Grilled Steak & Veggie Pesto Pasta

This was a fun & yummy recipe. I created shish kabobs for my hubby to grill... as he grilled them, I prepped the pesto & the pasta... Then we merged our separate pieces together & had a delish dinner!

<3 Lishie

Grilled Steak & Veggie Pesto Pasta

• 1 lb chuck eye steak, cubed into 2" pieces
• 1 large onion, diced into 1-2" pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, diced into 1-2" pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, diced into 1-2" pieces
• S & P
• 1 bag of noodles
• 1/4 C pesto (I made fresh)

BBQ skewers- soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling

Create bbq shish kebobs placing 
steak/onion/pepper/zucchini. 
Again, steak/onion/pepper/zucchini...
Sprinkle well w/ S & P... Grill... till the meat is cooked well, turning the kabobs... about 8 minutes on each side.

While the kebobs are cooking... cook the noodles. When kebobs are finished, take steak & veg off of the skewers & toss steak, veg, pesto & pasta together. Serve w/ fresh shredded parmesan.

Stovetop Ham Mac & Cheese with Asparagus

I was thrilled. Oh so happy. Easter meant leftover ham. I hardly ever get to make ham at home since the hubs doesn't really like it much! I gladly accepted leftover, slick slices of my sis-in-law's spiral ham...

Then I made this meal, for one... Leftovers of this await me as well :) 

<3 Lishie

Stovetop Ham, Mac & Cheese with Asparagus

• 1 lb. medium pasta shells
• 1-2 TBSp olive oil
• 1 small, red pepper, diced
• 1 small bunch of fresh asparagus, trimmed & diced into 1-2" pieces
• 1/2 lb. thick-sliced ham 
• s & p, to taste
• 1 c mixed, shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta al dente (save 1/2 c of cooking water before draining.)

In a deep-sided saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the pepper, asparagus & ham. Saute until the veg is tender. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 c of the cooking water... Add the pasta to the saute pan with the ham & veg... Quickly stir in the shredded cheese. Add as much of the reserved cooking water as needed to thin out the cheese & combine the ingredients. Serve!

Orzo Salad with Lemon, Mint, & Ricotta Salata

Birthdays at work- do you celebrate at yours? Is it the same old cake or whatnot every time? Not at my job! We all contribute & it is so much fun. AND the goodies are a selection of sweet & savory so you can have your pick. Amongst the array for the latest, my boss' birthday, we surprised him with: my blondies, K's cherry or strawberry topped vanilla cupcakes, A's brownies, G's (well V's) strawberry rhubarb pie & chocolate chip cookies, mini pitas/hummus, tortilla chips/salsa & another "A" brought in cold salads from Dean & DeLuca... One of the salads was my inspiration for this dish. Well, inspiration AND recipe since the only "adaptation" I made was to add fresh asparagus. This pasta salad is delicious in itself, as a side, for a picnic, etc. The tiny salad packs a lot of taste! Try it- you.will.love.it.
<3 Lishie

Orzo Salad with Lemon, Mint, & Ricotta Salata

slightly adapted from Dean & DeLuca

• 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 c minced shallots
• 2 TBSp fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, or more to taste
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 c uncooked orzo
• 1/2 c very finely diced thin asparagus
• 1/2 c very finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 c very finely diced seedless cucumber
• 1/2 c crumbled ricotta salata cheese (about 3 oz)
• 3 TBSp minced fresh mint leaves

Stir together the olive oil, shallots, lemon juice, garlic, & lemon zest in a small bowl. Season to taste with S & P. 

Cook the orzo in a large kettle of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta completely in a colander, running under cold water. Transfer orzo to a bowl, stir in the olive oil mixture, & let cool. Stir in the asparagus, bell pepper, cucumber, ricotta salata, & mint until combined well. You could serve the salad immediately, but we think it tastes best if you let it stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

Some of the work booty pictured. My Blondies, far left.

