Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
2.05.2012
Topped steaks
1.18.2012
Pasta with Lemon Butter Cream sauce
When I was visiting my parents last week, I decided to make dinner one night. Dinner there isn't the easiest thing, with the various tastes and restrictions in the house. My husband doesn't eat seafood, Mom isn't a fan of chicken, and Dad will only eat pasta if it has enough other stuff in it to make it a full meal. I threw this together while picking things up at the grocery store, so I'm sure there are ways to improve it! I would possibly have added Greek olives and capers, but that didn't come until an afterthought. Because of the preferences of the family, I made two bowls of the pasta topped with shrimp and two topped with chicken. You could always mix the two or just use one or the other. If you want to choose just one, plan your amounts accordingly!
Here you go, hope you love it!
Ingredients (Feeds about 4-5):
3 medium boneless-skinless chicken breasts
12-14 Jumbo shrimp, pre-cooked, shelled, deveined and tails removed
1 1/2 c salted butter
1/3 c flour
1 c milk (I used 1%)
1/3 c lemon or lime juice (more or less to taste, I love acid, so I use a lot) plus 4T lemon or lime juice
1 box uncooked pasta
8 oz crumbled feta cheese (divided per portion)
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered and warmed (divided per portion)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan, melt about 1/8c butter over med-high heat.
Step 3: Add raw chicken breasts to melted butter in pan. Add about 2 T lemon or lime juice. Cook breasts on each side for about 6 minutes or until it begins to brown.
Step 4: Transfer chicken breasts, along with any liquids and drippings, to an oven-safe dish. Cover and place in oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken is fully-cooked.
Meanwhile...
Step 5: Add remaining butter to a cold saucepan along with flour and 1/3 c lemon/lime juice. Melt and combine ingredients over low heat. If you heat it too quickly, your butter will separate and get kind of gross-looking. The milk will also not mix in as well later if your butter "breaks."
Step 6: Bring water to a boil in a medium stock pot (for noodles). Add pasta and cook 9-10 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked. Drain pasta and set aside. A small amount of olive oil may be added if you are worried about the noodles sticking together.
Step 7: While water is boiling and pasta is cooking, sauté shrimp in a small saucepan with 1/8c butter and about 2T lemon or lime juice. As the shrimp are already fully cooked, you just want to cook them long enough to warm them through and add flavor. Be sure not to allow them to become rubbery.
Step 8: Remove chicken from oven and transfer to a cutting board to allow the meat to rest 5-10 minutes.
Step 9: Slowly mix milk into the butter mixture, stirring constantly. You may want to add less milk if you want a thicker sauce. Cook only until the sauce is warmed though, being careful not to allow the sauce to boil.
Step 10: Add pasta to a plate/bowl. Top with artichoke hearts, feta cheese and shrimp and/or sliced chicken. Pour sauce over the top and serve immediately.
Here you go, hope you love it!
Ingredients (Feeds about 4-5):
3 medium boneless-skinless chicken breasts
12-14 Jumbo shrimp, pre-cooked, shelled, deveined and tails removed
1 1/2 c salted butter
1/3 c flour
1 c milk (I used 1%)
1/3 c lemon or lime juice (more or less to taste, I love acid, so I use a lot) plus 4T lemon or lime juice
1 box uncooked pasta
8 oz crumbled feta cheese (divided per portion)
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered and warmed (divided per portion)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan, melt about 1/8c butter over med-high heat.
Step 3: Add raw chicken breasts to melted butter in pan. Add about 2 T lemon or lime juice. Cook breasts on each side for about 6 minutes or until it begins to brown.
Step 4: Transfer chicken breasts, along with any liquids and drippings, to an oven-safe dish. Cover and place in oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken is fully-cooked.
Meanwhile...
Step 5: Add remaining butter to a cold saucepan along with flour and 1/3 c lemon/lime juice. Melt and combine ingredients over low heat. If you heat it too quickly, your butter will separate and get kind of gross-looking. The milk will also not mix in as well later if your butter "breaks."
Step 6: Bring water to a boil in a medium stock pot (for noodles). Add pasta and cook 9-10 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked. Drain pasta and set aside. A small amount of olive oil may be added if you are worried about the noodles sticking together.
Step 7: While water is boiling and pasta is cooking, sauté shrimp in a small saucepan with 1/8c butter and about 2T lemon or lime juice. As the shrimp are already fully cooked, you just want to cook them long enough to warm them through and add flavor. Be sure not to allow them to become rubbery.
Step 8: Remove chicken from oven and transfer to a cutting board to allow the meat to rest 5-10 minutes.
Step 9: Slowly mix milk into the butter mixture, stirring constantly. You may want to add less milk if you want a thicker sauce. Cook only until the sauce is warmed though, being careful not to allow the sauce to boil.
Step 10: Add pasta to a plate/bowl. Top with artichoke hearts, feta cheese and shrimp and/or sliced chicken. Pour sauce over the top and serve immediately.
