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Say It’s Simple with Sheet Pan Shrimp and Vegetables

So it’s been way too long since I have done any blog posting at all and I came to the decision yesterday that I need to start making more time to do it, so here I am. Since my last original post I have made lots of great things so I have all kinds of fun recipes to share. Some I have pictures for and some I do not since I had to switch phones in the midst and lost some photos along the way, but I will do my best to keep up with everything.

For the first recipe upon return, we have an easy sheet pan shrimp and vegetables recipe I picked up from the Tasting Table. Sheet pan dinners are just as good as skillet dinners since you can do everything in just one pan for easy clean up and if you use aluminum foil on the bottom of the pan the clean up gets even easier for you. This recipe is a nice combination of shrimp and vegetables and has an Italian/Mediterranean flair to it with a great dressing for the vegetables. It is very much like a panzanella salad meal you might make. Best of all, you can put it all together pretty quickly and have dinner on the table in about 20 to 30 minutes.

Sheet Pan Shrimp and Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

For the Shrimp:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Dressing:

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

¼ cup olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Salad:

8 ounces asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

½ cup marinated artichokes hearts

½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, halved

½ red onion, large dice

¼ cup (10 each) sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

Dressing

4 cups roughly torn sourdough bread

For Assembly:

½ cup (6 ounces) small mozzarella balls, halved

¼ cup parsley leaves

¼ cup basil leaves, torn

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare the shrimp: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, toss all of the shrimp ingredients together and place the shrimp in the center of the sheet tray.

To make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey. While whisking constantly, slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, toss the asparagus, artichoke hearts, olives, red onion and sun-dried tomatoes with the dressing to coat. Scatter the vegetables around the shrimp, then top the salad with the chunks of sourdough bread. Bake the shrimp and vegetables until the shrimp are cooked and the bread is crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Transfer the contents of the baking sheet to a large bowl and toss with the mozzarella balls, parsley leaves and torn basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to a platter and serve.

I did make a couple of slight changes to the recipe. Instead of using sun-dried tomatoes, which I didn’t have on hand, I used grape tomatoes instead. I also added a couple of ears of corn on the cob that I had cut into thirds to roast along with the other vegetables. Personally I liked the way it all turned out this way. I simply served the sheet tray platter on the table for the 3 of us and kept the mozzarella balls on the side for anyone to add if they wanted them. The vinegar dressing went really well with all of the vegetables and left a nice bite on the asparagus, artichoke hearts and red onion. The shrimp was done perfectly. I had used some wild American shrimp I got on sale and they were an ideal size and tasted delicious. The garlic and lemon also worked over to the corn on the sheet to give the corn some great added flavor. The sourdough bread worked nicely as well and was great for sopping up the dressing. It was certainly an easy meal to make and one that you can put together quickly on those busy summer nights.

That’s the recipe for today. I’ll try to be back tomorrow and get on a better routine again to keep things going. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day now that summer is here and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on June 22, 2016 in Cooking, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Seafood, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Tags: one pot meals, sheet pan shrimp and vegetables, shrimp dinner, Tasting Table

It’s Lunch Time! How About a Nice Chicken-Avocado Salad Sandwich?

29 Apr

I love to have a sandwich for lunch (or for dinner for that matter) and very often, if I have some leftover chicken, I will make some chicken salad to have on a sandwich. I guess I have always tried it the traditional way with some mayonnaise, a little bit of celery and some salt and pepper and that’s about it. For me that is all I really need. When I had some leftover boneless chicken breasts I had made for dinner recently I really wanted some chicken salad but I wanted to mix things up a little bit and try something different and maybe even a touch healthier. This recipe was in the last issue of Cook’s Country and is for chicken-avocado salad sandwiches, where the avocado and a simple vinaigrette combine together to take the place of the mayonnaise to make a nice alternative for you.

Chicken-Avocado Salad Sandwiches

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper

1 rip avocado, halved, pitted and chopped coarse

2 1/2 pounds cooked chicken, shredded or diced into bite-size pieces (about 3 cups)

8 slices sandwich bread, toasted

8-10 lettuce leaves (any variety)

2 tomatoes, cored and sliced thin

Combine the buttermilk, lime juice, olive oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper together in a medium bowl and mix until the ingredients are blended. Add the avocado and mash the avocado into the dressing with a fork. Stir in the chicken until it is fully combined into the avocado mixture. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.

