Tag Archives: Dinner

New cookware, new recipes: Mac & Cheese and Cajun-spiced Flounder

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Fun fun fun! The other day I decided to take a whole evening to cook. Not go to the gym, not clean, not get ahead on work for the next day… just cook. I got to use new cookware and new recipes, and everything turned out wonderfully! Enjoy!

Brian’s mother Diane found the Dutch oven (right) in a hole-in-the-wall shop in Baltimore and bought me one for a gift. I purchased my first and only piece of Le Creuset ware (left) on Rue La La, my daily temptress.

Skillet Cajun Spiced Flounder with Tomatoes (from SkinnyTaste)

(source)

Ingredients:

Olive oil
Flounder fillets (I used 2 large, 8 oz. pieces of fish – any other flaky white fish would do as well)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper, diced
5-6 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
Approx. 1 tbsp. cajun seasoning (I made my own: paprika, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder and S+P)

Method:

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet large enough to hold all the fish comfortably. I got to use my new Dutch oven!!! Cook the garlic and onion for a few minutes until soft and fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, peppers and spices and saute until the tomatoes and peppers begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Next, add the fish fillets and submerge in the sauce as completely as you can.

Let the fish simmer for 12-15 minutes until done. It will easily flake with a fork.

Enjoy! Here’s the original recipe from SkinnyTaste.com.

Macaroni and Cheese (from What to Cook and How to Cook It by Jane Hornby)

I was SO excited to make this. I’d been staring at the recipe in the cookbooks for over a year and decided it was high time to give in.

Ingredients

1 medium-sized onion
1 bay leaf
3 cups milk (I used 2 cups whole and 1 cup 2%)
1 tsp salt
12 oz macaroni (any tube-shaped pasta will work fine)
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
7 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 oz parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
fresh nutmeg (optional)
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the macaroni. While the water heats up, add the milk, the onion (roughly chopped) and the bay leaf to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium hit until little bubbles just start to form (see photo). Remove from the heat and let sit and infuse for 10 minutes or more.

Add the salt to the pasta water and then the macaroni. Return to a boil and cook until almost done (8 minutes or so) then drain, reserving about a cup of pasta water.

Once the milk has infused, remove the onion and bay leaf with a slotted spoon discard. Then stir the butter and flour into the milk and cook over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk until sauce has thickened (the cookbook says 5 minutes, it only took me about 3).

Preheat the oven to 350. Add the mustard, nutmeg (if using, which I did… yay Penzey Spices) and about two-thirds of each of the cheeses to the sauce. Stir well and season to taste. If the pasta has stuck together, add a bit of cooking water to loosen, then pour the pasta and sauce into the baking dish, stirring well.

Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over top and add the tomato slices. Top with a bit more salt and pepper and then bake for about 30 minutes.

Mmmm… Enjoy!

New Year’s Eve Dinner – Brie, Asparagus, Curried Chicken Bites, Salmon and Orzo with Olive-Mustard Butter

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-o- Brie, Baguette and Strawberries -o-

No explanations needed here. We are on a budget, so we bought Simply Enjoy brand brie from Giant, and found it delicious. With baguette slices toasted into crostini and a few ripe strawberries, we had a very romantic first course for our 2011 New Year’s Eve dinner.

-o- Curried Chicken Bites with Lemon-Dill Yogurt -o-

First, prepare the yogurt so you can cover and chill. Mix 1 cup plain lowfat yogurt, 1 cup finely shredded peeled, seeded cucumber (with as much moisture removed as possible), 1/2 tsp. lemon juice (resist the urge to add more), and 1 tsp. dried dillweed in a small bowl. Cover and keep chilled until it’s time to serve the chicken bites.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1-in. pieces (*note: you will end up grinding this; I suppose you could buy ground chicken, but the recipe I used for inspiration called for grinding your own and I did like being able to remove most of the fat)
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

3 tbsps. flour (optional)
2 tsps. vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. paprika

Method:
Add half of the chicken pieces to a food processor bowl. Pulse until pureed. Place in a large mixing bowl; repeat with remaining chicken. Add onion and garlic. Add the egg slowly, stopping when it looks wet enough. Mix together with a wooden spoon or your hands.

Mix together the dry ingredients (breadcrumbs and spices, minus the paprika). Add to chicken mixture. Mix well (I used my hands).

Shape the mixture into 40 (or so) 1-in. balls. If you are cooking them right away, dredge in flour (optional) and place half of the bites in a glass pie dish. Microwave for a few minutes, mixing halfway through. Fry over medium-heat in 1 tsp. vegetable oil and 1/8 tsp. paprika. Repeat with remaining bites.

