An oldie but a goodie… January 11, 2009

Don’t you hate that phrase? I only use it because this is a recipe that has been stuck to the side of my fridge patiently waiting for me to upload it for quite some time.

Rigatoni and Sausage

-10 oz rigatoni pasta

-salt (kosher preferably, of course)

-olive oil (not extra virgin, for the job it’s doing, regular o.o. works just fine)

-6 chicken pesto or chicken with sun-dried tomato and basil sausages (I used the latter)

-1 c slivered red onion

-1 c slivered yellow bell pepper (or if the price for yellow bell peppers is ungodly where you live, as it is for me, red is just fine-wouldn’t recommend green though as they’re not as sweet)

-2 (14 oz) cans traditional Italian sauce (or just 1 if you prefer your pasta less sauce-y)

-2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

-grated Parmesan cheesefor garnish

1. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill or preheat oven to 400 degrees F (I used my oven for this part).

2. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until tender but still firm, according to package directions. Drain and toss with enough olive oil to prevent sticking (it shouldn’t take much at all). This can be made 8 to 10 hours in advance and refrigerated (for those of you who have spare time in the morning to start prepping dinner, I guess?)

3. Grill or roast the sausages on an indoor or outdoor grill for 20 minutes, turning several times. Or roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until ready to assemble the dish (again, if you’re getting dinner ready in the morning. If you’re not, ignore that last bit). Cut into bite-size pieces just before reheating.

4. In a large saute pan coated with a small amount of olive oil, saute the onion and bell pepper with cooked sausage pieces until onions and peppers are just wilted.

5. Add about 1/3 to 1/2 of the sauce and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Transfer to a stockpot, then heat the remaining sauce in the same saute pan and transfer to the stock pot when hot.

6. Place the stockpot over medium heat and add the pasta to heat and combine all the ingredients. Divide into serving bowls, garnish with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

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This recipe is adapted from one that was in the November 8, 2006 Dallas Morning News. It’s a really good basic and a bit rustic pasta dish that doesn’t require making tomato sauce for those of you that are freaked out by making your own or just don’t have the time (I fall into the not-enough-time category most days…one of these days I’m going to make a giant batch). This could be adapted to use Italian sausage-preferably hot-if the home chef so chose.

Chicken soup for the…well, for the stomach. Duh. January 1, 2009

One of my resolutions for 2009 was to put more time and attention to this blog. I promise I’m really going to try. I also promise to only post recipes that either myself or my dear husband, J, considers to be amazing (unless J likes it and I think it sucks, in which case he is overruled). I got a couple new cookbooks and a host of new magazines in addition to (drumroll please)…a KITCHENAID PROFESSIONAL STAND MIXER-holy crap-so look forward to many new additions in the way of general deliciousness. J got the mixer for me for Christmas and he’s definately put himself high up in brownie points standings with it. Happy 2009 to all!
Kind of Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

CHICKEN AND STOCK:

-1 (approximately 5 lb) quartered chicken

-6 c each water and low-sodium chicken broth

-4 large carrots, cut into 1″ pieces

-3 large stalks celery with leaves, cut into 1″ pieces

-1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges

-8 large sprigs flat-leaf parsley

-3 cloves garlic, smashed

SOUP:

-2 c baby carrots, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces

-1 c sliced celery

-1 Tbs kosher salt

-1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

-8 oz dried egg noodles (about 2 2/3 c)

-2 Tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. CHICKEN AND STOCK: Bring chicken and water to a boil in a largeish (6-8 quart) stockpot. Skim off and discard foam from surface of water; add broth and remaining stock ingredients. Bring to a second boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones; discard. Shred meat; set aside.

2. SOUP: Strain broth through cheesecloth-lined sieve into a clean pot; press solids to extract liquid. Stir baby carrots, celery, salt, and pepper into broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 6 minutes. Stir in noodles; continue to simmer 4 minutes. Stir in chicken and parsley. Remove from heat and let soup stand 10 minutes, or until noodles are just tender.

This recipe adapted from Family Circle. 8 servings.

So tired. November 3, 2008

Seriously. I can’t come up with any decent titles for this post, but I neeeeeeed to crank it out, so that’s what you get. The first decent suggestion I get will win the coveted atop-the-post spot.

