Butter Chicken

Fact #1: I LOVE Indian food.  More than any other.
Fact #2:  Indian food is hard to make (time and rare spices usually create obstacles)
Fact #3:  Indian restaurants are nearly impossible to find outside of the SLC area (thank you Pakistanis!) and DC
Fact #4:  I'd probably give up my right arm if I could eat at the Banana Leaf in Singapore just once a week.  Dramatic, maybe.  But it's pretty true.

So, imagine my joy when I found a Butter Chicken (what's that you ask -- well it's just the yummiest thing on the planet) recipe that I knew I could do in my own kitchen, with mostly pantry items!

THIS recipe, will definitely be made again.  And again.  And again.  And again.  Until I die.

Now I have to say, I'm starting to realize you can claim any recipe as your own (instead of linking it to someone else) if you just put a small note *adapted by* at the bottom.  You see, the original recipe has 3 degrees of separation from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (where I originally found it).  And when I looked over all the different *adaptations* (to be sure I made the best one possible) I was amazed that most chef's just made one or two changes and then called it their own.  I change one or two things with EVERY recipe.  So from now on, I'm calling them all my own.  Sorry Pioneer Woman, no more credit to you for all the yumminess that floats in my belly.

Okay that rant is over, here's how "I" made Butter Chicken

•  onion (1/2 lb.), peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded, and chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (I will up to 2 lbs next time)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter
• 2 cups basmati rice, uncooked
• Lime wedges
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook rice according to package instructions.

In a large saute pan, combine onion, ginger, chili, and oil. Stir often over medium-high heat until onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. Saute for an additional 2 minutes.

Scrape mixture into a blender or food processor; add tomato paste and chicken broth. Whirl until very smooth. Pour mixture back into pan, add half and half or cream and bay leaf, and bring to a gentle boil over high heat (mixture is inclined to spatter). Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until reduced to 3 cups, about 5-7 minutes. Pour sauce into a bowl. Rinse and dry pan.

Pat the chicken dry. Mix chicken with salt and pepper. Set pan over high heat; add 1 tablespoon butter and the chicken. Stir until chicken is no longer pink on the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sauce and simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 3 to 4 minutes. Cut remaining 3 tablespoons butter into chunks and stir into sauce until melted.

Spoon chicken and sauce onto rice. Squeeze lime juice over portions and garnish with cilantro.

I used the biggest pan I have (because of all the spattering warnings) and I'm glad I did.  It's weird to saute onions in a big pasta pot, but once you get it all liquified you'll be glad you have it in there.  You'll notice I suggest more chicken.  We had cauliflower and peas (common side with Indian food) and there was so much sauce we just covered those in it as well, which was yummy . . . but I'd still rather use that sauce on some chicken.

Since this dish was way to yummy to waste time taking pictures of it, enjoy this shot of me and some of the world's finest ladies grubbing at the Banana Leaf.  We'd save up all month for this.  Yup, I'm the one with a spoon (nope on closer look those are my fingers, the best way to eat authentic Indian food) shoved in my mouth!

Now, if only I could master garlic naan and mango lassi.  Life would be nearly perfect!

Honey Glazed Chicken

I'm falling in love with Mel's Kitchen Cafe blog.  And so far I've only made THIS recipe.  Truthfully, it wasn't amazing . . . but it was really good.  So why am I in love?  She has SOOO much variety.  I've already added about ten of her recipes to my bookmark.  Ironically, this blog, which was meant to help me remove that bookmark, has actually just doubled it.  I never knew there were so many great recipe blogs out there.  Mel's might be my favorite, and she lives in Wisconsin.  If I only I knew where.

Credit where credit is due though, my friend Shar is the one that pointed me to the Kitchen Cafe and she did so with this very recipe.

It was easy.  Super easy.  It takes some time to cook so I had to start it early, but once it got going I had plenty of time to snuggle and play with Reid while it cooked.  Almost forgot to start the rice though.  Ooops!  But it all made it to the table, steaming and delish!

2 lbs of diced uncooked chicken breast
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
4 TB butter
1/4 cup honey
3 TB lemon juice
2 TB soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1.Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flower and seasonings. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.

2.Melt 2 TB butter in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

3.Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter and add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger.

4.After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.

5.Serve over rice. I usually double the sauce ingredients to make more to serve over the rice.  I didn't do this, though I did make 1 and 1/2 the sauce called for.  I just used it all as the glaze though.  I actually thought that was a little too much liquid, as my chicken didn't crust like the picture on Mel's blog.  Flavor wise though, it was a good amount. 

