If you have been reading this, you're aware of my loyalty for Acme. There's a nearby ShopRite that I go to on occasion, but for some reason or another I get annoyed every time I go. They lure me with specials on occasion, but Acme gets me for their sales and their loyalty programs. That being said.... ShopRite's meat department has them all beat. I wanted to get something special for our Valentine's Day dinner and wound up at ShopRite to find something out of the ordinary. This is where my local ShopRite wins.... They have about 10 times the variety of meats that I find at any local store. Weird stuff, too, but fresh and affordable. I picked out a few things to try out on Shawn and figured that I could stash the rest in our handy dandy standing freezer that we were blessed with for Christmas. One of the things that I purchased was a 3 pack of short ribs. I've never made them in my life, and only eaten them a few times, but they were affordable and looked interesting so I figured "what the hell?"
I browsed some recipes and realized that short ribs are definitely a slow cooked type of dish. There were quite a few recipes that I wanted to try, but found this interesting one in Mark Bittman's book. I liked that I had all of the ingredients and that potatoes were included in the dish. I was a little put off at the fact that he suggests cooking mostly the day before and reheating the next day but Shawn pointed out that it would make a quick preparation for a Monday meal. I also realized that most recipes called for at least 3 lbs of ribs, but I only had 1 1/2 in my package of 3 ribs. Thankfully, Widener University teaches all of their hospitality students how to yield recipes.
I started out on Sunday by browning the ribs over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. This was easy to do while finishing dishes and cleaning up from the previous evening's dinner. I removed the ribs, removed all but a little oil, and added in a cup of minced onions. Sauteed for 10 minutes on medium heat and added 1 cup of chicken stock. Recipe said to use chicken, beef, or vegetable and I had chicken stock in the fridge from a recent bird that I had. I know it's okay in the land of cooking, but I always feel a little cannibalistic when I cross over meats from one type to another. I just think of jambalaya and shrug it off. Why waste perfectly good chicken stock? Once it was all boiling up nicely I added the ribs to the mixture, returned to a boil, lidded it up, and reduced to low. The rest of the evening I let it simmer; added potatoes after 30 minutes, and turned the pieces every 15 minutes or so. The recipe states to cook for "at least" 30 minutes after adding the potatoes or until tender. I let it go about 1 1/2 hours and then turned it off to cool, adding red wine when the broth got low. It was a great excuse to open up the bottle of Hot Date Cabernet Sauvignon that Shawn got me for Valentine's Day. I was pleased to find that it tasted great and went well with the flavors.
Once cooled, I removed the meat and potatoes; strained out the onions, and put in the fridge. In a moment of brilliance I realized that I could put the pot in the fridge with the stock and use it the next day without having to clean in between! Boo-yah!
The next day, when I got home from work, I pulled the pot out of the fridge and learned by Mark Bittman suggest to cool the stock overnight. There was about 1/8 inch of fat on top of 1/2 inch worth of stock. Ick! I skimmed it off, brought it back to a boil, and added in the meat & potaoes. Covered, turned to low, and let it simmer happily until it was time for dinner. Just before serving, I stirred in a touch of dijon to the gravy. In the future, I'd add more stock or wine when reheating. The gravy was SO GOOD, and more would have been lovely.
Which brings me to the meal.... we each took one rib, a few potatoes, and a touch of gravy. I served it with some leftover haricot verts (green beans for the laymen) and mini baguettes.
Side bar! The baguettes were a recent find from Trader Joe's. I read about them and their awesomeness and bought a pack for the freezer. Basically, they are frozen rolls that you heat up at 400F for 4-5 minutes. This was the first time I made them and they were fantastic and easy. I now have yet another staple from TJs that will be in my freezer at all times. They're a great size for sandwiches, too.
The meal was fabulous. Very similar to a pot roast, but I found it to be more tender. I used Russet potatoes instead of the suggested waxy type and it worked well, despite a few of them breaking up a bit while cooking. The gravy was fabulous and we sopped up ever speck of it with the bread. I thought that baby carrots would have been perfect in the dish, and brought some color to it also.
