Like I mentioned, I ended up loving it!  I really enjoyed the asian flavors that you don't normally associate with a cole slaw.  I wasn't a stickler for having the kids try bites of everything with all of the company over.  They were too busy playing with the other kids to really want to settle down and eat with the adults.  They really aren't cabbage or onion fans so we kind of knew that they wouldn't eat this.  However, I couldn't let their tastes deter others from trying this out.  This was really light and refreshing and surprisingly tasty.  I can totally see us making this again for another barbecue. 

Asian Style Slaw
recipe slightly adapted from foodnetwork.com courtesy of Dave Lieberman

Yield:  12 servings

Ingredients:
1 bunch (6 large) scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 head of cabbage, shredded
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from about a 1-inch piece)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, optional
1 teaspoon salt
20 grinds black pepper

Directions:
Rough up the scallion slices a little with your fingers so all the little layers of the scallion whites separate. Toss the cabbage, the red onion and scallions together in a large bowl until everything is thoroughly mixed. You can make the slaw up to this point up to a day in advance as long as you keep it refrigerated. Before serving, simply bring the slaw back to room temperature, make the dressing and toss.

Stir the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl until blended, then pour over the vegetables. Serve within 1 hour of dressing or the cabbage will get wilty and sad.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 2 thumbs up.

Spinach, Strawberry, and Hearts of Palm Salad

For the barbecue I didn't want to make a garden salad.  There were several guys and salad just doesn't seem like "man" food.  I'm not so sure Spinach Strawberry salad does either but this was the one that I ended up making.  I've made Spinach Strawberry Salad before and the family has enjoyed it.  I had a can of Hearts of Palm in my cabinet that I had bought intending to make a recipe and then I never did.  When I saw that I could use them in this recipe I was happy.  I honestly didn't know what a heart of palm was to tell you.  But according to Wikipedia, hearts of palm are the vegetables harvested from the inner core of certain budding palm trees like the coconut tree, Acai palm, and sabal. The flavor and texture remind me of a canned artichoke.  They added a nice flavor and texture to the salad and was definitely a "different" addition. 

Spinach, Strawberry, and Hearts of Palm Salad
recipe slightly adapted from foodnetwork.com courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, grated
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 pounds baby spinach, washed
1 can hearts of palm, drained and chopped
2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced

Directions:
For the dressing, combine the vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small non-reactive saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and let cool to room temperature. When cooled, whisk in the oil, onion, poppy seeds, dry mustard and paprika until thoroughly combined. Set dressing aside. In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, hearts of palm, and strawberries. When ready to serve, add some of the dressing, and toss gently. Serve the remaining dressing alongside the salad so diners may add more, if desired.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Eggplant Salad

As we were creating the menu for my son's family birthday party my husband looked at the grocery circular, noticed eggplant on sale and said let's make eggplant.  He described ingredients and steps that sounded very similar to this salad recipe that I had in my recipe folder.  It was easy enough to make and the only cooking involved was the microwave!  The look of it reminded me of baba ghanoush but it was a little chunkier.  At the meal it was a light side that tasted okay.  I definitely wasn't a fan of the leftovers the next day.   

Eggplant Salad
from food network magazine

Ingredients:
2 eggplants
1/4 cup red onion, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
cilantro
half a lemon
salt and pepper

Directions:

Soak red onion in water. Pierce the eggplants with a fork; microwave until soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly, then halve, scoop out the flesh and chop. Drain the onion; toss with the eggplant, olive oil, some chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Drizzle with more olive oil.

Family Rating: So-so.

Guacamole

When I went grocery shopping on Monday for the Black Bean Burgers (see Monday's post!) I needed an avocado  for the salsa.  The loose avocados were hard as a rock though.  I've learned from a past bad experience that hard, unripe avocados are not tasty.  The bag of four avocados though were nice and soft.  So, instead of one avocado I ended up with four.  My husband and I both love avocados, even though the kids don't.  So I was super excited to be able to make some guacamole.  There are tons of guacamole recipes out there on the internet.  I had never made homemade guacamole before this, but have eaten it many times when I've gone out to eat at Mexican restaurants.  I referred to foodnetwork to find a recipe and adapted it a little to fit my needs.  Overall, I thought the guacamole was okay.  I ended up using it as a dip for my quesadillas that I made that night, instead of eating it with tortilla chips, like I originally had planned.  It was nice having homemade guacamole, but next time I may try making this recipe as originally written!

