Chicken in Shallot Cream Sauce

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil or butter
4 shallots or 1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sour cream (can sub plain yogurt or cream cheese)
10 oz. fresh spinach or kale

1. Season chicken with S&P. Cook chicken in oil in large skillet about 12 minutes, flipping once. Remove from pan.

2. In same pan, cook and stir shallots (and kale if using) until tender. Add wine/broth and salt; bring to boil. Cook 2-3 minutes until thickened slightly. Stir in sour cream. Add spinach if using; cook until just wilted. Stir chicken back in and serve over rice.

This recipe is slightly adapted from Taste of Home. It's a go-to chicken recipe because it is cheap, fast, healthy, tasty and uses only one pan -- my top 5 criteria :)

Curried Lentil Soup

from Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook
Really flavorful, especially when topped with plain yogurt!
Serves 4

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 large onions, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. curry powder
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 quarts water
1/2 lb. lentils
1/4 c. brown rice, uncooked
5 oz. frozen peas
1/4 c. bottled mango chutney (Trader Joe's?)
Salt and pepper to taste (for me...a lot :-) )

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, curry powder, bay leaf and parsley. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, 8-10 minutes or until onions are translucent.

2. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils and rice. Cook partially covered, stirring frequently for 1 1/2 hours, until tender.

3. Stir in peas, chutney, salt and pepper. Continue cooking over low for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and taste for seasoning. Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream and Trader Joe's pita crackers.

Note: Everything in this cookbook seems to have extraordinarily long cooking times, so I'm not sure if quite this much time is necessary, but the brown rice at least would require a long time.

Spaghetti Sauce

This recipe is from Once A Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg (so it goes without saying that you can freeze the part that you don't use).

Karen Eckardt gave this recipe an A+ and Ken called it "awesome." :) It's so good you don't need cheese on top!

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 12-oz can tomato paste*
3 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes
2 cups water*
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. salt

In a large pot, cook and stir the sausage with the onion until meat is brown. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil; reduce heat. Partly cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Makes 12 cups sauce.

*I omitted the tomato paste and the water. It was still a good consistency though obviously made less - maybe more like 10 cups sauce.

Fish Amandine

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. sole, flounder, swai, perch, whatever
1/2 c. Sliced almonds
1/4 c. Butter
2 Tbsp lemon peel, grated
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Method
1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9x13 baking dish.

2. Rinse and dry fish. Cut into 6 servings. Place in baking dish (skin side down, thin ends tucked under)

3. Melt butter. Mix in almonds, lemon peel, salt and lemon juice. Bake 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice and a plain green vegetable (broccoli?) and maybe bread to soak up the good salty sauce.

Spinach-Walnut Pesto Tortellini

This is really yummy. Thank you Rachael Ray.

It was also really easy. I just got out my food processor, chopped up 10 oz. spinach, then put a cup of walnuts in there and 2 garlic cloves, chopped them up, then switched out the chopper blade for the grater and grated some Parmesan (2/3 cup) right in there, then stirred in salt and pepper. So - didn't bother with the chicken broth, olive oil, nutmeg (although I'm sure that would be tasty) or edible flowers (come on).

I made the pesto the night before, then in the morning I cooked the tortellini, tossed it (along with a little pasta water) with the pesto and brought it to the church potluck in a 9x13. The dish was like licked clean. Winner.

Chicken Cheese Chowder

3 c. chicken broth
3 chicken breasts
1 lg onion, diced
2-3 potatoes, diced
2-3 celery stalks with leaves, diced
1 cup frozen corn kernals
salt & pepper
2 c. grated sharp cheddar
3 c. milk

Simmer broth, chicken, onion, potatoes, celery and corn (as Rachael Ray says, chop and drop, meaning chop as you go; you don't have to get everything chopped before you start). If you start with raw chicken breasts, take them out after about 15-20 minutes of simmering and chop or shred into bite-sized pieces. Simmer everything for 30-45 minutes. Season to taste with S&P.

Stir in cheese until melty. Stir in milk and reheat gently (10-15 minutes?) This soup is really rich and heavy so make sure it's a freezing cold night, and serve with good crusty bread for dipping.

