Dishes By Michelle

Falafel

2011-04-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is just around the corner… and I can’t think of anything more that represents

the flavors of the earth more than Falafel.

If you’ve never tried it or heard of it before, let me tell you this… it’s so delicious you’ll wonder how you’ve gone so long with out ever eating them!

It’s a fantastic balance of flavors from the chick peas, cumin, coriander, cayenne… truly Mediterranean tastes, but really earthy.

We aren’t big fryers in our house… but this is one fried dish that’s the exception. It’s healthy, it’s hearty and it’s a relatively inexpensive meal…and it’s not as hard as you think. I know there are some powdered mixes out there, but just give this one a try. I promise you’ll be patting yourself on the back at how proud you’ll be over making them!

Falafel in a Pita

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained (if you can find dried ones and rehydrate them in 2 cups of water, even better!

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 egg

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

1 dash pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup dry bread crumbs

oil for frying

Tahini Sauce…

1/2 cup Tahini paste

1/2 lemon juice

1 teaspoon olive oil

Shredded Romaine Lettuce

Chopped Tomatoes

Onions…(optional)

In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; or place in a blender on coarse… don’t make it too thin. Remove from blender and place in a bowl… then process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas. (I like to do mash the chickpeas by hand with a masher… hand for the record, I think it gives a better consistency but if you must use a blender.)

In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together- don’t make it too dry as the falafel will then be to dense and not cook well. Add more or less bread crumbs, as needed.

Form 8 balls with two spoons…(a little larger than a ping pong ball size) or use an ice cream scooper… there are also special falafel scoopers that you can find in some specialty gourmet food stores.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (enough to cover patties) Fry patties in hot oil until brown on both sides- approx 3-5 minutes.

Remove & drain on a paper towel.

Serve immediately while hot.

Cut Pita bread in half… add lettuce, tomatoes, onion… split a falafel ball in two and place inside and top with Tahini sauce.

**sidenote**

I sometimes even like to mix a little yogurt, fresh dill & cucumbers together and use that as a topping…

Lemon Chicken Zsaziki Gyros

2011-04-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Lemon Chicken Zsaziki

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=10150181675261096&id=127598116095&aid=349396

Lobster Rolls

2011-04-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

I'm addicted. I love them. They're delicious. They're my favorite. I think I could eat them for breakfast, lunch & dinner. I do not lie about this. Lobster Rolls are what I like to think of as sweet little sandwiches, where the roll just wraps it's self around sweet pieces of lobster meat and gives it a big hug.

I will not keep you waiting anymore!

Lobster Rolls

2 or 3 1 ½ lb. live Maine Lobsters

1 onion cut in half

½ cup dry white wine

Fresh thyme

Coarse Salt

Fill a very large pot with water and add the wine, onion & thyme to a rapid boil. Add the salt. Then add the live Lobsters (head first) and cover the pot. Now walk away and say a little thank you to the lobsters and come back in 11-13 minutes… and it’ll all be over. Remove the lobsters and set aside and allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes. (SEE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL HOW TO'S FOR COOKING THE LOBSTER)

Then you can get crackin’! Remove all of the lobster meat. Start with the tail, twist it off the body and then using kitchen shears, cut on the inside of the tail all the way down the middle… the tail meat should come out fairly easily. Then using a mallet, crack the claws and pull out the claw meat. Using the kitchen shears again, cut the knuckle on the claw- it’s got the sweetest part of lobster meat in it! Cut all of the meat into a large dice. Don’t cut them too small!

Reserve in a bowl, put in the fridge.

½ cup lowfat mayo- or you can make your own- (egg yolks, lemon juice, oil & a smidge of Dijon)

½ lemon juiced

1 tsp. fresh thyme minced

2 celery stalks diced

2 green scallion or onions sliced thinly

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

½ stick melted butter (optional… but oh so good!!!)

1 tsp. Paprika

Mix all the ingredients, except the butter and paprika, in the bowl with the lobster meat. Add salt & pepper to taste.

4 Hot Dog Buns

Brush the hot dog buns with the melted butter. Put face side down on a grill or a skillet and allow to turn golden brown.

Layer with Ice Berg lettuce and the Lobster Salad mixture. Sprinkle some paprika on top! And if ya got a little bit of that extra butter left... a little drizzle of that wouldn't hurt either on top!

OH EM GEE GOODNESS!!!!

**If you're a bit squeemish about boiling your own lobster- when at the market or fish monger- you can ask them to steam them for you- most of the time they will! If you can do it on your own... here's a pretty detailed guide on how to.

**How to Boil a Lobster**

Boil enough water to cover the lobsters in a large pot.
Add the lobsters head first carefully into the water then partially cover the pot.
When the water comes back to the boil reduce the heat to a low boil and begin timing.
How long to boil a lobster: Boil for 10 minutes for the first pound, then add three minutes for each additional half pound. So a one and a half pound lobster will be cooked in 13 minutes, a 2 pound lobster will be cooked in 16 minutes. Multiple lobsters can be cooked in a pot with this timing – just make sure your water comes back to the boil before starting the clock.
Remove the cover entirely when the water begins to foam up to avoid spilling over.
When cooked the lobsters will be bright red.
Drain the lobsters carefully and let cool until they can be handled.

Special Note: It might be tempting to grabbed the pre-cooked whole lobsters you see in the seafood case, but don't do it!!! If the lobsters were not alive when they were cooked, the meat will be very off-tasting and mushy. There is an enzyme that's released by lobsters when they die and any delay in cooking them will result in a very gross tasting lobster. Some stores will fish any dead lobsters from their tanks (it happens…) and cook them to avoid throwing them away. If you are not absolutely sure buy one that’s live and kicking!

Artichoke Hearts Sun Dried Tomatoes Buffalo Mozzarella & Basil Pasta

2011-02-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

The Pasta....

1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained

2 tbs. chopped sun dried tomatoes or 1 large tomato diced

Buffalo Mozzarella drained and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 clove of garlic sliced paper thin

1-2 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. fresh basil chopped

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

1 lb of spaghetti, fussilli, bow tie, linguine, fettucini, or any kind of pasta that you really like cooked al dente.

The Chicken...

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 clove of garlic minced

1-2 tsp. olive oil

fresh basil & oregano chopped

1 tbs. balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper

red pepper flakes (optional)

salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large zip lock bag or tupperware and allow to marinate for at least 5 minutes. Spray a pan with some non stick spray and cook on each side (depending on thickness) for at least 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

In a large saute pan add olive oil, artichoke hearts and garlic & saute for a few minutes. Add tomatoes & garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Add al dente pasta and all seasonings & herbs. Give a through toss & then add the mozzarella.

Slice chicken breast on a diagonal and place a top the pasta.... sprinkle a bit more of basil on top and drizzle with a bit more olive oil.

Chicken & Lemon Potatoes

2011-02-21T07:11:00.000-08:00

Chicken & Lemon Potatoes

Potatoes:

6 Medium Yellow Potatoes Quartered

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 teaspoon oregano

½ cup lemon juice

Chicken:

1 whole chicken quartered

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

¾ garlic salt

2 tabespoons. butter melted

1/4 cup lemon juice

Peel & quarter the potatoes. Place in bowl and combine with all ingredients. Let marinate, mixing it every so often so that potatoes do not discolor or turn brown.

Combine all of your dry seasonings together in a bowl and rub all over both sides of your chicken pieces.

Place chicken, skin side up, in roasting pan and drizzle butter and lemon juice over the top. Add potatoes all around the sides of the chicken, juices included. Roast,uncovered, in preheated, 395 degree oven for 45 min to 1 hour.

**sidenotes**

Make a quick greek salad on the side and this is a perfect meal for any night of the week!

Greek Salad

2 -3 Large Diced Tomatoes

1 Large Diced Red Onion

2 Large Diced Cucumbers

1 Small Diced Green Bell Pepper

1 cup Diced Feta Cheese

1/4 cup Kalamata Olives

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup Olive Oil

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, toss & enjoy!

Love Love Love me some Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!

2011-02-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

Love Love Love

Valentine’s Day… I’m gonna get cliché on all of you right now… and 3…2…1… CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES!!!!

1 package milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

1 pound strawberries with stems- about 20

Wash & dry the strawberries very well.

Melt the Chocolate Chips in a heatproof bowl. Fill a small saucepan with a cup of water and bring it to a boil… place the heatproof bowl on top of it and turn off the heat. Allow to sit on top of the hot water until all the chocolate melts.

To make your life even easier, you can put it in the microwave on half power for 30 second intervals and melt the chocolate until melted. (Should take about 2 minutes)

Once it’s melted, dip each strawberry in the chocolate and lift and twist it allowing any excess chocolate to drip off. Place dipped strawberry on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment or wax paper. Place in the refrigerator for about 40 minutes before it sets.