Dill Potatoes

*Alright,  I'm adding this to the gril category as well.  The next day we grilled the leftovers up and they were even better!

This is a simple potato recipe I made to use up some of our old dill.  I hate having fresh herbs go to waste, so I just googled dill potatoes and two recipes caught my eye.  One was dill and garlic, the other dill and parsley.  Well, I had garlic and parsley . . . so I decided to just adapt the two and make my own.  I crossed my fingers and VOILA!  It turned out great.

6 to 8 medium size potatoes, cut in half and then quartered (or whatever "bite size" you prefer).
3 Tbs melted butter
3 medium size garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

I just put the potatoe quarters in a pot and filled it with water, about an inch above the top of the potatoes.  I brought that to a boil and then let it boil for about 8 minutes (don't let them get mushy, like mashed potatoes, you want a bite on them).  I actually just pulled an average size quarter out and took a bite to see if I liked it's tender crunch.

Drain the potatoes, then return them to the pan to let them dry out.  Meanwhile, melt the butter and then mix all the chopped spices into the melted butter.  Now put the potatoes in your serving dish and pour the butter mixture on top, try to coat evenly (you may have to toss a little).

I then let the serving dish sit in the (off but) warm oven until dinner time.  This step isn't necessary, but I'm just letting you know how I did it cause they turned out wonderful.

Obviously you can leave out either the garlic or the parsley if you don't have them both, but I'm really glad I meshed the two recipes and created my own little flavor.  It was a yummy way to use up some herbs.

Chicken Thai Pizza

Long ago Ben and I decided Friday night date night shouldn't just mean dinner at a nearby restaurant.  It was a bold move.  But a good one.  Good for our budget.  Good for our quality of time together.  Good all around.  Snuggling up with each other, a box of red vines, and the cast of 30 Rock can be even more intimate than footsies at a side booth in California Pizza Kitchen (which I usually called California Pizza Chicken, or California Chicken Kitchen).  The sad part was, I knew if we only dined out once or twice a month we'd never choose CPK again.  Good food, but Crystal/Pentagon City neighborhoods had better.

This meant I had to come up with my own way to make Thai Chicken Pizza.  We tried just buying the freezer aisle one at the store, but it wasn't nearly as good as the real thing.  So, we decided to just read the ingredients on the back of the box and try making it fresh.  Brilliant!  This is so easy to make and tastes way better than the frozen kind and only slightly less better than the actual restaurant one.

Here's how:

Pizza dough (we just do Pilsbury cause I'm terrified of making bread).

Peanut Sauce

1 breast  chicken, cooked and cubed (I use really small pieces, usually just by tearing at the cubes, and I usually don't even use a full breast, this is a go-to skimpy-meat meal when our budget needs a squeeze)

Shredded Carrots (generous handful)

Bean Sprouts (generous handful)

1 1/2 cups low-moisture, part skim, shredded mozzarella cheese

5 or so steams of cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Basically just prep the oven however your pizza dough tells you to.  Grease a cookie (or pizza sheet) and then layer on all the ingredients in the order I have them listed.  

It really is so easy, quick and cheap.  We love it.  I actually think Ben would tell you he prefers it to the one at the restaurant.  I probably don't, just because the one at the restaurant requires no prep on my part.

Chicken Roll Ups

I'm going to go with this name, since that is what Ben and I have called them over the years.  But I think Homemade Hot Pockets would be more fitting.  Or Chicken Stuffed Biscuits.  I don't know, they just don't really feel like "roll ups."

To the point:  this recipe is a combination of one of Ben's mom's classics and a dinner my mom made for us back when I was hospitalized.  We just took the two dishes and came up with one dish we like best.  We use to make these all the time.  They'll feed two people for days.  I made them once for my volleyball team while I was head coach at Dunbar.  The girls were super impressed and if anything it just made me feel bad that they never have homemade (or family style) meals.  Anyway, enough recollecting the "comfort" in this comfort food.  Let's get to the recipe.

You'll need:
*  2lbs cooked chicken, cubed
*  3 cans regular (or low fat) triangle crescent rolls
*  1/2 a small/medium head of brocoli
*  small can mushroom stems and pieces
*  8 oz softened cream cheese
*  8 oz sour cream
*  1 can cream of chicken soup
*  3 Tbl melted butter
*  Italian bread crumbs (if all you have is plain, just add some spices to "Italian" it up (oregano, marjoram, etc))

Pull out the cream cheese and let it soften a little.  Shave or cut the top (bushy part) of 1/3 to 1/2 a head of brocoli (you want small pieces of brocoli to go inside your rolls).  Prepare chicken (our mom's boil the breasts, if you do this method you will want to start the chicken first.  I usually cut it up small and then saute it in some olive oil or chicken broth and then wash and prep my side dish while it cooks).  In a medium bowl add chicken, brocoli, can of mushrooms (with juice) and cream cheese.  Stir until incorporated evenly.

