Stewed Mexican Chicken

Over ten years ago, I shared a recipe for Chicken Taco Filling that is super easy to make in the slow cooker.  Last year, in conjunction with the slow cooker baked potatoes, I tried a new variation on this to have a heartier version of this dish.  I loved how it came together and worked with the baked potato.  This would also be great over rice or as a quesadilla filling.

Ingredients (makes 5-7 portions):
2 tbsp Dried minced onions
2 1/2 lbs Frozen boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 Red pepper, diced
1 Green pepper, diced
2 Yellow onions (small), diced (or one medium)
2 packages Taco seasoning mix (low sodium if you have it) - (1.25 oz)
28oz can Petite diced tomatoes (with added flavors if you like), undrained
1 cup Broth (chicken or vegetable)

Directions

1. Place dried minced onions, frozen chicken, red peppers, green peppers and onion in the slow cooker (in that order).
2. Sprinkle the taco mix on top and then add the petite diced tomatoes (with liquid) and broth.  Try to cover all the taco mix.
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
4. When done, take two forks and shred the chicken and mix into the sauce. You can let it cook for an additional half our or so (but it is not necessary).

Enjoy - especially on a baked potato!

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

Long time coming to post this recipe.  Every so often, I find myself at a restaurant and I order a baked potato.  I love them, but the time involved in cooking them can be tricky when you start doing meal prep late in the day!  So I was poking around the web looking for a few alternatives to baking potatoes and I found a few references to how to cook them in the slow cooker.  Sounds like a plan.  I read a bit and came up with this recipe that is super easy to do and they come out tasting great.  You do not get that crunchy skin that you get when they are cooked in the oven, but everything else is fantastic.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 Russet Potatoes (large)
Olive oil spray
1 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
3/4 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions

1. Scrub the potatoes well and then pierce them 10-12 times with a sharp knife.
2. Cut off four sheets of aluminum foil, each around 1 foot long.
3. Place one potato on the foil and spray with olive oil until all sides have a light coating.  Add a pinch of Kosher salt and pepper and wrap the foil tightly around the potato.  Repeat for the other three potatoes.
4. Place in a slow cooker and set on low.  Cook for 8-10 hours.

Enjoy!

Fried Capers

Pam first noticed fried capers on salads at a favorite local restaurant we frequent.  So I poked around and found a number of different variations.  A nice one I found was from Food & Style. I thought I would play with them and make one for a salad we are having tonight.  These turn out amazing and they give you a really nice flavor for salads or other dishes.  They are also very easy to make!

Ingredients (serves 3-4 on salads)

1 tbsp Cornmeal
1/4 tsp Onion powder
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Black Pepper (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup Small capers
1 tbsp Olive oil

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the cornmeal, onion powder, oregano and black pepper.
2. Drain the capers in a sieve.  Then add the capers to the cornmeal mixture and mix with a fork until the capers are coated.  Placed the capers back into the sieve and shake to remove the excess cornmeal mix.
3. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a pan and place it over medium-high heat.  When the oil is heated, add the capers and shake the pan until they are in one layer.  Lower to medium heat and saute for 3 minutes undisturbed.  Mix the capers and saute for another 2 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl (leaving any oil in the pan).
4. You can let the capers sit for up to a few hours.

Enjoy!

Christmas Quiche

If you have a bunch that you need to bring a dish to - I think I have a good suggestion!  I adapted this recipe from my Spinach and Mushroom Quiche that I have been making for a while.  We wanted something else for a holiday gathering and with Jeremy's help, we came up with this new quiche.  It was going to be called a Western Quiche based on the fact that it was similar to a Western Omelette.  But in the end, I think I will call it as Christmas Quiche, because it has green and red peppers.  This naming comes from Mexican cooking (I think) as it has both red and green peppers in it.  Regardless of how it is named, it is really nice to have another quiche to cook.  This is great for brunch or any meal and we will definitely make it again.

