Roasted Garlic Soup

This soup recipe showed up one of my favorite food blogs and looked too good to pass up. I imagine this soup would be best served in a bread bowl, as the author recommends, but Brit and I didn’t have easy access to any. Either way, the soup is delicious and I’d highly recommend making this. The smell and taste of the roast garlic and shallots are fantastic and I’d love to incorporate them into more dishes.

Roasted Garlic Soup

(originally posted on the Macheesmo food blog)

serves 4

2 heads of garlic

2 shallots

Olive oil

1.5 lbs potatoes, cubed

1 quart vegetable stock

2 cups water

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice off the top of the heads of garlic and shallots. Place them all into some foil, drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top, sprinkle some kosher salt, and place the wrapped package into the oven. Roast for 40 min, remove from the oven, and set aside until they are cool.

Pop the garlic cloves and shallots out of their skin. Place them in a large pot with the cubed potatoes, stock, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Use a blender (an immersion blender would be best) to puree the soup. Mix in the lemon juice and parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. A ¼ cup of cream can be optionally added at this point.

Avocado Cream Pasta

Brit found this recipe in one of her food blogs (a healthy vegan food blog in fact) and sent it my direction. We both love avocados, this recipe looked fantastically simple, and we eagerly added it to our list of new recipes to make. We make another dish that’s similar, linguine with pea pesto, and we knew we would love this version as well.

Avocado Cream Pasta

(originally posted on the Oh She Glows food blog)

Serves 3

1 ripe avocado, pitted

Lemon zest

½ lemon, juiced

3 garlic cloves

½ tsp salt, or to taste

¼ cup basil

2 tbsp olive oil

1 package pasta

Black pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Once al dente, drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, blend the garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor. Add in the avocado, basil, and salt and blend until smooth.

Toss the pasta with the avocado sauce until well mixed. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Brit decided to toast some walnuts and add them them as an additional garnish. (Great idea Brit!)

Chicken Marsala with Green Beans and Cous Cous

I was feeling lonely because Brit was hanging out with friends for dinner, so I invited MLove to come on over and I would cook for her. Brit will later join us so that we could all watch our favorite show, Top Chef, together. Brit and I had already planned to cook chicken marsala for tonight's meal and I threw in some steamed green beans and cous cous to round it all out. The green beans were flavored and seasoned with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. The cous cous was seasoned with salt, pepper, curry powder, cumin, and chili pepper flakes. I'm always super critical of my own dishes, especially when serving them to company, but the reviews from my dinner company were positive.

Alu Gobi ki Sabzi (Cauliflower with Potatoes)

I have a work colleague who is Indian-American and occasionally mentions the incredible food that her mom makes for her and sends back with her anytime she visits. Since Brit's favorite cuisine is Indian food and it definitely ranks in my top 3, I frequently harass my friend Trisha to let me try some of her cooking. Brit was a lot more successful by taking a different route and asked for some of Trisha's mother's recipes; it turns out that she used to teach a cooking class. Trisha obtained the recipes, sent them our direction, and this is the second one we've made thus far. Both are winners.

Alu Govhi ki Sabzi

(Recipe provided by Sadhna A)

Serves 4 side dishes

1 cauliflower, cut into large pieces

2 potatoes, sliced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 long green hot chili, coarsely chopped (we used a jalapeno)

1 inch piece of ginger, coarsely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric power

1 tbsp coriander

1 tsp garam masala, divided

1.5 tsp red chili powder

Salt

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add the turmeric powder and fry for a few seconds. Next add the cauliflower, potatoes, ginger, and green chiles. Mix in the remaining spices but only half of the garam masala.

Lower the heat to medium-low and cover for a few minutes. Every few minutes stir and return to simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender (this could take a while).

Add the remaining garam masala and season to taste with salt. Increase the heat and fry for a few minutes until the vegetables are golden brown.

This side can be garnished with fresh coriander and served over rice or with pita or naan. We served ours over brown rice.

Curried Lentil Soup with Grilled Chicken and Zucchini

Tonight's meal was a repeat of one of our absolute favorites: curried lentil soup. We've made this in the past alongside a roast chicken, but didn't want to spend as much time and effort for this meal. Instead, I rubbed an "Asian" spice mix over some trimmed chicken breasts and Brit cooked them in her cast-iron grill pan. Brit also diced up a leftover zucchini from the brown rice and black bean casserole we made last week and cooked it with a little salt and pepper and sliced garlic. She kept both dishes under a lid the entire time to keep them both moist and tender.


The only modification I made to the curried lentil soup was to add some leftover shallots from to the pot at the same time I sauteed the onion and carrots. Not surprisingly at all, everything turned out awesomely. The chicken breasts were sliced and served on top of the soup alongside the zucchini. There was lots of leftover chicken, so we'll use them in an upcoming Indian dish this week.

Masala Masoor with Wilted Spinach and Brown Rice

Our friend Trisha's mom is an expert in traditional Indian cooking. When Trisha found out that I want to learn how to make delicious Indian food, she told her mom, who sent us a packet of recipes from a cooking class she used to teach in State College, PA. Her mom also sent us several containers of different delicious Indian spices to make her recipes! We were so excited and we couldn't wait to try out one of the dishes. Tonight was our first attempt at Masala Masoor, and it was incredible. Masoor dal - red lentils - are used in this dish. I followed the directions exactly as she wrote them (which I don't normally do), and I am so glad I did because it was perfect.

