Baked Chicken, Lemon, and Pea Risotto

There is something about making risotto that is so satisfying.  Standing over the stove toasting the rice, adding the broth little by little, and then stirring the rice until you achieve the desired consistency.  I love when I get to this point because the sky is the limit as far as adding ingredients.  Sometimes I'll stir in leftover bits of cheese, veggies and/or meat and seafood just to clean out the fridge. Other times I have a game plan and will plan out all my add-in's. 

From time to time I've seen recipes for baked risotto and I've always been curious so I decided to give it a try.  I wondered about the texture of the rice. Will it be creamy if there is no stirring involved? I wondered about convenience? Will it be easier to bake risotto?  I wondered if it would be as satisfying. Would I miss stirring the risotto? 

My curiosity got the best of me so I gave it a try.  I must say the baked risotto was definitely good, but nowhere as good as making risotto the traditional way.  We all loved the flavors in this dish but would have preferred the traditional method much more. The baked risotto was definitely missing that wonderful creamy texture that you get from all the stirring.  Additionally the rice was a little firmer, definitely al dente, if you will.  Baking the risotto was also less convenient.  Traditional risotto uses one pan.  Baking the risotto requires dirtying up two pans and a baking dish.  Not to mention, you have to heat up your stovetop and your oven. Baking the risotto also takes much longer.  In fact, it nearly doubles the cooking time. Finally and most importantly, I really did miss stirring the risotto. 

Final verdict: I'm glad I tried the baked risotto, but I see no reason at all to ever do it again.  From now on I will continue to make my risotto the traditional way and will happily stand by the stove and stir, and stir, and stir.

Baked Chicken, Lemon, & Pea Risotto

Adapted from Simple Essentials Chicken

by Donna Hay

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons olive oil

7 ounces chicken breast, cubed

2 shallots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice

5 cups chicken stock

1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat.  Add the oil and chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until well browned.  Set aside.  Add the shallots, lemon zest, and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the shallots are softened.  Place the shallot mixture, rice, and stock in a baking dish.  Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Add the chicken and peas to the risotto, cover tightly and bake for a further 20 minutes.  The risotto will still be quite liquid.  Stir the lemon juice, parmesan, and salt and pepper through the risotto.  Stir for 2 minutes to thicken the risotto and serve immediately.  Note: I added a little more parmesan cheese on top and baked the risotto for another 4-5 minutes to reduce the liquid a little more.  Then I broiled the risotto for about 2-3 minutes for a golden brown crust.

Theme: Easy Entertaining!

Moosewood Mondays: Bulgarian Pepper Casserole

Lately I've been obsessed with the glorious combination of sausage, peppers, and onions.  I think I've indulged in this heavenly trinity of ingredients at least once a week for a full month now.  When I saw this recipe for Bulgarian Pepper Casserole, I knew it was something I had to have.

This recipe for Bulgarian Pepper Casserole was written meat-free, a combination of colorful bell peppers mixed with brown rice, lots of onions, 8 cloves of garlic, as well as tangy feta cheese and some very creamy whipped ricotta.  I added 1/2 pound of ground Italian sausage because I had some on hand.  Katzen suggests topping the casserole with sliced tomatoes and olives.  I didn't have any fresh tomatoes on hand so I just sprinkled with olives and popped it in the oven.  The end result was a gloriously cheesy, fully flavored, delicious casserole that is reminiscent of a stuffed pepper.  A great recipe!

Bulgarian Pepper Casserole

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook

Serves 6-8 easily

1-1/2 cups uncooked brown rice

2-3/4 cups water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2-3 tablespoons freshly minced dill (or 2 tsp. dried dill)

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups minced onion

4-5 medium green and or red bell peppers, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 teaspoon salt (more, to taste)

fresh black pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons basil

8 medium cloves garlic, half of them minced, half of them sliced (keep minced and sliced garlic separate)

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1-1/2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese (may be lowfat)

2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes

1 cup whole Nicoise olives (or sliced, pitted Kalamata olives) possibly more, to taste
Optional: 1/2 ground Italian sausage, cooked (my addition)

Place rice and water in a saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down as low as possible, and simmer without interruption for about 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender.  Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and stir in lemon juice and dill.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add onions, and saute over medium heat 5-8 minutes, or until the onions become soft.  Add peppers, salt, pepper, and herbs, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 more minutes, or until the peppers are tender.  Stir in the minced garlic (save the sliced garlic for later) and cook for just a minute more.  Remove from heat, and stir in the feta cheese.

When you are ready to assemble the casserole, preheat the oven to 375F.  Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Place the cottage or ricotta cheese in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade, and whip until smooth.

Combine rice, pepper saute, and whipped cheese in a large bowl, and mix until very well combined.  Transfer to the prepared pan, and spread into place.  Top with tomato slices, then scatter olives and slices of garlic in a liberated, random fashion over the tomates.

Bake uncovered at 375F until bubbly- about 30 - 40 minutes.  Serve hot or warm.