Place a heaping 1/2 cup of the chicken salad on each of 4 bread slices. Divide and arrange the lettuce leaves and the tomatoes over the chicken salad, then top the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices and serve.

I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by the flavor and texture of the chicken salad using these ingredients. I didn’t miss the mayonnaise at all in the mixture and I really liked the mix of the avocado, lime juice and buttermilk as it all seemed to come together very nicely. I used some spinach leaves and tomatoes to finish off the sandwich, but you could really add just about anything you want to this one to make it special – Romaine lettuce, Bibb lettuce, sliced red onion, pickles, some slices of bacon or anything else that you like to have with your chicken salad. I had mine on some homemade white bread and it was perfect, though I wish I had some homemade rye on hand because I think it would have been even better! All in all I think this is a great alternative when you want to have some chicken salad without the use of mayonnaise. I’ll definitely be making this one again next time I have some leftover chicken around.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Work has been keeping me pretty occupied so I haven’t had as much time as I would like to get on here, but I do have lots of other recipes to share and some new things to try, so keep checking back to see what comes along. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on April 29, 2015 in Cooking, Dinner, Lunch, Poultry, Sandwiches, Uncategorized

Tags: chicken salad, chicken-avocado salad, chicken-avocado salad sandwich, chicken-avocado salad sandwiches, Cook's Country chicken avocado salad

A One Pan Favorite – Chicken and Potatoes Sheet Pan Supper

24 Mar

One pot meals are always a favorite of mine no matter what time of year it may be. Anything that can get you a meal in one dish that tastes great and gives you fast and easy clean up is usually a winner in my book, particularly when you are rushed and need to get a lot of things done. Lately that seems to be the case around here nearly every day, with lots of work going on for Michelle and me and Sean keeping pretty busy with school as the school year comes up on their last break of the year before summer comes around. he’s been busy picking classes for his first year of high school next year so it’s been chaotic for all of us, which makes an easy meal to cook all the better for during the week. This recipe, from the Kitchn, is for a simple chicken and potatoes roasted together on a sheet pan. I did change it around just a bit as I added some carrots to the mix to really make it a complete meal in one, but it could stand on its own as the original as well.

Chicken and Potatoes Sheet Pan Supper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Zest of one lemon, grated on a fine microplane or grater

2 teaspoons Italian herbs, poultry seasoning or other spice or herb blend that you prefer

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds mixed chicken parts, bone-in and skin-on (thighs, legs, drumsticks and/or breasts)

4 russet potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. For easier clean-up, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. You can also use just a bare sheet pan if your prefer. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon zest, seasonings or herbs that you are using, salt and pepper until they are well blended.

Spread out the chicken and the potatoes on the sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle the oil and herb mixture evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Using your hands or a pair of tongs, flip and move the chicken and potatoes around until each piece is evenly coated with the mixture.

Place the sheet pan on the middle rack in the oven and allow the chicken and potatoes to roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken pieces register 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken meat and the potatoes are tender. If the chicken skin is not crisp enough to your liking, run the tray under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until the skin is crispy.

transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving dish or platter and serve hot.

As I said, I added carrots to the mix to round out the meal and a little bit of onion as well. You could put just about any type of vegetable you would like in the mix and I think they would roast nicely, like squash, turnips, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, parsnips or whatever you like best. I used only chicken breasts when I made it because that is what I had on hand but any pieces will work well. the only thing I found is that I needed to add a little bit more olive oil to the mixture with the herbs in order to get the consistency where it would drizzle nicely. With the original amounts it seemed more like a paste to me, which is fine if you don’t mind spreading it on with your hands. another tablespoons of oil though will do the trick I think. Overall it was a fast and easy meal that was perfect for a weeknight, with a nice mix of lemon and herbs (I used dried Italian seasoning on mine) to coat everything. You can serve this with a salad and you have the perfect meal in minutes.

