Menu - Week of September 7th

Yes...it's a little late, I forgot to post it!

Sunday - (Just got back into town) Whole Wheat Rotini with Marinara (frozen) & Romaine Salad

Monday - Mediterranean Mini Turkey Burgers & Grilled Lemon Herb Potatoes

Tuesday - Parmesan Crusted Chicken & Sun Dried Tomato Risotto

Wednesday - Ziti with Chicken, Broccoli in a White Wine Cheddar Sauce

Thursday - Turkey Chili (from freezer, in my blog) & Garden Salad

Friday - Buffalo Chicken Fingers & Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Saturday - Out for dinner

Wine & Cheesey Garlicky Ziti

I have seen this recipe many times, and it's been on my must-try list for a while. I love garlic, chicken and broccoli, throw in pasta and great cheese, and it's a winner in my book. I reheated leftovers for a couple of lunches, and I just added a little extra virgin olive oil and chicken broth so it wouldn't dry up. I made some changes, and the original recipe is linked below.



Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli in a White Wine Cheddar Sauce
adapted from Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
3/4 lb ziti
3 Tbsp butter
about 1/2 cup roasted garlic paste (made by roasting garlic in oven and squeezing garlic out of skin) see below
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 c. low-sodium chicken stock
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 c.)
1.25-1.5 lbs chicken tenders or breasts, grilled and cut in smaller pieces
3 oz. aged Vermont white reserve cheddar, grated (about 1 1/2 c.)
freshly shredded Parmesan cheese to taste
salt and ground pepper

Directions:
-Bring 4 qt. of water to a boil in large pot and cook ziti according to box directions to only al dente and set aside.

-At the same time, lightly steam broccoli florets on top of pan in steamer and set aside.

-Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

-When just coming to foaming, add garlic paste and cook until fragrant (about 1 min)

-Add flour and cook until beginning to turn golden (about 2 min.)

-Add broth and cook until evaporated (about 1 min).

-Stir broth into pan and simmer sauce until slightly thickened (about 2 min).

-Add cheddar and stir constantly while returning to a boil.

-Fold in ziti cook for one minute additional and remove from heat.

-Add broccoli and chicken and fold until sauce covers uniformly.

-Plate and top with some shredded Parmesan and serve.

Roasted Garlic Paste

4 large garlic bulbs, left whole and unpeeled
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground back pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. Slice of 1/4 inch off the top of each bulb. Place bulbs in a small baking dish, or in muffin trays. Drizzle with a little EVOO, salt and pepper and cover with foil. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until garlic is golden brown and soft.

Remove from oven and let cool. Squeeze each clove out of its paper and add to a bowl, and mash together to form a paste. Set aside until ready to use in the above dish.

I also love to make roasted garlic paste and add to butter, mashed potatoes, sour cream, a spread for bread, pizza, chicken, pasta etc, etc. As you can tell, I LOVE garlic, and after it's roasted, it becomes much more mellow. You can keep roasted garlic in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week.

Revisting Risotto

I love risotto in restaurants, and a little while back, I attempted to make it - it was inedible. So I decided to have another go at it - it wasn't perfect, but it was good. Parmesan chicken is a favorite of mine, but I didn't want the same old one covered in a tomato sauce with tons of cheese - don't get me wrong, I love that dish, but wanted to try something new.

So I found this risotto recipe with sundried tomato and basil that I though would pair well with the chicken. I'll definitely be making this again, and hopefully I'll finally get the risotto just right. It's not the recipe - it's definitely the cook - but practice makes perfect!

Sundried Tomato Basil Risotto
Steph's Kitchen

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (Heat to a simmer and set aside)
3 TBS butter (1 TBS mixed in at the end)
3/4 cup finely diced onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup chopped sundried tomato
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

Melt 2 TBS butter in a pan. Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the rice and mix with the butter and onions. Add the wine and simmer until the wine is almost absorbed.

