Paleo-ish Pad Thai

So EW and I decided that we needed to get back to eating lots o' veggies and this was the recipe we decided to try. It has the wonderful flavor of peanut-y Thai sauce, but without all of the useless carbs of rice noodles. :)

"Noodles":
3/4 of a small head of cabbage, thinly sliced
Bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 eggs, scrambled
Pre-cooked shrimp
Bean sprouts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Lime

Saute the cabbage and bell pepper in a wok with your favorite oil (coconut or olive would work well). 


Sauce: (Adapted from theclothesmakethegirl)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (I used half almond butter, half peanut butter)
1 tsp ground fresh chili paste
1/4 cup coconut milk

Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender or small food processor, and blend until smooth.
Pour over the cabbage and bell pepper, add shrimp, and heat through.

Serve with bean sprouts, and scallions and a wedge of lime to squeeze on top.

Red Lentil Soup

K and I grew up in an ethnicly non-diverse area (which may even be an understatement).  The best thing about moving to Detroit for medical school was the vast number of ethic food choices, particularly Middle Eastern!  There was a great little Lebanese cafe down the street from my downtown apartment which I visited frequently, especially when Mom and Dad were visiting.  In addition to the best chicken schwarma and flafel burger I've had, they also had excellent red lentil soup.  Cincinnati has plenty of great Indian restaurants (for which I am super thankful), but I miss my pita and hummus!  To make this soup, we combined a few recipes this weekend to use up the ingredients we had around the house.

Red Lentil Soup
makes 4-6 servings

3 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound red lentils
olive oil (or bacon grease)
onion, diced
carrots and celery, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
juice of 1 large lime

Bring the chicken stock and lentils to boil in a medium sauce pan.
Once boiling, simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
While the lentils are simmering, saute the onion, carrots, and celery.
When soft, add the garlic and spices.  Cook for a few more minutes.
Stir the vegetables into the lentils along with the lime juice.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until mostly creamy.
Serve with more lime juice and fresh cilantro (if your sister will let you)!

Trust me, it tastes waaaay better than it looks!

Grass-fed beef Meatballs and Marinara-- Paleo style

This post will be more of a photo tour than a real recipe given that I made these like 6 months ago and have never gotten around to posting them, so sorry for the lack of precise amounts. 

Meatballs:

Grass-fed ground beef

minced onion

oregano

basil

egg

(if you aren't paleo, feel free to throw in some breadcrumbs)

garlic powder

salt

pepper

Mix all together in a bowl and form into balls. 

Marinara:

can of diced tomatos (or dice your own)

onion

bell pepper

oregano

basil

garlic

salt

pepper

brown sugar or balsamic vinegar (for either a sweet or tangy sauce)

Mix together the ingredients and simmer on stove on low for how ever long you have. The longer you simmer the better :)

Add the meatballs and simmer until they are cooked through.

In the mean time, slice up some zucchini and saute them and/or some green beans until just al dente.

Serve the sauce and meatballs over the zucchini and green beans. Garnish with some freshly grated parm and some fresh basil.

Oysters in White Wine Cream Sauce

This dish is the result of another Kroger manager's special. While picking up a few groceries on Saturday afternoon I walked by the fresh fish counter and noticed fresh oysters on special. I couldn't pass those up, so I also added some heavy cream to my basket. I also looked over the fresh herbs, but I couldn't decide on what would go well with oysters, so I just decided to wing it once I got home.

Ingredients:

• Fresh oysters
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Sea salt
• Basil
• Parsley
• Cream
• Dry white wine like Pinot Grigio

Open the oysters and drain any liquid into a skillet. Wash the oysters under cool running water. Add the oysters to the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Season with fresh ground black pepper and sea salt. Add a good amount of white wine to the skillet, so there is about 1/4 inch of liquid. Add some dried basil and parsley, or use fresh if you have it. Simmer the oysters until the liquid is mostly gone, turning the oysters several times. Make sure the oysters are done - they should be tender all the way through. If they aren't done, add some water and continue to simmer. Once the oysters are cooked and the liquid is mostly gone, check the seasoning, then add some cream. Simmer the sauce a bit more until it is nicely thickened then serve.