Chicken Cacciatore

In the northeast, NYC/NJ we are feeling hints of Fall. I am glad that the day I chose to cook this was a particularly brutal weather day with high wind gusts, rain & tornado warnings to boot. This meal is a cozy, tummy-warming one especially served sided with shell shaped pasta. "Cacciatore" means hunter in Italian. But really, who hunts chicken? Ha ha... Despite that, this rustic-like meal is very delicious- you should make it!

<3
Lishie

Chicken Cacciatore

• 2 lbs. Chicken breast, boneless
• S & P
  AP Flour (for dredging)
• ¼ c olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ c of water, chicken stock or white wine
• 1 28oz can tomatoes w/liquid, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 8oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red & 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Cut each chicken breasts into large pieces (about 3-4 pieces per breast). Season the chicken pieces w/S&P. Dredge the pieces in flour, coating them lightly & tapping off the excess flour. In a wide 5-quart braising pan, heat the oil. Add the chicken to brown without crowding. After all chicken is browned on all sides, remove from skillet, & add the onions to the pan, stirring, 5 minutes. Pour the liquid (wine, water or stock) into the pan deglazing it, stir then bring to a boil, & cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes & oregano, season lightly with s & p, & bring to a boil. Tuck the chicken into the sauce, place on a low simmer & cover. Cook, stirring a few times, 1 hour, simmering. 

Grilled Kabobs

I have been sick for the last few days (no fun!) but am thankful for my support system. My hubby has been handling dinner very well, even wrapping up the food I am unable to eat! One night, he made these. They were pretty darn good. Apparently, the produce guy said that the new potatoes were awesome on kabobs on the grill. Always listen when someone who normally doesn't talk, gets excited because they want to TELL you something good! And he did. <3 Lishie

• Fully cooked chicken sausage with apple (Johnsonville now has them!) cut into bite-sized pieces

• new potatoes, skins left on, cleaned & halved or quartered

• bell peppers, cut in nice, square pieces (similar-size to the sausage & potatoes)

Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes (prevents scorching), then assemble.

Grill!!!!!!

Steak, Peppers & Mushrooms Sandwich

March 21, amongst other things, is National French Bread Day. Who am I to deny celebrating this? So on my menu for the week... Peppered Steak & Mushrooms Sandwiches. Yum. Easy. Contentment.

<3 Lishie

Steak, Peppers & Mushrooms Sandwich

• 2 lb strip loin, trimmed
• olive oil 
• bell peppers (I used red), sliced
• mushrooms (I used white buttons), sliced
• s & p
• rolls (I used French rolls)

Place raw steak in freezer for 30 minutes; this makes it easier to slice the meat. Remove the meat from the freezer and slice very thinly. 

Heat saute pan on medium-high heat... Add olive oil, peppers & mushrooms. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the veg is softer, then add the steak. When steak browns (pretty fast if thin) add S & P, to taste... Top rolls with mixture & serve.

On a more serious note, March 21st is also World Down Syndrome Day to signify the uniqueness of Down syndrome in the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome and is used synonymously with Down syndrome.

Recipe Swap! ~ a new take on Stuffed Peppers

Life has caught up to me this beginning of January, 2012. I go full speed ahead most of the time, but a few obstacles have been determined to sideline me. So that said, I apologize to Melissa at Delicious Meliscious. I am uncharacteristically late with this Recipe Swap entry & it has nothing to do with the challenge. Wow, what was the swap challenge you ask?! We were given one of our fellow cooking friend's Blogs & told to choose ANYTHING we wanted to make. Given Melissa's blog, this was difficult indeed. I really wanted to make her flourless chocolate cake (yummmm) & will but was delighted when simultaneously my hubby agreed to stuffed peppers & we found chorizo in a Manhattan market. Score! So I quickly placed Melissa's Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers on the menu. They were a welcome switch from our usual Italian stuffed peppers. They were also more work intensive & spicier so this won't be a regular for us but it was tasty! I skipped the rice part (due to a pantry mishap) & served bowtie pasta on the side. DeLish. Thank you, as always too to Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking for organizing the swap!

Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers

adapted from Delicious Meliscious

• 6 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded  
• 1 pound chorizo sausage
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 1 carrot, minced 
• 1/2 cup chopped onion 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large skillet, cook chorizo until almost brown. Drain fat. Stir in celery, carrots, onions, and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, basil, rice, and water. Cover, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, & mix in Mozzarella cheese.

Place peppers upright in a baking pan. Stuff each pepper with the chorizo mixture. Sprinkle extra cheese on top.

add the water to the bottom of the pan with extra chorizo stuffing.

Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes.

Stove~top Stuffed Peppers

I can never get a good picture of stuffed peppers but believe me, taste trumps looks here! These are easy & delicious. I prepared the peppers for a night I had to work late, so my hubby could just place them on the stove. Turned out, it was a rainy, blustery day & I came home to this belly warming meal. 


<3Lishie

Stove~top Stuffed Peppers
4 bell peppers, cleaned out
 

Stuffing:
1 lb. raw, ground beef 
14 oz of tomato sauce 
2 cups of cooked, white rice 
I eye amounts: parmesan cheese, s & p, fresh parsley & basil & dried oregano & garlic powder & some bread crumbs

1/2 cup water

Mix stuffing, stuff peppers, add back their little cap hats :) Carefully place peppers standing in a deep sauce pan that has a cover. Extra stuffing I added to the bottom of the sauce pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the pot for the peppers to be slightly immersed. Simmer covered, on low heat, 1 hour watching that the pan doesn't overflow.

Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

• 2 cups canned chick peas, drained  

~Or~

• 2 cups fresh, soaked chick peas

• 1/2 cup roasted red pepper, pureed (see here)
• Juice & Zest of 2 Lemons
• 3 cloves garlic
• Kosher Salt
• Pinch of Sweet Paprika

Place everything into the Food Processor & combine until the texture you like. 

Pita Chips

• Bag of Pita Bread (I get plain, white)
• Olive Oil, to coat
• *Seasoning (You could use anything!) I use Sea Salt

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each pita in half & then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour olive oil over the pita triangle piecess. Toss and spread out the wedges, not overlapping. Sprinkle Sea Salt (or whatever seasoning). Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

I've said it before I LOVE hummus... And I LOVE bell peppers. Well put them together... sigh. This makes or such a delicious tv snack. Or for a tiny lunch... or spread it on a sandwich instead of mayo. YUM.


<3 Lishie

Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

If you have a lot of peppers from your garden, this is a great, refreshing sauce to make with pasta. It's delicious & fragrant & puts the veg to good use while maintaining the vibrant taste. 


Do not let the heavy cream worry you- go ahead & switch it out for a light alternative, it simply gives the sauce a smoother texture.


Top your favorite pasta with it, a little grated asiago... You are good to go!


Spanish Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• 5 red peppers
• 3 medium tomatoes or 14 oz tomato sauce
• 1 small Onion, diced
• Olive Oil
• 3 TBSp Heavy Cream
• S & P

Place the red peppers & the tomatoes on a baking sheet & sprinkle with olive oil. Roast them under the broiler until they are blackened, roasted. Allow to cool.


Transfer the veg to the food processor & puree with a little more olive oil.


Meanwhile, saute the onion is a sauce pan on medium-high. Add the pureed mixture & stir. When the sauce is nearly heated through, add the cream. Add S & P to taste.