Steller meal this time!! So exciting to have a new meat that I can work with. Inexpensive and lots of possibilities...
Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Beef Tamale Bake- Pampered Chef
Who doesn't love Pampered Chef? It's fun to browse and they pretty much invented the baking stone which I absolutely love. I received a cookbook as a gift years ago and browsed through it the other night to see if I could find something new and interesting. I found this Tamale Bake that looked delicious, and like something that I could easily alter so I would not have to use their specific products.
This recipe was weird for me... Maybe I was distracted because it's a Friday and I was busy all day but I had a really hard time following the recipe. I kept looking too late and realizing that I misread details. It worked out in the long run, but caused for some backtracking and annoyances.
I started by sauteeing up ground turkey (instead of beef) and drained the excess liquid. I added one jar of salsa, a can of red beans, and some cumin & chili powder. Brought it back to a boil and mixed it all up and set it aside while I worked on the cornbread part.
I mixed up 3 parts of corn meal with one part flour and added baking soda & salt. Whisked it with 2 egg whites, 1 cup of hot water, and 3Tbsp of butter. Added the batter to a greased pie plate, topped it with meat (leaving 1/2 inch of space at the edges) and baked for 28 minutes. Topped with cheese and served with sour cream.
Mistake #1- didn't notice how much meat that I was supposed to use and made the full 20oz package of meat instead of the 8oz that was called for. Put about 1/3 of the mixture aside for future use.
Mistake #2- Added 1tsp of baking soda before realizing that it should be 1/2tsp and had to skim off what looked like 1/2 of it
Mistake #3- Recipe called for butter spread with 70% oil and I realized at the last minute that I had 48% spread and had to sub in butter. Used unsalted, so I added a tiny bit more salt than mentioned.
Mistake #4- Topped it with cheese before realizing that cheese was supposed to go on at the end. Had to skim it off before baking.
I was terrified that dinner was going to be awful. I am such a subpar baker and not having paid full attention meant to me that my cornbread crust was going to suck big time. I took the pie out of the oven and set it aside to cool. Breathed a huge sigh of relief and the perfectly set crust. We sliced some off, topped with a little sour cream, and settled down for a taste.
It was really good!! Shawn wasn't a huge fan of the cornbread crust, but he's also not too into tamales and doesn't appreciate cornbread as a chili base like some others (like me) might. The cornbread was slightly dry, but really worked with the chili topping. I used spicy chipotle salsa, which brought a nice kick to the mix and it all came together really well. We each had seconds and still have half a pie leftover for tomorrow.
Beef Tamale Bake- The Pampered Chef "Its good for you"
1 1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c flour
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1c hot water
2 egg whites
3T 70% vegetable oil spread, melted
1/2lb 95% lean ground beef
1 jar (16oz) salsa
1 can red beans, drained & rinsed
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1tsp cumin
1/2 c shredded cheddar
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking soda, & salt. Whisk in water, oil, & egg whites, & stir into cornmeal mixture. Stir until smooth & pour batter into baking dish.
2. Cook beef over med-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Drain, if necessary.
3. Add salsa, beans, spices, & garlic to the beef, and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Spoon beef mixture evenly over batter to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the dish. Bake 20-23 minutes or until crust is set. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.
This recipe was weird for me... Maybe I was distracted because it's a Friday and I was busy all day but I had a really hard time following the recipe. I kept looking too late and realizing that I misread details. It worked out in the long run, but caused for some backtracking and annoyances.
I started by sauteeing up ground turkey (instead of beef) and drained the excess liquid. I added one jar of salsa, a can of red beans, and some cumin & chili powder. Brought it back to a boil and mixed it all up and set it aside while I worked on the cornbread part.
I mixed up 3 parts of corn meal with one part flour and added baking soda & salt. Whisked it with 2 egg whites, 1 cup of hot water, and 3Tbsp of butter. Added the batter to a greased pie plate, topped it with meat (leaving 1/2 inch of space at the edges) and baked for 28 minutes. Topped with cheese and served with sour cream.
