Kitchen Divas

BACON-WRAPPED PORK LOIN WITH WARM DIJON POTATO SALAD

2012-02-13T20:01:00.001-05:00

Serves 4 to 6. From The Best One-Dish Suppers.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Wrapping our pork loin with bacon kept the meat in our Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin recipe moist and served, both visually and flavor-wise, in lieu of a seared crust. We took advantage of the remaining space on our baking sheet and decided to include a Warm Dijon Potato Salad side dish. We roasted the potatoes right next to the pork, then tossed them with a simple Dijon vinaigrette that we’d warmed in the microwave.

If your pork roast has a thick layer of fat on top, trim the fat until it measure just 1/8 inch thick. We prefer to use small red potatoes measuring about 1 inch in diameter in this recipe, but you can substitute larger red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks.

INGREDIENTS
12ounces bacon (about 12 slices)
1(2 1/2- to 3-pound) boneless pork loin roast , trimmed (see note)
2teaspoons ground fennel seed
Salt and ground black pepper
2 1/2pounds small red potatoes (about 15), scrubbed and cut in half
6tablespoons olive oil
1/2cup low-sodium chicken broth
1medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 1/2tablespoons white wine vinegar
2teaspoons Dijon mustard
pinch sugar
1/4cup minced fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the bacon on a large microwave-safe plate and weigh it down with a second plate. Microwave the bacon on high power until it is slightly shriveled but still pliable, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and let cool slightly.

2. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pat the pork dry with paper towels, rub evenly with the ground fennel, and season with salt and pepper. Lay the roast in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Following the illustrations at right, shingle the bacon attractively over the top of the pork, tucking the ends underneath the roast.

3. Toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush the baking sheet around the pork loin with 1 tablespoon more oil. Lay the potatoes, cut side down, on the baking sheet around the pork. Roast the pork and potatoes until the pork registers 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 40 to 60 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through roasting.

4. Remove the pork and potatoes from the oven, position the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element, and heat the broiler. Broil the pork and potatoes until the bacon is crisp and browned and the pork registers 140 to 145 on an instant-read thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup oil, broth, shallot, vinegar, mustard, and sugar together in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the dressing (uncovered) on high power until very hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and keep warm until needed.

6. Transfer the pork to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Whisk the warm dressing to recombine, then stir in the roasted potatoes and parsley. Season the potato salad with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and let sit until the potatoes have absorbed the dressing, 5 to 10 minutes. Cut the pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve with the warm potato salad.

Recipe made by Jill

Pork Schnitzel

2012-02-07T17:29:00.002-05:00

4 boneless pork chops (1 pound total), 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (Spike or Lawrey's, or just substitute plain salt)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs or panko
1 teaspoon paprika
3 Tbsp canola oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)

1. Use a meat hammer to pound the pork cutlets to 1/4-1/8 inch thickness. Cut small slits around the edges of the cutlets to prevent curling.
2. Set out 3 shallow bowls. One with a mixture of the flour, seasoned salt, and pepper. The second with the egg and milk whisked together. The third with a mixture of the bread crumbs (or panko) and paprika.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Dredge the cutlets first in the seasoned flour, then dip the cutlets in the egg mixture, and then into the mixture of bread crumbs and paprika.
4. Working in batches, sauté the cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the cutlets from the skillet and cover with foil or place in a warm oven to keep warm.
5. Add the chicken stock into the skillet to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits. In a small bowl mix the dill and salt into the sour cream. Stir the sour cream mixture into the chicken stock. Heat and stir until mixture thickens (do not let boil).

Serve the cutlets with the sauce, and lemon slices if you like. Serves 4.

Recipe from simplyrecipes.com

Recipe made by Mary

Mom's Italian Supper Soup

2012-01-24T18:06:00.003-05:00

6 links hot Italian sausage
2 medium onions chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large can Italian tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 zucchinis, peeled and sliced
1 cup cooked pasta
2 cups red wine
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme

Cut up sausage and brown. Drain fat from pan and remove sausage to another bowl. Add a bit of olive oil and cook the onions and garlic thoroughly. Return sausage to the pan. Add the tomatoes, mash, add herbs-include salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer as long as you have time for...I did about 40 minutes. Then add the bell pepper, zucchini and pasta for another 15 to 20 minutes. I actually cooked the pasta al dente and then added the last 5 minutes of cooking so it would not be over cooked when you reheat it.
Serve with grated parmesan and a nice crusty bread.

Super yummy and comforting during this cold grey weather:)

Baked Penne and Chicken with Mushrooms

2012-01-03T08:05:00.003-05:00

Table salt

1 lb penne

4 tbls olive oil

1 1/2 lbs cremini mushrooms, wiped clean & sliced 1/4" thick

1 medium onion, minced

1/2 oz porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced

8 garlic cloves, minced (about 8 tsp)

1 tbls minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried

1/4 cup unbleached flour

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup heavy cream

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs), trimmed

8 oz shredded Italian cheese blend (about 2 cups)

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbls fresh parsley leaves

Bring 4 qts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tbls salt and pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta through colander and toss with 1 tbls olive oil; leave in colander and set aside.

Wipe pot dry, add remaining 3 tbls oil, and set over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add cremini mushrooms, onion, porcini mushrooms, and 1 tsp salt. Cover and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and continue to cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are dry and browned, 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, wine, and cream.

Add chicken, partially cover, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover completely, and cook until thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove pot from heat. Remove chicken and set aside to cool; keep sauce covered. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces. Stir shredded chicken and 1 cup cheese into sauce with cooked pasta until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer t0 13x9 baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle with parsley.

To Freeze: Wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap , then with foil, and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw 24-48 hours. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap dish and cover tightly with foil sprayed with vegetable oil spray (or nonstick foil). Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until hot through-out and browned on top, 25-30 minutes longer.

Spicy Sichuan Noodles (Dan Dan Mian) with Shitakes

2012-01-02T15:52:00.002-05:00

Serves 8 as a main course

Ingredients
* 1.5 ounces dried shitake mushrooms
* 16 ounces ground pork
* 6 tablespoons soy sauce
* 4 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry)
* 2 generous pinches ground pepper
* 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
* 8 tablespoons Asian sesame paste (available at Asian stores - NOT the same as tahini; mine was labeled "Chinese salad dressing - but it was 100% sesame seeds) or peanut butter
* 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 2 tablespoons minced ginger
* 12 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 tablespoons)
* 1.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes
* 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
* 2 pounds dried Asian noodles (width between linguine and fettuccine)
* 6 medium scallions, sliced thin (about 1/3 cup)
* 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns, toasted in small dry skillet until fragrant, then ground (optional; mine were called "dried prickly ash peppers")

Instructions
1. Soak shitake mushrooms in 2 cups boiling water until softened, 15 to 20 minutes; drain, reserving 1 cup soaking liquid. Trim and discard stems; cut mushrooms into 1/4-inch slices and set aside.

2. Combine pork, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sherry, and pinch pepper in small bowl; stir well with fork and set aside while preparing other ingredients. Whisk together oyster-flavored sauce, remaining soy sauce, sesame paste, vinegar, and pinch pepper in medium bowl. Whisk in chicken stock and reserved mushroom liquid and set aside.

3. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large stockpot over high heat.

4. Meanwhile, heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add canola oil and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add pork and cook, scraping along pan bottom and breaking up pork into small pieces with wide metal or wooden spatula, until pork is in small well-browned bits, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sesame paste/mushroom liquid mixture; bring to boil, whisking to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to blend flavors, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in shitake mushrooms along with sesame oil.

5. While sauce simmers, add noodles to boiling water and cook until tender (refer to package directions, but use them only as a guideline and be sure to taste for doneness). Drain noodles; divide noodles among individual bowls, ladle a portion of sauce over noodles, sprinkle with scallions and ground Sichuan peppercorns, if using; serve immediately.

From frozen:
Defrost sauce pack and warm over low heat, stirring to incorporate sesame oil. Prepare noodles as directed and top with ladled sauce, onions, and peppers.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Empanadas

2011-12-12T22:57:00.003-05:00

3 pounds poached or roasted chicken breasts, diced or shredded
1 pound of Black Forest ham, thinly sliced and chopped
16 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 small bunch of scallions, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons of garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon black pepper
50 empanada wrappers (I prefer Goya brand)

Mix all ingredients (but wrappers) in a large bowl and adjust seasonings to taste. (I omitted salt, given the saltiness of the ham.) Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center of a wrapper. Wet the edge of the wrapper before folding it in half and sealing it with a fork or empanada press. Freeze. Brush with melted butter, egg, or olive oil and sprinkle with salt before baking at 375 for 30 minutes or until brown.

Makes 50.

Sausage Empanadas with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream

2011-10-25T15:41:00.005-04:00

Cilantro Lime Sour Cream:

1 cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, packed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions: In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

Sausage Empanadas:

16 ounces spicy hot breakfast sausage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
½ cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, finely chopped
2 (14-ounce) packages frozen empanada/turnover discs (dough) 5-inches diameter, thawed * See Note Below
1 egg, beaten
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Directions: Over medium heat, crumble sausage into a large heavy skillet. Add onion and cook, breaking up sausage, with back of a wooden spoon, into small pieces. Cook until sausage is brown and onions are soft. Drain fat from pan. Add garlic, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, pepper flakes, raisins and olives. Cook about 2-3 minutes, continuing to break sausage into small pieces. Cool slightly. Place dough/circle on flat surface; add about 2 tablespoons sausage mixture down center of each circle. Fold dough in half, forming a half circle. Slightly moisten dough edges and tightly seal dough by crimping edges with moist finger tips. (Could be prepared to this point 5 to 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Spray shallow baking sheets with nonstick vegetable spray or line with parchment paper. Place empanadas on prepared baking sheets. Prick each empanada top, several times, with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking. Lightly brush tops with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot with Cilantro Lime Cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Yield: 16 Empanadas

*I omitted the raisins and olives

Stuffed Shells with Chicken, Arugula and a Creamy Alfredo Sauce

2011-10-24T21:10:00.002-04:00

Filling:
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 TBS olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups Arugula
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Sauce:
4 TBS butter
1 clove garlic minced
2 TBS all purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
3 TBS chopped fresh chives
1 cup plus 3 TBS grated parmesan
1 cup grape tomato halved
italian parsley for garnish

large jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13" baking dish and set aside

Bring a large pot of water to a boil add the pasta and cook for approximately 9 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under color water being careful not to break the shells. Set aside.

Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the ricotta and Parmesan. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and cook one minute, being careful not to brown it. Stir in the arugula until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped chicken and still well. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add chicken mixture to cheese mixture and stir carefully . Stuff each shell with approximately 1/2 cup of the cheese filling and place in prepared baking dish.

For the sauce, heat the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the cream and milk and whisk until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from the heat and add the chives, 1 cup parmesan, cherry tomatoes and gently stir. Pour sauce over the shells and sprinkle with remaining 3 TBS of parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley.

Thai-Style Chicken with Basil

2011-08-22T17:00:00.004-04:00

3 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed - divided
5 medium garlic cloves, peeled
9 green or red thai chiles, stemmed 0r 3 serranos or 1 medium jalapeno (I used 3/4 of a medium jalapeno to decrease spiciness)
3 Tbsp. fish sauce, divided
1 1/2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in to 2" pieces
5 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 1/3 cup)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Red pepper flakes for serving, if desired

1. Process 1 1/2 cups basil leaves, garlic and chiles in food processor until finely chopped, 6-10 one second pulses, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once during processing. Transfer 1 1/2 Tbsp. basil mixture to small bowl and stir in 1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar and sugar; set aside. Transfer remaining basil mixture to 12-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet. Do not wash food processor bowl.

2. Pulse chicken and 1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce in food processor until meat is chopped into approximate 1/4-inch pieces, six to eight 1-second pulses. Transfer to medium bowl and refrigerate 15 minutes.

3. Stir shallots and oil into basil mixture in skillet. Heat over medium-low heat (mixture should start to sizzle after about 1 1/2 mins.; if it doesn't, adjust heat accordingly), stirring constantly, until garlic and shallots are golden brown, 5-8 minutes.

4. Add chicken, increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring and breaking up chicken with potato masher or rubber spatula, until only traces of pink remain, 2-4 minutes. Add reserved basil-fish sauce mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining cup basil leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until basil is wilted, 30-60 seconds. Serve immediately, passing extra fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes and vinegar to add as desired.

Serve with steamed rice and vegetables, if desired.

To freeze:

Complete all steps through step #3. Place cooked basil-shallot mixture in freezer bag and add uncooked chicken and freeze. Freeze reserved basil-fish sauce separately.

To cook from frozen:

Cut sauce out of bag prior to thawing. Thaw chicken mixture in refrigerator. Place in warmed non-stick skillet and follow instructions in step #4.

Wild Salmon with Mustard Glaze

2011-08-12T16:52:00.002-04:00

For the Salmon:
6 pieces of salmon fillets with skin on (6-8 ounces)
1 TBS olive oil or melted butter
coarse salt and pepper

For the Glaze:

4 tsps toasted yellow mustard seeds
3/4 cup mayo (I used a bit less)
1/3 cup grainy mustard
1 TBS chopped fresh dill
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper

Run your fingers over the meat side of the salmon and pull out any bones you feel. Rinse the salmon under cold running water and then blot dry with paper towels. Brush the skin side of the fish with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Prepare the glaze in a non reactive mixing bowl whisking together all ingredients. Spoon the glaze evenly over the salmon and wrap in foil. At this point I double wrapped in foil and froze.

To Cook from Frozen: Do not thaw. Pull out of freezer and remove one layer of foil. Pierce the other foil a few times with a fork on both sides. Grill on medium hot for around 15 minutes turning one time. Center should be opaque when done.

If you were doing this recipe with out freezing you would now set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium heat. When ready to cook brush and oil the grill grate. Spoon glaze over evenly. Cover and grill about 12 to 15 minutes, the skin will become crisp.

Cajun Cool Cheeseburgers

2011-07-13T17:18:00.001-04:00

From Cooking Light

4 1/2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
4 1/2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup + 1/8 cup dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons paprika
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons ground red pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1/2 pound ground turkey
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup green onion tops, cut into 2-inch julienned strips

Prepare grill.

Combine cheeses; set aside.

Combine breadcrumbs and next 5 ingredients. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions; shape into a 1/2-inch thick patty. Remove the center of each patty and stuff with cheese mixture; replace meat removed until it hides the cheese.

Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Place buns, cut side down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1/4 cup lettuce, 3 tablespoons onions, and top half of bun.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Calories: 463 (33% from fat); Fat 17g (sat 7g, mono 5.6g, poly 2.6g); Protein 33.1g, Carb 43.1g; Fiber 2.1g; Chol 82mg; Iron 5.2mg; Sodium 956mg; Calc 194mg

*NOTE: The original recipe called for the cheese to be placed on top of the burgers while grilling. Instead, I used a generous tablespoon of both feta and blue cheese (2 tablespoons total) to stuff the burgers. If you wanted an extra-cheesy treat, you could stuff the burgers with 2 tablespoons of the cheese and use the remaining cheese to top the burgers while grilling.

Tangerine Teriyaki Pork Chops

2011-07-06T09:15:00.003-04:00

6 pork chops
3 strips tangerine strips
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup tangerine juice
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
2 Cloves garlic minced
2 slices fresh ginger (1/4 inch thick), crushed with the side of a knife
2 whole star anise
1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water
1 TBS lightly toasted sesame seeds for garnish
2 scallions, green part only, finely chopped for garnish

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, tangerine juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and star anise in a non reactive mixing bowl and whisk. Pour the marinade over the chops and let marinate refrigerated for 1-2 hours. (or if freezing in a bag). Preheat your grill for high. Strain the marinade into a saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil over high heat. Briskly simmer, uncovered until syrupy about 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in dissolved cornstarch and boil until thickened, about 30 seconds.
When ready to cook, brush and oil the grate well. Grill about 6 minutes a side. Baste the pork chops with the glaze as it cooks. Transfer to plates and spoon the remaining glaze over the chops. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green scallions. Serve asap. (I poured some of the basting liquid into a separate bowl for the grill master and saved the rest to glaze the chops).

