Chicken with Prosciutto, Sage and Fontina

Meli and I were at a loss the other day.  Sometimes dealing with gluten-free and Kiddo's pickiness can be exhausting.  So I used the "what do we have on hand" method, googled a few recipes and did some melding and modification to produce this, which was fantastic over gluten-free pasta.

I started with this: http://www.marthastewart.com/339345/chicken-with-prosciutto-and-sage

But instead of flour, used Masa. Also I added cheese and used all whole sage leaves and finished in the oven and used Masala instead of white wine...and the preparation was like this.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup masa
• Course salt and fresh ground pepper
• Two skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 8-10 fresh sage leaves
• 2oz prosciutto, sliced thinly
• 2oz fontina cheese, sliced thinly
• 3/4 cup masala wine
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• Gluten-free pasta, prepared according to package directions

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Combine the masa, salt and pepper in a dredging pan.
3. Slice the chicken lengthwise with a thin knife into 2-3 slices per breast, depending on the thickness of the breast
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour.
5. Melt half a stick of unsalted butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat.
6. Add 8-10 fresh sage leaves, fry briefly until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
7. Add the chicken and fry on one side until lightly browned, then turn over.
8. Brown the other side of the chicken.
9. Top each slice with a slice of prosciutto and a slice of cheese. Fontina was great, mozzarella would be less salty, also good.  Add wine and broth to the pan, put it in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
10. Serve over gluten-free linguine, and add the fried sage leaves as garnish.

Spanakopita

This is the recipe from The Grecian Plate, a fantastic cookbook produced by the Greek Orthodox Church in Durham, NC. I've made a few annotations in italics, because I do it slightly differently

• 3 (10-oz) packages of frozen chopped spinach, thawed (or lots of fresh spinach or dark leafy greens, kale is great!)
• 4 medium onions, chopped (I only use one large or two medium onions, usually)
• 6 whole green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper (I use fresh ground, and probably more like 1/2 tsp)
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup minced fresh dill (optional)
• 1 tsp cream of wheat
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup cottage cheese (can be replaced by chevre for the lactose intolerant)
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 1 pound phyllo
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups butter, melted and warm (I don't usually use this much butter. I start with one stick and add a bit of olive oil, that's usually enough for the whole pie)

1. (If using frozen spinach) Drain spinach thoroughly in colander, squeezing out excess moisture.
2. In a large skillet (if using frozen spinach, or a large non-reactive pot if using fresh greens), saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until tender, stirring constantly.
3. Add spinach, water, seasonings and herbs; cook until liquid is absorbed.
4. Sprinkle cream of wheat over top; cool.
5. In a large bowl, combine eggs and cheeses; stir in spinach mixture, blending well.
6. Set aside.
7. Assemble pita (following directions are mine, the cookbook has a slightly different detailed set plus diagrams)
1. Phyllo should be defrosted
2. Set out two large cutting boards, and a large, wide baking pan. Have the melted butter and a pastry brush ready.
3. Carefully unfold the phyllo on the first board, cover with waxed paper and a very slightly damp towel (not too wet) -- this might not be required at all if you can work quickly enough so that the phyllo doesn't dry out.
4. Working as quickly as you can, transfer a sheet to the second board, brush it lightly with the pastry brush and place the phyllo into the pan. Overlap each sheet, allowing overhang on all sides. Use about 2/3 of the phyllo in this manner.
5. Pour the filling in, then fold the overhang over the top of it.
6. Add the remaining phyllo sheets on top, this time not overhanging.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown (or you can freeze it, bake it later.

Mediterranean Garden Fagottini

OK, this post may look a little bit weird, but I've finally started a diet. Weight Watchers Online has some cool features such as a "Recipe Builder" where I can add my ingredients and it figures out the points value. And then I can just copy and paste the thing into here! Wish me luck on the diet thing...only two days in and I'm huuuuungry!

