Adventures In Steak

Good evening everyone!  It's been an exciting (and kinda crazy) past couple of weeks: from packing all our belongings to moving said belongings to unpacking and arranging everything where we want to, it's been such a great experience.  And to top it off, we own a house, I believe this to be the best part.  I'm sure we'll give you a tour of our kitchen, which is one of the highlights of our new place.  We upgraded about 30, almost 40, years and there is so much space!  But enough raving, let's get to cooking!

Tonight, I'm taking on a variation of the classic meat and starch recipe.  I'm introducing a new dish to the blog.  I've heard wonderful things about this dish and I am eager to try it.

The Recipe: Skirt Steak with Gorgonzola Polenta
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, December 2012

What You'll Need:
2 Cups plus 1 Tablespoon fat-free, lower sodium Chicken Broth, divided
1 Cup 2% Reduced-Fat Milk
2/3 Cup quick-cooking Polenta
1 Ounce Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 Teaspoon kosher Salt, divided
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black Pepper, divided
1 Pound Skirt Steak, trimmed and cut into four pieces
1 Teaspoon unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon finely chopped Shallots
1/2 Cup dry Red Wine
1 Teaspoon chopped fresh Thyme
1 1/2 Teaspoons Honey
1/4 Teaspoon Cornstarch

To start, combine 2 cups chicken broth and the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Add the polenta and gradually whisk in, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for four minutes, stirring frequently.  After the polenta looks fluffy, remove from the heat.  Stir in the cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cover the saucepan and let stand for five minutes.

Next, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray.  Sprinkle the steak with the remaining salt and pepper.  Once the skillet is heated, add the steak to the pan and cook for three minutes on each side, or until desired degree of doneness.  For us, that degree of doneness is somewhere between well done and medium done, so cooking it six minutes is the sweet spot.  Once the steak is cooked, transfer it to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil.

Cooking the steak to perfection

Once the steak is cooked and covered, melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots and sauté for one minute.  Add the wine, thyme, and honey and bring this mixture to a boil.  Cook until reduced by half, between two to three minutes.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining chicken broth and the cornstarch and whisk to combine.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the skillet and cook for one minute or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Cut the steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.  Spoon the sauce on each plate, along with a half of cup of polenta and three ounces of steak.  Serve and enjoy!

The End Result:

The steak was cooked to near perfection.  While I like my steak well done, and Tyler likes his medium done, I met in the middle with an in between of our two.  It was still a smidge pink, but it was mostly cooked all the way through.  It was also juicy and had the just the right about of flavor.  It's amazing that the steak had just salt and pepper on it and didn't need any of those other seasonings or extra ingredients.

Unfortunately, I believe the steak was the best part of tonights recipe.  The polenta is supposed to be thick, but it turned out to be a soupy mess.  It was probably lack of experience cooking with polenta is what really threw me off.  I was very excited to cook with a new ingredient to have it in our stock, but the fact it fell flat got me really disappointed.  Also, the red wine sauce could have been reduced a little bit longer and become thicker.  It had an great, pungent flavor that tasted incredible with the steak.  But if I had cooked it for just a couple of minutes longer, it would have been the perfect sauce.  Overall, a great recipe with good intentions, but a bit more attention to detail would have really perfected this ensemble.

Join us next week as we round up a new batch of recipes and share them with you.  Plus, we get to give you a tour of our new kitchen - you won't want to miss this!  Until then,

~Cheers!

We're Back!

Good evening everyone! Yes, we're finally back. After shutting things down a few weeks ago so we could pack, move and unpack - I'm happy to report that Maggie and I are finally moved into and up and running in our new home. To kick off cooking once again, I wanted to try a recipe that had been sitting around for awhile. It's one that I've been itching to try, but with all of the things surrounding getting a mortgage and buying a home, plus moving - I simply never had to time to work it in. Tonight, I have the time, so let's get cooking!

The Recipe: Bacon Hasselback Potatoes
Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Magazine, Novemeber 2012 Issue

What You'll Need:
(Serves 6-12)

4 Slices Thick Cut Bacon, Each Cut Crosswise Into 9 Pieces
12 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (Peeled)
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
2 Scallions (Finely Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
1 Clove Garlic (Chopped)

Begin by laying your bacon pieces onto a baking sheet and placing the baking sheet in your freezer for 30 minutes, or until the bacon pieces become hard. Because of the low and slow cooking method we're using to cook the potatoes, the bacon will be exposed to the oven's heat for nearly 2 hours. By freezing the bacon first, you insure that the bacon will be perfectly cooked at the end.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and brining a large pot of water to a boil.

While your water and oven are heating up, turn your attention to the potatoes. Using a chef's knife or paring knife, carefully make cuts crosswise across each potato, approximately 1/8 of an inch apart, leaving about 1/4 of space from the bottom uncut. Your potatoes should look similar to this:

Next, add the sliced potatoes into the boiling water and allow them to cook for about 4 minutes. Remove them carefully with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a baking sheet. Pat the potatoes dry with a paper towel.

Next, insert 3 slices of bacon evenly amongst the slots in each potato (see picture). Then melt 5 tablespoons of butter and brush said butter evenly over each of the potatoes. Reserve any excess butter for basting later on.

Place the baking potatoes (on the baking sheet) in the oven and allow them to cook for 2 hours, making sure to baste them halfway through with some additional melted butter.

As the potatoes are nearly completion, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet and add the scallions, parsley and garlic. Spoon this mixture over the potatoes and allow them to roast for 5 more minutes before serving.

Top with a touch of salt and pepper (to taste) and enjoy!


The Results:

There are fewer things more certain in this world than the flavor combination of bacon and potatoes. What's even better is that this dish is highly adaptable. You like cheese? Add cheese? Want to cut some fat? Use turkey bacon. This dish can even serve as either a side dish to a bigger feast or a main course for easy weeknight (or lazy weekend) cuisine. No matter how you tweak it or make it your own, you owe it to yourself to give this dish a try!

That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie returns to the kitchen tomorrow night with a brand new dish of her own. Until then,

~Cheers

Perhaps We Were A Bit Overzealous

Hello again everyone! After a long and sometimes stressfull process, Maggie and I have now moved into our brand new home. It's been an exciting process and a whole lot of work - but it's one of life's great moments and I'm proud to have shared it with my loving wife.