“Fried” Chicken

-1.5 c buttermilk
-1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
-salt
-1 (3 lb) cut-up chicken (8 pcs), skin removed from all pieces except wings
-1.5 c bread crumbs, preferably panko
-1 tsp grated fresh lemon peel

1. In a large zip top plastic bag, place buttermilk, cayenne, and 3/4 tsp salt; add chicken pieces, turning to coat. Seal bag, pressing out excess air. Place on a large plate and refrigerate chicken at least 1 hour or preferably overnight, turning bag over once.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray jelly-roll or large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine panko and lemon peel.

3. Remove chicken from buttermilk marinade, shaking off excess. Discard marinade. Add chicken pieces, a few at a time, to panko mixture, turning to coat. Place chicken in prepared pan.

4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until coating is crisp and juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with the tip of a paring knife. For browner coating, after chicken is cooked, turn oven to broil. Broil chicken 5 to 6 inches from source of heat 1 to 2 minutes or until golden, keeping a very close eye on it.

Makes 4 main-dish servings.

This recipe is from Good Housekeeping June 2008.

 

I really liked this recipe. The buttermilk and lemon zest added  a clean, unexpected kick to the breading. The recipe was fairly easy as well. Definately a delicious alternative to traditional fried chicken.

Cabo-Wabo…Uh no. October 8, 2008

I’ve got this giant stack of recipes I keep meaning to add, but time gets away from me and I’m still being a total worrywart and stressing over things I cannot change. It’s amazing how much time gets away from you when you’re being like that.

LeAnn Rimes’s Cabo Chicken

-1/2 c fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
-1/4 c olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed with press
-1 tsp crushed red pepper
-salt
-4 medium skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves (6 oz each)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Place chicken and lime marinade in large zip top plastic bag. Seal bag and refrigerate chicken 8 hours or overnight, turning bag over several times (I did this every time I opened the refrigerator).
2. Preheat broiler, setting rack 4 inches from source of heat, or prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium (or alternately, as I did, set your indoor grill -George Foreman in my case- to recommended temperature for chicken, I can’t remember if mine is 375 or 425 degrees F, I have to look it up every time).
3. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken on rack in broiling pan or on hot grill rack (or on your indoor grill), and cook 12 to 15 minutes (check your manual for indoor grill cook time)or until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with tip of knife, turning over once.
Serves 4.
I’m fairly certain that this recipe is from Family Circle.

I halved the original recipe-it’s not often that I need to make something that serves 8. Leann says “This is a dish my husband concocted while we were on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It’s sure to bring flavor and ease to any summer meal.” That’s right-SUMMER meal. Fall just started a couple weeks ago and the edge only started to blur on the heat sometime in the past couple of days, thanks to some rain we got. I don’t know if I didn’t marinate this long enough, or if using the George Foreman wasn’t a good idea (I don’t have a broiling pan, hence not using that method), but this really didn’t have a lot of flavor. It really sounded like it would, but it wasn’t quite as flavorful and garlic/lime-y as I expected-you may have better results. And now, I should save this, as my cat is rolling all over my keyboard, casually stretching while pressing keys. It would be funny if I hadn’t just typed all this out. He just changed something that makes this web page look all funny. Oh, Sammy Davis Jr, Jr, how I loathe/love thee.

Knob Salad (haha, knob) August 6, 2008

Okay, so it’s only cobb salad. I’ve got to get my kicks somewhere people!

Cobb Salad

-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-8 c mixed salad greens
-1 tomato (8 oz), roughly chopped
-1/4 c light red wine vinaigrette
-3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
-1/4 c crumbled blue cheese
-3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1. Heat a large pot of water to simmering. Add chicken, cover, and cook 18 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and cut into 1/2″ cubes.

2. To serve, place chicken, greens and tomatoes in a large serving bowl and pour vinaigrette over top; toss to combine. Sprinkle each serving with equal amounts bacon, blue cheese and eggs.

This recipe is from Family Circle.

 

Pretty damn simple, no? I’m not sure why someone felt the need to publish a recipe for a salad this simple, but there it is. I used French dressing in place of the vinaigrette. Yum!

I’ve only got 4 minutes to save the world… July 6, 2008

…or at least the people in my house…from being hungry. For what it is, this recipe’s not too bad. REALLY simple and pretty darn quick.

