Tiny Spicy Chicken

One of my friends posted this on her Facebook page, so I thought I'd try it out. Tony and I both liked it alot!

Tiny Spicy Chicken
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes
garlic salt
2 beaten eggs
3/4 to 1 box of cornstarch

Sauce:
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. Sambal Fresh chili paste, depending on how hot you want the chicken (chili paste can be found in the oriental food section of the grocery store)
2 cups sugar
1 cup ketchup
4 tsp. soy sauce
dash of salt
1 cup chicken broth
8 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup white vinegar

Sprinkle the chicken with garlic salt; let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator. After an hour, dip the chicken into the eggs first, then into cornstarch. Brown the chicken in oil until golden brown. Put the chicken into a greased 9x13 pan. Mix sauce ingredients in saucepan and cook until sugars dissolve. Pour over chicken and bake at 325 F for a total of 1 hour, turning chicken every 15 minutes.
Note: When you pour the sauce over the chicken, it will be very liquidy. The sauce will thicken as it cooks, forming a nice coating.

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes

I recently found this simple recipe for using up some of those fresh, summer, from the garden or farmer's market tomatoes that start showing up at this time of year. It suggests using cherry, currant or grape tomatoes; we used sunsweet cherry tomatoes and it was absolutely fabulous. I personally think you could use any kind of tomato that tastes really great, cooking it in the pan will only intensify the flavor. Maybe even cut up a regular tomato into smaller pieces and use that, but probably for less cooking time.

The recipe doesn't make a lot of sauce, and you may be left wondering how in the world this is ever even going to taste good or coat the pieces of spaghetti, but trust me, it does. Somehow the flavor coats each strand of spaghetti, the flavor is just perfect, plus you have pieces of cooked tomatoes and basil mixed in, and you have perfection!

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes-serves 4

Olive oil, enough to swirl and cover the bottom of a large skillet

2 pints of cherry, currant, and/or grape tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (we used garlic powder, not actual garlic--works just as well)

1 pound of spaghetti (we used thin spaghetti)

1/3 C thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (we used 3/4 to 1 C because Derk isn't a huge fan of this kind of cheese, just enough to add some cheesiness and flavor to it, but not overpower it)

Coarsely ground black pepper

-Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

-Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half of tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until tomatoes start to blister and collapse, 3-5 minutes. Add remaining tomatoes and cook, tossing once, for 2-3 minutes more.

-With a wooden spoon, push tomatoes to one side of pan to make room for garlic. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 3-4 minutes, then stir gently to mix garlic and tomatoes together. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and gently pressing tomatoes to release juices, until all tomatoes have collapsed and sauce is juicy and thick, about 4 minutes more. Remove from heat.

-Cook pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, gently reheat sauce. Drain pasta and immediately toss with sauce and basil. Add half of cheese and toss; add remaining cheese and toss again. Season with pepper and serve at once.

Note: I just discovered this trick when cooking pasta. Probably not exactly healthy, but it tastes really great. When directions for cooking pasta say to cook it in salted, boiling water, really give it a good amount of salt, so it's salty water, not just a pinch. You want to taste it! Then when the pasta is cooked, taste a strand of pasta before you mix it with the sauce and you'll see what I mean. It makes a big difference.

Florentine Roll-Ups

OK, so here's a solution for everyone who received WAY too much spinach from the parents over the weekend-use some of it in this yummy recipe!

Florentine Roll-Ups
16 oz. lasagna, uncooked
4 cups (2 lb.) ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
½ cup sliced green onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
3 cups (26 oz. jar) spaghetti sauce, divided
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Lay flat on foil to cool. In large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, Cheddar cheese, spinach, green onion, egg, pepper and salt. Spread about 1/3 cup cheese mixture on each piece of pasta to within 1-inch of end; roll up. In 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish, spread 2/3 cup spaghetti sauce; place roll-ups, seam side down, in dish. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired; cover. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 9 servings (2 roll-ups each).

