Friends Food Family

Spice-Rubbed Turkey Tenderloin with Raspberry Shallot Chutney

Do you ever go to the supermarket and think, what am I going to make for dinner this week? There are many times I arrive at the store, walk through the meat section and think, I don't want chicken, we had pork last week, and I'm so done with hamburger. This week, as I wandered the aisle, I came upon some turkey tenderloins. We make quite a few turkey cutlet recipes, but tenderloins offered something new. 

On Wednesday night, turkey tenderloins became my meal challenge. Since we make pork tenderloins quite often, I figured I would need a good rub and a sauce or dressing once it was cooked. My friend, Sharon, visited and dropped off a quart-size container of fresh raspberries, picked from her mom's garden. A-ha, here was my sauce base. I found a recipe for a Blackberry Shallot Chutney and changed it quite a bit. I added raspberries (and lots of them), flavored balsamic and chicken broth. This was a recipe that I had great success with because not only did we eat it with the turkey tenderloins, but later in the week, we fought over it for grilled chicken. I think I won getting an additional spoonful for my dish!

That's one of the problems with making one dish wonders. Everyone loves them, we fight over leftovers and then very rarely will we make the dish again. Since we began this blog, 5-1/2 years ago, we have made over 2000 different recipes, yet, we have only written about a quarter of them. Sometimes we don't get a picture or the dish was just OK. I'm trying very hard to capture more pictures and get a few more recipes out to you.

Back to the tenderloins - for mixing two very different recipes, we ended up with a fantastic meal. The rub for the turkey looked simple and flavorful. I love what we call "sweet heat". It's that wonderful flavor that starts sweet and ends with a bit of a burn. Nice, warm and spicy. The Raspberry Shallot Chutney seemed appetizing with a bit of fruity sourness that goes perfect with a spicy rub. You can have some fun with the chutney adding blackberries and sage instead of raspberries and thyme. Blueberries with fresh rosemary could be good, too. 

The preparation was easy and I liked the spicy rub ingredients so much that I actually made another batch of the spice and keep it handy as a quick pork or chicken rub. While Jeff was cooking the turkey tenderloins on the grill, I made the raspberry shallot chutney. As the chutney reduced, I had the rice pilaf cooking and when Jeff brought the tenderloins in to rest, everything was basically done.

If you are looking for an easy summer meal, with great flavors, this is a dish you should try. It also gives you the opportunity to cook with turkey tenderloins, if it's not something you eat on a regular basis.

And, try not to fight over the Raspberry Shallot Chutney!

Spiced Rubbed Grilled Turkey Tenderloin from Southern Living

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds of turkey tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Spice-Rub Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon of ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon of coriander

Preparation:

1. Preheat grill to medium high - 350 to 400 degrees.

2. Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together to make the rub.

3. Brush the tenderloins with olive oil and then generously sprinkle the spiced rub all over the tenderloins.

4. Place tenderloins on the grill and cook for 10 minutes on each side or until a thermometer, in the thickest portion, registers 165 degrees.

5. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5-7 minutes, cut into slices and serve with the Raspberry Shallot Chutney.

Raspberry Shallot Chutney 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 shallots, quartered
• 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, chopped
• 3/4 cup of chicken broth
• 2 cups of fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup of dried cranberries or cherries
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of flavored balsamic vinegar, we used lemon balsamic*
• salt to taste

*if you don't have flavored balsamic vinegar, regular will do

Preparation:

1. Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil.

2. Once olive oil is heated, add shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened.

3. Add thyme and cook for 30 seconds, add the chicken broth, fresh raspberries, dried cranberries, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar.

4. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the mixture reduces and becomes slightly thickened.

5. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with turkey tenderloin.

Serves 4

Grilled Pork Chops with Balsamic Figs

This year for Mother's Day, Jeff's daughter, Kristen, gave me a cookbook called Summer Food by Paul Lowe, Nina Dreyer Hensley and Jim Hensley. It is such a great recipe book because it uses, for the most part, summer fruits and vegetables. That is perfect for me since walking out to our garden and picking the ingredients for the recipe is so easy. 

During the winter, Jeff and I look up recipes before we head to the grocery store so we can plan our meals for the week. We, like many people, suffer from the "what are we having for dinner tonight? I don't care, whatever you want" syndrome. It takes the stress out of deciding what to make when we get home after a long day.

I pulled out the Summer Food cookbook and looked at a few of the recipes - BBQ Chicken looked tasty as did the Grilled Greek Kebab, but then I saw the Pork Chops with Balsamic Figs. Ah, my weakness...FIGS. I have never been one to eat fresh figs, but I LOVE them. Fig Newtons, Fig Squares, Fig and Arugula Pizza, Fig Jam, Fig Sauces...I think you get it. So, I picked that recipe along with another for a spicy hamburger.

Off to the grocery store and when I got home I realized I bought dried figs instead of fresh. Truthfully, the dried figs worked fine. It also called for balsamic vinegar but we were out so I went to our flavored balsamic vinegars. The peach flavored vinegar paired well with the figs. With four ingredients the figs were cooked, within 10 minutes, and ready to go.

So, I have to tell you, the figs were DELICIOUS! They were so good, I am planning to use this same recipe to create a jam to spread on one of our favorite fig, goat cheese and prosciutto pizza. You could actually use this as a topping on ice cream...that's how good it was. Oh, and the pork chops paired perfectly.

If you are someone who likes a sweet sauce with your pork chops, this combination is delicious. Easy and light, it's perfect summer dish. 

Grilled Pork Chops with Balsamic Figs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, we used a peach flavored balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 10 dried figs, cut in half
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 large pork chops, it calls for boneless, but we used bone in
• olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper for taste

Preparation:

1. Light your grill and get it ready for the pork chops.

2. In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil.

3. Then add the figs and bay leaf. reduce heat to medium low. Stir occasionally until the mixture reduces and has a thick consistency, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Rub the 4 pork chops with olive oil. Season with the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

5. Place pork chops in center of hot grill and cook 4-5 minutes on each side. Pork temperature should be 140 degrees.

6. Remove from grill, transfer to plates and serve with the balsamic figs.

Serves 4.

Side note: You can grill nectarines and peaches so easily.

1. Cut fruit, brush lightly with oil so they won't stick to the grill.

2. Cook for 3-5 minutes. 

3. Remove from grill and add some flavor with honey, balsamic vinegar, walnuts and/or goat cheese.

Our nectarines have a drizzle of honey and balsamic vinegar.

Fettuccine with Chicken, Spinach and Feta

Fettuccine with Chicken, Spinach and Feta 

Over the past few months, Jeff and I have been in empty nest mode again. As much as we have 6 children, 4 live out on their own between Foxboro and Quincy, MA, Niantic, CT and Arlington, VA and the other two are in college. Of the two remaining, one goes to the University of Missouri and lives out in Columbia, MO year around, the other is at Emerson College about 40 minutes away. 

When the youngest goes back to Emerson, we only have the two of us and Jeff's mom, who lives next door. Getting use to cooking for three VS five to eight people (in the past) has been an adjustment to say the least. For a long time we would have enough leftovers for a second meal. When I say second meal, I mean 4+ servings.

This past summer, as much as we told ourselves we wouldn't buy any more cookbooks, Jeff started buying some one pan or one pot cookbooks. They have been wonderful because we can come home, make a quick dish and feed about 4 people. This is perfect, leaving one additional serving which is great for lunch during the week. 

This recipe of Fettuccine with Chicken, Spinach and Feta came from a cookbook called One Pan, Two Plates by Carla Snyder. It is a cookbook that has all its recipes based around one cast iron pan. We LOVE it. As much as I haven't reported on many of the recipes, I can say we have made at least 5-7 of them. Not only are the meals delicious, they are fairly easy and the ingredients are ones you will have in your kitchen. I like the cookbook so much that our three girls, and probably my son, are going to get a cast iron pan with the cookbook for Christmas (shhh...don't tell them!).

The other cookbooks we have been using are:

• One Good Dish - David Tanis
• Martha Stewart Living - One Pot
• Sunday Casseroles - Betty Rosbottom

I will be leaning on these books over the next few blog articles. They might be worth investing in, especially if you are looking for easy, delicious dishes.

OK, back to the recipe. The Fettuccine with Chicken, Spinach and Feta was delicious. I will tell you, I had reservations about the dish when we were making it. I was afraid it was going to be bland. The feta and lemon juice do a wonderful job of flavoring the dish. As I was finishing the last few strands of fettuccine, I thought, we definitely need to put this on the "repeat this recipe" list. Having a blog and so many cookbooks, we tend to make one dish and then never make it again. Not because we don't like it, it's just that we like to try different dishes. We do have our standard "go-to" recipes but that list is short.

If you are looking for a very easy, very tasty recipe for lunch or dinner, I can guarantee your family, friends and/or guests will enjoy this dish. 

Do you have a favorite one pot dish or casserole that your family enjoys? Send me the recipe! We would love to try it out.

Ingredients for Fettuccine with Chicken, Spinach and Feta from One Pan, Two Dishes

• 10 ounces of fresh linguine or fettuccine 
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 - 5 ounce bag of baby spinach
• 1 cup of feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup of lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes, optional

Preparation:

1. In a large stock pot, add water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to boil and cook pasta according to the directions. You want to cook the pasta to "al dente". Before draining, save 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta, run through cold water to stop the pasta from cooking, put the pasta water and pasta aside.

2. In a large skillet, or your cast iron pan, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil once the pan is hot. Add the onions and saute until the onions begin to soften - about 2 minutes.

3. Add the chicken and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a sprinkle of pepper. Saute until the chicken is almost cooked (about 3-4 minutes) and add about 1/4 cup of pasta water to scape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the spinach, stirring and tossing until the leaves are wilted. 

5. Add the pasta to the pan with the 1/4 cup of pasta water, the feta cheese and the lemon juice. Stir until the feta begins to melt a bit. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Add a few red pepper flakes if you enjoy a bit of heat to your pasta. We added about a 1/4 teaspoon.

This recipe will serve 2-3 people.

Tricia White

Fresh from the Garden - Basil, Shrimp and Zucchini with Pasta

Ah, there is nothing better than fresh zucchini from your garden: fresh zucchini, fresh tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, kale and cucumbers. Summer is definitely our favorite time of the year. With our gardens in full bloom, we love picking fruits and vegetables just prior to making a recipe. You can't beat the flavor. That's probably why I can only eat certain fruits and vegetables during the summer. The thought of eating a cherry tomato in mid-January makes me quiver. Having your own garden really does spoils you.

Last week, it was extremely hot and sunny; just enough to get our garden in full bloom. The zucchini and squash had lots of flowers and by the end of the week we had our first pickings. With two good sized zucchini, Jeff was looking for a recipe that was light and easy. He stumbled upon this recipe called Basil, Shrimp and Zucchini Pasta at Eating Well. It had minimal ingredients and the ability to adapt more vegetables in the future. 

As we get more and more vegetables from our garden, we are always looking for easy recipes that we can make as well as share with family and friends. With six kids, grown and out of the house, we like sharing produce with them, but sometimes the question is, "Do you have a recipe for this?" Or, "What can I make with this?" It's always nice to say, "If you have a box of pasta and some frozen shrimp, you are all set!"

After peeling the shrimp the recipe became very simple. Within 30 minutes, we were sitting down, enjoying this delicious dish. I love when we have fresh vegetables as well as fresh herbs, it makes the recipe come alive. The Basil, Shrimp and Zucchini was delicious. This recipe made enough for 4 humgry people. That means, we usually have atleast a serving left over. It was just as good the day after for lunch. 

Read through the recipe and see how easy it is...

Ingredients for Basil, Shrimp and Zucchini with Pasta:

In a large bowl, place all the ingredients and stir, covering the raw shrimp in the tomato mixture. Set aside.

• 1 pound of extra large, raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined (we used frozen shrimp)
• 1 cup of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (we used crushed)
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of chopped basil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

In a large pot, add water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and cook one pound of pasta according to the directions. This recipe calls for orrecchiette, but you can use any small pasta. 

Using 2 medium zucchini, quarter the zucchini and cut into 1/4 inch slices. 

