Tried this yummy turkey chili tonight, recipe courtesy of Food Network. It was incredibly flavorful, probably because of the chipotle chile and adobo sauce, and the level of spice can be modified if you don't want it to be too spicy (I'd cut back slightly on the chili powder or only use half a chipotle chile). Plus, the recipe can be done in under 40 minutes, so no need to turn on the crock pot and wait!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 chipotle chile en adobo, coarsely chopped, with 1 tablespoon sauce
1 pound ground turkey
1 (12-ounce) Mexican lager-style beer
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Sliced scallions, cilantro sprigs, avocado, sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese, and/or tortilla chips, for garnish, optional
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, chili powder, and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the chipotle chile and sauce; cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes--crushing them through your fingers into the skillet--along with their juices and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 15-20 minutes.
Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with the garnishes of your choice.
Cook's Note: A skillet's larger surface area reduces sauces faster than simmering in a saucepan.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Cheesy Crab Dip
I modified an old Pampered Chef recipe for this hot and tasty crab dip that we tried at wine club. Try this appetizer with a nice, buttery chardonnay!
ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2-cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 6 oz. can of crab meat, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss and/or Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 lemon
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot pepper sauce
directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise in bowl. Grate garlic into bowl using Microplane grater/zester; mix well.
2. Juice lemon to measure 1-tablespoon juice. Add crabmeat, cheese, green onions, bell pepper, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce to bowl; mix well.
3. Spoon crabmeat mixture into oven safe dish. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
Yield: 3 cups (12 servings or 24 sample servings)
notes
The original recipe called for 8 oz. of imitation crab meat, but I think it's tastier with the canned crab meat that I found at Trader Joe's.
Also, I didn't have any Tabasco sauce, so I used a few drops of Sriracha sauce. Next time I would add even more because I didn't think there was enough of a kick.
ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2-cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 6 oz. can of crab meat, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss and/or Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 lemon
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot pepper sauce
directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise in bowl. Grate garlic into bowl using Microplane grater/zester; mix well.
2. Juice lemon to measure 1-tablespoon juice. Add crabmeat, cheese, green onions, bell pepper, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce to bowl; mix well.
3. Spoon crabmeat mixture into oven safe dish. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown around edges.
Yield: 3 cups (12 servings or 24 sample servings)
notes
The original recipe called for 8 oz. of imitation crab meat, but I think it's tastier with the canned crab meat that I found at Trader Joe's.
Also, I didn't have any Tabasco sauce, so I used a few drops of Sriracha sauce. Next time I would add even more because I didn't think there was enough of a kick.
Honey Tomato Bruschetta
At wine club last weekend, we had this delicious honey tomato bruschetta. It's really nice with a crisp sauvignon blanc.
The recipe is from Food and Wine magazine and you may recognize it from the cover of the magazine a couple months ago.
If you have trouble finding the clover and buckwheat honeys, try a local farmers market (I found mine at the St. Paul Farmers Market).
In this amazing appetizer, two types of honey serve two distinct purposes: Mellow, slightly spicy clover honey intensifies the sweetness of the tangy tomatoes as they slowly roast. After the bruschetta is assembled, a drizzle of robust buckwheat honey balances the creamy ricotta cheese.
ingredients
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons clover honey
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 baguette slices, cut 1/2 inch thick on the bias
1 cup fresh ricotta (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon buckwheat or chestnut honey
6 basil leaves, thinly sliced or torn
directions
Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, honey, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Scrape the tomatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and turn them cut side up. Bake the tomatoes for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, until they begin to shrivel and brown. Let cool.
Preheat the broiler. Spread out the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Broil for about 30 seconds on each side, until the edges are golden brown.
Spread the ricotta over the baguette slices and top with the slow-roasted tomatoes. Lightly drizzle the tomatoes with the buckwheat honey, sprinkle with the sliced basil and serve with additional buckwheat honey on the side.
The recipe is from Food and Wine magazine and you may recognize it from the cover of the magazine a couple months ago.
If you have trouble finding the clover and buckwheat honeys, try a local farmers market (I found mine at the St. Paul Farmers Market).