Masala Masoor

(Recipe from Sadhna Agrawal)

2 cups masoor dal (whole)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 long green hot pepper, minced (we used a jalapeno)

1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. ghee (purified butter) or oil (we used olive oil)

1 tsp. whole cumin seeds

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. red chili powder (optional)

2 tsp. coriander powder

Salt to taste (about 2 tsp.)

Pick over masoor dal and wash and soak for at least 4 hours.

Heat the oil or ghee and add the cumin seeds and let them splutter for a few seconds (I cooked them for about 1 minute). Now add the onions and fry for five minutes and then add the minced ginger, green chili and garlic. Fry until golden.

Next add the turmeric powder and fry again for a few seconds and fold in the rest of the ingredients. Add about 3 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker and give it at least 10 minutes after the whistle starts. If cooking in a pot, add some more water and cook on medium heat until the dal is well cooked (I cooked in a pot - it took about 45 minutes).

If desired, garnish with chopped fresh tomatoes and fresh coriander. Always serve hot with a little bit of butter drizzled on top. Goes very well with plain basmati rice.

We also wilted some spinach as a side, along with cooked brown rice. I can't wait to make this again!

Brown Rice & Black Bean Casserole

Mike sent me the link to this recipe a few days ago. It looked pretty good so we decided to try it. The original recipe called for way too much time on the rice portion (simmer 1/3 cup of rice and 1 cup of broth for 45 minutes?! Not unless you want to burn the bottom of your pan...not to mention the rice), so I edited it a little bit. The finished product turned out really well!

Brown Rice & Black Bean Casserole

(Adapted from On My Menu's recipe )

1/3 cup brown rice

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium zucchini, chopped or thinly sliced

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (canned chicken would work, as well)

3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1 tsp cumin

Salt, to taste

Cayenne Pepper, to taste

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4 oz.) can green chilies

1/3 cup carrots, chopped small

2 cups shredded swiss cheese (we used TJ's light Mexican cheese blend)

Mix the rice and chicken broth in pot on stovetop, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low,

cover and simmer for 15-ish minutes, or until rice is tender. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a medium-sized casserole dish (we used 9x9) with cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until tender. Mix in the zucchini, chicken, and mushrooms. Season with cumin, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir until zucchini is lightly browned and chicken is heated through. In a large bowl, mix the rice, onion, zucchini, chicken, mushrooms, beans, chilies, carrots, and half of the cheese. Transfer to the baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover casserole dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Chicken Paprikash

Brit found this recipe in the December issue of Food Network Magazine. I don't know why, but I was a little skeptical at first, but the more I looked at the ingredients, the better it looked. I'm really glad I got over my gut reaction, because this meal was sooooo good. The sauce is incredible and the chicken turned out really, really, really, really tender. Brit and I are definitely going to make this dish again.

Chicken Paprikash
(very minimally adapted from a Food Network Recipe)

Serves 4

1 package (8 oz) egg noodles
6 slices turkey bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup flour
2-3 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cubed
2 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Cook the egg noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the diced bacon over medium heat. Since I used turkey bacon, I used a little olive oil to help it cook. After 2-3 minutes, add in the onion and bell pepper and saute 2-3 more minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, paprika, marjoram, and 1 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Toss the cubed chicken until it's well coated.

Push the bacon and veggies to the side and increase the heat to high. Add a little olive oil to the space in the skillet and add in the chicken. Cook and turn until browned on the outside. Stir everything together and cook another 1-2 minutes.

Now, add the chicken broth and bring everything to a boil. Reduce to the heat to low or where needed to let it simmer. Cook another 10 minutes until the chicken is done. Once cooked through, increase the heat to high for 1-2 minutes. Again reduce the heat to low, stir in the sour cream, and cook another 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over the noodles.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Sundried Tomatoes, and Chicken Sausage

Brit found this recipe in one of her food blogs she follows through Google Reader. It looked very light, healthy, and delicious and was perfect for our Thanksgiving recovery week recipes. We decided to throw in some chicken sausage to make the dish a more complete meal and ultimately threw in some more last minute additions which really helped with the flavor. This is a definite repeat meal and will probably show up again in our rotation fairly soon.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Sundried Tomatoes, and Chicken Sausage
(Adapted and modified from a recipe publised on SimpleRecipes.com)


Serves 4


1 lb. broccoli rabe, cut into 1 inch slices
1/2 lb. penne pasta
1 onion, chopped (a new addition of ours to the recipe)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust depending on how much heat you want)
1 package chicken sausage, sliced (we used the sundried tomato kind from TJs)
2 oz sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp goat cheese (a last second addition)
1-2 tbsp mozarella cheese, diced (another last second addition)
Salt
Pepper

In a medium pot of boiling water, blanch the broccoli rabe for 1 minute. Immediately transfer to an ice bath (I drained it first in a colander instead of trying to scoop it out with a slotted spoon) to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot of oiled and salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.

