Thai at Home

I found this recipe while browsing my new favorite recipe website, http://www.myrecipes.com/. It was originally in the December 2004 issue of Cooking Light. It was pretty tasty, but I didn't think it tasted much like Thai food. My husband actually liked it much more than I did, which shocked me. I'm not sure I'll make it again (but when do I ever make things more than once?), but the recipe is worth a try.

I served it over angel hair pasta because I forgot to pick up rice noodles, but the recipe doesn't have you serve it over anything. Rice would work just as well and maybe even better since the sauce is pretty thin.

Thai-Style Stir-Fried Chicken

from Cooking Light

1/4 c rice vinegar

2 T brown sugar

2 T fresh lime juice

2 t red curry paste

1/8 t crushed red pepper

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 T vegetable oil, divided

1 c chopped onion

1 c chopped carrot

1 (8 oz) pkg presliced mushrooms (I omitted these- mushrooms are gross :) )

1/2 c light coconut milk

1 T fish sauce

1/2 t salt

1 c fresh bean sprouts

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Combine rice vinegar, brown sugar, lime juice, red curry paste, and crushed red pepper in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken; seal and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from the bag, reserving marinade. Heat 1 T oil in a large nonstick skillet or work over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add remaining 1 1/2 t oil to pan. Add onion and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add reserved marinade, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add coconut milk and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Stir in chicken and salt; cook 1 minute. Top with sprouts and cilantro.

Another Pantry Winner

For some reason, this past week I have failed in the meal planning and grocery shopping arena. Monday nights I'm on my own for dinner, so I decided to play with some flavors that aren't Matt's favorites. There was some white wine in the fridge that needed to be used or thrown away, so I used that as a base and came up with a super tasty pasta with a white wine gorgonzola sauce. I didn't measure ingredients, so this is my best guess as to what the recipe is. Everything is certainly to my tastes, so someone else who makes it should make it to theirs. Enjoy!

Bow Ties in a White Wine Gorgonzola Sauce

from Linda

8 oz bow tie pasta

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c chopped onion

1/2 c white wine

1/2 t cornstarch

1/4 c gorgonzola

salt, pepper and dried basil to taste (I think it was basil. It may have been oregano. I really don't remember.)

1 small tomato, chopped

2 handfuls baby spinach

chopped black olives

Cook the pasta according to package directions. In a large saute pan, saute the garlic and onion in a little olive oil until onion is soft. Add white wine and cornstarch. Let simmer until reduced by 1/4-1/2, about 5 minutes. Stir in gorgonzola and seasonings. Add cooked pasta, along with a little of the cooking water (maybe 3 T). Toss to coat. Stir in tomato and black olives. Wilt in spinach by handfuls. Serve hot.

Finally went to the grocery store!

The first of the month is my favorite day in the world. It means I can make a menu with whatever I want because I get to go the grocery store! This meal was very easy and tasty, two of my favorite things. The orzo salad was inspired by the lovely Joelen (who I finally got to meet!), but I didn't really use a recipe. The chicken breasts I used must have been from a relative of Dolly Parton, so they took forever to cook. Next time I will definitely remember to pound them thin!

Orzo Salad

from me (with some help from Joelen)

8 oz cooked orzo

1 c grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 c chopped green pepper

1 small red onion, sliced

1/2 c reduced fat feta

1/3 c sliced black olives

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/2 T olive oil

red pepper flakes

dried oregano

Combine all ingredients. Serve. (I told you it was easy!)

For the chicken, all I did was bread the chicken with seasoned breadcrumbs and pan fry.

Still cleaning out the pantry

Cooking at the end of the month requires a little more creativity than usual. I'm trying to avoid grocery shopping before October 1st, but my usual pantry staples are starting to dwindle. I had a package of Trader Joe's chicken sausage in my freezer so I decided a simple pasta dish would work well. However, I had no tomatoes or tomato sauce, so I had to get a little more creative. With a little help from my What's Cooking ladies, I came up with this very tasty white wine sauce. Pretty tasty pantry/freezer dinner.

Spinach and Fontina Chicken Sausage with White Wine Sauce

from Linda

1 package chicken sausage

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T olive oil

1/2 c white wine

1/2 c chicken broth

1 t cornstarch

1 T butter

8 oz cooked pasta

fresh chopped parsley

Remove casings from sausage. Slice into bite size pieces and brown in a large saute pan with 1/2 T olive oil. When browned, remove from pan and keep warm.

