Yesterday, Zach came home from work with the words, "Guess what I heard on Zorba Paster today?" So, we've made an interesting grilled chicken with fruit salsa as the main dish. When we were at Wal-Mart getting supplies, I reminded Zach that PW made some illegal-looking mozzarella sticks and we had 80% of the stuff to make 'em. So... we made them to counteract the healthiness of the chicken. :D
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH FRUIT SALSA
Chicken:
3 Tbs Olive oil
2 Tbs Dry white wine
2 Tbs Fresh lime juice
1 Tbs White wine Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp Dried basil
4 Boneless, chicken breast halves
Salsa:
2 Large Peaches, ripe and firm
1 Small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 Small Jalapeño, diced
½ Cup Chopped fresh cilantro
1 ½ Tbs Honey
2 Tbs Fresh lime juice
¼ tsp Ground allspice
¼ tsp Cinnamon
Chicken:
Mix oil, white wine, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce and basil in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and coat evenly. Cover and refigerate for at least one hour. Prepare Salsa.
Salsa:
Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add peaches and boil for 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer peaches to bowl of cold water. Drain.* Peel and chop coarsely. Place peaches in large bowl. Mix in all remaining ingredients. Cover and chill.
Prepare grill or broiler. Remove chicken from marinade and grill (or broil) until cooked through. (About 5-6 minutes per side.) Plate each chicken breast and top with salsa. Enjoy!
Servings: 4
Cooking Tips
*Canned peaches can be substituted, but rinse and drain first.
The salsa was super-flavorful, but kind of like fire in my mouth. Take the seeds and membranes out of the jalepeno if you are adverse to your dinner fighting back! :D
Mozzarella Sticks
* 16 pieces String Cheese, Removed From Wrappers
* ½ cups All-purpose Flour
* 2 whole Eggs
* 3 Tablespoons Milk
* 2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (I Used Kikkoman)
* 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes
* Canola Oil, For Frying
* Marinara Sauce, For Dipping
Preparation Instructions
Slice string cheese pieces in half, for a total of 32 pieces.
Place flour in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
In another separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley flakes.
TO ASSEMBLE: One by one, roll mozzarella sticks in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the mozzarella stick. Gently remove and place on a tray or cookie sheet. Repeat until all mozzarella sticks are coated.
***Place tray in freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to flash freeze.***
TO COOK: Heat 1 1/2 inches canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mozzarella sticks 8 at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Do not allow cheese to bubble and leak.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.
July 16, 2010
July 8, 2010
So quick and easy, you'll swear it was cheating!
It was a lazy evening 'round these parts. It was getting late after Zach soundly whooped my butt at Monopoly, and we were getting hungry. Thanks to quick thinking (and Allrecipes.com), nobody got sacrificed to be eaten. :D
Mushroom Rice
Ingredients
* 2 teaspoons butter
* 6 mushrooms, coarsely chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 green onion, finely chopped
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup uncooked white rice
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
* salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook mushrooms, garlic and green onion until mushrooms are cooked and liquid has evaporated. Stir in chicken broth and rice. Season with parsley, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
*Note: Mushrooms are a good source of selenium, three essential B-vitamins: riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, and potassium, not to mention a whole lot of other stuff. :D
Now, to sharpen my real estate strategy.... Victory will be mine!
<3
Jennifer
Mushroom Rice
Ingredients
* 2 teaspoons butter
* 6 mushrooms, coarsely chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 green onion, finely chopped
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup uncooked white rice
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
* salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook mushrooms, garlic and green onion until mushrooms are cooked and liquid has evaporated. Stir in chicken broth and rice. Season with parsley, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
*Note: Mushrooms are a good source of selenium, three essential B-vitamins: riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, and potassium, not to mention a whole lot of other stuff. :D
Now, to sharpen my real estate strategy.... Victory will be mine!
<3
Jennifer
July 4, 2010
My July 4th feast contributions!
I've been hankering hardcore for soft pretzels for weeks and weeks, but I've been trying to watch my wallet. Thankfully, I remembered PW mentioning making Smitten Kitchen's soft pretzels with much success. So, I finally had time and went for it! Man, are they good. Chewy with a tender middle, I recommend melted Cream Cheese to dip in. Here's how, thanks to Smitten Kitchen:
Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Updated with a few tweaks 2/20/2009
Makes 16 full-sized or 32 miniature
2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1. Pour warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar into bowl of electric mixer fitted with a dough hook* and stir to combine. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.