<3 Lishie

Chicken, Pepper & Mushroom Tikka Kebabs & Cous Cous

We have a new grill at our home & I am ecstatic... My hubby has been grilling pretty well with it! I prep the food then he cooks it. I do the sides. Oh and desserts (But not in this post!) It was a teensy bit rainy tonight but that did not stop us. Oh no! And why? I also got a new cookbook- "Entice with Spice" by Shubhra Ramineni & I am in love!!! Tonight's dinner was inspired by one of Shubhra's recipes called Chicken & Bell Pepper Tikka Kebabs. This was delicious & a nice change from bbq sauce :)

I make my kabobs, so similar to hers but I add mushrooms for my hubby... And used Shubhra's marinade (with extra reserved for dipping):

Chicken, Pepper & Mushroom Tikka Kebabs 

• Grill Spray
• Package of skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 1 lb. boneless Chicken breast or tenders, cut into 2" cubes
• 2-3 bell Peppers, sliced into 2" pieces (I used green, red & yellow)
• 1 Onion, sliced into 2" pieces
•  Handful white, button Mushrooms

Place the items on the skewers, alternating... I do onion/chicken/onion/pepper/onion/chicken/onion/mushroom/onion/chicken/onion/pepper...

Brush with the marinade (recipe below) & grill till the chicken is cooked well, turning the kabobs... about 8 minutes on each side.



Tikka Marinade

• 1 TBSp Garlic, minced
• Zest & juice 1 Lemon
• 1/2 tsp Coriander
• 1/4 tsp Tumeric
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked Pepper
• 3 TBSp Plain Yogurt

Whisk together all of the above ingredients.


*Lishie tip- Place a small amount of the marinade aside to use to dip the skewers!


As a side, I decided to make a quick cous cous:
Sauteed Pepper Cous Cous
2 TBSp Canola Oil
1/2 of a Bell Pepper, chopped, set aside from above (I used 1/4 yellow & 1/4 red)
1/4 of an Onion, chopped, also set aside from above
1 & 1/2 cups Cous Cous
2 cups Water


Heat the oil in a small sauce pan on Medium heat. Add the onion & pepper & saute until the onion is translucent & the pepper is soft but with some "bite" left. With a slotted spoon, remove it from the pan then drain the oil. Add the water into the pan & bring to a boil. Add the cous cous, shut off the heat & fluff/mix. Cover & set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Add in the sauteed pepper & onion & fluff the cous cous before serving.

And everything was cooked, cleaned & eaten with enough time for some after dinner crafting with G!

Happy Flag Day! 6*14*11
<3 Lish

Egg & Hash Nests

The extreme temperatures seem to be finally breaking in the Northeast, thankfully! Here's a tasty "breakfast for dinner" meal I made in the oven. They are little packages of goodness! So yummy & like many of the recipes I make, very versatile (*see tip below)!

Since they can be pre-made, no worries about time! Make a batch of these & you can have breakfast all week or have them for lunch. And I rarely take shortcuts but did this time. How? I used Ore-Ida packaged frozen hash browns. It's just too hot out.

These are also the perfect finger food for little hands!


Egg & Hash "Nests"
Makes 6 Nests

• Cooking Spray
• 1 cup Potatoes, cooked & shredded or use my shortcut!
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1 bell Pepper, chopped (I used half yellow & half red)
• S & P
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup Gruyere, grated
• 1 TBSp Chives, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees.

Spray a 6-cup sized muffin pan with Cooking Spray & set aside.


Combine the potatoes, onions & peppers, S&P in a bowl. Mix. Divide this mixture evenly among the 6 cups of the muffin pan, pushing down to form a "bowl" in each. Place in the oven for about 25 minutes.


While the "bowls" are pre-cooking, whisk together the 3 eggs, then add the cheese. After the 25 minutes, take out the cooked potato mixture & add the egg/cheese mix evenly divided onto all 6 bowls... Place the pan back in the oven for 15-20 minutes (Make sure the egg is fully cooked). Top with chives & ENJOY!


*Lishie tip- The versatility of this recipe... You can add cut up pieces of meat: ham, turkey, sausage, bacon, prosciutto, pancetta... Corned beef hash! Change up the cheese... swiss, cheddar, parmesan... Switch veggies- squash, asparagus, etc.... Use egg whites instead... Or you could even swap out the potatoes for sweet potatoes!

