Rachael Ray Baked Shell Casserole

Just happened to walk through the room while Rachael Ray's talk show was on and caught her making Baked Shells Casserole. Since I'm always in a rush these days (and ok, since I'm a little lazy too) I never make things like Stuffed Shells anymore. Since hubby is a lasagna fan (and I never do that either!) I thought I'd try this one. You make a quick and yummy tomato sauce and use it to top pasta coated in spinach and cheese-y goodness. Pop it in the oven and dinner is done. I didn't have ricotta so I used mozzarella instead and it was delicious. The sauce was so-so. (Feel free to substitute your favorite.) But the cheesy pasta was delicious. I ate a whole bowl full while the casserole was in the oven. You know. Too much pasta. Wouldn't fit in the casserole dish.

Had to do something with it. :-)

Rachael Ray Baked Shell Casserole
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

5 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
1 large or 2 small to medium onions, finely chopped, divided
1 small carrot, finely chopped or grated
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano or marjoram, half a palmful
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/3 palmful
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed by pressing under flat of your knife
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, 5 to 6 sprigs
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white or red wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 28-ounce cans Italian crushed tomatoes
1 pound medium or large shell pasta (not extra-large stuffing shells)
2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in clean towel
Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus some to pass at table
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic, 3/4 of finely chopped onion and the carrot. Season with salt, pepper, oregano or marjoram, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and thyme, and gently sauté 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in parsley, stir, then add wine and reduce a minute. Add stock and tomatoes, bring sauce up to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer sauce 45 minutes.

After sauce has been simmering for 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375˚F.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt water and cook pasta 5 minutes.

While pasta water comes to a boil, heat remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO in a small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and onion and sauté to soften, 5 minutes. Add spinach, pulling it apart and separating it as you add it to pan. Stir to combine well and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn off heat.

Drain undercooked pasta and return it to the hot pot. Add spinach mixture to pot along with ricotta and grated Parm. Stir to combine, adjust salt and pepper then add eggs and stir.

Pour a thin layer of marinara sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish. Fill dish with pasta then top with another thin layer of red sauce. Save remaining sauce to pass at table. Bake 30 minutes until bubbly.

Serve casserole directly from casserole dish, passing extra sauce and cheese at the table.

Mini Cuban "Fritas" Burgers

After the fact, I found out that in Cuba, these delicious little "Fritas" are made from chorizo rather than ground beef. While these were quite tasty as they were, I swoon imagining them with spicy chorizo! This Ingrid Hoffman recipe is my submission to this week's Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge. I prepared it on time but ran into some unforseen computer problems and couldn't get it posted until today. Head over to I Blame My Mother to see what everyone else whipped up this week.

Mini Cuban "Fritas" Burgers
Recipe courtesy of Ingrid Hoffman

1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 large yellow onion, grated on the large-hole side of a box grater
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
3 tablespoons ketchup, plus extra for serving
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 mini hamburger rolls or Cuban rolls


Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Cover with milk and soak for 2 minutes. Add the onion, the beaten egg, ground beef, lime juice, ketchup, garlic powder, salt, and paprika and work the ingredients together with your hands or a wooden spoon just until combined. Form the mixture into 12 small 1-inch thick patties and refrigerate them for at least 45 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1/2 of the burgers and brown them on each side, flipping with spatula, 5 to 7 minutes. Set the fritas on the rolls and cook the remaining burgers. Serve with generous amounts of ketchup.

Ina Garten's Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

Every once in awhile I try to make something meat-like for the carnivorous members of my family. Since my oldest was home from college, I decided to roast a chicken. (Something I don't do very often. I tend to stick to chicken breasts.) I chose Ina Garten's Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken and I'm glad I did. The chicken was moist and tender (or so I was told). The prep work was simple. And it must have been tasty; The picky girls kept coming back for more!

Ina Garten's Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken is the recipe I'm submitting for the Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge this week. Head over here to see what everyone else made this week. Next week's chef  will be Ingrid Hoffman.