Bucatini All'Amatriciana with Spicy Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs

This is a recipe I found on one of the many food blogs I often read, and I have to tell you that I'm generally a meatball hater.  I know, we shouldn't be haters, but I usually hate meatballs.  Probably because most of the time to me they just taste like, well, a hamburger or maybe meatloaf. Bleh.  But for some reason this recipe caught my eye and I knew I had to try it, possibly because I knew Derk would probably like it.  So, after a few changes to the recipe I found, we came up with this:

Meatballs:

1/2 an onion, grated

1/2 C chopped fresh parsley

2 oz. (1/2 cup) fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 C bread crumbs (we used panko)

1 1/2 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T ketchup

1 large egg

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

fresh ground black pepper

8 oz. ground sirloin (all we could find was hamburger)

8oz. ground turkey

2 oz. smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 18 cubes

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack set in the lower 1/3 of the oven.

-In a large bowl, stir together onion, parsley, Parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic, ketchup, egg, salt, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, and pepper.  Add in beef and turkey-combine ingredients just until combined, be careful not to overmix.

-Shape the mixture into 18 meatballs (though we wound up with 16) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Make an indent in the center of each meatball and set a cube of mozzarella inside.  Reform the meatball around the mozzarella so it is completely hidden.  Place into the oven and bake until cooked through.  Ours took about 20 to 25 minutes.

Sauce:

1 T olive oil

4 oz. diced pancetta

1/2 an onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

14.5 oz. can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

fresh ground black pepper

salt

2 oz. (1/2 Cup) of fresh grated smoked mozzarella cheese (original recipe said Pecorino Romano, but we didn't want to buy more cheese and already had a bunch of the mozzarella)

16 oz. dry bucatini pasta, or other fun, short pasta shape

-In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium.  Add pancetta-cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and transfer to paper-lined plate.  Stir in the onion, cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes and reserved pancetta, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Simmer over medium-low, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

-While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and place in a large bowl.  Add sauce and meatballs, tossing gently to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Just before serving, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.

--My notes:  OK, I know this recipe seems a little daunting, long and time consuming.  But it didn't take all that much time.  It's not a quick and easy one, true, but the final result and effort will be totally worth it.  Because Derk and I loved this recipe!  And we also liked using the smoked mozzarella in the sauce (instead of Pecorino, which is probably good, too, we just didn't want to spring for more cheese), we felt that it sort of tied everything together and added a really nice flavor.  The original recipe said that it should serve about 6 people, but we found that for us it was probably a little closer to 4 servings, particularly for the sauce, even considering the fact that it's not really a saucy kind of dish.  The meatballs freeze well.  If you like things a bit spicier, you could try adding in a little more red pepper flakes and garlic.  The amounts in this post were decreased by about half from the recipe I found.  Try this one out, it's really quite delicious.

Salmon with Capers

4 6 oz. salmon fillets
2 T olive oil
2 T capers
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 slices of lemon

-Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
-Place salmon in skillet, increase heat to high. Cook 3 minutes. Sprinkle with capers, and salt and pepper. Turn salmon over and cook 5 minutes until browned. Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
-Transfer salmon to plates and garnish with lemon.

--My note: OK, this has got to be one of the fastest dinners of all time. And can I also add easiest? We really enjoyed this dish, but cut it down to just 2 pieces of salmon since there were only 2 of us. It was light, felt healthy, and tasted really quite good. Simple, but good. Sometimes, the simple dishes really shine, and we liked it a lot. We also cooked up some couscous and vegetables to go with it, and were quite happy with the results.

Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Berry Sauce

This was an interesting recipe we found that combines pork chops with a striking sauce of blueberries. Blueberries? Yes, and well you might ask. But it actually works quite well. And when paired with mashed potatoes made of sweet potatoes, it makes for a really attractive dish.