Once the pasta starts cooking, saute the onion in a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until translucent and then mix in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or two, while stirring, and then add in the sliced chicken sausage. Brown the chicken sausage for a few minutes and then add in the blanched broccoli rabe. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the broccoli rabe is tender, and then stir in the sundried tomatoes. We had completely dry sundried tomatoes from TJs, but the kind preserved in oil would be best. Season everything with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the veggie mix to the pot of cooked and drained pasta. Mix everything well together. At this point we decided to mix in some extra goat cheese we had lying around. Once well mixed (and this took a bit of effort) we scooped our servings into some bowls and garnished with parmesan cheese. I then decided to additionally garnish my bowl with some cubed pieces of mozarrella cheese.

The addition of the onion, chicken sausage, and goat cheese were awesome. Brit and I both agree that this dish would have been bland and boring without them. Also, I really enjoyed the mozarella cheese in my bowl, but it wasn't necessary.

Spice Rub Baked Tilapia with Asparagus and Quinoa

Tonight's meal was another variation of the baked fish dish we've done several times in the past when we want a quick, easy and satisfying meal. The frozen fish from Trader Joes has always treated us well and is good whether or not we add any significant marinade or other seasoning to it.

For tonight's meal I decided to create a spice rub out of salt, pepper, smoked paprika, dried oregano, cumin, and minced garlic. I lightly spread some olive oil on the tilapia fillets first and then rubbed the spice mix all over the fish. The tilapia was baked at 450 F for about 12-13 minutes and I tested them by inserting a knife into the fattest part of the fish and feeling no resistance.

The quinoa was seasoned with the same spice mix, minus the garlic, and the asparagus was steamed and then dressed with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

The spice mix was a winner and I will definitely use it again!

Yakisoba with Marinated Chicken

This is another remake of a dish we made a long time ago. In fact, Yakisoba was the first dish Brit and I ever blogged out. This is a recipe that I brought from my childhood and used to be a regular staple while I was growing up.

We once again didn't use actual yakisoba noodles as we're unsure as to where to find them. Instead we used about 26 oz of Udon noodles from Maxx's produce. The noodles were cooked according to the package directions, drained, rinsed in cold water, and set aside until ready to be stir fried.

The last time we cooked this dish we felt that the noodles overpowered the remaining ingredients. To help fix that, we doubled the amount of carrots and also included a package of sliced mushrooms from Trader Joes. I also increased the quantity of the sauce by 50% to help coat all of the noodles and give the whole dish more flavor.

Brit sauteed the onion and carrots in some olive oil and then added in the mushrooms cooking them until most of their liquids have been released. The veggies and noodles were then transferred and cooked in a large pot together, which was probably not the best option. We should definitely use a wok next time to help mix everything together well. The sauce was added and once everything was well coated, the previously marinated, cooked, and sliced chicken was added in and mixed well. We gave the whole dish a minute or two to heat up the chicken and then eagerly served, garnished, and dug in.

By far a huge improvement over our last experience and the last time it was fantastic. Next time we can only hope we'll find real yakisoba noodles to use.

Mediterranean Turkey and Sausage Stew

This is a re-make of the Mediterranean Chicken Stew dish that we made back in September. It was delicious then and we had high hopes for it again as a quick and easy meal to make after Thursday's Thanksgiving gorge-fest. We were originally going to just use leftover turkey from our Thanksgiving meal, but by the time we got around to making this meal, we were low on the leftover turkey. So, in addition to the leftover turkey, we threw in some leftover Thanksgiving stuffing and then some chicken andouille sausage.

We once again served the stew over some simple salt and pepper seasoned cous cous. I used at least 2-3 times as much lemon juice, but didn't have enough olives to increase the quantity as I had previously desired to do. Ultimately, the meal was delicious and there was plenty leftover for both Brit and I to have leftovers for work lunches.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto with Steamed Broccoli

This meal comes from the Smitten Kitten food blog and appealed to our love of risotto. The saffron risotto we make is fantastic and we were eager to try a new variation to the rice. To make the meal healthier we decided to include a side of broccoli which ended up just being served on top. The picture below doesn't really do the dish justice, but trust me, it's delicious.

Tomato and Sausage Risotto
(originally found on the Smitten Kitten food blog)

Serves 4

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
Olive oil
1 lb. italian chicken sausage, casing removed
1 onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 package (10-14 oz) spinach, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter

In a small saucepan, combine the tomatoes, and their juices, with 3 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and keep warm.

In a medium saucepan, saute the sausage and onion in some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and break apart the sausage while it cooks. When the onion is soft and the sausage is cooked, stir in the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, while stirring, until it has been absorbed.

Add 2 cups of the hot tomato mixture and simmer the rice over medium-low heat while stirring until it is almost completely absorbed. Continue by adding 1 cup of the hot tomato mix at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. Continue until the rice is cooked, tender and creamy. Not all of the tomato mixture may be needed.

Remove from heat and stir in the spinach, cheese, and butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve with additional Parmesan cheese on top.

We steamed some broccoli florets and served them over the risotto in a bowl.

