Indian Spiced Chicken and Curried Quinoa with Chickpeas

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My love for Indian spices is pretty well known; I have invested in quite a few "staples" in the Indian food cuisine, including some I picked up at an Indian market in NYC a few weeks ago, so whenever I find a recipe that uses any of them I have to give it a try.

This entire meal comes from Erin's Food Files. The chicken is originally from Cook.com and the quinoa is actually a Weight Watchers recipe! All in all, it's a pretty healthy and easy meal to make and is VERY flavorful and delicious. We loved it!

Indian Spiced Chicken
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
4 lemon wedges

In small bowl, stir together oil and garlic. Stir in water, paprika, ginger, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric and cayenne pepper.

Spoon 1 tbsp into another small bowl; stir in lemon juice and set aside. Arrange chicken in single layer in shallow glass dish; brush with remaining spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate chicken for at least 1 hour.

Place chicken on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and cook for 5 minutes.

Turn and brush with reserved lemon mixture. Close lid and cook, turning often, until chicken is no longer pink inside and juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Curried Quinoa with Chickpeas
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup cooked frozen peas and carrots, thawed
5 oz canned chickpeas, (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted (we left out)
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup golden seedless raisins
2 medium scallions, chopped (we left out)
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 tsp orange zest, grated

Combine the quinoa, orange juice, water, curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the cumin, and allspice in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 12–15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and peas and carrots; cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and almonds; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat, then stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper.

Transfer the quinoa mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the raisins, scallions, cilantro, and orange zest; toss well. Stir in the chickpea mixture and serve at once or let the mixture cool to room temperature before serving. Yields 1 1/3 cup per serving.

Crispy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

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I have a deep love for Asian food - especially the fried type - so I was drawn to this recipe immediately when I came across it on Stephanie Cooks. There are heathier ways to make it but if you're in the mood for a crunchy, breaded chicken dish, this is easy and tasty.

The sauce was easily thrown together with ingredients I had on hand - you can tweak it depending upon what's in your fridge. Stir fry is always an easy, quick way to use up things you have on hand and a great meal for weeknights!

Jason is really not big on veggies - especially cooked broccoli, snow peas, and carrots - so I figured I'd eat that all on my own. Instead, the broccoli soaked up all that delicious sauce and was by far my favorite part of the meal. I'm a huge carnivore and I found myself wishing for just a bowl of the broccoli. Even Jason ate it!

When I make this again, I'll double the sauce recipe. The sauce as written was plenty to coat the vegetables and chicken but not enough to drizzle over the rice.

Crispy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
2-3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts halves, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup cornstarch
1-2 egg, beaten
Oil (vegetable or canola)
1/3 cup cashews
2 cups fresh or frozen stir fried Asian veggie mix
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp teriyaki or Hoisin sauce

Pour the cornstarch over the diced chicken and toss until evenly coated.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet with a thin layer of oil that just covers the bottom of the pan.

Once the oil is hot, work in batches dipping each piece of chicken in the beaten egg and frying on all sides until cooked through and browned. Remove from the pan.

Add the cashews and veggies to the pan. Stir until heated though.

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Stir well. Pour over the veggies and cashews, stirring well.

Return the chicken to the pan, stirring until all chicken is coated in sauce.

Serve with rice, if desired.

M&M Sugar Cookie Bars

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In some ways, cookie bars are easier than traditional cookies to make. You don't have to make sheet after sheet of them, pull them off to cook on wire racks, or shape each one. You just throw the batter in a baking pan and let it bake. My kind of baking!

I came across these on Stephanie Cooks and they looked fun, easy, and used ingredients I always have on hand. The batter itself took less than 10 minutes to throw together - just as long as a box mix would take. She says to mix the dry and wet ingredients together and pour into the pan - my batter was quite thick, not liquidy, so I actually used my hands to just mix the ingredients together and pressed it into the pan. I was worried something was wrong but they turned out perfect!

They are buttery and sweet, just like a sugar cookie, with the crunch and color of an M&M. An easy, throw together treat.

This recipe is enough for an 8x8 pan, not a 9x13, but you could easily double the recipe and just watch the baking time.

M&M Sugar Cookie Bars

1 stick butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
M&Ms

Preheat the oven to 350.

Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Once it's slightly cooled (about 3 minutes) beat in the egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Stir this into the wet mixture.

Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish (or similar size). Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Pull out of the oven and top with M&Ms, gently pressing them into the dough.

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the top is set and the cookies don't wiggle when you shake the pan. They should still be white with barely golden edges.