In a large saute pan, over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the zucchini to the pan and saute for one minute. Add the shrimp mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes, watching as the shrimp gets pink. Add the drained, cooked pasta and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add:

1/4 cup of chopped basil

Grab some plates and delight your gfamily and friends with this amazing dish. As the summer continues, we are going to try and make this dish with fresh cherry tomatoes and summer sqaush. That's the nice thing about making recipes with a few ingredients. It allows you to add your creative cooking style. I'm sure a little bit of shallot, maybe some oregano or even feta cheese, can transform this dish into another great meal! 

What's in your garden?

Chicken Tenders with Chickpeas, Tomatoes and Smoked Paprika

Last week, both Jeff and I had late night commitments. It seemed like if we were home for dinner, it was so late we just wanted something easy...like soup. I got home first on Thursday and knew I had to do something with some chicken tenders I had bought earlier in the week. With a big can of chick peas sitting on the counter, I ran "chicken and chick pea recipes" on Google. I was looking for something interesting. I checked a few recipes and then found this one on Epicurious. I was supposed to use bone in chicken breasts but figured I could doctor this recipe a bit and still have a delicious meal. 

The recipe was called Roast Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes and Paprika. I think the thing that sold me was the smoked paprika and cumin. I knew it would have a bit of heat with a real smoky flavor. I also liked that there were only a few ingredients: chicken, tomatoes, chick peas, cumin, paprika, olive oil and cilantro. Pretty easy. But, I will admit, I wasn't paying attention to the order of putting everything together so I had a bit of a mess on my hands, but it still came out perfect.

I finally got everything into a 12 inch iron skillet and in 30 minutes, I had one of the best meals I have had in a while. It was hearty, yet not heavy and extremely flavorful. The chicken was so tender you could cut it with a fork and the chick peas and tomatoes were the perfect complement. Just a little bit of heat and a lot of depth in flavor.

If you are looking for a quick dish was amazing flavor, give this one dish wonder a try. You won't be disappointed.

Chicken Tenders with Chick Peas, Tomatoes and Smoked Paprika

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds of chicken tenders
• 2-15 ounce cans of chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 2-15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper for taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In large bowl mix the olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic with a pinch of salt. 

3. Add the chicken and mix.

4. Add the tomatoes, chick peas and 1/2 cup of cilantro and mix thoroughly.

5. Place mixture into an oven proof skillet.

6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. The mixture will be thick and bubbly, make sure the chicken is cooked through.

7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cilantro.

Enjoy!

Thyme-Rubbed Salmon with Roasted Cauliflower "Risotto"

Jeff has always enjoyed cooking in our extra large cast iron skillet. With 6 kids and in-laws next door, it has served its purpose. But as of late, the number of people eating at our house has diminished greatly. Last year, we went from having 5-6 people sitting around the kitchen island and eating dinner to 3 of us on a nightly basis. Kids have gone off to school or moved to apartments to create their own life experiences. 

When I arrived home the other day, there was a big heavy box at the door. Inside I would find a smaller cast iron frying pan with a cookbook called One Pan, Two Plates by Carla Snyder. Jeff had decided to get another frying pan so that we could make meals for the small audience of two. It's hard to get used to cooking for two people when for the past nine years we have cooked for groups of 6-8 on a regular basis. But, there are benefits to cooking big meals - you end up with additional meals that are great for lunch. 

We thumbed through the cookbook and decided to make the Thyme-Rubbed Salmon because it looked so easy with only 5 major ingredients: salmon, fresh thyme, shallots, cauliflower and heavy cream. It also had a quick prep and cook time. In 30 minutes, we could be done and enjoying our meal. After working long days and arriving home at 6 PM, it's nice to eat before 7 PM. 

As I patted down the salmon and rubbed it with thyme, I kept thinking, I hope this tastes good. There weren't a lot of ingredients or spices and I'm hungry. I chopped the shallots and cauliflower and heated the frying pan...here we go. Twenty minutes later, we had dinner in front of us and it was DELICIOUS! The salmon was moist and flavorful and the cauliflower was amazing, slightly creamy and melted in your mouth. I couldn't stop putting my fork back into the frying pan to eat a little more cauliflower.

Jeff and I were saying that some people may not like all the cream. Maybe, half cream and half chicken broth. I think there are some less fattening ways to make the dish, but right now...I like it as is!

If you are looking for some great one pan dishes for two, this is a perfect place to start. You'll probably see more of these dishes as we find new recipes to try. Maybe cooking for two isn't a bad thing!

Bon Appetit!

Thyme-Rubbed Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower "Risotto"

• (2) 6 ounce salmon fillets - skin removed (we left the bottom skin on)
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Pat the salmon with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the chopped thyme on the salmon. Set aside.

2. Heat a 12-inch (preferably cast iron) skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer and slightly smoke, add the fillets, skin side up if you didn't remove the skin. Cook for 3 minutes and turn for another 3 minutes. Make sure they have a golden crust. Remove from pan, put on a dish and cover loosely with foil. The salmon will not be completely cooked.

3. Add the shallots and cook for 30 seconds, add the cauliflower, mix well. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, some salt and pepper and toss. Now let the mixture cook for 3-4 minutes and let it begin to brown.

4. Turn the cauliflower and allow it to brown on the other side, another 3-4 minutes. Do not stir the mixture.

5. Add the heavy cream and stir. Once it is incorporated, place the salmon on top of the cauliflower mixture and cover. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the salmon is completely cooked.

6. Remove from heat and serve. Place the cauliflower on the plate, top with the salmon and add addition chopped thyme, if desired.

Enjoy!

Written by Tricia White

Quick and Easy Shrimp and Pasta in a Light Tomato Sauce

A quick and easy dinner of Shrimp and Pasta in a Light Tomato Sauce...and the story begins.

If you are anything like me, my days are long and a bit crazy. After meeting with people all day, I want to get home to some quite time and a home cooked meal. But, if you are the one who makes the meals at night, the first thing you get greeted with is, "What are we having for dinner?"

Last night, I got home and realized it was either leftovers or we would be ordering out. After spending 3 hours with my parents trying to set up their new wireless and e-mail systems, I just wanted to relax, have a glass of wine, c'mon it's Friday. I looked around the refrigerator and then opened the freezer and there was a bag of frozen shrimp. Well, I had a starting point. I looked back into the refrigerator and realized I didn't have any lemons, so no Shrimp Piccata. I went to the computer and tried looking up a shrimp and pasta recipe and stumbled upon this dish. It was from Taste of Home and it was called Italian Shrimp and Pasta Recipe. It was labeled as a light dish and sometimes it makes me wonder if it is light on flavor, too. The ingredient list was short, as was my patience to cook, so this recipe was a match made in heaven.

I chopped the garlic, drained the diced tomatoes, got out the herbs and I was ready to go. As I got the sauce cooking, the water was boiling for the pasta and before I knew it 30 minutes had gone by and I was ready for dinner. One of the quickest and easiest recipes I have enjoyed making. I am definitely putting this on my "keeper" list which means we may actually make this more than once.

We sat down and I couldn't wait to taste the dish, it looked and smelled delicious. The pasta was perfect, the tomato sauce had a great flavor, with some extra garlic and red pepper flakes and the shrimp was moist and delicious. It's amazing how good shrimp tastes when it is cooked n a tomato base and the red pepper flakes gave it a little kick!

I wanted to get this recipe out for you to enjoy because it was quick and easy and with the basic ingredients, you can put this together on any given, crazy day. Try this Shrimp and Pasta in a Light Tomato Sauce, the recipe will quickly become a family favorite.

Shrimp and Pasta in a Light Tomato Sauce (adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 - 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (or 2 - 14.5 ounce cans)

1/2 cup of chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon of dried basil

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/8-1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (depending on how you like your heat)

12 ounces of fettuccine or spaghetti

Preparation:

1. Over high heat, add water to a large pot with one teaspoon of salt, bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions. Cook to al dente.

2. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant.

3. Add the drained tomatoes, chicken broth, basil, oregano, pepper and crushed red pepper.

4. Bring to a slight boil and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

5. Add the shrimp to the tomato sauce mixture and cook until no longer pink, about 7 minutes.

6. Remove tomato and shrimp mixture from the heat and add the cooked pasta. Stir until well blended.

7. Serve and devour! Makes 4 servings.

Three Chimneys Inn - Lobster Mac 'n Cheese

Back a few months ago, I got my first taste of Lobster Mac and Cheese. We went out to celebrate our friends, Mitch and Sue's 30th wedding anniversary. As an appetizer, we ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese and it was delicious. Several week's later, my sister, Karen, my daughter, Danielle, and I met at the Fat Cat Restaurant in Quincy for some appetizers and a few drinks. The Fat Cat had been highlighted on one of the food networks for amazing Lobster Mac 'n Cheese. We knew we were definitely ordering some of that, once again it was amazing. 

Two week's ago I was food shopping and I love to pick up Hannaford's FRESH Magazine. They always have some good, local recipes that are seasonal to the food available in the region. For summer it's fresh fruits and vegetables as well as seafood, which for New England is lobster or correctly pronounced LOB-STAH. I noticed there was a recipe for Lobster Mac 'n Cheese from the Three Chimneys Inn in Durham, NH. Talk about perfect timing, we had just been at a Lobster Boil at Mitch and Sue's and they gave us some left-over lobster. Freshly boiled lobster and a really cheesy recipe, I was ready to go.

This recipe calls for four different types of cheese (Gouda, Provolone, Asiago and Sharp Cheddar) and then I added one of my own. With all the ingredients, I thought this recipe was going to be an ultra creamy recipe, but it really wasn't and I'll tell you why in a bit. It was fairly easy to put together and before I knew it, I was getting ready to place it in the oven. As an avid macaroni and cheese fan, I like something crunchy on the top. Whether crackers or bread crumbs...and yes, my mother occasionally put potato chip crumbs on top, I needed a topping. This was when I added the 5th and final cheese - Parmesan with a bit of Panko bread crumbs.

When the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese was done, I couldn't wait to dig in. This was when I noticed that it looked a bit dry. I was a bit disappointed thinking I may have cooked it too long. I was hoping for an amazing dish. I scooped out a portion and grabbed my fork. As I took a bite, it was AMAZING. The cheese was perfect, a little smoky and the flavors were rich. My next bite included the lobster, I began to understand why it wasn't as creamy. The taste of the lobster with the macaroni and cheeses was perfect, the cheeses didn't overpower the lobster, if anything it complemented the dish. This dish was delicious but it didn't last long. There were lots of second helpings leaving one dish left for lunch the following day.

I can't call this a New England Classic, but if you haven't tried Lobster Mac 'n Cheese, I suggest you put that on your tasting "bucket list". It's really a delicious twist on traditional mac 'n cheese. My suggestion, buy some lobsters and enjoy them, make sure you have some extra lobster meat so you can make the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese...you won't be disappointed.

Three Chimneys Inn Lobster Mac 'n Cheese:
1 pound of cavatappi, or other medium tubular pasta
1 cup of white wine, such as chardonnay
2 medium shallots, diced
1-1/2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of heavy cream
6 ounces of smoked gouda, shredded
6 ounces of provolone, shredded
4 ounces of Asiago cheese, shredded
4 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pound of cooked lobster meat, chopped (from about 4 pounds of lobsters)
1/4 cup of bread crumbs (we used Panko bread crumbs)
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded

salt, pepper and butter, to taste

Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a tablespoon of salt and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes, drain, and transfer to a large bowl to cool. Add one tablespoon of butter or olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter or vegetable cooking spray.

3. In a large saucepan, bring the white wine to a simmer, then add the shallots. Simmer over medium-low heat until shallots are tender and wine has reduced by two-thirds, about 20 minutes.

4. Sprinkle flour over the shallots and stir until the liquid is absorbed and the flour just begins to color slightly golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Using a hand whisk, add cream and heat over low heat until hot to the touch, stirring frequently to avoid sticking or burning. Be very careful not to let it boil, as the mixture may separate.

5. Gradually stir in the first four cheeses (Gouda, Provolone, Asiago and Cheddar) into the hot cream in four or five additions, stirring constantly with a slotted spoon and allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Continue until all the cheese has been incorporated and the mixture forms a smooth, thick sauce.

6. Pour sauce over the pasta and stir well to incorporate. Stir in the lobster meat. Spread the mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the mixture begins to bubble, about 15-20 minutes.

