Spring is in the air!

Hey guys! So here it is the last of the three blogs in one day! This meal was cooked last Monday night and for this one I actually had to double the recipe due to cooking for 7! On the menu was Spring Chicken Roll-Ups with lemon Dijon Pan Sauce, Blackened Squash, and Spinach with Bacon! Now the only Rachael recipe in this meal are the chicken roll-ups. But the veggies along side go great with them!!

The chicken roll-ups are an interesting dish. It's kind of a light twist on Chicken Cordon Bleu. The first thing to do is to butterfly the chicken breasts making two cutlets out of each breast, and then pound them out. I used a skillet to do this. I would recommend getting a meat mallet, if you are like me and don't have one, and using that. The skillet works but for me I didn't get the cutlets thin enough so the roll-ups wouldn't stay closed. So, I'll be investing in a meat mallet ;)  But I digress. Once you have the cutlets pounded out, you need to blanch the asparagus. Trim the ends off first. Rachael Tip: Take an asparagus spear and hold it at each end. Bend it until it breaks. Line up the other asparagus spears next to the one you broke the end off of and trim the rest of the spears to the same length. This way you have them all the same length and you won't trim them too short! Once they are trimmed you will wanna put a pot of water on to boil. When the water boils, salt the water and drop the asparagus and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Remove it and you are ready to assemble the roll-ups! Season the cutlets with salt and pepper. Then lay on a piece of provolone cheese and prosciutto ham. Take 3 asparagus spears and lay them at the end of the cutlet and roll it up. Once you have them rolled place them in the hot skillet seam-side down and season the outside of the cutlets with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and cook for 4 - 5 minutes and then flip and cook for 4 - 5 minutes more! Once you have them all cooked remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. In the skillet you cooked the roll-ups in, add the butter and melt. Once you have it melted, add the flour and combine it and let it cook for a minute. Then add the chicken stock and Dijon mustard and scrape up the drippings from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce thicken and then remove from heat and add in the lemon zest and juice and parsley and pour over the chicken! I actually add a drizzle of honey to the sauce as well. The first time I made the dish the lemon was a little heavy for me so this time i added the honey to help balance it out. If you don't think you'll like the honey, by all means leave it out!

Now these side dishes are incredibly simple but taste really great! The squash is actually something I learned from my Aunt Lori! Take your squash and slice it fairly thin but not too thin. Heat some EVOO over medium-high heat. Once it's hot drop the squash and season with salt and pepper. I put a lid on it to help draw out the liquids sooner. All you have to do is keep turning the squash as it shrinks down and softens up. You will let the squash till all the liquids have evaporated out of the pan and the squash has browned up at the edges. The slight charred flavor you get compliments the squash perfectly!! Couldn't be any easier!

The squash you've seem me do before. Take 4 - 5 pieces of bacon and chop it up. Add it to a skillet with EVOO over medium-high heat and let it crisp up a few minutes. Wilt in your spinach and season with pepper and nutmeg. Last time I made this I mistakenly added salt and it was too salty with the salt of the bacon there as well. This time, it actually did need a little salt so be sure you taste it before serving and adjust your seasonings. 

This one was a simple one and it was fantastic. This was the first time i've actually doubled a recipe but it came out great. A quick tip. When you are buying your squash or spinach, buy twice as much as you think you need because both are gong to wilt down a good bit. Hope you guys enjoy this one. If you get a chance give it a shot, you'll love it! Just a heads up, it might be a couple weeks before i blog again. With all the gas i'm spending driving to work all the time, it's straining my finances so it might be a few weeks before i cook but rest assured, i'll be back! Enjoy and until next time, Happy Cooking!!

