Garlic Carrots

This recipe is just one of many starred posts from Good Things Catered. This carrot dish just looked so delicious (and not to mention EASY) so I had to try it out.


It was everything I thought it would be and more... so flavorful and delicious. I am loving all of my new recipes for fresh veggies; I haven't bought a frozen bag in weeks!

Ingredients:

• 6 large carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In large skillet heat butter over medium high until melted.
2. Add carrots and stir to coat all carrots with butter.
3. Add garlic and stir to combine.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally until carrots are crisp tender and beginning to brown slightly, about 3 minutes.
5. Add water, swirl to coat bottom and cover skillet with lid.
6. Cook, steaming carrots, to desired tenderness (5 mins +).
7. Uncover skillet, add parsley, salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
8. Cook off excess liquid and serve immediately.

Fresh Raspberry Chicken

When I saw this recipe from It's Melissa's Kitchen, I starred it immediately. It has only been a few days since she even posted it, but I couldn't wait to give it a whirl.

I especially liked how it was a make-ahead kind of meal; I did all the prep work last night and just had to throw it in the oven tonight. Considering that I had to run a few errands (okay, go buy clothes) after work, this was perfect.

This tasted really good. The chicken was very tender and the fruit flavor was powerful without being too much. And I have to reiterate that I loved just dumping and baking!

Even Ryan liked this meal:




Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
• 3/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed (I couldn't find this, so I just used regular pineapple juice.)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder (I omitted.)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup fresh raspberries, mashed
• another 1/4 fresh raspberries for garnish

Place chicken in a large ziploc bag. Toss in preserves, juice concentrate, soy sauce, vinegar, chili powder, curry powder, garlic powder and 1/4 cup mashed raspberries. Close bag and mix it all around. Marinate in fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Dump all ziploc contents into baking dish. Bake, covered, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to serving platter, top with pan juices and remaining raspberries.

Serves 4

Chicken Salad Contessa

If you don't already think I'm a ginormous dork, you will after you read this post...

I really wanted a cool sandwich to make because I just bought a really nifty Wonder Bread sandwich container. Look:
How cute is THAT?!

Anyway, a quick search on the Food Network's website yielded this Barefoot Contessa recipe. It looked so easy and yummy, so I had to try it! It definitely lived up to everyone of my expectations. I think my sandwich repertoire has just grown; I'm psyched that I have enough for several sandwiches.



Ingredients:

• 2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (1 1/2 pounds)
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup pecan halves (I omitted.)
  
• 1/2 cup walnuts halves (I omitted.)
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves, divided
• 1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2
• Lettuce leaves, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.

When the chicken is cool, remove meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice.

Meanwhile, place the pecans and walnuts on a separate sheet pan and toast in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.

For the dressing, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in half the chopped tarragon leaves.

Place the diced chicken in a bowl, add the pecans, walnuts and grapes. Pour the dressing over the chicken and toss well. Sprinkle the remaining chopped tarragon leaves on top, and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.

Chili Dog Cheeseburgers

This was by far one of the yummiest burger recipes I've tried in a LONG time. Probably not the healthiest, but hey - I'll skip dessert (Yeah. Right.). I can't wait to make this again...



I served this with French Fries topped with the leftover chili.

Ingredients:

• 8 slices center cut or other lean, thick-cut, smoky bacon (I omitted.)
• 1 pound ground lean beef
• 2 hot dogs, beef or pork, diced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon hot sauce, eyeball it, divided (I omitted.)
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• Vegetable oil, for drizzling
• 4 slices deli sliced Cheddar (I used American.)
• 1/2 cup chili sauce (I couldn't find this, so I used turkey chili.)
• 4 kaiser rolls, split
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (Dried.)
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Preheat broiler to high.

Place bacon on slotted broiler pan. Cook bacon 10 inches from the heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side until crisp then adjust oven to bake setting for temperature recommended on fries packaging. (I obviously skipped this whole step.)

While bacon cooks, make the burgers. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Mix beef with diced dogs, chili powder, grill seasoning, Worcestershire, 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and ketchup. Form 4 large patties. Add a drizzle of oil, 1 turn of the pan and add the patties. Cook burgers 6 minutes on each side, then top with 2 slices bacon and 1 slice of cheddar, each. Turn pan off, cover with loose foil tent and let cheese melt, 1 to 2 minutes.

Slather chili sauce on the tops of split keiser rolls. Place bacon chili-cheese burgers on bun bottoms and top each burger with lettuce, cilantro, and lime juice. (I also added sliced tomato.) Set bun tops in place. Pile fries alongside and serve.

My Food Shopping Partner

"Okay, Mommy, I'm ready - let's go!"

