A fun family meal that’s a whole lot better than takeout – that’s what you get with Oven-Barbecued Asian Chicken (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine.
It’s the kind of dish I’d serve on a cozy, casual Friday or Saturday night, eaten before (or during!) settling down to watch a movie.
After the chicken was baked, we set the baking dish aside, covered it with aluminum foil and a towel to keep it warm, and baked some frozen store-bought fries to go with the chicken. The combination of the delicious, sticky chicken with the crisp fries was perfect.
The chicken is easy to make, although it takes about an hour to cook – valuable time to clean up the dishes that have already been used.
The recipe calls for four bone-in chicken thighs and four drumsticks. Truth be told, my husband and I preferred the juiciness of the drumsticks, and I so I recommend using only drumsticks. Besides, that makes them more fun to pick up and eat.
The greens of scallions (also known as green onions or spring onions) are thinly sliced, and the whites of the scallions are minced.
The scallion whites, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, minced fresh ginger, minced garlic, Chinese five-spice powder and Asian hot sauce, such as sriracha, are mixed together in a large bowl (we used ½ tsp of sriracha, instead of the full teaspoon listed in the recipe).
The chicken pieces are added to the mixture and tossed to coat, then the chicken is arranged in an even layer in a glass 9”x 13” baking dish (I used a baking dish made of glass).
The chicken is baked, being turned once halfway, for about an hour. It’s then transferred to a serving platter and sprinkled with scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds before being served.
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Showing posts with label Eating Well. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eating Well. Show all posts
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Spaghetti squash provides
entertainment while cooking
One of the most fun foods to prepare for a dish is a spaghetti squash.
It’s kind of miraculous the way the insides of a cooked spaghetti squash scrape out in thin strands which look just like the pasta for which it is named.
The words “that is so cool,” will likely come out of your mouth, as they did from mine, as you scrape out the squash insides in preparation for Spaghetti Squash & Pork Stir-Fry (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine.
Cutting the raw squash isn’t fun, however. It’s rather tough. The best way my husband and I have found to cut open spaghetti and butternut squash is to use a meat cleaver, and hack away at one line until a break can be made through the shell into the flesh. Extreme caution must be used this method, of course!
This stir-fry dish is satisfying and delicious. The squash strands and pieces of pork are a nice combination. If you don’t tell people what the strands are, people may just think they are some type of Asian noodle!
The recipe calls for a three-pound squash, but if you can't find one that size and you need to buy one that’s bigger, no problem. I had one that was six pounds, and so I cut it in half, then one of the halves in half again. These are the two halves I placed cut-side down on a baking sheet before putting them in the oven.
The recipe is easy to make, though the squash does need to bake for one hour.
A spaghetti squash is cut in half, and the seeds scooped out and discarded. The halves are placed, cut side down, on a baking sheet, and baked until tender, about one hour, then left to cool for 10 minutes. The flesh is scraped out with a fork into a bowl (the fun part), and the shell is discarded.
A pork tenderloin is cut into thin rounds, and each round into matchsticks.
A large wok (or frying pan or skillet) is heated, then sesame oil, scallions (green onions or spring onions), garlic, fresh ginger, salt, pork and squash threads are added and cooked. Soy sauce, rice vinegar and Asian red chile sauce (we used sriracha, but half the amount – ½ teaspoon instead of one teaspoon) are added and the whole mixture is cooked until it’s aromatic.
It’s kind of miraculous the way the insides of a cooked spaghetti squash scrape out in thin strands which look just like the pasta for which it is named.
The words “that is so cool,” will likely come out of your mouth, as they did from mine, as you scrape out the squash insides in preparation for Spaghetti Squash & Pork Stir-Fry (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine.
Cutting the raw squash isn’t fun, however. It’s rather tough. The best way my husband and I have found to cut open spaghetti and butternut squash is to use a meat cleaver, and hack away at one line until a break can be made through the shell into the flesh. Extreme caution must be used this method, of course!
This stir-fry dish is satisfying and delicious. The squash strands and pieces of pork are a nice combination. If you don’t tell people what the strands are, people may just think they are some type of Asian noodle!
The recipe calls for a three-pound squash, but if you can't find one that size and you need to buy one that’s bigger, no problem. I had one that was six pounds, and so I cut it in half, then one of the halves in half again. These are the two halves I placed cut-side down on a baking sheet before putting them in the oven.
The recipe is easy to make, though the squash does need to bake for one hour.
A spaghetti squash is cut in half, and the seeds scooped out and discarded. The halves are placed, cut side down, on a baking sheet, and baked until tender, about one hour, then left to cool for 10 minutes. The flesh is scraped out with a fork into a bowl (the fun part), and the shell is discarded.
A pork tenderloin is cut into thin rounds, and each round into matchsticks.