Cool completely in the pan before slicing. Yields 9 cookie bars.

Avocado Enchiladas

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It's hard to take a picture of enchiladas, especially since they often fall apart as you're lifting them out of the pan. So, instead, you get a picture of the final dish smothered in cheesy goodness.

When I came across this recipe on Apple a Day, I knew I had to make it. This recipe is completely out of the norm for me. For one, avocados are pricey - and so is cheese - so the dish cost a lot more than I would normally spend. And, it's a time consuming recipe. But, a really good dish is often worth the cost and effort and this was, actually, really good.

This is the filling. How can this not be good?

Jason was drooling as I was cooking; it had all his favorite ingredients! Beer, avocados, cilantro, and a full pound of cheese. He was even able to overlook the lack of meat - which says a lot.

Like I mentioned above, this does take some time to make so it'd be a great weekend recipe. The blogger recommends to make the sauce ahead of time, to let the flavors meld together, so I made the sauce the night before and just kept it in the fridge. Since you dip each tortilla in the sauce by hand, I was very thankful that my sauce had not just stopped simmering on the stove! This sauce was fairly sweet but good. You could always use your own favorite enchilada sauce instead. It does call for a chipotle pepper but after our experience with the pad thai recipe, I cut it completely. After tasting the sauce, I decided it needed some kick so I added hot sauce to it until it tasted right.

Be sure and take the time to fry each tortilla; it does take time, and another pan, but the tortillas will get mushy in the sauce without it.

This would also be delicious with some tequila lime shrimp mixed into the avocado!

Avocado Enchiladas
For the sauce:
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 TBSP cumin
3 TBSP dried oregano
1 chipotle in adobo, minced (I replaced with hot sauce to taste)
1 can beer (we used the entire bottle)
1 twenty-eight ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 c. vegetable broth (I used chicken)

For the enchiladas:
8 ripe avocados, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely diced (I skipped)
1 c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Juice of two limes
1 tsp. salt
20 corn tortillas
1/3 c. canola oil
1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

Prepare the sauce by heating one tsp. oil in sauce pan. Add onion and saute for five minutes or until soft. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, and chipotle and saute two more minutes. Add beer, tomatoes, and broth. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Can be made two days in advance.

Prepare the filling by tossing together the avocado, cilantro, red onion, lime juice and salt.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In saucepan, heat oil over medium flame for about five minutes. Once oil is hot, fry tortillas one at a time for one minute each side, or until lightly brown and blistered. Remove and blot on brown grocery bag or paper towel.

Spread 1/2 c. red sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.

To assemble enchiladas, dip fried tortillas in pot of remaining red sauce, spoon three heaping tablespoons of avocado filling in each tortilla and sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up and arrange rolled tortillas side by side in casserole dish. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Take foil off and bake for another five minutes.

The Very Versatile Frittata

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As soon as we got back from NYC, I jumped right into a crazy work week and weekend (including an all-nighter that I'm still recovering from!). I made a grocery list days ago but still hadn't gotten to the store. So, last night I dug through the freezer to see what I could make.

A frittata is truly one of the most versatile meals you can make - and SO quick and easy. A piece of cake to throw together.

I used this dish as a guideline but completely switched out the veggie and protein. I used brown sugar ham (frozen, from Easter), chopped broccoli (frozen), and shredded Asiago cheese that I had leftover from another dish. I even found some fresh herbs to throw in! Swap out anything you have on hand and in about 15 minutes, you can have an entire pan of deliciousness ready for dinner.

Frittata
2 tablespoons butter
Box of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed (I used a little less than a full box)
A few handfuls of chopped ham
1 cup Asiago Cheese, shredded
6-7 large eggs
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat broiler. In 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat butter. Put the thawed broccoli in the pan and cook a few minutes. Remove from heat and throw in the ham and cheese.

In medium bowl, beat eggs with sage, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over ham and broccoli mixture. Gently toss together. Return skillet to stove over medium-low heat; cook until frittata edges are set, 3 to 5 minutes. Place frittata under preheated broiler, 5 inches from heat for 3 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove from broiler and let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

The Big Apple (and the food that goes with it!)

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Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I uploaded a post! After Easter, things got crazy around here - and we took a little trip to my favorite city in the world:

Which, as you probably know, is a foodie's dream destination. The amount of restaurants is unimaginable - I loved just peering in windows, glancing over posted menu's, and soaking in all the new concepts in dining that are out there (not to mention the markets! and street vendors! and surplus of Starbucks!)