We were originally intending to be up and running today and returning to cooking meals this week.

Perhaps...we got a bit ahead of ourselves.

While our kitchen is completely unpacked, there is still much to do as far as unpacking and moving in goes. So, the new plan is for us to return to cooking our own meals NEXT week. (December 3rd). We won't leave you high and dry on content. We're going to post a few recipe revisits (suitable for the winter) and we'll post a old kitchen / new kitchen comparisson too.

In short, yes - we're still alive. Yes, the blog is still active and yes, we will be cooking again soon. Just not as soon as we originally thought. Thanks for your understanding!

~Cheers

Thanksgiving Recipes: Pumpkin Pie

There are many challenges when it comes to making pumpkin pie. The first is to develop and soft and flaky crust that isn't overly dry or overly tough. On top of that challenge, you also have to make a light, fluffy and flavorful pie filling that won't dry out or cook unevenly. These challenges have led many to turn to store brand pies and 'instant mixes' to satisfy their pumpkin pie urge during the holiday season. Hopefully, with the help of my recipes tonight - the need to go to the store and buy a subpar pumpkin will be erased. My pumpkin pie recipe this evening so straightforward and easy to follow - and the best part is, you likely have not tasted a better pumpkin pie in your lifetime. (Okay, maybe you have, but this one is in the top 3 anyway!)

The Recipe (s): Fool Proof Pie Dough & Pumpkin Pie
Original Recipes Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

Fool Proof Pie Dough
What You'll Need:

2 1/2 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter - Cut into quarters
1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening (Chilled)
1/4 Cup Vodka*
1/4 Cup Ice Water

* Now, I'm sure the first question that comes to your mind is, "why vodka?" The problem with many pie dough recipes is that they are low on water - this lack of water helps the crust stay softer after baking. However, the trade off is that the dough is very tough to roll out and manipulate. Adding more water to the dough allows the dough to be easily manipulated and rolled, however, as you can imagine the trade off is that the crust becomes very tough and dry. The good folks at America's Test Kitchen discovered that vodka is the perfect solution to this problem. How? Well, I'll quote directly from their explanation:

"While gluten (the protein that makes crust tough) forms readily in water, it doesn't form in ethanol, and vodka is 60 percent water and 40 percent ethanol. So adding 1/4 cup of vodka and 1/4 water produces a moist, easy-to-roll dough that stays tender because the alcohol vaporizes in the oven, leaving the final crust with only about 6 tablespoons of water. This dough bakes into a crust that is tender, flavorful, and that rolls out easily every time." 

For this recipe, the vodka is essential to the tender texture and adds no flavor to the final dough. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WATER for the vodka. You absolutely must use vodka in this recipe for the dough to turn out. This recipe makes a double batch of the pie dough - however, the excess dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or stored in the freezer until you need to make another pie. Simply allow the dough to thaw completely before using out of the freezer.

Begin making the dough by processing 1 1/2 cups of the flour, with sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Next, add the butter and shortening (you may have to add both in sections - not all at once - depending on the size of your food processor). Process until everything is incorporated and the mixture is forming thick clumps.

Scrape the dough down the sides of the processing bowl and back on top of the blades. Add the other 1 cup of flour to the dough and pules until everything is evenly incorporated (roughly 5 to 7 pulses). Transfer this mixture to a medium bowl and add the vodka and ice water (straining out the ice first!) Stir and press the dough with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to stick together. (The easy way to tell you are done stirring is when the dough looks like traditional dough - up until this point, the dough has been very mealy and separated - once it joins, it is ready.)

Divide the dough into two even pieces. Place each piece of dough on a section of wax or parchment paper and work the dough into a 4 inch disk. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Before rolling the dough out - let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes to soften. After this time, roll the dough into a larger circle - just slightly larger than the circumference of the pie plate you are using. Drape the dough over the plate and work it in - making sure there are no pockets or air bubbles. Form the top of the crust with your fingers or with a fork - whatever your preference may be - and turn your attention to making the actual pie.

Pumpkin Pie
What You'll Need:

1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Whole Milk
3 Large Eggs, Plus 2 Large Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Can (15 Ounces) Pumpkin Puree
1 Cup Candied Yams (Drained)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Begin by adjusting your oven rack to the lowest position. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Next, using two layers of aluminum foil, cover your pie completely. Add pie weights to the center of the aluminum foil (this keeps the dough from rising during the early cooking stages) and cook on the heated baking sheet (in the now 400 degree oven) for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and the pie weights and return the pie to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and golden brown. Transfer the pie crust to a wire rack until the filling is ready. (Be sure to keep the filing and the pie crust cooking times close together - the pie works best when both the crust and the filing are till warm when added together.)

While the pie crust is cooking you can turn your attention to making the filling. In a large bowl, whisk the cream, milk, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks together. Set aside. Next, bring the pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to a simmer in a large saucepan. Over medium heat, stir the mixture constantly (making sure to mash the yams while stirring) until the mixture becomes thick and slightly shiny. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes (which is great - because that's how long the pie crust takes!)

Off of the heat, whisk in the cream mixture and stir until everything is combined. Using a large strainer, pour the mixture into a medium bowl. Use a spoon or ladle to push all of the liquid through the strainer. This helps keep the strings from the yams and other larger impurities from making their way into the pie. Whisk the newly strained mixture and then pour it into the still warm pie crust.

Return the pie to the oven, on the same baking sheet as before and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and cook for another 20 to 35 minutes. (These first 10 minutes of high heat prevent the cream mixture from curdling inside the pie filling.) After 20 to 35 minutes, the outer edges of the pie should be set and the center should still have a little 'play'. If the pie still seems a little 'jiggly' return it to the oven for another 5 minutes. Once the sides are set and the center registers 175 degrees on an instant read thermometer - transfer the pie to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool at air temperature for  2 to 3 hours before serving. Serve with whipped topping (optional...or not, depending on how seriously you take your Cool Whip!)


But that's not all we have for you this evening- since we have so many recipes to share, we will be posting two per day. The second dish tonight is a not so traditional take on a traditional Thanksgiving dish - mashed sweet potatoes.

The Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Original Recipe Found In: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2nd Edition: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show With Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes

What You'll Need:

4 Tablespoons (1/2 Stick) Unsalted Butter, Cut In 4 Pieces
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Pounds Sweet Potatoes (2 to 3 medium) Peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch tick slices

Begin by melting the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in the cream, sugar and salt. Next add the sweet potatoes and cook, covered, stirring occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.

Once soft, remove the pan from heat and mash the sweet potatoes with a masher or transfer them to a food processor and pulse until fully mashed. Serve immediately with a dash of salt and pepper to taste. (I think this may be the easiest side dish recipe we've ever shared!)


The Results:

First, the pumpkin pie - We try not to make claims that we can't back up. When I said earlier that this may very well be the best pumpkin pie you have ever had, I meant it. Top to bottom, this recipe produces the one of the best pumpkin pies I have ever tasted (Top 3 I would wager, I've had one or two professionally made pumpkin pies that I would not but behind this one.) The crust is soft, flaky and perfect and not too dry - not too moist. The filling bursts with amazing pumpkin flavor - a beautiful combination of spice and sweetness. The filling is also fluffy and light - rather than thick and messy.

The mashed sweet potatoes may be my favorite sweet potato recipe. This recipe allows the natural flavors of the sweet potatoes to run this dish - sweet, creamy yet just a little bit 'nutty'. The potatoes themselves are light and fluffy - and with a dash of butter on top are simply the greatest turkey day side dish you can make. The best part is that the recipe is so undeniably simple! 35 minutes of cook time and ta-da!

Thanksgiving Recipes: Green Bean Casserole

The Recipe:  Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallots
Original Recipe Found In:  Food Network magazine, November 2011

What You’ll Need:

¼ Cup Olive Oil
6 Medium Shallots (Sliced into rings)
1 ½ Pounds Thin, Fresh String Beans (Trimmed)
1 Pound Button Mushrooms (Sliced)
6 Large Garlic Cloves (Minced)
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Thyme
3 Cups Low Fat Milk (1%)
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
½ Cup (Plus 2 Tablespoons) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ Cup Finely Chopped Parsley
¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat until the oil is shimmering but not quite smoking. Add ¼ cup of the shallots (roughly ¼ of the shallots) and cook, stirring constantly until they are golden brown and crispy. This should take about 2 minutes. Transfer the shallots (via slotted spoon) to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat this process (1/4 cup at a time) until all of the shallots have become golden brown, crispy and are drained of excess oil. Make sure you reserve the excess oil in the skillet – you’ll need it later on.

This step allows you to create the great crispy “onion ring” crunch that green bean casserole is famous for. Instead of deep fat fried, sodium enriched glorified chips – these crispy shallots are much better for you!

Getting the shallots all nice and crispy

Next, add your green beans to a steamer basket and place that basket over a large pot of boiling water (do not submerge the beans). Cover the basket and steam until the beans have become a brighter green and are still slightly crisp. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes.

If you do not have a steamer basket, you can use a wire strainer and a pot lid – improvising in the kitchen is always necessary unless you’re equipped like the pros are!

Look at those perfectly cut beans - all those years of cutting beans from my parents garden have FINALLY paid off!

Remember that reserved shallot oil from earlier? It’s time to use it now – add 1 tablespoon of this oil to a large (high sided) non-stick skillet. Over medium high heat, bring the oil to a light shimmer. Next, add the mushrooms and cook (stirring occasionally) until all of the liquid has been absorbed into the mushrooms and they begin to brown. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Finally, add the garlic and thyme and cook until they are fragrant – roughly 30 seconds to one minute. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Nothing smells better than frying up some mushrooms!

In a small bowl, combine the flour and milk. Whisk the mixture until all of the flour has been blended with the milk (I.E. no clumps). Add this mixture to the deep sided skillet you used previously. Stir the mixture constantly on high heat until the milk begins to simmer. At that point, reduce the heat to medium low and allow the mixture to simmer until it thickens. Be sure to stir occasionally. This process should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

This stage allows you to recreate the classic ‘cream’ flavor that traditional green bean casserole contains. The original version of this dish obtains that flavor from cream of mushroom soup – while that is an easy alternative, you are adding a lot of extra fat and sodium (especially sodium) to the dish. By adding an extra (10 minute) step, you greatly enhance the health aspect of this dish!

Next, add the green beans, mushrooms, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, parsley, nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper to the skillet. Stir the mixture until everything is well combined.

Coat a large (2 quart is ideal) baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon the green bean mixture into the dish and sprinkle the top with the crispy shallots and the remaining parmesan cheese. Place the baking dish into the oven and bake until the cheese is golden brown, roughly 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!



The Results:

In every sense, in flavor and in looks, this is a Green Bean Casserole.  Except it looks nothing like your typical Green Bean Casserole.  The beans aren't drenched in soup and the top of the dish isn't completely coated in fried onions.  Instead, the beans are lightly coated in the thickened milk/flour mixture along with the mushrooms and the top is sprinkled with lightly cooked shallots.  The beans could have used a little bit more time steaming to get a better cooked taste, but the flavor was there and that is what I was aiming for.  This is a great spin on an old Thanksgiving staple!

Thanksgiving Recipes: Corn Bread Edition

The Recipe:  Famous Dave's Copycat Cornbread Muffins
Original Recipe Found In:  Various Sources

What You'll Need:
1 3/4 Cup Cornmeal
1 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Eggs
2/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Shortening
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Whole Milk
1/4 Cup Buttermilk
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
4 Tablespoons Honey

To start, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  If your cornmeal isn't finely ground, almost to a flour-like consistency, grind it in a food processor for five minutes.  This will help the dry ingredients keep the same consistency when mixing.  Pour the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.

In another mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, shortening, and vanilla.  Using an electric mixer, cream these ingredients together until they are well combined.  Next, pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients.  Stir together until smooth.  

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper muffin cups.  We used silicon muffin cups and they pop out the muffins much more easier than paper muffins cups.  Fill each muffin cup until it's 3/4 full with batter.  Place the muffin tins in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Serve with butter and honey and enjoy!

