Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Leftover Pot Roast

My first experiences cooking on my own were in my apartment in Charlottesville, Virginia while I was in graduate school and I was pretty clueless. I distinctly remember one of the first meals I made just for me for dinner one night – sticky white rice, overcooked flavorless chicken, and steamed broccoli. I seasoned the entire dish with soy sauce and nothing else and it was edible, but not exactly tasty. To be honest I really didn’t cook all that often back then mainly because I was studying all the time and didn’t have much time to cook, the most amazing Chinese restaurant delivered, I have a wonderful friend, Betta, who also happens to be Italian and an incredible cook (think delicious pasta dishes, fantastic chicken cacciatore, and so many more) and she fed me and the rest of our grad school group frequently, and to be quite honest cooking for one is not that easy. Like most people I don’t really love to eat the same thing for several days straight and if you live alone and cook a meal that is often times what ends up happening. So, while this post doesn’t exactly show new recipes or anything really exciting it does show how to cook one main meal and then incorporate the leftovers into several different meals throughout the week that would work well for someone who lives alone or for a family. We are not always this creative with our leftovers, so I really wanted to show how you the pot roast could easily be incorporated into other meals where you won’t feel like you are eating the same meal over and over.

I started with a 3 lb roast and if you are cooking for one person you could easily do a 2lb or if you are cooking for a family a larger one. For lunch yesterday Russ made us delicious sub sandwiches. He toasted a whole wheat bun open faced in the toaster oven for a couple minutes. Then he put Swiss cheese and slices of the pot roast on the sandwich and put it back in the toaster oven (open faced) until the cheese melted and the meat was heated. We both added a little A1 sauce to them and they were delicious!

Tonight I made a version of Russ’ Mom’s Beef and Vegetable Soup like what I had made for my Mom last month here. This time I used the remaining pot roast instead of ground beef. I shredded the leftover meat and added it to the pot along with canned tomatoes (1 can diced and 1 can Rotel), a little vegetable broth, a little of Tony’s seasoning, the leftover vegetable gravy, and a little bit of all the frozen vegetables that we happen to have in our freezer right now (green peas, green beans, corn, and black eyed peas). Once I had all the ingredients in I added a little bit of water as it was too thick. You can always add more water (or broth) as it cooks – just eye ball it until you get it to the thickness that you prefer. I brought the soup to a boil and reduced it to a simmer for about an hour (you could do less).

The soup was perfect for a cold night! It was warm, hearty and filled with wonderful vegetables and tender, flavorful shredded pot roast. I really prefer this soup with the shredded roast over the ground beef for the texture and the added flavor that it brings to the soup. We’ll eat the rest of the soup for lunch this week, however, if you have lots left over it freezes really well. Russ rates the leftover pot roast soup and sandwich both a 9.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

The Good Roast

Just a few weeks ago I spoke of my bone to pick with the weather and how I had decided to wait until it turned colder to make a pot roast. Well, I have been dying to make a pot roast, but since it needs to cook for a minimum of three hours then I really need to do it a weekend so we don’t eat at nine o’clock at night. It finally turned cooler, but our weekends just haven’t allowed time for a pot roast. So, today I decided that come hell or high water I was going to make a pot roast and not just any pot roast, but The Good Roast. My Mother has two pot roast recipes which I have dubbed The Good Roast and The Bad Roast. I’ll be honest The Bad Roast is not actually bad it just doesn’t compare at all to the flavor and vegetable gravy of The Good Roast. I have never made The Bad Roast, but apparently it is easier and takes less time than The Good Roast which is why Mom has two pot roast recipes. Today I finally make it to the grocery store to get the ingredients around five or so… and by the time I get the roast in the oven and cook it we still end up eating at nine o’clock… Luckily it turned out delicious and was worth the wait and late dinner.

The pot roast was moist and flavorful and the vegetable gravy that it cooks in just makes this dish. I served it with green beans and mashed red potatoes. It is definitely a favorite winter time comfort food of mine and Russ will never turn down a meat and potatoes meal. It was delicious and I look forward to using the leftovers in a couple different ways in the coming days… so stay tuned. Russ rates The Good Roast a 9.

