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Pair Up the Pork – Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple-Scallion Chutney

When it comes to cooking pork, it seems to me the pork tenderloin is the forgotten son. Most people pay more attention to cooking pork chops or ribs and tend to overlook the greatness that the tenderloin can offer you. I find very often that pork tenderloin is on sale at one supermarket or another and since you get to in a package you can very often get a few meals at of just one purchase for about eight or nine dollars. Tenderloin is also very quick to cook so it makes an ideal choice for a weeknight meal when you may not have a lot of time to put into dinner. One thing I have noticed about pork tenderloin is that it does need some spice or seasoning to really jazz up the flavor. I had purchased pork tenderloin not that long ago and was looking for something different to do with it when I came across this recipe at Fine Cooking. The original recipe makes use of a pork loin, which is typically a little bit of a bigger and thicker roast and takes more time to cook but I did adapt it to the tenderloins that I had available and made it into a pretty tasty meal.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple-Scallion Chutney

2 large cloves garlic

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1-1/2 teaspoons toasted coriander seeds, ground (or just ground coriander)

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed

1 medium fresh pineapple (about 3-1/2 lb.)

1/4 cup maple syrup, preferably grade B

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 large shallot, minced

Pinch ground cayenne

1 large scallion, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Peel and coarsely chop the garlic. Sprinkle it with a generous pinch of salt and mash it to a paste with the side of a chef’s knife. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl and stir in the oil, lemon zest, coriander, and 1 tablespoon of salt.

Put the pork on a large rimmed baking sheet, pat it dry with paper towels, and rub the tenderloins all over with the salt mixture. Let the tenderloins sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°. Roast the pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 130°F. Factor in about 20 minutes per pound of cooking time for the tenderloins to reach this temperature.

Meanwhile, peel and core the pineapple. Cut half of the pineapple into a small dice and roughly chop the other half. Purée the roughly chopped pineapple in a blender, then strain it through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids with a spoon, to yield about 3/4 cup of pineapple juice. In a small saucepan, combine the strained pineapple juice and maple syrup and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 12 to 15 minutes. The liquid will become very bubbly as it reduces; lower the heat as necessary.

Set aside all but 2 tablespoons of the reduced liquid (this will be your glaze). Add the vinegar, shallot, cayenne, and a pinch of salt to the 2 tablespoons of liquid remaining in the saucepan and cook the mixture over medium heat just until the shallot begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the diced pineapple and scallion whites and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pineapple softens and releases some of its juice, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the chutney from the heat and let it cool slightly.

When the pork reaches 130°F, brush it with some of the glaze and continue to roast, brushing with more glaze every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast reads 145°F, about 20 minutes more. Let the tenderloins rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

When you are ready to serve, stir the scallion greens and cilantro into the chutney. Slice the pork into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and serve it with the chutney.

The recipe itself is pretty straightforward and you do want to keep a close eye on the tenderloins and the temperature to make sure that it is cooked all the way through. You may even want to sear the tenderloins on the stove top to get a little bit of color on them before you place them in the oven. I actually follow the recipe and glazed them every few minutes and then in the last two or three minutes of cooking placed them under the broiler to give them some extra color. The glaze has fantastic flavor with the combination of the maple syrup and pineapple and the chutney has a nice combination of heat and sweetness thanks to the cayenne pepper and the pineapple. The chutney makes quite a bit so you likely will have some left over (which I did) and then you can use it again as a side dish or other meals or even as a topping for chicken or hamburger. Overall it is a pretty quick meal that you can cook during the week that provide you with something different to do with pork. I served it with some plain white rice, steamed broccoli and homemade biscuits to complete the meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 17, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Fruit, Pork, Side Dishes

Tags: chutney recipe, Fine Cooking, glazed pork tenderloin, glazed pork tenderloin with pineapple-scallion chutney, pineapple chutney recipe, pineapple glazed pork tenderloin, pineapple-scallion chutney, pork tenderloin recipes

Bring on the Brussels Sprouts – Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

14 Nov

Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables, like cauliflower and beets, that you either love or you hate. Some people just do not like the look or texture of them or the way that they smell when they are cooked. I, on the other hand, am a big fan of Brussels sprouts and love to make them just about any time of the year, though they seem particularly well suited for fall and winter meals. To me they are a great side dish for any dinner entrée and can be something different and special for your Thanksgiving meal this year. There are a number of different ways to cook them, but I find roasting them gives them the best flavor. It also gives you a chance to add something to them to have their flavor come out even better and get a fabulous green color when they are cooked. I found this recipe from Food & Wine not long ago for maple-roasted Brussels sprouts that sounded like a really tasty way to bring sprouts to the table.