The End Result:

I have been to Famous Dave's Restaurant several times and I always love to have their muffins.  Now, I won't need to go to their restaurant, because these muffins are way better.  The muffins have a little bit of moistness still left in them, even after baking in the oven for 20 minutes.  The sweetness isn't too much, but there is enough there to make it incredibly delicious.  Pairing the muffins with butter and honey is one of the ways we enjoys cornbread muffins, but you can decide what to pair with them.  We love these muffins so much, that I made them twice in a month.  Even if you aren't a cornbread muffin fan, we would definitely recommend that you try these, you won't regret it.


                                                                   **** 


The Recipe: Crispy Cornbread
This is an Out of the Culinary Recipe

What You'll Need:

3/4 Cup Corn Meal (Yellow)
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk*
3 Tablespoons Butter

* Maggie and I are actually slightly lactose intolerant (milk doesn't really 'sit' right with us). So, we don't keep standard milk in our home. Instead we use almond milk (vanilla flavored) - the downside is that almond milk (when flavored) doesn't lend itself to baking. In its place, we used water. If you're using a leaner type of milk (skim, low fat) the difference between milk and water in a recipe is negligible. The only thing your recipe will miss is the fat in the milk (making the bread drier). You can replicate this fat by adding about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the mixture (if you're using water).

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

To begin, combine the dry ingredients (corn meal, flour, brown sugar and baking powder) in a large bowl and whisk until everything is well combined. Next, add the eggs, honey, butter (melted) water (or milk) and whisk until everything is well blended and no lumps remain.

Lightly grease an 8 X 8 baking dish with cooking spray and pour the mixture into the baking pan. Once the dough has been evenly distributed into the baking dish, pop the pan into the oven and allow it to cook for about 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and passes the toothpick test. (Stick a toothpick into the center of the bread, if it comes out clean, it's done).

The Results:

I prefer my cornbread to act as a vessel for butter and honey. Sure, the cornbread is great, but slathering it in butter and honey makes it extraordinary. This cornbread recipe created a nice, porous bread that absorbed the melted butter and honey without making a sticky mess or crumbling all over the plate. This is a drier cornbread - but as I said it was sort of designed that way intentionally. If you like to pair your cornbread with chili or simply like to serve it with honey, jelly or other toppings, this recipe works great and can easily be made with things you likely have in your pantry.

Scheduling Announcements

Hello everyone! We wanted to take a moment to announce a slight change to our schedule for the coming weeks. Starting today through November 26th, we're not going to be cooking any new recipes.

You see, it's going to be hard to cook anything when all of your cookware is packed away.

That's right! We're moving!! After living in an apartment for 3 years and cooking out of what is essentially a glorified closet, Maggie and I have purchased a home and will be moving during the week of Thanksgiving.

This does mean that we'll have to shut down the blog for a brief period of time as we switch over to our new home. Don't worry - we're not going silent during this timespan! With the culinary "4th of July" (Thanksgiving) coming up, we're going to be sharing our best turkey day dishes. Over the past two years we've cooked up a variety of side dishes and other fall themed treats and we're going to use these two weeks of downtime to share them once again.

As always, stay tuned to our Twitter feed or Facebook page to keep up to date on our new posts. We'll be back to cooking brand new dishes on the week of 11/26.

We'll likely start the week out with a "tour" of our new cooking digs and give everyone an idea of the change we're making in cooking space (hint: it's huge). Stay tuned next week for some revisits of old holiday favorites. Until then,

~Cheers

Hearty Autumn Flavors into One Dish

Good evening everyone!  As it starts to feel more like fall-winter outside (where it's mild weather, but the temperature starts to cool way down,) I love to create dishes that take a little bit more effort to create.  The hearth created by these kinds of dishes fills my belly and soul, that's why I continue to say that Fall/Winter cooking is the best.  Tonight's dish is no exception:  a hearty dish that takes quite a bit of effort to create with the end result being incredibly comforting.

The Recipe:  Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, November 2012

What You'll Need:
4 Ounces uncooked wide Egg Noodles*
1 Pound skinless, boneless Chicken Breast halves
2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour, divided
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
1 Tablespoon minced fresh Garlic
1 (8 ounce) package presliced Mushrooms
1/2 Cup dry White Wine
1/2 Cup fat-free, lower-sodium Chicken Broth
1 Teaspoon chopped fresh Tarragon
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded


*Note:  I am using remaining fettuccini noodles that we had left in our pantry.

To start, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions, omitting any salt or oil when cooking.  When the noodles are done cooking, drain in a colander and keep warm.  Meanwhile, cut the chicken breasts into one inch pieces and place in a shallow dish.  In a small bowl, combine one tablespoon of flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.  Sprinkle the chicken with the flour combination and toss to coat.

Next, heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add one tablespoon of oil to the pan and swirl to coat.  Add the coated chicken and cook until all the sides are brown, about four to six minutes, depending on how strong your stovetop is.  We have found that our stovetop take a little bit longer to cook, so we have to make alterations to our recipes when cooking anything on a stovetop.

After the chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and keep warm in a pan.  Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan.  Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until all the liquid evaporates, about three minutes.  After the mushrooms are cooked, add the wine and cook for one minute.  Add the remaining one tablespoon of flour and stir constantly for one minute.  Finally, add the broth, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, and continue to stir the sauce frequently until it has thickened slightly.

After the sauce is cooked, add the chicken back to the pan, cover with a lid and cook for two minutes.  Once this is finished, uncover the skillet and continue to cook the chicken until done, about one minute.  Stir in the noodles and tarragon and make sure it is heated throughout.  Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

This recipe was the perfect accumulation of all the savory flavors you could meld into one dish.  The chicken, mushrooms, and pasta were coated in this great sauce that had hints of garlic, wine, and chicken broth.  Although we used dried tarragon, using fresh would have really amped up the flavor of the entire dish.  Adding the Parmesan cheese at the end rounded out a really great dish that gives that exemplifies the term hearth.

Stop by tomorrow as we share our Thanksgiving schedule for the blog.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Getting Creative With A Classic

Good evening everyone! November is one of our favorite culinary times of year. Stews, soups, pot pies and other warm, filling dishes are all in season and just begging to be cooked up. This week, as I was scanning our usual sources of inspiration I stumbled across a dish that got my creative juices flowing.

