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Shrimp Scampi Flatbread Pizza

Posted on March 25, 2011 by amydeline

As predicted, every pizza joint in my area is suddenly a fish fry too! After Easter, the Friday fish fry specials will gradually fade away, but for anyone who abstains from meat on Fridays during this time of the year, your local pizza shop is probably your one-stop-shop for Friday takeout!

If you’re feeling like something other than pizza, fried haddock or frozen fish sticks, I’ve got a few ideas for you. For starters, I’ve got a new recipe for a shrimp scampi flatbread pizza. We’ll start with a basic shrimp scampi, which will drizzle over individual flatbread crusts, and bake with a bit of asiago and mozzarella cheese. Garlic-flavored naan (Indian flatbread) makes an especially tasty crust for this pizza. Many supermarkets now carry prepared naan, either fresh in the bread or international section or frozen. If you can’t get your hands on flatbread or naan, a thin prepared pizza crust would do the trick.

For the purpose of this pizza, small salad shrimp (the kind you can typically find cooked and frozen) work perfectly. If you’d like to use this scampi recipe for serving over rice or pasta, substitute the salad shrimp for larger, fresh shrimp and allow them to cook in the buttery garlic sauce.

Shrimp Scampi Flatbread Pizza

Ingredients

  • 4 flatbreads, Indian naan, or a thin-crust pizza shell
  • 6 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 cups cooked salad-sized shrimp, defrosted
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Salt
  • 2-3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup asiago cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the garlic just begins to turn a golden brown. Lower the heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Add the white wine and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and gently simmer until heated through. Season with crushed red pepper and salt, as desired. Stir in the fresh parsley. Allow the scampi mixture to cool slightly.

To assemble the pizzas, place the flatbreads or naan onto baking sheets. Sprinkle approximately 1/4 cup asiago cheese over each flatbread or naan. Spoon some of the shrimp mixture, with a small amount of the buttery sauce, over the cheese. To prevent your pizza from becoming soggy, do not use too much of the sauce. A light drizzle around the pizza will be perfect. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over the top of each pizza. Bake for about 12 minutes.

Makes 4 Individual Flatbread Pizzas

Looking for a few other meat-free dinner options? Check out these previously posted Gourmand Mom recipes:

Codfish Cakes


Pan-Fried Tilapia with Grapefruit and Shaved Leeks


Broiled Salmon Bruschetta


Coconut Crusted Tilapia with Tropical Fruit Salsa


Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese in a Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette


Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas


Broiled Halibut with Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Capers


Tropical Fish Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice


Salmon Burgers with Horseradish Sauce


Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella


Chilled Avocado Soup and Crab Cakes with Chipotle Remoulade


Buttermilk Battered Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Chipotle Dipping Sauce


Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp


Shrimp and Asparagus in a Lemony Basic Alfredo Sauce


9 Comments

Posted in Burgers, Cheese, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Rice, Salads, Sandwiches, Seafood, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Kielbasa and The Hecklers

Posted on March 24, 2011 by amydeline

Every year, on a Saturday near St. Patrick’s Day, a 15k run takes place in my hometown. The route of the race takes the runners up the road of my childhood home. For the past few years, my parents have been enjoying this annual spectacle seated on lawn chairs at the foot of my neighbor’s driveway, Bloody Marys in hand. As such, when this year’s big day arrived, my parents made their way over to the neighbors at the appropriate time, took up their annual seats, turned up the music, and awaited the sprinting masses.

This year, they waited for longer than usual for the first of the runners to pass. When, at last, the frontrunners arrived, they turned up the music, cheered and waved their Blood Marys in spirited support. A short time later, they repeated this routine as another pair of runners made their way up the steep, windy road. Moments after that, the third group of runners ran past; a man, two women, and two children. They were struggling their way up the challenging incline of my parents’ road. This was certainly not the type of group you’d expect to see leading the pack during a 15k race, gasping for breath, backs arched in weary fatigue. It was at this point that my parents began to suspect that something was amiss. But, as the group struggled to pass, my parents and their neighbors rose from their lawn chairs, turned up the music, and shouted cheers of encouragement, Bloody Marys raised in supportive salute. You can do it! Keep going! One of the women gave up her struggled run and switched to a walk as she passed.