Chicken Enchiladas

OK, I can't find this brilliant recipe I saw in Taste of Home mag on Taste of Home's website, because they have a million chicken enchilada recipes... of course, right? So even though I haven't tried it yet, here it is. It stuck out to me because it has few ingredients, and it doesn't have anything gross in it like canned soup or "enchilada sauce" from a can. Why do enchilada recipes have those nasty ingredients? And then also the process always seems time-consuming, whereas this one sounds quick & easy.

I am planning to use corn tortillas for this recipe so I hope they won't get too weird and crunchy and torn, like corn tortillas are wont to do.

"Easy" Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
8 flour tortillas (8") (Again, I'm thinking of using 6" corn tortillas, so I'll do 10-12)
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (I'm straining some plain yogurt for this very purpose)
1 cup salsa (I'll use the salsa I made today out of my last-hurrah tomatoes and peppers)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained

Directions
In a small bowl, combine chicken and cream cheese. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt and salsa. Spread over tortillas. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and olives. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serves 8.

OR.......

Try this green chile enchilada recipe. I would use TJ's salsa verde instead of doing that whole tomatillo process, which would make it a whole lot easier, and still probably taste awesome. I love this blog!

Mexican Chicken Soup

from Cook's Country Feb/March 2006
This makes kind of a lot - it says it serves 6-8 and I think that's really true. It tastes amazing though, so you won't be sorry if you have leftovers.

Ingredients
6 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken - breasts or thighs
1 onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
10 sprigs cilantro
salt
tomatoes
tomato juice (I used a quart of juice that was leftover from straining homemade salsa)
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, plus 1 T. adobo sauce
1 T. vegetable oil
2 c. frozen corn kernels
2 T. lime juice
Toppings: avocado, cilantro, shredded cheddar or jack, sour cream, crunched up tortilla chips

1. Make broth and cook chicken: Bring 4 c. of the chicken broth, chicken, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, cilantro and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil in large skillet. Cover and reduce heat to low until chicken is cooked through (8-10 minutes). Transfer chicken to a plate.

2. Do the tomato part of broth: In a blender, puree tomatoes, remaining 2 onion quarters and 2 garlic cloves, chipotle and adobo sauce until smooth.

3. Get out your huge soup pot: Heat oil in large pot over high heat until shimmering. Add tomato mixture and 1/8 tsp. salt; cook until darkened in color (8-10 minutes). Strain broth directly into pot with tomato puree (discard solids). Add remaining 2 c. broth, tomato (or salsa) juice, and corn. Simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces and add to soup. Stir in lime juice and adjust S&P to taste. Serve with toppings available in small bowls.

How to Do a Roast

Here is the best way to do roast beef that I've found.

This discovery was made when I tried a recipe from good ol' Betty Crocker, and was wowed by the meat (but not by the carrots and potatoes... so now I leave those out). Side note: I am not usually wowed by meat. I usually could not really care less about meat. I'm like, give me mango salsa over roast beef any day. But we live in the Midwest and we're trying to be all things to all men OK? So we do meat and potatoes on Sunday.

Then I asked my friend at church who is an amazing cook: Um, I did a chuck roast in the crockpot, why did it turn out so good? And she said: Chuck roasts are like made for the crockpot. It is a perfect way to cook chuck roast. No more bottom rounds for us. I seriously never buy them anymore. Chuck is just awesome in the slow cooker! Why did no one tell me this before now?

Anyway, without further ado...

Beef with Rosemary
adapted from Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Cookbook

3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
3 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh or 1 1/2 tsp. dried chopped/crunched up rosemary leaves
1 tsp. fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. finely chopped onion

Put the roast in the crock pot. In a small bowl mix mustard, rosemary, thyme, S&P. Spread over beef. Sprinkle onions over the top.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Keep It Simple: Tomato Basil Pasta

Martha Stewart had this great recipe in the August issue of Living that you must try. I love Martha when she doesn't get all crazy. This recipe has no mention of parchment paper* or shallots, so I tried it, and it was good.
*Amendment: Susan told me to buy some parchment paper, so I did, and it really is cool stuff.

Tomato & Basil pasta
1/4 c. evoo
3 garlic cloves, pressed/minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lb. short pasta (penne or something)
tomatoes - she says 4 medium but just however many you have - cut up into bite-size
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese - cut up into bite-size
basil leaves

1. Cook and drain pasta.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine evoo, garlic, salt & pepper. Toss in the warm pasta. Throw the tomatoes and cheese on top, then top that with the basil leaves and some more salt & pepper.

