What's for Dinner? Shrimp and Veggie Fried Rice!

I discovered (via Facebook, of course), that it is the Chinese New Year today.  So in honor of my friends from the Orient, I decided to cook a Chinese dish this evening.  I made a fried rice that was packed with veggies, shrimp and ham.  It was pretty easy to make and really, really good!  And not to mention, this cook-at-home version is waaaay healthier than the oil-laden versions you most likely are getting when you order take out. Nothing quite says "Welcome, Year of the Dragon" like some fried rice!  You can really use any combo of protein and veggies in this...use what you like...the method will be the same.  Happy New Year to you!!  Enjoy!

Shrimp and Veggie Fried Rice
Serves 6
Download PDF

2 TBSP plus 1 tsp peanut oil, divided
1 cup diced ham (I get a large, thick slice from the deli and cut into cubes)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small crowns broccoli, cut into small florets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
1/2 cup frozen green peas
3 cups cooked rice (I like Jasmine)
2 large eggs
1 large handful bean sprouts
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp to 1 TBSP garlic-chili paste (depending on how hot you like it)

In a large wok or skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over high heat.  Add ham and sauté until browned.  Reserve to large bowl.  Add in shrimp and cook until just done and browned.  Reserve to same bowl.  Add 1 TBSP oil and add in onion, asparagus and broccoli.  Sauté for 5 minutes until veggies start to brown.  Add in 1-2 TBSP water and cover, letting them steam for a few minutes until veggies are to desired tenderness.  Remove cover and add in garlic, ginger and peas.  Sauté 2 minutes more.  Pour into same reserved bowl.  Heat remaining 1 TBSP oil.  Add in rice and sauté 2 minutes until grains start to brown.  Make a well in the middle of the rice and crack the eggs in the center.  Let the eggs fry for several minutes.  Start pushing them around until they are scrambled and fully cooked.  Mix in with the rice and then add back in all the reserved ingredients.  Add bean sprouts, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili paste.  Make sure well combined and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Moroccan Lamb Tagine!

For Christmas, my awesome Sisters-in-Law got me a Moroccan tagine.  The word tagine is used to describe a Middle Eastern dish of slowly simmered meat and/or vegetables but it also is the word for the earthenware vessel they use to cook it in.  My SILs know that I love to cook and that I have ALMOST every cooking utensil/vessel I need...BUT they did their homework and discovered I did not, in fact, have a tagine!  Well, thanks to them, I have ventured into the world of Middle Eastern cooking for the first time...and so glad I did!  First off, you do not need a tagine to make a tagine!  Any heavy Dutch oven or pot with a tight fitting lid will do.  Secondly, this type of cooking uses A LOT of different spices.  Lucky for me and my days working for Whole Foods, I have tons of (free) spices, so we have them all.  If you don't have all these spices (and I'm fairly positive 99% of the country would not), just kind of use what you have.  The spices that seem standard for tagines across the board (that most people may have) are cinnamon, ground ginger, paprika, cayenne, turmeric and saffron).  Don't go overboard on the cinnamon.  This is supposed to be a savory dish with a hint of sweetness.   Most of the recipes call for some sort of fruit: i.e. dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, etc.  Now, I am not a fan of the fruit and meat combo thing (as many of you know by now)...but I actually would have tried it this time, had I not had all the other ingredients in my house already.  So next time I will.  But if you want to throw in any of these ingredients, by all means, do it!  I hope you try this one...it is something different that is really tasty!  Enjoy!

Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Serves 4
Download PDF

• 1+ lbs of lamb loin, cut into bite-sized chunks (lamb loin can be expensive, so if you want, you can use any stew cut, it will just need to cook longer to achieve ultimate tenderness)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP butter or ghee
• 3 large carrots, cut into small rounds
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP freshly grated ginger
• 1, 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2-3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 preserved lemon, cut in small wedges (if you can find preserved in the store, use fresh)
• parsley or cilantro, to garnish
• couscous

In a Ziploc baggie, add all spices (paprika through coriander and mix well.  Toss lamb meat with olive oil and add to bag.  Seal and mix, making sure all the lamb is coated with the spice mixture.  Refrigerate (the longer the better, but if you don't have long, that's ok!).

In tagine or pot over medium high heat, heat butter.  Add lamb and brown on all sides.  Remove from pot with spoon and reserve.  Add onion and carrot and cook for 5-8 minutes until they begin to soften.  Add garlic and ginger and cook for a few more minutes.  Add back lamb and chickpeas and stir.  Add in broth (the broth should just barely cover meat mixture (add more broth or water if it doesn't).  Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes, add in lemons.  Continue cooking until meat is very tender and stew is of a good consistency (again you will need longer if not using lamb loin...lamb loin will take about an hour or a little over).  Garnish with parsley or cilantro and serve over couscous and enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Buffalo Chicken Sliders!