Heat oven to 400

Melt your butter on one plate and pour bread crumbs on another.  Open crecsent rolls.  Do not separate triangles; leave two together in form of a square.  Dip one side in butter, then crumbs, then place crumb side down on cookie sheet.  Spoon chicken mix onto one half of the roll.  Pull the "un-chickened" side of the roll on top of the mixture and pinch sides together, making your stuffed pocket.  Repeat until you fill 2 cookie sheets with 12 squares.  You're finges will get messy.  When we use to make these together one of us would dip and the other would stuff and pinch.  Great combo.  

Cook about 12 minutes.

While cooking combine the sour cream and cream of chicken soup  in a saucepan over medium-high heat (and if you accidently pull cream of celery or cream of mushroom out of the cupboard you'll be fine, trust me).  Use this mixture as a gravy to serve over the pockets.  It's yum, don't worry about "soggy" pockets.  This really adds great flavor.

And one day I'll have a *finished product* picture go here.  But yesterday I just wanted to gobble them up when I pulled them out of the oven.  Hot food on a snowy day, YUM!

We like steamed veggies (a brocoli, cauliflower, carrots medoly) as a side dish.  Green beans, asparagus, even corn and potatoes will work as well.  I feel like this would be a great dish to use when teaching a tween how to cook.  Not much they can mess up but it takes long enough they'll really feel like they accomplished something in the kitchen.  Just sayin'

Turkey Burgers

I'm a hamburger type a gal.  But Ben's not really a beef kind of guy.  So we compromise with Turkey Burgers.  It took us a few years, but we've finally found a way to give them the bite "real" hamburgers have.

Start by adding salt and pepper to the ground meat
Then dice some dried tomatos
Chop up a few basil leaves
After that, you can really add just about anything else you might have on hand.  Like crumbled feta (just go easy on the salt in step 1 if you plan on adding feta).  Any other fresh leaves you have (rosemary, parsley, dill, whatever) can be added in moderation to help build flavor.  Don't feel like you have to add anything other than a little salt and pepper and about 1/4 cup each of tomatoes and basil; these ingredients alone will make a great burger.

Once you have a mix of flavors you like start shaping the patties.  I've learned not to over handle the meat though.  I know some people add bread crumbs and/or an egg to their meat to help it hold.  Go for it if that's you.

While they broil/bake/grill/foreman/however-you-cook-your-patties, go ahead and warm up a medium skillet with equal parts butter and Olive Oil (about a tablespoon each).  Slice up some fresh mushrooms and saute them for about 5 to 6 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms and then caramelize some sliced onions.   Once that's done you can now use the skillet to toast some buns.  And if you'd like you can pull out the almost done patties, layer them with the onions and mushrooms and top it with a provolone or swiss cheese.  Yum!

Add condiments (or don't, cause then you really get the flavor of your spices and the juicy meat).  I know the whole, "making a burger" process may be second nature to some.  But if you've tried substituting Turkey meat only to find it comes up short by comparison, try this recipe and you'll change your mind about the healthier white meat.

Ground Turkey Goulash

I didn't actually love this Goulash (will I ever love a Goulash), so I wasn't planning on putting it up here, but Ben implied he'd like having it again.  So HERE it is.  Now, I'm not so easily swayed (manipulated) by my husband, but as we discussed the flavors  (we do this with all new dishes) I realized this will be a really easy pantry meal for a big family, which we will hopefully have one day.  Think hamburger helper, but healthy and fresh.  

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 package, 1 1/3 pounds average weight, ground lean white turkey
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika (I just used regular)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock, available in small 8 ounce paper containers on soup aisle of market
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill

Bring a pot of water to boil for pasta.  When ti comes to a boil, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water.  Cook pasta 6 minutes to al dente.

While water comes to a boil cut and prepare your vegetables and spices.  While pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil then butter then ground meat. Break up meat and crumble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, onions, red bell peppers and seasonings to the turkey. Cook 5 or 6 minutes then add chicken stock and sour cream to the pan. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low. Add cooked pasta and stir. Let pasta absorb some sauce, a minute or so. Adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish the prepared dish with chopped parsley and dill.