While there, we explored this amazing Italian spot called Eately. It's massive; at first glance, you think you're entering into a simple storefront espresso bar but then the store continues... and continues... and continues... You see things like this:

And around another corner, see rows of this:

There is also a gelato bar, large cheese selection, wine and cheese dining area, seafood counter, three restaurants, kitchen appliance and cookbook section, fresh produce area, and more. Seriously, I could move in and have all I ever needed for the rest of my life. It was always jam packed with people and there isn't any wonder as to why! If you're in Manhattan, stop by - it's across from Madison Square Park, near the Flatiron Building.

We ate well while there but chose to not do any truly fine dining. I'm a fan of dressing up on vacation but Jason wasn't and quite frankly, hiking in heels through the subway and sidewalks of NY didn't sound all that appealing once we got there.

Five Napkin Burger was a restaurant previously recommended to me and ended up being one of the cheapest meals of the trip! I knew it was a winner when we stepped in at 6pm on a Thursday night and there was already a 20 minute wait and the place was packed with locals. The location we hit was down the street from the theater we were heading to (to see Rock of Ages). Their own brew was especially tasty and we split their 1 pound burger for two - which was massive and came with two sides to split:

No food lovers trip to NYC is complete without a stop by Chelsea Market (which is also where they film Food Network shows!). Through the windows, we saw things like:

And peered into windows where people were hard at work doing things like this:

On Saturday, we took a much needed break from pounding the pavement of the city and went to Long Island for a day of wine tasting. We ate seafood here in the town of Greenport before hitting the tasting rooms:

We had great food experiences: we ate hot dogs in Central Park; had lunch in the cellar of the world's largest store (Macy's); ate on the dock of Chelsea Pier; enjoyed sandwiches at a deli' had fajitas, sangria, and margarita's with old friends; and devoured Indian, Chinese, and Spanish food. And of course, grabbed snacks from street vendors along the way - and lots of iced coffee!

Since this is a food blog, I figured I'd focus on that aspect of your trip but fear not! We did not just eat our way through the city. We saw a TON in our 7 day trip in addition to the things listed above:

Central Park

Rockefeller Center

St. Patrick's Cathedral

The Met (including the AMAZING Alexander McQueen exhibit that recently opened!)

The Statue of Liberty

Ground Zero

Wall Street

Chinatown

Little Italy

Chelsea Pier Sports Complex (ie, driving range for Jason)

The High Line Park

SoHo

Greenwich Village

Times Square

NBC Studio Tour (saw several SNL actors on the set)

Top of the Rock

Empire State Building

Rock of Ages, on Broadway

But most importantly, we spent time with our friends who live in Queens (Matt and Julie), had dinner with a friend from high school/college (Jeremiah), met a distant cousin (Micah), and spent lots of time with my Uncle George.

Now that we're home to stay for awhile, I have some new recipes I'm dying to try! 

Gratin Dauphinoise

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The picture, taken after lunch because I forgot to snap one before, makes this look almost like a hashbrown casserole - that's just the grated cheese on top that melted funny. It's actually sliced potatoes in herbed heavy cream topped with grated gruyere. And it's delicious.

Everytime we have a "holiday" meal, like Easter lunch which I made this for, I debate what kind of starch to make. Because I love them all. Elly Says Opa had this gratin dish on her blog that sounded delicious and different than the normal heavyonthecheese scalloped potatoes I have made in the past. Plus it has gruyere in it - and who doesn't love gruyere? I adapted it some to use items I already had on hand.

The only issue I had was that some of the potatoes that were stacked right on top of each other didn't cook as evenly as the other parts, which meant a few crunchier pieces among the delicious soft ones. Next time, I'd make sure they were spread out more and maybe bake it a few more minutes.

Regular gruyere was more expensive than the smoked gruyere so guess which kind I used?

This dish was creamy, rich, and downright sinful. Definitely a once a year splurge! I prepped the entire dish on Saturday night - short of baking it - covered it tightly in foil and put it in the fridge overnight. Then I just let the dish come to room temp when we got in from church and baked it before lunch was served.

Gratin Dauphinoise
makes 8 servings
8 small-medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4″ slices
2 cup heavy cream
10 garlic cloves, slightly crushed, divided
2 sprig thyme
2 sprig of rosemary (I used minced rosemary, which I left in the dish when it baked)
2 sprig of parsley
salt and pepper
freshly ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. butter
4 oz. grated gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 350

Place the potatoes in a pot and add the cream, 8 of the garlic cloves, and herbs. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and discard the garlic and herbs.