Pesto-Stuffed Pork Chops

2011-06-20T18:57:00.002-04:00

5 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbsp. prepared basil pesto (I made my own version)
1 1/2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
6 pork loin chops or boneless pork loin chops, cut 1 1/4 inches thick

rub:
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/3 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1. For filling, stir together cheese, pesto and nuts. Set aside. Trim fat from meat. Make a pocket in each chop by cutting horizontally from the fat side almost to the bone or the opposite side. Divide filling among pockets in chops. If necessary, secure opening with wooden toothpick.

2. For rub, in a small bowl combine black pepper, salt, oregano, garlic, red pepper and thyme. Rub evenly onto all sides of meat. Place chops on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until done (160 degrees) and juices run clear. Brush vinegar onto chops during last 5 minutes of baking. Before serving, discard toothpicks.

If desired, you may also grill.

Frozen directions:

Stuff pork chops as described in recipe. Wrap and freeze individually.

Lay flat on to thaw in refrigerator 24-48 hrs. Once thawed, apply rub and cook as described, brushing on balsamic vinegar during last 5 minutes.

Chicken Empanadas

2011-06-20T14:05:00.005-04:00

Makes 12 empanadas

Filling ingredients:

3 cups cooked shredded chicken breasts

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 sun-dried tomatoes, drained and diced

1-2 cloves garlic

3 green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons minced cilantro

2 teaspoons chili powder

4 oz. canned green chilies

salt and pepper, to taste

12 empanada discs (I prefer the frozen 5-inch Goya “discos,” which come 10/pack and have plastic sheets separating each disk. They thaw in an hour at room temperature.)

egg/olive oil wash, kosher salt

Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl, adjusting seasoning as necessary. Remove one disc and wet the edge with a bit of water. Using approximately ¼ cup filling per empanada, place filling in center of thawed disc dough and fold over, pressing and sealing edges together with the tines of a fork (or using a plastic empanada press - available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, which makes the process much easier!) Continue wetting/ filling/sealing the empanadas, placing on a baking sheet before flash freezing. (Tip: to fit more empanadas on the baking sheet, instead of laying them flat, stand the empanadas side-by-side, using the plastic wrappers from the package of discs to keep them from sticking to each other.) Once frozen, the empanadas can be removed from the baking sheet and placed in a freezer bag for easy storage.

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place frozen empanadas on cookie sheet, brushing with egg wash or olive oil. (The egg wash will give you a nicer brown color, but the olive oil adds more flavor.) Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Serve with salsa or sour cream.

Tequila-Glazed Chicken Thighs

2011-06-17T13:10:00.000-04:00

*If you would rather not use tequila, you can substitute 1/3 cup pineapple juice. Start the grilling over direct heat to get good grill marks and charred bits, and then move to indirect heat to gently finish the cooking.

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skinned
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup tequila
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat grill to medium-high heat using both burners. After preheating turn the left burner off (leave the right burner on).

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub evenly over chicken.

Bring the pineapple juice, tequila, and honey to a boil in a small saucepan; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes).

Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl, and stir well. Add cornstarch mixture to juice mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat, and stir in lime rind, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and red pepper.

Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray over right burner (direct heat). Cover and grill for 5 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with juice mixture. Move the chicken to grill rack over left burner (indirect heat). Cover and grill an additional 5 minutes on each side or until done, basting occasionally.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 thigh).

calories, 241; fat 7g (sat. 2.1 g, mono 2.8g, poly 1.7g); protein, 18g; carb, 17.2g; fiber, 0.4g; chol, 64mg; iron, 1.2mg; sodium 374mg; calc 19mg

from Cooking Light, June 2011 issue

Grilled Herb Shrimp with Mango Salsa

2011-06-15T14:31:00.003-04:00

Herb Shrimp:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium yellow onion, small-diced

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 lbs shrimp; peeled, tail-on, deveined

Combine garlic, onion, parsley, basil, mustards, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add the shrimp and allow them to marinate for 1 hour at room temp or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Prepare grill and skewer the shrimp. Grill shrimp for 1 min 30 seconds each side or until done. Serve with Mango Salsa (recipe follows).

Mango Salsa:

2 tbls olive oil

2 yellow onions, diced

2 tsp fresh minced ginger

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 ripe mangos; peeled, seeded, and small-diced

1/3 cup orange juice

2 tsp light brown sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 tsp minced fresh mint leaves

Saute olive oil and onions in large saute pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until onions are translucent. Add ginger and garlic, cook for 1 more minute. Add the mangos; reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add the mint. Serve warm, at room temp, or chilled.

Mom's Beef Teriyaki

2011-06-13T14:24:00.002-04:00

2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 salad oil
2TBS ginger root minced
2 TBS molasses
2 tsp dry mustard
6 cloves minced garlic

Combine with 2 pounds flank steak and marinate at least one day.

Soak skewers in water for 20 minutes and then skewer the meat.
Grill and enjoy!

Sesame-Pork Fajitas

2011-05-23T17:39:00.002-04:00

1 package pork tenderloins (2 tenderloins)

4 tsp dark sesame oil

2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 moo shu shells

Cooking spray

1/4-1/2 cup hoisin sauce

Trim fat off pork and cut into strips. Combine pork and next 5 ingredients in large ziplock baggie; seal and shake well to coat pork. Marinate in fridge for 20 minutes. Warm moo shu shells according to package directions. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add pork mixture and stir fry 5 minutes or until done. Divide pork mixture evenly among shells. Drizzle hoisin over pork mixture and roll up.

To Freeze: Prepare pork in marinade and freeze. Have moo shu shells and hoisin on hand for serving day.

To Serve: Thaw pork mixture. Following remaining recipe directions.

Baked Ziti

2011-05-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

from Cooks Illustrated

NOTE: The test kitchen prefers heavy cream, but whole milk can be substituted by increasing the cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and increasing the cooking time in step 3 by 1 to 2 minutes. Either whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella can be used, but avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt well. Do not use nonfat cottage cheese, it will break down when baked.

1 pound whole-milk or 1 percent cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
Salt
1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon sugar
Pepper
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

(1) Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese together in a medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; cook, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the pasta and leave it in the colander (do not wash the pot).

(2) Meanwhile, heat the oil and garlic in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup of the basil and the sugar, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

(3) Stir the cornstarch into the cream in a small bowl; transfer the mixture to the now-empty pot set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup of the tomato/oregano/basil/sugar sauce, and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add the pasta and stir to coat throughly with sauce.

(4) Transfer the pasta mixture to a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and spread the remaining tomato/oregano/basil/sugar sauce evenly over the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over the top. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

(5) Remove the foil and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Let cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

Siamese Chicken Curry with Broccoli and Peanuts

2011-05-23T06:44:00.004-04:00

Béchamel Sauce: (I doubled)
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 cup of half and half

Curry:
2 cups broccoli flowerets
2 TBS corn oil
1 ounce green Thai Curry
1/4 tsp
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp garlic (I use a bit more)
1 1/2 pound chicken breast
4 TBS soy sauce
OPT: 1/2 tsp sriraja (Thai hot sauce) or tabasco
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Hot cooked rice or lo mein noodles

Béchamel:
Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat for several minutes. Add the half and half all at once and stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Set aside. If not using immediately, cover flush with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

Curry:
Blanch the broccoli for 1 minute in boiling salted water. Drain and set aside. Have assembled the rest of the ingredients for the curry.

In a large skillet, heat the corn oil. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute over low heat to blend. Turn the heat to medium high and add the chicken, salt, sugar, and garlic. Stir fry the chicken until the sugar begins to caramelize, increasing the heat if necessary.

Immediately add the soy sauce and continue to stir fry until the liquid has almost evaporated and the chicken is cooked through. Blend in the reserved Béchamel sauce. Add additional milk if the mixture seems to thick, 2TBS at a time. When the sauce is smooth add the broccoli and quickly heat through. (I don't heat the broccoli through for freezing). Taste and add the additional hot sauce if desired. Stir in the peanuts and serve at once over rice or noodles.

Chicken Spiedies

2011-04-25T19:10:00.000-04:00

1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts), trimmed
6 (6-inch) submarine rolls, split partially open lengthwise, or 6 large slices Italian bread

Combine the oil, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the oil mixture to a separate bowl and whisk in the mayonnaise, vinegar, and lemon juice; refrigerate until ready to serve. (The sauces can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.)

Prick the chicken breasts all over with a fork, cut them into 1 1/4-inch chunks, and transfer to the bowl with the remaining oil mixture. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread the chunks onto six 12-inch skewers. Grill on high, turning frequently, until lightly charred and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the rolls, remove the skewers, and drizzle with the mayonnaise mixture. Serve.

Frozen Preparation:
Defrost chicken in refrigerator. Thread onto bamboo skewers which have been soaked in water for 20 minutes prior to using. Grill as directed above. Serve as directed above. To prepare sauce, defrost and whisk in 3 tablespoons mayonnaise.

Flank Steak Stuffed with Spinach, Provolone, & Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

2011-04-25T11:36:00.003-04:00

1 (2lb) flank steak

1 (12oz) jar roasted red bell peppers, rinsed, drained, & patted dry

5 tbls olive oil

1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 c)

1 medium shallot, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbls fresh thyme, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

8 oz thinly sliced Provolone cheese

3 oz baby spinach (about 2 c)

Lay steak on large plate and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, puree peppers, 2 tbls oil, Parmesan, shallot, garlic, thyme, and 1/8 tsp salt in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

Slice chilled steak in half horizontally to within 1/2 inch of edge and open like a book. Pat steak dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Layer provolone over steak, leaving 1" border around edges, then cover with spinach. Spoon roasted red pepper mixture evenly over spinach. Roll steak up tightly and tie. Brush steak with additional 1 tbls oil.

To Store/To Freeze: Wrap steak tightly with plastic wrap for up to 24 hours or freeze. Thaw 24 hours before cooking day.

To Serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450. Brush steak with additional 1 tbls oil and transfer to wire rack set over foil-lined baking sheet. Roast until registers 120 degrees, about 45-50 minutes, rotating steak and brushing with 1 tbls oil halfway through cooking. Transfer to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest about 10 minutes. Remove twine and slice steak crosswise.

*Note: I only used about half the amount of red pepper pesto called for- it makes a ton and can be a little over-powering.

Creamy Pasta Sauce with Fresh Herbs

2011-04-24T11:27:00.007-04:00

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 TBS sweet butter
1/2 tsp salt (I used half that)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup grated imported parmesan cheese
1 cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (I used a combo of basil, mint, chives, watercress Italian parsley)
1 pound angel hair pasta

Combine the cream, butter, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne in a heavy saucepan and simmer for at least 15 minutes or until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened.

Whisk in the parmesan and herbs and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings. Serve immediately.

For the freezer version I simmered just a tad less as you will have to reheat it and I didn't want it to thick. Place in freezer bag to freeze. I would recommend cutting it out of the bag frozen when you are ready to thaw it. That way you wont loose sauce:)

2 cups of sauce is enough for 1 pound of pasta.
This recipe is from the Silver Palate Cookbook

Penne with Vodka Sauce/Simple Tomato Sauce (Giada De Laurentiis)

2011-03-28T19:29:00.003-04:00

Ingredients

1 quart Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, blended until smooth
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound penne

Directions

Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce, and toss to coat.

Simple Tomato Sauce:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

4 to 6 basil leaves

2 dried bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.

Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Yield: 6 cups

Beef and Cheese Empanadas

2011-03-28T19:17:00.003-04:00

(From Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 pinches ground cloves
2 pinches cayenne pepper
1 pound 85 percent lean ground chuck
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
2 teaspoons sugar
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 cup)
1 large egg , beaten, or olive oil (for brushing on tops of empanadas)
1 package empanada wrappers (10/package)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, oregano, cumin, cloves, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the beef and cook, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the broth, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the mixture is moist but not wet, about 8 minutes. (I had to drain it a bit.) Off the heat, stir in the sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cool, about 1 hour. Stir in the cheese and continue to chill until needed, up to 3 days.
Working with the first batch of dough rounds, take one at a time, rim edge with water, and fill with 2-3 tablespoons of filling. Fold in half, seal, and crimp the edges of the empanadas using a fork. Arrange them on a fresh, parchment-lined baking sheet. Wrap the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making a second batch of empanadas.
To Store: Make sure each baking sheet is covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. (After the empanadas are completely frozen, about 8 hours, they can be transferred to a zipper-lock bag to save space in the freezer. Transfer back to a parchment-lined baking sheet before baking.)
To Serve: Adjust 2 oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Unwrap the empanadas and brush with the egg or oil. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, switching and rotating the trays halfway through the baking time. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry BBQ Sauce

2011-03-28T18:21:00.000-04:00

For the sauce:
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons water or lemon juice

For the pork chops:
4 pork chops (6 to 8 ounces each)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate with oil.

Saute shallots and jalapeno in oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until soft, about 2 minutes. Add blueberries, vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon, garlic powder, and salt; simmer until sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor; pulse until pureed. Return sauce to pan over medium heat. Stir in water; simmer sauce 1-2 minutes more, stirring often. Remove sauce from heat; set aside.

Season pork with salt and pepper. Grill pork, covered, over direct heat until an instant-read thermometer registers 155 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Brush sauce over pork as it cooks. Remove pork from grill and tent with foil; let rest 5 minutes.

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp

2011-03-28T16:55:00.001-04:00

If you don't like spicy food, start with only 2 teaspoons chile paste. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little water--it should be the consistency of unwhipped cream.

Peanut Sauce:

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2-2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2-4 teaspoons chile paste with garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooking spray
1/2 tsp. salt

Pasta:

8 cups cooked thick udon noodles or linguine (16 ounces uncooked)
2 small red bell peppers, cut into julienne strips
1 1/2 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onions
6 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
4 tablespoons cilantro leaves
6 lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

To prepare sauce, combine the ingredients and stir with a whisk.

To prepare the shrimp, toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté in nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side or until done.

To prepare pasta, combine peanut sauce, shrimp, noodles, bell pepper, cucumber, and onions in a large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Thai Shrimp and Lemongrass Soup

2011-02-27T14:49:00.003-05:00

2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 ounce lemongrass
2 packages cellophane noodles (2 ounces each)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/4 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp sesame oil
3TBS soy sauce
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 TBS nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1/2 tsp sriraja (Thai hot sauce) or Tabasco
3 TBS rice wine or dry sherry
1 TBS cornstarch
3 TBS water
1/2 pound small mushrooms quartered
2 TBS fermented black beans, rinsed
1/2 pound peeled shrimp, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup scallions sliced
2 tsp lime juice

Simmer the stock with the lemongrass in a covered saucepan for 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, soak the noodles in water to cover for 20-30 minutes, then drain and if desired cut into 2" pieces. Set aside. To the stock, add the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce,, red pepper flakes, nam pla, sriraja and rice wine. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Strain off the solids. Combine the cornstarch and water. Bring the soup to a boil and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and add the noodles and simmer 5 minutes (can be made ahead at this point). Add the mushrooms, black beans, shrimp, and scallions. Return to a boil and cook 1 minute. Remove the soup from the heat, stir in the lime juice and serve.

Makes 2 1/2 quarts

(Lemongrass infuses much of Thai cooking giving a lemony edge to soups. Dried lemongrass must be soaked first or cooked in a liquid and then strained.)