If you want to freeze them (which I have been doing, because they are rather labor-intensive), skip the flour step and simply coat wax-paper-lined baking sheets with cooking spray. Spread the bites onto the sheets; coat with more spray. Freeze for an hour or so, then transfer to a cooking-spray-lined freezer bag. When you are ready to cook, microwave for a few minutes as directed above, then proceed.

Serve with yogurt.

Inspiration: Spicy Chicken Bites with Cucumber Dip, from the CookingLight Five-Star Recipes: The Best of 10 Years (1996).

-o- Simple Roasted Asparagus -o-

See the recipe for my favorite way to eat asparagus – simply – here. All you really need is good salt, freshly-cracked black pepper and a bit of olive oil.
You can see Brian’s favorite asparagus recipe, Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar and Tarragon, here,  featured as part of a weekend dinner menu.

Preheat the oven to 425 when you put the water on to boil for the orzo. When you add the to the boiling water, reduce the heat to 400 and add the salmon. Depending on your oven, stove, etc., everything should be finished around the same time!

-o- Roasted Salmon and Orzo with Olive-Parsley Butter -o-
Serves 4 

Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz. each, skinned
8 oz. orzo pasta

*I made double the amount of olive butter and froze half for future use. If you want to do the same, double the amounts below and roll the unused butter into a log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Use within a month.
1/4 cup salted butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
6 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 a medium shallot (about 2 tsps.) minced shallot
2 tsps. chopped fresh parsley (or more, to taste)

Method:
Put a pot of salted water on to boil. Cook the orzo according to package directions and return to the pot.

To make the butter, put the butter, olives, mustard, shallot and parsley into a food processor. Process until smooth.

Coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon fillets with good-quality salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 12-14 minutes, until just done in the center.

Add half of the butter to the orzo, toss well to coat. Place a small dab of the butter on each piece of salmon and garnish with fresh parsley and/or whole olives.

Enjoy!

Inspiration on Epicurious.

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Three yummy salads: Beet and Goat Cheese, Chicken Caesar and Caprese in miniature

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For Brian’s birthday, we invited his family and my family to our apartment for a little party. I stressed sooo much over the food but it ended up being delicious! I served three salads at the beginning of the evening. They all went over very well and were relatively easy to prepare. Enjoy!

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-o- Caprese Skewers -o-
serves 10-12

Ingredients:

1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes (any color)
25-30 fresh basil leaves (I purchased a fresh plant and mined the leaves)
1 lb. boccacini (mozzarella balls)
2 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
sprinkling of kosher salt
sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

Slice the tomatoes in half (I found it easiest to slice them horizontally through the middle). Slice the boccacini in half. Wash as dry the basil leaves. Collect all the ingredients and a bunch of skewers/toothpicks (I used 4 in. toothpicks, but you could also use long wooden skewers and serve the mini salads in tall glasses, or small party toothpicks).

In a pie dish, combine the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

You can begin with either a folded basil leaf or a piece of mozzarella, but you want the tomato halves to be last so you can stand the finished product up on a plate. Assemble the skewers, moving them to the oil and balsamic mixture as they are completed, and then to a platter.

Drizzle the remaining dressing over the platter. Either serve immediately or chill for up to two hours, covered.

Finished Product:

Inspiration: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe’s Caprese Skewers

-o- Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken and Sourdough Croutons -o-
serves 10-12

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts
1 1/2 heads Romaine lettuce
1/2 loaf sourdough bread, cubed
3 oz. fresh Parmesan cheese

Your favorite Caesar dressing (or make your own! I didn’t – I used Ken’s Lite Creamy Caesar – but here’s one I considered: I’mTopsyTurvy’s Creamy Caesar Dressing)

Method:

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Marinate in about 2 tbsps. of Caesar dressing in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. Toss the sourdough bread cubes with 1 tsp. of olive oil on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 15 minutes or until just hard, tossing occasionally. Remove and set aside.

Wash, dry and chop lettuce. Set aside.

Heat a grill pan or a frying pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side or until done. Let cool and slice.

Just before serving, toss the lettuce with the dressing. Add the croutons and chicken and toss again, gently. Top with shredded or shaved Parmesan.

Serve with more cheese alongside.

Finished Product:

 

-o-  Roasted Beet Salad with Wilted Greens, Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese -o-
serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Salad:
6-8 medium beets, greens attached
3 tbsps. hazelnuts, chopped
2-3 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
3/4 – 1 lb. mixed greens (or baby spinach, or arugula, or whatever you like!)

Dressing:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. minced shallots
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt

Method:

Salad:
About two hours before you want to serve the salad, preheat the oven to 350. Separate the greens from the beets, leaving the top intact; wash the greens and set aside. Wrap the beets loosely in foil with a few drops of oil in each packet. Roast for about an hour until tender and the skins peel away easily when you rub them with your fingers.