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 6

Ingredients
18 oz (2 packages) Mediterranean Garden Fagottini - we got it at Harris Teeter. The one I used has 290 calories per serving, 5g fat and 2g dietary fiber -- if you use something with cheese or meat in, it will probably increase the point value.
1/4 pound semisoft goat cheese - I like goat gouda, but feta or chevre will also do
3 medium tomatoes
5 oz mixed baby greens
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to directions
Grate the cheese, chop the tomatoes, toss in bowl with 1T of olive oil, balsamic vineger, salt and pepper
Wilt the greens in other 1T of olive oil, add to bowl
Add drained pasta to bowl with 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, toss and serve

Mustard-Mushroom Pork Chops

I realize it has been awhile. Hopefully this represents a return to normalcy.

1 cup light sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp grainy dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp flour
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 lb thinly sliced pork loin chops (5)

• Preheat oven to 350


• Combine all ingredients except mushrooms and pork chops in a bowl


• Spread mushrooms evenly on bottom of 13x9 glass baking dish


• Layer pork chops on top of mushrooms, and cover with sauce


• Bake for 30 minutes

Serve with whole wheat rotini and steamed green beans. I think this time, I finally got this right...the sauce, when stirred up after baking, is exactly the right consistency. It was very easy and relatively quick. Hub loves any kind of sauce or gravy, and gave it a big thumbs up.

Shrimp and Feta Stew

I just had a request from Sis-in-law for this recipe. It is fantastic. We do vary it slightly by using cans of diced tomatoes with green chilis in them already, rather than plain diced tomatoes. Plus, sometimes we'll throw in a little grated goat gouda for a slightly thicker stew.

Sorry for the long hiatus, I kind of burned out this holiday season. I didn't stop cooking or entertaining, but decided I could give myself a break and not blog about it for a while. :)

I've been writing the recipes down, though...I have a backlog. Now I just need to start typing them in again.

Grilled stuffed chicken breasts

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted...this getting back to work outside the house thing is really cutting into my cooking and entertaining and blogging time. It's not that I'm not doing any of it, it's just hard to remember to blog about it.

• 1.5 lb chicken breasts, skinless, boneless (3 halves)
• 2 oz fresh goat cheese (chevre) - if you can find it with lemon zest flavoring already, that will save you a step
• zest of one lemon stirred into the cheese, if the goat cheese was not already flavored
• 6 large leaves of Basil
• 3 oz Prosciutto
• 1/2 teas. salt
• 1/2 teas. fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1 oz fresh grated parmesan

1. Light a grill, spray the grill rack with non-stick spray, put water on to boil for the orzo
2. Using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts under a sheet of plastic wrap to a fairly even depth.
3. Use a thin, sharp knife to slice pockets into the sides of the breasts
4. For each breast, lay out one basil leaf, cover with 1/3 of the cheese, 1 or 2 slices of prosciutto and the 2nd leaf. Stuff the basil "sandwich" into the center of the chicken breast.
5. Salt and pepper the breasts on each side, and put on the grill
6. Grill for about 10 minutes a side, or until done. One reason to enclose the filling in the basil leaves is to insulate the inside of the chicken from the prosciutto - if you put the prosciutto on the outside of the "sandwich" it can make it difficult to see if the chicken is done, as the pink color can throw you off.
7. Cook the orzo according to package directions, toss with olive oil and parmesan.

Fish in Grape Leaves

Last night, we had Ms. N and her two little girls, I. and Baby K. over. Ms. N is a very dear friend and we have cooked together for years and years...I told her I was in the mood for fish wrapped in grape leaves, and she said "Wow, we haven't had that in a while" and I responded that I thought she had done it last -- four years ago?

Anyway, follow the link for the recipe. The only modifications I made were to use Tilapia and to use goat butter for the sauce. The sauce is best if you don't cook it hardly at all, just slightly over low heat until the flavors are blended.

I am now looking into Hungarian dishes for Saturday night. We're having a couple of friends over who are interested in cooking with us. And of course, it will be more fun if I'm learning too!

