Honey Cumin Chicken Thighs and Eggplant-Heirloom Tomato Gratin

Gratin before it went in the oven:

And right before serving:

The chicken was very flavorful and the gratin was awesome! This was all made ahead of time and then served room temperature.

Chicken

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp dry sherry

2 tbsp white wine

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp garlic, minced

salt and pepper

8 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless

Combine all ingredients above in a bowl and marinate chicken for at least 4 hours. Remove chicken from marinade (and discard marinade) and saute chicken in nonstick grill pan for about 4 minutes each side or until done.

Tomato Eggplant Gratin (from Food & Wine)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 heirloom tomatoes (medium sized), sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds

4 thyme sprigs

kosher salt and ground pepper

goat cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Brush a large oval baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Arrange the tomato and eggplant slices in a single layer of overlapping concentric circles. Scatter the thyme sprigs on top and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is barely tender and the tomatoes have exuded their juices.
2. Uncover the gratin and bake for about 25 minutes longer, or until the juices have evaporated and the vegetables are very tender. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Taco Stew

This dish could be considered chili or even used as a taco filling (if you use less liquid). You can also make it your own and add your own ingredients depending on what is in your pantry. If you have a can of diced tomatoes you can substitute the tomato sauce and chopped fresh tomato or if you don't have black beans, use whatever ones you do have or throw in an extra can for more variety, or if you have fresh or frozen corn, throw that in too! My point is, there is lots of room for creativity. Here is my creation....

1 pound ground beef

1 large tomato, diced

1 can tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 large onion, diced

1 (15 oz) can of black beans (not drained or rinsed)

1 zucchini, cut into cubes

2 tbsp taco seasoning ( ok I didn't have taco seasoning so i made my own.... here is what I threw in... 1 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion flakes, 1/4 sweet paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin)

1 tbsp cornmeal (adds thickness to the stew.... not necessary if you don't have it but then maybe don't put a full 2 cups of broth in)

Brown meat in a large pot over medium high heat. Drain, remove and set aside. In the same pot, saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add meat back to the pan and sprinkle mixture with taco seasoning to blend. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15- 20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of cheddar cheese and tortilla chips or fritos. (We used a bag of fritos I got from Trader Joes that were perfect for scooping.)

** If you are not going to eat this right away, wait to add the zucchini because you don't want to overcook it...add it about 15 minutes before serving and don't forget it because it adds a nice texture. You don't want it to be mushy.

Sausage with Lentils and Swiss Chard

8 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage,casings removed
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/3 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 1/2 cups (or more) water
1 pound Swiss chard (about 1 large bunch), thick stems and ribs cut away and discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

Sauté sausage in large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain any excess fat from skillet. Add carrot, onion and garlic to skillet; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, bay leaf, fennel seeds and rosemary. Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are almost tender, about 20 minutes.

Place Swiss chard atop lentils; cover and cook until lentils are tender and chard is wilted and tender, adding more water if mixture is dry, about 7 minutes. Stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.

Sprouted Grain Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Last night we tried a new type of pasta (see picture above). It is a sprouted grain pasta that is all whole grains, full of protein, organic and high in fiber. The ingredients are lentils, millet, spelt, soybeans, barley and whole grain wheat. It definitely doesn't taste like pasta but I still thought it had a really good texture and was very tasty. I found it at Wegman's in the organic section.

1 package Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Pasta

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 handful fresh basil, torn into pieces

Cook pasta according to directions and drain. Slice tomatoes in half and set aside. In a small saute pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and 3 tbsp butter with minced garlic over medium hight heat until garlic is golden. Once pasta is cooked, place in a large bowl and pour garlic mixture over the pasta. Stir in tomatoes and mix well. Top with basil and serve with parmesan cheese.

Homemade Pizza

My sister and I were talking yesterday about what we were going to have for dinner. My response was "I am making pizza." She said to me, "if I had three kids I would buy pizza... I have one kid and always buy pizza." It is sometimes just more fun to create your own pizza and that is exactly what we did! Here are two different kinds of pizza I have made recently (the second one is what we ate last night) and I did buy the dough, does that count???

Pizza with pesto and chicken

-Layer fresh pesto, diced, cooked chicken and cheese then bake about 15 minutes

Pizza with fresh tomatoes and caramelized sweet onions

-Layer mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and onions then bake about 15 minutes.