A large wok (or frying pan or skillet) is heated, then sesame oil, scallions (green onions or spring onions), garlic, fresh ginger, salt, pork and squash threads are added and cooked. Soy sauce, rice vinegar and Asian red chile sauce (we used sriracha, but half the amount – ½ teaspoon instead of one teaspoon) are added and the whole mixture is cooked until it’s aromatic.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Maple Pecan Tart with Dried Cherries
says a grand goodbye to fall
Now that the snow has fallen here in Saskatchewan, I’ll be turning my attention to winter food and desserts (think holiday-style cookies and cakes).
But to send off fall with one last hurrah, I made Maple Pecan Tart with Dried Cherries (click for the recipe) last weekend.
It’s a really terrific dessert – delicious and elegant, yet easy to make.
The dried cherries are a highlight that adds a little extra somethin’-somethin’ to the already-lovely combination of a pecan crust filled with maple syrup and brown sugar and topped with more pecans.
Be sure to serve the pieces of the tart at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Egg yolk, melted butter, canola oil and water are combined. Pecans and sugar, flour and salt are pulsed in a food processor to the consistency of coarse meal. The yolk mixture is drizzled through the feed tube, and the mixture is pulsed until just combined.
The mixture is spread in a nine-inch tart pan with a removable bottom that has been coated with cooking spray, and pushed all along the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. The pan is placed on a baking sheet, and the crust is baked for 12-14 minutes.
While the crust is baking, eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, dark rum (optional, but I recommend it), melted butter and salt are combined in a medium bowl, with ¼ cup of the mixture being transferred to a small bowl. A half-cup of pecans are chopped and added to the medium bowl, and cherries are stirred in. The remaining one cup of pecans is mixed into the reserved maple mixture.
The filling is spread evenly on the crust, and the maple-syrup coated pecans are arranged on the filling.
The tart is baked for 25-30 minutes, then let left to cool for 20 minutes before the pan sides are removed. Let cool completely.
But to send off fall with one last hurrah, I made Maple Pecan Tart with Dried Cherries (click for the recipe) last weekend.
It’s a really terrific dessert – delicious and elegant, yet easy to make.
The dried cherries are a highlight that adds a little extra somethin’-somethin’ to the already-lovely combination of a pecan crust filled with maple syrup and brown sugar and topped with more pecans.
Be sure to serve the pieces of the tart at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Egg yolk, melted butter, canola oil and water are combined. Pecans and sugar, flour and salt are pulsed in a food processor to the consistency of coarse meal. The yolk mixture is drizzled through the feed tube, and the mixture is pulsed until just combined.
The mixture is spread in a nine-inch tart pan with a removable bottom that has been coated with cooking spray, and pushed all along the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. The pan is placed on a baking sheet, and the crust is baked for 12-14 minutes.
While the crust is baking, eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, dark rum (optional, but I recommend it), melted butter and salt are combined in a medium bowl, with ¼ cup of the mixture being transferred to a small bowl. A half-cup of pecans are chopped and added to the medium bowl, and cherries are stirred in. The remaining one cup of pecans is mixed into the reserved maple mixture.
The filling is spread evenly on the crust, and the maple-syrup coated pecans are arranged on the filling.
The tart is baked for 25-30 minutes, then let left to cool for 20 minutes before the pan sides are removed. Let cool completely.
Monday, November 14, 2011
My first outing with quinoa
is a success with Pear-Quinoa Salad
Quinoa, a whole grain, has been getting a lot of attention these days thanks in part to a bestselling cookbook called Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood.
I turned my personal attention to it on the weekend by cooking quinoa for the very first time, and was happy that the recipe I made was a definite winner.
Pear-Quinoa Salad (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine is a fresh little number, perfect for eating alongside pork or chicken.
The flavor and texture of the salad is best if the salad is refrigerated before serving, so it’s great for preparing in advance or storing leftovers for lunches.
The toasted pecans or walnuts sprinkled on top are a must-have, adding to the naturally nutty flavor of the quinoa. I toasted chopped walnuts in a small skillet on medium heat for about three-and-a-half minutes.
Quinoa can be found in the rice section of supermarkets.
The salad was incredibly easy to make.
Store-bought chicken stock or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock) is brought to a boil. Quinoa is stirred in, and the heat reduced to a maintain a simmer (I set it at four). The pot is covered and the quinoa cooked until the liquid is absorbed (the recipe says this takes about 15 minutes but I found it took about 13.5 minutes.)
While the quinoa is cooking, walnut oil or canola oil; a fruity vinegar such as pear, raspberry or pomegranate; chives and salt and pepper are whisked together in a large bowl. Diced pears are added and tossed to coat with the dressing.
The cooked quinoa is added to the pear mixture and tossed to combine, and the bowl put in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving (but the can be refrigerated much longer than this.) Serve topped with the toasted nuts.
I turned my personal attention to it on the weekend by cooking quinoa for the very first time, and was happy that the recipe I made was a definite winner.