Freezer version: Thaw the stock, mushroom mixture and bring to a boil on top of the stove add the soaked noodles and coarsely chopped shrimp for 5 minutes. When shrimp is cooked at the lime juice and serve:)
Enjoy!
Jennifer

From The Frog Commissary Cookbook

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

2011-01-24T16:08:00.002-05:00

1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts or 4 c. shredded cooked chicken

4 tbls butter

1/2 c. flour

2 c. chicken stock

1.5 c. whole milk

3 tbls sherry

couple drops lemon juice, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

3 pinches ground nutmeg

2 tbls butter

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, sliced 1/4" thick

2 celery stalks, sliced 1/4" thick

3/4 c. frozen peas, thawed

3 tbls fresh parsley

Frozen buttermilk or southern-style biscuits

Cook and shred chicken breasts to make 4 cups. Melt 4 tbls butter in large saucepan over med-low heat. Add 1/2 c. flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add 2 c. chicken stock and whisk until smooth. Increase heat to medium, slowly whisk in 1.5 c. whole milk, bring just to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken and sherry and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and nutmeg.

In separate skillet, melt 2 tbls butter over med-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring often until barely tender, for about 5 minutes. Stir the veggies into the creamed chicken mixture along with the peas and parsley. Pour the chicken & veggie mixture into a greased 9x13 pan (or two 8x8). Place frozen biscuits on top of chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly and biscuits are lightly browned (about 25-35 minutes).

To Freeze: Prepare according to above directions but do not bake. Package frozen biscuits in separate baggie to be placed on top of chicken mixture just before baking (biscuits should remain frozen).

Serving Day: Thaw chicken mixture 24 hours in fridge. Do not thaw biscuits. Remove foil and plastic wrap and place frozen biscuits on top. Bake according to above directions.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

2011-01-23T17:58:00.000-05:00

Meatballs
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; toss lightly to mix well. With teaspoon or melon ball scoop, shape mixture into small balls (makes approximately 30 3/4-inch balls).

Pour enough vegetable oil into the bottom of a skillet to lightly coat the skillet. Brown meatballs in the oil over medium-high heat. Remove and drain.

Sauce
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) petite diced tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) Furmano's Crushed tomatoes (preferably with basil, if you can find it)
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)
1 cup Chianti or Cabernet Sauvignon

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Stir. Add meatballs. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, one and a half hours, stirring occasionally.

Chicken d'Iberville

2010-12-16T10:58:00.004-05:00

from Southern Living

Ingredients
Casserole
• 2 (3-pound) whole chickens
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup dry sherry
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 (6-ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 (8-ounce) packages sliced mushrooms
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
Topping
• 1 sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 (6-ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation
Bring first 9 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Let chicken cool. Pour broth through a fine wire mesh strainer into an 8-cup liquid measuring cup; discard solids.

Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 4 1/4 cups reserved chicken broth for water and omitting butter. (Add water to broth to equal 4 1/4 cups, if necessary.)

Skin, bone, and coarsely chop or shred chicken. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms and green onions, and sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, chicken, sour cream, and soup.

Spoon mixture into 8 (2-cup) casserole dishes, 8 (5 1/2- x 3 1/2- x 2-inch) mini-loaf pans, 3 (8-inch or 9-inch) square baking dishes, or 1 (4-quart or 15- x 10-inch) casserole dish.

Stir together crushed crackers and fried onions. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle casserole evenly with cracker mixture.
Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until bubbly.

To make ahead: Cover casseroles tightly with foil, and freeze unbaked up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake as directed. (Casserole may also be baked frozen. Plan to double the baking times.)

Short-cut method: Use 2 deli-roasted chickens (about 2 pounds each) in place of boiled chickens or 1 1/2-2 pounds of chicken breasts poached in water. Use 1 cup dry sherry and 3 1/4 cups (26 ounces) canned chicken broth to cook rice. (This is what I did.)

Meatloaf "Muffins" with Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze

2010-11-22T14:55:00.002-05:00

Glaze
½ cup ketchup or chili sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar or white vinegar

Meat Loaf
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
½ cup whole milk or plain yogurt
2 pounds meat loaf mix (50% ground chuck, 25% ground pork, 25% ground veal) – NOTE: I just use ground beef, and usually the 93% lean ground beef
2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers (about 16) or quick oatmeal or 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs NOTE: I use dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves NOTE: I sometimes use dried in smaller amount or omit altogether

1. FOR THE GLAZE: Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan; set aside
2. FOR THE MEAT LOAF: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing the remaining ingredients. NOTE: I used dehydrated onions soaked in the egg mixture, skipped the sauté and added the garlic directly after mincing.
3. Mix the eggs with the thyme, salt, black pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, and milk in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the meat in a large bowl along with the crackers (or crumbs), parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with a fork until evenly blended and the meat mixture does not stick to the bowl. (If mixture sticks, add more milk, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the mix no longer sticks.)
4. Divide the meat mixture into 9 muffin tin cups and shape. Brush glaze on top and bake for 35 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees. Simmer the remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly and serve along side meatloaf muffin.

To freeze:
Wrap each uncooked muffin in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Prepare glaze and place in separate freezer baggy. Thaw meat-muffin in refrigerator prior to cooking. Cut glaze out of freezer baggy and place in saucepan for thawing. Follow remaining instructions.

*Note: This prepares 9, but I distribute 6 to each person in the group and made the regular amount of glaze.

Manicotti

2010-11-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

14 manicotti shells (I used Barilla)
1 pound (2 cups) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
24 ounces spaghetti sauce (I used Bertolli Tomato and Basil)

Mix ricotta cheese, parsley, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese until well-blended. DO NOT COOK manicotti shells. Stuff manicotti shells with the cheese mixture and return the stuffed shells to the plastic trays they came in. (A large Ziploc bag works great as a make-shift pastry bag to pipe the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells. Simply spoon the cheese mixture into the bag, cut off a small portion of one of the bottom corners and squeeze the cheese through the hole into the shells.) Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in a gallon-sized Ziploc freezer bag.

Serving day instructions:
Defrost stuffed shells in the refrigerator. Pour 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce evenly over the bottom of a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Place manicotti noodles in the sauce. Pour the remaining portion of sauce plus 1/2 cup hot water over the manicotti noodles (I just added the hot water to the jar and shook to incorporate.)

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until the manicotti shells are tender. Top with mozzarella or Parmesan cheese if you wish.

Soy/Ginger Marinated Flank Steak

2010-10-23T18:04:00.003-04:00

1.8-2 lb. flank steak
1 c. soy sauce
1/3 – ½ c. packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. chopped ginger (may use bottled)
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic (may use bottled)
¼ c. vegetable oil (NOT olive oil)

Cut flank steak into 1” strips against grain and place in 1 gallon zip lock bag. Set aside. In blender combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and blend briefly. Slowly add the vegetable oil while the blender continues to whirl, about 15 seconds. Taste and adjust ginger or garlic to your liking. Pour directly into zip lock bag and refrigerate. Let marinade for at least 4 hours. Place on medium-hot grill and grill to liking.

This freezes really well. Once marinating, make sure all the air is out of the freezer bag and lay it flat on its side on a cookie sheet. When needed, just thaw in fridge and grill.

Beef Teriyaki

2010-09-27T15:28:00.003-04:00

16 oz top sirloin or beef tenderloin
Some oil for pan-frying

MARINADE

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake

TERIYAKI SAUCE (TARE)

4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons sake
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons corn starch (mixed with 2 teaspoons water)

GARNISHING

White sesame seeds
Some chopped scallions, optional

METHOD:

Slice the beef into thin pieces, across the grain. Marinate the beef with the Marinade, for about 20 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients in the Teriyaki Sauce. Heat up a small sauce pan and prepare the sauce. As soon as the sauce starts to bubble, remove it from the heat.

Add some oil to your skillet and pan-fry the beef, until slightly charred. Transfer the beef to a serving ware, and add the Teriyaki Sauce on top. Garnish with white sesame seeds and chopped scallions, if used. Serve the beef teriyaki immediately with steamed white rice.

From http://rasamalaysia.com

Chicago Style Italian Beef

2010-09-27T10:51:00.003-04:00

Ingredients

* 3 cups beef broth
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon onion salt
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 (.7 ounce) packages dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
* 1 (4-5 pound) rump roast

Directions

1. Combine broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, bay leaves, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil. (If freezing beef, cool completely and add to beef in freezer bag.)
2. Place roast in slow cooker, and pour broth mixture over the meat.
3. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.

Serve with Chicago style "giardiniera" relish and/or pepperoncinis and lots of juice. As they say in Chicago, "the wetter the better." (Note that while Chicago Italian beef sandwiches may also include Italian sausage as a "topping," true Chicago Italian beefs do not include melted cheese or sauteed onions. These are Philly beefs!)

Chili Mac

2010-08-31T16:35:00.000-04:00

Editors’ Choice Cookbook Collection. From Cover and Bake.

Serves 6 to 8.

Reserve some of the pasta-cooking water so that it can be used to thin out the chili as needed. Ground turkey (1½ pounds) can be substituted for the ground beef. If you can’t find Co-Jack cheese, just substitute equal amounts of colby and Jack cheese instead.

PLANNING AHEAD: Follow the recipe through step 4, but do not sprinkle with cheese or bake. Wrap the chili mac tightly with plastic wrap and poke several vent holes with the tip of a paring knife. Refrigerate until cool, about 3 hours, then wrap it tightly with another sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. This dish can also be frozen, tightly covered with foil, for two months. Thaw for 24 hours hours in the refrigerator before baking.

TO BAKE: Allow the covered dish to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle with cheese, and cover tightly with foil. Remove the foil and continue to cook until cheese begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

INGREDIENTS

	Salt
1/2	pound elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked pasta)
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2	pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2	medium onions , chopped medium
1	red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
6	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press
2	tablespoons chili powder
1	tablespoon ground cumin
1	(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1	(28-ounce) can tomato puree
1	tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
8	ounces Colby Jack (Co-Jack) cheese , shredded (about 2 2/3 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the macaroni; cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Reserve ¾ cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Transfer the pasta to a bowl and set aside.
2. Wipe the Dutch oven dry. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink and beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the beef through a colander, discarding the drippings, and set it aside.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the Dutch oven and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, red pepper, garlic, chili powder, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato puree, brown sugar, the reserved pasta water, and the drained beef; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the cooked pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish (or a shallow casserole dish of similar size) and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and browned, about 15 minutes. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Crab Quiche (Wilmington, NC Jr. League)

2010-08-30T19:15:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:
1 unbaked 10-inch deep-dish pie shell
2 cups drained, flaked backfin crabmeat
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions with white tops
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise (I used Duke's)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
pinch nutmeg
8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:
Prick the bottom and sides of empty pie shell with a fork; bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Combine crab and green onions in small bowl and reserve. Mix evaporated milk and flour in a large bowl and stir until smooth. Beat in eggs. Add mayonnaise, dry mustard, nutmeg, and Worcestershire sauce and beat for a few seconds. Stir in crab mixture and then cheese, mixing well. (Mixture will be quite thick.) Pour filling into pre-baked pie shell; place on a baking sheet and into oven for 45 minutes or until firm. (If necessary, cover with foil to ensure center is set and crust doesn't get too brown.) Yields 6-8 servings.

Sweet and Sour Pork

2010-08-30T17:38:00.005-04:00

2 lbs. pork tenderloin (cut into bite size pieces)
1 green bell pepper (cut into pieces)
1 red bell pepper (cut into pieces)
3 stalks scallions (only the white part, cut into 2 inch length)
1 piece fresh/canned pineapple ring (cut into small pieces) or 1 can pineapple chunks
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
Oil for frying

MARINADE:

4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons corn starch
2 teaspoons rice wine

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:

4 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
3 teaspoon plum sauce
1/8 + 1/4 teaspoons Chinese rice vinegar (transparent in color)
1 1/2 teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
3 teaspoons oyster sauce
3 teaspoons corn starch
3 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons water

METHOD:

Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinate with the ingredients for 15-20 minutes.

Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.

In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil (enough for searing the pork pieces). Once the oil is hot, fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels, if necessary.

Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then follow by the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. Stir fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers and then add in the sweet and sour sauce. As soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well with the sauce. Add in the chopped scallions, do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Grilled Stuffed Chicken-Breasts with Prosciutto and Fontina

2010-08-30T11:48:00.003-04:00

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat and skin
Table Salt for brine
Vegetable Oil for cooking grate
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 med-large shallot, minced (about 4 1/2 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
3 ounces fontina cheese, rind removed, cut into four 3 by 1/2-inch sticks
6 thin slices prosciutto (about 3 ounces)
Ground black pepper
kitchen twine

1. Starting on thick side of breast, closest to breastbone, cut horizontal pocket in each breast, stopping 1/2 inch from edge so halves remain attached. Dissolve 4 1/2 Tbsp. salt in 1 1/2 quarts cold water in large container. Add breasts, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. Combine butter, shallot and sage in small bowl. Roll each piece of cheese in 1 slice of prosciutto. Remove breasts from brine, dry thoroughly inside and out with paper towels and season inside and out with pepper. Spread equal amount of butter mixture inside each breast. Place 1 prosciutto-wrapped piece of cheese inside each breast and fold breast over to enclose. Evenly space 3 pieces kitchen twine (each about 12 inches long) beneath each breast and tie, trimming any excess.

To prepare for freezing:

Follow all instructions above. Wrap each breast individually in cling wrap then place in freezer bag. Thaw in refrigerator before grilling and carefully remove wrap so as not to disturb twine ties and stuffing.

To Grill:

If using charcoal grill (recommended):

1. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer of ash, about 20 minutes. Arrange all coals over half of grill, leaving other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 2 seconds).

2. Place chicken breasts, skin side down, over hot part of grill and cook until well browned, 3-5 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until second side is just opaque, about 2 minutes. Move chicken, skin side up, to cool side of grill, with thicker side of breasts facing fire. Cover grill and continue to cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of stuffing registers 160 degrees, 25-30 minutes. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest, tented with foil, 10 minutes. Remove twine, then, if desired, carve breast meat from bone and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

If using gas-grill:

1. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat until hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Leave primary burner (burner that will stay on during grilling) on high and turn off other burner(s). Proceed with recipe step 2 from charcoal instructions, cooking chicken with lid closed and increasing cooking time on cooler side of grill to 30-40 minutes.

Note: May also prepare stuffed with Black Forest Ham and Gruyere - substitute 1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme for sage and add 1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard to butter in step 2. Substitute 6 slices Black Forest Ham for prosciutto and Gruyere cheese for fontina.

Basil Grilled Chicken with Basil Butter

2010-07-12T19:18:00.004-04:00

Chicken:

3/4 tsp pepper

6 chicken breasts

1/4 c butter, melted

4 tsp dried basil

Basil Butter:

1/2 c butter, softened

2 tbls minced fresh basil

1 tbls shredded Parmesan

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Prepare grill. Combine pepper, melted butter, and dried basil together to make basting butter. Brush chicken with basting mixture. Grill chicken over medium heat 8-10 min each side, basting frequently with basting mixture. Meanwhile, combine softened butter, fresh basil, parmesan, garlic powder, salt & pepper; mix well. Serve grilled chicken with dollop of basil butter on top.

To Freeze: Prepare basting butter & basil butter and place separately in small freezer bag. Place in large gallon baggie along with chicken breasts. Freeze.

To Serve: Thaw 25 hours. Prepare according to above directions.

Pork BBQ

2010-07-05T09:24:00.003-04:00

2 pounds pork country style spare ribs
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 TBS worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp tabasco (optional...I use it)
1 tsp mustard
2 TBS brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the meat which has been browned. Cover and place in a 325 degree oven for three hours. (You can check after 2 but I usually find it falls apart better after 3 hours.) Using forks pull apart all the meat ...shred it. If the sauce is to runny for your taste you may cook it down on the stove top.

For our group I made one and a half batches for each family.