Creamy Mac n Cheese with Beer Brats
Mac n Cheese is one of my favorite foods ever! From the Easy Mac type to the excellent homemade variety, cheese and pasta just really hits the spot for me! Here is a recipe for my homemade mac n cheese. Everyone does theirs a little differently, and I'm sure that many are excellent, but this is my usual recipe! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 Box (16 oz) uncooked pasta
1/4 c Salted Butter
1/4 c flour
20 oz cheese (I like Jack and Cheddar, but smoked Gouda is really good, as is Colby)
2 c Buttermilk (regular milk or heavy cream also work, but I love the flavor of buttermilk)
4 Beer Brats
10-15 Ritz crackers
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step 1: Bring a stockpot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt to cook the noodles.
Meanwhile...
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Step 3: Place cold butter and flour in a cold saucepan. Bring the heat up to a medium temperature, slowly melting the butter and mixing frequently to create a paste with the butter and flour. This is the roux and base for your cheese sauce. This should be stirred and cooked until the roux begins to smell like peanuts, or for about 3-4 minutes once the butter is completely mixed with the flour.
Step 4: Slowly add the milk to your roux. At first, the cold milk will cause the roux to thicken quickly and it may look "curdled," but don't worry, it will smooth itself out! Keep adding the milk a little at a time until it has all mixed in. Cook over low to medium heat until the mixture is warm.
Step 5: Pour noodles into boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just underdone. It should still have a bit of a bite to it, as it will cook a bit more once it is mixed with the cheese sauce and you don't want it to all fall apart! Drain the noodles and set them aside. No need to rinse or add oil.
Step 6: Cook your brats. I usually put them in my toaster oven on 350 and bake them for about 10 minutes, but you could grill them or boil them as well. I'm sure microwaving is also an option, although I've never tried it for brats.
While you are waiting for that...
Step 7: Shred about 2/3 of your cheese, or chop it into small pieces. Slowly add this cheese to the sauce, while continuing to stir frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste. I usually do about 2T salt and 1T black pepper or 1-1/2T white pepper, but a sharper cheese will require less salt and a smokier cheese won't need so much pepper.
Step 8: Once you have a smooth cheese sauce mixture, take the sauce off the heat. Pour about 1/3 of the sauce into the noodles and mix well. This will coat all of the noodles and keep them from sticking together while cooking.
Step 9: Cut your cooked brats into rounds or even smaller bite-sized pieces and mix into the noodle mixture.
Step 10: Pour all of the noodle mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish. If you don't have one of these, the larger bowl-style casserole baking dishes work well too. I recommend ceramic or glass, as I never seem to get quite as good results from metal dishes.
Step 11: Evenly pour the remaining cheese sauce over the noodles in the casserole dish. You may need to use a spatula to distribute the cheese sauce over the top.
Step 12: Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile...
Step 13: Crush the ritz crackers into a mixing bowl. You can use a food processor if you have one, or just use your hands. Shred and add the remaining cheeses to the crushed crackers. Mix these together well, using a fork, your hands or a food processor. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper for a little added flavor.
Step 14: Remove the casserole dish from the oven and remove the foil. Top entire dish with cheese/cracker mixture to form a "top crust." Leaving the dish uncovered, bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust browns (I like crispy mac n cheese edges so I bake for about 20 minutes. The cheese will melt in about 10.).
Step 15: I know it is difficult, but remove the dish from the oven and let it set for about 15 minutes. This will make it much easier to scoop and I think it seems to make the top crustier. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 Box (16 oz) uncooked pasta
1/4 c Salted Butter
1/4 c flour
20 oz cheese (I like Jack and Cheddar, but smoked Gouda is really good, as is Colby)
2 c Buttermilk (regular milk or heavy cream also work, but I love the flavor of buttermilk)
4 Beer Brats
10-15 Ritz crackers
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step 1: Bring a stockpot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt to cook the noodles.
Meanwhile...
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Step 3: Place cold butter and flour in a cold saucepan. Bring the heat up to a medium temperature, slowly melting the butter and mixing frequently to create a paste with the butter and flour. This is the roux and base for your cheese sauce. This should be stirred and cooked until the roux begins to smell like peanuts, or for about 3-4 minutes once the butter is completely mixed with the flour.
Step 4: Slowly add the milk to your roux. At first, the cold milk will cause the roux to thicken quickly and it may look "curdled," but don't worry, it will smooth itself out! Keep adding the milk a little at a time until it has all mixed in. Cook over low to medium heat until the mixture is warm.
Step 5: Pour noodles into boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just underdone. It should still have a bit of a bite to it, as it will cook a bit more once it is mixed with the cheese sauce and you don't want it to all fall apart! Drain the noodles and set them aside. No need to rinse or add oil.
Step 6: Cook your brats. I usually put them in my toaster oven on 350 and bake them for about 10 minutes, but you could grill them or boil them as well. I'm sure microwaving is also an option, although I've never tried it for brats.
While you are waiting for that...
Step 7: Shred about 2/3 of your cheese, or chop it into small pieces. Slowly add this cheese to the sauce, while continuing to stir frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste. I usually do about 2T salt and 1T black pepper or 1-1/2T white pepper, but a sharper cheese will require less salt and a smokier cheese won't need so much pepper.
