Archives for category: Meals

Pork Chops with Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce + Roasted Asparagus

May 19, 2014 //

Pork Chops with Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce

The salty, fatty pork and the sweetness of the sauce together is so delicious. This is a great dish when you are deep into rhubarb season and can’t eat any more compote. I love the addition of the dried cherries.

Roasted Asparagus

My go-to method of preparing asparagus.

1 bunch of asparagus – ends trimmed
olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss trimmed asparagus with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes until tender and a little bit browned. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese over to serve.

Tags asparagus, dried cherries, pork, rhubarb

Categories Meals

Chicken Saltimbocca + Sautéed Spinach

May 19, 2014 //

Chicken Saltimbocca

What’s not to love? You have prosciutto, sage and a white wine sauce! And, it takes practically no time to prepare. This would make a lovely dinner party dish simply because it is so pretty.

Sautéed Spinach

Popeye would approve!

2 TB. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 TB. pine nuts (optional)
2 bags or bunches of spinach, washed and dried well
salt and pepper
lemon wedge

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, when the oil begins to shimmer add the garlic and pine nuts, saute for 1-2 minutes. Add spinach to the pot and stir; as it wilts it will release water. Let the spinach saute for another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the water evaporates. Add salt and pepper to taste, and squirt lemon juice over the spinach to serve.

Tags chicken, prosciutto, sage, spinach

Categories Meals

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Dipping Sauce and Sesame Broccoli

May 16, 2014 //

Grilled Tuna Steaks

I love tuna steaks so much – the rarer the better! I made this Ina Garten recipe for Patrick’s birthday and it was deliciously simple.

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TB. lemon juice
1 ts. Sriracha
pinch of sugar

Mix all ingredients and let sit while you prepare the tuna steaks. Pour into individual small bowls for dipping.

Sesame Broccoli

Basically roasted broccoli, but with an Asian twist!

Tags broccoli, fish, seafood, sesame, tuna

Categories Meals

Salmon and Potatoes in Tomato Sauce

May 16, 2014 //

Salmon and Potatoes in Tomato Sauce

This is delicious and very simple. However, I am starting to notice that a lot of Martha’s recipes do not provide enough time for the potatoes to cook through. I recommend letting the potatoes cook for 15-20 minutes after you first add them to the tomatoes and before you add the salmon. Also, I see no reason to remove half of the tomato sauce, unless you really want to. We did have some sauce and potatoes left over, but I think they would be nice with some eggs for another dinner or brunch.

Tags fish, olives, potatoes, salmon, seafood, tomatoes

Categories Meals

Pork Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas

May 12, 2014 //

Pork Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas

It is a little early in the season to be bored with asparagus, and trust me I am not, but sometimes I get bored with the typical cooking methods – steaming or roasting.

Note: I used regular cooking sherry that I bought at the grocery store, but if you don’t have that you can find a bunch of suggestions for substitutions on Serious Eat’s online forum.

Tags asparagus, pork, rice, soy sauce, sugar snap peas

Categories Meals

Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Couscous

May 1, 2014 //

Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs

This is so delicious. From the name you would think that it is a recipe for a popular Chinese takeout dish, but it actually is more North African in flavor. Using ingredients that you probably already have – cinnamon, paprika, lemon and honey – elevates this dish from your typical weeknight, chicken dinner.

Couscous

Perfect for sopping up the delicious sauce. Follow directions on the box.

Tags carrots, chicken, cinnamon, couscous, honey, lemon, onion, paprika, poultry

Categories Meals

Spring Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs and Garlic Bread

April 30, 2014 //

Spring Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs

I made this on Wednesday when the rain was pouring down and boy, did I plan that right! This soup is crazy delicious, especially the meatballs. I added about 3/4 cup of frozen peas and they were a nice addition. Delish!

Garlic Bread

Maybe not the healthiest, but you have to indulge once in awhile…

1 baguette, halved lengthwise
1 TB. butter
¼ cup of olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
handful of parsley, minced (optional)
¼ ts. garlic powder
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, heat butter, olive oil and garlic until the garlic releases its aroma and gets a little bit golden.

Remove from heat and stir in the parsley (if using), garlic powder, salt and pepper. Brush mixture all over the inside of the baguette. Wrap the baguette in foil and place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, then open up the foil so that the top of the baguette is exposed and bake for another 2-3 minutes, or until the bread is hard to the touch and a bit crispy.