The Good Roast is a family recipe that I have been asked not to post on the blog which I respect. However, if you are family and would like a copy of the recipe then you are more than welcome to submit a blood sample, appropriate paper work (including a marriage certificate if you are related by marriage), and a formal letter requesting the recipe… or just email me.

Monday, January 21, 2008

100th Post

Ever since I graduated from college my Mother has given both Jessica and me subscriptions to Cooking Light magazine. If you look at my blog then you probably have noticed that I make quite a few recipes from Cooking Light and that Jess frequently comments on them as she has either made it too, had seen it in the magazine, or wants to try it out. Well, what you may or may not know about me is that fondness for Cooking Light may have turned into a slight obsession over the years. You see I know each month about what day it should be in my mailbox and I get pretty excited when it shows up. I treat each issue the same way by flipping through the food section first checking out the recipe titles, pictures, and the index (which is very interesting with lots of good info!). Then I go back through and read the food section in its entirety dog-earing any pages that have recipes I want to try. Lastly I go back to the front of the magazine and read through all the health and fitness articles. At some point in this process Jess and I usually converse about what we thought of the issue and what recipes we want to try. I save every issue for the year and will only throw them out once I have the Cooking Light annual for that year because I can’t seem to live without knowing that I have access to all the recipes all the time and yes, I do realize they are online, but the internet could be down or the power could go out... And speaking of online, Cooking Light has a website where you can rate the recipes and see what other people have rated them and there are the bulletin boards where other Cooking Light readers talk about the recipes they tried and what they thought of them and other food topics…. All this to say that it seems very fitting that my 100th blog post is a Cooking Light recipe.

I love enchiladas and would love to have the perfect enchilada recipe, so I am always excited to find another enchilada recipe to try. This one is for Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas. I will start off by saying that this is a rather time consuming dish to make, but many of the parts can be made a day or two in advance and then just assembled and baked the night you are having it. To start with you preheat the broiler and then put the Anaheim chiles on a baking sheet in the broiler for a few minutes on each side until charred. Once they are good and black then you put them in a zip lock bag, seal it, and leave it alone for about 15 minutes. After wards you peel them, remove the seeds, and chop them up. Then sauté chopped onion and garlic in a little oil until softened. Stir in some flour and then add the chiles, coriander, salt, and chicken broth to the pan. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer. Once it has simmered for about 15 minutes take half of the mixture and puree it and then add it back to the pan. Set this aside for now. Next prepare the chicken by boiling it in a pot of broth seasoned with chopped onion, garlic, dried oregano, bay leaves, and salt. Bring this to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer until the chicken is just cooked through. The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I used bone in, skin on breasts. I think the bone in breasts have more flavor than boneless, skinless when preparing chicken this way (and they are cheaper). Once the chicken is cooked and has cooled then you can shred it and add it to the rest of the onion (which I sautéed in a little oil first) and sour cream. Now it is time to assemble. Start by putting part of the chile sauce in the bottom of your pan. Then start filling the tortillas (I used flour as Russ doesn’t care for corn) with the chicken mixture and then placing them seam side down in the pan. Once you have filled the pan, top the enchiladas with more chile sauce and finally cheese. These bake until they are heated through.

The green chile sauce has a great smoky flavor with some real heat to it from the roasted peppers. The texture is perfect being a little chunky, but somewhat smooth at the same time. I thought the chicken was flavorful, but overall the inside of the enchiladas seemed to be missing something to me. As for the tortillas while I like the flavor of the flour they don’t hold up as well as the corn when they are baked. Next time I might do flour for Russ and corn for me. All in all they were very flavorful and yummy, but not the perfect enchilada. I am not quite sure what the perfect enchilada will be for me, but I’ll keep looking for new, different recipes and experimenting until I find it. Russ rates the enchiladas a 9.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

My Sweet Tooth

For as long as I can remember I have had a major sweet tooth. My biggest weakness is candy which my family, friends, and dentist can all attest to; however, no sweet is safe around me. I am just not one of those people who can have a bag of candy or homemade cookies in the kitchen and not eat them. If sweets are in the house and I know about it then they are gone within days… okay hours… fine, I’ll fess up they are gone within minutes… So, while I love baking sweets I have to either give most of them away shortly after making them or wait until we are going to be with friends or family who join me in demolishing them. A weekend in Mentone with three guys seemed like the perfect opportunity to try a new cookie recipe or two.

