Chocolate Covered Bacon Salted Caramels

I'm not even sure making chocolate covered bacon salted caramels is legal.  If it is, it should be outlawed. Three of my favorite foods in one?  Sweet. Savory. To die for.  Not many got to sample this batch.  Most were reserved for my step brother and all the firemen at the Bellevue Fire Station with the cool ladder truck. 

They're a little labor intensive, so not on my usual rotation; but I may be taking orders for this or other chocolates. Let me know if you'd be interested. 

Pasta with Squash and Pancetta

Need a super tasty and fairy easy dinner?  Try this pasta recipe!  I am such a huge fan of squash and anything from the bacon family.  This will easily serve two adults and two kids, with side salads, bread, and fruit.

1 package cut up butternut squash from Trader Joe's, cut each cube in half (or whole squash cut in small cubes)

6 strips of pancetta or proscuitto (or even bacon!)

10 oz fusilli pasta

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1/2 c. whole milk or heavy cream

1/4 c. grated parmesan, plus more for serving

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Cook pasta and drain, but reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add pancetta (or bacon...) and cook until lightly browned and semi-crisp, 3-5min.  Transfer to plate lined with paper towel and leave fat in skillet.


Add squash and garlic to fat in skillet over medium heat and season with some salt and pepper.  Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash begins to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover skillet, and continue to cook until squash is tender, 2 to 3 minutes more.

 

Add milk (or cream) and cooked pasta to skillet.  Mix well and cook until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove skillet from heat and mix in cheese. Add enough reserved pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta. Mix in the pancetta and after placing on individual plates sprinkle with a bit more cheese.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

My friend Michele has a blog where she posts her menus for the week.  It is a really fun concept and helps to keep things organized.  I saw her recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna and had to give it a shot.  We're big on meat in this family, so I knew it would be a risky move. 

Blake had two huge helpings (two nights in a row), Charlotte had a good amount, and both Tony and I thought it was pretty good.  I do have to admit that I'd much prefer lasagna with meat, turkey or sausage; but this was a good thing to try and a perfect vegetarian meal.

As a bonus, you can buy all the ingredients at Trader Joe's making the prep work almost null.

Butternut Squash Lasagna, courtesy of Michele Conrad
Two bags of frozen (whole foods) or steamed fresh butternut squash (Trader Joe’s)

1 container mascarpone cheese
1.5 jars of red sauce (your choice or Trader Joe’s three cheese sauce)

Lasagna noodles

One chunk of smoked mozzarella

One chunk of easy to grate regular mozzarella

Mix the first three ingredients (sauce, squash and mascarpone cheese) together. Grate the mozzarella cheeses and mix them together. In a 9×13 pan layer noodles, sauce mixture and cheese, repeat and add any extra cheese to the top.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until center cheese is melted on top. Enjoy!

Corn Chowder

This week looks to be a wet one in the Seattle area.  We're also mourning the Seahawks loss, although you'd never guess it by the above picture.  My solution for gloomy days?  Lots of yummy comfort foods that make the house smell amazing and your tummy full, without weighing you down too much. 

Tomorrow's dinner will be corn chowder served with a nice loaf of bread and side salad.  This is my go to soup for blustery days.

Click here to view a previous posting featurning the recipe.

Bolognese Sauce, courtesy of Ina Garten!

Easy. Yummy. Rich.  You must try this recipe. 

Make it in advance (its a quick sauce compared to most).  Double the recipe and freeze some of it for a future rainy day!

Weeknight Bolognese, courtney of Ina Garten

serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb lean ground sirloin (I used ground buffalo)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried oregano
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 ¼ c. red wine, divided
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Kosher salt & black pepper
1 lb dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more mintue. Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 ½ tsp pepper, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.

While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining ¼ cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and ½ cup Parmesan and toss well.

Serve hot and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

T and I get to visit the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum in the exhibition's final week as well as a very anticipated dinner at Chez Shea tonight.  So, to make life a little more easy for my mom while she babysits, I made lettuce wraps. 

This recipe can be made in advance and is great for a party appetizer (if you don't mind a little mess while guests assemble their own wraps).  I'm a big fan of ginger, and ginger is what really makes this dish stand out.  It isn't spicy, just very flavorful.  Both our 3 year old and 1 year old couldn't eat it fast enough.

If you aren't in the mood for a lettuce wrap, serve over rice, or wrapped in a tortilla with some shredded lettuce.

I'm not sure I would necessarily serve this as a complete dinner, but would be a fun lunch.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps
1 lb ground turkey
1 head iceburg lettuce
5 stalks of celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. white wine
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, diced

Clean lettuce and set aside. Stir together soy, wine, ginger and garlic in small bowl.