"Spring Chicken Roll-Ups with Lemon Dijon Pan Sauce"

2 (6oz.) Pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 Thin slices provolone cheese
4 Thin slices prosciutto cotto
12 Thin spears asparagus, trimmed of touch stems and blanched in salted water 2 minutes, drained
1 Tbs. EVOO
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 C. chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
½ Lemon, zested and juiced
¼ C. chopped, flat-leaf parsley, a handful
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve the chicken breasts horizontally separating each into 2 cutlets

Place each halved cutlet in an individual freezer plastic storage bag (with slider tab). Add a tablespoon of water to each bag and pound into ⅛-inch thick cutlets

Arrange the 4 cutlets on work surface. Season cutlets with salt and pepper on the side facing up. Cover each piece of chicken with 1 slice cheese and 1 slice ham. Starting on 1 side of the breast, place a small bundle of 3 asparagus spears. Wrap and roll the chicken around the asparagus. Wash hands.

Heat about 1 tablespoon EVOO, a turn of the pan, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, using tongs, add the chicken roll-ups to skillet with seam side down. Season the roll ups with salt and pepper. Cover the pan loosely with tin foil and cook 4 - 5 minutes, turn roll-ups over and cook another 4 - 5 minutes. Remove cooked roll ups to a serving plate. Add 2 tablespoons flour stir in the chicken stock and Dijon mustard, scraping up any drippings from the bottom of the pan, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley and spoon over chicken.

"Blackened Squash"

2 Lbs. squash, sliced

2 Tbs. EVOO

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the EVOO in a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil ripples and wafts smoke, add the squash and season with salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pot to get the liquids out of the squash. Cook the squash, turning every so often until all the liquids evaporate out of the pan and the squash is browned at the edges. Serve as a side dish.

"Sauteed Spinach with Bacon"

1 - 2 Bags triple washed spinach

4 - 5 Slices thick cut bacon, chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg

Salt (if needed) and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Chop the bacon and add into pan to crisp 4 - 5 minutes. Once the bacon is crisped up, start wilting in spinach. Once the spinach is wilted down season with salt (if needed), pepper and nutmeg. 1 teaspoon would be about one turn of the pan freshly grating it. Toss with the spinach and transfer to a serving dish.

Thai that on for size :)

Hello again!! As promised, here is blog 2 of a 3 blog day lol. This one is a new one for me and one that I was a little nervous to try! On the menu was Chicken Satay and Curry Shrimp with Basil-Lime Couscous. First up, the Chicken Satay!

So this was something new for me. I've never made Thai food before but this came out well. First lets talk about the satay sauce. This was actually really simple to make. First, you microwave the apple juice.  This seemed like an odd ingredient to me, but true to form Rachael is right. The apple juice adds just the right amount of sweetness to the sauce. So anyway, microwave it until warm and then combine with the peanut butter, soy and red curry paste. To make the chicken you heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Now, I don't have a grill pan so i just used my skillet with a drizzle of EVOO and it worked fine. Whatever you are using, cook the chicken till it is browned evenly on both sides. Once done, you can serve this as an appetizer with toothpicks. This was really great. I am not really a peanut butter person but the sauce was fantastic and the chicken had a nice flavor to it with the sauce. This ended up getting eaten before i was able to take a picture of it so I apologize :( On to the curry shrimp. 

First things first, heat some vegetable oil over high heat. Add your shrimp and toss it for about 2 minutes. Be sure when you go to the seafood counter at the market to ask for peeled and deveined and make sure that the tails are off. Once the shrimp cooks for a couple minutes, toss it with you shiitakes, garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper and let it go for a few minutes more tossing it the whole time. At this point you will stir in the curry paste, roasted red pepper, and coconut milk. Rachael Tip: Depending on the curry paste you use, the heat level will vary. The thicker and heavier the paste, the more concentrated and hotter the flavor. If it looks looser you can use the whole 2 tablespoons. If it is thicker than you think it should be, use a little less and if it's not hot enough when you test it, add a little more. After you mix in the curry paste, peppers and coconut milk reduce the heat to low. Simmer it a few minutes and add the peas to heat through! While you are cooking the shrimp curry heat the chicken stock, butter and lime zest to a boil. Once it boils add the couscous and stir it in. Turn off the heat and put the lid on it and let it sit for 5 minutes. Once it is done you are ready to serve. To serve this, you can either add the couscous and top with the curried shrimp or you can do the shrimp first and top with couscous. Rachael's tip is too top the shrimp with the couscous so that it doesn't get too soggy sitting under the shrimp. Garnish with chopped peanuts and it's ready to go. Now i made this dish for one of my best friends, Anna! She had never had Thai food before so it was a new experience for her. The recipe actually calls for lettuce to be added into the dish but as i remember from High School, Anna doesn't like lettuce so i omitted that. But by all means, add the lettuce if you want!

