September | 2013 | onedadskitchen

Let the Soup Season Begin – Hearty Vegetable Chowder

The weather is starting to get much cooler here at night now so Fall is not far away for us. It is still warm during the day, for the most part, but the nights have been crisp and cool. For me this means that it is time to start breaking out some soup recipes. Luckily, in the newest issue of Cook’s Country magazine, there was a great looking soup that was perfect to kick off the soup-making season for me. This vegetable chowder is very easy to make and makes good use of just a few simple ingredients.

Hearty Vegetable Chowder

6 slices bacon, chopped

1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin and washed thoroughly

4 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is nearly crispy, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, thyme and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until the leeks are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until the starch begins to release from the potatoes and coat all the vegetables, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and the bay leaf and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer 1 cup of the vegetables (using a slotted spoon) and 2 cups of the soup broth to a blender; process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Stir the processed soup back into the pot. Stir in the half-and-half, chives and lemon juice and gently re-warm the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

There are a couple of things about this easy recipe. If you don’t have any leeks, I think you could easily substitute onions instead and not really lose anything. Leeks are great in a soup, but they are not always easy to get and can be a little pricey. Stirring in the potatoes really does make a difference here. The starch acts as a bit of a thickener here for the soup so that when you puree that bit of soup, you are going to end up with a nice, thick chowder. it was tasty and easy enough to make in under an hour on a weeknight all with ingredients I already had in the house. Even better, it’s a one pot meal and you could easily make it vegetarian by eliminating the bacon altogether if you want.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time to see what recipe I’ll be making. I have been checking a few things out in the latest issue of Cook’s Country and there are a bunch of things I want to try, so we’ll see what’s next. until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 19, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Spices, Vegetarian

Tags: Cook's Country, Cook's Country hearty vegetable chowder, hearty vegetable chowder, vegetable chowder, vegetable soup, vegetarian

Snacking it Up – Vegetarian Nachos and Caramelized Onion and Shallot Dip

17 Sep

I wanted to make a couple of snacks this weekend. it’s a busy sports time of year with the baseball season going, football season just starting, college football underway, NASCAR entering the chase and more, so there are plenty of good things for you ro watch. If you have some friends over for the game and want to make a couple of quick and easy snacks, these two are perfect to give a try. The first is a very easy vegetarian nachos recipe that you can whip up in just a few minutes.

Vegetarian Nachos

1 bag tortilla chips

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups shredded cheese (such as cheddar or Monterey Jack)

1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves

Jalapeno peppers, sliced

Salsa, for topping

Guacamole, for topping

1 cup sour cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet or a large pie plate with nonstick spray. In a saucepan over medium, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the black beans and chopped onion. Saute until the beans are warmed through and the onion is soft, about 2 minutes. Place a layer of tortilla chips on the sheet and cover with a layer of beans and onions and then cover with cheese. Repeat the process to make a second layer. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Top with salsa, guacamole, cilantro and sour cream.

You could make these nachos with some beef or pork if you happen to have some on hand and ready to use, but you can just as easily throw it together without them and then they are suitable for anyone who is staying away from meat to eat. You could always vary the toppings and add more or less of what you and your guests like best to make a great snack.

It’s always good to have a good dip on hand and what is better and more liked than an onion dip? Naturally, you could simply used the dry soup mix that many people use with some sour cream or yogurt, but using fresh ingredients tastes so much better and has a lot less sodium and preservatives. This one is really easy to make and you can alter it up a little bit to make it even easier. I altered the original recipe somewhat from Bon Appetit to make a little bit of a smaller batch.

Caramelized Onion and Shallot Dip

1 pound large onions, thinly sliced

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

2 sprigs of thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon onion powder

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and shallots and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sprigs of thyme, the white wine and the Sherry vinegar and saute until the liquid has evaporated and the onions and shallots are well caramelized, about 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Allow the mixture to cool.

Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the sour cream, yogurt and onion powder until the mixture is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill the dip until ready to use.