I'm a fan of just about anything that involves Buffalo chicken.  However, if you get a sandwich at a restaurant, it usually involves a big deep-fried breast and the sauce is mixed with a ton of butter.  I came across this recipe for making Buffalo chicken in the crockpot...and it's actually healthy...SCORE!  It really couldn't be any easier to make and the result is fantastic.  Now, this makes a lot, so I suggest you freeze about half of it for a later craving.  Other things you could do with it: make a Buffalo chicken pizza, top a salad with it, Buffalo chicken dip for the Super Bowl, Buffalo chicken cheese balls.  Give this a try...it won't disappoint!

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken (Sliders)
Serves...lots!

• 3 lbs frozen chicken breasts
• 1 bottle Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix (if you find this tangy, use half a packet at first)

In a Crockpot, add chicken, wing sauce and ranch packet.  Cook on either low or high (6 or 8 hours it doesn't really matter).  It will not take the whole time, but you can leave it in if you like.  Before you are ready to eat, shred chicken with two forks and mix well with the sauce.  Let sit in the Crockpot for a little while longer.  Serve and enjoy!

To make sliders, get good crusty rolls (I like to use Ciabatta) and slice them in half.  Toaster oven them until they get toasty!  Add Buffalo chicken to the bottom.  Add a sprinkle of blue cheese crumbles and top with a slice of provolone or mozzarella.  Re-toast in the oven to melt the cheese.  Add any veggies you like (i.e. tomatoes, lettuce, slaw, onion, etc.).  Top with ranch or blue cheese dressing.  Enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Pulled Pork Napoleons!

When we were in New Orleans over Christmas, we ate at a place that is right on the edge of the French Quarter called the Palace Cafe.  We have never eaten there in the past because it is right on Canal Street and it has a big neon sign and it just screams "tourist" from the outside.  But after receiving great recs from several friends and family we decided to stop by there.  It was a nice December day and they have little outdoor tables.  We were just going to get a snack and a drink (for Sully), but after reading the menu, we decided to go for a full-on meal.  Everything looked so good, but this dish really stood out.  Their description was a "Cochon de Lait Pot Pie". Cochon de Lait is Louisiana's version of a pulled pork, but theirs is slow roasted and SO delicious. In the Palace Cafe's dish, there was no crust or anything, like a normal potpie has, just served with a piece of garlic baguette.  Well, needless to say, it was awe-some!!  And it was funny that while we were eating, Sully's best friend Kyle happened to walk out of the restaurant...he was lunching with some friends.  Can't get much better than that!

When coming up with the recipe here, I decided to do a stovetop-style braised pulled pork and instead of calling it potpie, which is really isn't, a layered Napoleon was more the right description.  Now, most of you aren't total weirdos like me, and will probably choose not to layer your ingredients in a beautiful tower like I did...but I promise, it really took no time at all to do that part.  We just have the luxury of owning a lot of egg rings (Sully loves him an egg ring...don't ask!), that made it easy for me to build the tower.  If you don't have the patience or the care to make a tower, just serve as a plated dish all together.  It will taste the same!  :)  Bon appetit!

Stovetop Pulled Pork
Serves 4-6
Download Recipe

1, 2-lb pork tenderloin, sirloin or butt/shoulder
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water, plus more
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 rounded tsp cayenne
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Cut up pork into 2-3 inch pieces.

In a heavy dutch oven or pot, bring cider and water to a boil.  Add in spices and stir to dissolve.  Add in pork and reduce heat to a low simmer.  Put lid on and cook for about 1 hour, turning pork occasionally. After an hour, take the lid off and let liquid reduce down until the liquid starts to caramelize and the pork is browning.  Stir well.  Pork will start falling apart.  Begin to shred pork, when ready with a fork or stirring utensil. Once well browned, add more water if you need to, to make a little bit of a juice (but not too much). Taste and season with salt, if necessary. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Napoleons
Serves 4

1 TBSP butter

1 small bag pre-washed baby spinach

2 cups Stovetop Pulled Pork
2 cups mashed potatoes
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add in spinach and let wilt.  Toss until cooked.  Remove from heat.

Place an egg ring or an aluminum can with both ends cut off (and well washed) on a plate. Firmly pack in 1/2 cup of pork.  Then 1/2 cup mashed potatoes.  Remove ring (or can) Add 1/4 of the spinach to the top and top with 1/4 of the cheese.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Broil in the oven for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese as melted and starts to brown.  Spoon some of the "au jus" around the plate. Enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Curried Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Chicken!