I know from my running experiences that loud, peppy music and cheers of encouragement can be quite motivating during a race. I’m equally certain that the runners who passed my parents that morning would have been brightened up by their support…had it actually been the morning of the race. But, no…There was no race scheduled for that morning. The race would take place the following Saturday. My parents had not, in fact, spent their morning encouraging racers. They’d spent their morning drinking in their neighbor’s driveway and heckling innocent health-minded joggers.  My parents; the hecklers.  The following Saturday, on the actual morning of the race, they repeated their well-practiced routine.

This story is neither here nor there in regards to the following recipe. But I’ve been giggling for weeks over the thought of my well-intentioned parents harassing random joggers. This is what happens when all of the kids grow up and move out.

Today’s recipe is one-dish meal, which makes me think of camping, for some reason I can’t fully explain. Slices of kielbasa, potatoes, peppers, and onions are tossed in a bit of olive oil and roasted together in the oven; so simple that it’s more of a meal idea than an actual recipe. Enjoy this dish as a family-pleasing weeknight meal or make it for a crowd! It would even make a tasty snack to keep you well-nourished on those mornings where you find yourself heckling joggers from the comfort of your driveway. Serve with a spicy Bloody Mary.

Kielbasa with Roasted Potatoes, Peppers, and Onions

Ingredients

  • 1 Polish kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4″ slices
  • 3 pounds baby red potatoes, cut into 1/4″ slices
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine kielbasa, potatoes, peppers, and onions on a baking sheet. Drizzle and toss with olive oil until evenly coated. Arrange the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the peppers and onions are tender and the potatoes and kielbasa are golden brown. Occasionally turn the mixture with a spatula to promote even browning as it cooks. Season with additional salt and pepper, as desired.

Serve with a warm, crusty baguette.

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Split Pea Soup with Ham

Posted on March 16, 2011 by amydeline

Still looking for something festive to make for St. Patrick’s Day, but corned beef and cabbage isn’t your thing? How about some smooth, green pea soup, slow-cooked with smokey ham hocks, and served with homemade croutons? Might that be your thing?

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Ingredients

  • 4 cups dried split peas, rinsed and picked through
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
  • 10 cups chicken broth, water or vegetable broth
  • 2 smoked ham hocks
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to get tender. Add the carrots. Cook for a couple more minutes. Add the peas, liquid, and ham hocks. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the peas from sticking on the bottom. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. The peas should almost completely break down as the soup simmers. Remove the ham hocks and set aside. Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree the soup to your desired texture. If the soup is thicker than you prefer, add a bit more broth or water. If the soup is too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid. Season with a generous amount of salt (a few teaspoons should be about right) and pepper. Remove the skin, bone, and fat from the ham hocks. Pull apart or chop the meat and add it to the soup.

For the croutons: Cut French bread into chunks. (Slightly stale bread works best.) Toss in a bit of olive oil. Season as desired. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder work well. Bake in a 375 degrees oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. I prefer my croutons to be crispy on the outside and slightly tender in the center!

A couple other St. Patty’s Day dinner ideas:

Guinness-Braised Beef over Buttered Noodles

In Like a Lamb Shepherd’s Pie


8 Comments

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Boiled Irish Dinner and Irish Soda Bread

Posted on March 15, 2011 by amydeline

We’re just days away from St. Patrick’s Day now! Our green clothing has been starched and ironed and my iPod is loaded with my favorite bagpipe tunes. Ok… so, I admit there are no bagpipe tunes on my iPod and I’ve never actually starched a shirt. But, we are ready for our day o’ green! Everyone’s Irish on St. Patty’s Day, so polish your step-dancing shoes, tuck a shamrock behind your ear, and celebrate in Irish style!

When it comes to selecting an Irish meal for St. Patty’s Day, it doesn’t get any more traditional than a boiled corned beef and cabbage dinner. Corned beef seems to be one of those divisive meals. People tend to fall into one of two corned beef camps; the lovers and the haters. You can call me president of the club for corned beef lovers! I love it prepared as a classic corned beef and cabbage meal and I love every possible incarnation of corned beef leftovers that follows.