The original recipe roasts the onions and shallots in the oven for well over an hour. If you have the time to put in and want to do it that way and get a deeper, richer flavor from the onions then you may want to give it a try. If you are pressed for time and want something faster but still tastes better than anything you can buy, give it a try with my method. Everyone thought the results were pretty good from what I made.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I do have a couple of things to post, including the first soup of the fall season that I made last night. Check back for that one. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 17, 2013 in Cooking, Snacks, Vegetarian

Tags: black bean nachos, bon appetit, caramelized onion and shallot dip, homemade onion dip, nachos recipe, onion dip recipe, vegetarian, vegetarian nachos

Start of the Week With Some Quick Chicken Chimichangas

16 Sep

I had actually intended to make enchiladas this weekend, but Michelle thought she might like to have chimichangas instead. In reality, I was going to take as many shortcuts as possible whatever I was cooking because I had bought a rotisserie chicken to use for something, even if it was just rotisserie chicken for dinner. I got this recipe from Food Network, though I did alter it slightly to fit our family wants from the meal. Since I don’t eat cheese, I eliminated the cheese from the ones I made for myself. Also, Michelle and Sean would not go for the green chile sauce in the recipe, so though I included it in this recipe, I didn’t actually make it myself.

Chicken Chimichangas

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, diced (you can take the seeds out if you want less heat)

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Kosher salt

1 tomato, chopped, plus more for topping

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup sour cream

1 15-ounce can refried beans

4 10-inch flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping

Shredded lettuce, for topping

Mexican rice, for serving

Green chile sauce, for topping (see recipe)

Green Chile Sauce:

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Pinch chili powder

Pinch cumin

Pinch granulated sugar

Pinch Kosher salt

2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles, drained and rinsed

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a skillet; transfer the butter mixture to a bowl. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.; toast the spices for about 30 seconds. Add the tomato and cilantro and cook until slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rotisserie chicken and sour cream and warm through. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Brush a rimmed baking sheet with some of the reserved butter-oil mixture. Spread 2 tablespoons of refried beans down the center of each flour tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on both ends. Top the beans with 1 cup of the chicken mixture and 1/4 cup of cheese. Fold in the ends and roll up the tortilla.

Put the chimichangas seam-side down on the baking sheet; brush the chimichangas with the butter-oil mixture. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes per side, brushing the chimichangas again after you flip them. Top with the green sauce, more cheese, lettuce and tomato. Serve with the Mexican rice and any leftover refried beans.

For the Green Chile Sauce: Saute the onions and chopped garlic cloves in a skillet with the vegetable oil. Add a pinch of chili powder, cumin, sugar and kosher salt; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the two cans of drained, rinsed and chopped green chiles; cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and simmer until the sauce thickens, then puree the sauce in a blender or with a stick blender. Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve over the chimichangas.

Not only was this recipe very easy to make at the very last minute (made easier by the rotisserie chicken), it tasted great. The blend of spices with the chicken really was very nice. Personally, I think it would have been even better with the green chile sauce and plan to make it next time around. Of course, you could easily make your own chicken by simply sauteing a couple of boneless chicken breasts or baking them in the oven and use the chicken meat that way.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes. I made a couple of homemade snacks yesterday that I will post recipes for and am planning on a nice vegetable chowder for dinner tonight that I will post this week as well. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 16, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Rice, Sauce

Tags: chicken chimichangas, chimichangas, chimichangas recipe, food network, green chile sauce, mexican rice

Livening Up Dessert with Lemon Icebox Pie

13 Sep

I have had this recipe sitting idly by for a few weeks now just waiting for me to have the time to make it, and I finally got to it. I really don’t know why it took me so long to get around to it. The recipe itself is not very hard and it only takes minutes to put everything together. This recipe, for the classic lemon icebox pie, is from Cook’s Country magazine. If you have never had it before, it is very similar to a key lime pie, with of course lemons substituting for the key limes. I have seen lots of recipes out there for this pie, but this one seems the easiest and the results are quite good.

Lemon Icebox Pie

9 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 5 to 6 lemons)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Process the graham crackers and the sugar in a food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined, about 8 pulses. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake until the crust is fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack, about 35 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Reserve 3 tablespoons of the sweetened condensed milk. Whisk the remaining sweetened condensed milk and the egg yolks together in a bowl until they are smooth. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust. Bake the pie until the edges are beginning to set but the center of the pie still jiggles when shaken, about 15 minutes. Let the pie cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Refrigerate the pie until it is chilled and set, at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip the heavy cream, reserved sweetened condensed milk and the vanilla extract on medium-low speed until it is foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 3 minutes. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the pie and serve.

