Teriyaki Salmon

Salmon filets are a definite on our grocery list each week. Like chicken breasts, I find that they are quite versatile and take on the flavor of the herbs, spices and sauces we pair with them. During the winter, I like a more hearty variation, such as this version inspired by several trips to our favorite Japanese steakhouse. When paired simply with frozen teriyaki style vegetables, this dish practically makes itself.

1 lb. Salmon Filet
Teriyaki Sauce or Glaze
one large bag of teriyaki style vegetables (peas, water chestnuts, carrots, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 350. Season the raw salmon as you like with sea salt, cracked black pepper and a light dusting of garlic powder. Remove the salmon skin, if attached. Bake salmon in a lightly coated glass dish for approximately 15 minutes. Depending on the thickness, this may take longer. Heat the oven to Broil, and brush teriyaki glaze on top of the salmon. When broiler is heated, broil salmon for about two minutes to caramelize the sauce.
While the salmon is baking, prepare the vegetables according to package directions.

Teriyaki Salmon

Salmon filets are a definite on our grocery list each week. Like chicken breasts, I find that they are quite versatile and take on the flavor of the herbs, spices and sauces we pair with them. During the winter, I like a more hearty variation, such as this version inspired by several trips to our favorite Japanese steakhouse. When paired simply with frozen teriyaki style vegetables, this dish practically makes itself.

1 lb. Salmon Filet
Teriyaki Sauce or Glaze
one large bag of teriyaki style vegetables (peas, water chestnuts, carrots, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 350. Season the raw salmon as you like with sea salt, cracked black pepper and a light dusting of garlic powder. Remove the salmon skin, if attached. Bake salmon in a lightly coated glass dish for approximately 15 minutes. Depending on the thickness, this may take longer. Heat the oven to Broil, and brush teriyaki glaze on top of the salmon. When broiler is heated, broil salmon for about two minutes to caramelize the sauce.
While the salmon is baking, prepare the vegetables according to package directions.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Cream Cheese and Bacon

I'm always a fan of stuffed chicken breasts, and there are about a thousand ways to prepare them. This recipe is courtesy of Rachael Ray and is quick, simple and very tasty!

4 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (8 ounce) container Philadelphia-brand Garlic 'N Herb cream cheese spread
8 slices bacon

Pound the chicken until thin. Spread each chicken breast with cream cheese and roll up, jelly-roll style. Wrap 2 bacon slices around each roll and secure with toothpicks. In a grill pan or on a grill over medium heat, cook, turning occasionally, until done, about 25 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings

Corn and Crab Chowder

A wonderfully filling soup for a cold winter night! My mom made this for a dinner party and it was divine.

1 16-ounce bag frozen petite white corn (do not thaw), divided
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
4 tablespoons sliced green onions, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided
4 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
4 ounces cooked crabmeat, flaked
preparation
Crumbled Bacon

Reserve 1/4 cup corn. Bring remaining corn and milk to boil in medium saucepan. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Puree mixture in blender. Add clam juice, 3 tablespoons green onions, and 1 teaspoon ginger; puree again until almost smooth. Return puree to saucepan; bring to simmer. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn; sauté 1 minute. Add crab, 1 tablespoon green onions, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 3 teaspoons lemon juice; stir just until warm. Season with salt and pepper. Divide soup among bowls; mound crab mixture in center. Crumble bacon over the top of the soup.

Recipe is from Bon Appetit Magazine.

Mexican Shrimp "Cocktail"

I am so looking forward to spring and summer that I thought I would share one of my yummy and healthy Mexican dishes. This dish is served quite often in Mexico and the Southwest, and of course I've adapted this to make it my own.

I like to serve this in individual martini glasses. Also, instead of eating with a spoon, I prefer to use tortilla chips (I like Tostitos Scoops) to scoop out the cocktail. I then usually add a few drops of Tapatio hot sauce to the chip for a spicy kick.

