Category Archives: What’s for Dinner?

November 2, 2016 · 6:14 pm

Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili

INGREDIENTS:

2 lg                   Onions

3 lg                    Bell Peppers

4-6 cloves       Garlic, minced

1-4 ea               Jalapeños, minced

4 cups             Butternut Squash, cubed

2 cans             Diced Tomatoes (14 oz), undrained petite

2 cups             Vegetable or Chicken Broth

4 Tbs               Chili Powder

1 tsp                Cumin

1 tsp                Paprika

1 tsp               Cocoa Powder

3 cups            Black Beans, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot coated with cooking spray, sauté the onions, bell peppers, garlic and jalapeños until softened, about 7 minutes. Add butternut squash, tomatoes, broth and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes and when it is the desired thickness, use a potato masher to break down some of the butternut squash, so that it becomes part of the body of the chili (optional.) Add three cups of black beans. Simmer for ten more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as well as salt and pepper. Add browned ground beef if a non-vegetarian option is desired.

Serve with avocado, radish, Greek yogurt, cheese, lime, cilantro and jalapeño.

The chili is even better the following days, so make ahead if possible!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under Comfort Cuisine, Fall/Winter Favorites, Holiday Menus, Vegetarian Fare, What's for Dinner?

November 2, 2016 · 6:00 pm

Pumpkin Cornbread Mini Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup              Cornmeal

1/4 cup               Flour

1 Tbs                  Sugar

1 1/2 tsp            Baking Powder

1/2 tsp               Baking Soda

1/2 tsp               Salt

1/2 cup              Pumpkin Puree

1 ea                    Egg

1 Tbs                 Oil

1/3 cup              Fat Free Milk or Buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

I double the recipe to get 20 nicely sized mini muffins. I use the Williams – Sonoma mini muffin tin (24.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine all of the wet ingredients and stir. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and spoon mix into muffin tin. They will rise slightly when baking.

Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown. Let rest for 2 minutes before removing from tin.

Serve with honey, maple syrup or preserves.

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Filed under Comfort Cuisine, Fall/Winter Favorites, Holiday Menus, What's for Dinner?

September 6, 2016 · 6:58 pm

Shrimp and Vegetable Tagine

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1/4 cup      Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped

3 Tbs          Cilantro, chopped plus whole sprigs for garnish

2 Tbs          Lemon Juice, fresh

1 Tbs          Sweet Paprika

1 tsp           Ginger, ground

pinch         Saffron Threads, crumbled

1/3 cup       Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 lbs      Shrimp, large, shelled and deveined, tails left on

2 1/4 lbs     Plum Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

3 cloves      Garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp      Cumin, ground

tt                  Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large        Carrots, thinly sliced

1 large        Sweet Onion, thinly sliced

4 large       Red Bliss Potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced

1 ea             Red Bell Pepper, cut into thin strips

1 ea             Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 ea          Preserved Lemon, peel only, thinly sliced (see Note optional)

1/2 cup        Green Olives, Pitted

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine the parsley with the chopped cilantro, lemon juice, paprika, ginger, saffron and olive oil. Add the shrimp, toss to coat with the marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes with the garlic and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down and slightly thickened, 10 minutes.

Spread the sliced carrots in a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the onion, potatoes and bell peppers, lightly seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Spread the tomato sauce on top. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the preserved lemon and olives to the casserole and arrange the shrimp on top in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Raise the heat to moderate and cook the tagine uncovered, stirring once or twice, until the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes; don’t let the vegetables burn on the bottom. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and top with the shrimp. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve.

Make Ahead

The tagine can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight. Rewarm before proceeding.

Notes

Preserved lemons are a Moroccan ingredient made by macerating whole lemons in lemon juice and salt until they’re very soft. They’re available at specialty food shops and from kalustyans.com.

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Filed under Fall/Winter Favorites, Fish Favorites, International Inspirations, Moroccan Tagines, What's for Dinner?

August 25, 2016 · 4:24 pm

Shoyu Ramen

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INGREDIENTS:

Kombu and Tare

2 pc          Kombu, dried

1/2 cup     Soy Sauce, reduced sodium

2 Tbs        Dry Sake

1 Tbs        Mirin

Pork and Stock

1 1/2 lb     Boneless Pork Shoulder

tt               Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, freshly ground

2 Tbs        Vegetable Oil

2 lbs         Chicken Necks, Backs or Wings

2 lb           Pork Spareribs

2 bc          Scallions, chopped

2 ea          Carrots, peeled, cut into pieces

1 hd          Garlic, halved horizontally

1 pc           Garlic, peeled, sliced

1/4 cup     Bonito Flakes

Ramen and Garnishes

3 lg            Eggs

6 pk          5 oz Thin and Wavy Ramen Noodles, Fresh (or six 3-oz packages dried)

1/2 cup     Menma (fermented bamboo shoots)

6 ea           Scallions, sliced thinly

3 ea            Toasted Nori Sheets, torn in half

tt                 Chili Oil, Toasted Sesame Oil and Shichimi Togarashi (for serving)

DIRECTIONS:

Kombu Dashi and Tare

Two Days Ahead: For the dashi, combine kombu and 4 quarts of cold water in a large bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours. For the tare, combine soy sauce, sake, and mirin in a small bowl; cover and chill.