In this month's Food Network Magazine was a recipe for Slow Cooker Sauerbraten - what intrigued me was the idea they had one recipe later. They used the leftovers from this dish and created a casserole (resembling a pot pie) with a creamed corn topping. While the original recipe was a bit more demanding (long "need" list at the grocery) than I wanted to take on, I decided that I would take the ideas from these recipes and apply them to my own creation.

Lets get cooking!

The Recipe: Creamed Corn Pot Pies
This is an Out of the Culinary Original Recipe

What You'll Need:
(Serves 4)

12 - 18 Ounces Stewing Beef or Beef Tips
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Cup Red Wine
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Cup Low Sodium Beef Broth
1 Small Bag Frozen Vegetable Medley (Carrots, corn, peas - etc.)
8 - 10 Ounces Cubed Butternut Squash*

* Most grocery stores have already cut and cubed butternut squash in their frozen sections or in a refrigerator cabinet next to the produce.

To begin, preheat your oven to 300 degrees or find a 4 quart slow cooker.

Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium high heat and warm the oil until it begins to shimmer slightly. Once shimmering, add the beef (seasoned with salt and pepper) to the Dutch oven and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the outsides of the beef are browned.

(You'll want to brown the beef here as the searing creates a barrier that keeps the beef's natural juices in during the cooking process.)

Next, add the tomato past, red wine, red wine vinegar and beef broth to the pot and give the mixture a good stir. Bring the mixture to a light simmer before adding the frozen veggies and the cubed butternut squash. Stir the mixture again before placing the lid on your Dutch oven and moving the pot into the oven for 3 to 5 hours. (If you're using a slow cooker, transfer the contents of the dutch oven to the slow cooker and allow the mixture to cook on low for 5 to 8 hours).

While you're beef and veggies are cooking - you can turn your attention to the creamed corn. Now, you certainly can you canned corn for this recipe - but in my experience I've found canned creamed corn to be lacking flavor and full of sodium. Instead of using a subpar ingredient, I found a recipe from Alton Brown that should give us a whole lot better result.

The Recipe: "Better Than Granny's" Creamed Corn
Original Recipe From: Alton Brown

What You'll Need:

1 Small Onion (Diced)
1 Tablespoon Butter
8 Ears of corn (Kernels removed - alternatively, you can use frozen corn)
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Yellow Cornmeal
1 Cup Heavy Cream

Melt the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook the onions until they "sweat" and become translucent. This takes about 3 minutes.

Next, add the corn to the saucepan (including any of the "juices" from the corn - if you cut it off the cob) and allow it to simmer for 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar in and stir well. Add the cornmeal and whisk well to make sure it is evenly incorporated. Finally, add the heavy cream and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Store your creamed corn in the refrigerator until you're ready to finish preparing your dish.

After your stew has had all afternoon to...well...stew, remove it from the oven and give the mixture a good stir. Increase the oven heat to 400 degrees.

Carefully spread your creamed corn from earlier across the top of the stew. (You're essentially creating a lid with the corn). Once all of the corn has been spread across the top of the stew, place the Dutch oven back into the oven (no lid this time) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the creamed corn has browned slightly. Serve and enjoy!


The Results:

First and foremost - hats off to Mr. Alton Brown as his creamed corn recipe is simply extraordinary. If you take nothing away from the main recipe, at the very least you have to try this creamed corn dish for yourself. It's the perfect blend of sweet corn with a creamy base - in a word - outstanding.

This delicious corn recipe coincided with my country stew recipe beautifully. Allow the corn to bake for 30 minutes really helped create a traditional pot pie "lid" giving the dish a nice, slightly crunchy crust. The sweet / rich harmony of the creamed corn topping blended beautifully with the hearty stew flavors creating a brand new blending that I've never tasted in a pot pie before.

This recipe is perfectly suited for these cool fall days. It's warm, filling and full of flavor. Give this one a try and you're sure to love it too!

That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie will take to the kitchen Thursday night with a brand new dish of her own. Stop in then to see what she has cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Experimenting with the Classics

Good evening everyone!  Here on the blog, we like to try different variations of the same recipe, most notably the breaded chicken dish or the white fish variant.  While we have tried the various different meats, we haven't dabbled a whole lot into pasta.  We have tried this dish before, but we haven't tried "the classic" version of this...until tonight.

The Recipe:  Classic Spaghetti Carbonara
Original Recipe Found On:  www.foodnetwork.com

What You'll Need:
1/2 Pound Bacon, chopped
1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
1 Pound dry Spaghetti
4 large Eggs
1 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Teaspoon dried Parsley leaves

To start, bring a large pot of water to boil.  Once the water is boiling, gently slide the dry spaghetti noodles in the boiling water and cook to package directions indicate al dente.  Once cooked, pour the spaghetti into a colander, shake to remove excess water, and set aside.

Next, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped bacon and cook the bacon until crispy, about six minutes.  I prefer my bacon to be slightly undercooked, not extra crispy, so it'll be cooked less than six minutes.  Remove the bacon and place on paper towel lined plates.  Pour three tablespoons of the bacon grease into a small container.  Remove the rest of the grease from the skillet and reintroduce the bacon grease.

Nothing is quite like bacon cooking in a skillet...

Add the minced garlic to the skillet and season with black pepper.  Saute the garlic and pepper until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the bacon and pasta to the skillet.  Stir this mixture for one minute until everything is mixed through.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs until they are well mixed and season with salt.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs to the pan.  Whisk the eggs, bacon, and pasta until the eggs thicken, but not scramble.  Add the cheese and reseason with salt and pepper.  Pour into serving bowl, sprinkle with the parsley flakes, serve, and enjoy!

Cheeeeese

The End Result:

The classic version of carbonara is exactly that: tried, true, and classic.  The fact of using eggs and cheese really adds a creaminess to the dish that can't be topped with any sauce either handmade or in a jar.  Also, it is such an easy process to create the sauce that it's a delight when you're in the kitchen.  Bacon makes any recipe delicious and tonight is no exception.  Normally, bacon doesn't go into pasta dishes, but this tops the cake of any bacon/pasta combinations out there.  Overall, a great base recipe that can have all sorts of variations - it's all up to the imagination to experiment with other ingredients to create a great dish.