7. Mix together the Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs. Remove the foil and sprinkle the mixture on the dish. Continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The mixture will be slightly golden, but do not overbake. Let the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese rest for 5-10 minutes and then serve.

Oh, so good!

Shrimp with Snow Peas Stir Fry

Shrimp with Snow Peas Stir Fry

Oh, I love the summer! The garden is in full bloom and we are enjoying the benefits of lettuce, swiss chard, kale and snow peas. I think the toughest part about snow peas is not eating what you have picked before you get into the house.

Last week, we got to reap the benefits of the first large bowl of snow peas and sugar snap peas. With a bag of frozen shrimp defrosting, I knew I would be looking for a stir fry recipe for dinner. I kept looking for something with an orange glaze and was having no luck. I finally came across this great recipe from White on Rice Couple called Shrimp Stir Fry with Sugar Snap Peas. It had a wonderful glaze of soy sauce, honey, and lime juice along with fresh ginger and garlic. As I read the recipe, I could envision how good the dish would be. 

After peeling the shrimp, I had all the ingredients ready to go and in less than 15 minutes we had an amazing dinner. The shrimp and snow peas were delicious together. The glaze had big flavor with the fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce and lime, some great heat and freshness from the cilantro. As much as the original recipe called for pasta, I really liked how nicely the rice tasted with the glaze.

This is a great summer recipe which allows you to use fresh ingredients from the garden, perfect for any warm (or hot) evening. If you need to switch it up a bit, think about adding chicken instead of shrimp or add some baby carrots and/or baby corn for a little more flavor and color. 

I'm looking forward to sharing more recipes from our garden as our zucchini, summer squash and peppers are almost ready to be enjoyed, whether raw, sauteed, grilled or in our next summer recipe.

Do you have a garden favorite you'd like to share with us? We are always excited about recipe suggestions! 

Recipe for Shrimp and Snow Peas Stir Fry (Adapted from White on Rice Couple and Jamie's Food Revolution) 

4 tablespoons of soy sauce
the juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon of fresh lime rind
1 teaspoon of honey
2 teaspoons of sesame oil

1-1/2 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes

1 pound of large shrimp, shelled and de-veined (we used frozen)
2 cups of snow peas

1/2 fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 cups of white rice (cooked according to directions)

Preparation:
1. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, lime, lime rind, honey and sesame oil, put aside.
2. Begin cooking rice according to directions.
3. Over medium-high heat, add peanut oil and then quickly saute (about 1 minute) the ginger, pepper flakes and garlic.
4. Add the shrimp and cook on both sides until almost cooked through, then add the snow peas and the soy sauce mixture.
5. Saute until the peas are heated thoroughly, about 3 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
7. Serve immediately over rice.

Pasta with Lentils and Kale

Do you ever get home and wish there was something easy to cook? And everyone would like it? How about some Pasta with Lentils and Kale?

Back a few weeks ago, Jeff and I saw Gourmet's Pasta 103 Best Loved Recipes at the grocery store. As much as we tell ourselves we aren't going to buy any more magazine (or cookbooks), we always come home with something. I think what caught us was the simplicity of most of the meals. It had great soups, and pastas with cheese, vegetables, sauces, seafood and more. The Pasta with Lentils and Kale was the first dish we flipped to and with two of our (new) favorite ingredients, lentils and kale, we knew this book would be a hit. We always believe that if we buy a magazine or cookbook and make a few of the recipes, it is well worth the purchase. So far, we have made three dishes with another one coming this week. 

After both of us having long days at the office, it was nice to come home and have almost everything completed in less than an hour. This recipe can be made vegetarian style. The original recipe called for the lentils to be cooked in water. We like a bit of flavor with our lentils and cooked them in chicken broth.

The dish was delicious. The onions were caramelized and the lentils and kale were a perfect match for the pasta. Jeff and I were enjoying the dish and both agreed that a few pepper flakes would give this dish a nice kick. My middle son, Brian, was home from University of Missouri and proceeded to eat two bowls of the pasta, even though he was going out to dinner. Hopefully, he'll follow these directions and make this dish for his house mates.

This summer we will be planting kale and onions in our back garden. We can't wait to try this dish again with freshly picked ingredients. It should create an amazing summer favorite.

If you are in search of any easy meal or a side dish try this recipe, you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients for Pasta with Lentils and Kale: (Adapted from Gourmet)

1/2 cup of dried green lentils

2 cups of chicken stock

5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

12 ounces of kale, cut and discard center stems, coarsely chop

1 pound of penni, ziti or tubular pasta

1/4 teaspoon of pepper flakes (optional)

salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Place lentils and chicken broth in a medium pan and over medium heat, uncovered, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. Remove from heat.

2. In a heavy skillet, over medium-high heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, heating until it shimmers. Add onions and saute for 1 minute, adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

3. Reduce heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and slightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to medium until onions are golden brown about 5-10 minutes. 

4. In an 8 quart pot, bring water to boil with 1 teaspoon of salt and cook pasta according to directions. Seven minutes before the pasta is done, add the kale, boiling uncovered until pasta is al dente. 

5. Stir lentils, including the liquid, into the onions. If there isn't much liquid, add additional chicken stock (we added about 1/3 cup). Mix together for about 2-3 minutes, scrapping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. 

6. Before draining the pasta, save 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain pasta and kale, add to lentil and onions.

7. Stir the pasta and kale into the lentil mixture while cooking over medium heat. Toss to mix, adding 1/3 cup of pasta water (or more if needed). After 1 minute, remove pan from heat.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Serves 4-6 people.

Egg Noodles with Mushrooms, Marsala and Mascarpone Cheese

Last night, we prepared a very easy egg noodle and mushroom dish. Originally called Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Marsala and Mascarpone we were able to mix this dish together with a few different ingredients, that made it a dinner hit.

Every time we go to Jeff's office, we drive past a local Barnes & Noble Book Store. Jeff always laughs because in the year and a half he has been working in Braintree (MA), he has only been in there twice. Jeff is a dedicated reader and huge book fanatic, as our 4+ bookcases will prove, so it is funny that he is not there more often. Then again, downloading e-books is now more common than buying a book. 

We decided to stop in and wander. That is the beauty of a good book store...the ability to kill quite a bit of time just "looking". Of course, I head over to the cookbooks and Jeff looks at all the new releases, until I hear, "Come here for a minute." I stroll over and we proceed to thumb through a cookbook called Nigellissima from Nigella Lawson. (It has a great app for those with Apple devices) All we need to see is a few delicious recipes when the conversation turns to "Should we buy it? We have so many cookbooks. What's one more?"

Exactly, what's one more cookbook? To add to the many we have and use. One recipe that seemed interesting was a Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Marsala and Mascarpone. This would be an easy recipe for one of our crazy nights, defined by whoever gets home before 6 PM. We went to the market to get our ingredients, when we hit our first dilemma, they were out of dried Porcini mushrooms. We decided to go with dried Shiitake mushrooms instead. We also looked at the fettuccine and decided we wanted a bigger pasta noodle so we grabbed a bag of wide egg noodles.

I was the "chopper" so I was in charge of the garlic, parsley and mushrooms. While I was chopping the mushrooms, I was on the phone with my son, Michael. I wasn't paying attention and finely chopped the mushrooms. I thought it looked ok, Jeff was looking for a few larger mushroom pieces.

The dish was absolutely delicious. It had a smooth creamy flavor that wasn't heavy. The marsala wine with the mushrooms gave it an earthy flavor. I loved the wide noodles because they were easier to get on a fork and into my mouth. As much as I didn't want to eat seconds, I did grab a few additional noodles from the pan. Jeff loved this dish, though he would have liked to have seen larger mushroom pieces. 

If you are looking for an easy dinner recipe or a wonderful side dish to complement a chicken or beef dish, this is perfect...now, pass me another dish of Egg Noodles with Mushrooms, Marsala and Mascarpone Cheese.

Wide Egg Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms, Marsala and Mascarpone Cheese

Adapted from Nigella Lawson

Ingredients:

1 package (about 1 cup) of dried Shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup of Marsala wine

1/2 cup of water

1 cup of Mascarpone cheese (8 ounces)

1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped

1 - 16 ounce bag of egg noodles

2 tablespoons of butter

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 - 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

freshly grated nutmeg

ground pepper and kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Place Shiitake mushrooms, Marsala wine and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow mixture to boil, then remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.

2. Start boiling the water for the pasta, salt the water. Cook pasta according to directions. Save 1 cup of the liquid before draining.

3. Strain the mushrooms and save the liquid in a medium bowl. Finely chop half the mushrooms and loosely chop the remainder.

4. In the bowl with the mushroom liquid, add the Mascarpone cheese, 2-3 good grates of nutmeg (or 2 pinches of ground nutmeg) and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix until well incorporated.

5. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the Shiitake mushrooms and parsley and saute for 2-3 minutes so all ingredients are blended.

6. Add the cheese mixture and cook until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat.

7. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese and if the mixture is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta liquid. We used about 1/2 cup. 

Feeds 4 hungry people! 

Written by Tricia White

A Quick and Easy Turkey Tetrazzini - Great for Leftover Turkey!

It's been cold in New England and after a long day of work, we want to make something that is quick, delicious and in one dish. These "one dish wonders" are great for dinner and they are great crowd pleasers when you need a dish for a gathering or event. Our last post, Victory Casserole, was a wonderful example of a versatile one dish meal.

After Thanksgiving and Christmas, we had extra turkey which we used to make Turkey Pot Pie and Southwestern Turkey and Wild Rice Soup. As much as we have made Turkey Tetrazzini a few times, we couldn't get past how dry the tetrazzini became as it baked. There was either too much pasta or too little sauce. We decided to look for a new recipe and came across this one from Cook's Illustrated. It's was a delicious version of Turkey Tetrazzini which we now enjoy making. We especially love this recipe for three reasons:

1. The dish was very moist and flavorful (plenty of sauce). Many times there is too much pasta and not enough sauce, ending with a dry Turkey Tetrazzini.

2. It doesn't use cream, but it does use a bit of butter. It had lots of flavor without the heaviness.

3. The bread crumb topping was perfect to add flavor and keep the dish from drying out.

The Tetrazzini was amazing. The sherry and chicken stock complemented the turkey and mushrooms. It was creamy but not overly rich. You actually don't mind going for seconds...or packaging what's left for the following day. For me, I think it tastes better the second day!

I know that everyone struggles getting meals on the table during the week. An easy to make, one dish recipe makes life so much easier. If you don't have any turkey left-overs, a store bought rotisserie turkey breast can work just as well and within an hour you can have this dish in the oven baking with 15 minutes to spare. 

Ingredients for Turkey Tetrazzini (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

Topping

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
1-1/2 tablespoons of melted butter
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Filling
9 tablespoons of butter, plus extra for baking dish
8 ounces of white mushrooms, sliced thin
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3/4 pound of spaghetti or other long-strand pasta, broken in half
6 tablespoons of flour
3 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup of dry sherry
3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of minced fresh thyme leaves
2 cups of frozen peas
4 cups of leftover cooked boneless turkey meat or chicken meat, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a small bowl, mix the 3 topping ingredients and put aside. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

1. In a large saute pan over medium heat, saute onions and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter until soft, about 12-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Boil spaghetti to al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of water and drain. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon of butter.

3. Make a roux with the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and flour and cook until golden about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in chicken stock and cook over medium high until thickened.

4. Remove from heat and add the sherry, cheese, nutmeg, lemon juice and thyme. Add peas, mushrooms and onions, spaghetti and turkey.

5. Place in a slightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake 13-15 minutes until bubbly.

Written by Tricia White

Victory Casserole - Rice, Hamburger, Spinach, Cheese and Tomato Sauce

I love going into our bookcase of cookbooks and finding family favorites in older cookbooks.

One of our staples, when we first moved to Easton (almost 10 years ago), was a dish called Victory Casserole. It came from a cookbook, The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt. My kids have always liked this recipe. It's a bit like shepard's pie, that mixture of meat, potatoes and vegetables and there is a sauce that holds it all together.

