Red Wine Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions

It is anticipated that the weather is going to drastically change from the lovely, mild fall we have been experiencing thus far to the wild, wicked winter weather to which I have grown accustomed since moving to South Bend five years ago.  Therefore, a very short window of opportunity was available to complete the Christmas decorating and hang the outside lights before such a task will surely result in frostbite. So out came the bags and boxes of ornaments, lights, bows and bells from the closet, garage and attic.  I frantically put away the remaining autumn and Thanksgiving decor and replaced it with the glimmering, glitter of Christmas spirit.  However, while innocently adorning the front shrubs with white lights, I subtle wrong move caused an unexpected and unexplainable injury to my knee which rendered me immobile last evening and the better part of the today (I am currently, however, on the mend).  I had already thawed a chicken breast for dinner, so a fast browning in a skillet and a quick braise in some red wine made dinner a breeze.  I still had to clean up, but since this quick and easy meal is made virtually in one pan, my limping self had it under control in no time. 

Red Wine Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions
1 chicken breast, bone-in and skin on
5 or 6 cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/2 onion, medium diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup brandy
fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Coat chicken in flour and season with salt and pepper.  In a medium skillet, brown chicken in melted butter until golden brown.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.  Add mushrooms, onions and thyme to pan and saute until softened.  Return chicken to the pan, turn off stove flame, pour brandy over and flambe.  Once flames subside, add red wine, turn heat back on, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until chicken reaches 165 degrees (about 30-40 minutes).  Serve over fluffy white rice.  



Garlicky Sauteed Shrimp with Mustard Horseradish Sauce

Peel 'n' eat shrimp is a favorite that goes back to the youngest days of my childhood.  Sitting around a newspaper lined picnic table while peeling and eating mountains of steamed shrimp and washing it down with an ice cold beer is almost as popular in Baltimore as a crab feast.  While it is impossible to get steamed crabs here in the midwest, shrimp is as abundant as beef (well, almost) so I can indulge my seafood cravings with some succulent shrimp anytime!

Garlicky Sauteed Shrimp
1 pound raw, shell-on shrimp (USA)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Old Bay
2 tablespoons butter

In a large saute pan, gently warm the garlic in butter until it begins to sizzle.  Add the shrimp, shell on, and gently sautee over medium heat until pink and cooked through, but not overcooked (about 3 minutes). Place on a platter and enjoy immediately.  

Mustard Horseradish Sauce
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
dash Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Combine all in a bowl and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors come together.  Serve with warm Garlicky Sauteed Shrimp.  Also delicious with crab, fried oyters or even steak!

Simple Beef Enchiladas

After two nights of turkey dinner, I was dying for something a little more zippy!  However, as most, I was out shopping for a large chunk of the day and did not have much time, many ingredients or the desire, quite frankly to prepare an involved dinner.  Thank goodness for the frozen individual servings of ground beef I keep in the freezer.  After thawing it in the microwave for about 3 minutes and browning it in the pan, it was just a matter of assembling these fantastically simple beef enchiladas, heating them through in the oven and enjoying in less time it would have taken to even pick up carry-out.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce

1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup favorite jarred Salsa Verde
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
corn tortillas
queso fresco, crumbled (Mexican crumbling cheese)
lettuce, shredded
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
tomato, diced
red onion, diced
black olives, sliced
pickled jalapeno slices
fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly brush each side of corn tortillas with canola oil and stack them on the the parment lined baking sheet. Warm in the oven for about 5 minutes or until pliable. Meanwhile brown ground beef and combine with 1/4 cup of Monterey Jack cheese and 1/4 cup salsa verde in a mixing bowl. Fill each warmed tortilla with 1/3 of beef mixture, roll tightly and place in a small casserole dish, seam side down. Cover with remaining salsa verde and Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve over shredded lettuce dressed with hint of vinegar and seasoned with salt. Top with queso fresco, tomato, onion, olives, jalapeno and/or fresh cilantro.

Leftover-palooza

If it's possible, I think the food multiplied itself overnight and we actually had more leftovers on day 2 than we had on Thanksgiving day.  I have never really understood the philosophy behind making new dishes out of the leftovers.  To me it's the best meal of the year and if there is enough left, you get to have it twice.  Why turn perfectly delicious turkey and stuffing into something else when it is so delectable as is?  I don't get it, but to each his own, I suppose.  Anyway two turkey dinners and two more turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce later, I declare that I have had my fill of turkey until this time next year!

A Thanksgiving Feast

I was fortunate to enjoy an epic Thanksgiving feast yesterday at my mother's home! Honestly, I think it was the tastiest meal I can recall having in a very long time, if ever! She handled most of the heavy lifting including the turkey (a 22 pounder stuffed with a bouquet of fresh herbs and citrus and hand massaged with softened butter ), her traditional stuffing, some fabulous mashed sweet potatoes from a recipe she found in one of her favorite Kennedy family cookbooks, our pot of Baltimore pork and sauerkraut and a new fabulous addition, bourbon cranberry sauce.  My brother contributed the slow simmered southern green beans with bacon (my favorite) and I brought along this years dressing recipe of choice, chorizo corn bread, buttermilk mashed potatoes and a hot spinach dip hors d'oeuvre.  