 Ina Garten's Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

Serves: 3 to 4 servings
1 (5 to 6-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
4 lemons
3 heads garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, reserving enough thyme to garnish the chicken dish, 1 lemon, halved, and 2 halves of the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Cut 2 of the lemons in quarters and scatter the quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Lay the bacon slices over the chicken to cover.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the top of the chicken and set aside. Continue roasting the chicken for an additional 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with aluminum foil while you prepare the gravy.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.

Slice the chicken on a platter. Garnish the chicken platter with the bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme and 1 lemon, sliced. Serve with the gravy.

Killer Inside Out Burger

I don't remember making any of Guy Fieri's recipes before but this is one I will definitely remember. Think delicious burger with melted cheese and spicy Chorizo sausage inside, topped with a spicy homemade ketchup. Yum! I thought Guy's Killer Inside Out Burger sounded great so I wasn't really surprised about how it tasted. What amazed me is how simple the burgers were to put together. Definitely a hit. My nephew was visiting from college and he gave it a thumbs up too.

This will be my contribution to the Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge this week. Haven't heard of it? A great group of people have decided to cook their way through the roster of Food Network chefs. This week was Guy Fieri. Next week is Ina Garten. They pick the chef. You pick the recipe. How fun! Head on over here to see what everyone else fixed.

Killer Inside Out Burger

Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri

1/4 pound bacon, chopped

1/2 cup minced red onion

3 tablespoons fresh uncooked chorizo, out of casing

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds ground chuck, 80/20 mix

1/2 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced, about 8 slices

4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted

In a medium pan over medium to high heat, add bacon and onions, cook until the bacon is rendered but not crisp. Add the chorizo and cook until done. Remove the bacon mixture to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.

Divide ground chuck into 8 equal parts. Form into a loose ball, and create 4-inch patties. Layer 1 piece of cheese onto the center of 1 patty. Top with 1/4 bacon mixture, another slice of cheese, then add another patty on top and gently seal edges and form into a patty, about 4 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches high. Repeat with the remaining patties to make a total of 4 large patties.

Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Place all 4 patties in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on 1 side, then gently turn over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and pop it in a 250 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, place onto rolls and serve with Worcestershire Tomato Ketchup.

Chicken-Green Chili Straws with Jalapeno-Honey Dip

I know I've blogged about these Chicken-Green Chili Straws with Jalapeno-Hone Dip before but since I've made them twice in the past couple of weeks, I just had to rave about them again.

Despite seeming like these Chicken-Green Chili Straws would require a lot of prep time, I had these rolled and in the oven in less than 15 minutes. I used already cooked chicken but those pre-cooked fajita strips would be perfect in this too. I mixed the Jalapeno-Honey Dip before I started and by the time the Chicken-Green Chili Straws came out of the oven the flavors had melded into a delicious mix of sweet and spicy. We loved the heat added by the jalapeno peppers and they cut the sweetness of the honey, but feel free to adjust to your tastes. I've also made these using ground beef flavored with taco seasonings and the are quite tasye too.


Chicken-Green Chili Straws with Jalapeno-Honey Dip
Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken thigh meat, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (recommended: Kraft or Sargento)
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 package egg roll wrappers
1 cup honey
3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, cheese, green chiles, cilantro, and cumin. Mix well to combine.

Arrange egg roll wrappers on a flat surface. Place a small amount of filling in the lower third (towards 1 corner) of each wrapper. Fold over the bottom corner of the wrapper, tightly roll up 1 turn and then fold in the sides. Dip your finger in water and run it along the corner and edge. Tightly roll up the rest of the way, sealing the edges and seam shut. Place "straws" on prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine honey, pickled jalapenos and vinegar. Mix well and serve alongside straws.

The Lady and Sons Lasagna

I never thought of myself as a fan of Paul Deen. I almost never watch her show and I'm not really sure why I don't. After trying this recipe for The Lady and Sons Lasagna, I'll definitely be trying more of her recipes (and trying to get a reservation at her restaurant next time we go to Savannah!)

I did change up the recipe a tiny bit. Since I'm not a big fan of ground beef, I used half Italian sausage and half ground beef and loved the way it turned out. Even my niece who doesn't like lasagna loved this recipe. Though it's a little time consuming to make, and what lasagna isn't, this one is definitely worth it.