Mistake #1- didn't notice how much meat that I was supposed to use and made the full 20oz package of meat instead of the 8oz that was called for. Put about 1/3 of the mixture aside for future use.
Mistake #2- Added 1tsp of baking soda before realizing that it should be 1/2tsp and had to skim off what looked like 1/2 of it
Mistake #3- Recipe called for butter spread with 70% oil and I realized at the last minute that I had 48% spread and had to sub in butter. Used unsalted, so I added a tiny bit more salt than mentioned.
Mistake #4- Topped it with cheese before realizing that cheese was supposed to go on at the end. Had to skim it off before baking.
I was terrified that dinner was going to be awful. I am such a subpar baker and not having paid full attention meant to me that my cornbread crust was going to suck big time. I took the pie out of the oven and set it aside to cool. Breathed a huge sigh of relief and the perfectly set crust. We sliced some off, topped with a little sour cream, and settled down for a taste.
It was really good!! Shawn wasn't a huge fan of the cornbread crust, but he's also not too into tamales and doesn't appreciate cornbread as a chili base like some others (like me) might. The cornbread was slightly dry, but really worked with the chili topping. I used spicy chipotle salsa, which brought a nice kick to the mix and it all came together really well. We each had seconds and still have half a pie leftover for tomorrow.
Beef Tamale Bake- The Pampered Chef "Its good for you"
1 1/2 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c flour
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1c hot water
2 egg whites
3T 70% vegetable oil spread, melted
1/2lb 95% lean ground beef
1 jar (16oz) salsa
1 can red beans, drained & rinsed
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1tsp cumin
1/2 c shredded cheddar
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking soda, & salt. Whisk in water, oil, & egg whites, & stir into cornmeal mixture. Stir until smooth & pour batter into baking dish.
2. Cook beef over med-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Drain, if necessary.
3. Add salsa, beans, spices, & garlic to the beef, and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Spoon beef mixture evenly over batter to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the dish. Bake 20-23 minutes or until crust is set. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Crispy Tomato and Onion Chicken- Chicken Step By Step
Look at me! Two posts today! Disclaimer- I made this recipe for a brunch over the holidays using all chicken legs so it isn't technically a new recipe but it's a new one from the start date of the blog. It comes from a book that I have had forever but for some reason have only made a few recipes from. It's exactly what it says- all types of chicken recipes. Some are weird, but many look pretty good. I need to try and focus on this one a bit.....
I bought a whole chicken on sale this week and wanted to plan something that was quick and easy. I wasn't feeling like a crock pot recipe for once and decided to cut the chicken up. I had everything needed for this recipe, so I went with it!
First off, separating a whole chicken into pieces is no easy feat. It took me quite some time to finish, but I managed to get wings, skinned thighs, drumsticks, and skinless boneless breasts. I put the carcasses in a stockpot with discarded veggies from the freezer and decided to make some stock with the extras. To make the rub, I mixed a packet of onion soup mix with two packets of instant tomato soup mix. Coated the chicken pieces, and set them in a baking dish on a bed of onions, carrots, and zucchini. The recipe called for 45 minutes, but I know my oven runs long. I baked for one hour at 400F and it was perfect! The veggies get almost caramelized in the chicken juices and were amazing served atop some mashed potatoes. The chicken was moist and I didn't miss the skin at all on the thighs and breasts. I have to say- the thighs were better skinless! The flavor from the soup was fantastic and the little crispy onion pieces were a special treat. I will probably not cut up my own chicken again, but will probably try this with some drummies or split breasts the next time.
Crispy Tomato & Onion Chicken
1 boiler chicken (2 1/2- 3 lbs), cut up
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 envelopes instant tomato soup mix
2 medium onions
2 medium carrots
2 medium zucchini
freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400F. Trim chicken of excess fat. Remove skin, if desired. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
1. In a bowl or plastic bag, combine soup mixes. Coat chicken pieces with soup mixture. Shake off excess.
2. Chop onions, carrots, & zucchini. Place in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Add pepper to taste
3. Place chicken pieces on top of vegetables. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is browned and no longer pink near the bone.