Zucchini, Bell Pepper & Angel Hair Pasta

So another Wingsday... Another new try at winging it HA HA HA (I have to laugh since, ick, I don't like the wings!) Well, since I DON'T eat them, I made myself this pasta. Perfectly yummy & healthy for a warm night's dinner.

Zucchini, Bell Pepper & Angel Hair Pasta

• 2 TBSp Canola Oil
• 1 small Onion, sliced
• 1 red Bell Pepper, sliced
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
• 1 Zucchini, peeled into "ribbons"*
• 1/2 box Angel Hair Pasta, pieces broken in halves
• Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, Optional

In a pasta pot, set water to boil. 

In a Medium saute pan, heat the canola oil on Medium-High. Add in the onion slices, S & P & pepper slices. Saute until the veg is soft, but not too mushy.  

When the water boils for the pasta, add in the pasta & the zucchini strips. Cook as per instructions on the pasta box. Zuccini ribbons take the same amount of time. Drain, reserving a 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add in the sauteed onion, bell pepper slices, along with any scrapings/oil in the pan. If needed, for extra moisture, add in the reserved pasta water here. Toss everything together.

Top with the grated parmesan & enojoy! 

*To make the Zucchini Ribbons- Take a Vegetable peeler & peel off the zucchini skin. Then continuously slice "ribbons" of zucchini into a pile with the peeler.

And as for the Buffalo Wingettes? We tried a new Frank's sauce- Buffalo. All I did this time was basted the wingettes in the sauce, Broiled them till very crisp & brown... Flipped the chicken pieces over, basted the other side... Broiled till browned again... & served doused with the Frank's/ I think my hubby loved this method the best so  far. And he loved the Frank's Buffalo Sauce's kick.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

• 2 medium Carrots, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 cup Broccoli florets
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 cup New Potatoes, cut in halves
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 TBSp your favorite herb mix- (*I used Lemon-Rosemary)
• 1 Lemon, zest & juice
• 1 lb. your favorite Pasta- (*I used Angel hair spaghetti, broken into pieces)
• Parmesan Cheese, Freshly grated 

*All of the vegetables must be fresh!
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix all of the veg in a large bowl & add the herbs & lemon zest. Sprinkle some olive oil onto the mixture, enough to lightly coat the veg. Toss all of the contents together well. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet in one layer & roast for 10 minutes... Take out of the oven & mix the veg around, then place the pan back into the oven for another 15 minutes.


While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving a cup of the pasta water. 


When both the pasta is cooked & the veg is roasted, combine everything in a large bowl.  Add the lemon juice & as much of the reserved pasta water to make the pasta a little teeny tiny bit saucy. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold topped with parmesan cheese.


Here's my letter of endearment to this recipe high-lighting all of the wonderful things about it:


Dear Pasta Primavera,
-You are so tasty & good for me & my family... healthy & nutritious.
-You allow me to use all of the extra vegetables I tend to buy before they, well, rot.
-You are so versatile, I can use summer squash or green bell pepper or brussels sprouts, cauliflower, parsnips, radishes, onions, garlic cloves... I can use any Herb combo, whatever I feel like... any type of pasta shape I want... no confines!
- And speaking of, I can eat you hot, warm, or cold... You are welcome at my BBQ. 
I <3 you, Pasta Primavera! 
- DeLish

Quinoa with Tofu, Broccoli & Red Bell Pepper

Disclaimer- I had not yet tried quinoa before now. Now I have... & I was not too content with the quinoa part I have to say but the tofu & veg made me happy. I would have preferred this more with rice to tell you the truth. If you love quinoa, please make it. This was an easy vegetarian recipe that would be a great main dish (protein, grain & veg all in one) or side. This is one of those recipes made simpler for me because of my combo rice cooker/steamer. I made the quinoa & steamed the broccoli & bell pepper at the same time.

