Category: Dinner

Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Lemon and Chive Pan Sauce

Published on by Dawn2 Comments

For the first few months of this blog, I was pretty quiet about it at work.  I told a few people, but didn’t want to make a big deal about it.  A couple of months ago I was in a meeting, and my boss told some people about my blog.  They couldn’t believe it, and went right to the site to see for themselves.  One of the women was very impressed – it turns out her mother was a chef and she loves to cook – although she doesn’t have nearly as much time for that as she would like.  I happened to be working on a project with her – and when it was done, she surprised me by buying me a subscription to Cooks Illustrated.  I was completely blown away, and so honored. 

Since the ending of Gourmet, I have definitely missed my trifecta every month (Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Cooking Light) – now I am back to having three magazines to create my menus for the month.  This month Cook’s Illustrated did an article on the best way to cook chicken breasts.  They wanted a chicken breast that was tender on the inside and browned nicely on the outside, without over or under cooking the chicken.  I think they got it right.  This technique worked like a charm – I did have the added hassle of cleaning an additional baking dish at the end, but I think it was worth it.  The chicken was cooked perfectly, and had a nice brown crust around the outside – oh and the sauce, just marvelous!  I served this with some mashed potatoes, and we were pouring the extra sauce on top of the potatoes not to waste a single bit.  Cook’s Illustrated definitely knows what they are doing…I can’t wait for the next edition.

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sauce

  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled
  • salt & pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees and adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position.  Using a fork, poke the thickest part of each chicken breast 5 to 6 times.  Sprinkle the breasts evenly with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.  Places the chicken breasts in a 9×13-inch baking dish and cover tightly with foil.  Bake until the thickest part of the breast registers 145 to 150 degrees on an instant read thermometer – around 30-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts.

Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and pat dry.  Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until smoking.  While the pan is heating, whisk the butter, flour, cornstarch, and pepper together in a small bowl.  Lightly brush the top side of the breasts with half the butter mixture.  Place the chicken in the skillet (butter side down) and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes.  While the chicken browns, brush the chicken with the remaining butter mixture.  Using tongs, flip the chicken, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the second side is browned and the thickest part of the breast registers 160-165.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and let rest while making the pan sauce.  If you are not making a sauce, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes anyway before serving.

Add shallot to the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened about 3-4 minutes.  Add flour and stir constantly – around 30 seconds.  Add broth and increase heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Simmer rapidly until reduced to about 3/4 of a cup, 3-5 minutes.  Stir in any accumulated juices from the plate holding the chicken, and return to simmer and cook 30 seconds more.  Turn off the heat, and whisk in the lemon juice, chives and butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon over chicken and serve immediately.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Pan Seared Chicken Breasts

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Chicken Noodle Casserole with Leeks and Fresh Dill

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

When I was first married my husband and I worked all the time.  We didn’t have kids, and we were both very much into our careers (still are, but kids make us come home at a decent hour…).  One of my favorite things to do on the weekends was to cook – and make us meals for the week.  This way when we came home, we would have a delicious healthy meal – and all we had to do was put it into the oven.  I came up with a few casseroles that I made a lot – one of them was a mexican casserole, and one was a chicken noodle casserole.  We loved both of them – but especially the chicken noodle one.  I would make it differently each time, depending on what I had in the house to use up.  I never needed a recipe, and it always tasted great.

I was reading my Bon Appetit and they had a whole section dedicated to re-done casseroles – and they had a Tuna Noodle Casserole with Leeks and Fresh Dill.  I read the recipe, and it sounded excellent – the potato chips on the top were what sold me.  But because I am an anti-fishitarian (more on that in another post), I substituted chicken for the tuna, and it was fabulous.  My older daughter loved it – and so did my husband.  It definitely reminded me of those good old chicken noodle casseroles that I used to make…but maybe even a little better.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; from about 2 large)
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 8 ounces wide egg noodles
  • 1/2 cup coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 cups of cooked chicken – either shredded or cubed
  • 2 cups coarsely crushed salted potato chips (about 2 ounces)

Preparation

Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt unsalted butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and celery seeds to saucepan; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt. Cover saucepan and cook until leeks are tender but not brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually add milk and half and half; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Season leek sauce to taste with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat.

Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles, reserving 3/4 cup noodle cooking liquid. Transfer noodles to large bowl. Pour leek sauce over noodles. Add grated Gruyère cheese and dill and stir to blend; add reserved noodle cooking liquid by tablespoons until mixture is moist and creamy (about 8 tablespoons). Fold in chicken. Transfer to prepared baking dish. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover with foil and keep refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake noodle casserole, covered with foil, until heated through, about 20 minutes if freshly made or 30 minutes if chilled. Remove foil. Sprinkle crushed potato chips over and continue to bake, uncovered, until top is golden brown and filling bubbles, about 10 minutes longer. Serve hot.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Chicken Noodle Casserole with Leeks and Fresh Dill

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Chicken Cutlets with Asparagus, Capers, and Shallots

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

Broiling chicken is not something I do very often, if at all.  For some reason I have always thought that broiling chicken would burn it on the outside, and leave it raw on the inside.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and what appealing most to me was the fact that everything went into the oven on the same baking sheet.  This seemed too simple not to try.  Plus – it just happened to have two of my favorite items cooking along side of the chicken:  asparagus and shallots.  The combination sounded divine. 

Broiling the chicken worked like a charm – the chicken was so thin, that it was so nice and tender on the inside, yet nicely browned on the outside.  The crushed fennel rub on the chicken was incredible – and it went perfectly with the shallots and asparagus.  My girls just ate the chicken, but that left more asparagus and shallots for my husband and I – and there were no leftovers.

It’s funny now to think about all the different ways to cook chicken – I think I have now covered them all.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 teaspoons drained capers
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground in spice mill or in mortar with pestle
  • 1 pound medium asparagus spears, trimmed
  • 2 cups sliced shallots (about 12 ounces)
  • 1 1/4 pounds 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick chicken cutlets (about 8 )

Preparation

Whisk lemon juice and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in drained capers and chopped tarragon. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Place remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl. Stir in ground fennel seeds. Add asparagus spears to bowl and toss to coat lightly. Arrange asparagus in single layer at 1 short end of large rimmed baking sheet. Add shallots to same bowl; toss to coat with oil mixture. Arrange in center of same rimmed baking sheet. Add chicken to same bowl; toss to coat. Using tongs, transfer chicken to same rimmed baking sheet, arranging in single layer at opposite end of sheet. Sprinkle vegetables and chicken with salt and pepper.

Broil chicken and vegetables 4 minutes. Turn chicken cutlets and asparagus spears over; toss shallots. Broil until chicken is cooked through and asparagus and shallots are brown in spots, watching carefully to avoid burning, about 4 minutes. Divide chicken cutlets among plates; top with shallots. Arrange asparagus spears alongside. Drizzle mustard dressing over chicken and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Chicken Cutlets with Asparagus

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Eggs in Purgatory with Artichoke Hearts, Potatoes, and Capers

Published on by DawnLeave a comment

Do you ever make something just because the picture is beautiful?  I saw this picture in Bon Appetit, and went nuts.  It was so beautiful, I just had to make it – it really didn’t matter at all what the ingredients were, or if it sounded delicious to me – I just had to see if I could recreate the scene.  I remember when most of my cookbooks contained very few, or no pictures at all.  You had to imagine what the dish would actually look like – sometimes I was right, and sometimes I was completely wrong.  It was kind of fun actually – but I have to say, when cookbooks started printing lots of pictures, I was hooked.  I would spend hours in the bookstore flipping through the pictures, looking at all of the beautiful food.  Now that we have the internet, I don’t have to even leave my house – and I am inundated with so many beautiful things to make. 

