Chicken Florentine Pasta
via: The Pioneer Woman
Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 10
1 pound Penne
4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt And Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
3/4 cups Dry White Wine
3/4 cups Low-sodium Broth, More If Needed
1 bag Baby Spinach
2 cups Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
4 ounces, weight Parmesan Cheese, Shaved With Vegetable Peeler
Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.
Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper.
Heat butter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.
Turn heat to medium. Add garlic and quickly stir to avoid burning. After about 30 seconds, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it's reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)
Turn off the heat. Add spinach, tomatoes, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine; the spinach will wilt as you toss everything. Add plenty of Parmesan shavings and toss to combine.
Serve with extra Parmesan shavings.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Dodie's Sweet Potato Casserole & Honey Beans and Spinach Slow Cooker Dinner
Dodie's Sweet Potato Casserole
6-7 large sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced thin (It is best to get two different kinds yams and/or sweet potatoes and alternate layers for a fancy look)
1/2 - one stick of melted butter
1/2-3/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated
1. Peel and slice the jams/sweet potatoes.
2. Pour some of the melted butter into the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan and spread so that it is greased with the melted butter.
3. Cover the bottom with a layer of overlapping potato slices.
4. Brush the layer with melted salted butter, sprinkle cheese across the layer (about 1/4 cup per layer)and sprinkle with just the tiniest bit of nutmeg, along with a few twists of black pepper. Repeat, til you use up all your potatoes! Covered tightly with foil.
5. Put it in a preheated 375 oven for an hour. After an hour (and judge by eye and touch if potatoes have cooked enough), take off the foil and put back in the oven for about another 15 minutes, until the top layer looks melty and a bit browned.
6. Let sit for 10 minutes or so to tighten up and make it easier to cut - and there you have it!
* You can do the same thing with white potatoes, and can fool around with the kind of cheese you have, but I've found that the harder cheeses work best with this - Asiago, Parmeson, Romano - and that cooking this in a heavy baking pan works best too.
-----------------
Honey Beans and Spinach Slow Cooker Dinner
serves 4-6
Dodie's Notes:
I wanted to make a vegetarian dinner that we would all enjoy, and thought about making Honey Lentils, since it's always such a hit, but desperately needed to use up the sweet potatoes and spinach from the produce drawer. The end result was PHENOMENAL (shouting warranted, this time).
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, diced finely
2 medium (or 4 tiny) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup honey
1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach, washed (even if the bag says washed, rinse it off again)
2 tablespoons cream cheese (optional)
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Drain and rinse both cans of beans, and dump them into your crockpot. Add the onion, garlic, and sweet potato. Add dry spices, and stir in honey and lemon juice-- you want the beans and veggies in the pot to be coated with them. Rinse off your spinach, and add it to the pot. You'll need to squish it all in, but I promise it'll fit. Plop a dollop of cream cheese on top. Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3. Stir well before serving over a bed of white or brown basmati rice.
The spinach on top may stick to the edges of the pot and get a bit crispy. This is okay-- just peel them off and stir them in. The bit of cream cheese mixes with the lemon and honey to create a fabulous sauce. If you'd like to keep the dish dairy free, just omit the cream cheese; it's not necessary and won't be missed unless you do a side-by-side comparison, which would be kind of a weird thing to do if you're avoiding dairy.
The Verdict.
I get it that I can't rave about every dish each time I write and have it be believable. BUT I LOVED THIS. Dishes like this make me happy that I've learned how to cook with the slow cooker. I never ever ever would have attempted such a dinner 4 years ago; the ingredient list would have sounded funky.
6-7 large sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced thin (It is best to get two different kinds yams and/or sweet potatoes and alternate layers for a fancy look)
1/2 - one stick of melted butter
1/2-3/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated
1. Peel and slice the jams/sweet potatoes.
2. Pour some of the melted butter into the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan and spread so that it is greased with the melted butter.
3. Cover the bottom with a layer of overlapping potato slices.
4. Brush the layer with melted salted butter, sprinkle cheese across the layer (about 1/4 cup per layer)and sprinkle with just the tiniest bit of nutmeg, along with a few twists of black pepper. Repeat, til you use up all your potatoes! Covered tightly with foil.
5. Put it in a preheated 375 oven for an hour. After an hour (and judge by eye and touch if potatoes have cooked enough), take off the foil and put back in the oven for about another 15 minutes, until the top layer looks melty and a bit browned.
6. Let sit for 10 minutes or so to tighten up and make it easier to cut - and there you have it!
* You can do the same thing with white potatoes, and can fool around with the kind of cheese you have, but I've found that the harder cheeses work best with this - Asiago, Parmeson, Romano - and that cooking this in a heavy baking pan works best too.
