4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. garlic, minced
2 T. water
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Arrange chicken in an ungreased 11"x7" baking pan. Spread mustard over chicken; sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Blend water and vinegar; sprinkle over chicken. Arrange one sprig of rosemary on each chicken breast; cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until chicken is golden. Discard rosemary before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Categories: chicken

I made this for lunch this afternoon... though it is significantly modified from the original recipe because I couldn't find bulgur at my regular grocery store and I didn't feel like putting chicken in it.

So I substituted coos coos that I had on hand and really, it turned out fine. Anything with feta cheese and basil is good in my book! This would be a great salad to take to a Memorial Day/July 4th BBQ!



Categories: recipe_reviews

This came from Campbells today!

Chili Corn Pie
from Campbell's Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 min. - Bake Time: 25 min.

Ingredients:
4 cups Pepperidge Farm® Corn Bread Stuffing
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 can (about 8 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa
Sour cream


Directions:
MIX stuffing and broth lightly. Let stand 5 min. or until broth is absorbed. Set aside 1/2 cup stuffing mixture. Press remaining stuffing mixture into greased 9" pie plate to form crust.
BAKE at 350°F. for 15 min. Cook beef, onion, chili powder and garlic powder in skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Pour off fat. Add corn, cheese, salsa and reserved stuffing mixture.
SPOON beef mixture into crust. Bake for 10 min. or until hot. Serve with sour cream. Serves 6.

Categories: ground_beef, ground_turkey, one_dish_meals

I consider this a fusion of Hispanic and Armenian cuisines. While making fajitas I discovered we had no tortillas in the house, but (oddly) we had some soft Armenian cracker bread. Presto! Fajita Rollups were born. They ended up being delicious--definitely a do-over.

Fajita Rollups

2 - boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 - package fajita seasoning
Chopped bell peppers to taste (I used a frozen tri-color blend--about half a bag--to cut down on prep time)
Juice of 1 lime
Shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
1 - avocado
Salsa
Light sour cream
1- soft Armenian cracker bread (these can be hard to track down--you can substitute with flour tortillas)

Put the chicken, peppers and lime juice in the crock pot. Prepare fajita seasoning according to directions (I added a little more water than the packet called for) and pour over the chicken breasts. Cook on low for eight hours. About two hours before serving I opened the crock and shredded the chicken with a fork (it fell apart right away), then let it continue to cook for the remaining two hours.

Mix the avocado with sour cream and salsa to taste to make a guacamole spread. Spread the guac on one side of the cracker bread. Layer the shredded chicken/bell pepper mix and cheese on top--leave about four inches at the end with just the guac spread. Beginning with the side with the meat and cheese filling, roll the bread as tightly as possible (more detailed instructions are here). Slice the "log" into ten slices. The end pieces will probably fall apart. If you're using flour tortillas, you can do this on a smaller scale.

This recipe was just enough to feed two adults and a toddler without leftovers (next time I'll make more). They make a great meal on their own, but would also be great as appetizers. The best part is they were super quick and easy. I just threw the meat in the crock pot in the morning and was able to quickly make the guacamole and the sandwiches right before serving. If you use pre-made guac prep time is even quicker.

Categories: mexican, chicken, one_dish_meals

Preheat oven to 500F. Cut 2 large unpeeled baking potatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Combine 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper in a small bowl. Spoon mixture over potato slices, tossing well to coat. Bake at 500F for 20 minutes or until done.

Categories: potatoes, easy_sides

Umm.. yum.

Double Chocolate Soufflés with Warm Fudge Sauce

From Cooking Light


You can prepare the ingredients ahead, spoon the batter into soufflé dishes, cover, and freeze until you're ready to cook them. They can go straight from the freezer to the oven. Make the sauce ahead, too, and simply warm it before serving. This recipe received our Test Kitchens' highest rating.

Soufflé:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 large egg whites

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Position oven rack to the lowest setting, and remove middle rack. Preheat oven to 425°.
To prepare the soufflés, lightly coat 6 (8-ounce) soufflé dishes with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk; remove from heat. Add 3 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla and egg yolk.

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently fold one-fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on a baking sheet; place baking sheet on the bottom rack of 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove soufflés from oven). Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the side of soufflé comes out clean.