Chorizo Corn Bread Stuffing
1 pound of bulk chorizo sausage
1 small loaf cornbread, unsweetened and crumbled
1 small loaf sourdough bread, cubed and toasted 
1 small onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cups chicken stock
1 egg, beaten
3/4 stick butter
salt and pepper

In a very large skillet, saute onion and celery in butter until soft and translucent.  Turn up heat to med high and add chorizo, breaking up with a fork into small pieces.  Cook until browned and cooked through, remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Place bread cubes and crumbled corn bread in a large mixing bowl and add chorizo mixture, egg and chicken stock.  Stir to combine well.  Place in a large butter baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 400 for 30 minutes covered, remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until top is browned. 

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, washed
3/4 stick butter
1 cup milk
1 cup buttermilk 
salt and pepper

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a light boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain potatoes and, when cool enough to handle, pass each one through a potato ricer or food mill.  Add warmed milk and butter, salt and pepper and whip together.  Add buttermilk and whip again until potatoes are fluffly, creamy and lump free. 

Hot Spinach Dip

1 package frozen chopped spinach

1/2 block cream cheese

3 oz. grated Gruyere

1/4 cup milk

1/4 onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

olive oil

salt and pepper

Thaw frozen spinach and sqeeze out all excess water, set aside.  In a sauce pan, saute onions, red pepper flake and garlic in a little olive oil.  Add spinach and stir to combine.  Place spinach mixture in a strainer to drain excess liquid.  In same pan heat milk and melt in cream cheese.  Add spinach back to the pan, turn off heat and add half of grated Gruyere, Worcestershire and salt and pepper.  Stir well to combine and place in a small baking dish.  Cover with remaining Gruyere cheese and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.

BBQ Pork Rib Soft Taco

You know the night before Thanksgiving you don't want to eat anything that resembles turkey and stuffing in any way, shape or form so as to not interfere with the high expectations placed on the feast of the year. I figured BBQ pork ribs were certainly a far cry from Thanksgiving dinner, so they would be a safe bet for a couple of pre-Thanksgiving dinners. I originally had them in their original oven roasted from on Tuesday night.  The leftovers made a perfect filling for a soft taco last night.  I just shredded the meat from the bone and heated it gently in a skillet.  Then filled warmed flour tortillas with the pork meat, shredded colby jack cheese, thinly sliced red onion, diced avocado and jalapeno slices.  

Super Simple Oven Roasted Baby Backs

You know, sometimes there is nothing more enjoyable and, in the end, more gratifying than spending an afternoon in the yard babysitting a low and slow rack of ribs smoking over an open flame. Then there is winter and the times during a busy week when you want to statisfy a craving for moist, succulent, sweet, sticky bone sucking goodness without all the time and work involved with cooking them on the grill. Here is a ridiculously easy way to cook baby backs in the oven with results that are amazingly good.

Easy Oven Roasted Ribs
1 rack baby back ribs
1 bottle of BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/2 cup Whiskey
2 tablespoons BBQ dry rub

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season ribs with dry rub on both sides. Combine BBQ sauce and whiskey. Place ribs on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and slather with BBQ sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from oven, uncover and brush with additional BBQ sauce. Place ribs under the broiler, turning once, until brown and crusty.

Steak with and Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dipper

I have been making sure that all dinners this week have little or nothing to do with turkey or anything resembling turkey so as not to lessen the impact of Thanksgiving dinner.  I decided that a basic steak and salad dinner was the way to go last night, with pork to follow just before the big day.  This was a perfect little New York strip steak that I purchased from Meijer for about $5.00.  I seasoned it with salt, pepper and garlic powder and seared it in a hot pan for about 4 minutes on each side.  After letting it rest for 15 minutes or so, I sliced it and served it along side a deliciously spicy and perfectly creamy chipotle ranch sauce (a teaspoon of chipotle in adobo sauce mixed with bottled Marzetti Ranch dressing).  A crispy tossed salad rounded out this simple but satisfying meal.  

Beef and Soba Noodle Stir Fry Bowl

Currently my favorite take-out, made-in meal.  This stir fry of vegetables, beef (or chicken) and soba noodles is the perfect healthy, satisfying and insanely tasty meal that takes no time at all to prepare.  The trick is to prepare all of the ingredients before beginning to cook because once you start stir frying it only takes a minute or two from start to finish.  Also great about making your favorite take-out meals at home is that you control the ingredients, so you know exactly what is in it and you can make it specifically to your liking.  In my case that means extra spicy! 