Notes/Results:  Something about this casserole just screams old-fashioned food to me.  It reminds me of my Mom's stuffed peppers, but in a casserole form.  I'm finding that Katzen's recipes are full of herbs, aromatics, and seasonings  which makes her recipes extremely flavorful.  I loved the use of all the fresh herbs in this recipe, as well as the use of 8 cloves of garlic.  I'm all for bringing on the flavor!  This is a keeper recipe and one that would feed a crowd.

If you're interested in participating with Moosewood Mondays, please click HERE for more information.  If you would like to play along, but don't have any Moosewood books, there is a wonderful website full of recipes HERE.

Italian Baked Chicken with Pastina

I hit the jackpot at the grocery store the other day. Barilla's Pastina was on sale for $.39 cents a box. We all know that pasta isn't expensive, but $.39 cents a box? That's just a steal!



I love a good deal about as much as I love pasta, so you can imagine what I did to their display. I emptied it. Yep! I pretty much took every box that was within my reach. You know what I was thinking? YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH PASTA!



When my husband carried in the groceries he noticed several grocery bags filled with little blue boxes. Curiously he emptied the bags and lined up the little blue boxes on the counter. Fourteen boxes of pastina sat there staring up at him. It was at that moment when I wondered if I had went a little overboard. What do you think? How many boxes would you have bought?



Needless to say, we've been eating and enjoying lots of pastina. I'm actually really happy that I bought so many boxes because they've been great to have on hand. The little stars are so cute, the kids love them, and they cook in about 4-5 minutes. They are perfect for busy weeknight meals. In fact, we've enjoyed them so much that I chose to use them for this week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme, which is Served Family Style.

Italian Baked Chicken with Pastina

by Giada De Laurentiis, recipe found on Food Network

* 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)

* 2 tablespoons olive oil

* 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)

* 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)

* 1 clove garlic, minced

* 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

* 1 cup shredded mozzarella

* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 1/4 cup bread crumbs

* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

* 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish



Directions



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.



Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.



Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.



Notes/Results: This is one of those kid-friendly meals that the whole family will enjoy. We all loved the crispy and buttery topping made from breadcrumbs, Parmesan and butter. I also think this recipe lends itself well to adaptations. Next time, I'd like to sneak in more veggies!



Currently cooking the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis!

Everyday Food's Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie

Here in Kentucky, the weather has changed drastically in the past week. We went from 80 and 90 degree days to cold, chilly, windy and 50 degree days. With such a drastic temperature change I found myself craving comfort foods. After flipping through books and magazines I finally settled on Everyday Food's Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie. Not only did it look delicious, but it was something I knew I could lighten up to suit my diet.



About two months ago I mentioned that I gained the Blogger 15. I decided that it was time to lose that weight before it turned into the Blogger 30, especially with the holidays fast approaching. In these past two months I have managed to lose the Blogger 15 and couldn't be happier. Ever since having my second child, losing weight is a real struggle for me. It seems like my body doesn't respond like it did when I was in my twenties and it usually gets the best of me. This time I was able to find my motivation and I'm so excited about losing the first 15 pounds that I'm going to shoot for losing another fifteen. This next 15 pounds isn't going to be easy. In fact, it's the same 15 pounds that I've been struggling with since the birth of my second child, which was almost 4 years ago now. It's a very stubborn 15 pounds, but I'm hoping that I'm a little more stubborn.



I lightened up this shepherd's pie by using 95% lean Hereford ground beef, 2 teaspoons of oil instead of 1 tablespoon, and 2% milk instead of whole milk. I made it a little healthier by adding more vegetables and using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. The end result was absolutely fantastic!



Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie

Adapted from Everyday Food's October 2008 Issue

Serves 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hr



2 pounds baking potatoes (about 4), peeled and thinly sliced

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (*I used 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil)

6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, and thinly sliced

6 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced (*my addition)

1 zucchini, chopped (*my addition)

1/4 cup all purpose flour (*I used whole wheat)

1/4 tomato paste (*I used the entire 6oz. can)

2 pounds ground beef chuck (*I used 95% lean Hereford beef)

1 cup whole milk (*I used 2%)

1-1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar (I used regular full fat cheese)



Preheat oven to 450. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover by 1 inch with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15-20 minutes.



Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5 quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high. Add carrots, celery, onion (zucchini & garlic if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring 1 minute. Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 6-8 minutes. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute. (I found I needed a little extra water, almost another 1 cup). Set beef filling aside.



Drain potatoes; return to pan. Cook over medium, stirring, until liquid has evaporated and thin film covers bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; add milk and 1 cup cheese. Mash until smooth; season cheddar-potato topping with salt and pepper.



Pour beef filling into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Drop dollops of topping over filling; spread to edges with a spatula. Using a fork, make decorative peaks; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until topping is browned and filling is bubbling rapidly, about 20 minutes (if topping and filling were chilled, increase to 35 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.



Notes/Results: Absolutely delicious, even lightened up! In fact, this meal will be something that I make at least a couple times this fall and winter. This is actually a really healthy meal with lean ground beef and lots and lots of veggies. The filling is really adaptable and a great way to empty out your veggie bin. If you serve this with a green salad you will definitely be getting all your veggies in!



