What Recipe?

Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Casserole

2010-08-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

Inspiration for this is from the garden, obviously. All the veggies were fresh off the vine. I'm up to my neck in ripe tomatoes!

Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Casserole

3 medium eggplant, sliced thin
2 medium zucchini, sliced thin
several large tomatoes, seeded and diced
olive oil
salt
pepper
breadcrumbs
grated parmesan cheese
parsley
oregano
thyme
garlic
1/4 cup vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 375°.

Arrange eggplant and zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat vegetables with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes. Arrange half of eggplant in a single layer in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with half of zucchini and half of tomato. Drizzle olive oil evenly over vegetables, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Combine breadcrumbs, cheese and next 4 ingredients; sprinkle half over the tomato layer. Repeat layers with remaining eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, oil, salt, pepper, and breadcrumb mixture. Pour broth over top. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender and topping is browned.

Roasted Poblano, Avocado and Cucumber Soup

2010-08-02T19:52:00.001-05:00

Long time, no post. I apologize. I've been fairly uninspired in the kitchen lately, relying mainly on good, old staples.

But now that the garden is producing more than just salads, it's time to get back in the kitchen. Tonight's dinner is inspired by a recipe by Food & Wine, an abundance of cucumbers from the garden and wanting to do something with them other than yet another salad, and a husband who made gagging noises at the idea but who is, conveniently, at soccer tonight. He doesn't know what he's missing.

Roasted Poblano, Avocado and Cucumber Soup

2 medium poblano, cored and seeded and cut in half
3 cloves garlic
5 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 avocados, chopped
~4 cups chicken broth
~3 tsp hot curry powder
dash of tumeric
dash of saffron
1 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)
salt to taste
cilantro to taste

Preheat broiler to 500*. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, spray with cooking spray. Place poblano halves skin-side up. Broil 5-10 minutes or until skin is charred. Remove from oven, let cool. Remove the skin and coarsely chop.

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat thru. Add garlic and sautee until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add poblano and sautee about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and toast until fragarant. Add broth, cucumbers, and avocado; cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the vegetables until smooth, adding more broth if necessary to maintain texture. Add in spices and lime juice to taste. Simmer another 5-10 minutes.

This soup can be served hot or cold, depending on your preference.

Oven-Friend Buttermilk Chicken

2010-06-16T19:30:00.001-05:00

This was 5 million times better than KFC. The chicken was perfectly moist, the skin was crispy. I think using the convection settings on the oven helped this.

Oven-Friend Buttermilk Chicken

3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
4 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on

1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken breasts to bag, turn to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 15 mintues.

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Combine breadcrumbs and seasoning in a large bowl. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Place an oven-safe cooling rack in the baking sheet.

Dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture, coating evenly on all sides, and arrange on cooling rack. Place in oven on a middle rack and bake at 425ºF for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160ºF, turning halfway thru.

Increase heat to 450º and cook 5-10 minutes or until skin on top is crispy and internal temperature reads 175-180º. Remove from oven and serve.

"Cheddar Bay" Biscuits

2010-05-13T20:02:00.002-05:00

Tonight's dinner was your basic tilapia in a lemon-butter sauce. But I wanted to have biscuits with it.

I poked about online for a replica of the only reason people go to Red Lobster - the Cheddar Bay biscuits. And all of them, to the last one, called for Bisquick mix.

Really? You're too lazy to mix together some flour, baking soda and baking powder??

I've been using this biscuit recipe for four years now. So I just took this basic recipe and modified it. The results?

Delicious, fluffy biscuity goodness. YUM.

"Cheddar Bay" Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried chives
1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4-5 tbsp butter
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add in cheese and toss lightly to coat with the flour. Cut in butter until flour resembles crumbs. Using a wooden spoon, mix in buttermilk until combined.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto parchment. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until biscuits are done (insert a toothpick to test).

Limoncello Scones

2010-04-08T10:22:00.001-05:00

This is a unbelievably delicious variation on my standard scone recipe. I'm not quite sure what made this idea pop into my head but ginger and limoncello just sounded divine. And it IS. So, so divine.

Limoncello Scones

4 cups all purpose unbleached organic flour
1/2 cup Splenda (or sugar)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tsp Five-Spice Powder
6 tbsp Smart Balance (or butter), cold and cut into pieces
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup ginger nibs (you can get them at the Spice House)
1 cup buttermilk (or substitute)

1/3 cup limoncello
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat oven temperature to 400º F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and five-spice powder. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture until the mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips, walnuts and ginger nibs. In a small measuring cup combine the buttermilk with the maple syrup and then add to the flour mixture, add limoncello. Stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times. Divide the dough in half. Working with each half, pat the dough into a circle that is about 4 inches wide by 3 inches deep and about 1 inch thick. Cut the rectangle in half, then cut each half into 4 squares. Repeat with the other half of the dough. You will have 16 scones altogether. Place the scones on the baking sheet that is lightly coated with spray oil.

Bake for about 16 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Ground Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2010-03-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

We don't make stuffed peppers often. I still have this deep-rooted aversion to the dish from my childhood. If my mother were reading this post, she wouldn't believe I was the one writing it.

But this isn't your typical ground chuck mixed with onions and tomatoes (or ketchup, in some cases). Consider this a step up.

The mix makes more stuffing than for the peppers I had on-hand. I think it would probably stuff about 2 more peppers. But the stuffing itself would make excellent stuffed pitas or even mixed into a fritatta.

Ground Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2 cups chicken broth
2 saffron threads
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp cumin
1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 tbsp olive oil
1 14oz can artichoke hearts
2 shallots
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 lb ground turkey
2/3 - 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

3 red bell peppers

To make the quinoa:
Combine the chicken broth and spices in a 3 qt sauce pan. Bring the broth to a boil. Add quinoa, stir, reduce heat and cover. Cook 12 minutes until the broth is absorbed. Removev heat and set aside.

To make the stuffing:
Combine artichoke hearts, shallots and kalamata olives in a food processor. Pulse until chopped. Heat a large skillet over medium heat until shimmery. Add artichoke heart mixture and cook 3-5 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in quinoa. Let cool slightly; stir in half the parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Stuff the peppers with the turkey-quinoa mixture and place in a 13x9" pan. Sprinkle the top with remaining parmesan cheese. Add about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the dish and cover the dish loosely with foil. Bake for 40 minutes or until the peppers are tender.

Greek-Style Buffalo Pita Burgers

2010-03-23T10:02:00.000-05:00

I'm really in love with buffalo meat as a substitute for ground beef. Don't get me wrong, I still love ground turkey for things like tacos and chili. But sometimes you just want a juicy burger off the grill.

Measurements are estimates. I just sort of measured into my hand or into the bowl.

Greek-Style Buffalo Pita Burgers

1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp water

1 lb ground buffalo

Feta Cheese
Pita bread

Combine first nine ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine. Add ground buffalo to the bowl and mix well with spice mixture. Form into patties.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Add patties and grill 8-10 minutes, turning once halfway thru. During last minute of grilling, top with slices of feta and allow to melt slightly. Remove from grill and let rest 2-3 minutes.

Slice pita bread in half. Into each pocket, place the burger. Serve.

Herb-Grilled Chicken

2010-03-19T14:40:00.001-05:00

We had some unseasonably warm weather this week, so grilling was a must. This made a nice, light dinner. The leftovers were great stuffed into pita bread.

Herb-Grilled Chicken

2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp dry white wine
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Cucumber-Feta Salad

Whisk first 7 ingredients in a shallow dish; remove and reserve 2 tablespoons marinade for Cucumber-Feta Salad. Add chicken to dish; cover and chill 30 minutes, turning breasts halfway thru.

Prep grill. Place chicken on grill over direct medium heat. Grill 6 minutes on each side or until internal temp is 170-175ºF. Remove chicken from grill, tent with foil and let rest 3-5 minutes. Serve with Cucumber-Feta Salad.

Cucumber-Feta Salad

2010-03-19T14:34:00.001-05:00

A light, summery salad. Perfect accompaniment to many grilled dinners. You could easily turn this into a panzanella, too.

Cucumber-Feta Salad

1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 roma tomato, pulp removed and diced
2 tbsp reserved marinade from Herb-Grilled Chicken
salt
pepper
red-wine vinegar
balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup crumbled feta

Combine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well to coat vegetables thoroughly. Let sit 30 minutes. Add crumbled feta, toss and serve.

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

2010-03-16T18:00:00.002-05:00

It's a little early in the year for some of these veggies. But The Spouse and I agree that this would be an excellent way to make use of our garden's harvest as the year progresses. Some early tomatoes would go well with this.

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chopped shallot
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup green salsa
1 tsp dried cilantro
3 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Pound chicken to 1/4" thickness and cut into cubes. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add oil and heat until shimmery. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, corn, and zucchini to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in salsa and cilantro. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each serving with cheese. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle each serving with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.

Quick Shrimp Chowder

2010-03-16T14:24:00.034-05:00

This recipe was inspired by one on MyRecipes that called for two cans of CoC. For brevity's sake, I won't go into how to make your own "cream of" soup - though it's quite easy and a variety of recipes abound online. Or you can look for alternative options available at the store (Amy's and Health Valley are two brands that come to mind).

I had made a cream of potato soup earlier in the week, so I used those leftovers and added some homemade chicken glace. The result was divine. A definite repeat meal.

Quick Shrimp Chowder

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 large shallot, chopped
1 cup cream of potato soup
3 tbsp chicken glace
3 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp ground pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
salt
1 1/2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Oyster crackers (optional)

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add butter and melt until lightly browned. Add shallot and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add flour and stir until coated. Stir in soup, glace, milk, pepper, cayenne and salt to taste; bring to a boil. Add shrimp and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Reduce heat to low and simmer until well thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately with oyster crackers, if desired.

Barbecued Chicken Pizza

2010-03-16T10:24:00.000-05:00

This was a great meal. The Spouse is usually not a fan of cream cheese, but in this context he loved it.

For all the talking up I do of their sause, I'm thinking Rudy's needs to give me a commission. But, sincerely, their sause is a must for any real BBQ. I've not found anything that's comparable to their combination of sweet and spicy.

Rudy's BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 lb boned, skinned chicken breasts
1/3 cup Rudy's BBQ Sause
Salt and pepper
2 homemade whole wheat pizza crusts, about 8" round
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 4oz can diced green chilies
1/2 cup shredded jack cheese
hot chili flakes

Prep grill. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Pound chicken to 1/4" thickness. Coat with about 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until done, about 8 minutes, turning once halfawy thru. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then tear into bite-size chunks. In a small bowl, mix with remaining barbecue sauce.

Place pizza crusts on a 12- by 15-inch baking sheet. Spread each with about 2 tablespoons cream cheese. Spoon chicken in sauce evenly over both crusts; top with red onion, green chilies, red jack cheese, and hot chili flakes.

Bake pizzas in a 400° regular or convection oven until cheese is browned and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a board and cut into wedges.

Chicken and Asparagus in White Wine Sauce

2010-03-13T12:00:00.001-06:00

This was an exquisite dinner, worthy of company but quick and easy enough for a week night meal.

Chicken and Asparagus in White Wine Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add wine, broth, and garlic to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Add asparagus; cover and cook 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and juice. Serve asparagus and sauce with chicken.

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

2010-03-13T10:16:00.003-06:00

This was unexpectedly delicious. Something about the balsamic vinegar in the sauce did wonders. I served this over spaghetti noodles.

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp butter
1 jar tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese

Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Pound the chicken breasts thin under a piece of wax or parchment papper; cut into tenders. Dredge each tender in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan.

Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in medium bowl. Add sauce to pan; bring to a simmer. Place chicken back in pan and simmer until chicken is cooked thru. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese; heat until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens

2010-03-12T18:00:00.000-06:00

This dinner was unbelievably delicious. It's definitely going to make it's way into our regular meal rotation. I can't wait to make it again!

Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
8 oz. sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup white wine
2 cups endive leaves
3 tbsp freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 tsp grated lemon rind
salt to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat thru until shimmery. Add chopped onion to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until golden.

Removing casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add chopped shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add Arborio rice; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in white wine; cook 45 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 cup hot broth; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Remove from heat; stir in endive and remaining ingredients.

Quick-and-Easy Turkey Burgers

2010-03-12T12:43:00.000-06:00

The Spouse made this recipe. I believe he used an additional spice blend that we got from a friend of ours that you can only get in the Twin Cities area.

Quick-and-Easy Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey breast
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp light teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp water
Cooking spray
1 large onion, cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices (about 2 cups)
1 tsp olive oil
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato (optional)
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves (optional)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide the turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Combine the teriyaki sauce and water in a small bowl.

Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add the onion slices; cover and cook 10 minutes or until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 tbsp teriyaki mixture. Remove onion from pan, and keep warm. Add olive oil to pan. Add patties, and cook 5 minutes over medium heat. Add remaining teriyaki mixture to pan. Carefully turn patties over, and cook for 3 minutes or until golden. Place burgers on buns and serve with various garnishes.