Slow cooker beef stew

Also on Sunday night, Hub followed my directions to prep for a slow-cooker beef stew. This is part of our effort to figure out how to actually work out of the house and get dinner on the table and not resort to fast food too often. He did the prep Sunday night, then I threw everything into the pot on Monday morning. YiaYia and PaPou came over and brought bread...other than that, it was a complete meal and provided enough leftovers for the next night's supper and for my lunch today! I love leftovers...

2.5 lb cheap beef (beef chuck underblade is what we bought)
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 onion, coursely chopped
4 medium potatoes, cubed to about 2"
1 12 oz bag of baby carrots
2 branches rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1 quart mushroom broth (Pacific brand is what I used) or I suppose beef broth would work

1. Cut beef into 2" cubes, removing fat and membranes as desired
2. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a freezer bag
3. Put beef into the bag and shake, refrigerate
   
4. Mix vegetables and herbs and broth in a bowl, refrigerate
5. In the morning, put the beef on the bottom of the crock-pot, then throw everything else on top. Set on low.
6. When I got home, the potatoes were still a bit hard (they were cut too big) and I put the heat on high for 30 minutes. But I think if the potatoes were cut smaller like I've said in the recipe, that wouldn't be necessary.
   

Herb-crusted rack of lamb

On Sunday, we picked up a rack of American-raised lamb at BJ's -- we're not crazy about the meat there usually, but it's never bad. This turned out to be lovely. I called Ms. J to see if they wanted to come over, but they had other plans. Turns out Hub and I ate the whole thing up, anyway. :)

1 frenched rack of lamb, 8 ribs, about 1 1/3 pound
1 teas. black peppercorns
1 teas. kosher salt
Leaves from 1 branch rosemary
1/3 cup packed mint leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1 Tbsp. olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 450
   
2. Put all the ingredients (except the lamb, lemon juice and olive oil) into a mini food processor, pulse them together.
3. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl
4. Place the rack in a small square glass baking dish, and pour the lemon juice and olive oil over.
5. Press on the breadcrumb/herb mix
6. Cook for about 35 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 130 degrees
7. Let rest for 5 minutes before carving. A normal portion would be 2 ribs per person, unless you're pigs like us.
   

Sherry-mushroom pork chops with Braised Red Cabbage

OK, another not-quite-right recipe, but it's definitely worth trying again...the leftovers were delicious, and the red-cabbage side dish was AMAZING. Easy, satiny, rich, completely stole the thunder from the entree. Sometimes, I really impress myself. :) In addition to these, I did some simple buttered noodles, which Kiddo ate like a dog. Literally, he just stuck his face into the bowl. Ideally, the dishes should all come out at the same time...

Cabbage:
- 3 slices country bacon
- 1 small head red cabbage, sliced thinly
- 1 can butter beans, drained

1. In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon at fairly high heat until crispy, remove to drain on paper towels
2. Add the cabbage, lower heat to low and braise for 30 minutes
3. About 5-10 minutes before completion, add the beans and the crumbled bacon.
   

Pork:
- 4 pork chops, boneless, fairly small, about one pound total weight
- 2 cups sliced "baby bella" mushrooms
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 1/4 cup sherry
- 1/2 tspn salt
- 1 Tbspn chopped fresh thyme
- 1 Tbspn flour? (The problem I encountered was that the sauce was thin...flour would help. A roux would definitely help, but I don't really think any butter is needed in this recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 400? (That was the other issue, it took too long...we started at 350 and raised the temp to 400 later on)
2. Layer the pork chops in a small square baking pan
3. Add the mushrooms
4. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, then spread over the chops
5. Cover with foil and put in the oven for 30 minutes?

Ham and potato gratin

I did cook this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, but each time we didn't end up eating until after 8:00 pm, and then I pretty much went straight to bed...no time for blogging! I think we'll be able to work out a normal schedule, though.