I got this recipe in my inbox today from a site I subscribe to (Chow.com) and it really caught my eye.  Theirs called for tofu, which I am not a big fan of, so adapted it and inserted chicken instead.  It turned out really great. Ok, now for the less adventurous of you, this one might sound weird.  But I promise you, it is really good! Although if you are like my mother and detest Indian food (or think you do, like she does), then maybe it isn't for you.  But in our house, it is a keeper...Sully even went back for seconds.  It does call for some spices that most of you probably don't have (we, however have about every spice known to man, which helps!).  Stores like Whole Foods and Fresh Market sell spices in bulk, so you can buy just a little of these so you don't have to break the bank on spices that you will only use a teaspoon of.  Recipes like this one really won't work without the correct spices.  Ok, enough spice rant!  I hope you give this one a try.  It's healthy, easy and delicious!  Enjoy!

Curried Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Chicken
Adapted from Chow.com
Serves 4
Printable recipe

• 3 TBSP olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 medium to large onion, diced
• 2 TBSP grated ginger (about a 2-3 inch piece)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp Garam Masala spice
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into medium florets
• 1 cup chicken broth, divided
• 2 large or 3 small chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup flour
• juice of 1/2 lime
• chopped cilantro (to garnish)
• jasmine rice

In a Dutch oven or heavy skillet, heat 2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat.  Add fennel seeds and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion and ginger and sauté until they being to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and spices and sauté another minute more.  Add chickpeas and cauliflower and stir to combine well.  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth.  Put lid on pan/pot and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer about 10-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is just tender.

While this cooks, in a separate pan, heat last TBSP of oil.  Toss chicken with flour and add to pan.  Saute until browned and cooked almost through.

When chicken is done and cauliflower is soft, add chicken into cauliflower mixture and gently combine. Add the remaining chicken broth and the juice of the lime and let simmer a few minutes more, until a slightly thickened sauce forms.  Serve over jasmine rice and top with chopped cilantro and Sriracha hot sauce (if desired). Enjoy!

What's for Dinner? White Chicken Chili!

First thing's first...HAPPY NEW YEAR!  It's been a hectic holiday season, so I apologize for dropping off for a bit. We had my family all here for the first half of Christmas Week, and then Sully, Finn and I flew to New Orleans for the second part.  It was crazy, but a lot of fun.  We had some really good meals over the past few weeks and I have lots to share with you but I will start with our dinner tonight.

Here in the South, we have an "arctic air mass" rolling in.  Considering this past weekend it was 72 degrees and I was really hot (some of that MIGHT have been the pregnancy), it was a seriously rude awakening when the high today was 39 and the winds were gusting up to 30 mph. Brrrrrr!  It made me want chili and white chicken chili was it! This is a really good recipe that is perfect for a cold winter's night.  Give it a try and cozy up by the fire.  Here's to a great 2012!!

And by the way, if you cook any of my recipes, please let me know how they turned out!  Good or bad!  I love hearing what people made and any feedback is appreciated. Cheers!

White Chicken Chili
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 medium onions
• 3 chicken breasts (about 1 lb raw, diced in small pieces)
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 4-oz cans diced green chilies
• 2 14.5-oz cans Cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained
• 4 cups chicken stock (I used low sodium)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (Monterrey Jack works well or I used low fat 4-cheese Mexican)
• 3 TBSP half and half (can delete this if you like, but it adds a nice touch of richness to the chili)
• cheese, green onion and sour cream for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat oil.  Add onion and sauté until they begin to soften.  Add in chicken and sauté until browned and cooked through.  Add garlic and cook one minute more.  Add in cumin, oregano green chilies and beans and mix together.  Add broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about one hour until chili starts to thicken. Add cheese and half and half and continue simmering until desired thickness is reached. Serve with garnishes and enjoy!

What's for Apps? Oysters Rockefeller!

It was our friend Greg's birthday on Sunday, and to celebrate he brought over oysters to our place and made a batch of Oysters Rockefeller (I know...he was doing the cooking on his birthday!) and also steamed a couple of dozen.  It is oyster season, and we are spoiled living here at the beach, because we get great oysters from nearby Stump Sound.  I always think of oysters as kind of a pain to make, though, because of the shucking.  But once you get that down (and it is a bit of a process), they rest is easy!  Maybe you can sweet talk your local oyster seller to shuck 'em for you.  That would be the best!  But, regardless of how you get them shucked, try this recipe...it's really good!!  Enjoy!

Oysters Rockefeller
Adapted from Epicurious.com
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

• 2 cups firmly packed baby spinach, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons minced celery
• 1/4 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a day-old baguette)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pinch of cayenne
• 5 bacon slices
• 1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
• About 5-8 cups kosher or rock salt for baking and serving
• 20 oysters on the half shell, oysters picked over for shell fragments and shells scrubbed well

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss together spinach, garlic, scallion, parsley, celery, and 2 tablespoons bread crumbs in a bowl. 


Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then add watercress mixture and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer mixture to a bowl and chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.

While spinach mixture chills, cook bacon in cleaned skillet over moderate heat, turning, until crisp, then drain on paper towels and finely crumble.

Spread 5 cups kosher salt in a large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and nestle oysters (in shells) in it. Spoon spinach mixture evenly over oysters, then top with bacon and sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake oysters until edges of oysters begin to curl and bread crumbs are golden, about 10 minutes. Serve warm oysters in shells, nestled in kosher salt (about 3 cups), on a platter.  Enjoy!

What's for Dessert? Peanut Butter Cup Brownies!

A friend relayed some good news to me today...it's National Brownie Day!  Considering I had 4 boxes of my favorite brownies in the pantry because they were on sale...it called for celebration.  Now, I can't even call this a recipe, because it is not by any means homemade, but I thought I would share this with you because these are the best brownies EV-AH!  Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownies rock my world.  And I got a crazy thought...why not add in another one of my favorite things EV-AH...Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!?!  A pretty perfect dessert for me on any given night is a Reese's, but when you add them to my favorite brownie...perfection personified! This is so quick and easy, even the worst bakers (me included) can't screw it up!  Try it, you'll love it!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
The box says serves 16...who are they kidding???  Serves about 6!

• 1 box Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
• 1/2 bag Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Minis (up to you what to do with the other half of the bag...hmmm...but below is another recipe I've been wanting to try that I found on Pinterest***)

Prepare brownie mix to package directions.  Stir in peanut butter cups into the batter.  Fill a greased, 9x9 glass baking dish with batter.  Bake at 325 for about 35 minutes.  Don't over bake.  You want them to be sort of gooey! For extra indulgence, serve warm with vanilla ice cream.  Ohhhhh, yeah.

***Try below recipe with the remaining peanut butter cups and tell me how it is.  After I pop out baby #2, it's go-time! 
Peanut Butter Cup Martini

What's for Dinner? Seafood Chowder!

This past weekend was a good one.  We had our annual Christmas party and it was a ton of fun.  The food theme this year was "Paninis and Crostinis".  Basically, just a lot of different sandwiches from different countries.  It was fun to do (and I will be blogging a few of them in the upcoming weeks) and oh-so-delicious.  We had a lot of leftover sandwiches, and what goes better with sandwiches than soup?  I was feeling seafood, and chowder is nice and hearty (I would say for the cold weather we have been having, but it was 75 degrees today!).  This chowder was really good, and it led me to beg the question, "why does chowder you get in a restaurant have to be SOOOO bad for you?"  This chowder that I made had no cream at all...only 1 cup of 2% milk.  The stats on it are really good for such a thick and creamy soup.  And you can basically use any seafood you like...mix it up!  Give it a try...you won't be sorry!

Seafood Chowder
Serves 6-8
Printable Recipe

1 TBSP olive oil
2 leeks, mostly white part, halved and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch dice (depending how chunky you want them)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups seafood stock (this can be found now in any grocery store in the broth/stock section...if not, use chicken broth)
1 cup milk
1 lb cod or halibut, cut into small chunks
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 lbs bay scallops (the small ones)
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1-2 TBSP fresh dill
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add celery and leek and saute until just soft.  Add garlic and potato and saute 2 minutes more.  Sprinkle flour over veggies, stir and let cook several minutes.  Add broth and stir well.  Let thicken.  Add milk and stir.  Simmer until potatoes are just soft.  Add in fish, cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add shrimp and scallops.  Let all simmer for another 5 minutes.  If chowder gets too thick, add some more stock.  Add dill. At the very end, add in Gruyere cheese and remove from heat.  Serve with garlic toast or oyster crackers and top with more cheese, if desired.  Enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Divan Stuffed Chicken!

Chicken Divan is an old favorite of mine.  It is one of my go-tos when I can't think of anything else to make or if I just want a quick, one-dish meal.  Tonight I was in the mood to stuff a chicken breast (for some weird reason) and I thought that a Divan-like stuffing would be really good.  It turned out way better than I expected.  The curry-flavored filling inside the breaded chicken breast tasted just like the casserole version, but a little more sophisticated (aka, better)!  This kicks the old Chicken Divan up to the next level.  I will definitely making this again.  Don't let the stuffing process intimidate you!  I thought I was done for...I accidentally cut all the way through one of my breasts and had filling oozing out in every direction.  But I rolled up my sleeves and completed the breading process and by the time I had the chicken in the skillet, it all came together and was fine.  Just go with it!  Give it a try...you'll be a Stuffed Divan convert!