Pork Medallions with Olive-Caper Sauce

2010-03-12T10:16:00.000-06:00

The Spouse made this meal, which was a great, easy weeknight dinner.

Pork Medallions with Olive-Caper Sauce

1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
2 tbsp capers
2 tsp dried parsley

Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each pork piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of the pork with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl; dredge pork in flour. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 1/2 tsp olive oil and heat until shimmery, tilting the pan to coat. Add pork to the pan and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in olives and capers; cook 4 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.

Chicken Sandwich with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

2010-03-12T10:06:00.001-06:00

These would also be spectacular grilled. A light meal for spring/summer. We used home-made sun (well, oven) dried tomatoes in this. Delish.

Chicken Sandwich with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato halves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove
4 burger buns
2 cups trimmed endive

Heat a pan over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each piece to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.

While chicken cooks, combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, vinegar, and garlic in a small food processor; process until garlic is minced and tomatoes are well chopped.

In a small bowl combine the endive and tomato mixture; toss gently to coat. Place chicken on a lightly toasted bun, top with endive mixture.

Menu Planning

2010-03-12T09:43:00.000-06:00

First, I have to apologize for the hiatus. In addition to the computer troubles, our router died and now it seems the cable modem is on the fritz, so we've been sans interwebs at home.

The Spouse and I have been doing quite a bit of menu planning lately. It's been a huge success thus far - we've discovered some great new dishes, trimmed the grocery bill, eliminated the "What do you want for dinner?" "I dunno. What do you want?" "I dunno." routine, etc.

MyRecipes.com has this lovely feature called 1 List, 5 Meals that we've been using. We started with Week 1 and are now currently finishing up Week 3. Some recipes we didn't do, some are not worthy to post here. But I have a fair backlog of recipes to post that I'm hoping to address. Also, The Spouse has taken to cooking a meal or two a week, which has been a nice respite for me. I'll note those recipes as well

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Chops with Chimichurri Sauce

2010-02-22T11:39:00.001-06:00

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Chops with Chimichurri Sauce

3/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp homemade chipotle in adobo sauce
4 (6-ounce) center-cut pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick) chimichurri Sauce:

3 tbsp dried parsley
1/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup minced fresh onion

To prepare pork chops, combine 3/4 cup chicken broth and chipotle chile. Combine chile mixture and pork chops in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours. Remove chops from bag; discard marinade.

To prepare Chimichurri Sauce, combine parsley and next 8 ingredients (parsley through onion) in a blender; process until smooth. Pour into a bowl; set aside.

Prepare grill.

Place the chops on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with Chimichurri Sauce.

Roasted Mushroom Baked Polenta

2010-01-28T09:09:00.003-06:00

I had some button and shitake mushrooms in the fridge, so this was a good way to use them up.

Roasted Mushroom Baked Polenta

1 pound white button mushrooms, quartered
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups water or chicken stock, divided
1 1/2 cups cornmeal (polenta)
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375º. Toss the mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a large casserole dish. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

While mushrooms are baking, heat a very large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and warm. Add onion and sautee until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Combine cornmeal and remaining water and gradually add to the sauce pan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until thickened.

Remove mushrooms from oven. Pour half the polenta over the mushrooms and stir. Top with half the cheese. Pour remaining polenta over and top with remaining cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Chicken Peperonata

2010-01-27T15:51:00.004-06:00

Another F&W recipe! I couldn't find Peppadew peppers at my local store (surprising, actually, since they're fairly good about stocking odds and ends like that), so I wracked my brain trying to think what would add the right amount of heat - they're similar to a peperoncini on the scoville scale - without adding smokiness. I was rummaging thru my spice cabinet when I came across the answer - harissa.

I served this with roasted mushroom baked polenta.

Chicken Peperonata

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 large white onions, halved lengthwise and thickly sliced crosswise
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds, coarsely chopped
One 28-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 tsp harissa
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 whole chicken (4 pounds each), cut into wings, thighs, drumsticks and breasts

Preheat the oven to 350° and set a rack in the center. In a very large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the bell peppers and onions and stir until coated with olive oil. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and onions are slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and fennel seeds and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and Peppadews and season with salt and pepper. Pour the contents of the skillet into a large roasting pan.

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and arrange the pieces skin-side up in the roasting pan. Roast for about 45 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Turn on the broiler and broil the chicken for about 10 minutes, until the skin is browned and crisp. Transfer the chicken to a platter.

Set the roasting pan over 2 burners and cook over high heat until the pan juices are reduced slightly, 7 to 8 minutes. Spoon the vegetables and juices into a deep platter, arrange the chicken on top and serve.

Citrusy Mojito Chicken

2010-01-27T15:42:00.003-06:00

Yet another winner from Food & Wine, though, again, overly complicated. Making a homemade citrus salsa is fine and good but not practical for a weeknight.

Citrusy Mojito Chicken

1 red grapefruit
1 lime
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Juice half the grapefruit and the whole lime into a small bowl; stir in the olive oil, cilantro and mint and season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a ziplock back. Add the chicken to the bag and let marinade for 15-20 minutes.

Remove chicken from the bag, reserving the marinade. Grill the chicken thighs over moderately high heat, turning them occasionally, until they are lightly charred outside and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the marinade to a small sauce pan and heat the mixture over high heat until it reaches a roiling boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce until thickened. Drizzle sauce over breasts and serve.

Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

2010-01-27T15:30:00.002-06:00

This was a very tasty meal. We had corn on the side.

Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of chipotle pepper
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
2 (8-ounce) tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
4 lemon wedges

Combine first 7 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Dip 1 fish fillet in buttermilk mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining fillets.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 fillets; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

While fish is cooking, in a small sauce pan, heat the buttermilk mixture over high heat until it reaches a roiling boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce until thickened.

Plate the fish, drizzle with the sauce and serve with lemon wedges.

Wine Pairing: A nice, acidic sauvignon blanc.

Pickle Brined Chicken

2010-01-27T14:48:00.004-06:00

I apologize for the delay in recipes. The truth is - all of our home computers have died. Ish. The laptop kicked the bucket and our desktop's USB drives don't work (hence, no uploading of photos).

This is still the case, but I figured "The heck with it." I've got too much of a backlog. Eventually I will try and replace the photos with our own.

So, today's photo and (highly modified) recipe is courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine. I loved the idea of brineing the chicken with pickle juice. I found the instructions of the recipe far too fussy, though, so I streamlined them quite a bit. I didn't brine them overnight and still found them flavorful, though I think the extra time would be good. I also think this could be a great recipe on the grill for a summer BBQ.

Pickle-Brined Chicken.

4 chicken breast halves, on the bone
2 cups brine from jarred dill pickles
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 celery ribs, thickly sliced
1/2 cup semi-dry white wine, such as an off-dry Riesling
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 pounds Swiss chard, thick stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely shredded
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the chicken breasts with the pickle juice and a generous pinch of ground pepper. Seal the bag, pressing out any air, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Pat the chicken breasts dry. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an ovenproof skillet. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook over high heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Turn and cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the wine, bay leaves and peppercorns. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Strain the cooking liquid and wipe out the casserole. Return the cooking liquid to the pot and boil until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 25 minutes; keep warm.

Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet with a layer of tinfoil and an oven-safe cooling wire rack. Place chicken on the rack, skin side up. Place the tray in the oven and roast the chicken for about 25 minutes, until cooked through, turning once halfway thru. If desired, broil for the final 5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Transfer the chicken breasts to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the Swiss chard and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, tossing, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in half of the sauce. Spoon the chard and chicken onto plates and serve with the seared breasts. Drizzle the remaining sauce all around and serve right away.

Wine Pairing: We had this with an unoaked chardonnay.

Ginger Crackle Cookies

2010-01-06T11:03:00.003-06:00

This recipe comes from A Baker's Field Guide to Christmas Cookies, probably one of my favorite specialty cookbooks I have. I had to modify it slightly because, when reading thru the recipe I missed the part about chilling the dough in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

Ginger Crackle Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
about 3/4 cup molasses
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 large egg
coarse sugar

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl

In a large mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Add granulated sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and spices. Add egg and beat until well combined.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture, beating well after each addition, until just combined. Dough may be loose. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 20-30 minutes or until dough is firm enough to work.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray with oil.

Divide dough into 4 pieces, rolling each into a rope about 12-15" long and 1" thick. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar. Transfer to cookie sheet, spacing widely apart.

Bake until puffed and dry to the touch, about 18 minutes. Slide parchment onto cooling racks or let cookies cool on the tray (they will be too soft to transfer) and allow to cool completely. Cut each log crosswise into 1 1/4" thick cookies.

Brother Bandera's Italian Bread

2009-12-13T15:39:00.004-06:00

A new one from The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking. I was looking for a good italian bread for this coming week since I have a lot of soups on the menu and I wanted one that didn't require a 24-hour slow rise in the fridge.

This one was a workout to knead! The dough ends up being very dry but the resulting loaves were unbelievably tender.

Brother Bandera's Italian Bread

2 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp honey
2 cups hot water
4 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil
8 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 1/2 cup whole wheat and 6 1/2 cups all-purpose)

Combine the yeast, honey, water and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir until the yeast and salt are dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup of oil. Beat 10 minutes, gradually adding in about 6 cups of flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary to prevent stickiness.

Lightly grease a large bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk - about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough. Turn out again and knead gently for 2 minutes. Divide into 3 balls and flatten each ball with a rolling pin into a rectangle approximately 10 x 12 inches. Roll each rectangle into a torpedo shape. Start from the longer side of the rectangle and fold in approximately 1/3 of the dough, pinching along the seam to seal and remove any air spaces. Fold the remaining 1/3 piece of dough over, pinching along the seam again, rolling it back and forth a little to be certain. Fold the ends under towards the seam side and pinch closed.

Grease two baking sheets. Place the loaves on the baking sheets, seams and tuck sides down. Make three 1-inch-deep diagonal slashes evenly spaced along the loaf. Mist with water until they are thoroughly damp. Cover with a lightly damp tea towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Mist the bread again. Place in a cold oven set at 375º. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. During the baking, spray the loaves a couple more times - at the 10-minute mark and the 15 -minute mark. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Beef Stock

2009-12-13T12:55:00.003-06:00

I've been making my own chicken and turkey stock for a couple years now. It's unbelievably tasty and easy to do.

This is my first time at beef stock. I had some leftover beef rib bones from a standing rib roast. I added a couple of neck bones to round out the amount. Since the beef bones were already well roasted, I did not roast them a 2nd time. If the bones you pick up are raw, roast them with the vegetables first and then add them to the stock pot.

Beef Stock

3 lbs beef bones
2 medium onions, quartered, skins on
2 large carrot sticks, cut into 3" pieces
2 celery sticks, cut into 3" pieces
1 leek, cut into large pieces
3 dehydrated tomato halves
1 bouquet garni
16 cups of water

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer for 8 hours, skimming off foam as it appears and adding water as necessary.

Remove from heat. Remove and discard solids. If desired, run thru a fat separator to skim off uncessesary fat. Let cool. Remove any additional fat that appears. Store in air-tight containers (I'm a big fan of the Ziploc Twist n' Loc 4 cup ones) overnight in the refrigerator.

Stock will keep in the fridge for a week or so and frozen indefinitely.

Healthy Granola

2009-12-13T09:21:00.003-06:00

This is an oldie but goodie from my very first cookbook - The Healthy College Cookbook. Over the years I've modified it (surprised?) and, this last time around, I gave it an interesting twist - making a reduction of the barley malt to substitute for the corn syrup.

Healthy Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped almonds
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp molasses
1/3 cup hot (but not boiling) water
1/4 cup barley malt

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, seeds and nuts.

In a 2-cup, microwave proof measuring cup, combine the hot water and barley malt. Stir until dissolved. Place in the microwave and cook on high about 3 minutes - be careful to not boil over. Stir, then heat another 3 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup. In a separate bowl, combine the malt mixture with the butter, vegetable oil and molasses, stirring until well combined. Pour onto the oat mixture and stir until well coated.

Spread the mixture on a shallow baking pan. Bake about 15 minutes, stirring periodically, until it's dry.

Naan

2009-12-03T10:12:00.004-06:00

This recipe comes courtesy of that bastion of authentic Indian cuisine - The Joy of Cooking. It actually turned out fairly well, I think. Personally I would have liked to have a longer rise time but I started it at 8:30pm so we could have it with Curried Chickpeas with Veggies the next day.

This was an easy one to mix by hand rather than hauling out the KitchenAid. If you've never made bread with just a bowl and wooden spoon, this would be the place to start. The other thing I liked about this recipe is it re-heated well the next day when wrapped in a slightly moist paper towel.

Naan

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast

3/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon water, as needed

Optional garnish - minced scallions, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced garlic....

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix by hand until a soft ball of dough is formed. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours.

Place a pizza or baking stone in the oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Punch down the dough and divide equally into 4 pieces. Roll into balls, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out each ball of dough on a floured surface to an oval, 1/4 inch thick. Brush the tops with melted butter. If desired, sprinkle garnish on top.