That's it!

New Look and New Take on Bean Pot

I love this new blog design! The background makes me think of a nice cool Washington day. :)

For dinner tonight, we had a new spin on an old favorite: Jamaican Black Beans. This time I threw it all in the crockpot -
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp (?) molasses
some browned italian sausage that I had in my freezer... so it's no longer vegetarian

I had this going on low heat for about 2 1/2 hours. Then I thought, I should put a sweet potato in there. I don't know about sweet potatoes in the crockpot, and anyway I didn't have much time, so I poked a sweet potato with a fork and put it in the microwave for 7 minutes. Then I let it cool, peeled it, cut it into chunks, and put it in the crockpot for another 30-45 minutes... until dinner time.

Served this goodness with rice and it was awesome! I don't think I'll do it the old way again... and not just because I'm an ENFP. :)

Thai Beef Salad

Here is a recipe from the coolest restaurant in Dayton, Thai Nine.

Dressing:
4 T. lime juice
3 T. fish sauce
1 T. sugar

Salad:
Bed of lettuce or cabbage
5 cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
2 T. thinly sliced red onion
1 T. sliced green onion
1/2 cucumber, halved and sliced
1 T. cilantro, chopped
1 T. basil, chopped
1/2 lb. steak, thinly sliced and pan fried -OR- grilled and then thinly sliced (I did option #1)

Toss to combine salad and dressing! Yummm. We ate this salad for dinner with a side of rice, which nicely soaked up the extra dressing.

Dinner Tonight: Fish Tacos

If you live in San Diego like Tami, just get yourself to your nearest Rubio's. However - if you live far, far away from San Diego and you need a fish taco, here is what you do:

Ingredients
White Sauce:
1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. plain yogurt or sour cream
1 clove garlic, minced
lime juice
salt
chipotle chili powder

Tacos:
olive oil
chili powder
lime juice
salt and pepper
12 - 16 oz. bag of frozen tilapia, preferably farm-raised (just kidding - but that is what was on sale), thawed
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage or lettuce
8 tortillas - corn to be authentic, but I like flour better

Fresh Salsa:
1/4 c. finely chopped onions (I like red)
1/4 c. cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 c. chopped tomato

Other stuff:
chopped avocado
lime wedges for squeezing

Method
1. To make the sauce: mix mayo, yogurt, lime juice, garlic, chipotle chili powder and some salt. Taste for seasoning.

2. Marinade for the fish: Combine 2 T. olive oil, 1 tsp. chili powder, juice from 1/2 a lime and some S&P in a shallow dish. Taste to make sure it is yummy. Then place the thawed fish pieces in the marinade and let them hang out for a few minutes. (The marinade recipe is courtesy of Rachael Ray... mostly.)

3. Heat up 2 T. olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook 4-5 minutes per side or until flaky. OR: grill for 3-4 minutes per side (make sure your grill is clean and well-oiled first).

4. Warm the tortillas in a pan (I put them directly on my ceramic stovetop on a burner on low). Layer cabbage/lettuce, fish, fresh salsa, some avocado, and drizzle with the sauce. Roll it up and oh-so-good. If you want to be really authentically Rubio's, serve with a wedge of lime, and a Corona... and another wedge of lime, I guess. :)

Serves 2 starving people and one picky toddler.

Salmon with Sake and Ginger

We made this salmon last night using the baking method: it was amazing. All you need with it is some rice (to soak up the sauce).

Chili for 20

This is one of those meals that someone served to me on a Sunday afternoon after church, and it was so good I had to have the recipe...

Chili for 20 (but really more like 15-16... think: chili for a lot of people) :)
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. ground turkey
2 sweet onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
6 16-oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 20-oz can chilies
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Method
Brown meat with onions and garlic. Drain off fat. Add to crockpot. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook on low setting for 3-4 hours.

Note: Above is the recipe as it was given to me. When I halved this last night for a smaller group, I used 1.5 lbs ground beef and 1/2 lb. italian sausage. Instead of the tomatoes and chilies, I used 6 cups (48 oz) salsa (I still browned the meat with 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic). I served it with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Bacon Tomato Cheese Pasta

This is a bit of a rip-off from Rachael Ray, but it is so good I had to share. We've had this dish twice in the past month and it just doesn't get old!