NOTE! I saw as I was typing that there is a variation listed that sounds delicious. Add 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, paprika, and garlic powder to soup mix.
I bought a whole chicken on sale this week and wanted to plan something that was quick and easy. I wasn't feeling like a crock pot recipe for once and decided to cut the chicken up. I had everything needed for this recipe, so I went with it!
First off, separating a whole chicken into pieces is no easy feat. It took me quite some time to finish, but I managed to get wings, skinned thighs, drumsticks, and skinless boneless breasts. I put the carcasses in a stockpot with discarded veggies from the freezer and decided to make some stock with the extras. To make the rub, I mixed a packet of onion soup mix with two packets of instant tomato soup mix. Coated the chicken pieces, and set them in a baking dish on a bed of onions, carrots, and zucchini. The recipe called for 45 minutes, but I know my oven runs long. I baked for one hour at 400F and it was perfect! The veggies get almost caramelized in the chicken juices and were amazing served atop some mashed potatoes. The chicken was moist and I didn't miss the skin at all on the thighs and breasts. I have to say- the thighs were better skinless! The flavor from the soup was fantastic and the little crispy onion pieces were a special treat. I will probably not cut up my own chicken again, but will probably try this with some drummies or split breasts the next time.
Crispy Tomato & Onion Chicken
1 boiler chicken (2 1/2- 3 lbs), cut up
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 envelopes instant tomato soup mix
2 medium onions
2 medium carrots
2 medium zucchini
freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400F. Trim chicken of excess fat. Remove skin, if desired. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
1. In a bowl or plastic bag, combine soup mixes. Coat chicken pieces with soup mixture. Shake off excess.
2. Chop onions, carrots, & zucchini. Place in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Add pepper to taste
3. Place chicken pieces on top of vegetables. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is browned and no longer pink near the bone.
NOTE! I saw as I was typing that there is a variation listed that sounds delicious. Add 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, paprika, and garlic powder to soup mix.
Beef & Barley Soup
I gave up on the project.... so sad. I did continue to make recipes, but not on a consistant basis and not to where I felt led to blog about it. So last night I made something delicious and wanted to share. Will it be a regular thing? Who knows. But it's worth putting it out there!
I have had a recipe for beef & barley soup that I've been wanting to make since last year. It's in my cooking light magazine and the picture looks absolutely scrumptious. Shawn agreed that he would try it so I have had it in my back pocket to make forever. I bought the perfect size piece of beef (3/4 lb) and put it in the freezer a while ago and decided that this was the weekend to do it!
I started in the afternoon by cutting up celery, carrots, & onions to have ready to go. I cut the beef into 1/2 inch pieces and sauteed for about 4 minutes until they were browned. Took the meat out and added the vegetables, sauteeing on med-high for 6 more minutes. Added the meat, some beef broth, and a bay leaf. turned to low and forgot about it.
After John got up from his nap I told him that he was going to help me make soup. He's a toddler, so he gets really excited about things like that! We measured out 2/3c of barley and he helped me add it to the soup a little at a time with the salt & pepper. He got his own spoon and I showed him how to stir it slowly. The recipe stated that it would take about 30 minutes, but we weren't eating for at least an hour so we turned it to low and kept stirring every once in a while. The soup looked much better after an hour! Thicker, like a stew, and more like the photo.
Upon tasting, I realized that i used too much pepper. It should have been added at the end, and not earlier when I put it in. I wonder if that had something to do with it? The soup itself was fantastic! The meat and vegetables were tender and the barley had a nice bite to it. It had a great flavor, too. John was more interested in the bread than the soup, but I would say that it yielded enough for 3 adult sized portions. The soup was very filling, too. We ate much earlier than normal and it held us until the end of the evening. I would definitely make it again!
Beef- Barley Soup
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/november-2009-recipes-00400000058559/
I have had a recipe for beef & barley soup that I've been wanting to make since last year. It's in my cooking light magazine and the picture looks absolutely scrumptious. Shawn agreed that he would try it so I have had it in my back pocket to make forever. I bought the perfect size piece of beef (3/4 lb) and put it in the freezer a while ago and decided that this was the weekend to do it!