2 pounds small or medium cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large can of stewed tomatoes
water, as needed
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large white or yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
salt, pepper and garlic to taste
lime juice to taste

Place tomatoes, onions, and cucumber in a large bowl. Cut shrimp into bite-sized pieces and mix into tomato, onion and cucumber mixture. Open can of stewed tomatoes, and using the lid, drain only the sauce (not the stewed tomatoes) into the mixture. Add about 1/4 cup of water until mixture is just covered with sauce. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Stir in about a tablespoon of lime juice to taste. Cover, and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Serve in one large bowl or ladle into individual bowls.

PF Chang's Orange Peel Chicken

This is by far my favorite dish at PF Chang's. (Besides the lettuce wraps!) It's a very family friendly recipe and kids love it. You may want to skip the chili garlic sauce if you or your kids don't like spicy food. Most of us love spicy food, so I use a Korean Chili Sauce called Sriracha that is available at Meijer.

Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 chicken breast fillets
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
peel from 1/4 orange, julienned (into 1/8-inch thick strips)

Prepare sauce by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced green onions. Add tomato sauce and water quickly before the garlic burns. Add sugar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

Prepare the chicken by heating 1/2 cup oil in a wok over medium heat. Slice chicken breast fillets into bite-size pieces. Combine beaten egg with milk in a medium bowl. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

Coat chicken pieces by dropping them into the flour a few at a time, then into the egg/milk mixture and back into the flour. Arrange coated chicken on a plate until all chicken is coated.

When oil in the wok is hot, add about half of the chicken to the oil and cook for a couple minutes or until brown on one side, then flip the chicken over. When chicken is golden brown, remove the pieces to a rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When all of the chicken is cooked rinse the oil out of the wok with water and place it back on the stove to heat up.

When wok is hot again add julienned orange peel and chicken. Heat for 20 to 30 seconds or so, stirring gently. Add sauce to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir dish a couple times but do it gently so you don't knock the coating off the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens then serve up the dish with white or brown rice on the side.

Organized Gourmet

I've finally found a computer program to organize my culinary life! For all you mac users, you can go to apple.com and download the program "Organized Gourmet".



This full-featured program allows you to import recipes, schedule recipes on different days of the month, add items for your meals to a shopping list, and best of all-coordinates directly with your Calendar (iCal). I guarantee this is much more fun than jotting your shopping list on the back of an envelope!

Currently I am using the trial version but plan to upgrade to the shareware version for $20.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Cream Cheese and Bacon

I’m always a fan of stuffed chicken breasts, and there are about a thousand ways to prepare them. This recipe is courtesy of Rachael Ray and is quick, simple and very tasty!

4 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (8 ounce) container Philadelphia-brand Garlic ‘N Herb cream cheese spread
8 slices bacon

Pound the chicken until thin. Spread each chicken breast with cream cheese and roll up, jelly-roll style. Wrap 2 bacon slices around each roll and secure with toothpicks. In a grill pan or on a grill over medium heat, cook, turning occasionally, until done, about 25 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings

Recipe File: Corn and Crab Chowder

A wonderfully filling soup for a cold winter night! My mom made this for a dinner party and it was divine.

1 16-ounce bag frozen petite white corn (do not thaw), divided
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
4 tablespoons sliced green onions, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided
4 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
4 ounces cooked crabmeat, flaked
preparation
Crumbled Bacon

Reserve 1/4 cup corn. Bring remaining corn and milk to boil in medium saucepan. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Puree mixture in blender. Add clam juice, 3 tablespoons green onions, and 1 teaspoon ginger; puree again until almost smooth. Return puree to saucepan; bring to simmer. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn; sauté 1 minute. Add crab, 1 tablespoon green onions, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 3 teaspoons lemon juice; stir just until warm. Season with salt and pepper. Divide soup among bowls; mound crab mixture in center. Crumble bacon over the top of the soup.

Recipe is from Bon Appetit Magazine.

Mexican Shrimp "Cocktail"

I am so looking forward to spring and summer that I thought I would share one of my yummy and healthy Mexican dishes. This dish is served quite often in Mexico and the Southwest, and of course I’ve adapted this to make it my own.