Gradually add chicken broth about 1/2 Cup at a time. Stir constantly until the broth is almost absorbed before adding the next. When all the broth is almost absorbed add the sundried tomato and basil and continue to cook for about a minute or two.

Remove from the heat and add the parmesan cheese and the butter. Stir all together and serve immediately.


Parmesan Crusted Chicken
...and a cookie for dessert

2 large eggs1 cup dried plain-style bread crumbs
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan-
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Butter-flavored cooking spray

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Mix the bread crumbs, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

Coat the chicken completely with the cheese, patting to adhere, then dip into the eggs. Coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere. Add to greased 9×13 pan and spray chicken with cooking spray.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and crispy.

Cheers...it's the 100th post!

It's hard to remember what "cooking" used to be like for me - I was terrified of the kitchen - not only did my repertoire consist of heating up Ragu and boiling penne (and even that sometimes turned out horrible , I didn't know what al dente meant!); I also managed to cut and injure myself and damage appliances. I could have been the advertisement for Gordon Ramsey's show "Kitchen Nightmares"

A few years ago, a couple of things in my life pretty much forced me to learn to cook. Besides, you can't live on frozen chicken fingers & fries or fast food forever!

My first "meal" for my parents and my husband to-to-be was cream of mushroom chicken served over boxed mashed potatoes. I slowly began experimenting - I added dried, then fresh herbs, fresh mushrooms and broccoli. Then after mastering and getting sick of eating chicken smothered in cream of whatever soup, I began to venture on the Internet to search for recipes (other than campbellsoup.com).

I began making simple dishes, and slowly learned about new techniques and ingredients; and eventually worked my way up to more complicated and sophisticated dishes. My confidence grew over time, and I just now, I finally think of myself as a decent cook (although I am still quite baking-challenged). After seeing how many other people enjoy cooking and have wonderful blogs dedicated to this art - I was inspired to create my own.

~~So cheers to another hundred more~~


Peach Bellini
taken from Easy Summer Food - simple recipes for sunny days

3 ripe peaches
1 bottle of Prosecco or sparkling wine, 750 ml

Peel the peaches by plunging them into boiling water for 30 seconds. refresh them under cold water and peel off the skin. Cut in half to remove the pit and chop the flesh.

Put the peaches in a blender, add a small amount of Prosecco, and process to a puree. Pour into champagne flutes and top up with the remaining Prosecco. (Next time I would strain the puree to get rid of some of the solids- it's my first time making a bellini)

I added a few raspberries for color and flavor...yum!

Hold Onto Your Buns

...and bring out the pita!

It's definitely not fall-like here in Tennessee - it was 90 degrees yesterday. ....so although fall foods sound pretty good right now, and much of the country is closing down their pools & bringing out the fall clothes - summer is certainly hanging on here in the South.

Since I recently discovered that I love turkey burgers, I thought I would try it Mediterranean/Greek style. The flavors worked so well together, it was light, colorful & just plain great. It was a refreshing change from the same old beef burger on a bun topped with a slice of cheese, ketchup & mustard.

Mediterranean Mini Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey (I used 93% lean)
1/2-1 tbsp dried oregano
1/3 cup fat free feta (I would have added a little more, but Jamie's not a big fan of feta...I think I slipped it by him)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp each kosher salt & freshly ground pepper (I used a blend of black, white, red & green peppercorns)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
whole wheat pitas
extra virgin olive oil
Toppings: I used thinly sliced tomato, English cucumbers, red onion and a few crumbles of feta. And I used the garlic-lemon yogurt as my condiment, recipe to follow.

I mixed all ingredients in a bowl. I shaped the mixture into about 8 small equal sized patties and grilled on the BBQ for about 5 minutes per side on medium-high heat, or until desired. (I like more on the well-done side).

About a minute before burgers are done, brush a little extra virgin olive oil on some whole wheat pitas, and place on the grill for 10-15 seconds on each side just to heat. Remove burgers and pitas, slice both in half, and stuff the burgers inside the pitas, and add your toppings.