I really liked this pie. It was really easy to make and the taste is so refreshing and wonderful. Michelle and I both agreed maybe it could use a smidge more lemon juice for the lemon flavor to really shine, but I had a piece the next day and the flavor seemed even better, so it’s really up to your own personal tastes. You can save yourself even more time and simply buy a pre-made graham cracker crust to use for the pie and really cut your preparation time down to nothing. I’ll be making this one again for sure.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time to see what other recipes come along. I’ll be going shopping this weekend, so we’ll see what I come back with and what recipes fit what I would like to do. The new issue of Cook’s Country has some great recipes in it, so I do plan to try some of them out next week. Check back for those. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 13, 2013 in Cooking, Dessert, Pie

Tags: Cook's Country, Cook's Country lemon icebox pie, dessert, lemon icebox pie

Pantry Primer | Williams-Sonoma Taste

12 Sep

Pantry Primer | Williams-Sonoma Taste.

It’s easy to be a good cook when you have a well-stocked pantry. Granted, not everyone has the space or the budget to have all of these items around ( I know I don’t), but having a few of these key ingredients can help you to make all kinds of great dishes and try all types of recipes. Williams-Sonoma has put together a great blog entry here that covers some of the basics you may want to try and fit into your pantry. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on September 12, 2013 in Cooking Tips, Cooking Websites, Pantry

Tags: pantry essentials, Pantry primer, things for your pantry, Williams-Sonoma pantry primer

Twisting a Classic: Spaghetti (Squash) and Meatballs

12 Sep

As sacrilegious as it may sound, I don’t like pasta. I have never eaten it, even when I was a little kid. I don’t know if it’s the taste, flavor, texture or what, but I just don’t like it. Don’t get me wrong; if I am at someone’s home and that’s what they serve, I am eating it without a fuss. Do I go out of my way to make it at home? No, not for me. I do make it for Michelle and Sean, who both love pasta, but I make something else for myself. So when I decided I was making meatballs this week, I wanted to try something different. It was lucky that I had come across this recipe from Food Network recently to give me the inspiration.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 large eggs

1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 28-ounce cans tomato puree

2 large sprigs basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle the cut sides with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and then brush both sides with olive oil. Put the squash, cut side up, in a baking dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 20 minutes, then uncover the squash and continue roasting until the squash is tender, about 35 more minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs: Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Pulse the celery, carrot, onion, garlic and parsley in a food processor to make a paste. Transfer half of the vegetable paste to a bowl; add the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix with your hands until it is just combined. Form the mixture into about 24 two-inch meatballs; transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs until they are firm but not cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes.

To make the sauce, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining vegetable paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it looks dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree; rinse each can with 1 cup of water and add it to the pot. Stir in the basil, oregano and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the meatballs and simmer until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the basil.

Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash flesh into strands; transfer the squash to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste. Divide the squash among plates or bowls and top each with some meatballs, sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

A couple of notes about this recipe. This particularly recipe makes a lot of sauce and meatballs, so you will have leftovers to store or freeze if you like. You can store the sauce and meatballs for up to a month in the freezer. You can always skip making the sauce and just use your favorite jarred sauce if you choose to go that route. I have tried multiple meatball recipes and posted several of them on here. This one is one of the more flavorful I have tried, so it’s worth a shot. Everyone really liked the spaghetti squash as an alternative. I thought Sean would resist, but he really liked it too. There is a great flavor from the squash and it goes well with the meatballs.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for another recipe. I did make the lemon icebox pie, so you’ll want to check back for that one. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 12, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: food network, meatballs recipe, spaghetti squash, spaghetti squash and meatballs

A Honey of a Recipe: Honey-Roasted Ribs

11 Sep

I picked this recipe up from Cook’s Country a few weeks ago and have been planning to give it a try. I finally found the ribs on sale this past week, so the opportunity really presented itself. I also had quite a bit of honey on hand for some reason, so it lent itself perfectly for making good use of this recipe. All you need is the time to put into this. The recipe itself is quite simple and easy to make.

Honey-Roasted Ribs

2 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) racks baby back ribs, membranes removed, each rack cut into 3 equal pieces

1 cup honey

5 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

4 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin

4 garlic cloves, crushed

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Divide the ribs between two 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bags. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, scallion whites, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper and the cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Divide the marinade between the two bags, seal, and turn to coat the ribs evenly with the marinade. Refrigerate the ribs for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, turning the bags occasionally.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack in the baking sheet. Add enough warm tap water to cover the entire bottom of the sheet (about 2 cups of water). Transfer the ribs, meat side up, to the prepared wire rack; reserve the marinade in the refrigerator. Tent the ribs loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Uncover the ribs and continue cooking until just tender, about 1 hour longer.