Cowboy Cavier

My mom made this for Ben and I when she worked as our personal chef and maid.  Gotta love having a baby!  I've made it half a dozen times since.  We LoVe it! 

Cowboy Caviar

Combine:

1 can corn drained

1 can blackeyed beans, drained

1 can black beans, drained

2 cans diced tomatoes w/ jalepeno chilies, drained

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Add:

1 pkg Italian dressing, mixed according to directions (I'm going for the less fat directions next time)

Toss and mix together as well as you can then chill all day (a couple hours will do)

Serve with fresh avocados and Tortilla chips

We like to squeeze a fresh lime over the mixture right before we add the avocados and serve.  The lime juice gives it an enjoyable little kick, and my mom thinks it helps the avocados stay fresh longer (since this is much more than the two of us can eat in one day).

Parsley Pesto

I had a bunch of parsley left after a turkey-loaf I made last week, so I searched for parsley recipes on Food Network's cite and found THIS.  I liked it for two reasons:  cheap and healthy.  Parsley is much cheaper than basil, and the recipe calls for chicken broth instead of olive oil.  I found we had to season it with a generous portion of salt and ground pepper, but the flavor was pleasing.  Also, I used Jalapeno pistachios.  Why?  Cause they were the only roasted ones I could find at the store (that weren't $5).  I liked the kick that gave to the pasta.  I'm sure you could find the same kick by adding a sprinkle of crushed red peppers.  Well, here's the story:

•  1 (1-pound) box fusilli
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium chicken broth, and more if needed
• 1 pound cubed chicken
• 1 packed cup fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons roasted pistachio nuts
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

1. Cook fusilli according to package directions (I used a different pasta, still a curly one though).

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the broth in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides.

3. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine parsley, remaining broth, pistachio nuts, and garlic. Process until smooth, adding more broth, if necessary, to create a sauce-like consistency.

4. Add sauce to chicken in skillet and cook 1 minute to heat through. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

It would have been nice to sprinkle on some parmesan cheese, but mine is frozen.  I also think this would be really yummy on veggies.  We had it with brocoli and I used the last head to "clear my plate" and it was yummy!  If I were really ambitious I'd try it on some wraps or panini's too.    

Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Are you here cause you've read last nights post from my main blog?  Did it intrigue you and you wanted to check out the recipe (and didn't realize I'd given you enough hints to google search it fairly easily)?  Well, HERE you go.

Next time I make them I'll try to get the right % of real cacao.  I used 67% cause that was the closest the store had, but it was still yum.  I'll also pull my egg and butter out sooner so that they are truly at room temperature.  Hopefully, I won't spill 3 TBLS of the flour mixture on the counter either.  I think my cookie scoop must be a 2ounce one.  So maybe I'll try double scooping.  I just extra heap scooped it but it still made way more than 12.

Give it a try, you won't regret it.  If you're not as sugar greedy as I am you'll make this for others and really wow them. 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 (4-ounce) 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate bar (recommended: Ghirardelli), chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
• Special equipment: a 4-ounce (1/2 cup) ice cream or cookie scoop

1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture. Add the oats, cranberries and chocolate chunks. Mix until just incorporated (dough will be stiff).
4. Using a 4-ounce cookie scoop, scoop slightly rounded mounds of the dough into 12 (2-inch-diameter) balls. Arrange 6 balls of dough, spaced evenly apart, on each baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, flatten the tops slightly.
5. Bake until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving.
6.  Pour a glass of milk and drool yourself sick while you enjoy!  (okay, I added that one, Giada is too classy for that nonsense).

Grilled Lemon Herb Drumsticks

There may still be six inches of snow on the ground, but I am feeling Spring.  This weekend I decided Ben and I needed to grill up some chicken and flat bread.  I remembered THIS recipe from Sandra Lee.  I like her show but I never would have thought I'd make one of her dishes.  So time consuming and complex.  But when she told me I could use Pilsbury pizza dough to grill up a delicious flat bread I decided to giver her a try.  No regrets.

Here's the marinade ingredients:

• 1/3 cup canola oil, plus oil for grate
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary leaves

You just mix them all together and then spoon out a couple of tablespoons to reserve for the bread.  Put about 6 drumsticks in the mix and refrigerate it for a couple hours or a full day.  We didn't have basil and they were still really yummy, so I'd imagine missing out on any one of the herbs won't hurt the flavor.