Ingredients (serves 4-5)
1 Frozen deep dish pie crust
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 cup Green pepper, diced
1 cup Red pepper, diced
1 small Yellow onion, diced
8 oz Ham, diced
1 1/4 cup Skim milk
6 Large eggs
1 1/4 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Directions
1. Bake pie crust per directions.  Then change the temperature to 400°F for the quiche.
2. In non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoon olive oil and cook peppers and onions for around 5 minutes.  Add ham to saute pan and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, add ham mixture with skim milk, eggs, cheese, black pepper and salt until well blended.
4. Place the pie crust on a Jelly Roll pan.  Pour vegetable mixture into deep dish pie crust.  Bake quiche 45-50 minutes until filling and crust are golden and knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Let sit 5 minutes and then serve.

Enjoy!

Almond Joy Cookies

When you see someone of facebook sharing a cookie recipe - it is typically one of the easy ones.  In fact, the lasted trend are the video recipes - making a good looking dish super easy to make.  Thus is the case for these really easy and tasty cookies that we are calling Almond Joy cookies.  There are a bunch of variations on the web for these Macaroon-like cookies.  They make a great addition to any holiday tray - or for a cold winter's day when you do not want to leave the house.  They are super easy, super tasty and super....well, maybe not super healthy.  I guess just don't have them as a meal replacement!

We made these a bit big - but just as tasty!

Ingredients (makes around 20-24 cookies)
14 oz bag Sweetened coconut flakes
2 cups (or 12 oz bag) Semi-sweet chocolate chios
3/4 cup Slivered almonds
1/4 tsp Sea salt
14 oz can Sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Place parchment paper on two cookie sheets
3. Combined all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Using a small cookie scoop or large spoon, place balls of the mixture on the parchment paper.  They should be around 1 1/2-2 inches round (or 4-5cm).
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes until brown.
6. Cool on the baking sheets.

Enjoy!

Noodles with Tofu and Black Bean Sauce

I wanted to try some Asian cooking with black bean sauce.  Before you tell me I need to make the black bean sauce from scratch, I will get to that someday.  In the meanwhile, I wanted to make a dish with noddles and tofu with black bean sauce.  I tweaked the recipe that I called Thai Sober Noodles for this dish and I think it came out great.  I hope that I will play with this in the future.  I loved the way it came out and the way it reheated for lunches.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 tbsp Soy sauce, divided
2 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Sesame oil
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
2 tsp Garlic, chopped (or 2 cloves)
1 tsp Ginger, minced
16oz Tofu (extra-firm), drained and cut into 1 inch cubes
8oz Rice Noodles (large size - though it is not that critical)
1 tbsp Olive oil
3 tbsp Canola oil
1 Yellow onion, diced
1 Red bell pepper, diced
2 Crowns broccoli, trimmed into florets
1 bunch Basil, cut into strips (around a 1/2 cup)
3 tbsp Black bean sauce
1/2 cup Vegetable or chicken broth

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, Chinese five spice, garlic and ginger.  Add the drained and cut tofu.  Marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add rice noodles and submerge in the boiling water. Remove from heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. After 10 minutes, drain.
3. Add 1 tbsp canola oil to a non-stick wok or large saute pan over high heat.  Add tofu with marinade to the wok and cook for around 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Remove from pan and keep warm under foil.
4. Lower heat to medium-high and add 1 tbsp canola oil.  Add onion and bell pepper.  Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add 1 tbsp canola oil and broccoli.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. Add basil and black bean sauce.  Cook for 1 minute.
7. Add the broth and the cooked noodles to the pan.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.
8. Return the cooked tofu to the pan and mix thoroughly.  Once mixed, remove from heat.

Enjoy!

Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Sauce

After the holidays, we did an inventory of the baking ingredients that we had in the house. Not sure how it happened, but we had an extra bag of shredded coconut. So this all got me thinking about something I had long wanted to try - coconut shrimp.  So when you get this at a restaurant, you will normally have something that is deep fried.  So I was really excited when I found a recipe for coconut shrimp from my favorite magazine and cooking site - Eating Well.  I also had a jar of apricot preserves for the longest time - so I wanted to find a sauce that would use this as a base.  This is not really super healthy, but you do not have a ton with the shrimp.  What you see in the picture is a double batch of sauce.  I did find a great recipe to be the inspiration for the sauce from the Simply, Sweet and Savory blog.

