Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

June 3, 2010

What's cookin' this week...or what's left of it?

With Memorial Day on Monday, the menu this week is pretty short. We hosted a cookout on Monday and have quite a few leftovers. It’s amazing how you can make a cookout pretty healthy if you take time to plan it.

Here’s what was cookin’ and grillin’ at our house:



  • Cheeseburgers of champions (Weber Real Grillin’ cookbook)

  • Spinach and Asiago Cheese Chicken Sausages (since we got them at Sam’s Club, we had extra)

  • Hot dogs for the kiddos

  • Fruit salad (blueberries, strawberries, apples, peaches and grapes)

  • Pasta salad, potato salad, cucumber and onion salad (from friends)

  • Hummus and salsa with chips

  • Strawberry pie

  • Dessert quesadillas on the grill with peanut butter, chocolate and bananas – DELISH!

Tonight we had a great meal and a yummy pizza is planned for tomorrow.

Next week I hope to include some new ingredients from the Happy Box and some recipes I’ve received from some readers and friends.

So what was for dinner tonight? If you’ve been following, you know I love Jamie Oliver! If you watched the Food Revolution, there was a stir fry marathon episode. I’ve always wanted to try that beef stir fry. The recipe is on
www.jamieoliver.com under beef and vegetable stir fry, but it is all in metrics. I found another site that already converted it. So to try this fabulous and healthy recipe, check out http://www.examiner.com/x-660-Weight-Loss-Examiner~y2010m4d11-Make-Jamie-Olivers-stirfry-recipe-from-last-nights-Food-Revolution.

It was really good and it was pretty easy to make. I even took a picture of what mine looked like!

Tomorrow night is pizza night and we are trying something a little different.

Barbecued Chicken Pizza with Smoked Gouda and Chives (from Weber’s Real Grilling)
Dough

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast

  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 3/4 cup ketchup

  • 1/4 cup dry red wine

  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon prepared chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, 5 to 6 ounces each

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 cups grated smoked Gouda cheese

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

To prepare the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the yeast and sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F). Stir once and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 2-1/2 cups of the flour, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the salt. Stir until the dough holds together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the ball to cover the surface with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough in the bowl. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Cut parchment paper into 9-inch squares and lightly oil each sheet of paper on one side. Roll or press the dough flat on the oiled side of the paper into circles about 8 inches in diameter, leaving the dough a little thicker at the edge than in the middle. Then lightly oil the top side of the dough.

To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until light brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Whisk to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour about half the sauce into a small bowl, reserving the other half in the saucepan.

Lightly brush or spray the chicken on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly coat the chicken on both sides with the sauce in the small bowl. Grill the chicken over Direct Medium heat until the meat is firm to the touch and no longer pink in the center, 8 to 12 minutes, turning once. Finely chop or shred the chicken and moisten with some reserved sauce in the saucepan (you may not need all of it).

Lay the dough on the grate, with the paper side facing up. Grab one corner of the paper with tongs and peel it off. Grill over Direct Medium heat until they are marked on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes, rotating the crusts occasionally for even cooking. Don't worry if the crusts bubble; they will deflate when turned over. Transfer the crusts from the cooking grate to the back of a baking sheet, with the grilled sides facing up.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over each pizza, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Arrange the chicken and chives over the cheese. Transfer the pizzas from the baking sheets to the cooking grate. Grill until the crusts are crisp and the cheese is melted, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating the crusts occasionally for even cooking. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut into wedges. Serve warm.

Makes 4 small pizzas

OWN WHAT YOUR FAMILY EATS!

May 22, 2010

What's cookin' this week? May 22, 2010

After being gone for two weeks and practically clearing out the entire refrigerator, I’m back at it and ready to cook this week. I actually missed it while I was gone! This week I had some extra time to work on the menu early so it starts Saturday and goes through Friday giving you a few more menu options to enjoy.

This week has a few familiar favorites and some easy recipes to enjoy the grill while easing back into the swing of things. Between the refrigerator survivors and the happy box, I tried to pick menus that used as much of what we have as I could. I’ve included some of the recipes below for you to try out so apologies for the long post.

SATURDAY
Spinach and Asiago Cheese Chicken Sausages (they are basically brats and they are fantastic!) – Sam’s Club
Mustard Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Mangos

With a church picnic tomorrow, I am also making a fantastic macaroni salad and a strawberry pie. I will also whip up the marinade for tomorrow’s dinner.