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 March 24, 2015 in Cooking, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Potatoes, Poultry, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Tags: chicken and potatoes on a sheet pan, chicken and potatoes sheet pan supper, one pot meal chicken and potatoes, roasted chicken and potatoes, russet potatoes, The Kitchn

Try These Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes from The Food Network

28 Nov

Best Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes fromFood Network

Now that you have made it through Thanksgiving and have a pile of leftovers to deal with (or maybe you made just enough and had nothing left) you want to have some ideas on what to do with what you have left. Food Network has put together 42 great leftovers recipes so you can put together more than just a turkey sandwich. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on November 28, 2014 in Uncategorized

Tasty, Tantalizing and Terrific – Homemade Tater Tots with Spicy Mayonnaise

29 Oct

Sean has been asking me for months now to try my hand at making some homemade tater tots. Tater tots are pretty much a religious experience around my home and Michelle and Sean absolutely love them. When we have burgers, it’s always with tater tots. I have looked at recipes for homemade tots before and they always seemed very involved and difficult and didn’t look like they would really turn out all that great so I stayed away from them. A few days ago I saw this recipe from Bon Appetit and read through it and could not believe how easy it would be, so I knew this was going to be the time I would try it out.

Homemade Tater Tots with Spicy Mayonnaise

For the Spicy Mayonnaise:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

¼ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Tater Tots:

3 medium russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), scrubbed

2 scallions, chopped

½ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

¼ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sour cream or plain yogurt

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more

2 large eggs, beaten to blend

Vegetable oil, for frying

For the spicy mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise, adobo sauce, hot pepper sauce, and paprika, if using, in a small bowl; season the mayonnaise with salt and pepper to taste.

For the tater tots, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and bake them directly on an oven rack until the potatoes are very soft when they are squeezed, about 60 to 75 minutes. Let the potatoes cool slightly so they are easy to handle.

Cut the potatoes in half and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl; discard the potato skins. Mash the potatoes, then mix in the scallions, breadcrumbs, cream, sour cream, butter, granulated garlic, pepper, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Mix in the eggs until they are just combined. Roll 1-tablespoon portions of the potato mixture into balls.

Pour the vegetable oil into a medium skillet to a depth of ½-inch and heat the oil over medium heat until bubbles form immediately when a little potato mixture is added. Working in batches, fry the tater tots until they are a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain the tater tots on paper towels. Season the tater tots with salt to taste and serve them with the spicy mayonnaise.

I did do one thing that is not included in the recipe that does seem to make a difference, at least to me. After I rolled the tater tots (and I used a cookie scoop to roll them, the medium-sized one) I put them on a plate and put them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This seemed to firm the potatoes up nicely so they really held their shape well and went into the oil easily and did not fall apart along the way. I have to say while they are not exactly like the frozen tater tots you buy in the store, they are much creamier and have better texture. It kind of tastes like a deep-fried mashed potato, which for us was fantastic. They were really easy to make and came out perfectly for me and I think it made about 30 to 40 tater tots, which was plenty for us. It takes a little longer than opening up the bag out of the freezer but in my mind it is worth the effort to make them.

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 October 29, 2014 in Cooking, Potatoes, Sauce, Snacks, Uncategorized

Tags: bon appetit, Bon Appetit tater tots, homemade tater tots, homemade tater tots with spicy mayonnaise, spicy mayonnaise, tater tots, tater tots recipe

Step Up your Pulled Pork Leftovers with Pulled Pork and Pineapple Tacos

13 Aug

Pulled pork is one of those great meals to serve when you know you are having a crowd over for dinner, but it can also be great for a weeknight meal for the family and then give you plenty of leftovers to do something with. You certainly have your options when it comes to making the pulled pork itself. You can make it in the oven, smoke your own on the grill or smoker if you have one or even make it in the slow cooker to save you some time, energy and prevent the kitchen from overheating in the summer months. However you decide to make it, once you have the leftovers you may get a little tired of having pulled pork sandwiches or pulled pork over rice. Sure you can always whip up a batch of pulled pork nachos, but I decided to take some of what I had leftover and make use of this recipe from Kelsey Nixon of the Cooking Channel. While her recipe calls for the use of leftover shredded pork, I liked the way it worked with the pulled pork instead and decided to use it that way.

