This was Sunday dinner. My sister and I spent the day roaming around Beaufort South Carolina. We wanted to have a nice dinner so I made this roast chicken and mushroom and champagne risotto – also sauteed zucchini….very delicious. The roast chicken is stuffed with fresh rosemary (about 5 sprigs); 4 cloves of garlic and a 1 lemon, halved – also rub the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper and olive oil – bake at 350 degrees – 20 minutes per pound. The mushroom/champagne risotto is pretty easy – you just have to stand there and stir a lot. Chop about 1/2 large onion and saute in a pan with 1 tablespoon of butter until tender. Add 3/4 cup of risotto (arborito rice) and saute about 2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of champagne and mushrooms; Stir occasionally until champagne is absorbed. Add 2/3rds cup at a time (until absorbed) 3 cups of warm vegetable stock – when all 3 cups have been absorbed add 1 more tablespoon of butter and about 2/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese. For the zucchini, saute in pan for about 3 minutes until just done. The last step is to sit and enjoy with a nice glass of wine!
Archive for February, 2008
Roast Chicken, Mushroom and Champagne Risotto
Posted in Poultry, Vegetables on February 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Saturday Dinner
Posted in Seafood, Vegetables on February 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Not exactly beautiful, but its tasty. The Salmon, I marinated in about a tablespoon each of honey, soy sauce, and mustard and left it in the fridge for about an hour-then I oven roasted it at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. The potatoes were leftover mashed potatoes – I mixed with one egg, about a 2 tablespoons of flour and some milk – enough to make a thick batter and then a cooked them in a cast iron skillet wth a bit of butter (Salt and pepper to taste); the brocolli was steamed and the bread was roasted garlic bread from the local fresh market. Yum.
Lettuce Soup
Posted in Soup, Vegetables on February 16, 2008 | 2 Comments »
I had a lot of salad stuff that was getting close to going bad so this was my solution. It was pretty tasty, but honestly hard to get an appealing picture of – trust me – it was tasty.
Ingredients
1 cup chopped onions, scallions, and/or shallots
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander (I had cumin so threw that in instead)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup diced (1/3 inch) peeled potato
8 cups coarsely chopped lettuce leaves including ribs (3/4 lb)
3 cups water
I had some various and sundry other types of lettuce as well so I threw those in and also add some hot sauce and worschester sauce.
Preparation
Cook onion mixture and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add coriander, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in potato, lettuce, and water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potato is very tender, about 10 minutes.
Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Bring soup to a simmer, then whisk in remaining tablespoon butter and salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken Parmesan
Posted in Bread, Cheese, Poultry, Vegetables on February 11, 2008 | 3 Comments »
Tonights dinner was chicken parmesan. I love this dish and I have to say, most anyone I make this for won’t order it in a restaurant because they know it won’t hold up to mine – not to brag, but its true! I breaded (with panko) the chicken breasts and lightly browned them in a saute pan; split the breasts about halfway through and then stuff with feta; put a layer of marinara on the bottom of a baking pan; put the stuffed chicken on top; add more marinara and top with parmesan and grated mozarella; bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes until bubbly.
I served this with a salad inspired by Mimi’s posting earlier this week. I made a salad of romaine, avacado, heirloom tomato, and feta – served with a creamy balsamic dressing.
Sushi Zen
Posted in Seafood, Sushi! on February 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Originally uploaded by lyricalmezzo
Saturday continued with food delight when we met our friends Patrick and Jill at Sushi Zen for dinner. This is another must go place in Savannah and now with two locations its easier than ever! If you see a blank spot on this tray its because I ate the yellow tail nigiri first and then remembered to take the picture but trust me, it was very good. Honestly, I could probably have eaten this entire tray myself, but we shared. I had the aforementioned yellow tail nigiri, something called a nunban roll (good and spicy) and one of my favorites – the mexican roll…I know sounds wierd right? It is if you are used to that cold raw fish that makes sushi so delicious, but I can’t resist the spicy fried shrimp they use in this roll – its really great.
So – that’s two cheats for me, two posts without my actually cooking. I will cook tonight, I am thinking maybe chicken parmesan – I have to see what ingredients are around the house.
Cheers.
