Mustard Dill Chicken
31 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Chicken
| This goes SO WELL with the Brown Rice Salad |
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Brown Rice Salad
31 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Grains
This goes SO WELL with the Weight Watchers Mustard Dill Chicken!!!Brown Rice Salad
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
- Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Baked Brown Rice, recipe follows
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Directions
In a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain, crumble, and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
Add the red onion to the pan and cook until translucent, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the vinegar, chicken broth, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir to combine. Add the bacon back to the pan along with the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the dill. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Baked Brown Rice:
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.
Cilantro-Lime Vinagrette
30 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Dressing
Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2-3 juicy limes)
1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar (too sweet with Rice Vinegar!)
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. canola oil
1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed
In the jar of your blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. Serve with greens, on any type of Mexican salad, or use as a marinade
I wanted this because it reminded me of the Cilantro dressing I would get from Trader Joes. The one from TJ’s tasted like it had Cotija cheese in it. I added approx 1/2 C. of grated Romano to this one and it’s really close. A bit sweet from the Rice Vinegar though
Pastitsio
30 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
Ingredients:
Servings: 6
- 8 ounces bucatini pasta or 8 ounces ziti pasta
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint flakes (optional) – Next time I am leaving it out!
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Directions:
Total Time: 1 1/2 hrs
- Cook macaroni; drain, and return to pan.
- Stir in the melted butter, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup milk, and the egg; set aside.
- In a a skillet or large saucepan, cook ground beef and onion until meat loses its pinkness and onion is soft; drain excess fat.
- Stir in tomato sauce, the 1 teaspoon salt, mint flakes (if used), cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper; set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then mix in flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Slowly stir in the 2 cups milk, stirring well after each addition so that no lumps form.
- Cook and stir on medium high until cream sauce starts to thicken; stir for one minute more, then remove from heat.
- Beat egg in a small bowl, then pour into cream sauce, stirring briskly.
- Blend in the 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Layer half the pasta mixture in a 11″ x 7″ (or 2 quart) baking dish.
- Spoon the meat mixture evenly on top, then the remaining pasta.
- Pour cream sauce over top, to cover completely.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350F for about 40 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned.
- Let stand for 10 minutes.
Now Brian wants me to mash this up with a traditional lasagna! Instead of the ricotta layer he wants bechemel layer and ziti instead of lasagna noodles. I don’t know about that!
Alton Brown’s Gyro Meat with Tzatziki Sauce
29 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
Gyro Meat with Tzatziki Sauce
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Tzatziki Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.
Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.
To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.
To cook on a rotisserie, proceed as follows:
Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.
Preheat the grill to high.
Place the meat onto the rotisserie skewer. Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
Tzatziki Sauce:
- 16 ounces plain yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
- Pinch kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced
- I add 1/2 C Sour Cream
Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Over-The-Top Blueberry Bread Pudding
28 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
Ingredients:
Servings:12
- 3 eggs
- 4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 (10 -12 ounce) package white chocolate chips
- 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
SAUCE
- 1 (10 -12 ounce) package white chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla. Stir in blueberries and baking chips. Stir in bread cubes; let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened.
- Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- For sauce, place baking chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over baking chips; whisk until smooth. Serve with bread pudding.
Rachael Ray’s Chicken Caesar Pasta
28 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
Chicken Caesar Pasta
Serves 4
This quick and super-simple recipe is great warmed up for dinner, at room temperature for a picnic or cold in your lunch box the next day. Now there’s a bargain for ya!
Ingredients:
- Salt 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigano Reggiano cheese
- 1/2 head romaine lettuce, finely chopped
Preparation: Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the pasta. Once at a boil, add some salt and the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the package directions. Right before draining, remove and reserve 1 cup of the pasta-cooking water. Drain the pasta thoroughly, return to the pot and reserve.
While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook in the pan until golden brown and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. When cool enough to handle, chop the chicken into bite-size pieces.
While the chicken is cooking, place the egg, Dijon, Worcestershire, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor with some salt and pepper. Pulse the processor while drizzling in the canola oil. Add the sauce to the pan of cooked pasta along with the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the reserved cup of pasta water. Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is coated in sauce, about a minute. Remove from the heat, then toss the pasta with the lettuce and chopped chicken and serve.
*Pam’s personal note* – To me, what makes a Caesar dressing a Caesar dressing is a bit of anchovy. This recipe doesn’t call for it, but I think it would enhance the flavors. If I can find the Amore Anchovy paste in the tube, I am going to stock so I can have it on hand.
