Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

My most recent recipe swap selection came from my good friend Pam (Balancing Exercising with Healthy Eating).  The theme was sandwiches, and she submitted Rachael Ray's Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes.

These were really easy and fast to make, perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.  I served these on little finger rolls (hey, they were on sale) and I just loved the cheese sauce.  I think I'll add some green pepper next time for a little extra flavor.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

adapted from Rachael Ray

• 1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 1 pound ground turkey
  
• 1 softball-sized onion, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup steak sauce
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• Salt and ground black pepper
  
• 4 dinner rolls (or 8 finger rolls), toasted if desired
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 1 tablespoon flour
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup desired cheese, shredded
  

In large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, brown the ground sirloin, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll.

Chicken and Veggie Soup with Pasta and Dumplings

As much as I enjoy photography and take pride in what I am learning, I certainly recognize there are plenty of food bloggers with shots that far outshine mine. One thing I do try, however, is to not even bother taking pictures of a recipe if I don't have natural light - in the winter, of course, this means I'm doing most of the snapping on the weekends, and therefore my posting rate drops.

When I made this soup a few days ago, I initially wasn't planning on taking any pics. I figured that if the soup was that good, I'd make it again, and I would just blog about it then. After all, the days are finally starting to get longer here in the northeast!

I changed my mind, though, as soon as the spoon hit my mouth. This is just so freaking delicious that I had to share it immediately, bad photo or not.

This made a ton, which was awesome because I devoured it for lunch for a couple of days. It won't be long before I make this again, and I'll probably throw some in the freezer for the next time I'm sick.


Chicken and Veggie Soup with Pasta and Dumplings
slightly adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, March 2011

• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 carrots - peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2 rounded tablespoons flour
• 6-8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 rounded tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, dill, or parsley
• one 8-oz box biscuit mix, batter prepared according to package directions
• 3/4 cup tiny pasta (I used stelline), cooked
• 1 1/2 cup cooked shredded chicken

Heat a couple of tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium0high heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add the butter to melt, then add the carrots, celery, and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots soften, 7-8 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour on the vegetables and stir for a minute, then whisk in the stock until thickened. Stir in the mustard and peas. Add a cup or so of water if necessary to reach your desired consistency.

Add the chopped herbs to the biscuit batter and combine. When the soup is bubbling, form the batter into small dumplings using two spoons or an ice cream scoop, then drop onto the surface of the soup. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook the dumplings, gently stirring occasionally, until just firm, 8-10 minutes. Gently add the chicken and pasta until warm, and serve.

Taco Rice Bowls

I've been in kind of a food rut lately. I don't feel like making old stuff, but nothing new is really striking my fancy either.

I sat down with a few cookbooks that I hadn't touched in months, hoping that something would jump out at me. Rachael Ray came to my rescue and I decided to adapt her Mexican Rice Bowls (click the link for the original).

I really love making a whole chicken in the crockpot and I'm always looking for different things to do with the shredded leftovers. These were really simple to throw together and rather delicious as well. This would make a great lunch when I go back to work.


Ingredients

• 2-3 cups shredded chicken
• 2 cups white rice
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1/2 packet taco seasoning (more if desired)
  
• 1/2 cup tomato salsa
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Blue or red corn tortilla chips and salsa for serving (optional)
• Optional garnish: shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado...
  

Heat a medium size pot over medium-heat; add EVOO and butter. When butter has melted into EVOO, add shredded chicken and the rice and cook a minute or two. Then add the chicken stock to the pot and the taco seasoning. Put a lid on the pot and raise to high heat to bring the stock to a quicker boil, 2-3 minutes. When the liquid boils, reduce heat to simmer and put the lid back on. Cook until the rice is tender but still a little chewy in the center, 13-15 minutes.

Take off the lid and stir in salsa and parsley. Turn off the heat and let stand five minutes.

Serve hot taco rice in bowls placed on dinner plates and garnish plates with chips and leftover salsa or taco sauce for dipping.

Thanksgiving Burgers

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday; as long as you avoid the Black Friday madness, it's one of the few holidays that are really centered around family and NOT consumerism. The huge meal full of comfort food doesn't hurt either.