Pork and Stock

One Day Ahead: Season pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Roll up and tie with kitchen twine at 2″ intervals. (This helps keep the meat intact while cooking and makes round, compact slices.)

Heat oil in large heavy pot (at least 8 quarts) over medium-high heat. Cook pork shoulder turning until brown all over, 10-12 minutes. Add chicken, spareribs, scallions, garlic, ginger and bonito flakes. Remove kombu from the dashi; discard. Add as much kombu dashi as will fit in pot once liquid is boiling (reserve remaining dashi.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally and adding remaining dashi as liquid reduces, until pork shoulder is tender and stock has reduced to about 2 quarts, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Remove pork shoulder from the stock and let cool. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill until ready to use. (Chilling pork will make it easier to slice.) Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into another large pot or a large bowl or container; discard solids (including ribs and chicken.) Cover and chill.

Ramen and Garnishes

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Carefully add eggs one at a time and boil gently for 7 minutes. (Egg yolk should be shiny yellow and almost jammy; egg white should be just set.) Drain eggs and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking; let cool. Peel; set aside.

Remove string and thinly slice pork; cover and set aside.

When ready to serve, bring stock to a simmer; it should be very hot. At the same time, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to the package directions until al dente; drain (no need to salt the water, as ramen noodles contain more salt than pasta.)

Just before serving, divide noodles among six deep bowls. Top with sliced pork, placing it off to the side. Add tare to the hot stock and ladle over pork to warm through (stock should come up just to the level of the noodles.)

Place a small pile of menma next to the pork. Halve eggs and place next to the menma. Place a small pile of sliced scallions next to the egg. Tuck half sheet of nori between the side of the bowl and noodles so it’s just poking out.

Serve ramen with chili oil, sesame oil and shichimi togarashi.

Do Ahead: Eggs can be cooked 1 day ahead. Keep unpeeled covered in cool water. Cover and chill.

 

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Filed under Asian Cuisine, International Inspirations, Super Soups, What's for Dinner?

August 25, 2016 · 3:28 pm

Crockpot Cabbage Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb          Ground Beef or Ground Turkey

2 md       Onions, diced

1 Tbs        Olive Oil (optional)

1 md        Head of Cabbage, chopped

2 md        Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 tsp     Salt

1/4 tsp     Pepper

A/N          Cooking Spray

3/4 cup    Brown Rice (uncooked)

3 cups      Beef or Chicken Broth

DIRECTIONS:

In a very large pot, brown the ground meat and onions with olive oil. (If you choose to use beef you can omit the olive oil.)

Remove pot from the heat and add cabbage, carrots, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Spray crockpot with cooking spray and place rice at the bottom of the crockpot.

Pour meat/cabbage mixture on top of the rice.

Pour broth on top.

Cover, and cook on “low” for 4-6 hours.

Stir before serving.

Serve with soy sauce and apple sauce.

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Filed under Comfort Cuisine, Fall/Winter Favorites, What's for Dinner?

August 25, 2016 · 3:02 pm

Thai Drunken Noodles

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INGREDIENTS:

2 pkg              1/4-inch-wide flat rice noodles, 14 ounce

1/4 cup           Vegetable Oil

1/4 cup           Thai Chilies, chopped

1 1/2 lbs          Chicken, ground

1/4 cup           Fish Sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam)

1/4 cup           Black Soy Sauce

1/4 cup            Golden Mountain Sauce or Light Soy Sauce

1 Tb                  Sugar

4 lg                   Plum Tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges

4 ea                   Anaheim Chiles or Italian Frying Peppers or 2 Green Bell

Peppers cut into strips

1/2 cup            Thai Basil Leaves, fresh

DIRECTIONS:

Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and Thai chiles; sauté 30 seconds. Add chicken and next 4 ingredients and sauté until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add noodles, tomatoes, and Anaheim chilies; toss to coat. Transfer to large platter sprinkle with basil leaves, and serve.

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Filed under Asian Cuisine, Chicken Dishes, Comfort Cuisine, Fall/Winter Favorites, International Inspirations, What's for Dinner?

March 3, 2016 · 8:48 pm

Avocado-Basil Zucchini Noodles with Chile-Lime Shrimp and Corn

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INGREDIENTS:

5 tsp                    Lime

8 cranks              Sea Salt, from grinder

10 cranks            Pepper, from grinder

1 ea                      Avocado

1/4 cup                Greek Yogurt, Chobani 0% plain

12 leaves             Basil

1 clove                 Garlic, minced

2.5 – 3 ea             Zucchinis, Blade C spiralized

tt                           Salt and Pepper

8 med                  Shrimp

1 ea                       Lime

1 ear                     Corn

a/n                       Olive Oil Cooking Spray

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place your corn on a baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper. When oven preheats, bake for 10 minutes. When done cooking, scrape off kernels with a knife into a bowl.