Happy Valentine’s Day my friends! May it be filled with lots of LOVE & CHOCOLATE!!!!!

Football Sunday Buffalo Wings

2011-01-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

When football season is going on in our house this is a staple! This recipe has been tweaked and turned and well, let's just say I've done all the wing work for you! TOUCHDOWN!!!!

So easy to make and always a favorite!

Buffalo Style Chicken Wings

24 chicken wings & drumettes

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of your favorite hot sauce (I use Crystal)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

2 cups canola or vegetable oil

Heat the oil over high heat in a deep skillet or deep-fat fryer (around 400 degrees F). Add half the chicken wings and cook until they're golden and crisp. When done, remove them to drain on paper towels and cook the remaining wings.

Melt the butter and then incorporate the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and give it a toss to coat throughly.

Serve with blue cheese dressing or ranch with some fresh cut celery and carrots! (those are the veggies that justify eating them!)

Buffalo Wing Goodness!!!!

It's Tuesday... Taco Tuesday that is!

2010-12-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

This recipe can be applied to either Tacos or Taco Salad, it all depends on how creative you wanna get... at the end of the day though, it's fast, it's relatively healthy and it's good!

I use ground turkey meat for my tacos just to cut down on the fat... you can use ground beef or even ground chicken... it's all muy rico if you ask me!

And lastly... making tacos does not necessarily mean that you brown some meat and throw a package of sodium filled pre-made taco seasoning mix all over it... you can make a great seasoning blend/mix with the ingredients that I am SURE are already in your kitchen or use fresh ingredients and throw them in a blender... give it a try!!!

Taco Salad

1 lb. Ground Beef (Turkey or Chicken)

1 Small Onion Finely Diced

Now there are a couple variations on this dish... you can go either way!

The first is for the seasoning...

Combine in a bowl:

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. Onion Powder

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Ground Coriander

1 tsp. Tomato paste

The second seasoning mix uses fresh ingredients...

Grab the old blender and jut throw in:

1 Onion

1 Small Tomato

1/2 Jalapeno (seeds removed)

2 Garlic Cloves

1 Heaping Spoonful of Chili Powder

A drizzle of Olive Oil

Brown your meat in a frying pan and add your seasonings...

Shred some iceberg lettuce, dice an avocado, chop a tomato, get out your shredded cheese and some sour cream and top with a black olive.

Baked Chicken Casserole with Spanish Rice & Black Beans

2010-12-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Sunday nights are generally a night where I am just pretty tired from an active weekend with the family and don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen.

I found this recipe a while back in Southern Living magazine and forgot about it till I opened it up this afternoon and was reminded just how easy Sunday night dinners can actually be... and just cause it's easy and you get a little help, doesn't necessarily mean it's not equally as delicious!

Baked Chicken Casserole with Spanish Rice & Black Beans

1 Cup White Rice

2 Cups Chicken Broth

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 green bell pepper diced small

1/2 red bell pepper diced small

1 clove garlic minced

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 large can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small can diced tomatoes

1 small can diced chiles

1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup Monterey Jack

1 small can sliced black olives

3 or 4 scallions or green onions chopped

2 tbs. olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan with the olive oil, saute the onion, bell peppers & garlic. Add Chicken and allow to brown on either side. Remove. Set aside.

In a large oven safe casserole dish add your rice & tomatoes, onion, bell peppers & garlic, chicken broth, chiles, salt & pepper. Arrange chicken breasts on top. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the beans on top, sprinkle with the cheese, scallions and olives. Cook uncovered in the oven for another 15 minutes.

Super easy! Super delicious!

**adapted from Southern Living Magazine Recipe**

Viva Oliva...Viva Balsamic... Viva Portabella!!! Marinated Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

2010-12-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love Olive Oil... and who doesn't love Balsamic Vinegar.... and who doesn't love them more when they have wonderful herbs & flavors infused into them.

I was shopping this past week in town and I came across this store that I had never seen before... I went inside, and they told me they were open for about a month or so... and well, I fell in love in this store! What kind of store is this you ask? An Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar store! Viva Oliva to be exact... This company infuses different flavors into these wonderfully delicious on their own anyways ingredients.

They had Lavender, Pomegranate & Tangerine Balsamic... Persian Lime, Herbes de Provence, Truffle & Lemon Olive Oil... I sampled quite a few of them to say the least and they were all divine. They have combos that are made up for you already... and you guys know me by now, I don't advertise for anyone that I don't absolutely love and think they have a stellar product... these people made an incredible product! QUALITY infused balsamic & olive oil!

They would seriously make delicious salad dressings and add to just about any dish you'll cook with them.

So I picked out the Lavender Balsamic and Persian Lime Olive Oil... and I came across these beautiful Portabella Mushrooms yesterday in the market... I marinated the two together with a little freshly macerated garlic, salt & pepper... and then threw them on the grill... OH MY! It was divine. It had so much flavor and you could really pick up the mild aroma of the Lavender and the sweet tang of the Persian Lime...it was a match made in heaven.

I have one leftover today and I'm going to make a sandwich with some fresh arugula, buffalla mozzarella & fire roasted red bell peppers... that mushroom is going to be the perfect addition!

To order some of these Oils & Balsamic Vinegars... check them out. They have a page that's dedicated to all of the incredible flavors they have and the insanely delicious combos you can make! These would make awesome gifts too... just sayin'! :-) Check em out! http://www.vivaoliva.com/

BBQ Ranch Tenderloin Lettuce Wraps

2010-12-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

BBQ Ranch Tenderloin Wrap

1 Pork Tenderloin marinated in your favorite BBQ Sauce

1 Avocado diced

1 Cucumber diced

1 Tomato diced

1/2 Red Onion diced

1/4 c. Corn

Chopped Cilantro (optional)

2 TBS. Ranch Dressing

Romaine Lettuce, Butter Lettuce...Iceberg... any leafy lettuce.

Grill your tenderloin to sear on either side... I used my indoor stovetop grill.

Remove and place in the oven on 400 until the internal temp reaches 150 degrees. (probably about 20 minutes) Allow to sit for a few minutes when you remove it from the oven. Cut into 1 inch thick slices.

In a bowl, combine avocado, cucumber, tomato, onion & ranch dressing...

Wash, clean & pat dry your lettuce leaves.... and begin layering.

Place the bbq pork on the leaf, followed by the avocado salad mixture, a little chopped fresh cilantro and then a spoonful of corn. SO YUM!

Panko Crusted Asparagus

2010-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Veggies can be so boring sometimes... yes, yes, they're filled with many vitamins and nutrients and sometimes alone they can be spectacular... but every now and then... ya just need to shake things up a bit?

I discovered this recipe recently and well, I fell in love. It's my new favorite way of serving asparagus! It's crunchy, it's flavorful and it adds so much to this vegetable that's already in my top ten! Oh and as always, do I even need to say this... it's SO easy!!!

Panko Crusted Asparagus

1 tbs. Dijon Mustard

1/2 juice of Lemon

2 tbs. Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper

1 Cup Panko Crumbs

Whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. Remove the hard bottom stems of the asparagus and toss in the mixture.

Roll asparagus into the Panko crumbs and place in a sheet tray in the oven on 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Squeeze a bit more lemon juice on top... and WOW!

It truly is so easy and adds so much to this already tasty vegetable... who knows, the kids might even be more inclined to eat it too! Mine are!

Eating healthy after the holidays... White Fish with Leek, Tomato & capers... YUM

2010-11-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

After the holidays we are all looking to eat a little bit healthier... this is a delicious & easy fish recipe!

White Fish with Leek, Tomato & Peppers

1 pound White Fish (any fish will do, I just prefer White Fish)

10 Cherry Tomatoes Sliced in half

1 Leek quartered and thinly sliced

1 Anaheim Pepper Diced

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

2 Tbs White Wine

1 Tbs Old Bay Seasoning

1 Tsp Fresh Dill Chopped
2 Tsp Capers

Cut White Fish into 4 pieces

Spray bottom of Pyrex with non-stick spray

Place fish, skin side down in pan

Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning over the top of the fish

Add Leeks, Pepper, Tomatoes & Dill on top of fish Squeeze Lemon Juice & add wine over fish

Cook for 10-12 minutes covered in oven on 400 degrees

Uncover and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until tomatoes and fish turn a golden brown.

Serve with steamed asparagus and rice pilaf...

Stuffed Grapeleaves

2010-11-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

Everyone’s got their childhood memories. For most children in America their earliest or first memories in the kitchen are probably sticking their fingers in some sort of ooey chocolatey batter and licking the bowl clean or eating some raw cookie dough while mom or grandma was making some cookies…. Well folks, I have an entirely different type of “first time in the kitchen” childhood memory. Stuffed grape leaves. Stuffed grape leaves you say? Yes…and oh how amazing they were!