This year, I have much to be thankful for, and I have to add Rachael Ray's Thanksgiving Turkey Meatloaf Burger to that list (and Juliann, from whom I got this recipe!). When it's April and you're craving a Thanksgiving meal but don't want to do the work, this is a pretty great alternative!

This burgers were perhaps the most delicious and flavorful patties I've had in a really long time. I had one leftover, and it was so good that I didn't even eat it on any bread. I just warmed it up and ate it. Heavenly!

I served them with sweet potato fries in an effort to be as Thanksgiving-y as possible.


(I probably should have remembered to take a photo BEFORE putting the top bun on the burger, huh...)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small mcintosh apple, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small rib celery, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 pound ground dark-meat turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (about 2/3 palmful)
• Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
• Sliced sharp white cheddar, for topping
• 1/3 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 4 large sandwich-size sourdough English muffins, split and toasted
• 4 thin slices red onion
• 4 leaves red-leaf or red romaine lettuce

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to melt, then add the apple, onion and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the breadcrumbs, then transfer to a bowl to cool; reserve the skillet. Mix in the turkey, egg, parsley, mustard and poultry seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Form into four 4-inch patties.

Wipe out the reserved skillet and add a liberal drizzle of EVOO. Warm over medium-high heat, add the patties and cook, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Top with the cheddar during the last minute.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the cranberry sauce, sour cream and chives.

Serve the patties on the English muffins with the onion, lettuce and cranberry-sour cream sauce.

Chicken Piccata Salad

I get weekly emails with Rachael Ray recipes and this Chicken Piccata Salad popped up in my inbox several weeks ago. I bookmarked it as something I'd like but forgot about it.


Not too long ago, my friend Juliann made and blogged about it. I was reminded of the email, and her enjoyment of the recipe prompted me to make it.

This was such a great, light, summery dinner. The flavors were spectacular, and it was pretty simple to create. I love the typical piccata dishes, and this was a nice variation.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• 1/2 pound green beans, halved crosswise
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped capers
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup flour
• Two 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, lightly pounded
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

In a large saucepan, add the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander.

Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Drain in the colander with the potatoes; let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon capers, 3 tablespoons parsley, the lemon peel and half of the lemon juice. Add the potatoes and beans and toss; season with salt and pepper.

In a shallow bowl, beat the egg. In another shallow bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg, allowing any excess to drip off, and coat with the flour again, shaking off the excess. Add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into strips.

Add the chicken broth to the skillet; cook over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon parsley and lemon juice. Top the salad with the chicken and drizzle with the pan sauce.

Rachael Ray's Chicken Pot Pie

Since I'm on maternity leave, I've been indulging in a little daytime television. A few weeks ago, I was watching the Rachael Ray Show and she made this Chicken Pot Pie. It looked so good that I added it to my meal plan for the next week.

This happened to be my first time cooking and eating the parsnip. Rachael said they are like carrots with attitude. I don't know if I'd go that far, but they're yummy.



I really loved this dinner - pay no attention to the ugly pictures. It was delicious and comforting and it will officially become my go-to pot pie dish.


Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• 3 small onions, 2 cut in half, 1 chopped, divided
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 pound button mushrooms, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 5 to 6 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 sheet puff pastry or pie dough, defrosted if frozen
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water

Preheat oven to 375.

Place chicken, whole onion half and bay leaves in a large pot and cover with cold water. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring up to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken has cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and let cool. Reserve about 1 cup (a mugful) of the cooking liquid and then discard the remaining.

While chicken cools, place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery and parsnips to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7-8 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, remove the chicken breast meat from the bones and shred.

When the veggies are tender, scoot them over to the side of the pan and add the butter to the center of the pot. Once butter has melted, add the flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in white wine, milk, chicken stock and reserved poaching liquid. Bring up to a simmer then add the tarragon, Dijon, peas and shredded chicken. Bring back up to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a casserole dish and cover with the pastry dough, trimming it as needed to cover the entire surface. Make a few slits in the dough to allow steam to escape, then brush the top with the beaten egg.

Bake the pot pie until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve.