Green Salad with Grilled Chicken & Caesar Dressing

This weekend, Mike and I volunteered with our friends Jeremy and Kendra at a camp in rural New York. We spent Saturday wandering the campus, picking up remnants of an epic shaving cream battle and harnessing teenagers into a giant three-person swing that drops passengers from 60 feet in the air. As lovely as it was to escape the city, we were both ready to come home and eat something green and not-fried.

Enter Mike's last-minute salad suggestion. We ran to Trader Joe's, grabbed a bag of mixed greens and some grilled chicken for protein, then came home and quickly assembled what we deemed to be a mighty successful, mostly-healthful meal. Definitely going on our list of recipes to tweak and repeat.

Green Salad with Grilled Chicken & Caesar Dressing
(Caesar Dressing adapted from Epicurious recipe)

Salad Ingredients

1 bag of mixed greens
2 carrots, diced
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2ish tablespoons herbed goat cheese
2 chicken breasts

Caesar Dressing Ingredients

7 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
5 anchovies, roughly chopped
3/4 cup TJ's reduced fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup reduced fat buttermilk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat a cast-iron grill pan on medium heat (if you have an actual grill, by all means use it instead). Spray it quickly with olive oil spray to lubricate. Quickly salt and pepper the chicken breasts and then place them on the grill pan. Cover with a large sauce pan lid. Grill breasts for 7-8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. Remove from heat, let the chicken rest for 4-5 minutes and dice into bite-sized pieces.

While the chicken is on the grill, finely chop the garlic and anchovies in a food processor. Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, parmesan, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Blend in the food processor until smooth. Season with black pepper to taste. Cook's note: This will make plenty of leftovers.

In a large bowl, combine greens, carrots and about 1/2 of the dressing (or enough to coat the greens). Serve salad with walnut pieces, diced chicken and goat cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Quick Curry Shrimp with Couscous & Green Beans

We originally planned to make a baked fish with curry marinade, but unfortunately Trader Joe's was plum out of frozen fish. So we got frozen shrimp instead!

This was a pretty good meal. Not one of our best, but definitely a recipe to revisit when we're in a pinch and need a quick dinner. The leftovers were also better than the freshly prepared version, surprisingly.

On the side, we served steamed green beans with a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper, along with couscous seasoned with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper (to taste).

Curry Shrimp

1 package frozen shrimp (medium-sized), thawed
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2ish bottle Trader Joe's red curry marinade
black pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and onions. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until onion is just translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for an additional 2 minutes to release and mingle the flavors. Add the red curry marinade and cook, stirring, until the marinade comes to a steady simmer. Add the shrimp and cook for 5 - 6 minutes. Add black pepper to taste. This dish definitely did not need any additional salt.

Overall, not too bad.

Chicken Roaster with Curried Lentil Soup and Spinach

It has been a while since Brit and I made our favorite soup, the curried lentil soup, so we eagerly put it on our meal calendar and planned to serve it along side Brit's incredible chicken roaster and some wilted spinach. My father had recently tried to make the soup himself (he feel in love with it after Brit and I had cooked it for my family in July) but found that it was too liquid. Paying closer attention to my own experience I found that the lentils cooked in about 35 minutes, but that my soup was also still quite liquid. I let the soup simmer at a slightly hotter temperature for an additional 5-10 minutes and that definitely concentrated it quite well. This soup is so good I'd recommend it to anyone. It could even be made vegan and pareve by substituting the butter for margarine.

Dan Dan Noodles

Brit and I have recently made a Dan Dan Noodle dish not just once, but twice in the past month. The recipe comes from a reader of Bon Appetit requesting their favorite Sichuan dish from a restaurant in Georgia, and the dish sure does deliver. Brit and I worked to improve the dish by doubling the sauce quantity, adding some garlic, and also some vegetables to give the dish color and round it out as a nicer meal. Well, tonight I perfected it.

It. Was. Incredible. 

I'm re-printing the ingredients and directions below so that I have the adapted recipe, in its entirety, in one location for easy reproducibility.

Dan Dan Noodles

Serves 4

12 oz Udon noodles
2-3 carrots, chopped well (I used a mini food processor)
1-2 bell peppers, sliced
12 oz. ground turkey
2-3 tbsp ginger, minced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups chicken stock
4 tbsp chili oil
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp soy sauce
8 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
4 tbsp scallions, sliced thin

Cook udon noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

In a skillet with some olive oil, saute carrots and bell peppers over medium heat until soft. Season with some salt and pepper while they're cooking. When ready, transfer to a clean bowl.

Add some more olive oil to the same skillet used for the veggies and begin cooking the ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, breaking apart, until about halfway cooked. Stir in the garlic and ginger and continue cooking all the way through.

Add back the veggies to the cooked turkey and stir in the stock, chili oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, tahini, and some extra ground black pepper. Stir well and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens. Be patient as this will take up to 10 minutes, but it's totally worth it.

After the sauce is deemed thick enough, spoon the mixture over the udon noodles in individual bowls. Garnish with the peanuts and scallions and eat! OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!!!!!

