quick and easy

Cornmeal Crusted Baked Green Chile and Jalapeno Jack Cheese Stuffed Chicken

, , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Sometimes I see recipes on Pinterest that look amazing, and I pin them, but with no real intention of ever actually making them.  But this one I found, pinned and made in the same day.  It was pretty wonderful and easily adapts to what you have, what you like and what you need.  The original recipe, found here at Lady Behind the Curtain, makes 6 servings.  I made 3 servings, enough for a couple for dinner and leftovers for me for lunch the next 2 days.  You can easily make this meal to serve 1 or a dozen.  And whoever you serve will be pleased.

chickenchilerelleno1

I hate taking pictures of food in my kitchen when it’s already dark out.  I’ve probably lamented about this before, but it really is discouraging.  Natural light is a photographer’s best friend, especially when food is involved.  I’m not a photographer, by the way.  I’d imagine a real photographer would’ve made this look less…strange…and much more appetizing.  But please believe me when I tell you that this is a really tasty and satisfying meal, despite my not so amazing photograph.

Pounded chicken breasts are wrapped around jalapeno jack cheese, green chile and cilantro, dredged in seasoned corn meal and baked, topped with more cheese, then drizzled (or drenched if that’s more your style) in enchilada sauce, and if you’re feeling fancy, sprinkled with some crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro.  The chicken turns out moist, the green chile and cheese in the center is really delicious and the corn meal crust is crunchy and delicious.  I used this taco seasoning recipe from Alton Brown.  It will likely become the only taco seasoning I use from now on.  Not because I dislike packaged seasoning and all the unknowns it carries, but because it is just really good.  More flavor from spices and less from the salt when you make it yourself I think.  I highly recommend giving it a try.  You likely have all the ingredients in your pantry.  Here is the link.

If you’ve already gone over to the original recipe and looked at the ingredients you might notice that I’m using more cheese, but making half the amount of food.  It’s not a mistake.  I like cheese and using half an ounce of cheese in one chicken breast made me sad.  I want to cut into the chicken and have melting cheese ooze out.  That is not going to happen with such a small amount of cheese.  Although a smaller amount of cheese is definitely the healthier way to go!  Go ahead and be smart and portion conscious if you want to be, but you might regret it just a little.  I made the original amount of cornmeal crust because I am of the mind that it’s better to have more than you need than not enough.  I did have some left over, but the chicken breasts I had were large and I’m glad I didn’t cut the amount in half, I wouldn’t have had enough.

To change this to suit your taste use a different type of cheese, whatever you like or have, white cheddar, colby jack, etc. You could also use a different type of enchilada sauce, green, mild, hot, etc.  And again, this is easily adapted to suit the number of people you need to serve.  Eat up and enjoy!

chickenchilerelleno2

Cornmeal Crusted Chicken with Green Chiles and Jalapeno Jack Cheese

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 3 ounces of jalapeno jack cheese, cut into 1 ounce slices + 1-2 extra ounces shredded cheese for topping
  • 2 whole green chiles, sliced in half lengthwise (I used whole canned green chiles and froze what I did not use in a zip top bag.)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (again, this one is amazing!)
  • 1/3 cup cornmeal
  • 1 egg
  • red enchilada sauce (store bought or homemade)
  • crumbled queso fresco (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F
  2. Whisk egg in a wide shallow bowl, set aside.
  3. Whisk cornmeal and taco seasoning together in a wide shallow bowl, set aside.
  4. Pound each chicken breast to 1/8 inch thickness (pound between layers of plastic wrap or wax paper) and lay each out on your work surface.
  5. Lay one slice of green chile in the center of each chicken breast.  (You’ll have a slice leftover if you’re making 3, so either add it to one of the breasts, or cut it into 3 pieces and add one to each breast.)
  6. Place a slice of cheese on top of the chile, followed by a sprinkle of cilantro.
  7. Roll up the chicken.  Dip into the egg to coat, then into the cornmeal to coat.  Place into the baking dish, seam side down.
  8. Repeat with all of the chicken breasts, then bake for 25-30 minutes.  During the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle with the extra shredded cheese.
  9. Warm the enchilada sauce in a small saucepan.  Drizzle sauce over the chicken after is comes out of the oven and sprinkle with more cilantro and queso fresco if desired.