Beef and Soba Noodle Stir Fry Bowl

soba noodles
cooked steak or chicken (sliced)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 carrot, shaved into long ribbons
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot Asian chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
dash toasted sesame oil
chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Cook, drain and rinse soba noodles according to the directions on the package. In a large skillet or wok heat several tablespoons of canola oil and add garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant, but do not burn. Add vegetables and stir fry until softened. Add beef or chicken and noodles and cook until heated through. Add soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce and sesame oil. Turn heat to low and warm through for approximately 5 minutes. Serve with chopped fresh cilantro, green onion and peanuts.

Easy, Healthier Chicken Parmesan

I really do not know how I would get by in the kitchen without boneless skinless chicken breasts. They are definitely a freezer necessity due to their versatility in taking on flavors from many types of food, they thaw in the microwave in no time flat and they have a really quick cooking time too. I spent the day in Shipshewana, IN yesterday, one of my favorite shopping and perusing jaunts, and arrived home late, tired and supremely starved. Fortunately for me, I was able to whip up an easy marinara sauce from a can of tomatoes in the pantry, pull some fresh mozzarella from the refrigerator, and a frozen chicken breast from the freezer. While the real deal chicken Parmesan is one of my favorite meals, I was not about to break out a breading station and trash my kitchen late last night in pursuit of a perfectly golden brown sauteed piece of chicken. I did, however, crave a tasty meal and still wanted those same chicken Parmesan flavors. The result was my lazy man's (or woman's in this case) chicken Parmesan which is also easy and much healthier than the traditional version.

I knew I would need something to soak up the tomato sauce so, I also prepared a bit of linguine according to the directions on the packet as well as a quick marinara. To prepare, start with a large sauce pan, cold, and about 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1-2 minced cloves of garlic. Add the garlic to the cold olive oil in the cold pan and then turn on the heat. Allowing the garlic to come up to temperature really infuses the oil with the garlic flavor. I also like to add about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes as well, but that's optional. After the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it turns brown, add 1 large can of whole tomatoes. I like to use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes, but you can also squeeze them between your fingers, which is kind of fun too, or poke them with a fork. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a grinds of fresh cracked pepper. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until it has reached the proper consistency, and remove from the heat. Stir in about 1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil and you have a fabulous all-purpose marinara sauce.

To prepare the chicken part of the chicken Parmesan, I thawed the boneless skinless chicken breast in the microwave without cooking the edges and placed it between two pieces of parchment paper. I pounded the chicken breast with a rolling pin to an even thickness of about 1/4 - 1/2 inch and placed it in a small baking dish, uncooked. On top of the raw chicken breast I poured over the chunky tomato sauce and topped it with sliced fresh mozzarella and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese. After covering the dish with aluminum foil, I placed it in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. I removed the foil and let it cook, uncovered for an additional 20 minutes or until the top was bubbly, brown and the chicken was cooked through.

Chunky Sloppy Joe Ultimate Nachos

What to do with a little bit of leftover sloppy joe?  I had dinner at my mom's after work on Friday and she suggested we make nachos from the leftover sloppy joe she had remaining from Thursday night's dinner.  She loves nachos and swears that she can never make them to her liking.  So when ever she needs a fix it's Amy to the rescue.  By the way, the only reason my nachos might be better, in her eyes, is because she is always stingy on the cheese due to her fear of too many calories, too much fat, yadda, yadda, yadda, while I (when it comes to nachos) am concerned only with the taste.  The key to delicious nachos is cheese and plenty of it.  Also it's a good idea to layer the chips, meat, cheese, onions and jalapeno slices on a baking sheet, pop it in the oven to melt the cheese and heat everything up. Then top it with some freshness! A fresh salsa or relish on top is a great contrast to the rich warm meltiness. I like to make a chunky salsa of chopped tomato, avocado, black olives, fresh cilantro, salt and lime juice.  Top it all with a little hot sauce and maybe some sour cream! 

Burrito Thursday!

Everyone loves a burrito. Whether stuffed with chicken, beef, pork or just beans, it is certainly one of the favorites on the menu in Mexican restaurants and taco stands. But if you don't have a great Mexican restaurant in your area, or you just want to be able to recreate one of your favorite south of the border treats at home, give a burrito a try. If you have leftover seasoned ground pork which I plucked from the freezer, use it but you can also substitute store bought rotisserie chicken, sliced steak from yesterday's cookout or even some seasoned and browned ground beef. If you have vegetarian friends, or you happen to be a non meat eater yourself, leave the meat out all together and stuff your burrito full of black beans or even refried beans.

Do like I did and fill your burrito with pork, refried beans, shredded cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeno slices, black olives, sour cream, hot sauce and salsa. Don't limit yourself to these ideas, but feel free to experiment and use any ingredient from your refrigerator or pantry that sounds tasty. Yum!

Pan Fried Chicken and Smashed Red Potatoes

To me, good fried chicken has the crispiest of skin which is gently fried to crunchy perfection and seasoned only with salt.  One could compare the fried chicken skin I'm talking about to chicken bacon. Equally as important is the tender, juicy meat which is in no way dried out.  Although there are many schools of thought on the ideal coating for fried chicken, for me the best has always been the way my mama does it.  A piece of chicken with a scant coating of flour and into a shallow pan with and inch or so of hot oil.  Flip over after a few minutes and, thereafter, turning on a regular basis until the chicken is evenly golden brown and cooked thoroughly on the inside.  While still hot and glistening with oil, season fairly liberally with salt. 