I still have the very vivid memory of standing in my grandmother’s kitchen with the leaves all lined up on the counter, the stack of cigar shaped leaves that were already done and running by and stealing a few of them before they were cooked. She would be screaming as I whizzed by… “Don’t eat them raw! You’re going to get sick!” so began my trek of living on the edge! I never got sick and still to this day, even when I’m making them myself I steal a few! (I don’t recommend that you do this by the way… you can get sick! HA!) But back to my point… what was my point… oh! I know, my point was that I never got around to asking her for this recipe, nor did anyone else for that matter… she made them the best! As good as I’ve ever had, and over the years I’ve learned to adjust my recipe to what I think hers tasted like…I think I’ve come close!

Making stuffed grape leaves or Sarma as it’s properly called is sort of like the Ceviche I did yesterday… every region has it’s own take on how to do this… some make theirs with only rice and onions, some add parsley, some don’t… some use lamb some use beef… some add coriander some don’t. It’s all about the region that you are from.

So here it is… the step by step guide with my little tricks for making Grandma Margaret’s Sarma - A.K.A. The best darn stuffed grape leaves you’ll ever eat! (did I just say darn?)

Armenian Style Stuffed Grapeleaves

1 ½ pounds of ground beef

1 can or 16 oz of plain tomato sauce

2 cups uncooked white rice

½ small onion finely diced

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

½ lemon juice

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 16oz jar of grape leaves

Preparation of the grape leaves and the meat filling:

Remove the grape leaves from the jar… this takes a little bit of jiggling to get them out… they are packed in brine, I suggest sticking a finger in there, and tilting it to the side to remove all of the liquid first, then gently pull the bunches out. There should be 2 or 3 neatly folded bundles in there, depending on the size of the leaves. Drain, open up the bunches and allow them to sit in some clean cold water for a few minutes to remove some of the excess salty-ness.

Once they’ve sat for a few minutes, begin removing the stems from each leave. (If you leave the stems on, they will be too tough to chew)

While the grape leaves are soaking, in a separate bowl mix together the beef, rice, spices, lemon juice and ¾ of the can of tomato sauce- reserving ¼ of the can for use later. Now get in there and use your hands and mix mix mix! Making sure everything is combined well. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Get ready to roll….

Place the leave with the shiny side down, vein side up on a flat surface and spread out. Place about a teaspoon to tablespoon (depends on leave size) and using the tips of your fingers, pinch it outwards until your’e about 2 inches from each edge.

Fold up the bottom leave

Fold in the sides

Roll upwards tightly. Don’t roll it up too tight as while the rice and meat are cooking, they will expand and it will tear the leaf or unravel.

Repeat this process with the remaining leaves and meat mixture. (reserving about 5-10 leaves)

Now here comes the tricky part… (as if this wasn’t hard enough!) If you don’t place your little grape leave cigars properly in the pot while they’re cooking… well, all this is for nothing. Ha ha ha. I’m KIDDING! You’re doing great!

In a large saucepan or medium sized pot, lay a few leaves on the bottom of the pan. Lay each stuffed grape leave side by side next to each other tightly, seam side up and continue making even layers. Do not fill it all the way to the rim of the pan, as it will as I said expand and well, you’ll have a mess on your hands… or your stove rather. Layer about 2 inches from the top of the pan and place a small plate upside down on top of the grape leaves and apply pressure to hold it down.

In a large measuring cup mix together:

2 cups cold water

Remaining tomato sauce

1 teaspoon crushed mint

2 cloves crushed garlic (mortar & pestle it into a paste)

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½ lemon juice

Pour this mixture over the leaves, making sure that they are covered just over the top of the edge of the plate on top. If you don’t have enough liquid, add more plain water. Cook on high heat until it comes to a boil and then reduce heat down to a low simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, making sure that the leaves don’t move around inside the pot.

You’ll know it’s cooked once you open it and the rice is cooked.

Allow to sit for a few minutes before removing plate from the top- remove leaves from the pot and serve with some lemon wedges… or as we do with some plain yogurt on the side.

**sidenote**

You can omit the cayenne if it’s too spicy for you.

Look for leaves that aren’t too thick. Use only the flexible soft leaves

This meat filling can be used to stuff bell peppers, small eggplants, zucchini, or even tomatoes. You’d cook it using the same process.

Once you get the hang of rolling the leaves you’ll be on a roll… ha ha ha (bad joke)

Just know, they don’t have to be perfect!

I hope that you try this recipe… it’s a little bit a work… who am I kidding… it’s work! But you’ll really love the end result! I know I always did and still do!

Gobble Gobble! Leftover Turkey Thanksgiving Pie

2010-11-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

Alright, alright... this is not the leftover turkey dinner that I am speaking of! I hope that none of us, even in our darkest days has to face the wrath of a Hungry Man Roasted Carved Turkey microwavable dinner!!!

But... in about 24 hours it'll all be over. Stuffing, Sweet potatoes, Mashed potatoes, Green beans, Cranberries, and TURKEY!!! AHHH!!! TURKEY! TURKEY! TURKEY! Most of the time we have so much of that left over turkey that we don't know what to do with it and we reheat it and it just becomes dry, chewy and well... almost unrecognizable as what was once our beloved turkey!

I was on the hunt for an easy recipe, because let's face it, who wants to get back in the kitchen after all that cooking the day before! What I came up with is this super easy Turkey Pot Pie. It's not a traditional Turkey Pot Pie, but more like a left over Thanksgiving Dinner in a pie recipe. It's delicious, it's easy and requires almost nothing more than reheating most of your left overs from the day before! I hope you try it!!! Your turkey will be thanking you for if not at the very least allowing him to maintain his integrity!!!

Happy Thanksgiving friends.

Turkey Mashed Pie

Leftover Turkey Meat

1 Cup Diced Celery

1 Cup Diced Onion or Leeks

1-2 Bay Leaves

1 Box Chicken Broth

1 Cup Frozen Peas & Carrots

Left over stuffing

2 Cups Leftover Mashed Potatoes

Directions

In a medium sized pot combine all ingredients except mashed potatoes and bring to a boil. Allow turkey to absorb most of the chicken broth until it reduces down by 1/2. This will take approx. 5 to 10 minutes.

Pour mixture into a deep pie dish. Then put a layer of the left over stuffing and make an even layer on top of it. And finally, take the left over mashed potatoes and spoon over the top of the mixture and pat down making an even layer.

(**tip**you can use the back of your spoon to smooth it out)

Place pie onto baking sheet and put in the oven on 400 degrees for 15 min or until top is brown and the filling is bubbling out.

Scoop out and serve hot- you can even put some leftover cranberry sauce on top!

Tuna Tartare with Green Olive Crustini

2010-11-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

So I'm about to begin my Thanksgiving cooking and I'm going through all of my recipes and well I came across this one that I just MUST share with you! It's one of my favorite appetizers and an absolute must if you have guests over that you want to impress!!!

I'm off to cook!!!

Make this appetizer... I promise your guests will FLIP! It's not what they'd expect... and the flavors are so mild and blend together so well they'll be surprised when you tell them what's in it!

Tuna Tartare with Green Olive Crustini

TUNA TARTARE

1 ¼ lb sushi grade tuna fillet, (Ahi) finely chopped
1 avocado cut into a medium sized dice
¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp Mixed green, white, pink, and black peppercorn crushed
½ cup finely chopped fennel bulb plus fronds for garnish
¼ to ½ cup fresh lemon juice (depends on how tart you like it)
Coarse salt to taste
4 slices of coarse country bread, 4inches square and ½ inch thick, crust removed

GREEN OLIVE SPREAD

1 Tablespoon pine nuts
¾ cup brine-cured green olives, pitted
2 Tablespoons chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil

In a medium bowl combine tuna, ¼ cup olive oil and the ground peppercorn to taste, mixing well. If desired cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours to chill.
To make olive spread toast the pine nuts in small frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 4 minutes. Pour onto plate to cool. In a blender or food processor combine the nuts, olives, red onion, garlic, and olive oil and process until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast, turning once, until crisp about 5 minutes total. Let cool and cut into 16 strips about 1 inch thick.
Brush strips with olive oil and spread with the olive spread.
In a small bowl mix together the chopped fennel, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Just before serving add the fennel mixture to the chilled season tuna mixing well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with fennel fronds. Serve with toasts.

Holiday Healthy... useful & healthy recipes for those with heart disease or diabetes

2010-11-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

Holiday Healthy...