Pear-Quinoa Salad (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine is a fresh little number, perfect for eating alongside pork or chicken.
The flavor and texture of the salad is best if the salad is refrigerated before serving, so it’s great for preparing in advance or storing leftovers for lunches.
The toasted pecans or walnuts sprinkled on top are a must-have, adding to the naturally nutty flavor of the quinoa. I toasted chopped walnuts in a small skillet on medium heat for about three-and-a-half minutes.
Quinoa can be found in the rice section of supermarkets.
The salad was incredibly easy to make.
Store-bought chicken stock or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock) is brought to a boil. Quinoa is stirred in, and the heat reduced to a maintain a simmer (I set it at four). The pot is covered and the quinoa cooked until the liquid is absorbed (the recipe says this takes about 15 minutes but I found it took about 13.5 minutes.)
While the quinoa is cooking, walnut oil or canola oil; a fruity vinegar such as pear, raspberry or pomegranate; chives and salt and pepper are whisked together in a large bowl. Diced pears are added and tossed to coat with the dressing.
The cooked quinoa is added to the pear mixture and tossed to combine, and the bowl put in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving (but the can be refrigerated much longer than this.) Serve topped with the toasted nuts.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Skillet chicken dish will be the
apple of your plate's eye
Apples fairly scream autumn.
This time of year, I’m always attracted to a nice-looking recipe that features the starring fruit of fall (with pears running a very, very close second.)
Skillet Chicken with Cranberries & Apples (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine is a lovely dish that puts apples to terrific work. It also contains apple cider or juice to up the apple element of the dish.
The apple cider or juice creates a light sauce that nicely coats the chicken, soft apple pieces and cranberries.
The recipe says dried cranberries can be substituted for fresh if a less tart flavor is desired. I certainly didn’t want to have my mouth turned inside out by unsweetened cranberries, and so opted for Craisins sweetened dried cranberries instead, using just 1/3 cup (the recipe calls for a full cup of fresh or frozen berries).
The recipe calls for one pound of chicken tenders. Since we were unable to find this, my husband simply cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into pieces that were longer than they were wider.
The suggestion to serve the dish with wild rice is a good one. We used a boxed wild/white rice blend with seasonings.
The chicken is sprinkled with dried thyme, salt and pepper, then cooked in a skillet until browned. The chicken is removed and transferred to a plate.
Thinly-sliced crisp red apples, sliced red onion, some of the apple cider or juice, dried thyme and salt are combined in the skillet and cooked until the apples are softened.
Fresh, frozen or dried cranberries are added, and one tablespoon of flour is sprinkled over the contents of the pan. The chicken is returned to the pan, along with the rest of the apple cider or juice.
The mixture is covered and cooked until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
This time of year, I’m always attracted to a nice-looking recipe that features the starring fruit of fall (with pears running a very, very close second.)
Skillet Chicken with Cranberries & Apples (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine is a lovely dish that puts apples to terrific work. It also contains apple cider or juice to up the apple element of the dish.
The apple cider or juice creates a light sauce that nicely coats the chicken, soft apple pieces and cranberries.
The recipe says dried cranberries can be substituted for fresh if a less tart flavor is desired. I certainly didn’t want to have my mouth turned inside out by unsweetened cranberries, and so opted for Craisins sweetened dried cranberries instead, using just 1/3 cup (the recipe calls for a full cup of fresh or frozen berries).
The recipe calls for one pound of chicken tenders. Since we were unable to find this, my husband simply cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into pieces that were longer than they were wider.
The suggestion to serve the dish with wild rice is a good one. We used a boxed wild/white rice blend with seasonings.
The chicken is sprinkled with dried thyme, salt and pepper, then cooked in a skillet until browned. The chicken is removed and transferred to a plate.
Thinly-sliced crisp red apples, sliced red onion, some of the apple cider or juice, dried thyme and salt are combined in the skillet and cooked until the apples are softened.
Fresh, frozen or dried cranberries are added, and one tablespoon of flour is sprinkled over the contents of the pan. The chicken is returned to the pan, along with the rest of the apple cider or juice.
The mixture is covered and cooked until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Italian sausage works nicely in warm fall salad
When crumbled mild Italian sausage is used in a dish, it practically guarantees its deliciousness.
My husband and I discovered this a few years back when we made Oriecchette with Fennel, Sausage & Tomatoes, the best pasta dish we have ever eaten.
When I saw the recipe for Warm Lentil Salad with Sausage & Apple (click for the recipe) in Eating Well magazine, I was immediately drawn to it, hoping Italian sausage was an ingredient contained within it.
The recipe calls for sweet turkey sausage, and Italian sausage is made from pork, but it didn’t matter to me anyway. I wanted to use mild or sweet Italian sausage, because a) I thought it would taste great in the dish, and b) I had a package of it in the freezer.