Pork Chops and Berry Sauce - Makes 4 chops and 1 cup of sauce

4 boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, halved crosswise, seasoned with salt and pepper (1 lb.)
1 T shallots, minced
1/4 C dry red wine
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 C beef broth
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges

-Saute pork chops in oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side. Transfer chops to a plate and keep warm; return pan to the burner. Add shallots and saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
-Deglaze with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in blueberries, broth, vinegar, and brown sugar; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until blueberries begin to burst and sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.
-Off heat, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper. To serve, place a mound of sweet potatoes on each plate, spoon some of the sauce over potatoes, then top with pork chops. Garnish if desired with parsley and lemon wedges.

For 4 cups of mashed sweet potatoes:

-Boiled 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled, and diced, until tender. Drain, then mash with a bit of butter (3 T butter) and juice of half a lemon.

--My note: This was a really interesting dish, both flavor-wise and in appearance. Blue, orange, and then the pork chops. We really liked it. And the mashed sweet potatoes were really tasty, and could be something we do more often with other things. The recipe says to cut each chop in half because they thought it looked more interesting, but you can leave them whole if desired. If they are cut in half, serve two halves per person. If you can't find boneless pork chops, just cut out the bone like we did. Also, there is a really great brand of alcohol-free wine out there called Arial. We have found it so far at Emigration Market in Salt Lake, I believe they are an Associated Food Store, but I could be wrong.

Sage-Crusted Pork Tenderloin w/Apple-Thyme Compote

Sage-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Thyme Compote

This time we have pictures! (It appears the above plate was a little over-excited for the apples!) We made this last week and absolutely loved it. The apples are wonderful, the herbs really add a nice flavor, and the pork was really good. I don't especially love bacon or sausage, but pork tenderloin is very good, especially when paired with a really tasty apple compote.

Serves 4

For the pork:

3/4 C fresh bread crumbs (we used panko)

1 T minced fresh sage (or 1 tsp. dried rubbed sage)

salt and pepper to taste

1 pork tenderloin, trimmed, halved crosswise (1 pound)

1 T Dijon mustard

2 T olive oil

For sauce:

1/4 C sliced shallots (about 2)

4 tsp unsalted butter, divided

1 tsp olive oil

1 C sweet-tart apple (such as Braeburn), cored, thinly sliced

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)

1/4 C brandy or dry white wine

1/4 C thawed apple juice concentrate

1/4 C low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp flour

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

-Combine bread crumbs, sage, salt, and pepper together on a baking sheet. Brush pork pieces with Dijon and roll in crumbs to coat, pressing them to adhere. Transfer to a rack and let stand 15 minutes.

-Heat 2 T oil in large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high. (We cooked in regular skillet, then transferred to a baking dish afterwards.) Add pork and saute on 1 side until crumbs are brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces over, transfer pan to the oven, and roast until pork reaches 150-155 degrees, about 15-20 minutes. (Ours wasn't quite done, so we cooked it a little longer, maybe 10-15 minutes, so check it first.) Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing into medallions.

-Saute shallots for the sauce in 3 tsp butter and 1 tsp oil in a second nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add apple and thyme, and saute 3 minutes. Deglaze with brandy/wine, simmer until nearly evaporated, then stir in juice concentrate and broth.

-Blend remaining 1 tsp butter and flour together in a dish, whisk into boiling sauce, and simmer until thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Boil in Bag Omelets

OK, so this is not a very sophisticated recipe, but it is low fat and super easy and kinda fun! My mom's friend taught her how to do these and this is one of my go-to meals when we are in a hurry. Enjoy!

For each omelet:

2 eggs, whisked together
Pour into a quart freezer bag then add any of the following:

ham, diced
grated cheese (you pick your favorite)
green onions, chopped (this gives the omelet a nice flavor)
frozen hash browns
mushrooms, sliced

Squeeze air out of bag and seal tightly. Place bag in LARGE pot of boiling water. After water returns to boiling, cook for 13 minutes. Open bag, pour omelet onto plate and serve!