-----------------
Honey Beans and Spinach Slow Cooker Dinner
serves 4-6
Dodie's Notes:
I wanted to make a vegetarian dinner that we would all enjoy, and thought about making Honey Lentils, since it's always such a hit, but desperately needed to use up the sweet potatoes and spinach from the produce drawer. The end result was PHENOMENAL (shouting warranted, this time).
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, diced finely
2 medium (or 4 tiny) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup honey
1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach, washed (even if the bag says washed, rinse it off again)
2 tablespoons cream cheese (optional)
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Drain and rinse both cans of beans, and dump them into your crockpot. Add the onion, garlic, and sweet potato. Add dry spices, and stir in honey and lemon juice-- you want the beans and veggies in the pot to be coated with them. Rinse off your spinach, and add it to the pot. You'll need to squish it all in, but I promise it'll fit. Plop a dollop of cream cheese on top. Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3. Stir well before serving over a bed of white or brown basmati rice.
The spinach on top may stick to the edges of the pot and get a bit crispy. This is okay-- just peel them off and stir them in. The bit of cream cheese mixes with the lemon and honey to create a fabulous sauce. If you'd like to keep the dish dairy free, just omit the cream cheese; it's not necessary and won't be missed unless you do a side-by-side comparison, which would be kind of a weird thing to do if you're avoiding dairy.
The Verdict.
I get it that I can't rave about every dish each time I write and have it be believable. BUT I LOVED THIS. Dishes like this make me happy that I've learned how to cook with the slow cooker. I never ever ever would have attempted such a dinner 4 years ago; the ingredient list would have sounded funky.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Paleo Recipes - Tiki Marsala, Curry "Fried Rice" & Asian Salad
Asian Salad
from "What's Cookin' in My Kitchen
3 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodles, crushed
1 cup blanched slivered almonds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 head napa cabbage, shredded
4-5 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Mandarin oranges, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss crushed ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring once, until golden; set aside. In a small saucepan bring the vegetable oil, sugar, and vinegar to a boil for 1 minute. Cool, then stir in soy sauce and sesame oil. In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, green onions and cilantro. Add dressing and toasted ramen, almonds and sesame seeds. Toss well to combine and serve immediately. Garnish with mandarin oranges, if desired.
-------------
Chicken Tiki Marsala (Paleo version)
From:Weightlifting, Cross-Fit, Paleo and Randomness
2 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb Coconut Oil
1.5 lbs Organic Free Range Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size cubes
1 Sweet Onion
2 Tb freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 (14.5 oz) can Organic Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup Coconut Milk (FULL FAT!)
1/2 Tb Arrowroot powder
Sea Salt to taste
Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, onion, and liemon juice; cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink (about 10 minutes). Add all of the spices except red pepper and cook/stir 1 minutes
Stir in tomatoes and mix well. In a small bowl, stir together coconut milk, arrowroot powder, and salt until smooth. Gradually stir coconut milk mixture into skillet. Stir in Red Pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
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Curry "Fried Rice"
From: The Clothes Make the Girl.com
Curry Fried F’rice
Makes 2 servings (approx. 2 blocks C + 4 blocks F)
Ingredients:
2 cups steamed, chopped cauliflower
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds
3-4 scallions, green and white chopped
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground curry powder
salt & pepper
1. Heat nonstick pan to medium-high, spray with Pam spray, and sautee pineapple ’til lightly brown in some spots. Take out of the pan and set aside. Go ahead! Eat one; they’re yummy. But just one.
2. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of the oil in the same pan, then sautee almond slivers ’til lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Same rules re: tasting apply.
3. When you’re ready to eat, heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the same pan. Add cauliflower and stir-fry 2-3 minutes, ’til heated through. Add chopped scallions, curry powder, salt & pepper, pineapple, and almonds. Fry ’til heated through.
from "What's Cookin' in My Kitchen
3 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodles, crushed
1 cup blanched slivered almonds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 head napa cabbage, shredded
4-5 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Mandarin oranges, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss crushed ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring once, until golden; set aside. In a small saucepan bring the vegetable oil, sugar, and vinegar to a boil for 1 minute. Cool, then stir in soy sauce and sesame oil. In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, green onions and cilantro. Add dressing and toasted ramen, almonds and sesame seeds. Toss well to combine and serve immediately. Garnish with mandarin oranges, if desired.
-------------
Chicken Tiki Marsala (Paleo version)
From:Weightlifting, Cross-Fit, Paleo and Randomness
2 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb Coconut Oil
1.5 lbs Organic Free Range Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size cubes
1 Sweet Onion
2 Tb freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 (14.5 oz) can Organic Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup Coconut Milk (FULL FAT!)