That's all we have for you this week.  Join us next week as we journey into another batch of recipes.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Lemon Thyme Chicken With Oven Baked Risotto

Good evening everyone! Risotto is an often used base to many of our recipes. This creamy concoction, made from Arborio rice and a broth base (usually chicken but vegetable is acceptable as well) blends the properties of rice with the consistency of pasta – which is why it works so well as a foundation for many dishes.


The downside to risotto is that it is a time consuming dish. (The ‘diva’ of the cooking world, if you will). Risotto takes 30 minutes at least to complete and much of that time must be spent stirring monitoring the rice so it doesn’t stick and making sure it cooks evenly. (For those that are fans of Food Network’s “Chopped” –you may recall that many chefs try to make risotto during the entrée round – and the judges cringe because risotto ALWAYS takes a little more than 30 minutes from start to end – time the chefs on that show typically do not have).

This week, as I was taking stock of our pantry and trying to create a recipe for this week (more on that a little later on) I saw our Arborio rice and thought “Risotto!” I didn’t really feel like babysitting the dish, however, and decided to find an alternative method for cooking risotto.

I found a few different ways before finally settling on a process I felt comfortable with. By pulling out a few more ingredients from the freezer and pantry, I had a full blown recipe just waiting to be made. Let’s get cooking!

The Recipe: Lemon Thyme Chicken With Oven Baked Risotto
This is an Out of the Culinary Original Recipe!

What You’ll Need:
(Serves 4)

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (Cooked)*
1 Cup Arborio Rice
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 ½ Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Small Red Onion (Diced)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil (2 Teaspoons Dried)
Shredded Mozzarella



* You can choose to cook your chicken breasts however you’d like. Grill them, pan fry, oven roast – it doesn’t matter how you get there, just get them to the cooked stage. For this dish, I wrapped our chicken breasts in individual foil pouches and added a splash of lemon juice with a few sprigs of thyme. I placed the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and baked them in the oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. This flavor combination blends well with the risotto we’re making – but you’re free to be creative with this aspect of the recipe.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

To begin, add the unsalted butter to a large oven safe baking dish or Dutch oven. Pop the baking dish into the oven (covered) for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the butter to melt. Next, add the risotto, red onion (and yellow onion works too – you just won’t have as much color in your dish) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Finally, add the chicken broth and give everything a soft stir to incorporate all of the ingredients.

Once everything is mixed, place the lid back on the baking dish and return the dish to the oven. Allow the risotto to cook for 35 minutes undisturbed.

After 35 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven and use a wooden spoon to fluff up the risotto (it’s going to look flat and dehydrated – but resist the urge to add more fluids right away). After you “fluff” the risotto give it a taste – it should be creamy and soft. If it’s at all chewy or otherwise undercooked, add a splash of chicken broth and return it to the oven for 5 minutes. (It shouldn’t be undercooked, however).

Once your risotto is creamy and soft, add in the shredded mozzarella (the amount is based on your own preferences) stir the cheese in until it’s fully melted. Finally, add in the basil and stir until it’s incorporated.

Spoon the risotto onto your plates and top with sliced pieces of your cooked chicken breasts. Top this with a sprinkling of cheese (if it goes with the preparation of your chicken – if the flavor clashes, obviously omit that last step). Serve and enjoy!

The Results:

The big question here was “Will this new cooking method take the fuss out of risotto?” I’m happy to say that the answer is a resounding yes. 35 minutes in the oven and the risotto was creamy and smooth just like I spent 30 minutes babysitting it on the stove top. While it’s probably not fast enough for you to cook up risotto on “Chopped”, it is a relatively low maintenance way to make a great recipe base.

Combined with a flavorful cut of chicken breast, this recipe is low cal, low sodium and high flavor.

That’s all we have for you this week. We’re back next week with some more new recipes and culinary adventures.

One last thing – I alluded to us clearing up the panty earlier in this post – there is a method for our madness; one that we will be revealing next week. Until then,

~Cheers

Add A Little "Pepian" To Dinner

Good evening everyone! We've said it countless times on the blog - and I'll say it again tonight, there's nothing like breading to completely change a dish. From basic whitefish fillets to chicken pieces to whatever you can dream up, adding a basic layer of breading turns an otherwise ordinary dish into something a little more special.

Up until this point, we thought we had tried nearly everything there was to offer when it came to the wide world of breading. From panko to almonds to standard bread crumbs, if it's a potential breading component, we've given it a shot. My recipe tonight takes a breading we've used before (cornbread) and applies it to chicken while pairing it with a unique hispanic inspired sauce. Just when we thought we'd done it all - we find something new! Let's get cooking!

The Recipe: Cornmeal Crusted Chicken With Pepian Sauce
Original Recipe From: Eatingwell.com

What You'll Need:
(Serves 4)

4 Tomatillos (Husked and rinsed) OR 4 Roma Tomatoes (Diced)
1/4 Cup Diced Onion
4 Tablespoons Pepitas (Pumpkin seeds - check your bulk grain aisle)
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 Garlic Clove (Peeled)
1/2 Cup Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Low Fat Sour Cream
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (Pounded to 1/4 inch thickness)
1 Large Egg White
2 Tablespoons Water
1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
3 Teaspoons Canola Oil (Divided)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

To begin, place your tomatillos (green Spanish tomatoes - or simply use Roma if you can't find tomatillos) in a food processor along with the garlic, broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons of the pepitas and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro. Pulse until the mixture is smooth. Transfer this mixture to a small sauce pan and cook over medium high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to approximately 3/4 of a cup and has thicken to a paste like substance. Once thickened, remove the sauce from heat and stir in the sour cream. Set this sauce aside.

While you sauce is cooking, begin breading your chicken breasts. Begin by whisking the egg white and water together in a small bowl. Meanwhile, place the cornmeal on a shallow plate, season with a pinch of salt and whisk together. As we've done countless times before on breading recipes, construct an assembly line with your ingredients. (Egg white mixture, followed by the bread crumbs and finally the plate.)