Nutrition Facts as written in Everyday Food Magazine: 558 calories, 33.4g fat, 29.1g protein, 34.3g carb, 4.2g fiber



Serving 8, the Weight Watchers points for my lightened version is 9 points.








My daughter is on fall break this week and we've been spending a lot of time outside. Yesterday we made a scarecrow and named her Princess Pumpkinhead!

Trisha Yearwood Roundup: Slow-Cooker Pork Loin, Apple Dumplings, and Spicy Edamame Dip

Trisha Yearwood's Slow-Cooker Pork Loin is one of my new favorite recipes. I've made it three times in the past month. Do you use your crockpot in the summertime? If not, it's a great way to escape the heat in your kitchen. You can have all of the ingredients in the crockpot in less than ten minutes.

The first two times I made this recipe I used a pork tenderloin, which resulted in meltingly tender pork that simply fell apart. The third time I made this I used a 3.5 pound pork loin(pictured above) and the meat was good, but not as good as using the pork tenderloin. A gravy is made from the cooking liquid, which consists of chicken broth, lemon juice and soy sauce and it is mild and delicious. This pork is great served with mashed potatoes and green beans.
NOTE: I recommend making this recipe with pork tenderloin. The meat is noticeably more tender, succulent and delicious. Using two pork tenderloins would yield just the right amount!
Slow-Cooker Pork Loin *AKA* The Blue Plate Special
Recipe adapted from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood
1 2-1/2 to 3 pound pork loin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt and pepper
Trim the visible fat from the loin. If necessary, cut the roast to fit into a 31/2, 4-, or 5-quart crockpot. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, ginger, thyme, and pepper. Rub the spice mixture over the entire surface of the loin. In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the loin slowly on all sides. Drain off the fat. Transfer the loin to the crockpot. Combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, and soy sauce; pour over the loin. Cover and cook on a low heat setting for 8-10 hours or on a high-heat setting for 4-5 hours. When the roast is done, transfer the meat to a serving platter and cover to keep it warm. To make the gravy, pour the juices from the crockpot into a glass measuring cup. Skim off the fat. Measure 2 cups of liquid, adding water to the juices, if necessary to make 2 cups. Transfer the juices to a saucepan, reserving 1/2 cup. Stir the cornstarch into the reserved 1/2 cup of juice until dissolved, then stir into the juices in the saucepan. Heat, stirring frequently, until the gravy is thickened and bubbly, 5-7 minutes. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Slice the roast and serve it with the gravy.

Apple Pie for breakfast anyone? Trisha's apple dumplings will make your entire house smell like apple pie. The smell is intoxicating!

Slices of Granny Smith apple are cut vertically into 8 slices each and a buttermilk biscuit is wrapped around each slice of apple. The biscuits and apples are covered with a hot liquid sugar mixture.

Then the whole thing is doused with cinnamon and sugar and popped into the oven where the magic happens.

It looks like this when you pull it out of the oven and the smell is out of this world amazing!

The biscuits are fluffy and inviting, the apple is tender and warm, the hot liquid sugar mixture turns into a thick sauce. A perfect way to wake up the family!! You can find the recipe on girlichef's site HERE.

The last thing I made from Trisha's book was this Spicy Edamame Dip. I went to four stores looking for edamame and finally found them at Walmart. Trisha's Edamame Dip is made with shelled edamame, lots of garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin, olive oil, lime juice and cilantro.

I served mine with extra cayenne pepper on top in order to bring on the heat! The dip was creamy, spicy and delicious and is actually one of the healthier recipes in her book. We really enjoyed it!!

Of course, I have to leave you with one of my favorite Trisha Yearwood songs.
She's in Love with the Boy............

Green Bean Salad with Charred Onions

Every summer, my Mom plants green beans and we eat them like crazy all through the month of June. Last week was the third picking and we were looking for a new way to serve them up. I decided to get out Mario Batali's new book, Molto Gusto, and quickly found a great recipe for a green bean salad that can be served either warm or at room temperature.

Mario's green bean salad begins with blanching the green beans and then adding them to a dry skillet with charred onions. Once the beans and the charred onions are mixed, they are dressed with a dressing made from balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and extra virgin olive oil. Mario says the salad is best served if the beans are allowed to stand in the dressing for at least 10 minutes and I definitely agree. This green beans grew even more flavorful as they were allowed to soak up some of the tangy, orange-flavored dressing.

Green Beans with Charred Onions
Adapted from Mario Batali's Molto Gusto
Serves 6
Kosher salt
1 pound young green beans or haricots verts
2 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla
1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Maldon or other flaky sea salt
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the beans and blanch until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool under running water; drain well.

Halve the onions lengthwise and trim off the ends. Cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide slices. Heat a dry 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the onions and saute until charred in spots but still crunchy, 4-6 minutes. During the last minute or so, add the beans, stirring and tossing to warm them through. Transfer the beans and onions to a large bowl.

Whisk the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and oil together in a small bowl. Pour over the beans and onions, tossing to coat. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour, before serving.