The flat bread really is so easy to make and SO mouth watering good.  I just cut my pizza dough into quarters, brush both sides with the marinade and cook it on the grill for just a few minutes flipping once.

I cannot wait to pull our new grill out of the garage and fill the great out doors with the smoke that took over my house this afternoon.

Stuffed Peppers

Ben and I returned home Sunday evening from a weekend at his parents place.  I wasn't able to do any grocery shopping over the weekend, but luckily 20 or so stuffed peppers were waiting in the fridge.

I must confess, I didn't really like this all that much when I made them Thursday night.  We made them twice over the summer while I was pregnant with Reid and I LOVED them.  I thought I could go vegetarian for them.  I've craved them ever since, so imagine my joy when I found the mini sweet peppers at Sam's Club.  It seems I must have craved salt while I was pregnant, cause not-pregnant these tasted WAY to salty.  I think maybe we should have used the crumbly feta we bought last time.  Or maybe I stuffed them too much.  I don't know, but they just tasted too salty.

Either way, I'll try them one more before I give up (or just wait until I'm prego again).  Ben still liked them.  He ate them that night, cold the next day for lunch.  Cold and microwaved Sunday when we came home, and then broiled tonight.  Whew, that's how you stretch a meal (and therefore a budget)!

30 mini sweet peppers
7 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil (packed down)
1/4 cup fresh rosemary (packed down)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Slice the peppers from stem to tip on one side, leaving the stem intact. Carefully remove the seeds , there aren’t too many.

3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the feta, basil, rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes. Pulse until evenly chopped (the mixture should be very fine).

4. Use a small spoon to divide the feta mixture among the peppers. Pack a bit of the stuffing into each side of the sliced peppers.  Place completed peppers on the prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until peppers are just starting to soften. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot or cold.

We like this with couscous and broccoli.  The meal really was so delish on my balcony in DC, not so delish in my kitchen in Wisconsin.  Hmmm?

Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas

THIS made a delicious little meal.  I was surprised by how filling it was.  Neither Ben nor I could eat a whole quesadilla.  We both liked the meal, but all that cheese is kind of $$ so we aren't rushing to make it again.  When we do -- I'ld like to add some garlic to the spinach.  And I'd also start by caramelizing half a medium onion.  We just think that'd give a bigger crunch to each bite.  Also, we made cowboy clavier (recipe coming soon) instead of buying a salsa to go with it.  Mistake.  It would have been nice to have a chunky tomato salsa to dip the quesadilla triangles in to. 

•  3 Tablespoons Butter
• 16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced
• ⅓ cups Sherry Or Wine (we used chicken broth)
• 3 Tablespoons (additional) Sherry Or Wine (chicken broth)
• Kosher Salt And Pepper To Taste
• 1 bag Baby Spinach
• 12 whole Flour Tortillas (Soft Taco Size)
• 8 ounces, weight Fontina (or Monterey Jack) Cheese, Grated
• 3 ounces, weight Goat Cheese (chevre)
• Extra Butter, For Tortillas
• Salsa, For Serving

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet and add sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then pour in sherry. Add salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 6 to 8 minutes, or until all liquid is evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet and set aside.
2. Return skillet to stovetop and reduce heat to medium-low. Melt additional 1 tablespoons of butter and add a couple of tablespooons of sherry. Add spinach to skillet and stir gently as it wilts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook for 2 minutes, max. Remove from skillet.
3.To assemble the quesadillas, arrange grated Fontina, spinach, and mushrooms on top of one flour tortilla. Dot with goat cheese. Top with a little more Fontina, then top with second tortilla. Smear softened butter lightly on both sides of the quesadilla, then grill until golden brown and until cheese is totally melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
4. Slice quesadillas into four wedges and serve immediately.

Reading over this I realize we made a lot of changes to the recipe.  We used chicken broth instead of wine (which I'm not opposed to cooking with, but we just don't happen to have any).  We used Feta cheese instead of goat, as Ben's stint in France made him dislike goat cheese very much.  I used Ina's inspiration and made a cilantro butter to spread on the tortilla shells, also our shells were bigger than suggested.  Also, we added a little marble cheese just to stretch out the other, more pricey, cheeses.  Anyway, it was delicious and  a bit different than our usual run of the mill meals.  Thank you pioneer woman!  And another thanks to Alton Brown for teaching me the many uses of a pizza cutter.  

