Quick Chicken Stroganoff

I had a can of cream of mushroom soup and knew that there was a recipe out there that could turn it into a quick dinner. I looked up the Campbell's site, as much as I hate product placement :) This was actually good, and made me realize that I can really just throw some chicken breasts on heat and turn out a filling meal. I don't know why I lean towards the complicated when it comes to dinner...

Quick Mushroom Chicken Bake - from Campbell's Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
Lemon pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, crushed
Ground black pepper
12 ounces extra-wide egg noodles

To make:
1. Season both sides of the chicken with the lemon pepper seasoning. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until well browned on both sides. Place the chicken into a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Stir the soup, mushrooms, milk, cheese and garlic in a small bowl. Season with the black pepper. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (use a thermometer to cook to an internal temperature of 165 F). Prepare the noodles as per package instructions. Serve the chicken and sauce over the cooked noodles.

Lamb and Spinach Stew

Lamb and spinach stew

2 lb of lamb shoulder
2 bags of fresh or 4 boxes of frozen chopped Spinach
Salt and Pepper
½ tsp of all spice
½ tsp of Cinnamon
2 bay leaves
½ tsp of Cardamom
2 onion cut in small pieces
2 14oz cans of garbanzo beans

1. Wash the lamb pieces with some salt and a little vinegar.
2. Bring to boil and rinse.
3. Sautee the lamb pieces with onions and a little Olive oil
4. Add water to cover and boil until lamb is tender.
5. In the mean time add salt, pepper, the bay leaves, cardamom, and cinnamon to the boiling water.
6. If you have fresh spinach you need to cut the stems off and wash the leaves very carefully. Place in a deep pot and soak with water then rinse and strain.
7. If you using frozen, just defrost and add to the pot on low heat until water is almost drained.
8. Add another chopped onion and sauté with olive oil until green color turns darker.
9. When the meat is well cooked, add the Spinach to it and the garbanzo beans after you wash and strain them. Let it cook all together and add salt and pepper if needed.
10. Also add more water if needed but not too much.
11. Cook for another 30 min and serve over rice. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

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Spanish-style Chicken with Rice

I love a good one pot meal and Arroz con Pollo always looks delicious when they make it on tv. This took me around exactly an hour and wasn't complicated at all. Though it was a little under-spiced for me, of course my husband thought there were enough spices. I added some smoked paprika to the chicken before browning it though the original recipe only called for salt and pepper. If you're using a smaller chicken you can use a 12-inch skillet, but that was too small for my 4-lb chicken.

Spanish-Style Chicken with Saffron Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 1/4 cups + 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes including juice
3/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 bay leaf (not California)
1 cup frozen peas (not thawed)


Garnish: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Pat chicken dry and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a dutch oven over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken with tongs to a plate.

Add onion, bell pepper, and salt to taste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, and rice, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 cups broth and boil, uncovered, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, rest of chicken broth, saffron, and bay leaf. Nestle chicken in rice, adding any juices from plate.

Cook, covered, over low heat until chicken is cooked through, rice is tender, and most of liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf.



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Mary Alice's Deviled Eggs

I saw this one made during an episode of Ace of Cakes. Yummy!




Mary Alice’s Deviled Eggs
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

12 hard boiled eggs (use the oldest eggs that are still ok to eat. Put them directly into gently boiling water and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Shell.)

Slice eggs in half and remove yolks into large bowl.

Smoosh up yolks really good with a fork, then add:
6 tablespoons mayo
6-8 teaspoons of minced fresh tarragon, fresh Italian parsley, and fresh chives (no substitutions here – this is the key to the yum)
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
3 teaspoons champagne vinegar
3 minced shallots
1 splash of Worcestershire sauce
lots of ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot curry powder (more to taste)

Use pastry bag to fill eggs. Sprinkle with hot paprika.

Enjoy!



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Spinach Dip

This was a request from a friend for an easy Spinach Dip. I love CI. Nuf said.

Creamy Herbed Spinach Dip

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
From Cook's Illustrated

Note: Partial thawing of the spinach produces a cold dip that can be served without further chilling. If you don't own a microwave, the frozen spinach can be thawed at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours then squeezed of excess liquid. The garlic must be minced or pressed before going into the food processor; otherwise the dip will contain large chunks of garlic.

Ingredients
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons thin-sliced scallions , white parts only, from 3 medium scallions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill leaves
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce , such as Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 medium red bell pepper , diced fine (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions
1. Thaw spinach in microwave for 3 minutes at 40 percent power. (Edges should be thawed but not warm; center should be soft enough to be broken apart into icy chunks.) Squeeze partially frozen spinach of excess water.
2. In food processor, process spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, dill, parsley, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and stir in bell pepper; serve. (Dip can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 2 days.)

Chicken and Risotto

I like the food network, but lately I've just been sick of the late night shows that are all I end up watching because I get home from work at 6 or 7pm. I mean how many cake-making challenges can a person watch? But since we got DVR I've been recording some of the daytime shows when they actually cook food. Sandra Lee is one of them, and though I know a lot of people complain that she uses a lot of supermarket/prepared ingredients like spice mixes, etc., it's really the most realistic way to cook for some people who either need to save money or save time. I am often that person, and then other times I want to do everything from scratch. One episode of Sandra's Money Saving Meals involved a Chicken Scaloppine and Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto. I was intrigued to make the risotto because I've never done it before and she made it look so easy. Simple it was not, but the meal is really something anybody could try and be relatively successful at. And it tasted yummy. All I need to figure out is how to prevent the risotto from sticking to the bottom of the skillet like that Iranian burnt rice :P

Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto

from Sandra Lee

This recipe actually makes quite a bit of risotto, because it's designed to make a second recipe as leftovers. I just made the whole thing cause it's that good that I knew I would want more :)