Tags bread, carrots, chicken, chives, garlic, leeks, Pasta, peas, soup, spinach, spring

Categories Meals

Shrimp with Orange and Ginger and Rice

April 29, 2014 //

Shrimp with Orange and Ginger

2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB. sesame oil
1/4 – 1/2 ts. crushed red pepper, or to taste
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 lb. shelled, deveined shrimp
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
6 scallions, thinly sliced (separate white and green parts)
2 large oranges
1 TB. vegetable oil

Mix ginger, garlic, sesame oil, crushed pepper, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Add the shrimp and toss until coated. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Peel and segment the oranges, catching the juice in a bowl (watch Saveur’s video on how to segment citrus here). Cut the segments in half crosswise and add them to the bowl.

Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over moderately high heat until hot. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for a few minutes, until the shrimp turn pink all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in the pan. Add the bell pepper and white part of the scallions, and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until softened. Mix in the orange segments and juice, then return the shrimp and any juices to the pan and stir until heated through. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately, sprinkled with the green parts of the scallions.

Rice

Prepare whatever rice you prefer according to the package.

Tags bell pepper, garlic, ginger, oranges, rice, scallions, seafood, sesame oil, shrimp

Categories Meals

Italian Sausage and Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Feta

April 25, 2014 //

Italian Sausage

Grill or broil whatever sausage (turkey, pork, chicken, tofu) you prefer according to the package’s directions.

Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Feta

I didn’t actually make this for dinner this week – I brought it to Easter dinner at my in-law’s. They were having a buffet and I needed a side dish that I could make the night before and serve at room temperature. I make this salad a lot because I love farro and it holds up well. Think of it as a heartier (and tastier) pasta salad.

Note: use whatever vegetables you prefer, such as zucchini for some green. I’ve even added canned artichoke hearts.

1 cup farro
1/4 cup + 2 TB. olive oil
2 bell peppers (red, yellow or orange), chopped into 1/2-1 inch pieces
1 red onion
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup of feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 ts. dijon mustard
pinch of sugar
1-2 TB. red wine vinegar
salt and ground pepper

Cook the farro according to the directions on the box. Sometimes I buy Trader Joe’s 10-minute farro which is pretty good if you want to make this even faster. When the farro is finished, drain and run cool water over it to bring the temperature down.

Toss bell peppers, onion and garlic with 2 TB. olive oil and roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

While the farro and vegetables are cooking, prepare your dressing. Add vinegar, dijon mustard, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk until mixed together. Continue to whisk while you slowly add 1/4 cup of olive oil and set aside.

When the farro and vegetables are finished (and cooled down slightly), toss them in a bowl together with the feta and dressing.

Tags bell peppers, farro, feta, garlic, red onion, Sausage

Categories Meals

Penne with Asparagus, Scallions, Peas and Prosciutto

April 24, 2014 //

Penne with Asparagus, Scallions, Peas and Prosciutto

I couldn’t wait. I tried to wait until asparagus arrived at the farmers market, but the beautiful, green bunches of asparagus at Whole Foods were calling my name. This winter has just been so brutal that I felt I deserved a meal featuring those bright, grassy flavored stalks of spring.

Not only is this dish a celebration of spring, it takes very little time to prepare and it doesn’t need a side.

1 TB. olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed, stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 scallions, chopped
1 cup frozen or fresh peas
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
12 oz. penne
1/4 lb. prosciutto, torn into small pieces
1/4 – 1/2 cup of half and half or heavy cream
Parmesan

Bring salted water to a boil and add the penne. Cook for 10-12 minutes to al dente (read the directions on the box for an accurate time). Save 1/2 cup of reserved cooking water for your sauce.

While the penne is cooking, heat olive oil in a pan and add asparagus, scallions and peas. Saute for 3-4 minutes until slightly tender. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

When the penne is finished drain the pasta and toss it in the pan with the vegetables and add the prosciutto. Add a little bit of the reserved cooking water, some half and half or cream and season with a bit of salt and ground pepper. Mix and taste to see if you like the consistency of the sauce. You can always add a little bit more water or cream depending on your preference. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Tags asparagus, cream, Pasta, peas, prosciutto, scallions

Categories Meals

Pork Chops with Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce + Roasted Asparagus