My son, Brian, was home on semester break and one of his requests was for Victory Casserole, for two reasons. First, it's one of his favorite comfort food dishes and second being away at school and living off campus means he makes dinner on a regular basis. He was looking for the recipe on our site and I kept telling him to just type in "Victory Casserole" in the search bar. Come to find out, for all the years we have been making this dish, it didn't make it onto the Friends Food Family site.

As I was photographing the dish, Jeff said, "What a great dish for a football party, it's better than making a big dish of lasagna." I was thinking, he was right. Many of the football gatherings we have attended always contain a large pan of lasagna as a meal choice. What a great one meal dish that can mix up the traditional food offerings.

What's great about this Victory Casserole is the flavors of beef, rice, spinach and cheese tied together with a tomato sauce. The dish is flavorful without many spices. This gives you the opportunity to spice it up if you are adventurous. Think Mexican - maybe some oregano, cumin, chili powder and a salsa for the tomato sauce. Just a thought.

As you get ready to enjoy two more big football weekends, what a great dish to bring or serve at a party. I would suggest doubling it for a larger group, you can probably get 12+ servings out of this delicious Victory Casserole.

Ingredients for Victory Casserole
1 pound of ground beef (85%)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped - about 1 cup
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze out water
3 cups of cooked long-grain white rice
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese 
3 large eggs
3/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups of Quick Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute beef, onion, and garlic until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil. Add the spinach, rice, and 1 cup of the cheese. Mix slightly.

4. In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir into meat and rice mixture and mix well.

5. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Top with 1 cup of Quick Tomato Sauce and remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 15 minutes longer.

6. Serve victory casserole and top with additional tomato sauce.

Feeds 4-6 people.

Ingredients for Quick Tomato Sauce
2 (15 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon of dried marjoram, crumbled
4 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and simmer,
uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes.

Makes about 2 cups.

Written by Tricia White

Basil Rubbed Pork Chops with White Peach-Blue Cheese Salad and Toasted Walnuts

There are upsides and downsides to having a food blog. The variety of food we serve on a regular basis is amazing. We have tried so many different recipes from American and Italian to Asian and Greek...and everything in between. Jeff and I make so many different recipes that sometimes it is hard to keep track. Our family will say it is wonderful because they try so many different types of meals, dishes and desserts. The downside is that we might only try the recipe once or we haven't had time to post the recipe and lose track of it. For the 350+ recipes we have posted, there are probably another 100+ that we haven't completed.

Last week, my daughter was reminiscing about a recipe we made last summer that had grilled peaches and blue cheese. I was saying to Jeff that I don't remember blogging about the dish, but I remember it vividly because it was delicious. But now, where was the recipe?

Last night, we were looking for pork chop recipes when Jeff opened Bobby Flay's Grill It Cookbook and low and behold, Basil Rubbed Pork Chops with Nectarine-Blue Cheese Salad and Toasted Pine Nuts. YES, we found the recipe and it won't get away this time. Looking at what we had available in the house, white peaches were going to have to make due as well as some toasted walnuts VS pine nuts since the last of the pine nuts made pesto for Ravioli with Chicken and Pesto. 

This is such an easy recipe since there is no marinading time and everything was ready for the grill in 15 minutes. The olive oil and the basil rub keep the pork chops moist and flavorful. NOTE: Make sure to cover them with foil and let them rest before serving. As for the white peaches, they were amazing and the toasted walnuts and honey complemented the blue cheese. Pork, peaches, honey, blue cheese - what a delicious combination.

Truthfully, I could grill peaches and serve them with honey and walnuts anytime. Since I have grilled peaches on my mind...just a little side note - Wouldn't grilled peaches with honey and toasted walnuts taste amazing with a scoop of ice cream? OK, discussion for another blog!

Looking for something easy for dinner? Here's your shopping list:

pork chops, peaches (or Nectarines), blue cheese, basil, honey, walnuts

Tell me what you think? Now that I have captured the recipe, this is a keeper!

Adapted from Bobby Flay's Basil Rubbed Pork Chops with Nectarine-Blue Cheese Salad and Toasted Pine Nuts.

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork chops - 1 inch thick
16 basil leaves, thinly slice half of the leaves, 8 left whole/8 sliced into ribbons
4 tablespoons of olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
4 white peaches, halved and pitted
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons of honey
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts, toasted

 Preparation:

1. Bring a charcoal grill or gas grill to high heat.

2. Take 8 of the whole basil leaves and rub the chops on both sides. Brush the chops with 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If they are around 1-inch thick, cook for about 3 minutes a side. Remove from grill, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Coat the halved nectarines with rest of the oil. Set cut side down on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until caramelized but not blackened. Flip and cook for another minute or so, until slightly soft.

4. Plate the chops. Place two nectarine halves on each plate and top with blue cheese, walnuts, and thinly sliced basil. Drizzle with the honey.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dig in and enjoy!

Portobello Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Creamy Polenta

We are big fans of the local newspaper. We have been having the Boston Globe delivered to our (most recent) home for the past 7 years...and prior to that in other residences. As much as I am a techno-geek with my iPad and iPhone, I do love opening the paper and reading the latest news with a big cup of french vanilla coffee. I especially love the Wednesday edition as it showcases recipes that can be used and re-used. Basically, it's a one dish, two different meal recipe.

This week was the Portobello and Sausage Ragu with Polenta. It was a nice comfort food recipe which had sausage as well as some of our favorite vegetables of mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach. We love these types of dishes especially when the results end up in extras for another meal. The second meal to this was a quesadilla recipe using the sausage mixture. That would have been our second meal but too many people enjoyed it for lunch the following day. 

As we were enjoying the sausage and portobello ragu, I was saying that I love recipes that use sausage removed from the casings. We had grilled sausages on the grill the week before and I pushed them around my plate during dinner. I love using sausage as a flavor enhancer to dishes. When mixed with tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach it is delicious.

The other part to this recipe, that made it so good, was the polenta. It wasn't the recipe from the back of the box. It was very creamy and worked perfectly with the dish. We have made polenta numerous times and haven't been able to get the right texture. I'm holding on to this polenta recipe for future dishes. The recipe was easy and the ingredients blended perfectly.

We may be heading into full spring season in New England, but this dish was perfect. Cool spring night, warm (extremely flavorful) ragu over creamy polenta...absolutely wonderful.

Ingredients for Ragu:

12 ounces of baby spinach, stemmed and rinsed
3 tablespoons of olive oil
6 sweet Italian pork sausages (about 1¼ pounds), removed from casings
1 large yellow onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1½ pounds of portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
1 can (28 ounces) of whole tomatoes, break up with your hand before putting them in the pan
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the spinach with just the water that clings to it, turning often, for 3 minutes; drain in a colander.
2. Wipe out the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and when it is hot, cook the sausage, breaking it up, for 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cook the onion, stirring often, for 6 minutes.
4, Add the mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes or until most of the water evaporates. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
5. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Return the sausage to the skillet and cook 8 minutes.

Ingredients for Polenta:
4½ cups of water
1½ teaspoons of kosher salt
1⅓ cups of quick-cooking polenta
½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan, plus a little extra for sprinkling

Preparation:
1. In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta in a thin stream.
2. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until the polenta is creamy.
3. Add Parmesan cheese.

Place polenta in a bowl and spoon the ragu on top. Add additional Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Smoked Paprika

When I was growing up, my mother used to make macaroni and cheese most Friday nights during Lent. It was the most delicious dish as she made it with American cheese, a bit of paprika and Ritz crackers for the top. I remember the ease of her making it...some flour and butter, a few cups of milk and a package of sliced cheese which she tore up into pieces so they would melt quicker.

We were trying to figure out what we would have for dinner and I mentioned to Jeff that I was craving macaroni and cheese. I was telling him about how my mother would make it and decided I would take it on. I didn't want a recipe because most of what she did was basic. We decided we would add some ham to give it an extra boost along with smoked paprika. I knew I needed to start with a basic roux (flour and butter), so this is what I did.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Fill a large pot with water, generously salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add you favorite pasta. We used a fusilli pasta but feel free to use traditional elbow macaroni. Add 1-1/2 pounds of pasta. Cook according to directions, drain and butter slightly so they won't stick. Place in a 13 x 9 inch deep dish pan.

3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt

    1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)

    Add 1/2 cup of flour

Mix well and allow the roux to become golden brown and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Using a whisk, slowly add three cups of milk, whisking constantly so the mixture won't clump. Once it is well blended, add an additional 2-1/2 cups of milk. (We used 1% milk, since that's what we drink.)

5. Stirring regularly, allow the mixture to reach a slight boil, about 5-7 minutes. 

6. Add-

    2 cups of shredded mild white cheddar

    2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

We added them 1/2 cup at a time and stirred until it was blended. 

7. Add -

    2 cups of ham, cut into 1 inch cubes

    2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

8. Take the mixture off the heat, add salt and white pepper to taste. Mix with the pasta in the dish.

9. Crush 1/2 a sleeve of Ritz crackers and sprinkle on top of the mixture.

10. Finish with a slight sprinkle of paprika.

11. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is slightly golden and bubbly.

Allow the macaroni and cheese to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8-10 people.

The macaroni and cheese was delicious. It was creamy and smooth with that hint of smokiness. For us, it was the comfort food we craved. That feeling when there is still a chill in the air and you want something that is tasty and easy...that one dish casserole. It brings you back to a time when you were younger, enjoying the same anticipation for a hearty meal.

Surprise your family with homemade macaroni and cheese, create that memory...that dish that everyone craves!

Coffee Braised Short Ribs

As many of you may know, I am a big fan of short ribs. A few years ago, we had enjoyed dinner at a restaurant in Bar Harbor, ME called Havana. I ordered vanilla infused coffee short-ribs and they were to die for. Since that trip, I have been looking for a repeat of that meal. I've combed the internet for recipes but have not been able to find anything like it. I did have a culinary disaster with Coffee and Chocolate Braised Short Ribs, which we were able to salvage but it was initially dubbed "mocha meat".

I like to cook ribs on Sundays since it takes a few hours, leaving the flavors to sit for a day or two before we finally serve it. I found this recipe on the Food Network called Michael's Coffee Braised Short Ribs and thought I could once again try my hand at coffee flavored short ribs.

This recipe was quick to put together but demands about 4 hours of cook time. I enjoy when I can make these recipes on a Sunday and then use them as meals later in the week. When I finished cooking the ribs, I found them to be a little bland. I was making a tomato sauce the same day and had a can of tomato paste open. I mixed 3 tablespoons of tomato paste into the sauce and that was just what it needed. I'm not sure if the flavor was effected by the strength of the coffee or it just demanded more flavor.

The coffee braised short ribs were a big success. Sadly, no seconds on this recipe and letting it rest for a day or two makes for a flavorful sauce. The polenta was a great "starch" for sopping up the "gravy".

I know it wasn't as good as Havana, but I'm getting closer. If I were smart, I should just e-mail the chef and ask for the recipe and then make the short ribs I'm dying for!

Ingredients: 

3 pounds of boneless short ribs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons hot or mild chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 cup of beef broth

Polenta (prepared according to directions)

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Warm the oil in a large dutch oven (we use our Le Creuset) over medium-high heat. 

Add the ribs and brown until golden, turning them once, about 8 minutes. 

Transfer the ribs to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour the wine and coffee into the dutch oven. 

Cook over high heat, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom, until the sauce is reduced by one forth, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Put the ribs, onion, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, the chili powder and oregano into the pot. 

Place the dutch oven, covered, in the oven for 3-1/2 hours. 

Uncover and add the tomato paste. 

Cook, covered, until the ribs are falling apart, about 45 minutes more. 

If the sauce remaining is light, add some beef broth. 

Transfer the ribs and sauce to a serving dish and serve.

We served ours over prepared polenta.

Monday Night Chef - B&M Catering - Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

St. Patty's Day is next Saturday and what better a meal than Corned Beef and Cabbage. And what better a place to get an amazing recipe than from Brian and Mickey Doherty, the owners of B&M Catering Company. I have known Brian for about 3 years and have tested and tasted many of his amazing dishes...especially the shipped clambakes. I'm going to step back and let Brian take the blog and tell us about his famous Corned Beef and Cabbage. Thank you for being my Monday night Chef!