Dip the breasts into the egg white mixture, allowing the excess to drip off, then roll them in the cornmeal, ensuring that all sides and crevices of the breast are evenly covered.

Next, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of canola oil to a large (12 inch) non stick skillet and bring the oil to a shimmer over medium high heat. Place two chicken pieces in the oil and cook until the cornmeal breading turns golden brown - approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, wipe out the skillet and repeat the process above to finish cooking all of the chicken.

Now, for some reason every cookbook and cooking website out there seems to think 5-10 minutes on a stovetop completely cooks a piece of chicken. I don't know about the rest of you, but we've NEVER had that work. Each time, the chicken is vastly undercooked and usually needs a lot more skillet time. I know that thickness of the chicken breast has a lot to do with this, but even when we've beaten our chicken to paper thin levels, we've never hit 165 degrees after only 5 to 10 minutes. That's why I'm adapting this recipe and adding another step.

Place a wire baking rack on top of rimmed baking sheet. Place your breaded (and browned) chicken on this baking rack and into the 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Check the chicken's internal temperature with an instant read thermometer - once you hit 165 degrees, serve with the sauce you cooked up earlier (top with the extra peptias) and enjoy!

The Results:

Breading continues to be a way to add a little flair to any weeknight meal. The combination of a nice crunchy out shell and tender moist chicken underneath is always going to a great result on your plate. The pepian sauce, however, was a little 'off'. The pepitas add a nice nutty flavor to the tomato base and the sour cream completely changes the complexion of the final flavor. The end result is a sauce that is 'okay' but not quite what this chicken needs. I'm surprised because all of the reviews of this recipe online lauded the 'amazing' sauce. Maggie and I were less than impressed. I'd like to return to this recipe and use pepitas - but tweak the sauce's other inputs to create a new flavor. All in all, this is still a good dish - even with the sauce being a little "off".

That's all we have for you this week, we're back next week with yet another set of brand new recipes. Until then,

~Cheers

Fresh Flavors from Our Pantry

Good evening everyone!  It's great when you can look inside a pantry and immediately find items that you can combine and create something great.  Tonight is no exception: with one look to our pantry and one look to our freezer, I picked out two items that I might thought would go together.  With a little brainstorming, and a few more ingredients added to the pot, I whipped up something delicious that wasn't too much on our grocery bill.

The Recipe:  Orecchiette with Turkey and Pesto
Another Out of the Culinary original!

What You'll Need:
(serves two)

8 Ounces Orecchiette
1 Pound Ground Turkey
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic, minced
1/3 Cup premade Pesto
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

To start, bring a medium saucepan with water to boil over medium high heat.  Once the water is at a boil, add the orecchiette and cook to package directions, anywhere between 10-15 minutes, depending on size of the pasta.  Once cooked, drain the pasta in a colander.  Shake the excess water from the orecchiette and keep in the colander.

Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Once the pan is heated, add the minced garlic and saute the garlic until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.  After this, add the ground turkey and cook.  If you haven't cooked with ground turkey, it won't brown up like ground beef.  Instead, it will become sort of a gray color.  Don't let this dismay you, this is the color it's supposed to look like.  Also, turkey will take a little bit shorter than ground beef to cook, about 10-12 minutes.  Definitely keep an eye on it, because you don't want your turkey to go brown.

After the turkey is cooked, add the pasta to the skillet and stir.  Add the pesto and Parmesan cheese to this combination and stir again until everything is well combined.  Turn the heat to low and let this mixture have the opportunity to meld all the flavors, about three minutes.  Top with extra Parmesan cheese (if you choose,) serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

The flavors from this recipe are incredibly delectable and very easy on the palette.  The pesto isn't too heavy in this dish, which I was surprised, because I was going to add more, but the 1/3 cup was just the right amount of pesto.  Also, the cheese amount was great as well - letting the dish meld at the end let the cheese melt and it was extremely delicious.  The orecchiette captured bits of both the pesto and the turkey and made every bite very yummy.  Overall, a great dish with ingredients that were already available and were ready to be made into something delicious!

Join us Thursday as Tyler takes on a not-so typical breaded chicken dish.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Going Cuban, Without The Travel

Good evening everyone! We have a multitude of reasons for trying out a dish on the blog – it’s healthy, it looks good, it’s a challenge – but every now and again we try our a recipe simply because we’ve never had it before. That’s the case with my recipe tonight. I was browsing for recipes last week and stumbled across a dish titled “Stuffed Pork Chop Sandwiches”. Further browsing revealed that this sandwich was a simple adaptation on the classic ‘Cuban’ sandwich.


I’ve never had a Cuban sandwich before and was interested in giving it a try. For those who are in the same place I am, a Cuban sandwich is a blending of ham, Swiss cheese and a dill pickle. It can be accompanied by mustard, lettuce and tomato and is typically pressed and cooked on a griddle to fuse everything together.

Tonight’s dish takes that concept and flips the ham for a pork chop – thereby reducing the sodium intake, and creating a heartier sandwich. Let’s get cooking and find out just what this Cuban sandwich has to offer!


The Recipe: Stuffed Pork Sandwiches (AKA Pork Chop Cuban Sandwich)
Original Recipe Found On: Eatingwell.com

What You’ll Need:
(Serves 2 but easily adapted to any number)

2 X 4 Ounce Boneless Pork Chops (1/2 inch thick, trimmed of fat)
1 Slice Swiss Cheese (Cut in half)
2 Dill Pickle Slices*
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
2 Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns (Toasted)
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 Slices Tomato
1 Romaine Lettuce Leaf (Cut in half)

* Pickle manufacturers / sellers make a “hamburger” style pickle that is flat (also known as a sandwich pickle) that’s the kind you’ll need for this recipe.

If you’re using a thick cut pork chop, begin by butterflying the pork chop with a sharp chef’s knife. To butterfly the pork chop simply slice the chop through the center, cutting all the way from one edge to within ¼ inch of the other edge, spread the chop open like a book.