In this amazing appetizer, two types of honey serve two distinct purposes: Mellow, slightly spicy clover honey intensifies the sweetness of the tangy tomatoes as they slowly roast. After the bruschetta is assembled, a drizzle of robust buckwheat honey balances the creamy ricotta cheese.
ingredients
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons clover honey
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 baguette slices, cut 1/2 inch thick on the bias
1 cup fresh ricotta (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon buckwheat or chestnut honey
6 basil leaves, thinly sliced or torn
directions
Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, honey, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Scrape the tomatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and turn them cut side up. Bake the tomatoes for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, until they begin to shrivel and brown. Let cool.
Preheat the broiler. Spread out the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Broil for about 30 seconds on each side, until the edges are golden brown.
Spread the ricotta over the baguette slices and top with the slow-roasted tomatoes. Lightly drizzle the tomatoes with the buckwheat honey, sprinkle with the sliced basil and serve with additional buckwheat honey on the side.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Pasta and a pan sauce....
Tonight I was all about a quick, easy, healthy meal - but I was craving carbs. My favorite thing to do when I need a combination like this is to whip up a pasta dish. Two pieces of equipment that you need: a pot to boil the noodles and a frying pan to make a quick sauce. For two people, I use two cups of pasta (whatever kind you prefer). Then, go crazy with whatever you have in the fridge to make your pan sauce! This is how I made tonight's pan sauce:- Bake two chicken breasts for 15 minutes at 375 degrees
- Bring noodles to a boil
- 2 tbsp. oil and 1 tbsp. butter
- Add a handful of thinly sliced red onion to the pan, pinch of salt and pepper, cook until softened
- Add 1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper and 1 tbsp. garlic, and 1 tbsp. capers saute for about 1 minute
- Add sliced, cooked chicken to the pan
- Add 1/4 cup of white wine (whatever you are drinking!), bring to a simmer and reduce for 1-2 minutes
- Add 1/2 bag of fresh spinach to the top of the pan, let sit 2 minutes or until wilted
- Add noodles right from boiling water to the pan (the starch from the wet noodles will thicken the sauce), toss
- Toss with fresh basil and serve
Again, this is what I had readily available to me - the onion was already sliced from a previous dinner, and I always keep jarred roasted red peppers, garlic and capers around to whip up quick pasta dishes like these. It's a gourmet dish with little fuss. Serve with some pinot grigio or your favorite white wine and you are good to go!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sunday Dinners are Back!
Anytime that I am able to in the fall and winter, I spend my Sunday afternoons in the kitchen. It is one of my favorite things to do... I use the time to experiment with a new recipe or an old favorite. Sometimes, I throw a pot of sugo on the stove (sugo=pasta sauce) and let it simmer all day while I make other yummy treats. It was another fall-like weekend last weekend, and although I was out of town, when I returned home all I wanted was a home cooked "Sunday dinner." So, I pulled out a new Rachael Ray racipe and got to work. It took me about 45 minutes to make these dishes and they turned out incredible. Quick-cooking polenta is one of my favorite new dishes, especially as it is prepared in this recipe. It is so versatile! This is definitely a new favorite dinner menu in my house!!! Serve it with a salad and a bottle of Pinot Noir and you are good to go!
Italian Barbecued Chicken with Polenta (serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (on the larger side)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
4 thick cut slices pancetta or bacon, chopped (note: I used two and it was the perfect amount!)
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (don't use the really nice stuff, it reduces so there is no need to)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce (one of the small cans)
2 cups chicken stock, divided (1/2 cup divided from 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup quick cooking polenta (I found this by the instant mashed potatoes)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmiginao Reggiano cheese
Torn fresh basil leaves
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, poultry seasoning and grill seasoning. Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a medium size skillet and brown the chicken a few minutes on each side to put some of its flavor and drippings into the pan. Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast for 15 minutes more, or until juices run clear. Meanwhile, add 1 more tablespoon of EVOO to the pan and cook the pancetta or bacon, if using, until crisp. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary, cook for 5 minutes, then add the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer 5 minutes more.
Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and milk to a boil, whisk in the polenta and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the polenta for 2-3 minutes until it thickens, stir in the butter and cheese, then remove from the heat.
Remove the chicken from the oven and turn in the barbecue sauce. Fill shallow bowls with polenta. Top the polenta with the chicken, spooning the extra sauce over the chicken and garnishing with some torn basil leaves.
(note: I poured the polenta on a large serving dish (it sets very quickly!), topped it with the chicken breasts and then poured the sauce over the chicken and tore fresh basil over the top - great presentation!)
Courtesy of http://www.rachaelray.com/
Italian Barbecued Chicken with Polenta (serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (on the larger side)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
4 thick cut slices pancetta or bacon, chopped (note: I used two and it was the perfect amount!)
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (don't use the really nice stuff, it reduces so there is no need to)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce (one of the small cans)
2 cups chicken stock, divided (1/2 cup divided from 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup quick cooking polenta (I found this by the instant mashed potatoes)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmiginao Reggiano cheese
Torn fresh basil leaves
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, poultry seasoning and grill seasoning. Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a medium size skillet and brown the chicken a few minutes on each side to put some of its flavor and drippings into the pan. Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast for 15 minutes more, or until juices run clear. Meanwhile, add 1 more tablespoon of EVOO to the pan and cook the pancetta or bacon, if using, until crisp. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary, cook for 5 minutes, then add the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer 5 minutes more.
Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and milk to a boil, whisk in the polenta and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the polenta for 2-3 minutes until it thickens, stir in the butter and cheese, then remove from the heat.
Remove the chicken from the oven and turn in the barbecue sauce. Fill shallow bowls with polenta. Top the polenta with the chicken, spooning the extra sauce over the chicken and garnishing with some torn basil leaves.
(note: I poured the polenta on a large serving dish (it sets very quickly!), topped it with the chicken breasts and then poured the sauce over the chicken and tore fresh basil over the top - great presentation!)
Courtesy of http://www.rachaelray.com/
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Fall is here early....
Here in the Twin Cities, Mother Nature has quickly reminded us that the "unofficial" end of summer (aka Labor Day weekend) has come and gone. The temperatures have been in the 60's this weekend, which gets me very excited for fall cooking and wine drinking! Andrew and I sipped on a 2006 Seghesio Zinfandel yesterday evening and commented how nice it was to drink red wine on a cool night. This red is especially good, spicy with lots of big berry notes exploding in your mouth. Great with something as simple as pizza or as elegant as steak tenderloin. Definitely add a couple of bottles of Seghesio (retail $16-$20) to your fall collection!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Summer Grilling
It has been a long time since my last post! This summer has been incredibly busy, which means most of our meals consist of a trip to the grocery store for something to throw on the grill and a salad to complement it.Tonight, as an example, I stopped at Costco for a filet of salmon to grill (always my simple go-to fish!). I was reminded of the amazing lamb chops that I purchased there a week ago and intended to post about! (I am discovering the wonders of Costco little by little... soon to be an addict).
The lamb chops from Costco are affordable and really delicious. I actually pulled a recipe from Rachael Ray for some inspiration. I drizzled the chops with olive oil, salt and pepper and Andrew took them to the grill. Per the recipe, I made a rosemary walnut pesto in my food processor to drizzle over the chops. On the side, I served wilted spinach and a small serving of gnocchi. It was simple and delicious and would pair well with a bottle of pinot noir. However, this dish ended up being a little heavy for the summer months. I'd recommend saving the walnut pesto for the fall (it was delicious!) and substituting a light lemon/rosemary/olive oil marinade for the lamb chops.
Just whisk lemon juice and olive oil together, add chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Combine the marinade and the chops into a ziploc (marinate as long as you can, overnight would be great). Pair this with a light salad or pasta dish and a slightly chilled pinot noir on a warm summer night and you are good to go.
By the way... you can buy 3 lbs. of cherries at Costco for $9.99! (Like I said, quickly becoming an addict).
Any favorite grilling recipes? Please share!
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