Place as many dough ovals as will fit without touching each other directly on the baking stone or sheet and bake until each oval is puffy and just beginning to turn golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve warm.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

2009-11-04T08:45:00.003-06:00

So, following up on the previous post, yesterday we had the leftovers of the Sauteed Chicken with Mixed Veggies & Wild Rice turned into soup. The only thing we had left over was the sauteed chicken & veggies, so you have to add extra wild rice to the dish. I also chopped up a few extra carrots and celery sticks to add in. I also had homemade chicken stock on hand, which I think helped add a depth of flavor.

As predicted, it was faaaaaaaaaabulous. Rich and hearty and perfect for a blustery fall day. Plus, is there anything easier than throwing a bunch of ingredients into a crockpot and letting it cook all day? I think not.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Leftover Sauteed Chicken with Mixed Veggies
3/4 cup wild rice, uncooked
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
garlic powder
ginger powder
parsley
thyme
oregano
savory
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot (herbs and spices to taste). Set crockpot on low and let cook 8 hours or until rice is done. Taste; adjust seasoning as needed. Serve piping hot.

Sauteed Chicken with Mixed Veggies & Wild Rice

2009-11-03T11:20:00.003-06:00

My general rule of thumb for this blog is that I don't post recipes that I am not satisfied with.

I'm breaking that rule right now.

Last night's dinner was supposed to be Chicken & Barley Stew. I had been fairly confident we had barley on hand when I left that morning, so I didn't check the pantry. Turns out we didn't have any. So I had to scramble.

The result wasn't BAD, it just wasn't great. The timing was off with the cooking because the rice takes 45 minutes, so the chicken was a bit dry and there wasn't much of a sauce/gravy. The flavors were good, I just failed on execution.

While discussing the meal with The Spouse, I had a brain wave that the leftovers - of which there were a lot of. The chicken breasts were HUGE - would make a fabulous soup. That's the reason I'm posting this - to set up the tasty soup we're having tonight.

Sauteed Chicken with Mixed Veggies & Wild Rice

1/2 cup wild rice
1 1/4 cup water

1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped up into bite-size pieces
1 medium red onion, diced
1 large package frozen mixed vegetables
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp poultry seasoning
¼ tsp black pepper

In a small sauce pan combine the wild rice and water. Bring to a boil, stir once. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 45 minutes or until rice is done. Let sit 5 minutes.

While rice is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sautee about 5 minutes. Add in chicken and sautee, stirring occasionally, until mostly cooked thru, about 8-10 minutes. Add in frozen veggies, stir and cover. Let cook until veggies are warmed thru, about 5 minutes.

Plate chicken & vegetable mixture over wild rice.

Swedish Rye Bread

2009-10-25T15:11:00.008-05:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe for a while but never have rye flour on hand.

The original recipe, from The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking, called for 1/2 cup molasses. I don't have it on hand and didn't want to go buy a bottle just for this recipe. Strangely enough, The Spouse (who has been trying his hand at brewing beer) brought home a large bag of barley malt. So I made the executive decision to try subbing the barley for the molasses. I think it made for a faster rise time for the sponge (either that or the fact that my stove has been running for hours on other projects) and the initial rise, so that's something to be aware of. I listed the times I used for the bread in the recipe below.

Swedish Rye Bread

1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm water, divided
1 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup barley malt
1/4 cup organic sugar
5 cups rye flour, divided
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp salt
1 cup unbleached flour

To make the sponge:
Combine the scalded milk, barley and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool to lukewarm.

Combine the yeast and 1/2 cup of the warm water in a very large bowl. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the milk mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups of water. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups of the rye flour and beat for 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk - about 2 hours.

To make the bread:
Add the butter, caraway seeds and salt to the sponge. Beat vigorously, gradually adding all the unbleached flour and enough of the rye flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bow - about 10 minutes.

Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary to prevent stickiness.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk - about 1 hour.

Grease two loaf pans. Punch dough down and add to loaf pans. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375. Place pans in the oven and bake 45 minutes or until done. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Cranberry-Orange-Ginger Muffins

2009-10-18T09:07:00.003-05:00

The Spouse went for a run this morning so I thought I'd make a nice breakfast for when he got back. I pulled up this recipe and thought "Perfect!"

Except I only had 1 cup white flour, no orange to zest, no walnuts and no cooking spray. Clearly I need to go to the store today.

So, what follows is a slightly modified, perhaps healthier(?) version of what I started with.

Cranberry-Orange-Ginger Muffins

1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries, drained, juice reserved
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 tbsp butter for greasing

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups; level with a knife. Set aside 1 tablespoon sugar. Combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.

Combine orange juice, reserved cranberry juice, oil, egg and ginger in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

Lightly grease muffin tin with butter; spoon in the batter. Sprinkle evenly with reserved sugar. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Carefully remove each muffin; place on a wire rack.

Zinfandel-Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

2009-10-11T20:20:00.004-05:00

Fall is here. The last two mornings we've woken up to frost on the grass and below freezing temps. The garden is pretty much officially done as a result - the collards can stand the freezing temps (if anything, they help improve them), but the rest is either compost or needs to be brought in soon.

So, in honor of fall, we had a tasty, hearty meal - braised country-style ribs finished in the crockpot.

This was also my first attempt at homemade polenta, which was fabulous. A bit fussy, what with the constant stirring, but I see much potential in the future.

Zinfandel-Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta

4 country-style pork ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tablespoon each of chopped parsley, oregano and rosemary
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups Zinfandel
3/4 cup beef broth
Creamy Polenta

Season the ribs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the herbs.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a medium nonreactive roasting pan. Working in two batches, add the ribs to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning a few times, until richly browned, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer the ribs to the crockpot.

Add the onion, carrot and celery to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and beef broth and boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the liquid and vegetables over the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until the meat is very tender.

Transfer the ribs to a plate. Run the braising liquid thru a fat separator, reserving the vegetables. Transfer the liquid to a medium skillet and boil over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 3 minutes; add vegetables back in. Plate the polenta, add one rib per plate, and spoon sauce and vegetables over the ribs and polenta. Serve immediately.

Wine pairing: we had a merlot/malbec blend with this.

Creamy Polenta

2009-10-11T20:15:00.003-05:00

2 tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced
3 cups water
1 cup corn meal
1 cup water
salt
2 tbsp mozzarella cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in butter and swirl pan until melted. Add shallot and sautee until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil.

Combine 1 cup water and corn meal. Gradually add to boiling water; reduce heat to low. Stir constantly for 20-25 minutes until thickened and meal pulls away from the side of the pan when stirred. Add in salt to taste. Stir in mozzarella cheese; remove from heat. Plate.

Herb Focaccia

2009-10-04T22:11:00.006-05:00

This is another recipe from the Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking, only modified so there's no hand-kneading. Some days I just like to let the Kitchen-Aid take care of it.

Herb Focaccia

2 tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
various dried herbs (I used freshly dried oregano and rosemary from the garden)
cornmeal

Combine the yeast and water in a small bowl, stirring until yeast is dissolved. set aside for 5 minutes.

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle of the flour. Pour yeast mixture into well and beat gently until incorporated into flour. Remove bowl from mixer. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes.

Punch down dough. Replace bowl in mixer and beat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk - 1-2 hours. Punch down dough. Replace in mixing bowl and gently beat in olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs.

Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Turn dough out onto baking sheet and knead out to corners of the sheet until about 1/4" thick. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled in bulk - about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prick the surface with a fork and sprinkle with salt and pepper and more herbs. Bake for 10 minutes and reduce the oven temperature to 375. Bake another 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Autumn Harvest

2009-10-04T21:26:00.005-05:00

Things in our household are very crazy right now. It's autumn, which means, aside from our full-time jobs, we're focused with harvesting the garden and putting food aside, which tends to translate to little time for blogging. I do have several new recipes - a coffee-marinated pork loin, herb foccacia, a mexican-style white-bean soup and more, so stay tuned! I promise to try and get them posted over the next few days.

But until I can get to writing all that up, here's a harvest poem. Happy fall!

"Smoke hangs like haze over harvested fields,
The gold of stubble, the brown of turned earth
And you walk under the red light of fall
The scent of fallen apples, the dust of threshed grain
The sharp, gentle chill of fall.
Here as we move into the shadows of autumn
The night that brings the morning of spring"

Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

2009-09-10T10:49:00.003-05:00

I make a MEAN BBQ Beef Sandwich. Yesterday I came up with this variation on that recipe. You could add in some onions and peppers to the crockpot (or sautee them up separate). We topped them with swiss cheese. Yum.

Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches

1 cup beef broth
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt-free italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
ground black pepper to taste
dash of worcestershire sauce
2 1/4 lbs beef roast, trimmed of excess fat

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Place beef roast in crockpot and pour sauce over it. Cover and cook 8 hours on Low.

Turn crockpot to WARM and remove beef from sauce. Shred beef by pulling it apart with 2 forks and place back in crockpot, stir to mix sauce in and heat thru. Serve warm on rolls.

Mojito Shrimp with Roasted Corn & Poblano Salsa

2009-09-08T15:16:00.004-05:00

I made this last week for dinner and The Spouse absolutely loved it. For some reason, the flavor reminded me of General Tsos Chicken. Don't ask, but either way it was tasty. The corn was leftover from grilling out, the shallot, tomatoes and poblano were from our garden. Normally I'd post the salsa separately but I think it contributed significantly to the overall flavor of the dish.

Mojito Shrimp with Roasted Corn & Poblano Salsa

Marinade:
20 chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup sugar
1 thinly sliced shallot
1/3 cup light rum
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp kosher salt

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. peeled, deveined shrimp

Salad:
2 ears of grilled or roasted corn, removed from ear
1 poblano, cored, deseeded and cut in half
2 medium tomatoes, cored, deseeded and cut in half

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Marinade at room temperature 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Drain marinade.

While shrimp is marinading, heat broiler to 450. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and place a cooling rack on top. Place poblanos and tomatoes on cooling rack and broil until the skin is charred. Remove from oven and let cool until warm to the touch. Peel the skin off the tomatoes and poblano; dice. Combine with reserved corn; set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and heat. Add shrimp and sautee until shrimp are pink and cooked thru, about 4 minutes. Remove shrimp from wok, set aside.

Add salsa to the wok and heat thru, stirring constantly. Add shrimp back to the wok, remove from heat and toss with the salsa to combine. Serve immediately.

Apple Spice Cake

2009-08-29T17:14:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite fall recipes to make. Based on this recipe from Cooking Light, I have made numerous changes, as I found the original recipe lacking. This time I subbed light Laughing Cow cheese for the cream cheese, since I didn't have any on-hand.

Apple Spice Cake

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup (3 oz) low-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
~2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (I subbed with 1 cup skim milk w/ 1 tsp lemon juice)
1 chopped and peeled apple
2 tbsp brandy
2 tsp powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.

Place the first four ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour thru cloves in a large bowl and combine. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat well after each addition. Stir in apple and brandy. Pour mixture into a greased 8" square baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Whole Wheat-Wheat Germ Bread

2009-08-29T16:45:00.003-05:00

This week has been a outright horror. A friend lost her baby at 20 weeks, a friend of the family's daughter-in-law was struck and killed by an SUV while out running and, last night, my aunt passed away in her sleep.

I'm one of those people that, when faced with events like this, keeps moving and keeps busy to keep from dwelling.

So today I've been cooking and baking up a storm. This is one of my favorite breads from The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking. Unbelievably healthy AND tasty. One thing I've discovered in baking these recipes is that I tend to use more flour than is called for. I think here I used about 4 1/2 cups.

Whole Wheat-Wheat Germ Bread

1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
1/4 cup honey
1 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 - 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Combine the yeast and water in a large bowl, stirring until yeast is dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Stir in the salt, oil and honey. Beat vigorously for 10 minutes, gradually adding the wheat cherm, whole wheat flour. Slowly add in the all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour as necessary to prevent stickiness.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk - a good 1 1/2 hours.

Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

Punch down dough. Divide in half, shape into loaves, and place in the pans. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled in bulk - about 45 minutes.

Place in a cold oven and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Transfer from pans to a wire rack to cool.

Chicken in Provencal Garlic Sauce

2009-08-28T08:33:00.004-05:00

Whenever I see recipes for pan-sauteed chicken, I'm always amazed at the fact that they seem to miss one essential step: no one pounds their chicken.

For me, that's the first step to any successful sauteed chicken dish. You don't pound it as flat as you would for a scallopine, but if you pound it to a uniform thickness, you end up with a much better result.

Also featured in this recipe is freshly-grown garlic! We bought 4 started sets this spring and ended up with 3 small-ish bulbs. I was a bit afraid as to how they turned out but the one I peeled ended up wonderful - fragrant and spicy.

Chicken in Provencal Garlic Sauce

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thickness
Sel de Provence and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
herbes de provence

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add oil and heat thru. Season chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan and sautee 5 minutes, turning halfway thru, until done. Remove from pan and keep warm.