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon flour; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring well with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add 1/2 ounce chocolate, stirring until smooth. Serve warm with soufflés.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 soufflé and about 2 tablespoons sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 315(26% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 5.1g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 9.1g; CHOLESTEROL 41mg; CALCIUM 79mg; SODIUM 153mg; FIBER 2.9g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.8g

Julianna Grimes Bottcher
Cooking Light, APRIL 2006

Categories: desserts

These are totally coming with me to the next cookout I attend.
Blazin' Baked Beans

From Cooking Light


Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce add smoky-hot depth to these easy-to-make baked beans.

1/4 pound finely diced bacon slices (raw)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
5 (16-ounce) cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 (18-ounce) jar low-sodium barbecue sauce
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan, and set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pan; sauté 3 minutes.

Combine bacon, onion, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon the bean mixture into a 13 x 9-inch or 2 1/2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Yield: 21 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 167(22% from fat); FAT 4.1g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 8.7g; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 49mg; SODIUM 520mg; FIBER 5.1g; IRON 1.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.9g

Joanna Pruess
Cooking Light, APRIL 2006

Categories: easy_sides

1) We're full swing into crab season here in Baltimore, so I can't wait to try these.
2) I just bought Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) at the grocery store even though I had no use for them! Now I have use for them! Hooray!

Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Mayonnaise

From Cooking Light


Panko lends these crab cakes a nice, crunchy crust. These cakes are large enough to serve as a main dish, but you also can form smaller appetizer cakes.

Red Pepper Mayonnaise:
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 garlic clove
Dash of hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Crab Cakes:
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
10 cup trimmed watercress (about 10 ounces)
6 lemon wedges (optional)

Preheat broiler.
To prepare mayonnaise, cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel pepper. Place pepper, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, garlic, and hot pepper sauce in a food processor. Process until smooth; transfer to a bowl, and chill.

To prepare crab cakes, combine 1/3 cup mayonnaise and next 6 ingredients (through crab) and 3/4 cup panko in a large bowl; stir until well combined. Form into 6 patties; dredge patties in remaining 1/2 cup panko. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through, turning once. Remove from pan, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and patties. Serve crab cakes with watercress and red pepper mayonnaise. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Wine note: The sweet, succulent flavor of crab is lovely with a crisp, dry white that's clean and pure tasting. One of my favorites is albariño from the northwestern corner of Spain. Nora Albariño 2004 from Rias Baxais ($16) is zesty, with a hint of citrus, starfruit, and dried peach. -Karen MacNeil

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 crab cake, about 1 1/2 cups watercress, and about 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 234(34% from fat); FAT 8.8g (sat 3.5g,mono 1.7g,poly 2.7g); PROTEIN 22g; CHOLESTEROL 96mg; CALCIUM 165mg; SODIUM 625mg; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.2g

Joanna Pruess
Cooking Light, APRIL 2006

Categories: crabmeat

This is from my new issue of Cooking Light. Sounds good and I can't wait to try it!

Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce

If you make this cake in a nine-inch springform pan, cut the baking time by about 15 minutes. The center of the cake may appear looser than expected, but it will become firmer as it chills overnight.

Cheesecake:
1/2 cup sugar
20 reduced-calorie vanilla wafers
1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
3 large egg whites, divided
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
Strawberries (optional)

Sauce:
4 cups sliced strawberries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cheesecake, place 1/2 cup sugar, wafers, and dash salt in a food processor; process until mixture resembles sand. Place 1 egg white in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until frothy. With the processor on, add 2 tablespoons egg white through food chute, processing until blended (discard remaining egg white). Firmly press mixture into bottom and slightly up sides of an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cool completely on a wire rack.

Reduce oven to 300°.

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, and remaining dash salt in a large bowl. Add cheeses; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add vanilla and 1 teaspoon juice; beat just until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition just until incorporated. Add remaining 2 egg whites; beat just until incorporated.

Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a 3-inch circle in the center of the cheesecake barely jiggles when the side of the pan is tapped. Turn oven off. Leave cheesecake in oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Garnish cake with strawberries, if desired.