Caprese Lasagna

Don't even read this post; just scroll down to the end to get the recipe. Go to the store and buy whatever you need, and make this tonight. Seriously.


I bookmarked Rachael Ray's Caprese Lasagna a long time ago, but I'm really not sure why I waited so long to make it. But it for sure won't take me long to make it again.

It was such a great summery comfort dinner. The flavor combination of the basil, tomato, and mozzarella is one of my favorites, and you all know of my love for all things pasta.


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• A few grates of fresh nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles
• 4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Half a bunch basil, chopped (about 30 leaves)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF.

Place a large saucepot over medium-heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk and chicken stock into the butter-flour mixture and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer until thickened, 3-4 minutes.

Assemble the lasagna by ladling a small amount (about 1/4 cup, just eyeball it) of the sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish and laying three lasagna noodles over the sauce. Top the noodles with about a third of the sliced tomatoes, a third of the basil, 1/4 cup of sauce and about a third of the shredded cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used up, topping the lasagna off with a final layer of sauce and shredded cheese.

Cover the pan with foil and bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the baking dish and bake another 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. When ready to serve, top with the remaining chopped basil leaves.

Broken Spaghetti Risotto

Back in November, Brooke and I and a few of her friends went to New York City to see a taping of the Rachael Ray show. One of the recipes that Rach cooked up was this Broken Spaghetti Risotto.

I've been waiting months to get around to making this, but I gotta say - I was very disappointed. Sure, it tasted good and all, but I found it was not as yummy as a regular risotto OR regular spaghetti/meatballs. In fact, I think the leftovers are still in my fridge and probably should be tossed by now...

I did alter the original recipe, so click the link above if you want her version.


Ingredients

• 1 package baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus a drizzle
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti, broken into small pieces
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, (a few handfuls)
• 1 cup (more or less depending on preference) frozen peas
  

Place stock and water in a sauce pot and heat; keep warm on low. Take the peas out of the freezer so they can start to thaw.

Heat a medium sauté pan or risotto pan with 3 tablespoons EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions and garlic to pan, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and sauté until tender 4-5 minutes. Add pasta and toast until deeply golden in color and very nutty in fragrance, 6-7 minutes. Stir in wine and let it cook away, 1 minute. Ladle in stock every few minutes, stirring for a good minute with each addition of stock to develop starches. Evaporate almost all of the liquid before each addition of stock. Pasta will cook up quicker then rice. Start tasting after about 8-9 minutes of cooking time once you begin to add stock.

When pasta is cooked to al dente, stir butter into the pan then stir in the cheese and peas.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

My sister-in-law Sherri emailed me this recipe for Rachael Ray's Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers and said it was delicious. I had been wanting to make my own hamburger rolls for awhile, so I figured that the amazing weather we had this past weekend would be perfect to try them both!

I ended up cooking these babies on the grill pan inside because the "amazing" weather quickly turned into "way too hot to think about stepping outside."

I cut back a little bit on the spices and still felt they had a tad too much kick to them. I posted the recipe as is, but I personally would probably only use 1tsp of each and not 2. Then again, I only used one pound of meat and not two. Whoops.

In addition, I subbed mozzarella for Swiss cheese, and some sliced deli ham for bacon. Yum!


Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 slices Canadian bacon
• 2 pounds ground chicken breast
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, eyeball it in your palm
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) or salt and pepper
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 deli slices Swiss cheese
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise, eyeball it
• 3 rounded tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon leaves, 4 sprigs
• 4 kaiser rolls or sandwich size sour dough English muffins, split and toasted
• 8 leaves leaf lettuce
• 1 vine ripe tomato, thinly sliced

Preheat grill pan, nonstick griddle, large nonstick skillet or table top electric grill to medium high heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil and Canadian bacon. Warm bacon and caramelize it at edges, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a piece of foil. Fold foil over loosely to keep warm.

Combine chicken, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, shallot. Score meat with the side of your hand to separate into 4 equal amounts. Make 4 large patties, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Drizzle patties with oil and place on hot grill pan, griddle or in skillet. Cook 5 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through.