The pork chops we’re using this evening are fairly thing and butterflying them would be a) difficult and b) unnecessary (you’re butterflying them to speed up cooking – when they’re thin, they’ll already cook fast). So, we’re not butterflying our chops. Depending on the thickness of your chops you may not have to either.

If you’ve butterflied your chops, the original recipes calls for you to put the half cheese slice inside the chop and press it back together (like closing a book). I’m going to argue against this due to the simple laws of physics. That cheese is going to melt prior to the chop being done and odds are the cheese is going to ooze out from inside the chop while cooking. The cheese will burn, you’ll have a gooey mess in the pan and it won’t be a very fun time.

Instead, if you’re butterflying your chops or not, simple season both sides of the pork chop with salt and pepper (close the ‘book’ if you’re butterflying) and heat your canola oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers lightly. Cook the pork chop for 3 to 5 minutes per side until it’s golden brown and cooked through.

During the final minutes of cooking, carefully pop open the pork chop (with a spatula or tongs!) and insert the cheese slice in the center. Close the chop and allow the cheese to melt while the pork chop finishes cooking. The cheese should melt within a minute or so – and by adding it at the end, you’re making sure the cheese stays INSIDE the chop. Alternatively, for those not butterflying, simply add the half cheese slice to the top of the chop and allow it to melt.

Begin constructing your sandwich by spreading the Dijon mustard on the toasted bun, add the chop, top it with the pickle, lettuce and tomato and serve!


The Results:

As I mentioned in the opening, I’ve never tried a Cuban sandwich before, but if this adapted version of the recipe is any indicator I think I like them. Pork chops and Dijon mustard go well together, they’re classic flavors that blend beautifully on this bun. The nice twist is the addition of the creamy Swiss cheese and the bite of the dill pickle. All the flavors work well together and create a flavorful little adventure on a bun. At only 350 calories per serving, this is a quick, easy and healthy weeknight dish that the whole family can enjoy.

That’s all we have for you this week. We’re back next week with more recipes and adventures. Until then,

~Cheers

Savory, Yet Simple

Good evening everyone!  A few weeks ago, we introduced you to the multifaceted ingredient known as couscous.  No matter what you put with it, it seems to enhance the other ingredients it surrounds.  As we continue to experiment with this versatile ingredient, it'll always be exciting to see what will turn out and tonight we will continue to find brand new ways to showcase this simple, yet extraordinary ingredient.

The Recipe:  Chicken Sausage with Whole Wheat Couscous
An Out of the Culinary Original!

What You'll Need:
1 Cup Whole Wheat Couscous
1 Cup Vegetable Broth
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3/4 Cup sliced Chicken Sausage
1 Onion, chopped
1 1/4 Cup Chicken Broth

To start, prepare the couscous with the vegetable broth according to package directions.  This typically involves combining the liquid (in most cases, it would be water, but for tonight, it's vegetable broth,) two tablespoons of butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bringing this to a boil.  Once this combination is at a boil, remove from heat.  Pour the dry couscous into the sauce pan.  Stir until everything is well mixed.  Cover the sauce pan and let stand for five minutes.  Fluff the couscous with a fork and you're read to serve!

Next, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Stir fry the chicken sausage until lightly browned, about three to four minutes.  Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate.  Add the onion to the oil left in the skillet and cook for five to six minutes, until the onions begin to soften.  Pour in the chicken broth and return the chicken sausage back to the skillet and simmer for two minutes.

Stir fried chicken sausage - tasty!

Spoon this mixture over the couscous, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

The entire dish had an incredible savory flavor to it.  I think this was mostly in part to the vegetable broth we use for the couscous.  Those little buggers soaked up all that flavor from the broth and retained it for the dish.  Using the chicken sausage also amped up the savory flavor.  There were versions of this dish that included chorizo, but I thought it would give too much heat for this simplistic dish.  The chicken sausage gave it a boost of flavor, without knocking your socks off.  Overall, a great and simple recipe to add to your menu any night of the week.

Join us Thursday as Tyler takes a new approach to a classic sandwich.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Stroganoff With A Twist

Good evening everyone! As Maggie mentioned earlier this week, we try very hard here to find recipes that are not only good – but good for you. The balance between flavorful and healthy is a fine line, one that some people don’t exactly believe in (I.E. you can’t have anything that tastes good if it’s healthy). As Maggie showed with her flavorful turkey burgers and I hope to show with my dish tonight, flavorful meals with low caloric intake are not actually that scarce. Just like Maggie’s recipe earlier this week, I’m taking a traditionally popular dish – stroganoff – and making it a whole lot healthier. Let’s get cooking!

The Recipe: Chicken Stroganoff

Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Magazine October 2012 Issue

What You’ll Need:

(Serves 4)

12 Ounces Egg Noodles

3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1 Small Onion (Chopped)

4 Ounces White Mushrooms (Approximately 2 Cups)

1 ½ Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs (Cut into chunks)

2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Paprika

1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

½ Cup Low Fat Sour Cream (Plus additional for serving)

2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsely

Begin by preparing your egg noodle according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside until needed.

While you noodles are cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large (12 inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it becomes slightly soft (this takes about 2 minutes). Next, add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to lightly brown. (Depending on the heat of your skillet, this will take between 2 and 5 minutes).

Once the mushrooms have begun to brown, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the chicken chunks, flour, paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Cook this mixture, making sure to stir frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Finally, add the Worcestershire sauce and the chicken broth. Allow the mixture to come to a light simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, which will take around 5 minutes. Next, stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper as needed. Allow this mixture to simmer for an additional 2 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (use an instant read thermometer if you’re unsure – remember, you’re looking for 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken).

Once the chicken is cooked through, spoon the mixture over the egg noodles you prepared earlier and top with sour cream and a sprinkle of paprika. Enjoy!

The Results:

Stroganoff is a great fall dish; it’s warm and filling, making it the perfect companion to cool fall evenings. This chicken stroganoff is a wonderful adaptation to the traditional beef dish. The rich and creamy sauce compliments the chicken and egg noodles while the paprika adds just enough kick to spice up the flavor. At only 500-600 calories per serving (depending on portion size) this is a relatively low calorie option for the fall time menu.

That’s all we have for you this week. We’re back next week with more brand new recipes and culinary adventures. Until then,

~Cheers