Baked Fish Steaks with Creole Sauce

2010-06-15T07:39:00.003-04:00

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c. onion, chopped
2 small garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 small bay leaf
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
2 - 2.5 lbs. fish steaks (salmon, cod, swordfish...I used swordfish) - 6 steaks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter flat 9 x 13 pan, and place fish steaks inside. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Saute peppers and onion until tender, but not browned. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add wine and cook 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, cloves, salt and sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes. Pour creole sauce over fish. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until fish can be flaked easily with fork.

To Freeze: Use fresh fish steaks. Bake fish in a flat casserole lined with heavy-duty foil and buttered (or use a foil casserole dish) at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool. Freeze. Remove foil-wrapped fish from casserole, if using this method. Wrap top with foil and overwrap with plastic wrap or plastic bag. Return to freezer.

To serve: Unwrap and return to casserole dish (if frozen in foil). Bake in a 425 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until thoroughly hot and cooked.

Penne with Shrimp, Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2010-06-15T07:30:00.003-04:00

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 3 tbsp. oil reserved
1.5 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
1 3/4 -2 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil (reserve 1/2 for end of recipe)
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 2/3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 lb. penne pasta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat oil reserved from tomatoes in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to bowl. Add sun-dried tomatoes, shrimp, ½ of the basil, and all of the garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper to same skillet and sauté until shrimp are just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp mixture to bowl with asparagus. Add broth, wine, and tomato paste to same skillet. Boil until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; return pasta to same pot. Add shrimp mixture, sauce, remaining basil, and cheese to pasta. Toss over medium heat until warmed through and sauce coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Freezer Preparation

In large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté asparagus in 2-3 tbsp. olive oil (if you are not opening jars of sun-dried tomatoes) for 2-3 minutes and remove with slotted spoon while still crisp. In same pan add chicken broth, wine and tomato paste and boil until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Allow asparagus and broth to cool separately and then combine in freezer bag. Save shrimp preparation until day of serving.

To serve from freezer

Use reserved tomato oil to sauté shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs & spices as described in recipe. Transfer shrimp mixture to a bowl when done. Add thawed asparagus/sauce mixture to same skillet and warm, covered, until asparagus reaches desired tenderness (crisp-tender). Follow remainder of recipe regarding pasta preparation and combining.

Spinach-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Cranberry Reduction

2010-06-14T18:50:00.002-04:00

2 1-pound pork tenderloins
4 cups torn fresh spinach (or partial box frozen chopped spinach - thawed)
1 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 cup frozen apple-cranberry juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Slice the tenderloin lengthwise, almost all of the way through, making a pocket. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet cook the spinach in a small amount of water just until wilted. If using frozen, skip this step. Drain spinach well. In a small bowl combine the spinach, artichoke hearts, cheese and rosemary. Spoon spinach mixture into the pocket in the tenderloin (filling will be exposed). Place in a shallow roasting pan, stuffing side up. Roast in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into meat registers 160 degrees.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine apple-cranberry juice concentrate and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil. Boil gently about 15-25 minutes or until mixture measures 2/3 cup. Spoon juice reduction over the tenderloin during the last 10 minutes of roasting. To serve, bias-slice the pork.

To prepare from frozen:

Thaw tenderloin. Thaw spinach and drain well. Thaw 1/2 artichoke heart mixture per tenderloin. Thaw 1/2 of juice reduction mixture per tenderloin. Combine about 1/2 of the packaged spinach with the artichoke heart mixture and stuff into tenderloin opening. Place tenderloin in to roasting pan. Roast at 425 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Pour juice reduction over tenderloin and continue roasting for 10 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees.

Mock Lobster (marinated chicken breasts) - Jill Rockwell

2010-06-14T18:05:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• drawn butter for dipping

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine the soy sauce, oil, garlic salt, pepper, brown sugar, mustard powder, ginger and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. When cooled, place the chicken into a large resealable bag and pour the marinade over it. Press out as much air as you can, seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to marinate or freeze until ready to use.
2. Preheat a grill for medium-low heat. When hot, lightly oil the grate.
3. If frozen, defrost chicken in refrigerator for 24 hours. Place the thawed chicken on the grill and discard the marinade. Cook until chicken juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes, turning as needed to keep the chicken from burning. Serve with individual ramekins of drawn butter.

Jamaican Beef Dumplings

2010-06-13T17:32:00.003-04:00

1/2 cup finely chopped scallion
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
4 cups vegetable oil, divided
1/2 pound ground beef
2 TBS finely dried bread crumbs
Hot sauce (preferably Jamaican; I used Anthony's Jamaican Jerk Sauce, not hot for kids sake)
30 dumpling wrappers

Cook scallion, onion, curry powder, and thyme in 1 1/2 TBS oil with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef and bread crumbs and cook until meat is just cooked through about 3 minutes. Season with hot sauce and Cool.

Put a rounded tsp filling in center of wrapper. Lightly brush the edge of wrapper with water and then fold in half diagonally and press and seal. Form remaining dumplings.

Heat 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees in a 12 inch skillet. Fry dumplings in 3 batches, turning once or twice until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per batch.

If Freezing flash freeze on cookie sheets and then bag.
I tried frying them directly in oil from frozen as well as thawing on paper towels and patting dry and then fry as above. Both worked well.
Jacey suggested fry frozen in a couple tablespoons of oil then add a 1/4 cup water and cover for a few minutes.

Kelly's Marinated Pork Tenderloin

2010-05-18T09:57:00.003-04:00

4 tbls soy
2 tbls olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp pepper

Trim excess fat from pork tenderloins. Combine soy, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, ground ginger, and pepper. Pour over tenderloins and marinate. Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove pork from marinade and discard. Grill tenderloins over medium heat for 16 minutes, turning every 4 minutes, until done.

Gingersnap Pot Roast

2010-05-17T18:41:00.002-04:00

3 lb. beef chuck roast
1 tbsp. oil
1 cup water
8 gingersnaps, crumbled
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules (or 1 cube)
1/8 tsp. red pepper, ground
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & quartered
3 medium carrots or 2 parsnips, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 bay leaf

Trim fat from roast. Cut if necessary to fit crock pot. In a large skillet brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine water, gingersnaps, vinegar, bouillon and red pepper. In a crock pot, place potatoes, carrots or parsnips, and bay leaf. Place meat atop vegetables. Pour gingersnap mixture over meat. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10-12 hrs. or high-heat setting for 5-6 hrs.

To prepare from frozen:
Thaw roast for 24 hrs in refrigerator. Peel and cut vegetables and place in crock pot. Add bay leaf. Place meat atop vegetables. Mix contents of Ziploc with water and vinegar and pour over roast. Cook as described.

Smoked Portobello Soup - Artists' Point, Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge

2010-05-15T19:38:00.003-04:00

Ingredients

9 medium Portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup sweet onions
1/2 cup Chardonnay
1 1/4 quarts heavy cream
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1 1/4 cup white roux (1 stick butter and 1/2 cup flour, whisked over low heat until golden)
salt & pepper to taste

Garnishes (optional)

toasted croutons
chive oil
roasted Shitake mushrooms
sour cream

Preparation

Clean the Portobellos by wiping them with a damp towel (do not wash!). Remove the mushroom gills (slats on the underside of the caps), scraping with a spoon. Slice three mushrooms in thirds and place slices on a prepared smoker. Leave covered for 1 hour (mushrooms will be chewy, dark and may appear burned). Roughly chop remaining six mushrooms into 1-inch chunks.

While mushrooms are smoking, sauté the onions lightly (to sweat). Add the unsmoked mushrooms to the onions. Add the garlic when the mushrooms are almost cooked. Add the smoked mushrooms. Stir to blend over low heat.

Add the Chardonnay and reduce by half. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Place in a blender or food processor in batches or puree in pan over low heat with an immersion blender. Add the heavy cream slowly and continue to blend. Season to taste. Place the mixture back into the pot. (Unless you are using an immersion blender; then it is already in the pot.)

Whisk in the roux and let simmer for 20 minutes; soup will thicken significantly as soup simmers. Serve hot and garnish with: croutons, roasted Shitake mushrooms, a dollop of sour cream, chive oil, and cut chives.

Croutons

Pre-heat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Toss 1 cup of tiny cubes of French bread (cuts more easily if frozen slightly) with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until brown, about 10 minutes.

Chive Oil

1. Place 1 cup of light olive oil in a blender and add to that 1 cup of chives
2. Blend for 30 seconds and let rest for 1 hour
3. Strain through a fine sieve.

Roasted Shitake Mushrooms

Thinly slice 2 cups of Shitake Mushrooms. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 375 Fahrenheit until crispy and golden brown, turning as necessary. Cool and set aside.

Brined Pork Chops with Blackberry Maple Sauce (as adapted from “Sweet Lorraine’s” in Michigan)

2010-04-27T11:01:00.001-04:00

Brined Pork Chops

6 bone-in rib loin pork chops (12 ounces each), 1½ inches thick

1 ½ quarts water

3 tablespoons table salt

3 tablespoons sugar

Dissolve salt, sugar and add optional herbs in 1½ quarts water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Submerge chops and refrigerate for one hour. Note that if chops are frozen, the defrosting process can take place in the brine (e.g., if defrosting process takes two hours, the last hour can take place in the brine.)

Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Grill until heated just through, approximately 3-4 minutes per side or until juices run clear.

QUICK BRINE METHOD: change brine ingredients slightly, increasing salt from 3 T to ¼ cup and decreasing water to 1 quart; soak in brine for 30 minutes, rather than one hour.

Blackberry Maple Sauce

Makes 6 servings

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (chilled and cubed)

8 tablespoons sugar

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup orange juice

1/3 cup raspberry wine vinegar

1 1/2 pounds semi-frozen blackberries

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth or stock

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dry thyme

2 tablespoons cornstarch, blended with 2 tablespoons cold water

1/4 cup port or brandy

1/4 cup dark real maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Heat 6 tablespoons butter in sauce pan until melted. Add sugar, stir. Continue to cook over medium heat until sugar melts and starts to turn amber (brush sides of pan with ice water to remove sugar crystals). Whisk mixture to combine the butter and sugar, add wine and orange juice (this will bubble up and the sugar will harden slightly). Continue to cook over medium heat until the sugar starts to melt, scraping bottom of pan if necessary. Add vinegar, semi-frozen blackberries, stock and herbs. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Heat and continue to cook for 30 minutes.

Strain sauce in a fine mesh, large strainer; it will take as long as 30 minutes to strain. Throw out solids and bring liquid back to a boil, reduce heat and whisk in cornstarch mix. Sauce will thicken slightly. Add port/brandy, maple syrup and salt, and whisk to combine. Continue to cook over medium heat, about 15 minutes. Blend in remaining 3 tablespoons cold butter. Remove from heat and add fresh blackberries.

Use sauce at once or store in refrigerator (to reheat do not bring to a boil but heat slowly over low heat). Yields: 4 cups.

Beef Poor Boys

2010-04-27T08:23:00.002-04:00

6 slices bacon, partially cooked

1 lb ground beef

Lemon pepper, to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 (2 oz) can mushrooms, finely chopped

3 tbls finely chopped green olives

2 tbls finely chopped onions

2 tbls finely chopped green bell pepper

Pat ground beef onto waxed paper into a 9 x 10 1/2 x 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Sprinkle lightly with lemon pepper. Top with Parmesan. Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over meat. Roll up jelly roll style, beginning from short end. Cut into 1 1/2" slices (makes 6). Wrap each slice with bacon and skewer with a toothpick. Grill over medium heat approx 8 minutes, turn and grill 8 more until done.

Chicken and Rice

2010-04-26T15:14:00.005-04:00

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 to 6 large chicken breasts, sliced into medallions

1 1/2 cups rice

48 ounces chicken broth

1 (14.5 ounce) can Cream of Chicken & Mushroom soup

Saute mushrooms, carrots, and celery with dried dill and black pepper in butter or margarine; about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to release their liquid.

Add chicken broth and cream of chicken and mushroom soup to the vegetables, whisking until the soup is well-blended with the broth. Add chicken medallions. Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate; cover to keep warm.

Bring liquid to a boil and add rice. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 20 minutes or until rice is done.

Return the chicken breast medallions to the pot and continue to cook over low heat until the chicken breasts are desired temperature. Serve.

Chicken Satay

2010-04-25T22:51:00.003-04:00

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

Marinade:
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tsp. coriander
4 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. soy sauce
4 tsp. ginger, chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice
6 tbsp. oil

Mix marinade ingredients. Cut chicken into 1 1/2-2 inch cubes. Add to mixture and marinate at least two hours.
Soak skewers in water for 20 minutes. Thread chicken pieces onto one end of skewers. Broil or barbecue, basting with marinade. Serve with peanut sauce for dipping.

Peanut Sauce:
1 2/3 c. peanut butter (chunky or creamy)
1/2 tsp. hot chili sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 tbsp. honey
1/4 -1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3 c. lime juice
1/3 c. soy sauce
2/3 c. peanut oil

Mix ingredients together. Should have a sweet/hot peanut flavor. Taste and adjust ingredients accordingly.

Frozen instructions:

Cut up chicken and place in freezer bag with marinade. Freeze immediately. Prepare peanut dipping sauce as directed and freeze.

To prepare from frozen, thaw chicken in refrigerator 24 hrs+. Cook as directed above. Thaw peanut sauce and serve room temperature with cooked chicken.

Lasagne con le Verdure ~ Vegetable Lasagna

2010-04-18T20:20:00.007-04:00

1 pound carrots, peeled, washed, and cut into 1/4 inch disks
6 TBS butter, plus additional butter for greasing the lasagna pan
6 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
salt
1 pound zucchini, soaked, washed and trimmed and sliced into 1/4 inch disks (see below for soaking info)
1 pound broccoli
Oven Bake lasagna noodles

For the Béchamel:
3 cups milk
5 TBS butter
4 1/2 TBS flour
pinch of salt

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1 3/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

* After slicing the zucchini place it in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with 2 TBS of fine salt. Mix well and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes to give it time to throw off as much liquid as possible. Pat dry with paper towels.

Choose a skillet that can subsequently accommodate the carrots loosely. Put in 1 1/2 TBS of the butter, 2 of the garlic cloves and turn on the heat to medium. When the garlic becomes colored light brown and remove from the pan.
Add the carrots and 3 TBS of water. Cook the carrots stirring from time to time, until they are tender, but firm, somewhat shrunken, and a light brown color.Do not let them break up. When done, add salt and transfer to a small mixture bowl.

In a clean skillet large enough to accommodate the zucchini loosely, put in 1 1/2 TBS of the butter and 2 more cloves of garlic. Turn on the heat to medium. When the garlic becomes colored a light brown remove it from the pan. Add the sliced zucchini and cook them as you did the carrots. When they have shrunk, becoming colored a light brown, and are tender but firm, add salt stir, then transfer them from the pan to a small mixing bowl.

Wash the broccoli in cold water then peel away the hard green skin from the stems. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt then drop in the broccoli. Cook until nearly tender, but still firm. Drain as soon as it is cool enough to handle cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Put 2 TBS of the butter and the remaining 2 cloves garlic in a clean skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the garlic becomes colored a light brown remove it. Put in the broccoli pieces and cook, turning them frequently, until they are tender but not mushy. Transfer them from the pan into a third mixing bowl.

Make the béchamel sauce. When done mix into it the grated nutmeg and 1 cup of the grated cheese. Set aside 1/2 cup of the béchamel and divide the rest into 3 equal parts. ( I doubled the sauce). Into each of the 3 bowls containing the cooked vegetables mix 1 of the 3 portions of béchamel. Taste and correct seasonings

Smear the bottom of the pan generously with butter. Spread 2 TBS béchamel over the bottom of the buttered pan. Line the bottom with a layer of noodles, fitting them edge to edge. (Do not over lap).

Turn oven to 400 degrees.
Spread half the zucchini and béchamel mixture over the pasta. If doesn't matter if there is enough to cover the pasta completely as long as any gaps are filmed lightly with béchamel. Sprinkle some grated cheese evenly over this layer.