Top patties with reserved cooked Canadian bacon and Swiss cheese. Fold each slice of cheese in half to fit the burger. Cover loosely with tin foil. Turn off pan and let cheese melt, 2 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon. Slather bun tops or English tops with sauce. Place Cordon Bleu burgers on bun bottoms and top with lettuce and tomato. Put bun or muffin tops in place. Serve with oven fries.

Dinner Divas: Veggie Not-Sagna Pasta Toss

I am SO GLAD that Jenn picked Rachel Ray's Veggie Not-Sagna Pasta Toss for one of this month's Dinner Divas recipes. I have always wanted to try it, but tended to always go for the "original" version.

While I very much enjoyed this veggie meal, I definitely prefer it with meat and tomatoes and all of that good stuff. ;)


Ingredients

• 1 pound curly pasta (recommended: campanelle or cavatappi by Barilla)
• Coarse salt
• 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium zucchini
• 12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 roasted red pepper, drained, pat dry, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced (I omitted)
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg, eyeball it
• 1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at the table
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20 leaves

Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt boiling water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: reserve a ladle of the hot cooking water just before you drain pasta.

Place the frozen spinach on a plate and microwave to defrost it according to your microwave's directions. Place defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the liquid.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Halve the zucchini lengthwise then thinly slice into half moons and add to the pan along with the mushrooms. Cook 2 to 3 minutes then add onions and garlic to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. When the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, add defrosted spinach, separating into small bits as you handle it, and the roasted red peppers and toss to heat through. Transfer veggies to a dish and return skillet to stove top. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add 2 rounded tablespoons of flour and cook a minute or so, then whisk in stock and milk. Bring to a bubble and thicken the sauce, reducing it 2 to 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slide vegetables back into sauce.

Place the part-skim ricotta in a large shallow bowl and combine with a ladle of boiling, starchy pasta cooking water. Stir to combine then add in a couple of handfuls of grated cheese.

Drain pasta and toss with cheeses. Add half the vegetables and sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Tear or shred basil and toss into pasta. Adjust seasonings. Top bowlfuls of Vegetable Not-sagna with remaining veggies in sauce and pass extra grated cheese at the table.

Not-Sagna Pasta Toss

This fake-out lasagna might very well be the dish that sealed my love affair with Rachael Ray.

One of the first book I ever purchased of hers was either the 365: No Repeats or Express Lane Meals. I forget which, but one of them had this meal in it and I fell in love. While I think I'm beginning to shy away from her newer stuff (some of it is just weird), I will always have a special place in my heart for "vintage" Rachael.


This initial meal is one that I have made countless times and is fully enjoyable each time. I have added mozzarella to mine, because, really, you can't make a meal with "lasagna" in the title and NOT use mozzarella!

Anyway, this past weekend we were having George and Denise (and Abby!) over for dinner, and I was looking for something comfort-food-ish while still being entertaining-appropriate. This was a big hit, and I believe George's facebook status that night may have sung this meal a praise or two...

Ingredients

• 1 pound curly short cut pasta
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, eyeball it in your palm
• Black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, eyeball it in your palm
• 1 teaspoon, several drops, Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup dry red wine, a couple of glugs
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at table
• 2-4 oz fresh mozzarella, diced
  

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need a ladle of the starchy cooking water to help form sauce before draining.

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the meat and break it up into small bits as it caramelizes. Once meat has good color to it, 4 to 5 minutes, add garlic, onions and red pepper flakes and season with salt, pepper, allspice and Worcestershire sauce. Cook another 5 minutes, deglaze the meat and onions with red wine, cook off a minute, then combine about 1/2 cup of stock into the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes.

Place ricotta cheese in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Add a ladleful of boiling, starchy pasta water to the ricotta and stir to combine. Add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan to the ricotta and mix it in.

Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with cheeses. Add half the thick meat sauce to the pasta bowl and combine. Tear or shred the basil and add to the meat and pasta, toss again. Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Serve bowlfuls of Not-sagna with extra sauce on top and more grated Parmesan to pass at the table.

The Rachael Ray Show!

My awesome friend Brooke scored tickets to a taping of the Rachael Ray show, so she and I and a couple of her friends headed into NYC to check out the Queen of the EVOO.

(The next two pictures are from Brooke.)