As told by Brian Doherty - 

In New England, corned beef and cabbage are often referred to simply as, a boiled dinner. As a kid growing up in Boston, a boiled dinner could consist of either smoked shoulder or corned beef, (whichever was on sale) and lots of vegetables.

Though popular with  generations of Irish Americans immigrants, a corned beef dinner was not a meal commonly served in Ireland. And, as with everything else involving the Irish, even a simple meal such as this comes with endless discussions, the most contested of which is that of Red vs. Grey. Though most corned beef is a cut of brisket, there are two means of curing the beef. One, and the most popular is with the use of sodium nitrates, which preserve the meat and help it retain it's red color. The other, and older of the two, is done by simply placing the briskets in a salted brine. This tenderizes the meat and causes it to become grey in color. As Bostonians, the grey is what we were weaned on.

To follow is a simple recipe that we hope you enjoy. Amounts of vegetables used can vary according to your particular likes, and remember, that as a rule of thumb, in the cooking process your brisket will shrink by 40-50% of it's original weight, so please keep this in mind. 

Ingredients for a family of twelve:  Just kidding, how about for four!

6-7 lbs of corned beef

1 head of cabbage

2-3 lbs of potatoes (Red Bliss are nice)

2  lbs of carrots

1 yellow turnip

1 lg onion

Preparation:

Place brisket in pot and cover with water.

Bring to a boil, then dump water and recover with fresh water. This keeps brine from being too salty.

Bring to a boil then lower heat and allow to simmer for 2 1/2- 3 hrs. (Or until fork tender)

While corned beef is simmering, core and cut cabbage into wedges. 

Cut potatoes

Peel and cut carrots

Peel and cut turnip

Peel and cut onion into wedges

When corned beef is tender, remove from brine and put in the vegetables. Simmer veggies until tender.

Slice corned beef by cutting across the grain of the meat, not with it.

Make a plate and have a pint.

Slainte!!!

Brian & Mickey Doherty

 

Sesame Salmon with an Orange Ginger Glaze

 

Warning! This could be the BEST salmon recipe you have ever tasted. I had to state this upfront because the picture won't do it justice. (I know...horrible, horrible picture.)

I have to start with an apology. Hunger got the best of us. When we made this sesame salmon with ginger sauce recipe the other night, it was 7:30 PM when we finally sat down to eat. This beautifully cooked salmon came out of the oven, pretty as a picture, and everyone grabbed for a piece. It wasn't until we finished that I realized, "Oh, no food left for a picture". I can't tell you how often this happens. If I actually posted all the recipes we have made, I'd probably have an additional 150 posts. Sadly, we don't make many recipes twice because we are always looking to blog on something new and exciting.

This salmon recipe was very easy to put together: Step 1 - The Rub, Step 2 - The Marinade. The rub smelled heavenly as we ground the coriander seeds for the recipe. The marinade was wonderful, too, as we chopped the fresh ginger and added orange juice. We changed the cooking technique a bit as we like starting our recipes in our Le Creuset Square Skillet Grill pan and then allowing them to finish cooking in the oven. The sauce reduced a bit more, making for a delicious glaze versus a sauce.

The flavors on the salmon were wonderfully blended with a hint of coriander and the sweetness of the orange and ginger. I love using fresh ginger because it also cleanses the palate. There was no fishy after taste which you sometimes get with salmon. All of us agreed, for all the recipes we have created with salmon, this by far has been the best.

I know we will be creating this recipe again, I promise to take pictures and re-post the results. OR, maybe our loyal fans could post comments and pictures and tell us what you thought!

(Adapted from a recipe from Food.com) 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

1 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon of coriander powder (If you have seed, then grind them to a powder.)

½ teaspoon of salt

2 (6 ounces) salmon fillets

½ cup of orange juice

3 tablespoons of honey

¼ cup of white wine

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced 1 teaspoon of olive oil

 

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

The Rub: Combine the sesame seeds, pepper, coriander and salt in a shallow dish.

Coat one side of the salmon fillets with seed mixture, leaving the skin side down.

The Marinade: Combine the orange juice, honey, white wine, soy sauce and ginger, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan (which can be placed in the oven) on medium-high heat.

With skin side up, cook the fillets for 4 minutes, turn the salmon and pour the orange juice mixture, over the fillets. Allow the mixture to boil, about one minute.

Place in oven for 5-7 minutes or until salmon begins to flake.

Serve immediately, you'll love it!

Chicken and Dumplings with Fresh Dill

Can you believe that we are almost at the end of February and we have had little to no snow in the Boston area? Normally, we are making soups and stews for that "warm me up meal" at the end of a cold winter day. Today it was 51 degrees. 

About a month ago, my mother-in-law received her monthly copy of Family Circle magazine and it took about a week before it finally made it's way over to her apartment. While we were doing a quick browse through, we found this great chicken and dumpling recipe that was made with fresh dill. We knew that this would be on our list of dinners for the week.

The recipe was very easy to make and the combination of carrots, celery and leeks created an incredibly tasty sauce for the chicken and dumplings. Instead of this being that "warm me up" meal, all I could think of was summer and fresh dill from our garden. The dill complemented the meal but the best was the flavor in the dumplings.

Almost everyone was home that night, so this recipe easily fed our 6 appetites. There were no leftovers and everyone was talking about how much they liked the dill flavored dumplings. This is definitely a keeper. The biggest request - will you please make it again? 

Ever since we made this dish, I keep wishing for winter to be over and spring to begin. I'm craving the fresh chives, basil and oregano from our garden...and I'm really missing our tomatoes. Is anyone else tired of eating rubbery tomatoes?

If you are looking for a dish with a fresh garden flavor, grab some leeks and a fresh bunch of dill...spring is in the air! (Adapted from Family Circle's Chicken and Dumplings)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 pounds of boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, trimmed and diced
1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons of flour
4 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings:
2 cups of biscuit mix (such as Bisquick)
1/2 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill

Preparation:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Salt and pepper the chicken and place in skillet. Cook until slightly browned, 2-3 minutes each side.
3. Add 4 cups water, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Simmer 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from liquid (save liquid) and let cool.
5. When cool enough to handle, cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
6. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and leek. Cook 5 minutes or until softened.
7. Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, add broth and 2 cups of the left-over chicken broth.
8. Bring to a simmer; cook 5 minutes. Stir in chopped chicken.
9. Start making dumplings: in a medium bowl, combine biscuit mix, milk and dill.
10. Drop by tablespoonfuls into simmering liquid. Cover pot tightly; cook 10 minutes.
11. Uncover and gently stir in peas and chopped dill.

Yum, Yum, Yum...enjoy!

 

Gnocchi Gratin with Gorgonzola Dolce

 

I know this isn't the greatest picture but we have made this dish three times, in the past two months, and each time we got caught up in the moment of entertaining and forgot to take a picture. 

It started when we had a holiday gathering at the beginning of December. We served the gnocchi gratin as an appetizer and it was a hit. I have dubbed it "adult gnocchi and cheese". It's better than your best macaroni and cheese. The gnocchi were light and the mixture of gorgonzola, cream, rosemary and fresh ginger bring a complexity to the dish that is truly delicious.

We decided to serve it as a first plate on Christmas Eve. We normally make stuffed shells but decided that the gnocchi gratin was so good we would make it for our family. Once again, people went crazy. Tangy Gorgonzola, hints of rosemary and ginger and the homemade gnocchi melted in your mouth. The dish is rich but it begs for seconds and sometimes thirds.

Finally, we celebrated our office holiday party in January and as people were helping themselves I remembered to take a picture. As you can tell, this was a roasting pan full of Gnocchi Gratin with Gorgonzola Dolce, a double recipe. Oh, just so good.

So, now for the hard part...yes, this does take time to make. You have to boil and rice the potatoes. Combine the potatoes with flour and eggs, then roll, cut and score the gnocchi with a fork. The cream needs to be heated and left for 30 minutes so it can absorb the rosemary and fresh ginger. The gnocchi are cooked in small batches, tossed with butter and when you are finished, it is mixed with the cream, gorgonzola, and a topping of butter, Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

I would say, from boiling potatoes to taking the gratin out of the oven, probably 4 hours. But you must remember, it didn't stop us, we've made it three times. If we could we would make it for the Super Bowl game. The problem - everyone who is coming to our house has tried it! It definitely falls into the category of amazing comfort food. I do know we will make it again before the winter ends, probably a great appetizer for my "cousins gathering" in March. Just think...a new group of people who haven't tried this amazing dish.

(Adapated from Bon Appetit, December 2012, Gnocchi Gratin with Gorgonzola Dolce)

Ingredients:

1 pound of russet potatoes
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
6 ounces of Parmesan, finely grated, divided
1 cup of all-purpose flour (plus more)
1 teaspoon of kosher salt (plus more)
1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup of heavy cream
1 sprig of rosemary
1 1/4"-thick slice of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of butter, room temperature, divided (plus more)
3 tablespoons of fine dried breadcrumbs
4 ounces of Gorgonzola or other mild blue cheese

Gnocchi:

1. Place potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover by 1”; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until tender, 25–30 minutes. Drain; set aside and let cool slightly.

2. Peel potatoes. Pass through ricer or a food mill or sieve, into a large bowl. Whisk egg and egg yolk in a small bowl to blend. Add egg mixture, 1/3 cup Parmesan, 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. salt, and nutmeg to potatoes. Using your hands, gently mix to form a soft but not sticky dough. Transfer dough to a floured surface. Gather into a ball, then divide into 4 pieces.

3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; dust with flour. Working with 1 piece at a time (keep other pieces covered with a damp kitchen towel), roll dough into a 24”-long rope. Cut crosswise into 1” pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, press lightly on gnocchi with the back of the tines of a fork and gently roll gnocchi to create ridges on 1 side. Place on prepared baking sheet and lightly dust with flour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Cover and chill remaining grated cheese.

4. Preheat oven to 375°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches of about 12 at a time, cook gnocchi until they float to the surface, 2–3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to a baking dish coated with 1-2 tablespoons of butter.

Cream Sauce and Topping:

1. While the potatoes are boiling. Bring cream, rosemary, and ginger to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat; cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Set aside.

2. Mix 3 Tbsp. Parmesan, remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, and breadcrumbs in a small bowl.

Gnocchi, Cream and Gorgonzola:

1. Strain reserved cream mixture into dish all over gnocchi. Break off small pieces of Gorgonzola; scatter over. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over, then the breadcrumb mixture.

2. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the topping is browned, 25–30 minutes.

Southwestern Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

 

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey. How many dishes of turkey did you eat over the past week?

We enjoyed a non-traditional Thanksgiving and ate at Latitude 41 in Mystic, CT. Jeff's daughter is a nurse and was scheduled to work on Thanksgiving. We drove down to CT to enjoy a quick lunch with her and didn't cook our turkey until last Sunday. We went with a small 14 pound turkey, compared to our normal 26 pound bird, and enjoyed a mini Thanksgiving. It was missing some of our favorites but it had the good old-fashioned staples - garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, corn bread stuffing, cranberry sauce and an awesome turkey gravy.

Once we had all the turkey removed, we put the remainder into a large dutch oven, cooked down the bones and made a delicious broth, that yield about 6 cups of turkey, too. I knew I would make a turkey soup as a second meal along with turkey tetrazzini with the leftover turkey from our Sunday dinner. As I said...turkey, turkey, turkey.

I was getting ready to make the soup and turkey with wild rice was my first thought. But, we had just finished a homemade chicken and rice soup last week and I thought any type of soup with rice might be repetitious.

SIDE TRACKED THOUGHT- I promise to showcase the chicken and rice soup the next time I make it. It was made and consumed so quickly, I never got to take pictures or blog about it.

I started looking up some southwestern versions of turkey soup. Progresso makes a southwestern soup with corn, beans, tomatoes and spices. I found this Southwestern Turkey Soup through Taste of Home and began grabbing ingredients from my pantry. Some black beans, diced tomatoes, chilies and corn...I was ready to go.

The best part of any soup is a homemade broth. I cooked the turkey bones with garlic, onions, carrots and celery. I strain my broth with a fine sieve so the broth is clear then I use some of the cooked carrots and celery to add color and flavor to the soup. 

Having the turkey and broth ready to go made this soup easy to put together. Within 10 minutes I had almost everything in the pan. With some increased heat and the cooking of the wild rice, start to finish was about 45 minutes. 