Cover the zucchini with a layer of pasta, always edge to edge with out over laps.

Spread half the carrot mixture and béchamel mixture over the pasta in the same manner you spread the zucchini topping with a layer of grated cheese, and covering with a layer of pasta. Continue in the same manner with the broccoli and then repeat the above operations until you have used all the vegetables. Top with a layer of pasta and spread remaining béchamel sauce. Top with cheese. Dot with remaining tablespoons of butter. Place the pan in the uppermost part of the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes until a light golden crust forms on top. Allow to settle for 10 minutes before serving.

Freezer method: Make up until the baking part and cover with foil. Freeze. Thaw in fridge for 24 hours cook 45 minutes to an hour until golden. You may need to cover with foil.

( I confess when I make this for my family I mash the garlic and leave it in:)

Black Bean Soup

2010-03-23T16:45:00.003-04:00

Simmer:

4 cans black beans, rinsed, drained (15 ounces each)

6 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Puree:

Half the beans and broth

Saute in 2 tablespoons olive oil:

1 cup white onion, diced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 tablespoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Pinch each of sugar and salt

Deglaze with; Add:

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 can diced tomatoes in juice (15 ounces)

Serve with:

pico de gallo

Simmer beans and broth in a large pot over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and half of the broth mixture.

Puree remaining bean mixture in the pot with a hand-held stick blender or in a food processor until smooth. Return reserved beans to the pot; keep warm over low heat.

Saute onion, garlic, and seasonings in oil in a non-stick skillet until soft, about 5 minutes.

Deglaze pan with vinegar, then add tomatoes and their juice. Simmer to reduce slightly, then mash tomatoes lightly. Add to soup and cook another 5 minutes.

Cream Cheese & Chives Chicken Packets

2010-03-22T16:41:00.003-04:00

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

3 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 tbls fresh chives, chopped

2 tbls milk

Salt, to taste

Seasoned croutons, crushed

2 packages crescent rolls

2 tbls melted butter

Cook and shred 2 chicken breasts to make 2 cups. Mix chicken, cream cheese, chives, milk, and salt in medium sized bowl. Unroll crescent rolls and split into 4 rectangular pieces per can, pushing triangular seams together. Scoop approximately 1/4 cup of chicken mixture onto dough on one end leaving room along the edges for sealing. Fold over other side of dough and press to close. Brush each packet with melted butter and sprinkle with crushed croutons to coat as desired. Bake, at 350, for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot or cold. Makes 8 packets.

To freeze: Prepare according to directions through sealing of chicken packets. Wrap in saran wrap and flash freeze. When frozen place packets in gallon baggie and seal. Place crushed croutons in quart size baggie and package with packets.

Serving Day: Thaw for 24 hours in fridge. Preheat oven to 350. Unwrap chicken packets and brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with crouton crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Manicotti (as inspired by Maggiano’s)

2010-03-22T15:07:00.005-04:00

The manicotti can be prepared until baking point, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1-1/4 hours.

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 pound spinach, stemmed, washed, blanched and roughly chopped

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (poached and shredded by hand or with forks)

3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Italian blend)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound no-boil lasagna noodles (Barilla preferred)

1 recipe, garlic Parmesan-Asiago sauce (see below)

Manicotti:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often until the mushrooms are browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add spinach and cook until all liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add poached chicken, spices, and mix well. Combine ricotta, Parmesan, 1½ cups mozzarella, and eggs in medium bowl. Fold into mushroom, chicken, and spinach mixture, adjusting seasonings to taste. Prepare noodles by pouring 1 inch boiling water into baking dish or deep cookie sheet; add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry. Spread dish evenly with enough sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. Using a measuring cup, spread a generous 1/4 cup of the filling evenly onto the bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (Add more filling to the ends, if necessary.) Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta edges are completely covered. Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Remove baking dish, adjust oven rack to uppermost position (about 6 inches from heating element), and heat broiler. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining ½ cup mozzarella. Broil until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool slightly, then serve.

Garlic Parmesan-Asiago Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups ½ and ½

½ cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (optional)

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan (I used ½ cup Parmesan and ½ cup Sorrento “Italian cheese blend”)

Heat the butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant but not brown. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the cream and ½ and ½ and whisk until mixture begins to thicken and bubble. (It may separate, but keep stirring to combine.) Remove from heat and add the chives, cayenne, and cheese, whisking to melt/combine. Use as indicated with manicotti.

Recipe submitted by Jill

Beef Braciole

2010-03-22T14:50:00.002-04:00

Beef Braciole from the Oak Steakhouse in Charleston, SC

1 flank steak (about 1 ½ lbs.), butterflied in half lengthwise and flattened/pounded slightly

4 T. olive oil, divided

1/4 c. fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 T. chopped fresh oregano

1 T. chopped fresh thyme

1 T. chopped fresh sage

¼ pound thinly sliced pancetta

1-2 Italian sausage links

1 1/2 c. beef broth

1/2 bottle dry red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)

1 26 oz. jar of marinara sauce (about 1 1/2 c.)

salt and pepper

Open flank steak on work surface. Sprinkle steak generously with salt and pepper, then rub with 1 T olive oil, and sprinkle with parsley, oregano, thyme, and sage. Arrange pancetta slices evenly atop herbs. Arrange sausages crosswise about 2 inches from one of the short ends of the steak. Beginning at short end near sausages, roll up the steak into a log. Tie string around steak at 2 inch intervals. (Can do this 1 day ahead.) Cover and chill. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat remaining 3 T. olive oil in large ovenproof pan. Add steak and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Add beef broth and wine, then marinara sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to oven. Roast until steak is tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Transfer meat to platter and tent to keep warm. Reduce sauce to about 4 cups, about 15 minutes (it is a light sauce; it doesn’t thicken a great deal). Slice braciole into 1 inch slices and serve sauce on top. Serve with pasta or polenta.

Recipe submitted by Jill

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Cream Scones

2010-03-22T14:46:00.005-04:00

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Cream Scones

Jill Rockwell (these are a Miller family favorite!)

Ingredients (Makes 10 small or 8 large scones)

3 cups bread flour
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping

Directions

Cut two 10-inch circles of parchment or waxed paper. Use one to line a 10-inch round cake pan. Reserve the second piece. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the cream to the flour mixture and stir by hand just until the batter is evenly moistened. Place the dough into the lined cake pan and press into an even layer. Cover the dough with the second parchment paper circle. Freeze the dough until very firm, at least 12 hours. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with cooking spray or lining with parchment paper. Thaw the dough for 5 minutes at room temperature; turn it out of the cake pan onto a cutting board. Cut the dough into 10 equal wedges and place them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush the scones with milk and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake the scones until golden brown, 30–40 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to cooling racks. Serve the scones warm or at room temperature.

Dried Cherry Scones
Omit the coarse sugar. Add one cup of dried cherries to the dry ingredients just before blending in the cream. Follow the remaining method as stated above. Mix the milk and confectioners' sugar together to make a glaze and spoon over the scones while they are still warm.

Ham, Cheddar, and Scallion Scones
Omit the coarse sugar topping, substituting coarse salt and Parmesan cheese. (Note that sugar is still included in dry ingredients). Add one cup of medium-dice ham, one-half cup of medium dice Cheddar cheese, one-half cup of sliced scallions, and 1 teaspoon cayenne to the dry ingredients just before blending in the cream. Follow the remaining method as stated above. Have also substituted mini chocolate chips, toffee chips, blueberries, and cranberries/orange peel.

Corn Bisque

2010-03-22T14:37:00.003-04:00

Corn Bisque – serves 8

Jill Rockwell (as adapted from Magnolia Grill’s “Not Afraid of Flavor” and the Junior League of Durham and Orange County’s “Carolina Thyme”)

Ingredients

4 oz thick cut bacon, sliced into ½ inch pieces

¾ cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 roasted yellow peppers (grilled, peeled, cored, seeded, and diced)

4 ears of corn (husked, grilled, and cut off cobs) or 4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

1 Serrano chile (seeded and minced)

1 cup white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup half and half

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

pinch of nutmeg

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Preparation

Sauté bacon over medium high heat in heavy stock pot until fully cooked. Remove bacon and reserve for garnish. Remove and discard all but 3 tablespoons of rendered fat. Add onions, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté 5 minutes, or until tender. Add corn and yellow and Serrano peppers, and sauté 3 minutes. Add wine and sauté 5 minutes more, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender and liquid is slightly reduced, about 30 minutes. With handheld immersion blender, puree soup until texture is smooth and thick. (Or, working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pot.) Mix in half and half, thyme, marjoram, and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved bacon.

Jambalaya

2010-03-22T14:24:00.005-04:00

Jambalaya (serves 4 to 6)

(Note that because I didn’t want to freeze the rice, I eliminated that step, and instead of resting the cooking chicken on the rice as the recipe indicates, it was still possible to gently rest it on the other ingredients in the pot; I froze the rest without the rice, and then cooked the rice separately when ready to serve. Several reviewers suggested that freezing the rice in the sauce would have left it gummy.)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, quartered lengthwise

1 medium rib celery, cut crosswise into quarters

1 medium red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise

5 medium cloves garlic

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I used ½ thighs, ½ breasts)

8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼ -inch pieces (see note below)

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice (10 ounces)

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see note below)

1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2-ounce), drained, 1/4 cup juice reserved

1 cup clam juice (bottled)

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 bay leaves

1 pound medium shrimp (31 to 35 shrimp per pound), or large shrimp, shelled

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. In food processor, pulse onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic until chopped fine, about six 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice. Do not overprocess; vegetables should not be pureed.

2. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and cook until golden brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add andouille; cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel–lined plate and set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low, add vegetables, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until vegetables have softened, about 4 minutes. Add rice, salt, thyme, and cayenne; cook, stirring frequently, until rice is coated with fat, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and browned sausage to pot; stir to combine. Remove and discard skin from chicken; place chicken, skinned-side down, on rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir once, keeping chicken on top, skinned-side down. Replace cover and continue to simmer until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife, about 10 minutes more; transfer chicken to clean plate and set aside. Scatter shrimp over rice, cover, and continue to cook until rice is fully tender and shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

4. While shrimp are cooking, shred chicken. When shrimp are cooked, discard bay leaves; off heat, stir in parsley and shredded chicken, and serve immediately. *If you can't find andouille, try tasso, chorizo, or linguiça (I used the latter); if using chorizo or linguiça, consider doubling the amount of cayenne to attain the appropriate level of spiciness.

Pork Lo Mein II

2010-03-22T14:08:00.008-04:00

Cooks Illustrated - serves 4 (I doubled the recipe)

Use a cast-iron skillet for this recipe if you have one—it will help create the best sear on the pork. When shopping for Chinese rice wine, look for one that is amber in color; if not available, sherry wine may be used as a substitute. If no hoisin sauce is available, substitute 1 tablespoon of sugar. If boneless pork ribs are unavailable, substitute 1 1/2 pounds of bone-in country-style ribs, followed by the next best option, pork tenderloin. Liquid smoke provides a flavor reminiscent of the Chinese barbecued pork traditional to this dish. It is important that the noodles are cooked at the last minute to avoid clumping.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder

1 pound boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed of surface fat and excess gristle and sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

4 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

4 tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine (Shao-Xing) or dry sherry

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms , stems trimmed, caps cut in halves or thirds (about 3 cups)

2 bunches scallions , whites thinly sliced and greens cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1 small head Napa or Chinese cabbage , halved, cored, and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch strips (about 4 cups)

12 ounces Chinese egg noodles or 8 ounces dried linguine

1 tablespoon Asian chile garlic sauce

Instructions

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat.

2. Whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and five-spice powder together in medium bowl. Place 3 tablespoons soy sauce mixture in large zipper-lock bag; add pork and liquid smoke, if using. Press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Whisk broth and cornstarch into remaining soy sauce mixture in medium bowl. In separate small bowl, mix garlic and ginger with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil; set aside.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of pork in single layer, breaking up clumps with wooden spoon. Cook, without stirring, 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons wine to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is reduced and pork is well coated, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer pork to medium bowl and repeat with remaining pork, 1 teaspoon oil, and remaining 2 tablespoons wine. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.

4. Return skillet to high heat, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add scallions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions are wilted, 2 to 3 minutes longer; transfer vegetables to bowl with pork.

5. Add remaining teaspoon vegetable oil and cabbage to now-empty skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Clear center of skillet; add garlic-ginger mixture and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into cabbage; return pork-vegetable mixture and chicken broth-soy mixture to skillet; simmer until thickened and ingredients are well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

6. While cabbage is cooking, stir noodles into boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, 3 to 4 minutes for fresh Chinese noodles or 10 minutes for dried linguine. Drain noodles and transfer back to Dutch oven; add cooked stir-fry mixture and garlic-chili sauce, tossing noodles constantly, until sauce coats noodles. Serve immediately.

Recipe submitted by Jill

Sally Mincer's Deviled Chicken

2010-03-15T21:38:00.003-04:00

1 cup melted butter
1 cup light mayo
4 TBS dijon mustard
Pepperidge Farm Stuffing
salt and pepper

6 chicken breasts

Mix together the above ingredients in a bowl. Roll the chicken breasts in the mixture( I patted it around the chicken as it didn't roll so evenly).

Place it on foil on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees

Freezer: I wrapped in foil and then froze. To cook I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and then baked one hour, with the foil partially opened. (chicken was frozen) After an hour I I opened the foil fully and allowed to bake an extra 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2010-03-14T16:42:00.004-04:00

2 pounds red peppers
1 large onion, cut into hunks
1/4 pound carrots cut into hunks, well washed but not peeled
3-4 celery stalks, cut into hunks
2 TBS olive oil
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp rosemary
1 TBS basil
salt and pepper
Sour cream for garnish

Roast the red peppers in the oven or on the grill (preferable), until the skins just turn brown. They should sweeten considerably. Allow them to steam in a brown paper bag for ten minutes. Then run under cold water and peel, core and deseed. A little charred flesh is okay it adds a nice smokey flavor.

In a large stockpot, put the onions, celery, and carrots with a little olive oil. Saute over low heat until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the peppers, basil, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and then add stock to cover the peppers plus 1". Simmer over low heat for roughly 30 minutes. Let stand to cool.

Get a fine strainer (sieve), another pot and a blender. Place the cooled peppers and stock into the blender and puree them. After all the solids have been liquified, pour through the fine sieve into the second pot. The sieve strains out any fibers from the celery, onions etc. (You absolutely want to do this I tried it once and it was not good.) You should use the bottom of a spoon to press the liquid out of the pulp in the sieve. Discard the pulp. It may take a few batches to get all the soup through.

Check the seasonings and adjust if necessary. Sometimes an extra bouillon cube is better than adding salt and pepper. The soup should be reheated to a simmer and held there for roughly 20 minutes, but NOT ALLOWED TO BOIL. The soup can be cooled and frozen or served.

To serve place in a low, wide brim bowl. Take a dollop of warm sour cream and place in the middle of the bowl. Then using a knife, "slice" through the sour cream and soup. this will give you a marbled pattern. Float a couple of croutons on top and finish with a small sprig of rosemary or a sprinkle of fresh basil which has been "chiffonaded" (rolled up leaves and then sliced.)