Here we are in the middle of our 2-hour wait outside: Karen, me, Kim, and Brooke. We hung out and snacked while we waited to be approved to get in. But... we made it!

She didn't tape a whole show, which was kind of a bummer... she taped 3 different segments for 2 shows. One was a spot with Greta (who was cool in person, but she didn't talk too much with us) about how to fix leg problems, and then she did two cooking sets. In one, she made a broken spaghetti risotto, and the other was a 2-meals-in-one where she cooked a chuck roast and then used leftovers for a stoup. The studio smelled yumo!

I was hoping for some awesome giveaway, but our Snack of the Day was totally kick-ass - these BrowniePops. I haven't tasted something so fabulous in a long time...

The weather was nice, the company was great, and we really had a fabulous time. I believe the two shows should be on in the next week or so... look for us! :)

Beef and Polenta Pie

I tore this out of Rachael Ray's magazine, and when I later saw it on someone else's blog (I cannot for the life of me remember whose...), I figured that was some divine intervention, telling me I must make this.

So I did.

I guess if I were grading this dinner as I would my students' essays, I'd give it a C+. It was average. Nothing terrible, but nothing fabulous.


Would I make it again? Ehh. I don't know. I'd have to really be in the mood for it.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• One 6-ounce package portobello mushroom caps, cut into cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup instant polenta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• One 10-ounce package frozen green beans, thawed and drained

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lower the heat and simmer.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Whisk in the polenta until thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream, cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth; pour into a large casserole dish.

3. Stir the green beans into the beef mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the polenta and top with more parmesan.

Awesome Autumn Stew

I bookmarked this recipe for an Awesome Autumn Stew in Rachael Ray's newer cookbook - Yum-O! We had plans to go pumpkin picking with my brother, and what better meal for post-pumpkin-ing than an autumn stew?

I decided to just throw everything into the crockpot rather than cook it Rachael's way - much easier and lazier. And I also followed her suggestion and used chicken thighs rather than pork.


The taste was pretty good, although it was just a tad to sweet... even for me. Maybe it was all those craisins... I don't know. I would probably change a few things. Also, there was a LOT of liquid! I'd definitely reduce the amounts of broth and cider next time.

Altogether, though, not too shabby for a meal that cost me about 5 minutes of my life to assemble.

Ingredients:

• 1 package pork tenderloins (2 pieces), trim them up and remove the shiny silver skin and connective tissue or ask the butcher to do this for you
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 large onion, chopped into 1-inch dice
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced on an angle 1/2-inch thick
• 5-6 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, sliced 1/2-inch thick on an angle
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 5-6 sprigs thyme
• 4 McIntosh apples, quartered, core cut away, then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
• 2 cups cloudy apple cider
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 loaf crusty whole grain bread

Cube the pork tenderloin into 1 1/2-inch pieces – big bites. Place the cubed tenderloins onto a sheet tray. Season the meat liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss with the paprika and flour until well coated.

Meanwhile, pre-heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot with the EVOO over medium-high to high heat. Once the oil ripples and begins to very lightly smoke, add the pork to the pot and sear it until it is well browned on all sides, 7-8 minutes (lots of brown bits should be left in the bottom of the pot). Remove the meat to a platter and reserve.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf and thyme to the pot and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the vegetables until they begin to become tender, 6-8 minutes. Add in the apples, allspice and cranberries and allow to sauté until the vegetables are quite tender but the apples still have some legs, 3-4 more minutes.

Pour in the cider and scrape up the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add in the chicken stock and toss the pork back into the hot tub. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to simmer for 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened, cranberries have plumped and apples are tender. Pull out the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the pot and discard them.

Line the bottom of dinner bowls with a few chunks of bread. Ladle the stew on top of the bread and enjoy!

Florentine Mac and Cheese

Who doesn't love mac and cheese?? I am such a sucker for this comfort dish, especially when my dad makes it, but when I found this Rachael Ray version, I was excited to try a "healthier" version (hey, throwing some spinach and chicken in there makes it good for you, right?).