I like to serve this in individual martini glasses. Also, instead of eating with a spoon, I prefer to use tortilla chips (I like Tostitos Scoops) to scoop out the cocktail. I then usually add a few drops of Tapatio hot sauce to the chip for a spicy kick.

2 pounds small or medium cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large can of stewed tomatoes
water, as needed
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large white or yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
salt, pepper and garlic to taste
lime juice to taste

Place tomatoes, onions, and cucumber in a large bowl. Cut shrimp into bite-sized pieces and mix into tomato, onion and cucumber mixture. Open can of stewed tomatoes, and using the lid, drain only the sauce (not the stewed tomatoes) into the mixture. Add about 1/4 cup of water until mixture is just covered with sauce. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Stir in about a tablespoon of lime juice to taste. Cover, and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Serve in one large bowl or ladle into individual bowls.

PF Chang's Orange Peel Chicken

This is by far my favorite dish at PF Chang’s. (Besides the lettuce wraps!) It’s a very family friendly recipe and kids love it. You may want to skip the chili garlic sauce if you or your kids don’t like spicy food. Most of us love spicy food, so I use a Korean Chili Sauce called Sriracha that is available at Meijer.

Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 chicken breast fillets
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
peel from 1/4 orange, julienned (into 1/8-inch thick strips)

Prepare sauce by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced green onions. Add tomato sauce and water quickly before the garlic burns. Add sugar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

Prepare the chicken by heating 1/2 cup oil in a wok over medium heat. Slice chicken breast fillets into bite-size pieces. Combine beaten egg with milk in a medium bowl. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

Coat chicken pieces by dropping them into the flour a few at a time, then into the egg/milk mixture and back into the flour. Arrange coated chicken on a plate until all chicken is coated.

When oil in the wok is hot, add about half of the chicken to the oil and cook for a couple minutes or until brown on one side, then flip the chicken over. When chicken is golden brown, remove the pieces to a rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When all of the chicken is cooked rinse the oil out of the wok with water and place it back on the stove to heat up.

When wok is hot again add julienned orange peel and chicken. Heat for 20 to 30 seconds or so, stirring gently. Add sauce to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir dish a couple times but do it gently so you don’t knock the coating off the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens then serve up the dish with white or brown rice on the side.

Organized Gourmet

I’ve finally found a computer program to organize my culinary life! For all you mac users, you can go to apple.com and download the program “Organized Gourmet”.



This full-featured program allows you to import recipes, schedule recipes on different days of the month, add items for your meals to a shopping list, and best of all-coordinates directly with your Calendar (iCal). I guarantee this is much more fun than jotting your shopping list on the back of an envelope!

Currently I am using the trial version but plan to upgrade to the shareware version for $20.

Pastaria at North Market

Each time we visit Columbus, we trek to the North Market to visit Pastaria. They provide a wide variety of pre-made Raviolis, including our favorite, the Striped Lobster Ravioli (black and white pasta using squid ink). We generally take a cooler and purchase a variety of the Raviolis (which range in price from about 9.99-19.99 per pound) and two to three of the sauces. (We love the Arrabiata!) The kids love the variety, and we love the gourmet!

Pastaria at North Market

Each time we visit Columbus, we trek to the North Market to visit Pastaria. They provide a wide variety of pre-made Raviolis, including our favorite, the Striped Lobster Ravioli (black and white pasta using squid ink). We generally take a cooler and purchase a variety of the Raviolis (which range in price from about 9.99-19.99 per pound) and two to three of the sauces. (We love the Arrabiata!) The kids love the variety, and we love the gourmet!

Ground Beef + Twice Baked Potato Pie

Another great casserole for a cold evening. This was another hit with both Rick and the kids. Recipe is courtesy of Pillsbury simply one dish recipes.

