culinarianlibrarian

Musings on cooking, reading, and life in general

26 Mar 2012
2 Comments

“Green” Chicken Salad

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Well, the chicken isn’t green, but just about every other ingredient is!  This is what’s for lunch tomorrow since I’m still adhering to Meatless Mondays:

Ingredients:

  • 2 large cans of chunk chicken
  • 1 small bunch of chives, chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped
  • 1 c. green grapes, halved
  • 1/4 c. walnuts
  • 1/3 c. light mayo
  • 3 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp dill

Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and mix thoroughly.  Serve over spinach as a salad, on rye bread as a sandwich, or eat it straight out of the bowl.  For a bit of a change-up, defrost a cup of frozen peas and use in place of grapes.

Time: 15 minutes; Serves: 6-8

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26 Mar 2012

Tzatziki

One of my all-time favorite snacks to have on-hand during the warmer months is tzatziki and cucumbers.  Since Chicago has decided to cooperate and give us some beautiful March weather, I’ve been craving a batch.

So, today I headed over to Target (where cucumbers are 67 cents!).  I was pleased with myself for resisting the urge to shop for clothing, shoes, nail polish, etc., as I pulled up to the register.  6 canvas totes of groceries later, I reached into my purse only to find… nothing.  I’d left my wallet at home.  To my credit, I didn’t swear or cry; to the saleswoman’s credit, she parked my cart off to the side and let me make the 10 minute trip home and back so that I could pay.  Hey, excellent customer service!

Ingredients:

  • 24 oz Greek yogurt (use the full-fat; it’s worth it, taste-wise)
  • 3 large cucumbers
  • 4 tbsps fresh dill
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or 2 tbsp canned garlic)

Chop cucumber into medium sized pieces.  Combine yogurt, one cucumber, dill, lemon and garlic in a food processor and pulse (don’t overdo it- you don’t want it to be too watery).  Slice remaining cucumbers evenly into rounds.  Use as “chips” with your tzatziki dip.

Time: 10 minutes; Serves: 6-8

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26 Mar 2012
1 Comment

Meatless Monday – Caprese Salad

It’s day one of spring break and I am back in the kitchen!  This is partly because I finally got my second trimester energy surge and partly because I’m tired of relying on take-out and/or overly processed foods as my main staples.

I found this recipe via Pinterest (Best. Site. Ever.) a couple of days ago and figured I’d give it a go.  You can use it as a main dish, a side, or even a snack.  Or you can just sit with the bowl in your lap and a remote in your hand and proceed to inhale it all while watching back episodes of Dateline (um, not that I would know anything about this).

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
  • 8 oz mozzarella balls
  • 18 fresh basil leaves, chopped (I used my herb scissors – LOVE them for making even pieces)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Halve tomatoes and cut mozzarella balls into quarters (I find that a serrated knife works best for both of these tasks).  Rip or slice basil leaves into small pieces.  Combine in a bowl with salt and pepper; dress with olive oil and mix well.  Chill in fridge for at least an hour for best taste.

Time: 10 minutes; Serves: 4 normal people or one pregnant woman

Original recipe: http://savorysweetlife.com/2011/08/tomato-basil-mozzarella-salad/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+savorysweetlife+%28Savory+Sweet+Life%29

Posted in Cooking, Meatless Monday and tagged , ,
07 Mar 2012

Meatless Monday: Spinach & Pear Salad

I cried on Monday evening.

This wasn’t an “I saw the newest E*Trade commercial with all the newborn babies” cry, or even a “Can’t fall asleep, thanks to my bass-thumping neighbor” cry.  No, this one was even sillier.  I cried over a piece of fruit.

A Bosc pear to be exact.  See, my recent aversion to the smell/texture/mention of meat means that I’ve had to get more creative with my dinners.  I have, in recent weeks, become particularly enamored of an Epicurious salad recipe.  The combination of flavors is perfect, and the addition of walnuts and cheese provide me with some much-needed protein.  So on Monday night, I made my salad, and settled in to watch The Bachelor.  I took my first bite, expecting it to be glorious as usual.  But the pear?  Totally underripe. My response? A total meltdown.  My creation put the ‘pear’ in ‘despair.’