The chili oil gives the sauce a nice, but fairly subtle heat. You can add some sriracha if you want to spice it up a bit more.

Quinoa with Cheese

This recipe is a real winner. Mike found it on Simply Recipes, and boy is it hard for me to turn down any recipe where cheese is the main event. We did have to make a couple of minor changes, though, since queso fresco was nowhere to be found (well, not within walking distance of our house, anyway).

Quinoa con Queso
(slightly adapted from the Simply Recipes version)

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large fresh tomato, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped large green chile, either Anaheim or Poblano
2 teaspoons tomato paste
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2ish teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 pound (4 ounces) Fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
1 cup milk
Fresh basil, cilantro, or chives for garnish (optional)

Put 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water into a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a couple minutes. Add the garlic, cook for a minute more. Add the chopped tomato, about 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, dried oregano, and tomato paste. Add chopped green chiles. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Stir until well combined. Let cook until the tomatoes have cooked through and the sauce has cooked down a bit. Then stir in the cheese. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Stir 1 cup of milk into the now cooked quinoa. Serve the quinoa in bowls and top with sauce. Garnish with chopped basil, parsley, cilantro, or chives. (We chose cilantro.)

I think next time we'll add a meat (maybe a sauteed chicken sausage?), but this was a very filling, tasty dish.

Pasta with Cauliflower, Sausage, and Mozzarrela

Tonight's meal is a recipe that we made a long time ago and had been forgotten about. While flipping through our recipe book, we were quickly reminded how good it was and quickly decided to make it again. The original recipe is from The Kitchn food blog and calls for using a sweet Italian sausage. We substitute chicken sausage that we get from Trader Joes, but that's the only modification that we make to the recipe. There is one other modification that I make and that's to the title of the recipe. Originally, the mozzarella is not included in the title, but the breadcrumbs are showcased instead. This makes no sense to me. Gooey delicious mozzarella is a much better sell than toasted breadcrumbs. Either way, it's delicious.

Pasta with Cauliflower, Sausage, and Mozzarrela
(Adapted from a recipe on The Kitchn food blog)

Serves 6

Olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz chicken sausage, cut in half and then sliced (I used the spicy jalapeno from Trader Joes)
1 head cauliflower, cut into small, bited-sized pieces
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb. penne rigate pasta (the type of pasta that can be used is really at your discretion)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 lb mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Toss in the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft. Add in the garlic, cook for another 1-2 minutes, and then throw in the sausage pieces. Continue to cook until the sausage is beginning to brown.

Once the sausage is ready, add in the cauliflower florets. Season with some more salt and pepper and add a little bit more oil to help it all cook. Stir occassionally, but let the cauliflower cook so that it is beginning to brown.

Once the cauliflower is beginning to brown, pour in the can of diced tomatoes and raise the heat on the dish. Scrape up all the good stuff on the bottom of the skillet, bring the dish to a simmer, put the lid on, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked through.

While the cauliflower is cooking, boil the pasta. Also spread the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until browned. Once the pasta is ready, drain the pasta, return it to its original pot, carefully add the cauliflower mix into the pot and mix well. Add in the cubes of mozzarella and mix until gooey. Garnish with the breadcrumbs and enjoy!

Salmon Burgers with Aioli

Whole Foods sells some really delicious frozen fish patties that work great for making burgers. Brit and I had bought a Groupon deal for Whole Foods and made sure to stock up on the frozen salmon patties when we were there last month. For dinner we made a very simple burger with lettuce, tomato, and red onion from our farmer's market. Brit cooked the salmon with a little olive oil in a skillet and I made us an aioli to spread on the bun. The aioli was fantastic and we wanted to make sure we could remember how it was made.

Aioli Spread

4 tbsp mayo
4 cloves garlic, minced well
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tsp lime juice
1-2 tsp Sriracha

Asparagus Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

We made homemade asparagus ravioli over a year ago with our friend Corey, which turned out really well. One issue we had though was that I didn't properly make the accompanying brown butter sauce, so we just ate the ravioli with the additional garnishes. After going through some of our old recipes, Brit got excited about the idea of making this meal again and was determined to make the brown butter sauce work.

The asparagus spears and anchovies (two of them this time) were finely blended in a food processor and mixed in with the additional filling ingredients. The filling was then placed into the wonton wrappers (we successfully found some at the South Square Market in the produced section) and folded into triangles. Brit patiently cooked the butter sauce until it browned and everything was plated directly from the pot. Once cooked, the ravioli intensely stick to each other, so I spooned them out of the boiling water and plated them directly into our bowls for dinner or tupperware for lunch the next day.

Brunch Tostadas!

Yes, the exclamation point is a necessity here. We accidentally didn't have time to try out the Shredded Chicken Hard Tacos recipe we had planned this week, so in a pinch we decided to use all the ingredients and substituted eggs for the chicken. It was a very exciting way to start the day.

Brunch Tostadas!