The Lady and Sons Lasagna
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 cups canned, diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup green bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley leaves
11/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
11/2 teaspoons The Lady's House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
6 to 9 Long strips lasagna noodles
12 ounces cottage cheese, mixed with 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup Parmesan
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
2 cups cheddar, grated
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup mozzarella, grated

To make the sauce, in a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains, then drain off the fat. Add the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions (if sauce is too thin, for your taste, you can thicken it up at this time by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and a 1/4 of a cup of cold water. Bring sauce back to a boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly). Remove bay leaves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To assemble lasagna, place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch pan. Layer 1/3 of each, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, Gruyere, Swiss and cheddar cheeses. Pinch off small pieces of cream cheese and dot over other cheeses. Add another layer of sauce. Repeat layering 2 to 3 times ending with sauce. This may be covered and refrigerated at this point. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Note: If lasagna has been refrigerated, bake for 40 minutes total.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Yukon Gold Potato Gratin

There may not have been much blogging going on lately but I have been doing some cooking. Here's a delicious side dish that is different than the average gratin. I found the recipe for Potato-Poblano Gratin over at FOODIE! Roasted poblano peppers give the dish a special twist and it was a perfect side with steak but it would also be wonderful with chicken or pork.

Bobby's Yukon Gold Potato Gratin
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
6 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves plus extra for garnish
1 cup chicken stock (if canned, low sodium)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup queso anejo cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch square pan and sprinkle garlic over bottom of pan.

Arrange 1/4 of the potatoes in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then 1/3 of chiles and 1/3 of cilantro. Repeat layer of potatoes, chiles and cilantro 2 more times, seasoning potatoes with salt and pepper. Top with potatoes. Pour broth over, then cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover pan with foil. Bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle cheeses over potatoes. Bake until liquid thickens, about 15 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Barefoot Bloggers: Grown Up Mac and Cheese

I have to say that I don't watch Ina Garten on TV. I don't know why. It's not that I don't like her show or her food. Her show just must not be on when I usually watch TV, I guess, so I wasn't really familiar with her food. Lately I'd been noticing more of the Barefoot Bloggers posts. You know, the group that picks a couple of Ina's recipes to blog about each month. Well I started to notice that a lot of the recipes I was bookmarking happened to be Barefoot Bloggers posts. So I decided to jump in and join them and this was a great recipe to start with. Nothing too intimidating about mac and cheese. (Well, there is the blue cheese aspect ...) So I sent off an email asking to join the group and optimistically headed off to the grocery store to gather the ingredients I needed to make Ina Garten's Grown Up Mac and Cheese.

I was a little leery of her combination of Gruyere, cheddar and blue cheese. We really aren't big blue cheese fans around here but I figured "in for a penny, in for a pound!" and bought all three.Unfortunately, dh was home for lunch that day and in my excitement, I had the great idea to fix BLT's using some of those great home-grown tomatoes. They were delicious, btw. So much so we ate all the bacon without giving it a second thought. So my Grown Up Mac and Cheese ended up bacon-less. It was still pretty tasty though.

The blue cheese was much less noticeable than I'd feared and while dh wasn't that impressed upon the first bite, (he's not a big fan of change), he did clean his plate and say that it really was better tasting than he'd originally thought. For myself, while I doubt that I'll make this exact recipe as written again, I did have two helpings. ;-) Though it wasn't overpowering, next time I think I'd leave out the blue cheese. I'm just not a blue cheese fan, I guess. I think it would be awesome without it. (I can just imagine how awesome it would be with bacon. Yum! Note to self: Next time DO NOT eat all of the bacon beforehand!)

My main disappointment was in the breadcrumb topping. Normally I hate it when people use breadcrumb topping because they almost always use those dry, tasteless, pre-packaged bread crumbs. Blech! These were made from fresh bread (but white bread? Really? Wouldn't a nice wheat work too?) The taste and texture were perfect (even with the white bread. LOL!) and they browned to a beautiful color and consistency. But by adding the fresh basil and baking it for 40 minutes, the fresh basil turned an unappealing black color. I picked up a bottle of freeze-dried basil at the store the other day. I wonder if that might hold up a bit better in the oven? I may try that sometime.