Wouldn’t it be brilliant if your Diabetes, High Cholesterol or Blood Pressure were just like a food allergy and you could simply avoid that food, take your meds and you’d be all set? With holiday season rapidly approaching and Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years being just around the corner, if you have one of these conditions you may be forced to examine your eating habits and tune into your body and what will keep you healthy. Special occasions can be challenging, but they aren’t impossible.

Cooking for someone who has any of these conditions can also pose some challenges. Here are some fantastic recipes and ideas for a Holiday Feast that’s really delicious for just about anyone.

Holiday Tips:

Remember you are in control!
Don’t obsess over trying to cook the perfect meal for everyone at the table. Instead create a bunch of small dishes so that everyone can “mix & match” and get what they want out of their meal.
Try preparing some of your old favorite recipes but decrease the fat and sugar by using sugar substitutes and reduced or low fat products.
Don’t go to your holiday party starving! This will cause you to over eat and possibly indulge in a little more pumpkin pie than you’ll really mean to.
Exercise! Keep your body moving for at least 30 minutes a day. This movement will help keep your blood sugar levels controlled and burn those extra calories.

These tips are not meant just for those of you who have Diabetes, High Cholesterol or Blood Pressure… After all, what’s the best, healthiest diet for someone who is living with any of those conditions? It’s the very same healthy- eating diet and guidelines for someone who doesn’t have them.

I hope you enjoy and try these recipes. They’ll be sure to please even your most hearty holiday eater!

Holiday Feast

Oven Roasted Turkey with Mushroom Gravy

Low-Sugar Cranberry Apple Dressing

Sweet Potato Pie

Oven Roasted Turkey

½ Cup dried cherries

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Teaspoons snipped fresh sage

1 10-12 lb Whole Turkey

1 Large onion, quartered

Mushroom Gravy

1½ Cups dried porcini, oyster, shiitake, and/or chanterelle mushrooms

2 Cups of boiling water

½ Cup all-purpose flour

1 Cup Low Sodium/Low Fat Chicken Broth

2 Tablespoons dry sherry

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place dried cherries, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sage in a blender container or food processor bowl. Blend mixture just until cherries are finely chopped.

2. Slip your fingers between the skin and meat of the turkey just under the breast and loosen the turkey skin. Lift the skin and, using a spatula or spoon, carefully spread the cherry mixture directly over the turkey breast meat. Place the turkey on a rack, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Place the onion quarters inside the cavity of the turkey. Tie the legs together using butchers twine. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh portion of the turkey without the thermometer touching the bone. Brush the top of the turkey with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

3. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Roast in preheated oven for 2½ hours. After 2½ hours of cooking, cut the string between the drumsticks so thighs will cook evenly. Uncover; roast 30 to 60 minutes more or until meat thermometer registers 180 degrees farenheight. Remove turkey from oven. Cover; let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Mushroom Gravy…

Meanwhile, place mushrooms in a medium sized bowl. Pour boiling water over mushrooms to cover. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain mushrooms. Strain the mushroom-soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with 100-percent-cotton cheesecloth, paper towels, or a coffee filter and reserve.

Pour pan drippings from turkey into a large measuring cup. Skim and reserve fat from drippings. Pour 1/4 cup of the fat ( if necessary, add butter) into a medium saucepan. Stir in flour.

Add enough mushroom liquid and chicken broth to remaining drippings into a measuring cup to equal 2 cups. Add broth mixture all at once to flour mixture. Whisk over medium heat to make sure it’s all incorporated well. Cook and continue stirring over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir in mushrooms and sherry. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Turkey & Gravy Make 12 servings.

Per 5 ounce cooked meat and 2 tablespoons gravy, Calories 244, Total Fat 6 grams, (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 105 mg, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Dietary Fiber 1 gram, Total Sugar 4 grams, Protein 36 grams

Low-Sugar Cranberry-Apple Dressing

1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

3 tablespoons sugar

1½ tablespoons spoonable sugar substitute

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lemon juice

In a saucepan place the cranberries, sugar, sugar substitute, and cinnamon and add water just enough to bring the cranberries to a float. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes and then drain, but leave a small amount of water in the pan.

Add apples and cover mixture for 5 more minutes or until apples are tender. Stir in lemon juice.

Allow to cool then transfer dressing to a serving bowl. Cover and refigerate for at least two hours. Serve chilled.

Makes 3 cups

Per 1/4-cup serving:39 calories (0 calories from fat), 0 protein, 0 total fat (0 saturated fat), 10 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 0 sodium

Sweet Potato Pie

3 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine, softened

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 large egg yolk

2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes

1 cup evaporated skim milk

3 large egg whites

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a large bowl, beat together the margarine, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice, and egg yolk. Mix in sweet potatoes and evaporated milk.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into sweet potato mixture. Do not over mix. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a rack until ready to cut into wedges to serve. Makes 10 Servings

Per serving: 203 calories (30% calories from fat), 5 g protein, 7 g total fat (2.3 g saturated fat), 32 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 26 mg cholesterol, 203 mg sodium

Asparagus & Mushroom Risotto

2010-11-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

Risotto is one of those things that when you think about eating it, you might say... I'll only order that in a restaurant, that's "restaurant food" it's too difficult and time consuming to make. Well, you guys know me by now and I'm not gonna lie to you...that's true and not true.

The reality is, risotto happens to be one of the easiest things to make. It's doesn't require a

huge skill level in the kitchen and just about anyone can make it. It also isn't as time consuming as you might think. It takes about 25 minutes, no more than you would normally be taking to make a dinner.... so here's the deal...although you can't just leave the risotto on the cooktop and walk away, you don't have to stand there constantly and stir it to death! You gotta pay attention to it, and you'll even have enough time to prepare other things while you're allowing it to cook

. As long as you get the basic concept of it which is, to allow the risotto to absorb a little broth at a time until it reaches a creamy consistency, you've got it!

Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice

6 Cups Chicken Broth

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

½-1 Pound of Mushrooms (Assorted- it’s up to you!)

1 Bunch of Asparagus (the tips only)

½ Cup Dry White Wine

4 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Cream
Salt & White Pepper to taste

1/3 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer- leave on the stove simmering
In another large sauce pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and stir in the mushrooms & asparagus– allow to sweat for about 3-5 minutes
Remove from pan set aside
In that same saucepan with the remaining juices from the mushrooms & leek, add Arborio Rice, slowly begin to combine wine and stir the rice constantly until the wine is completely absorbed.
Then begin adding chicken broth ½ a cup at a time. Stir constantly until the broth is absorbed fully and repeat until you use all of the chicken broth. This should take approx. 15-20 minutes
Remove from heat and add butter, mushrooms & leek with their liquid , cream & the parmesan cheese.

** sidenote**

Types of Mushrooms that you can use: Portobello, White, Shitake, Crimni, Button- For this recipe I think a combo of Portobello & White Mushrooms will be best, although Shitake is pretty darn good too!

What is Arborio Rice? Arborio rice is a variety of short-grained rice that’s used primarily for making risotto. It is always prepared al dente, or slightly firm to the bite.

It is super important to just keep your eye on the risotto, especially once you start getting closer to the stock being fully absorbed… if you don’t you might get some scorching of the rice on the bottom of your pan.

Do not add more ladels of stock before all of it has been mostly absorbed.

And finally… risotto turns really gummy if you let it sit for too long! It should be served right away. Should you want to reheat it if this happens, just add a little stock and heat and stir it until the stock gets reabsorbed and the risotto is creamy again!

Things you can use to accompany with Risotto are: Shrimp or Calamari, Roasted Chicken, Veal Medallions, Pumpkin, Squash, Peas, Prosciutto... I could go on an on....

Please feel free to leave any comments or ideas of your own! If you have any other recipes or stories that you'd like to share with me, please forward them to michelle@foodfromthehearttv.com

Enjoy the season my friends! Stay warm! Eat some soup! Some BUTTERNUT SQUASH & LEEK SOUP that is!!!

2010-11-20T10:09:00.000-08:00

Winter has officially arrived... at least as far as I'm concerned! It's cold and rainy outside and I want some HOT soup!!!! And nothing sounds better to me than two of my favorite fall combos... butternut squash & leeks!!! This is a truly light, delicious, guilt free recipe for Butternut Squash & Leek Soup. Oh, did I mention easy too?!

Butternut Squash & Leek Soup

1 Butternut Squash

(or you can buy it pre-packaged and cubed for you during the fall/winter months)

2 Stalks of Leek

3 or 4 Stalks of Celery

1/2 Yellow or Red Bell Pepper

2 Medium Potatoes

2 Cups Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock (I use Chicken... but if you want to keep it vegetarian it's great that way too!)