5 eggs
1 -2 tbsp skim milk
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, diced & divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup salsa, divided
6 oz shredded light Mexican cheese blend
2 corn tortillas
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Sour Cream
Avocado
Lettuce, chopped
Tomato, diced


In a small saucepan, heat about 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1/2 of the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and stir until the scent of garlic is released, about 1 minute. Add black beans and stir until combined. When the black beans are heated through, stir in 1/4 cup of salsa. Reduce heat to low and cover to retain liquid.
Roughly chop the avocado. Place in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mash with a fork. It's okay if the avocado is still a little chunky - that's the best part.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Add milk and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a pan over medium-low heat. Spray with olive oil spray to lubricate. Add eggs. Wait about 1 minute and then stir the eggs with a wooden spoon, gently scraping the bottom of the pan. Repeat this process until the eggs are scrambled and all the liquid has been cooked/evaporated, about 10-12 minutes.
While the eggs are cooking, heat a small pan over medium high heat. Spray quickly with olive oil spray. Add one corn tortilla and toast until both sides are brown and the tortilla is almost crispy.
Place the toasted tortilla on a plate. Spread 1/2 of the mashed avocado mixture on the tortilla. Add the black beans, sprinkle the cheese, then cover with eggs. The lettuce, tomato and sour cream will top off a deliciously complete brunch meal. Too bad we didn't have any guests to share this with! We'll be sure to make it again sometime.

Jengban Mak Guksu (Spicy Cold Noodles on Platter)

Brit sent me a recipe for a fantastic looking Korean dish that we both knew we had to try. The recipe comes from a blog that Brit reads of a couple living in The States both of whom are originally from Korea. I later showed the recipe to a Korean friend of mine who confirmed how good the dish is and was excited for us to try it.

For our first time making this, it took us quite a while. We didn't plan things out very well, and probably used every bowl in the kitchen in the preparation, but it was well worth it in the end. I also really wanted to prepare the dish so that it could be authentically presented; the noodles get placed in the middle of the dish with the sauce on top and the chopped vegetables around. Everything then gets mixed together with chopsticks and hungry dinner guests are allowed to dig in.

We doubled the quantities of the ingredients listed below, but unfortunately did not have enough of the red chili paste to double the sauce. While the sauce was still delicious, the complete quantity of red chili paste would have been preferable and will definitely be utilized in the future. We also added in red pepper to our included vegetables, which is not as authentically Korean, but added a nice crunch and color to the recipe.

Jengban Mak Guksu
(Originally posted on the Bap Story Korean food blog)

Serves 2-4

1 box of Soba noodles (we've found that the Annie Chuns brand holds up the best for leftovers)
Cucumber, sliced thin
Carrots, sliced into matchsticks
Cabbage, sliced into matchsticks
Red bell pepper, sliced thin
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced thin

Sauce:
4 tbsp red chili paste
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp plum sauce
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sesame seeds

Garnish:
1 tbsp sesame oil
2-3 tbsp seaweed, shredded (we bought some dried seaweed from Maxx's produce that we rehydrated in warm water)

The important part of this dish is the presentation. Place the cooked soba noodles (according to the box instructions) in the middle of a large platter. Surround the noodles with all of the vegetables. Pour the sesame oil, sauce, and seaweed on top of the noodles. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!

Linguine with Saffron and Andouille Sausage and Cauliflower

This is a dish Brit found on The Spice House website, I believe while searching for cheap spices to purchase. The recipe is so simple, but so incredibly rewarding. We changed one of the ingredients to make it healthier, specifically using fat free half and half instead of whole milk. Snobs might be able to notice a difference, but it's quite delicious exactly as we made it. We also added in some andouille sausage and roast cauliflower to add protein and make the meal more well rounded. This is a definite repeat recipe.

Linguine with Saffron and Andouille Sausage and Cauliflower
(Modified from a recipe at The Spice House)

Serves 4

Generous pinch of saffron
1 1/3 cups fat free half and half
3 tbsp coarse salt
1 box linguine
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 package of TJ's andouille sausage, sliced
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets


1-2 days in advance, mix the saffron with the half and half and store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Cook the pasta according to the packaging.
Roast the cauliflower in the oven at 400 F until it is cooked through.
Saute the sausage in a tbsp of oil in a pan until browned and heated through.
Warm the saffron mix in the same pot that the pasta was cooked in. Once warm, add back to the drained pasta and stir well. Add half of the cheese and stir well. Add in the salt and stir well. Let sit 1-2 minutes and season to taste.
Serve with the cauliflower and sausage on top.

Braised Chicken with Brown Rice, Broccoli, and Cauliflower

A long time ago Brit and I tried for something new and decided to cook a lamb shank. We normally don't eat red meat, but we had just bought ourselves a dutch oven and were willing to break our rule for just one night. I had asked my mom if she had any suggestions for what to do with the lamb and she sent us a recipe of hers for a braised lamb shank with a rosemary and garlic sauce. Sadly, for what we to believe were technical reasons, the lamb did not turn out very well. However, the rosemary and garlic sauce was incredible. So, I've wanted to retry that recipe for a while now but try using a chicken instead of a lamb so that we wouldn't feel so guilty about eating any red meat.

The chicken turned out fantastically well. It was incredibly tender and tasty. The sauce was also quite good, but not as good as when we first made the lamb. The flavor infused into the sauce from the lamb was not something we would have been able to replicate with the chicken. Oh well.