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Tomorrow is my grandmother's 88th birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NANA!!), and after a celebratory dinner, we are going back to her house for coffee and dessert. I wanted to bring something yummy, but wasn't sure what; after a quick peek through my starred recipes, these brownies by Kayte seemed perfect!

They were quick and easy to make (despite having to make a last-minute run to the store for vanilla... whoops!). The only problem I ran into was that my cheesecake part seemed runnier than I expected. But that may have been because I accidentally used the whole package of cream cheese instead of 7oz.


I haven't tasted these since they are for tomorrow, but if appearances and aroma are any indication, they will be delightful!

Ingredients:
Brownie Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 7 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp pure Vanilla
• 1 egg

Directions:
To make the brownies:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually blend dry mixture into the egg mixture.

For the cheesecake mixture:

1. In bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla beat until smooth. Add egg and beat just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the brownies batter into prepared pan. Dollop cheesecake mixture on top of brownie batter and dollop remaining brownie batter on top of cheesecake mixture. Run a knife through the batters, creating a swirl pattern. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a tester comes out with a few crumbs on it.

Menu: May 5

We're not going to be home much tomorrow, so I needed to do my grocery shopping today. Therefore, in order to make my list, I had to know what I was cooking... so I did my menu today. Most of these came from blogs...

Sunday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NANA!! Out to dinner...

Monday: HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO! Chili Dog Cheeseburgers and French Fries

Tuesday: Fresh Raspberry Chicken and Garlic Carrots

Wednesday: Taco Bake

Thursday: Grilled Bruschetta Chicken and Creamy Orzo

Friday: Herb Roasted Pork with Honey Dijon Mustard and Scalloped Potatoes

Saturday: Ziti Bolognese and Florentine Meatballs

Chicken Meatball Soup

I was supposed to make a RR meatball-mac-and-cheese tonight, but I wasn't really in the mood for it. Besides, while my husband was out last night, I made boxed mac-and-cheese for me and Ryan, so I really didn't want to have that two nights in a row.

I already had ground chicken defrosting though, so I needed something to use it up, along with what groceries were left in my house at the end of the week. A quick search on myrecipes.com produced this recipe from an old issue of Cooking Light.



This wasn't bad, but probably not something I'd plan on making again. It was quick, and I had everything on hand, so that was good... but, to my dawg Randy Jackson, "it was just okay for me." First of all, the liquid is not NEARLY enough. I did halve the recipe, but I ended adding much more liquid than even the original quantity calls for - and I still didn't have enough. I've had better, I've had worse...

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds ground chicken breast
• 2 large eggs
• Cooking spray

Soup:

• 3 cups water
• 3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup uncooked small pasta shells
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare meatballs, combine the first 10 ingredients in a bowl; shape mixture into 48 (1-inch) meatballs. Place meatballs on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until done.

To prepare soup, bring water and broth to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add celery, onions, and frozen vegetables; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes or until done. Add meatballs; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Place 6 meatballs in each of 8 bowls; divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle evenly with parsley.

Yield

8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 302(13% from fat); FAT 4.4g (sat 1.5g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 36.3g; CHOLESTEROL 121mg; CALCIUM 109mg; SODIUM 920mg; FIBER 4.2g; IRON 2.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.8g

Gloria Hafer , Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto

Another Giada dish!


This was REALLY good, although I did learn a few things...

1. Risotto is better when you actually buy Arborio rice! This is the 3rd time I've made risotto, but the first that I haven't used regular rice. Well, lo and behold, it makes a difference! ;)

2. The extra money spent to buy pre-chopped butternut squash is worth it. Cutting up those bad boys is annoying!



Okay, onto the recipe...

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable broth
  
• 1 large vanilla bean (I didn't have any, so I used a splash of vanilla extract.)
• 3 cups peeled cubed (1-inch wide) butternut squash, about 12 ounces
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon
• 3/4 cups finely chopped onion (from 1 onion)
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

In a medium saucepan, warm the broth over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and add them, and the bean, to the broth. When the broth comes to a simmer reduce the heat to low. Add the butternut squash to the simmering broth and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. (I left mine in longer because I wanted the squash to be mashed, not chunky.) Using a slotted spoon remove the butternut squash to a side dish. Turn the heat on the broth down to very low and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Discard the vanilla bean. Turn off the heat. Gently stir in the butternut squash, Parmesan, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and salt. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chives. Serve
immediately.

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

I've made this before, and it was really good, so I was excited to try it again! The sauce is delicious - a wonderful blend of flavor. I don't think I've ever had a Giada recipe that I haven't liked...


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
• 12 ounces dried fettuccine

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.