Divan Stuffed Chicken
Serves 4
Download PDF of Recipe

1 crown broccoli, cut into small florettes and steamed until soft
1/2 can cream of chicken soup (I use the Healthy Request version)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (add a little more to taste if you like the curry flavor)
2 TBSP light sour cream
4 slices cheddar cheese (could also sprinkle shredded cheese instead)
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp season salt or Cajun spice
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 TBSP olive oil

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, mix together broccoli, soup, curry powder and sour cream.  Set aside.

In three shallow bowls or plates, prepare the breading station.  In the first bowl add flour, Cajun spice (or whatever spices you like), and pepper.  Mix well.  In second bowl, add egg and scramble well.  In third bowl, add bread crumbs.

For each chicken breast, make a slice horizontally through the breast, being careful not to slice all the way through (slice it the way you would open a book).  Peel back the top of the breast and stuff each breast with 1/4 of the broccoli mixture.  Lay the cheese over the mixture (I used cheese slices and halved them so they would fit better) and pull top of the chicken over everything and press together (try and get everything to stay inside, but this is tricky!).  Once the breasts are stuffed, roll in flour, then egg then bread crumbs.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot.  Add breasts and saute on each side until they are golden (but not cooked through), about 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on how hot your stove gets!

Either put skillet in oven (if it is oven proof), or transfer breasts to a baking dish lined with foil and sprayed and cook until all the way done, about 12-18 minutes, depending on how thick your breasts are.  Remove from oven and serve with mashed potatoes or yellow rice.  Enjoy!

What's for Apps? Greek Seven Layer Dip!

In our family, the day after Thanksgiving is usually just kind of a do-your-own-thing day when it comes to food.  There is a lot of leftover action and kind of constant grazing.  Although, after the gluttony of Thanksgiving Day, I was kind of wanting a snack that was healthy.  This is a take on the ever-loved Mexican Seven Layer Dip, but it hails from the Aegean, rather than the Gulf of Mexico. It is easy, REALLY good, and healthy. What more can you ask for?  Although beware, it is so good, you might just eat the whole thing yourself.  Take this to your next party and it'll have everyone screaming OPA!  Enjoy!

Greek Seven Layer Dip
Serves 4-6
Download PDF of Recipe

1 English cucumber (the long thin ones that come in plastic wrap)
1 5-oz container fat free Greek yogurt (I like Fage)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
1 10-oz container hummus (I LOVE the Sabra brand...I use either garlic or plain)
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
pita chips

To make tzadziki: cut cucumber in half.  Peel one half.  Grate the half over a doubled paper towel.  Squeeze out as much water as you can.  In a small bowl, add Greek yogurt.  Mix in grated cucumber, lemon juice, pressed garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate (you can do this ahead of time).

In a serving dish, add hummus and spread evenly on bottom.  Add tzadziki and spread evenly.  Cut the remaining half of the cucumber in a small dice and add on top.  Add diced tomato, onion and olives. Sprinkly feta over top and serve with pita chips.  Mmmmmm.

What's for Dinner? Chicken Stroganoff!

I've had mushrooms on the mind lately.  I don't know how my sister and I can differ so greatly on something...she absolutely abhors them, and I love them with a passion!  The past couple of times I have been into the Fresh Market, they have had some awesome mushrooms there.  Here in Wilmington, good, wild mushrooms are hard to come by.  But I have recently gotten chanterelles, huge shiitakes, oysters, enokis, etc. etc. For this recipe, I used shiitakes and baby portobellos.  The classic version of this dish uses beef, and if you want to use that, great.  But chicken is quicker and healthier and I just prefer it, most of the time.  This is a really quick and easy dish to make that is healthy and hearty.  If you are into mushrooms, like me, you can't go wrong!  Try it and enjoy!

Delicious 'shooms!

Chicken Stroganoff
Serves 3-4

2 TBSP olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
16 oz sliced mushrooms of your choice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (just under a pound total)
3 TBSP flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
6-8 springs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 TBSP butter or spread
1 cup light sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP olive oil on medium high heat and add onion.  Saute for several minutes, until onion starts to soften.  Add mushrooms and cook until they become browned and soft.  Add garlic and saute one minute more.  Reserve mixture to separate bowl and put aside.  In the same skillet, heat the rest of the oil.  Add chicken and saute until browned and cooked through.  Add back in onion and mushroom mixture.  Sprinkle flour over everything and stir to coat well.  Add chicken broth, wine and thyme and stir.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes until mixture becomes thick.  Turn off heat and stir in butter and sour cream.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over hot buttered egg noodles or rice.  Enjoy!

Download PDF of Recipe

What's for Dinner? Spanish Fideuà (aka Noodle Paella)!