Lemon-Garlic Yogurt

1 cup plain fat free yogurt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2-1 tbsp dried oregano
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients and chill for at least a half hour before serving.

Grilled Lemon-Herb Potatoes

4 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
kosher salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of half a lemon
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Bring a pot of water to boil, and add potatoes. Let cook for about 15 minutes. Mix some EVOO with the lemon juice, zest, oregano and parsley in a bowl and set aside.

Remove, drain and cool slightly. Cut into large wedges. Brush the potatoes with some (plain, not the above mixture) EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill over medium heat , turning a couple of times till cooked through, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from grill and add to bowl and toss with EVOO mixture. Use some of the yogurt dip instead of ketchup!

Summer Lemon Lovin'

I had some chicken, lemons and potatoes to use up, and I love lemon chicken, but sometimes it can get dry. I found this one on I blog that I love, and knew it would be good - and it was!!! I tried something new for me - putting the chicken in a brine first, then baking it - it was so juicy and lemony, and I served it with some steamed broccoli - just perfect.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Lemon, Garlic, Rosemary, and Potatoes
Good Things Catered

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but not melted I used Smart Balance 50/50 Blend
Zest of 1/2 large lemon, lemon reserved
2 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves I used dried
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 russet potatoes, washed thoroughly and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Kosher salt ground pepper

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line large baking pan with foil for easy cleanup.

-Pat chicken breasts dry, season liberally with salt and ground pepper, and place breast-side up at least one to two inches apart in pan.

-In small bowl combine butter, lemon zest, garlic, and rosemary and stir with spoon to thoroughly combine.

-With back of spoon, spread butter mixture on top of chicken breasts evenly. I also squeezed some lemon juice on the chicken

-Slice reserved lemon and place slices in pan around the chicken. I put the slices on the chicken as it baked

-In medium bowl place cubed potato and toss with 1 tsp olive oil, parsley and salt and pepper.

-Scatter potatoes around chicken breasts.

-Place baking dish in oven and cook about 30-40 minutes or until thickest portion of chicken breast has reached 175 degrees.

-Remove from oven, take chicken breasts out of pan onto a warm serving platter and tent with foil.

-Take one pinch more of Kosher salt to sprinkle over potatoes, toss and place back in oven for 5-10 minutes.-

Remove potatoes and serve with chicken

Basic Poultry Brine
Good Things Catered

Ingredients:

I cut the following amounts in half
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, one small bird, chicken pieces, etc.
1/2 c. table salt

Directions:

-Dissolve salt in 2 qt. water in a large bowl or dutch oven.

-Immerse chicken into brine and refrigerate for 30 min.

-Remove chicken from brine, rinse, pat dry with paper towels, and season with ground pepper.

Veggies? Yep - They're In There!

I had some vegetables to use up, normally I don't put that many into my pasta sauces, but I will more often. Jamie's not a vegetables fan, but by finely dicing the celery and shredding the carrots, I may have slipped them by him. With the different veggies, roasted garlic and fresh herbs, you certainly don't miss any meat.

Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 carrot, shredded

14.5 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes, crushed by hand, use about 1/4-1/2 cup of water to rinse out can

1 28 oz crushed tomatoes

14 oz tomato sauce

3 tbsp tomato paste (more if needed)
4 large cloves of roasted garlic, squeezed into a paste

1/2 tsp sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine (I used Merlot)
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup each fresh basil and parsley coarsely chopped

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and add the first 4 ingredients and saute over medium heat for 8 minutes, or till vegetables are tender.

Add the wine, all the tomatoes/paste, sugar, roasted garlic, salt and pepper. Once bubbling, stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally and simmer for 3 hours.

About halfway through simmering, I added the fresh herbs, and added some more once plated. I served it with whole wheat penne rigate, some shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano & a romaine spinach & veggie salad and a simple red wine vinaigrette.