I was right about Italian sausage working in this dinner-size salad. It worked wonderfully, in fact, because it is flavored with anise, which blends nicely with the other ingredients of fennel, apple and celery.
The recipe calls for sausage with the casings removed, but you can buy uncased, bulk Italian sausage just as you would ground beef. (Hot sausage, rather than sweet, can also be used in the dish.)
The dish is very easy to make, and is a fine choice for a weeknight.
Olive oil, red-wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper are whisked together to make a dressing.
The crumbled sausage is browned in a skillet, then minced garlic and lentils are added and heated through. Some of the red-wine vinegar dressing is added, and the skillet is removed from the heat. Finely-diced fennel, Granny Smith apple and celery are stirred in.
Six cups of arugula or mesclun greens (we used mesclun greens, sometimes labeled “spring mix” or “baby greens) are tossed with the remaining dressing.
A thin layer of greens is placed on plate, and the warm lentil-sausage mixture is served on top.
My husband and I discovered this a few years back when we made Oriecchette with Fennel, Sausage & Tomatoes, the best pasta dish we have ever eaten.
When I saw the recipe for Warm Lentil Salad with Sausage & Apple (click for the recipe) in Eating Well magazine, I was immediately drawn to it, hoping Italian sausage was an ingredient contained within it.
The recipe calls for sweet turkey sausage, and Italian sausage is made from pork, but it didn’t matter to me anyway. I wanted to use mild or sweet Italian sausage, because a) I thought it would taste great in the dish, and b) I had a package of it in the freezer.
I was right about Italian sausage working in this dinner-size salad. It worked wonderfully, in fact, because it is flavored with anise, which blends nicely with the other ingredients of fennel, apple and celery.
The recipe calls for sausage with the casings removed, but you can buy uncased, bulk Italian sausage just as you would ground beef. (Hot sausage, rather than sweet, can also be used in the dish.)
The dish is very easy to make, and is a fine choice for a weeknight.
Olive oil, red-wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper are whisked together to make a dressing.
The crumbled sausage is browned in a skillet, then minced garlic and lentils are added and heated through. Some of the red-wine vinegar dressing is added, and the skillet is removed from the heat. Finely-diced fennel, Granny Smith apple and celery are stirred in.
Six cups of arugula or mesclun greens (we used mesclun greens, sometimes labeled “spring mix” or “baby greens) are tossed with the remaining dressing.
A thin layer of greens is placed on plate, and the warm lentil-sausage mixture is served on top.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Meeting up with lentils again
in the form of a terrific burger
I first crossed paths with lovely lentils last year when I made the terrific recipe Mustard-Crusted Pork with Carrots and Lentils.
I loved the wheaty taste and texture of lentils, and how well they took to being covered with herby oils and dressings.
Since then I’ve lay in wait, watching for another lentil recipe to catch my eye to try.
I spotted my prey recently in the Sept./Oct. issue of Eating Well magazine: Lentil Burgers (click for the recipe).
I’ve made Black Bean Burgers before, and they were delicious. Now it was time to try lovely lentils in burger form.
I wasn’t disappointed. These burgers were delicious and every bit as meaty as if they were made with ground beef. My husband loved them, too.
You might think these would be dry, but they weren’t at all. And I loved the fact that very little was needed to jazz up the burgers – just some lettuce and sliced tomato (we skipped the thinly-sliced red onion as we don’t like red onion raw.)
A word of caution: My husband made the lentil mixture, and found it was loose and not very suitable for making patties.
I suggested he treat the mixture like pancake batter, waiting for a glop of it to firm up well in the pan before flipping it.
He followed that idea, and it worked like a charm.
We substituted fresh oregano for fresh marjoram in the recipe.
Coarsely-chopped garlic and salt are mashed to a paste with the side of a knife. Toasted walnuts (my husband toasted them in a skillet) are chopped in a food processor.
Whole-wheat sandwich bread that has been torn into pieces, fresh oregano, pepper and the garlic paste are added to the food processor and processed until coarse crumbs form; lentils (we used canned) and Worcestershire sauce are added and the mixture processed until it just comes together into a mass.
The recipe says to them form the mixture into four patties. Forming a firm patty may not be possible – form a patty as best you can and put it into the oiled pan immediately, letting it spread out like a pancake. After two to four minutes of cooking time, carefully turn the patties over.
Serve the burgers on toasted buns with lettuce and tomatoes.
I loved the wheaty taste and texture of lentils, and how well they took to being covered with herby oils and dressings.
Since then I’ve lay in wait, watching for another lentil recipe to catch my eye to try.
I spotted my prey recently in the Sept./Oct. issue of Eating Well magazine: Lentil Burgers (click for the recipe).
I’ve made Black Bean Burgers before, and they were delicious. Now it was time to try lovely lentils in burger form.
I wasn’t disappointed. These burgers were delicious and every bit as meaty as if they were made with ground beef. My husband loved them, too.