Use the two remaining cloves of garlic to rub around the inside of a 9x13 casserole dish, then butter the gratin dish so it's evenly coated. Pour the potatoes and cream into the baking dish and top with the grated cheese. Cook for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are brown and bubbling. Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

Baby Greens with Beets, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese

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For years, I wasn't able to eat salads of any sort due to my Crohns disease. After my resection last year, things like fresh vegetables, salads, fruit, etc were all of a sudden available to me again but we still haven't gotten into the habit of buying/eating green salads at home. So, when I was working on my Easter menu I decided to have a salad course just because I could!

This salad was from the April 2011 Cooking Light magazine. I've never prepared beets at home so it sounded like a fun challenge to prepare them. And, I have a deep love for goat cheese...

Since I fried up bacon for the eggs, I decided to go ahead and throw about 4 slices, crumbled, into the salad and am glad I did. I'm sure Cooking Light left it out due to the nutritional content but the salad really shined with the addition of the salty bits of bacon. The perfect bite was a little bacon, bite of beet, and a crumble of goat cheese. In the obnoxious words of Rachael Ray - yummo!

Since not everyone enjoys beets, I served them on the side.

Note: You can roast the beets up to two days in advance. I roasted them Saturday night, once they cooled I put them in the fridge overnight and peeled/sliced them Sunday afternoon before lunch.

Baby Greens with Beets, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese
Plenty for 5 first-course servings

3 medium beets (I ended up only using 1.5 of them)
1 cup water
4 cups mixed baby salad greens
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon EVOO
Crumbled goat cheese (I used a lot - because I like it)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
4 slices crumbled cooked bacon

Preheat oven to 375.

Leave root and 1 inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets and 1 cup water in a 13x9 baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until tender. Cool; trim off roots and rub off skins. Slice beets into small pieces and allow to cool completely.

Place the greens, bacon, and parsley in a large bowl; toss. Combine vinegar, pinch of salt, and a few cracks of fresh ground pepper and stir with a whisk. Gradually drizzle in oil, stirring constantly with the whisk. Drizzle dressing over the greens mixture and toss gently.

Arrange greens on each plate and top with sliced beets, goat cheese, and nuts.

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs

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Deviled eggs are usually a staple at most Easter meals and ours is no exception. As I've mentioned before, deviled eggs are a must for all of our family functions and are often the first item to be eaten. When my brother came in the door today, the deviled egg platter was the first stop he made (though I think he did say hi on the way there). And, when we set the table, he conveniently put the platter right next to his plate...

I wanted to try something a little different from the norm. Awhile back, I tried BBQ Bacon Ranch Deviled Eggs which were tasty. This time, I still had to go with the bacon (it's REALLY good in a deviled egg!) but went with the balsamic vinegar twist.

We all gave these eggs two thumbs up. They were smoky, thanks to the bacon, but tangy and sweet as well. The vinegar dressed the eggs up a bit. So, instead of the typical mayo/mustard/relish type that are often found at family occasions, try this one!

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs
adapted from AllRecipes.com

12 eggs
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Place the eggs in a large pot in a single layer and fill with water to cover by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil; immediately remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Drain. Cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and halve lengthwise. Separate the yolks from the whites, placing the yolks in a ziptop sandwich bag. Arrange the egg whites on a serving platter.

Add the bacon, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, celery salt, and pepper to the ziptop bag of egg yolk; zip the top and squish until it's all well combined. Cut the corner off and squeeze the mixture into the egg whites. Garnish with parsley.

Herb and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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When I make my menu/grocery list, it's my goal to buy as few ingredients as possible (ie, choose several dishes that use the same ingredients so as to not waste any) and use items that are in the freezer before they go bad. This was the perfect dish to meet that criteria - I had frozen chicken, frozen goat cheese, and was planning to already buy parsley and mint for other recipes. I didn't have to buy a single "new" ingredient for it.

This is a basic stuffed chicken recipe, similar to our favorite spinach and smoked gouda chicken. The goat cheese gives a strong flavor and tang to the dish while the mint offers a sweetness. It's a great combo. The panko adds a bit of crunch to the creamy texture of the cheese and it all works really well together. It's also a easy, fast meal perfect for a weeknight that would work with a multitude of side items.

You do need to enjoy mint and goat cheese to like the dish. That probably goes without saying but after watching Jason deconstruct his chicken by scraping the entire filling out and eating the chicken by itself, I figured I'd throw it out there.