Flounder with tomatoes and onions

1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup white wine

2 fillets of flouder

Bosari seasoning (citrus)

2 tbsp olive oil or safflower oil

Put olive oil or safflower oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and white wine and cook until wine is evaporated, about 10 minutes over medium heat (tomatoes will start to pop). Remove from pan and keep warm.

Sprinkle fish with Bosari or salt and pepper. Add to same pan and cook about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve fish topped with tomato-onion mixture.

Tofu Stacks over Bok Choy

Today I got my fresh veggies from the CSA I joined and came up with the following dish for dinner. After celebrating many birthdays in our family (and some more coming up this month.. mine included) and eating lots of cake, I decided we needed a week of super healthy meals.

1 package of extra firm tofu, drained

1 bunch of bok choy, sliced into 1 inch pieces, separating stems and leaves

1 large tomato, sliced crosswise

1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch rounds

1 garlic cloved, minced

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

Sprinkle eggplant with salt and drain in colander for 20 minutes. Pat dry then brush with olive oil and place on grill pan over medium high heat. Cook about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Slice tofu crosswise into 8 1/2 inch pieces. Place on grill pan (if it is not a nonstick pan add a little olive oil to the pan before adding tofu) and grill until grill marks appear on tofu. Meanwhile in a large saute pan, add sesame oil and sesame seeds over medium high heat. Add bok choy steams and garlic and saute until slightly softened. Add leaves and saute until they start to wilt, serve hot.

To serve, place boy choy in dish then layer on top eggplant, tomato and tofu. Drizzle lightly with soy sauce.

Ginger Ale Turkey - 2 meals in 1!

Dinner #1

Dinner #2

Sorry for the lack of blog entries the past couple of weeks... my newborn baby has been keeping me busy! But she is now sleeping through the night so hopefully I will be able to start posting some more dinners.

Here is a recipe I got from my grandmother... very simple and the turkey is so moist and delicious! I made a couple changes to the original recipe and it still turned out perfect so feel free to alter things as well and let me know how it turns out. We ate the turkey with quinoa and carrots the first night and the second night I cut up the turkey and put it in a pita with cheese, tomatoes and sprouts. So if you are going to make it.. might as well make enough for two dinners.

1 can of ginger ale ** I didn't have ginger ale so I used Sprite

7-8 lb turkey breast, bone in and with skin ** I bought turkey drumsticks instead of breasts

season salt

Begin with turkey at room temperature. Place turkey in baking dish and pour can of soda over the turkey. Let sit for one hour and turn once or twice. Pour off most of the soda, season with season salt or whatever seasoning you like. Put a little water in the pan. Bake in oven at 475 for 30 minutes then turn oven off and leave in for about one hour. IMPORTANT NOTE: do not open the oven once the oven is turned off... until the hour is up.

Mexican Frittata

Tonight I put together what I could find in my kitchen and came up with this Mexican-like frittata. It was really delicious!!

1 lb sausage, casing removed

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup milk

6 eggs

1 garlic scape, cut into small pieces

shredded cheese

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a skillet, heat one tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook thoroughly, using a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into bite size pieces.

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, add sausage and the rest of ingredients except the cheese.

In an oven proof skillet, pour some olive oil and use a paper towel to rub the olive oil around so it coats the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour mixture in the pan and cook on the stove top on medium heat for 5 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING THE EGG MIXTURE. Then move to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until about set. Remove from oven and sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Put it back in the oven and cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with warmed black beans and salsa.

Vegetable Tian

before cooking...

after cooking...

I know I have been a little MIA recently.... 3 kids under the age of 4 have definitely kept me busy. I have to say I have been cooking just not getting to the part of posting the dishes. I am going to try to post a couple extra dishes this week. I have made some really great dinners if I must say so myself! Here is a vegetable side dish that I made for company 2 weeks ago. I served it with grilled sausage and a tossed salad.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, cut in half and sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

5-6 small potatoes or 1 large russet potato, unpeeled

2 yellow squash (or substitute one for a zucchini)

2 large tomatoes

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

dried thyme or fresh, if you have it

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a circular baking dish with cooking spray. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini and/or squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly in a spiral and making only one layer. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Drizzle the last tbsp of olive oil over the top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake another 25-30 minutes or until browned.

Garlic Scape and Bean Dip

1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.

1. In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.

2. With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.

3. Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.

Corn Grits with Collard Greens and Bacon served with an Egg

Father's Day Breakfast...