I usually write the kids names on the front of the bag with a Sharpie so that we know who's is who's. (since they like different things in their omelets)

Homemade Mac and Cheese

OK - Kristin called me last night and begged me to post my version of Homemade Mac and Cheese. I hope I can figure out a way to write it down! It's one of those that has just kind of evolved over time and experiment. Jeff won't eat it - so it's mostly a "kids and me" meal when he's flying. He doesn't know what he's missing! :)

1/2 to 1 pound of pasta - I usually use penne or the corkscrew curly kind (I know I'm so technical!)
1/4 cup butter (you can substitute margarine, but butter tastes better)
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1 to 2 cups of milk
1 to 1 & 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Boil pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in medium saucepan. Once completely melted, add flour (with salt and pepper added) all at once, stirring well. It will combine into almost a paste. Slowly add milk, whisking to incorporate. I usually add about one cup, let it get thick, and then add more depending on how much pasta I've used. Cook the sauce over medium high heat until thickened, being careful to whisk continually. Add shredded cheese and whisk in until completely melted, reserving some to sprinkle on top.
Drain pasta when fully cooked. Put pasta in large (about 2 quart) casserole dish and pour cheese sauce over the top. Mix in well. Sprinkle with reserved shredded cheese. My kids like to eat it like this - it's toasty enough to melt the cheese on top and very creamy, but my mom always cooked it in a 425 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes for a final step. It turns out a little more "solid" that way. Feel free to experiment with different kinds of cheddar - my kids like mild, but I've really enjoyed sharp and medium for a bit of "bite" to it.

California Chicken Casserole

This is one of my favorite things my mom makes - it's pretty easy if you use the canned chicken (and just as good)!

California Chicken Casserole

1 whole chicken, cooked & cut up or 2 10 oz cans of chicken
1 12 oz package of egg noodles, cooked
6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 small can button mushrooms
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
Parsley flakes

In a 9x13 inch pan or two smaller pans, layer noodles, then chicken, then eggs, then cheese, then mushrooms. Blend milk and soup and pour over all. On top, put remaining cheese and sprinkle with parsley flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Makes a HUGE casserole or two medium-sized ones. Make only half the recipe for one casserole.

This is definition of "comfort food"!!!

Chicken Saltimbocca (no, not THAT Saltimbocca)

Hi, Derk here--posting the Chicken Saltimbocca recipe Christine found. We're all sad that the "real" Saltimbocca closed, and are busy trying to find the recipe for their amazing chocolate pudding. In the meantime, here's some good chicken to make and eat.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

4-8 thin, boneless chicken breast cutlets (we only made four, but used two boneless chicken breasts and cut them in half (I'd say "lengthwise," but that's too imprecise--take your chef's or santoku knife and cut the breast in half with your knife parallel to the cutting board. You're trying to make the breast thinner, not skinnier.)

1 Tbsp minced fresh sage leaves, plus one large fresh sage leaf per cutlet

4-8 thin slices prosciutto (again, as many slices as you have cutlets)

4 Tbsps olive oil

1/4 cup dry vermouth or white wine (we use "Ariel," a wine that's been de-alcohol-ed--we buy it at Emigration Market)

2 tsps lemon juice

4 Tbsps unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled

1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves (we used dry parsley flakes and it seemed okay)

Table salt

Fresh ground pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Combine flour and 1 tsp pepper in shallow dish or paper plate.

2. After cutting breasts into cutlets, pat cutlets dry with a paper towel. Dredge chicken in flour. Lay cutlets flat and sprinkle evenly with minced sage. Place one slice prosciutto on top of each cutlet, pressing lightly to adhere. Set aside.

3. Heat 2 Tbsps of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. If using whole sage leaves, add these to the oil and cook until the leaves begin to change color and are fragrant, about 15-20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sage to a paper towel-covered plate, set aside. Add cutlets to pan (as many as will fit--four at a time is usually okay), prosciutto side down, and cook until light golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until light golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack on a baking sheet (or a roasting pan, as we did), and keep warm in oven. If you have more cutlets, add the rest of the oil and repeat this step with the remaining cutlets. Place remaining cutlets in oven and prepare sauce.

