4 Chicken Breasts
1/4 c + 1 1/2 T four, divided
1/2 tsp + 1 1/2 T flavored chx granules divided
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 c white wine
1/4 c lemon juice
2 T capers, drained & rinsed
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 lb pasta, cooked
1) Pound chicken breast to 1/4 in. thickness. Coat chicken in mix of 1/4 c flour and 1/2 tsp bullion granules.
2) In large skillet, over med-high heat, cook chicken in oil 4 min per side til cooked through. Remove chicken and keep warm.
3) Lower heat to medium, add butter and remaining flour.
4) Stir in wine, lemon juice, remaining bullion and 2 T water, scraping up brown bits. Simmer 2 minutes. Add capers and parsley.
5) Serve chicken breast over pasta and spoon sauce over all .
PS Mom usually doubles the sauce
Monday, February 7, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Eggplant Bolognese
Made this for dinner tonight with Rachel, Andrew, Lincoln, Steve and myself. As we finished our red wine, I had to settle for sherry, but other than that, I did pretty well sticking to the recipe. I added the whole can of tomato paste instead of what it asked for...(oops), and probably twice as much of the herbs. In the end, it was a decent dish. I would use regular milk in the future, and more of it...then again, I'm not sure if I'll do this one again. I have no real complaints, but it was just mediocre...and there are so many good jars of pasta sauce (I could even do organic) that I could just pour over some veggies and have an even better tasting pasta, for probably the same or less cost. I've not given up on Wholefoods.com yet...but that could be strike 2.
Serves 8
The flavor of this hearty sauce is as equally tasty over cooked whole grains or spaghetti squash as it is over pasta. The sauce freezes well for quick weeknight meals.
Ingredients
1 cup dry red wine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and chopped
12 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed or diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
1 pound whole wheat or other whole grain pasta
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and chopped
12 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed or diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
1 pound whole wheat or other whole grain pasta
Method
Bring red wine to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook , stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and very tender and most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add eggplant, mushrooms and rosemary and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, broth and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in almond milk and 2 tablespoons chopped basil.
To serve, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain thoroughly. Serve sauce over pasta and garnish with remaining basil.
To serve, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain thoroughly. Serve sauce over pasta and garnish with remaining basil.
Nutrition
Per serving (about 12oz/338g-wt.): 170 calories (5 from fat), 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 105mg sodium, 29g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 6g protein
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Quinoa with Roasted Mushrooms
This is a recipe off the Whole Foods website, that I made for Steve and myself. It was pretty easy to put together (mostly because I bought mushrooms that were already sliced), and the dressing was delicious! I think it would be really good to roast some other veggies like bell peppers, onions, asparagus or even meat with the mushrooms. The dressing maybe could have had a tiny bit less vinegar, and everything needs to be stirred together when it's hot, so that the spinach wilts just a bit. Definitely a keeper!
Serves 6
Mushrooms roasted in a simple oil-free pear balsamic dressing are delicious tossed with quinoa, spinach, green onions and almonds. Serve this dish warm, room temperature or cold, as a side dish or the main event.
Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small pear, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, halved
2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed and gills scraped out
1 cup red or white quinoa
3 cups tightly packed spinach, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small pear, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, halved
2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed and gills scraped out
1 cup red or white quinoa
3 cups tightly packed spinach, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 475°F.
Put vinegar, mustard, pear and garlic in a blender with 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Cut mushrooms into chunks and combine in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup of the pear balsamic dressing. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast mushrooms until tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
While mushrooms roast, prepare quinoa. In a medium pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes more. Uncover and fluff quinoa with a fork.
Combine mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup more pear balsamic dressing in a large, wide serving bowl. Stir to mix well. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
Put vinegar, mustard, pear and garlic in a blender with 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Cut mushrooms into chunks and combine in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup of the pear balsamic dressing. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast mushrooms until tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
While mushrooms roast, prepare quinoa. In a medium pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes more. Uncover and fluff quinoa with a fork.
Combine mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup more pear balsamic dressing in a large, wide serving bowl. Stir to mix well. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
Nutrition
Per serving: 280 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 120mg sodium, 43g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 12g protein
Apple Cinnamon Oat Squares
I got super ambitious about my ability to be organic and natural when I saw this recipe...and I felt super earthy buying ground flax seeds and steel cut oats at Sprouts. However, it didn't hit home until I was putting this recipe together, that the only form of sweetness included is the shredded apple. I'm sure it makes them excellent for you, but I am self-aware enough to know that I just cannot do low sugar when it comes to baking. I went ahead and followed the recipe to a T (shocking, I know), and drizzled honey over the bars when i served them. I may try this again, and I would possibly add about 1/2 a cup of honey to make them sweeter, or maybe a crumble on top. Either way, I'm not giving up on the Whole Foods website as a source for recipes...I'll just have to do a reality check before I decide to make them!
Ingredients
2 cups unsweetened almondmilk*
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats*
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup ground flax seeds (not whole flax seeds)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 (about 1 pound) Pink Lady apples, cored and grated
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats*
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup ground flax seeds (not whole flax seeds)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 (about 1 pound) Pink Lady apples, cored and grated
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer to a foil- or parchment paper-lined 9-inch square baking pan, press down and smooth out the top and bake until firm and golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan; cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 square): 140 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 20g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 7g sugar), 3g protein
Mexican Casserole
Snow Day Number 2!!!! Tonight we got to do dinner with Whitley, Sara, Rachel, Tyler and Bethany. Bethany made some delicious guacamole, and Rachel did margaritas (which were equally delicious). I was really excited about making this casserole, but it didn't turn out the best (most likely due to my modifications). I added meat to the meatless recipe, and doubled some ingredients but not others...sound like an obvious enough reason for a flop? Below is the original recipe
3/4 lb mushrooms
1 garlic clove
cayenne pepper
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
16 oz jar salsa
1 1/4 c Monterrey Jack cheese
8 corn tortillas, halved
Saute mushrooms 7 min in olive oil, add garlic and pepper for last minute and then black beans til heated through. Layer corn tortillas, mushroom/bean mixture, salsa & cheese, repeating 3 times. Throw it in the oven and bake on 400 for 10 minutes in a small casserole dish.