Chicken Tortellini Supreme
(don’t know who they thought they were fooling with that “Supreme” business)
-9 oz package fresh cheese tortellini of your choice-I went with Spinach-cheese-Yay for green pasta!
-1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped or shredded(I did mine on the George Foreman grill, but you could saute if you prefer), or 7 oz pkg Sweet Sue Chunk Chicken
-1 package dry Alfredo sauce mix (I used a garlic Alfredo)
-2 c milk
-1 Tbs olive oil
-1 1/2 c broccoli florets

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain and keep warm.
2. In medium non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil. Add fresh broccoli. Saute 2 to 3 minutes over medium-high heat.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and Alfredo sauce mix to combine. Add sauce mixture to skillet and stir until thickened. Add in pasta and chicken. Mix together and heat an additional 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe is adapted from a Sweet Sue recipe.

Well, I went ever-so-slightly over my 4 minute limit, but with minimal effort. I know that many people, especially parents, have hardly any time or energy to make dinner after their busy days, so I have absolutely no problem posting simple, but still good, recipes in my blog. If you think this recipe doesn’t belong, please feel free to kiss my right cheek. If your options are serving your family something like this or pizza/drive-thru, PLEASE consider this.
This was enough for dinner for J and I for dinner and lunch the next day.

I always wondered how buffalo flew with those tiny wings. July 6, 2008

Near my hometown, there is/was a buffalo farm. You know, big pastures and some of the big furry Snuffalumpagus-ish beasties running around. It seemed pretty nifty to me-I heard all about this stuff regarding their endangered status, and there they were, right near my home. When we went to the farm on a field trip, I didn’t see their wings. I assumed it was because they were so small that you couldn’t see them under all that hair.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

-2 lbs chicken tenders (or boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into tenders-that’s what I did, and I’m awesome)
-1/3 c of your favorite hot sauce (please God don’t confuse this with salsa)
-1/4 c chicken broth
-2 thin pizza crusts, around 10 oz each (Boboli if you prefer)
-2/3 c reduced-fat blue cheese dressing
-1 c shredded part skim mozzarella
-4 celery ribs, sliced lengthwise in half, then in 1-1.5″ pieces

1. Heat your oven for 450 degrees F.
2. Place chicken tenders in a large skillet and add cold water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 8 minutes or until chicken’s internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (I slice into my chicken to assure full cookedness since my thermometer’s painful death. Never assume that a Pyrex brand thermometer’s face is Pyrex. It’s probably melty, melty plastic. Not sure why Pyrex put their name on it. That’s what I get for buying cheap!) Remove from skillet and slice into long, thin strips.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the hot sauce and broth. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat with the broth mixture, reserving the mixture that is left in the bowl.
4. Place a pizza crust on a baking sheet and spread with 1/3 c of the dressing. Scatter half of the chicken over the dressing and half of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Drizzle some of the reserved remaining broth mixture over top. Repeat with remaining pizza crust, dressing, chicken, mozzarella and broth mixture.
5. Bake pizzas at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes or until crusts are lightly browned and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and scatter celery over pizzas.

This recipe is adapted from Family Circle.

In the original recipe, it recommended Frank’s hot sauce, but I had some fabulous Day of the Dead Habanero Hot Sauce. Sorry Frank’s! My little sister-in-law, ever the picky eater, wasn’t a huge fan of this. She picked off the celery and then ate about 2 bites of one of the 2 pieces she had put on her plate. Her brother (aka Mr. Mox/J), however, was a fan, and ate the pizza that she hadn’t. The only suggestion made was to cut the celery into smaller pieces (into the measurement I have listed here). I absolutely LOVED this. It was easy, tasty and spicy, and I didn’t feel like a total fatass after eating it like I do after going to Hooters. Also, the only breasts I had to look at during the preparation were the chicken breasts, and my own if I so chose.

Cheater Cheater, Pot Pie Eater April 24, 2008

Cheater’s Chicken Pot Pie

-1 can cream of chicken soup (reduced fat or sodium if you can find it)
-1 1/4 c. Bisquick or equivalent biscuit/baking mix
-1 c. chopped leftover chicken or turkey (I grill a breast or two on the George Foreman for this-I never have leftover chicken)
-1/2 c. milk
-1 egg
-1 small bag frozen vegetables
-salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine soup, chicken or turkey and vegetables in a 9″ pie plate. Add pepper and a little bit of salt to taste. Stir together remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and pour over the top of the chicken mixture.

