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!

Frittata Cakies for Breakfast!

I got a little creative this morning. I used leftover Au Gratin potatoes to make individual sized frittata cakes. I sauteed some sweet onion; about half a large, roughly chopped, in a little olive oil/butter mix. In a large bowl I put about 1/3 cup heavy cream and one beaten egg. I mixed the potatoes and the onion together with the cream and egg. Then with my hands, I formed little 'cakes' and rolled them in a mixture of all purpose flour and corn meal.

After the cakes sat for a few minutes at room temperature, I browned them lightly in a pan with a bit of bacon fat, olive oil and butter. Odd sounding, but it worked. :) Once browned, I drained the cakes on brown paper, then placed in the oven at 325 degrees for about fifteen minutes.

While the cakies cooked in the oven, I fried eggs to the order of each family member. Once done, it was a matter of assembling on a plate: Cakie, egg, bacon and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese.

You will want to try this!

Munchie night

I seem to be caught in a whirlwind of domesticity. With the 'BIG' dinner looming ahead tomorrow, what do I do? I decide to make appetizers for our dinner tonight.

Here is the menu:

Curried Chicken/almond chunks

Angel hair covered fried scallops with a dipping sauce

Spinach and Artichoke dip (THE best recipe ever!)

Shrimp...not sure what I'm doing with the shrimp but they were on sale!

Photos and recipes to follow.

Gnocchi of a sort

Tonight, was clean out the fridge and get inventive night.

I sauteed a bag of baby spinach in some olive oil and a tiny bit of butter, added some minced sweet onion and a bit of garlic, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of salt. I cooked the Gnocchi as I normally would in boiling water. In another pan I started a rue with butter and flour, added about half a cup of chicken stock then about a cup of half and half. When it began to thicken, I added chopped smoked ham, then just before serving I tossed in some diced tomato (Fresh). To serve; the spinach formed the base, then the Gnocchi and then the ham, tomato sauce. YUM. It was a nice rustic Autumnal sort of dinner.

Mac and Crack ;-)

For bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo

For Mac
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 lb macaroni
2 lb extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably white), grated

Make bread crumbs:
Heat butter and oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook garlic and bread crumbs, stirring, until crumbs are golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt.

Make macaroni:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Chop chipotles.

Melt butter in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over moderate heat, then add flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, cream, and mustard and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes.

Cook macaroni in a 6- to 7-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in white sauce, cheese, and salt to taste.

Fill a 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole with half of macaroni mixture. Stir chipotles into remaining macaroni. Spoon into another 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole and sprinkle both with bread crumbs. Bake casseroles in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

note:
Macaroni and cheese may be made 2 days ahead, put into casseroles, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Do not add bread crumbs until ready to bake. (Baking may take longer than 30 minutes.)

Shrimp Cakes

I worked later than I had anticipated today. I had no dinner waiting in the crock pot. I told Mark that I had no dinner plans or ideas. He sweetly said we would figure something out. Not wanting take out; I let my mind wander and came up with a menu.

Shrimp Cakes (Kind of like crab cakes)

Lightly sauteed and creamed baby spinach

Corn, tomato and basil salad.

We will call this a success.

Pork Crock Pot Goulash

Crock Goulash

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ pounds boneless pork, cut into 1 inch cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

¼ - ½ cup water

3 cups RED cabbage, shredded

3 squirts of ketchup

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 Tablespoons flour

½ cup sour cream

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add pork cubes to the skillet and sauté till browned; salt and pepper to taste. Add the onion and sauté a minute longer. Now add the pork and onion to the Crock Pot. Add the water to the skillet and get up all the browned bits. Add this to the crock. Add the cabbage into the crock and toss well with the pork.

Cook on low for about 6 hours, High for about four, the pork should fall apart with little effort. Stir the flour into the sour cream then turn the crock pot off, and stir sour cream/flour mixture into the pork.

Serve over rice or some beautiful egg noodles.

Tuesday meal... No oven fires!

So tonight we are having calamari, and some scallops wrapped in bacon to start dinner, then shrimp salad on toasted deli rounds. I'm going to make a nice little jazzed up version of succotash, adding a little onion and garlic and Edamame. YUM.

I'll try really hard not to set anything on fire or do any further damage to my kitchen.

Monday fish!