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts

Ben came home for lunch today, and we ate last nights leftovers together.  I always feel good about preparing a meal without meat, but I think this dish would work better as a side to some shrimp skewers and grilled asparagus.  Ben doesn't love creamy spaghetti sauces so I've never actually made one before.  I don't think I'll branch out much, as this one seems to taste as wonderful as ones I've tried at restaurants.  I'd rate it an easy-moderate overall.  And a dish I'd make once or twice a year, not one I'd regularly crave.

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• ½ cups Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped

1. Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.
5. Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

In looking  back over this I think I'll have to pay closer attention to steps 4 and 5 next time.  If you love creamy pastas this is a dish you should try.  I'll try it again as a side to some grilled shrimp and asparagus.  Yum!

Better-for-you Banana Bread

Little things are as wonderful as when you find a recipe that turns one of your favorite treats into something a bit healthier. It should be noted that until I was married I actually thought banana bread was healthy.  Oh sad day. 

Ben's mother bought him a copy of The America's Test Kitchen HEALTHY Family Cookbook.  For his birthday.  There are so many recipes in here I want to try, like homemade granola bars mmmmmm.  But naturally I started with a favorite.

Better-for-you Banana Bread:

FLOUR MIXTURE
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tea baking powder
3/4 tea baking soda
1/2 tea salt
1/4 tea ground cinamon
14/ tea ground nutmeg


BANANA MIXTURE
1 1/2 cups large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed well (this will be about 3 medium or 2 1/2 large bananas, do not exceed the 1 1/2 mark or your loaf will be gummy and dense.  Also, make sure they are ripe.  There is a whole paragraph in the cook book informing you how partially blackened bananas are necessary for optimal taste)
4 TB unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1/4 cup lowfat plain yogurt of lowfat sourcream (do not substitute nonfat, needs to be lowfat)
1 tea vanilla

optional
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse (I haven't done this option yet)

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly coat an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.

2.  Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl whisk the wet ingredients.

3.  Gently fold the banana mixture and walnuts (if using) into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not overmix).  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

4.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 55-65 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking.

5.  Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 min, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Ben actually likes this better than my old all-white-flour-loads-of-cooking-oil recipe.  It truly is divine.  And just as easy as the other (I made this whole thing while Reid took a nap today . . . and I was super noisy and he didn't even wake up).  Try it, you'll thank me. 

Glorious Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This recipe was so yummy!  Ben and I both really loved it and we will definitely add it to our list of regular meals.  I wouldn't call it easy, more like an easy moderate.  The steps aren't hard or anything, they are just time consuming.  It will take about 20 minutes to prep and you can't walk away during the middle of it.  We only cooked the Mushrooms for about 18 minutes, but I think our caps were smaller than called for (we had 6). Rosemary sour cream skin in mashed potatoes went really well with the dish.

• 4-6 whole Portobello Mushroom Caps
• Olive Oil
• ½ pounds Bulk Italian Sausage, Or Links With Casings Removed
• 2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 whole Onion
• 1 bulb Fresh Fennel
• 1 whole Bell Pepper, Any Color
• 3 stalks Celery, With Leaves
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 3 sprigs Rosemary
• ¾ cups White Wine (can Substitute Stock/broth)
• ½ cups Shredded Monterey Jack, Plus Extra For Sprinkling
• 4 slices Good Sandwich Bread, Toasted And Cubed
• 1 whole Egg, Lightly Beaten

1. Wipe the portobellos clean with a paper towel and scrape out the gills with a spoon. Drizzle enough olive oil in the bottom of a glass baking dish to coat. Place portobello caps in the baking dish, top down, drizzle with oil, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 450F.
3. Brown sausage in a large skillet with a little bit of olive oil and the crushed red pepper over medium high heat.
4. While the sausage is browning, dice the onion, fennel, and bell pepper, chop the celery, and slice the garlic as thin as you can get it. Remove the rosemary leaves from the stems and finely chop.
5. Add the veggies and garlic and rosemary to the skillet and saute with the sausage until crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and allow to cook for another 5 minutes or so.
7. Stir in the shredded cheese and bread cubes. The bread cubes should soak up whatever wine remains in the pan.
8. Taste it at this point, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (or more red pepper!). Stir in the beaten egg. The stuffing mixture should seem a little wet.
9. Mound stuffing mixture into portobello caps. It’s ok to pack it down a little bit to make sure that it stays in place.
10. Sprinkle with a little extra shredded cheese. Bake at 450F for 35-40 minutes, or until the portobello is tender and the stuffing is golden brown.

Side ideas:  Crusted bread and salad, rosemary and sour cream skin in mashed potatoes, or couscous