You might think these would be dry, but they weren’t at all. And I loved the fact that very little was needed to jazz up the burgers – just some lettuce and sliced tomato (we skipped the thinly-sliced red onion as we don’t like red onion raw.)
A word of caution: My husband made the lentil mixture, and found it was loose and not very suitable for making patties.
I suggested he treat the mixture like pancake batter, waiting for a glop of it to firm up well in the pan before flipping it.
He followed that idea, and it worked like a charm.
We substituted fresh oregano for fresh marjoram in the recipe.
Coarsely-chopped garlic and salt are mashed to a paste with the side of a knife. Toasted walnuts (my husband toasted them in a skillet) are chopped in a food processor.
Whole-wheat sandwich bread that has been torn into pieces, fresh oregano, pepper and the garlic paste are added to the food processor and processed until coarse crumbs form; lentils (we used canned) and Worcestershire sauce are added and the mixture processed until it just comes together into a mass.
The recipe says to them form the mixture into four patties. Forming a firm patty may not be possible – form a patty as best you can and put it into the oiled pan immediately, letting it spread out like a pancake. After two to four minutes of cooking time, carefully turn the patties over.
Serve the burgers on toasted buns with lettuce and tomatoes.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Cherries and raspberries buckle
down to flavor in moist, delicious cake
Cherries and raspberries are at their peak right now, and the two have a beautiful friendship in a dessert from Eating Well magazine.
Cherry-Raspberry Buckle (click for the recipe) is a moist homestyle cake, studded with berries and a crisp sugared top.
It’s delicious, and would do well with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
The recipe says it can be made with any fruit combination, such as a suggested blueberries and apricots combo. I’m guessing that would be terrific, too.
When I first took the cake out of the oven, I worried the top had browned too much.
My worries were quickly dissipated when we tried the cake. The well-browned top was a sign that the cake had baked to a moist texture, not a soggy one, which is always a danger with fruit-filled cake.
The recipe calls for white whole-wheat flour. Since I didn’t have the time to look for this, I simply used white flour.
The recipe also says to use a “nine-inch baking dish or springform pan” – I used a nine-inch square baking pan.
The cake is very easy to make.
Flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt are mixed together. In another bowl, milk, applesauce, olive or canola oil, sugar, egg and vanilla are whisked together.
The wet ingredients are poured into the dry and the two are gently folded together until blended. Raspberries and cherries are added and folded in, then the batter is spooned into a prepared baking dish or pan. The batter is sprinkled with sliced almonds and raw cane sugar.
The cake is baked until golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes (I baked mine for 45 minutes), then cooled for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Cherry-Raspberry Buckle (click for the recipe) is a moist homestyle cake, studded with berries and a crisp sugared top.
It’s delicious, and would do well with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
The recipe says it can be made with any fruit combination, such as a suggested blueberries and apricots combo. I’m guessing that would be terrific, too.
When I first took the cake out of the oven, I worried the top had browned too much.
My worries were quickly dissipated when we tried the cake. The well-browned top was a sign that the cake had baked to a moist texture, not a soggy one, which is always a danger with fruit-filled cake.
The recipe calls for white whole-wheat flour. Since I didn’t have the time to look for this, I simply used white flour.
The recipe also says to use a “nine-inch baking dish or springform pan” – I used a nine-inch square baking pan.
The cake is very easy to make.
Flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt are mixed together. In another bowl, milk, applesauce, olive or canola oil, sugar, egg and vanilla are whisked together.
The wet ingredients are poured into the dry and the two are gently folded together until blended. Raspberries and cherries are added and folded in, then the batter is spooned into a prepared baking dish or pan. The batter is sprinkled with sliced almonds and raw cane sugar.
The cake is baked until golden brown, about 45 to 55 minutes (I baked mine for 45 minutes), then cooled for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Making mole (pronounced moe-lay!) sauce gets much faster thanks to delicious recipe
I wanted immediately to try Chicken with Quick Mole Sauce (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine when I saw the sauce called for chocolate chips and almond butter.
These two ingredients help provide a major shortcut to the job of preparing mole sauce (pronounced moe-lay), which, according to a Wikipedia article, can normally take hours to make.
Chili powder is also a shortcut ingredient in this recipe, as all types of mole sauces begin with roasting and grinding one or more types of chili pepper, such as ancho or poblano.
The recipe resulted in juicy chicken bathed in a rich, dark red sauce that had an excellent flavor highlighted by cinnamon and almonds.
The sauce is not spicy, and I think this dish could be served to children ages 12 and over.
One tip I offer is to serve the dish with rice. The recipe produces plenty of sauce, which could be spooned over rice as well.
Chicken with Quick Mole Sauce is very easy to make.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are cooked in a skillet, then transferred to a plate.