2. Add 1 cup flour to yeast, and mix on low until combined. Add salt and 4 cups more flour, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup flour, and knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about ten times, or until smooth.
3. Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
4. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels, and wrap in plastic.
5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. [I find the pretzels much easier to roll on an unfloured board, oddly enough, but see what works for you.] Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda (and step back, it foams up quickly) and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.
7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.
* These days, I mix all of my bread doughs by hand, with a wooden spoon. I find it a fantastically easy process, and not very hard to stir by hand. No need to mix for several minutes, just a minute or so after it looks combined. To save even more dishes, I rinse out the bowl, oil it and use it for proofing the dough. And you thought making bread wasn’t simple!
Then, Pioneer Woman further tempted me in the form of a Tres Leches Cake that I intended to make for Zach's birthday last week but got put off until today. Man, it was amazing! Not soggy at all!!!
Ingredients
* 1 cup All-purpose Flour
* 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
* ¼ teaspoons Salt
* 5 whole Eggs
* 1 cup Sugar, Divided
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* ⅓ cups Milk
* 1 can Evaporated Milk
* 1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
* ¼ cups Heavy Cream
* _____
* FOR THE ICING:
* 1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
* 3 Tablespoons Sugar
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.
Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.
Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.
Happy 4th, everyone! Make sure all your fingers stay safe. :)
Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Updated with a few tweaks 2/20/2009
Makes 16 full-sized or 32 miniature
2 cups warm water (100°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1. Pour warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar into bowl of electric mixer fitted with a dough hook* and stir to combine. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.
2. Add 1 cup flour to yeast, and mix on low until combined. Add salt and 4 cups more flour, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup flour, and knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about ten times, or until smooth.
3. Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
4. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels, and wrap in plastic.
5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. [I find the pretzels much easier to roll on an unfloured board, oddly enough, but see what works for you.] Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda (and step back, it foams up quickly) and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.
7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for two days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.
* These days, I mix all of my bread doughs by hand, with a wooden spoon. I find it a fantastically easy process, and not very hard to stir by hand. No need to mix for several minutes, just a minute or so after it looks combined. To save even more dishes, I rinse out the bowl, oil it and use it for proofing the dough. And you thought making bread wasn’t simple!
Then, Pioneer Woman further tempted me in the form of a Tres Leches Cake that I intended to make for Zach's birthday last week but got put off until today. Man, it was amazing! Not soggy at all!!!
Ingredients
* 1 cup All-purpose Flour
* 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
* ¼ teaspoons Salt
* 5 whole Eggs
* 1 cup Sugar, Divided
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* ⅓ cups Milk
* 1 can Evaporated Milk
* 1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
* ¼ cups Heavy Cream
* _____
* FOR THE ICING:
* 1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
* 3 Tablespoons Sugar
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.
Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.
Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.
Happy 4th, everyone! Make sure all your fingers stay safe. :)
June 18, 2010
Tonight's fancy just-because menu...
Tonight will be the first night I've made dinner in our new home. I think that deserves a fancy menu, don't you? A nice little summer dinner for two...
-Parmesan Broccoli Salad
-Salmon Fantasia
-Raspberry Lime Granita
Here's how!
For the salad:
1/2 bag broccoli slaw
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 3/4 oz shelled salted peanuts
1/8 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Spices to taste: Pepper, salt, cayenne, curry, dill
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, let chill for a few hours to mingle the flavors, and serve.
For the salmon:
1 pound Salmon Fillets
8 Tbsp. Honey
3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
8 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Mustard
3 Tbsp. Chopped Chives
3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
4 Tbsp. Butter
Mix first 5 ingredients (after the salmon) in a shallow bowl. Add salmon fillets and turn several times to coat well. Transfer salmon and marinade to a plastic zipper bag. Squeeze the air out of the bag before sealing. Marinate for 30 minutes (or longer). Remove from bag. Grill 3-4 minutes per side, or until the salmon is flaky.
In a saucepan, melt the butter over high heat. Add lemon juice and chives. Pour over the cooked salmon and serve.