The potatoes arose from having two leftover boiled and quartered red potatoes which I had seasoned with a bit of vinegar, olive oil and salt.  The original intention was to make potato salad as an accompaniment for my BBQ Pork on a Bun the other night before I realized I had some of the Au Gratin Potatoes left over.  So, not wanting the au gratins to go to waste I placed the boiled red potatoes in the refrigerator overnight.  In a cast iron skillet I browned some bacon and onions and placed the potatoes in the pan and let them brown before turning them.  As the pan began to dry out a bit, I added a bit of beef stock (which I just happened to have available, though chicken stock or water would have worked fine as well) and let them them simmer for just a bit until they were heated through.  Simple, but delicious! 

Sunday's BBQ Pork on a Bun

Leftovers!  There was simply too much food leftover from mom's delicious Sunday night dinner of BBQ Pork, Southern Green Beans with Bacon and Au Gratin Potatoes, not to take a night off and enjoy that which was already prepared.  

BBQ Pork

3 1/2 lb. boneless Boston butt
salt
1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 cup ketchup
1/4 Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 cup water

Place pork roast in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to an easy simmer. Cover and let cook for 2 hours. Remove pork and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Cut pork into thin slices and place in a shallow roasting pan. In a mixing bowl combine the reserved cooking liquid, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine. Pour the sauce over the pork and cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil and back an additional 10 minutes uncovered.

Southern Green Beans with Bacon
green beans
2 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
pinch chili flakes
chicken stock
butter
salt and pepper
cider vinegar

In a large pot render bacon until crispy. Add onion and chili flakes and cook for several minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and green beans and toss together to combine ingredients. Cover beans with chicken stock, cover pot and cook for approximately 20-30 or even 40 minutes, depending on how soft you like your green beans cooked. Drain green beans and top with butter, salt and pepper and a dash of cider vinegar.

*Blue-plate Special* Hot Roast Beef with Gravy and Ketchuped French Fries

An old time, comfort food, blue-plate diner special! Roast beef, left over from an earlier eye roast dinner, sliced thin and heated in the gravy.  Generally served over a piece of standard white bread (making a hot roast beef sandwich), but I did not have any on hand and decided against purchasing and entire loaf just for one piece.  Anyway, I surely did not need the extra calories and carbs.  Served along side hot salty french fries seasoned with vinegar and covered in ketchup!  Not the most dainty or lovely of dinners, but it sure was tasty and perfect on a cold autumn evening.     

BBQ Pork, Southern Green Beans with Bacon and Au Gratin Potatoes

My mom, who hosts dinner for our family (most) every Sunday night, has become frustrated lately by the prospect of coming up with new and delicious recipes to prepare each and every week.  She tries to stick to slow cook or one pot type meals so that she does not spend the entire day in the kitchen (though, regardless she still does and no one understand why) but that tends to limit the number of dishes on the weekly meal rotation.  However, she recently recalled this recipe which we all used to enjoy way, way back, so she scoured the archives and was able to locate this recipe of unknown origin.  My brother contributed the perfectly cooked southern green beans with bacon and the heart stopping potatoes au gratin, which are based on a classic casserole recipe of frozen hash brown potatoes combined with cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise and cheddar cheese topped with french fried onions, dots of butter and garnished with paprika, are a rotation standard.  

BBQ Pork
3 1/2 lb. boneless Boston butt 
salt
1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 cup ketchup
1/4 Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 cup water

Place pork roast in a large pot and cover with cold salted water.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to an easy simmer.  Cover and let cook for 2 hours.  Remove pork and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Cut pork into thin slices and place in a shallow roasting pan.  In a mixing bowl combine the reserved cooking liquid, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining ingredients.  Stir well to combine.  Pour the sauce over the pork and cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil.  Bake, covered, for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove foil and back an additional 10 minutes uncovered.   

Southern Green Beans with Bacon
green beans
2 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
pinch chili flakes
chicken stock
butter
salt and pepper
cider vinegar

In a large pot render bacon until crispy.  Add onion and chili flakes and cook for several minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add garlic and green beans and toss together to combine ingredients.  Cover beans with chicken stock, cover pot and cook for approximately 20-30 or even 40 minutes, depending on how soft you like your green beans cooked.  Drain green beans and top with butter, salt and pepper and a dash of cider vinegar.   

Roasted Beef, Spinach Gratin and Maple Chipotle Butternut Squash and Potatoes

My favorite thing to do on Saturday afternoon, after all the shopping and housework has been done, is to spend a few hours preparing an old fashioned comforting meal.  One of my favorites is roast beef and though I have had difficulties lately finding a cut in the supermarket that I find to be tender, flavorful and reasonably priced, this eye of the round played the part fairly well.  I would have preferred it to be more rare and could have prevented it from being overcooked had I checked the temperature before the hour I estimated it would take.  It was just over 3 lbs, so at 20 minutes per pound, I estimated it would be properly cooked after an hour.  I should have check at 45 minutes, because the thermometer already indicated it was overcooked when I check, but not catastrophically.  Regardless, it was a delicious meal, just be sure to check the temperature about 3/4 of the way through the estimated cooking time.    