 2. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden on top and heated through.
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I love this. So easy and pretty darn tasty. Good, quick, although not gourmet, comfort food.

 

We did not do “The Chicken Dance” at our wedding. March 30, 2008

Roast Chicken with Vegetables

-8 whole carrots, scrubbed clean
-1 tsp. black pepper
-2 medium size yellow onions
-1 Tbs. dried rosemary
-8 small white or red potatoes (about 1 1/2″ in diameter), scrubbed clean
-1 whole chicken, about 3 1/2 lbs.
-3 tsp. kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Cut the carrots crosswise into 1 1/2″-long pieces. Cut the thicker pieces in half lengthwise as well. Peel each onion and cut into quarters. Leave the potatoes whole and unpeeled. Scatter the carrots, onions and potatoes on the bottom of a 9 x 13″ baking or roasting pan. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp. of the salt and 1/2 tsp. of the pepper over them, and crumble the rosemary in your hand on top.

3. Remove the giblet and various other icky (in my opinion) parts, which are usually in a package inside the cavity of the chicken. Discard of refrigerate to use later. If there is a pale-yellow chunk of fat on either side of the cavity, pull or cut it off and discard. Hold the chicken under cold running water and rinse it inside and out. Shake off escess water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. of pepper over the outside of the chicken, rubbing them all over the skin. Set the chicken, the breast side facing up, on top of some of the vegetables, with the remaining ones surrounding the bird. Insert a dial-type (not instant read) thermometer into the breast, taking care that the rod of the thermometer does not touch any bones.

4. Put the chicken in the center of the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and, using a large spoon, turn over the vegetables that surround the chicken (don’t worry about the ones under it). Return the pan to the oven. After 30 more minutes, take the chicken out of the oven to check for doneness. Insert the tip of a small paring knife into the meat of the thigh where it attaches to the body. If the juices that run out are pink, the chicken needs to continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes. If the juices are clear, it’s done. The meat thermometer should show a temperature of 170 to 180 degrees when the chicken is done.

5. Carve the chicken. Scoop the vegetables out of the roasting pan and onto a serving platter. Remove the fat from the pan juices. Arrange the cut chicken pieces on top of vegetables, spoon some pan juices over chicken and vegetables, and serve.

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This one’s a bit involved, but SO worth the effort. The skin is crispy and delicious, and the chicken is so juicy.

I kept getting distracted by My Name is Earl while trying to prep the chicken. It was the one where Joy gets married. I don’t know why I was watching it in the first place.

If you have a Pyrex brand dial thermometer, do NOT use it. I made that mistake and discovered that the cover for the dial is not Pyrex, as one would assume (or at least as I -possibly stupidly-did), but melty, melty plastic.

Shicken. February 26, 2008

Skillet Chicken Pasta

-1 (9 oz) package fresh linguine (I used dry thin spaghetti)
-1 lb. chicken breast tenders (boneless skinless chicken breasts were cheaper, so I used them cut into tenders)
-1/4 tsp. seasoning salt
-1/8 tsp. black pepper
-1 Tbs. butter
-1 c. presliced mushrooms (I added another small handful in because J loves mushrooms)
-1/2 c. sliced onion
-1/2 c. dry sherry (I don’t tend to have sherry around…which is a crime, really…so I used red cooking wine)
-1 c. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
-1/2 c. (4 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

2. While pasta cooks, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, mushrooms, and onion; saute 7 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from pan; keep warm.

3. Add sherry to pan; scraping to loosen browned bits. Stir in broth and cheese; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until cheese melts (about 3 minutes), stirring constantly. Return chicken mixture to pan, and cook until thoroughly heated. Serve over pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Factses (if made exactly to original recipe specifications without my changes): Calories:500 (19% from fat); Fat:10.4g (sat 5.7g, mono 2.7g, poly0.6g); Protein: 41.3g; Carbses: 53.3g; Fiber: 3.3g; Cholesterol: 90 mg; Iron: 4.2 mg; Sodium: 555 mg; Calcium: 69 mg
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Quite good-J really liked it and was happy to see that I reserved some for his lunch. I never got the cheese to “melt”, but at one point the pieces were pretty small and I whisked the mixture to get a smoother texture. The original recipe says “Cream cheese makes the sauce velvety.”