Pulled Pork and Pineapple Nachos

1 1/2 pounds of cooked pulled pork (in the oven or the slow cooker)

Corn or four tortillas, warmed

2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into a 1/2-inch dice

Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Shredded red cabbage or coleslaw, for garnish

Pickled red onions, for garnish

Guacamole, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish

Shredded Mexican cheese, for garnish

In a large saucepan, warm the pulled pork over medium heat until it is re-heated through. Warm the tortillas individually in a medium skillet set over high heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute or take a stack and wrap them in plastic wrap and heat them in the microwave for 1 minute until warmed through. Top the warmed tortillas with some of the pulled pork and the fresh diced pineapple. Add the other garnishes that you like, such as guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, coleslaw or shredded cabbage, shredded cheese or pickled red onions and serve. Let each person make their own tacos as they like it best.

This can’t get much easier and is a great use of your leftovers. The pineapple and pork go together really well and you get such great flavor from the spices of the pulled pork. I even added some of the black bean salad with mango I had made the day before to the dish for some extra freshness and bite and it really worked well. You could try this with any type of pork you may have leftover, such as tenderloin or chops and just cut them into thin strips and re-heat them lightly with some spice and you can have great tacos from that.

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 August 13, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Fruit, Leftovers, Pork, Uncategorized

Tags: black bean salad with mango, Cooking Channel, guacamole, Kelsey Nixon, pickled red onions, pulled pork, pulled pork and pineapple tacos, shredded pork and pineapple tacos

Simple, One Dish Italian Dinners, Part 1 – Lasagna

13 Dec

Okay, anyone who knows me personally know I don’t eat pasta or cheese, but that does not mean I won’t make it for someone else to enjoy. Michelle and Sean both really like lasagna, and since we had Sean’s birthday meal not that long ago, he decided that he wanted to have some lasagna for his dinner. For me, this needs to be as simple of a recipe as it can be, and Cook’s Illustrated gave me just that in their cookbook with a straightforward meat lasagna with not a lot of ingredients that was easy to make.

Meat Lasagna

Tomato Meat Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped fine

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground beef

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

Cheese Filling:

14 ounces (1 3/4 cups) ricotta cheese

2 1/2 ounces (1 1/4 cups) Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (4 cups)

12 no-boil lasagna noodles

For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the ground beef, salt, and pepper, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and only rendered fat remains, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and the diced tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until the flavors meld, about 3 minutes. Set the sauce aside.

For the cheese filling: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the basil, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Spread 1/4 cup of the meat sauce evenly over the bottom of a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles in a single layer on top of the meat sauce. Spread each noodle evenly with 3 tablespoons of the ricotta cheese mixture and sprinkle the entire layer with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce over the top. Repeat the layering of the noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and the meat sauce 2 more times. For the final layer, arrange the remaining 3 noodles on top and cover the top completely with the remaining meat sauce.. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese then sprinkle it with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake until the cheese is spotty brown and the edges are just bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes longer. Cool the lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.

It was much easier to make this way using the no-boil noodles, but if you prefer to make your own noodles then you should go right ahead. I know everyone has their own family lasagna recipe, but if you are making your own for the first time and need one to start with then this one is pretty good to use because it is easy to follow and gives you good results. you can serve this with a simple side salad and some homemade garlic bread and you are good to go for the night. I know we’ll be making it again since Sean and Michelle love it so much.

That’s all I have for today.Check back next time for another recipe and see what comes along. I still have lots to choose from. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on December 13, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Pasta, Uncategorized

Tags: cook's illustrated, Cook's Illustrated lasagna recipe, lasagna recipe, meat lasagna

Snacks Ahoy! Butter Toffee Popcorn and Lemon Yogurt Cake

13 Jul

Yesterday I decided to make a couple of new snack and dessert items that I had downloaded recipes for a while back. Sean had picked out the first one as something he wanted to try, which is Butter Toffee Popcorn. he helped me make it and there is not much too this recipe as far as ingredients or effort, but the final result is a great snack. I got the recipe from Cook’s Country, one of my favorite sources for recipes.

Butter Toffee Popcorn

3 quarts popped popcorn

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups salted peanuts

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 250 degrees. Grease a large roasting pan and place the popcorn in the pan.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and the baking soda (the mixture will foam a little). Add the peanuts and pour the mixture over the popcorn, tossing well to coat.