Okay, I've decided to make crab stuffed Tilapia tonight. NOW my dears lest you think I'm going to lots of trouble let me just tell you that I've cheated. That's right; cheated. The fish came already stuffed with the crab. What I'm planning to do is bake it and top it with a Parmesan Cream sauce that I WILL make myself.

If I'm not completely mistaken, I have some frozen baby brussel sprouts in the freezer and, I'm thinking maybe a risotto of some sort. I'll have to get creative because I'm NOT going to the grocery store; I simply refuse.

Photos later if dinner turns out lovely. If it does not; I'll claim we forgot to photo! Watch me really forget to take pictures now! :)

Dinner at Mountain Lake first night

Dinner tonight at Mountain Lake Hotel was NOT a buffet; the buffet apparently is a weekend deal. Tonight's offerings began with appetizer (Calamari) Soup (Roasted Red Bell pepper with Gouda) and a salad. (it was a choose two). Dinner itself was a choice of Marinated flank steak, Salmon and Lobster Pinwheels, Breaded Chicken cutlets or Pasta Primavera. Most of us chose either the Salmon or the Flank steak. Both were yummy, but I was happy in the end that I chose the Salmon.

The salmon had a really nice hollandaise sauce and was accompanied by a beautiful tri-colored pasta scented with cumin and a vegetable medley of yellow carrots, edamame, cranberries, and whole wax beans. Yummy!

I had a photo fail for dinner because I had only taken my phone and the battery died!

Dessert was a serve yourself bar and coffee.

Lindsay's Birthday Dinner

I'm not cooking! Seriously I'm not. The girls and I took a trip to whole foods and went a wee bit crazy. I stood in the middle of the store gazing at the crazy amounts of pre-prepared gourmet foods and not so gourmet and heard myself saying "A person would never have to cook again in their life!" NOT that I have any desire to give up my awesome kitchen gadgets and tools, but it is an intriguing thought.

Tonight we are having an eclectic assortment at the birthday girl's request.
Sushi (a variety of types)
Tequila lime spiced shrimp
Spicy Asian Noodles with peppers and tofu
Snow peas/carrot salad
Old Fashioned Yellow Cake.

Photos to follow.

The Refrigerator

Before I had a job in Food Service(I think perhaps being immersed in food and the like, takes away the thrill of caring for the fridge and food at home sometimes.) my fridge could count on a regular cleaning; every Wednesday just like the FlyLady taught me, I would clean out my refrigerator. We called it Time to 'boogie' the fridge. Meah and Andrew were here with me and Meah thought that term was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. She would help me faithfully on Wednesdays. While we sorted through mystery bowls and expiration dates, she would regale me with her Meahisms.

My poor refrigerator now gets cleaned mostly every week, but not on a set day of the week. It has to start screaming at us that it needs attention. This is one of the things my girls just won't jump in and do; I think for fear of tossing out something that I will question the rhyme and reason behind. Lindsay did it a few times and purged my garlic and ginger. I complained loudly because I didn't realize they were gone until I needed them for a recipe. She hasn't done the weekly clean out since.

So; while this isn't a recipe or even thoughts about food tasted or cooked. It is about food. Do yourself a favor like I'm going to. Set a regular date with your fridge, purge anything that is questionable. Check your expiration dates. Make a list of condiments or spices that you toss so you can replenish. It takes less than fifteen minutes to do this! You'll be glad you did.

Recipes from tonight

This recipe came from Growlies for groups. Just google it.


Chicken-Nut Pate

---

Makes 3 cups
"A party favorite. It is usually the first thing on the hors d' oeuvre table to go."
---
1 cup Pecan halves
2 Tbsp. Minced ginger
1 cup Walnut halves
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
2 cups Chicken breasts, cooked, skinned, boneless
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. White wine vinegar
2 Cloves garlic
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Green onion
---

Combine pecans and walnuts in a food processor bowl. Process until
coarsely ground. Remove and set aside.
Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Combine chicken and garlic in food
processor bowl; process until very finely ground. Add mayonnaise, ginger,
soy sauce, Worcestershire, and vinegar; process, using start/stop
technique, until well blended. Stir in onion and nuts.
Spoon mixture into a crock or bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight for
flavors to blend. Serve with crackers or bread sticks.

THIS recipe came from ALLRECIPES.com
INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, chopped 1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, onions, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the Swiss cheese. Transfer to small ovenproof glass bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 of the almonds on top.
3. Bake for 7 minutes. Stir, and bake for an additional 8 minutes. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top, and serve.