Quinoa with Tofu, Broccoli & Red Bell Pepper

• 1 cup Quinoa
• 1 cup Broccoli florets
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Package Firm Tofu, water drained, tofu chopped
• 2 TBSp Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp. fresh Ginger, grated
• 2 TBSp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• Green Scallion- Optional (I didn't add)
• Red Pepper Flakes Optional (I didn't add)

Cook the quinoa- 2 cups water to the 1 cup quinoa. Bring the mix to a boil then simmer covered for 15 minutes. Or make it in your rice cooker like I did!
 
Steam the broccoli & the red pepper pieces together.
 
In a non-stick saute pan, heat the Sesame Oil, being careful not to burn it. Sesame oil heats & burns fast! Add in the tofu pieces then sprinkle the grated ginger over it & splash with the soy sauce (Add red pepper flakes here). Allow the tofu to brown on both sides, mixing frequently.
 
Add the tofu, broccoli & pepper to the quinoa & mix together. Top with green scallion, if desired, & serve.

*Lishie tip- Tofu can be really tasty & filling depending on how it's made. It's great for protein.

Chicken Kabobs & Honey-Mustard Dip

Kabobs! Such an easy indoor or outdoor, healthy dish. I make mine all of the time on the grill pan but of course, as the weather gets nicer & nicer, outdoor grilling is wonderful. All you need is kabob sticks! These are so versatile- get your favorite veggies, ones that will grill nicely, & you can make these with chicken, beef or just veggie. An easy & quick meal!

Can you see the 1 piece of zucchini I slipped in? ;)

Chicken Kabobs

• 2 lbs.boneless, skinless Chicken, cubed
• 1 large Red Pepper, chopped in huge pieces
• 1 large, Onion, hopped in huge pieces
• Handful White, Button Mushrooms
• Cooking Spray
• Skewer Sticks

Alternately place onion/chicken/onion/peppper/mushrooms on the skewer stick (as much as can fit). Spray the grill pan... On Medium-high, grill each side for about 5-7 minutes, making sure the chicken is cooked. (To be safe, I finish the kabobs off in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.)

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce! Mine:

Honey-Mustard Dip

• 1/4 cup Plain Yogurt
• 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
• 2 TBSp Honey
• 1 tsp Lemon Zest
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• Freash Dill or Chives, finely chopped
• Salt

Whisk all together, chill before serving.


*Lishie tips- Soak the skewer sticks in water for at least an hour before preparation to prevent them from burning. Also, I place the onion next to the meat for extra taste.

Cous Cous Primavera

Yesterday, April 12th, was "National Grill Cheese Day" & I made some Caprese Panini- Fresh mozzarella, basil & tomato with extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar. YUM! But I wanted something on the side too, so I made a simple yet delish, cous cous primavera:

Grilled, fresh goodness!

Cous Cous Primavera

• Cooking Spray
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, thickly sliced
• 1 Zucchini, sliced into coin shapes, then halved
• 1 cup Water Or Chicken Stock
• 1 cup Cous Cous
• Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
• Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Using a oil-sprayed grill man on Medium-high heat, grill the zucchini & red pepper slices, about 2-3 minutes on each side.


In a sauce pan, bring the water (or stock) to a boil... turn off heat & add the cous cous. Cover for 5 minutes then fluff cous cous with a fork. Add lemon zest, grilled veggies & lemon juice. Toss lightly & top with grated parmesan cheese. 

Enjoy as a side or on on it's own! YUM.

Recipe Swap! Chicken Cacciatore

Yummy, Rustic goodness!

This week's theme for the recipe swap was: Chicken. Everybody loves chicken & always want a variety so I was happy! I got Laurie's (LaurMS15) choice of Giada de Laurentiis' Chicken Cacciatore.

Laurie says, "Stole this recipe from my mom who adapted Giada's recipe to be her own. It's Chicken Cacciatore." & to serve with bread, a salad or rice or pasta.