4. Deglaze pan with vermouth or wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in butter one piece at a time. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. At this point, I wasn't sure if the chicken was completely done, so I returned it to the pan, turned the heat back to medium, and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Plate chicken, place one cooked sage leaf on top of each cutlet, and pour a little of the sauce over the cutlet, and serve.

Orange Piccata Chicken

This is a different take on the traditional Chicken Piccata, and is extremely easy and SO tasty. We make it all the time. The recipe is from Cuisine At Home, one of my favorite food magazines. And one tip: good non-alcoholic wines are available at Emigration Market, they're called Arial, and work really well. Their non-alcoholic wines have even won awards. Here's a picture of the chicken the last time we made it:

Makes 4 cutlets, about 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Cut and pound out:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves, (4-6 oz. each)

Dredge; saute in 2 T. olive oil:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Deglaze; reduce:

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Whisk in; add:

4 T cold unsalted butter, cubed

4 thin orange slices, halved

Garnish with:

1/4 cup silvered almonds, toasted (we have these as optional and usually don't use them)

1 T minced fresh parsley (dried is OK too)

Directions:

Cut each breast in half lengthwise. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness. Remove plastic and season with salt and pepper.

Dredge chicken in flour. Saute cutlets in oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and saute for 2 more minutes. Remove cutlets from pan and keep warm.
Deglaze pan with juice, wine and mustard. Simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Whisk in butter until melted. Add orange slices and return cutlets to pan to heat through.

Garnish with almonds and parsley. Yummy!

Corned Beef With Vegetables

This was one of our favorite dishes growing up (and still is) and I was taught how to make it by my Grandma and my Mom. And, if anyone is impressed...I am typing this out straight from my head, no need to look at a recipe! :)

Corned Beef

2-5 lb corned beef round (do not buy a "brisket", buy a round, hopefully from Snider's, which has the best ones! Costco also has them, but they tend to have more fat)
1 head of cabbage, halved and cut into wedges (I usually only use half the cabbage)
small bag of baby carrots (I usually use half the bag)
2-3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Place corned beef round in crock pot and cover with water. Cook for 1 hour on high, then 6-7 hours on low (depending on when you need to eat it!) You can cook it on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours, but I think the way I do it usually makes the corned beef more juicy and tender.

During the last 1/2 hour the corned beef is cooking, place all vegetables in a pot of boiling water and let simmer on medium high for 20-25 minutes. During the last 10-15 minutes the vegetables are cooking, put 1-2 cups of the water the corned beef has been cooking in (this makes them taste AMAZING and is my Grandma's secret!) Take corned beef out of crock-pot, slice and place in the middle of a platter. Drain the vegetables and place around the corned beef, dot with butter and EAT!

Porcini-Crusted Steak

Normally, I'm not a meat kind of gal, but this recipe for Porcini-Crusted Steaks is amazing! (I'm having this tomorrow night!) And if you're afraid of mushrooms, don't be because you won't even notice that that's what they are. Promise. (I made it once when a few people who normally don't like mushrooms ate it and they really liked it.) And, if you don't have an herb or coffee grinder, just come talk to me and we'll arrange to grind some up for you. This recipe is not hard, and really good. It comes from Bon Appetit, May 2007 and 100% of their reviewers from their website would make it again. If that doesn't sell this, I don't know what would! :)

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 small garlic clove, pressed

1 (1/2-ounce) package dried porcini mushrooms*

6 1-inch-thick filet mignon steaks

*Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

PREPARATION

Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl for herb butter. Season butter to taste with salt and pepper. Process dried porcini mushrooms in spice grinder to fine powder. Transfer powder to plate. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Press steaks into porcini powder to coat both sides well. Melt 2 tablespoons herb butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates. Spoon rounded tablespoon of herb butter atop each steak and serve.