When cool enough to handle, peel and chop into bite-sized chunks. Set aside.

Toast the nuts in a pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn easily! Remove and set aside. In the same pan (and with a splash of water, wine or chicken stock if necessary), wilt the beet greens. Let cool slightly.

Toss the young greens with the dressing (method below). Top with the wilted greens, the beets, the crumbled goat cheese and the hazelnuts.

Dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a Mason jar and seal tightly. Shake to combine, taste and adjust if needed. Store in the fridge and shake again before serving.

Note – you may not need all the dressing. Start out with half and add if necessary.

Finished Product:

 

Inspiration: The Kitchn’s Roasted Beets and Sauteed Greens with Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese

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I am thankful for Thanksgiving

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There are only two years in my life I have missed Thanksgiving with my family, and this was one of them. The first was in 2007 when I was studying abroad in Madrid, Spain; my group and I went to a restaurant that prepared us a special Thanksgiving-style meal of turkey and mashed potatoes. It tasted nothing like American Thanksgiving dinner, but it was delicious!

This year I attended the Baltimore Bieretz family Thanksgiving dinner, and it was lovely.

The Menu
-o- Bieretz family Artichoke Dip
-o- Mozzarella, oven-dried marinated tomatoes and homemade roasted red peppers with crostini
-o- marinated olives

-o- Roasted Turkey
-o- Grilled Bourbon and Cider- Glazed Ham
-o- Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
-o- Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Coconut-Pecan topping
-o- Roasted baby yams
-o- Assorted Grilled Vegetables with Dijon-Shallot vinaigrette
-o- Boston Lettuce Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Avocado
-o- Cornbread and Bacon Stuffing
-o- Garlic Bread

-o- Pound cake with Toasted Almonds
-o- Cheesecake
-o- Pumpkin Pie
-o- Apple Tart
-o- Chocolate Chip Cookies
-o- Pumpkin-Cranberry Cookies

a few photos

Dinner Tonight: Baked Garlic Lemon Shrimp

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-o- Baked Garlic Lemon Shrimp -o-

Ingredients:

1 lb. medium or large shrimp, unpeeled and deveined (frozen, defrosted, or fresh)
3 tbsps. unsalted cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more if you like)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Juice of 1 lemon (put the lemon in the microwave for 20 seconds to yield more juice)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. fresh or dried parsley

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375. If your shrimp are frozen, rinse to separate and remove most of the ice. Mine had been defrosting in the fridge for a few days so I skipped to the next step: spread the shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, mash/stir remaining ingredients. Drizzle mixture over shrimp; toss to evenly coat.

Bake for 8-10 minutes if fresh or defrosted; bake for 25-30 minutes if frozen or partially frozen.
I was super hungry and so enjoyed these peel-and-eat style, but with some nice fresh crusty bread would also be tasty.

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Inspiration: The Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Garlic Lemon Shrimp. This awesome chef used a bunch more fresh parsley and used a food processor to create the buttery topping  - she also didn’t use any oil. And she has great pictures!

Dinner Tonight – Simple Grill Pan Chicken and Sauteed Zucchini Medallions

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It’s a short week because of the Thanksgiving holiday, so when grocery shopping I only purchased a few veggies and a few sources of protein: shrimp, asparagus, four small zucchinis, and chicken tenders. When all you have is your spice cabinet and some raw ingredients, you can still make a tasty and healthy dinner.

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-o- Simple Grill Pan Chicken -o-

Ingredients:
Chicken tenders or chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
olive oil, for pan
a mixture of salts and herbs – I used rosemary, herbes de provence, Borsari Original seasoned salt, a pinch of red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper
grated/shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400.
After pounding, sprinkle raw chicken with seasoned or regular salt, herbs, pepper and red pepper flakes on both sides (or you could add some cayenne pepper and maybe some diced fresh green and red pepper). Heat a grill pan or frying pan over medium-high heat. Grill on one side for 4-6 minutes until golden. Flip and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Move chicken to center of pan and sprinkle cheddar cheese (if using) over top. Bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through.

-o- Sauteed Zucchini -o-

Ingredients:
Zucchini (I used four small for two people, with leftovers)
A mixture of salt and pepper and herbs – black truffle seasoned salt, freshly ground black pepper, rosemary and herbes de provence
Olive oil, for frying

Method:
Slice zucchini into 1/2-inch thick medallions. Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add zucchini and sprinkle with salt or seasoned salt, pepper, and herbs. Cook for 10-12 minutes, tossing frequently. I sprinkled a bit of fresh lemon juice over the zucchini as it finished cooking, but you could also add a splash of red wine vinegar or a dusting of Parmesan cheese – or you could just leave it!