I started in the afternoon by cutting up celery, carrots, & onions to have ready to go. I cut the beef into 1/2 inch pieces and sauteed for about 4 minutes until they were browned. Took the meat out and added the vegetables, sauteeing on med-high for 6 more minutes. Added the meat, some beef broth, and a bay leaf. turned to low and forgot about it.
After John got up from his nap I told him that he was going to help me make soup. He's a toddler, so he gets really excited about things like that! We measured out 2/3c of barley and he helped me add it to the soup a little at a time with the salt & pepper. He got his own spoon and I showed him how to stir it slowly. The recipe stated that it would take about 30 minutes, but we weren't eating for at least an hour so we turned it to low and kept stirring every once in a while. The soup looked much better after an hour! Thicker, like a stew, and more like the photo.
Upon tasting, I realized that i used too much pepper. It should have been added at the end, and not earlier when I put it in. I wonder if that had something to do with it? The soup itself was fantastic! The meat and vegetables were tender and the barley had a nice bite to it. It had a great flavor, too. John was more interested in the bread than the soup, but I would say that it yielded enough for 3 adult sized portions. The soup was very filling, too. We ate much earlier than normal and it held us until the end of the evening. I would definitely make it again!
Beef- Barley Soup
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/november-2009-recipes-00400000058559/
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Mexican Meat- Crock It
Do you own a crockpot? You should! I've owned one for at least 15 years and can't even count how many times I have used it. It's such a wonderful feeling to have your dinner cooking for you while you're at work or tooling around the house! Our standards are typically chili, pulled pork, and I often will cook bone-in chicken breasts to get shredded chicken for recipes. The leftover stock can keep in the fridge for various uses, too. Love it!
When I first bought my crockpot I purchased two cook books, one of which was "Crock-It". It's a great book- filled with simple recipes and hand written with one recipe per page, which makes it easy to read. One of my favorite chicken recipes came from here and I've always been intrigued by this Mexican Meat recipe because of two things. One, it is simple as anything and two- she states that it's the recipe that started the book. If that's not an incentive to make something I don't know what is! I really can't believe it's taken me this long to actually make this. Shawn picked up a rump roast and I decided that cooking it in the crockpot would be the best bet. It's summertime and stews seem just too hot and heavy for this time of year. I was so excited when I remembered this recipe because I had all the ingredients in the pantry!!
To make it, there's really not much that is simpler. I opened a can of cream of celery soup. I opened a can of diced green chilis. Combined them in my crockpot with the beef, turned it on, and walked away. OK- I lied. I'm me and despite the fact that I shouldn't be futzing around with the crockpot (something I have nagged roommates and husbands incessantly about); I couldn't help but mess with the meat after 5 or 6 hours. It is inevitably supposed to shred, so I eventually went and sliced the meat into a few pieces to keep them in the liquid and aid in the shredding process. It took quite a bit longer to shred than stated in the recipe. I don't know if it was because I didn't cut the meat up right away or because I opened the pot to play with it. Probably a combination of the two.
This came out good, not great. I feel like I may have not been the best judge because I have a bit of a head cold, but I needed to add some hot sauce to mine. I tried this two ways- the first was rolled in some corn tortillas with cheese. This was kind of boring, so I then scooped it up with some Tostitos which was much tastier. I think I might try a casserole with the leftovers- mix it with tomatoes, black beans, and corn and top with corn bread... I think that would be a much better version than what I had! I did put some of the leftover meat in the freezer to doctor up on another occasion and I will let you know when I try my new variation!
UPDATE!
I made burritos last night with the leftover meat by putting about 1/2 cup of the mixture in a whole wheat tortilla with some sauteed onion and shredded cheddar cheese. I drizzled them with Trader Joe's enchilada sauce (I love this stuff- it's a must have in my pantry), some cheese, and baked them for 20 minutes at 350. I topped them with some sliced green onions and served it with sauteed vegetables and a corn & tomato salad. Unbelieveable!! The meat was so much tastier when featured in a recipe like this.