I couldn’t decide between two cookie recipes I found on Smitten Kitchen’s blog, so I made both. The first is a Peanut Butter Cookie that has both chocolate and peanut butter chips in it and the second is Smitten Kitchen’s favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie. Like most cookie recipes both of these you mix the wet and dry ingredients separately and then add the dry slowly to the wet. Once the dough is formed you fold the chips into it. The only unusual part to me is in the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe where you use cold and not softened butter. I am not quite sure why he calls for cold butter, but I imagine there is some reason I am not aware of for it. It did take longer for it incorporate with the other ingredients. I followed both recipes exactly with the exception of leaving the nuts out of the chocolate chip cookies (since apparently boys’ prefer cookies with no nuts). Both cookies required longer baking times for me, but I think the cold weather may have played a part in this. Either way be sure and watch them and just adjust the baking times as needed without over baking them.

While everyone liked both cookies the Peanut Butter were hands down the favorite. The Peanut Butter cookies had great flavor, texture, and chip to cookie ratio. I really liked not only the peanut butter flavor, but also the addition of the two kinds of chips. They were sweet, but without being super sweet. They were thick, but not chewy. They don’t really brown, so be sure and don’t over bake them waiting for them to brown on the edges. These were enjoyed by all and will certainly be repeated! The Chocolate Chip cookies were good, but nothing special and I felt like they were missing something. I will say that I do think that this recipe needs the nuts in it for the extra texture and flavor and this is probably what I sensed what missing. If you like cookies with nuts then I would love it if you gave it a try and told me how they turned out. These also spread a lot on me and ended up being a fairly thin cookie and I tend to prefer a little bit thicker texture. Russ rates the chocolate chip cookies a 9 and the peanut butter cookies a 10.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Keeping Warm in the Kitchen

I imagine that if you have read this blog at all that it is obvious by now that I enjoy cooking and baking, however, you probably also know that there are certain aspects of it that I especially love. One of those is a lazy, long weekend with no real plans and plenty of time to cook and bake. This weekend Russ, Cash, and I went up to Mentone with Allen and Gil. The boys were planning to take advantage of it being one of the last weekends in deer season and I was planning on taking advantage of the cold weather and staying inside either in the kitchen or curled up by the fire with a book. I pretty much accomplished my goal considering I didn’t leave the house, tried out three new recipes, repeated one old recipe (in addition to the Santa Fe Soup in the previous post), read the new issue of Fine Cooking cover to cover, and started a new book. Top it off with good friends, Cash curled up on his blanket and it was a wonderful, long, winter weekend!

To start the cold morning off right I decided to try out the Fastest Cinnamon Buns from the November issue of Fine Cooking. I actually wanted to make these for Christmas morning to go with the Cinnamon Bread… because apparently I didn’t think one cinnamon bread would be enough for just Russ and me…. but I ran out of time to make it and have had it on the top of my bread list to try ever since. The reason these are called the Fastest is that there is no rising involved and the dough comes together very quickly. To make the dough you toss the wet ingredients in the food processor and until it is smooth. You then add the dry ingredients and pulse until the dough just comes together. You then take it out and put it on a floured surface and knead it until it is smooth. Then roll is out into a rectangle and brush it with melted butter. Then mix the filling ingredients together. I left out the pecans as Russ is not big on nuts in his breads and apparently neither is Gil or Allen. I also used Vietnamese cinnamon that Russ gave me for Christmas which is stronger than regular grocery store cinnamon. Spread the topping evenly over the dough and roll it up. Then cut it into 12 pieces and place them cut side up in a pan that has been sprayed with Pam. The recipe calls for you to use a springform pan, however, we didn’t have one in Mentone so I used a round cake pan that worked perfectly. Then bake them at 400 F for about 20 to 28 minutes (ours took around the 28 minute mark). While they bake mix together the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla extract for the glaze. I used more confectioners’ sugar than it called for because it seemed too runny to me. You want a thick, but pourable glaze, so you will just need to add more confectioners’ sugar if it too runny or more milk if it is too thick. Once the cinnamon buns came out I poured some of the glaze over them and served the rest on the side (which was a hit with the boys).