This one was another one of those meals that shows how Rachael is great at getting you to try things you hadn't done before. Anna tried a food she had never tried before and i cooked with several ingredients that i had never used before. The meal was great and just another example of how easy it is to make a fantastic meal! Thanks again Rachael! Pics and recipes below. Enjoy!!

"Chicken Satay"

½ C. apple juice, microwaved until warm
¼ - ⅓ C. peanut butter
2 Tbs. soy sauce or tamari, your preference
2 Tsp. red curry paste
8 - 10 chicken tenders (about ¾ - 1 lb total)

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
 

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the apple juice, peanut butter, soy sauce and the red curry paste.
 

Add the chicken tenders to the heated grill and cook about 3 - 5 minutes per side.
Remove from the grill and top with the sauce.

"Thai Shrimp Curry with Chopped Lettuce and Basil-Lime Couscous"

2 Tbs. vegetable or other light oil, eyeball it
1½ Lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
6 Oz., about ⅓ lb, shitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
3 Cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1-Inch ginger root, peeled and grated or finely chopped
4 Scallions, chopped into 1-inch pieces, whites and greens
2 Tbs. mild or hot red curry paste
2 Roasted red peppers, sliced
1 C. “light” or unsweetened coconut milk
1 C. frozen peas
1½ C. chicken stock
1 Tbs. butter
1 Lime, zested and juiced
1½ C. couscous
1 C. shredded fresh basil leaves
2 C. chopped iceberg lettuce, ½ small head
½ C. chopped peanuts, for garnish

Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat. Add shrimp and toss 2 minutes then add the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, scallions, salt and pepper and cook 3 - 4 minutes more tossing constantly. Stir in curry paste, roasted red pepper and coconut milk and reduce heat to low. Simmer a few minutes then stir in peas to heat through.
 
In a sauce pot bring chicken stock, butter and the lime zest to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Turn off heat, cover pot and let stand. Add basil and the lime juice to the pot and fluff with fork.
 
Serve couscous topped with a layer of chopped lettuce then a few ladles of red curry shrimp. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

Now THAT'S a burger!!!

Hello all!! Sorry I've been MIA for the last few weeks. Haven't had a chance to sit down and actually write a blog! But, to make up for it I have 3 blogs to write today!! The first one is one I have made before but it was just as good or better the second time! On the menu was Turkey Bacon Cheese Burgers with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce with Citrus Slaw Salad and Memphis Sweet Potato Fries!!

First up are the burgers. If you've never tried turkey burgers you should definitely give them a shot. It is a different taste and texture but they are fantastic and a healthier alternative to the traditional beef burger! You start out with a couple pounds of ground turkey breast. To the turkey you add chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, lime zest and juice, scallions, salt and pepper. Mix the meat and spices together well. However, you don't wanna over mix the meat it will get too soggy! Once it's mixed score the meat into 4 sections. This way, you get pretty even amount of meat. Out of each section make two patties. The original recipe is for double cheese burgers. The first time i made this meal we did it that way but since we had extra people this time, I decided to just make 8 patties and let everyone have a single burger with a couple patties left over. Rachael Tip: Make the burgers thinner in the middle. When you cook the burgers they will plump it. Making them thinner in the middle will give you a more even burger when they are done. Anyway, after the burgers are pattied out, heat some EVOO in a skillet. Once it ripples and wafts smoke, add the first 4 patties to the skillet. Cook the burgers for 3 - 4 minutes on each side and then remove to a plate and cover with foil. Cook the rest of the burgers the same way. Once done, turn the skillet to  and  top with a slice of pepper jack cheese and a slice of bacon and cover with foil and let cook for about a minute to let cheese melt. Remove patties and add the other patties and do the same with the cheese.