If necessary, add a bit more olive oil to pan. Add onion and garlic and sautee 3 minutes or until translucent. Add chicken broth to pan and stir, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add in wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced. Add chicken to pan and simmer in the sauce for another 3 minutes.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice.

Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food

2009-08-23T10:31:00.000-05:00

Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food

Six years ago I went thru my kitchen and threw out all sorts of "staples" - bleached, enriched white flour, pasta, anything with GMO grains, anything with HFCS (cereal, cookies, crackers, chips, frozen/processed foods, soda, etc.) - and, where necessary (don't need to replace cookies or processed foods) replaced it with organic, whole-grain versions.

That initial large step resulted in several smaller ones over the ensuing years. The result is that the majority of our refrigerator and pantry has been overhauled and filled with organic and sustainably produced food. Three years ago we started an organic vegetable garden and began growing and putting aside our own produce. I barely buy any vegetables from June thru October - only paying for what we don't grow ourselves. We even switched our dog's food to a more sustainable variety.

People often balk at the cost of those foods, that it's not affordable. But, as the article points out, we can't afford to NOT make these sorts of changes.

Dry-rubbed Sirloin with Balsamic Fingerling Potatoes

2009-08-22T20:11:00.004-05:00

This is an homage to Oregon. And my mother-in-law. Everywhere we went in Oregon, all the food was fresh from a farmer. So, tonight, we had grass-fed organic sirloin, organic fingerling potatoes from the farmer's market, and sweet corn picked yesterday from a friend's farm.

As for how my mother-in-law figures into it, the olive oil and balsamic used on the fingerling potatoes was a Christmas gift from her.

Dry-Rubbed Sirloin

2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 tsp mustard seeds, ground
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 lb sirloin steak

Combine the first seven ingredients in a small bowl. Rub over both sides of steak. Let sit at room temperature 20-30 minutes.

Pre-heat grill. Cook steak 10 minutes over direct medium-high heat, turning once halfway thru. Then cook over indirect medium-heat another 4 minutes, turning halfway thru, until internal temp reads 140*. Remove from heat, tent with foil and let rest 2-3 minues.

Serve with Balsamic Fingerling Potatoes and grilled sweet corn.

Wine Pairing: Erath Pinot Noir from Dundee, OR

Balsamic Fingerling Potatoes

2009-08-22T20:06:00.002-05:00

Balsamic Fingerling Potatoes

1 lb fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and pepper
rosemary-infused olive oil
18-year-old balsamic vinegar

Combine potatoes, onion and garlic in a medium dish. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil (about 1/2 tbsp) and toss. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar, toss. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute. Then lightly drizzle with a bit more balsamic and stir. Serve immediately.

Tuna and White Bean Salad

2009-08-17T21:04:00.003-05:00

My guilty pleasure when The Spouse isn't home is to have tuna. Tuna melt, tuna casserole, tuna anything. He likes tuna steaks but tuna from a can/pouch? No.

This is a light, healthy, summer-y alternative to the traditional mayo-heavy tuna salad. It takes advantage of lots of fresh herbs that are readily available this time of year. We're growing all the herbs this recipe calls for.

Tuna and White Bean Salad

1 garlic clove
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp olive oil
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper

2 6oz pouches of tuna
1 can white beans (like great northern), drained and rinsed

Combine the first seven ingredients (thru lemon juice) in a small food processor and blend until chopped and well-combined. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, break tuna apart with a fork. Fold in beans and vinaigrette until well combined.

You can serve this a variety of ways - over open-faced sandwiches, with crackers, over lettuce, etc. Me? I had it with a slice of crusty whole-grain sourdough and a few pieces of cheese. Yum.

Creamy Orzo Primavera

2009-07-29T08:03:00.003-05:00

I hadn't been planning on harvesting anything yesterday. Heck, I hadn't even planned on making dinner, just re-heating some leftovers. But as I was walking past while out with the dog I saw a bunch more pea pods. I have had a small pile sitting in the kitchen since Saturday, so I figured I'd just steam them as a side dish.

Then I checked the beans. And they were loaded. Again. So I picked off all the mature beans, nearly 2 dozen.

So I poked about in the pantry debating what to do with these veggies and came up with this. The interesting thing was it tasted lemony, which was wonderful. But I didn't add any lemon juice. I think it was the wine, so if you omit that, add a dash of lemon juice.

Creamy Orzo Primavera

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup orzo
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 - 1/2 cup wine
green beans, chopped
pea pods, chopped
2 oz feta, plus extra for garnish

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm thru. Add onion and garlic and sautee for 2 minutes. Add orzo and sautee, stirring, until orzo is lightly toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. And broth and wine, stir, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is mostly absorbed (if needed, add more liquid during cooking).

Meanwhile steam the veggies until sharply crisp. Once orzo is nearly done cooking, add vegetables to the pan and fold in. Continue to cook until the liquid is completely aborbed. Crumble the feta over the pan and stir until creamy.

Spoon into bowls and crumble a bit of extra feta over the top.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-07-26T09:05:00.006-05:00

We generally don't make fancy breakfasts. I'll make the occasional scones but, otherwise any real attempt at breakfast is just scrambled eggs and toast.

These pancakes are three things - healthy, hearty and delicious.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups skim milk plus 1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp safflower oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine dry ingredients (flour thru baking soda) in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients and whisk together. Slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to combine until just moist.

Heat large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add pancake batter to skillet with 1/3 cup scoop. Flip pancakes over when the top is bubbling. Cook another 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat. Serve with local, organic maple syrup.

Pancakes can be kept warm in a 200* oven for up to 20 minutes.

Garden Bounty Minestrone

2009-07-22T13:02:00.004-05:00

I know, I know. Soup in the middle of July? What the heck?

Blame the jetstream. Today was cool, cloudy, rainy and more appropriate to mid-fall than high summer. It left both The Spouse and I hankering for a bowl of soup and crusty bread.

Fortunately our garden is still producing, though it's lagging behind last year. Yesterday I ran out and picked 1 zucchini, 1 squash, another half pound of beans and a handful of pea pods. Add in some fresh onions and garlic from the farmer's market, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of beans of your choice (I like great northern), wild rice, some vegetable broth and fresh herbs and voila!

Garden Bounty Minestrone

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup wild rice
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium summer squash, diced
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1" pieces
pea pods, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 can beans, drained and rinsed
~4 cups vegetable broth
salt-free italian seasoning
salt
pepper

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm thru. Add onion and garlic and sautee until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in wild rice and stir gently until the rice is coated.

Add zucchini, squash, beans and pea pods and stir to combine. Add in tomatoes, beans and oregano; stir. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with seasoning, salt and pepper.

The Best Steak Ever

2009-07-20T21:14:00.003-05:00

Generally when we think of steak we think of grill. We're hard-core grillers, shoveling out our grill year-round to get that flavor. One could say it's our way of hanging on to summer even when there's a foot of snow on the ground.

When you could theoretically have snow on the ground from October thru April, you force summer into your life whenever you can.

But, there is one thing grilling steaks won't give you and that is a To Die For pan sauce. And this steak will give you that. I predict that this will become a winter favorite.

The Best Steak Ever

1 tbsp oil
1 sirloin steak, seasoned with your favorite combination
1 large shallot, minced
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp butter

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and heat thru. Add steak and sautee 4 minutes each side or until medium. Remove from skillet, place on a plate and tent with tinfoil and keep warm.

Add shallots to pan and sautee for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine beef broth and red wine and add to pan. Reduce by half. Add in drippings from steak and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add in butter, stirring until melted and combined. Remove from heat.

Serve steak with pommes frites, sauteed mushrooms and spinach.

Bourbon-Mustard Chicken

2009-06-25T09:55:00.002-05:00

This is a modified recipe from the Weber Big Book of Grilling. Original one called for squab - we just used bone-in chicken breasts. We only marinaded for about 1 hour - and I definitely think it should have gone longer.

Bourbon-Mustard Chicken

Marinade
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 bone-in chicken breasts

Baste
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey (we used locally harvested raw honey)
2 tbsp bourbon
2 tbsp dijon

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl, whisking thoroughly. Place chicken in a large plastic bag, pour marinade over, seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Turn the bag to evenly distribute the marinade and refrigerate 2-12 hours, turning occasionally.

Just before grilling, make the baste by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl.

Remove chicken from bag and discard the marinade. Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken over direct heat until chicken is done, about 20-25 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of grilling, apply the baste. Serve warm.

Spinach-Stuffed Pork Chops

2009-06-23T10:24:00.008-05:00

It's that time of year again to start cooking with homegrown veggies. Our garden got a later-than-normal start this year, and then unseasonably cool weather delayed the first harvest of spring greens. The spinach and rosemary were from our garden and the spring onion was from our local farmer's market. The obvious side dish of asparagus is also from our local market, steamed and lightly seasoned.

Spinach-Stuffed Pork Chops
Stuffing
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped spring onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 large bunch fresh spinach, chopped
3 slices prosciutto, finely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely grated fontina cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Rub
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 thick-cut pork chops

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and cook the onion until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, then add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 3 or 4 minutes, then add the remaining stuffing ingredients.

In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients. Trim the chops of any excess fat and cut a pocket in the side of each chop. Push the stuffing into the pockets and close with toothpicks. Lightly brush or spray the chops with oil and season with the rub. Allow to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Grill over direct medium heat until cooked to desired doneness, 15 to 20 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Wine Pairing: Stephen Vincent "Crimson" 2006

Honey Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Whiskey Marinade

2009-06-15T20:02:00.004-05:00

Best.Fleeping.Ribs.Ever.

I never liked ribs. I always found them too fatty, too chewy, too tough, too.... gross. I give them a go every year or so, at restaurants, sworn-by family recipes, etc. and am always - always -disappointed.

Every year we host a BBQ for The Spouse's co-workers. This year we had 20 people over (plus 4 kids and 2 dogs). The theme was "BEE-BEE-Q" in honor of one of the co-workers having adopted a colony of bees and fostering them on my sister's prairie. So there was lots of honey-based items. Honey punch, honey beer (leinie's) and I found a recipe for honey-glazed ribs. So I decided to make them... with one big change.

Unfortunately the locusts...uhm.. guests! moved thru before I could photograph them. Clearly I wasn't the only one who was impressed! Which means I just have to make them another time.

Honey Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Whiskey Marinade

3 racks baby back ribs (about 5 pounds)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 whiskey
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Honey Glaze

1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp hot water
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red pepper flakes, preferably Korean
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp sugar

Marinate the ribs: Arrange the rib racks in a large glass or ceramic baking dish, overlapping them slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the whiskey, honey, ginger, white pepper, sesame oil, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the marinade over the ribs and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the ribs on the baking sheet, meaty side up. Roast for about 2 hours, until tender.

Make the glaze: Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl, whisking until well combined and sugar is dissolved. Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. Add honey mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce until thickened. Remove from heat.

Baste the ribs with the honey mixture and roast for another 15 minutes, until browned and glossy. Remove the ribs from the oven and baste again with the honey mixture.

Preheat a grill. Grill the ribs over moderately high heat, turning once, basting on each side with the glaze, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes. Transfer the racks to a cutting board and cut into individual ribs. Serve immediately.

Grilled Cumin Chicken with Fresh Tomatillo Sauce

2009-06-04T15:08:00.002-05:00

About, oh, four years ago The Spouse and I spent a lovely weekend up north at the lake, just the two of us. We grilled out quite a bit and I had made a recipe for a homemade tomatillo salsa that rocked the casbah.

Strangely, though, I haven't made it since. Not sure why, except maybe that finding tomatillos here that don't look awful is difficult (why they had them in Bumble-F, Nowhere I don't know. mysteries of the universe). Hence the reason we're growing our own.

Then I spotted this recipe while menu planning and shot it over to The Spouse with a "Whaddaya think?" To which he responded "::thumbs up::".

Per usual, lots of changes. Namely, I didn't follow their instructions for the tomatillo sauce at all but substituted the uber-deliciously-goodness of the other recipe. They're really not that dissimilar but I liked the idea of roasting the tomatillos on the grill instead of in the oven. I mean, if I've got the grill going already for the chicken, why on earth would I bother turning the oven on??

I also added some fresh lime juice to the cumin/olive oil mix that the chicken breasts sit in.

Grilled Cumin Chicken with Fresh Tomatillo Sauce

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

salsa
1 onion, cut into 1/4" thick rings
1 lb tomatillos, stems and husks removed
1 large jalapeno, stem removed, cut in half
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal and let stand for 15 minutes.

Pre-heat grill. Add the onion, tomatillos and jalapeno to the grill. Grill over direct heat, turning once halfway, for about 6-8 minutes. Add grilled vegetables and remaining salsa ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 tsp salt. Place on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Serve with tomatillo sauce.

Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh

2009-06-02T19:17:00.005-05:00

I love tabbouleh. It's one of my favorite summer dishes to make since we grow 90% of the ingredients.