The cinnamon buns were delicious! They are sweet with a great balance of dough and filling. This was my first time using the Vietnamese cinnamon and it was fantastic! While the buns have good balance the cinnamon really does shine and Russ even commented on how good the flavor of the Vietnamese cinnamon was – potent, fragrant, and fresh. I am generally not a fan of icing on cinnamon rolls as I find it too thick, too much, and too sweet; however, the glaze on these is just the perfect amount of extra sweetness and the gooey texture really works well with the baked buns. I think that these buns would be lacking if you left it off. Russ rates the cinnamon buns a 10!

Side note on Vietnamese Cinnamon: Usually when you use a stronger cinnamon you are encouraged to cut back on the amount called for in a recipe, but since it was my first time and I am just a baking rebel I wanted to try it with the full amount to see how it tasted. I think there are definitely recipes where I might cut back on the cinnamon if I use the Vietnamese so that it won’t overwhelm the other flavors, but I liked the strong flavor of it in this recipe. Call me a baking snob, but I am not sure I can go back to using the grocery store cinnamon… especially when Penzey’s has so many different ones I need to try!

For dinner I decided to make one of Russ’ favorite dishes, Chicken Marsala. This is a recipe of Giada’s that is for Veal Marsala and I just substituted chicken for the veal (either works great). To make this dish you start by sprinkling the chicken with salt and pepper. Then heat a skillet and add a little butter and olive oil. In batches cook the chicken for a couple minutes on each side. It will cook a little more once you pull it out and later in the recipe, so don’t cook it all the way through or you might over cook it in the end. Set the chicken to the side and add a little more oil to the pan and then add the shallot and garlic. Once this has sautéed for a couple minutes add the mushrooms. I increase the amount of mushrooms because I love them and I used a mix of white and baby bella this time. Any combination of mushrooms will do, so pick what looks best and what you like. Once the mushrooms are tender and the juice has evaporated add the remaining ingredients. I increased the amount of shallots, garlic, Marsala, rosemary, chicken broth, and rosemary sprigs since I increased the amount of mushrooms. Once this has cooked down then add a little more butter, salt, and pepper. Lastly add the chicken back in until everything is heated through. I served it over linguine with a side of spinach salad.

If you love mushrooms and rosemary then you will really enjoy this dish! The woodsy flavor of the mushrooms and rosemary is brought out and complemented by the Marsala for a delicious combination. I like to serve this over pasta to help soak up some of the extra sauce. I chopped and prepped everything ahead of time which made it come together very quickly and easily when I prepared it. Russ rates it a 9.

Fastest Cinnamon Buns, November 2007 Fine Cooking
Yields, 12 buns

Cooking Spray for the pan

For the Dough:
¾ cup cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
1/3 cup buttermilk
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached flour; more for rolling
1 Tbs. baking powder
½ tsp table salt
¼ tsp baking soda

For the Filling:
¾ oz (1 and ½ Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 and ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 cup (4 oz) chopped pecans

For the Glaze:
2 and ½ oz (scant 2/3 cup) confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 Tbs. cold whole or low-fat milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 400 F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Make the dough: In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together (don’t overprocess). The dough will be soft and moist.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x15 inch rectangle.