Sprinkle the beans with Maldon salt and serve.


This is my submission to Souper Sundays. A weekly roundup of soups, salads and sandwiches. Click HERE to view today's roundup!

This is also my submission to Reeni's monthly Side Dish Showdown.

Guava and Cream Cheese on Galletas

This past weekend I was invited to a Bunco game for a Girls Night In. I love playing Bunco with the girls. It is the perfect excuse to eat good food, drink cocktails and have some girly chit chat. There was just one catch. Everybody was suppose to bring a potluck dish from another country. The hostess was having an international theme. The problem was that it was Thursday afternoon and I needed the potluck dish for Friday night, which didn't leave me a whole lot of time to plan or grocery shop, especially with two kids in tow. This is where I owe Velva of Tomatoes on the Vine a HUGE THANK YOU!!

Awhile back Velva posted guava and cream cheese served on Cuban Galletas. I mentioned to her that I really wanted to try the Guava Paste, but couldn't find it in the market. Velva was sweet enough to send me a package containing both the guava paste and the Cuban crackers, or Galletas. Velva's sweet gesture really saved me on this one! I threw these crackers together in no time at all and really appreciated not having to run to the store with two crazy kiddos. Thanks Again, Velva!

Please see Velva's post HERE for the recipe and her explanation about the guava paste.

Notes/Results: The guava and cream cheese crackers were a huge hit! Everyone thought the guava was sweet and delicious and loved it paired with the cream cheese on the crackers. They declared it perfect party food and it was the first dish to disappear. I love this recipe because it is unique and simple and you don't have to heat up the kitchen to make it (which makes this a great summertime dish). I will definitely be on the look out for more guava paste in the store.

Thanks Again, Velva!!

Kielbasa Skillet Dinner, Jalapeno Popper Dip, and Sloppy Joes

I'm a little behind on posting lately, so I'm going to throw three things at you today! The first recipe is a new favorite of mine and is called Cheesy Kielbasa Skillet Dinner. If you like kielbasa, then you will love this quick, easy and economical meal. I have made it twice in two weeks and have plans to make it again. I adapted this recipe from RecipeZaar, making a couple of changes along the way.

The recipe calls for four main ingredients, that's it. The first ingredient is one pound of kielbasa, sliced. The second ingredient is potatoes (recipe calls for 5, I use two large russets). The third and fourth ingredients are one minced onion and a cup of green pepper. My husband doesn't really care for green pepper, so I sub in some diced jalapeno peppers which really spices things up a bit.
The next step is to saute all four ingredients in a large skillet. I use olive oil, but you could use any kind of oil here. Here is where I made another change. It is really hard to saute all four ingredients at the same time and develop any kind of color. If you decide to saute everything at once, then you will basically be steaming the food instead of sauteing. End result is okay, but not the best it could be. I had better results sauteing the food in batches and then adding it all back into the pan.
After you get the desired color on your potatoes and kielbasa, add in 1-1/2 cups water (could probably use chicken stock), sprinkle in some seasonings (I used Italian seasoning to taste) and simmer with the lid on for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Once the potatoes are cooked through, sprinkle on about 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese (recipe calls for American) and place the lid back on to melt the cheese.
It may sound kind of strange and not look that great, but it is extremely comforting, delicious and crave inducing! I didn't have high expectations for this one, but it really blew me out of the water. It is one of my favorite meals (for the time being, of course). You can make this whole meal for around $5-6 dollars, which I also love.

The second recipe I am sharing today is Jalapeno Popper Dip, which has been extremely popular with the Superbowl this past weekend. (Congrats to the Saints! I'm so happy they won.) This dip is so good that it disappeared within one day! It is a creamy delicious dip made with cream cheese, mayo, diced green chiles, diced jalapeno peppers, parmesan cheese, shredded Mexican cheese and some panko breadcrumbs. You can find the recipe here at Noble Pig's site. Be prepared to wear elastic pants if you make this dip, because you will want to eat all of it on your own!
Creamy, spicy, sinfully delicious. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, bread, veggies....it's all good!

And finally, the Sloppy Joe.

Chances are, if you grew up in the 80's and were invited to a birthday party, or any other social gathering, a Sloppy Joe was on the menu! Does anyone else remember the days of eating Sloppy Joes served out of a crockpot? It was a retro favorite and I can definitely see why now. Sloppy Joes are easy, economical and serve a crowd.

With a special fondness for the Sloppy Joe, I made them last night for the Superbowl. The recipe I chose had received some awesome ratings, a 5 star rating with 500 reviewers, so I went with it. Let me just say that it was not my favorite. I wanted to share this information with you in case you ever thought about trying it. You can find the recipe HERE.

The basis of the Sloppy Joe recipe was 1 pound of ground beef, 8 oz. tomato sauce, ketchup, bbq sauce, brown sugar, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar. Something was just not right about that mixture. I tried adding some more mustard powder, I also tried some more red pepper flakes, a little more sugar. It just never came around to being very good. I wouldn't recommend it at all and it definitely wasn't the Sloppy Joe from my childhood.