But it's one of those things that I don't get very often because The Spouse has A Thing about cold salads (other than, well, salad). He won't eat pasta salad or anything along those lines. Tabbouleh falls into that - if I convince him to eat it, he heats it up. As he indulges some of my more bizarre food eccentricities (like my dislike of almost all fruit), I don't complain about this one.

So, while hunting for new dinner ideas, I found this recipe and decided I'd just make it "hot". The directions for the bulgar don't work (at least they didn't with mine), so follow what I suggest below (which DID work). If I were to adjust anything, I would add more feta and a bit more bulgar.

Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh

1 cup uncooked bulgar (like bob's red mill)
1 cup water
2 chicken breasts, chopped up
1 cup tomato, chopped (about 4 med. roma)
1 english cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup minced parsley
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup green onions
1/4 cup minced mint
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Add bulgar, stir, remove from heat and cover until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Broil chicken breasts until done, about 15 minutes, turning halfway thru. While chicken breasts are cooking, combine remaining ingredients and chopped chicken breasts and stir to combine. Stir in bulgar and serve.

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese Spread

2009-06-01T13:04:00.003-05:00

The Spouse looked at me in askance when I said there was going to be spinach in the burgers themselves. But he changed his tune.

The dish had a decidedly Greek flare to it which would lend itself well to being made with ground lamb, as well.

Grilled Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese Spread

2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 large egg white
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 tspb chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
6 (2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Combine first 6 ingredients and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, mixing gently. Divide turkey mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Preheat grill and add patties; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done.

Meanwhile, combine remaining pepper, yogurt, and next 4 ingredients (through mint) in a bowl, stirring well.

Serve burgers with goat cheese spread, lettuce, tomatoes and onion for garnish.

Chicken Scaloppine over Broccoli Rabe

2009-05-29T15:23:00.005-05:00

I had originally spotted this recipe and thought the concept sounded tasty.

Then I read the recipe. Not the best way to prepare a veggie as bitter as rabe. Plus, really, how hard is it to make your own "italian" breadcrumbs?

So below is a highly modified version. No, it's not a "1-pot" dish but it tastes pretty darn good.

Chicken Scaloppine over Broccoli Rabe

1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
black pepper
salt
salt-free italian seasoning
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp butter
1 lb broccoli rabe (rapini), cut into 3-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained

Combine breadcrumbs, pepper, salt and seasoning in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and warm thru. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Add wine, broth, juice, and butter to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Let simmer until slightly reduced. Stir in parsley and capers.

While chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in rabe and blanch 1-2 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Add garlic to pot and sautee briefly with rabe, season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Plate rabe, top with chicken and drizzle with the wine sauce.

Wine Pairing: For highly acidic dishes like this one you should go with a acidic wine. In this case, a good Italian white wine is ideal. We had a chardonnay/pinot grigio blend from Orvieto that was very good.

Spanish Shrimp and Corn Chowder

2009-05-27T11:44:00.007-05:00

Today was a miserably cold and wet day, more appropriate for mid-April than late-May. So it seemed appropriate to make a warm chowder for dinner. I also wanted something "spanish" to honor the UEFA Champions League finals between Manchester United and Barcelona, since The Spouse and I were both rooting for Barça... as it turned out, we were celebrating a Spanish WIN! Yay!

Taken from this recipe, I used skim milk instead of 2%, reducing the amount to just 1 cup, and increased the salt and cumin to a full teaspoon. I also made some very quick goat-cheese crostini, which actually were phenomenal with the dish.

But the biggest impact was the teaspoon of saffron I added. If you ever want to turn a dish from hum-drum to exquisite, add saffron.

"Spanish" Shrimp and Corn Chowder

2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped serrano chile
1 can chopped green chiles, undrained
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes, diced, thawed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp saffron
1 can whole-kernel corn
1 lb peeled and deveined small shrimp
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and serrano chile to pan and sauté 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

Add canned chiles to pan and cook 1 minute. Add flour to pan and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and next 6 ingredients (through corn) and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick.

Stir in shrimp. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done. Cover and simmer another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Ladle into bowls, top with crostini and serve.

Wine Pairing: A nice, fruity pinot grigio balances the heat of the chiles and the sweetness of the corn.

p.s. I realize that just adding saffron doesn't make this dish "spanish" but it had totally slipped my mind that the finals were tonight. ::sigh::

Cocoa-and-Chile-Rubbed Pork Chops

2009-05-26T16:11:00.007-05:00

The Spouse had originally requested my Balsamic-Glazed Pork Chops but I decided I wanted to make this one instead. It involves some techniques that really piqued my interest (brining! indirect grilling!). It was a bit cold and cloudy to grill out but that's never stopped us before, seeing as we've shoveled the grill out in times past.

I made a few changes - notably, I only brined the pork chops for 30 minutes since ours weren't as thick as the original recipe called for. I also omitted the olive oil - it didn't need it.

As far as cooking, we have a large 4-burner grill and the hottest spot is the left hand corner. To create an appropriate "cool zone," I turned the two left burners on, left the 3rd one off, and turned the 4th one on medium-low. Then I put the pork chops just to the right-of-center after the first 4 minutes. I think that this helped balance the heat a bit better and provided a nice slow, even cooking temp.

The result was a taste that was almost like a deconstructed mole and chops that was perfectly moist and juicy.

Cocoa-and-Chile-Rubbed Pork Chops

2 quarts water
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tsp plus 1 tbsp Kosher salt
4 boneless pork loin chops
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp ancho chile powder

In a large bowl, combine the water with the red pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and stir until the salt dissolves. Add the pork chops and let brine at room temperature for 1 hour.

Light a grill and create a cool zone (for a charcoal grill, rake the coals to one side; for a gas grill, leave one side unlit). In a bowl, mix the cocoa, sugar and ancho powder with 1 tablespoon of salt.

Drain the pork chops and pat dry, removing any bits of crushed pepper. Roll the pork chops in the cocoa rub and pat to help it adhere. Grill over moderately high heat for 4 minutes, turning the chops once until lightly browned. Transfer the chops to the cool zone, cover and grill for about 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chops registers 135° for medium meat. Let the chops rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Wine Pairing: Food & Wine recommended a fruity Zinfandel from Paso Robles, so I picked up a bottle from Trader Joe's called Novella. As The Spouse put it, this was a fantastic summer grilling wine and, I predict, will become a staple for summer parties to follow.

The Best Beer for Wisconsin Beer Brats

2009-05-26T09:36:00.003-05:00

Usually the Spouse and I just grab a bottle or can of Heineken or other "crap" beer and call it a day. Generally because we don't want to waste a good beer on a batter.

I'm officially changing my tune. There is now only one acceptable beer (or style of beer) for use when making beer brats:

Fuel Cafe Stout is made here in Wisconsin by Lakefront Brewery. If you cannot get Lakefront beers where you live, find an acceptable coffee-flavored stout. Because, after years and years of making brats with skunk beer, nothing else will ever, ever do.

I've also tweaked my brat recipe a bit to better incorporate the wonderful flavor of beer. It remains true to the roots of the dish. Enjoy!

Wisconsin Beer Brats with Fuel Cafe Stout-glazed Onions

1 pkg uncooked bratwurst
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 bottle Fuel Cafe stout
1 pkg brat buns
brown mustard

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add brats and sautee on both sides until lightly brown. Remove brats from heat.

Pour about 1/2 cup of the stout to hot pan to deglace. Reduce heat to a simmer and let beer cool down - about 10 minutes - until it is simmering very slightly. Add brats back in (if you add the brats in earlier they'll split from the heat) and let simmer in the beer 10 minutes, flipping once halfway thru. Remove brats from pan and reserve pan with leftover beer. Heat grill to 375º. Add brats and cook for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway thru.

While brats are cooking, return pan to heat and add onions. Sautee onions until soft and the beer has reduced to a glaze. Remove from heat and keep warm until brats are done.

Serve brats with sauteed onions and brown mustard.

Grilled Salmon with Peppercorn-Lime Rub

2009-05-22T09:46:00.004-05:00

We love grilled salmon, though I've never made a rub for it before. I found this recipe and decided to modify it.

Grilled Salmon with Peppercorn-Lime Rub

2 tsp grated lime rind
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 salmon fillets
Lime wedges (optional)

Combine lime rind, salt, pepper, garlic and a splash of lime juice. Rub over the flesh of the salmon fillets and let sit for 15 minutes.

While fish is resting, preheat the grill to 400ºF. Add fish, skin-side down, and grill about 8 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork and is still somewhat pink in the middle. Tent with foil and let rest a couple minutes. Remove skin and serve.

Rosemary-Merlot Flank Steak

2009-05-22T09:36:00.003-05:00

A quick and easy marinade that turns into a homemade steak sauce. Fabu!

Rosemary-Merlot Flank Steak

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup merlot
1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 flank steak

2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp tomato paste

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large plastic bag. Add flank steak and let marinade in the fridge for 30 mintues.

Remove flank steak from marinade, reserving the liquid. Preheat grill while meat comes to room temperature. Add steak to grill and cook 10 minutes, flipping once halfway thru. Remove steak from grill and let rest under tented foil for 5 minutes. Slice across the grain.

While steak is cooking, combine marinade, tomato paste and mustard in a medium skillet and reduce, stirring occasionally, until thickened into a steak sauce (about 1 cup). Plate steak slices and top with sauce.

I served this with Grilled Potato Chips and fresh steamed broccoli.

Grilled Potato Chips

2009-05-22T09:28:00.003-05:00

An idea that popped in my head for dinner last night. Turned out pretty good.

Grilled Potato Chips

2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
spray olive oil
salt
pepper

Heat water to boiling. Add in potato slices and boil 2 minutes or until just slightly tender. Transfer to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking process.

Layer potatoes on paper towel to dry. Lightly spray with cooking oil and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the grill to 375ºF. Add potatoes directly to grate and cook for 10 minutes, flipping as needed. Remove from grill and serve.

The Ultimate Tandoori Chicken Recipe

2009-05-21T12:38:00.004-05:00

The Spouse has been requesting Tandoori Chicken for dinner once a week for the last several months. I haven't been making it that often but I think we've had it half a dozen times so far this year.

Hence, I've had a lot of time to experiment. I started with the recipe from Cook's Illustrated, which is a lovely recipe but really does not impart enough flavor of the yogurt marinade. So I started messing about with ingredients, preparation and have finally achieved Tandoori Chicken Perfection (sorry ATK).

The Ultimate Tandoori Chicken Recipe

2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 cup plain fat-free greek-style yogurt
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp kosher salt
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add garam masala, cumin and chili powder and cook another 30-60 seconds. Transfer half the garlic mixture to a bowl, stir in yogurt and 2 tbsp lime juice. Refrigerate mixture until needed.

Combine remaining spice mixture with salt and remaining lime juice. Rub salt mixture onto chicken and let stand at room temperature for 30-40 minutes. Place chicken in a ziplock bag, add in the yogurt mixture and close. Toss to coat chicken thoroughly and place the bag in the refrigerator. Let marinade for about 1 hour.

Remove from refrigerator and let chicken warm up. Preheat grill to 400ºF. Remove chicken from bag, making sure to leave some of the yogurt marinade on the breasts, and discard the remaining marinade. Grill chicken 10 minutes, flipping once halfway thru, until a probe inserted reads 160ºF. Remove chicken from grill, tent with tinfoil, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with couscous and tomato & cucumber salad.

Chicken with Dark Beer

2009-05-18T13:30:00.004-05:00

I found this recipe while poking about for new dinner ideas. Anything that involves beer, gin and fire sounds like a party to me. And when that beer is from New Belgium brewery (recently made available here in WI), it's bound to be good. We used Fat Tire, though had debated between that and 1554.

The only real problem was I'd never flambed before. So I was caught a bit by surprise when I lit the gin the first time

OHCRAP!

It turned out fantaaaaaaastic, though we had to do a 2nd pour and lighting of the gin. I consider that making up for the missed juniper berries.

Coq à la Bière

3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cut-up chicken, skin removed
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp dry gin
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 3 medium)
1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, halved
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 bay leaf
1 cup dark beer
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
2 tsp white wine vinegar

Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken. Heat skillet over medium heat and add butter and oil. Cook until butter is lightly browned. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pan from heat. Pour gin into one side of pan; return pan to heat. Ignite gin with a long match; let flames die down. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add celery, carrot, and shallots to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms. Place thyme, parsley, and bay leaf on a double layer of cheesecloth (a coffee filter can be used in a pinch). Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely. Add cheesecloth bag to pan. Return chicken to pan, nestling into vegetable mixture. Stir in beer; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty parts of chicken registers 160°.

Discard cheesecloth bag. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Place pan over medium heat; stir in yogurt. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated (do not boil, as the yogurt may curdle). Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired. Plate chicken and top each serving with sauce and vegetable mixture.

Szechuan Tofu

2009-05-12T20:23:00.002-05:00

In an effort to eat less meat, I dug out a similar recipe from The Joy of Cooking and, well, fixed it. But this makes a quick, healthy dinner on a weeknight

Szechuan Tofu

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp minced ginger (or 1/4 tsp ground)
1 bunch scallions, minced
Various Stir-Fry veggies (we had carrots, broccoli, pea pods, mushrooms)

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp chile paste
1 tbsp dry sherry (or white wine)
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp sugar

1 package firm to extra-firm tofu, pressed and diced into 1/2" pieces.