 

Grilled Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

, , , , , , , 2 Comments

How can something so simple be so good?  You probably have every almost every ingredient for this in your kitchen right this very moment.  Add to that the minimal amount of time it takes to get this on the table, pair with a green salad and some crusty bread and you have the perfect meal.  Make it for a casual family weeknight or for weekend company.  It’s easy to make 2 servings or 10.  This is one of those recipes to go to when your mind isn’t working well enough to think too hard about dinner (this happens to me a lot) or when you’re having last minute guests and don’t have much time to shop for or prepare dinner.  The drizzle of glaze isn’t just great for flavor but it’s also beautiful and adds a touch of fancy to an otherwise very simple dish.   I’m real excited that this chicken found its way into my life.

capresechicken

Since there are only a few ingredients, make sure they’re all fresh and of good quality.  Get the best looking tomatoes you can find.  Romas are a good choice and usually a good size.  They are what I used.  If the heirlooms at the store look good, splurge on them.  You only need 1 or 2 (to serve 2-4 people) so go for it!  Get fresh mozzarella, the kind packed in water, and make sure to slice it generously.  Now the basil.  If you have some in your garden then just grab your shears and head out the back door.  If not, get the fresh kind at the store.  Don’t use dried basil.  It will just not be the same.

This really could not be simpler.  Grill the chicken (or cook it in a pan on the stove), and in the last couple minutes place the cheese on top so it has time to melt.  If you do this in the oven you might turn the broiler on for a minute or so to melt the cheese.  Top with a slice of tomato, sprinkle with the chopped basil and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

The glaze is probably the most time consuming and complicated part about this.  It’s not hard, it just requires time and some patience.  But it’s worth it.  The recipe below makes more than you will probably need, but you can save it, keep it in the fridge, and use it for other dishes.  Drizzle on top of a caprese salad (just what you’re using in this dish minus the chicken) or as a finishing sauce for grilled pork tenderloin or other meats.

Below are the ingredients that will serve at least 4 using 4 chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally to make 8 total pieces, 2 per person.  But some of your lighter eaters may just eat one piece.  If you end up with leftovers I HIGHLY recommend reheating and serving some of the chicken on warm crusty bread with some arugula or other green to make a chicken caprese sandwich.  Enjoy!

Grilled Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally into 2 pieces
  • 1-2 medium to large tomatoes, or 3 to 4 small (you want to try to almost cover the chicken with the tomato slices
  • 8 slices of fresh mozzarella (again, you want the mozzarella slice to almost cover the chicken breast)
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • fresh basil leaves, 8-10 (leave them whole or chiffonade)
  • 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions

Balsamic Glaze

  1. Pour balsamic vinegar into a small, heavy saucepan.  Bring the vinegar to a low boil over medium high heat.  Adjust heat as needed to keep it at a low boil.  Stir occasionally until vinegar begins to thicken and coat the back of a spoon, 15-20 minutes.  
  2. Stir in brown sugar and mustard and cook an additional 5 minutes, remove from the heat and let cool slightly before serving.  This will thicken a bit as it cools.

Chicken

  1. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Grill the chicken, 4 minutes on the first side, then flip the breasts over and let cook for another minute or 2.  Place one piece of mozzarella on each chicken breast and let cook for another 3-4 minutes until chicken is done and mozzarella is melted.
  3. Transfer chicken breasts to a serving platter and immediately place basil leaves on top of the cheese followed by the tomatoes.  Drizzle lightly with balsamic glaze and serve additional glaze on the side.

 

 

 

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

, , , , , , , , 0 Comments

When berries of any kind are in abundance and being sold for cheap I grab them up.  Last week I bought 2 pounds of blueberries for something like $2.  I’ll eat them by the handful, put them in my yogurt, and in salads.  Betsy likes them, too.  When half the container was gone I decided to do something a little more exciting with them and made this cake that I’d had bookmarked in my Fine Cooking magazine for the past 2 weeks.  Thanks to Sarah who helped me get it done after overestimating my ability to tackle 5 things at once.

Blueberry-Breakfast-Cake-2

This was super simple and beautiful.  You could easily serve this at a brunch for guests as a lovely alternative to blueberry muffins.  It’s delicious for breakfast, but also a nice evening dessert served with a little ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.  To keep the berries from sinking to the bottom, toss them in a little flour after rinsing and patting them dry.  Enjoy!