Maple- Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1/4 cup canola oil

2 1/4 pounds baby Brussels sprouts or regular Brussels sprouts that are halved lengthwise

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, cut into tablespoons and softened

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup Grade A pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 cup vacuum-packed roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped (6 ounces), optional

1 tablespoon walnut oil, optional

Heat the canola oil in a very large skillet until it is shimmering. Add the Brussels sprouts and season them with salt and pepper, then cook the sprouts over high heat without stirring until they are browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and brown sugar and cook the ingredients over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the brown sugar is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the maple syrup and cook, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts are just crisp-tender, about 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Add the chestnuts and walnut oil, if using, and cook until they are hot.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Brussels sprouts and chestnuts to a bowl. Boil the cooking liquid over high heat until it is thickened slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the Brussels sprouts and serve.

A couple of things about the original recipe. This recipe serves 10, so it is well-suited to use for Thanksgiving if you are having a lot of people over. For my purposes, I cut down the recipe significantly since they are only 3 of us for dinner. I cut everything in half and still had some leftovers. Also, the original recipe from Food & Wine doesn’t have the chestnuts and walnut oil as optional. While they might provide great crunch and flavor, I didn’t have either on hand and find both to be quite expensive for something that I would rarely use so I eliminated them and made them optional. If you love chestnuts and have walnut oil, I am sure they add to the dish but I think it was good without them. I loved the mix of the maple syrup and sprouts and the glaze created for the sprouts was fantastic. Make sure to use real maple syrup and not the pancake syrup (which isn’t really maple) to get the great taste. The Brussels sprouts were nicely browned and crisp and done just perfectly. It was the perfect side dish for the engagement chicken recipe I made the other day it was one I would make with turkey, poultry or pork.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

sprouts

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Posted by MikeG on November 14, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Side Dishes, Vegetables

Tags: Brussels sprouts, Brussels sprouts recipe, maple Brussels sprouts, maple-roasted Brussels sprouts, Thanksgiving side dish Brussels sprouts

Ina Knows What to do – Ina Garten’s Engagement Roast Chicken

11 Nov

It was great when Food Network actually concentrated on having cooking shows instead of all of the contests and reality shows that pretty much make up the network today. While it’s nice to go see some restaurants around the country and what they make, I would much rather see recipes and how to cook them. Other than watching Saturday or Sunday mornings, you are pretty hard-pressed to find a time when they actually have someone showing you how to cook something on television. That being said, when I am looking for a new recipe to use something specifically, I do often search Food Network’s website to see if they have anything interesting from when they actually did show cooking. Since I have made a lot of roast chickens, finding a different way to do it once in a while can be a challenge, but I found this recipe from Ina Garten for engagement roast chicken that was simple to do, used basic ingredients and produced great results.

Engagement Roast Chicken

1 (4 to 5 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons
1 whole head of garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
Olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Remove and discard the chicken giblets (or save them if you are planning to make stock with the carcass at a later time). Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Cut the lemons in quarters and place 2 quarters in the chicken along with the garlic and reserve the rest of the lemons. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a small (11 by 14-inch) roasting pan. (If the pan is too large, the onions will burn.) Place the reserved lemons and the sliced onions in a large bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the mixture around the chicken in the pan.

Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover it with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce, leaving the lemons and onions in the pan.

Place the pan on top of the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens. Add any juices that collect under the chicken. Carve the chicken onto a platter and serve with the lemons, onions, and warm sauce.

While it is a pretty basic recipe, it is nice to have one like this to fall back on when you want to add the simple flavors of garlic and lemon to your dish. The chicken comes out cooked perfectly and the sauce that you can make from the pan drippings has fantastic flavor to it thanks to the lemons and garlic. If you didn’t want to use white wine (which I didn’t), you can substitute water or just use all chicken stock instead and it will work also. You do want to make sure you are using lemons that are nicely ripened because if they are not you may end up with a sauce that is a little bit bitter to taste. You can always try to even out with a little more stock to cut the flavor of the lemons. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts, using a different sprouts recipe that I plan to post tomorrow that can be great for any poultry, especially as a side dish for Thanksgiving.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 11, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Uncategorized

Tags: engagement roast chicken, food network, Ina Garten chicken recipe, Ina Garten engagement roast chicken, roast chicken recipes

A Meal of One’s Own – Apple, Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