To prepare sauce, combine sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup water, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing lightly with a spatula; discard solids. Return mixture to pan. Combine 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer mixture to a bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir in 2 teaspoons juice.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice cheesecake and about 2 tablespoons sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 245(31% from fat); FAT 8.4g (sat 4.7g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 6.6g; CHOLESTEROL 75mg; CALCIUM 49mg; SODIUM 216mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.8g

Categories: desserts

Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry in a Hurry

I prepped everything for this dish during naptime and cooking it was a breeze! Took about 15 minutes from start to finish.

The final product was delicious and full of flavor!
We'll definitely be having this one again!

Starting with this one, I'm now adding pictures to the recipes I've posted that I've gotten around to making. I'll probably add the pics to my reviews too. Feel free to do the same with yours. :)



Categories: recipe_reviews

This is from 365 Ways to Cook Eggs by Elaine Corn. It's really, really good!!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
powdered sugar (This is optional, but makes the pancakes look pretty!)
1 tbl. butter (I didn't use so much!)
1/4 cup SR flour (SR=Self Raising flour)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tbl. sugar

About 1/3 cup raspberry, blackberry or strawberry preserves (can use nothing or syrup too)
Preheat oven to 425 - 450 degrees. Place butter in a 9-inch round cake pan or a 10-inch round pie plate. Put in oven to heat pan and melt butter - 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, flour, sugar and salt until well blended. Swirl melted butter to coat bottom and sides of pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake 15 - 20 minutes, or until pancake is puffed and golden brown. Serve right away, slathered with preserves and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Makes 2 servings. A German style pancake is a cross between a soufflé and an omelet. The baked pouf of eggs fortified with flour makes a dramatic presentation for brunch or a light supper.

Categories: breakfast

Sesame Chicken Edamame Bowl

I was very excited about this recipe. Finally, after three weeks and trips to something like FOUR different grocery stores for the ingredients (should have just started at Wegman's in the first place), I had everything to make it and the time to do so.

First off, fresh lemon grass is hard to mince. It's also hard to find.

Second, I thought this would have so much more flavor than it did. It tasted like nothing. We added some red pepper and lots of extra soy sauce to it. If I make it again, I think I'll probably add lots of both of those to the original recipe, as well as some Chinese Five Spice Powder.

All that being said, it was a light, yet filling meal. And you can't beat how healthy it was! I think I got all the servings of veggies I needed for a day in that one meal! Give it a try, you might like it. Just be prepared to add things to it after the fact.

The ingredients I had a hard time finding were the fresh lemongrass, the sweet rice wine and the dark sesame seeds. Like I said, I found them all at Wegmans, (not at Superfresh, Safeway, Shoppers, or Trader Joes) so if you go to make this, save yourself the gas money and start out at your local fancy-shmancy-has-it-all grocery store!

Categories: recipe_reviews

Erin already reviewed this one, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents. I made this yesterday and it was delicious. It took me one hour to do all the prep and assembly in the morning (including cooking the chicken breasts, which I just baked in the oven for 25 minutes, then shredded), then I covered the pan with foil and put it in the fridge. Before dinner, I baked it for 45 minutes, with a couple minutes under the broiler at the end to make the top a little crispy. It came out great and is enough to feed 6-8, I would say, maybe with a salad on the side.

I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but I think next time I'll actually use less cheese. The sauce is a tad sticky from all that cheese, and I wouldn't mind if it were a little lighter. Maybe less cheese, and more milk.

Categories: recipe_reviews

From my mother-in-law. This is a really good, hearty meal for cooler nights.

1/2 package of polish sausage, like Hillshire Farms
1 15 oz can green beans, undrained
1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, undrained
2 - 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

Cut polish sausage into 1/2" sections. Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Add water to desired consistency. Heat to boiling, then simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are done.

Categories: soups, one_dish_meals

Categories: soups, one_dish_meals, sausage

Skillet Paella

Gag. First off, I now know that I do NOT like the taste of saffron. (and at $16.99 a bottle, that was an expensive lesson to learn) This dish was "okay" in that it was healthy, filling and not inedible. However, it REALLY needed something, though I'm not sure what. My husband and I kept putting stuff in our bowls trying to answer that question... we tried tabasco, Old Bay, more salt and cayenne. In the end, he said he actually liked it, but it wasn't his favorite thing I've ever made.