While the patties cook, you heat a tablespoon of oil  in a sauce pot over medium-high heat.  Add in your onions and let them sweat out for a few minutes and then add the salt & pepper, Worcestershire, brown sugar, tomatoes and mustard and let it cook on low. When you are done melting the cheese over the patties, place the patties on a bun and then top with the tomato sauce. The recipe calls for English muffins to place the burgers on, I just used whole-wheat buns. You can use whatever type of bun you want!!

Now lets do the citrus slaw! This couldn't be easier. In a bowl you just combine the orange marmalade, lemon and lime juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Whisk in the EVOO  and then toss the slaw salad mix with it and just let it hang out. Rachael Tip: This is a great slaw to use for a picnic. There is no mayo in it so you can leave it out and not worry about it needing to be kept cold. This one is great with these burgers as well. The citrus is a nice cool-down to the spicy burgers.

Lastly are the sweet potato fries. I absolutely love these! They are really simple to make. First, slice up your sweet potatoes. In a bowl combine the EVOO, cinnamon and paprika. Coat and toss the sweet potatoes in the EVOO mixture and then spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Bake them in the oven for 30 minutes turning them every 10 minutes. These are actually a recipe from The Neely's. But they're great and a nice compliment to this meal!!

Again, you can see why I love Rachael's recipes. This one is healthy and gives you a nice alternative to traditional burgers and slaw. Pics and recipes below. Give this one a try, you'll love it!! Happy Cooking!!!

'Turkey Bacon Double Cheese Burgers with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce"

EVOO, for drizzling plus 1 Tbs.
8 Slices turkey bacon
2½ Lbs. ground turkey breast
2 Green onions, finely chopped
A handful cilantro, leaves finely chopped
1 Tbs. chipotle chili powder
1½ Tsp. smoked sweet paprika
2 Tsp. zest and the juice of 2 limes
1 Purple onion, chopped
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 (15oz.) Can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, lightly drained
2 rounded Tbs. grainy mustard
8 Slices pepper jack cheese, from the deli counter
4 large sandwich size English Muffins, lightly toasted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the turkey bacon. cook until crisp, 3 minutes on each side, remove to plate.

While the bacon cooks, combine the turkey breast, green onions, cilantro, chipotle, paprika, salt and pepper, lime zest and juice. Mix the turkey breast with seasonings and form 4 sections, from each, 2 patties. Place the first 4 patties in the pan; cook 3 - 4 minutes one each side. Remove from the skillet and place onto a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

While the first batch of burgers cook heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and soften 3 - 4 minutes, season with salt and pepper and then add Worcestershire, brown sugar, tomatoes, and mustard. Let sauce cook on low.

Add the second batch of burgers to the skillet and cook 3 - 4 minutes on each side. Top with a slice of cheese and 2 pieces of bacon. Tent skillet with foil and cook on low to moderate heat to melt cheese. About 1 minute

Place burgers on muffin bottoms. Top with bacon double cheese burgers, fire roasted tomato sauce and English muffin top.

"Citrus Slaw"

¼ C. orange marmalade
1 Lemon, juiced
1 Lime, juiced
2 - 3 Tsp. hot sauce
¼ - ⅓ C. EVOO
1 Lb. sack shredded slaw salad mix
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove metal top from jar and loosen the marmalade up in microwave 15 seconds. Spoon loosened marmalade into a bowl then whisk in lemon and lime juice, hot sauce and EVOO. Toss slaw salad with dressing and season with salt and pepper.