10 Nov

As tempting as it might be to make big ,filling meals all of the time like meatloaf, fried chicken, burgers and the like, sometimes you need something a bit more on a little bit lighter for dinner. Dinners like warm chicken salad or other refreshing salads seem to go well with warmer weather and the summer and fall weather is a great opportunity to not only do things with soups but also with all of the great winter squash that is available. A lot of the squash you find can serve as a great vehicle not only as the vegetable of your dish but also as part of the serving and presentation. My favorite thing is to try to do this with acorn squash. You can get them at just the right size so that when they are halved they make a great serving bowl all of their own that you can eat practically all the way through. Naturally, you want to be able to fill the squash with some great ingredients and I took a cue from this recipe at The Pretend Baker and took the opportunity to not only use some of her ingredients but add my own and use up some of the leftover wild rice we had from a previous meal.

Apple, Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 medium acorn squashes

2 tablespoons butter, plus more if necessary

1 pound pork sausage, casings removed

1 large sweet onion

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, minced

1/2 cup cooked wild rice

1 large egg, beaten

Salt and pepper, to taste

¾ cup shredded white cheddar, mozzarella or Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squashes in half, remove the seeds and place the squash halves on a baking dish, cut side down, and roast them for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the flesh is easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove the squash from the oven, turn the temperature down to 375 degrees, flip the squash over and allow them to cool until you are able to handle them.

Meanwhile, heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and cook the sausage until it is browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the sausage to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet along with the minced onion, celery and chopped apple. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and the apple is soft about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the garlic and minced herbs and saute for about 30 seconds until they are fragrant.

Remove the onion and garlic mixture to another plate or bowl.

Add the remaining butter to the skillet and return the onion/apple mixture to the skillet along with cooked sausage and all the accumulated juices.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out most of the flesh, leaving some in the skin for sturdiness.

Add the squash flesh to the pan and stir until well incorporated. Add the wild rice to the pan and stir. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Mix in the beaten egg and fill squash halves. You may have leftover filling – just add it to an oven safe dish.

Top the squash with shredded cheese, return the squash halves to the oven on the same baking sheet and bake them for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and brown.

Let the squash stand for 10 minutes before serving.

The blend of flavors and spices here make the kitchen smell great and you end up with a really nice meal all in one package. I loved the mix of the sausage, apple, squash and wild rice together. It was very hearty, warming and filling. While I didn’t top mine with cheese, Michelle and Sean both had cheese on theirs and said it was delicious. The great thing about this meal is that you can leave out the sausage entirely if you want to make this a vegetarian dish. You could also substitute in just about any grain that might you like instead of wild rice – brown rice, barley, quinoa, for example – and still have a wonderful meal. The leftovers are great for lunches as well as they are already nicely portioned out and if you have any stuffing leftover after filling the squash it makes a great side dish for chicken, turkey or even a pork dish.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 10, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Leftovers, One Pot Meals, Rice, Sausage, Vegetables

Tags: apple and sausage stuffed acorn squash, apple sausage and wild rice stuffed acorn squash, one pot meals, stuffed acorn squash, The Pretend Baker, winter squash recipes

A Classic Michelle Favorite for Her Birthday – Chicken Parmesan

09 Nov

Michelle’s birthday was earlier this week and with every birthday we have in our little family, the person celebrating gets to pick what they might like to have for their birthday meal. Since she travels a lot for business, she doesn’t always get the chance to enjoy a lot of home-cooked meals so I wanted to be sure to make something for her that I know she really enjoys. Since I typically do not make a lot of dishes that involve cheese or pasta and these are two of her favorites, it seemed only fair that I make one of her all-time favorite dishes for her birthday – chicken Parmesan. Chicken Parmesan is one of those meals that many people say they love but not it is often relegated to something you order out when you go to an Italian place and are not sure about what to get. The fact is that it is pretty easy for you to make on your own, requiring just a little bit of effort and ingredients, so that you can make a good meal. I used this recipe from Melissa Clark at New York Times Cooking this go around to turn out a flavorful meal.

Chicken Parmesan

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, turkey or pork cutlets (or use chicken thighs for even more flavor)

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

2 to 3 cups panko bread crumbs, as needed

Kosher salt, as needed

Black pepper, as needed

Olive oil, for frying

5 cups Simple Tomato Sauce (see recipe below) or your favorite store-bought or homemade sauce

1 cup finely grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

½ pound fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the cutlets between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a kitchen mallet or rolling pin, pound the meat to even 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Place the flour, eggs and panko bread crumbs into three wide, shallow bowls. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Dip a piece in the flour, then the eggs (shaking off any excess), then coat with the panko. Repeat the process until all the meat is coated.