Make the filling: Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a ½ inch border unbuttered around the edges. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and pat gently into the surface. Sprinkle the nuts over the sugar mixture.

Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal, and leave the ends open.

With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces. Set the pieces, cut side up, in the prepared pan; they should fill the pan and touch slightly, but don’t worry if there are small gaps.

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, 20 to 28 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the pan and remove the springform ring. Transfer the rolls to a serving plate.

Make the glaze: in a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tbs. milk, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. It should have a thick but pourable consistency, so add up to 1 Tbs. more milk if necessary. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Let stand 15 minutes and serve.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Planning for the Weekend

When Russ and I were first dating I would ask him on Sunday night what he wanted to eat for dinner the next couple of nights. I am a planner and while I don’t mind grocery shopping I loathe going to the grocery store multiple times in a week. So, I like to make a meal plan for the week on Sunday night and go do all my shopping or at least most of it on Sunday. That way when I get home after work I am able to relax and cook dinner and not have to hurry to the crowded store to hurry home to put away groceries and get dinner started. However, Russ was used to a bachelor lifestyle that included little meal planning and more pulling a box of macaroni and cheese out of the cabinet when he gets home from work. Russ wasn’t quite sure how he was supposed to know what he would want to eat on Thursday night when it was only Sunday night. So, I started to try and build a little more flexibility in to our meal planning and Russ accepted the Sunday meal planning. Russ may disagree, but I think he has become more of planner since we’ve been together. This weekend we are going to Mentone with Gil (Russ’ college friend) and Allen. Russ started talking about the menu for the weekend days ago. One dish we decided on was Santa Fe Soup. Since I am a planner I decided to make the soup tonight to take up for lunch on Saturday.

This is such a simple, fast recipe that everyone always loves. (Nicole you could easily make this.) To start you brown ground beef with chopped onions (if you want sub ground turkey). Once it is cooked you drain the grease off and add the taco and ranch seasoning and mix it all together. You then start exercising your biceps as you open cans and dump them into the pot – beans, corn, and tomatoes. One tip that I think makes a big difference is to drain and rinse canned beans. The liquid that is in with canned beans to me is not tasty and takes away from the flavor of the soup. I always drain and rinse my canned beans with cold water. I love black beans, so I used two cans of black beans, one of light red kidney beans, and no pinto beans. Any combination will work, so just use what you like. Add water to the pot, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer away.

Making Santa Fe Soup is really easy and you end up with a delicious, hearty, flavorful soup. I served it with several options for toppings – sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and tortilla chips. I usually have chopped raw onions as a topping too, but forgot them this time. This is one of those dishes that everyone always loves and unless you want to you don’t have to tell them that it is super easy. If you are having people over for Super Bowl Sunday this could be a great dish to serve! Like most soups, stews, and chilies this one is even better a day or two later. Russ rates the Santa Fe Soup a 9.

Santa Fe Soup, adapted from the recipe in the JLB cookbook
Serves 6 (large servings)

2lbs ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
2, 5oz packages of Ranch style dressing mix
2, 1.25 oz packages of Taco Seasoning
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can white corn, undrained
2 cups of water
(all cans are 14 oz)

Cook the meat and onion together until meat is brown. Drain the grease. Stir in taco seasoning and Ranch mix. Drain the beans and rinse them in water. Add all remaining ingredients including water. Simmer for 2 hours. It is best when made a day in advance and then reheated on the stove.

Garnish each serving with sour cream, chopped green onion, and shredded cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

The Christmas Tagine!

Russ is a wonderful husband in many ways one of which is that he is very supportive of my hobby of cooking. He cleans up the dishes after I cook, he fans the kitchen out and stops the smoke alarm from beeping more than I am sure he ever thought he would, he tries anything I make and calls Papa John when needed, he encourages me to try new cooking techniques or ingredients, he indulges my cookbook and cooking gadget habit… For Christmas this year he surprised me by giving me a tagine and a Moroccan cookbook to go with it. The tagine is a Le Creuset and blue and so beautiful it just makes me happy looking at it (part of the reason why it is still sitting out on the stove several weeks later)! I have been pouring over the Moroccan cookbook to try and decided what to try first. Several of my top picks all included preserved lemons which I don’t have yet (more about that later), so I ended up deciding to try Chicken with Apricots and Rosemary first.