All in all, it was an easy recipe and pretty tasty too. I made a second batch, using only cheddar cheese for the girls and they are still raving about it. That's really saying something since their favorite mac and cheese usually comes in a blue box. Thanks to Heather of Randomosity and the Girl for picking this weeks recipe. You can find the original recipe here. And you can check out the Barefoot Bloggers Blogroll to find out what everyone else thought about this grown up version of an old favorite recipe.


Grown Up Mac and Cheese
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

McCallister Potatoes

If you're looking for something a little more involved than the potatoes I made last week, these McAllister Potatoes may be just the thing. This dish takes The Pioneer Woman Cooks' Crash Hot Potatoes to a whole new level. You boil and flatten the potatoes as you did before, but then you take it one step further and top them with bacon, sour cream, onions and peppadew peppers and top them with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

McAllister Potatoes
Recipe Courtesy of Guy Fieri

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup peppadew peppers, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
3 pounds baby Yukon potatoes
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
3/4 pound bacon, diced
2 yellow onions, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Parmesan

In small mixing bowl combine sour cream, peppadew peppers, and white wine. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In large stock pot add potatoes, cover with water and add salt. Set heat on high and boil until fork tender.

In a large saute pan over medium heat cook bacon and saute onions until caramelized. Remove bacon and onions from pan on to a paper towel to absorb grease, keep warm on platter, and leave remaining fat in pan.

When potatoes are fork tender, drain, and with a clean kitchen towel, palm smash the hot potatoes to approximately 1/3-inch thick.

Reheat fat in saute pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat to oil medium heat and place potatoes in oil. Season with salt and pepper and brown on both sides, then transfer to onion and bacon platter. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked crispy.

Top potatoes with Parmesan and then with sour cream mixture.

Fish Tacos with Quick Slaw, Avocado Sauce and Green Rice

I caught the recipe for Fish Tacos with Quick Slaw, Avocado Sauce and Green Rice on The Rachael Ray Show as I was headed to the grocery the other day. I had planned something else for dinner but fish tacos sounded good so I picked up the ingredients I needed and made them for dinner. We'd had fish tacos before and even dh, the fish-phobic, enjoyed them.

The finished fish looked great. Nicely colored and perfectly flaky. The slaw provided some texture and contrast. The color of the avocado sauce blended perfectly with the side of green rice.

To sum up the meal in one word ... Blech!

The rice was easy to make but totally lacking in flavor. Despite adding 1/2 cup of cilantro I couldn't really taste it. The spinach added plenty of color but little in the way of flavor. I used two jalapenos and even that didn't add much zing.

The tacos were also pretty flavorless and we didn't care for the slaw at all. For all the chopping, slicing and dicing, this one is one we definitely felt wasn't worth the effort. I took two bites of the rice and couldn't stomach any more. Dh took one. Dh did finish one taco but after two bites, I was done.

If you want to try the recipe, you can find it here. But if you are in the mood for seafood with southwestern flair, these crab quesadillas from Kevin at Closet Cooking are much tastier (and a lot less complicated to prepare.) If you prefer shrimp, Kevin also has a great recipe for Shrimp Quesadillas.

Greek Night: The Rachael Ray Way

We had a Greek-themed dinner last night. We started out with Eggplant Roll-Ups, a Rachael Ray recipe from her 30 Minute Meals TV show. They were pretty good: grilled eggplant slices rolled around creamy garlicky cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes. I made it using a Slow Roasted Tomato recipe I found over at Smitten Kitchen. Mmmmm! Rachael Ray seems to add grill seasoning to almost everything but this was one recipe where I didn't care for it. Maybe I used to much but it seemed to overpower the other flavors of the dish. Next time I'll just use salt and pepper.

I also made the other recipe from the show: Spanikopita Chicken Meatballs with SpicyCucumber and Yogurt Sauce. I really thought I'd like it. I love pretty much every single ingredient. But somehow, I just didn't care for it. The meatballs were just sort of bland and the dip was lackluster as well. Very disappointing. I like the idea of this though and I think I'll play around with the recipe a bit and see what I can do.