The funny thing is, Giada's recipe is very similar to my own (I usually throw in mushrooms & green bell peppers too). I hadn't made it in a while so I was very happy to! Because I was cooking it on a week night & bone-in takes much longer, I used 2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Normally, I'd use chicken pieces, bone in & I'd make it on the weekend or in the crock-pot. I also omitted the capers because they are just too salty for our tastes. And with most recipes, there's some give & take with my health issues. So tomato & wine are both acidic, too much so for me combined... In order to get the a nice taste of both, I went with all of the 3/4 c wine but only a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes with their juice & compensated with an extra cup of chicken broth (total- 1 & 3/4 cups). One last addition- about 2 TBSp of fresh, chopped parsley...

I really do chop the veg very rustic for this, in big pieces. We love our cacciatore served on egg noodles. A delicious, forgotten meal! It is very filling & comforting. And not too bad for a work, weeknight with my changes- It took me in total, an hour from prep to finish. Thank you, Laurie!

*Lishie tip- Add the basil at the very end as cooking usually destroys the flavor.

*Lishie facts- Cacciatore means hunter in Italian- Chicken Cacciatore is a meal prepared hunter-style. 

BTW- I supplied my Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce. YUM!

Roasted Red Pepper & Mozzarella Panini

My hubby prefers his sandwiches with out eggplant, plainer... This is delicious too:

Roasted Red Pepper & Mozzarella Panini

• Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
• 1 Jar of Roasted, Sweet Red Peppers or 1 Fresh Red Pepper, Roasted
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh Basil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Assemblage:
Put it all together- Bread, peppers, mozzarella slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splashes of extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar. 

Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight up on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted. 

"Graceland" Eggplant Panini

Oozing, cheesy goodness!

Today was Book Club Sunday which means lovely ladies, wonderful conversation & a meetup at the local diner. I ALWAYS seem to get breakfast & the same thing for these days. Curious enough though, when I get diner at other times, I crave what is listed on the menu as the "Graceland" sandwich. I don't know why it's called that as it has nothing to do with peanut butter & bananas grilled (Elvis' purportedly favorite sandwich) at all. It's actually grilled- coated eggplant, roasted red peppers & mozzarella & it comes "drippingly" greasy &  delicious with a side of fries. YUM. So since I get breakfast for book club, I thought why not recreate the Graceland at home, for dinner?

Mine begins with the eggplant: 

Eggplant Panini

• 1 Eggplant
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1/2 cup Bread crumbs
• Approximately 3 TBSp Olive Oil
• Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
• 1 Jar of Roasted, Sweet Red Peppers or 1 Fresh Red Pepper, Roasted
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh Basil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Clean, peel, & slice the eggplant length-wise. Set up a mis en place: Whisked egg in one shallow bowl, Bread Crumbs in another. Heat the 3 TBSp Olive Oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat. Dip the eggplant slice first in the egg then coat the slices with bread crumbs & place in the saute pan. Cook until it is golden, about 2-3 minutes each side. Allow to cool on a paper towel lined plate.
After the eggplant is bread & cooked, assemble the sandwiches... Bread, eggplant, peppers, mozzarella slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splashes of extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar. 
Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted. 


It is DELISH.

Here is the diner's Graceland:

Photo Courtesy of Stacey :)

*Lishie tip- "Panini" simply means "pressed" in the U.S. but in Italy, it means a sandwich customarily made out of a small loaf of bread, pane.


BTW, the month's Book Club read, which I highly recommend, was:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a fascinating story. It's non-fiction & 3/4 of the way through, I got slightly bored with the scientific part (although, written for the layman, me, to understand & it was indeed comprehendible). I wanted more of Deborah than of the actual HeLa cell history but am in awe of what the Lacks family went through. It terrifies me how little we've seemingly come from the '50s too, in many aspects, when Henrietta's cells were taken from her. Makes me wonder what my doctor does with my "bewildering" crohns saga & records.


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