Pinch of Salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

Drizzle of olive oil

In a large stock pot saute the leek, celery & pepper in the olive oil. Rough chop all of them- truly it doesn't matter how it's chopped, it's all going in the blender anyways! :-) Let them cook down for a few minutes on medium heat until the celery becomes translucent. Add the butternut squash and the potatoes (which are peeled and cubed)... the salt & pepper... and then add the stock. You're going to add enough just to cover the vegetables. You don't want to add too too much liquid or else your puree will become too watery.

Allow the soup to cook uncovered on a medium low boil for 20 minutes.

Here's where the optional ingredients come into play... you could technically just put this all in the blender now and give it a little blend until it's a smooth consistency... and it would be INCREDIBLE! It's one of my favorite soups that are just all natural and the vegetables really speak for themselves. But... if you wanted to throw it over the edge just a bit... add a pat of butter and a couple tablespoons of heavy cream to it. It will be smooth & creamy and oh so good!

Enjoy the season my friends! Stay warm! Eat some soup!

My absolute favorite Pumpkin Pancakes!

2010-11-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

You all know me by now... I'm a sucker for anything pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg... this has it all! It's the start of the holidays and these delectable pancakes are no exception! I love them... and so will you!

My absolute favorite Pumpkin Pancakes!!!!

In large bowl mix:

2 c. flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

In small bowl, mix:

2 slightly beaten egg whites

1 1/2 c. milk

2 tbsp. oil

1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree

Add small bowl mixture to

large bowl. Stir just until moistened. Don't over mix! Heat griddle, brush lightly with oil. Pour batter by 1/4 cup onto hot griddle.

Makes 16 pancakes.

***** side note*****

The key to making perfect light pancakes is don't over flip them! I used to be a bad flipper and my pancakes never turned out fluffy! Thanks to this great trick I learned a few years ago, I no longer flip! Wait till you see a good amount of air bubbles that come up to the top of the uncooked side of the pancake... then FLIP!

And lastly, one of my favorite things to do with these pancakes is to mix the remaining half of the canned pumpkin with some whipped cream and use that as a topping for the pancakes while they are hot right off the griddle... it becomes all gooey and is a great alternative to using maple syrup... although that tastes pretty good on top of it as well! Crush some pecans and sprinkle them on top and you have a breakfast made in heaven!!!

Please feel free to email me any stories, memories or recipes that you would like to recreate at michelle@foodfromthehearttv.com!

Succotash Chowder

2010-11-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Not to embarrass myself too much, but just about the only thing I knew about Succotash was that Daffy Duck would always say...

"ssssufferin' sssucccotassshh!!!"

Never having made Succotash... let alone Succotash Chowder before, I had a friend that recently asked me for a recipe it. Not wanting to let her down (I never want to let any of you down!) I went on the hunt for the best Succotash recipe. I wanted to learn about it, where it came from, what it's origins are, and well taste it!

So here's what I found out... and here's a recipe from another family friend that has this tried and true and says it comes from "The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook!" I've adapted it a little bit.. but I think between the two of us, this is a soothing, comforting dish that will soon be a family favorite!

Apparently in the days of the Great Depression, Succotash had it's hey day! It's primarily made from Corn & Lima Beans, two relatively inexpensive ingredients and was traditionally made for Thanksgiving celebrations in the North East.

I gotta say, I'm loving Succotash now and I can't wait to start making it this winter for my family! So warm & filling and so healthy! Who knew?

Succotash Chowder

6 Tbs Butter

2 Celery stalks, minced

1 Medium onion, minced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup all -purpose flour

3 cups of water or chicken broth/stock

1 8 oz can chopped tomatoes

1 16 oz. can kernel corn or creamed corn

1 16 oz. can lima bean

2 potatoes small dice

2 cups half and half

Fresh thyme chopped for garnish.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or saucepot over medium heat, melt butter... add celery, onion & green pepper (the trinity) and cook until the veggies are translucent and tender. Stir occasionally. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in chicken broth and potatoes... cook, stirring frequently until mixture is thickened. About 10-15 minutes.

Add tomatoes, liquid and all into soup mixture and add all remaining ingredients. Cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Top with some freshly chopped thyme.

**sidenote** if you would like to add some smoked ham- add at the last minute while you're saute-ing your onions, peppers & celery.

Mushroom Pockets

2010-11-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

With the holiday season just around the corner, that usually means entertaining, holiday parties and feeding tons of family and friends. Between gift buying, holiday decorating and planning travel, who wants to think about what you're going to prepare... and who wants to be in the kitchen for hours... NOT ME... OK that's a lie... I love being in the kitchen and I'm happiest while I'm in there, but I'm sure most of you want to serve something impressive and delicious and something that doesn't require hours of cooking in the kitchen!

Well this is that appetizer recipe that will have your guests saying... WOW! How gourmet! And you saying... That was so easy, I had time to do some holiday shopping too!

Wild Mushroom Phyllo Pockets

1 Box of Phyllo Dough

1/2 stick clarified melted butter

1 Cup Shitake Mushrooms, finely chopped

1 Cup Portabello Mushrooms, finely chopped

1 Cup Brown Button Mushrooms, finely chopped

2 Shallots, finely diced

1 tsp. fresh thyme chopped

1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

1 tbs. Olive Oil

4 oz. Goat Cheese

Cup Cake Muffin Tin

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a large skillet heat olive oil and add mushrooms, shallots, thyme, salt & pepper. Saute until all liquid evaporates and the onions turn golden brown. Set aside, allow to cool.

Brush the inside of your cupcake tin with some butter- (do not use all of it) Cut Phyllo dough into squares large enough to fit inside of each round and have enough that forms a little cup. Press about 3 sheet squares into each tin round. Brush with a little more butter and bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes until a light golden brown. Do not overcook, these will go back into the oven again. Remove from the oven, set aside.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture into the Phyllo Dough Cup and top with a teaspoon full of goat cheese and a sprig of fresh thyme. Place back into the oven for 3-4 more minutes until the cheese becomes soft.

This is the perfect hearty, nutty, woodsy, YUMMY appetizer!

**sidenote** Some grocery stores actually sell prepared Phyllo Shells- they are usually found in the frozen foods section- where you would find your Phyllo Dough Sheets. Those make it even easier!

Phyllo Dough is fantastic because you can fill these with virtually anything! Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and Parsley, Ham & Cheddar... it's endless and it's easy!

Italian Wedding Soup...a'la Michelle's Wedding

2010-11-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a massive craving for one of my favorite soups... so much so that I wanted it to be the best soup I've ever made... so, I started pilfering through my cookbooks and looking for a recipe for the perfect Italian Wedding Soup... unable to find the right book, I started searching on the internet high and low... and then I came across this incredible article about my beloved "Italian Wedding Soup" and couldn't believe what I was reading.

Like most people, when I heard about Italian Wedding Soup I automatically thought that it was a dish or soup that was served at Italian weddings... and I'd also think ooohhh, how sweet, they eat a little soup together as husband and wife. Warms my soul. Well my friends, I couldn't have been more WRONG! This soup actually has nothing to do with an Italian wedding, nor is it ever served at one traditionally... In Italy this soup is called... minestra maritata meaning, "soup marriage" or in our english translation, wedding soup. To say two things go well together in Italian, you'd say si sposono bene or "they're well married..." or more to the south, they're maritati... or "married' So with this delicious wedding soup with meat & greens in a broth you'd say they are maritata.. or perfectly married... no wedding involved, but a yummy belly FOR SURE!

So here is a recipe that is sure to warm your soul and the ingredients are perfectly married to each other.

**side note** Italian wedding soup is traditionally made with escarole or chicory... my family tends to think that it's too bitter and maybe a little hard to find in some parts so I use fresh spinach. It's a little lighter in terms of taste and doesn't make it as "hearty" but by all means, please use it in there if you like it!

Italian Wedding Soup a'la Michelle's Wedding

Meatballs:

1/2 small onion, grated

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 large egg

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

2 slice fresh white bread torn into small pieces

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup grated asiago or parmegiano cheese

1 lb ground beef

3/4 lb ground pork- I actually used Sweet Italian Sausage and cut it out of the casing... the fennel in it added amazing flavor.

Freshly ground black pepper & salt to taste

Soup:

2 large boxes chicken stock

1 bag fresh spinach chopped

1/2 box Orzo pasta

2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make the meatballs- add the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl together and allow the bread to absorb some of the milk... let sit for a minute or two- add meats and combine well. Place back in the refrigerator and let sit for 10 minutes to get cold again to allow you to easily roll into small meatballs... remember these meatballs are going into a soup and you want a small "bite" of meat, not some huge meatball... so roll them into about 1 inch in diameter balls.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil n a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and spinach allow to simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the Orzo pasta and simmer on a low boil for about 15 to 20 more minutes.