I love paella.  It has everything good...rice, seafood, sausage!  When we were in Barcelona, I remember seeing this thing called Fideua on the menu...it was actually a noodle version of paella--even better!  I really wanted to try it, but we ran out of time before I got a chance. Today as I was thinking about what to make for dinner, I remembered I had some fideos (which is just the Spanish word for noodles) that I bought at the Mexican mart last time I went.  They are actually just dried vermicelli noodles, cut into about 1-inch pieces.  I thought it may be a little quicker than the rice version and I surprisingly had everything else to do the (quick version) of the recipe.  It was awesome and super fast to make.  All the good flavor of paella, without the sweating over the hot pan while the rice slowly cooks!  It would be great with even more seafood (i.e. mussels, scallops, etc.)...I just used shrimp because that is what I had!  And I used lowfat turkey smoked sausage, trying to keep it a little lighter, but would also be excellent with Spanish chorizo, as the traditional dish calls for.  Give it a try!!  Enjoy.

Spanish Fideua (aka Noodle Paella)
Serves 4-6

• 2 TBSP olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb smoked sausage or Spanish chorizo, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 7-8 oz fideos (don't worry, if you can't find these, just cut dry angel hair or vermicelli in 1-inch pieces!)
• 1, 28-oz can diced tomatoes with juice (I use good, San Marzano tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2-4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika (this is NOT regular paprika)
• 1 large pinch saffron threads
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP oil until hot.  Saute onion until just soft.  Add garlic and sausage and saute until sausage is browned (the sausage should be pre-cooked, so you are just browning, not cooking).  Once done, scrape into bowl.  In same skillet, heat the remaining oil.  Add in dry pasta and saute until pasta starts getting a nice golden-brown color.  Once that happens, add in tomatoes, sausage/onion mixture, wine, 2 cups chicken broth, paprika and saffron.  Stir well to combine and reduce heat to a low simmer.  Let it sit now, without stirring, until the noodles look like they have absorbed most of the liquid.  Then, scrape the bottom and add in another cup of broth.  Repeat.  At the end of this, if the noodles are almost tender, add in peas and shrimp and a little more broth.  Let simmer until both shrimp and noodles are cooked and the rest of the broth is mostly absorbed (don't let the noodles cook too long...you don't want them to get mushy...you have to keep an eye on it and judge how much time you need).  Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!

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What's for Dinner? Mexican Stuffed Shells!

I found the idea for this recipe online and thought it looked great.  I am a sucker for anything Mexican and anything pasta...and this combined both!  It came out so much better than I imaged.  The flavor was great and overall it was pretty easy to make.  The stuffing of the shells only took about 10 minutes and the rest of the cooking didn't take long either.  Please make this...Sully deemed it the best new recipe we've had in a while! Enjoy!

Mexican Stuffed Shells
Serves 5 (4 shells each)

20 jumbo shells
1 TBSP olive oil
20 oz ground turkey (93% lean)
1 packet taco seasoning
4 scallions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz cream cheese
1 can Goya Black Bean Soup**, drained
1 cup Spencer's Salsa (or your favorite jarred brand)
1 packet Frontera Chipotle and Garlic Taco Skillet Sauce
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
green onion and sour cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil.  Cook shells to specifications.  Drain and coat with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking.  Let cool.

In a large skillet, add olive oil and when hot, add turkey and taco seasoning.  Saute until browned and cooked through.  Add onion and garlic and saute one minute more.  Reduce heat to low and add in cream cheese.  Stir until thoroughly combined.  Add in black beans and stir.  Remove from heat.

In a 9x13 baking dish, coat the bottom with salsa.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture and lay in dish.  Cover with taco sauce and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.  Broil to brown cheese, if desired.  Garnish with onion and Sour cream.  Enjoy!

**Goya Black Bean Soup is the undiscovered king of black beans.  I don't use it as soup...I use it whenever I need black beans.  They are perfectly seasoned and in a little thicker sauce.  Try them!!  They can either be found in the Hispanic section, the soup section, or the bean section.  Sooo worth the hunt!

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What's for Sides? Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread

This weekend, fall was in the air.  It was the perfect time for chili and cornbread!  My friend Greg got out his awesome chili recipe (which I will be posting here later) and I looked around for a few cornbread recipes.  I found this one that I adapted.  It was orginally supposed to be for corn sticks, cooked in a cast iron mold.  I know I have just about every kitchen/cooking gadget known to man, but shockingly, I do not own cast iron corn stick molds.  So...I adapted the recipe and it came out REALLY good.  The recipe had just a hint of the jalapeno flavor without being too hot.  If you want more heat...add more jalapeno!  You could even add crisp, crumbled bacon to this and it would be awesome!  This is a simple recipe sure to please. Try it and enjoy!

Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
Serves 6

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
3 scallions, diced (white and green parts)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP butter or spread (I use Brummel & Brown)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (not self-rising)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425. In a small skillet, heat the butter until hot.  Add jalapeno, onion and garlic.  Saute 1-2 minutes until fragrant and they begin to soften.  Remove from heat and let cool a bit.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking soda and baking powder.  Mix together and form a well in the middle.