This was, simply put, fantastic!  Now while it would go well as an appetizer, it was practically our meal on Oscar night.  I will definitely be making this again as it was fantastic.  I love the idea that this is just as delicious as what I get in restaurants, but a bit healthier.

Ingredients (six portions for appetizers or 3-4 portions for main entree)

Apricot Sauce:

1/2 cup Apricot preserves
1 tsp (or cloves) Garlic, minced
2 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Brown sugar
2 tbsp Water

Coconut Shrimp:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 lbs Shrimp (raw - 21-25 count per pound)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.  Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or coat with cooking spray. 

2. Combine all sauce ingredients (apricot preserves, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and water) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 12-15 minutes.

3. In one dish, whisk flour, paprika, cinnamon, and garlic powder. In a second dish, beat eggs. In a third dish, combine coconut and kosher salt.

4. Peel shrimp, leaving the tails on. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting halfway through the back, stopping at the tail. Holding the shrimp by the tail, dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture.  Then dip the shrimp in the egg and then coat with coconut. Stand the shrimp tail-up on the prepared baking sheet. Discard any unused dipping mixtures.

5. Bake the shrimp until the coating starts to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Scaloppine with Roasted Vegetables

I found a great recipe from Cooking Light for Chicken Scaloppine over Broccoli Rabe. I waned to play with this a bit to add more veggies and create a dish that would not need a starch as a side. I think that we really came up with something really good here. The chicken tasted fantastic and I love the roasted broccoli and mushrooms. It was very filling.  Furthermore, it reheated beautifully for lunch the following day.  I think this is going to be a regular at our house.

Ingredients (serves 2-3)
3 tbsp Olive oil, divided
2 Broccoli crowns, trimmed to florets

12 oz Mushrooms, stems trimmed

20-24 Kalamata olives, pitted

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp Black pepper, divided

1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets, cut in half and pounded thin (around 1/4")
1/4 cup Dry white wine or cooking white wine
1/4 cup Chicken broth
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Butter
2 tsp Parsley, dried

1 tbsp Capers, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add 2 tbsp olive oil, broccoli florets, mushrooms, olives, kosher salt, oregano and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Mix gently until the vegetables are coated with oil.  Place vegetable mixture in a jelly roll pan or a baking pan with a lip.  
3. Roast in oven for 24-26 minutes, stirring half-way through.
4. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture.
5. Around the halfway mark of the roasted vegetables, heat the remaining tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.  
6. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm under foil.
7. In the same pan, add wine, broth, lemon juice, butter, dried parsley and capers.  Lower heat to medium and scrape the pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 3 minutes until it creates a nice sauce.  

Enjoy chicken with roasted vegetables with sauce on each portion.

Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Browsing a recent issue of Cooking Light (my favorite cooking mag), I stumbled across this recipe for a healthier cookie (Crunchy-Chewy Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies).  I played with the recipe a bit and LOVED the way it came out.  We have been really smitten (as so many people are) with having sea salt added to cookies.  At our local grocery store, they make this amazing cookies with sea salt and caramel.  Funny story - we were shopping there one night when a fellow shopper (and older woman) came over to us and told us that we HAD to try these cookies.  As they often do at Busch's in Saline - they have samples out.  Well she practically forced us to try the cookie.  Well, it was love at first bite (as they say).  The cookies were simply put - the best I have ever had.  Healthy?  Probably not.  So that put us on an Odyssey to find a good alternative that we can make at home.  And boy did we find one.  I played with the recipe for the first go around.  I will play more over the coming months - but this is definitely a keeper.  These cookies came out great.  And are they healthy?  Well, they are healthier than the ones we find out and about.  Baby steps....