To make this dish you sauté onions, ginger, rosemary, and chiles in a little butter and olive oil until they are tender. (Tip: I use a spoon to scrap the peel off of fresh ginger. It works really well and is very quick.) Then you add cinnamon sticks and rosemary sprigs to the dish. You then take the chicken thighs and brown them in the dish. Now a tagine is not very large on the bottom and will all the ingredients already in there I had a difficult time getting the chicken to brown since there was a layer of onions under it. Next time I’ll brown the chicken in a separate pan and then add it or remove the other ingredients and set them aside then brown the chicken and finally add the other ingredients back in the tagine. Once the chicken has browned on both sides you add a can of whole tomatoes and their liquid, the apricots, and honey. Then add the top of the tagine and leave it for around 25 minutes over very low heat. Once it is finished cooking you add the basil to the top and serve.

This dish was very fragrant as it cooked and was flavorful with the combination of sweet and savory when we ate it. The chicken was very moist and worked well with all the other flavors. I served it over cous cous which soaked up the extra sauce. The apricots made the dish to me as they were so moist and tender and had a very sweet, but mature flavor. While Russ and I really enjoyed this dish I am anxious to preserve some lemons (look for my attempt to preserve them to show up on the blog soon) and try several other recipes out soon. Russ rates tonight's dish an 8.

Spicy Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Rosemary, and Ginger
Tagine by Ghillie Basan, Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil with a pat of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 sprigs of rosemary, 1 finely chopped, the other two cut in half
A 1 and ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 – 2 cinnamon sticks
8 chicken thighs
¾ cup dried apricots
2 tablespoons clear honey
1 (14 oz) can plum tomatoes with their juice
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
A small bunch of fresh green or purple basil leaves

Heat the oil and butter in a tagine or heavy based casserole dish. Stir in the onion, chopped rosemary, ginger and chiles and sauté until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the halved rosemary sprigs and the cinnamon sticks. Add the chicken thighs and brown them on both sides. Toss in the apricots with the honey, then stir in the plum tomatoes with their juice. (Add a little water if necessary, to ensure there is enough liquid to cover the base of the tagine and submerge the apricots.) Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 35 – 40 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shred the larger basil leaves and leave the small ones intact. Sprinkle them over the chicken and serve the dish immediately.

My Notes: I used three large chicken thighs and left the other amounts the same.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

New Year's Cooking Resolutions

I know that it is now several days into 2008 and I still haven’t quite finalized all my New Year’s Resolutions. However, there are two cooking related resolutions that I have decided to give a go this year. The first is to cook out of some of my underused, but not unloved cookbooks. I love cookbooks and have quite a collection and while there are several that get used very frequently there are others that don’t… in fact there are several that have never been used. So, I am going to make a big effort to cook out of the underused cookbooks this year. My other cooking resolution is to try to create more of my own recipes. By more I mean other than my Chicken Taco Salad recipe which really isn’t that creative. I tweak recipes frequently by adding more or less of certain ingredients, adding additional ingredients, making substitutions, and other changes, but I almost always use a recipe as a guide. This year I’d like to try to break away from the recipes sometimes and try to create dishes on my own. I am not sure how original they will be or how many times Russ will need to call for pizza to be delivered, but I am going to give it a try.