Step 8: Once you have a smooth cheese sauce mixture, take the sauce off the heat. Pour about 1/3 of the sauce into the noodles and mix well. This will coat all of the noodles and keep them from sticking together while cooking.
Step 9: Cut your cooked brats into rounds or even smaller bite-sized pieces and mix into the noodle mixture.
Step 10: Pour all of the noodle mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish. If you don't have one of these, the larger bowl-style casserole baking dishes work well too. I recommend ceramic or glass, as I never seem to get quite as good results from metal dishes.
Step 11: Evenly pour the remaining cheese sauce over the noodles in the casserole dish. You may need to use a spatula to distribute the cheese sauce over the top.
Step 12: Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile...
Step 13: Crush the ritz crackers into a mixing bowl. You can use a food processor if you have one, or just use your hands. Shred and add the remaining cheeses to the crushed crackers. Mix these together well, using a fork, your hands or a food processor. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper for a little added flavor.
Step 14: Remove the casserole dish from the oven and remove the foil. Top entire dish with cheese/cracker mixture to form a "top crust." Leaving the dish uncovered, bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust browns (I like crispy mac n cheese edges so I bake for about 20 minutes. The cheese will melt in about 10.).
Step 15: I know it is difficult, but remove the dish from the oven and let it set for about 15 minutes. This will make it much easier to scoop and I think it seems to make the top crustier. Enjoy!
1.04.2012
Grown-Up Lunch Pockets
Super easy lunch! I am a big fan of things that can be made quickly and easily, but maybe not so much on the frozen prepared meals. Instead of automatically reaching for those microwaveable frozen snacks, try these (almost as easy) yummy pockets!
What you will need:
1 package refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 slices ham (I used a smoked deli-sliced ham)
1/4-1/2 wheel of Brie cut into small slices or cubes (rind on is fine)
4 t honey (I used Savannah Bee Company's Cheese honey)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Separate dough into triangles (should have 8 pieces). Lay 4 of the 8 triangles on a baking sheet.
3. Place 1 slice of ham, 1 t honey and some slices/cubes of cheese in the center of each triangle, leaving about 1/4" around all edges
4. Place remaining 4 triangles of dough over each prepared portion and seal edges, creating the pockets. Use a fork to seal the edges if you have trouble. (As you can see in the photos, mine weren't sealed as well as they could have been and some of the cheese escaped.)
5. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden-brown.
9.29.2011
Chicken Veggie Casserole
I sort of made this recipe up as I went along. Because of that, some measurements and times may need to be adjusted to taste.
Serves 4
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Ingredients:
2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1" pieces
3-4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 large potato, cut into 1" pieces OR 6-8 fingerling potatoes, cut in half or 1/4's
1 c green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1 can cream of celery soup (cream of broccoli, chicken, cheese or mushroom would also work)
1 T onion powder
1 t dried sage
1 t Dill weed (I used 1 T, but my husband said it was a little too much dill)
1/4 c coconut or apple cider vinegar
Topping:
1/2 c Panko bread crumbs*
1 T French Fry seasoning (combo of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika)
1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
*Please Note: If you use a larger pan, you may need more bread crumbs to cover the top. I used a 10" round glass pan.
Method:
Step 1: Mix chicken, zucchini, carrots, potatoes and green beans in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Stir in cream of celery soup and vinegar, making sure to coat all chicken and veggies.
Step 3: Slowly mix in dry seasonings (onion, sage and dill) making sure to evenly mix throughout.
Step 4: Scoop mixture into a glass or ceramic baking dish (I used a 10" round dish with a lid). Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Throughout the 45 minutes, I would recommend removing the dish from the oven 1-2 times to stir everything all up!
Step 5: Mix breadcrumbs, FF seasoning and shredded cheese.
Step 6: Remove dish from the oven and top with breadcrumb mixture.
Step 7: Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until top is golden-brown.
Step 8: Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Ingredients:
2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1" pieces
3-4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 large potato, cut into 1" pieces OR 6-8 fingerling potatoes, cut in half or 1/4's
1 c green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1 can cream of celery soup (cream of broccoli, chicken, cheese or mushroom would also work)
1 T onion powder
1 t dried sage
1 t Dill weed (I used 1 T, but my husband said it was a little too much dill)
1/4 c coconut or apple cider vinegar
Topping:
1/2 c Panko bread crumbs*
1 T French Fry seasoning (combo of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika)
1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
*Please Note: If you use a larger pan, you may need more bread crumbs to cover the top. I used a 10" round glass pan.
Method:
Step 1: Mix chicken, zucchini, carrots, potatoes and green beans in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Stir in cream of celery soup and vinegar, making sure to coat all chicken and veggies.
Step 3: Slowly mix in dry seasonings (onion, sage and dill) making sure to evenly mix throughout.
Step 4: Scoop mixture into a glass or ceramic baking dish (I used a 10" round dish with a lid). Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Throughout the 45 minutes, I would recommend removing the dish from the oven 1-2 times to stir everything all up!
Step 5: Mix breadcrumbs, FF seasoning and shredded cheese.
Step 6: Remove dish from the oven and top with breadcrumb mixture.
Step 7: Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until top is golden-brown.
Step 8: Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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