This dish was tasty, but it definitely looked better than it tasted.  Don’t get me wrong, there was hardly any leftovers – and there were only 4 of us eating – but I wouldn’t say it was one of my most favorite dishes.  It was a good meal – that looked spectacular – and pretty easy to make.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • 1 8- to 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
  • 8 ounces red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped thyme, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt and sauté until onion is tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add artichokes and minced garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in small saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Add potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Tomato-artichoke sauce can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour tomato-artichoke sauce into 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Using back of spoon, make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. Crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce (some of eggs may run together slightly in spots). Bake until egg whites and yolks are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes. Carefully remove baking dish from oven; sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Eggs in Purgatory with Artichoke Hearts

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Beef and Guinness Stew

Published on by Dawn2 Comments

 

Stew time is almost over, so I figured I had to get one last one in before spring hit.  This stew seemed to be calling me – I had all the ingredients already in the house, so I really had no excuse – and what a better way to use up some parsnips and turnips.  Guinness has such a distinct flavor – it is the only beer that I would describe as creamy – yet at the same time that deep nutty flavor takes over in your mouth.  I was always told that Guinness tastes different if you have it in Ireland  – and that is so true.  I am not a beer drinker – but get me in a pub in Ireland, and I will drink a few of these.  The first time I had a Guinness I was in high school (yes, I know…) travelling in Ireland with a string group I played with.  One night after a concert we all went to a pub – and almost everyone ordered a Guinness – I couldn’t believe how delicious it was – it went down so easily, and the rich foam reminded me of drinking a milkshake.  I remember my first Guinness back in the states after having one in Ireland – and it was horrible in comparison.  Nothing beats a freshly poured Guinness right from the tap in Ireland.  That is for sure.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I knew it would be good.  Even after it had been cooking for hours, you could still taste that nutty, dark flavor coming through.  The combination with the sweet parsnips was warm and comforting. 

It is only fitting that my last stew of the season used a Guinness beer – it is hard to believe it was 23 years ago (almost exactly) that I tasted my first Guinness in Ireland.  What a nice way to celebrate a wonderful memory.

Ingredients

  • 2  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
  • 1  tablespoon  butter, divided
  • 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
  • 2  pounds  boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1  teaspoon  salt, divided
  • 5  cups  chopped onion (about 3 onions)
  • 1  tablespoon  tomato paste
  • 4  cups  fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
  • 1  (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught
  • 1  tablespoon  raisins
  • 1  teaspoon  caraway seeds
  • 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
  • 1 1/2  cups  (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)
  • 1 1/2  cups  (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)
  • 1  cup  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)
  • 2  tablespoons  finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and beef.

Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

For a printer friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Beef and Guinness Stew

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Fennel, Sausage, Spinach and Sweet Onion Pizza

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

What is it about pizza that kids just love?  I can’t get my kids to eat a tomato to save their life, and pasta with tomato sauce is really unheard of – but for some reason when you spread sauce all over some bread and top it with cheese, it is a kid’s dream.  I decided to do a little experiment.  How about make a healthy pizza (well, healthy is a relative word here…) and see if the kids still love it – using ingredients that they would never eat alone even if I paid them.  So, I saw a recipe in Cooking Light for Fennel, Sausage and Sweet Onion Pizza, and I thought I could do one better – saute the spinach I have in the refrigerator with that, and top it with cheese.  I used sun-dried tomato, basil, chicken sausage and the topping tasted fabulous – I knew it was going to be good with that melted gouda on top.  When it came out of the oven, my older daughter mentioned how good it smelled (1 point for the pizza) – she tried the pizza, and really liked it (10 points!)!  My younger daughter, not so much.  She didn’t fall for it at all – that spinach was not fooling her, nor were the onions or fennel.  Oh well, at least one of them liked it.  My husband and I, we thought it was an amazing combination – it was a complete winner in our book, and I will definitely be making it again – maybe in another year when my younger daughter has forgotten and I can try the experiment one more time.