I did realize a bit too late that I used mozzarella instead of cheddar, but that wasn't necessarily a bad substitution! And I learned that I can effectively bake meatballs in my toaster oven, and I also learned that my husband gets grumpy when I forget to change the setting back and he takes ten minutes trying to figure out why his waffles won't toast when he's trying to walk out the door... Whoops. ;)

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound cavatappi corkscrew shaped hallow pasta
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
Black pepper
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
1 egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs, plus more, if needed*
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, (EVOO) divided
2 boxes chopped frozen spinach (10 ounces each)
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the pasta to cook to al dente. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

While the water is coming to a boil, in a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, salt and pepper, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano - a rounded handful, egg and bread crumbs. *If the mixture seems too wet, add a handful of bread crumbs and mix together.

Form 8 large round balls, about 3 to 4-inches. Coat balls in a couple of tablespoons of EVOO and lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon EVOO. Arrange balls on the baking sheet and roast 17-18 minutes until juices run clear.

Defrost spinach in microwave 8-10 minutes on "defrost" setting depending on the microwave. Place the boxes in a shallow dish to catch any run off.

While the meatballs roast, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and thicken 5-6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup grated Parmigiano and reduce heat on lowest setting.

Wring spinach completely dry in clean kitchen towel then separate as you add it to the sauce. Also add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings.

Serve Florentine Mac-n-Cheese with 2 meatballs per person along side.

Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli

Oh, lordy. Jenn's submission for Rachael Ray's Mac and Cheddar Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli for Dinner Divas was so ridiculously good. I'm not even going to tell you how much of this I ate tonight; suffice it to say that I am very, very full.






I struggle a bit with the whole melt-butter-and-add-flour concept; try as I might, I continuously have a grainy-ish consistency. After some discussion on my cooking message board, I realized that I should a) not use skim milk, b) throw in a slice or two of American, and c) not let the milk get too hot before I add in the cheese. I can't make any promises regarding (a), but we'll see how well the other two options pan out.

I don't have any cayenne pepper, so on a whim I grabbed allspice. Not too shabby!






Similar to the cookie incident, Ryan decided he couldn't wait for me to finish taking pictures before diving in:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists
• 2 1/2 cups raw broccoli florets, available packaged in produce department
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar
• 1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
  

Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.

Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.
To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook 5 minutes, then add broccoli and cook 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to al dente and florets are just tender.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, cayenne and paprika and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes.

Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.

Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, about a minute or so. Stir in mustard and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter and serve.

Oven-Glazed Apple Lemon Chicken with Cordon Bleu Potatoes

This might be one of the most disappointing Rachael Ray meals I've found in awhile. :(


For starters, I don't know if I did something wrong, but the apple flavor was barely there. I mean, it wasn't BAD or anything - but not nearly worth the prep and cook time. Plus, I don't know why I used a whole cut-up chicken when I don't really like that. I should have just used thighs or breasts or something - cuts without bones and skin.

And the potatoes? Absolutely nothing to write home about. I was so excited about these, but they really were terrible. I left them in the oven for an extra 20 minutes, and they were still barely cooked. And there was no blend of flavor at all.

Big fat bummer. :(

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cloves garlic, 3 cloves cracked and peeled, 1 clove grated or finely chopped, divided
• A few grates of fresh nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds, divided
• 1/2 pound deli ham, such as Black Forest or rosemary, thinly sliced, then chopped, divided
• 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese, divided
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice or cider
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
• 1 large chicken (about 5 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.

In a bowl, combine the chicken stock, heavy cream, grated garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Arrange half of the potatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish and spread them out in an even layer. Pour half of the cream mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle half of the ham and half of the cheese. Top that layer with the remaining potatoes (you can arrange the top layer decoratively if you are in the mood). Pour the remaining cream mixture over them and sprinkle with the remaining ham, followed by the remaining cheese.

Cover the dish with foil, place the baking dish on a baking sheet (it's likely to boil over a bit while in the oven and this will save you from a big oven cleaning) and transfer it to the oven. Bake the dish until the potatoes feel tender when a paring knife is inserted into the center of the dish, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil from the pan and let it keep baking to brown the cheese on top, about 15 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and let the potatoes rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the apple juice, brown sugar, thyme, cracked garlic cloves and lemon slices up to a bubble. Continue to simmer until it has reduced to about 3/4 cup.