Over the years, I’ve prepared corned beef in a number of different ways. I’ve tried the slow-cooker method. I’ve baked it. I’ve braised it. I love it no matter how you prepare it, but in my stubborn Irish opinion, I firmly believe that boiled is best. On top of producing an incredibly tender brisket, the added bonus is that it couldn’t be any simpler to prepare. It’s a full meal, boiled in a pot.

Enjoy your boiled Irish dinner with a fresh slice of Irish soda bread and a tall glass of your favorite Irish libation. Have one for me while you’re at it!

Boiled Irish Dinner

Corned Beef with Cabbage, Potatoes, and Carrots

Ingredients

  • 1 Corned Beef Brisket
  • Carrots, peeled and chopped (or substitute baby carrots)
  • Red potatoes, chopped
  • 1 head of cabbage, cut into wedges

Directions

Place the corned beef brisket in a large pot. Sprinkle with the packet of seasoning included with the brisket. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the brisket. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 3-4 hours, until fork tender. Add the cut potatoes and carrots to the pot during the last 20 minutes of cooking time and the cabbage during the last 15 minutes. Remove the corned beef from the water and cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting against the grain. Remove the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots to serve on the side.

Corned Beef Tip #1 – Remove excess exterior fat before slicing and serving for a more appetizing presentation.

Corned Beef Tip #2 – Your tender corned beef is likely to fall apart while you slice it. This works fine when served as a corned beef dinner, but if you’d prefer to thinly slice the brisket for sandwiches, allow the corned beef to cool in the refrigerator before slicing and reheating. Cooled corned beef slices easier than hot corned beef.

Irish soda bread makes the perfect accompaniment to a boiled Irish dinner. Soda bread is in the family of breads known as quick breads. It’s a no-yeast-required bread, which gets its rise from the reaction between baking soda and acidic buttermilk. It can be prepared with or without caraway seeds, raisins, or other dried fruits. My personal preference is seed-free, but loaded with raisins, served slightly warm with a generous smear of butter.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

  • 4 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2″ chunks
  • 1 cup raisins (optional)
  • 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter. Stir in the raisins. Stir in the buttermilk and egg until a sticky dough begins to form. Once the dough becomes too thick to stir, use your hands to knead the dough until well blended. If the dough is still too sticky to handle, add up to 1/4 cup additional flour. Form the dough into a round loaf and place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife to cut an ‘X’ in the top of the loaf. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature with butter.

*Recipe adapted from a combination and modification of the Food Network Irish Soda Bread recipes found here and here.

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In Like a Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Posted on March 2, 2011 by amydeline

They say that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. This year, March came in like a lamb…a very chilly lamb, but a lamb all the same. The thermometer may have registered a cool 23 degrees and the ground is still covered in white, but the sun was shining and the air was calm; a rare occurrence ’round here during the winter. I sense that spring is just around the corner. But that might just be wishful thinking!

In honor of our lamb of a first day of March, it seemed appropriate to make a nice shepherd’s pie for dinner; a perfect comfort meal for a sunny, late winter day. Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made by layering ground lamb, in a seasoned sauce, with vegetables and a layer of mashed potatoes; a well-balanced meal in a baking dish! This Irish-inspired dish makes a perfect one-dish meal any night of the week or would make a fantastic substitute for corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day!

Many variations of shepherd’s pie call for ground beef as a substitute for lamb. Technically, that wouldn’t be a shepherd’s pie at all, but rather a cottage pie. Shepherd’s herd sheep; not cattle. And shepherd’s pie is made with lamb; not beef. If your grocery store does not regularly carry ground lamb, you have a few options. First, try asking at the butcher counter to see if they would grind a lamb shoulder for you. Many accommodating butchers would be happy to do this for you. If you’ve got a KitchenAid mixer with a food grinder attachment, another alternative is to grind your own lamb. Finally, I’ve read that you can grind meat by pulsing it in a standard food processor, though I’ve never actually tried this particular strategy. If all else fails, substitute ground beef and call it cottage pie instead! It will still be delicious!

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup onions, finely diced
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more, if desired)
  • Pepper
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas, warmed
  • 3/4 cup frozen corn, warmed
  • 2 cups creamy mashed potatoes*
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Additional cheddar cheese and parsley, for garnish

*Prepared using your favorite mashed potatoes recipe or boil 4-5 Russet potatoes until fork-tender. Blend with butter and milk until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add carrots and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the ground lamb. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until fully cooked. Sprinkle the flour over the meat. Stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes, until a sauce thickens around the meat. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with the cheddar cheese.

To assemble the pie, spread the meat and sauce into a baking dish. Top with a layer of peas and corn. Spread a layer of mashed potatoes on the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of cheddar and fresh parsley. Bake for about 15 minutes, until it bubbles around the edges and the top is lightly browned.

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Just What the Doctor Ordered – Chicken with Matzoh Ball Soup

Posted on February 25, 2011 by amydeline

This has been a rough winter for my family in the general health department. I blame it on my three year old starting nursery school. Up until this year, my family has been in our own personal germ bubble. The kids stay at home with me and my husband works in an office by himself. Our biggest exposure to germs occurred sitting at the doctor’s office for well-visits. But now, with my little guy in school, we’re exposed to the full spectrum of winter viruses. We’ve become regulars at the pediatrician and it seems like one of us is always on antibiotics for some condition or another. Even our labrosaurus rex has endured a winter full of vet visits and internist appointments! Add that to the ever-accelerating schedule of my normal third trimester prenatal appointments and I’m pretty sure my family is solely supporting the medical community of the Central New York area. You’re welcome doctors, nurses, and midwives.

This week, we’re in the midst of dealing with another virus, which has knocked each of down in succession like a family of dominoes; first one kid, then the next, then myself, and then my husband. Three out of the four of us are still wrapped in blankets and using tissues like they’re going out of style. The contractor, who’s currently remodeling our bathroom, hasn’t removed his face mask in days and it’s got nothing to do with drywall dust!

When all the medicine in the medicine cabinet fails to heal what ails you, there’s only one thing left to try; homemade chicken soup! A few months ago, I shared my step by step guide for preparing a delicious, flavorful chicken soup from a leftover chicken carcass. The process is the same, even if you’re starting with a whole, raw chicken.

  • Throw the chicken in the pot with a bunch of rough chopped vegetables. Use whatever you’ve got on hand; celery, carrots, garlic, onion, shallots, parsley, etc.
  • Cover the chicken and veggies with water.
  • Bring to a boil. Simmer, partially covered, for 3-4 hours.
  • Strain the broth into a pot and set the chicken aside to cool. Discard the veggies.
  • Simmer the broth uncovered, if desired, to reduce the liquid and produce a stronger flavored broth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull apart all of the meat and throw it in the broth.
  • Add the veggies of your choice to the broth. (I used sliced carrots and leeks.) Simmer, just until the veggies are tender.
  • Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.

Voila! Chicken Soup!

**Click here to see the full step-by-step guide to making chicken soup.


Typically, I serve my chicken soup over cooked orzo pasta. Other noodles, pasta, or rice work well too. I recommend keeping your pasta or rice separate from the soup. Otherwise, it will absorb the broth, leaving you with undesirable, mushy pasta or rice.

Another alternative to accompany your chicken soup are matzoh balls. To be honest, I have very minimal experience with matzoh balls. It is not something which my family ate often, if ever at all. I’ve ordered a bowl of matzoh ball soup from a deli at one point or another, but I honestly can’t recall the exact taste or texture of the balls. That being said, I’m clearly no expert in matzoh ball making, but I’m always up for a culinary adventure.

From what I gather, there are two schools of thought regarding the preferred matzoh ball texture; sinkers and floaters. Sinkers are more dense and require the edge of a fork to cut apart, whereas the floaters are lighter and more likely to fall apart on their own in your soup. As a matzoh ball novice, I have no strong personal preference. I pulled a few of the best sounding ideas from a variety of matzoh ball sources to develop my very own matzoh ball recipe. The result is a flavorful and tender ball, probably more in line with the sinker variety. Works for me!

Matzoh Balls for Chicken Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup matzoh meal
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Combine the matzoh meal with the salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the vegetable oil until smooth. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Then, fold the egg mixture into the matzoh meal, just until combined. Do not over mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes – 1 hour, until the mixture is firm. Form the mixture into 1 – 1 1/2″ balls. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully drop each ball into the water. Once the balls have risen to the surface, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not open the lid as it simmers.* Once cooked, remove the matzoh balls from the liquid with a slotted spoon. You can add the balls immediately to your soup or store separately and reheat with the soup, as desired.

*I’m not completely clear on why you’re not supposed to open the lid, but it seems to be common matzoh making advice, so I think we best obey!

Enjoy and stay well, my friends!

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Heavenly Beef and Peas

Posted on February 12, 2011 by amydeline

This idea was inspired by a slow-cooker recipe I’ve been told of, called Butter Beef. Butter Beef is apparently no more than stew beef combined with a stick of butter and a packet of onion soup mix, slow-cooked until fall-apart tender. I’ve yet to try this Butter Beef idea, but it’s the sort of simple dish you can practically taste just by thinking of. Slow-cooked beef in butter? Seriously tempting.

So, I began with visions of beef and butter in mind. Hey, I never claimed this was a low-fat, diet-friendly recipe blog! A fresh, chopped onion for flavor, along with a touch of tomato sauce and luscious cream blend together to form a rich, heavenly sauce which perfectly envelops the tender chunks of slow-cooked beef.

Slow-cooked, creamy, comforting, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. Heavenly Beef.

Heavenly Beef and Peas

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds Stew Beef
  • 1 small Onion, chopped
  • 6 Tablespoons Butter, divided
  • 1 cup Tomato Sauce
  • 1 cup Light Cream
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large dutch oven or oven-safe pan with a tight fitting lid, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Season the beef with a bit of salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned on all sides. Add the remaining butter and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Cover and place on the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the cover and stir in the peas and cream. Turn the heat up to 375 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes uncovered, until the peas are cooked and the sauce has slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. About 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt should do the trick.

Serve over rice or hot, buttered noodles.

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Broiled Flank Steak with Pomegranate-Balsamic Reduction

Posted on January 21, 2011 by amydeline

Our garbage disposal threw its hands up and surrendered to the land of broken appliances. We fought it for awhile, clinging to the hope that our dear friend would stay with us. But, its conviction was strong and we’ve had to say goodbye. It’s funny, because I never had a garbage disposal growing up, yet I’ve somehow become so very attached to the one in our home that I hardly know how to function in the kitchen without it. A new, super monster of a disposal is waiting to be installed, but in the mean time, we’ve been learning to throw our scraps in the garbage.

No one has benefited more from the broken garbage disposal than our giant labrador disposal. We do not feed him people food. No, he just helps himself. And so, during he night, while the rest of the family is sleeping, our labrador sticks his giant head into the garbage bag and enjoys a midnight snack. His most recent snack included tender pieces of broiled flank steak drizzled with a pomegranate balsamic reduction and served with garlic-sauteed broccoletti and roasted sweet potato wedges. He greeted me in the morning with the enthusiastic tail wags of gratitude.

Interested in pleasing your canine friend? Here’s how it’s done…

P.S. Humans will also enjoy this tasty meal.

Broiled Flank Steak with Pomegranate Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

  • 1 Flank Steak (about a pound)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 3/4 cup Pomegranate Juice
  • 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Directions

Preheat broiler. Season the steak with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place it on a baking sheet and broil a few inches below the broiler, for 10-15 minutes, depending on your desired doneness. Allow the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

For the reduction, combine pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the mixture has reduced by 3/4. Spoon the warm reduction sauce over your cooked slices of steak.

Garlic Sauteed Broccoletti

Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch of Broccoletti (or broccolini, rapini, rappi, broccoli rabe)
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Insert the broccoletti and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Strain. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the broccoletti to the pan and toss in the olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

Ingredients

  • 3 large Sweet Potatoes
  • Olive Oil
  • Cajun Seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes and cut in half across the middle. Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for about 5 minutes. The potatoes should still be quite firm at this point. (Microwaving the potatoes for a few minutes will help to reduce the roasting time and makes the potatoes softer and safer to slice into wedges.) Allow the potatoes to cook for a minute, then slice each potato half into wedges. Toss the wedges in olive oil until well coated and season with cajun seasoning. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.

Serves 4 Humans (with enough leftovers for one large dog)




4 Comments

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Pan-fried Tilapia with Grapefuit and Shaved Leeks

Posted on January 19, 2011 by amydeline

I bought a grapefruit a few days ago. Not sure exactly why. I don’t think I’ve ever actually purchased a grapefruit before and the last time I remember tasting one, it certainly wasn’t high on my list of favorite citrus fruits. It may have been seeing Natalie Portman sit down to enjoy a particularly pink grapefruit during an early scene in Black Swan. Perhaps if I eat a grapefruit, I will instantly transform into a lean and graceful prima ballerina too??

I’m starting to see the significance of subtle advertisements placed throughout movies and television shows. I suspect that Sunkist had a sneaky hand in this.

So, I’ve had this grapefruit sitting on my counter for a few days. I think I imagined that I was going to crack it open at breakfast one morning and dive in with a spoon, perhaps with a poached egg on the side, ballerina style. But, morning after morning, I glanced at that grapefruit and then reached for my Frosted Mini Wheats instead. Ultimately, I figured I should do something with the large, lonely citrus. After rooting through the freezer and locating a few frozen Tilapia fillets, I developed a plan.

I’d combine the sweet and bitter grapefruit segments with thinly sliced, mild-tasting leeks in a Honey-Dijon vinaigrette and serve over a simple pan-fried Tilapia fillet. A mound of quick-cooking cous cous completes the meal. You can thinly slice the leeks using a sharp knife or shave them with a mandoline. This recipe can easily be adapted for other types of fish or seafood. Simply adjust the cooking time based on the thickness of your fish.

Somehow, the combination of flavors, textures and temperatures in this dish managed to magically transform the grapefruit into a very welcome guest on my plate. Still not sure I’d ever enjoy sitting down for breakfast with half a grapefruit and a spoon. But I’d definitely invite a grapefruit to this dish again. Heck, I was never cut out to be a ballerina anyway!

Pan-fried Tilapia with a Melange of Grapefruit and Shaved Leeks

Ingredients

For the Fish:

  • 4 Tilapia Fillets
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • Olive Oil

For the Grapefruit and Leek Melange

  • 1 large Grapefruit, segmented*
  • 1 Leek, halved and thinly sliced or shaved**
  • 1/8 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
  • Salt and Pepper

To Serve

  • 2 cups plain Cous Cous, prepared according to package directions in lightly salted water

* Click here to see my photo guide on How to Supreme a Citrus Fruit.

**Click here to see my photo guide on How to Clean and Slice Leeks.

Directions

To prepare the melange, cut each grapefruit segment into thirds. Combine with the shaved or thinly sliced leeks. Prepare the dressing by combining the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and whisking until well-blended. Pour a couple tablespoons of the dressing over the grapefruit and leeks. Set aside. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette for the cous cous.

For the fish, season each fillet with salt and pepper. Then, lightly coat each fillet with flour. Heat a thin, even layer of olive oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Get it good and hot. Place the fillets into the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and fully cooked.

To serve, toss the prepared cous cous in a little of the reserved vinaigrette. Place a cooked fillet on top of a mound of cous cous and top with the melange of grapefruit and leeks.

Serves 4


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Posted in Dressings and Condiments, Food, Fruit, Main Course, Recipes, Seafood, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

The Kids Cook Monday – Chicken and Green Beans with a Twist

Posted on January 17, 2011 by amydeline

Tired of coating your chicken in plain old bread crumbs?? Did you know that you can bread your chicken with just about anything that crumbles? So, leave your bread crumbs in the pantry and pull out a box of Cheez-Its instead.

I have to admit, I’ve been on a major Cheez-It binge lately. I don’t recommend this diet to any health-minded individual. Nor am I proud of the quantity of Cheez-Its I’ve consumed in the past few weeks. They’re irresistible to me. If only my local grocery store would ban me from buying them. (But thank goodness they don’t!)

But, back to the chicken. If you can crumble it, you can coat your chicken with it. Cheez-Its, crackers, potato chips, croutons, cereal…the possibilities are infinite. Like Doritos? Smash them up and coat your chicken with ’em. More of a corn chip fan? Go crazy with crushed corn chips. Another fun option? It turns out that those crunchy French-fried onion pieces, which you’ve probably seen on green bean casseroles, make a delicious chicken breading too. Have fun and liven up your chicken. It’s a great way to get the family excited about a simple baked chicken dinner. Follow the same procedure you would to coat your chicken in bread crumbs; season with salt and pepper, dip in an egg wash, coat with the crumbs, and bake.

On the side, we’re serving another dish with a twist. Bird’s Eye makes a fantastic frozen vegetable dish, called Beans with a Twist. It’s a super tasty combination of green beans, wax beans, baby carrots, and dried cranberries, in an herbed butter sauce. To Bird’s Eye’s credit, it is absolutely delicious and free from the unnecessary preservatives or sweeteners which are so commonplace in many other prepared foods. I’ve bought this dish for myself on several occasions and always enjoy it.

Recently, while rummaging through the freezer, the kids found one of my packages of these tasty veggies and requested to have it with their dinner. The possessive side of me wanted to save them for myself, but what mom is going to deny their child’s passionate request for veggies?? The kids loved the simple veggie dish. So, along with our chicken, I decided to serve our own homemade version of Beans with a Twist.

This entire recipe is full of opportunities to get kids involved in the kitchen. Children of all ages are expert food crushers. In fact, my experience has been that toddlers come preprogrammed with impressive destruction abilities. The best way to go about crushing your Cheez-Its (or other desired breading) is to place the quantity in a ziploc and let the kids go to town. Running a rolling pin over the bag or smashing with a child-safe mallet or fists are all effective methods.

Cutting the soft, steamed green beans is another excellent, kid-friendly task for tonight’s recipe. I wasn’t the only one to receive new cutlery for Christmas. The boys received a set of child-friendly, but effectively sharp, plastic knives. Made by Curious Chef (available on Amazon.com), these knives are not toys, but rather real, functional kitchen tools for little chefs. Before using, we reviewed a few basic knife safety rules, such as watching out for fingers and I modeled how to safely hold the green bean with one hand, while cutting with the other. Then, under close supervision, the boys took care of chopping the beans. My boys will be cutting julienne and brunoise vegetables in no time! A regular plastic dinnerware knife would also make an appropriate cutting tool for most young chefs.

So, join in on the Kids Cook Monday fun and get cooking as a family. And if you don’t have any pint-sized helpers of your own, borrow someone else’s kids or simply awaken your inner child. Just be careful with those plastic knives!

Breaded and Baked Chicken with a Twist

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken Breasts
  • 3 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups Cheez-Its, crushed (substitute crushed potato chips, French-fried onions, chips, or other crackers, if desired)
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken breasts in the beaten egg mixture. Then, press the chicken into the crushed cracker crumbs to coat. Place the coated chicken in a baking dish and bake until fully cooked. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken. My large chicken breasts took about 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Chicken is fully cooked when it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees, as measured with an instant-read meat thermometer.

Green Beans and Carrots with a Twist

Inspired by Bird’s Eyes’ Beans with a Twist

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Green Beans and Wax Beans, steamed until tender, but crisp
  • 1 1/2 cups Baby Carrots, steamed
  • 1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 cloves Roasted Garlic, smashed into a paste*
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives, chopped
  • Salt and Pepper

*Click here to see my photo guide on How to Roast Garlic.

Directions

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the roasted garlic paste and stir until well combined. Add the beans, carrots, dried cranberries, and chives. Toss to coat with the roasted garlic butter. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

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Posted in Cooking with Kids, Food, Main Course, Poultry, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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