1/2 Tb Arrowroot powder
Sea Salt to taste
Directions:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, onion, and liemon juice; cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink (about 10 minutes). Add all of the spices except red pepper and cook/stir 1 minutes
Stir in tomatoes and mix well. In a small bowl, stir together coconut milk, arrowroot powder, and salt until smooth. Gradually stir coconut milk mixture into skillet. Stir in Red Pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
----------
Curry "Fried Rice"
From: The Clothes Make the Girl.com
Curry Fried F’rice
Makes 2 servings (approx. 2 blocks C + 4 blocks F)
Ingredients:
2 cups steamed, chopped cauliflower
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds
3-4 scallions, green and white chopped
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground curry powder
salt & pepper
1. Heat nonstick pan to medium-high, spray with Pam spray, and sautee pineapple ’til lightly brown in some spots. Take out of the pan and set aside. Go ahead! Eat one; they’re yummy. But just one.
2. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of the oil in the same pan, then sautee almond slivers ’til lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Same rules re: tasting apply.
3. When you’re ready to eat, heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the same pan. Add cauliflower and stir-fry 2-3 minutes, ’til heated through. Add chopped scallions, curry powder, salt & pepper, pineapple, and almonds. Fry ’til heated through.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Jambalaya and Snickerdoodles
Jambalaya San Rice
Extra virgin olive oil
(1-2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced - I did not add this.)
10 slices bacon, diced
7 links Andouille sausage, chopped
1-11/2 cup Celery, chopped
1 Red Onion, diced
1/2-2/3 cup Peppers red, orange, yellow and green, diced
2 cups Cauliflower, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon chili powder
4 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
4 Bay Leaves
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil. Cook until the chicken is just browned on the outsides. Remove and set aside.
2. Add the bacon to the pan, and saute until beginning to crisp. Add the Andouille sausage, celery, onion and peppers. Cook until the sausage begins to brown and the vegetables are soft. (Return the chicken to the pan.)
3. Mix in all of the spices,along with the cauliflower stirring well to coat.
4. Pour in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook until thickened, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
5. Stir in the shrimp and cook until just barely cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve.
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Snickerdoolde Cookies
1/2 cup Butter, unsalted, softened
1/2 cup Shortening
1 1/2 cup Sugar (plus 3-4 TBL sugar extra)
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
(1 teaspoon Baking Boda - I might add this next time)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (omit if using salted butter)
2 1/4 - 3/4 cups Flour, all purpose unbleached (start with the smallest amount and add as needed to make a workable dough)
1 TBL Cinnamon
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and cream. Finally, add in the shortening, cream of tartar and cream. The mix should be very smooth.
3. Add in half of the flour and mix lightly. Add in the remaining amount of flour until you have a semi-soft dough. Work with the dough as little as possible.
4. Combine the reserved amount of sugar with the cinnamon. Don't worry about being too precise.
5. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, form balls of dough and roll them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place them 2" apart on a cookie sheet and cook fr 9-11 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, or until cool enough to remove.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Paleo Diet Beginning - Recipes
My husband is worried that he is going to become fat. He looks at his father and older brothers and wants to move away from where the road took them. Ellie is also very conscious of what she eats. They have decided that we will embark on trying out the Paleo diet. It is essentially a diet that does not include carbs, dairy, beans, grains or sugar. The two of them decided to follow the 30 day diet as prescribed in the book about the diet.
Here's what we had for our meals yesterday and today. So far everything was tasty:
Dinner on Saturday was Salmon with Pecans, Roasted Green Beans, a bit of apple and a side salad.
Sunday:
Breakfast 2-4 eggs, almonds and a small piece of fruit and/or berries;
Lunch - Chicken Fajita Salad.
Dinner: Rotisserie Chicken, Roasted Broccoli with olive oil and garlic, side salad.
-------
Grilled Salmon with Pecans and Rosemary
From: The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
(1 serving)
Coconut oil (to oil the pan)
1# Salmon
2 tsp Pecans, chopped
2 tsp Rosemary
Sea Salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place foil on a baking sheet, add a bit of coconut oil to help reduce how much the fish sticks to the foil. Place salmon, skin down, on the pan.
Sprinkle on the pecans, rosemary and salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, being sure that it is cooked well and flakes easily with a fork.
------
Roasted Green Beans
1# Green Beans, cleaned with the ends removed
1 TB Olive Oil
1 tea Thyme
Coat the beans with the olive oil and thyme. Place on a foil covered pan and roast for 20 minutes in an oven heated to 350 degrees.
--------
Chicken Fajita Salad
1 TB Olive Oil
3/4 cup Onions, sliced
1# Chicken, boneless, skinless and cut into strips
1/2 tea. Cumin
2 tea. Oregano
1 cup Bell Pepper, diced
1-2 Tomatoes, diced
1 Avocado, diced
Red Leaf Lettuce, cleaned
Add the olive oil to a hot skillet. Saute the onions until soft. Add in the chicken, spices and peppers. stirring often to distribute the spices and even out the cooking.