Blueberry-Breakfast-Cake

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

From Fine Cooking, Issue 124

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with shortening or butter.
  3. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  In a small bowl whisk cooled butter, milk, eggs and vanilla.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined, do not overmix.
  5. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with a spoonful of flour, then fold the blueberries gently into the batter.
  6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  7. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the top is browned and a toothpick insterted into the center comes out clean.
  8. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on the rack.  Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Scrambled Eggs with Spinach & Feta

, , , , , , 0 Comments

Breakfast for me is almost always a piece of fruit and a bowl of cereal, unless my sweet man has suggested going to pick up donuts or breakfast tacos.  When I scramble eggs for Carson I will sometimes scramble some for myself and toast up a piece of bread.  Scrambled is really the only way I like my eggs.  I cannot stand a runny yolk.  I wish I could because I want so badly to order eggs benedict simply because I find it to be a beautiful dish.  Alas, I am stuck with boring (and rather unattractive) scrambled eggs.  Eggs are good for you.  They are full of protein, and you can cook them quickly. They can be a really wonderful way to start your day.  And there are ways to dress them up and make your eggs more interesting.

My mom would make us cheesy eggs as kids.  The more cheese the better, specially if some of it got slightly crunchy on the edges of the pan.  It’s kinda like fricco!  You can’t go wrong stirring some salsa, cheese and crunched up tortilla chips into scrambled eggs for some cheater migas.  I remember once my sister made scrambled eggs for the family with feta cheese and fresh dill.   When I took out the carton of eggs a few weeks ago I saw the feta cheese and decided I’d add some to my eggs.  Then I remembered that I had some spinach that needed to get used up or else I’d have to toss it, so I took that out as well.  I wound up with quite a tasty breakfast and a nice change of pace from cold cereal.

eggsandfeta

This will serve one person, so adjust as needed for more servings.  I use one whole egg and one egg white.  Once upon a time I was scared of the yolk because that’s where that fat is!  Then I wised up and realized that not only did I need fat in my diet, but a little yolk makes scrambled eggs much tastier.  I tried making these eggs the first time by adding the raw spinach in with the eggs, but I didn’t like the way the eggs cooked.  So the next time I sauteed the spinach in a teeny bit of olive oil, took it out of the pan and let it drain a little on a paper towel, scrambled my eggs, then added the spinach back in near the end of cooking along with the feta.  I found this to be a much better method.

Spinach cooks down to practically nothing.  So be very generous with the amount of raw spinach you cook.  Better to have extra than to find yourself wishing you’d cooked more of it.  As far as the feta goes, you don’t need much.  It’s a very flavorful cheese, so a little goes a long way.  The feta is also pretty salty.  Use extra salt sparingly.

This is a great savory breakfast and a tasty way to eat more vegetables, something I am working on in my meals.  Adding some fresh herbs in with the spinach would be lovely.  Goat cheese would be a nice cheese to try instead of the feta.  And there are other veggies you can add as well, cherry tomatoes, sauteed zucchini or peppers.  Lots of options.  Let me know if you come up with a spectacular combination!  Enjoy.

Scrambled Eggs with Spinach & Feta

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • a generous handful of baby spinach
  • feta cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil

Directions

  1.  Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat.  Drizzle a tiny bit of oil in the pan, then add your spinach.  Sprinkle with a little salt and cook, stirring until spinach has just wilted.  Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain off some of the liquid.
  2. In a small bowl whisk the eggs (or one whole egg and one egg white) until they are combined and a little foamy.  I like to use a tiny whisk or a fork.  A big whisk and such a small amount of liquid doesn’t really work well.
  3. Spray your pan with non-stick spray.  Add the eggs and scramble as you like.  My mom scrambles them into small pieces.  I like them a bit bigger, so I let them cook for a little bit right when I add them to the pan, then I stir gently and infrequently until they just about done, a little undercooked.  Add the spinach and feta to the pan and stir to combine.  Season with pepper if desired and salt if needed.

 

Tomato & Pesto Chicken

, , , , , 0 Comments

You can’t argue with the raw ingredients here.  Who doesn’t love pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and freshly grated parmesan?  The time and effort this takes is another thing to love about this recipe.  I recommend this to anyone who doesn’t have the luxury of tons of time to make dinner but still wants something that didn’t come from the freezer or got picked up on the way home from work.  But I sure do enjoy Ben walking through the door with a pizza box every now and then…

pestochicken

While wasting time on Pinterest, I stumbled upon this recipe from Skinnytaste.com.  I took the basics of the recipe, kind of ignored the measurements, and whipped this up in no time last week.  We loved it and will have it again I am sure.

I had everything I needed for this meal already in my kitchen except for the chicken.  The version of myself I aspire to be would’ve used the pesto she’d made last summer with the basil from her garden and then froze in matching labeled containers (see post on Skinnytaste).  Instead I used a jar of Giada pesto from Target.  And while lacking in fresh from the garden flavor, it was good.

This can easily be adapted to serve 1 person or a dozen.  You can slice fresh mozzarella  or use the bag of shredded mozzarella, but provolone would be a great choice as well.  If you have a different type of pesto, try it out.  I think a nice sprinkle of fresh chopped basil would be a great and beautiful finish.  The ingredients below are what you will need, but the amounts are merely suggestions.  If you want a healthier option, use the measurement from skinnytaste.  I didn’t even measure.  So use your judgement and make it how you like it.

Skinnytaste slices each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 cutlets.  For her this may be portion control, but I think it’s a great way to prepare the chicken even if you aren’t concerned with all that.  The chicken cooks more evenly this way and with some of the ridiculously thick chicken breasts I’ve bought in my time it makes a lot of sense to slice them this way for cooking.

Pair with pasta and steamed veggies or crusty bread and a nice green salad.  Enjoy.

Tomato & Pesto Chicken

Slightly adapted from Skinnytaste

Ingredients

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 per person), sliced lengthwise into 2 thin pieces if breats are especially thick
  • Basil pesto, 2-3 teaspoons per chicken breast
  • Small tomatoes such as roma or campari, about 1 per chicken breast depending on their size, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese, 1-2 tablespoons per chicken breast
  • Freshly grated Parmesan, to taste
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Arrange in pan sprayed with non-stick spray or foil lined and sprayed for easier clean up.
  4. Spread desired amount of pesto on each breast and bake for 10-12 minutes, a few minutes longer if you did not slice the chicken into thinner pieces.  Chicken should be almost done.
  5. Remove from the oven and place sliced tomatoes on each chicken breast.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and then Parmesan cheese.
  6. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted and just begins to brown.

 

Chicken And Fennel Flatbread Pizza

, , , , , , , 0 Comments

Fennel in one of my favorite vegetables.  The flavor of fennel is quite similar to anise, but they are not the same vegetable.  It is delicious raw, sliced in a salad.  It is completely different in flavor when cooked in a casserole, like this potato and fennel gratin which is quite tasty.  It is incredible roasted with other vegetables when the edges get a bit crunchy and caramelized and the flavors mellow.  Fennel leaves look like dill in their delicate, thin, wispy green appearance.  These leaves are used as an herb.  The fennel bulb is used as a vegetable.  Fennel is one of the main ingredients in original absinthe.  I love fennel.

The use of fennel in this recipe is what caught my eye on the Eating Well website.  Yes.  I am posting yet another recipe from the site.  Everything I’ve made so far has been wonderful, so I’ll keep trying things until I hit a bump.  Then I’ll back off, but not until I find something that doesn’t make me want seconds.

These pizzas are not greasy or overly cheesy.  The vegetables add great flavor, and the chicken is much better for you than pepperoni or sausage.  There isn’t any sauce on the pitas, which I thought would make them a bit dry, but they were not even close.  The little bit of cheese goes a long way and you don’t miss the sauce.

I changed the recipe just a bit.  I added salt, pepper and minced garlic to the chicken before cooking it, and I cooked the vegetables and chicken separately.  On two of the pizzas I used feta cheese instead of provolone and sprinkled some red pepper flakes on the finished products.  A combination of provolone and feta would be better since feta doesn’t melt very well.

(more…)

Eggnog Pie

, , , , , , , 1 Comment

eggnog3The cookbook that gave me macaroon pie also gave me the base for this pie.  It is a buttermilk pie, but in putting it together I thought to myself, “What flavors could I add to this pie to make it less simple and plain?”  The answer from my creative inner self was…eggnog!  I had nutmeg and for some strange reason I had rum.  I think I’ve had this bottle for a few years and I’m not sure where it came from.  Anyway…  I figured this was a good plan.  After all, the holiday season is approaching and if the grocery store is selling eggnog, I can make an eggnog pie.

I have to admit something.  I don’t like drinking eggnog.  It makes me feel like I’m drinking melted ice cream.  A little too thick for my taste.  However, I do like things that are eggnog flavored.  I like eggnog ice cream.  While visiting my sister in New York one Christmas we went to Jacques Torres shop and I bought a box of holiday truffles.  The white chocolate eggnog truffle was spectacular.  If you’re in NYC this season you should stop by and get one…or more than one.  The gingerbread truffle was also very good.  Oh, and you have to buy the chocolate covered Cherrio’s that they sell!  I’m getting carried away now.

Anyway, I won’t drink a cup of eggnog, but I will eat something that takes like it.  It’s a texture thing I suppose.  I guess I am my mother’s daughter.  I’m not sure if this is acceptable or not, but I felt I should admit this character flaw to you.

