to-meater pasta

1/2 pkg fettuccini pasta (dry)

1/2 lb hot jimmy dean sausage

1 pkg cherry tomatoes or small snacking tomatoes

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp Garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg 

Olive oil

Chipotle (optional), 1/4 tsp or more

Parmesan cheese

Cook fettuccine according to directions in pkg. In a separate skillet - cook the sausage. Drain the pasta and shock with cold water. Drain the sausage on paper towels. In the pan the sausage cooked in: add the cream, garlic powder and nutmeg. Simmer until heated through. Add the tomatoes, 1 tsp of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add chipotle, if desired. Continue to simmer stirring occasionally. 

Combine pasta, cream with tomatoes and sausage. Divide among two plates and top with Parmesan cheese. 

[baja chicken chalupa]

We used to love one thing at Taco Bell, and then they discontinued it… the Baja Chicken/Steak Chalupa. We finally missed it enough to clone it.

Makes 5 chalupas

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
Fajita seasoning
Olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp red onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
Northwoods Fire Seasoning
Lettuce, shredded
1/2 tomato, diced
1 Tbsp white onion, diced
Colby jack cheese, shredded
5 flatbreads

Directions:
Pound the chicken breasts to 1/4" thickness. Sprinkle with a generous covering of fajita seasoning. Sauté in olive oil on med/high heat. Flip when browned and sauté other side. Wrap chicken in foil pouch and let sit for 20 minutes until juices run clear.

baja sauce

Meanwhile, make Baja sauce: combine bell pepper, red onion and garlic. Add mayonnaise and red wine vinegar until desired consistency. Add one shake of fajita seasoning and 2 shakes of northwoods fire seasoning. Stir and adjust seasonings as desired. Let sit.

Brush olive oil on one side of each piece of flatbread. Heat griddle or panini maker and grill flatbread, rotating once, until golden brown and slightly crunchy on oiled side. Let sit.

Combine tomato and white onion. Let sit.

cubed chicken

When chicken juices run clear, cube chicken. Assemble chalupas: flatbread (crunchy side down), shredded lettuce, chicken, Baja sauce (Tbsp per chalupa), tomato and white onion, shredded cheese.

Enjoy.

[crustless spinach quiche]

a full pie of awesome

Yields 6 servings (can easily be chilled and enjoyed in about a week)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

5 eggs, beaten

3 cups shredded Muenster Cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.  

Heat oil  in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft.  Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper.  Add spinach mixture and stir to combine.  Scoop into prepared pie pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: For individual servings - distribute the spinach mixture into a greased muffin pan.  Each muffin tin should be a little less than half full.  

You can also use any other additional vegetables you want like mushrooms, sliced red pepper, scallions, green olives, tomatoes.  Feel free to mix up the cheese too - it's really just according to your preference.

[minestrone w/ turkey meatballs]

This is just the 'easy minestrone' recipe with turkey meatballs, but it makes a world of difference and it's amazingly good.  You're welcome

The soup: based on Nigella Lawson's 'Minestrone in Minutes'

The balls: based on Giada De Laurentiis' 'Mini Turkey Meatballs'

Serves 2-3

Turkey Meatball Ingredients:

1/2 small onion, grated or finely chopped

1 1/2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 large egg

1/8 cup dried bread crumbs

1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup

small handful of fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped.  (or a large pinch of dry)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 pound extra lean ground Turkey (I use the 99% fat free stuff)

2 Tbsp olive oil

Meatball Directions:

(These can be prepared ahead of time and then chill in the fridge for a day or two before you make the soup.)

 

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, parsley, Parmesan, salt & pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large plate or baking sheet. 

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan, or electric skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. (Note to self - turkey browns quickly - turn often).  Turn off heat. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel covered plate.

Let the meatballs sit and prepare the soup...

Soup Ingredients: 

Meatballs

1 14-oz can Cannellini beans

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup tomato-based pasta sauce, I use Prego Traditional

4 oz ditalini passta

Red Pepper flakes, optional

Soup Directions:

Bring the chicken broth and the pasta sauce to a boil in a large saucepan.  Drain the beans and add them to the broth. Carefully add the meatballs and bring the pan to a boil and then add the ditalini, cooking according to the time on the package instructions.  (Usually 10 minutes).  (Depending on your desired level of spiciness, shake some red pepper flakes into the soup - I usually do about 4-6 shakes).  Once the pasta is tender, switch off the heat, remove the pan to a cool surface and let stand for 10 minutes.   Serve the meatball minestrone with Parmesan, if desired.

[chicken cacciatore]

serves 2 generous servings

serve with garlic bread

Ingredients:

3 skinless chicken breasts

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 (14.5 oz) can whole tomatoes in juice

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or more to taste

Directions:

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a saute pan, or large electric skillet, over moderately-high heat.  Brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes.  Remove the chicken.  

Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown.  Add the wine and the garlic, cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and juice, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and simmer on low heat,  covered for 10 minutes.  Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer on low heat, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 20 minutes longer.

[Tacos Carne Asada w/ Pico De Gallo]

Based on recipe by Tyler Florence

Makes 8 (very filling) tacos (we could only eat 3 each). 
We had leftover carne asada we used for burritos and sandwiches.

Tacos:
2 pounds flank or skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat
1 recipe Mojo, recipe follows
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 (7-inch) corn tortillas
Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce, for serving
Diced white onion, for serving
Shredded Colby Jack cheese, for serving
Pico de Gallo, recipe follows
2 limes, cut in wedges for serving

Lay the flank steak in a large baking dish and pour the mojo over it. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours, so the flavors can sink into the meat. Don't marinate the steak for more than 8 hours though, or the fibers break down too much and the meat gets mushy.

Preheat an outdoor grill or a ridged grill pan over medium-high flame (you can also use a broiler). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Pull the steak out of the mojo marinade and season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill (or broil) the steak for 7 to 10 minutes per side, turning once, until medium-rare. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable.
 

To make the tacos, stack up 2 of the warm tortillas, lay about 4 ounces of beef down the center, and sprinkle with some lettuce, onion, and cheese. Top each taco with a spoonful of the Pico de Gallo salsa and garnish with lime wedges. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Mojo:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
In a bowl, mash together the garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, and pepper to make a paste.  Add the lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, and oil. Whisk it up really well to combine.

Pico De Gallo:
2 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/3 medium red onion, chopped

1 green onion, white and green parts, sliced
1 Jalapeno chile, minced
1 small handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together. Toss thoroughly. Let it sit for 15 minutes hour to allow the flavors to marry.
Yield: 1 cup

[fish tacos]

based on Bobby Flay's Fish Taco recipe

4 small servings, (side dish needed), or 2 large servings (no side dish needed)

1 pound white flaky fish, we used mahi mahi
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 flour tortillas

garnish:

Shredded white cabbage
Fresh cut limes
Crema or sour cream
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced green onion
Chopped cilantro leaves

shredded cheese, we use aged smoked cheddar and spotted cow cheddar
Pureed Tomato Salsa, recipe below

pureed salsa:

2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 serrano chile
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium high heat, add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Lower heat to medium and add tomatoes, serrano and jalapeno and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the mixture with a hand-held immersion blender (or in a couple batches in a blender), until smooth and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Add the hot sauce, oregano, cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Set aside to bring to room temperature.  (There will be leftovers of this - so be sure to have some chips on hand for the next day).

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, ancho, jalapeno, and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove the fish from the marinade place onto a hot grill, flesh side down. Grill the fish for 5 minutes on the first side and then flip for 2 minutes, or until fish is cooked and beginning to flake, and remove. Let rest, covered with foil for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork and remove any bones and skin.  Place the tortillas on the grill and grill for 20 seconds. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.

[tuna melt panini]

2 (5 ounce) cans solid white tuna in water, drained

2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (1 stalk)
2 green onions, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
3/4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
4 slices wheat bread

4 slices ripe tomato

4 slices Swiss cheese

Combine the tuna, mayo, celery, onion, parsley, vinegar salt and pepper.   Toast the bread, or place in panini maker until golden brown.  Spread tuna on two pieces of bread.  Divide each slice of cheese into two triangles and place two triangles on each sandwich.  Place 1 tomato slice on each piece of cheese and top with remaining 4 triangles of cheese, one on each tomato.  Assemble sandwich with other piece of bread and place in panini maker until golden brown.  Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

[frontega chicken panini]

Frontega Chicken @ Panera

We used to get this sandwich at Panera - but then they changed their bread so it didn't taste like foccacia bread, but cardboard... so we've missed it.  Now we have the panini maker and I thought I'd give it a shot and as Ben said "Nailed It!"  We're happily basking in the afterglow of a full meal, so I better write this down before I forget what I created...

Chipotle Mayo: (eyeball these amounts)

1/4 cup mayo

1 tsp ground chipotle

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried rosemary

Mix together and adjust to personal taste - cover and place in fridge until ready to use.

2 chicken breasts

3 slices mozzarella

red onion 

foccacia round - about 8" (our local Target sells these rounds that have Parmesan and tomatoes on top -we use that)

Salt and pepper

Olive Oil

In a large skillet, heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.

Pound chicken breasts to about 1/2 or 1/4" thickness.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in hot skillet.  Flip chicken when side is golden brown.  Prepare a large square of aluminum foil.  When both sides of chicken are golden brown - place on foil and wrap tightly in a foil "purse".  (Note - this means carefully fold the foil so the chicken is well wrapped, but not crushed.  Don't grab the foil and just mush it up - fold it!)  Let the chicken sit for 20 minutes.  

Slice the red onion into very thin slices (you'll need about 6 thin slices of onion, use all of it except the very middle - you want all the circles from each slice).  Set aside.

Cut the foccacia (so you have a top and bottom).

Once the chicken has rested for 20 minutes, remove it from the foil and slice into 1/4" thick strips.  Get the mayo and slather about 1/3 of it onto the bottom piece of the foccacia.  Layer the two chicken breasts, now in strips, on top of the mayo.  Spread out the onion on top of the chicken, try to make it evenly distributed.  Place 3 slices of mozzarella on the chicken.  Slather the top foccacia piece with the rest of the mayo and place on the mozzarella.  Place in a panini maker until cheese is melted.

[bruschetta]

1 baguette
1 1/2 lbs ripe plum tomatoes (about 8-10)
2 tbsp finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced + 1 clove cut in half to rub on bread
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Cut tomatoes in half, squeeze out seeds and juice. Dice tomatoes and put in bowl. Add onion, minced garlic, basil, vinegar and olive oil. Stir and add salt and pepper as desired. Store in fridge for at least 1 hour, up to overnight. Drain most of the liquid and serve at room temperature.

For the bread: Cut baguette into slices. Rub each side with garlic. Broil on a sheet pan in the oven and flip once until each side is golden brown. Serve bread warm or at room temp.

Note: Any extra bruschetta can be used within a week for pasta sauce or marinade for chicken.

[sauteed sweet chicken breasts w/ spicy fresh tomato chutney & white rice]

makes 4 servings 

adapted from Rachael Ray

Tomato chutney is the worst name for a type of food... but I made it and we liked it, and I HATE tomatoes... so that's saying something.

2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
3 tbsp extra-virgin Olive Oil
2 cups white rice
6 plum tomatoes, quartered
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, half of the seeds removed, finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 green onion stalks, finely chopped
1 tbsp honey
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 
Tip:
Get the chicken coated and let it sit before you heat the skillet. While it sits, boil the chicken stock for the rice. When the rice is set and boiling and covered, then heat the chicken's skillet and get them started. While the chicken's cooking & the rice is boiling, direct your attention to the tomato.... or do what you want and have kitchen chaos. 

Chicken:
In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp of Olive Oil, cilantro, green onion, honey and a little salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken breasts (lower heat to medium once they've hit the pan) and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side, until cooked through. While they cook - start the rice. (Keep an eye on the chicken, but make sure it's cooked through. When it's done, set the breasts aside on a serving dish and cover with foil).

Rice:
Bring the chicken broth and a drizzle of Olive Oil to a boil in a medium pot. Add the rice, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook the rice covered, stirring occasionally, for 17-18 minutes, or until tender. Fluff with a fork. 

Tomato:
While the rice cooks, work on the spicy fresh tomato chutney. Heat a medium-size skillet over high heat with a tbsp of Olive Oil. Add the quartered plum tomatoes, cumin, coriander, serrano peppers, shallots, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, stir until garlic is fragrant. Add the sherry vinegar, brown sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and the tomatoes have broken down and are slightly thickened.

Remove the chicken and move to a serving platter.
Top each breast with tomato chutney and serve with the white rice.