Meanwhile, brown the turkey and season with a little salt and pepper. Once the turkey is about done add the celery and water chestnuts. After about 1 minute, add the soy sauce mix.

Stir and continue to cook until turkey is done.  At this point you can let cool and store in airtight container in fridge for later use, or scoop in to your lettuce and wrap.

 
Sprinkle some powdered ginger or red pepper flakes on top if you need a little kick!

Roast Shrimp and Broccoli

This is one of the easiest dinners!  Take 1.5-2 pounds of broccoli and cut in to small florets.  Spread out on a roasting pan and drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, salt and pepper.  Roast at 450 degrees for 5-10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, Toss one pound clean, shelled, deveined shrimp with zest from one lemon, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp oil, salt and pepper.  Add this to the broccoli and roast for another 5 minutes, then toss.  Roast for another 3-5 minutes or until shrimp are pink.

Serve over white or brown rice, squeeze lemon over top, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

And serve a cup of Grandma Smith's world famous clam chowder on the side. Thanks for making a batch mom!

Chicken Tostadas

Our family tries for one Mexican dish each week, typically on what we call "Taco Tuesday".  Although its not Tuesday, this recipe looked tasty enough to bend the rules. It also allowed for a good portion of the work to be done in advance. 

Roasting and pureeing of the vegetables can be done the day or morning before eating.  Just refrigerate the puree in an airtight container.  You could also add the cut up chicken to the sauce in advance.

The finished product is very pretty, although slightly tricky to eat.  I prefer hand held tacos or burritos, or enchiladas needing a fork; but this tostada requires a knife to cut through the tortilla.

The original recipe calls for 1-2 serrano chiles, and it was way too spicy for our 3 yr old... and I only used slightly less than half of one chile.  If you're making for children or don't like spice, exclude the serranos completely and spice up your individual tostadas with sliced serranos, salsa, etc.

Chicken Tostadas, based off of recipe by Epicurious
1 medium white onion
1 pound tomatoes, quartered
2 large garlic cloves
1 or 2 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
1/2 c. plus 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
3 c. shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 c. chopped cilantro, divided. Plus more for serving.
1 rotisserie chicken, meat coarsely shredded (4 cups)
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (1-pound) can refried beans, heated
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
1/2 c. Mexican crema or sour cream
1/4 c. crumbled queso añjo (aged white cheese, also called cotija).  I used Queso Fresco.
1 lime
Accompaniments: sliced serranos; lime wedges

Serve with side of black beans, chips and guacamole and salsa.

Preheat broiler.

Cut half of onion into 3/4-inch wedges, then chop remainder. Toss onion wedges, tomatoes, garlic, and whole chiles with 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-sided sheet pan, spreading in 1 layer.

Broil about 4 inches from heat until softened and charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together lettuce, chopped onion, and half of cilantro.

Purée tomato mixture in a blender along with one or both roasted serranos (to taste) and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth (use caution when blending hot foods). EXCLUDE serranos if you don't want spice.  Serrano peppers are spicy! Transfer purée to a bowl and stir in chicken, remaining cilantro, and salt to taste.  If you have made puree in advance, heat over low-medium heat on stove and add chicken. 

Heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry tortillas, 1 at a time, turning once or twice and pressing with tongs to immerse, until golden brown, 45 to 60 seconds per tortilla. Drain briefly on paper towels, then transfer to plates.

Spread tortillas thickly with heated refried beans, then top with chicken mixture. Slice avocado over tostadas and dollop with crema.

Mound lettuce mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro.  I also squeeze a little fresh lime juice on my tostadas.

Roasted Chicken

Nothing is more tasty than a whole chicken, roasted.  You can stuff a chicken the day or night before with flavorings of your choice.  I prefer onion, salt, pepper, lemon, and occasionally an orange wedge.  Liberally season the outer skin, all over the bird, with salt and pepper. 

When you're ready to bake (or bbq on the Traeger!), put it in a hot oven.  350 or 375 for 45 min to 1 hour depending on size.  Use an instant read thermometer stuck in a thick part of the meat.  Chicken is done when it reaches at least 165 degrees (many websites use different temperatures for doneness, so use what you're comfortable with).

Let rest for a few minutes, and then carve and serve with a simple in-season veggie.  Broccoli, roast asparagus, roast or bbq'd small potatoes, corn...

Tonight I made two roasted chickens.  One for dinner tonight, and the other to be used for a couple dinners this week (chicken tostadas, chicken salad, etc). 