Add remaining olive oil and saute garlic until just softened. Add white wine to deglaze the pan. Mix cornstarch with chicken broth and add to pan. Bring to boil, then simmer to reduce by approximately 1/2, about 10 minutes. Melt in butter and add cooked sausage; warm through. Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with parsley.

It's Not Chicken, Beef, or Pasta

No, this is still my blog, but I have branched out to the "other white meat". There were some boneless pork chops on sale last week at the grocery store, so I decided it was time to try a new meat. I got the idea to stuff them with cheese and apples from Joelen (who I get to meet at the end of the month!), but I changed a few of the seasonings and the type of cheese. The rest of the meal is my own, but were created by pulling from ideas I've seen all over the place. The mac and cheese is essentially made the way my mother makes it, with a few minor changes.








Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
from Joelen, modified by me





4 center cut boneless pork chops
1 apple (I used yellow delicious)
2 oz Gruyere cheese
thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste



Finely chop apple and cheese and mix with seasonings. Cut a slit in center of each pork chop and stuff with filling. Place on baking sheet and seasoning top of pork with the same seasonings. Sprinkle each chop with a little olive oil and bake in 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes.





Macaroni and Cheese
from me

8 oz short pasta (elbows or shells work best)

5 T butter

4-5 T flour (I eyeball it, so this is just a guess)

1 1/2 c milk (I use skim, but you can use any kind)

pepper

salt

nutmeg

2 1/2 c shredded cheese, divided (tonight I used sharp cheddar and leftover Gruyere)

1/4 c plain breadcrumbs

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in small saucepan. Add flour to make a roux. Cook about 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add milk, continuing to whisk until mixture is thick. Turn off heat and add salt, pepper and nutmeg. (You are essentially making a basic bechamel sauce) Stir in 2 c cheese, whisking until cheese is melted. Add cooked pasta and combine. Pour into baking dish. Toss remaining cheese with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly and the top is browned. Let cool slightly before serving.

Sauteed Spinach

from Linda

4 c fresh spinach

1 garlic clove, sliced

1/2 T olive oil

1 T white wine vinegar

Saute garlic in olive oil until lightly brown. Add spinach 2 cups at a time, wilting the spinach. When spinach has wilted, add vinegar and saute for 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately.

My Favorite Comfort Food

I have always loved Tuna Casserole. My mom used to make it a lot when I was a kid and it would make my night. She used wild rice more than she did noodles, but I don't have wild rice on hand like she did. I'm more likely to have some kind of short pasta, so that's what I use most often.

I was feeling the need to go back to my childhood, so Tuna Noodle Casserole was the solution. I never make it the same way twice, but it does always have tuna, noodles and cream of celery soup. I know not everyone is a fan of the cream ofs, but I like the way it makes this casserole taste. So there.

Tuna Noodle Casserole
from me

8 oz short pasta
1 can cream of celery (I always use low-sodium)
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar, divided
2 cans tuna packed in water, drained
mix of frozen vegetables (I always use peas, but tonight I added corn and broccoli to the mix)
1 can diced tomatoes (I don't always use this)
salt
pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add frozen vegetables the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain. In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, reserving 1/2 c cheese. Add pasta and combine. Pour into baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Williams and Sonoma Meal #2

Before I get into this meal, I would like to add that I made Bourbon Chicken from All Recipes the night before (found in Amber's blog) and it was quite tasty. I took the food to my husband at work and forgot to take a picture, but we both really enjoyed it and I would recommend it. The only changes I made were to replace the soy sauce with chicken broth because I forgot I was out of soy sauce until I was half-way through making the dish. Still tasty, though!

Tonight I made a second dish from Williams and Sonoma. This meal was definitely made for me because I adore olives, but my brother and husband were not totally enamoured. My brother said it was too bitter and my husband said he didn't like kalamata olives, so I felt a little bad, but we did some doctoring that made it a pretty enjoyable meal for all of us. I figured it need something sweet to cut the bitterness a little, but my brother thought it needed more spice, so he added some Parmesan cheese to the top and some hot sauce. My husband took my suggestion on the sweetness and added some chopped tomato. It was really really good with the tomato.

If we make this again, I will use fewer olives, more parsley, and add chopped tomatoes. I would also be sure to serve lots of grated cheese on the side. Oh, and because I didn't have marjoram, I used fresh oregano instead. The tastes are similar, but oregano is a tad stronger, so I used a little less.

Spaghettini with Olive Pesto

from Williams and Sonoma

1/2 c olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 lb. black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

1 t minced fresh marjoram or 1/2 tsp. dried

2 T salt, plus more, to taste

1 lb. spaghettini or spaghetti

1/4 c minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. In a food processor, combine the 1/2 cup olive oil, the garlic, olives and marjoram and pulse to combine. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then pulse once or twice more to form a coarse sauce. Transfer the olive pesto to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, add the 2 Tbs. salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pesto along with the parsley and toss to combine. Add as much of the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Serves 4.

Fusilli with Raw Zucchini, Mascarpone, and Ricotta

Earlier this week I was browsing the Williams and Sonoma website and adding to my kitchen wishlist when I stumbled upon the recipe section of their site. I cannot believe I hadn't looked here before! The recipes looked amazing and I knew I had to try a few. Annie from Annie's Eats has a lot of recipes from their site in her blog, but I never thought to browse it myself. I was doing my menu planning for the week the same day I browsed the site, so two of their recipes made it to the week's menu. This was the first.

The recipe was pretty good, though I felt it was a little bland. More Parmesan helped a lot, and if I make it again, I will definitely salt the pasta water. I don't usually do that because I generally don't like a lot of salt in my food, but this recipe needed a little help. Otherwise it was a nice, easy recipe that was super quick and made very little mess. It also didn't heat up my kitchen, which is always a plus when the temperatures are still in the 90s. Now that cooler weather is approaching, I'll probably shelve this recipe until it heats up again, but it is one to remember when I need a simple summer dish.

Fusilli with Raw Zucchini, Mascarpone, and Ricotta

from Williams and Sonoma

2 small very fresh zucchini, trimmed and cut into large chunks

1/4 c mascarpone cheese

1/4 c ricotta cheese

1 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 t grated lemon zest

4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1 lb. fusilli

2 T coarse salt

In a blender or food processor, combine the zucchini, cheeses, lemon zest and basil. Process until a light green paste forms. Season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and the coarse salt, stir well and cook until the pasta is al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 9 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Place all of the sauce in a warmed serving bowl and stir in the cooking water. Add the pasta and toss well to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

A little help from Trader Joe's

I am absolutely addicted to Trader Joe's. One of my favorite convenience items is their ravioli. It comes in so many tasty varieties and I think I've almost tried them all. Tonight I wanted something easy and I had some heavy cream that was on the brink of expiration, so I decided to pull the ravioli out of the freezer and have that for dinner. I had the spinach and ricotta ravioli in my freezer, so I figured a simple white wine cream sauce would compliment the ravioli nicely. The sauce is my own creation, pulling from various recipes. I'm really proud of it; I think it came out restaurant quality!

White Wine Cream Sauce

from Linda

1 shallot, diced

1 T butter

1/2 c heavy cream

1/4-1/2 c white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

1 t cornstarch

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

grated Parmesan

fresh basil

Melt butter in large skillet. Saute shallots in the butter until translucent. Add heavy cream and wine. Whisk in salt, pepper, pepper flakes and cornstarch. Heat over low heat until thickened, whisking constantly. Add cooked ravioli to pan. Toss lightly in the sauce. Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle with cheese and basil.

It can't all be gourmet.

Tonight's dinner was not gourmet, but it was easy and tasty. We've had a box of Chicken Quesadilla Pasta Roni sitting in our pantry for a long time. It made the move with us and was around for awhile before that. Tonight I decided it was time to get rid of it. It's hard to call this a recipe, but I did do some serious doctoring to the box dinner, with a little inspiration from the serving suggestions. I was actually quite surprised at how good it came out. I probably won't be buying the box stuff again any time soon, but it's good to know that something really tasty can come from surprising sources.

Chicken Quesadilla Skillet Dinner

source me and Pasta Roni

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 box Chicken Quesadilla Pasta Roni

1 1/2 c water

1/2 c milk

2 T butter

1 c frozen corn

1 c salsa

1/2 c cheese

chopped tomato

chopped black olives

sour cream

crushed tortilla chips (I baked some corn tortillas in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes)

Brown ground beef in large skillet. When almost brown, add jalapeno, red pepper, and onion. Soften until beef is browned. Stir in water, milk and butter and bring to a boil. Add pasta, seasoning mix and corn to the pan and return to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until pasta is al dente. Stir in salsa and cheese. Serve with chopped tomato, olives, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips.

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asparagus and Peas

This dish ended up being a perfect summer afternoon lunch. We spent most of the day working on our dining room, but making and eating this dish was a great break. I got the recipe from Cooking Light, the August issue I think. I didn't change anything and I don't think I would if I made it again. The sauce didn't thicken up very well until well after I made it, but the pasta really held on to what sauce was there. Very lemony. I garnished mine with some lemon zest and snipped chives to make it just a tad lemonier and pretty.

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asparagus and Peas

from Cooking Light

8 oz uncooked long fusilli (twisted spaghetti)

1 3/4 c (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)

1 c frozen green peas, thawed

1 T butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1 c organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)

1 t cornstarch

1/3 c heavy cream

3 T fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1/2 t salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

Dash of ground red pepper

Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Lemon slices (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus during last minute of cooking time. Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta mixture over peas; set aside.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, juice, salt, 1/4 t black pepper, and red pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper and lemon slices, if desired. Serve immediately.

Pasta Salad with Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Spinach

Since it has been so gosh darn hot around here lately, I'm trying to come up with meals that won't heat up the kitchen. This one seemed to fit the bill. The original recipe called for arugula, but I wanted to use up the baby spinach in the refrigerator so I used that instead.

The recipe says it serves 4, but my husband actually laughed when I told him that. Maybe as a side dish, but not as a main dish. We were still hungry after we ate the whole pot so I had to make an evening snack. If I make this again, I would definitely serve it as a side dish to grilled chicken or something. It was not very filling at all! But it was really tasty.

Pasta Salad with Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Spinach

(I don't remember the source- maybe CookingLight.com?)

2 T chopped walnuts

1/2 t salt

6 oz uncooked farfalle

2 c baby arugula (I used spinach)

2 T fresh chives, minced

1 c grape tomatoes, halved

1 T white wine vinegar

1 T olive oil

1/4 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

3 T blue cheese

Place walnuts in a small, heavy-bottomed skillet. Toast nuts over medium high heat until lightly browned, shaking skillet frequently, about 1-2 minutes; remove from skillet and set aside. Bring 3 quarts water and 1/2 t salt to a boil in a large pot. Stir in pasta and cook until tender; remove 1 T of pasta cooking water and reserve for later. Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl; immediately add arugula and toss well. Cover bowl with a lid or tight fitting plastic wrap; set aside until arugula is limp, about 5 minutes. Stir in chives and tomatoes. Stir together vinegar, oil, reserved pasta water, remaining 1/4 t salt and pepper in a cup. Pour dressing over pasta salad and toss well; sprinkle with blue cheese and walnuts.

Spicy Garlic Lime Pasta

So it's been raved about and questioned on the What's Cooking? board, so I figured I would go ahead and try it this week. I didn't want to buy any chicken, which is what the original recipe called for, so I added a can of tuna instead. I also made a few other minor modifications to suit my tastes and pantry, but the recipe is definitely courtesy of Amber.

My husband and I both liked it, but I think I'd add more lime the next time I make it. I love lime, though, so not everyone might like it the same way. The tuna substitution worked fine, but to be honest, the one can didn't add a whole lot of tuna and I couldn't really taste it. It just added some protein.

Spicy Garlic Lime Pasta (with Tuna)
Recipe from Amber, my changes in italics

8 oz rotini
2 c broccoli florets
1 c chicken broth
Juice of 2 limes (original recipe called for 1 1/2 T)
Zest of 1 lime
1 T corn starch
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 5 since they were kind of small)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t dried thyme
2 t red pepper flakes
1 T butter
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 can tuna, drained
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Add broccoli the last 2 min. Combine first 13 ingredients (through butter) in small saucepan and cook until thick. Stir in tuna. When pasta is done, add to sauce and toss. Add parsley and combine. Serve with cheese.

The Perfect Quick Summer Dinner

Again I return to my trusty Bon Appetit. Have I mentioned I love this magazine? Between Bon Appetit, Gourmet and Cooking Light, I will never have to repeat a dish if I don't want to. Pile my cookbook collection on top of that plus the over 100 recipes I have saved on my computer, I won't even be able to try all of them once before I die. At least I don't like shrimp; that saves me from a good handful of recipes.