While the apple juice is cooking, season the chicken pieces with some salt and pepper and drizzle them with a little EVOO. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and pour the reduced apple juice over all the chicken. Transfer to the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes, until brown and an internal thermometer reads 165ºF. Serve the chicken with a scoop of the potatoes alongside.

Messy Guiseppes

First of all, Brooke? Totally thought of you guys all night because of this dinner. In fact, Pat thought I got it from you and didn't believe me when I told him otherwise. :)

Anyway, I really don't know why Rach's "Messy Guiseppes" (an Italian version of the good ol' Sloppy Joe) appealed to me, but it did. And it was pretty good, minus the fact that I apparently don't know to use my broiler and the bread got a bit more scorched than I would have liked. Oh, and my grocery store didn't have ciabatta ROLLS - so I bought a ciabatta LOAF which got a bit soggy.

But overall - a yummy dinner. Actually, I enjoyed it so much that I forgot to make my veggies on the side. Whoops!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 5 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium portobello mushroom cap, finely chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon (eyeball it) allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Coarse salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup (a couple of glugs) red wine
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup (a generous handful) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 5-8 fresh basil leaves, about 1/4 cup, chopped
• 1/4 cup (a small handful) grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 4 individual ciabatta rolls or any kind of crusty hoagie rolls
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices

Preheat the broiler to high.
For the meat sauce, heat a deep skillet or a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of EVOO, twice around the pan. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Add green pepper, onion, 3/4 of the garlic, mushrooms, allspice, red pepper flakes and a little salt and pepper to the beef and cook for about 5-8 minutes.

Add the wine and cook another minute then add the beef stock, Worcestershie and tomatoes. Bring the mixture up to a bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Finish it by stirring in a handful of chopped parsley.

While the meat is simmering, combine the remaining garlic with the soft butter, basil, parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Split the rolls in half lengthwise without cutting all the way through and separating the halves. Press open the rolls by flattening them out a little bit. Slather the insides with the butter and place 2 slices of the mozzarella on each roll. Toast until golden brown under the broiler, about 2-3 minutes. Top one side of the cheesy garlic rolls with a heap of meat and get prepared to get sloppy with Messy Giuseppe!

Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese

Since Jen, Brian, and Stella were coming over for dinner last night, I was looking for a side dish to my burgers that would be yummy but very kid-friendly. I thought Rachael Ray's Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese would be perfect.

I have made this before and really liked it, but for some reason I wasn't really a fan of it last night. I did use skim milk instead of cream in an attempt to keep it figure-friendly for the adults, so maybe that made that much of a difference...? Or maybe my seasoning was off...? Anyway, last time I made this I LOVED it, and this time it was just okay...

Ingredients:

• 1 pound macaroni with lines, such as tubatini or mini penne rigate
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen cooked butter nut squash, defrosted
• 1 cup cream or half-and-half
• 2 cups (8 ounces) sharp Cheddar, grated
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, eyeball it
• Black pepper

Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water then add the pasta and cook to al dente or, with a bite to it.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand held grater or Microplane. Cook the grated onion in butter and oil 1 to 2 minutes, then add flour and cook together 1 to 2 more minutes. Whisk in stock, then combine with butternut squash until warmed through and smooth. Stir in cream or half-and-half and bring sauce to a bubble. Stir in cheeses in a figure 8 motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Drain cooked pasta well and combine with sauce. Serve alongside chicken sammies and top with thyme leaves picked from remaining sprigs.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

This is another Rachael Ray dinner that I discovered through my friend Brooke's blog. And for this I will be eternally grateful...

I could eat this every.single.day.

I am not kidding... I can't wait to eat this again. The flavors together were so good, it was just ridiculous. The pasta... the chicken... the capers... the sauce... YUM!!!

I took Brooke's advice and doubled the sauce, and I'm so glad I did - I can't imagine what it would be like without having done that. I adjusted the recipe below to reflect that change.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 6 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente
• Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of EVOO and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5-6 minutes.Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.

Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon EVOO and one tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Sauté garlic and shallots three minutes. Add flour and cook two minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid one minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.

Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1-2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.