Roast Beef

1 eye of the round roast
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place roast beef on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients and slather on all sides of the meat. Place in the oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees for medium rare. Let rest 15 minutes before carving.

 
Spinach Gratin
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and dried
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
pinch cayenne
pinch nutmeg
pinch paprika
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 panko bread crumbs
 

In a sauce pot melt butter and saute onions and garlic for several minutes until translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add flour, stir well to combine and look cook for about 1-2 minutes to remove raw flour taste.  Add milk and whisk together to avoid lumps.  Bring to a light simmer and let cook until slightly thickened.  Add spinach, cayenne and nutmeg.  Turn off heat and add 1/4 cup of grated cheese.  Spoon into casserole dish, top with remaining cheese, bread crumbs and a little paprika.  Bake at 375 degree for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown and hot and bubbly.

 

Maple and Chipotle Roasted Butternut Squash and Potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo

2 medium red potatoes, quartered

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut int 1 inch cubes

salt and pepper

 

Place potatoes and butternut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss well to combine.  In a small bowl, combine chipotle and maple syrup and drizzle over potatoes.  Toss again to combine.  Roast in same oven as roast beef for approximately 1 hour, tossing once. 

Good 'Ole American Cheeseburger

I know I have said it before, but I am now certain, this is the final grilled burger of the season.  This crazy and most unusual warm weather (Friday was 72 degrees) gave me the opportunity to extend grilling season until almost Thanksgiving!  A notion that was previously unheard of!! In fact, many years passed we already had snow on the ground by this time.  Back to reality though as the bottom is falling out today, by tomorrow it will only be in the 40's and snow is in the forecast for Thursday.  So I'll take mother nature's gift and squeeze in another double cheese topped, flamed grilled Friday night burger.  

BBQ Chicken Pizza

 

Generally, my favorite pizza is the traditional Margherita. Though now running a close second is this BBQ Chicken version I fashioned for dinner last night.  Despite a tough fought battle, without a doubt the best pizza ever is still of the thin crackly crust variety simply topped with fresh tomato sauce, verdant sweet basil and mild fresh mozzarella with a few shards of Parmesan tossed on for good measure.  A while back, however, I was intrigued by the idea of using my  leftover BBQ chicken to recreate a more famous version, I think made popular by California Pizza Kitchen.  My incarnation used smoky bbq sauce, a combination of mild mozzarella and smoked gouda, sweet peppers, onions, and jalapeno slices.  It was simply decadent!  Now, I go out of my way to have plenty of left over chicken just so I can look forward to my new (almost) favorite pizza, the BBQ Chicken Pizza.

 

To assemble the pizza, spread the dough with the BBQ sauce or other sauce of your choice.  Top with leftover bbq chicken or other shredded chicken such as a store bought rotisserie.  Place several slices of fresh mozzarella on with some smoked gouda, sliced sweet onion, sweet peppers, spicy pickled jalapenos and a grating of Parmesan cheese.  Bake in a hot 500 degree oven for approximately 15-20 minutes.  Let cool slightly before slicing and eating.

Basic Pizza Dough     adapted from a recipe by Chris Bianco in "The Gourmet Cookbook"

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dredging
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until surface appears creamy, about 5 minutes.

Stir together 1 1/4 cups flour and salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, oil, and remaining 1/2 cup warm water and stir until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour (about 1/2 cup) so dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead dough on a dry surface with lightly floured hands (reflour hands when dough becomes too sticky) until smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8 minutes. Form into 4 balls for individual pizzas and put on a lightly floured surface and generously dust with flour. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 hours.

To shape the dough, do not punch down. Carefully dredge 1 ball of dough in a bowl of flour to coat and transfer to a dry work surface. Holding one edge of dough in the air with both hands and letting the bottom touch work surface, carefully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing the weigh of dough to stretch to roughly 4 inches. Transfer to a floured tray and work edges with fingers to get desired shape. Let side on tray for about 15 minutes before preparing as desired.

Simple Oven Roasted Whole Chicken

In my opinion, there are few things more delicious than a simple, but flavorful, oven roasted chicken.  I had been day dreaming about this chicken all day long, knowing it was in the refrigerator just across the room waiting for me to escort it home and roast it until it is the envy of all other roasted chickens.  The moist, tender, flavorful meat and the crispy, salty skin is utterly fabulous as is but it is also a great base ingredient for a multitude of other recipes.  While I was in heaven just enjoying this chicken with no embellishment for dinner, tomorrow night it has a date with some pizza dough and BBQ sauce for my current favorite BBQ Chicken Pizza.  If time permits, it is also going to turn exotic and transform itself into Curried Chicken Cashew Raisin Salad for a brown bag lunch.   

