Moroccan Roasted Veggies

This was so easy and so yummy. A great way to get the family eating vegetables that maybe we leave off our table sometimes.

1 small Butternut squash

3 small zucchini squash

1/2 Red Onion

1 Aubergine (eggplant; I just love the word Aubergine)

I sliced the butternut in half and sprinkled it with the spices, but would recommend that you peel the squash and cube it first; it will work better.

Cube the other veggies so that everything is about the same size. Toss in a gallon zipper bag. Into the bag add these spices (I probably did about a teaspoon to 2 teaspoons of each. I know it's annoying, but I cook by sight.) Ginger (I use ground ginger in a tube, found in the produce department) minced garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, cinnamon, and ground red pepper. Pour a small splash of a nice olive oil into the bag. Roll the veggies around in the bag to coat. Place veggies on a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Check with a fork for tenderness.

Tuesday's Menu; Mark's Bon Voyage meal

I'm making this with my risotto that I invented, yes; I'll post that recipe as well.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Blue Cheese and Pecans

Ingredients

• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 2 scallions, sliced on bias
• 4 slices good-quality center cut bacon
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• Special equipment: toothpicks

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.

Melt the butter in the same skillet pan the chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and grain mustard, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to warm.

Halve the chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top

Menus and more menus Monday 2/7/11

Moroccan chicken with Polenta

I'm dragging an old favorite out of my collection. Trying to make a couple of Mark's favorites for dinner on Monday and Tuesday. It's my last chance to cook for him for quite a while.

So; Monday's recipe:

Moroccan Chicken with Polenta


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup chicken mixture, 3 polenta slices, 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon almonds, and 1 tablespoon cilantro)


2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 (16-ounce) tube wild-mushroom polenta, cut crosswise into 12 slices
Cooking spray
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; reserve 1 tablespoon flour mixture. Add chicken to flour mixture in bowl; toss gently to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, raisins, and turmeric; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 8 minutes or until slightly thick.

Preheat broiler. Place polenta slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon flour mixture. Broil 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve chicken mixture over polenta; top with yogurt, and sprinkle with almonds and cilantro

Creole Cakes, Risotto with spinach, mushrooms and gorgonzola Jan 31, 2011

Tonight, I'm going to use a chicken that I cooked over the weekend and make one of our 'go to' dinners. Creole Cakes with a Remoulade sauce. I use chicken or turkey in this; depending on what I have on hand. My personal preference is chicken.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cakes and 2 tablespoons sauce)


Sauce:
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons minced green onions
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of ground red pepper
Cakes:
2 (1-ounce) slices white bread
3 cups chopped cooked turkey breast
1/3 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking spray

To prepare the sauce, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Chill.

To prepare the cakes, place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form to measure 1 1/4 cups. Set aside. Combine the turkey and next 5 ingredients (turkey through egg whites). Stir in the breadcrumbs. Divide turkey mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add patties; cook 5 minutes. Turn patties over; cook 5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with sauce.

I'm experimenting a bit tonight with risotto. I have a risotto that I love that has butternut squash, but tonight, I thought I'd try my hand at fresh baby spinach, mushrooms and gorgonzola. I'll take notes as I make it and post the recipe tomorrow if it turns out well.

An alternate side dish to this would be a rice pilaf and a spinach, pear and poppyseed salad.

Meatloaf. Yes a humble meatloaf

The menu tonight won't have a recipe; there are far more meatloaf recipes on the planet than there are blades of grass. You don't need one from me.

I had intended to make a double batch of meatloaf, one for tomorrow night and one to freeze. I was planning on a different meal tonight, but I realized it wasn't going to happen.

So, it's meatloaf, potatoes and cabbage for us tonight. A cozy comfort meal for Mark at the end of his first day back at work after having been out sick for far too long.

Winter Squash Soup

Tonight, Chelsea and I are going to make a soup that we made one time and it was such a hit; we decided to make it a Dunnavant regular. The cold weather and the football games make it a great day for a creamy and flavorful soup.

WINTER SQUASH SOUP WITH CHIPOTLE PEPPERS AND CREAM

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash 1 medium acorn squash 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 carrots, coarsely chopped 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced salt and pepper 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 6 cups vegetable broth 8 ounces TFM Whipping Cream Toppings sour cream 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1 small jar chipotle chili in adobo sauce

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut butternut and acorn squash in half lengthwise. Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat insides of squash. Lay face down on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Use remaining olive oil to saute carrots, celery and onion in a medium sized stock pot until tender. Add garlic, salt & pepper and cayenne pepper, sauté an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove squash from oven and let cool. The squash can be cooked and cooled overnight or well in advance of the soup preparation. Scoop meat from squash and add to pot with vegetables. Add vegetable broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. When vegetables are very tender use a immersion blender or food processer to puree the soup. Add whipping cream to the pureed soup, stir to blend and return to heat until ready to serve. Place the toppings in small serving bowls on the table and allow guests to garnish their soup.

Greek (ish) wrap

Here is another great idea for a wrap that is different, packed full of yummy textures and tastes!

You will need some cooked chicken, although; I'm thinking a wonderful fish might work as well.

Olives (I'm using Kalamata)pitted of course, chopped roughly

Feta cheese (we are trying a new Handmade Feta I'll comment on it after we taste it!)

Artichoke hearts (I bought a lovely package of grilled ones from Whole Foods, but I think a nice jar of marinated would work well too)

Greek Salad dressing. If using the marinated artichoke hearts, maybe some of the marinade instead of a dressing.

A tortilla wrap of your choice. I prefer the low carb ones.

Layer everything in to your taste, add a little fresh ground pepper and skip the salt (the feta will be salty enough I promise) Then roll it up and enjoy, or take it to work and make your coworkers jealous of your crazy culinary skills.

Let me know if you try it.

Hot 'wings' style wrap!

Here is a little idea for a yummy wrap for those of you who love a good hot wing! We came up with this out of Mark's affection for Hot Wings and my quest to make that particular craving into a healthier one.

Rotisserie chicken meat chopped roughly. (get crazy healthy and take off the skin!)

1 low carb tortilla

about 1/4 cup bagged Cole slaw blend (I prefer the longer shreds, but go with your preference)

1 to 2 tsp low fat mayo (If you like the Olive oil mayo..go for it; I don't like it much)

1/2 tsp Apple Cider VINEGAR

pinch of sugar OR Splenda (to your taste but remember sugar = empty calories)

Salt and pepper to Taste

Your favorite Hot wings sauce

Toss the chopped chicken in the hot wing sauce and set aside.

Mix the Cole slaw blend, mayo, vinegar, sugar/Splenda, salt and pepper in a small bowl

You now have hot wings and slaw, wrap 'em up in the tortilla and have a great lunch!