Mexican Meat- Crock-It
3lbs stew meat
1 (10oz) can cream of celery soup
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilis
Combine all ingredients in crockery, stir well to coat meat. Cook on high 6-8 hours. Use a potato masher to blend liquid and shred meat. It should just fall apart when done.
Use this recipe for Burritos, Soft Tacos, Tostatos, Bean Dip or serve over rice.
When I first bought my crockpot I purchased two cook books, one of which was "Crock-It". It's a great book- filled with simple recipes and hand written with one recipe per page, which makes it easy to read. One of my favorite chicken recipes came from here and I've always been intrigued by this Mexican Meat recipe because of two things. One, it is simple as anything and two- she states that it's the recipe that started the book. If that's not an incentive to make something I don't know what is! I really can't believe it's taken me this long to actually make this. Shawn picked up a rump roast and I decided that cooking it in the crockpot would be the best bet. It's summertime and stews seem just too hot and heavy for this time of year. I was so excited when I remembered this recipe because I had all the ingredients in the pantry!!
To make it, there's really not much that is simpler. I opened a can of cream of celery soup. I opened a can of diced green chilis. Combined them in my crockpot with the beef, turned it on, and walked away. OK- I lied. I'm me and despite the fact that I shouldn't be futzing around with the crockpot (something I have nagged roommates and husbands incessantly about); I couldn't help but mess with the meat after 5 or 6 hours. It is inevitably supposed to shred, so I eventually went and sliced the meat into a few pieces to keep them in the liquid and aid in the shredding process. It took quite a bit longer to shred than stated in the recipe. I don't know if it was because I didn't cut the meat up right away or because I opened the pot to play with it. Probably a combination of the two.
This came out good, not great. I feel like I may have not been the best judge because I have a bit of a head cold, but I needed to add some hot sauce to mine. I tried this two ways- the first was rolled in some corn tortillas with cheese. This was kind of boring, so I then scooped it up with some Tostitos which was much tastier. I think I might try a casserole with the leftovers- mix it with tomatoes, black beans, and corn and top with corn bread... I think that would be a much better version than what I had! I did put some of the leftover meat in the freezer to doctor up on another occasion and I will let you know when I try my new variation!
UPDATE!
I made burritos last night with the leftover meat by putting about 1/2 cup of the mixture in a whole wheat tortilla with some sauteed onion and shredded cheddar cheese. I drizzled them with Trader Joe's enchilada sauce (I love this stuff- it's a must have in my pantry), some cheese, and baked them for 20 minutes at 350. I topped them with some sliced green onions and served it with sauteed vegetables and a corn & tomato salad. Unbelieveable!! The meat was so much tastier when featured in a recipe like this.
Mexican Meat- Crock-It
3lbs stew meat
1 (10oz) can cream of celery soup
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilis
Combine all ingredients in crockery, stir well to coat meat. Cook on high 6-8 hours. Use a potato masher to blend liquid and shred meat. It should just fall apart when done.
Use this recipe for Burritos, Soft Tacos, Tostatos, Bean Dip or serve over rice.
Backyard BBQ with Confetti Orzo Salad & Curry Dip
We had a small BBQ last night to show off Shawn's smoker skills and go over planning details with some friends whose wedding I'm helping out with. There were about 8 of us, plus the boy, and I knew it'd be hot so I wanted to do a few quick sides and apps to let the meat be the star of the show. Shawn was making a chicken and brisket and I had planned to do a BLT salad, but due to some suspect bacon in my fridge I changed things up at the last minute and found a quick orzo salad to prepare. The book is called 365 Ways to Cook Pasta and I couldn't even tell you where I got it from! Probably a clearance rack somewhere, but I like that there are so many options in the book to choose from.
I cooked up the orzo that was left over from earlier in the week and added some cut veggies. Mixed it with lemon juice and zest, olive oil, fresh parsley, and garlic and put it all in the fridge for later.