Simple Roasted Chicken
1 3 1/2 - 4 lb chicken (preferably free range and organic)
olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder
cumin
chili powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (400 degrees for a convection oven).  Clean, rinse and pat dry the chicken and place on a rack set inside a roasting pan, breast side down.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with a dry spice rub. Roast for 20 minutes with the breast down.  Turn chicken over and roast 20 minutes more with the breast side up.  Finally turn chicken breast down for 10 minutes and once more with breast side up for 10 minutes.  Check chicken for doneness with an instant read thermometer placed in the thigh.  Let chicken rest for 20 minutes before carving.  

Grilled Meatball and Mozzarella Sandwich

While, I must admit that in the past, I have actually made Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner primarily to feed myself that night but with a definite "leftover meatball sub" ulterior motive.  However, I have always been bothered by the way the bun became soggy as a result of the marinara sauce blanketing the meatballs despite preventative toasting or broiling of the bun or heating the wrapped sandwich in the oven. Another problem which arose when making meatball subs at home was that very first bite caused the innards of the sandwich to shoot out the other end (insert inappropriate potty joke here) leaving you with an empty (soggy) bun and a pile of gooey cheese covered meatballs on your plate. However, not to be deterred, I have found a solution which resulted in an even better sandwich than the original and without the soggy bun and the pile of evacuated meatballs.

Start by cutting cold leftover meatballs into 1/4 inch slices.  Next, slather garlic butter on the outside of two pieces of Italian bread just as you would with plain butter were you making a standard grilled cheese sandwich.  Place a generous mound of shredded mozzarella cheese on the inside of each piece of bread and top with the sliced meatballs. Close the sandwich making certain the garlic buttered bread is facing out. Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Place sandwich, garlic buttered side down, in the skillet and cover with a lid.  Check sandwich after several minutes and flip over to other side when first side is golden brown.  Replace lid and let cook several more minutes.  Sandwich is done to perfection with both sides are golden brown, meatballs are heated through and the cheese and melted.  Heat a bowl of home made marinara sauce and serve along side for dipping!  

Spaghetti Marinara with Meatballs

A simple and delicious marinara sauce served over steaming spaghetti with meatballs!  One of my favorite dinners because, to me, it is the definition of comfort food. It makes you feel good, like you have accomplished something when you have finished making it. Bonus, is that it gives you so much food for the money.  I purchased 1 lb. of ground chuck, which was on sale for about $2.94/lb, from which I made 4 golf ball sized meatballs and froze the other 1/2 lb. for another use.  Plus 1 pound of pasta which is about $1.00 and a can of tomatoes which is about $1.89, except that I scored a rare can of actual San Marzano DOP certified tomatoes.  Even using the Rolls Royce of tomatoes, I still only shelled out about $5.00.  

To make this versatile marinara sauce start with a large sauce pan, cold, and about 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1-2 minced cloves of garlic.  Add the garlic to the cold olive oil in the cold pan and then turn on the heat.  Allowing the garlic to come up to temperature really infuses the oil with the garlic flavor.  I also like to add about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes as well, but that's optional.  After the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it turns brown, add 1 large can of whole tomatoes.  I like to use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes, but you can also squeeze them between your fingers, which is kind of fun too, or poke them with a fork.  Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a grinds of fresh cracked pepper.  Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until it has reached the proper consistency, and remove from the heat.  Stir in about 1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil and you have a fabulous all-purpose marinara sauce.  

The meatballs start with 1 pound of ground beef in a large bowl.  To the ground beef add 1 clove minced garlic, a few tablespoons of finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 - 1/2 cup bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Combine well, but be careful not to overwork the meat which will cause it to become dense and dry.  Place meatballs on a baking sheet and cook in a 375 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes.  Turn the marinara sauce back on and bring to a simmer.  Remove the meatballs from the oven and place in the marinara sauce to finish cooking or for just another 10 minutes or so.  Serve over the pasta of your choice and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Beef Stew

I really do not intend to sound ungrateful or unappreciative of the effort my dear mother makes every Sunday to prepare a fabulous meal for the family.  However, I am sure when you were growing up there were a few meals that when your mom told you that's what you were having for dinner, you would like nothing better than to run down the street and join the neighbors, regardless of what they were serving.  No matter how appreciative you may be, there are always going to be meals you just don't like, right?  Well, I really do not care for beef stew...ok, I can not stand the sight of beef stew. I know I am in the minority of the people out there, but I can't help it.  Beef stew and Pot Roast, both strike fear in the center of my being at just hearing the sound of the words.  I know my mother is going to kill me when she reads this, not that it's a secret.  Believe me, she knows I don't like it, but you see the weight my opinions have in the family.  

While I have this aversion to beef stew, I am actually fairly fond of Beef Bourguignon,  a bit of a fancier version of a standard beef stew which is a long slow braise of beef in red wine with carrots, mushrooms and onions.