Tonight I wanted something quick so I could get back to my studying. I have only 3 days remaining before the bar exam and I am definitely feeling crunch time. This was perfect. Very light, lots of grilled vegetables and on the table in less than 30 minutes. The only thing I did differently was use macaroni because I have apparently gone to the pasta well too many times and didn't have any ziti or penne left. Schuncks needs to have another sale. The dish would have been prettier with the penne, but the taste was still there! I also had to use feta because I didn't get to the Italian market before it closed. Darn family businesses closing before 9:00 PM. Don't they know I need ricotta salata?

Penne with Grilled Zucchini, Ricotta Salata, and Mint

From Bon Appetit

2 lbs small zucchini, trimmed and halved lengthwise

Olive oil for brushing

Kosher salt (I pretty much always use the sea salt in my grinder from Trader Joe's for everything, so I don't think the kosher salt is required)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 T balsamic vinegar

1/4 c fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

2 pinches of dried crushed red pepper

1 lb penne or ziti pasta

3 T olive oil

3/4 c crumbled ricotta salata

Prepare barbecue (medium high heat). Arrange zucchini on rimmed baking sheet; brush all over with oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Grill zucchini until tender, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface; cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces. Place in large serving bowl. Add vinegar, mint, and crushed red pepper; set aside.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Add pasta to zucchini mixture, then add 3 T olive oil and ricotta salata and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I served this will grilled asparagus tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pasta al la Linda

Finally! A recipe that is my own. This is sort of my go to meal. I was not feeling the cooking vibe today and am lacking motivation to create my menu for the week. It may have something to do with the pressure of the bar exam looming less than a week away. Cooking tends to be a stress reliever, though, so once I got started in the kitchen, my inspiration returned and I played a little with my original "recipe".

This dish is really simple usually, but I had some extra ingredients to play with and made it slightly more decadent. I was super pleased with my changes and I think this dish is now perfected! I've tried to approximate all the measurements so I can write a recipe, but it's all a guess. I didn't measure anything, so if you make it, go by your own tastes and how it looks.

Linguine and Olives

2 T olive oil

1 T butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small red onion, chopped

1 c white wine

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/2 c chopped black olives

1/2 T chopped pimento

1/2 T (or more) red pepper flakes

1/2 c goat cheese

1 T mascarpone cheese

2 T chopped fresh oregano

1/4 c chopped parsley

chopped cherry tomatoes

8 oz uncooked linguine or other long pasta

Boil large pot of water and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add white wine, balsamic vingegar, chopped black olives, pimento and red pepper flakes. Reduce slightly. Stir in cheeses until melted. Simmer until pasta is cooked. Stir in fresh herbs and the tomatoes. Add hot pasta along with a little of the cooking liquid to the skillet. Toss to combine. Serve with freshly grated cheese of choice (I use either Parmesan or Romano).

Better than Buffalo Wild Wings

I was browsing the various food blogs I watch through Google Reader and stumbled across a wonderful looking dinner in Mary Ellen's blog. I've been craving spicy, but didn't really want Mexican, so her buffalo chicken bites seemed like a good choice. I was right!

Her recipe was more a technique, so I've turned it into approximated measurements, but I got the idea from her blog. Along with her bites, she served a Blue Cheese Orzo that she found on allrecipes.com. It was really good! The absolute perfect combination. What goes better with buffalo wings than blue cheese? The dinner was quite tasty.

I changed the orzo a little to my liking, but pretty much stuck to the recipe. I'll comment in the recipe where I deviated.

As a little side note, this recipe ended up adding another cooking related injury to my depressingly expanding list. I've cut myself plenty with my knives when not paying attention and have burned myself on everything from a hot onion to the edge of the oven, but this injury was a new one. As I was sliding my fingers under the lid on the blue cheese crumbles, I managed to slice open not one, not two, but three of my fingers. I told my husband what I did and had him bandage my bleeding fingers, after which he looked at me and said very simply (but accurately!), "Linda, you stupid."