Corn Grits with Collard Greens and Bacon

3 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup uncooked grits or polenta (coarse cornmeal) Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons butter 8 slices pork or turkey bacon 2 1/2 pounds collard greens, stemmed and roughly chopped

Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium pot then whisk in grits and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often, until thick and creamy, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then stir in butter.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until just crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop bacon. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease, then add greens to skillet and cook, tossing often, until wilted and just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in bacon and season with salt and pepper. Arrange greens and bacon over grits and serve with an over easy egg.

BBQ Chicken, Napa Cabbage Salad and Roasted Potatoes

I made the salad components and chopped the potatoes ahead of time so when it came time to get dinner started there was minimal work. All I had to do was season the chicken, put the potatoes on a baking sheet then right before serving everything, toss the salad.

BBQ Chicken- there wasn't much of a recipe for this... I had boneless chicken thighs that I seasoned with Bosari seasoning then topped with some BBQ sauce and baked in the oven until cooked through.

Napa Cabbage Salad (serves 2)

1/2 head napa cabbage

1/2 bunch minced green onions

2 tbsp butter

1/2 of a (3 ounce) package ramen noodles, broken

1 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Finely shred the head of cabbage; do not chop. Combine the green onions and cabbage in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make the crunchies: Melt the butter in a pot. Mix the ramen noodles, sesame seeds and almonds into the pot with the melted butter. Cook until lightly browned, do not burn... watch carefully. Set aside.

Make the dressing: In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, oil, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, let boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and let cool. (**This will be too much dressing so only put a small amount on your salad and toss THEN decide if you need a little more, but you will definitely not use it all.)

Combine dressing, crunchies, and cabbage immediately before serving. Serve right away or the crunchies will get soggy.

Roasted Potatoes-

Cut into quarters small red potatoes then place them into a zip-lock bag. Pour 1 tbsp of canola oil into the bag and mix the bag around to coat the potatoes with the oil. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and baked in oven at 400 until cooked and browned.

After removing the potatoes from the oven grate some fresh parmesan cheese on the potatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

Kale Chips

I cannot get my 3 year old son to eat any dark leafy green vegetables (who blames him... I probably didn't eat them as a kid either!!) however I tried these chips and he ate the whole tray! They are delicious!! They are a MUST try!!

1 bunch kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half with center ribs removed

1 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 250 Toss kale with oil and arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet ( You might need two baking sheets). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp, about 45 - 60 minutes, until the leaves are crispy and dried out. Let cool and then enjoy!

Ants Climbing Up a Tree

This recipe is a childhood favorite for my husband. I am not sure my version is quite like his memory of his mother's but he still eats it so that is good! And the dish does not resemble "ants climbing up a tree" but that is what we call it!

2 oz. cellophane noodles (mung bean noodles)- can find in Asian foods section of grocery store

1 small piece of ginger (or can use 1 tsp ground ginger)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 lb. ground pork or beef

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chili paste with garlic (be careful how much of this you add because it is very spicy)

1/2 cup chicken stock

cabbage, finely chopped

green onions, chopped

Soak noodles in boiling water to cover. Let stand 20 minutes and then drain. Cut into thirds and set aside.

Heat olive oil in large saute pan. Add garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute. Add pork and cook until no longer pink. Add noodles, chicken stock, sesame oil, soy sauce, chili paste, cabbage, and green onions; mix well. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed. Top with additional green onions and serve.

Pasta with Sausage and Collard Greens

1 package of sweet Italian sausage, casing removed

1/2 large onion, diced

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 box elbow macaroni pasta

1 bunch collard greens, stems discarded and leaves chopped into 1 inch pieces

parmesan cheese

Brown sausage in saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and continue to cook until translucent. Add white wine and cook until it is evaporated. Stir in collard greens and cook until slightly wilted. Meanwhile cook pasta, drain and add to sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Place into bowls and top with parmesan cheese before serving.

Spring Onions, Fennel and Swiss Chard over Couscous

Last night I made a lot of chicken so tonight I served the leftover pieces of chicken with some new fresh vegetables and whole wheat couscous. The vegetable mixture was very tasty and didn't take much time to prepare.