I prefer to purchase a whole cut of meat and portioning it into the desired size in my kitchen, as opposed to buying the precubed stew beef found in most grocery stores. Most times I prefer larger pieces of meat than is available in the supermarket. I also like to see and be in control of the ingredients I use rather trust a package of cubed mystery meat. For this particular occasion, I bought a 1.25 lb beef shoulder roast which I cut into about 2 inch cubes and tossed in a light coating of flour. Heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the floured cubes of meat to the pot and brown on all sides (be sure not to overcrowded the pot to encourage browning and avoid steaming the meat). Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.

To the dutch oven, add 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 package of sliced cremini mushrooms (white button mushrooms can be substituted), about 5 or 6 carrots cut into 2 inch pieces (if you have small baby carrots, they can certainly be used instead), 1 bag of frozen cippolini or pearl onions and 1 small can of tomato paste. Saute for about 5 to 10 minutes. Next, add about 1/2 bottom of Burgundy wine (hence, the name Beef Bourguignon), or any other red wine you have on hand, and 1 box of beef stock. At this point, I recommend you make a slurry of 1/4 cup of water to 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch, mix well and add to the stew in order to thicken the gravy as it cooks in the oven. (Note: I did not add the slurry at this point yesterday, but when the stew came out of the oven, I noticed the gravy was a bit thin. I did add some cornstarch when I was reheating it on the stove just before it was time to eat and it worked perfectly, thickening the gravy just enough.) Return the beef to the pot, season liberally with salt and pepper and about 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, if available. Bring it to a boil, cover and finish cooking in a 275 degree oven for about 2 1/2 hours.

You can certainly add potatoes to the stew, which will also add to the thickening of the gravy and simply serve with some good bread. However, I decided to leave the potatoes out of the stew in favor of serving it over fluffy buttermilk mashed potatoes. To make the potatoes, I washed and peeled 6 Yukon gold potatoes, placed them in a saucepan and covered them with cold water. Bring up to a light boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, add them back to the hot sauce pan and add about 3/4 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Mash the potatoes and incorporate well with the milk and butter. Add about 1/2 cup of buttermilk and a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and serve hot with the beef Bourguignon.

Soba Noodle and Steak Stir Fry Bowl

Usually, when I have leftover flank steak, I make fajitas and or steak sandwiches but lately I have been obsessed with Asian food.  I can't seem to get enough.  So I was excited to use up the remaining steak from Friday night's dinner in this Soba Noodle, Steak and Vegetable Stir Fry Bowl.  It was also the perfect meal for a Saturday night because I had been out shopping all day and didn't roll through the door until almost 8:00pm.  Starving and worn out, I was so happy I had something this easy, healthy, and delicious for dinner.

Soba Noodle and Steak Stir Fry Bowl
soba noodles
left over steak or chicken (sliced)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 carrot, shaved into long ribbons
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot Asian chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
dash toasted sesame oil
chopped fresh cilantro

Cook, drain and rinse soba noodles according to the directions on the package.  In a large skillet or wok heat several tablespoons of canola oil and add garlic and ginger.  Cook until fragrant, but do not burn.  Add vegetables and stir fry until softened.  Add beef or chicken and noodles and cook until heated through.  Add soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce and sesame oil.  Turn heat to low and warm through for approximately 5 minutes.  Serve with chopped fresh cilantro and green onion.   

Flank Steak, Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions and Spinach Salad

A true steak house meal for a fraction of the cost of eating out and, I guarantee, a million times better!  While flank steak is not a common cut of beef on steak house menus, it is a great alternative for the home cook to use when recreating a restaurant experience at home.  It is a relatively inexpensive steak which is full of flavor and fabulously tender, provided it is given proper treatment.  Marinate the steak for at least 4 hours but the longer, the better.  A simple combination of well seasoned olive oil, red wine, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, honey, garlic and green onions will impart tremendous flavor.  Be certain not to cook this cut of meat beyond medium rare to guarantee the most tender slices.  Speaking of slices, it is imperative that the slices be paper thin and cut against the grain of the beef.  Follow these simple steps and whether you cook flank steak on the grill or in a hot cast iron pan on the stove, you are sure to enjoy a superbly flavorfull and mouthwateringly tender steak.    

Chicken Fried Jasmine Rice

Most of the time, when I make rice for dinner, I am sure to have extras in order to fix some version of fried rice the following night. Fried rice is best prepared with rice that is a day old because it tends to loose its moisture and will be less likely to stick together. It is helpful to prepare all of the ingredients before starting to cook because once the process begins there is very little time from start to finish. Start with having your left over rice ready to go and then mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and about a 1 inch knob of fresh ginger and set aside. Next, chop about a 1/4 cup of onion and other vegetables you wish to include such as broccoli, celery, carrots, or cabbage. Dice 1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast into small cubes (you can also substitute rotisserie chicken, or left over chicken/game hen as well). In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of chili garlic paste and 1 teaspoon of sweet chili sauce. Crack 1 egg in a small bowl and whisk to break up the yolk and combine well with the whites.