Oh well, two out of three ain't bad!

Happy Cooking:D

Southern-Style Baked Beans, Pioneer Style

At my house, baked beans are somewhat like a condiment. We love them so much that we top our baked potatoes with them, spread them on our garlic toast, put them on a burger, and more. Baked beans compliment so many things, but they go best with pulled pork, which is what we had last night.

I've tried a couple different recipes for baked beans over the years and they have all been good recipes. Last night I made Pioneer Woman's Southern-Style Baked Beans, which are topped with bacon and baked in the oven for 2 hours. They were outstanding! I served them along with Tyler's pulled pork, baked potatoes, and garlic toast. The baked beans were the best part of the meal. We loved them. The sauce was thick and tangy with pieces of onion and green pepper running throughout. The bacon formed a crispy coating worth fighting over. This will be our new "go to" recipe for baked beans.

Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans-adapted from Pioneer Woman
**Serves up to 18- recipe is easily halved
8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

I am submitting this recipe to Foodie Fans of the Pioneer Woman, which is a new group that hosts bimonthly roundups of Ree's recipes. This time around we are making salad and vegetable dishes. Head on over there to see what everyone else is cooking up!

Creamy Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Today started off like any other day, but it quickly went downhill. It all began with the power cord for my laptop breaking. Once my battery died, no more computer for me. That alone was enough to send me over the edge. (Yes, I confess to a temper problem). Then, my "potty trained" 3 year old, who hasn't had an accident in weeks chose today to pee on the couch (the new couch we're still paying for). Oh dear, today just wasn't going to be my day. Lo and behold, Kentucky is bracing for some kind of winter storm that has folks freaking out and flocking to groceries stores and gas stations to buy everything they can get their hands on. My friend called to tell me that I had better make the crazed trip to the store so that I could stock up on staples. Normally I don't pay attention to this kind of fearful behavior, but then I recalled how my day was going and thought better of it. I ended up sending my husband out to the store. He told me the store was so busy that there weren't even any grocery carts available. Good thing I sent him, I would've been pretty angry as I carried my groceries around in my hands.

Anyway, I made these enchiladas before Christmas. For the most part I am a recipe follower and rarely make up my own recipes in the kitchen. There are really only a few things I play around with and they are pasta and tex mex food. You really can't do too much to mess them up.

I was craving enchiladas, but didn't have any enchilada sauce, so I made my own. I never knew that enchilada sauce began by making a roux, did you? I used this recipe, found here, from Recipezaar. I added some spices like onion powder and cayenne to make it my own, but for the most part, followed the recipe. I'm happy I had the chance to make my own enchilada sauce, but it is just as good and probably cheaper to buy it from the store.

I have to share one of my new foodie finds with you. I am hooked on these handmade corn tortillas from LaTortilla Factory. They are the perfect mix of corn and wheat and I am addicted to them. They have added just enough wheat in the tortilla so that they are pliable, but the flavor of the corn still shines through. I find these at Fresh Market and since I don't get to go there too often, I usually buy 3 or 4 packs. What can I say, they keep well :D

Sometimes I make my enchiladas with shredded beef from a roast that cooked all day in the crockpot. On this particular day I needed to fill the craving as quick as possible, so I used lean ground beef.

Beef Filling for Enchiladas
1 lb or 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, minced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can hot chili beans in chili gravy, not drained
1 -8 oz package of cream cheese, cut into cubes
1-2 tablespoons oil of choice to saute onion

Of course, you will also need:
enchilada sauce- about 2 to 2-1/2 cups
about 10 corn tortillas
shredded cheese and various other toppings for the enchiladas

I begin by sauteing a small minced onion in a large skillet. Add beef and cook until brown. I don't overcook it because it bakes in the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Once the beef is browned I throw in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. We love those canned hot chili beans in the chili gravy so I add a can of the chili beans to the beef, chili gravy and all. The beans help stretch out the meat and the gravy helps keep everything moist. Once the beef and beans are mixed I throw in 8 ozs. of cream cheese, cut into cubes. Once the cheese has melted you can taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Sometimes I add some cayenne or hot sauce, sometimes I don't. It depends on who is over for dinner.

Add a little enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 casserole, about 1/2 cup. This beef and bean filling will be enough to make about 10 good sized enchiladas. Once the enchiladas are all formed, top them with enough enchilada sauce to cover the enchiladas. At this point, you can add any remaining beef and bean filling or simply top with shredded cheese. I usually use whatever cheese I have on hand. Monterey Jack is my favorite, but pepper-jack or even cheddar would be great. This particular time I used some chili-lime cheese that I just wanted to use up. Bake at 350F for about 15-25 minutes so that the cheese melts to your liking. Serves 5 easily. Leftovers are delicious.
Notes/Results: I wish I would've got a picture of the creamy interior on these enchiladas. I have made quite a few variations on enchiladas and this one is my personal favorite. The 8 ounces of cream cheese adds such a creamy consistency and really rounds out this recipe. I have been craving this ever since I made it a couple of weeks ago and intend on making it again soon. The recipe for enchilada sauce is okay, but nothing special. I will keep it on file for times when I don't have enchilada sauce on hand. If you don't happen to like beans, you can simply leave them out or take the opportunity to add some vegetables instead. This recipe pairs well with my favorite mexican rice, found here. I mentioned the rice in my best recipes of 2009 post. It really is very delicious and makes enough for a crowd. I serve these enchiladas and mexican rice for dinner parties and everyone loves them both. Creamy, rich, indulgent, comfort food that is one of my personal faves. They make great leftovers.