Bring the reserved marinade to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook until it is thickened to a glaze consistency, about 5 minutes. Brush the ribs with 1/3 cup of the glaze, return the ribs to the oven, and continue to cook until the glaze begins to bubble and the ribs are brown, about 15 to 30 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board (leave the hot water and the baking sheet in the oven to cool), tent the ribs loosely with foil and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes.

Cut the ribs between the bones, add them to the Dutch oven and toss them to coat with the remaining glaze. Transfer the ribs to a platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Just a couple of quick points about this recipe. I didn’t have any scallions on hand, so I omitted them this time. i don’t think they make a very big difference in the recipe anyway. I also cut the recipe in half since I only made one rack of ribs for the 3 of us to have for dinner. It is important that you put the marinade in a Dutch oven and not just a saucepan. It may seem big for a small amount of marinade, but when the honey begins to boil it will bubble and rise up and if you have it in a small pan you risk making a big, sticky mess or burning yourself n very hot sugar. Using the Dutch oven also makes it possible for you to give the ribs one last toss in the glaze to make sure they have a really nice coating. I served the meal with some broccoli and sweet potatoes. I think the honey glaze was fantastic and was not overly sweet thanks to the soy sauce and mustard. I’ll surely be making this one again.

That’s all for today. Check back next time to see what recipes come along. I do have a lot of things planned, and the latest issue of Cook’s Country just arrived at my home yesterday and there are some great recipes I want to try out and share over the coming weeks. until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 11, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork

Tags: baby back ribs, Cook's Country, honey roasted ribs, honey roasted spare ribs

A Couple of Not Quites – Not Quite Shake N’ Bake Pork Chops and Banana-Blueberry “Ice Cream”

10 Sep

I always like to look for ways to make things that you can either find at some of these chain restaurants when you go out and try to duplicate it and make it taste a little better. I do the same thing with some of the classic ideas that have been used for years with dinners and try to make them taste better without all of the preservatives or other additives that might be in the products you buy. This is was the case with two recipes I tried recently. First up is a very simple version of the classic Shake N’ Bake pork chops. More than likely, you have all tried the coating at one point in your lives. You probably had it when you were younger and maybe even made it yourself when you have been cooking. This recipe brings back that nostalgic feel by updating it a bit and making it taste even better, along with a simple peaches spiked with mustard to replace the applesauce.

Not Quite Shake N’ Bake Pork Chops with Peaches and Mustard

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon pepper

4 eggs

2 cups panko bread crumbs

4 boneless thin-cut loin pork chops, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

2 cups vegetable oil

2 ripe peaches or any stone fruit, such as nectarines, plums or apricots, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees. In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, salt and pepper. in a separate dish, beat the eggs. in a third dish, spread the panko bread crumbs.

Working with 1 pork chop at a time, dredge the chop in the seasoned flour, then dip it in the egg (shaking off any excess egg), then dip the chop in the panko bread crumbs, pressing firmly so the crumbs adhere well. Repeat the process until all of pork chops have been breaded.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over high heat until it registers 375 degrees. Carefully lower to chops into the oil and fry for 2 minutes, until just golden brown. Flip and fry the chops for 2 minutes more until the other side is golden. Remove the pork from the oil and transfer the chops to a clean dish and place on a rack in the oven to keep warm until the remaining chops have been cooked. Repeat the process with the remaining pork chops.

For the compote, toss together the peaches, mustard, salt and parsley until blended. Serve with the pork chops.

Using the panko really does give the crisp coating that you would get with Shake N’ Bake. Pounding the chops thin make them cook even faster, so this meal can be made very quickly for you in a matter of minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight meal. Serve it with some rice and the peach compote (or homemade applesauce if you prefer)and you have a great meal. I actually served this with the polenta and roasted vegetables recipe I posted last week.

With a little planning, you can have the next recipe for a very healthy dessert. I came across this recipe on Bon Appetit’s website. It is so simple it was impossible to pass up and try just to see how it would come out. It is for banana-blueberry “ice cream.” It’s not quite ice cream since there is no dairy at all in it, but you do get the creamy texture and great flavor in just 3 ingredients.

Banana-Blueberry “Ice Cream”

4 firm, ripe bananas, cut into chunks and frozen overnight

1 cup blueberries

Pinch of kosher salt

Puree the bananas, blueberries and salt in a food processor, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth and creamy.

The ice cream can be 5 days ahead. Simply cover and freeze it. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. It is very creamy, has great fruit flavor without fat or cholesterol and is only 120 calories a serving. It’s a fantastic fruit snack. Michelle and I both really liked it and Sean liked it too, though he thought it needed some sugar, which we were trying to avoid by making this in the first place.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again to see what recipes come up this week. I do have some plans for a new version of spaghetti and meatballs, some honey roasted ribs and we still have the lemon icebox pie to come, so keep checking back to see what shows up. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 10, 2013 in Cooking, Dessert, Dinner, Pork, Sauce

Tags: banana-blueberry "ice cream", bon appetit, homemade shake n bake pork chops, pork chops with peaches and mustard, shake n bake pork chops

Keep it Simple – Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Peanuts

06 Sep

Stir fry is a great weeknight meal. You can plan everything out, make use of any vegetables you may have around, any protein that you want to use or any sauce you want to create. You can really do anything you want with them. I had some pork chops that I wasn’t sure how I wanted to cook so I did some searching and found this recipe from Bon Appetit for a very simple pork stir fry that tasted great.

Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Peanuts

12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1-inch strips

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths

1 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch strips

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

Mix the pork, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the honey, half of the garlic, and the crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of honey in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook the green beans in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until they are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots to the green beans in the water; cook for 1 minute. Drain the carrots and the green beans. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat.

Add the pork mixture and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer the pork to a separate dish. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet; add the red bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the green beans, the carrots, the ginger, and the remaining garlic; stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the pork to the skillet along with the reserved soy sauce-honey mixture. Stir everything well until it is heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the stir fry to a bowl. Sprinkle the stir fry with the sliced green onions and the chopped peanuts and serve.

This is very simple to make and you will likely spend more time preparing everything than you actually will cooking. The green beans are nice and crisp and pick up a little bit of the soy sauce and honey flavor from the pork. If you don’t want to add the peanuts or have nut allergies, you can certainly leave them out of the dish altogether.

I made this dish with some homemade fried rice since we had some leftover rice to work with. I used a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen that I have used before and was able to use a lot of leftovers we had like the rice, a leftover pork chop from the other night and some frozen peas. All in all it was a very simple meal that you can make anytime and easily substitute out other ingredients if you wish.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time to see what other recipes come along. I still have the homemade Shake N’ Bake pork chops and I am planning to make the lemon icebox pie this weekend, so check back for those. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 6, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork, Rice

Tags: bon appetit, fried rice, pork stir fry, pork stir fry with green beans and peanuts

Side Dish or Main Dish – Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

05 Sep

I saw this recipe from Williams-Sonoma about 2 weeks ago and knew I wanted to give it a try. I have been trying to introduce more things polenta into our meals to cut back on starches like potatoes, bread and white rice. Sean isn’t exactly thrilled with it so far, so I try to do things with it to make it a little more palatable to him. This recipe could easily be a main course on its own if you wanted a vegetarian meal or you can use it as a side dish for a meal, which is what I did.

Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pans

1 small eggplant, cunt into 3/4-inch pieces

2 small zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 small yellow squash, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/2 red onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup stone ground cornmeal (polenta)

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a rimmed baking sheet and an 8-inch baking dish with olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, red onion and bell pepper. Drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast, tossing once, until the vegetables are caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes. Set the vegetables aside and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly, very slowly add the polenta. Cook, stirring constantly, until the polenta begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking the polenta, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft, about 25 minutes. Add the butter and Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese has melted. Pour the polenta into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.

Bake the polenta just until it begins to set, about 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and top the polenta evenly with the roasted vegetables. Place the polenta back in the oven and continue to bake it until the vegetables are heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve the polenta directly from the dish.

I did change a few things about the original recipe. The original recipe also calls for 2 cups of Fontina cheese to be added at the same time as the Parmesan. I did not have any on hand, so I just used the Parmesan instead and I think it turned out fine. Since I am not a cheese eater, this was more than enough for me but you may like it even better with the Fontina. Also, I did not use the eggplant or the pepper. Michelle and Sean are not big eggplant fans, so I omitted it from the recipe and used extra zucchini and squash instead. I also did not have an orange pepper so I added a diced carrot instead for similar color. You could easily make this as a main course for a meal and it would be quite filling. We have leftovers to use as side dishes for other meals this week. I loved the creaminess of the polenta and the vegetables added just the right texture and flavor to the dish.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes I have been working on. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!