Spring Onions, Fennel and Swiss Chard

Olive oil

1 garlic clove, smashed

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch Swiss Chard, stems cut into 1/2 inch pieces and leaves chopped

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 zest of lemon

Coat large saute pan with olive oil and turn heat to medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until garlic becomes golden brown and very aromatic. Then remove the garlic from the pan and discard it. Add the onion, fennel and swiss chard stems, stir to coat with oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in white wine and lemon zest. Cook, covered, for 5-6 minutes, until the veggies becomes soft and wilted. Remove the lid and cook until most of the liquid has reduced, another 3-4 minutes. Toss in the swiss chard leaves, stir to combine and cook another couple minutes. Serve hot.

Mustard Herb Chicken with Spinach and White Beans

I recently joined a veggie co-op and get fresh, organic vegetables once a week. You will be seeing a lot of recipes now with dark, leafy greens because that is mostly what we get from the co-op. Tonight I used the fresh spinach and sauteed it with some garlic and beans. (You could use any type of greens with this recipe, for instance, mustard greens, kale, or broccoli rabe). I also used the fresh herbs I got from the co-op for my chicken.

Mustard Herb Chicken

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 tbsp olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the herbs, mustard, olive oil, and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Mix to coat chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours (8 hours would be better).

In a saute or grill pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add chicken (discarding bag the marinade was in) to the skillet. Sprinkle each breast with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Turn chicken over and cook until done.

Sauteed Spinach with White Beans

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large garlic clove

1 large bunch fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 can white beans, rinsed and drained

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add greens by large handfuls, stir until just beginning to wilt. Before adding more handfuls, toss to coat with oil. Add broth, cover and simmer until greens are tender. Add beans and simmer uncovered until beans are heated through and liquid is almost absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs submitted by Susan Hardy

Spaghetti squash:
Cut squash in quarters and put in baking dish with 1/4 cut water. Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degess or until fork tender.
Remove pan from oven and cool until the squash can be handled.
Scrape the "spaghetti" strands from the shell with a fork.
Return to the baking dish. (Drain the water before putting the Spaghetti in pan.)

Meatballs:
Mix 1 pound of ground turkey with:
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (no stems)
2 teaspoons crushed fresh rosemary
1/2 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped clove of garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 heaping tablespoons romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, lightly beaten

Form into meatballs. Place on jellyroll pan sprayed with Olive Oil. Bake at 400 degrees along with the squash for about 30 minutes.

Sauteed Veggies:
Saute in 1 tablespoon Olive Oil until softened:
1 clove of garlic
1/2 roughly chopped onion
1 small zucchini, chopped
3 or 4 white mushrooms, chopped

Add:
2 rough chopped tomatoes

Heat through and pour over Spaghetti squash, service with meatballs and a green salad.

Smoky Spanish Style Pan Roast submitted by Christina Posencheg

Smoky Spanish style pan roast

Ingredients
1 pound small red new potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3/4 pound unpeeled large shrimp
1/4 pound Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced
1 pound green beans, trimmed
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup pilsner beer
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine potatoes, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large roasting pan, tossing well to coat potatoes. Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down, in pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

3. While potatoes cook, peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Devein shrimp, if desired. Set shrimp aside.

4. Stir chorizo, green beans, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper into pan. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Add beer, paprika, and bell pepper, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Nestle shrimp into vegetable mixture. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until potatoes and green beans are tender and shrimp are done. Sprinkle with fresh parsley leaves.

Healthier Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Recently I bought coconut oil because I read about it great health benefits so I have been trying to figure out ways to use it. Today I made oatmeal raisin cookies and substituted half the butter for coconut oil... they were delicious. You can hardly taste the coconut oil so if you are serving to people that don't like coconut, they will never know it is in there!

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups oats

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Beat together butter, coconut oil and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add cinnamon, flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop by rounded tablespoons on to un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet then transfer to a cooling rack.

More information on coconut oil:

• rich in lauric acid (which is a medium-chain fatty acid found in mother's milk that supports a healthy metabolism)
• supports a healthy thyroid function & proper weight management
• known to promote smooth and supple skin
• can be used in place of other oils including butter

Also~ it is solid (just like shortening) at room temperature but melts like butter when put on heat. I bought it at Whole Foods but you can get it anywhere.

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon submitted by Allie Richardson

It is not the quickest dinner to make, but after I watched the Julie & Julia movie, I had to try making it. It was well worth the effort!