You might notice my absence from posting and commenting for awhile. My husband spliced the power cord for the computer back together, but it looks like it's only going to charge the battery once, maybe twice. Meanwhile, I guess I'll be doing whatever it was before I started blogging, which happens to be exactly one year ago today. My blog turned one year today!

Salisbury Steak and the Creamiest Macaroni and Cheese

Salisbury steak. If you haven't made it, then you should. It's comforting, easy, economical, SO RETRO, and it just might remind you of school lunch. What? You don't want to be reminded of school lunch? Well, I can't help but think of school lunch when I think of Salisbury Steak. I think they had it every week when I was in school, mostly on Thursdays. It was probably the only day I bought my lunch. Yes, I loved the Salisbury Steak and mashed potatoes served up by the lunch ladies. It was hot and comforting and a welcome break from all the peanut butter sandwiches I ate for lunch the rest of the week. However, this homemade Salisbury Steak blows the school cafeteria out of the water. It is tender and flavorful and pairs well with peas and macaroni and cheese. Hearty and retro, it reminds me of the 70's and 80's.

Salisbury Steak-adapted from Recipezaar
1 - 10oz. can Campbell French onion soup (I used about 20 oz. of beef broth)
1 - 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used a lean ground round and it worked great)
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1 egg
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 cup ketchup
1-3 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, to taste
1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
1/4 cup water
*may need to make a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with water)
1-2 tablespoons olive, veg or canola oil to brown Salisbury steaks

In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup French onion soup, or 1/3 cup beef broth, with ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper (be easy on the salt, the gravy tends to be salty). Shape into 6 oval patties. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties, in 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Remove patties and get ready to make the gravy in the same skillet (the patties will finish cooking later in the gravy).

Here is where I altered the instructions.

Once the patties are removed, you will begin making the gravy. I used ground round, so I didn't have much fat. It was only about 1 tablespoon, so I added the tablespoon of flour to the fat instead of trying to mix flour and broth/soup into a smooth mixture, which will never happen. I cooked the flour for a minute or two and then poured in the beef broth/or soup, whichever you chose to use. At this point, mix the ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder in a small bowl and pour it into the flour/broth mixture. Let it come to a simmer and thicken. My gravy didn't thicken too much, so I added a cornstarch slurry (one tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon of water). The cornstarch slurry did the trick perfectly and the gravy was thickened nicely. Once your gravy is where you want it, place the Salisbury steaks back in the pan, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. You want to cook the steaks all the way through and kinda of give them a quick braise so that they soften up a bit. If your steaks stick out of the gravy you can baste them periodically.

Notes/Results: Loved this Salisbury Steak. It is going to be a definite repeat in my kitchen based on the ease of the recipe and the flavor punch it delivers. At first I wasn't sure about the ketchup/tomato flavor added to the gravy, but it definitely added a sharpness and kicked the gravy up a bit. The original recipe calls for a base of french onion soup to make the gravy. I wanted to have a lot of gravy, so I doubled the liquid, instead of using 10 oz. of french onion, I used 20 oz. of beef broth. This is probably why I had to thicken my gravy with a cornstarch slurry later. Either way, the gravy was delicious and the steaks were tender. You could add mushrooms and onions along the way if you wish. This is a hearty, delicious, and comforting main dish recipe.

I recommend this very creamy macaroni and cheese as a side dish. Thanks to Natashya over at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies for sharing this recipe. It looked so good over at her site that I absolutely had to try it. This macaroni and cheese is a combination of one brick cream cheese, gruyere, and cheddar. With all that cheese, how can it not be delicious? My family adored this recipe. Thanks Natashya!!

Nigella's High Speed Hamburger with Fast Fries

What kind of foods did you grow up eating? For me, there were several staples that my Mom cooked often: spaghetti and meatballs, pork chops, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, stuffed peppers, fried chicken, various casseroles, and of course burgers and fries.

Burgers and fries was always a family favorite. I would sit in the kitchen and watch my Mom cut up long sticks of potatoes to fry while she lectured me about the perils of cooking with hot oil. Every couple minutes my Dad would pop in and tell her to cut more potatoes and make more fries. He was always worried that there wouldn't be enough, and he had good reason because they always went fast.

It's really no wonder that Nigella's high-speed hamburger with fast fries has always caught my attention. To me, burgers and fries at home is one of life's simplest pleasures. It reminds me of times when burgers and fries were something you ate at home and not at a fast food restaurant.

Nowadays, burgers and fries are still a family affair. Everyone sits in the kitchen knowing that dinner is only minutes away. Toppings are gathered and buns are toasted and naturally someone is screamed at for getting near the hot oil, only it isn't me for once!