Vegetarian Lasagna

2010-02-22T17:50:00.003-05:00

12 no-bake lasagna noodles

2 tbls olive oil

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 medium zucchini, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced; separated

1 (8oz) pkg mushrooms, sliced

2 (6oz) pkg baby spinach

2 tbls fresh basil, snipped

1 egg, beaten

1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese

1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 (28oz) jars tomato-basil spaghetti sauce

2 cups shredded Mozzarella & Provolone cheese blend

In large skillet, heat 1 tbls oil over medium-high heat. Add carrot, zucchini, and half the garlic. Cook and stir about 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Transfer veggies to a bowl. Add the remaining olive oil to same skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and remaining garlic. Cook and stir about 5 minutes until tender. Gradually add spinach. Cook and stir another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted. Add to carrot-zucchini mixture; stir in basil. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine egg, ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375. In 9x13 pan, spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce to coat bottom of dish. Arrange 4 noodles over sauce. Top with half of veggie mixture. Spoon half of ricotta mixture over veggie mixture. Top with 1 cup of pasta sauce and then 1 cup of Mozzarella-Provolone cheese. Repeat layer another time. Finish off with remaining noodles and pasta sauce. Sprinkle with extra grated Parmesan if desired.

To freeze: Assemble as directed, using a 9x13 pan or (2) 8x8 pans. Cover unbaked lasagna with foil and freeze.

To serve: Thaw 24 hours in fridge. Bake, covered, for 1 hour. Uncover, top with grated Parmesan (if desired), and bake another 15 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas Verde

2010-02-22T14:46:00.002-05:00

1 1/2-2 cups mild green taco sauce or salsa (I used a combination of Green Chile enchilada sauce, tomatillos and tomatillo salsa)
1/2+ cup cilantro sprigs
1 tbsp. lime juice
2 cloves garlic
3 cups torn (or chopped) chicken or turkey
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese or monterey jack
2 roma tomatoes sliced (optional)
6-8 flour tortillas (7 inch diameter – soft taco size)

Heat oven to 350°. Spray rectangular baking dish, 11 x 7 x 1 1/2 inches, with nonstick cooking spray. Place taco sauce, cilantro, lime juice and garlic in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on high speed about 30 seconds or until smooth. Reserve half of mixture.

Mix remaining salsa mixture, the chicken and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Spoon 1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Roll tortilla around filling; place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.

Lay tomatoes over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until hot. Serve with lime wedges if desired. 6 servings

Freezer method:

Prepare enchiladas as directed, omitting tomatoes. At baking time, remove from freezer and top with tomatoes. Bake covered for ~30 minutes and uncovered for an additional 15+ minutes.

Curry Coconut Chicken

2010-01-18T18:42:00.002-05:00

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 tsp salt & pepper, to taste

1 1/2 tbls vegetable oil

2 tbls curry powder

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

1 (14.5 oz) can (stewed) diced tomatoes

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

3 tbls sugar

Season chicken pieces with salt & pepper. Heat oil and curry powder in large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approx 30-40 minutes. Serve over rice.

To Freeze: Prepare according to above directions, leaving out the coconut milk. Cool and pour into bag. Have coconut milk and rice on hand for serving day.

To Serve: Thaw 24 hours in fridge. Pour chicken mixture in large skillet and add can of coconut milk. Heat until hot and well combined. Meanwhile, in saucepan bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add entire contents of rice bag. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve chicken mixture over rice. (Note: if serving only half of the recipe be sure to only add half the coconut milk and make only half of the rice, which is 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of rice).

Butternut Squash Soup

2010-01-18T15:26:00.002-05:00

3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 butternut squashes, about 3 lbs total weight, halved lengthwise and seeded
(I used a combination ratio of 2/3 butternut, 1/3 sweet dumpling squash)
1 large Granny Smith apple or Anjou or Bosc pear, peeled, halved and cored
2 yellow onions, quartered
6 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup half-and-half or ½ cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped fresh sage

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, stir together the oil and vinegar. Brush the cut sides of the squash, the apple halves and the onions with the oil mixture. Place the squash and apple halves, cut side-down, and the onions on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning the fruit and vegetables twice, until tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes for the apple and 45 -50 minutes for the vegetables. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. Scoop out the flesh from the squash halves, discarding the peel. Coarsely chop the apple and onions.

Transfer the squash flesh, onions, and apple to a large saucepan and add the stock and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth (or use a hand blender in the pan as I did). Return the soup to the pan, stir in the half-and-half, season to taste with salt and pepper, and heat through over medium heat. (The soup can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator).

Just before serving, melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the sage and sauté until the butter browns lightly and the sage is crisp. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the sage butter.

Serves 8-10

Freezer method:

Prepare as directed and freeze flat in gallon freezer bag. When ready to use, thaw completely, either 24+ hrs in refrigerator or in pan of cool water. Poor thawed soup into saucepan and warm over low heat. Once warmed, prepare the sage butter and serve as directed.

Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving Entertaining

Speedis

2010-01-18T11:43:00.003-05:00

3 pounds beef, cut into large cubes

1 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, minced

Combine lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, oregano and garlic. Place the beef into the mixture and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Grill the meat on skewers.

Serve with sides of orzo and roasted vegetables or on a flat bread wrap.

Pork Chops with Asiago-Mushroom French Bread Topping

2010-01-13T19:28:00.004-05:00

6 (1" thick) pork chops

3 tbls butter, divided

1 1/2 cup small cubes of French bread

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 tbls minced onion

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled

1/2 cup crumbled Asiago cheese (2 oz)

Melt 1 tbls butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add bread and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Melt 1 tbls butter in same skillet; add mushrooms, onion, and rosemary. Saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add to bread. Refrigerate 15 minutes to cool before adding cheese. Mix cheese into bread mixture; season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1.5 tsp butter and 1.5 tsp olive oil in skillet over high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Brown pork chops in skillet 1 minute each side; turn heat to low, cover with lid, and cook chops for 4-5 minutes each side. Top with Asiago-Mushroom French Bread Mixture.

*Can also use as a stuffing with a pork loin roast, following directions of any general stuffed pork roast of the same size.

To Freeze: Prepare topping according to above directions. Cool and put in quart size baggie. Individually wrap uncooked pork chops in plastic wrap and place in quart baggie. Put both pork chops and stuffing in gallon size baggie; freeze.

To Prepare: Thaw 24 hours in fridge. Gently heat Asiago-Mushroom stuffing in small skillet. Meanwhile, prepare pork chops according to above directions. Top with heated stuffing.

Sesame-Ginger Pork Platter

2009-12-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1½ teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 12- to 16-ounce pork tenderloins

Lettuce leaves

Green onion strips

Baguette slices

Red and green grapes

For marinade, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, sesame seed, gingerroot, and garlic. Place pork in a heavy plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over pork. Seal bag; turn to coat meat. Refrigerate overnight; turn bag occasionally.

Drain pork, reserving marinade. Cover and chill marinade. Place pork on a rack in a roasting pan; cover with foil. Bake in a 425° oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil; roast 10 to 15 minutes more or until thermometer inserted in center registers 160°. Cool slightly; bias-slice into ¼-inch slices. Cover and chill up to 24 hours.

To serve, arrange pork slices on lettuce-lined platter. Heat marinade to boiling; serve in a small bowl for dipping, and sprinkle with green onion strips. Serve with baguette slices and red and green grapes.

Yields: Makes about 30 slices

Sweet Pear and Cheese Crostini

2009-12-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

16 (⅜-inch-thick) baguette-style French bread slices

8-ounces taleggio cheese, rind removed and sliced, or 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1 small ripe pear, cored and very thinly sliced

2 tablespoons flavored honey, such as French lavender honey, or regular honey (I use raspberry honey)

Preheat broiler. Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 30 to 60 seconds or until the bread is toasted.

Turn each bread slice, and top with a slice of taleggio or some of the Gorgonzola. Broil 30 to 60 seconds more or until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted.

Top each bread slice with a pear slice, and lightly drizzle with honey. Arrange bread slices on a serving platter. Serve immediately.

Yields: 16 appetizers

Mushrooms Filled with Ham and Blue Cheese

2009-12-06T17:31:00.000-05:00

24 large fresh mushrooms (1½ to 2 inches in diameter)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup finely chopped cooked ham

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (1 ounce)

3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper

Wash and drain mushrooms. Remove stems and save for another use; reserve caps. Lightly brush rounded side of the mushroom caps with the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place mushrooms, cavity sides up, in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.

Combine ham, blue cheese, fine dry bread crumbs, parsley, the 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and red pepper in a small mixing bowl. Spoon ham mixture into mushroom caps. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

Bake, uncovered, in a 425° oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and filling is hot.

Yields: 24 mushrooms

Jalapeno Popper Spread

2009-12-06T17:29:00.000-05:00

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

2 ounces canned, diced jalapeño peppers, drained

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

French baguette, sliced

Stir together the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeño peppers.

Pour mixture into an 8-inch pie plate, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375° for approximately 30 minutes. Serve with sliced baguette.

Artichoke and Chili Pepper Dip

2009-12-06T17:25:00.004-05:00

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

½ cup plain non-fat yogurt

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons canned, diced green chili peppers, drained

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed

Stir together artichoke hearts, yogurt, mayonnaise, cheese, chili peppers, and Italian seasoning in a medium-sized bowl.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate or an 8-inch round quiche dish with nonstick coating. Turn artichoke mixture into pie plate.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm with Pita Crisps and/or sweet red bell pepper wedges.

Pita Crisps: Cut 6 pita rounds in half horizontally; cut each half into 6 wedges. Place wedges in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp.

Savory-Rubbed Roast Pork Chops with Apple-Sage Chutney

2009-12-06T16:57:00.003-05:00

6 pork loin chops (1 to 1 1/4-inch thick)

olive oil

Savory Rub

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion salt or garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Apple-Sage Chutney

1/3 cup thinly sliced onion

2 1/2 pounds tart apples, coarsely chopped with the skin (about 7 1/2 medium sized apples)

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup chopped dates

6 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage

2/3 cup green and red bell peppers, coarsely chopped

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover a roasting pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Drizzle pork chops lightly with olive oil, then rub both sides of each pork chop with the Savory Rub and place in foil-lined pan. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until done; or grill. Serve with warm Apple-Sage Chutney on the side.

To prepare chutney:

In a large stockpot combine all ingredients except sage. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer until thick, a little less than an hour. Stir in sage and simmer 5 minutes longer. (Makes 4 cups)

Spicy Chinese Riblettes

2009-12-05T22:21:00.005-05:00

1 cup hoisin sauce
6 Tbsp. rice wine or white wine
½ soy sauce
1 cup sugar
½ cup tomato paste
¼ cup finely minced garlic
2 Tbsp. Tabasco
3 pounds pork baby back ribs, cut into 1" riblettes

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except the riblettes, until smooth. Taste and set aside. Place the riblettes in a large roasting pan, and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, pour the sauce over the riblettes, and toss to coat. (at this point you can place the riblettes in a bag, cool to room temperature and freeze). Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 45 minutes. Toss every 10 minutes so that the riblettes stay well coated with sauce.

Freezer Preparation:
Thaw riblettes in refrigerator for 24 hrs. Poor riblettes with sauce in to a roasting dish and bake in a 350° oven for 45 minutes, tossing in sauce every 10 minutes.

Tortelloni, Chicken and Tomato Pesto

2009-12-03T15:27:00.002-05:00

1/3 cup pine nuts
2 cups shredded roasted chicken
1 pt. (12oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
2 pkgs (9 oz each) fresh four cheese tortelloni
¾ cup prepared pesto sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast pine nuts over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes; set aside. Place chicken and tomatoes in large pasta bowl. Cook pasta in boiling water according to directions. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking water. Add to pasta bowl with pesto sauce and reserved cooking water, toss. Sprinkle with pine nuts over top and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Frozen adjustments:

Bring pine nuts to room temperature before toasting.
Thaw chicken in refrigerator and then warm slightly in either a skillet or microwave.
Thaw pesto in refrigerator before using.

Pesto

2 c. basil, packed
2 cloves garlic
¼ c. pine nuts
2/3 c. olive oil
½ c. Pecorino Romano
Sea salt & Pepper, to taste

Pulse basil, garlic and pine nuts in food processor until coarse. Add olive oil and pulse until combined. Add cheese and pulse to combine. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and finish with a touch more oil.

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-12-03T08:07:00.005-05:00

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

2 cups fresh mushrooms

2 medium carrots, cut into 1" long pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1" long pieces

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

2 bay leafs

1 can fat-free Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

3/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

4 sheets Pillsbury unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll pie sheets and let sit at room temperature. Pie sheets work for standard pie plate and 8x8 square pans. Set aside.

In Dutch oven combine chicken broth, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add cream of chicken soup and chopped chicken; cook for 5-10 minutes. Add poultry seasoning and pepper; heat thoroughly. Add peas, cook for 5 more minutes.

Carefully unroll pie crust and line baking dish. Pour 1/2 of the chicken filling, distributing evenly between pans. Don't fill completely to the top, as the top will need to be added and pinched at the edges. Carefully unroll second pie crust and cover pie. Pinch edges to liking, making sure edges are secure.

Pierce top of crusts and bake for 30-45 minutes; if edges start to brown too quickly, cover with foil. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting. Makes 2 (6 serving each) pies.

To Freeze: Follow all steps excluding baking. Cover pie, flash freeze (approx 3-5 hours), then cover with foil.

Serving Day: Thaw 24 hours in the fridge. Bake according to directions. Remove plastic wrap and foil before baking.

Recipe prepared by Mary; adapted from Amy

Beef Tamales with Red Chili Sauce

2009-11-16T10:25:00.005-05:00

Filling:
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound beef stew meat
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried red New Mexico chili
16 large dried cornhusks

Dough:
3 cups masa harina
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 cup water

Remaining ingredients:
16 long thin strips dried cornhusk
1 cup Red Chili Sauce (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare filling, heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Add beef; sauté 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Stir in 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring mixture to a boil. Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

Transfer beef to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour drippings into a glass measure. Add enough water to drippings to equal 1 cup. Wipe pan with paper towels.

Shred beef into bite-sized pieces. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Return beef to pan; sprinkle with flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in ground chili; stir in drippings mixture. Reduce heat, and cook 7 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring often. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.

Place whole cornhusks in a large bowl; cover with water. Weight husks down with a can; soak 30 minutes. Drain husks.

To prepare dough, combine masa and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add butter and oil; stir well. Add broth and 1 cup water; stir until a soft dough forms.

Working with one husk at a time, place about 1/4 cup masa dough in the center of the husk; press dough into a 4 x 3-inch rectangle. Spoon about 2 tablespoons beef mixture down one side of the dough. Using the corn husk as your guide, roll tamale up, jelly-roll style; fold bottom ends of the husk under. Tie 1 corn husk strip around tamale to secure; stand upright in a vegetable steamer. Repeat procedure with the remaining whole corn husks, masa dough, beef mixture, and corn husk strips. Steam tamales, covered, 50 minutes, or until the dough is firm. Remove tamales from vegetable steamer; let stand 5 minutes. Serve with Red Chili Sauce, if desired.

Freezer preparation:

Once tamales are steamed and cooled, wrap individually in celophane and freeze in freezer bag. To warm, place, standing up, in steamer and steam until warm (make sure to check steamer periodically to make sure water has not cooked out).

Serves 8, two tamales each

Nutritional Information

Calories: 145 (27% from fat)
Fat: 4.3g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 7.9g
Carbohydrate: 19.9g
Fiber: 2.2g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Iron: 1.4mg
Sodium: 268mg
Calcium: 49mg

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007

Red Chili Sauce

Makes 4 1/2 cups...scale back ingredients if making one batch of tamales.

15 large dried chilies (such as Anaheim, New Mexico, California, or pasilla...I used New Mexican Chilies)
4-5 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil or melted shortening
1/2 cup salsa, pureed

1. Remove stems and seeds from dried chili peppers.
2. Place peppers in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast in 350°F oven for 2 to 5 minutes or until you smell a sweet roasted aroma, checking often to avoid burning.
4. Remove from oven and soak in enough hot water to cover for about 30 minutes or until cool.
5. Put peppers and 2 1/2 cups of the soaking water into a blender (save the remaining soaking water).
6. Add garlic, cumin and salt.
7. Cover and blend until smooth.
8. In a 2-quart sauce pan, stir flour into oil or melted shortening over med heat until browned.
9. Carefully stir in blended chili mixture.
10. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. (If sauce gets too thick, stir in up to 1 cup of the remaining soaking water until you reach the desired thickness)
11. Stir in salsa puree.