The twins, ready for eating!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Squares

If you love peanut butter cups like I do, then this is a recipe you must try!  I first tried these peanut butter chocolate squares at a holiday party we attended.  I immediately asked for the recipe after witnessing almost the entire pan of bars disappear.

As I went to make these very easy, no bake bars today, I realized I have almost the exact same recipe from  a cousin; but for a smaller sized batch.  If only I had paid more attention to the cookbook I made for our family!

And who can resist a recipe that calls for a big bowl of melted chocolate?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Squares 

1 C. melted butter

¾ - 1 C. graham cracker crumbs

1½ C. peanut butter

1 - 16oz box powdered sugar

1 - 12 oz package of chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in large bowl and then press firmly into 9x13 pan. Chill so the peanut butter mixture firms up.

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler, or slowly in the microwave (stirring often!).

Spread melted chocolate over the top of peanut butter mixture. Let cool.  Place in freezer for a few minutes before you cut into squares with a very sharp knife.  Store in air tight container on counter - do not refrigerate.

Top 2010 Recipes

The Food Network just published their Top 50 Recipes of 2010!  You need to check it out, and I bet there will be quite a few tasty dishes you will want to try.

Happy Cooking!

Pork Fajitas with Homemade Guac and Chips

Nothing beats a fresh made bowl of guacamole.  I usually take a couple avocados and mash with some fresh lime juice, some cilantro, some chopped red onion, and a good healthy dose of kosher salt and pepper.  It tastes even better when you eat with fresh homemade chips!

I typically heat a saucepan filled with vegetable oil, about 1/4" deep. Cut up some tortillas in to chip sized wedges and place a few in the hot oil at a time. I suggest testing with just one chip first to see if your oil is too hot, or not hot enough.  It only takes a few seconds for the chips to brown before you need to flip them.  Then remove and place on a plate covered with paper towels. I typically sprinkle the finished product with seasoning salt.  Warning, these chips will have more oil on them than what you find out of the bag.  But, they're kind of fun to make, especially when you forget to buy chips at the store!

To go along with the chips and guac, I made pork fajitas, adapted from (you guessed it) the America's Test Kitchen magazine. 

2 Tbsp lime juice, plus wedges for squirting on finished fajitas 

3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing finished fajitas

1/2 tsp ground cumin

4 Tbsp oil

2 red bell peppers, sliced thin

1 red onion, sliced thin

1 tsp chili powder

salt/pepper

1 pork tenderloin, about 1lb, sliced in to 1/4" thick, bite sized pieces.

12 - 6" flour tortillas, warmed

Mix lime juice, cilantro, cumin and 1 Tbsp oil in bowl.

Heat additional 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add bell peppers, onion, chili powder, and 1/2 tsp salt to skillet and cook until onion is soft.  Move veggies to a place and cover with foil.

Season pork with salt and pepper and add remaining oil to skillet and heat until just smoking.  Add pork and cook until cooked through, about 4 min. Off heat, stir lime juice mix in to pork and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer mix to platter with the vegetables.  Serve in tortillas.

We like to add more cilantro as well as a few squeezes of lime to our finished fajitas!

Skillet Orzo and Shrimp with Feta Cheese

If you haven't caught on by now, I recently purchased the America's Test Kitchen 30 Minute Suppers magazine. It was starting at me while I waited in line at the market.  Mostly it was the seared scallops on a bed of mashed butternut squash that enticed me.  Haven't made that recipe yet because I found quite a few others that looked just as good and a little more family friendly.

The dish I made tonight is called Skillet Orzo and Shrimp with Feta Cheese.  Excellent, yummy dish.  It is much heartier than I expected, thanks to the tomatoes and lots of melted feta.

I had two issues with this dish.
1. We don't have Ouzo in our liquor cabinet and I didn't want to purchase a bottle.  Ouzo is a anise flavored liquor from Greece.  So I used the recipe's suggestion of mixing 1 Tbsp vodka with a large pinch of anise seeds for the marinade portion.  I skipped adding the suggested 2 Tbsp vodka plus 1/4 tsp anise seeds to the sauce in skillet - I was afraid it would be too much anise flavor if one of us got a mouthful of seeds.

2. The last few directions say to place the shrimp as well as cheese on top of the orzo mix and place under broiler.  Some of the shrimp were covered with cheese and were not getting cooked. I had to flip and un-hide some of the shrimp and stir the dish to get them to bake properly.  So I recommend topping the dish with the shrimp for a few minutes, then adding the feta and broiling for just a minute or two more.

This dish wasn't extremely popular with our 3 year old. I think the feta and dill gave it a taste he isn't accustomed to.  But, he did eat the shrimp I cut up, probably because he had no idea what it was.  Meanwhile, Tony and I thought it was very good!