Lulu over at Mama's Taverna definitely provided the star of the show: Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Myzithra Cheese. Unfortunately out here in the middle of nowhere, Parmesan was as close as I could come to Myzithra, but the dish was a hit anyway. The kids were originally a bit frightened of the whole peppercorns they saw in the sauce and convinced it had to be a bug but after being reassured it was only pepper, they dived right in. Dh requested that I make it again (but next time maybe I could add some meat? ...) Check out Lulu's recipe here.

Eggplant Roll-Ups
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 large, firm eggplant
Salt and pepper
Grill seasoning blend (recommended: McCormick Montreal Seasoning)
1 cup semi-soft garlic and herb cheese (recommended: Alouette or Boursin)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano, a couple of handfuls
A few grinds black pepper
6 to 8 soft sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (tender sun-dried tomatoes are available in small pouches in produce department)
2 cups arugula leaves, chopped
1 cup basil leaves, chopped

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Thinly slice the eggplant, a minimum of 18 slices. Season with salt, pepper and grill seasoning blend. Grill the thin slices to tenderize the eggplant, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Combine the cheeses, black pepper and sun-dried tomatoes. Top each slice of cooked eggplant with a dab of cheese and some arugula and basil then roll up. The eggplant roll ups should have a few greens sticking out of both ends.


Spanikopita Chicken Meatballs with Spicy Cucumber andYogurt Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for liberal drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted.
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 pound ground chicken
1 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: McCormick Montreal Seasoning)
1 1/2 cups Greek style plain yogurt
1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh dill
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons, 1/2 a palm full, cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons, 1/2 a palm full, coriander
Salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl combine onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Squeeze the water out of the spinach until completely dry. Separate the spinach as you add it to garlic and onion. Add feta, chicken and grill seasoning to the bowl and a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix the meat with veggies and feta and form 18 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs. Place the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden and juices run clear.

Place yogurt, garlic, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, cumin, coriander and a little salt in food processor and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve meatballs alongside sauce with toothpicks.

Hummus Pizza

I've found my new favorite quick lunch! I dvr'ed an episode of 30 Minute Meals where Rachael Ray whipped up a couple of Greek-themed dishes in the alotted thirty minutes. All three dishes seemed to have a little potential but the Hummus Pit-zas were the quickest to throw together. As I was at a loss for what to fix for lunch, I thought I'd take a chance on this one. I mean, I like hummus. I like Pita bread. And I'm currently infatuated with Feta. What's not to like? (And how is it that I only just discovered Feta? How have I lived without it this long!)

This is definitely one of those recipes where simple ingredients combine to form something greater than the sum of it's parts. And it's definitely one of those recipes I will be fixing over and over again now that the kids have gone back to school. Yum-o!


Hummus Pit-zas
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

6 (6-inch) pitas
1/2 pint container store bought plain hummus
1/2 cup prepared olive tapenade
3 cups shredded provolone or mozzarella or a combination of the 2
6 anchovies, chopped, optional
3 whole roasted red peppers, drained, chopped
1 can artichoke hearts in water, 6 hearts, drained well and chopped
1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini, chopped, optional
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the pitas on baking sheets or sheets. In a bowl combine the hummus and the olive tapanade. Spread the hummus on pitas and top with cheese, like pizza. Combine the chopped anchovies, peppers, artichokes, and pepperoncini. Cover the pizzas with the chopped mixture. Bake 10 to 12 minutes to melt cheese and crisp the pitas. Cut pizzas into wedges and garnish with parsley.

Salsa Rice with Black Beans

This tasty side dish was a great accompaniment to the Grilled Chicken with Jalapeno Caramelized Onions we had for dinner last night. I have to admit that now I've made more Robin Miller recipes that we liked than those we haven't. I guess I didn't choose well at first. Lately they've all been winners! This one is quick and easy to make from pantry staples. It's a flavorful dish but not too spicy, depending on what type of salsa you use. Even dd liked it (after getting past the idea of actually eating a bean!)