Canola oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon are added to the skillet and cooked briefly, then tomato sauce, chicken broth, mini semisweet chocolate chips and almond or natural peanut butter added and the sauce brought to a simmer.
The chicken is returned to the skillet and the mixture is simmered until the chicken is cooked through, about five minutes more.
The chicken and sauce is served sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
These two ingredients help provide a major shortcut to the job of preparing mole sauce (pronounced moe-lay), which, according to a Wikipedia article, can normally take hours to make.
Chili powder is also a shortcut ingredient in this recipe, as all types of mole sauces begin with roasting and grinding one or more types of chili pepper, such as ancho or poblano.
The recipe resulted in juicy chicken bathed in a rich, dark red sauce that had an excellent flavor highlighted by cinnamon and almonds.
The sauce is not spicy, and I think this dish could be served to children ages 12 and over.
One tip I offer is to serve the dish with rice. The recipe produces plenty of sauce, which could be spooned over rice as well.
Chicken with Quick Mole Sauce is very easy to make.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are cooked in a skillet, then transferred to a plate.
Canola oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon are added to the skillet and cooked briefly, then tomato sauce, chicken broth, mini semisweet chocolate chips and almond or natural peanut butter added and the sauce brought to a simmer.
The chicken is returned to the skillet and the mixture is simmered until the chicken is cooked through, about five minutes more.
The chicken and sauce is served sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Crab Salad Melts are not
greasy or dry -- they are just right
When I was a teen, one of my fave suppers was my mother’s tuna melts.
She always did an awesome job of them: English muffins topped with a mixture of tuna, green onions and mayo, sliced tomatoes and grated mozzarella.
But my husband doesn’t like canned tuna, so I always stayed away from trying my own version.
When I recently saw the recipe for Crab Salad Melts (click for the recipe on the Eating Well website), I knew I had my answer. I could take trip down food memory lane that my husband would enjoy too.
The results of the recipe were terrific. The slightly sweet crab meat was a fine topping, accentuated well by chopped celery.
Because there isn’t a lot of mayonnaise or cheese used, the melts weren’t greasy, but they weren’t dry either -- there was just enough binding material that it was easy to put the crab mixture on the English muffins.
They were super easy to make, too, making them an ideal weeknight dinner.
Chopped asparagus or snow peas (we used snow peas) are cooked in the microwave, sliced thinly, and combined with crab meat, celery, red bell pepper, scallions (green onions), mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning and hot sauce.
The mixture is spread on toasted English muffin halves, topped with shredded Swiss cheese, and broiled until the cheese is melted.
She always did an awesome job of them: English muffins topped with a mixture of tuna, green onions and mayo, sliced tomatoes and grated mozzarella.
But my husband doesn’t like canned tuna, so I always stayed away from trying my own version.
When I recently saw the recipe for Crab Salad Melts (click for the recipe on the Eating Well website), I knew I had my answer. I could take trip down food memory lane that my husband would enjoy too.
The results of the recipe were terrific. The slightly sweet crab meat was a fine topping, accentuated well by chopped celery.
Because there isn’t a lot of mayonnaise or cheese used, the melts weren’t greasy, but they weren’t dry either -- there was just enough binding material that it was easy to put the crab mixture on the English muffins.
They were super easy to make, too, making them an ideal weeknight dinner.
Chopped asparagus or snow peas (we used snow peas) are cooked in the microwave, sliced thinly, and combined with crab meat, celery, red bell pepper, scallions (green onions), mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning and hot sauce.
The mixture is spread on toasted English muffin halves, topped with shredded Swiss cheese, and broiled until the cheese is melted.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Arroz con Pollo: One-pot cooking at its best
This is the third outstanding recipe I’m writing about from Eating Well magazine in the last two weeks.
First was Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup, then Crispy Baked Drumsticks with Honey-Mustard Sauce, and now Arroz con Pollo (click for the recipe) takes the stage.
Arroz con Pollo is chicken cooked with rice. The recipe is one-pot cooking at its best, with the chicken and other ingredients being cooked in one cozy home together.
The result is a family-friendly dish with juicy chicken and mild flavors.
The only concern I had about the recipe, and it is minor, is the texture of the rice after cooking time. Instant brown rice is used to hasten the recipe’s cooking time to just 40 minutes.
After other ingredients, including broth, are brought a boil, the rice is stirred in and the mixture is simmered for about eight minutes.
The rice in the resulting dish was very slightly gummy, and so I would recommend a couple more minutes of cooking time after the rice is added.
However, with Arroz con Pollo, the rice is dished into the mouth and swallowed without a lot of chewing, making the issue of slightly gummy rice much less critical than it would be in other recipes.
Arroz con Pollo is easy to make.
Bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin removed, are sprinkled with salt, browned in oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot, and transferred to a plate.
Onion, garlic, tomato sauce and broth are put in the pot and brought to a boil. The rice is stirred in, the chicken is returned to the pot and the dish is simmered. Frozen mixed vegetables that have been thawed are stirred in and cooked until heated through.