So, tonight I started working on my second cooking resolution and created my own version of chicken quesadillas. Since I am not very experienced with creating recipes I decided to try something that I felt was fairly fool proof and not totally foreign to me – quesadillas. I put one large boneless, skinless chicken breast in a small pot of water to cook. While the chicken cooked I started sautéing sliced white onions and red pepper in a pan with a little canola oil over medium heat. Once they had softened I added a can of black beans (which I had drained and rinsed), about a cup of frozen corn kernels, about 2 teaspoons of cumin, about 1 teaspoon of chile powder, and some salt and pepper. I let this sauté until everything was hot. Then I put them in a bowl to the side. By now the chicken breast had cooked, so I removed it and shredded it. Then I placed the shredded chicken in the pan over low heat with one chipotle chile and about a teaspoon of adobo sauce and mixed them together for about a minute. Then I removed the chicken and set it aside. I sprayed my non-stick skillet with a little Pam and placed a flour tortilla in it. I then put a little cheese (I used a shredded Mexican mix) on the tortilla and topped it with a layer of the vegetables and then chicken. I then put a little more cheese on it and topped it with another flour tortilla. I left it alone until the bottom tortilla was slightly brown and then I flipped it and let the other side brown. I served the quesadillas with a little sour cream and salsa and did a simple salad as a side.

For one of my first tries the quesadillas turned out really well. I really liked the flavor combination of the onions, red peppers, black beans and corn. The seasoning turned out very well where it had some spice and heat to it without overwhelming the other flavors. Russ and I both really enjoyed them and Russ rates them a 9.

Reba’s Chicken Quesadillas
Serves 2

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 chipotle pepper and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 red pepper, sliced
1 large white onion, sliced
1 cup frozen corn
1 14 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
Kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 and half cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Cook the chicken breast in a pot of water until just cooked through. Then shred. While the chicken cooks heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil has heated add the onion and red peppers and sauté until they have softened. Then add the corn, black beans, cumin, chile powder, salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until the seasoning is mixed in and all the vegetables are hot. Then remove the vegetable mixture and set aside. Add the shredded chicken to the pan with the chipotle chile and adobo sauce over low heat and mix them together for about a minute. Then remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Spray the non-stick skillet with a little Pam and then place a flour tortilla in it (over medium to low heat). Then add a layer of cheese, then vegetables, then chicken and top it with more cheese and another tortilla. Leave it alone until the bottom tortilla is slightly browned. Then flip the quesadilla and let the other tortilla brown slightly. Remove from the pan, cut into four triangles and serve immediately. Serve sour cream and salsa on the side.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Delicious Salmon with Lentils

My Mother doesn’t like fish or shellfish, so growing up the only seafood we would ever eat at home would be tuna fish sandwiches or salmon croquettes both from canned fish. Since she did all the cooking at our house she would cook things she liked and I certainly don't blame her. I liked the tuna fish sandwiches, but was always not too happy when the salmon croquettes showed up on my plate. These were my only experiences with fish and since I only liked one of the two then I just assumed I didn’t like fish. Fast forward a few years and I decide to study abroad in Granada, Spain for a semester in college. One of the most popular meats in Spain is ham in fact there are stores that just sell ham legs, different cuts of pork, and different cured pork products. Well, as any of you know me know I don’t eat any part of the pig and haven’t since I was very young and took a favoring to pigs which has lead to a large pig collection over the years. Anyway, since I don’t eat the most popular meat in Spain and my sweet host mother, Gloria, agreed that she wouldn’t make it for me then I knew I had to eat anything else she prepared including seafood. Lucky for me Gloria is a fabulous cook and from her fabulous meals I realized that I actually love fish and shellfish! Gloria’s cooking and my introduction to new fruits, vegetables, meats, and spices really got me started on my culinary journey. My good friend Sumner always says that my living in Spain was the best thing I ever did and she is right on many levels including that it finally opened up my palate.

Tonight I decided to try Ina Garten’s recipe for Salmon with Lentils. I really enjoy legumes and prefer fresh or dried, but sometimes on week nights there is not enough time to cook them. Lentils due to their small size cook much faster than many other varieties, so they worked perfectly for a weeknight dinner. To prepare the lentils you put them in a heat proof bowl and pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 15 minutes before draining them. In the meantime you cut up the onion, leeks, garlic, carrots, and celery. The onion and leeks sauté in a little olive oil with some salt, pepper, and fresh thyme until the onions are translucent. You then add the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Next you add the lentils, carrots, celery, and chicken broth. Cover the pan and let them simmer for about 20 minutes. Once they have simmered you add a little red wine vinegar and check for seasoning. I followed her recipe exactly and they came out perfect!