Salsa Rice with Black Beans and Corn
Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller

1 cup rice, regular or instant
1/2 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium sauce pot, cook rice according to package instructions. When the rice is half way cooked, add black beans, salsa, and cook about 10 minutes for regular rice and 3 minutes for instant rice .Continue cooking rice. Remove the pot, using a spoon, stir in chopped cilantro and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Grilled Chicken with Jalapeno Caramelized Onions

While spending a lazy afternoon watching The Food Network with dd, we discovered another Robin Miller recipe that sounded delicious: Grilled Chicken with Jalapeno Caramelized Onions. Given that we all love the flavors of Mexican food, this one seemed promising and we weren't disappointed. Quick to make and very convenient since I could serve the onion-jalapeno mixture on the adults plates, while leaving the younger kid's plates plain. I used McCormick's Montreal Chicken Seasoning to flavor the chicken and ds raved about it. As with all of Robin's recipes, the chicken will morph into another meal later in the weak. We'll see if the Chicken Sandwiches with Brie, Shaved Granny Smith Apple and Dijon-Balsamic Reduction on Toasted Challah will taste as good as it sounds!



Grilled Chicken with Jalapeno Caramelized Onions
Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller

Cooking spray
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salt-free roasted garlic seasoning (recommended: McCormick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat a stove-top grill pan or griddle to medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Remove chicken from package and place on a plastic cutting board. Season both sides of chicken with salt, black pepper and garlic seasoning. Using tongs add chicken to hot pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat with oil. Add onion, jalapeno and sugar and cook 5 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally with a spoon, until golden brown. Add 3/4 cup of the chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Pour remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth into a bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until it is completely dissolved and add to the pan. Bring onion mixture to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens. Using tongs, discard the bay leaves and remove the pan from heat.

Serve the chicken breast halves with all of the onion sauce spooned over top and all of the rice on the side.

Crispy Bacon and Corn Quesadillas with Avocado-Cherry Tomato Relish

Sometimes something that initially doesn't sound like it's going to be good, turns out to be absolutely delicious. Chef Bobby Flay's Crispy Bacon and Corn Quesadillas with Avocado-Cherry Tomato Relish is one of those recipes. I mean, I like bacon as well as the next person, but on a tortilla? With corn? I was a little iffy about it but after reading Alysha's glowing review of the recipe over at The Savory Notebook, I decided to try it. I mean, bacon on the grill? Who wouldn't be curious about that?


Dh was game to try so we loaded the bacon onto a well oiled grill ... and the inevitable happened.

Needless to say, our first foray into grilling bacon is most likely going to be our last. By the time we could get the bacon off the grill, it was pretty much charcoal (though the dogs did appreciate it!) Fortunately, given my bad bacon history, I picked up some extra bacon while I was at the store and once again, Jill from Simple Daily Recipes came to our rescue with her incredibly simple recipe for Oven Fried Bacon. I slapped a couple of cookie sheet's worth of bacon into the oven and in 20 minutes were were back in business.


While the bacon was a dismal failure, the corn on the grill turned out really well and added just the right amount of smoky, charred sweetness to the quesadillas.

Aside from having to re-make the bacon, this recipe goes together pretty quickly. And to be honest, I don't know that grilled bacon would really add anything to the recipe. It was terrific with regular bacon and a lot less of a hassle. The Avocado-Cherry Tomato Relish was yummy as well. Definitely a keeper!


Crispy Bacon and Corn Quesadillas with Avocado-Cherry Tomato Relish
Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill

Relish:
2 ripe Haas avocados -- halved, pitted,
peeled and diced
4 ounces tiny cherry or grape tomatoes -- halved
1/2 red onion -- thinly sliced (I
used chives)
2 jalapeno chiles -- seeded and minced
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quesadillas:
16 thick slices bacon
3 ears corn -- husked
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 tortillas -- (6-inch)
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup grated white Cheddar cheese
2 scallions -- thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
Cilantro leaves

Combine relish ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. The relish can be made a couple of hours in advance, covered and kept refridgerated. Bring to cool room temperature before serving.

Heat your grill to medium.

Grill the bacon, laying it across the grate of the grill, for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy but not blackened. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels (leave grill on), let cool slightly, and crumble.