High-Speed Hamburger with Fast Fries- adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
Burgers:
8 oz extra lean ground beef **I used 95% lean Hereford Beef which is excellent**
1 tablespoon caramelized onions from a jar **couldn't find them in a jar, used my own**
1-1/2 teaspoons buttermilk or plain yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
good grinding of pepper
vegetable oil for brushing

Mix the ground beef with the onions, buttermilk, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with pepper, then divide in two and form into two patties, either using a press or by hand. Heat a ridge griddle and lightly brush the burgers with oil. Cook the burgers for 2 minutes on the first side, and then flip them and cook them for another minute. Remove and let stand for a minute or two; this will give you medium-rare burgers. Serve with the fast fries and sandwich in a toasted bun, if you wish, and add lettuce, melted blue cheese, and bacon or a fried, poached, or squished soft-boiled egg, as you like.

Fast Fries:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
9 oz new potatoes, cleaned and scrubbed

Place the potatoes in a freezer bag and hit them with a rolling pin until they are broken into pieces. Heat a frying pan with the oil until hot, then add the potatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes a side with the pan partially covered. Remove the potatoes to a plate lined with paper towels.

Notes/Results: I bought the 95% lean Hereford beef and really loved it. The burger was extremely juicy and you would never know you were eating lean beef. I will be replacing all my ground beef with the Hereford beef from now on. I have never thought to put soy sauce in my burger, but both my husband and I loved the flavor of it. I decided to top my burger with blue cheese and bacon and it was delicious. If you haven't tried blue cheese on your burger, you are missing out. You only need the slightest bit of cheese to add immense flavor. The fries were a lot of fun to make. I smashed up some new potatoes with a heavy bottomed pan and shallow fried them on the stove while I lectured my kids about staying away from the hot oil - LOL! They were the cutest little fries. A real blast from the past!

This week is potluck week over at I Heart Cooking Clubs, which means that any recipe is game. Head on over there this week to check out all the different recipes that will be shared. Better yet, pick any Nigella recipe and cook along with us!

What are some of your favorite childhood foods?

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Picture a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and then divide it into fourths. Can you imagine eating such a large portion? I was surprised to find out that the serving size for these green chile chicken enchiladas was so big. You can literally eat one-fourth of a 9 x 13 inch pan for only 456 calories!!

I would actually refer to this recipe as an enchilada bake instead of individual enchiladas. I used some rotisserie chicken for the filling. The green chile sauce is made with two roasted and peeled poblano peppers, cilantro, chicken broth and lime.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas - Cook Yourself Thin
Serves 4 huge servings at 456 calories each
2 roasted poblano peppers, peeled
1 bunch of cilantro leaves, washed, stems discarded
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 corn tortillas
1 cup canned nonfat refried beans
3 cups of leftover roast chicken
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese, such as Mexican-style, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar
2 scallions, thinly sliced

For the garnish: chopped fresh cilantro and 1 lime - cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or teaspoon olive oil. (I think I forgot this step and mine turned out fine). In a food processor or blender, puree the roasted and peeled peppers, cilantro, garlic, lime zest and juice, chicken stock, salt and pepper until smooth.

Spread 1/3 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Top with an overlapping layer of 6 tortillas. Spread refried beans evenly over the tortillas. Top the beans with the shredded chicken mixture, and add 1/3 of the sauce, followed by the remaining 6 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover with foil.

Bake the enchiladas until they begin to bubble on the sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle cheese and scallions on top. Continue baking until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Notes/Results: I didn't look at the serving sizes until we were ready to eat and couldn't believe how generous the serving size was. This is a great recipe if you are really hungry!! We really liked this dish and would make it again, especially considering the calorie count and the heartiness of the recipe. The book says that you can add a jalapeno to the green chile sauce for more heat. I wished I would've done that because the poblano peppers weren't very hot. In the case where you do not like spicy food, you can also use two roasted green peppers for the sauce. I loved the taste of this enchilada bake. You could really taste the flavor the the corn tortillas, and it was packed with all kinds of flavor. Definitely a must make for anyone who wants to eat healthier.

Happy Monday!!

Hot Chicken Salad and Nutter Butter Ghosts

This summer I joined up with the My Girl Paula cooking group and have cooked and indulged in at least 16 Paula Deen recipes. Sadly, those 16 recipes have stuck with me, if you know what I mean. We all know that Paula's recipes are not kind to the waistline. It is for this reason that this will be my last post with the My Girl Paula group. I will still be following along and may cook up an occasional Paula treat, but the main focus is going to be on cooking lighter (with a few exceptions, of course).

This week at My Girl Paula there was no chosen recipe. We were able to choose any recipe we wanted. I chose to go with Paula's recipe for Hot Chicken Salad, which allowed me to finish cleaning out my refrigerator. I remembered making this recipe several years ago and having mixed feelings about it. Back then I used sauteed and cubed up chicken and this time I used leftover rotisserie chicken. After trying the version made with rotisserie chicken I can easily say that this is the only way you should make this recipe. The texture was just so much better and this recipe was delicious! We really liked it, and I will definitely be making it again.....someday. If you really want to indulge, this is a quick, comforting and very tasty recipe packed with crunchy and creamy goodness.