Fill a large skillet with 1/2-inch of the olive oil. Place the skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the cutlets in batches, turning each halfway through the cooking process, until they are just golden brown in color, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle one-third of the Parmesan cheese over the sauce. Place half of the cutlets over the Parmesan and top the cutlets with half the mozzarella pieces. Top the cutlets again with half the remaining sauce, sprinkle with another third of the Parmesan, and repeat layering, ending with a final layer of sauce and Parmesan.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the cutlets until the cheese is golden and the casserole is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let the chicken Parmesan cool a few minutes before serving.

For the Sauce:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon red chile flakes (optional)

2 (28-ounce) cans whole or diced plum tomatoes

2 sprigs basil or 1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon black pepper

In a large, straight-sided skillet set over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until it is just lightly golden. Add the chile flakes if desired and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes and the juices, basil or bay leaf, and salt and pepper.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and the tomatoes have mostly fallen apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the sauce at a steady simmer. If you are using whole plum tomatoes, mash them up with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to help them break down. Remove the sauce from the heat and discard the basil or bay leaf.

The recipe itself is quite simple; you just need to do some of the prep work to get the chicken ready for frying. I used as little oil as I could so that there is minimal grease and frying and the chicken turns out very nice and crisp thanks to the panko. The layering then becomes the key so that you can get a really nice mix of the Parmesan, crispy chicken, sauce and fresh mozzarella. The cooking process leaves you with very tender yet crispy chicken with a great blend of flavors. You could use breasts or thighs here or even use turkey or pork or eggplant instead if you prefer. The process is still the same no matter the protein. Pounding it flat helps to ensure even cooking overall. I served this with some pasta and having some nice crunchy bread or garlic bread and a salad to go with it can help to round out the meal. The recipe makes plenty (it says six servings, but I think there is more), and we had leftovers that make for great lunches or to have as a chicken Parmesan sandwich at another time. The sauce recipe is a nice one as well – very easy to make with a hint of heat – and it makes more than enough for the chicken, but you can always use your favorite tomato sauce from the store instead if you like.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 9, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Pasta, Poultry

Tags: chicken parmesan, chicken parmesan recipe, classic chicken Parmesan, Melissa Clark, New York Times Cooking chicken parmesan, Simple tomato sauce recipe, tomato sauce recipe

Our 20 Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes – Recipes from NYT Cooking

05 Nov

It’s that time of year again – when people begin to think about Thanksgiving and what the meal will contain. It’s never too early to start planning out your menu and the more organized you can be the smoother the days leading up to and Turkey Day will be for you. A good place to start is to consider some of the side dishes that you will want to make for the day. New York Times Cooking has put together 20 of their most popular Thanksgiving side dishes so you can see some classic recipes or give something new a try this year. Check it out!

Source: Our 20 Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes – Recipes from NYT Cooking

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Posted by MikeG on November 5, 2016 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Holidays, Potatoes, Produce, Rice, Side Dishes, Vegetables

Another New Take on a Classic – Chicken Fajitas

02 Nov

Everyone has recipes that they generally try to fall back on time and again. I know for me, I very often make things like meatloaf, hamburgers or roasted chicken and just try to vary things up in different ways each time I do it so we do not get bored with the same old recipe. Such is the case with chicken fajitas. I have been making different types of fajitas for years because it has always been a family favorite. We vary the protein used-sometimes beef, sometimes shrimp, sometimes chicken-but the rest of the recipe always seems to stay pretty much the same. I was looking for something a little bit different this time to spice things up and get a little more flavor out of the dish when I came across this recipe at New York Times Cooking from Martha Shulman. This recipe adds a little bit more spice than some of the other usual recipes I have seen and it sounded like it was a good one to try.