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 white onions, small

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Kale and Quinoa submitted by Rachel Renninger

This recipe comes from Healhty Green Kitchen (http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/spicy-garlic-shrimp-with-kale-and-quinoa.html)

For the quinoa:

1 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

pinch of sea salt

Thoroughly rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer (this is important or it will be bitter). Place in an uncovered 1 quart pan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until all water is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to sit in covered pot for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

For the garlic shrimp with kale:

1 Tb. olive oil

1 Tb. butter

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced (use more if you really like garlic)

1/2 pound wild caught shrimp, preferably sustainably harvested

1-2 cups kale, chopped fine

1/2 cup tomato sauce juice from

1/2 lemon pinch or two of red pepper flakes

course sea salt

cooked quinoa

fresh parmesan cheese for serving-optional

In a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy-bottomed pan, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, being careful so it doesn’t burn. Add the shrimp and kale and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the shrimp have just turned pink and the kale is cooked through. Add tomato sauce and cook for another minute or so. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, red pepper flakes and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Serve over quinoa and sprinkle with fresh parmesan, if desired.

Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese Pasta and Rhubarb Crisp submitted by Ginny Smith

Trader Joe's Black Pepper and Garlic Pork Tenderloin

Preheat Oven to 350
Brown pork on both sides in skillet with 1T olive oil
Transfer to baking dish
Bake for 20 minutes per pound

Leeks, Walnuts and Goat's Cheese on Pasta (From All is Forgiven Move on by Janice Taylor)

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
Pasta - one lb. box - I used Conchiglie (shell shaped)
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large leeks, chopped
White wine, two splashes
3 ozs. goat's cheese
1/3 cup walnuts, shelled and shelled chopped into pieces
parsley leaves

Instructions:

Toast Walnuts for 5 minutes at 375

Cook pasta per package instructions
While pasta is boiling in a large saucepan, melt the butter
Add garlic and leeks, saute for 4 to 5 minutes
Splash in the white wine
Cook until the wine has reduced
Add to cooked pasta
Crumble in goat's cheese and the walnuts
Stir and garnish with chopped green onions

Rhubarb Crisp with Walnut Topping ( from rhubarbinfo.com)

Topping

1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tb granulated  sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup softened butter

Filling

5 cups rhubarb, cut into 1" pieces - I  had 1/2 pint of raspberries that I threw in as well
3/4 cup granulated sugar

For Topping:
Spread walnuts on baking sheet & bake in 375 oven for 5 minutes
Let cool
In medium bowl, combine nuts, flour , rolled oats, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg
Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
For Filling:
In large bowl, toss rhubarb with sugar
Arrange in even layer in buttered 8-in square baking dish
Sprinkle walnut topping evenly over rhubarb
Bake, uncovered, in 375 oven 35 minutes
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream

Chicken Marbella submitted by Erin Hardy Burns

I “made” Chicken Marbella from The Silver Palate Cookbook it is a recipe my Aunt Amy Haugh introduced to me over 10 years ago when it was a favorite of her small children!

Actually, I did all the prep work back on January 15, 2010 and put ½ of it in the freezer at the marinate stage. All that needed to be done today was to dump the frozen chicken out of the Ziploc bag into the crock pot, add the white wine and brown sugar and cook it all day. When I arrived home from work my house smelled like I had been cooking all day! I quickly roasted asparagus, cooked a basmati rice medley from Trade Joe’s and served it with some leftover yellow zucchini I had grilled this weekend. A home cooked meal after a long day at work that the whole family could enjoy, including my 13 month old daughter!

Chicken Marbella Recipe

2 chickens, 2 1/2 lbs each, quartered, bone-in, skin-on

1/2 head of garlic, peeled and finely puréed

2 Tbsp dried oregano

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pitted prunes

1/4 cup pitted Spanish green olives

1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white wine

2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley or cilantro, finely chopped

1 In a large bowl combine garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers with caper juice, and bay leaves. Add the chicken pieces and coat completely with the marinade. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, several hours or overnight. At this stage I separate it into 2 larger ziploc bags, ½ for now ½ for later!

2 Preheat oven to 350°F.

3 Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

4 Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with the pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest point, yield clear yellow juice (not pink).

5 With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Add some of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Serve remaining juice in a gravy boat.

Serves 5.

Guest Chef Weeks

For those of you who don't know me...

Lola Susan entered this world on May 5th!

We are very excited and enjoying our new addition to the family!

Since I will be adjusting to life with 3 children I need your help to continue my blog entries for the next few weeks. This week starts the beginning "Guest Chef Week." Please send me recipes and pictures of meals you are making and I will feature you on the blog!