For the salmon you heat a sauté pan on high heat for 4 minutes. You rub olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on the salmon fillets and then place them seasoned side down in the hot pan. Turn the heat down to medium and don’t touch them for 2 minutes. Then flip the fillets over and put the pan in the oven at 450. Ina serves her salmon rare, however, I prefer my fish cooked through (except for tuna) so I cooked it for about 11 minutes.

This dish was excellent and quite possibly my favorite recipe of Ina’s! The lentils are very tasty and I really loved all the vegetables with them. The red wine vinegar adds the perfect finishing touch. I told Russ that these lentils would give Frank Stitt a run for his money as they are that good. The salmon works really well with the lentils and by searing it in a hot pan the top forms a nice crust while the inside is still moist and tender. I served it with just a simple salad on the side. This salmon with lentils were fantastic and Russ rates them a 10.

Monday, January 7, 2008

My Bone to Pick with the Weather...

It is early January and yesterday it went up to 70 degrees! It felt like Spring and while Cash, Russ and I enjoyed being outside I was disappointed as I had planned to make a pot roast for dinner but it just didn’t feel right with the warm weather. So, I decided to wait and make it when the weather turns colder. Today it goes up to 70 again! While the warm weather may still control what I wear I have decided will no longer be a factor in what we have for dinner. Well, I have been craving meat loaf for a while now and I decided that just because it feel like Spring outside today and is too warm for sweaters or fires that I am still going to prepare a hearty, winter meal tonight. The weather may have postponed the pot roast, but it won’t postpone the meat loaf, so take that weather!

This is actually a blog repeat as I have not just been craving meat loaf, but craving Cooking Light’s Chipotle Meat Loaf which I made earlier in the blog here. Russ and I both really like this meat loaf. It is nontraditional and a little firmer texture than more traditional ones, but it is packed with great flavors and a little bit of a kick. We topped it with Elizabeth’s Mom’s homemade ketchup which is super yummy and a perfect complement to the meat loaf. The only changes I made from last time were that included three chipotle peppers and I did the meat loaf in little individual pans. It was yummy and my meat loaf craving has been satisfied! Russ rates it a 9.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Back in the Saddle or Kitchen Again

Since Thanksgiving I can count the number of meals we have eaten at home on one hand. Maybe that is an exaggeration, but it certainly seems like we have been so busy with fun holiday plans that we haven’t had many relaxing dinners at home. While we love the holidays and all the dinners and parties that come with it I was really starting to miss cooking dinner at home for just the two of us. Now that 2008 is here I am back in the saddle or kitchen rather again and loving it.

For the first meal of the year in our kitchen I went with a new to us pasta dish out of Giada’s Everyday Pasta. Russ and I both had a run in with the stomach bug over New Year’s and I’ll spare you the details, but as of now we are still craving simple, plain food – nothing too rich or spicy. We went with Pasta with Tomato and Peas and added grilled chicken to the top. The pasta dish is very simple and uses lots of pantry items and other ingredients that we always have on hand which makes it nice for a night when you don’t feel like going to the grocery store. To make the sauce you cut up the shallots, carrots, and garlic and then sauté them in a little olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Once they have softened you add the tomato paste, some of the water from the pasta, and the other seasonings. Once the pasta has finished cooking you add it along with the peas to the sauce and toss.

Giada says it take 15 minutes to make and while I didn’t time it I would guess it takes a little longer than 15 minutes, but it is still very quick and easy meal to prepare. The pasta has great flavor and while it is not anything super special it was perfect for a tasty weeknight dinner. The peas really work well with the subtle tomato flavor. The sauce just coats the pasta which I love instead of an overly saucy dish. Russ loved it and rated it a 10. It makes a ton and while I don’t always think pasta reheats well, we actually both enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day.