Results: DELICIOUS! First, I loved that we were able to use the turkey (for a third night) in a way that you didn't feel like you were eating another turkey meal. The soup had lots of flavor, some heat and a heartiness that made the soup a meal. I love any combination of tomatoes, corn, beans, cumin and chili pepper - part chili, part soup. Our family devoured half of the soup and I was able to take leftovers to friends and co-workers. So far, everyone enjoyed it as much as we did. (And all the containers have been returned empty.)

Tomorrow is game day, the cold weather is finally setting in (at least in New England), this is a great "end of the weekend" soup that will clean-up the last of those turkey leftovers.

Ingredients:

2 medium onion, chopped

3 tablespoons of olive oil

8 cups of turkey broth (we used the broth from cooking down the turkey, use can use chicken broth, also)

4 teaspoons of ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons of chili powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

6 cups of cubed cooked turkey

2 can (15 ounces) of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5 ounces) of fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice

1 can (4.25 ounces) of diced green chilies

1 (16 ounce) bag of frozen corn (we used a yellow and white corn combination)

1 cup of wild rice

tortilla chips and sour cream, optional

Preparation:

1. Over medium heat, place oil and onions in a large dutch oven and saute until tender and translucent. (about 5-7 minutes)

2. Add the broth along with the cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt.

3. Once blended add the turkey, black beans, tomatoes, green chilies and corn.

4. Bring to a boil, and add the rice. Allow to simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes.

5. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Serves 10-12 people.

Adapted from Taste of Home - Southwestern Turkey Soup

Pork and Ricotta Meatballs in a Tomato Sauce

Spaghetti and meatballs. That's a common request at many households but asking for spaghetti and meatballs and getting spaghetti and meatballs are really two different things. (As seen above...)

It's really meatballs and sauce or meatballs and gravy to be correct. We have made many different variations of this recipe and always go back to the basics...some ground beef or pork, onions, garlic, eggs, bread crumbs, spices and parmesan cheese.

When Jeff went looking for one of our favorite recipes, Two different recipes, one great meal, he came across this recipe for Pork and Ricotta Meatballs in a Tomato Sauce from Food and Wine. As I was reading the recipe, I thought ricotta in the meatballs sounded different, but what about the onions and garlic? Was this meatball recipe going to taste good with fennel and crushed red pepper? How were spicy meatballs going to taste with a rather plain tomato sauce?

I saw the fennel seeds and crushed red pepper and thought this may not become a family favorite. We had a friend who used to make meatballs that were loaded with fennel and sometimes, that was all you could taste. The trick to any combination of herbs and spices is to enhance but not overpower the main ingredient.  Instead of using the herbs (fennel and crushed red pepper) as is, I decided to crush them further with a mortar and pestle, figuring that would mellow the flavor. I also like the meat mix of pork, veal and beef when making meatballs, it gives a firm but soft consistency. Today, many supermarkets carry it as a meatloaf mix. 

The ingredients came together quickly with the use of the food processor. The meatballs were a little wet but don't be concerned, they brown up nicely. Once the meatballs were cooked, we added the tomatoes. We found there wasn't much liquid so we added two additional cans of fire roasted, diced tomatoes.

Two hours later, this mixture was bubbling and the smell was heavenly. I grabbed a meatball and sliced it in half. I tasted the results and it was delicious. Moist and flavorful but not overbearing with the herbs. Then I went in for a better taste of the sauce...PERFECT! The flavor from the juices of the meatballs gave a perfect balance to the flavor of the sauce. We served it with homemade bread (which we will go into in the future) and it was a hit. Everyone in the family loved the dish. Because we doubled the recipe, we froze the remaining half and took it out last night for a quick dinner. The sauce tasted even better and the meatballs we still soft and flavorful...they melted in your mouth.

It's Saturday, think about a nice Sunday sauce and leftovers to freeze. C'mon, let's enjoy some spaghetti and meatballs!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound sliced white bread, crusts removed and bread cut into 1/2-inch dice (4 cups)
1 1/2 pounds meatball/meatloaf mix - beef, pork and veal
3 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, ground
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup ricotta cheese (5 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 28-ounce cans peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed
2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, we used fire-roasted
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons shredded basil
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 pound of your favorite pasta, cooked according to instructions 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°.
Place fennel seed, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt, into a mortar and grind with a pestle until fennel and red pepper are crushed. In a food processor, pulse the bread to coarse crumbs. Place in large bowl. Place pancetta in food processor and pulse until ground. Add to bread crumbs.
Add the pork, pancetta, eggs, ricotta, parsley, and ground ingredients. Mix well. Shape into 24 meatballs, using about 3 rounded tablespoons of the mixture for each. Transfer the meatballs to an oiled medium roasting pan.

Roast the meatballs in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until firm and just beginning to brown. Using a spatula, loosen the meatballs from the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed and diced tomatoes to the pan. Lower the oven temperature to 325° and cook uncovered for about 2 hours, or until the sauce is very thick and the meatballs are very tender; turn the meatballs once or twice during cooking. 

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the meatballs and tomato sauce to a large platter. Garnish with the basil and Pecorino cheese. Serve with your favorite pasta.

Bon Appetit's Chicken and White Bean Chili

Finally, we are back up and running. I can upload photos and make the blogs look beautiful again!

Last Sunday, we decided to make chili for the big New England Patriots game against the Buffalo Bills. As I was looking for a recipe, I definitely wanted something with chicken and lots of beans, and a little different from our White Bean Chili.

I took out my iPad and used my Epicurious App and found a Bon Appetit Chicken and White Bean Chili recipe with a tomato base from 2005. That's what I love about some of these applications. They don't necessarily give you the most up to date recipe but it does give you lots of recipe opportunities. I read the recipe and figured it was easy, it could simmer during the game and then dinner would be served.

I adapted a few of the ingredients from the original recipe by using chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. I also cut back on the chili powder. For those who like a hot chili, go with the original recipe that calls for 3-1/2 tablespoons (or more) of chili powder. Lastly, I used fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of regular diced tomatoes. I like the heartier flavor of the fire roasted, which worked perfectly.

This chili was delicious, and perfect when the Patriots lost and we had a table full of grumpy people. We had homemade rustic bread and butter which finished the meal. It had the perfect amount of heat and flavor which pleased the chili lovers as well as the picky eaters.

Tomorrow starts another round of college and professional football games for the weekend. Mix up a batch and have it ready for your fans. Oh, and it tastes even better the second day. Enjoy!

GO TEAM!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of olive oil
1-1/3 cups of chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-1/4 pounds of skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2-1/2 tablespoons of chili powder
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
2- 15 to 16-ounce cans of white beans with juices
2- 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, fire roasted in juice
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until chicken is no longer pink outside, about 5 minutes. Mix in chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano.

Add beans, 1 cup reserved bean juices, and canned tomatoes. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and chili is thickened, about 25 minutes.

Season chili to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in cilantro and serve.

Green Apple, Avocado and Chicken Salad with a Honey Lime Cilantro Dressing

Fall is definitely in the air as we woke this morning to temperatures of 56 degrees.

But, I love the Fall!

For me, it's a great time of year with the colorful foliage, cool days with warm breezes, and the big 3...Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

To savor the last few weeks of summer, we made a wonderfully delicious salad for dinner that have touches of summer and Fall namely, the last of our garden's cherry tomatoes and cilantro and some freshly picked granny apples from one of the local area farms.

Back a few months ago when I was traveling with my son, looking at colleges, I enjoyed a salad similar to this. When I came home, I was able to create the salad dressing and then added the original salad ingredients plus a few of my own. You could probably call this a "throw in the kitchen sink" salad as you can add some of your favorites also.

Most of the salads we enjoy have the balance of good greens, a meat or protein, vegetables, fruits, cheese, nuts and a dressing that ROCKS! That's probably why we order so many salads at restaurants and don't necessarily recreate them at home.

So to that balance, I give you a Chicken Salad with Green Apples and Avocados and a Honey Lime Cilantro Dressing. (The Honey Lime Cilantro dressing ROCKS!) This is easy to put together and allowed my family to mix and match what they liked into the salad. Rotisserie chicken, apples, avocados, dried cranberries, sugared walnuts and crumbled goat cheese, were the products of choice so I let them mix and match to their likings. Think of the endless possibilities if you added strawberries, grapes, oranges, feta cheese, sliced almonds, celery, carrots...find your flavors and mix away.

What is your favorite ingredients in a salad? And what kind of salad dressing makes it all come together?

Ingredients

Salad

1 - 2-3 lb. rotisserie chicken, chopped or torn into bite size pieces

1- 12 ounce container of baby spring mix greens

2 avocados, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 green apples, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 package of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1- 6 ounce container of crumbled goat cheese

1 package of dried cranberries (Craisins)

1 package of sugared walnuts

Dressing

4 tablespoons of honey

Juice of 2 freshly squeezed limes

1 tablespoon of lime rind

3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Place greens into individual bowls, add chicken, apples, avocado, cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, goat cheese and sugared walnuts. Add a few tablespoons of dressing to cover the mixture. This salad can feed 4-6 people.

 

Epicurious' Pork Tenderloin with Tomato - Peach Compote

When we go grocery shopping, we try and figure out what our dinner recipes will be for the week. It is the one meal that has many mouths to feed. It's also the one meal which we get the most phone calls, "Hi Mom, what's for dinner?"

Many times we look at pork recipes but some how seem to move past them. I think it's because growing up I ate pork chops or a pork loin, every other week. My fond memories were finding enough applesauce to run the pork through so I wouldn't choke on the dry meat. Saw dust best describes the taste and texture of what I ate. Back then, pork was somewhat "overcooked". Today, we have a better understanding of seasoning, cooking to a slightly lesser degree and allowing meat to rest. It enhances the flavor as well as the experience.

Jeff found this recipe from Epicurious called Pork Tenderloin with Tomato-Peach Compote. It looked pretty easy, not many ingredients and we did have a bunch of great garden tomatoes. Cooking the pork to slightly under 160 degrees (which was my mother's favorite number, plus some!) will definitely give you that juicy tasting pork. Taking the time and allowing the meat to rest for 10 minutes helps, too.

The compote was delicious. A bit of sweet and sour which was much better than traditional applesauce and pulled the entire dish together. After everyone got their first serving (6 people), we had a bit of pork left but was definitely short on the compote, then again, I still have that bad habit of drenching my pork in sauce. I enjoyed the compote!

As we eat delicious dishes like this, it makes me want to cook more pork recipes. It's hard to get past eating certain foods which bring back childhood nightmares. Whether it's under cooked chicken or overcooked pork, trying new and tasty dishes will hopefully fade those food memories.

What is your nightmare food?

Pork Tenderloin with Tomato-Peach Compote

Ingredients:

4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of chopped peeled ginger
1 teaspoon of curry powder
2 (3/4-pound) pork tenderloins
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3/4 pound of fresh tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 peach, chopped
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon of sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Mash garlic, ginger, curry powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a paste using mortar and pestle. Rub all over pork.

Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown pork on one side, about 5 minutes, then turn over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 145 to 150°F for juicy meat, 10 to 12 minutes. Let pork rest, uncovered, on a cutting board while making compote.

Add onion to skillet (handle will be very hot) and sauté over medium-high heat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and peaches and sauté until just softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in thyme and sugar.

Slice pork and serve with compote. Jasmine rice is a great complement for this dish.

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto with Fresh Tarragon

 

Yes, we survived Hurricane Irene. Having lost power for three days, unloading the refrigerator and freezer, cooking on the grill, playing games by candlelight and showering with cold water, this experience was tolerable. Nothing we would want to be doing on a regular basis, thank you!

Since last weekend, the mornings and evenings have been slightly cool. We have written about comfort food and our love for many different types of risotto. Jeff made it home first the other night and decided to blend a few different risotto recipes with some ingredients that needed to be used up. We had some fresh celery and tarragon from the garden and some dried porcini mushroom that needed to be used.

With a little bit of tweaking and our comfort with mixing and matching our ingredients for risotto, he came up with this chicken and mushroom risotto with fresh tarragon. One of the interesting things he did was use a different type of risotto rice. There are three types of risotto rice: 1. arborio, which we use all the time. 2. carnaroli, which we used in this recipe and 3. vialone nano. These are the best rices for risotto because they absorb liquids better, release more starch and can give the dish a creamier consistency.