More because this is the season of change and I'm re-discovering my Fall/Winter cooking bona fides, both of the dishes I did this week weren't quite right. But in the spirit of blogging, I'm going to go ahead and post them...and that way, when I try again, I can remember my mistakes and correct them.

2 cups Emmenthaler cheese, grated
1/2 onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Fresh-ground black pepper
4 medium potatoes, sliced thinly (I use the slicing blade of a food processor)
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
4-5 slices ham (not very sugary, Virginia ham is nice), chopped
Dark green leaf lettuce

• Preheat oven to 385 or so? We did 350, and it wasn't hot enough.
• Butter a 13x7x2 glass baking dish
• Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, black pepper and butter together
  
• Layer the ingredients, starting with potato, then onion, then cheese, then ham, then lettuce, then potato, then cheese, and finally the breadcrumb mixture.
• Pop in the oven and bake for something like 35 minutes?
  

Easy Turkey Chili

I had forgotten how exhausting working in an office can be. The commute...the conversations with extremely talkative people...the politics...the commute again. The deciding each and every day what to wear. The attempt to put dinner on the table after said commute.

That being said, I'm really, really enjoying it! The pro's are far outweighing the cons. And, while I haven't cooked that much this week (mostly due to outside circumstances, or the fact that Hub decided he was going to cook) it wasn't because I couldn't due to lack of time or energy. The one night that I did, it was this super-easy, fast and very mild chili...mild enough for Kiddo to enjoy. I'm almost embarrassed to bother to write it down, but perhaps others have not used the "use every can in the pantry" method of cooking chili before...or if you have, now you don't need to be ashamed anymore. You are not alone!

1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, 15 oz
1 can black beans, 15 oz
2 cans flavored diced tomatoes, 28 oz total (I used one with mild green chilis and one called chili recipe)
1 tsp salt
1/2 t coriander

1. In a large pot, heat the cooking oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the turkey and the salt, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, and cook until all the pink is gone.
2. Add all the contents of the cans and the coriander. At this point, you might want to up the heat with chili powder or pepper or something.
   
3. Bring to a boil, and boil for about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for as long as you like (within reason), it will only get better...but really, it's good to eat right now.

We had it over brown rice. The rice took longer to cook than the chili did, so did require a modicum of forethought. Otherwise, the whole thing took about 25 minutes, if that. And Kiddo liked it, which is always a shock. Plus, there were lots of leftovers to pack for my lunches.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Parmesan Orzo and Lemony Broccoli

Well, even though I started a new job today, I still cooked. My fabulous Hub seemed to sense that it would calm and center me after my first commute/cubicle/commute day in over three years. He reminded me of something I usually like to do in the summer -- grill chicken breasts stuffed with ham and cheese. Except this time we both came up with some twists that made it fantastic. He did the shopping with Kiddo after picking him up from daycare, and also bought a very nice bottle of French wine (going over our usual $14/bottle top limit) as a celebration.

This amount will only serve 3 as opposed to my usual 4 -- but it's very easy to expand.

And for once, this is an entire menu. The sides are super-easy and can be used with almost any entree.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 oz chevre -- Hub found some already flavored with lemon zest, but if its not pre-flavored you can add the zest of one lemon or the juice from 1/2 lemon to a similar effect
6 large leaves of Basil
3-6 slices Prosciutto (depending on the size of the slices)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup orzo
1 tblsp. olive oil
1 oz grated fresh parmesan
2 small heads broccoli, flowers only
juice from 1/2 lemon

1. Light the grill
2. Put 2 quarts of water on to boil for the pasta
3. In a small bowl, combine the chevre, salt, pepper and lemon zest or juice (if using) with a fork
4. Pound the chicken breasts out to a relatively even thickness
5. With a sharp knife, butterfly the breasts, making sure to leave a solid "seam" on one side, and open them up.
6. On each breast, place 1 basil leaf (or several smaller ones to cover the side), 1/3 of the cheese mixture, 1 or 2 slices of prosciutto and then cover with another basil leaf. Close the chicken breast.
7. Grill the breast over medium/low heat for about seven minutes a side. Don't overcook.
8. Put the orzo into the boiling water, cook according to package directions
9. Squeeze the juice of the 1/2 lemon over the broccoli in a microwave-proof dish, and use the vegetable setting on your microwave. If you don't have a vegetable setting, cook on med heat for only about 3 minutes.
10. When the orzo is done, drain and combine with the olive oil and parmesan.