For the granita(Thanks for the idea, PW!):
* 6 tbsp lime juice, or the juice of 3 good-sized limes
* 1 tbsp raspberry drink syrup
* ½ cup Sugar
* 3 cups Cold Water
Preparation Instructions
Add lime juice and raspberry syrup to a saucepan. Add sugar. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Allow to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture forms a thin syrup.
Turn off heat and pour in cold water, then pour into a freezer-safe container with a lid. Wait two hours, then remove container from freezer and stir gently, being careful to loosen any of the mixture that has stuck to the sides. Put lid back on, then return container to the freezer. Repeat an hour later, then another hour later. When you’re finished, the mixture should be totally frozen and broken up. Keep sealed tightly in the freezer until ready to serve.
Make with limes, lemons and limes, grape juice, strawberries, or any fruit you have on hand!
The nicest part? I did all the prep in about an hour; the granita is freezing, the salad is chilling, and the salmon is marinating, and I am wasting time on the internet before my honey comes home from work. Ain't life grand? :D
Eat well!
<3 Jennifer
-Parmesan Broccoli Salad
-Salmon Fantasia
-Raspberry Lime Granita
Here's how!
For the salad:
1/2 bag broccoli slaw
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 3/4 oz shelled salted peanuts
1/8 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Spices to taste: Pepper, salt, cayenne, curry, dill
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, let chill for a few hours to mingle the flavors, and serve.
For the salmon:
1 pound Salmon Fillets
8 Tbsp. Honey
3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
8 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Mustard
3 Tbsp. Chopped Chives
3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
4 Tbsp. Butter
Mix first 5 ingredients (after the salmon) in a shallow bowl. Add salmon fillets and turn several times to coat well. Transfer salmon and marinade to a plastic zipper bag. Squeeze the air out of the bag before sealing. Marinate for 30 minutes (or longer). Remove from bag. Grill 3-4 minutes per side, or until the salmon is flaky.
In a saucepan, melt the butter over high heat. Add lemon juice and chives. Pour over the cooked salmon and serve.
For the granita(Thanks for the idea, PW!):
* 6 tbsp lime juice, or the juice of 3 good-sized limes
* 1 tbsp raspberry drink syrup
* ½ cup Sugar
* 3 cups Cold Water
Preparation Instructions
Add lime juice and raspberry syrup to a saucepan. Add sugar. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Allow to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture forms a thin syrup.
Turn off heat and pour in cold water, then pour into a freezer-safe container with a lid. Wait two hours, then remove container from freezer and stir gently, being careful to loosen any of the mixture that has stuck to the sides. Put lid back on, then return container to the freezer. Repeat an hour later, then another hour later. When you’re finished, the mixture should be totally frozen and broken up. Keep sealed tightly in the freezer until ready to serve.
Make with limes, lemons and limes, grape juice, strawberries, or any fruit you have on hand!
The nicest part? I did all the prep in about an hour; the granita is freezing, the salad is chilling, and the salmon is marinating, and I am wasting time on the internet before my honey comes home from work. Ain't life grand? :D
Eat well!
<3 Jennifer
May 2, 2010
Vegan side dishes FTW!
I was called upon to make a vegetarian-friendly side for the 17th anniversary of my mom's 29th birthday, so I decided upon Veganomicon's Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf. The Veganomicon on Amazon's website
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 small yellow onion, chopped finely (about one cup)
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon coriander seed, crushed (spice grinder or mortar and pestle)
* fresh ground pepper, to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste (I substituted hot pepper paste)
* 1 cup quinoa (rinsed well)
* 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked)
* 2 cups vegetable broth (or reconstituted bullion)
Directions
1. In a small stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt; saute for another minute.
3. Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to very low, cover, and cook for about 18 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water; stir occasionally.
5. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 small yellow onion, chopped finely (about one cup)
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon coriander seed, crushed (spice grinder or mortar and pestle)
* fresh ground pepper, to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste (I substituted hot pepper paste)
* 1 cup quinoa (rinsed well)
* 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked)
* 2 cups vegetable broth (or reconstituted bullion)
Directions
1. In a small stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt; saute for another minute.
3. Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to very low, cover, and cook for about 18 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water; stir occasionally.
5. Fluff with a fork and serve.
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