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. dried sage leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 package (1lb 8oz) refrigerated garlic mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh tomato, if desired
1/2 lb. chopped bacon
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, mix beef, onion, bread crumbs, bread crumbs, sage, salt and egg until well blended. Press in bottom of ungreased 8 inch square glass baking dish. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over top. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top.

Bake uncovered 50 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center of beef mixture reads 160 degree. Sprinkle with tomato, bacon and green onion.

7 foods every woman must eat

Everyone gets busy with work and family, so I thought I would post a great resource for busy girls...


http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeats/19173/7-foods-every-woman-must-eat

Ground Beef + Twice Baked Potato Pie

Another great casserole for a cold evening. This was another hit with both Rick and the kids. Recipe is courtesy of Pillsbury simply one dish recipes.

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. dried sage leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 package (1lb 8oz) refrigerated garlic mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh tomato, if desired
1/2 lb. chopped bacon
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, mix beef, onion, bread crumbs, bread crumbs, sage, salt and egg until well blended. Press in bottom of ungreased 8 inch square glass baking dish. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over top. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top.

Bake uncovered 50 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center of beef mixture reads 160 degree. Sprinkle with tomato, bacon and green onion.

Shrimp and Bacon Quesadillas

This is a family favorite and is requested time after time!

This is approximate, and based on your taste:

1 Bag of Medium Shrimp, Shell off
1/2 lb. bacon
4-5 medium flour tortillas
1 large bag shredded Mexican cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced green onions
Sour cream for garnish
Salsa for garnish


Boil a bag of shell-off, medium sized shrimp. Pull off tails.
Cook at least a half pound of bacon (or more depending on your taste!) and pat off the grease. Crumble bacon.
Dice one Roma tomato and 1/4 cup of green onions.

Assemble the quesadillas on a George Foreman or other indoor grill by folding the tortilla in half. Fill one half of the tortilla with cheese first, then shrimp, bacon, tomato and green onion as desired. Fold over the other half of the tortilla and cook for a couple of minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cut the quesadilla in half and assemble the two halves so that the points are touching or overlapping; then garnish with a dab of sour cream and a dab of salsa in the center, and the remaining tomatoes and onions.

Cincinnati Chili-The Easy Way!

I previously posted a from-scratch recipe for Cincinnati Chili. But nine times out of ten there simply isn't time to prepare it.

When I need a simple meal on a busy evening, I pick up a tub of Skyline Chili (purchased in the frozen section at Meijer-you'll want just the chili-not the chili with spaghetti), an onion, a can of beans, spaghetti and a bag of shredded cheese. This generally feeds five people for the total cost of less than $10.

7 foods every woman must eat

Everyone gets busy with work and family, so I thought I would post a great resource for busy girls…


http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeats/19173/7-foods-every-woman-must-eat

Saffron Risotto

Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make and to eat. Made with short grain or Arborio rice, the butter and stock thicken together to make this recipe wonderfully decadent. If I am not making a shellfish dish to accompany the risotto, any time I boil lobster, shrimp or any shellfish, I keep + freeze the shells to make the stock at a later time.

This is not a quick dish to make, but I find it very relaxing to stir and meditate. It may take at least 20-30 minutes for the rice to cook and absorb the liquid. Be patient-the finished product should be tender yet al dente (I usually test this several times during the process.) Risotto should have a creamy consistency.

This particular recipe uses Saffron, which is quite pricey but worth the expense for a special dinner, such as Valentine's Day.

Risotto:
5 cups lobster or shrimp stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cup white wine
2 cups arborio rice
1 tablespoon saffron threads
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sweat the shallot until softened but not colored. Raise the heat to high add the wine, and reduce until dry. Reduce the heat, add the rice and saffron and stir until the rice is coated with the oil. Cook 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup of the stock and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Repeat with a second cup. As the rice becomes dry, add stock in 1/2 cup increments, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with parmesan cheese.