Ingredients (makes 36-38 cookies)

1 cup Light brown sugar (packed)
4 tbsp Canola oil
8 tbsp Butter, softened
2 tbsp Honey
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 Egg (large)
2 cups plus 2 tbsp Whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp Baking soda
3/8 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup Shredded coconut, packed
1/2 tsp Coarse sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a stand mixer, place the brown sugar, oil and butter in the bowl.  Beat at medium speed until  blended. Add honey, vanilla, and egg and mix until well combined.
3. In another mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until almost combined. Add chocolate chips and shredded coconut  until combined.
4. Spoon dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets (12-14 cookies per sheet).  Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt over each cookie (lots will end up on the baking sheet).  Bake in batches at 375° for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on pan 3 minutes, then move to a  wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!  BTW - These are so good that we needed protection from eating them all...

Asian Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Made this great dish tonight as part of our lower-carb diet.  I have always wanted to try some lettuce wraps and I found this recipe from Busch's Market in the Ann Arbor area. They have wonderful recipe cards (and they used to have them online also - but on the new website the links appear to be broken).  Anyway, I love the way this turned out. It takes a little time to get everything prepped, but once you get going, the food cooks very quickly.  You can have it over rice or with regular tortillas.  The filling tastes great and I love it with the lettuce wraps!

Ingredients (serves 2-3)

1 tbsp Lime juice
1/4 tsp Cornstarch
2 tsp Sesame oil
2 tsp Garlic, minced
1 pound 41-50 count peeled and deveined
8 oz White mushrooms, stems trimmed, then quartered.
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 can (8 oz.) Water chestnuts, cut into strips
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
2 tsp Rice vinegar
12 Boston or iceberg lettuce leaves

Directions

1. In small bowl, whisk together lime juice and cornstarch. Set aside.

2. In large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and soy sauce, then cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir lime juice mixture into skillet and cook 30 seconds.

4, Stir in water chestnuts, hoisin sauce and rice vinegar. Cook for about 1 minute until sauce is bubbling. Then remove from heat.

5. Spoon the shrimp mixture into the lettuce leaves.

Enjoy!

Chicken & Chickpea Stew

I found this great new recipe from Eating Well for Middle Eastern Chicken & Chickpea Stew.  I was actually in the waiting area for my annual checkup when I found this recipe (not sure where my copy is at home).  This looked like a great recipe and one that would be fantastic for the new year.  I played with this a bit and added some more veggies so I could eat it all by itself.  If you wanted to serve this with rice or another grain, I think it would be perfect.  I love a chicken stew and this was fantastic.  I except it will be great for lunches as well!

Ingredients (4-5 servings)

1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tbsp Olive oil
10-12 Kalamata olives, pitted
1 tbsp Capers, drained
1 Yellow onion (medium), chopped
1 Green pepper, diced
1 14-ounce can Petite diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can Chickpeas, rinsed
1/3 cup Chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 tbsp Parsley, dried

Directions

1. Whisk garlic, kosher salt, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and black pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and let marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. 
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olives, capers, onion and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for 6 to 8 minutes. 
3. Add chicken with marinade to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, chickpeas, broth and dried parsley and mix until well blended.
4. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes more, stirring once or twice.

Enjoy!

Coconut Almond Biscotti

As you may know, I LOVE biscotti.  And over the past few years, I have shared a number of recipes that I have used over and over again for this wonderful treat (see the biscotti recipes on my blog).  I have been wanted to add some more biscotti recipes to my repertoire.  On of the motivating factors for finding this one was an extra bag of coconut that we had in the house after the holidays.  What to make???  Well, I found this great recipe on Cooking Light for coconut biscotti and I want to give it a whirl.  I also had some almond meal in my house (which is essentially ground almonds - and sometimes called almond flour) that I wanted to use.  So using a light recipe, I played with it a bit and I created a new recipe for coconut almond biscotti.  I think because you use so much coconut, that you can really pull back the butter.  I am not sure of the calories here - but I think (emphasis on think) that this is really not that bad.  So if you have to have biscotti - I think this is a potentially low-calorie and somewhat better than your run of the mill biscotti that you will find.  For me, I loved it and it is a keeper for sure!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Flour (plus some for making the cookie log)
1/2 cup Almond meal (or almond flour)
1 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tbsp Butter
2 large Eggs
1 cup Flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup Chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°.