Bake, stirring occasionally, until the popcorn is a deep golden brown and the caramel has set, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool to room temperature and serve. The popcorn can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

This is certainly the easy way to make your own version of Cracker Jacks and save you some cash. You want to be sure to just use plain popcorn, not popcorn that is already seasoned with anything so you don’t get any additional flavors that might affect the caramel (unless that is what you want of course). Also, I used a disposable aluminum roasting pan when I did this to save myself the aggravation of having to try to wash a roasting pan with baked caramel stuck to it. Overall, it’s a pretty tasty snack that is very easy to make. I love toffee myself, so this worked out very well for all of us.

The second recipe I tried was one from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa of the Food Network. It is for a simple Lemon Yogurt Cake that makes for a great item for a brunch, to bring to a party or housewarming, or just to have in the morning with coffee or for dessert.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into 1 bowl. in another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure that it all gets well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1.3 cup of lemon juice and the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place the cake on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and the lemon juice and pour over the cake before serving.

I did opt to omit the second glaze even though I am sure it looks great and tastes great too. I just thought it was too much sugar overkill for the cake and I liked the way it looked with just the first lemon-sugar mixture on it. It has just the right amount of sweetness and lemon flavor. It’s a great cake to make without needing a lot of time or ingredients if you want something at the last minute.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again to see what other recipes come along. I still have a number of recipes I have tried recently to put up, including a roast chicken and vegetables recipe from Marc Murphy, a grilled sausages recipe from Bobby Flay and a pulled pork sliders recipe from Williams-Sonoma, among many others. Check back and see what comes along. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on July 13, 2013 in Cakes, Cooking, Dessert, Snacks, Uncategorized

Tags: Barefoot Contessa, butter toffee popcorn, Cook's Country, cracker jacks, homemade cracker jacks, Ina Garten, lemon yogurt cake

How to Roast a Chicken « Chef Marcus Samuelsson

03 May

How to Roast a Chicken « Chef Marcus Samuelsson.

Roasting a chicken is something I do about every 10 days. It’s a great meal that is not hard to make and usually will give you leftovers for at least one other meal and a carcass to make your own stock, which leads to even more meals. Some people feel intimidated about cooking a whole bird and want it to come out nice and crispy like it does when you go out to eat. It’s easier to do than you think and Marcus Samuelsson did a great blog post today with some recommendations on what you should do and a couple of recipes to boot. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on May 3, 2013 in Uncategorized

Tags: how to roast a chicken, Marcus Samuelsson, roast chicken

Pass the Parmesan Paninis!

07 Jun

I’ve had a few people ask me about sandwich recipes and trying to find some new ones. I am always on the lookout for a new sandwich recipe since it’s one of my favorite meals. They are perfect for busy weeknights, but you like to be able to vary things and offer some that are new and different. I happen to catch this one from Williams-Sonoma a few days ago and it sounded too good to pass up. We all love chicken parmesan, so why not have it on a sandwich that’s a Panini?

Chicken Parmesan Panini

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing

4 sandwich rolls, split (I am using ciabatta rolls, a personal favorite)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup dry bread crumbs

3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1 cup tomato sauce

Butterfly the chicken breasts, cut each one in half, and pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the 1 cup of oil to 350 degrees. Brush the rolls on both sides with oil. Preheat an electric Panini press to medium. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Put the flour and the eggs in separate breading trays or bowls. in another tray or bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the chicken into the eggs, letting the excess drip off. Place the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere.

Place 2 chicken pieces in the hot oil in the skillet and fry, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat to fry the remaining chicken.

Place 1 piece of chicken on the bottom of each roll and top with 1/3 cup mozzarella, 1 tablespoon of basil and 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Cover with the top halves of the rolls. Place two of the sandwiches on the preheated panini press, close the lid and cook until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and cut in half. Repeat to cook the remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately.

You could make several sides to go with the sandwiches, like a simple salad, or a little bit of pasta. I personally think the salad is perfect to go along side of the sandwich. Either by themselves or with a side, I think they make a great, easy meal. If you don’t have a panini press, no big deal, You could just make these as sandwiches or heat them in a skillet like you would a grilled cheese sandwich.

That’s today’s simple dinner. Tomorrow night I am making Turkey Chili, so you can check back for that one. It’s a family favorite around here and I always make extra to freeze some for another day. Make sure to come back tomorrow to check out the recipe. Until then, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!