Ingredients

  • 3  ounces  chicken sausage, chopped (I used one link of sun-dried tomato basil chicken sausage from Whole Foods)
  • 2  teaspoons  olive oil
  • 1 1/2  cups  vertically sliced Walla Walla Sweet or other sweet onion
  • 1  cup  thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 small bulb)
  • 5 oz fresh baby spinach (or frozen if fresh is not available)
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  package of pizza dough (found at Trader Joe’s) or 1 pre-made pizza crust
  • 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded Gouda cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.

Add oil to pan. Add onion, fennel, and salt; cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Add spinach and sauté until wilted.

Place pizza crust on a baking sheet or pizza stone.  I like to put my pizza stone in the oven while it is pre-heating – it gives it just a little bit more of a crispy bottom.  Top evenly with onion mixture, top with sausage then sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 12-15 minutes or until cheese melts and the crust is nicely browned. Cut pizza into 8 wedges.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Fennel Spinach Sausage Onion Pizza

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Ham, Artichoke, and Potato Gratin

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

I remember my first artichoke when I was probably a teenager – I was more intrigued by the different steps involved in eating it, than I was the flavor.  All I could taste was the lemon butter sauce I kept dipping the tough outer leaves into,  just to scrape the meat out with my top teeth.  I liked the taste of the artichoke, but without the lemon butter sauce, I was not really interested.  I loved when all the leaves were gone, and you were left scraping out the hairy center to expose the wonderful heart.  I would cut it up into triangles, and dunk each piece into the lemon butter sauce to fully enjoy it.

When I graduated from college, I couldn’t wait until spring because that’s when the artichokes would show up in the markets.  I would eat two for dinner, with some crusty bread – and be completely satisfied.  The older I got, the less I needed the lemon butter sauce.  Now I just love eating artichokes plain – the subtle nutty flavor and the creaminess of the meat is just so inviting to me, it is all that I need.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and the sheer fact that it said Artichoke in the title made it a winner in my mind.  I decided to use artichoke bottoms and cut them into quarters instead of the hearts the recipe called for – and they were delicious.  It was such a perfect combination – the salty ham with the potatoes and the cheese (magnificent!) and then every once in a while you get a wonderful bite of artichoke with its subtle yet sophisticated flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 4 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 4 large)
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (1/8 to 1/4 inch thick)
  • 1 1/2 pounds 1/8-inch-thick ham slices
  • 2 8-ounce boxes frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, halved lengthwise
  • 2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated Comté cheese (about 10 ounces)
  • 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside.

Cover bottom of baking dish with 1/3 of potato slices, overlapping as needed. Layer 1/3 of ham over. Scatter 1/3 of leeks over, then 1/3 of artichoke hearts. Measure 3/4 cup cheese; set aside. Sprinkle half of remaining cheese over. Repeat layering 1 time with potato slices, ham, leeks, artichokes, and cheese. Cover with remaining potato slices, ham, leeks, and artichoke hearts.

Whisk broth and next 4 ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat until flour dissolves. Bring mixture to boil; cook until smooth and thickened, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Pour over gratin. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese over. Cover gratin with foil, tenting in center to prevent cheese from sticking. Bake gratin 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until potatoes are soft, topping is browned, and juices are bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Ham, Artichoke and Potato Gratin

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Beef Rendang

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

In my opinion, slow cooking beef is the only way to go.  You can actually buy a very inexpensive cut of beef, cook it at a low heat for a long time – and out comes a tender piece of goodness.  I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and I was drooling just reading all the ingredients.  I happen to love Malay curry – and I could already taste the combination of the shallots, coconut milk, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon.  When I went to the store to get the beef, I passed over the already cubed stew meat and decided to go for the boneless chuck roast like the recipe called for.  The chuck roast had a nice marbling of fat through the meat – and I knew it would make the beef just melt in your mouth.  I was right – this dish was amazing.  The flavors were incredible.  My sauce was not as thick as the recipe read, but it didn’t matter – once the sauce hit the rice, it was a perfect consistency.  If you like Malay curry, you have got to try this dish – don’t wait.  If chidren are going to be eating this – I would omit the serrano chiles…the chili garlic sauce will give it a nice mild spice that children can handle.