Serve, nestling the lovely chicken among the rice on the plate.
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First was Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup, then Crispy Baked Drumsticks with Honey-Mustard Sauce, and now Arroz con Pollo (click for the recipe) takes the stage.
Arroz con Pollo is chicken cooked with rice. The recipe is one-pot cooking at its best, with the chicken and other ingredients being cooked in one cozy home together.
The result is a family-friendly dish with juicy chicken and mild flavors.
The only concern I had about the recipe, and it is minor, is the texture of the rice after cooking time. Instant brown rice is used to hasten the recipe’s cooking time to just 40 minutes.
After other ingredients, including broth, are brought a boil, the rice is stirred in and the mixture is simmered for about eight minutes.
The rice in the resulting dish was very slightly gummy, and so I would recommend a couple more minutes of cooking time after the rice is added.
However, with Arroz con Pollo, the rice is dished into the mouth and swallowed without a lot of chewing, making the issue of slightly gummy rice much less critical than it would be in other recipes.
Arroz con Pollo is easy to make.
Bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin removed, are sprinkled with salt, browned in oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot, and transferred to a plate.
Onion, garlic, tomato sauce and broth are put in the pot and brought to a boil. The rice is stirred in, the chicken is returned to the pot and the dish is simmered. Frozen mixed vegetables that have been thawed are stirred in and cooked until heated through.
Serve, nestling the lovely chicken among the rice on the plate.
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011
'Make it again soon' Crispy Baked Drumsticks
with Honey-Mustard Sauce
Although all the recipes on Recipes That Worked are amazing, and that’s why I write about them, occasionally there is one will come along that is just a hair above all the others and earns an immediate badge of honor in my “definitely make it again soon, and make it for others” file.
Crispy Baked Drumsticks with Honey-Mustard Sauce (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine is a recipe that recently earned this badge of honor.
The drumsticks are absolutely, completely delicious.
Juicy, crispy and perfectly seasoned, with a killer homemade honey-mustard sauce on the side, they are definite crowd-pleasers. They make a terrific casual Friday night meal with fries and salad.
Thanks to Greek yogurt, the honey-mustard sauce has a pleasing creamy texture. However, it has a very tiny horseradishy taste to it, so smaller children may not take to the sauce, but nearly everyone will like the chicken itself.
Because the recipe is from Eating Well magazine, the dish has less fat and calories than similar ones of this type.
The recipe is so easy to make it’s stupefying.
It calls for fine dry breadcrumbs. We used panko, a type of very fine Japanese breadcrumbs that can be found in the bakery or Asian foods section of many supermarkets.
The breadcrumbs, paprika, onion powder, and salt are mixed together in a shallow dish and drizzled with canola oil. The mixture is mashed with a fork until the oil is incorporated. An egg is lightly beaten in another shallow dish.
Skinless drumsticks are dipped in the egg, pressed in the bread mixture and placed on a wire rack in a baking sheet.
While the chicken is baking, the sauce is prepared by mixing nonfat plain yogurt, Dijon mustard and honey.
Serve the sauce alongside the drumsticks, and watch the crowd rave.
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Crispy Baked Drumsticks with Honey-Mustard Sauce (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine is a recipe that recently earned this badge of honor.
The drumsticks are absolutely, completely delicious.
Juicy, crispy and perfectly seasoned, with a killer homemade honey-mustard sauce on the side, they are definite crowd-pleasers. They make a terrific casual Friday night meal with fries and salad.
Thanks to Greek yogurt, the honey-mustard sauce has a pleasing creamy texture. However, it has a very tiny horseradishy taste to it, so smaller children may not take to the sauce, but nearly everyone will like the chicken itself.
Because the recipe is from Eating Well magazine, the dish has less fat and calories than similar ones of this type.
The recipe is so easy to make it’s stupefying.
It calls for fine dry breadcrumbs. We used panko, a type of very fine Japanese breadcrumbs that can be found in the bakery or Asian foods section of many supermarkets.
The breadcrumbs, paprika, onion powder, and salt are mixed together in a shallow dish and drizzled with canola oil. The mixture is mashed with a fork until the oil is incorporated. An egg is lightly beaten in another shallow dish.
Skinless drumsticks are dipped in the egg, pressed in the bread mixture and placed on a wire rack in a baking sheet.
While the chicken is baking, the sauce is prepared by mixing nonfat plain yogurt, Dijon mustard and honey.
Serve the sauce alongside the drumsticks, and watch the crowd rave.
Pin It
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Warm the heart, soul and fingers
with Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup
This past week in Saskatchewan, it was below -30 C (-22 F) nearly every day.
Unfortunately, that’s typical of the weather around here in the winter, and it’s why I like to have an arsenal of good soup recipes at the ready.
There’s nothing like a hearty bowl of soup to warm the heart, soul and appendages.