Note: I only made two pieces of chicken, because it's what I had, but made all the filling and just split it between the two. Yours won't look as full as mine if you use the suggested 2 tablespoons worth.

Herb and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Source: Cooking Light
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (4-ounce) package goat cheese
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat broiler to high.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket; close opening with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add chicken to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on 1 side or until browned. Arrange chicken on a baking sheet (browned side up); broil for 8 minutes or until done.

Fig-Glazed Burgers with Red Onion Jam

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My rockstar husband earned enough incentive points at work to buy us a new, awesome grill. When it arrived, we were so excited to try it out so I planned a few grill meals this week so we could break it in. Tonight was one of those nights. But sadly, mother nature had other ideas. Grilling in a little rain doesn't bother me much but grilling in golf ball sized hail does so I made these delicious burgers on the stovetop instead. You can actually make a very tasty burger by melting butter in a cast iron skillet and cooking the burgers in that instead.

I found these burgers on Pink Parsley who originally found them in Southern Living magazine. This is probably one of my favorite burger recipes now. I don't usually like onions but the onion jam was so good I could eat it out of the skillet on it's own. The fig added a nice sweet glaze to slightly salty crust on the burger. The recipe calls for Meunster cheese but I topped two of them with smoked gouda, since we loooooove smoked gouda. You could really use any cheese you like.

Fig-Glazed Burgers with Red Onion Jam
makes 4 burgers

Red Onion Jam
4 cups thinly sliced red onions (about 2 medium or 1 large)
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Cheeseburgers
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3 Tbs. fig preserves
4 (1/2-oz) Meunster cheese slices
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

Saute the onions in hot oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet for 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, and thyme, reduce heat to low, and cover and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until onion is very tender. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Prepare grill and heat to medium-high and grease grates with vegetable oil using a paper towel and tongs. Gently stir together all the ingredients for the burgers (through black pepper) and shape into 4 (1/2-inch) patties.

Grill patties 5 minutes on each side. Brush each patty with fig preserves and top with a slice of cheese. Grill an additional 2 minutes, or until beef is cooked and cheese is melted.

Serve on buns with red onion jam.

Pumpkin and Gouda Mac & Cheese

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Yes, I am aware that this is a cold weather dish and since I'm in Texas, obviously it's not cold this time of year. But, I bookmarked it sometime in January when my oven was out of commission and vowed to make it once I had a working one again. So here it is!

I actually don't think mac and cheese and pumpkin have to be cold weather items. Though I'd probably not make hot soup this time of year, mac and cheese is an item I would happily eat year round. And pumpkin, too!

This dish was shared on Cooking Whims and was really delicious. It doesn't have a strong pumpkin flavor so don't hesitate to make it if you aren't a big pumpkin fan. Jason knew there was a flavor in it he wasn't familiar with but had no idea it was pumpkin until I told him. I think it makes the dish really creamy and rich in texture to have the canned pumpkin integrated throughout the cheese. I'm a fan of gouda anyways and it works well with the spinach and pumpkin flavors.

Sausage is already a difficult food for me to handle so I did not slice it, as suggested with the recipe, but instead removed it from the casings and crumbled it as it browned. I also used 3 links instead of 2 and Jason seemed pleased there was meat in every forkful. You could always leave the sausage out if you want it to be a side dish instead of main course.

Pumpkin and Gouda Mac & Cheese
3/4 of a 14.5 oz box of elbow macaroni (about 10 oz)
2 links of sausage (turkey, chicken, meat, or vegetarian) - I used 3 chicken sausage links
1/4 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup milk
6 oz Gouda cheese, grated
1 (5-6 oz) bag baby spinach
Sprinkle of dried mustard
Sprinkle of nutmeg
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping
Panko crumbs for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

Slice, or crumble, and cook the sausage; set aside.

Coat a large saucepan with olive oil or cooking spray. Cook the onions over medium heat until browned and soft (4-5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the pumpkin and the milk and stir to combine. Continue to stir the pumpkin and milk so the mixture thickens. Add the Gouda cheese and stir to melt. Season the sauce with a dash each of mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour the pumpkin sauce overtop. Stir to coat. Stir in sausage. Tear the baby spinach leaves and add to the mixture, stirring to wilt the spinach. Taste the pasta and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and/or pepper if needed. I added a good amount of salt and pepper at this stage.

Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and transfer the mac & cheese to the dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss some Panko breadcrumbs on top. Spritz a few spritzes of cooking spray on the Panko and then pop it in the oven (uncovered) for 20 minutes until the top is browned.