At the very end, sprinkle a little more cheese on top... it's truly a marriage made in my tummy! Yours too! With winter and cold weather coming up... this is the perfect soup!

Molto bene!!!!

Beef Stroganoff a'la Crock pot

2010-10-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

It's starting to get a bit chilly at nights and my family is starting to crave some warm & delicious comfort foods... one of our favorites is Beef Stroganoff. Most Stroganoff recipes' are filled with lots of fat, but I try to cut a few corners on this version of my recipe to keep the calories down... no one seems to notice the swap and all the flavor is still there!! :-)

Not to mention this recipe is a total timesaver too! You can prepare it in the morning, set your Crock pot and come home to a fantastic, filling, delicious meal! The meat is tender, the sauce is creamy and the noodles add just the perfect balance to it. It will soon become one of your families favorite dishes over this what is sure to be a chilly winter season!

Beef Stroganoff a'la Crock pot

3/4 pkg of onion soup mix

1 can low sodium/low fat cream of mushroom soup

1 package of mushrooms, heartily sliced

1 large onion chopped

2 lbs. of beef stew meat
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 container low fat sour cream

1 bag of wide egg noodles

Combine all ingredients in the Crock pot, except the sour cream. Stir well. Cover with lid. Set heat to low. Cook until the beef is tender (approximately 6-8 hours), stirring occasionally.

Stir in the sour cream about 20 minutes before serving. Combine well.

Serve a top some wide egg noodles... YUM!

Not your mother's meatloaf!!!

2010-09-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

Let's just talk about one of my favorite meals for a second... what's that you ask? Oh I'll tell you!!! It's MEATLOAF!

MEATLOAF you say??? Really? MEATLOAF? That's not good at all! Alright, well let me tell you this... what if I said try this recipe and I promise you will change your mind? Yes! I mean it. I'm like a salesman right now trying to sell you the best meatloaf of your life... and I'm so sure of it that if I'm wrong... well... you can.... you can... well heck! I don't know you can sky write it in the sky that I gave you the worst meatloaf recipe... but I know I'm not! This is good... and I call it... you ready for this???

Not your mother's meatloaf!!!

1 POUND GROUND BEEF OR GROUND TURKEY

½ RED BELL PEPPER DICED

2 STALKS CELERY DICED

1-2 CARROTS DICED

1 ONION DICED

1 LARGE CLOVE OF GARLIC MINCED

3 TBS HOT SAUCE (NOT TABASCO, USE CRYSTAL OR TAPATIO)

4 TBS WORCESHIRE SAUCE

1/3 CUP KETCHUP

1/4 CUP PLAIN BREADCRUMBS

1/2 CUP MILK

1 OR 2 EGGS (I USUALLY USE 1)

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

Salt & Pepper to taste

MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER WELL-

ADD TO A BREAD LOAF PAN THAT HAS BEEN SPRAYED WITH

NON STICK SPRAY OR COATED WITH OIL. PAT IT IN THERE AND PUSH DOWN THE EDGES SO IT MAKES A LITTLE SLOPE THAT GOES DOWN TOWARDS THE EDGES-

BEFORE IT GOES INTO THE OVEN- MIX ABOUT 1 TSP KETCHUP, A FEW DASHES OF HOTSAUCE AND WORCESHIRE SAUCE TOGETHER AND SPOON IT ON TOP OF THE MEATLOAF- COVER THE WHOLE TOP OF IT WITH THIS MIX- WILL MAKE A GREAT GLAZE ON TOP OF IT- ADDS GOOD COLOR AND FLAVOR

COOK IN OVEN FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS ON THE BACK OF THE MEATLOAF PACKAGE- OR I USUALLY DO 35 OR 40 MIN ON 400

SERVE WITH MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY

EASY MASHED POTATOES:

PEEL, DICE & BOIL POTATOES-

DRAIN- RESERVE A BIT OF WATER

ADD ½ STICK OF BUTTER, ¼ CUP OF MILK OR HEAVY CREAM, 3 TBS SOUR CREAM

MASH WITH A FORK FIRST- THEN USE HAND BLENDER AND MIX ON MEDIUM HIGH SPEED FOR UP TO 5 MINUTES.

Tater Tots for the tots...

2010-09-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've never really even thought about this recipe or heard of it until someone had posted it on my website a long time ago that it's one of their favorite comfort food dishes... Then last night I asked the same question on my facebook page, as I always like to know what foods people are into... in any case, someone mentioned this tater tot casserole dish again... so I just had to check it out and see what it was about!

Tater tots... what's not to love? It's like a mix between a french fry and a mashed potato or hash brown. Crispy little rectangle oval looking thingies on the outside... soft and delicious on the inside.

This recipe came courtesy of Green Eggs & Dirt... which is another website that I think is just really cool... it's all about organic, healthy, green living... which although I might not be able to do or is realistic for me in every aspect of my life... I try to sometimes... but this delicious recipe is adapted from theirs.

Here's some comfort food for ya!

Tater Tot Casserole

1 pound ground beef

1 package tater tots (Trader Joes has some Organic ones)

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup whole milk or half and half

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

Handful of frozen peas or green beans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion.

In a separate small saucepan, heat the butter over medium high heat until it’s melted. Then whisk in the flour and let the butter/flour mixture (technically called a roux) cook for about 30 seconds, whisking as it cooks. Then whisk in the milk and let this come to a simmer. It should thicken up as it heats.

When the meat is browned, stir in the chicken broth, spices, worcestershire sauce, and the butter/flour/milk mixture. Let it simmer for a minute and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the peas/green beans, whichever you like or have on hand.

Pour the meat into a casserole dish and top with frozen tots. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the tots on top are golden and toasty.

Avocado Hummus

2010-09-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

A few months back I went to this fantastic Tapas restaurant where my friend kept going on and on about this incredible Avocado Hummus that this restaurant had... at first I thought... eeew... green hummus, that just sounds gross... then they brought it to our table. I must say it was LOVE AT FIRST BITE!!!! Oh my goodness... the goodness that this had was insane!

So here I am a few months later and I've moved into a new home... I couldn't be happier and I couldn't stop thinking about that avocado hummus! Well... low and behold I have this ginormous avocado tree in my backyard now that produces these humungous fresh delicious creamy buttery avocados! So... what did I do today??? You guessed it... I made this tasty dip!

I know it all sounds weird, but the chick peas, the avocados, the lemon, the cumin... it all just works! Serve it with some pita bread or even pita crisps... HEEEAAAAVVVENNNN!!!! (yes, that's me singing in an angelic voice!) ha ha ha!

Avocado Hummus

1 large avocado pitted

1 can chick-peas (drained)

1 large clove garlic minced

2 to 3 tbs lemon juice

pinch of cayenne

pinch of paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

2 tbs. tahini (sesame paste)

1/4 of an onion chopped

1 tbs olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients except the avocado into a blender. Blend untill smooth. Add the avocado and blend for another few seconds to well combine.

Place in a bowl, cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.

Serve cold with your favorite chips or pita bread!

Penne a'la Vodka

2010-09-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Now this is comfort food to me. I'm keeping it simple... because this dish speaks for itself. It's warm. It's hearty. It's EASY. It's good.

Penne a'la Vodka

1 large can (28 oz. size) crushed tomatoes or pureed tomatoes

1 clove of garlic minced

3 tbs butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Vodka

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (you can add more if you like more heat)

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh basil

1 pound penne rigate or rigatoni

Boil your pasts al dente, or according to the time on the box.

In a saute pan, melt the butter and add the garlic- be very careful not to burn it, you just want to get the raw taste of the garlic out. Add the tomatoes, pepper flakes & salt. Let cook for about 10 minutes.

When the sauce reduced a bit and is simmering, add the heavy cream & vodka. Allow it to cook for another 10 minutes. Throw in your pasta and give it a good toss in the sauce.

Serve immediately... garnish with the basil leaves and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

This has to be my favorite Italian dish! Enjoy this any night of the week!

**You can omit the Vodka in this dish if you don't want the alcohol... it will still be equally as delicious.

A pushover for a Popover.

2010-09-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Popovers... what's not to love. Light fluffy crisp dough that's got to be just perfect. Sometimes they'll pop and sometimes they won't... but when you get them just right... ahhh... I can't say that I like something more than a good popover. I'd say I'm a pushover for a popover... if that's possible.

Oh and did I mention how super easy they are to make... and super impressive! Yeah... good stuff.