Note: When working with chilies, use rubber gloves to protect your skin, and avoid contact with your eyes. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water to remove all of the chili oils.

Pork Cassoulet

2009-11-13T15:48:00.003-05:00

1 lb dried Great Northern Beans or 5-6 canned beans

2 bacon slices

3 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into 1" cubes

1 lb turkey Kielbasa, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup sliced carrots (1/4")

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp thyme

1/4 cup water

2 tbls tomato paste

1 can chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup sliced red bell pepper

1 1/2 cups coarse French bread crumbs (can omit if desired)

1/3 cup Parmesan

Sort and wash beans. Cover with water in Dutch oven 2" above beans. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans and return to pan. Cover with water again and bring to boil; reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Brown bacon over medium heat until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon. Increase heat to medium-high and add pork, cook 5 minutes until browned. Remove with slotted spoon. Add kielbasa and cook 5 minutes until browned. Remove with slotted spoon. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme; saute 4 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water, tomato paste, broth, and tomatoes. Return beans, bacon (torn into pieces), pork, and kielbasa; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, transfer to 9x13 baking dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and scoop out 1 cup of beans & vegetable mixture with slotted spoon. Process until smooth. Return to baking dish and stir. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper. Arrange bell peppers over top. Combine bread crumbs and cheese. Sprinkle on top of bell peppers. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

To freeze: Prepare entire recipe according to directions. Cool. Cover, seal, and freeze.

To Serve: Thaw 24-48 hours. Preheat oven to 350 and heat until hot.

Shepard's Pie

2009-11-13T15:33:00.002-05:00

1 (22 oz) pkg frozen mashed potatoes (can make fresh if desired)

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 can carrots, drained

1 can green beans, drained

2 tbls flour

2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp pepper, divided

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley (opt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook potatoes according to package directions, set aside. Brown beef and onion in large skillet over medium-high heat until done; drain and return to skillet. Add carrots, flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and broth. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Spoon mixture into lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dish. Prepare potatoes according to package directions if using frozen; or prepare fresh potatoes as usual. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Spoon potatoes over beef mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 more minutes. Garnish if desired.

To Freeze: Have frozen potatoes on hand or prepare fresh mashed the day of serving. Prepare beef mixture up the baking portion, but do not bake. Cool beef mixture and spoon into gallon size baggie; Seal, removing all air, and freeze. Package shredded cheese in quart size baggie and include package with potatoes and beef mixture.

To Serve: Thaw beef mixture 24 hours before baking. Have potatoes on hand, but do not thaw ahead of time if using frozen. Pour beef mixture into baking dish and top with potatoes as directed. Bake and add cheese as directed.

Butter-Lemon Basted Chicken

2009-11-06T13:54:00.002-05:00

6 chicken breasts

1/4 cup lemon juice

3/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp salt (original recipe called for 2tsp)

1 tsp paprika

1-2 tsp summer savory

1/2-1 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp sugar

Brush the chicken on all sides with lemon juice and place in a covered dish and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. (At this point I put it in a freezer bag and froze it). At this point if it is frozen you must thaw overnight in refrigerator along with the butter mixture. Preheat the broiler. In a 1-quart saucepan melt butter and stir in all seasonings except the sugar. Place the chicken in a broiler pan. Baste with butter mixture occasionally throughout the broiling. Broil 6"-8" from heat for 20 -25 minutes. Turn and broil 15-20 more until tender. Be careful if you have thin breasts as this can be to much time. If desired sprinkle sugar over chicken and broil for 3 minutes more.

You may also grill the chicken brushing with the butter mixture for 45 minutes until deep golden brown.

Asiago-Stuffed Pork Roast

2009-10-20T12:33:00.005-04:00

1 (3 lb) center-cut boneless pork loin roast

3 tbls butter

1 1/2 cups small cubes of French bread

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 tbls minced onion

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, finely crumbled

1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled Asiago cheese

Create pocket in center of roast for stuffing, cutting lengthwise through center of the roast. Melt 1 tbls butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add bread and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Melt 1 tbls butter in same skillet; add mushrooms, onion, and rosemary. Saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add to bread; refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes to col before adding cheese. Mix cheese into bread mixture; season with salt and pepper. Insert stuffing into the pork roast pocket. Skewer closed if desired. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tbls butter in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium high to high heat. Add pork and saute until brown, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to preheated 350 degree oven. Bake until done, approx 45-50 minutes.

To Freeze: Prepare pork roast up to creating the pocket. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in gallon baggie; seal. Prepare stuffing mixture; place in quart size baggie, removing all air, and seal. Place pork roast and stuffing mixture in another gallon baggie.

To Prepare: Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. Place stuffing mixture in pocket of pork roast. Follow the remaining instructions to finish.

Menu Rotations

2009-10-20T11:28:00.018-04:00

January 2012

Beef: Mexican Skirt Steak (Mary)
Chicken: Baked Penne with Chicken and Mushrooms (Jacey)
Pork: Pulled Pork BBQ (Jennifer)
Soup: Butternut Squash Soup (Tatiana)
Pasta: Dan Dan Mian (Jill)

December 2011

Beef: French Dip (Jennifer)
Chicken: Chicken Cordon Bleu Empanadas (Jill)
Soup: Thai Shrimp and Lemongrass Soup (Jacey)
Pasta: Pepperoni Pizza Pie (Mary)

November 2011

Pork: Pork Dumplings (Jacey)

Chicken: Chicken Parmesan (Mary)

Soup: Coconut Curry Soup (Jill)

Anything: Swedish Meatballs (Jennifer)

October 2011

Pork: Pepper Stuffed Pork Tenderloin (Jill)

Soup: Roasted Carrot Soup (Mary)

Pasta: Stuffed Shells with Chicken, Arugula, and Alfredo Cream Sauce (Jennifer)

Anything: Sausage Empanadas with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream (Jacey)

June 2011

Beef: Beef Teriyaki (Jennifer)
Chicken: Chicken Empanadas (Jill)
Pork: Pesto-Stuffed Pork Chops (Corie)
Grill: Grilled Herb Shrimp with Mango Salsa (Jacey)
Pasta: Pepperoni & Cheese Stromboli (Mary)
Anything: Tequila-Glazed Grilled Chicken (Amy)

May 2011

Beef: Tamale Pie (Corie)

Pork: Sesame Pork Fajitas (Jacey)

Grill: Asian Pork Burger Wraps (Jill)

Chicken: Cashew Chicken (Mary)

Pasta: Baked Ziti (Amy)

Anything: Siamese Chicken with Curry (Jennifer)

April 2011

Beef: Flank Steak Stuffed with Provolone, Spinach, and Red Bell Pepper Pesto (Jacey)

Pork: Sausage & Spinach Quiche (Jill)

Grill: Jamaican Jerk Grilled Chicken (Mary)

Chicken: Chicken Spiedies (Amy)

Pasta: Creamy Pasta Sauce with Linguine (Jennifer)

Anything: Chinese Ribs (Corie)

March 2011

Beef: Beef & Cheese Empanada's (Jill)

Pork: Asian Pork Tenderloin (Mary)

Grill/Fish: Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry BBQ Sauce (Amy)

Chicken: Grilled Lime Chicken (Jennifer)

Pasta: Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp (Corie)

Anything: Pork Dumplings (Jacey)

February 2011

Beef: Beef Stroganoff (Mary)

Pork: Red Beans & Rice (Amy)

Chicken: Sally Mincer's Chicken (Corie)

Soup: Thai Lemongrass Shrimp Soup (Jennifer)

Pasta: Penne with Vodka Sauce (Jacey/Jill)

Anything: BBQ Beef Brisket (Jill)

January 2011

Beef: Spaghetti & Meatballs (Amy)

Pork: Apricot Glazed Pork Roast (Jennifer)

Chicken: Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie (Jacey)

Soup: Tomato-Basil Soup (Corie)

Pasta: Rigatoni D (Jill)

Anything: Beef Burgundy Stew (Mary)

December 2010

Beef: Julia Child's Carbonnades A La Flamande (Beef & Onions Braised in Beer) (Jennifer)

Pork: Asiago Pork Loin (Corie)

Chicken: Chicken Iberville (Jill)

Soup: White Chicken Chili (Jacey)

Pasta: Chicken Tetrazzini (Mary)

Anything: Crock Pot Pork Loin Roast (Amy)

November 2010

Beef:

Pork:

Chicken:

Grill/Fish:

Pasta:

Anything:

October 2010

Pork: Swedish Meatballs (Jill)

Chicken: Chicken Pie (Amy)

Grill/Fish: Kelly's Pork Tenderloin (Mary)

Pasta: Sausage & Peppers (Jennifer)

Anything: Butternut Squash Soup (Corie)

September 2010

Beef: Italian Crock Pot Beef (Jill)

Pork: Pork Medallions (Mary)

Chicken: Chicken Tetrazzini (Amy)

Grill/Fish: Beef Teriyaki (Jennifer)

Pasta: Vegetable Lasagna (Corie)

August 2010

Beef: Flank Steak (Mary)

Pork: Sweet & Sour Pork (Amy)

Chicken: Grilled Lime Chicken (Jennifer)

Grill/Fish: Prosciutto-Fontina Stuffed Chicken Breasts (Corie)

Pasta: Chili Mac (Jacey)

Anything: Crab Quiche (Jill)

June 2010

Beef: French Dip (Amy)

Pork: BBQ (Jennifer)

Chicken: Basil Grilled Chicken (Jacey)

Grill/Fish: Flank Steak (Corie)

Pasta: Sandy's Gourmet Chicken Pasta (Jill)

Anything: Ginger Lime Salmon Steaks (Mary)

May 2010

Beef: Jamaican Beef Dumplings (Jennifer)

Pork: Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin (Corie)

Chicken: Mock Lobster (Jill)

Grill/Fish: Grilled Shrimp Gyros (Jacey)

Pasta: Tortelloni, Chicken & Tomato Pesto (Mary)

Anything: Taco Salad (Amy)

April 2010

Beef: Gingersnap Beef (Corie)

Pork: Kelly's Marinated Pork Tenderloin (Jacey)

Soup: Smoked Portobello Mushroom Soup (Jill)

Chicken: Lemon-Butter Basted Chicken (Mary)

Pasta: Penne with Vodka Sauce (Jennifer)

Anything: Shrimp with Feta over Orzo (Amy)

March 2010

Beef: Poor Boys (Jacey)

Pork: Pork Chops with Blackberry Maple Sauce (Jill)

Soup: Italian Wedding Soup (Mary)

Chicken: Chicken & Rice (Amy)

Pasta: Vegetable Lasagna (Jennifer)

Anything: Chicken Satay (Corie)

February 2010

Beef: Flank Steak Roll-Ups (Jill)

Pork: Asian Style Pork Stir Fry (Mary)

Soup: Black Bean Soup (Amy)

Chicken: Deviled Chicken (Jennifer)

Pasta: Penne with Shrimp, Asparagus & Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Corie)

Anything: Chicken Packets (Jacey)

January 2010

Beef: Beef Stew (Mary)

Pork: Red Beans & Rice with Sausage (Amy)

Soup: Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup (Jennifer)

Chicken: Verde Chicken Enchiladas (Corie)

Pasta: Vegetable Lasagna (Jacey)

Anything: Chicken & Shrimp Jambalaya (Jill)

December 2009

Beef: Speedies (Amy)

Pork: Pork Roast with Apricot & Shallot Stuffing (Jennifer)

Soup: Butternut Squash Soup (Corie)

Chicken: Curry Coconut Chicken (Jacey)

Pasta: Asian Pork Lo Mein (Jill)

Anything: Dill Salmon (Mary)

November 2009

Beef: Asian Flank Steak (Jennifer)

Pork: Pork Riblets (Corie)

Soup: Mexican Chicken Soup (Jacey)

Chicken: Chicken Spinach Manicotti (Jill)

Pasta: Baked Ziti (Mary)

Anything: Pork Chops with Apple Chutney (Amy)

October 2009

Beef: Tamales (Corie)

Pork: Asiago Stuffed Pork Loin (Jacey)

Soup: Corn Bisque (Jill)

Chicken: Chicken Tetrazzini (Mary)

Pasta: Pasta Bolognese (Amy)

Anything: Taco Soup (Jennifer)

September 2009

Beef: Beef Stroganoff (Jacey)

Pork: Pulled Pork BBQ (Mary)

Chicken: Chicken Alouette (Amy)

Pasta: Lasagna (Jennifer)

Anything: Chicken Soup (Corie)

June 2009

Beef: Flank Steak (Mary)

Pork: Sweet & Sour Pork (Tiffany)

Fish/Veg: Black Bean Enchiladas (Amy)

Chicken: Butter Lemon Chicken (Jennifer)

Pasta: Tortiloni Chicken (Corie)

Anything: French Dip (Jacey)

May 2009

Beef: Asian Flank Steak (Mary)

Pork: Beer Brined Pork Chops (Amy)

Fish/Veg: Shrimp Salad (Jennnifer)

Chicken: Curry Chicken (Corie)

Pasta: Manicotti (Jacey)

Anything: Grilled Lime Chicken (Mary)

April 2009

Beef: Taco Salad (Amy)

Pork: Pork Tenderloin (Jennifer)

Fish/Veg: Swordfish (Corie)

Chicken: Chicken Broccoli Braid (Jacey)

Pasta: Sausage & Peppers (Mary)

Anything: Meatloaf (Tiffany)

March 2009

Beef: Sweet & Sour Meatballs (Jennifer)

Fish/Veg: Shrimp Scampi (Jacey)

Chicken: Chicken Pie (Mary)

Pasta: Pork Lo Mein (Tiffany)

Anything: Homemade Soup (Amy)

February 2009

Beef: Beef Kabobs (Julie)

Pork: Pulled Pork BBQ (Jacey)

Fish/Veg: Salmon Packets (Mary)

Chicken: White Chicken Chili (Tiffany)

Pasta: Baked Ziti (Amy)

Anything: Taco Soup (Jennifer)

January 2009

Beef: Meatballs (Jacey)

Pork: Pork Basque Stew (Mary)

Fish/Veg: Pesto Fish Packets (Tiffany)

Chicken: Chicken Enchiladas (Amy)

Pasta: Sausage & Peppers Pasta (Jennifer)

Anything: Chicken Soup (Julie)

December 2008

Beef: Flank Steak (Mary)

Pork: Pork Dumplings (Tiffany)

Fish/Veg: Gumbo (Amy)

Chicken: Herb Chicken Marinade (Jennifer)

Pasta: Pasta Fagoli (Jacey)

November 2008

Beef: Beef Stroganoff (Tiffany)

Pork: Red Beans & Rice (Amy)

Fish/Veg: Butternut Squash Soup (Jennifer)

Chicken: Chicken Kiev (Jacey)

Pasta: Lasagna (Mary)

October 2008

Beef: Beef Bourguignon (Amy)

Pork: Roast Pork with Apricot Stuffing (Jennifer)

Fish/Veg: Seafood Chowder (Jacey)

Chicken: Chicken Rosettes (Mary)

Pasta: Pasta & Beef (Tiffany)

Delicious Chicken Soup

2009-10-18T20:46:00.002-04:00

1/2 c. chopped green onion
1 c. shredded carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
4 T. butter, and butter for sauté
1 pt. half & half (I used fat free half & half)
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. rubbed sage
8 c. chicken broth
3 c. cooked chicken, cut up in bite-size pieces
1 (6-oz) package prepared Uncle Ben’s Original Long Grain Wild Rice
1/4 c. flour

Sauté onion, carrot and garlic in butter (not the 4 T. amount). Set aside.