Enjoy!

Fig-Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

Today was a good day. I slept last night (having given in to the realization that Benadryl is simply necessary right now). I resigned my current job yesterday, and signed a contract for a very exciting new project. I had no contact with any of the excessively dramatis personae of my life today. I walked with Hub, played with Kiddo, started transferring my work.

And I cooked something really, really satisfying. In November, I won't be able to start a roast at 5:30, because I'll be in an office again. That will certainly be a change, one I'm more than ready for, as working from home has become lonely. Roasts will be weekend food again. Still, this one didn't take much time at all...

1 ¼ lb boneless pork loin roast
4 figs, sliced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 t kosher salt (Is it common knowledge that a small t is a teaspoon, and a large T is a Tablespoon? I learned that a long time ago when getting my cooking badge for Girl Scouts, but does everyone know it?)
½ t fresh ground pepper
1 T olive oil
1 cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 450°
2. In a small bowl, combine the sliced figs, 3 Tablespoons of the chopped parsley, the olive oil, the salt and pepper
3. Using a long, thin knife (like a slicing knife), pierce the roast lengthwise, running the knife down close to the hilt but making sure you don't get too near the outside circumference.
4. Do it again, making an X lengthwise down the roast.
5. Stuff the cavity with the fig/parsley mixture.
6. Roll the roast in the rest of the parsley, then put in a roasting pan. Top with any remaining parsley.
7. Add 1 cup water to the pan
8. Roast for 15 minutes
9. Reduce heat to 350°, roast for 40 minutes more or until a meat thermometer reads 150°.
10. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

I served this with fried polenta (purchased, sliced, then fried in olive oil) and turnips and greens (frozen), so it was very easy. Kiddo opted for chicken nuggets, but that's not unusual. Really, they are just a ketchup delivery system. He did try a little polenta. Maybe if I let him put ketchup on everything, he'd eat more of my food?

Mussels and Swiss Chard

We just got back from the NC State Fair, which, for the first time, surpassed my expectations. I always loved going to our little county fair growing up, and idealized what the Ohio State Fair must be like. Six years ago, when we moved here, I was terribly excited about finally going to a real state fair! I ended up being disappointed.

This year, with a 3-year-old experiencing everything for the first time, and Hub in tow (he had declined to accompany on the previous visits) we had a grand time. We rode 2 of the available 4 ferris wheels, ate a giant turkey leg and sweet potato fries, saw 8 piglets follow their mama pig around rooting for a nipple, and Hub won Kiddo a HUGE Nemo fish - it is bigger than Kiddo. He did this at the start of the afternoon, so he got to carry it around the whole fair for 4 hours.

Hub is a former carnie himself, and knew the trick to this particular game of skill, so it only took him one try for $2. You could tell the guy running the game was none too pleased. Hub, on the other hand, gloated...so carrying the fish for 4 hours was not really a burden.

Anyway, last night I did cook something new...recently I've been working from recipes a bit more, hence haven't had as much to write about. But I was inspired to try a new spin on a mussels dish last night, and it turned out beautifully.


1 bunch swiss chard
3 med tomatoes or 8 small
2 lb mussels
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 shallot
Rossi parsley garlic fettucini (I seem to be tearing through this box fairly quickly)
4 T salted butter
2 anchovy fillets
2 rosemary branches
1 cup wine (red or white, I find it doesn't really matter, both taste nice. Last night I used some Pinot Noir)
2 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
Fresh grated parmesan

1. Soak chard in the sink, in cold water. Stem it, chop coarsely, spin dry.
2. Check the mussels - if they are not very clean, scrub with a brush and pull their "beards" off. Discard any that are open or that do not close when prodded. Put mussels in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and sprinkle the corn meal over. Let rest for about 20 minutes. The mussels will feed on the corn meal and disgorge sand.
3. Start heating water for the pasta
4. Start heating a large, heavy pot, such as a Le Creuset
5. Chop the shallot
6. Separately, chop the tomatoes and smash the anchovies.
   