Ingredients:
1 head garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cans water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the top off the head of garlic. Put it on a large square of aluminum foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon of the extra-virgin olive oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap the foil around and over the garlic. Roast until it is soft, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Pour the 2 cans of broth into a saucepan, over low heat, and add 3 cans of water. Bring to a simmer.
In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until the mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute to toast.
Add 2 ladles full of hot broth to the pan and gently stir the rice. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust the heat so that the pan is just gently bubbling. Continue adding broth and stirring until all the broth is used and the rice is cooked but not mushy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is nice and creamy, stir in the butter, Parmesan and the garlic pulp. Cover and let rest for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Chicken Scaloppine

adapted from Sandra Lee

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Slice the breasts in half, lengthwise. Pound the 4 pieces between sheets of plastic wrap to flatten them, about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Coat the chicken with the flour, shaking off any excess.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and butter. Mix together and when the butter has melted add the chicken, working in batches, until they are golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, to a serving platter, cover and keep warm. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook it over high heat until it reduces by half and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley and basil. Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken serve with the Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto.

Comfort food

I've been looking for comforting foods to make at home recently - I guess the winter and snow will do that :) I never realized how much I love grilled cheese until I made it to take to a friend's house the other day. I really don't use my Foreman grill enough, but this is the perfect reason to take it out and "fire" it up! The great thing about grilled cheese is that it's really just a sandwich and that means you can put in it whatever you want. My personal fave is grilled cheese and sliced tomatoes. Hot tomatoes have a really beautiful texture and go great with gooey cheese in my opinion. So far I've only made these with white sandwich bread because all the recipes I looked at used it, but since white bread is not really a healthy option I'm planning to try it out with whole wheat bread soon.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

White sandwich bread

Melted butter or olive oil

Shredded cheddar cheese (or any cheese you want, mix even)

Sliced fresh tomatoes (optional)

To make:

Preheat a Foreman grill or grill pan to medium heat. For each sandwich, brush butter or olive oil onto each side of two slices of bread. On one slice of bread, pile on 2-3 tablespoons of cheese. Add slices of tomato if using, and cover with remaining slice of bread. Spray preheated grill or pan with cooking spray, and arrange sandwiches. Cook for 2-3 minutes in closed Foreman grill or 2-3 minutes on each side in pan until cheese is melted and bread is toasted and golden. Serve with tomato soup for a filling meal.

Kung Pao Chicken

I was looking at a Chinese menu and suddenly had a hankering for Kung Pao Chicken. I looked around to see if Mark Bittman had a recipe and ta-da he did. I like to look for his stuff first because he's big on making things simple.












Kung Pao Chicken (China)
Mark Bittman

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or other dry sherry substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 6 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and cut into squares
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, cored, and cut into squares
• 5 dried chili peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 scallion, trimmed and chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Whisk the cornstarch into the vinegar until it dissolves, then coat the chicken pieces with the mixture. Marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. Heat half the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring only occasionally, until wilted and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a bowl. Add the remaining oil and the chili peppers; cook until they're slightly blackened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds, then stir in the chicken. Cook the chicken, stirring constantly, until it loses its pinkness, about 5 minutes.

3. Turn the heat to low, then sprinkle the sugar over the chicken; stir in the soy sauce and the bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from the heat, then stir in the sesame oil and scallions. Garnish with peanuts and serve over white rice.

Italian Ciambotta (Vegetable Stew)

More vegetarian fun! My fridge is bursting with veggies and I was desperate for a way to use them up. I really love vegetables but I'm always at a loss for what to do with them. Enter Ciambotta, my rescue dish. This is apparantly a traditional Southern Italian dish, and has many variations (as do all traditional dishes) depending on who's cooking. I got the original recipe from Epicurious, and switched out for things I had in the fridge and pantry. I added chickpeas to give it some protein and it makes a really lovely main dish. You'd be amazed at how much flavor there is with just simple salt and pepper seasoning.

Italian Vegetable Stew (Ciambotta)
Adapted from recipe in Gourmet Magazine
yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
active time: 45 min
total time: 45 min

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 leek, hard green removed and remainder cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 3/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3/4 pound boiling potatoes (about 4 small), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 7-to 8-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add onions, leek, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in water, tomatoes with juice, and bell peppers, then reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook green beans in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan of well-salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add zucchini to boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to bowl with green beans. Add potatoes to boiling water and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and add to beans and zucchini.
4. Add boiled vegetables to stew and simmer, stirring, until all vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add chickpeas and continue stirring about 5 more minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Note: Stew can be made up to 1 week ahead and chilled (covered once cool).

Salsa Verde

I've been getting veggies from a weekly farm share (via my friend Mona who is sweet enough to pick them up for me) and trying to find new recipes that involve these veggies, some of which I've never seen before and obviously don't recognize. I did recognize tomatillos in this last batch, but I still had no idea what to do with them. So I looked online and found a recipe for Salsa Verde, which apparantly is traditionally made with tomatillos! Score, because I love salsa verde! Simply Recipes is a great cooking blog and she had a recipe that I tried with my batch of tomatillos. Turned out great, had a very fresh and light taste. And you can make it spicier if you leave the ribs and seeds of the serrano chile in (that's for next time ;)). There are two options for prepping the tomatillos; I boiled. Very easy recipe and worth the minimal work!

Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe from Simply Recipes

To cook the tomatillos, you can either roast them in the oven, or boil them. Roasting will deliver more flavor; boiling may be faster and use less energy. Either way works, though boiling is a more common way to cook the tomatillos.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste

Method
1. Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.
2a. Roasting method Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
2b. Boiling method Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.
2. Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.
Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.
Makes 3 cups.