King Ranch Casserole

"With its layers of tender chicken, corn tortillas and spicy tomatoes bound together in a rich, cheesy sauce, King Ranch casserole might be the most famous casserole in Texas. Favored by home cooks, this subtly spicy casserole dates back to the 1950s.” -by Christopher Kimball, chef

If your family likes Mexican food, this is the casserole for you. I made this last night and it was fantastic. All three of the "big boys" had seconds and one had thirds! Needless to say, there were no leftovers. Even though the kids usually pick around the tomatoes, the veggies were obscured by the chicken and cheese and all plates were clean.

Looking at the recipe directions, I anticipated an hour and a half total kitchen time. In actuality, it came out to under an hour.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 2 jalapeño chiles, seeds and ribs removed, then minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/4 cups Fritos corn chips, crushed

DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lay the tortillas on two baking sheets, lightly coat both sides with cooking spray, and bake until slightly crisp and browned, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then break into bite-sized pieces. Using potholders, adjust the top oven rack to the middle position.

2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, chiles, and cumin until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Add the cream and broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, add the cilantro and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Scatter half of the tortilla pieces in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spoon half of the filling evenly over the tortillas. Scatter the remaining tortilla pieces over the filling, then top with the remaining filling.

4. Bake until the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the Fritos evenly over the top and bake until the Fritos are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool the casserole 10 minutes. Serve.

Things you can do ahead of time: The casserole can be assembled through step 3 and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1 day. When ready to bake, remove the plastic, cover the casserole with foil, and bake until the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the crushed Fritos, and proceed as directed with the rest of step 4.

This recipe is from todayshow.com by Chef Christopher Kimball.

Shrimp and Bacon Quesadillas

This is a family favorite and is requested time after time!

This is approximate, and based on your taste:

1 Bag of Medium Shrimp, Shell off
1/2 lb. bacon
4-5 medium flour tortillas
1 large bag shredded Mexican cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced green onions
Sour cream for garnish
Salsa for garnish


Boil a bag of shell-off, medium sized shrimp. Pull off tails.
Cook at least a half pound of bacon (or more depending on your taste!) and pat off the grease. Crumble bacon.
Dice one Roma tomato and 1/4 cup of green onions.

Assemble the quesadillas on a George Foreman or other indoor grill by folding the tortilla in half. Fill one half of the tortilla with cheese first, then shrimp, bacon, tomato and green onion as desired. Fold over the other half of the tortilla and cook for a couple of minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cut the quesadilla in half and assemble the two halves so that the points are touching or overlapping; then garnish with a dab of sour cream and a dab of salsa in the center, and the remaining tomatoes and onions.

Cincinnati Chili-The Easy Way!

I previously posted a from-scratch recipe for Cincinnati Chili. But nine times out of ten there simply isn’t time to prepare it.

When I need a simple meal on a busy evening, I pick up a tub of Skyline Chili (purchased in the frozen section at Meijer-you’ll want just the chili-not the chili with spaghetti), an onion, a can of beans, spaghetti and a bag of shredded cheese. This generally feeds five people for the total cost of less than $10.

Saffron Risotto

Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make and to eat. Made with short grain or Arborio rice, the butter and stock thicken together to make this recipe wonderfully decadent. If I am not making a shellfish dish to accompany the risotto, any time I boil lobster, shrimp or any shellfish, I keep + freeze the shells to make the stock at a later time.

This is not a quick dish to make, but I find it very relaxing to stir and meditate. It may take at least 20-30 minutes for the rice to cook and absorb the liquid. Be patient-the finished product should be tender yet al dente (I usually test this several times during the process.) Risotto should have a creamy consistency.

This particular recipe uses Saffron, which is quite pricey but worth the expense for a special dinner, such as Valentine’s Day.

Risotto:
5 cups lobster or shrimp stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cup white wine
2 cups arborio rice
1 tablespoon saffron threads
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sweat the shallot until softened but not colored. Raise the heat to high add the wine, and reduce until dry. Reduce the heat, add the rice and saffron and stir until the rice is coated with the oil. Cook 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup of the stock and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Repeat with a second cup. As the rice becomes dry, add stock in 1/2 cup increments, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with parmesan cheese.