7. Heat the butter in the large heavy pot
8. Add the shallots, saute until butter is golden
9. Add the anchovies and tomatoes, stir
10. Add the wine and rosemary branches
11. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels from the bowl of water into the pot, checking to make sure they are closed tightly.
12. Put the chard on top.
13. Cover and steam for about 14 minutes. The chard should be wilted, and the mussels should be open...but it will be difficult to check the mussels since they are buried under the chard.
14. Start cooking the pasta after you cover the mussels, cook according to package directions.
15. Serve the mussels over the pasta, with chopped flat-leaf parsley and fresh grated parmesan on the side.
    

Lost recipe - Blueberry-vodka cream sauce with roasted chicken and pasta

Darn it. I knew this would happen sooner or later...I'm diligently trying to write down my recipes as I cook them, but if I don't run in and transcribe them...they get thrown away. And this was a REALLY good one, too! Don't worry, though, I'll try again.

What the heck, I'll try to do it from memory. Later I'll come back and test it again. This fed five adults (Mom, Dad, Hub, Sis and me) on Friday night, and there was 1/2 a chicken breast as leftovers. Sis was in town on her way to Mexico.

This recipe (or a variation thereof) that I invented years ago is one of the reasons I ordered the Rossi pasta recently.

1/2 cup dried blueberries
Vodka to cover (about 1/2 cup?)
1 small container creme fraiche
3 large chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
Juice of 2 lemons
1 pkg Rossi lemon pepper fettucine
Salt & pepper

• About 2 hours ahead of time, put the blueberries into a small bowl and cover with vodka.
• Preheat the oven to 425.
• Wash and dry the chicken breasts, put skin up in a roasting pan. Juice the lemons with a reamer right over the breasts (no need to strain). Salt and pepper them.
• Roast for about 35 minutes.
• When there are about 15 minutes to go, heat the water for the pasta and cook it.
• Put the vodka/blueberry mix into a small saucepan and heat gently. When warm, stir the creme fraiche in.
• Toss the pasta with the sauce. Serve with the chicken and a green salad.

If you don't have lemon pepper fettucini (poor you!), you could add lemon juice and pepper to the sauce. In the past, I've usually used boneless, skinless breasts and sliced them and sauteed them in olive oil and lemon juice, and then incorporated them into the pasta. But this time, I forgot to specify for Hub, and he arrived home with the bone-in, skin-on variety. Honestly...I think it was even nicer.

Friday was actually pretty crazy, hence the need for Hub to go shopping. There was a huge explosion at a chemical plant not too far from here late Thursday evening, and Kiddo's daycare was in the evacuation zone. We were a bit nervous we would have to be evacuated ourselves. Ms. J and Mr. B and their kids were right on the edge, and fled to Ms. H's house. So I took the day off work and Kiddo and I went over to Ms. H's to join the news-watching and fretting. The kids played, the mothers worried...after noon, Ms. N and I and our kids returned to our cul-de-sac, let Kiddo and Boo run around for a while (outside! by that time we had relaxed a bit about toxic fumes) and then retired to nap. So I never got a chance to shop.

After dinner, I dragged Sis to a birthday party at Ms. D's. There was o-so-much wine and crazy conversation. At one point, Sis told me I am in a sorority. I am? Wow. I've never been in a sorority before. I guess the difference is, I'm not paying for the privilege and I don't have to live with these women. And our menses are not in sync.

Saturday afternoon, the church had a block party, and I ran a Name That Tune booth. We kazoo'ed tunes for people to guess. It was a riot.