I added some rum and nutmeg to the base of this pie.  I contemplated adding cinnamon, but ended up deciding against it.  Maybe I will try it next time.  I used a store bought pie crust to save some time.  I’ve tried my hand at making scratch pie crust before, and I don’t think it’s too terribly hard to make something edible, but achieving a perfect, buttery, flaky crust is no simple task.  It is also a rather time consuming process and makes a mess of your kitchen.  A weeknight dessert should not require a lot of cleaning up.  The refrigerated crusts taste pretty good, so I am OK using them every now and then.

I liked the flavor, and found it pretty similar to eggnog.  The crust had a good crunch, and the filling was smooth and creamy.  I served this with simple sweetened whipped cream (you can use cool whip in a time crunch).  A simple and easy pie.  It may not make you fall over and cry with delight, but it it good.  Try it without the nutmeg and rum for a simple buttermilk pie.

eggnog2

Eggnog Pie

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons rum
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 unbaked pastry shell
  1. Combine sugar and flour in a large bowl.
  2. Mix in eggs, buttermilk, butter, vanilla, rum and nutmeg.
  3. Pour into pie shell.
  4. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes.
  5. Turn oven temperature down to 350° and bake for 30 minutes more.
  6. Let cool; serve with whipped cream.

Carrie’s “Empty the Fridge” Chicken Salad

, , , , 1 Comment

Like many other people who are dealing with the less than stellar economy, Ben and I have tried to be more aware of what we spend, what we buy, what we waste, and how we can be a bit wiser with our money.   My baking and cooking habits are a big part of our budget, so I have been trying to use what we have in the house as often as I can and making recipes revolve around those ingredients instead of finding a recipe that requires that I buy everything and use nothing I have on hand.  I was proud of myself for using just 1 butternut squash in two recipes last week.  This recipe was also a way to use what we had.  It makes cooking more fun and makes me try things I would not have otherwise.

chickensaladThis chicken salad came about like many meals do for me; I had to either use some chicken thighs I had in the fridge in the next few days, or they would need to be thrown away.  So, I made a decision to do something with them…that something was yet to be determined when I put them in a plastic bag to marinate in some Italian dressing that was almost empty.  After an overnight flavor bath, I still had no plan.  Well, I guess baking them would be a good idea.  So, that’s what I did.

While they were cooking, I went rummaging in the pantry and fridge for some inspiration. Celery…onion…mustard…mayonnaise…basil…Parmesan cheese…pine nuts…Carrie’s Chicken Salad was born.  I will say that the idea for the pine nuts was not my own.  A sandwich place in College Station, Blue Baker, put pine nuts in their chicken salad and it was one of my favorite items on the menu.  That and the Mediterranean pizza.  I sure do miss that place.  If you ever go for breakfast, you must get the spinach, egg and feta breakfast sandwich on a croissant.  It is decadent, but will also keep you full enough to not need a big lunch.  Ok, back to the matter at hand…

(more…)

Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Crispy Bars

, , , , , 0 Comments

When things start to fall on you when you open the pantry door, you know some action must be taken.  A box of Rice Krispies came sliding out of the pantry yesterday while I was trying to reach something else that was stashed underneath it.  As fate would have it, my Martha Stewart cookie of the Day recipe was Crispy Chocolate Marshmallow Treats.  The ingredient list is simple and short: butter, marshmallows, cocoa, rice krispies and semi-sweet chocolate.

chockrisp1

I wasn’t expecting these to be anything special, but they were so much better than a normal rice krispy.  These are more adult in flavor, and not as gooey and sticky as the original.  I used Hershey’s dark cocoa and drizzled semi-sweet chocolate on top.  The chocolate makes them decadent, dense and delicious.

(more…)

Dinner Rush: Chorizo and Black Bean Mexican Tortas

, , , , , , 0 Comments

I have too many cooking magazines, too many cookbooks, and way too many printed recipes from various websites.  Even if I were to cook something from one of these sources everyday, there is no possible way that I could exhaust my recipe stockpile in my lifetime.  I don’t help the situation by buying more cookbooks, more magazines, and printing more website recipes.  I’ll admit it, I have a problem.  Progress is being made, though.  I did find a recipe in the September issue of Food & Wine magazine yesterday that I made for dinner last night.  I didn’t just mark it with a sticky note or tear the page out as something I’ll make someday.  I MADE it, and we ate it, and it was yummy.

torta2

(more…)

1 2 3