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I am literally eating it right now (sadly Brian won’t get to have any ’til later because he is in class) and it’s delicious.

Dinner Tonight: Shrimp Scampi (my version) and Simple Roasted Asparagus

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For dinner tonight I decided to try making shrimp scampi. It ended up being pretty tasty, but there are some things I will do differently next time. Here is the recipe, along with my notes.

-o- Shrimp Scampi with Basil -o-

Ingredients:
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsps. butter (I used unsalted but recommend using salted)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced and separated
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 salt
3/4 cup dry white wine (I used Yellowtail Pinot Grigio)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced or chopped

12 0z. linguine

Method:
Pat the peeled shrimp dry.Put in a bowl with a pinch of red pepper flakes, a bit of salt and pepper, and one clove of the garlic.

Boil 4 quarts of salted water. Add linguine and cook 6-7 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 cup cooking water in case you need it – I ended up not using it.

 

Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet until foamy.

 

 

 

Add the shrimp, cook until beginning to turn pink – about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook another 3-4 minutes until just cooked through. Add the shrimp mixture to the linguine, toss. Add pasta cooking water if you want to thin the sauce.

Sprinkle with more fresh basil to serve, and/or Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

-o- Simple Roasted Asparagus -o-

Normally I roast asparagus with balsamic vinegar and dried tarragon, like my mom makes (see this post for the recipe). But this turned out SO WELL.

Ingredients:
1 lb. (bunch) asparagus
2 tsps. olive oil
salt and pepper (I used black truffle salt my mom brought me from Colorado)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
a pinch of crushed red pepper (or, more, depending on your taste. I used about 1/2 a teaspoon, but this is an optional ingredient)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 450.
Trim the asparagus. Wash and spread on a baking sheet. Add oil, salt and pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes. Toss.

 

 

 

Roast about 20 minutes, turning once or twice.

 

 

 

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Here are the recipes I consulted before trying this out:
Basil Shrimp Scampi on Myrecipes.com
Garlic Basil Shrimp on Foodnetwork.com
Basil Shrimp Scampi on the blog Bon Appétit

Menu: Weeknight Dinner Menu for Two

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Weeknight Dinner (for two)

Appetizer: Brie and baguette
Main Course: Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup, Broccoli and Cheddar-Jack Quiche

Brie and Baguette – no recipe needed! We toasted half of the bread slices in the toaster oven and had a glass of wine before we started cooking.

-o- Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup -o-
This recipe is from the blog A Sweet Pea Chef; check out the original recipe (with much nicer pictures) here.

Ingredients:
3 tbsps. olive oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
3 minced garlic cloves
5 large vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (or however much you have on hand; you could probably sub dried basil too)
3 cups chicken stock, homemade if possible (I used boxed stock)
salt and black pepper (be generous)
3/4 cup half & half *

Method:
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 15 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the half and half to the soup and blend to the desired consistency with a blender or a food processor. We left it a bit chunky.**
Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and garnish with fresh basil and a drizzle of half and half (or cream).

* the original recipe calls for heavy cream; I subbed half and half to make it a bit healthier.
** after eating, we agreed fresh crabmeat would have been a tasty addition to this soup.

Ingredients

-o- Broccoli and Cheddar-Jack Quiche -o-
I took this recipe from the Streaming Gourmet blog. Check it out here.

Ingredients:
1 frozen, deep-dish pie crust
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 generous cup of broccoli florets
1 cup heavy cream (or 1 1/4 cups half and half)
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
2/3 cup monterey jack-cheddar cheese mix

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400. 
Unwrap and place the pie crust on the counter to thaw for about 15 minutes.
Prick the bottom of the crust to prevent bubbling and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove. Decrease the oven temperature to 375.
Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
Steam or boil the broccoli until just cooked (about 2 minutes if fresh, 7-8 if frozen). Chop the broccoli florets and stems into evenly-sized pieces.
Beat together the eggs, half and half (OR cream and milk), nutmeg, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Spread the cheeses on the bottom of the crust. Layer the onions and broccoli on top, add another thin layer of cheese, then pour the egg mixture over top (we ended up having too much so tossed a bit of it – don’t overfill!)
Season a bit more with salt and pepper and an extra sprinkling of cheese or nutmeg, if you wish. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow to sit in there for 10 minutes or so. It should be set but not too firm.
Enjoy!


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Lindsey and I had an amazing time making these dishes, and I can vouch that the leftovers are also delicious, as I am having the soup for lunch as I type this. I highly recommend trying these out!