Buffalo Chicken Bites

from Mary Ellen

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1-2 c hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot is what Mary Ellen used, but I used the grocery store brand)

1 c plain breadcrumbs

1 T cayenne pepper (less if you don't like it hot)

1/2 T garlic powder

2 T red pepper flakes (all seasonings can be adjusted for taste)

Place chicken and approximately 1 c of hot sauce in Ziploc baggie. Make sure the chicken is covered with the hot sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours (I marinated mine for about 20 minutes because I didn't think far enough ahead).

Combine breadcrumbs and seasonings in a bowl or shallow plate. Pour additional hot sauce into another bowl. Dip each chicken chunk into the hot sauce and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Place in baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes, turning once halfway and turning the broiler on for the last 2-3 minutes.

Serve with additional hot sauce, if desired.

Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Orzo

from Allrecipes.com

1 pound uncooked orzo pasta
2 tablespoons butter (I only used 1 T, but they didn't caramelize very well, so next time I'll use it all)
3 tablespoons olive oil (I only used 2 T, but see above)
4 onions, sliced (I used one HUGE red onion, and that seemed like enough)
6 1/2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
3 1/2 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 cups shredded spinach (I only used 1 c since hubby is not a fan of spinach)
salt and pepper to taste

(I also added pine nuts to the orzo and I really liked the texture it added to the recipe)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

While pasta is cooking, heat butter and oil in a large skillet over low heat. Cook onion in this mixture until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from pan with a spoon and drain on paper towels.

In a large bowl, combine blue cheese, mascarpone and onion and mix well (this is where I mixed in the pine nuts). Toss cheese mixture with spinach and pasta, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Another Day, Another Pasta

Call me the carb girl. Pasta is easy, so pasta it has been the last few weeks. This one, however, was a little different. I got the recipe from July's Bon Appetit, but had to make a few adjustments. While Tuesday night it was a fresh tomato type pasta, tonight we went Asian. Pretty good, but it felt like it was missing something. Perhaps the ingredients I didn't have. I did really like the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar paired with the hot chili oil. Very good.

I didn't have green onions or sesame oil, so I left the onion out and substituted 1 1/2 T rice wine vinegar and 1 1/2 T olive oil for the sesame oil. Not really the same, but the rice vinegar helped the Asian flavors and the olive oil provided the oil. I also just used regular basil instead of Thai basil. I didn't feel like hunting for it when I have a regular basil plant in my garden.




Spicy Sesame Noodles with Chopped Peanuts and Thai Basil

1 T peanut oil (I used olive oil- probably should've used my canola oil)
2 T minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T Asian sesame oil
2 T soy sauce
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T (or more- I'd used more next time) hot chili oil
1 1/2 t salt
1 lb fresh Chinese egg noodles or fresh angel hair pasta
12 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
1/4 c thinly sliced fresh Thai basil leaves

Heat peanut oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; saute 1 minute. Transfer to large bowl. Add next 6 ingredients; whisk to blend. Place noodles in sieve over sink. Separate noodles with fingers and shake to remove excess starch. Cook in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly and transfer to bowl with sauce. Add sliced green onions and toss to coat noodles. Let stand at room temp until noodles have absorbed dressing, tossing occasionally, about 1 hour. Stir in peanuts and Thai basil; toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temp.

Serves 4-6

Our first "real" meal

I finally have my kitchen set up enough to cook something other than spaghetti with meat sauce and what was the first meal? Spaghetti. It was, however, a little fancier than spaghetti with jarred sauce (a move-in staple). I even got to use my food processor. I got the recipe from the July Cooking Light and really enjoyed it! It was super light and didn't heat up my tiny kitchen more than it needed to be on a 90 degree day in St. Louis.

Cherry Tomato Spaghetti with Toasted Pine Nuts

2 (1 oz) slices sandwich bread

1 1/2 T olive oil, divided

1 t garlic powder, divided

3 c cherry tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

8 oz uncooked spaghetti

1/4 c chopped fresh basil

3 T pine nuts, toasted

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 c. Add 1 1/2 t oil and 1/2 t garlic powder. Pulse to combine.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumb mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat 1 t oil in pan. Add tomatoes to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to wrinkle. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 t garlic powder and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Cover; reduce heat to low.

Cook past according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add pasta, remaining 2 t oil, basil, pine nuts, salt and pepper to tomato mixture, stirring to combine. Toss pasta with breadcrumbs. Serve and enjoy!

Yields 4 (2-cup) servings.