Sunday, August 24th, 2008
Chicken, Sausage, and Corn Stew (GOOD)
This was a classic "here's a bunch of flavors I want to taste so I will throw them in a pot together" meal. So this one consisted of cooking off some ground sausage, then sweating down some onions and red pepper, adding the sausage back in along with some rotisserie chicken, chicken stock, a can of corn, and later some frozen peas after everything simmered for about 40 minutes. For spices, I put some toasted spice rub (which is a fennel-based mixture from Napa Style), Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf ... though you could season with just about anything you want (I was thinking curry powder would be good another time if I was in the mood for that flavor). I used 2 cans of chicken stock for this stew, so wasn't super thick, but definitely not a full on soup either. (You could go ahead and use the awful Rachel Ray-created word "stoup" right here if you want, but I'd rather chop my hand off with a dull chef's knife than do it myself).
Definitely a good Sunday meal (especially as we enter the cooler fall weather) and certainly worth making again.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Shrimp Stir Fry with Peppers and Green Beans (GOOD)
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
*** Shrimp Stir Fry with Peppers and Green Beans (GOOD) ***
Thanks to the garden, the pepper supply in the house is ample, so I cut up one green and one yellow pepper to go with some shrimp and green beans for a quick and tasty stir fry. I seasoned the shrimp with togorashi spice (which is a Japanese spice blend of chile, sesame, and seaweed that I highly recommend and is also called "Tokyo Spice Rub" at some stores). Having yet to find a homemade stir fry sauce that I enjoy (I'm all ears if you have one by the way), I went with a bottled sauce that was good, but I'm sure sodium and sugar-laden as well. A quick weeknight meal that's a winner (serve it over basmati rice to round out the dish).
*** Shrimp Stir Fry with Peppers and Green Beans (GOOD) ***
Thanks to the garden, the pepper supply in the house is ample, so I cut up one green and one yellow pepper to go with some shrimp and green beans for a quick and tasty stir fry. I seasoned the shrimp with togorashi spice (which is a Japanese spice blend of chile, sesame, and seaweed that I highly recommend and is also called "Tokyo Spice Rub" at some stores). Having yet to find a homemade stir fry sauce that I enjoy (I'm all ears if you have one by the way), I went with a bottled sauce that was good, but I'm sure sodium and sugar-laden as well. A quick weeknight meal that's a winner (serve it over basmati rice to round out the dish).
Roman-Style Chicken (VERY GOOD)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
*** Roman-Style Chicken (VERY GOOD) ***
I got this one from Giada DeLaurentiis, who I've always found to have consistently good recipes, and this one is no different. It gives a nice "all day taste" even though it takes less than an hour to cook, and you can't really go wrong with something that has lots of pig and sweet red peppers in it. If you don't like capers, I'm sure you could leave them out, but that would certainly subtract from the dish. Definitely a keeper ... and be sure to serve a crusty bread to mop up all the sauce. Recipe link
*** Roman-Style Chicken (VERY GOOD) ***
I got this one from Giada DeLaurentiis, who I've always found to have consistently good recipes, and this one is no different. It gives a nice "all day taste" even though it takes less than an hour to cook, and you can't really go wrong with something that has lots of pig and sweet red peppers in it. If you don't like capers, I'm sure you could leave them out, but that would certainly subtract from the dish. Definitely a keeper ... and be sure to serve a crusty bread to mop up all the sauce. Recipe link
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Quick Turkey Tacos (EASY)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
*** Quick Turkey Tacos (EASY) ***
Welcome to an unexciting, but perfectly fine weeknight staple. Brown some ground turkey, add a taco seasoning packet, and then put together all the fixings for some tacos/burritos and enjoy. Needless to say, this won't be a recipe you see on a cooking show any time soon, but it tastes good and takes two seconds to make so I have no complaints.
*** Quick Turkey Tacos (EASY) ***
Welcome to an unexciting, but perfectly fine weeknight staple. Brown some ground turkey, add a taco seasoning packet, and then put together all the fixings for some tacos/burritos and enjoy. Needless to say, this won't be a recipe you see on a cooking show any time soon, but it tastes good and takes two seconds to make so I have no complaints.
Whole Wheat Pasta with Fresh Garden Sauce (GOOD)
Monday, August 11, 2008
*** Whole Wheat Pasta with Fresh Garden Sauce (GOOD) ***
It's that time of year, so we're swimming in tomatoes from the garden, which is definitely a good thing. This year is the first time I've ever done a garden, so it's also the first time I've ever tried to make my own tomato sauce. For try #1, I was definitely happy with the results. I skinned and seeded about 8 roma tomatoes and added them to a pan of sauteed garlic on medium-low heat. In another pan I cooked a half pound of turkey sausage and added it to the cooked down tomatoes along with some fresh garlic, basil, and Asiago cheese (and salt and pepper of course). The result was definitely a fresh and flavorful sauce. Oh ... and I did add a couple of spoonfuls of tomato paste to thicken the sauce, and that definitely helped. My only regret was mixing it in with a pound of pasta, which resulted in too much pasta and not enough sauce. Next time I either need to make more sauce, or just spoon it on top of each serving.