Chicken Fajitas

Finely grated zest of 1 lime (about 2 teaspoons)

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Salt and black pepper

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo

1 chipotle chile in adobo, seeded and minced (optional)

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 large red or yellow onion, halved and sliced

2 red bell peppers (or 1 red and 1 orange or yellow), seeded and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1 jalapeño or 2 Serrano chiles, minced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

4 large flour or 8 corn tortillas

1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil (or use olive oil)

1 romaine heart, sliced crosswise

Salsa, for serving

Queso fresco or other cheese, for sprinkling

Guacamole, for serving

Sour Cream, for serving

In a small bowl, combine the lime zest and lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, the adobo sauce and optional minced chipotle, 1/4 cup of olive oil and half the garlic. Mix the ingredients well. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the marinade.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in a resealable bag. Pour in the marinade and seal the bag. Move the chicken around to coat it well with the marinade, place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate it for 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours). Flip the bag over from time to time to redistribute the marinade.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring, until they soften and begin to color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and chile and cook, stirring, until the peppers begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn the heat to medium, add the remaining garlic and cumin and salt to taste, and cook, stirring often, until the peppers are nicely seared, softened and beginning to caramelize, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Pour in the reserved 2 tablespoons of the marinade and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Add half the cilantro, and stir the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove the mixture from the heat but keep it warm.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in a low temperature oven, or wrap them in a towel and warm them in a steamer or in the microwave.

Heat the grapeseed or canola oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Add the chicken to the pan, rounded side down, and sear the breasts for about 3 to 4 minutes, until they are lightly charred. Flip the breasts over, pour in the marinade, cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the chicken for about 12 to 15 minutes, flipping the breasts over from time to time, until a thermometer registers 160 to 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part. Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and cover them with foil. Let the chicken sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut the breasts across the grain into 1/2 – to 3/4-inch thick strips.

Arrange the romaine lettuce on a platter, then place the chicken next to lettuce. Tip the juices from cutting board over the chicken and sprinkle the chicken with cilantro. Serve the vegetables on the same platter or separately. Serve with warm tortillas, salsa and crumbled queso fresco or other cheese, guacamole and sour cream.

I made one slight change to the recipe as I went along and added the sliced chicken back into the pan with the vegetables so that everything could mix together and the flavors could meld, but other than that, I followed it as is. These fajitas are a bit spicier than what you might usually have because of the adobo sauce, which is usually spicy on its own even if you just use a little bit. I did add any chopped chipotle to the dish because I thought the heat might be too much for everyone, but if you like spicy then you should go for it. This recipe had the best flavor of any fajitas recipe I have tried before and I think the sauce makes a real difference in giving flavor in the marinade to the chicken and the vegetables. I think the marinade would work just as well with beef if you wanted to try it and you can certainly substitute chicken thighs for breasts if you prefer. The recipe makes plenty and we even had some leftover that I was able to have for lunch the next day. Serve the fajitas with any of your favorite fixings – lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, different cheeses – and you could even double the recipe if you are serving a big crowd. This one certainly went over well at our house so I’ll be using it again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, Enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 2, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry

Tags: chicken fajitas, chicken fajitas recipe, fajitas, fajitas recipe, Martha Shulman, New York Times Cooking, NYT Cooking fajitas recipe

A New Take on a Takeout Classic – Chinese Fried Rice

01 Nov

Everyone always has their favorite dish when it comes to getting Chinese food. While some people will always defer to things like egg rolls, beef and broccoli, wonton soup, General Tso’s chicken or Mushu pork, there always seems to be one thing that is consistent with all Chinese food takeout orders – fried rice. The great thing about fried rice is that it goes so well with any of the entrées you might choose for takeout but it can also be an entrée all of its own. There are different varieties available from whatever place you normally get your Chinese food from but fried rice is easy enough where you can make something like this right at home to go with your favorite Asian meal or just to have as the centerpiece of your dinner. I have tried a few different fried rice recipes over the years and recently came across this one at Food.com that promise to have the taste and flavor just like you get from your favorite takeout place.

Chinese Fried Rice

³⁄₄cup finely chopped onion

2 ¹⁄₂tablespoons oil

1 egg, lightly beaten (or more eggs if you like)

3 drops soy sauce

3 drops sesame oil

8 ounces cooked lean boneless pork or 8 ounces chicken, chopped

¹⁄₂cup finely chopped carrot (very small)

¹⁄₂cup frozen peas, thawed

4 cups cold cooked rice, grains separated (preferably medium grain)

4 green onions, chopped

2 cups bean sprouts (optional)

2 tablespoons soy sauce(add more if you like)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat; add the chopped onions and stir-fry until the onions turn a nice brown color, about 8-10 minutes; remove the onions from the skillet.

Allow the skillet to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, mix the egg with 3 drops of soy sauce and 3 drops of sesame oil; set the bowl aside.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet, swirling to coat the surface; add the egg mixture. Working quickly, swirl the egg until the egg sets against the skillet. When the egg puffs, flip the egg and cook the other side briefly. Remove the egg from the skillet and chop the egg into small pieces. Set the egg aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet. Add the selected meat to the skillet, along with the carrots, peas, and cooked onion. Stir-fry the ingredients for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the cooked rice, green onions, and bean sprouts (if using), tossing the ingredients to mix everything well and stir-fry for about 3 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the chopped egg to the rice mixture and fold them into the rice. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute more and serve.