I couldn't even LOOK at it for a second day, so we tossed the leftovers.

If you are a paella fan, you might enjoy it, but definitely add some sort of extra flavor to it before it leaves the skillet.

Categories: recipe_reviews

This is a staple in our house, especially if hubby is cooking. I make sure to always keep these ingredients on hand.

1 package of polish sausage, sliced into 1/2" pieces and sauted with garlic over medium heat
add
1 C water
1 C instant rice
1 can Golden Mushroom mix and simmer on low 5 minutes, covered
add 1 package of frozen peas
mix and simmer on low 10 minutes, covered
sprinkle desired amount of shredded mozzerella on top, do NOT stir, cover and leave on low heat till melted.
Serve without stirring.

Categories: one_dish_meals, sausage

Banana Black Bean Tacos

Never one to shy away from adventurous cuisine (well, that doesn't contain squid, anyway), I cooked this one up last night. We are totally doing this one again. Not only did this recipe take only 15 minutes from opening the fridge to putting it on the table but it was also YUM YUM YUM YUUUUUM. I would comment that I used 8", whole wheat tortillas (which were simply delicious) and the recipe as called for here barely made four healthy-sized soft tacos. It was enough to feed the hubs and I, especially with tortilla chips on the side, but I will probably double the recipe next time to have some leftovers. Also, I had to make a special trip to the grocery store to buy fresh cilantro, but it was worth it, and still cheap per serving. We served this with salsa and sour cream. A complimentary and easy side dish for this one? Grapes. Or watermelon.

Ooooh, braided meat! Like the grown-up version of meat-on-a-stick! I couldn't resist posting this because it looks so easy and turns out so fancy. And you COOK THE SALMON IN THE MICROWAVE. Is that even legal? Another one from Cooking Light -- they had an "Everyday Chinese" article that is full of gems.

2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp peanut oil
1 1/2 lb skinless salmon fillet
1/2 c chopped green onions
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil

1. Combine ginger, salt, and peanut oil in a small bowl. Brush over filet; set aside.

2. Combine onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl.

3. Cut salmon vertically into 3 ~15" x 1" ropes, reserving leftover salmon for another use. Braid ropes and secure with wooden picks. Place braid in an 11 x 7 baking dish. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 2 minutes. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes.

4. Remove the dish from the microwave. Drizzle the onion mixture over fish.

Makes 4 servings (serving size: 4 oz fish and 1 T sauce).

Categories: asian, salmon

From Cooking Light, but looks really easy. I'm making this one for dinner tonight.

12 oz flank steak, trimmed
1 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground white pepper (BAH! I'm using black)
1 T peanut oil, divided (BAH! I'm using the veggie oil I have in the pantry)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 c thinly sliced carrots
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 c chicken broth
1 tsp chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
2 c hot cooked rice

1. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Combine steak, cornstarch, salt, and pepper into a bowl, tossing to coat; set aside.

2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add steak to pan; stir-fry for 4 min or until browned. Remove steak from pan. Add remaining 1 tsp oil to pan. Add bell pepper, carrot, and ginger; stir-fry 2 min or until carrot is tender. Add broth and chile paste; cook 3 minutes. Return the steak to pan; cook 1 min or until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups steak mixture + 1/2 cup rice).

------------
Review:
This was a lot of prep work for me -- maybe 45 minutes of chopping/mincing/slicing, but was done during naptime. It also took ~30 minutes to cook. I think you have to have some killer knives and skillz to get the steak thin enough that 4 minutes is enough to cook it -- it took me more like 15 minutes. Also, this dish would have been really bland without the chile paste, and I ended up adding 1 T instead of 1 tsp. We made a special trip to our local oriental food market to get Sriracha, a sauce we actually used quite often to cook asian dishes when we lived in Seattle.

After all that labor, which I did enjoy (especially mincing the ginger -- boy, did that smell yummy), the dish turned out pretty tasty. The hubs was extremely pleased. But I'm thinking it will not be something I make very often.

Categories: asian, beef, one_dish_meals