Honey-Ginger-Soy-Lime Yellowfin Tuna

This is a very simple, yet delicious recipe for those who like tuna.

Ingredients:

• Yellowfin Tuna Steak
• 1 Tbs Honey
• 2 Tbs Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbs Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 Tsp Fresh Grated Ginger

Combine the honey, soy sauce and lime juice. Stir until the honey is dissolved then add the ginger. Marinate the tuna steak for about 20 minutes in this mixture. Sear the tuna in a skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side, just enough to to lightly brown each side. Serve the tuna steak cut into 1/4 inch slices, with your choice of vegetable.

Pan Seared Trout with Oven Roasted Root Veggies

Sometimes I just get a foodie urge to cook something with great ingredients. Today was one of those days. I hit up the local Whole Foods and perused to see what was on sale and what just looked fantastic. I started in the produce section and filled my basket with wonderful organic veggies like carrots, turnip, purple sweet potato, and rutabaga. I moved on to the meat/fish counter and stood there for a while whilst being asked several times if I had been helped, but I needed time to 1. decide which protein to buy and 2. decide what to do with said protein. (Sometimes those two happen at the same time, sometimes #2 happens which then determines #1...) This time I decided on the trout that was on sale. The only bad thing? It still had its head!! Fortunately the lovely worker decapitated it for me, so I didn't have to do the dirty deed myself. 

Pan Seared Trout
1 whole de-boned, de-headed, de-scaled trout
salt
pepper
garlic powder
panko bread crumbs
Butter.

Generously season the fleshy side of the fish with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Add a light dusting of the bread crumbs (just so you end up with the lovely golden brown crust). Heat up a saute pan with a lump of butter. Gently place the fish in flesh side down in the hot pan. Listen to the wonderful sizzle as you create the crispy brown crust. Flip the fish over to finish cooking. (No idea how long it took, but the fish was really thin, so I would guess only about 5-6 minutes total).

Oven Roasted Root Veggies
1 parsnip (peeled)
4-5 small carrots
1 sweet potato
1 rutabaga (peeled)
1 small onion
Olive oil
Salt & pepper & garlic

Pre-heat oven to 350F (or hotter if you are in a hurry). Slice/dice the veggies into reasonable "bite size" pieces. Toss with olive oil. Spread out on baking sheets (I used two). Generously season with salt, pepper, garlic, or whatever spice you want. Bake for 20 mins. Stir the veggies. Bake for another 20-30 mins, depending on how big of pieces you used.

Greek Lamb Burger

Sometimes you just need a quick, easy, healthy and delicious meal. I threw this winner together a few weeks back and haven't had a chance to post it yet. 

Greek Lamb Burger

1 lb ground lamb

2 Tbs minced fresh mint leaves

Handful of goat cheese crumbles

2 Tbs minced red onion

1/2 tsp garlic

Mix the mint, goat cheese, garlic, and onion into the ground lamb. Cook in frying pan. 

Greek Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Red leaf lettuce

Cucumber

Goat Cheese

Mint leaves

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Chop up the lettuce and cucumber. Sprinkle with goat cheese and mint leaves. Drizzle with vinegar and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  

Serve burger on top of salad. Enjoy!

Manager's Special

I went to Kroger looking for some 10 for $10 blackberries, but they were sold out. So while wandering the produce section I noticed a variety of items on manager's special so I put a few into my basket: baby greens, basil, wild mushrooms and pico gallo guacamole.

When lunch time rolled around, I decided to make use of all of this plus add a few additional items to make a contemporary version of taco salad.

Instructions:

Start browning 4-6 oz. of ground beef (preferably grass fed) in a skillet, then add:

• 1/4 of a sweet onion, sliced
  
• 1/4 of a red bell pepper, sliced
• 4 oz. of wild mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/3 C. grape tomatoes halved
• sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, cumin, chili powder and turmeric to taste

Coarsely chop some greens and place on your plate. Once the ground beef is fully cooked and the onions are nicely caramelized, plate the contents of the skillet on the greens and top with chopped black olives and sliced basil. Finish with a drizzle of lemon or lime juice and add some guacamole on the side.

Chicken Saag (Indian Chicken with Spinach)

 Here's the other half our our little Indian feast.  I wanted one spicy dish (and definitely got that!) and one more sweet/ savory.  This has more ginger, more than a touch of cinnamon, and lacks anything which would cause one's tongue to burn.  As with most cooking, these measurements are estimates as I use recipes more as a guideline.

Chicken Saag (adapted from Food and Wine)
Serves 4 as main course

1 10 ounce bag spinach, rinsed
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (about 1.5 inches)
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 can diced tomatoes with onion
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
4 chicken breasts

Wilt spinach over medium heat in skillet, set aside.
In large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat.
Add garlic and ginger then the spices through paprika.
Once fragrant, add salt through cinnamon.
Bring to nearly boiling and add chicken.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until chicken is done.
Add spinach for last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Serve with rice or naan.

French Chicken and Mushrooms

I've been working night shifts in the ER this week.  This means eating (and sleeping) at strange times.  Do I eat breakfast when I wake up at 6pm?  Or is that dinner time?  Amidst this confusion I managed to throw this together with some chicken from the freezer and a package of  mushrooms in the fridge.

It may be the lack of sleep getting to me, but the use of Dijon mustard and thyme is enough to label a dish French, right?

French Chicken and Mushrooms (adapted from Food.com)
Feeds 3-4

1 package of mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 (or more) cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup chicken broth

In a frying pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown.
Whisk together remaining ingredients to make sauce.
While mushrooms are frying, heat a skillet to medium and add olive oil.
Sear chicken on both sides.
Pour liquid in to skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
Remove chicken.
Crank up the heat and reduce the liquid to a sauce.
Add chicken and mushrooms.
Stir to coat with sauce and serve.

Chicken in a Dutch Oven

2 lbs chicken thighs, skin on (or whatever kind of chicken you like. mine was amish.)
1 small onion (somewhere between diced and roughly chopped)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
bacon fat/butter/some sort of fat
1 Tbs fresh tarragon (or some other herb of your choice)
a few squirts of lemon juice
1/4 c dry vermouth (or dry white wine, or hard cider, or chicken broth, or water)

Pat the chicken dry. Season with the salt and pepper (and any other dry spice you wish. I threw on a bit of fresh ground black mustard seeds). Get your dutch oven nice and hot with whatever fat you have on hand. Throw in the garlic for just a minute to bring out the flavor without burning. Then brown up that chicken.
Once the chicken has some nice color to it, turn the heat down, toss in the onion and herb(s), pour in the liquid and put the lid on. (If you had some real lemons, throw some slices in now)
Then, if you are trying to be healthy like me, go for a run. (But make sure you leave your roomie home with the chicken so you don't burn your house down). Return about 1/2 hour later to some deliciously succulent chicken that is tender and juicy.
You can also make up a quick "gravy" with the leftover liquid in the pan. I just added a bit of corn starch that I had mixed with a little water to thicken up the vermouth/chicken juices/ lemon juice/bits of onion to pour over the chicken before I froze the leftovers to make sure it was moist when I reheat it.
Serve with a nice veggie (I went with turnip greens, cooked in the same dutch oven in the leftover chicken bits stuck to the pan... yum. p.s. Go to Kroger and buy yourself some green leafy veggies. $0.69 per bundle. Thats about as cheap as you will find for something that is magnificently healthy for you)

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage with Sage Butter

The inspiration for this dish came from dinner put on by my gross anatomy professor at UC. He is famous at the medical school for his amazing dinners that he puts on, and an invitation to his house is like winning the lottery. The main course at one of the dinners was a farfalle pasta dish with roasted butternut squash, turkey sausage, and a sage-butter sauce. At the time I was vegetarian, so I avoided the sausage. Now as a Paleo, I have adjusted the dish to fit my current needs.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage with Sage Butter

1 large butternut squash (peeled, and cubed- smaller cubes= shorter cook time)
1 large sweet potato (for a sister who doesn't like butternut squash...EWeage...)
3 small onions (sliced like for a stir-fry)
5 large cloves of garlic (sliced up)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tube of breakfast sausage (or whatever kind you like)
4 Tbs butter
2 tsp minced fresh sage (you can use dried instead)

Put the squash, sweet potato, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet (use two if you need, you don't want the squash piled up or it won't cook properly). Pour some olive oil over them, mix with your hands, and season with salt and pepper. Throw in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Be sure to flip the squash after about 15 minutes so it doesn't burn.

While that is going on, cook up the sausage. You can roll it into little meatball shapes, or patties, or whatever your little heart desires. Cook them up in a skillet and set aside.

Finally, brown the butter in that skillet you just cooked the sausage in (yeah, get all that flavor, yum). Add the sage just before the butter is browned so the flavor can infuse with the butter.

Once the squash is done, mix the squash and the sausage together in a serving dish, and drizzle the sage-butter.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

My wonderful parents came to visit me this weekend. And they brought fall with them.

Not the season, or the weather, but the flavors of.

Squash.

Pumpkins.

Concord grapes.

Michigan apples.

Mommy's applesauce.

So with my kitchen overflowing with produce, my mind started churning trying to decide what to make. I settled on butternut squash soup, mostly because I could throw it into the crock-pot and return to have the apartment smelling like heaven. If you want to make friends, you should try this recipe. Just saying.  Make a big pot, leave your door cracked open a bit, and invite some peeps over for a party.

Butternut Squash Soup
1 butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1 in squares)
5 carrots (peeled and cut into 1/4 in disks)
6 ribs of celery (peeled and cut into 1/4 in chunks)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
2 Michigan apples (yup. has to be Michigan. something like mac or cortland. peel and dice)
3 cups of chicken broth
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients into the crock-pot. Turn on high for 4ish hours, or medium/low if you want it to go all day. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup. (I like my a little chunky, so I don't puree it too long.) Serve with a dollop of  greek yogurt or sour cream or some heavy whipping cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Fall Pork Chops with Cinnamon Apples

Nothing says fall like the smell of apples, cinnamon, and squash bubbling away in the kitchen.  Ok, and maybe the smell of pumpkin pie. And concord grapes... but that is beside the point.

Yes, I do realize that this post has nothing to do with squash. Hush. 

I had started a crock-pot full of butternut squash soup (recipe coming soon to a blog near you) before church, but it was not quite ready when I got back. This was some sort of cruel torture for me, the scent of fall wafting down the hall in my apartment and the thought of having to wait to eat it was unacceptable. So I did what most foodies would do. I made more food. Duh. 

This is a super simple meal. Short ingredient list. Quick to make. And tastes delicious. 

Fall Pork Chops with Cinnamon Apples

2 pork chops (I had bone in ones, use whatever you can get on sale)
2 apples (pealed and cut into 1/8in thick slices, ish)
salt and pepper
butter
cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
chicken broth/apple cider/hard cider

Season the pork chops generously with the salt, pepper, and sprinkle a bit of whatever fall spices you fancy. Cook 'em up in a frying pan with butter. Make sure the internal temperature gets up to 140 degrees F (no GI diseases for our readers!).
While those are cooking away, throw the apples into another frying pan with some butter. Season generously with the same fall spices as you used for the pork chops. Once they start cooking down, add a few swigs of liquid, and let reduce down to make a great sauce.
I served these with some green beans (yup, those were out of a freezer bag.)
Dig in!