Anyway, really stupid jokes and prego hormones aside, you HAVE to try this salad (and the dressing is particularly perfect):

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsps chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 5 oz. spinach
  • 2 large Bosc pears, chopped (make sure they’re ripe!)
  • 1 c. crumbled blue cheese (pasteurized, of course)
  • 1 c. walnuts, chopped

Toss spinach, pears, blue cheese and walnuts in large bowl.  Combine other ingredients to form dressing and shake well.  Stir into salad.

Serves:4-6; Time: 5 minutes

Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Baby-Greens-Pear-Walnut-and-Blue-Cheese-Salad-107065#ixzz1oRxsrCPH

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04 Mar 2012

Sage & Honey Skillet Cornbread

In the words of the immortal Chris Rock: Cornbread… ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!

I have amassed a TON of cornbread recipes over the years, and this one might just be my new favorite.  It’s fluffy and moist, and amazingly savory.  I especially like that I can use skim milk as opposed to buttermilk, making it just a *bit* healthier (now if only I had a substitute for the whole stick of butter :) .

  • 1 c. cornmeal
  • 1 c. unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsps. chopped fresh sage plus 12 whole fresh sage leaves
  • 1 c. skim milk
  • 1/2 c. honey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat heavy 10-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) in oven while it preheats.

Whisk first 3 ingredients and 2 teaspoons chopped sage in large bowl to blend. Blend milk, honey, and egg in separate bowl.

Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Pour all except 2 tablespoons butter into egg mixture. Add whole sage leaves to butter left in bowl; toss to coat. Arrange leaves over bottom of skillet, spacing apart.

Combine egg mixture and cornmeal mixture; stir until just combined (you will have lumps!). Pour batter over sage leaves in skillet. Bake until browned around edges and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 22 minutes.

Serves: 10-12; Time: 45 minutes

Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Sage-and-Honey-Skillet-Cornbread-240376#ixzz1oAtpBCwv

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04 Mar 2012

Spicy Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Sasquatch is alive, and living in my mirror.  This week, I discovered a nifty little side effect of pregnancy: excessive hair growth.  My eyebrows are out of control, my chin hair maintenance has tripled, and I now have peach fuzz growing up and down my jawline.  When they told me prenatals would give me long, luscious locks, I didn’t realize they meant that I’d be able to braid my face.

Given that I now have hair in other undesirable locations, I decided it wouldn’t kill me to cook up a meal that will put hair on your chest, as well… Behold, Spicy Turkey Chili:

Ingredients:

  • 1 can hot chili beans
  • 2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained (one light and one dark)
  • 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 c. water
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp chili powder or ancho chili powder
  • Dash of red pepper
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 c. of Chipotle Tabasco sauce
  • 1-1.5 lb ground turkey

Heat oil in skillet and brown turkey.  Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.  Top with cheese, light sour cream, and chives.

Serves: 8; Time: 20 minutes to prep; 4-8 hours to cook

No link back- this one is all mine :)

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26 Feb 2012

Cilantro-Chile-Lime Chicken

I’m one of the lucky pregnant women who has yet to suffer any type of morning sickness (yeah, I suck, I know).  So far, the first trimester has been easy peasy, save for being extremely tired.  However, sometime in the last two weeks a new symptom has hit me: food aversion.  I feel like I woke up one day and realized that NOTHING sounds good (with the exception of fruit, salads, and any combination of peanut butter and chocolate).  This translates into me avoiding the kitchen at all costs on most days.  Yesterday, however, I found myself missing my favorite hobby, and popped back in to make dinner for Wine Guy.  Full disclosure: I had waffles for dinner, but Wine Guy assured me this was a great recipe (“First you get the lime, then the cilantro, then the chile!”).  It’s is an easy baked chicken with a kick.