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and heat thru. Add garlic, ginger and scallion to the pan and stir fry for 1 minute. Add vegetables of choice and stir fry 3-5 minutes or until somewhat wilty. Combine chicken broth thru sugar and then add to pan. Cook 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add in tofu and simmer until warmed thru, about 3 minutes. Serve with rice.

Ancho-Rubbed Flank Steak

2009-05-11T10:08:00.002-05:00

Originally based on this recipe, though I was out of cumin. Whoops. Also, we grilled it instead of pan-frying.

Ancho-Rubbed Flank Steak

1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground ancho chile powder
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
1 (2-pound) flank steak, trimmed

2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 lime

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub evenly over both sides of steak. Let rest for 1 hour.

Preheat grill to 400ºF. Grill flank steak 10 minutes, turning once halfway thru the cooking time, or until steak is medium. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Meanwhile, place onions and pepper strips on the grill pan and squeeze half the lime over them. Grill 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are done. Remove from grill and squeeze the remaining lime half over them.

Slice flank steak into strips across the grain. Serve with grilled veggies, warmed tortillas, cheese, salsa and other fixings for fajitas.

Curried Chickpeas with Veggies

2009-05-05T08:24:00.005-05:00

When The Spouse and I sat down to make this week's menu, I mentioned that I would prefer to add in a few meatless dishes. He agreed, though somewhat nervously because I said tofu would feature largely. He doesn't mind tofu if it's well prepared or mixed in with other items, but

This is one dish, though, that I felt would be pretty safe since he loves Indian food.

Curried Chickpeas with Veggies

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tsp madras curry powder
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
1/2 large head of cauliflower, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup yogurt
2 tbsp flour

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and heat thru. Add in cumin seeds and toast until fragrant. Add in minced garlic and ginger and sautee until aromatic, about 1 minute. Do not let brown.

Add in curry powder and sautee until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and remaining ingredients. Stir to coat. Cover and let simmer 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat.

Combine yogurt and flour and stir into vegetable mixture until well incorporated. If necessary, return pan to heat and heat thru, stirring constantly, being careful to not bring to a simmer. Serve immediately.

Jerk Chicken

2009-04-05T16:49:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure why we choose grilling recipes when it's gross out. Cloudy, windy, cold and supposed to rain/snow this evening yet The Spouse says he wants jerk chicken.

Ah well. It's worth it! I think I've posted this recipe before, but as part of a menu. So here it is on it's own.

Jerk Chicken

2 habanero peppers, stem and seeds removed
4 green onions, white parts only
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 whole chicken, cut up

Combine the first 9 ingredients (thru black pepper) in a small food processor and blend until smooth.

Rinse chicken, pat dry. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour spice mixture over it. Toss to coat and place in fridge. Let marinade several hours.

Heat grill to 400. Place chicken on the grill, skin side up. Grill chicken for 30-40 minutes or until done (instant read thermometer should read 180 when stuck into the thickest portion of the breast), removing smaller pieces as necessary. To crips skin, grill skin-side down for the final 5 minutes of cooking.

Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo

2009-04-03T10:02:00.003-05:00

We're watching my nephews this week while my brother and sister-in-law are out of town. On Wednesday I asked what they'd like for dinner the next night. The response was "Something with Carbs." Which I find odd because that night we'd had braised ribs with gravy bread and the night before there was cornbread, so it's not like we're All Protein, All The Time. The other nephew suggested alfredo.

So I spent the day trolling about for a reduced-fat version of Alfredo sauce and found this one by Cooking Light. Unfortunately, while chopping up my fresh frozen broccoli, I discovered that the batch had been corrupted by cabbage worms, so broccoli was out. Also, not having ricotta on hand, I subbed in low-fat cottage cheese.

Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo

olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
salt & pepper

2 tbsp butter (I use earth balance)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
2/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, pureed until smooth (I used the Fiber One brand)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

8 ounces uncooked pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting any fat or salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm thru. Add minced garlic and sautee until fragarant, about 1 minute. Add chicken to skillet, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sautee until chicken is done, about 8 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Deglace skillet with water.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook 15 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, salt, and pepper, and cook 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Reduce heat to low. Stir in chicken and heat 5 minutes until chicken is warmed thru.

Place cooked pasta in a bowl, pour sauce and chicken over. Toss the pasta until well coated. Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing: A crisp italian pinot grigio.

Caramelized Thai Chicken with Stir-Fry Noodles

2009-03-24T15:09:00.003-05:00

I recently signed up for a trial subscription to Food & Wine magazine. After I'd received my confirmation email from them, I went to check out their recipe section of the website and stumbled across this one, which served as the leaping off point for dinner that night. My version uses about half the amount of sugar, and it was plenty sweet.

Caramelized Thai Chicken with Stir-Fry Noodles

1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1/2 tsp thai chile paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, water, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper and chile sauce.

Heat the oil in a large deep skillet. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce mixture and the chicken and simmer over high heat until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a pot of boiling water. Add dry rice stir fry noodles to pot. Cook according to package directions. However, after draining, add noodles to chicken mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until chicken is cooked thru and noodles are well-coated. Serve immediately.

Mustard-Crusted Lamb Chops

2009-03-24T14:56:00.003-05:00

Lovely dish for St. Paddy's Day, if it's warm enough out to grill (in our house it always is, even in January, but we're strange like that). This is basically a scaled down recipe of this Cooking Light one.

Mustard-Crusted Lamb Chops

1 tbsp and 1 tsp stone-ground mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8-1/4 tsp salt
1/8-1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
4 (4-ounce) lamb loin chops, trimmed
Cooking spray

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add lamb; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Remove lamb from bag. Place lamb on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until medium-rare or desired degree of doneness.

Remove from grill, cover with tented foil and let rest 5 minutes. Serve with Colcannon.

Wine Pairing: We had the leftover chops with a merlot.

Colcannon

2009-03-24T14:50:00.002-05:00

This is an Irish dish that is traditionally served on Halloween (since cabbage is in season then), but it's good just about any time of the year!

Colcannon

1/2 head large cabbage
6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large shallot
1 tbsp butter
~1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp butter, melted (optional)

In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove from heat and drain. Chop well, aside and keep warm.

Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.

Chop shallots and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft. Add boiled potatoes, milk, and mash well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend in the cabbage until well-combined. Add additional butter, if desired

Rudy's BBQ Chicken

2009-03-15T20:44:00.002-05:00

The Spouse and I have been craving grilled food. Our grill blew over in a massive storm this winter and we were afraid it was damaged beyond repair. But, beyond being a bit battered and broken, it actually does work. Enough.

BBQ Chicken is theoretically an easy dish to make. Grill the chicken, slap on some bbq sauce, voila.

To make GOOD BBQ chicken takes a bit more. It's easy to grill up a dry chicken breast. It's easy to end up with drenched chicken. But to cook a good, moist chicken breast with a proper bbq glaze takes experience.

Fortunately I have a good bit of that!

Rudy's BBQ Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Rudy's Rub
2-3 tbsp Rudy's Original "Sause"

Trim chicken breasts of excess fat. Sprinkle each side with Rudy's Rub and massage rub into breasts. Let stand at room temp for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat grill to 400. Add chicken breasts to grill. Grill first side about 5 minutes. Flip. Grill other side 3 minutes. Using a pastry brush, brush sause on chicken breasts. Grill another 2-3 minutes. Flip. Brush sauce on other side of chicken breasts. Reduce heat to medium. Grill 2 minutes, flip, brush sauce on breasts. Grill another 2 minutes, flip, and slather the last of the sauce on. Remove chicken breasts from heat and serve immediately.

You'll know you've done this right if you don't need any extra sauce on the plate to moisten the chicken.

Dude Ranch Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings

2009-02-18T09:51:00.004-06:00

The dumplings were actually supposed to be lavender but I nixed the idea because the stew itself was on the "sweet" side and I wanted something more savory to contrast it with.

In retrospect, I would use less orange peel than the recipe called for. A good 3" slice would have been more than enough, in my opinion, to flavor the stew.

Dude Ranch Beef Stew with Herbed Dumplings

4 lb beef roast, well trimmed and cut into 1" chunks
3/4 cup flour
5 tsp lavender, well ground in spice grinder, divided
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 3 tbsp
2 white onions, diced
1 medium leek, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
4 cups beef broth
1/4 cup whiskey
2 bay leaves
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 orange
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 lb yukon gold potatoes (about 4), cut into 1/2" chunks
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

for the dumplings
3/4 cup flour
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
thyme
salt

Combine the flour, 2 tsp lavender, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add beef chunks and toss to coat.

Heat large stock pot over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and heat thru. Working in batches, add beef to pan and sautee, stirring occasionally, until beef begins to brown. Remove beef to bowl and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to pot. Add onion, leek and garlic and sautee about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add beef broth and whiskey to the pot, scraping the bottom to loosen any browned bits. Add beef back to pot. Using a vegetable peeler, peel a 3" strip of orange zest from the orange and add to pot. Add remaining lavender and herbs. Stir well, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 45 minutes until the beef is tender. Add carrots and potatoes, cover again and simmer another 30-45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, to prepare the dumplings, combine the flour, cheese, thyme and salt in a medium bowl. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined. Set aside.

One the carrots and potatoes are fork tender, add the mushrooms to the pot. Gently spoon dollops of the dumplings - about 1 tbsp each - to the pot. Let simmer on low 5-10 minutes uncovered. Then replace cover and let simmer another 10 minutes or until dumplings are fluffy and cooked all the way thru (test with a skewer). Ladel stew into bowls and serve immediately.

Baked Spicy Chicken Fingers

2009-02-12T18:49:00.004-06:00

I made these as an appetizer for the Super Bowl last year and they were a hit. But they make just as tasty a dinner.

Baked Spicy Chicken Fingers

1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp hot chile sauce

1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 1/2 lbs chicken breast

Cut chicken breasts up into strips. Combine lemon juice and chile sauce in a plastic bag. Add chicken strips. Let marinade 30 minutes, turning bag halfway thru. Drain and discard marinade.

Preheat oven to 425. Combine bread crumbs and spices. Dredge chicken breasts in breadcrumbs. Spray baking sheets with spray oil and place chicken strips on in a single layer.

Bake strips at 425 for 10 minutes, turning halfway thru. Serve immediately.

Chili Lavender Turkey Pot Pie

2009-02-10T10:53:00.004-06:00

What a delicious way to use leftover roast turkey breast. The original recipe, from The Lavender Cookbook by Sharon Shipley, called for a handmade crust with spices, but I didn't have time so Pillsbury it was.

This recipe has quite a kick to it, so you may feel the need to dial it down a notch. I had to make some substitutions, so here is the recipe as I made it.

Chili Lavender Turkey Pot Pie

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chipotle chile powder
2 tbsp spiced lavender seasoning *see note
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 lbs turkey breast, chopped into 1" cubes
salt and pepper to taste
pre-made pie crust

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add diced butternut squash and blanch for 6 minutes or until tender. Remove to a colander with a slotted spoon. Add carrot to water and blanch for 4 minutes. Pour into colander.

Reduce heat to medium and return pot to burner. Add oil and heat thru. Add onions, garlic, chipotle and lavender seasoning. Sautee 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add the peppers and corn and sautee 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly reduced. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to coat. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until warmed thru. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to a large (3qt) baking dish and let cool. Remove pie crust from fridge and let warm to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out pie crust to fit baking dish. Place pie crust on top, overlapping the edges of the dish and sealing them with your fingers. Cut 2 or 3 vent holes in the top. Bake 30 - 40 minutes or until bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Spiced Lavender Seasoning

I had to make a couple substitutions in this from the original.

2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp dried lavender
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp harissa
1 tsp ground black pepper
dash of sea salt

Add cumin and coriander to a small skillet to toast, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to mortar or spice grinder. Add lavender and crush the mixture with a pestil until well combined. Add oregano, harissa, pepper and salt and mix until well combined. Store in air tight container.

Provencale Roast Turkey Breast with Pan Veggies

2009-02-10T10:42:00.005-06:00

A delicious way to get your thanksgiving turkey fix without all the heavy trimmings.

Provençale Roast Turkey Breast with Pan Veggies

2 tbsp Herbes de Provance
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic
1 7lb turkey breast

4 medium carrots, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Combine herbes, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and garlic. Stir until salt dissolves.

Rinse turkey breast and pat dry. Place in roasting pan on a rack. Using your hands, loosen the skin from the turkey breast. Liberally apply herb mixture to the breast, under the skin. Let sit at room temp for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400*. Add vegetables to bottom of the roasting pan. Place turkey in oven. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a thermometer stuck in the breast reads 180. Remove from oven, loosely tent with tinfoil and let rest 15 minutes.