I also wanted an easy dip for veggies and whipped up a curry dip that I found on chowhound. 2 parts sour cream to 1 part mayonnaise and add some fresh lemon juice and curry to taste. Stir, chill, and serve. It was so easy and completely delicious. The dip complemented everything, but my favorite pairs were the broccoli, the mushrooms and, surprisingly, grilled shrimp! Thanks, Meg, for the tip! I have a feeling that I'll be making this dip many many times in my life.
The smoked meat was spectacular, as always! I'm really glad that I went with the orzo salad because the BLT would have been too much. I thought that the simplicity of the salad made it really work with everything else. There were so many strong, spicy flavors and the light vinaigrette and the vegetables were really refreshing. I tossed some of the leftover pasta with a salad and some leftover chicken the next day and it was excellent!
Confetti Orzo Salad- 365 Ways to Make Pasta
1 1/2 cups orzo, or small solid pasta
1/3 cup light olive oil
3T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/8 inch dice
1 1/4 cups finely diced red, green, and/or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
1. Cook orzo in plenty of boiling, salted, water until tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain, in wire mesh strainer, and rinse under cool water
2. Whish oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and garlic until blended. Toss diced veggies, orzo, and dressing together. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Curry Dip- Chowhound.com
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
lemon juice
curry powder
Stir and serve
I cooked up the orzo that was left over from earlier in the week and added some cut veggies. Mixed it with lemon juice and zest, olive oil, fresh parsley, and garlic and put it all in the fridge for later.
I also wanted an easy dip for veggies and whipped up a curry dip that I found on chowhound. 2 parts sour cream to 1 part mayonnaise and add some fresh lemon juice and curry to taste. Stir, chill, and serve. It was so easy and completely delicious. The dip complemented everything, but my favorite pairs were the broccoli, the mushrooms and, surprisingly, grilled shrimp! Thanks, Meg, for the tip! I have a feeling that I'll be making this dip many many times in my life.
The smoked meat was spectacular, as always! I'm really glad that I went with the orzo salad because the BLT would have been too much. I thought that the simplicity of the salad made it really work with everything else. There were so many strong, spicy flavors and the light vinaigrette and the vegetables were really refreshing. I tossed some of the leftover pasta with a salad and some leftover chicken the next day and it was excellent!
Confetti Orzo Salad- 365 Ways to Make Pasta
1 1/2 cups orzo, or small solid pasta
1/3 cup light olive oil
3T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/8 inch dice
1 1/4 cups finely diced red, green, and/or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
1. Cook orzo in plenty of boiling, salted, water until tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain, in wire mesh strainer, and rinse under cool water
2. Whish oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and garlic until blended. Toss diced veggies, orzo, and dressing together. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Curry Dip- Chowhound.com
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
lemon juice
curry powder
Stir and serve
Monday, June 7, 2010
Satueed Pork Cutlets & Orzo "Risotto"
I bought a pork loin last week and was debating a few different things that I could make with it. I gave Shawn three choices for dinner (Zucchini Wrapped Pork, Sauteed Cutlets, and the Fiesta Pork from earlier this year, but with grits instead of polenta). He picked the cutlets and I decided to finally try out this orzo recipe that has intrigued me for years. It's in my HTCE book and I mentally flagged it as a simple dish that I could make with a few key ingredients. Thanks to my fabulous pantry stocking skills I was set!
I started by chopping up my onions and measuring all of the ingredients that I would need for both dishes. I melted some butter until it foamed and added the onions; sauteeing for a few minutes before adding the orzo. I toasted the orzo for a few moments (a la Rice a Roni) and added chicken stock, salt & pepper. I covered it, turned it down to low, and stirred it every few minutes while I cooked the pork.
This pork recipe is another one that I have tossed around for years as an easy dish in a pinch. I got it from an old Martha Stewart magazine that I purchased when we first moved into our house. I actually just realized that detail at this very moment; when looking at the recipe while typing up this blog. What fun! For one reason or another I never made the recipe, but tonight I had everything I needed and was finally ready to try it.