Skillet Orzo and Shrimp with Feta Cheese, courtesy of America's Test Kitchen 30 Minute Suppers

1 1/2lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (remove tails!)

3 Tbsp Olive oil

3 Tbsp Ouzo (or 1 Tbsp vodka mixed with pinch of anise seeds for marinade/2 Tbsp vodka with 1/4tsp anise seeds for sauce)

5 garlic cloves, minced

salt/pepper

1 onion, chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 1/2 c. orzo

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 c. water

1 c. crumbled feta

2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Position oven rack 5" from heating element and heat broiler.  Toss shrimp, 1 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp ouzo (or vodka mix), 1 garlic clove, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper in bowl.

Heat remaining oil in large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 4 min. Add remaining garlic and pepper flakes and cook  until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 min. Add remaining ouzo (or vodka mix) and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.  Stir in tomatoes and water and cook, stir frequently, until liquid is absorbed and orzo is al dente, 10-12 min.  Season with salt and pepper.

Scatter shrimp and cheese over the orzo. Transfer skillet to oven and broil until shrimp are coked and cheese is milted, 4-6min.  Sprinkle with dill and serve!

Italian Skillet Chicken with Polenta

I used to hate eating polenta as a child. I thought it was torture.  This gross, corn-tasting mush slopped on my plate.  Now, I finally appreciate it's flavor and how you can add just about anything to give it an extra flavor boost.  Cheese being my number one choice!

The below recipe uses polenta almost like a biscuit topping.  It adds a nice subtle flavor and texture to the skillet chicken.  This dish was a big hit in our house, even our 1 year old ate some!

Only downside is that you have to juggle making the polenta while cooking the veggies in the skillet, but not tough.  Just remember to constantly stir the polenta so it doesn't form lumps or burn.  Oh, and make sure the skillet you're using is oven safe!!

The skillet dish topped with polenta, fresh from the oven.  A great flavorful dish, perfect for a cold or rainy day. 

Italian Skillet Chicken with Polenta, courtesy of America's Test Kitchen 30 Minute Suppers

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2lbs), cut in to 1" pieces

Salt & pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered (I didn't use mushrooms!)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c. red wine

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

4 c. water

1 c. instant polenta (I used Albers corn meal)

1 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Adjust oven rack 5" from heating element and heat broiler.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt/pepper.  heat oil in large oven safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking.  Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer to plate.

Add onion, bell pepper and mushrooms to skillet and cook until soft, about 8 min. Stir in garlic and cook til fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add wine and cook until reduced to glaze, about 1 min.  Add tomatoes, chicken, and any accumulated juices and bring to boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through, about 10min. Season with salt/pepper.

Meanwhile, bring water to boil in large saucepan.  Gradually which in polenta and cook over medium heat, whisking until very thick, about 5 min.  Stir in 1 cup cheese and season with salt/pepper.  Cover to keep warm.

When chicken is done, dollop 1/4 cup mounds of polenta on top of chicken mixture, leaving about 1/2" space between polenta mounds. (My pan size didn't allow me to use all the polenta)  Sprinkle remaining cheese over polenta.  Transfer to oven and broil until polenta is hot and cheese is just beginning to brown, about 5 min.  Serve.

Chicken Francese

This Chicken Francese recipe is so delicious.  The thin chicken cutlets are lightly coated with flour and egg, and the sauce has a wonderful lemony-wine-onion flavoring.  Because it uses thin sliced chicken breasts, the dish cooks faster than usual.

Any leftovers from this meal? Cube up the cooked chicken and toss with cooked pasta and coat with the remaining sauce.  Add some milk if you need to thin the sauce out...

My 3 year and 1 year old loved this meal, so give it a shot!

Chicken Francese, courtesy of America's Test Kitchen 30 Minute Suppers

1 c. plus 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
8 thin-cut skinless chicken cutlets (or cut 4 breasts halfed horizontally)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup lemon juice from 2 lemons
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Table salt and ground black pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 200 degrees. Set baking sheet and place sheet in oven.

Spread 1 cup flour in a dish. Beat eggs in second dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Dip each piece of chicken in flour, then egg, then flour.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large nonstick pan over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 2-3 min per side.  Transfer chicken to platter in oven. 

Add onion and additiona 1 Tbsp butter to empty pan and cook til soft, about 5 min. Add remaining flour from plate and stire until golden, about 1 min. Whisk in wine, lemon, broth and cook until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, 10-15min.

Whisk remaining butter in to sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange chicken on plate and pour sauce on top.

Broccoli is an excellent side for this meal, and quick to cook if you steam on top of stove or microwave.

Enjoy!