Vinnie Van Go Go’s
Posted in Pizza!, Vegetables on February 9, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I didn’t make this, but had to share. There is this terrific dive pizza place in Savannah GA called Vinnie Van Go Go. The crust is always perfectly crisp and thin and the toppings are great. A slice is $2.50 with normal toppings costing .50 and Yuppie toppings (my personal favorites) costing .75. This slice is Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomatos (all yuppie toppings). If you live in Savannah and haven’t had Vinnie’s shame on you! If you are planning a visit to Savannah this a must! Beware – Vinnies is a cash only establishment so you better grab cash before hand…they also have a delicious spinach salad, perfect for sharing, and a decent beer selection.
Chicken Kabobs
Posted in Poultry, Vegetables on February 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Day before yesterday I cut up 2 boneless chicken breasts and marinated them in a mixture of plain yogurt and red curry paste. When I got home this afternoon, I made kebabs with the marinated chicken pieces, red and yellow peppers, portabello mushroom chunks, onion and grape tomatoes. I put them under the broiler, turning every 3 minutes. The veggies were tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper and a little spice blend.
I served the kebabs on a bed of quinoa pilaf. I toasted the quinoa in olive oil over high heat for about 2 minutes. Then I put it in a saucepan with chicken broth and a bay leaf. I brought it to a boil, then covered it and turned the heat down to low. After 20 minutes, I uncovered and mixed in a few frozen early peas, some parmesan cheese and a little olive oil.
A tasty meal to end the work week!
In the morning…..gingerbread waffles!!!
Salad!!!
Posted in Vegetables on February 9, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I know it’s February. And I know that lovely, fresh veggies in a salad are not in season. But there are some times when i just have to buy this stuff and make a salad. I can’t help it.
The salad was made of portabellos, cucumbers, tomatoes, avacado and goat cheese. I dressed it with simple red wine vinegar vinaigrette (red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, s/p).
Just what I needed. I served the salad as a first course before my chicken kabobs…..
Cornish Hen and Mashed Potatos
Posted in Poultry, Vegetables on February 8, 2008 | 1 Comment »
So, this was my first meal in a while. I haven’t been sick or anything like that, just super busy. My first meal since Sunday night – good times. Monday was book club and while we eat well, its not really a meal, Tuesday I had a recital, Wednesday I had the worst pizza ever and threw it in the trash – SO I was particularly happy with this simple yet delicious meal.
The hen is easy – salt and pepper inside and out – stuff cavity with 2 cloves of garlic and fresh rosemary. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. The mashed potatoes are easy too – boil potatos, mash with butter, garlic, cheese and whatever else you love to have in potatos. I served this with a nice green salad. It was a very satisfying meal to have after so many days, but I am pretty sure I would have enjoyed it equally well even if I had eaten meals more recently!
Since dinner we have been listening to helicopters and other emergency vehicles – there was a huge explosion at the sugar refinery here in town…wish the best for all the workers and their families…it looks to be pretty bad.
It’s Wednesday….Shepherd’s Pie
Posted in Meat, Vegetables on February 8, 2008 | 1 Comment »
It was snowing again when I got home from school today, so it was the perfect night for this dish. I don’t even remember where I got this recipe, although if it’s like most of the ones I use, it was a frankenstein recipe made from 15 other recipes I looked up on the internet. I just use the things I like about each one and put them all together.
Anyway, without further ado, here is the recipe….
Shepherd’s Pie
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 lg. carrots, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (or finely grated)
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey (or beef)
1 T. tomato paste (or ketchup)
1 t. parsley
½ t. thyme
1 T. cinnamon
½ t. sage
2/3 c. beef or chicken broth
2 lg. baking potatoes
½ cup whipped cream cheese
¼ cup butter (half a stick)
¼ cup half n half
1 c. cheddar cheese
s/p to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Peel potatoes and cut in large chunks. Put in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Turn down a little and let cook til done (they should be done by the time the filling’s ready to go).
Put turkey or beef into a large skillet with the olive oil and begin to brown. Chop all veggies and toss in with the browning meat. After veggies have softened and meat is cooked, add tomato paste or ketchup and cook a few minutes. I also added a few glugs of white wine. Then add the broth. Allow this to reduce a little, and thicken. Add herbs and cinnamon and let cook a few minutes. Put on low heat while you make the mashed potatoes.
Drain potatoes and put in the bowl of your stand mixer. Immediately add the butter and cream cheese. Mix on medium speed (I used my whisk attachment). Slowly add the half n half and salt/pepper. Whip until potatoes are the desired consistency.
Put meat filling in an 8×8 pyrex pan. Top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle on cheddar cheese.
Bake on 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or til golden.