King Ranch Casserole

“With its layers of tender chicken, corn tortillas and spicy tomatoes bound together in a rich, cheesy sauce, King Ranch casserole might be the most famous casserole in Texas. Favored by home cooks, this subtly spicy casserole dates back to the 1950s.” -by Christopher Kimball, chef

If your family likes Mexican food, this is the casserole for you. I made this last night and it was fantastic. All three of the “big boys” had seconds and one had thirds! Needless to say, there were no leftovers. Even though the kids usually pick around the tomatoes, the veggies were obscured by the chicken and cheese and all plates were clean.

Looking at the recipe directions, I anticipated an hour and a half total kitchen time. In actuality, it came out to under an hour.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 2 jalapeño chiles, seeds and ribs removed, then minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes
• 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/4 cups Fritos corn chips, crushed

DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lay the tortillas on two baking sheets, lightly coat both sides with cooking spray, and bake until slightly crisp and browned, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then break into bite-sized pieces. Using potholders, adjust the top oven rack to the middle position.

2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, chiles, and cumin until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Add the cream and broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, add the cilantro and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Scatter half of the tortilla pieces in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish set over a rimmed baking sheet. Spoon half of the filling evenly over the tortillas. Scatter the remaining tortilla pieces over the filling, then top with the remaining filling.

4. Bake until the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the Fritos evenly over the top and bake until the Fritos are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool the casserole 10 minutes. Serve.

Things you can do ahead of time: The casserole can be assembled through step 3 and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1 day. When ready to bake, remove the plastic, cover the casserole with foil, and bake until the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the crushed Fritos, and proceed as directed with the rest of step 4.

This recipe is from todayshow.com by Chef Christopher Kimball.

Coconut Shrimp

One of my favorite seafood appetizers is Coconut Shrimp. They serve this dish at Red Lobster and I thought I would try it at home. It was a definite hit! This is best prepared in a deep fryer, but instructions for making in a dutch oven are below.
I am also adding an alternate sauce for this dish, but both sauces are equally delicious!

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying
Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.
For the Dipping Sauce: heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat. Thin with rum as desired.

Alternate Sauce: PINA COLADA DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pina colada nonalcoholic drink mix
1/4 cup crushed pineapple (canned)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

This recipe is courtesy Robert Pickens for foodnetwork.com.

Recipe File: Coconut Shrimp

One of my favorite seafood appetizers is Coconut Shrimp. They serve this dish at Red Lobster and I thought I would try it at home. It was a definite hit! This is best prepared in a deep fryer, but instructions for making in a dutch oven are below.

Ingredients:

Shrimp:

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce: 
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pina colada nonalcoholic drink mix
1/4 cup crushed pineapple (canned)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Shrimp:

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.

For the Dipping Sauce:

Add all ingredients to a bowl, and stir to incorporate. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Robert Pickens for foodnetwork.com.

Cincinnati Chili

When I lived in Las Vegas and brought friends home for the holidays, we would always go to Skyline Chili. They liked it so much that I had to learn how to make this dish from scratch. It's a great yummy supper for a cold winter night-and a definite hit with kids (they love to customize their chili!)


3 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds ground beef chuck
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spaghetti, kidney beans, chopped onion, grated Cheddar, and oyster crackers as traditional accompaniments, if desired

In a large heavy kettle cook the onions and the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the onions are softened, add the beef, and cook the mixture, stirring and breaking up the lumps, until the beef is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, the paprika, the cumin, the coriander, the allspice, the oregano, the cayenne, the cinnamon, the cloves, and the mace and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, the water, the tomato sauce, the vinegar, and the molasses and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if necessary, to keep the beef barely covered, for 2 hours, or until it is thickened but soupy enough to be ladled. Discard the bay leaf and season the chili with salt and pepper. The chili may be frozen or made 4 days in advance, cooled, uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Serve the chili as is or in the traditional Cincinnati "five-way" style: Ladle the chili over the spaghetti and top it with the beans, the onion, the Cheddar, and the oyster crackers.