We paired our chicken with brown rice, roast cauliflower and steamed brocooli. It was quite a feast.

Braised Chicken

Whole Chicken (we picked up a 4.5 lb. chicken from our favorite Halal Meat Market)
Salt
Black pepper
Paprika
Olive oil
7-8 cloves garlic, chopped
Bunch of green onions, chopped
Onion, chopped
Rosemary
Thyme
Sage
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock (you may need more or less depending on the size of your cooking pot and chicken)


Preheat your oven to 325 F.

Generously rub salt, pepper, and paprika all over your chicken. Heat up olive oil in a medium to large dutch oven. Sear the chicken on all sides until brown. This shouldn't taken more than 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside. Brown the garlic, green onion, and onion for just a few minutes. Add in the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Throw in the herbs, return the chicken with all of its juices, and then add enough chicken stock to cover half of the chicken. Secure the dutch oven lid and stick in the oven.
We cooked ours for about an hour. We knew it was done because we had inserted a cooking thermometer probe into the thigh of the chicken and cooked it until it was 165 F. We then let it rest on top of the stove for about 45 minutes while we cooked the rest of our meal. Future braisings would hopefully be better planned and the meat wouldn't sit out for longer than 10-15 minutes.

If you don't have a cooking thermometer, I bet any chicken would be done in 1-1.5 hours. If you overcook it, it shouldn't be a problem as the liquids in the dutch oven will keep it from drying out.

Chicken Marinade with Cous cous and Asparagus

Brit and I needed an easy meal to make as we had a very narrow amount of time between when we both got home from work and when we would have to leave to go see Bush and Chevelle in concert (with Filter opening). To briefly describe the concert: Gavin Rossdale rocked the house and Filter has become really, really awful. The lead singer lost his ability to sing and none of their new music is tolerable.

Chicken Marinade

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs chicken breasts (we got ours from the fantastic Halal meat market around the corner)
Soyaki marinade (a great TJs marinade)

Trim the chicken, slice thin, and stab a few times with your knife.  Immerse in a sealable container (whether it's a ziploc bag or a bowl with saran wrap on top, and marinate overnight (we did 48 hours because we're crazy).

We then baked the chicken at 450 F until it was done (prob 30 minutes).

The chicken was paired with some cous cous and asparagus we boiled and then seasoned with white balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Enchilada Manicotti

When Mike sent me this recipe, I was hesitant at first. It sounded so strange! Then I thought about it for a little while, and it started to make sense. Pasta instead of tortilla. Chunky enchilada sauce instead of a red sauce. Ricotta AND shredded Mexican cheeses. RICOTTA. I was sold.

This is a fun, simple dish to make and was a satisfying meal that produced at least two days' worth of leftovers - definitely a win in my book!

Enchilada Manicotti
(via The Food in My Beard)

For filling (slightly different from original recipe):

4 oz Jack Cheese (we used TJ's Lite Mexican Cheese blend)
1 Cup Ricotta
1 11 oz Can Refried Beans (fat free refried beans from TJ's are the jam!)
4 Tablespoons Parsley

For sauce:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Small Onion
1 28 oz Can Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 4.5 oz Can Muir Glen diced green chiles (we used one can of TJ's fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles for convenience)
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1 Diced Bell Pepper
3 Chopped Chipotles from a Can with Adobo
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
5 Clove Diced Garlic

1 Box Manicotti Shells
4 oz Jack Cheese

Mix filling ingredients in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan, saute onions in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir. Saute for about 1 minute. Add cumin and stir to combine. Add other sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Boil Manicotti shells according to package and strain.

Pour some of the sauce in the bottom of a casserole pan.

Stuff filling into shells.

Coat filled shells in sauce. Top shells with more sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool 10 minutes and serve.

This was delicious and a fun activity - who doesn't love stuffing shells with a gooey cheese mixture?!

Next time we might add a sausage to the filling (maybe TJ's jalapeno chicken sausage?) for additional flavor and protein. All in all, a successful dinner!

Dan Dan Noodles

The Dan Dan Noodles from 1.5 weeks ago were so good that we had to try them again. As previously mentioned, we added some extra vegetables to give the dish some more color, texture, and flavor.

So, this time we chopped up some red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and carrots and sauteed them for a few minutes at the beginning. I then removed the veggies from the pan and half cooked the ground turkey before throwing in the ginger and garlic. Once the turkey was fully cooked I added back in the veggies and stirred in the ingredients for the sauce.



I only used 4-5 tbsp of tahini instead of the 8 tbsp that I had used last time. I think the full amount was necessary and I'll be sure to go overboard with the tahini next time.

Previously I had just ground extra black pepper into the dish instead of whole peppercorns. I decided to try whole peppercorns this time and I don't think it was necessary. I squirted in a bit of Sriracha hot sauce to compensate for the lack of the Sichuan peppercorns and I think this was a great addition to the dish.

Also, instead of fully simmering and reducing the sauce, we were too hungry to wait so we just mixed it right away with the pasta. I believe this was a technical mistake. Be sure to let the sauce fully simmer and don't mix with the pasta in the pot. Be sure to distribute the pasta first so that the meat and sauce can be properly spooned over the noodles and all of the flavors of the dish can be enjoyed.