Butternut Squash Salad

I found this recipe two years ago as I was just dipping my big toe in the food blogging pond (and wow, I've dived in deep since then!) on my then favorite blog, Smitten Kitchen.  Having never been a fan of butternut squash, I was leery.  Any other variety: acorn, spaghetti, pumpkin (obviously) I'm more than happy to have, but there was juts something about the strong butternut flavor that I could never appreciate.  Or so I thought.  This one dish changed my harsh judgement of the squash.  And for those of you who avoid anything with the word "salad" in the title, this may change your opinion of that word.  There is nothing green or salad-y about this dish, except that it has dressing.

Perfectly roasted squash and chick peas drenched in a light dressing of lemon, tahini, and fresh cilantro marry into a versatile side dish.  Or main course.  I've been known to bring a Tupperware full of this, and only this, for lunch on more than one occasion.

Warm Butternut Squash and Chick Pea Salad (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Salad
1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
olive oil
Salt
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Dressing
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450*
Drizzle olive oil on cookie sheet.
Spread squash cubes in a single layer.
Drizzle more olive oil on squash and sprinkle with allspice.
Mix with hands and spread back into a to single layer.
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until edges turn caramel brown and chewy.
Add chick peas to pan for last 5 minutes of baking, so they heat through.

While squash bakes, make the dressing.
Whisk garlic, lemon juice, tahini, water, and olive oil together.
Stir in red onion and cilantro.

Let squash and chick peas cool for five minutes.
Toss with dressing and serve.

Autumn Chicken

Sometimes I eat things other than cupcakes, cookies, or ice cream.  Sometimes KWeage isn't the only one who cooks real food.  Today was one of those sometimes.  This recipe, originally (but uncreatively) titled Chicken with Dates, Olives, and Cinnamon, seemed the perfect dish for these cool, rainy, fall days we've been having recently.  It has hints of sweet cinnamon and dried fruit, lemony fresh ginger, and savory cumin and coriander.  Hmm, how many commas do you think I can use in one paragraph?

We made a similar dish in India with a yogurt based sauce, which I may try to recreate with a portion of the leftovers.  Couscous or quonia is the perfect pairing for this main course.  However, I opted for a garlicy hasselback potato as my starch.  More on this later!  But in case you just can't wait, follow the link to Joy the Baker's recipe.

Autumn Chicken (adapted from Cooking Light, October 2011)
2ish pounds chicken thighs (Take the skin off, unlike what I did.)
fresh ground pepper
salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large yellow onions, sliced
1/2 inch ginger root, minced
10 green olives, sliced
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (If you want a real kick add at least double.)
1-2 inches cinnamon stick
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup craisins (or dried cherries or apricots or dates)
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
fresh basil, for garnish

Melt butter in skillet (or Dutch oven if you're lucky enough to have one).  Add olive oil.
Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt.
Place chicken in pan.  Cook for about 4 minutes on each side until browned.
Remove chicken and set aside.
Add onions and ginger to pan.  Cook until onions are translucent.
Add olives and cook for a minute.
Add flour and spices through cinnamon.  Stir for a minute.
Add broth and bring to boil.
Return chicken to pan.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until chicken is done.
Add craisins and lemon juice in last 10 minutes of cooking.
Serve with couscous and garnish with basil leaves.

South Indian Coconut Fish Curry

Two years ago I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to India for five weeks with four other students from my med school class.  We worked with a passionate missionary couple doing medical camps, visiting church members, and spending time at orphanages.  Upon arrival we were all gungho about preparing and eating authentic Indian food.  Several meals of rice and gallons of filtered water later (let's just say I wasn't accustomed to spicy food), I was more than ready for food that would not cause my mouth to burn for hours after eating.  So desperate we were that pizza was made using ketchup as the sauce.  However, this coconut curry was prepared early in the trip and by far was one of my favorite dishes.  Prepared with fish purchased from the roadside vendor caught fresh (we hoped) that morning.  And just enough kick to convince you that it's Indian, but not enough to elicit tears or sweating.  What it lacks in color and presentation, it more than makes up for in delicious flavor!

South Indian Coconut Fish Curry (adapted from Chris' cookbook, 1000 Indian Recipes, I think!)
1 serrano chili pepper
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 pounds white fish
1 large onion, sliced
1 inch section of ginger, diced
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Grind first 7 ingredients, through salt, together to make a paste.  A food processor, blender, magic bullet etc will work.
Rub paste on your choice of fish.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 min- 4 hours.
Saute onion and ginger in oil.
Once mostly cooked, add fish.
Cook fish halfway.
Add coconut milk.
Cover and cook until tender, less than 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with rice, couscous, or quinoa like I did here.

Variations on a theme: Meat, Caramelized onions, and Reduction of EtOH

So this will be a quick post given that it is one week until the first exam week of Year 2 of medical school here at UC. But in the past two days I have made two dishes with meat, caramelized onions, and a reduction of an alcoholic beverage.

Heres the quick low-down. Friday afternoon, guest photographer EL and I were reading cookbooks and I came across one that sounded tasty and simple. It was for chicken with caramelized onions and red wine. So we went to the grocery store and picked up the ingredients, along with what we needed to make one of my favorite side dishes (yes, I have exposed yet another unsuspecting soul to the wonders of brussel sprouts). The results were pretty delicious if I do say so myself.

Saturday I was back in my apt at dinner time after a long day of studying. I looked in my fridge and noticed I had pork chops, onions, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin cider, and since it felt much like fall outside, I went with a more fall-flavored version of the previous night's dinner.

Variation 1

Chicken and Red wine:

2 chicken breasts (pounded down to 1/2 thick, or you could butterfly them)

1 onion (~1/4 in thick slices) (the original recipe called for shallots)

1/4 c chicken broth

1/4 red wine (recipe called for something "fruity" not sure what that means...used a Pinot Noir)

1 Tbs sugar

fresh tarragon (the original recipe called for chervil and rosemary)

Salt and pepper to taste

Loads o' butter

Throw down some butter in a saute pan on med/med-high (make sure it is big enough for the next step). Put the onions down in a single layer if possible. Now here is the though part. DON'T TOUCH THE ONIONS. Well, until they are nice and golden-y on the first side. You will be tempted to stir the pan. Just drop the spatchula and walk away. You can turn down the heat a bit if you think they are going to burn before they caramelize. Once the first side is done, stir the pan, add the sugar (and maybe a splash of chicken broth) and continue with the caramelization. Once they have a beautiful color on them, remove them from the pan, and set aside.

The recipe then said to wipe out the pan before adding the chicken. I ignored them, which required me to add extra cooking liquid at this stage to prevent burning of the sugar left in the pan. So, do what you want.

Add more butter to the pan. Add your chicken that you have pounded and generously seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until it is nice and golden brown on the outside, and fully cooked on the inside. (We were in a bit of a rush, so I threw in some extra broth, cranked up the heat, and put a lid on the pot...)
Once the chicken is done, remove it from the pan, and place on a plate and tent with aluminum foil.

Add the onions back to the pan, pour in the red wine and chicken broth to deglaze, and toss in some finely chopped fresh herb (about a tsp should do the trick, or more if you like). Stir and let it come to a boil to reduce to a thick sauce.

Serve the chicken with generous scoops of onion-redwine.

Brussel Sprouts a la delicious: (Sure to turn any doubter into a lover of the sprout.)

1/2 bag of brussel sprouts (coarsely shredded, I halve them, and then run the knife quickly through the halves)

Butter. Lots.

Pecans (toasted and coarsely chopped)

Dried cranberries (yup, coarsely chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste (we happened to have bourbon-smoked sea salt. go ahead, get fancy)

In a saute pan, melt 2 Tbs of butter. Then brown the butter (i.e. leave it on medium heat and swirl the pan every once and a while. Wait until the color changes from yellow to lightly brown. Then, get that sucker off the stove because we do not want burnt butter). The browning of the butter produces a nice nutty flavor. Pour off the butter into a dish. Add maybe 1 Tbs of fresh butter to the pan. Saute the brussel sprouts. You want them to be cooked, but not to a mush. Once they are done, add back in the browned butter, the pecans, and cranberries. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Variation 2

Autumn Pork Chops with Caramelized onions and Pumpkin Cider (a.k.a. taste of fall in your mouth)

2 Butterflied pork chops

1 onion

butter

honey

allspice

cinnamon

nutmeg

toasted pecans (chopped)

Woodchucks Pumpkin Cider (good luck finding it. probably any other cider would do).

As recipe above, caramelize those onions. I added a swirl or two of honey instead of sugar. And a generous amount of cinnamon, and a dash of allspice and nutmeg and a bit of the cider. Then, remove from pan. Add a bit more butter, and the pork chops seasoned with those same spices in addition to some salt and pepper. Cook until they are done (Internal temp of 145 so you don't get trichinosis). Remove the pork. Add back in the onions, toasted pecans, and maybe a 1/4 c of the cider. Reduce it down. Serve pork with onion/cider mixture spooned over the top.

Brussel Sprouts for Brussel Sprout Lovers:

1/2 bag of brussel sprouts (cut into quarters)

butter

salt

pepper

hint of garlic powder

Heat up butter in saute pan. Add in the brussel sprouts. Cook 'em until they are pierce-able with a fork. Lightly season with salt/pepper/garlic.

**Special thanks again to guest photographer EL for the pictures of Variation 1.

Greek Beef Stew dinner

Sometimes I go a little overboard when I am at the grocery store. Especially if I go somewhere like Whole Foods. Well, this past trip was no different. I found myself driving home with 2.7 lbs of grain-fed beef shank in my car, along with an assortment of fresh herbs, veggies, and fruit. I decided to take on a full-fledged gourmet meal. I found this recipe: http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/02/02/greek-beef-stew/ on a paleo website recommended to be my a friend. I paired it with this: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/george-stella/mock-garlic-mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html

and this: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_brazilian_cheese_bread/

And a dessert that I invented in my head.

For the beef stew, since I had never made anything similar to it, I followed the recipe pretty closely... except that I made it in a crock pot since I do not have hours to cook, nor do I have a dutch oven....*hint hint* my birthday is in a week... :)

Greek Beef Stew (Adapted from theclothesmakethegirl)

3 tablespoons fat (I used coconut oil.)
2-3 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1.5-inch cube
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 organic carrots
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 leek, washed, drained, and cut into coins
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine (or beef broth, if you’re strict about that kind of thing)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3-5 cups water
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh sage
2 cinnamon sticks
grated orange zest (I forgot to add this at the end, but it sounded good)

Directions:
1. Sprinkle the beef generously with salt and pepper.

2. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven (I used a wok), heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the meat in batches and sear on all sides. Remove the browned pieces to a bowl to catch the juice and repeat until they’re all finished.

3. In the now-empty pan (except for the lovely drippings), sauté the chopped carrot, onion, celery, and leek for about 2 minutes, the stir in the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.

4. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and vinegar and stir with passion, scraping up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Reduce until it gets thick like a sauce. At this point, if you are using a crock pot, transfer the beef into the pot and then add the veggies/red wine reduction sauce on top.

5. Put the meat and whatever drippings and juice it’s expended back into the pot. Add 3 cups of water, 2 teaspoons salt, a healthy dose of pepper, and the seasonings: rosemary, thyme, sage, and cinnamon sticks.

** If you are like me, then you will have made this the evening before you wanted to eat it. If that is the case, put the whole thing in the fridge. Then, in the morning, all you have to do is take it out of the fridge, turn on the crock pot, and walk out the door. I put it on high for about 4 hours, and then turned it down to low for the rest of the day. It turned out perfect: the sauce reduced, and the meat and veggies were tender.

6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer with the pan only partially covered for about an hour. (NOTE: It might take longer than an hour, so if you’re making it on a time schedule, budget 90 minutes, just to be on the safe side). If it starts to dry out, add more water, about a 1/2 cup at a time. You want to simmer until the meat is fall-apart tender and the liquid in the pan has been reduced to gravy-like status. This is not a soupy stew; it’s more like pot roast with delicious wine and herb gravy.

7. Remove the leaves and cinnamon sticks from the pot. Top the stew with grated orange zest before serving. (Oops, missed that step...)

Mashed Cauliflower

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• Some garlic powder (yeah, just add how much you like. I like lots)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the sour cream, Parmesan, garlic, butter and pepper until almost smooth.

Pao de quiejo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

So just a word before I share a picture. These failed miserably. I am so sad. When I was in Brazil, Rita made these a few times (not from scratch though, she bought them frozen). They are supposed to puff up and be crispy on the outside while being cheesy goodness on the inside. Well, mine did not do that. They were sort of puffed when I pulled them out of the oven. And then they collapsed. So, I figured, well, I will eat one anyway. Poor choice. They were a horrible consistency. Greasy, slimy, and altogether unpleasant. I'm not sure what went wrong. It could be that the oven was supposed to be at 400, and mine was at 350 at first. Boo. But, enough with the sob story, here is a picture:

Ice cream with red wine-dark chocolate reduction

This recipe came from the depths of my mind, which is a scary place. I wanted to use up some of the red wine I had to buy for the beef stew, and I thought it would be perfect to end the meal with something that tied it all together. So this is what I created.

Pour however much red wine is left after making the stew and pouring 2 glasses to drink into a pot.

Add about a tablespoon of brown sugar (or more, depending on how sweet you like it).

Simmer until the wine is thick.

Remove from head and add in about a half of a bar of really good, really dark chocolate.

Stir until the chocolate melts.

Serve over ice cream (or in this case, frozen coconut milk with little chunks of coconut in it) with fresh berries.

**As a note, you may have noticed the quality of the photos greatly improved... This is because a friend (EL, you're the best) was generous enough to take pictures for me. He of course was compensated with food :)

Bacon Corn Chowder with Shrimp

I'll admit it, when a new Cooking Light appears on the kitchen table I'm ecstatic.  The only thing better than flipping through the pages staring at the beautiful food-ography is trying out a recipe, taking your own pictures, and of course eating it!  And the only thing better than enjoying one of their recipes alone is with a friend.  Mel and I have been attempting, ever so unsuccessfully, to see each other for over a month.  Well, I hope she would agree that this soup (and dessert which I unfortunately can't take credit for) were worth the wait!

I had dog eared this page and when my mom showed up in Detroit with a bag of fresh picked corn grown right down the road from our Southwest Michigan house, I knew this is what I would be eating for dinner that night!  Not to mention we enjoyed bacon at the Original Pancake House for lunch so why not have some for dinner, too?

Bacon Corn Chowder with Shrimp, adapted from Cooking Light, August 2011

6 slices bacon

1 cup chopped onion 

3/4 cup chopped celery 

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 

1 garlic clove, minced 

4 cups fresh corn kernels, about 8 small ears

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth 

3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

1/3 cup half-and-half 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat a sauce large pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan; saute 4 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown. Remove 2 slices bacon. Drain on paper towels.

Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through minced garlic) to pan, and saute for 2 minutes.

Add corn, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes.

Place 2 cups of corn mixture in a blender. Puree until smooth.  Return pureed corn mixture to pan.

Stir in shrimp; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Stir in half-and-half and pepper.

Crumble reserved bacon over soup.

Serve with crusty bread or apple brie bread and salad.