Ingredients:

  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 large onion, cut into large chunks
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • One 16-ounce container plain low-fat yogurt
  • Grated zest of 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 4 tablespoons chili powder or pure ground mild chile, such as ancho
  • 4 large chicken breasts, halved

Preheat oven to 375*.  Combine first seven ingredients in food processor and blend till smooth.  Marinate breasts in mixture for at least two hours, then bake for 35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Serves: 4-6; Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Wine pairing: Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (goodness gracious, do I miss wine!!!)

Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Baked-Chicken-with-Chile-Yogurt-Marinade-231617#ixzz1nXX8bNEy

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14 Feb 2012

Flourless Cherry Chocolate Cake

I’m not usually a sweets person, but mix fruit and chocolate and I am there!  This is an easy, four ingredient flourless chocolate cake, and it is amazing when you top it with cherry sauce!

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
  • 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 16 oz frozen cherries, thawed

Preheat oven to 275*.  Put butter and chocolate into microwave safe bowl and melt it 30 seconds at a time, stirring well in between cycles (it took me two full cycles, and then 20 extra seconds to melt mine).    Meanwhile, separate eggs whites from yolks (good tutorial here- http://bit.ly/AzMtu4).  Let chocolate mixture cool a bit, then blend in yolks.  In a separate bowl, whisk the whites, adding in sugar a bit at a time.  Fold sugar mixture into chocolate mixture.  Pour into a 9″ cake pan, and bake on center rack for 50 minutes.  Pour cherries into food processor and pulse till you get a slightly lumpy sauce.  Pour cherry sauce over cake and serve immediately.

Serves: 8; Time: 1 hour

Original recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/344293/flourless-chocolate-cake

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14 Feb 2012

Dijon Spinach & Pear Salad

Just in time for Valentine’s Day: A souped-up salad with which you can fall in love!

(Okay, I confess- I tried really hard to write that line as “A souped-up salad you can fall in love with,” but I could not, for the life of me, dangle the preposition!  I have issues…)

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 5-ounce bag mixed baby greens
  • 2 large ripe pears, diced
  • 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

Whisk first five ingredients to create dressing.  Place spinach and walnuts in a bowl; add diced pears and stir.  Toss salad with dressing and serve immediately.  Don’t be surprised if your dinner guests come back for seconds and thirds.

Serves: 6; Time: 10 minutes

Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Baby-Greens-Pear-Walnut-and-Blue-Cheese-Salad-107065#ixzz1mPOEAtu4

 

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14 Feb 2012

Sriracha Mac’n'Cheese

Do you ever read The Oatmeal?  Cartoonist Matthew Inman has a knack for putting into words (and illustrating) what sane humans are really thinking.  One of my favorites is his love letter to Sriracha sauce http://theoatmeal.com/comics/sriracha.  He’s definitely right- it makes EVERYTHING taste better- even macaroni and cheese!

(BTW- I make a LOT of versions of mac’n'cheese, and this Epicurious recipe is, hands down, the best one I have ever tasted.  Wine Guy agrees)

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 4 shallots, finely diced
  • 8 oz small elbow macaroni (2 cups)
  • 1 1/4 c half and half
  • 3 tsps Sriracha sauce
  • 8 oz coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 5 oz crumbled soft fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, until shallots are deep brown, stirring often, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook macaroni in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally; drain well. Reserve pan. Bring half and half and hot sauce to simmer in same saucepan over medium heat. Toss cheddar cheese and flour in medium bowl to coat; add to half and half mixture. Whisk until sauce is smooth and just returns to simmer, about 2 minutes. Mix in pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread pasta mixture in prepared dish. Top with shallots, then goat cheese. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Serves: 6; Time: About an hour
Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Mac-and-Two-Cheeses-with-Caramelized-Shallots-350762#ixzz1mPMD8wSt

 

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