2. Add flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.

3. Add sugar, vanilla extract, butter and eggs in a large mixing bowl or mixer.  Beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes.

4. Add the flour mixture, coconut and chocolate chips to the sugar mixture.  Mix until well blended (should happen in under a minute.

5. On a floured surface, mold the dough into a log around 15" long and no more than 1" high.  Move to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

6. Bake at 300° for 40 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes.

7. Cut roll diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Stand slices upright on baking sheet with at least 1/2 inch between them.  Bake for 20 minutes and then let them cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Simple Chicken and Mushrooms

It is nice to have a recipe that can come together quickly when you are tired or are just not in the mood for something complicated.  This is normally when you go out or get food to go.  But since you almost always do better at home, it is good to have some easy recipes with food that you are likely to have in your house.  So if you are debating what to do for dinner - you might be 45 minutes away from this meal.  Add some rice to go with this and you have a very satisfying meal.  I found this recipe for chicken and mushrooms from Martha Stewart for a simple chicken and mushroom dish. I want to play with this a bit more, but I really liked this and thought it made a really nice dinner.

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

1/4 cup Flour
3 Chicken breasts, trimmed and cut in half
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
2 tbsp Olive oil, divided
2 tbsp Butter
12 oz Mushrooms, trimmed and cut in half (white mushrooms work well)
1 tsp Thyme, dried
1/4 cup White wine
1/2 cup Chicken broth
1 tbsp Parsley, dried

Directions

1. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper, then coat with flour, shaking off excess.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and butter over medium-high. Cook chicken for 4 minutes, then turn for 3 minutes (until browned). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Add mushrooms and thyme and cook for 4-5 minutes.

4. Add wine, broth and parsley and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly. Return chicken to pan to mix with mushrooms and sauce.

Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts

I never thought I would be a fan of brussels sprouts.  As a kid, these would be steamed, bland, healthy and well, very hard to eat!  But more and more over the past 20 years, chefs have done a great job of making these once feared veggies into a real treat.  The trick for most of these methods of cooking is adding bacon or deep frying.  I did not want to try this...I want to try to do this a bit on the healthy side...and I like how this came out.

I pieced this together from a number of recipes I found on the web.  I triangulated them and it make a great dish that was tasty and healthier (I am pretty sure) than many that I found on the web and in cookbooks.  This was a very simple dish to make (which is always nice).  Enjoy this as a side dish.

Ingredients (serves 4-5 as a side)

1 lbs Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1 tbsp & 1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/3 cup Walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, add brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper.  Add to a roasting pan or cookie sheet (with rim).  Spread out in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the oven.  Add walnuts and mix thoroughly.  Return to the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Corey's Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

When Pam and I went out to California, we stayed at a hotel in Capistrano Beach, near Dana Point, California.  The closest restaurant to the hotel was Agostino's Ristorante Italiano (or Agostino's By The Sea).  The restaurant is right on the Pacific Coast Highway and we ate outside over the highway - but more importantly with a great view of the Pacific Ocean.  Sure, we heard the cars - but we also heard the waves crashing along the shore of Doheny State Beach.  It was a wonderful place for a meal.  And while we had a great location, the food was fantastic.  They had a special menu item for an appetizer - Sauteed Mushrooms (which inspired the recipe I put on my blog earlier).  The other menu item we ordered both times at Agostino's was equally good.  We split one order of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca.  That was fantastic and we were so happy to make this dish at home.  This will be a staple at our house for sure!