Now, preheat a large skillet (or wok if you have one) over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of peanut or canola oil. When the pan is nice and hot add the whisked egg to the pan and scrabble (this should only take about 10-15 seconds). When finished set aside for use at the very end. To the same pan, add the vegetables and the chopped onion and stir fry for a minute or two. Next add the garlic and ginger being careful not to let them burn and again stir fry for a few minutes. Add the chopped chicken, followed by the rice and stir to combine and warm through. Place the reserved scrabbled egg back in the pan and thoroughly incorporate in the fried rice. Pour over the soy sauce mixture, turn off the heart and toss, being sure to remove any tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Serve hot with soy and hot sauce on the side.



Bourbon Teriyaki Salmon

Oh yes, after the Halloween candy dinner and the election return Supremely Sophisticated French Fry Nachos, I was definitely in need of some healthier choices for dinner. Based on my experiences, there are people who like potatoes and then there are others who seek comfort in rice based dishes.  I am the later!  Not that I have anything against potatoes...I mean, I did just feature Sophisticated French Fry Nachos (and the sophisticated version, at that) but the hard cold reality is that one of my very favorite meals is roasted chicken with white rice and a tossed salad with oil and vinegar dressing.  Can't really explain it, it's just that the richness of the chicken with the bland yet fulfilling rice and the tart salad is just the perfect combination of comfort and deliciousness at the same time. Running a close second is salmon and rice!  This particular incarnation of salmon is equally delicious, decadent and downright healthy. Just what I needed and, more importantly, wanted!

Bourbon Teriyaki Salmon
1 salmon fillet
1/2 cup Bourbon (Maker's Mark, in this instance)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon, fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon, fresh grated garlic
1 teaspoon Asian garlic chili sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper.  In a small mixing bowl combine Bourbon, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chili sauce and honey.  In a ziplock bag, marinate the salmon in the bourbon soy sauce mixture for approximately 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of canola oil.  After draining the salmon of the marinade and patting dry, add the fish to the skillet, skin side down.  After about a minute or so, place the salmon in the oven and finish cooking for approximately 15 minutes.  Serve over Jasmine rice, garnished with sesame seeds and freshly sliced green onions.  

May I Introduce, the Supremely Sophisticated French Fry Nachos?

The ultimate in 'election returns' snack food!  I must admit, that I really enjoy watching the election returns and, since I get a feeling similar to that you get when watching your favorite team play for a bowl title, it is a situation that requires the appropriate food.  This is not a time for a proper dinner consisting of a meat, a starch and a veggie.  Absolutely not!  This is, however, the perfect occasion to practice up on your favorite football fare....Super Bowl, after all, is only a few months away.  This is my morphed version of the two favorite foods that I can not get enough of....french fries and nachos. (Drum roll, please)  May I introduce you to the supremely sophisticated French Fry Nacho platter! Frozen crinkle cut french fries, cooked in the oven according to the directions on the package, then topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheese, chopped tomato, jalapeno and onions.  Then shoved back in the oven for 5 or 10 minutes until the cheese resembles molten lava oozing down a mountain (of fries) and the whole thing becomes one homogeneous mass.  A little drizzle of hot sauce and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley doesn't hurt either! 

Post Halloween Diet Dinner

After I indulged in a Halloween dinner of candy, spiced red wine, an enormous sub, chips, homemade onion dip and an after work jaunt to Hacienda for Birthday chips and salsa last night, I was definitely in need of a plate of a green leafy healthy salad.  That it is exactly what I, therefore, fixed for dinner.  A freshly rinsed and chopped head of green leaf lettuce with a little ham, turkey, cheese, onion and raisins topped (lightly) with red wine vinegar and a sprinkle of garlic rosemary olive oil.  Delicious!  Though I will admit that I woke up starving at 3am, but I figured I had plenty of candy calories stored that my metabolism could gobble up, so I decided that I would not venture into the kitchen and feed my hunger because I could actually loose weight while I was sleeping.  Jury is still out on whether my theory actually worked.    

Halloween Candy, Of Course!

Yup, I am sure that I am not alone in that a substantial part of my evening meal was, in fact, comprised of candy.  Candy and a strange spiced wine called "Witches Brew" which was heated on the stove, as directed, to a quite comforting warm temperature but not boiled.  The hint of cinnamon and clove was actually nice, initially, but quickly became icky. I then abandoned the Witches Brew for the much more upscale Beringer Pinot Noir which was my mother's contribution to the Halloween feast hosted by my brother.  

In addition to the Twix and Witches Brew, I did actually make a substantial and quite tasty submarine sandwich for all of us to enjoy in between trick or treating and answering the doorbell.  The photo, however, is the tiny piece I was able to wrap up for next day's lunch.  I totally forgot to take a photo which really bums me out because it was a nice sandwich!  I purchased these enormous 2 feet long sandwich rolls from Jimmy Johns for less than $1, a bargain by any measure.  A healthy heaping handful of turkey, ham, salami, baby swiss cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato made this picture perfect and, were it not for the Witches Brew, I would have remembered to snap that photo to prove it.