Remove veggies from pan into a colander to drain remaining drippings. Place pan on burner, add 2 cups of water or broth and warm, whisking to remove browned bits from the bottom. Combine 1/4 cup of cold water with 2 tbsp corn starch. Add to pan and whisk constantly until thickened.

Carve turkey and plate breast meat with veggies. Serve with gravy.

* For convection, heat oven to 350 and cook 1 hour or until a thermometer reads 180.

Menu Planning, Week 2

2009-02-07T09:18:00.002-06:00

So, things got a big mixed up this week in terms of my original plan. But that's ok, because some of it lets me extend the planned m. Below is what really happened:

Saturday: White Chicken Chili
Sunday: Superbowl Party
Monday: Salmon
Tuesday: Smoked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Frozen Pizza (pizza, beer and a basketball game)

And here's the plan for the next week and a half:

Saturday: Roast Turkey Breast
Sunday: Vegetarian Lasagna
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Chili Lavender Turkey Pot Pie (using leftover turkey breast)
Wednesday: Spicy Chicken Fingers with Sweet Potato Fries
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Dude Ranch Beef Stew with Lavender Dumplings
Saturday: Shepherd's Pie (using leftover beef stew)
Sunday: Leftovers
Monday: Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Tuesday: Lavender Chicken Breasts

Smoked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

2009-02-07T08:52:00.004-06:00

The Spouse had been making noise lately about wanting some sauerkraut and pork chops. This recipe is from the Wine Lover's Cookbook. It's a spin on an Alsatian choucroute. It would definitely make my German cousins happy.

It called for a whole bottle of wine to stew in! Being conservative, and wanting a glass for dinner, I added about 1/3 of the bottle and topped up with chicken broth and club soda. It also called for apples, but neither The Spouse nor I do fruit with meat.

Smoked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

3 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
4 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
6 whole cloves
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 1/2 cup Riesling
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 22-ounce jar sauerkraut, rinsed with cold water and squeezed
3/4 pound boneless pork loin chops (about 3/4-inch thick)
1 pound smoked polish sausage
3/4 pound Yukon Gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes, quartered
club soda and chicken broth

In a large stockpot, sauté pancetta in its own fat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and onions and continue sautéing for 5 to 6 minutes.

Add peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, caraway seeds, wine, and cider vinegar. Put sauerkraut into the pot and carefully place pork chops, sausage, and potatoes into the sauerkraut and liquid so that they're well covered. Top up with chicken broth and club soda as needed.

Cover pot and simmer for 50 minutes or until pork is fork-tender.

Divide meat, sauerkraut, and potatoes evenly onto plates or serve in large soup bowls.

Wine Pairing: Pair with a dry Riesling, obviously.

Menu Planning

2009-01-28T20:55:00.003-06:00

This is my new thing. In trying to cut back on the grocery budget, I've been trying to plan our meals at least a week in advance. In order to help this goal along, as well as "beef up" my recipe list, I've decided to post them in my blog entry. That way I should be held accountable to stick to the plan and blog about it.

SO! Here we go. I'm aiming for two weeks at a time, building in space for leftovers, etc.

February 1 - 14
Sunday: White Chicken Chili (suuuuuuuperbowl!)
Monday: Salmon
Tuesday: Roast Turkey Breast
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Smoked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut
Friday: Lavender Chicken Breasts
Saturday: Dude Ranch Beef Stew with Lavender Dumplings
Sunday: Spicy Chicken Fingers with Sweet Potato Fries
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Wednesday: Chili Lavender Turkey Pot Pie (using leftover turkey breast)
Thursday: Vegetarian Lasagna
Friday: Shepherd's Pie (using leftover beef stew)
Saturday: Leftovers

White Bean, Kale and Meatball Soup

2009-01-26T12:22:00.004-06:00

I mentioned in my Swedish Meatballs post that I doubled the recipe to turn half of them into my take on Italian Wedding Soup. It actually ended up not being wedding soup at all but some general conglomeration of the meatballs, kale and white beans. It was tasty, though.

Two things about my soups - I almost always use dry vermouth in them. Not a lot but just enough to impart that herbal essence that, IMO, adds a huge amount of depth of taste.

The same thing goes for lavender. A little bit goes a long way but it adds an earthiness to meat-based soups and stews that I absolutely love.

White Bean, Kale and Meatball Soup

olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch kale, chopped or torn into pieces
dry vermouth
Leftover meatballs
1 can no-salt added white beans, undrained
2 tsp Tuscan Sunset seasoning (or similar salt-free Italian seasoning)
1/2 tsp lavender, finely crushed
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
water

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat thru. Add garlic and sautee until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add kale and sautee until lightly braised, about 3 minutes. Deglace pan with a splash of dry vermouth and stir until evaporated.

Add meatballs, beans and seasoning to pot. Add chicken and beef broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes, adding water as necessary. Serve hot.

Swedish Meatballs

2009-01-22T13:17:00.003-06:00

When I decided to cook the short ribs last week, The Spouse asked me what my goals were for the Cook's Illustrated subscription. I thought about half a second and then said "To try and make every recipe in them. I want to test America's Test Kitchen."

The only problem I have with ATK is, frankly, they use high and full-fat ingredients. The original recipe for this called for heavy cream, ground pork, ground beef, a ton of vegetable oil for frying, blah blah. I don't cook like that because we don't eat stuff like that.

So, this recipe is a slimmed-down version of the original. I substituted ground turkey for the ground pork and ground beef. I used skim milk instead of cream. I ALSO doubled the recipe for the meatballs and reserved half for the Italian Wedding Soup that I'll be making this weekend - which means I also eliminated the brown sugar from the meatballs. I also did not use milk, brown sugar or lemon juice in the sauce.

Another big change was the method of cooking. I'm usually not a "fussy" chef - flip once halfway thru and be done with it. However, when I tried the recommended cooking directions, I ended up with flat pancakes, not balls. So what I ended up doing was constantly going around the pan in a circle, flipping and turning the meatballs in order to get them to retain their shape.

IMO, even with using extra-lean ground turkey breast, the meatballs were delightfully springy and moist. Nothing was missed by using leaner types of meat.

Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 large slice sandwich bread , crusts removed and bread torn into 1-inch pieces
2 lbs ground turkey
1 large onion, grated
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp table salt
2 tsp baking powder
olive oil as needed

Sauce
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk egg and milk together in medium bowl. Stir in bread and set aside. Beat half the turkey, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, salt, and baking powder until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain; add bread mixture to turkey mix and beat until well combined. Add remaining turkey and mix until just incorporated. Form meat mixture into 1-inch round meatballs.

Heat a pan over medium heat; add oil and heat until shimmery. Add meatballs in single layer and saute, flipping each meatball several times to brown on all sides and retain their shape. When meatballs are done, remove from pan and place on a plate covered in paper towel to drain. Set aside half the meatballs for freezing or later use.

Pour off any remaining oil in pan and discard, leaving any browned bits behind. Return pan to medium-high heat and add butter. When butter is melted, add flour and whisk constantly until flour is light brown, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining meatballs to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Braised Pork Ribs

2009-01-18T18:09:00.004-06:00

After the success of the Tandoori Chicken recipe, I was eager to try another recipe in the magazine.

I've never been a fan of ribs. I know that's bizarre but, for a long time, I hated the taste of bone-in pork. Then we started getting BBQ cut pork chops from our butcher and it tasted fine. But, even then, I wasn't willing to try ribs.

Well, in this month's issue, they have an article on re-thinking braised short ribs. The idea? Go boneless. Well, heck, I'm down with that. Even better? Our grocery store had boneless country-style pork ribs on sale for $1.99 a lb. The recipe called for beef but pork works just as well, right?

The recipe in CI called for using a dutch oven, which I sadly don't have. So I decided to just let them stew them on the stove. The meat ended up being melt-in-your-mouth don't-need-a-knife good. And the leftovers we shredded for pulled pork sandwiches.

Braised Pork Ribs

2 1/4 lbs boneless country-style pork ribs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/3 cup red wine
2/3 cup beef broth
3 carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 2" segments
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/3 oz water
1/3 tsp gelatin

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan over medium heat until fragrant and lightly smoking. Add pork and cook until well browned, about 4-6 minutes. Turn pork over and cook another 4-6 minutes. Transfer pork to a bowl lightly lined with paper towel.

Reduce heat to medium and add onions. Cook until softened and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until garlic is lightly browned. Increase heat to medium-high and add wine. Bring to a simmer, scrapping up the browned bits, until reduced by half. Add broth, carrots, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir. Replace pork in pan and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 2 - 2 1/2 hours or until pork is tender.

Place water in a small dish, add gelatin. Let stand about 5 minutes. Remove meat, onions and carrots from pot, cover with foil. Strain liquid into fat separator and let rest about 5 minutes. Return liquid to pot and cook until reduced to about 1 cup. Remove from heat, stir in gelatin. Serve sauce with ribs and veggies.

Chicken Tandoori

2009-01-18T17:52:00.004-06:00

I think I mentioned that for Christmas a friend of mine got me a subscription to Cook's Illustrated. I had flipped thru the first issue and thought this recipe would be great to try out because it doesn't involve grilling (always a plus when it's winter and 20 below) or marinading for 24-hours.

I didn't follow their recipe exactly because I only had boneless skinless chicken breasts. As such, some of the instructions in the original recipe were pointless.

Chicken Tandoori

2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 cup plain yogurt
4 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp kosher salt
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add garam masala, cumin and chili powder and cook another 30-60 seconds. Transfer half the garlic mixture to a bowl, stir in yogurt and 2 tbsp lime juice, set aside

Combine remaining spice mixture with salt and remaining lime juice. Rub salt mixture onto chicken and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to upper position of oven, about 6-8" away from the heat source. Preheat oven to 325. Place a wire rack on a cookie sheet lined with tinfoil. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken and toss. Lay chicken on wire rack, discarding extra yogurt mixture. Bake chicken until about halfway done, 15-25 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven. Turn oven to broil and heat 10 minutes. Flip chicken over and broil until lightly charred. Flip chicken once more and char other side until chicken is done, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest about 5 minutes.

Oatmeal-Cranberry Cookies

2009-01-05T13:45:00.003-06:00

Today is my birthday, so I needed to come up with something to bring in to work. I have a ton of leftover cranberries from the Cranberry-Ginger Cake from Christmas, so I decided this would be a good way to use some up.

Oatmeal-Cranberry Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup regular oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cranberries, chopped and drained
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350º.

Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour, oats, and salt to egg mixture; beat well. Fold in cranberries.

Drop by level tablespoons, 1 1/2 inches apart, onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350º for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; let stand 2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and let cool on wire rack.

Pork Schnitzel

2009-01-05T13:24:00.002-06:00

I don't think I mentioned my cooking-related gifts this year.

My brother - who had my name in our family exchange - got me a mandonline and a 8-jar gift box from Penzey's that I think he put together himself (at least, I don't see it anywhere on Penzey's website).

And my friend got me a subscription to Cook's Illustrated.

Which leads me to dinner I cooked on Saturday. I didn't realize this at the time but Pork Schnitzel is a recipe in this month's Cook's Illustrated. However, I did my own version (which does not involve frying anything in 2 cups of oil). Below is what I did.

Pork Schnitzel

2 pork loin chops, butterflied
1/2 cup flour
~1 tbsp Sunny Paris seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt & pepper
dry white wine (optional)
capers (optional)

Place the pork loin chops underneath wax paper. Pound with meat mallet until to 1/4" thick. If necessary to fit cutlets in pan, slice in half. Combine flour and seasoning. Dredge pork cutlets thru flour mixture.

Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and heat thru until shimmery. Add 2 cutlets to pan, sauteeing on both sides about 2-3 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. Add remaining oil to pan, add remaining cutlets, repeat.

Combine broth and lemon juice and deglace pan. Bring mixture to a boil, add salt, pepper, wine and capers (if using). Return pork to pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer until pork is cooked thru. Remove pork from pan, turn heat to high and, stirring constantly, reduce sauce to about 1/4 cup. Plate pork, drizzle sauce over top, and serve.

Dijon-Horseradish Crusted Rib Roast with Horseradish-Mustard Sauce and Pan Jus

2008-12-29T11:44:00.005-06:00

I'd never made a standing rib roast before. My family has high expectations of this dish, and I was trying a new recipe, so I was more than a little scared. Especially when my oven's internal probe told me it was done cooking at 4pm.

But it turned out perfect - medium-rare in the middle, nice and crusty along the outside.

This is based off a recipe in The Wine Lover's Cookbook.

Dijon-Horseradish Crusted Rib Roast with Horseradish-Mustard Sauce and Pan Jus

3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp prepared Horseradish
3 tsp herbes de provence
4 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
15 lb standing rib roast, boned and tied

Horseradish-Mustard Sauce
3/4 cup prepared horseradish
1/2 cup stone-ground mustard
1/4 cup white vinegar

Pan Jus
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
3 cups beef stock
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine the Dijon mustard, horseradish and herbes in a small bowl. Place rib roast fat side up in a roasting pan. Liberally apply the mustard mix to the surface of the roast. Place roast in cold oven. If your oven has a temperature probe, use it, following manufacturer's instructions. Turn oven on and heat to 425ºF for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350ºF and cook until internal temperature reaches 130º (figure 15 minutes per lb). Turn oven off and leave door closed.