Melt 4 T. butter in a 6 qt. pot. Add flour to make a roux. Add half and half, and cook until thick (stirring with a whisk). Add cheese, curry, white pepper and sage, whisking until smooth. Blend in chicken broth gradually. Stir in 3 c. chicken, the onion/carrot mixture and the rice. Heat. Serves 10.

Directions for freezing

Follow all instructions through adding the chicken broth. Once the soup base is combined, divide between two 1 gallon freezer bags. Add ½ of the chicken and onion/carrot mixture to each bag. Do not prepare rice until ready to warm soup.

To prepare from frozen

Place freezer bag in sink filled with cold water to thaw or thaw in refrigerator for 1-2 days. Prepare rice per package directions. Warm soup in pot over low heat, stirring to combine. Stir in half of the prepared rice per bag of soup. Serve when warmed through.

SWEET-AND-SOUR PORK

2009-09-30T11:04:00.003-04:00

(Recipe from Prevention's Freezer Cookbook)

Ingredients:

(6 servings)

3/8 Cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1" cubes

1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed

1 1/2 sweet red pepper, diced

1 1/2 green pepper, diced

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

12 ounces (canned) unsweetened pineapple chunks (with juice)

1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Directions:

In a shallow nonmetal dish, combine the apple juice concentrate, ginger, and garlic. Mix well. Add the pork and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Coat a non-stick skillet with non-stick spray and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onions, red peppers, and green peppers. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add the pork and marinade. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the pork is no longer pink in the center. Check by inserting the tip f a sharp knife into 1 cube.

Place the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the soy sauce and vinegar. Stir until smooth. Stir in the pineapple (with juice) and brown sugar. Add to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice and enjoy.

To Freeze: Pack the cooled cooked pork in a freezer-quality plastic container.

To Use: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover and microwave on high power for 5 minutes, or until hot.

Black Bean Enchiladas

2009-09-21T11:23:00.005-04:00

1 teaspoon finely minced fresh jalapeno pepper

3 cans black beans (15 oz. each), drained and rinsed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 to 1/2 of a 7 oz. can of tomato sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

12 flour tortillas

Enchilada sauce (recipe follows)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine black beans, jalapeno pepper, cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano and black pepper. Slightly mash the beans as you are combining the ingredients. Heat until cheese melts. Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder, green pepper and garlic. Stir until ingredients are well combined.

To bake immediately: Arrange in a 9x13 baking dish (if you have extra mixture left over, distribute it evenly over the enchiladas.) Cover with enchilada sauce and 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

To freeze: Roll even amounts of the mixture into the tortillas. Individually wrap each enchilada in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag.

On cooking day: Remove from freezer. Unwrap enchiladas and place in baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over all; top with 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Bake 45 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. No need to defrost.

Enchilada Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced onion

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 cup salsa

1 (7 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups water

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, oregano, chili powder, basil, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, parsley, salsa and tomato sauce.

Mix together and then stir in the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Beer Brined Grilled Pork Chops

2009-06-01T14:01:00.003-04:00

2 cups water

2 cups dark lager beer

1/4 cup coarse salt

3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses

1 cup ice cubes

6 1- to 1 1/4-inch-thick center-cut bone-in pork chops

Rub:

7 garlic cloves, minced

3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dried sage leaves

Combine 2 cups water, beer, 1/4 cup coarse salt, sugar, and molasses in a large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large re-sealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Remove pork chops from beer brine; pat dry. Mix garlic, pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and sage in small bowl. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of pork chops. Grill pork chops until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145 to 150 degrees F, about 10 minutes per side, occasionally moving the chops to a cooler part of the rack if burning. Transfer chops to a platter; cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve.

To Freeze: Place pork chops in a gallon-sized ziploc freezer bag. Prepare brine and pour over pork chops. Seal bag, taking care to squeeze all the air out. Freeze. Prepare the rub and place in a pint or quart sized ziploc freezer bag. Freeze.

Frozen Preparation: Thaw pork chops in the refrigerator. Remove chops from the brine and discard brine. Pat pork chops dry. Rub garlic rub mixture on both sides of each chop. Grill over medium-high heat. Transfer to platter; cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve.

Recipe from Mary Caldejon

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2009-06-01T07:13:00.004-04:00

2 lbs.ground beef

1 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs

1 bottle (1 pint) Chili Sauce

1 lbs. grape jelly

In a mixing bowl combine the ground beef with 1 cup bread crumbs, salt, pepper, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and two well beaten eggs. Mix ingredients lightly with a fork. Form into 1" balls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Drain any fat off and save pan juices. Combine jelly and chili in a pan stirring together over low heat until dissolved. Add a tablespoon of two of grated onion, chopped garlic, a TBS chili powder, and tabasco. Put meatballs in sauce in a chafing dish and simmer over low heat for at least 1/2 hour. Wonderful served over rice.

Grilled Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes

2009-05-31T19:07:00.003-04:00

Vinaigrette: 2 TBS Balsamic vinegar

2 tsps dijon mustard

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

3 TBS olive oil

For Shrimp: 2 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed and patted dry

Finely grated lemon zest & juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. dried oregano (or tarragon or basil)

salt & pepper to taste

1 head lettuce

1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 8 pieces each

8 ounces feta cut into 1/2" cubes (I crumbled mine)

1/2 cup mint leaves coarsely chopped (optional) (makes it yummy)

Prepare the vinaigrette; whisk vinegar, mustard, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk constantly slowly drizzle in the oil until thickened. Set aside. makes about 1/3 cup.

In a large bowl toss together the shrimp, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Marinate 15 min tossing once. Prepare the grill (or saute in fry pan) thread shrimp on skewers grill over high heat for no more than 2 minutes per-side.

Trim and wash lettuce. Combine lettuce, tomatoes, feta, mint and vinaigrette.

270 cal., 33 g protein, 11g fat, 275 mg cholesterol, 8mg carbo

Amy's Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin

2009-05-18T18:24:00.004-04:00

16 ounces extra lean pork tenderloin

1/2 cup soy sauce, low sodium

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup honey

2 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS sesame seeds

Trim excess fat from pork. Place in a heavy plastic bag. Mix the soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add to bag. Coat pork well. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry. Combine honey and sugar. Brush over pork. Coat with sesame seeds.

Roast for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Slice thinly and serve.

Pork Lo Mein

2009-04-13T19:22:00.006-04:00

14 ounces cooked spaghetti

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

12 ounces pork loin, cut into thin strips and marinated with your favorite Teriyaki recipe *my personal recipe is below and can be used on chicken, beef, pork!!

1/4 large Spanish onion, chopped

8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms

4 ounces shredded carrots

8 ounces fresh bean sprouts

1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated

1/2 - 1 clove fresh garlic, finely grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix spaghetti with the soy sauce, brown sugar, vegetable oil and oyster sauce making sure to mix it well.

3. Spray a large cookie sheet with Pam spray and cover the pan with a layer of the spaghetti and bake for 30 minutes turning the spaghetti every 10 minutes until it "dries out," you will see the difference. Continue until all the pasta has been dried out.

4. Stir-fry the pork loin in vegetable oil. Remove and set aside.

5. Stir-fry the onion and mushrooms in vegetable oil until soft.

6. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for about 2 minutes, mixing frequently.

7. Once the vegetables have cooked, grate fresh garlic and ginger over vegetables and mix together for about 30 seconds making sure not to burn the garlic and ginger.

8. Combine vegetables, pork and spaghetti together and mix well making sure everything is evenly distributed.

9. Enjoy!

To Freeze: Place in freezer bag, cool completely and freeze.

When ready to eat: Thaw completely, place in microwave safe bowl, cover with paper towel and heat!

*Teriyaki Recipe

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup Teriyaki sauce

6-8 ounces pineapple juice

3-5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

Shrimp Scampi

2009-04-13T17:25:00.004-04:00

2 lbs frozen large shrimp, peeled & deveined, thawed

4 tbls butter

1 cup chopped red bell pepper (if desired)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp paprika

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat, saute red bell pepper (if using) and garlic until sizzles (about 4 minutes). Add white wine, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and paprika; bring to a simmer. Add shrimp and cook approx 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

To freeze: Soften butter. Combine butter, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and paprika in small bowl. Scoop into quart size baggie. Remove all air and seal. In another quart size baggie combine white wine and lemon juice; remove all air and seal. Place both baggies in large gallon bag. Have frozen shrimp on hand for serving day.

To serve: Thaw shrimp. Rinse, peel & devein if needed. Thaw butter and wine mixture.Proceed with above directions.

Vegetable Beef Soup

2009-04-11T20:26:00.004-04:00

2 pounds lean stew beef

2 cans (14 oz. each) beef broth

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

32 oz. frozen vegetables for soup

tabasco sauce, to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

a little less than 1/8 teaspoon curry powder (or more, to your taste)

1/4 cup red wine

Dry beef cubes and sear in a hot dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the beef is done, add broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, chili powder, and garlic salt. Stir and cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until the spices are incorporated. Add vegetables, tabasco sauce, black pepper and curry powder. Stir well and cook over medium heat until soup comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the beef is tender (depending upon how tender you like your beef, this could be anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours). During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the red wine. Stir well.

Pork Dumplings

2009-04-02T23:17:00.032-04:00

Ingredients:

For dough:

(makes approximately 40 dumplings)

2 cups flour
3/4 cup boiling water
pinch of salt

For pork filling:

1 pound ground pork
2 green onions, washed and finely sliced
2 tbsp. sesame oil (I used pure sesame seed oil)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. water
1-1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
salt (optional)
cornstarch (optional)

For dipping sauce:

2 cups black vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
chili garlic sauce (This is the heat! Use as little or as much as desired. I suggest using Huy Fong Foods Inc. brand w/the rooster on the jar.)
sweet chili sauce (Again, use as little or as much as desired.)

Preparation:

Start dipping sauce

In saucepan, bring black vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil up to a slow boil/simmer, whisking frequently. (Be careful not to let sugar settle to bottom of pan and burn). Cook until mixture has reduced to desired thickness, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Mixture will thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and whisk in the chili garlic sauce and sweet chili sauce. Serve.

Make dough

Place flour into large mixing bowl and pour hot water over flour. With a metal spoon, cut through mixture with the edge of the spoon forming a rough breadcrumb-like texture. Drizzle in enough cold water to form a firm dough. Mix with the spoon until the water has been absorbed. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead for 4-6 minutes until dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in a piece of plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

While dough rests, make filling

In large bowl, combine all ingredients throughly. Chill until needed. *If you prefer a less juicy filling, add approximately 1/4 tsp. of cornstarch to the mixture. I did not add the cornstarch to my mixture.

Roll out wrappers

Line large baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and dust lightly with flour. Divide dough into 4 even pieces. On lightly floured surface, using palms of hands, roll each piece into 3/4-inch-diameter log. Using sharp, floured knife, cut each log into ten equal size pieces.

Flatten by pinching each piece of dough out into a circle, then roll dough out on a floured surface using a floured rolling pin, making a 2 1/2 - 3-inch-diameter circle. Transfer dumpling wrapper to baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough pieces, stacking rounds in layers on floured wax paper, floured parchment paper or floured paper towels.

Fill dumplings

Line second large baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and dust lightly with flour. Hold 1 wrapper in hand and place 1 heaping teaspoon of pork filling just off center of wrapper. Dip fingertip in water and gently dampen edge of wrapper. Fold wrapper in half so the edges meet and press around the edge gently with your fingertips to seal. Place the finished dumpling on the lined and floured baking sheet and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Freeze or cook.

To pan-fry dumplings

Place large skillet with tight fitting lid over moderately high heat. Heat approximately 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until hot but not smoking. Add dumplings so they are not touching and immediately pour in enough water to come one-third to halfway up sides of dumplings (use care; oil may splatter). Cover and cook until liquid evaporates and bottoms of dumplings are crisp and golden, approximately 10 minutes. (Don't lift lid until water has evaporated then use spatula to loosen and lift edges to check bottoms; replace lid and continue cooking if necessary, checking after 1 to 2 minutes.) At this point, you can transfer dumplings, crisp sides up, to a platter and keep warm until all dumplings are finished, or you can turn dumplings over and let them get crisp and brown on both sides, then serve.

To freeze

Place baking sheet filled with dumplings into freezer until completely frozen. Transfer frozen dumplings into a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to use, cook frozen dumplings using above method, adding a few extra minutes to cooking time.

Baked Ziti

2009-03-09T18:13:00.002-04:00

8 ounces sliced pepperoni

1 pound lean ground beef

8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

4 1/2 ounces canned mushrooms

16 ounces uncooked ziti (or penne) pasta

1 jar spaghetti sauce (any preferred garlic flavored sauce - I used Bertolli Olive Oil & Garlic)

Brown ground beef; drain and set aside. Cook ziti; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Then layer the ingredients (ziti, pepperoni, ground beef, mushrooms, sliced mozzarella, spaghetti sauce . . .) like a lasagna, ending with 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese on top.

To Bake: Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let the dish sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

To Freeze: Prepare ziti as indicated above. After spreading the shredded mozzarella on top, cover tightly with plastic wrap, carefully pressing out as much air as possible, then with heavy duty aluminum foil and freeze. If desired, you can split the recipe between 2 8X8 disposable aluminum baking pans. Then, once you cover with the aluminum foil, you can put each pan inside a gallon-sized ziploc freezer bag before freezing.

Frozen Preparation: Defrost in refrigerator. Unwrap pan of ziti completely and bake (on a baking sheet) in the middle of a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. *You may want to cover the ziti with aluminum foil if the top is getting too brown.

Lasagna al Pesto

2009-03-06T21:17:00.002-05:00

Recipe from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen

40 minutes to prepare

50 minutes to bake

About 16 lasagna noodles

1 pound fresh (or 2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach)

2 pounds (4 cups) ricotta cheese

1 cup pesto

2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (depending upon how much garlic is in the pesto)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Fresh black pepper to taste

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound mozzarella cheese grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles 4 to 5 minutes (they will be undercooked). Wash and chop spinach or thaw and drain frozen spinach. Place ricotta in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, pesto, garlic, salt, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

To assemble: beginning with noodles, layer noodles, filling, mozzarella; repeat. Finish with spinach mixture and mozzarella. Bake for 50 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil.

To Freeze: Once the assembly is finished, wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and place inside a gallon-sized ziploc freezer bag. Freeze.

Frozen Preparation: Defrost lasagna in refrigerator. Unwrap. Place on a baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 50 minutes or until filling is hot. If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil.

Chicken Pie

2009-03-06T21:06:00.003-05:00

3 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 refrigerated pie crust (the kind you roll out, not the ready-made)

Boil chicken breasts until completely done and tender (about 20-30 minutes). (*I usually boil them in 2 cans of chicken broth, with about 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 bay leaf, and a pinch of sage, with enough water added to make sure the liquid covers the chicken; but you can boil them in water alone.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8X8 baking dish or other shallow oblong baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Remove chicken breasts from liquid and put onto a plate. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts. Spread the shredded chicken over the bottom of the greased baking dish.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, salt and pepper (empty the soup into the bowl first, then fill the soup can with chicken broth and pour in with the soup - the average can of chicken broth is a little bit too much liquid; the amount of soup and broth should be equal) until well blended. Pour the soup and broth mixture over the shredded chicken in the baking dish.

Unroll one refrigerated pie crust and place on top of the baking dish, making sure the entire baking dish is covered. Trim any excess pastry from the sides of the baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly. (You may want to put your baking dish on a baking sheet to avoid a messy oven if the filling bubbles over.)

To Freeze: After trimming pie crust, wrap the baking dish in heavy duty aluminum foil and place inside a gallon-sized ziploc freezer bag. Freeze.

Frozen Preparation: Remove chicken pie from freezer and unwrap (no need to defrost). Place on baking sheet in a preheated 350 degrees oven. Bake, uncovered, for approximately 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is hot and bubbly.