SUNDAY
Chicken with Mediterranean marinade
Couscous
Grilled avocado

MONDAY
Greek salad with warm pitas

TUESDAY
Manicotti
Salad
Garlic Bread

WEDNESDAY
Leftovers

THURSDAY
Eggplant, prosciutto and mozzarella cheese “sandwiches”
Hummus and pitas

FRIDAY
Leftovers

Hope you enjoy a few recipes from this week and remember…


OWN WHAT YOUR FAMILY EATS

RECIPES FOR THIS WEEK

Macaroni Salad (Aunt Mary’s recipe)
If you are worried about being outside, this is the perfect macaroni salad. It doesn’t have much dressing and is packed with veggies! It is really tasty. This recipe doesn’t really have measurements so you have to just cut and see.
Small box macaroni, cooked
C
auliflower, chopped
Celery, chopped
Colby jack cheese, cubed or grated
Broccoli, chopped
Onions, chopped
Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar

Directions
Use amount of vegetables as desired, same for cheese and bacon. Dressing can be multiplied to desired creaminess

Mediterranean marinade (from Weber’s Real Grilling™)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Mix ingredients – makes about ¼ cup

Greek Salad with warm pitas (adaptation from Rachael Ray’s 365: No Repeats recipe)
This is one of my husband’s favorite meals. We’ve adapted it slightly.
1 ½ lbs. chicken tenders
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
2 pitas split open
1 large garlic clove minced and mashed to a paste
Zest of 1 lemon and juice of 2 lemons
1 seedless cucumber sliced into half moons
4 vine-ripe tomatoes cut into wedges
1 small red onion (if desired)
½ cup fresh parsley leaves coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves coarsely chopped
1 cup pitted kalamata olives coarsely chopped
Feta cheese (crumbled)
Romaine lettuce coarsely chopped

Directions
Cook/grill chicken and season with oregano and grill seasoning. Grill the split pita halves for a minute. Remove when crisp, break or tear into large pieces and reserve. Combine garlic with zest of lemon and juice of 1.5 lemons in bottom of a large shallow bowl. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley, mint, olives, romaine lettuce and reserved bread. Add olive oil and lots of salt and black pepper. Toss salad with hands to combine well. Top salad with grilled chicken and feta cheese.

Option – instead of tearing up pitas, put salad into pitas and eat.

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti (modified from Aunt Mary)
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (you can also use fresh spinach)
1 15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 c. shredded mozzarella
¼ c. shredded parmesan cheese (I’ve also used the grated parmesan)
1 egg
2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. pepper
Manicotti shells
2 jars spaghetti sauce of your choice

Directions
Mix together ingredients. Stuff uncooked 8 oz. package of manicotti with filling. Combine two 28-oz. jars spaghetti sauce with 1 ½ c. water. Spread 1 c. sauce into 13x9x2” pan. Arrange stuffed shells over sauce and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with more mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until heated through.

Eggplant, prosciutto and mozzarella cheese “sandwiches” (from Weber’s Real Grilling™)
2 medium red bell peppers
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 globe eggplants (about 1 pound each, trimmed)
8 thin slices prosciutto
8 slices mozzarella, each ¼ inch thick
8 medium fresh basil leaves

Directions
Grill the bell peppers over direct medium heat until they are blackened and blistered all over (12-15 minutes) turning occasionally. Place the peppers in a medium bowl and cover with plastic to trap steam. Set aside for at least 10 minutes, then peel the skin and discard the stems and seeds. Place peppers in a food processor with 1 Tbsp. oil and salt and pepper. Process until smooth scraping down the sides as needed.

Cut each eggplant crosswise into 8 slices, each about ½ inch thick. Lightly brush or spray both sides with oil. Grill over direct medium heat until the underside is well marked (3-4 minutes). Transfer half of the slices to a tray with the grilled sides facing up. Turn the remaining slices over and grill until well marked on both sides (3-4 minutes)

Place a Tbsp. of red pepper mixture in the center of the grilled side of each eggplant slice on the tray. Place a slice of prosciutto, slice of mozzarella and basil leaf on top of red pepper mixture. Top each “sandwich” with a slice of eggplant that has been grilled on both sides. Place uncooked side of sandwich onto grill over direct medium heat until cheese is softened and the sandwiches are heated through (2-3 minutes).

Serve warm with remaining pepper mixture spooned, if desired.