Saturday night, Bro and Sis-In-Law came in, and we all joined the sorority and fraternity (the husbands) for a big night out to a comedy club in the City. At dinner time, I found myself channeling the General (my dearly departed Aunt who ran social events with an iron fist). Someone needed to organize this crazy party of 16! We dined at a fantastic restaurant right next to the comedy club. While Hub did have to send his sea bass back, the tilapia that came out to replace it was excellent.

Sunday was quiet. I was exhausted.

And then tonight I went out with girlfriends again. Do I never learn???

I'm tired. Good night.

Shrimp and Shiitake stir-fry

Sunday night at the concert, we ran into The Lint Queen and Ms. H and their significant others, and I had my first inkling that someone might be reading this blog other than Jenorama. I think Ms. H's comment was something like "I thought I was a pretty darn good cook until I saw the out-of-everything mac'n'cheese...did you have to go milk the cow?"

Which is soooo not the point! I was kind of hoping to impart my heck-try-it-it's only food philosophy, not make anyone feel daunted. Anyway, she was kidding and we've decided we'll do a cook-together gathering soon, which should be fun. And yummy.

Another thing the ladies had to offer was advice on the alcohol (and cheese and chocolate) issues I had been having, which was...gastro-esophogeal reflux disorder (GERD). Helooooo, Pepcid AC! Yes, I know, I should see my doctor.

I haven't been cooking much this week, but tonight put together a shrimp stir-fry that turned out very, very nicely. Hub's comment upon first taste was "what kind of butter did you use?" None, of course (who uses butter in a stir-fry?) but somehow the combination of the mushrooms and the sesame oil created both the mouth-feel and taste of a very rich butter sauce. Odd.

I know this seems like a long ingredient list, but this is the kind of stuff I keep in my pantry, in case the stir-fry mania strikes.

1 cup short grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions. If you don't have a rice cooker, get one!
1 lb shrimp (I tend to buy 2 lb bags of frozen easy-peel shrimp)
1/4 lb snow peas
1 small head bok choy
1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms
3-4 cloves garlic
1 knob fresh ginger or 1 T ground ginger
Juice of 1 lime
2 T Thai fish sauce or soy sauce
1 T chili-garlic sauce
1 T sesame oil
2 T rice vinegar
peanut oil

Mise bowls!

1. Start defrosting the shrimp, if it's frozen.
   
2. Get the rice started. Expect it to require about 45 minutes, if not a bit longer.
   
3. Wash the snow peas, snip the ends off, transfer to a mise bowl.
4. Brush any dirt from the shiitake's, remove the stems and slice the heads into strips, put in a mise bowl.
5. Slice the bok choy widthwise, put it into a salad spinner, wash and spin dry.
6. Mince the garlic and ginger and put in a small bowl.
7. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar to the bowl, and whisk with a fork.
8. Shell and de-vein the shrimp.
9. When the rice is done or almost done, heat the wok. When it is quite hot, add 1-2 T peanut oil...really not much.
10. Very carefully add the shrimp (since it's wet, it's likely to splatter) and stir-fry for about 1 minute, just until barely pink.
11. Add the mushrooms, stir-fry for about 30 seconds
12. Add the snow peas and bok choy, stir-fry for about 30 seconds
13. Add the sauce, stir completely and then cover the wok. Let steam for about 3 minutes.
    

Yogurt-marinated Lamb

Something about writing this blog is actually inspiring even more creativity in the kitchen. I prepared this Thursday night before choir practice, and it was juicy, tasty and delicious. I served it with tzatziki (Yogurt and Cucumber Salad - I use a recipe from A Little Greek Cookbook, but this one I found on the web is pretty close...just add 1 1/2 T finely chopped fresh mint), couscous and steamed broccoli. We managed to convice Kiddo that couscous is really macaroni, and he also ate the broccoli (hooray!). The lamb was really enough for four people.