Popovers

2 Eggs

3/4 Cup Milk

3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour (sifted)

1/4 tsp. Salt

2 tbs. melted butter

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

It's important that your eggs and milk are both at room temperature... don't ask me why, but this is the recipe that I've always used and it's always come out perfectly this way... so I've learned not to question it! :)

Alright, so lightly beat in your eggs and then start whisking in 1/4 of your milk... then whisk in the rest of your dry ingredients and then follow with the rest of the milk and butter. You want to make sure there are no lumps and it's a smooth batter...

Now... walk away... go grab a magazine, turn on the t.v... go for a nice long walk. Come back in at least 45 minutes. You want your dough to be light and fluffy and not dense and doughy... this helps all the ingredients absorb.

Butter your tin pan... Pour your batter into the tins... I've never used muffin tins, although I am sure they would work just fine... I use my popover tins that I bought from William Sonoma... aka the overpriced "gourmet" store. (yes, yes, there are some good finds there!)

So pour them in just about 1/2 way in to the tin.

Put in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a nice golden brown.

About 4 or 5 minutes before they are set to be done- make sure you go in there with a skewer and prick the popover all around a few times... this will help them not explode.

Trust me... that's a mess!

Remove from the oven and serve immediately... raspberry jam is my favorite with these!

I'm a pushover for a popover what can I say?!

Pass me the Pasilla... Chile that is.

2010-07-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes two basic and simple ingredients are all you need to make a phenomenally delicious dish. This happens to be one of them.

It takes a few steps, but it's smokey, it's rich, it's soft, it's delicate and most of all it's... everyone together now... YUM!!!!!

Pasilla con Queso

6 Pasilla Chiles

1/2 Package Cotija Cheese

1/2 Package Queso Fresco

Smoke your Pasilla Chiles either over the BBQ or if you want the easy way out, throw them directly over your gas cooktop and char away!!! Make sure you get a black char on the outside... don't be afraid... the smokier/ more charred the better!!!

Place in a plastic grocery store bag and tie it in a knot. Let them sit for 15-20 minutes... (this is a really important step! Don't skip it!)

Crumble both cheeses together and combine well.

Remove the charred skin from the Chile on the outside. Cut a slit down the middle and make an opening. Remove the inner seeds completely.

Stuff with a fair amount of the cheese blend.

Cook in the oven on 425 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

**sidenote**

The purpose of putting the Chiles into the plastic bag and knotting it is to allow the pepper to steam... the steam will do 2 fold, it will #1, help the Chiles to cook and soften a bit more with out making them soggy so they still have that "bite" and #2 most importantly the steam will help release the skin and char from the outside easily so that when you go to peel it the skin will just fall right off!

Summertime Salad

2010-07-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

This salad just screams "HELLO I AM SUMMER!!!!"
It speaks for itself... it needs no major intro... other than just to say my three favorite words... YUM YUM YUM!

Summertime Salad

1 Container Fresh Mozzarella

(I use Buccatini)

1 LB Mini Heirloom Tomatoes

1 Jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts

1/2 LB Fresh Arugula

3-4 TBS Fresh Basil Chopped

3 TBS Balsamic Vinegar

2 TBS Olive Oil

1/2 -1 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Salt & Pepper

Drain Mozzarella & Artichoke Hearts, Combine all ingredients in a bowl and give it a good toss.... refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

2010-07-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes late at night as I'm flipping through t.v. I get a hankering... (yes, I used the word hankering) for something crispy, fried and well... fattening!!!! Yes... we all know where I'm going with this one... I want GREASY FRENCH FRIES WITH LOADS OF SALT!!!! So here I was tonight, caught in this unfortunate predicament and let's face it... I didn't wanna go there! I wake up the next morning feeling like crapola cause I did something BAD BAD BAD! Well I don't think so... NOT TONIGHT!!!!

I got creative!!!!

SPICY SWEET POTATO FRIES! You can send me the thank you notes tomorrow morning! Oh, and try the dipping sauce too... it's THE BOMB!

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

1 or 2 large Sweet Potatoes cut into 1/2 inch thick batons

1 tablespoon Olive Oil or Peanut Oil

In a bowl combine:

1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1/4 tsp. Hungarian Paprika

1/4 tsp. Ground Cumin

1/4 tsp. Coarse Sea Salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place the cut sweet potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with the Olive Oil. Sprinkle the seasoning mix on top of the fries and using your hands, dig in and give them a good toss coating them evenly.

Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Garlic Lemon Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons mayo

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 small garlic clove minced

1/4 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika

Salt & Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and place in the refrigerator until the fries are done.

This has 1/2 the calories and all the satisfaction... ok... I'm guessing it has 1/2 the calories... I don't know, it's late, they were good... I'm just thankful I didn't go for the "FRIED" French Fries!!! Give them a try! So good!

Tomato... Tomahto... Tabbouli... Tabbouleh

2010-06-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Some food questions are super easy to me… for instance… Manicotti is my favorite Italian dish. Szechuan eggplant is my favorite Chinese dish. Tacos are my favorite Mexican dish… and HANDS DOWN my favorite Middle Eastern dish is Tabbouleh! I just love it! I’ve always loved it. I love the crisp green flavor of the parsley… the tang from the lemon juice, the sweetness from the tomatoes and the earthy nutty flavor from the bulgur. I had you up until bulgur right?

Bulgur? What’s bulgur you say? Bulgur (also known as bulgar, bulghur, and burghul) is whole wheat that's been parboiled, dried and crushed (or cracked). The outer bran layer is then rubbed off by hand and then sometimes ground again to achieve a particular grain size. Bulgur is sometimes referred to as cracked wheat….

It’s used in a lot of Armenian, Lebanese and Persian cuisine. It is pretty much a staple in any Middle Eastern home… it always was in ours.

Other than making sure you wash your parsley thoroughly this summertime salad is a perfect side dish any night of the week! It’s healthy, it’s fresh and it’s good!

Remember, a good Tabbouleh salad isn’t all about bulgur, the parsley and the tomatoes are the real stars of this dish… somehow when you go to buy it premade in stores it’s all bulgur and no parsley… while that’s tasty too, it isn’t the true way Tabbouleh should be made. Juicy, crispy, lemony, yummy!!!

Tabbouleh

2 Bunches Parsley (flat leaf or curly, I use curly)

4-6 Green Scallions chopped

3 Medium Sized Tomatoes Diced

¾ Cup Fine Bulgur

¼ Cup Fresh Mint Finely Chopped

½ -1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional)

½ Cup Olive Oil

Juice of 1 or 2 Lemons

Salt & Pepper to taste

Romaine Lettuce to use as garnish

Rinse thoroughly and dry the parsley and remove all sand and dirt from it… trust me, parsley is pretty gritty. Place on paper towels to dry.

Rinse and soak the bulgur in water for about 10-15 minutes, drain and squeeze out all excess water.

In a large bowl place chopped parsley, scallions, tomatoes, mint, bulgur and seasonings. Give a good mix and then add the lemon juice and olive oil. Adjust the taste as you like it.

Serve in a large bowl or platter and surround it with some extra chopped tomatoes and line the bowl with the hearts of romaine… you can use them as scoopers to eat the salad with.

This salad MUST go into the refrigerator for at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving. The colder the better.

On a hot summer day, this salad is sure to hit the spot as an appetizer or side dish.

** sidenotes**

If you can find some Persian Cucumbers or even an English Cucumber, dice it peel on and all and throw it in there for some extra crunch!

If you want to make your salad more plentiful and feel the taste of the parsley alone is too strong, shred some Romaine Lettuce and toss it in there with the salad.

Pepper Steak... I've got this covered!

2010-05-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

Pepper Steak. I got an email today from one of my favorite followers… (ok you’re all my favorites…) but she asked me for a recipe for pepper steak and was sure I’d be a lifesaver and have one for her. So as not to let her down, I immediately wrote her back and said “NO PROBLEM! I GOT THIS COVERED!”

So I started going through all of my recipes, cook books, magazines, the dusty memory, as not to let her down and found out that I have about 17 different recipes for Pepper Steak and none of them are the same! There’s traditional, there’s au poivre, there’s Chinese, there’s Hungarian… you get where I’m going with this! There’s a lot! So what’s a girl to do… well, I’ll tell ya what I did… I’m going with my old faithful, easy tried and true delicious recipe that I got from… you guessed it… MOM!

We probably ate this a couple times a month and let me tell you, no one made it like my mom… well until I started to that is… I’ve varied it a bit from how she used to make it, but it’s simply delicious and some pretty darn good Pepper Steak if I do say so myself!

So this one’s for you Toni… thank you for following and I hope this recipe replaces the one you misplaced!

Pepper Steak

1 ½ lbs beef top round steak or flank steak (I use flank)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon heavy cream

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon butter

1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 whole tomatoes, petite diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup cold water

Slice the beef into strips on an angle- about 2- 3 inches- (it might help if the beef is slightly frozen to slice easier)

In a large skillet heat olive oil and add the peppers and the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and celery and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes on medium heat.

Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add beef and cook until brown… a little caramelization is ok on the beef. Remove and set aside.

Add chicken broth, soy sauce, pepper, peppercorns, Worcestershire, butter and heavy cream and make sure to scrape up all the goodies from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes and add beef and pepper mixture. Cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with the water and stir into the pan stirring until the sauce thickens… should a take minute or two.

Serve over butter rice… spooning the sauce over the top.

Michelle's BBQ Marinade

2010-05-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Michelle's Marinade:

1 bunch of curly or flat leaf parsley

4-6 cloves of garlic

1 whole or 1/2 large onion

1 whole green bell pepper

1/2 red bell pepper

1 tbs red pepper flakes

1 tbs garlic powder

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup oil (can use olive oil, canola, corn)salt & pepper

OPTIONAL:Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Jalepenos Wash and roughly chop parsley, peppers, onion and other fresh herbs.

Put all ingredients into the blender and pulse until everything is emulsified. Pulse to desired consistency. I usually blend it into a puree.

Pour onto your meat, fish or chicken and marinate for at least an hour. The longer you marinate it the more intense the flavor will be. Can marinate overnight for best flavor.

Italiano Heaven Manicotti

2010-05-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid and we’d go to an Italian Restaurant… my staple dish that I ordered with out fail was always Manicotti. It didn’t matter how many other delicious things there were on the menu, all I wanted was Manicotti.

Those delicious little tubes of al dente pasta filled with soft creamy ricotta cheese & spinach topped with a light pink cream sauce… truly my idea of Italiano heaven!

Well my life seems to have come full circle, because my oldest boy follows in his mama’s footsteps! Manicotti is now his all time fave and I aim to please! So here is my family recipe for Manicotti that’s sure to become a favorite in your home!

Manicotti

1 Box Manicotti Shells

-cook according to directions on the box

Cheese & Spinach Filling

1 Container Ricotta Cheese

½ Package Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed & drained)

1 clove of garlic minced

1 egg

2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil (finely sliced)

1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

½ Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Sauce

1 Can Tomato Sauce or Puree

1 Teaspoon Butter

½ Cup Light Cream

2 Tablespoons Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic

½ Onion

3 or 4 big leaves of Fresh Basil

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 Slices of Mozzarella sliced in half

In a large bowl combine all ingredients for the Cheese & Spinach Filling. Spoon into a large Ziplock bag and cut a corner off of the bottom… this way you can use it as a piping bag… (fun trick) Place in refrigerator.

Combine all ingredients for the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove onion, garlic cloves, & basil.

Pipe cheese mixture into each manicotti shell. Fill one end, then fill the other… don’t try to fill the whole thing in one pipe… it won’t work and your shell will tear in half.

Arrange in a single layer in a pyrex dish or casserole dish that’s been sprayed with non stick spray or a drizzle of olive oil.

Spoon over the top a few spoonfuls of the pink sauce over the center of each filled Manicotti shell.

Cover with aluminum foil and and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and add slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the Manicotti and put back in the oven for an addition 5-10 minutes until the cheese is ooey gooey and melted on top!

Heirloom Tomatoes

2010-05-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Heirloom Tomatoes

When I think of summertime vegetables one of the first things that comes to mind is tomatoes. Sure you can buy them year round in your local market… but nothing and I mean nothing is like a ripe rich robust tomato when it’s in season!

So what is an heirloom tomato? An heirloom tomato is generally considered to be a tomato whose seeds have been passed on from several generations.

When looking for heirloom tomatoes to make this salad, don’t be so concerned with the exact variety, rather what you can find from your local farmer’s market that’s in season.

Salad of heirloom tomatoes,

ricotta salata cheese & watercress

4 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes.

Green zebra. Cherokee purple. Cherry belle. Yellow pear.

1 bunch of fresh watercress

½ purple onion

¼ pound fresh ricotta salata cheese

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Wash & quarter all of the tomatoes.

Finely slice the onion.

Wash & dry very well the watercress.

In a separate small bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic, mustard, salt & pepper. Mix until it’s emulsified.

Pour over all ingredients and toss well.

Crumble the ricotta salata cheese over the top of the salad. Serve chilled

Chicken Parmegiano with out the guilt!

2010-05-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Whenever I think comfort food, I usually think... heavy, fattening, deep fried, and guilty guilty guilty!!! Well, this recipe for Chicken Parm is not only delicious comfort food but leaves you feeling un-guilty! It's a light fresh and easy version of this classic dish that won't have you feeling bad you went back for seconds!

Typically the chicken in chicken parm is fried... well I go another route... I bake my chicken. It comes out just as crispy, light & moist as the traditional one!

I serve it on a small bed of spaghetti rigate and arugula...It also takes half the time and even better... half the mess!

Guilt Free Chicken Parmigiano

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Pounded Thin

1 Cup Bread Crumbs Seasoned

Salt & Pepper

1 Egg

1/4 Cup Milk

Sauce

1 Can Tomato Puree

2 Whole Garlic Cloves

3-4 Fresh Basil Leaves

3 Tbs. Heavy Cream

Salt & Pepper

A Pat of Butter (optional)

4 Slices of Mozzarella

Beat the egg & milk together in a deep dish or even a plastic zip lock bag. Drop in the chicken and cover with the mixture. In a sheet pan, cover it with bread crumbs and coat both sides of the chicken evenly. Place into a pyrex dish that has been sprayed with non- stick spray. Place in the oven on 425 uncovered for 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breast.

In a sauce pan combine all the ingredients for the sauce and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove Chicken from the oven and spoon 2-3 tbs of sauce in the center of the chicken (which should be perfectly golden brown and crispy) and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Place under the broiler for a minute or two until it's all nice and melted... I like mine a little toasty!

Serve over some spaghetti that you've topped with some more sauce and fresh arugula! YUM!

Chicken Parmegiano in a flash!

Taquitos... Beef or Chicken

2010-05-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hola Amigos! Happy Cinco de Mayo~ In true form of a celebration of this caliber I'd like to share a muy rico recipe for shredded beef & shredded chicken taquitos. These taquitos or "little tacos" are as authentic as they can be and are muy delicioso too! They've got that great crunch on the outside from the corn tortilla that's been lightly fried and the inside is oh so tender and savory! They're great for an appetizer for a party or even on their own for dinner... alright, truth be told... I freeze them after I've made them and pop them in the oven for a late night snack!

So vamos! Make some taquitos tonight!

Let me also say one thing.... I'm always honest with you guys...so I will say this... this isn't an in and out of the kitchen kinda recipe... this definitely requires a bit of commitment in terms of time in the kitchen, it's a lot of steps (nothing hard!) but it takes time... you really won't be sorry though! Truly you'll feel better than you didn't go the frozen taquito from the freezer section in the supermarket route... gosh only knows what's inside of those things!

Shredded Beef & Shredded Chicken Taquitos

Shredded Beef & Chicken both have the same ingredients-

1-3 lbs of round roast or tri tip roast untrimmed

or if using chicken 2 lbs of boneless skiness chicken thighs

1/2 red bell pepper

3-5 green scallions

4-5 cloves of garlic

2 tbs cilantro

1 tbs salt

Place meat or chicken in a deep pot and add enough water to cover it. Add all ingredients. Allow to boil for 1 hour.

Turn off flame and allow meat or chicken to cool completely. Remove from the pot and place on a cutting board, reserving the broth as you can use this flavorful stuff for a great soup or sauce for something else! Begin shredding meat or chicken into thin little pieces....also chop or smoosh with the back of your fork the pepper and scallion and add to the shredded meat/chicken mixture. I also like to add some extra fresh chopped scallion to it! Combine throughly in a bowl. Add 1/2 can of chopped chiles to it... a little more salt & pepper to taste. You can even add a drained can of petite dice tomatoes in it as well if you like.

Shredded Chicken

Shredded Beef

Begin assembling! I happen to like the really small corn tortillas. If you can find them any size will do.

I also like to put my tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds so that they become soft and are easier to work with once you put the filling in and roll them up... that way they won't crack on you.

Place a small amount of filling at the base of the tortilla.... then roll it up like a cigar. If you find that yours have a hard time staying together once you drop them into the oil to fry them, use a little toothpick to hold it closed and remove it as soon as it comes out of the hot oil.

Shredded Chicken

Shredded Beef

Fry on each side until it's golden brown. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc...

**sidenote**

This filling is also fantastic if you have any left over with some shredded lettuce and made into a little tostada type of salad. Chop some fresh tomatoes, some more cilantro and you've got another meal!

You can also add a can of chopped tomatoes, juice and all to it and then serve it over some rice.

Adios Amigos!