Ingredients

  • 1/2  cup  chopped shallots
  • 1/3  cup  thinly sliced peeled ginger
  • 1 1/2  tablespoons  minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
  • 2  tablespoons  chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground turmeric
  • 1 1/4  teaspoons  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
  • 6  whole cloves
  • 1  to 2 serrano chiles, chopped
  • 1  (14-ounce) can light coconut milk, divided
  • 2/3  cup  flaked unsweetened coconut, toasted
  • 1  teaspoon  grated lime rind
  • 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
  • 2  teaspoons  sugar
  • 2  (3-inch) fresh lemongrass stalks, crushed
  • 2  pounds  boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 4  cups  hot cooked basmati rice

Preparation

Place first 9 ingredients in a food processor or mini chopper. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk; process until smooth. Spoon mixture into a bowl; set aside.

Place 3 tablespoons coconut milk and flaked coconut in food processor; process until a smooth paste forms.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot mixture; cook 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining coconut milk, rind, and next 5 ingredients (through broth); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Discard lemongrass. Stir in flaked coconut mixture; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve over rice.  Serves 6.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Beef Rendang

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Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Published on by Dawn150 Comments

 

I hope that this is the first of many Mac-n-Cheese recipes on this blog.  I have certainly made my share over the years.  I am always looking for new unique Mac-n-Cheese recipes though – ones that are not just noodles and cheddar cheese.  I remember about a year ago I made a recipe for 4 kids that had 4 different types of cheese and bacon – and one of the kids (not one of mine) told me that it was the best Mac-n-Cheese he had ever had.  Now, I guess I can’t take that as a complete compliment, since my competition was probably just Annie’s – but still, it felt good. 

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and because I am not a fan of ranch dressing, it didn’t hit me as something I really longed to make.  My older daughter though likes to read over my shoulder – and there was another recipe right next to it that I was enthralled in…so she asked me when I was going to make the Mac-n-Cheese.  I had her look at the ingredients – and even though she is also not a huge ranch dressing fan, she wanted to try it.  I really think the bacon was clouding her judgement.  I can’t say this was my favorite recipe – but if you are looking for a different kind of Mac-n-Cheese – and you DO love ranch dressing – this is the ideal recipe for you.

Ingredients

  • 8  ounces  uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 1  slice applewood-smoked bacon
  • 8  ounces  skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1  tablespoon  butter
  • 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2  cups  fat-free milk
  • 1/3  cup  condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
  • 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend (such as Sargento)
  • 1/2  teaspoon  onion powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon  garlic powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh dill
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded colby-Jack cheese

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

Preheat broiler.

Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here:  Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

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Roasted Pork with Hoisin Shallots

Published on by Dawn5 Comments

I remember the first pork tenderloin I ever made – it was with a mustard cream sauce.  The pork came out of the oven, I let it rest (like the recipe said), and I thinly sliced it. I served it with the mustard sauce drizzled on top – and it was fantastic.  I felt like a gourmet cook – the plate looked professional.  I just couldn’t believe how easy it was to make such a delicious and wonderful meal.  From then on, pork tenderloin was my stand-by whenever I wanted to impress someone.  These days, I am usually just looking for something I can cook quickly after working all day – that tastes like I have been cooking for hours.  Pork tenderloin does it every time.  I found this recipe in Bon Appetit, but it wasn’t a recipe for pork – it was actually for steak.  I looked at the ingredients though, and I thought it would be a perfect marinade for pork – and I was right.  It was super easy, and the hoisin shallots were delicate yet flavorful.  As you can see, I served it with rice and broccoli, and it was a big hit – the four of us devoured this – fortunately I had dessert all ready.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound

Preparation

Combine all the ingredients in a shallow dish and marinate the pork for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Transfer the pork to a shallow roasting dish and roast in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until an internal temperature registers 170 degrees.  While the pork is cooking, transfer the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, adding additional chicken broth if it gets to thick.  It is done when the shallot are nice and soft.

Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly – serve with rice.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here:  Roasted Pork with Hoisin Shallots

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