I sliced up the tenderloin, pounded the cutlets, and seasoned with salt & pepper. I sauteed them up in olive oil, a few cutlets at a time, for 2 minutes on each side (stirring my orzo all the while). When ready, I transferred them all to a dish and then drizzled fresh lemon juice over the cutlets and topped with a touch of parmesan.
The orzo was ready at about this time, so I added some parmesan to that as well, stirred and it was ready to eat.
The pork was delicious- the lemon wasn't overpowering and it really was complemented by the parmesan. I should have checked them from the pan- they weren't cooked enough and I had to cook them for a few minutes more after we sat down to eat. C'est la vie! They were delicious when we could finally eat them! The orzo was also quite tasty; the onions gave a nice sweetness and the texture really was like a risotto. I think a little swiss would have been absolutely fabulous with this, too. Maybe next time....
All in all it was a successful, two recipe meal and both were dishes that I would make again and again. The meal took very little time to prepare and it really tasted delicious and could also be modified to incorporate a lot of different flavors.
Sauteed Pork Cutlets- Martha Stewart Living: October 2006
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/sauteed-pork-cutlets
Orzo "Risotto"- How to Cook Everything: Mark Bittman
2T butter or olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, plus 1/2 cup more if needed
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice- shaped pasta)
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1. Place butter in 3 or 4 quart saucepan and turn heat to medium, when the foam subsides, add the onion and cook, stirring, until it becomes transluscent. Meanwhile, heat up the stock in a separate pan.
2. Add the orzo to the onion and stir once or twice; season with salt & pepper and add the stock, all at once. Cover and reduce heat to medium.
3. Cook, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking, until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Stir in half the parmesan cheese and parsley. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve with Parmesan on the side.
I started by chopping up my onions and measuring all of the ingredients that I would need for both dishes. I melted some butter until it foamed and added the onions; sauteeing for a few minutes before adding the orzo. I toasted the orzo for a few moments (a la Rice a Roni) and added chicken stock, salt & pepper. I covered it, turned it down to low, and stirred it every few minutes while I cooked the pork.
This pork recipe is another one that I have tossed around for years as an easy dish in a pinch. I got it from an old Martha Stewart magazine that I purchased when we first moved into our house. I actually just realized that detail at this very moment; when looking at the recipe while typing up this blog. What fun! For one reason or another I never made the recipe, but tonight I had everything I needed and was finally ready to try it.
I sliced up the tenderloin, pounded the cutlets, and seasoned with salt & pepper. I sauteed them up in olive oil, a few cutlets at a time, for 2 minutes on each side (stirring my orzo all the while). When ready, I transferred them all to a dish and then drizzled fresh lemon juice over the cutlets and topped with a touch of parmesan.
The orzo was ready at about this time, so I added some parmesan to that as well, stirred and it was ready to eat.
The pork was delicious- the lemon wasn't overpowering and it really was complemented by the parmesan. I should have checked them from the pan- they weren't cooked enough and I had to cook them for a few minutes more after we sat down to eat. C'est la vie! They were delicious when we could finally eat them! The orzo was also quite tasty; the onions gave a nice sweetness and the texture really was like a risotto. I think a little swiss would have been absolutely fabulous with this, too. Maybe next time....
All in all it was a successful, two recipe meal and both were dishes that I would make again and again. The meal took very little time to prepare and it really tasted delicious and could also be modified to incorporate a lot of different flavors.
Sauteed Pork Cutlets- Martha Stewart Living: October 2006
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/sauteed-pork-cutlets
Orzo "Risotto"- How to Cook Everything: Mark Bittman
2T butter or olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, plus 1/2 cup more if needed
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice- shaped pasta)
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1. Place butter in 3 or 4 quart saucepan and turn heat to medium, when the foam subsides, add the onion and cook, stirring, until it becomes transluscent. Meanwhile, heat up the stock in a separate pan.
2. Add the orzo to the onion and stir once or twice; season with salt & pepper and add the stock, all at once. Cover and reduce heat to medium.
3. Cook, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking, until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Stir in half the parmesan cheese and parsley. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve with Parmesan on the side.
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