We always use arborio which tends to give you a creamier consistency with this rice. The carnaroli is not as creamy, but definitely worked with this dish. The risotto was loaded with chicken and mushrooms and the slight taste of tarragon was a great combination, slightly licorish...so delicious.

It was nice to have some comfort food this week. It made us feel like home again and with eating out and cooking with minimal resources, this was a perfect dish to celebrate electricity and a need for some good old fashioned home cooking!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

4 tablespoons of butter, separated into 2 tablespoons/2 tablespoons

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic, chopped 

1 stalk of celery, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

2 cups of carnaroli rice

1 -1/4 cups of white wine

1 - 6 ounce package of dried porcini mushrooms

6-7 cups of chicken broth, placed in a medium sauce pan and heated to a slight simmer

1 - 3 pound roaster chicken (cooked, store bought), loosely chopped or pulled into pieces

1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons of butter

2 teaspoons of freshly chopped tarragon

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Place 7 cups of chicken broth in a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Once the broth is heated, place on a slow simmer.

2. In a large heavy sauce pan, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil. Add the scallions, garlic and celery and saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the rice and dried porcini mushrooms and cook for about 1 minute, allowing the mixture to become incorporated. Add the wine and allow the mixture to boil off.

4. Start adding chicken broth by the ladle full. We normally begin with 2, allowing the mixture to be covered slightly with broth. Stir to mix the broth into the mixture. Reduce the heat to low and continue to add ladle fulls of broth as the mixture becomes less moist and the broth is absorbed.

5. Stir periodically to keep the rice from sticking and mixing the additional chicken broth. This process will take about 15-20 minutes. As you get near the last few ladle fulls of chicken broth, test the rice. You want it to be creamy but still have slight firmness. Add the chicken and tarragon, once incorporated add the last 2 tablespoons of butter and parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Take off the heat. The mixture may get a little sticky, just add a little of the chicken broth. You may have 1/2 to 1 cup left. When I package the remaining risotto for leftovers, I add a little chicken broth to the top to keep it slightly moist and easier to reheat.

Strawberry Summer Salsa with Tequila Lime Chicken

 

Part 2 of our Saturday "Pick Your Own" Strawberries at C.N. Smith Farm.

After picking 10 pounds of strawberries and starting the evening with a Strawberry Limonada, it was time to get serious on adding strawberries to our dinner menu. I decided to work the strawberries in as a condiment to the grilled chicken we would be serving. This past year, we have taken advantage of a few great summer salsas that contain a combination of tasty fruits, peppers, red onions and a flavorful dressings that complement the ingredients.

I found a strawberry summer salsa which they suggested be served with grilled chicken. It comes from a little recipe book called  "The Best 50 Salsas" by Christie and Thomas Katona. We have found some great quick salsa recipes whether combining fruits, vegetables or both!

We are having people over tomorrow and I am already eyeing a peach salsa to use with our Killer Guacamole.

I found an easy Tequila-Lime Marinade, which was to be used on flank steak, butfigured it would be fine for chicken. The marinade came together in 5 minutes and since the tequila was out we might as well use it. I found the recipe on the Food & Wine website as Tequila-Lime Marinated Flank Steak. I've still got my eye on using it the next time we serve steak.

The chicken was delicious and the strawberry salsa was amazing as a dressing. We ended up serving it with white jasmine rice which was perfect. We kept dipping our chicken and rice in the fruity salsa. It was light and perfect for a warm Saturday evening dinner with our fresh, locally picked strawberries and some homegrown mint and cilantro.

This is nice as a side dish for chicken or white fish. Get out there while you can still pick your own strawberries, at least in New England, and enjoy the taste of locally grown produce! 

Strawberry Summer Salsa 

Ingredients:

2 cups of diced strawberries
1/2 cup of chopped red onion
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 japeleno chile, finely chopped
1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

Tequila Lime Marinade

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
3 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 small Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 pounds of boneless chicken breast, sliced thinly, approximately eight pieces.

Preparation:

In a large bowl or 1 gallon resealable bag, combine the ingredients.
Add the chicken and toss to coat completely with the marinade.
Cover (or seal) and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more.

Grill chicken to desired wellness. We usually go 3-4 minutes each side, depending on the heat intensity of the grill.

Serve chicken with salsa on the top or side. White jasmine rice is a great side dish for this meal.

 

Gourmet Magazine - Turkey Cutlets with Cilantro-Almond Sauce

 

About 7 years ago we started clipping recipes. They would come from magazines, newspapers and cookbooks. We would cut them out thinking we could make them...someday. With all those great ideas, we started a recipe box. For a while, we relied on our recipe box for dishes that would eventually become our favorites. Today, before we go grocery shopping we will pick out some recipes and meal plan for the week. With hectic schedules and quite a few mouths to feed, planning means we look forward to dinner.

Having cooked many different recipes over the past 18 months, we find we never make it back to our favorites (or the recipe box). The other day, Jeff and I were saying that we were actually having a tough time trying to figure out what to make. We pulled out the old recipe box for ideas.

Chicken? Fish? Hamburger? Pork chops? What about turkey cutlets? That's something different. Really haven't done any recipes with turkey cutlets. The recipes seemed interesting...why not! And what a refreshing change. I don't think we have had turkey since Thanksgiving. The Turkey Cutlets with Cilantro-Almond Sauce was a Gourmet magazine recipe from July 2006.

The cutlets worked up quickly and cooked on the grill within 6-8 minutes. The combination of ingredients seem crazy but I promise, you will enjoy every delicious bite. With or without the sauce, the cutlets are incredible. As you can see, we served ours with white jasmine rice and a roasted corn bean salsa. Everything worked.

As always, the family was our test audience and everyone loved the meal. They all commented on how nice it was to have something different, especially when chicken is a staple that can be over used. With cook-outs coming this weekend, instead of grilled chicken, try the grilled turkey. It's refreshingly good!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of red-wine vinegar
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon of dried hot red-pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin of olive oil
1/2 cup of sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
4 (1/4-inch-thick) turkey breast cutlets (about 1 1/4 lb)

Preparation:

Whisk together vinegar, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until salt is dissolved. Add 3 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well, then whisk in almonds and cilantro.

Prepare grill for cooking with hot charcoal (high heat for gas).

Whisk together coriander, cinnamon, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl. Turn cutlets to coat in spice mixture. Grill turkey, turning once, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.
Spoon almond sauce over turkey.

Cooks' Note: If you aren't able to grill outdoors, turkey can be cooked in a hot lightly oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over moderately high heat, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes total.

 

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean Soup)

 

After coming home from a week of being away and eating at some great restaurants, in both Richmond, VA and Washington, DC, it was time for a big bowl of comfort food...pasta e fagioli.

As we were making it on Monday afternoon, I was laughing with Jeff about this dish being one we make quite often yet we hadn't blogged about it. Sometimes we cook so much we lose track of which dishes we have highlighted and which have been put aside.

We found this recipe 3 to 4 years ago in Giada DeLaurentiis cookbook, Giada's Family Dinners. This Pasta e Fagioli instantly became a family favorite. It's one of those meals that takes 15-20 minutes to put together and within 30 minutes you have a delicious (and nutritious) meal. We love eating it with a crusty sourdough bread. Nothing better than sopping up the last of the soup with a great piece of bread.

We have made a few adjustments to the recipe, adding more pancetta, mixing up the beans, and changing the pasta. Here are a few hints when making this pasta e fagioli soup...

1. Keep a package of pancetta in your refrigerator. It's easy to make some great recipes when it's readily available.

2. When blending the two cups of bean mixture, make sure you have mostly beans. Once you add the mixture back into the soup, taste to see if it is flavorful. If it tastes watery, blend another 1/2 cup of beans and add to the soup.

3. We used ditalini pasta but you can use elbow macaroni which is what the recipe originally called for.

4. Use fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, it truly does make a difference.

Now, create a favorite for you family! 

Ingredients:

4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of chopped onion
4 ounces of pancetta, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups of low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 (15.5-ounce) can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can of small red beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup of ditalini pasta
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the herbs. Puree 2 cups of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth*. Before putting the puree back into the soup, add the pasta and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8-10 minutes. Return the puree to the soup in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper.

Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

 

Shellfish and Chicken Paella with Saffron Rice, Chorizo and Green Peas

 

Over the weekend I ask our Facebook Fans, or should I say our "likers", what they were craving. Alison Moriarty, who works with me, said she was looking for a good paella recipe. Jeff and I had been talking about making a paella and this gave us reason to look for and make the request.

After laboring over a few recipes, we decided on Bobby Flay's Shellfish and Chicken Paella with Saffron Rice, Chorizo and Green Peas. It had everything we wanted to see in a paella...chicken, chorizo, and an assortment of seafood. It also called for arborio rice which is similar to Bomba rice, used in traditional Spanish paella.

Paella is definitely a mix of different meats, seafood and vegetables. Depending on your likes and dislikes, I'll leave it up to you on what you would like to add or subtract from this recipe. The recipe calls for lobster and we struggled with whether we wanted to include it, mostly for cost. There are quite a few ingredients in this dish and many comments suggested leaving the lobster out and including scallops. In the end, we did add both the lobster and scallops. We also used boneless chicken thighs rather than the whole chicken parts and they cooked up easily and were delicious in the paella. We did add more shrimp (16 versus 8). In total, for seafood, we had lobster, scallops, mussels, little neck clams (12), shrimp and squid.

We were joined by Brian and Sharon (good friends of ours...think Bitch Bags and Romex Construction - they created our kitchen), along with Jeff's parents and our daughters, Danielle and Kristen. It was a great evening of glasses of wine with an incredible paella. I was able to figure out why there was a lemon aioli added to the dish. As I was tasting the paella before the aioli, it was a little fishy tasting (which I didn't mind). With the aioli mixed in, it separated the flavors and removed that fishy taste. There was a clean taste when you ate the chicken, chorizo and seafood. Each had its own distinct flavor, making the dish absolutely DELICIOUS! Everyone had different reasons for loving the dish. "The chicken was moist and flavorful", "the chorizo was amazing", "the lobster was tender and flavorful", "the rice was delicious" and "I loved the peas in it!".

For all the work necessary for this dish, it was well worth it. Allow yourself a few hours for preparation which may include cooking some of the ingredients ahead of time. It's like every meal, dish or dessert we make...when we have an audience of people enjoying what we serve, it is worth every moment it takes to prepare, cook and deliver the dish.

Thank you, Alison, for making the suggestion. It puts another great recipe into our library of dishes! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Lemon Aioli:
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
*2 egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground white pepper

Paella:
4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 cups chicken stock, divided
Large pinch saffron
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 (2 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut in 8 pieces or 4 legs and 4 thighs (dark meat)
1/2 pound chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/4 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio (paella) rice
12 mussels, debearded and scrubbed
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail on (we used 16 shrimp)
1/2 pound of scallops 
4 baby squid, cleaned and sliced into rings, tentacles reserved
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 cooked lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each), tails in the shell, split lengthwise, claw meat in the shell or out, as desired
Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
1/2 cup Lemon Aioli (we used all of it)

Preparation:

For the aioli:

Place the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Slowly add the oil, drop by drop at first, until thickened. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the paella:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish and drizzle with the honey, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt and pepper, and roast until soft. Set aside.

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and add a large pinch of saffron. Put about 1/2 cup of the stock in another saucepan, add the clams, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook just until the clams open; remove the clams from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to the heated pan. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Add the chorizo, onion and garlic and saute until chorizo has browned and the onions are translucent.

Add the rice, about 7 1/2 cups of the chicken stock, the reserved clam liquid, and any juices from the chicken and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken in the rice and let cook, uncovered, until the rice is quite al dente, about 15 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer-the rice on the bottom of the pan should form a dark brown crispy crust by the end of the cooking time. If the stock is disappearing too quickly, just add a bit more of the remaining 2 cups.

Add the mussels, shrimp, scallop, squid, and peas. Cook until the shrimp are pink and the mussels open. Add the lobster, clams and roasted tomatoes and heat briefly. At this point, you should still be able to see liquid bubbling gently; it will settle when you turn off the heat. Fold in the parsley and lemon aioli and mix until combined, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Hachis Parmentier - It's like Shepard's Pie, but better!