Brush the corn all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the corn on all sides until lightly charred, about 8 minutes total. Remove from the grill and set aside (leave the grill on). To remove the kernels, stand the corn on end in a large bowl and cut downward with a small, sharp knife.

Place 8 of the tortillas on a flat work surface. Divide the cheeses, scallions, crumbled bacon, and charred corn among the tortillas and season with salt and pepper.

Make 4 quesadillas by stacking the filled tortillas by twos, then placing one of the remaining plain tortillas on top. Press lightly to help the quesadilla hold together. Brush the tops of the quesadillas with oil and sprinkle with the ancho powder. Carefully place them oiled side down on the grill and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the quesadillas over with a large spatula, close the grill hood, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.

Remove the quesadillas from the grill, cut into quarters, and top each quarter with a dollop of the avocado relish. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Pizza Night: Buffalo Chicken Pizza

If it isn't one thing, then it's another. Now I finally have my internet connection back ... (have I mentioned lately how much I hate WildBlue?) ... and now apparently I have carpal tunnel syndrome. I'm in a brace at the moment and hopefully surgery won't be required but unfortunately, at least for awhile, my computer time will be limited. I'll still be cooking though! And experimenting with my new camera. Woohoo!

Pizza night again and I was looking for something other than the same old-same old and I found it. Another Rachael Ray winner: Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Using pre-made pizza dough makes this recipe a snap to put together.

One warning: be sure that you like the flavor of your hot sauce. While a few drops may add some zing to a dish, 3 tablespoons adds a lot of heat *and* a lot of the flavor of the hot sauce. Next time I'd definitely use Cholula. This time I was out od Cholula and used Desert Creatures Scorpion Sting, which I like a lot in smaller doses. The pizza was still great but it would be even better with the flavor of Cholula though.

Add some celery sticks, a little blue cheese dressing and you have a great -- and not too messy -- meal!

Since this pizza was *way* too spicy for the kids, ds created his own pepperoni pizza for his sisters. It was great, and thoughtful brother that he is, he even left of couple of pepperoni-free slices for his youngest sister.


Wingless Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

3/4 pound chicken breast cutlets
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 teaspoons grill seasoning, (recommended: McCormick Montreal Seasoning) eyeball it
1 pizza dough, store bought or from your favorite pizzeria
Cornmeal or flour, to handle dough
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to spicy heat
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, a few generous handfuls
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat grill pan to high.

Place chicken on a plate and drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken then season with grill seasoning. When grill is hot, add chicken and cook about 3 minutes on each side.

Stretch dough to form pizza using cornmeal or flour to help you handle it. If you let it rest and warm up a few minutes it will handle even easier. Set pizza on pizza pan to the side and clean board.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter and stir in Worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomato sauce.

Remove the chicken from grill and thinly slice it. Add chicken to sauce and coat. Cover the pizza dough with the saucy Buffalo chicken, cheeses, and scallions. Bake 18 minutes or until crisp.

BBQ Chicken Sloppy Joe's

The girls are officially signed up for their one mile race on the Fourth of July. Dh and I were already signed up so it will be quite the family affair. They both had fun at their group run tonight and can't wait for the big race. They both brought home trophy's last year so they are out to defend their honor. Look out girls!

Since we had running tonight, speed was of the essence so Rachael Ray came through for us again. Before we left I caught the last few minutes of The Rachael Ray Show. Today's recipe was BBQ Chicken Sloppy Joe's. A quick stop at the store for some buns and waffle fries and we were set. Less than 30 minutes in the door we were sitting down to to a tasty dinner.


BBQ Chicken Sloppy Joe's with Cheesy Waffle Fries
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

• 1 20-ounce bag frozen waffle fries
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 1/4 pounds ground chicken
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick Montreal Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 14-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 crusty rolls, split, toasted and lightly buttered
• 3 to 4 dill pickles, chopped

Preheat oven for the waffle fries according to package directions. Arrange them on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook until nice and golden brown on both sides.

While the fries are cooking, heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO and ground chicken. Using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, break the meat up into bite-size pieces so it browns evenly. When the meat has browned, add onion and pepper.

While the chicken and veggies are cooking, make the BBQ sauce: In a bowl, combine brown sugar, vinegar, grill seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and hot sauce. Stir to combine.

When the vegetables become tender, add the BBQ sauce to the skillet, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

While the Sloppy Joe filling is simmering, melt the butter in a medium-size saucepot. Add flour, cook 1-2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in the chicken stock and mustard. When the stock comes to a bubble and starts to thicken, stir in the cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and reserve for fries.

Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile the filling onto the toasted and buttered bun bottoms, and top with pickles. Cover the Sloppy Joe's with the bun tops and serve with a handful of waffle fries topped with lots of cheese sauce alongside.

Broccoli Soup

About time to try another recipe from Food Network's Down Home with the Neely's. Since I'm trying to eat more fresh veggies, their Broccoli Soup fit the bill. I had plenty of broccoli and carrots in the crisper that needed to be used soon. Since the broccoli was already chopped, the soup went together quickly. Keeping pre-chopped onion in the fridge makes it even quicker. Less than 30 minutes and you have a tasty -- and healthy -- bowl of soup. I cheated a bit. I added some shredded cheddar that I had in the fridge. Yum!

Not what I'd normally think of on a 90 degree day but it hit the spot nonetheless. :-)


Broccoli Soup
Recipe courtesy The Neely's

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cream

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.

Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot.

Chicken-Green Chili Straws

I guess I need to re-think my position on Robin Miller and her recipes. I love, love, love the idea of her show. If you have to cook, make it do double duty and make multiple meals out of it. Unfortunately, the first few recipes I tried were not particularly tasty. I'm glad I perservered though. This one makes the rest all worthwhile! The Chicken-Green Chili Straws with Jalapeno-Honey Dip was excellent. So good that ds's girlfriend even jumped in the fray to fight over who got the last one! (She won and she also took the recipe home to give to her mom.)

They are simple to make. I used the leftover chicken from the Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs from the other night. Since we were not impressed with that dish at all, I think next time I'll make chicken specifically to make these Chicken-Green Chili Straws. Probably using chicken breasts since I won't be using the crockpot. I'd also kick up the spice level a notch since without the yummy Jalapeno-Honey Dip they were pretty bland. The Jalapeno-Honey Dip was wonderful. I worried that the recipe was wrong when it called for 3 tablespoons of jalapeno since my dip didn't look like hers did on the show. I was afraid it might be too much but it was perfect. We will definitely be repeating this one soon!


Chicken-Green Chili Straws with Jalapeno-Honey Dip
Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken thigh meat, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (recommended: Kraft or Sargento)
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 package egg roll wrappers
1 cup honey
3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos
1 tablespoon cider vinegar


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, cheese, green chiles, cilantro, and cumin. Mix well to combine. Arrange egg roll wrappers on a flat surface. Place a small amount of filling in the lower third (towards 1 corner) of each wrapper. Fold over the bottom corner of the wrapper, tightly roll up 1 turn and then fold in the sides. Dip your finger in water and run it along the corner and edge. Tightly roll up the rest of the way, sealing the edges and seam shut. Place "straws" on prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine honey, pickled jalapenos and vinegar. Mix well and serve alongside straws.

Broccoli with Cheddar Sauce

I'm usually in a hurry at dinner time and out of habit I always grab frozen broccoli. After reading this recipe for Broccoli with Cheddar Sauce in the current issue of Cooking Light Magazine, I realized that fresh broccoli could be almost as quick. Luckily I had picked up a bunch of fresh broccoli on my excursion to Aldi's this week. Unfortunately I left the broccoli steaming a bit too long and lost some of the bright green color but it still tasted delicious. The sauce was quick and easy to make. Since I am the only one who will eat broccoli around here, I saved half of the sauce and used it to make a quick mac and cheese.


Broccoli with Cheddar Sauce
Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, May 2008

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme object
2 1/2 pounds broccoli florets (about 9 cups)

1. Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and thickened, stirring constantly. Cook 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Keep warm.

2. Add water to a large saucepan to a depth of 1 inch; set a large vegetable steamer in pan. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli to steamer. Steam broccoli, covered, 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve broccoli immediately with sauce.