*** Whole Wheat Pasta with Fresh Garden Sauce (GOOD) ***
It's that time of year, so we're swimming in tomatoes from the garden, which is definitely a good thing. This year is the first time I've ever done a garden, so it's also the first time I've ever tried to make my own tomato sauce. For try #1, I was definitely happy with the results. I skinned and seeded about 8 roma tomatoes and added them to a pan of sauteed garlic on medium-low heat. In another pan I cooked a half pound of turkey sausage and added it to the cooked down tomatoes along with some fresh garlic, basil, and Asiago cheese (and salt and pepper of course). The result was definitely a fresh and flavorful sauce. Oh ... and I did add a couple of spoonfuls of tomato paste to thicken the sauce, and that definitely helped. My only regret was mixing it in with a pound of pasta, which resulted in too much pasta and not enough sauce. Next time I either need to make more sauce, or just spoon it on top of each serving.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Chicken With Roasted Lemon-Rosemary Sauce (VERY GOOD)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Chicken With Roasted Lemon-Rosemary Sauce (VERY GOOD)
I had a bunch of lemons that needed to get used, so this worked perfectly. I cut four lemons in half, salted them a little, and threw them under the broiler for about 10 minutes until they were browned. Then I took the juice (a little less that 3/4 cup) and saved it for the sauce. I browned two bone-in chicken breasts in a pan, and then threw them in the oven on 400 with some red potatoes sprinkled with salt, pepper, and rosemary for about 15-18 minutes until everything was done. Meanwhile, I put 3 cloves of minced garlic and 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary in the pan where I browned the chicken. After a minute I added 1 1/4 cup condensed chicken stock (no water added), deglazed the pan, then added the lemon juice, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, a tablespoon of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. This makes a great sauce that I pured on top of the chicken and potatoes when they were ready. Finished it off with a side salad for a winning dinner.
Chicken With Roasted Lemon-Rosemary Sauce (VERY GOOD)
I had a bunch of lemons that needed to get used, so this worked perfectly. I cut four lemons in half, salted them a little, and threw them under the broiler for about 10 minutes until they were browned. Then I took the juice (a little less that 3/4 cup) and saved it for the sauce. I browned two bone-in chicken breasts in a pan, and then threw them in the oven on 400 with some red potatoes sprinkled with salt, pepper, and rosemary for about 15-18 minutes until everything was done. Meanwhile, I put 3 cloves of minced garlic and 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary in the pan where I browned the chicken. After a minute I added 1 1/4 cup condensed chicken stock (no water added), deglazed the pan, then added the lemon juice, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, a tablespoon of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. This makes a great sauce that I pured on top of the chicken and potatoes when they were ready. Finished it off with a side salad for a winning dinner.
Rubbed and Grilled Flat Iron Steak and Salad (GOOD)
Saturday, August 9, 2008
(Back from vacation)
Rubbed and Grilled Flat Iron Steak and Salad (GOOD)
Just got back from the beach today, so I wanted to keep it simple and relatively healthy compared to the food and drink bonanza of the past week. I rubbed the flat iron steak with a fresh batch of rub that I made this week ... highlights of the rub are four kinds of chile peppers and a hint of the Indian vindaloo seasoning for a little kick. This was the first time I used this batch on a grilled steak, and it was to very good results. Grilled the steak uncovered on high for 6 minutes for the first side and 4 minutes for the other side for a perfect medium rare. The previously mentioned Ancho-Chipotle BBQ goes great with this kind of steak (though tonight was a bottled steaks sauce cop out). A tossed salad made for a nice side.
(Back from vacation)
Rubbed and Grilled Flat Iron Steak and Salad (GOOD)
Just got back from the beach today, so I wanted to keep it simple and relatively healthy compared to the food and drink bonanza of the past week. I rubbed the flat iron steak with a fresh batch of rub that I made this week ... highlights of the rub are four kinds of chile peppers and a hint of the Indian vindaloo seasoning for a little kick. This was the first time I used this batch on a grilled steak, and it was to very good results. Grilled the steak uncovered on high for 6 minutes for the first side and 4 minutes for the other side for a perfect medium rare. The previously mentioned Ancho-Chipotle BBQ goes great with this kind of steak (though tonight was a bottled steaks sauce cop out). A tossed salad made for a nice side.
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