The origin of the name for Pasta alla Puttanesca could be taken in a few different directions.  I will go with the PG version - and refer to the notion that you can make this great dish with what you probably have in the house.  So all that being said, it is sometimes referred to as "garbage" pasta - where you throw in everything you have to make a dish.  Regardless, it is a fantastic dish and it can easily be made with pantry items you probably already have in your house.  Once again, we are so glad we ate at Agostino's and so glad we have this new recipe.

Ingredients (served 4-5)
1 box (12-14oz) Pasta
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion (small), chopped
1 Shallot, chopped
4 cloves (or tsp) Chopped garlic
2 oz can Anchovies, oil mostly drained
1 tbsp Parsley, dried
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)
1 tsp Oregano, dried
1/2 tsp Basil, dried
2 tbsp Capers, drained and rinced
2/3 cup Kalamata olives, cut in half
28 oz can Crushed tomatoes

Directions
1. Prepare pasta as directed.
2. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add onion, shallot and cook for 6-8 minutes.
4. Add garlic, and anchovies and cook for 2 minutes.  Break up the anchovies as you saute.
5. Add remaining ingredients to the saute pan (parsley kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, capers, kalamata olives and crushed tomatoes).  Lower the heat to medium-low, cover with lid and cook for 23-25 minutes.
6. Mix with cooked pasta and serve.

Enjoy!

Brown Rice and Quinoa

In an effort to eat better in the new year, I want to have better sides with my meals. One of the things that I wanted was to get more quinoa into my diet. I wanted to mix it with brown rice to make a side dish that Pam would like (she does not love quinoa on its own). I found a recipe for Basic Brown Rice and Quinoa from the Chicago Tribune and I tweaked it with some great suggestions that I received at a great cooking demonstration at my work (the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan). They showed some great tricks with quinoa that I wanted to try. The chef also encouraged us to use more cinnamon and nutmeg for their health benefits. So I pulled it all together and made this great side dish. This will definitely be a regular in our house.

Ingredients (Serves 5-6)

1 1/3 cups Brown rice

2/3 cup Quinoa (rinsed and drained)

1 1/2 cups Water
1 cup Broth (vegetable or chicken)

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp Black pepper

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1 cup Baby spinach, chopped (about one big handful)

Directions

1. Add rice, quinoa, water, broth, Kosher salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a pot. 2. Heat to boil. Cover pot and lower heat to a simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Add the spinach and mix thoroughly. Replace the cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chili-Cornbread Casserole

Watching Good Morning America over the holidays, I saw this recipe from Country Music Star Trisha Yearwood. The recipe was for Trisha Yearwood's Cornbread-Chili Casserole.  The recipe is found in her cookbook - "Trisha's Table: My Feel-Good Favorites for a Balanced by Trisha Yearwood." (use link to find it at a local library near you.  It looked great - but I wanted to play with it a bit.  I tried to 'health' it up by adding some beans and using ground sirloin.  It was fantastic and a perfect comfort food meal for cold weather.  This also seems great for big family meals or dishes that you can pass at a potluck.  For the record, it reheated great for lunches and, if you like it, is great with hot sauce.

Ingredients (Serves 5-8)
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 tsp Garlic, chopped (or cloves)
1 lbs Ground sirloin
2 cups Salsa (16 oz container)
1 15 oz can, Red or kidney beans, drained
1/3 cup Vegetable (or beef) stock
1 tbsp Chili powder
2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 8.5 oz box cornbread muffin mix
1/2 cup Skim milk
1 14-15 oz can Creamed corn
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (adjust to taste)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, then saute until soft, around 6-7 minutes. Add the ground beef to the skillet, and cook until brown, 7-9 minutes. Drain any excess fat and remove from heat. Stir in the salsa, kidney beans, vegetable stock, chili powder, cumin, Kosher salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
3. Mix the corn muffin mix with 1/2 cup skim milk and can of creamed corn. Mix until blended. Spread it over the chili mixture evenly. 
4. Bake until browned on top, 30-32 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cheddar cheese atop the casserole. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the casserole to set and the cheese to melt. 

Enjoy!