"Memphis Sweet Potato Fries"

4 Tbs. EVOO
1 Tsp. paprika
1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into ½-inch wide strips
½ Tsp. salt
2 Tbs. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425° F.

In a large bowl, mix together EVOO, paprika and cinnamon. Toss the potato strips into mixture, to coat well, and spread onto baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and brown sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

Pork and apples...who knew?!

Hello all! Time for the latest in recipe! This one is one of the first Rachael recipes I ever made so thought it was time to make it again and put it in the blog. On the menu was "Uptown Pork Chops and Applesauce: Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Escalloped Apples", "Sauteed vegetable medley" and "Mashed Potatoes".

First up is the pork tenderloin and apples. First thing to do is to get the dry rub together. In a bowl you add together the grill seasoning, lemon zest and chopped thyme leaves. Coat the tenderloin with EVOO and then rub the dry rub onto the pork. Once you get the dry rub coated on the pork, put it into the preheated oven and let it go for 25 minutes. Once it is done, take out, let it rest and then slice it.

The apples are really simple. The recipe calls for  5 but I find that 5 apples were a few too many for me so I would use 3 or 4, but if you want to go ahead and use 5 then by all means, go for it! Once they are sliced, melt the butter in the pan and add the apples. Let the apples go for about 12 - 15 minutes and then add the flour and a pinch of salt. Cook for a minute more and then add the lemon juice and sugar and turn off the heat. Serve the apples down over the sliced pork tenderloin and that's it!!

Now the vegetable medley that goes with this meal is a mixture of baby zucchini or patty pans, cherry tomatoes and a box of pearl onions. I had a bag of frozen veggies in the fridge so I just decided to use that this time but i'm going to put the recipe for the actual veggie medley for you guys. I have made it before and it is wonderful. The dill adds such a great flavor so definitely go for that!!

I also made some mashed potatoes to go with this but there is no reason to put the recipe for that here. Simply boil 2 lbs of baby yellow potatoes. Drain them and put them back in the hot pot, add milk, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash to your desired consistency. Now is that simple or what?!?!

This one was one that I've actually made a few times and it seems to get better each time I make it. I think a lot of that is me getting more comfortable with the recipe. That's what's great about the "30 Minute Meals" recipes, they are simple to begin with, but they just get easier the more you cook them! Thanks again Rachael for making cooking simple, easy and fun! Hope you guys enjoy this one. Look for 2 blogs this coming week. Yes, you heard me right, 2!!!!! Until then enjoy and Happy Cooking!!

"Uptown Pork Chops and Applesauce: Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Escalloped Apples"

2 pieces, 1 package, pork tenderloins - ask the butcher to trim them up for you
2 Tbs. EVOO
1 Tbs. grill seasoning
2 Tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbs. fresh chopped thyme leaves
3 Tbs. butter
5 Gala, Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious apples, quartered, cored and sliced
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. sugar

Heat oven to 425° F.
 

Coat the tenderloins with EVOO. Combine the grill seasoning, lemon zest, and thyme. Rub the spice mixture into the tenderloin and roast 25 minutes. Remove and let juices settle then slice on an angle.
 

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat and sauté apples for 12-15 minutes until very tender. Season with a pinch of salt and sprinkle the flour over the skillet, toss to combine. Squeeze the lemon juice over the skillet and sweeten with sugar. Arrange the apples over the pork to serve.

"Sauteed Mini Vegetable Medley"

1 Lb. assorted mini squash - patty pans and/or baby zucchini
3 Tbs. EVOO
1 C. frozen pearl onions
1 Pint cherry tomatoes
3 - 4 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
Handful flat-leaf parsley chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve the squash. Heat the EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the squash 5 minutes then add the onions and tomatoes, season the vegetables with salt and pepper and cook 5 - 7 minutes more until the tomatoes begin to burst and the onions are warmed through. Toss the herbs with the vegetables and transfer to a serving dish.