Place all of the ingredients for the sauce into a food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust as needed.

Place your zucchini noodles into a bowl, pour over the creamy sauce and mix to combine thoroughly. Add in the corn.

Plate the noodles into a bowl.

Season shrimp with salt, pepper and chile powder. Set aside.

Place a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Once heated, add in the shrimp and squeeze the lime over the shrimp. Cook for about 2 minutes, flip over and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until shrimp is opaque and cooked through.

Top the zucchini noodles with the shrimp and enjoy!

 

 

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Filed under Fish Favorites, Inspiralized, Sensational Salads, What's for Dinner?

March 3, 2016 · 6:18 pm

Baked Mochiko Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs               Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless

1/2 cup          Mochiko

1 cup              Flour

1/3 cup          Corn Starch

1 tsp              Garlic Salt

1/4 cup         Shoyu (soy sauce,) low sodium

1/4 cup         Mirin

4 cloves        Garlic, minced

1 Tbs             Ginger, minced

2 Tbs            Sesame Seeds (optional)

a/n                Olive Oil

a/n                Cooking Spray

DIRECTIONS:

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. In a small bowl combine shoyu, mirin, garlic, ginger and chicken. Add sesame seeds if using.  Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours (or overnight). Drain chicken of marinade. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, corn starch, mochiko and garlic salt and mix well. Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. When ready to bake coat the bottom of a broiler pan or cookie sheet with olive oil. Place the oiled pan into the oven and preheat the pan until the oil is very hot (you want the chicken to sizzle when you add it to the pan). While the pan and chicken is heating up, dredge the drain chicken in the flour mixture and set aside. When the pan is really hot, place the chicken pieces in a single layer (very important), quickly spray with cooking spray and place in the oven – let it sizzle. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and cook the chicken for about 10 minutes. Enjoy with rice and steamed veggies for a healthy chicken meal.

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Filed under Chicken Dishes, Fall/Winter Favorites, What's for Dinner?

August 21, 2015 · 10:27 pm

Roasted Salmon and Broccoli with Chili-Caper Vinaigrette

IMG_8148

INGREDIENTS:

1 bnch           Broccoli, cut into florets

4 Tbs             Olive Oil, divided

tt                    Kosher Salt and Ground Pepper

4 6 oz            Salmon Fillets, skinless

1 ea               Red Fresno Chile or Jalapeño, thinly sliced into rings, seeds removed if desired

2 Tbs             Rice Vinegar, unseasoned

2 Tbs             Capers, drained

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°. Toss broccoli and 2 Tbsp. oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp-tender, 12–15 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and rub salmon with 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Push broccoli to edges of baking sheet and place salmon in the center. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 10–15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine chile, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in small bowl and let sit until chiles are slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Mix in capers and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper.

Serve salmon and broccoli drizzled with chile vinaigrette.

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May 18, 2015 · 3:52 pm

Chicken Burrito Bowls – Slow Cooked

INGREDIENTS:

1 to 1 1/2 lbs          Chicken Breasts or Thighs, boneless, skinless

2 can (14.5 oz)        Tomatoes, diced

1 to 1 1/4 cups        Chicken Stock, divided

2 tsp                        Chili Powder

2 tsp                        Salt

1 tsp                        Cumin

1 cup                       Brown Rice

1 can (15 oz)           Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup                       Corn, frozen

Optional: Shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream, diced avocado, salsa, hot sauce, diced green onions, shredded cheese.

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the chicken breasts, diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of chicken stock, chili powder, salt, and cumin in a bowl of 2 1/2 to 3 qtr slow cooker. Make sure the chicken is covered. Cover with the lid and cook for 3 to 4 hours.

Remove the lid and add the rice, black beans, frozen corn, and another 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Replace the lid and continue cooking on low for another 3 to 4 hours. Check the rice periodically in the last hour of cooking, stirring once or twice to make sure the rice cooks evenly and adding more chicken broth if the mixture seems dry. Cooking is done when rice is tender – if the rice is done while there is still liquid left in the slow cooker, remove the lid and cook on high to let the liquid evaporate. Total cooking time should be between 6 – 8 hours.

Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can do this either in the slow cooker itself and mix it into the rice, to you can transfer it to a cutting board if you prefer to keep it separate. Taste the burrito mix and stir in more salt or seasoning to taste.

Serve burrito bowls with a selection of toppings. The burrito mixture will keep for 1 week refrigerated or for 3 months in the freezer. This recipe makes about 7 total cups of the burrito mix.

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Filed under Chicken Dishes, Comfort Cuisine, Fall/Winter Favorites, What's for Dinner?