Despite some of the variations ultimately leading to the dish not being as good as the first experience, this was still a delicious meal and I'm sure we'll be making it again in the future.

Chicken Pot & Apple Pie (separately)

Oh my goodness. I think I went a little crazy this weekend. It's getting cooler - time for food for cooler weather. Comfort foods, and foods that make me want to curl up with my favorite person and watch Modern Family afterward. I got really, really excited when I found a recipe for chicken pot pie in the October issue of Bon Appetit. It looked so incredible that I just couldn't resist. So I spent all of this afternoon preparing it. It was worth every single minute - I think Mike can attest to that.

Chicken Pot Pie (faithfully prepared, with a few minute changes, from the October 2011 issue of Bon Appetit)

Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes (Cook's Note: I accidentally only used 1 stick of butter, and in retrospect, I stand by my mistake. I will only use 1 stick for this recipe)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Chicken:
2 cups peeled, coarsely chopped carrots
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 leek, coarsely chopped
1 3-pound whole chicken
4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Filling:
2 tablespoons dried chanterelle or shiitake mushrooms (we used the dried morel we had in the pantry)
1 cup 1/2" slices peeled carrots
1 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed) peas
1 cup pearl onions
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 fresh sage leaves
4 thyme sprigs
2 sprigs rosemary (Oopsy, we forgot to pick the rosemary. But it was still delicious)
1 cup button mushrooms, halved if large
1 cup 1/4" rounds sliced fingerling potatoes
1 egg, beaten to blend
Coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper, optional

For crust:
Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor. Add cubed butter and shortening and process until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size lumps. With machine running, add 1/2 cup ice water and process, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry, until dough forms. Form dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 12x9 1/2" rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Place on prepared sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

For chicken:
Preheat oven to 400°. Place carrots, onion, and leek on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large pot fitted with a lid. Add chicken, breast side down, celery, thyme sprigs, wine, salt, and peppercorns to pot. Add 8 cups water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover, and poach chicken until cooked through, about 35 minutes.
Remove chicken from pot and set aside until cool. Reserve broth. Shred meat; discard skin and bones. Set a large strainer over another pot. Strain broth into clean pot. Stir in tomato paste. Return to medium heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 5 cups, about 40 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool. Cover chicken and broth separately; keep chilled. Rewarm broth before continuing.

For filling:
Place dried morels in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Let steep for 10 minutes; set aside. Reserve soaking liquid. Cook carrots in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl. Add peas to saucepan; cook for 1 minute; transfer to bowl with carrots. Add onions to saucepan and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside; let cool. Peel onions.
In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Whisk in herbs and warm broth from chicken. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chanterelles to saucepan. Pour in soaking liquid, leaving sediment behind. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Set a strainer over another large pot. Strain broth into pot; discard solids. Add chicken, carrots, peas, onions, mushrooms, and potatoes. Bring to a simmer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool; cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spoon filling into an 11x8x2" or 2 1/2-quart round baking dish. (Add pie bird, if using.) Top with pastry, pinching edges to seal. If not using pie bird, cut a 1" slit in center of crust for steam to vent. Brush pastry with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, if desired.
Place pot pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes.
This was hands-down the best chicken pot pie I have ever had. If you ever want to spend an afternoon in the kitchen, just try it. It is so worth it.
For dessert, I made an apple pie with fresh apples from the farmer's market.
Apple Pie
(loosely adapted from Smitten Kitchen's recipe)

I used the crust recipe from the chicken pot pie above, except I used both sticks of butter that it called for and I added 2 tablespoons of sugar. I also separated the dough into two equal parts, flattened them and refrigerated them for 1 hour.

I did not lattice the pie.

1 1/2 pounds ginger gold apples (about 3 medium) (any green apple will do)
2 pounds Braeburn apples (about 4 large) (any reddish baking apple will do)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
About 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg white, beaten lightly
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat rimmed baking sheet and oven to 500°F. Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable).
2. Roll dough on lightly floured work surface or between two large sheets of plastic wrap to 12-inch disk. Transfer dough to pie plate by rolling dough around rolling pin and unrolling over 9 1/2-inch pie plate or by folding dough in quarters, then placing dough point in center of pie plate and unfolding. Working around circumference of pie plate, ease dough into pan corners by gently lifting dough edges with one hand while pressing around pan bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs lip of plate in place; refrigerate dough-lined pie plate.
3. Peel, core and cut apples in half, and in half again width-wise; cut quarters into 1/4-inch slices and toss with lemon juice. In a medium bowl, sugar, flour, salt and spices. Toss dry ingredients with apples. Turn fruit mixture, including juices, into chilled pie shell and mound slightly in center.
4. Roll out second piece of dough to 12-inch disk and place over filling. Trim top and bottom edges to 1/2-inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits on dough top. If pie dough is very soft, place in freezer for 10 minutes. Brush egg white onto top of crust and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
5. Place pie on baking sheet and lower oven temperature to 425°F. Bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate pie and reduce oven temperature to 375°F; continue baking until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30-35 minutes longer.
6. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours.