Month: December 2010

Ingredients
Quick Chicken with Gouda Gravy
* 4 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
* Salt
* 1 head broccoli—cut into 1-inch florets, stalks peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
* 2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
* Pepper
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 cup milk or half-and-half
* 1 cup shredded gouda cheese

Preparation

In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil, salt the water and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 8 minutes. Drain and return the vegetables to the saucepan.

While the vegetables are cooking, season the chicken with the thyme and salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes on each side.

In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk and cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the cheese in a figure-eight motion until melted, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk to the broccoli and potatoes and mash together; season with salt and pepper.

Cut the chicken on an angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place on plates. Top with the gouda gravy. Serve with the brocco-tatoes.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

*
Cook Time:

30 min
*
Level:

Easy
*
Yield:

6 servings

Close
Times:

Prep
15 min
Inactive Prep
1 hr 10 min
Cook
30 min
Total:
1 hr 55 min

* 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves, plus 4 sprigs rosemary, with hard woody stems
* 5 large garlic cloves, 2 cloves minced, 3 cloves smashed
* 2 pork tenderloins, about 1-pound each
* 4 slices maple bacon

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, fresh ground black pepper, chopped rosemary, and minced garlic and mix well. Rub the mustard mixture over the surface of the tenderloins and wrap in plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic in the center of a roasting pan. Remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloins and top each with 2 slices of maple bacon. Tie with kitchen twine to secure bacon strips.

Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer, inserted in the tenderloins, registers 160 degrees F. Remove from oven when desired doneness is reached and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove kitchen twine, slice and serve with your favorite sides. Garnish with the rosemary sprigs and garlic. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dried Cherries

* 4 Servings
*
* Prep 10 min
*
* Cook 20 min

Ingredients:

* One 10-ounce box couscous
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
* Salt
* 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small onion, thinly sliced
* 2 ribs celery, sliced, plus chopped leaves for garnish
* 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
* 1/3 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

1.

Prepare the couscous according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the flour, curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
2.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sliced celery and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the cherries and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in the evaporated milk and chicken along with any juices; season with salt. Serve over the couscous and top with the celery leaves.

Chicken Potpie Casserole

* 4 Servings
*
* Prep 25 min
*
* Bake 15 min

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 1 large carrot, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* Salt and pepper
* One 8-ounce container sliced mushrooms
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 3/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, meat torn into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for sprinkling
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
* Six to eight 1/2-inch-thick slices Italian bread

Directions:

1.

Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°.
2.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top; stir for 1 minute. Stir in the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, parsley and parmesan; season with salt and pepper.
3.

Transfer the chicken mixture to an 8-inch-by-10-inch baking dish. Trim the bread slices to fit on top of the chicken mixture in an even layer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle parsley and the remaining parmesan on top. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes.

Corn Casserole

Ingredients

* 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
* 1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
* 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Chocolate Pots De Creme with Cherry Whip

Ingredients

* 4 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
* 2 cups heavy cream, divided
* 1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
* 2 large egg yolks
* 1/4 cup cherry jam or preserves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a kettle of water to a boil over medium heat.

Put the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Heat 1 1/2 cups of the cream and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk just until and sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Put the yolks in a small bowl; while whisking, add a small amount of the warm chocolate mixture to temper the yolks. Whisk the yolk mixture into the chocolate until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a liquid measuring cup for easy pouring.

Put 4 (6-ounce) ramekins into a high-sided baking dish. Evenly fill the ramekins with the chocolate mixture. Carefully fill the pan with the hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until custards are set but still jiggle slightly in the center, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully transfer the custards to a rack and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the custards at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.

When ready to serve, whisk the cherry jam in a small bowl until loosened and thin. In another bowl with a clean whisk, whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and 1 teaspoon sugar until firm peaks form; gently fold the whipped cream into the cherry jam until just combined and streaky. Serve the pots de creme chilled, topped with a dollop of cherry whipped cream.
Chocolate Pots De Creme with Cherry Whip

Huggy Buggy Bread Pudding

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons melted butter
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk (not low-fat)
* 3 cups whole milk
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* Pinch salt
* 1 baguette, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 7 cups)
* 6 dried figs, soaked in hot water for at least 15 minutes, thinly sliced*
* Handful roasted unsalted cashew nuts, whole or chopped
* Vanilla ice cream, for serving
*
* Special equipment: 9 by 13-inch baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the melted butter into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and use a pastry brush to make sure the dish is well coated.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together, then add the coconut milk, the whole milk, the spices and a pinch of salt. Add bread and figs and toss. Let soak for 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the prepped baking dish and sprinkle with the cashews. Bake until the pudding pulls away from the sides of the dish, about 35 minutes.

Remove the pudding from the oven and serve with ice cream
Notes

*I used black mission figs but any fig is good.

Bombay Sloppy Joes

Ingredients
For the Sauce:

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced
* 1 teaspoon garam masala
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
*

For the Sloppy Joes:

* 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
* Small handful (about 1/4 cup) raisins
* Small handful (about 1/4 cup) shelled pistachios
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1 large white onion, finely diced
* 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
* 1 serrano chile pepper (don’t chop it unless you like things spicy!)
* Kosher salt
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 1/2 teaspoon honey
* 1/4 cup half-and-half
* Small handful fresh cilantro (soft stems included)
* 4 sesame buns

Directions

Make the sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chile pepper and cook until the ginger and garlic brown a little, about 1 minute. Add the garam masala and paprika and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce and 1 cup water, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sloppy joes: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the raisins and pistachios and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the cumin seeds and let sizzle about 10 seconds, then add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chile pepper and cook 2 more minutes, seasoning with salt. Add the turkey, breaking up the big lumps, and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Add the prepared sauce to the turkey-and-onion mixture in the skillet. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

Remove the whole chile pepper (unless you want to eat it, like my dad does!) and stir in the honey, half-and-half, raisins and pistachios. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the cilantro right before serving.

Toast the buns and fill with the sloppy joe mixture. Eat with your hands!