In a small bowl combine egg and buttermilk.  Beat until combined.  Pour into well of dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined and a sticky dough is formed.  Add in pepper mixture and cheese.  Combine well.

Coat a 9x9 glass dish with cooking spray and add the dough mixture to it.  Cook for 20 minutes until bread is just starting to brown.  Serve hot with butter!

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What's for Dinner? Flounder with Linguine and Tomato Sauce!

We've been on vacation in Charleston for the past week, and let me tell you, we had some AMAZING food!  Charleston does not disappoint in the culinary department.  But one thing the food isn't...healthy.  We were traveling with a vegetarian, and it was particularly hard finding something that didn't have some sort of pig product in it (it is the South, after all!).  At one restaurant, the homemade buttermilk rolls were actually served with "pork butter".  So, needless to say, after last week, we are looking for some healthy meals again.  This dish is something my mom made growing up.  It is extremely fast (good thing, cause the in-laws are in town!) and very healthy.  And it is pretty cheap, because you can use any thin white fish that they have at the market, and tilapia is usually always there and super inexpensive. I made this tonight with flounder because I really like the flavor of it (and it was also on sale at the 'Teet). Hopefully after eating a few healthy dishes like this, some of that pork butter will start magically melting off of my hips.  Enjoy!

Flounder with Linguine and Tomato Sauce
Serves 4

1 TBSP olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1, 28-oz can good diced tomatoes in juice (I use San Marzano)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 large handful basil, chopped
2 TBSP capers
1 lb flounder fillets
8 oz linguine, cooked to specifications
parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic.  Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes with juice and simmer about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice, basil and capers and simmer 5 minutes more.  Add flounder in one layer over tomatoes.  Cover.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily (don't overcook...we don't like mushy fish!). Serve fish on top of pasta and spoon sauce on top.  Garnish with Parmesan.

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What's for Dinner? Chicken Paprika!

I should really rename this blog "What's for Dinner Sully and Angie?" because my friend Angie is an amazing cook and she frequently helps me with my recipe planning.  She came across this recipe in the newspaper recently and told me I had to try it.  It was originally called "Chicken Sputnik" and it was a recipe contributed by actress Rachel Bilson of all people (random!).  I have changed it a bit and renamed it, because I don't like the name Sputnik.  So there.  This is a really easy recipe that is hearty and has a wonderful flavor.  And it's a one-pan deal, so not much cleaning to do, which is always a bonus!  If you are squeamish about chicken with bones, you can use boneless chicken breasts or thighs.  Just reduce the cooking time because without the added fat from the bones and skin, the meat will dry out if cooked for too long.  I have to say, I'm not usually a fan of bones, but they did contribute to a really rich and delicious flavor that I am not sure you could achieve without.  But, try it the other way, if you must!  Hopefully you will find this chicken (previously known as Sputnik) out of this world!  (Ha, ha...thanks, Angie!)

Chicken Paprika
Serves 3

1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP butter or spread
1/4 cup flour
3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
1 large onion, halved and sliced in 1/2 inch slices
2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/2 inch slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP Hungarian sweet paprika
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (like Locatelli)
1 tsp salt (add more if needed)
fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup cooking sherry
1 cup chicken broth

In a large dutch oven or cast iron pot, heat butter and oil until hot.  Coat each side of the chicken with the salt, pepper and flour. Add chicken to pot and cook on one side until browned. Flip chicken.  Add onion, garlic and potato to the top of chicken.  Sprinkle on paprika, cheese, salt and pepper.  Add sherry and broth around the sides and cover.  Simmer for 1-1.5 hours until chicken is done and potatoes are very soft (but not mushy!).  Add more paprika and cheese, if desired.  Serve and enjoy!

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What's for Lunch? Split Pea with Smoked Turkey Soup!

It has been rainy and gross for the past three days and nothing calls for soup more than rainy days.  My grandmother made the best split pea soup.  Back in the day, I didn't eat meat, so she would make a special batch just for me without the ham in it.  Now-a-days, I ask myself, "what was I thinking not eating ham??"...but that's another story.  In this batch, I replaced the ham with smoked turkey, but it tastes very similar.  If you can't find a smoked turkey leg, feel free to add a ham steak, ham hock, etc. etc. to add the smoky flavor and meat.  And in our family, we have a little joke.  My grandmother would tell us every single time she made this soup, "you know, if it gets too thick, you can just add a little water to thin it out".  Wise words of advice to heed when reheating.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!  Serve it with a grilled cheese...and rain, rain, go away!!