Chicken Enchiladas

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This was my first attempt at making homemade enchilada sauce. Since Jason is a huge fan of Mexican food (aka Tex Mex), we eat it (out) a lot. Living in Texas means lots of great options! Almost  always, we order sour cream chicken enchiladas but still like a basic "red sauce" enchilada on occasion. I've made enchiladas that used the canned version before but now that I've seen how easy homemade sauce is, I won't anymore!

These really were delicious and just like you'd get at a local Mexican restaurant. I actually preferred these because I get a little picky about my chicken when eating out and I knew exactly what kind of chicken was going into these. I found the recipe on Pink Parsley and modified it a little just to fit our tastes. Since the chicken simmers in the sauce, it really absorbs the flavors and ensures that the chicken isn't dry or tasteless.

Don't be scared of the two jalepenos or the chili powder. I am pretty sensitive to spice and I didn't think these were hot at all. If you like a lot of heat, you could leave the seeds in tact. You could use any combination of cheese; I used sharp, since that's what I had on hand. I don't want my tortillas to be crunchy but just in case you prefer them that way, I included the instructions on how to do that.

We spent Sunday evening repairing our fence (the recent winds had blown part of it down) so my plans to cook this dish for dinner were pushed back and we got take out instead. Since I knew I had a late meeting on Monday, I went ahead and prepped this dish late that night so Jason could bake it when he got in from work. I assembled it all and just skipped baking it. I was a little worried about the tortillas being too soggy but they were perfect! So, now I know that this would be a great dish to deliver to a new mom or someone recovering from surgery that could use a hot meal. If you weren't sure when they would be eating it, you could deliver it assembled but not baked and all they would need to do is pop it in the oven. If I delivered it that way, I'd probably go ahead and crisp up the tortillas so it would support the sauce better.

Chicken Enchiladas
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sugar
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
2 cups shredded cheese (any combination of sharp, mild, monterey jack, etc), divided
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

If you want crispy tortillas: Up the temp to 425. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly. Then pull the enchiladas out and continue on.

Pour the sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Shrimp with Feta

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This is another recipe from Annie's Eats. When she posted it a few weeks ago, I knew that now that I had an oven I had to try it!

I think this is a crowd-pleasing great weeknight meal. For one, it's all done in a single skillet (one dish recipes get bonus points from me!). Plus, it's pretty quick and it's low maintenance. But more than that, it's SO tasty. I wanted to just take a spoon to the skillet when it was finished. The tomato sauce has a rich depth to it that works so well with the tangy feta and crunchy bread topping.

You could serve any veggie/starch alongside it; I made browned butter orzo and zucchini/squash (which blew my one dish night but was worth it!). Even just a salad and some bread would be delicious with it!

Roasted Shrimp with Feta
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (just grate them over the skillet - must faster!)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
2 tsp. tomato paste
1½ tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 lb. large shrimp (16-20 per lb.), peeled with tail segments left intact, deveined
5 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Fresh lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet (I used my cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly tender, 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Continue to cook 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half.

Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes.

Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a bowl. Toss well with a fork to blend.

Remove the pan from the heat. Lay the shrimp in a single layer, tails up, on top of the the tomato mixture. Scatter the feta over the top of the shrimp, followed by the bread crumb mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the breadcrumbs are browned. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp. Serve with additional lemon wedges.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Passion Bars

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I was on the hunt for another easy cookie or brownie recipe when I came across these in my Costco cookbook, of all places! The recipe was from Ghirardelli - of course I was too cheap to use a Ghirardelli brownie mix in it!

These brownies, or bars, are really really good. I'm not a huge peanut butter fan but I liked the flavor in this. The can of sweetened condensed milk never hurts! They are very rich and sinfully delicious. And super easy!

Because I didn't use the Ghirardelli brand, I just assumed a brownie mix designed for 9x13 pan would work - and it did.

Why these are called passion bars, I have no idea. Maybe because I was really passionate about eating the whole pan straight out of the oven?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Passion Bars
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 pouch chocolate brownie mix (they suggest Ghirardelli triple chocolate)
1 cup peanuts, chopped
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the oil and eggs. Add the brownie mix and peanuts; stir until moistened. Press half of the brownie mixture into the pan (use your hands - it's way easier); reserve the other half for the topping.

To make the filling, stir the sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread it evenly over the brownie layer in the pan.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the reserved brownie mixture over the peanut butter layer.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is set. Cool thoroughly before cutting.