I might be willing to try this again...if I actually follow the recipe. For starters, I sauteed about 1.5 lbs of chicken and cut it into small pieces and also added an entire onion to the "mushroom mix". I also used a much larger casserole dish, therefore twice the tortillas, but only one jar of salsa, and 2 cups of cheese. Needless to say, I should have used more salsa and cheese, cut the chicken into smaller pieces and used a smaller casserole dish. I think if I do use this again, I will leave it meatless, as I'm sure it wouldn't seem as dried out if it was only veggies.
Luckily, we had enough guac and salsa to serve with the meal, and everyone seemed to enjoy it just fine. We also got to have a nertz rematch from Snow Day #1, which is always a plus. Maybe my Snow Day #3 recipe will be more of a success!
3/4 lb mushrooms
1 garlic clove
cayenne pepper
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
16 oz jar salsa
1 1/4 c Monterrey Jack cheese
8 corn tortillas, halved
Saute mushrooms 7 min in olive oil, add garlic and pepper for last minute and then black beans til heated through. Layer corn tortillas, mushroom/bean mixture, salsa & cheese, repeating 3 times. Throw it in the oven and bake on 400 for 10 minutes in a small casserole dish.
I might be willing to try this again...if I actually follow the recipe. For starters, I sauteed about 1.5 lbs of chicken and cut it into small pieces and also added an entire onion to the "mushroom mix". I also used a much larger casserole dish, therefore twice the tortillas, but only one jar of salsa, and 2 cups of cheese. Needless to say, I should have used more salsa and cheese, cut the chicken into smaller pieces and used a smaller casserole dish. I think if I do use this again, I will leave it meatless, as I'm sure it wouldn't seem as dried out if it was only veggies.
Luckily, we had enough guac and salsa to serve with the meal, and everyone seemed to enjoy it just fine. We also got to have a nertz rematch from Snow Day #1, which is always a plus. Maybe my Snow Day #3 recipe will be more of a success!
Beef Stew
2 lbs beef stew meat
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots
4 stalks of celery
1/2 chopped cabbage
1/2 to 1 cup of wine
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 can of tomato paste
parika
garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
We tossed the meat in flour and garlic powder and sauteed it til brown on the outside. Added everything to the crockpot and set on high. Added 2 cups of beef broth after it had been simmering for about 2 hours and let simmer for about 20 more minutes.
If I had it to do again, we wouldn't have tossed meat in flour without first cutting it into smaller pieces. Crocking it over night would've likely yielded a better result.
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots
4 stalks of celery
1/2 chopped cabbage
1/2 to 1 cup of wine
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 can of tomato paste
parika
garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
We tossed the meat in flour and garlic powder and sauteed it til brown on the outside. Added everything to the crockpot and set on high. Added 2 cups of beef broth after it had been simmering for about 2 hours and let simmer for about 20 more minutes.
If I had it to do again, we wouldn't have tossed meat in flour without first cutting it into smaller pieces. Crocking it over night would've likely yielded a better result.
Snow Day Pasta
Snow Days are the kind of days that just keep getting better and better. We woke up to about 3 inches of snow on the ground, and one by one, Sara, Whitley, Craig and then Steve found out they didn't have to go into work! After the guys went and rescued Lincoln from being snowed-in by himself in Wedgewood, we headed over to Sara's for lunch, cards and Despicable Me =)
For the Pasta:
We started with a package of 4 Italian Sausages (casings removed) and broke them up in a large pot until they were crumbled and cooked through and drained them on some paper towels. We cut up 4 broccoli crowns, chopped an onion and 4 cloves of garlic. Sauteed the garlic and onions in olive oil for 3-4 minutes then added the broccoli and about 1/2 to 1 cup of red wine- cooked until broccoli was soft. Added a large can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato sauce along with the sausage and cooked until heated through. Added some corn starch to thicken the sauce, garlic powder, basil and Italian seasoning to taste and served over a box and a quarter of penne pasta to feed 8 of us on Snow day!
If I had it to do over, I would probably use about half the broccoli and substitute some mushrooms, tomatoes, squash or something with less volume. It could have done with a small can of tomato paste, or maybe another can of tomato sauce. Overall it was a delicious lunch, and a great use of a snow day!
For the Pasta:
We started with a package of 4 Italian Sausages (casings removed) and broke them up in a large pot until they were crumbled and cooked through and drained them on some paper towels. We cut up 4 broccoli crowns, chopped an onion and 4 cloves of garlic. Sauteed the garlic and onions in olive oil for 3-4 minutes then added the broccoli and about 1/2 to 1 cup of red wine- cooked until broccoli was soft. Added a large can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato sauce along with the sausage and cooked until heated through. Added some corn starch to thicken the sauce, garlic powder, basil and Italian seasoning to taste and served over a box and a quarter of penne pasta to feed 8 of us on Snow day!
If I had it to do over, I would probably use about half the broccoli and substitute some mushrooms, tomatoes, squash or something with less volume. It could have done with a small can of tomato paste, or maybe another can of tomato sauce. Overall it was a delicious lunch, and a great use of a snow day!
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