Split Pea with Smoked Turkey Soup
Serves 6

1 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 16-oz bag split peas
6 cups chicken stock
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped (or throw the whole bundle in and fish out the stems at the end)
1 smoked turkey leg (remove outer skin)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat olive oil.  Add onion, carrot and celery and saute until they start to get soft, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic and saute one minute more.  Add peas and stir.  Cook for a couple of minutes.  Add 4 cups water, bring to a boil.  Add in thyme and turkey leg.  Reduce to simmer and cover. Stir occasionally and add more broth as needed.  After about 45 minutes, the soup should be starting to get very thick.  Keep adding broth and simmering until peas are tender. 30 minutes before serving, remove turkey leg to cutting board.  Let cool and then cut meat from bone and dice into small pieces.  Add back to soup.  When ready, serve!

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What's for Dinner? Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce over Polenta!

Today I had polenta on the brain.  I have no idea why, but it was one of the first things that popped in to my head this morning when I was thinking about what to make for dinner.  I haven't had it in a while, but love it.  I mean, it tastes a lot like grits and what good Southerner doesn't like grits?  This meal, even though it sounds fancy, is pretty easy to make.  If you really wanted to cut corners, you could cut out the pan-frying of the polenta and just bake it while you cook the rest.  This meal is dedicated to my sister who looooooves mushrooms.  Just kidding, she hates them with a fervent passion.  Good thing she doesn't live close enough to come to dinner on a regular basis because I adore them.  I hope you do, too!  Enjoy!

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce over Polenta
Serves 4

1 tube, pre-prepared polenta (you could make your own, but I kept it easy tonight!)
3 TBSP butter, divided
3 TBSP olive oil, divided
1 lb chicken cutlets (or you can pound out regular breasts very thin)
1/2 cup flour
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped and minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 packages fresh assorted gourmet mushrooms (mix of cremini, shitake, oyster, etc.)
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (find this in the gourmet cheese section)
2 TBSP fresh minced parsley

Preheat oven to 300.  Slice polenta into 1/2 inch rounds.  In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP oil.  When hot, add polenta slices.  Saute 5 minutes on one side, or until golden and flip.  Saute second side until golden.  Transfer to a baking sheet and place in oven.

While polenta bakes, combine flour, half the rosemary and salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in flour until well-covered on each side.  Use same skillet as polenta (scrape out any polenta bits).  Heat another TBSP of butter and 1 TBSP of oil.  Fry chicken on one side until golden.  Flip and saute the other side until chicken in cooked through.  Reserve on a plate.  Add remaining butter and oil to pan.  Add another 2 TBSP of the seasoned flour to pan and stir.  Add shallot and saute 1-2 minutes until they begin to soften.  Add mushrooms and saute until they are soft.  Add garlic and remaining rosemary and saute for one minute more.  Add broth and stir.  Let cook until sauce starts to thicken.  If too thick, add more broth.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in mascarpone and remove from heat.  Add parsley.

Remove polenta from oven.  Add 3-4 pieces of polenta, a quarter of the chicken and a quarter of the mushroom sauce to each plate.  Enjoy.

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What's for Dinner? Salade Nicoise!

We had a wonderful weekend celebrating two of our best friends', Tim and Meredith's, wedding.  It was a weekend of partying (for those of us who aren't pregnant) and eating (times two for me!).  Usually after weekends like this, we have salad Mondays, to make us feel a little better about ourselves.  One of my favorite salads to do is a Salade Nicoise, a classic salad you find all over France.  It is really easy, filling and tasty. Good thing, too...I got a last minute call from my friend Missy asking me to watch her baby for a few hours.  It was actually great practice for having a household with two young kids, and I was proud of us.  Between Sully and I, we got Finn fed, got the salad made, ate, and occupied baby Mari all at the same time.  Piece of cake!  :)  I put the (mostly) classic Nicoise ingredients in here, but feel free to mix it up with things you like, although this combination is really fantastic.  The dressing is a little tangy on it's own, but combined with the other flavors of the salad, it goes perfectly.  Enjoy!


Salade Nicoise
Serves 2

2 small to medium red potatoes, steamed until soft
1 small bag French green beans, steamed or microwaved until soft
1/2 bag romaine or butter lettuce
1 Roma tomato, sliced
10 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
2 hardboiled eggs, sliced
8 anchovy fillets
8 marinated mushrooms, quartered
2 TBSP capers
1 can or jar of good albacore tuna, packed in olive oil
Nicoise Dressing (recipe to follow)

In two large salad bowls, split all ingredients in half and layer in bowls.  Top with dressing.

Nicoise Dressing
Serves 4 (about 1.5 TBSP each)

juice of 1/2 lemon
1 TBSP red wine or white wine vinegar
2 TBSP dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
1 shallot, cut in large pieces
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp minced fresh tarragon (can omit if you don't have this)
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mini prep food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add more olive oil to mellow it out a bit. Serve over salad.

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