This recipe is from foodnetwork.com by Gourmet Magazine.

Cincinnati Chili

When I lived in Las Vegas and brought friends home for the holidays, we would always go to Skyline Chili. They liked it so much that I had to learn how to make this dish from scratch. It’s a great yummy supper for a cold winter night-and a definite hit with kids (they love to customize their chili!)


3 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds ground beef chuck
1/3 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spaghetti, kidney beans, chopped onion, grated Cheddar, and oyster crackers as traditional accompaniments, if desired

In a large heavy kettle cook the onions and the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the onions are softened, add the beef, and cook the mixture, stirring and breaking up the lumps, until the beef is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, the paprika, the cumin, the coriander, the allspice, the oregano, the cayenne, the cinnamon, the cloves, and the mace and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the bay leaf, the water, the tomato sauce, the vinegar, and the molasses and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if necessary, to keep the beef barely covered, for 2 hours, or until it is thickened but soupy enough to be ladled. Discard the bay leaf and season the chili with salt and pepper. The chili may be frozen or made 4 days in advance, cooled, uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Serve the chili as is or in the traditional Cincinnati “five-way” style: Ladle the chili over the spaghetti and top it with the beans, the onion, the Cheddar, and the oyster crackers.

This recipe is from foodnetwork.com by Gourmet Magazine.

Quick + Easy Ravioli

Tonight I prepared a quick soccer night meal that everyone enjoyed. It took less than ten minutes to prepare and again cost less than $10 for 5 people!

* Purchase a 4 pound bag (family size) of frozen cheese Ravioli and two to three different pasta sauces. Tonight I chose an Alfredo Sauce and a Mini Meatball Marinara.

* The Ravioli I chose (Meijer brand) boiled from frozen in three minutes, while I heated the sauce. I placed the sauces on the table so that everyone could try a bit. I'm thinking Basil Pesto next!

Quick + Easy Ravioli

Tonight I prepared a quick soccer night meal that everyone enjoyed. It took less than ten minutes to prepare and again cost less than $10 for 5 people!

* Purchase a 4 pound bag (family size) of frozen cheese Ravioli and two to three different pasta sauces. Tonight I chose an Alfredo Sauce and a Mini Meatball Marinara.

* The Ravioli I chose (Meijer brand) boiled from frozen in three minutes, while I heated the sauce. I placed the sauces on the table so that everyone could try a bit. I’m thinking Basil Pesto next!

Easy Peppermint Bark

I'm not a super baker. But during the holidays I do indulge my family and friends with an easy peppermint bark recipe. And by easy, I mean easy.

This year I purchased six bags of Nestle White Chocolate chips and five 1" round candy canes (the thick ones-they are usually around 59¢).

First, crush the candy canes. This is a fun job for a little helper! Next, simply heat the white chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium heat until melted. Take the chocolate off the flame and add the crushed candy. Then pour onto a cookie sheet (or two) and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, you will have peppermint bark!

When the bark is ready, I break it into small pieces (about half the size of a Hershey's candy bar).
Next, I place six to ten pieces in a cello bag (available at any craft store) and tie with a pretty ribbon.

This is a great treat to have around, especially when holiday visitors come by!

Easy Peppermint Bark

I’m not a super baker. But during the holidays I do indulge my family and friends with an easy peppermint bark recipe. And by easy, I mean easy.

This year I purchased six bags of Nestle White Chocolate chips and five 1” round candy canes (the thick ones-they are usually around 59¢).

First, crush the candy canes. This is a fun job for a little helper! Next, simply heat the white chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium heat until melted. Take the chocolate off the flame and add the crushed candy. Then pour onto a cookie sheet (or two) and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, you will have peppermint bark!

When the bark is ready, I break it into small pieces (about half the size of a Hershey’s candy bar).
Next, I place six to ten pieces in a cello bag (available at any craft store) and tie with a pretty ribbon.

This is a great treat to have around, especially when holiday visitors come by!