Hot Chicken Salad - adapted from Paula Deen & Friends by Paula Deen
2 cups cooked chicken breast meat, cubed (use rotisserie chicken, if possible)
1-1/2 cups diced celery (my hubby doesn't like celery, so I added peas)
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (do not skip this,, it was my favorite part of the recipe)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup crushed potato chips
Note: We love garlic, so I added 1 big clove of garlic
Note: I baked mine in an 8x8 baking pan

Preheat the oven to 375F. Paula says to spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with vegetable oil, but I don't really think you need to. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, celery (or peas), almonds, salt, onion, pepper, lemon juice, mayo, and cheese. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spread the crushed potato chips on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.

This would be great dish to take along to a party, serve to children, or as part of a family dinner!!

For dessert, I made these cute little nutter butter ghosts. While shopping through the Fresh Market one day, I noticed a package of these little guys and thought they were really cute. Rather than pay $4.95 for about 4 or 5 of them, I decided to try them myself. I didn't really use a recipe. I just melted some white chocolate in a double boiler, dipped the nutter butters in the white chocolate, and then made some ghost eyes using Nutella.


They turned out pretty good, but I did notice a couple of things along the way. Coating just one nutter butter used a lot of white chocolate. In fact, it was probably cheaper to buy them at Fresh Market. My white chocolate mixture was pretty thick and probably needed to be thinned out somehow. Also, the Nutella wasn't the easiest thing to pipe out into eyeballs. In hindsight, I wish I had used mini chocolate chips and a little pair of tweezers. I think that would've been a little easier. I originally wanted to insert the nutter butter onto a popsicle stick and make them into lollipops/suckers. However, the popsicle stick was too wide and just made the cookie fall apart. You could probably use a wooden skewer, but it wouldn't be as easy to hold. They tasted pretty good and the kids loved them. I will probably make them again next year, with a few adjustments. I definitely welcome any suggestions you all might have for improving these little guys.

Happy Monday!!

I Heart Cooking Clubs: Maple Ribs

This has been a busy week and I have been a real slacker in the kitchen. I was busy getting ready for our eighties themed party today at Lush. We were celebrating our one year anniversary and were lucky enough to have a DJ. The party was so much fun. We "walked like Egyptians", danced to "Walk This Way" by RUN DMC, rocked out to "I love rock and roll", and laughed hysterically when the theme song for Miami Vice started playing. It was a real blast from the past!!

There are a few requirements when dressing like the eighties. First and foremost, you must have leg warmers (neon pink if at all possible). Secondly, it is of the utmost importance to have the correct shade of blue eyeshadow. If you discover that you don't have the correct shade of blue eyeshadow, you must go to Walmart at midnight to rectify this situation! Of course, neon pink fishnet gloves are a must have and so are those completely obnoxious neon pink earrings. Lots of bangles are a must, and so are those jelly bracelets. And, last but not least, before you leave the house.....you must have at least one shoulder exposed and you better have BIG hair :D

Since it isn't the eighties anymore, be prepared to be gawked at by lots of folks who think you've absolutely lost your mind! It helps if you are already in a goofy mood like the person below in this photo.

Could those earrings be any bigger? Better yet, what am I doing in this picture?

I might be sorry I posted this, so let's move onto the food!

These maple ribs were a real easy recipe to prepare and we loved them! The recipe is supposed to be for ribs and chicken, but I didn't have bone-in, skin-on chicken so I didn't include it.

Maple Ribs - Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson
12 pork spareribs (I used one rack of baby back ribs)
12 chicken thighs, skin and bone still on
1 cup apple juice, as sharp as possible
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 star anise (I didn't include this)
1 cinnamon stick, halved (I didn't include this, hubby doesn't like cinnamon with meat)
6 unpeeled cloves garlic

Put the ribs and chicken pieces in a couple of large freezer bags or into a dish. Add all the remaining ingredients, squelching or tossing everything together well before sealing the bags or covering the dish. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight or up to two days. Take the dish out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 400F. Pour the contents of the freezer bag into 1 or 2 roasting pans (making sure chicken is skin side up), place in the preheated oven, and cook for about 1-1/4 hours, by which time everything should be sticky and glossed chestnut brown.

Notes/Results: Absolutely delicious and a real keeper of a recipe. Nigella's version of ribs are much easier than my tried and true method. This will be my new go to recipe for ribs. They are sweet and sticky from the maple and the soy sauce adds an Asian flair. I marinated the ribs for 48 hours and they were fall off the bone tender. I think you might even be able to make the marinade in the roasting pan for easier clean up. Next time, I will be sure to include the chicken with the ribs. This maple flavorings make this a perfect crowd-pleaser or potluck dish for this time of year. Another winner by Nigella. I am liking her more and more every week!

Head on over to I Heart Cooking Clubs to see what everyone else cooked up this week. The theme was potluck, so there is sure to be something for everyone!!