My husband and I made a great new soup for the first time this week that I can add to the arsenal: Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine.
It’s a yummy bowl of goodness with mushrooms, dill, milk, potatoes and sour cream. With Eating Well’s crackdown on the ingredients, it was lower in calories and fat than the typical soups of this type.
It was just the kind of soup my grandmother would make. Eating it made me think of her fabulous borscht.
The recipe says that Hungarian is the preferred type of paprika for the recipe. We bought paprika labelled “Hungarian” at a specialty foods store a while ago and so were able to use it, but regular paprika at the supermarket will work fine.
The recipe also calls for low-fat milk; we used one per cent.
The soup takes a while to come to a simmer, so patience is a virtue when preparing it.
Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup was very easy to make, and the leftovers warm up beautifully in the microwave.
Sliced mushrooms and diced onion are cooked in oil in a skillet, then flour, paprika, beef broth, low-fat milk and diced russet potatoes are added and the soup is brought to a simmer.
After simmering for five minutes, the soup is removed from the heat, and low-fat sour cream is stirred in.
Serve and warm yourself up!
Unfortunately, that’s typical of the weather around here in the winter, and it’s why I like to have an arsenal of good soup recipes at the ready.
There’s nothing like a hearty bowl of soup to warm the heart, soul and appendages.
My husband and I made a great new soup for the first time this week that I can add to the arsenal: Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine.
It’s a yummy bowl of goodness with mushrooms, dill, milk, potatoes and sour cream. With Eating Well’s crackdown on the ingredients, it was lower in calories and fat than the typical soups of this type.
It was just the kind of soup my grandmother would make. Eating it made me think of her fabulous borscht.
The recipe says that Hungarian is the preferred type of paprika for the recipe. We bought paprika labelled “Hungarian” at a specialty foods store a while ago and so were able to use it, but regular paprika at the supermarket will work fine.
The recipe also calls for low-fat milk; we used one per cent.
The soup takes a while to come to a simmer, so patience is a virtue when preparing it.
Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup was very easy to make, and the leftovers warm up beautifully in the microwave.
Sliced mushrooms and diced onion are cooked in oil in a skillet, then flour, paprika, beef broth, low-fat milk and diced russet potatoes are added and the soup is brought to a simmer.
After simmering for five minutes, the soup is removed from the heat, and low-fat sour cream is stirred in.
Serve and warm yourself up!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
For the whole family:
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders
Recent comments on Facebook from a long-time friend reminded me once again that people are always on the lookout for good family-friendly recipes.
The friend, married and the mother of two small children, wrote that she looked to Recipes That Worked for dinner ideas, settled on Not Humdrumsticks, and gave the recipe a try. She wrote it worked well and she served it to her two young sons.
Thinking of this, I recalled another recipe my husband and I tried recently that was very family-friendly.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine are mild-tasting, suitable for the palettes of children (but check it first before serving just in case! You know your child better than I do.)
“Picky eaters,” both young and older, will likely take to these juicy chicken pieces. I’m sure they’ll get a better reception than fast-food or frozen chicken nuggets.
My husband and I dipped them in heated, bottled marinara sauce as the recipe suggested, and it was the perfect touch.
For the required breadcrumbs, we used panko, a type of fine breadcrumb that can be found in the bakery or Asian sections of supermarkets.
The recipe is easy to prepare.
Chicken tenders are tossed with a mixture of Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt, coated with flour, dipped in lightly-beaten eggs and then rolled in a mixture of shredded Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.
The tenders are placed on a wire rack placed in a baking sheet and are baked for 10 minutes.
Serve to your waiting family!
More family-friendly recipes for fall and winter
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The friend, married and the mother of two small children, wrote that she looked to Recipes That Worked for dinner ideas, settled on Not Humdrumsticks, and gave the recipe a try. She wrote it worked well and she served it to her two young sons.
Thinking of this, I recalled another recipe my husband and I tried recently that was very family-friendly.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Tenders (click for the recipe) from Eating Well magazine are mild-tasting, suitable for the palettes of children (but check it first before serving just in case! You know your child better than I do.)
“Picky eaters,” both young and older, will likely take to these juicy chicken pieces. I’m sure they’ll get a better reception than fast-food or frozen chicken nuggets.
My husband and I dipped them in heated, bottled marinara sauce as the recipe suggested, and it was the perfect touch.
For the required breadcrumbs, we used panko, a type of fine breadcrumb that can be found in the bakery or Asian sections of supermarkets.
The recipe is easy to prepare.
Chicken tenders are tossed with a mixture of Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt, coated with flour, dipped in lightly-beaten eggs and then rolled in a mixture of shredded Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.
The tenders are placed on a wire rack placed in a baking sheet and are baked for 10 minutes.
Serve to your waiting family!
More family-friendly recipes for fall and winter
Join Recipes That Worked on Facebook
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