Guacamole
recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com - courtesy of Alton Brown, Good Eats
original recipe here

Ingredients:
2 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:
In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Mommy & Daddy Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

Meatless Monday: Capellini with Spicy Zucchini-Tomato Sauce

As much as I try to get my kids to like zucchini, they don't.  The same goes for mushrooms.  And unfortunately, these are two of my favorite veggies.  We end up having some type of pasta dish at least once a week because it's such a quick and easy food to make.  I can't remember the last time that I just cooked up pasta and tossed it with a jar of spaghetti sauce though (the jars are collecting dust in my basement pantry!).  This recipe seemed pretty close though to pasta with red sauce with the added benefit of some fresh veggies.  The recipe calls for the chef to crush the tomatoes with your hand in the skillet.  Can I tell you how covered in tomato juice I got when the tomatoes "exploded" all over me (luckily I've learned to cook with an apron or clothes I don't care if they get dirty).  I had tomato juice and seeds that squirted across the kitchen!  And as I'm screaming in surprise when this happened a couple of times, my two kids who were watching television in the room next door were oblivious!  Good thing I wasn't hurt or anything because they weren't coming to see what happened! I debated about omitting the red pepper flakes but in the end decided to add them.  It was such a small amount that the heat didn't overpower the dish and my kids were able to eat this.  It was definitely quick and easy to make but it was just a little plain for me, flavor-wise.  For the kids, it was just like eating spaghetti with sauce from the jar (but it wasn't jarred sauce!) and the required one bite of zucchini. 

Capellini with Spicy Zucchini-Tomato Sauce
recipe adapted from Foodnetwork Magazine

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes in puree
Kosher salt
1 medium zucchini, cut into small chunks
1/2 pound spaghetti
Grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is just golden, about 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes into the skillet with your hands and add the juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs. Drain and add to the sauce; toss to coat. Top with parmesan.

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.

Roasted Cauliflower Risotto

I am super excited to be involved in another cooking challenge (I love a good challenge!) called Eating the Alphabet.  It's hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic. Each month we're supposed to prepare a dish using fruits or vegetables from the selected letters.  Unfortunately, I found her wonderful blog and challenge after the first month had already started.  So, I missed letters A/B.  This month the challenge was to prepare a dish with a fruit or vegetable beginning with the letters C & or D.  Due to the short amount of time I had to find and prepare a recipe I went with only one letter, the letter C and I used cauliflower.  Although I like cauliflower I have to admit I have rarely, if ever cooked with it, so I thought it would be a good vegetable to use.  I'm really trying to challenge myself with this challenge and try using fruits and vegetables that I dont' normally cook with. 

I have made risotto a number of times.  I've cooked the traditional risotto which requires you to pour in broth a little at a time, constantly stirring.  A little while back I tried using the slow cooker to make risotto.  This recipe that I found uses the Dutch Oven.  After adding the liquid to the rice you cook it in the oven.  If you want the "bite" from the rice, cooking the traditional way is definitely the way to go.  However, if you want something with little hands-on time, cooking in the Dutch Oven or slow cooker is an easy way to make risotto. 

As for this dish, I liked the taste of the roasted cauliflower (heck, I like any vegetable roasted!).  The almonds gave the dish a nice crunch and added a little color.  I think the best part was that my son ate all of his dinner!  He does love rice, but he even ate all of his cauliflower!  That spells winner right there!  The dish wasn't amazing, I definitely have to make it again.  But because it was pretty quick and easy and everyone ate it, I have to give it 1 1/2 thumbs up!

Roasted Cauliflower Risotto
Food Network Magazine, March 2011

Total time: 40 minutes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, florets cut into 1/2-inch pieces, stems chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups short-grain Italian rice (such as arborio or vialone nano)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces Italian fontina cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 tablespoon olive oil on a baking sheet. Spread in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Roast on the upper oven rack, 5 minutes. Add the almonds and roast until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the onion and cauliflower stems and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth, 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt; cover and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the lower oven rack and bake until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the rice from the oven and add the butter, fontina and parsley, stirring vigorously until the risotto is creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among bowls and top with the roasted cauliflower and almonds.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up!

The Weekend Chef: Fried Chicken

The Weekend Chef, a.k.a. my husband, is a big fan of Alton Brown and has probably seen every episode of Good Eats!  He's made this Fried Chicken recipe a couple of other times and the family loves it.  He keeps a bag of the chicken seasoning in our spice cabinet, so it's all ready for when he wants to use it. He'll serve the chicken in different ways though.  This time he served it with waffles and collard greens.  Another time he served it with biscuits and gravy.  Regardless, it's his go-to fried chicken recipe.  It's great because my son enjoys eating "chicken on the bone" and of course we all love the fried crunchy bits.  Yum!

 Fried Chicken
foodnetwork.com - courtesy of Alton Brown

Ingredients:
1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dredging
Vegetable shortening, for frying

Directions:
Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/3-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan.  Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it's a gas oven.


Family Rating: 2 thumbs up!