 
Things have been slow at the White-Sankey residence. About two weeks ago, we tried to put together a tomato sauce with homemade raviolis which was a disaster. Jeff and I worked the pasta dough for about two hours and it turned into a frustrating event. With all the recipes we have made in the past 18 months, there has to be a burn out point for trying new dishes. Since then, we hadn't taken on any new cooking projects. We had been enjoying some of our favorites and even cooked a corn beef and cabbage dinner on St. Patrick's Day.

This weekend we came back to life! We made an incredible paella last night (by request from my girlfriend, Alison...which we will feature tomorrow night) and tonight we made Hachis Parmentier, the French version of a traditional shepard's pie. It was featured in the Boston Globe's Magazine as being "better" than shepard's pie. By all accounts, they were right!

This dish is similar to a shepard's pie, but without the vegetables. The beef is seasoned with a bay leaf, thyme and tomato paste. The potatoes are mixed with Parmesan cheese and topped with gruyere cheese. The gruyere turned golden brown and left a crunchy covering over the potatoes. It was incredibly DELICIOUS!

I love when we can make one dish casseroles that are fairly easy and our family loves. With 6 people in attendance and quite a few leftovers, we will once again start the week with people fighting for savory lunches...which is always a good thing. If your palette has moved beyond the traditional shepard's pie, try Hachis Parmentier. It will bring a new twist to an old favorite and your audience fighting for leftovers!

Ingredients

1½ tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2¼ pounds of lean ground beef
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of minced fresh thyme
¼ cup of tomato paste
3 tablespoons of flour
1½ cups of low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley
6 to 8 medium-large russet potatoes (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks, rinsed in 2 changes of water
3 tablespoons of butter, melted
2/3 cup of milk or half-and-half
1/3 cup of finely grated Parmesan
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup of coarsely grated gruyere, about 3 ounces

Preparation

In a very large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add the meat and cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes; spoon off fat, if desired. Add the garlic, thyme, and tomato paste, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Adjust the heat to medium, add the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1½ minutes. Add the broth and 3/4 teaspoon salt, adjust the heat to high, and bring to a simmer, using a wooden spoon to scrape bottom of skillet to loosen and dissolve the fond, about 1 minute. Adjust the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring and scraping occasionally, until thickened but still saucy, about 15 minutes. Set skillet aside off heat to cool slightly; remove bay leaf, add most of the parsley, and stir to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste. Scrape the meat mixture into a broiler-safe 2-quart casserole dish, spread evenly, and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a steaming basket. Fill a large pot with enough water to reach just to the bottom of the basket and bring to a boil over high heat. Set the basket in the pot, reduce the heat to medium-high, and steam the potatoes until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the basket and pour the water out of the pot.

Set a potato ricer over the pot and rice the potatoes into it. Add the melted butter and stir into the potatoes. Add the milk or half-and-half, 1½ teaspoons salt, pepper to taste, and the Parmesan, and stir into the potatoes to incorporate (you should have about 6 cups). Taste the potatoes and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, then add the eggs and stir to incorporate.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread the potatoes evenly over the meat filling, making sure they reach the edges of the dish, and sprinkle with the gruyere.

 
Placing scoops of warm potatoes on beef mixture.

Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is heated through and the potatoes are puffed slightly, about 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until top is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve. This recipe feeds 8.

 

 

Sid Wainer's Quinoa and Salsa Salad

 

A few weeks ago we took a ride to New Bedford to visit Sid Wainer & Son. It is a gourmet food store with a test kitchen. When you arrive, you have the opportunity to taste many different prepared foods using the ingredients which are sold at the store. Not only do they have the ingredients, but they have a produce section with every imaginable fruit and vegetable, a multiple offering cheese section as well as meats and fresh bread.

We like to purchase their gourmet sausages because of their wide selection, maple wood bacon, quinoa, arborio rice, mini-yukon fingerling potatoes, hazelnut chocolate...I could go on and on. The best part of going is when I need a gourmet ingredient, I know I can find it there. I also get to try different types of dishes and they give you a recipe card so you can make it at home.

This quinoa and salsa dish was adapted from Sid Wainer's. We added black beans to the mix because of the Mexican flare. If you like heat with these types of ingredients, I would recommend 1/2 to 1 jalapeno, chopped finely.

This is a great hot or cold side dish for any meal. We happened to be making fish that night and it was perfect because it was bursting with flavor. The sweet peppers, corn, beans and the hint of salsa made for a perfect combination. And just think, quinoa is good for you, add fresh vegetables and herbs, a little bit of olive oil...perfect!

This made about 10-12 side dish servings. After we fed eight for dinner that night, people fought over who would be taking the quinoa for lunch the next day. If you like quinoa, we have another recipe, Quinoa, Mango and Black Bean Salad, and it is equally as good.

Ingredients:

2 cups of quinoa
4 cups of chicken broth
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of fresh salsa
1 large green pepper, seeded and diced
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
1/3 cup of chopped chives
1/3 cup of chopped parsley
1 cup of white shoe peg corn (cooked)
1 (15 ounce) can of black beans
salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Cook quinoa according to directions. Instead of water, use chicken or vegetable broth. You will get 4 cups of cooked quinoa. In a large bowl, add quinoa, vegetables, beans, and herbs. Toss with the salsa and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bon Appetit's Moroccan-Spiced Pastitsio with Lamb and Feta

 
Moroccan-Spiced Pastitsio with Lamb and Feta - DELICIOUS!

 

Last weekend, we entertained another round of "guinea pig" dinner. Guinea pig dinner was created a few years ago when we would have friends for dinner to try out new and different recipes. Many times our friends would arrive not knowing what would be served outside of, "we are cooking Italian" or " it's a seafood night." Thank goodness we have good friends who trust us and have enjoyed 90% of what we have served. I would say 100% but we have had a few culinary disasters.

The March 2011 edition of Bon Appetit magazine arrived a few weeks ago and had some great pasta recipes. We came across the Moroccan-Spiced Pastitsio and Lamb and Feta and thought this could be a nice twist on a lasagna recipe. The intriguing part to this recipe was the spice called ras-el-hanout. As I researched the multi-cultural spice, I realized it was a mixture of many spices. Look at some of the ingredients found in ras-el-hanout: ground cumin, ground ginger, turmeric, salt, sugar, ground black pepper, cinnamon, ground coriander, cayenne, ground allspice, ground fennel and ground cloves. I looked up a few supermarkets and found we could purchase it at WholeFoods Market. The decision was made, we would have a "Greek Night".

Normally, we like to cook every portion of the evening's meal from appetizer to dessert. We had a busy Saturday and decided we would make some portions of the meal and purchase the rest. We chose:

Appetizers: Lemon Hummus and Tabouli Salad with Baked Pita Chips (store bought)

Dinner: Moroccan-Spiced Pastitsio with a Greek Salad (Friends Food Family kitchen)

Dessert: Chocolate Fudge Cake (from White's Cafe and Pastry Shop in Brockton- YUM!)

We went to Wholefoods and found the ras-el-hanout and all the other ingredients we needed for the evening. When we got home, I couldn't wait to smell the spice and I will say, it was amazing. I love the smell of cinnamon and allspice and it was just heavenly. Everyone who came in that night had to smell the ras-el-hanout. It was the topic of conversation for dinner, it really made the meal.

The Moroccan-Spiced Pastitsio with Lamb and Feta was SOOO good. The dish was complex with flavor as there was lamb and mint, cinnamon and feta. It was a delicious comfort food that was so much more. This was a dinner that when you looked around the room, not one plate had food left and people returned for seconds. Everyone loved it. Different made the difference.

Sometimes when you make food that is far out of our comfort zone, in ingredients and taste, it becomes an instant success, leaving you to crave more. The next time you are serving a group of 8-10, take the opportunity to "wow" your friends and family with something completely different.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/4 cups of chopped red onion
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound of ground lamb
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons of dried mint (we had fresh and used about 5 tablespoons)
1 1/2 tablespoons of ras-el-hanout
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
3 teaspoons of ground cumin, divided
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
3 cups of whole milk, divided
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter, divided
6 tablespoons of all purpose flour
3 large eggs, separated
6 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
1 pound of penne rigate
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Ingredient info:
Look for ras-el-hanout at specialty foods stores (we found it at Wholefoods Market) or order it online at adrianascaravan.com.

Preparation:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add lamb; cook until brown, breaking into small pieces, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, mint, ras-el-hanout, tomato paste, 21/2 teaspoons cumin, and cinnamon. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until lamb mixture is thick, stirring often, 15 to 18 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups milk to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until roux is pale golden, whisking often, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add warm milk to roux, whisking until sauce is smooth. Whisk 1 cup milk and 3 egg yolks in medium bowl; whisk into sauce. Whisk in feta and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Bring sauce to boil, whisking often. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until slightly thickened, mashing with potato masher to break up cheese, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over low heat, whisking often, before using.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter deep 14-cup baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; return to same pot. Mix 2 tablespoons butter into pasta. Add egg whites and 1/4 cup Parmesan; stir to blend. Spread 4 cups pasta in dish. Spread lamb mixture over. Top with remaining pasta. Spoon sauce over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Place dish on rimmed baking sheet. Bake pastitsio until heated through, about 40 minutes.

This dish will serve 8-10 people.

Tasting Table's Braised Chicken with Apricots, Olives and Herbed Couscous

 

Recipe adapted from Michael's Genuine Food: Down-to-Earth Cooking for People Who Love to Eat, owner of Michael's Genuine.

HAPPY 200 TO US!

Since November 2009, we have been blogging as Friends Food Family. Today is our 200th blog post which is a huge milestone for us. Can you imagine? We have made 200 different recipes over the past 16 months. Our family doesn't usually get to taste the same dish twice...well sometimes. But really, I don't think anyone is complaining.

What I love about our 200th recipe is that we are trying to step out of our comfort zone. Since Christmas, we have been trying some French recipes and the next two blogs will have recipes with a Middle Eastern flair. (Cinnamon, mint, cilantro; it sounds like an odd combination but trust me, it's really delicious.) We have also been making different breads with yeast and learning how to make pie crust from scratch.

Jeff and I both receive recipes from the Tasting Table. They arrive daily and give us ideas for dinner especially when there is chicken or beef in the refrigerator and we are not sure what we are making for dinner. He received this Braised Chicken with Apricots, Olives and Herbed Couscous recipe and figured we had everything at home but the fresh mint and cilantro. A quick trip to the grocery store on the way home and we were ready to go. This was going to be something totally different.

As Jeff started dinner, the more ingredients he incorporated the better the house smelled. Even though I'm not a green olive fan, I couldn't wait to try this dish. The worse part was having to wait an hour for the chicken to bake.

The meal was delicious. The chicken thighs were tender and the sauce was sweet with a hint of sour. The couscous was incredible with the mint, scallions and cilantro. It complemented the chicken dish nicely. Even my fussiest eaters returned for seconds.

It's funny with all the meals we have cooked, everyone has learned to taste a little of everything...to the amazement of actually enjoying something new.

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone and tried something new? The results can be very rewarding.

Ingredients:

¼ cup of canola oil
½ cup of all-purpose flour
4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 12)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1½ cups of pitted green olives
1 cup of dried apricots
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
3 cups of chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup of fresh orange juice
1 cup of couscous
6 scallions, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced
1 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped mint leaves
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375° and arrange a rack in the center.

In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof pot, warm the oil over high heat. Spread the flour on a large, shallow plate. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken lightly in the flour, tapping off the excess. Working in batches, sear the chicken until browned all over, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Add the carrots, onion and celery to the drippings in the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 of teaspoon pepper and the olives, apricots, cinnamon and stock. Add the chicken and arrange so the thighs are covered with liquid. Pour any drippings on the platter into the pot. Bring to a boil, then
cover and bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is fork tender.

In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice, ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the couscous and cover. Let stand until the couscous is soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the scallions with the cilantro and mint.

Remove the chicken from the oven and stir in the butter until melted. Transfer the couscous to a serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Fold in half the scallion mixture. Sprinkle the remaining scallion mixture over the braised chicken and serve immediately. Serves 6.