1 lb lamb leg sirloin steaks
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (Fage Total, if you can find it...if not, use regular plain yogurt that you have strained for 30 minutes or so)
1 T Aromatic Pepper (recipe from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider, reproduced here:
- 2 T black peppercorns
- 2 T white peppercorns
- 2 T pink peppercorns
- 1 T allspice berries
- 1 T coriander seeds
- All ground up together )
1 T olive oil

1. Combine everything except the lamb and stir
2. Coat the lamb in the yogurt mixture and let stand for about 30 minutes
3. Grill over medium/indirect heat, turning about every 5 minutes, for a total of about 25 minutes.

Turkey roulades

I didn't write down the measurements for this one, because as I was just trying to get Kiddo to allow me to cook, Mr. M and Ms. C and their boys came over to play. I was so happy! There's no better distraction. So here it is from memory...and by the way, Hub and I ate it all up, so it's a recipe for 2.

0.8 lb turkey cutlets
~ 1 T fresh mint
1 bunch parsley (I just shave the main bunch of leaves from the stems with a sharp knife)
1 small wedge goat cheese (4 oz? not sure)
pepper
3-4 slices country-style bacon
red wine

1. Put the mint, parsley, cheese and pepper into a food processor, pulse
2. Pound the turkey cutlets out, then spread the parsley mixture on them, fold, and wrap with bacon. Use toothpicks to secure.
3. Heat oven to 350º
   
4. Heat a frying pan that you can transfer to the oven (ie, metal handles). Put the turkey roulades on the pan and sear on as many sides and you can, about 2 minutes a surface.
   
5. Splash about 1/4 cup of red wine into the pan, and transfer to the oven
6. Cook for about 10 minutes, then turn roulades over and cook another 5 minutes.

Out-of-milk Macaroni & Cheese

What a busy day! We went to the NC Zoo for the afternoon. It's about 1 hour 20 minutes away, which is a very comfortable distance for me because from the little town where I grew up, the nearest "big" city was pretty much 1 hour 30 minutes away. And for a while up in Cleveland, my commute was 1 hour 20 minutes each way...on a good day.

We arrived home after 5:00 and I was too hungry to go shopping, so I had to make do with what was on hand. This is actually my favorite time to cook, because according to Hub it forces my creative juices to flow. If I ever get any more readers/commenters in this forum, I plan to do a sort of "Stump the Cook" thing like Splendid Table does. It would be fun to see if I could come up with something delicious given five ingredients any given someone has on-hand.

I had corn on the cob. Husked it, broke it in two, covered with cold water, put on to boil. Check.

I had a leftover piece of grilled London Broil that Hub sliced thinly and we ate cold, sort of more as a side dish.

I went to make Macaroni & Cheese, and immediately noticed two problems - 1) out of milk. 2) no regular cheddar. Plenty of cheese in the house, but all a bit more esoteric. This is how I managed to do the dish, and it was honestly some of the yummiest mac & cheese we have ever tasted.

2 T butter
2 T flour
6 T light sour cream
1 cup shredded goat cheddar
1 cup shredded feta (really, 2 cups of whatever cheese you have on hand will probably work, but go easy on bleu cheese)
1/2 lb macaroni

1. Put the water on to boil for the macaroni
2. Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan
3. Add the flour to the butter and cook over low heat just until it starts to turn golden. Stir constantly to remove lumps. I like a wooden spoon for this.
   
4. Add the light sour cream gradually, stirring, stirring, stirring. This will be very thick.
   
5. Add the cheese 1/2 cup at a time, stirring, stirring, stirring
6. It's much too thick at this point, but here comes the magic - add 2 tablespoons of the hot pasta water and stir, stir, stir. Voila!
7. Drain the pasta and add it to the cheese, stir (once more) and serve.

Just as we were finishing up, Ms C. called and offered us tickets to see a circus/dance performance. Unfortunately, she wasn't feeling well. So we up and went (luckily the venue is only about 5 minutes away) and it was very fun.

Plus, so far, potato vodka isn't making me ill. It's probably only a matter of time, but at least there's one option still open.