As is always the case with fried rice, you can use any type of protein you like with the dish – beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu – or no meat at all and keep everything vegetarian. I did find that this recipe does seem to taste a lot like takeout rice. I am not sure if it is the amount of soy used or just the method, but the taste was really close for me. I served this with the chicken teriyaki I made and it complemented the meal perfectly, but as I said this fried dish could stand on its own as a meal if you want something easy one night and have some leftover protein and vegetables to deal with. I even threw in some leftover asparagus tips into the mix to top ours off.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on November 1, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, Leftovers, One Pot Meals, Rice, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Tags: Chinese Fried Rice, Food.com, Food.com Chinese Fried Rice, fried rice, fried rice recipe, Make takeout fried rice at home

How to Use Squash, from Frying to Dips | Bon Appetit

29 Oct

Fall weather is upon us and winter is not far behind and among the bounty of great vegetables available this time of year or all the different types of squash that you can get. The choices seem almost endless and if you are looking for some ideas of what you can do with the different types of squash out there Bon Appetit has 23 squash recipe ideas you can try out that are ideal for all different types of cooking and baking. Check it out!

Source: How to Use Squash, from Frying to Dips | Bon Appetit

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Posted by MikeG on October 29, 2016 in Appetizers, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Produce, Salad, Side Dishes, Soups & Stews, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Tags: 23 squash recipes, Bon Appetit 23 squash recipes, how to use squash, squash recipes, ways to use winter squash, winter squash recipes

Cast a Vote for Your Cast Iron Pan – Cast Iron Chicken Teriyaki Thighs

28 Oct

It is hard to conceive of cooking any other way than with cast-iron for me lately. I have a few cast-iron pans that are used for just about everything because they cook very well, retain heat nicely and are pretty easy to clean. I have a few different sizes of pans and skillet so I can do pretty much anything from a small meal to a larger roast in the oven. If you take good care of your cast-iron pans, they can last for many years and you will not have to worry about food sticking to the pan if it is seasoned correctly. Outside of all that, I find that I can get a really nice sear and great browning on things like chicken when I use cast-iron. When I came across this recipe for cast-iron chicken teriyaki thighs from the Taste and Tell Blog, it seemed like a perfect fit for an easy weeknight meal. The original recipe is from a Americans Test Kitchen cookbook called “Cook It With Cast Iron.”

Cast Iron Chicken Teriyaki Thighs

8 bone-in chicken thighs, fat trimmed

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cups soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons mirin

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

2 green onions, thinly sliced on a bias

Set an oven rack in the center of the oven. Place a large cast-iron skillet on the rack, then preheat the oven to 500°.

While the skillet is heating, The chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper.

When the oven reaches 500°, using potholders, remove the skillet from the oven and place it on the stove over medium heat. You can turn off the oven at this point. Add the vegetable oil, and heat the oil in till it is just smoking. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin side down. Place a weighted Dutch oven over the chicken to weigh it down, and cook the chicken until the skin is crispy and well browned, about 16 to 20 minutes. Start checking the chicken at about ten minutes and adjust the heat as it is needed.

When the chicken is crispy and browned, remove the Dutch oven and flip the chicken thighs. Cook the second side (without being weighted down) until it is browned and crispy and when the chicken reaches 175° as an internal temperature, about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

In a bowl, whisk the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger and cornstarch together until all of the ingredients are well blended and the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour the fat off of the cast-iron skillet and add the mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and becomes glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the skillet with the sauce. Turn the chicken to coat it well in the sauce. Sprinkle the chicken with the green onions. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.

Just a note about weighing down the chicken so that you get a really nice sear on it. If you do not want to make a mess of your Dutch oven pan, you can always place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the chicken and then place the Dutch oven on top you will be able to get just the effect you are looking for without having to worry about cleaning another pot once you are done. You can also throw a couple of unopened cans that you may have in your pantry into the Dutch oven to give it even more weight. The final result of the recipe is a very nice crispy skin that has a beautiful coating of the teriyaki sauce on top. The taste of the sauce was fantastic with the chicken and I served the dish with some fried rice that I had made to really make it a somewhat more Asian inspired dish. You can do the entire meal in under thirty minutes so it can be a great choice for any weeknight.

That is all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!