While roast cooks, mix together ingredients for the horseradish-mustard sauce. Refrigerate until it's time to serve.

30 minutes before serving, turn oven back on at 250º to bring roast to temp (about 150ºF internal temp). Remove roast from oven, cover with foil to keep warm.

Place pan on stovetop over medium heat. Add wine and beef stock, bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid reduced by half. Run jus thru fat separator to discard the fat and solids.

Carve roast, setting ribs aside (some people like to gnaw on them but they also make great bones for soup/stock). Serve with jus and horseradish-mustard sauce

Wine Pairing: Serve with a well-matured Cabernet Sauvignon. We had it with a 40-year-old bottle of Bordeaux.

Hot Mulled Cranberry-Apple Cider

2008-12-29T11:43:00.001-06:00

This was incredibly easy to do and made a good drink for both the kids and adults.

Hot Mulled Cranberry-Apple Cider

1 lemon
1 orange
3 1/2 cups apple cider
2 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole allspice
6 whole cloves
1 (1/4-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced

Carefully remove the rind from lemon and orange using a vegetable peeler, making sure to avoid the white pith just beneath the rind. Cut citrus rind into 1- x 1/4-inch-thick strips. Combine the rind strips, cider, and remaining ingredients in a crock pot and set to low for 4 hours. Strain the mixture through a sieve over a bowl, discarding solids. You can keep the cider in the crockpot on low or warm throughout the party.

Cranberry Ginger Cake

2008-12-29T11:35:00.003-06:00

I found this recipe originally and decided to modify it. A lot. It wasn't upside down, it was dairy free. I was a bit worried about the texture before folding in the egg whites but it turned out fabulous.

Cranberry-Ginger Cake

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
3 cups fresh cranberries, finely chopped
fat-free whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 9" cake pan with cooking spray.

Heat a skillet over medium heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter to pan, stirring until melted. Stir in ginger; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add in chopped cranberries, stirring to coat. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine 1/4 cup butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter. Fold cranberries into batter; pour into a prepared cake pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Top each serving with whipped topping.

Balsamic-Butter-Glazed Baby Carrots

2008-12-29T11:30:00.002-06:00

This recipe originally came from Southern Living but, like most recipes, I drastically reduced the amount of fat that went in and no one was the wiser.

Balsamic-Butter-Glazed Baby Carrots

5 lbs baby carrots
6 cups water
1 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
6 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
6 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Combine carrots and 6 cups water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Drain and keep warm.

Cook vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in brown sugar and butter until smooth.

Pour vinegar mixture over warm carrots, tossing to coat. Stir in thyme and next 3 ingredients. Serve immediately.

Chipotle in Adobo Sauce

2008-12-29T11:27:00.001-06:00

Chipotle in Adobo Sauce

10 medium-sized dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and slit lengthwise
1/3 cup onion, coarsely chopped
5 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a pan with 3 cups of water. Cover and cook over very low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the chilies are very soft and the liquid has been reduced to 1 cup. This recipe will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

For chipotle puree, place the cooked chipotles and sauce in a blender and puree. Put through a fine sieve to remove seeds.

Bacon-Chipotle Twice-Baked Potatoes

2008-12-29T11:13:00.004-06:00

I actually made 4 versions of this as I have a nephew with milk allergies. So about 1/3 of the mixture was dairy free (made with soy milk and soy cheese). Then, of each grouping, 1/2 had chipotle, 1/2 did not. As I was making these a few days in advance, I had masking tape on each of the tupperware containers reading "Dairy free, no Chipotle", "Dairy Free with Chiptole", "Regular, no Chipotle" and "The Full Monty".

I was also making enough to feed 23 people. Keep that in mind. Below is the regular, dairy-full recipe.

Bacon-Chipotle Twice-Baked Potatoes

14 medium baking potatoes
3 3/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
3 3/4 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
6 tablespoons pureed chipotle chile in adobo sauce
3 teaspoon salt
12 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 450°.

Pierce potatoes with a fork. Bake potatoes at 450° for 50 minutes or until done; cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Combine potato pulp, milk, 2 1/4 cup cheese and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon potato mixture evenly into reserved shells. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cup cheese evenly over potatoes. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Homemade Chipotle Peppers

2008-11-18T13:14:00.004-06:00

This year in the garden we had a ton - possibly quite literally - of jalapeños. More jalapeños than any two people could possibly eat.

At a recent family gathering, my brother suggested that I/we turn them into chipotles. I thought "What a fantastic idea!" Research resulted in finding a few things:

It's supposed to work best with fresh jalapenos. Being that it's November, all I had was frozen. We decided to make due.
You can smoke the whole pod, but most sites recommend slicing them in half and removing the stems. Removing the seeds is optional. We left them in.
You can use a variety of types of wood, from oak to mesquite to apple. My brother chose hickory.
You can either dehydrate them completely on the smoker or you can finish the process in the oven. We chose the latter because feeding the smoker with appropriate fuel gets expensive and time consuming (about 24 hours).

So I prepped the peppers, dropped them off with said brother, he smoked them and returned them last Friday, and I threw them in the oven to complete the dehydration (have I mentioned I love my convection oven? Yeeeeeeeeesss, my precious).

The result? About 100 chipotle peppers, ready for use.

Lavender Chicken Chili - Crockpot Version

2008-11-11T09:43:00.002-06:00

I few weeks ago I made this great recipe, Lavender Chicken Chili with White Beans, for the in-laws. I had planned to make it again this weekend but never got around to it.

So yesterday I modified it and made it in the crockpot. I think it actually turned out better this way.

Lavender Chicken Chili - Crockpot Version

1 lb great northern beans, rinsed and picked over
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb ground turkey
2 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp lavender
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp savory
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
dash of chipotle powder
6 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups chicken stock & 3 cups water)
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
3 cups grated White Cheddar cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough cold water so they're covered by 3 inches. Let soak overnight.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm thru. Add in ground chicken and brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno, sauteeing 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add contents of skillet to crockpot. Drain the beans and add to the crockpot as well. Add in cumin and spices thru chipotle powder and stir to combine. Add the broth, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Heat skillet over medium heat, add in olive oil. Add diced chicken breast to skillet and sautee about 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken to crockpot, turn heat to high, cover and cook another 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prior to serving, stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Ladle into bowls and serve with various garnishes (remaining cheese, cilantro, salsa, lime wedges, etc.).

Pasta with Sausage, Porcini and Portobello Mushrooms

2008-11-03T21:29:00.003-06:00

This is another recipe from The Wine Lover's Cookbook. It is also, easily, a recipe you could serve for company. The flavors are exquisite and rich. And, while it says it serve 4 as an entree, It could easily serve more.

I made a few changes to the recipe that, frankly, probably affected the overall richness of the recipe. Most notably, I did not discard all of the water from re-hydrating the porcini mushrooms but used it to enrich the sauce. I also only used one pan to cook the dinner (minus making the pasta), where the recipe suggested using two - I think that also impacted the overall flavor.

Pasta with Sausage, Porcini and Portobello Mushrooms

2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
12 oz sausage (italian or chorizo), cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups chopped portobello mushrooms
3/4 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup red wine
2 14-oz cans chopped tomatoes, drained
salt and pepper to taste (red pepper flakes optional if using a low-spice sausage)
1 lb dried penne or small dried pasta (we used rotini)

Soak porcini according to package direction. Drain. Reserve mushroom water.

Heat a large sautee pan over medium heat. Coat with spray oil and about 1 tbsp olive oil. Add sausage and sautee for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned. Remove and place on paper towels. Pat dry. Set aside.

Deglace pan with water. Add onions and garlic and sautee about 4 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add porcini, portobellos, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and continue sauteing for 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and about 1/2 cup of reserved mushroom water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer to reduce by half. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Add reserved sausage and heat thru. Season to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add pasta and cook according to package directions or until it is al dente. Drain.

You can either plate the pasta and spoon the sauce over it or combine pasta and sauce in a large bowl and serve.

Wine Pairing: The book recommends a syrah. DH and I had Sam Adams Oktoberfest. Sausage = Beer in our house.

Sauteed Whitefish with Spiced Orzo with mixed vegetables

2008-10-26T17:35:00.005-05:00

A few days ago - maybe a week - someone on one of the cooking boards I frequent asked "What is the purpose of your blog."

Well, mine is being embodied right now - turning out fantastic meals using off the cuff cooking.

Right now I'm in a condo in Daytona Beach on vacation. We're having a night in rather than eating out and taking advantage of all of the wonderful fresh seafood. However, I'm cooking in a kitchen with:

no real chopping blocks - there is one that's being used for decoration and to chop limes for drinks....
no knives
no measuring cups or spoons
no grill
non-stick cookware (not exactly the best for making pan sauces...which would be my pick after the "no grill" situation)
a highly limited spice collection (we ADDED basil, garlic, ginger and cumin to make things at least palatable)

The first two would probably be enough to send most cooks to the phone for delivery - no chopping block and no knives? Well screw that! The rest are inconveniences - to be worked around. I managed to find a steak knife in a drawer, so I'm using that to chop for now (I did tell The Spouse, however, that, if he wants mushroom risotto, we're buying a basic chef's knife and chopping block). And I determined that the plastic cups we've been using for wine (since their crystal still has stickers on them....a la "for display only") hold about 7 oz to the top by pouring a small sample bottle of wine into one (small bottle of wine is 187mL, which is 6 1/3 cup and it went to about 1/2 inch from the top).

And yet - and yet - dinner tonight, without any of the accouterments of proper cooking, was delicious. The fish was perfectly done, the orzo flavorful and tender yet not mushy. The Spouse gave it an unofficial rating of "This is delicious, babe."

THAT is what this blog is about - great food under duress.

Sauteed Whitefish with Spiced Orzo with mixed vegetables

1/2 lb whitefish (such as tilapia)
1/2 oz lime juice (or the juice of 1/2 lime)
salt, pepper, cumin

olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
chile powder

olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup orzo
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
dash of red wine
1 pkg "southwestern" mixed vegetables (corn, red and green peppers)
salt, pepper, chile powder, cumin

For Fish: Place fish in a non-reactive container. Sprinkle both sides with lime juice, salt, pepper and cumin. Let marinade 2 hours, turning once. Heat skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray, add 1 tsp olive oil. Add garlic and shallots and cook until soft. Add in fish, sprinkle with chile powder, and cook 3 minutes, flipping halfway thru. Plate and serve immediately.

For Orzo: Heat non-stick skillet. Add olive oil. Sautee garlic until lightly browned. Add orzo and sautee until orzo is lightly browned and fragrant. Add in chicken broth, water and red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover; cook until done (about 15-20 minutes). Add in vegetable and spices to taste, stirring until vegetables are warmed thru. Serve with fish.

Wine pairing: We had this with Domaine Laureau Savennieres Cuvee de Genets 2000, a wine we found at a shop down here. It was beautiful with the delicate flavor of the fish and the spices added in.

Lavender Chicken Chili with White Beans

2008-10-20T08:39:00.004-05:00

I made this last night for the in-laws. Delish! A great, hearty meal on a cold fall day.

Lavender Chicken Chili with White Beans

1 lb great northern beans, rinsed and picked over
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb ground turkey
2 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp lavender
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp savory
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
dash of chipotle powder
6 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups chicken stock & 3 cups water)
3 cups grated White Cheddar cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough cold water so they're covered by 3 inches. Let soak overnight.

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and warm thru. Add onion and garlic, sauteeing 2 minutes until fragrant. Add in ground chicken and brown, about 5 minutes. Add diced chicken breasts and continue sauteeing, browning the chicken on all sides, about another 5 minutes. Add in jalapeno, cumin and spices thru chipotle powder and stir to combine. Sautee for another 2 minutes.

Drain the beans and add to the pot. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and simmer another hour or more, stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender and the chili has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Prior to serving, stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Ladle into bowls and serve with various garnishes (remaining cheese, cilantro, salsa, lime wedges, etc.).

Daube de Boeuf

2008-10-18T18:08:00.004-05:00

The Spouse wanted beef stew for dinner. We had initially planned on just crocking it but someone forgot to pick up the beef in time. So, rather than trot out the boring old recipe, I thought a fancier twist would be nice. I served this with Buttermilk Drop Biscuits, the better to soak up all the delicious broth

Daube de Boeuf

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons lavender salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf

Heat large stock pot over medium heat. Add oil and heat thru. Add garlic and sautee 5 minutes until gently browned and fragarant. Add beef, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp lavender salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Sautee another 5 minutes, browning on all sides.

Add wine, remaining salt and pepper, plus remaining ingredients (thru bay leaf). Stir to combine thoroughly and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing: If you can find one without taking a second mortgage out on your house, pair with a nice burgundy. Otherwise, a rhone-style wine should pair well.