Also... if you have a soft spot in your heart for the Pan-Geos line in the Great Hall, try this and tell me if it evokes fond memories. If you detested Pan-Geos... Marie, don't judge this recipe before you try it :)

Ingredients
1 lb. short-cut pasta (whole wheat pasta was good)
1 Tbsp. evoo
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
salt & pepper
1 c. chicken stock (or 1/2 c. stock, 1/2 c. white wine if you have some lying around)
1 pint grape tomatoes (I used sundried tomatoes once which was delicious)
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded or diced
Fresh herbs: some chopped chives or parsley or basil or all 3
1/2 c. grated parmesan

Method
1. Chop everything up... onion, garlic, herbs, bacon.

2. Make the pasta, reserving 1/2 c. of the pasta water before you drain it

3. Heat the evoo in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Now pay attention to all these minutes:

• Cook bacon until crispy - 2-3 minutes.
• Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and pasta liquid; bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes; cook for 1 minute.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and stir it all up for 1 more minute.
  

4. Remove from heat. Stir in the mozzarella, fresh herbs and parmesan. Taste to see if it needs any extra S&P (probably not) :) Serve with a simple salad dressed with vinaigrette.

Eggplant Parmesan

While I'm on the topic of eggplant... I made this eggplant parmesan and it turned out quite deliciously if I do say so.

It's kind of a pain to make and takes a while, but if you want to simultaneously feed and impress about 10 people, this is the ticket. It makes ahead very well (kind of like a lasagna) so you can do all the slaving away the day before if you want.

I had some people over for lunch after church today who deemed it quite yummy, and then the clincher... "and I don't even like eggplant."

Score.

Sicilian Eggplant Sauce

Thank you Claire's Corner Copia cookbook for this awesome sauce recipe. It's perfect for a summer garden that includes eggplant, tomatoes, parsley and basil!!

Corner Copia Claire's grandma from Sicily serves this over fresh fettucine.

Ingredients
1/2 c. + 2 T. olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
2 medium eggplants, peeled & chopped (about 1" dice?)
1/4 c. water
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 28-oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes (TJs is good), or 6-8 fresh peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt to taste
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

Method
1. Heat oil in heavy pot over low heat. Add garlic and eggplant. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The oil might get all soaked up by the eggplant; you can add a little bit more if it starts to get scorchy.
2. Add water, red pepper flakes and oregano. Cover, bring to a low boil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper and basil. Simmer uncovered about 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the eggplant is tender and the sauce is thick. Taste for seasoning.

Mama Hitchman's Pasta Salad

Dressing:
1/2 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar or white balsamic are acceptable substitutes)
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to combine.

Salad:
In a large bowl, mix any or all of the following:
8 oz. pasta, cooked according to package directions (rainbow rotini or bow ties are good)
chopped red or green pepper
chopped salami
fresh mozzarella balls
olives... I like kalamata
sun dried tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
fresh basil

This tastes better after the flavors have melded for a while........

Polenta Pie

Here is another hit from Cheryl Hufnagel... it is so versatile and so economical!!

Ingredients
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 c. cold water
---------
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. chopped red onion
3 tomatillos, chopped
1/2 c. frozen corn kernals
12-15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 chipotle pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 c. salsa verde
chopped cilantro
chopped green onions


Method
1. Mix cornmeal, sage, salt and pepper and cold water in a 2 qt. saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly (over medium heat) until very thick. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish. You can let it hang out at this point for a while, to get a little dried out. I like the crust a little chewy and this is the way to do it. When you're ready, bake at 425 until firm - 20-25 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix cheese, red onion, tomatillos, corn, tomatoes, chipotle and salsa. Spread on crust and return to 425 oven for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

3. Let cool for a few minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions.

Variations
* Italian: substitute oregano for sage in crust. Use marinara sauce instead of salsa, mozzarella instead of cheddar, and mix in some pizza toppings like black olives, green pepper, sausage, etc.
* Greek: same as above but use feta cheese and cherry tomatoes... and extra garlic!