While that is cooking, place the red leaf lettuce, tomatoes and avocado in a bowl, toss. Top with the chicken and veggie mix. (If this is being packed for lunch, be sure to place the chicken and veggie mix in its own container, while the salad part has its own container, too.)
Here's what we had for our meals yesterday and today. So far everything was tasty:
Dinner on Saturday was Salmon with Pecans, Roasted Green Beans, a bit of apple and a side salad.
Sunday:
Breakfast 2-4 eggs, almonds and a small piece of fruit and/or berries;
Lunch - Chicken Fajita Salad.
Dinner: Rotisserie Chicken, Roasted Broccoli with olive oil and garlic, side salad.
-------
Grilled Salmon with Pecans and Rosemary
From: The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
(1 serving)
Coconut oil (to oil the pan)
1# Salmon
2 tsp Pecans, chopped
2 tsp Rosemary
Sea Salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place foil on a baking sheet, add a bit of coconut oil to help reduce how much the fish sticks to the foil. Place salmon, skin down, on the pan.
Sprinkle on the pecans, rosemary and salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, being sure that it is cooked well and flakes easily with a fork.
------
Roasted Green Beans
1# Green Beans, cleaned with the ends removed
1 TB Olive Oil
1 tea Thyme
Coat the beans with the olive oil and thyme. Place on a foil covered pan and roast for 20 minutes in an oven heated to 350 degrees.
--------
Chicken Fajita Salad
1 TB Olive Oil
3/4 cup Onions, sliced
1# Chicken, boneless, skinless and cut into strips
1/2 tea. Cumin
2 tea. Oregano
1 cup Bell Pepper, diced
1-2 Tomatoes, diced
1 Avocado, diced
Red Leaf Lettuce, cleaned
Add the olive oil to a hot skillet. Saute the onions until soft. Add in the chicken, spices and peppers. stirring often to distribute the spices and even out the cooking.
While that is cooking, place the red leaf lettuce, tomatoes and avocado in a bowl, toss. Top with the chicken and veggie mix. (If this is being packed for lunch, be sure to place the chicken and veggie mix in its own container, while the salad part has its own container, too.)
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Parmesan Baked Eggs
Parmesan Baked Eggs
via: Pinch of Yum
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 eggs
1 tablespoon heavy cream
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In a small saucepan, heat butter and oil. Add shallot and saute until soft and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Add herbs and salt; remove from heat and stir to combine. The mixture should be somewhat coarse and just a little buttery.
Preheat the oven to 375. Place a small pat of butter (about 1 teaspoon) in the bottom of each of 3 ramekins. Place in oven until butter is melted.
Remove ramekins from oven, add 1 teaspoon of cream to each, and crack 2 eggs into each ramekin without breaking the yolk. Sprinkle the herb mixture over the top of each ramekin and return to the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes.
Turn up the heat to the broil setting and let the eggs broil for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven when egg whites are just set and yolks are still soft. Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Author's notes - I found the timing of this to be really important – down to the minute. The eggs might look like they aren’t done if they are runny on top, but that can just be the cream rising to the top of the ramekin. If you cook these too long, the yolks get hard and they aren’t as good. (I think my eggs might have benefited for about another minute in the oven.)
Also, if you want the cheese to be melted on top, add the cheese before putting the ramekins in the oven. I didn’t do this because it made it trickier to see if the eggs were done or not.
via: Pinch of Yum
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon oil
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 eggs
1 tablespoon heavy cream
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In a small saucepan, heat butter and oil. Add shallot and saute until soft and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Add herbs and salt; remove from heat and stir to combine. The mixture should be somewhat coarse and just a little buttery.
Preheat the oven to 375. Place a small pat of butter (about 1 teaspoon) in the bottom of each of 3 ramekins. Place in oven until butter is melted.
Remove ramekins from oven, add 1 teaspoon of cream to each, and crack 2 eggs into each ramekin without breaking the yolk. Sprinkle the herb mixture over the top of each ramekin and return to the oven. Bake for about 7 minutes.
Turn up the heat to the broil setting and let the eggs broil for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from oven when egg whites are just set and yolks are still soft. Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Author's notes - I found the timing of this to be really important – down to the minute. The eggs might look like they aren’t done if they are runny on top, but that can just be the cream rising to the top of the ramekin. If you cook these too long, the yolks get hard and they aren’t as good. (I think my eggs might have benefited for about another minute in the oven.)
Also, if you want the cheese to be melted on top, add the cheese before putting the ramekins in the oven. I didn’t do this because it made it trickier to see if the eggs were done or not.
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