Shattered

Has this ever happened to you?
You find, or hear, of a recipe that sounds so awesome that you want to recreate it. Especially awesome because it has many of the components that you know your sous-chef will love...and you devise a plan to make this special meal to impress him. Ingredients are bought, meat is defrosted and the prep-work starts early in the day. You can feel the excitement of this dish bubbling under your skin all day as you plan...meal time comes, plates are filled, timing (in theory) is executed perfectly and...(drumroll) ho-hum.

Such is my day. I saw recently a show that featured a steak sandwich with a jalapeno pesto and caramelized onions. Sounds amazing. I know!

I am an amateur chef, at best. I have mastered the art of the pasta dish. I'm pretty good when it comes to soups, stews, chilis. I have no problem with ground meats, pork, roasts, or chicken breast. I even have a homemade burger that gets raves. I've pretty much got those things down. But the one thing that I have never mastered, no matter how many times I've tried...is steak. I just can't get it. I've tried SO many times...and it always comes out, muh. It's that brown chewie thing in the middle of the sandwich that you can acknowledge as meat, but definitely not the star of the meal, as it is supposed to be. How can I learn to cook steak properly? I go online and look up rubs and marinades and how-to instructions. BBQ'd, Grilled, Pan-fried. muh, huh, blah!

One day, when I have oodles of time (possibly in retirement) I will take a cooking class. Or more than one. I want to be GOOD. I want to move past the casseroles and typical mom-meals to something amazing. Maybe even venture to cook without a recipe. Because cooking is just IN me. The kind of food where you can go to a restaurant and say, I can make this better. I want my kids to experience GOOD food at HOME. "That's a perfectly cooked fish." "Your chicken is so tender!" "This pasta is heavenly!"

"That's the BEST Steak I've Ever Had!" *sigh*

In spite of all this, the pesto was amazing. And I'm certainly happy I found that recipe. For those who are better with steak, here's it is:

Jalapeno Pesto:
1/3 c pine nuts
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch parsley (I actually did more parsley than cilantro, because I prefer it)
10 garlic cloves (yup! Don't worry, it's good)
1 Jalapeno (seeds and ribs...gives a little kick)
1/2 c. REAL parmessan cheese
salt to taste
Juice of one lemon
1/2 c. olive oil (drizzle in as you blend until desired consistency is reached)

Pulse in food processor until creamy. Freezes awesome too, so you can save it for later. It's also a great dip with chips or fajitas. (BTW: it will cause stinky breath and deposits tiny flecks of green pesto in your teeth, so probably not the best idea for a first date.)

Steak Sandwich:
Cook your steak to medium-rare (I won't give any tips here, because I just don't have them)
toast ciabata buns in the oven (about 5 minutes)
rub avocado on one slice of bun
top with provolone, steak and caramelized onions
Spread jalapeno pesto on other side of bun.

Enjoy your sandwich.

Oh, and I burnt my onions that were supposed to be caramelized...seriously!

Wedding Bells

Where have I been? It's been a while since I blogged, anywhere. Mostly because there's been a lot of same-old. I've been revisiting some of the same recipes I've already blogged about, so there was nothing new to say.
Last night, a favorite of my Sous-chefs. And honestly, that drive to find new recipes and cook is always in an effort to impress him. It's how I 'show it'.
This meal is so simple to make and yet so delicious, and he loves it...win-win-win.

Bruschetta Pasta
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, garlic salt, oregano, parsley, basil

Mix together in the morning and allow to 'marinate' in the fridge all day

Cook your favorite pasta, top with your favorite alfredo sauce and sprinkle bruschetta over top.

Yum.

I came up with this idea when I was at a family dinner for my brother's wedding. They held it at a restaurant in Calgary and I saw my uncle order some pasta dish that looked similar to this and SO delicious. It made me rethink not ordering an entree. But alas, I decided to forgo the restaurant costs and instead figure out how to make it myself.

Hey, brother, thanks for getting married. It inspired a good recipe! Oh, and gave us an awesome SIL as well.

In the kitchen with...

Tonight, we dine on soup...so what else is new? I never realized until I starting blogging about my cooking how many different types of soup I make and how much I LOVE a homemade soup. And how much I dislike soup from a can. The slippery *schlop* sound it makes as it comes out of the can, and how it still looks like the shape of the can when you get it in the pot? No thanks. I will eat a lot of different things if I've had my hand in the preparation and it turns out my critics are the same. If I want to hear an end to the "I don't like soup" cries at dinner, then I have to think ahead, pull out the mini aprons and get them in the kitchen. Suddenly tears turn into triumphs. "mmn-this is SO good!"
Tonight's triumph, a twist on a classic:

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

All the goodness and homey flavor in a pot rather than a shell. Try it...you'll love it:

Ingredients:
Tenderflake frozen puff pastry shells
1tbsp butter
3/4 lb chicken breast -cubed
1 8oz can chicken broth
1tsp chicken soup base
1/8 tsp thyme
2 tbsp fresh parsley or 3/4 tbsp dry
2 cups chopped veggies (whatever you like, this time I used carrots because it's what I had)
Cubed, peeled potatoes
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup instant mashed potatoes for thickening

Directions:
Cook puff pastry according to package directions ( buy extra because people will want them!)
Boil potatoes until fork tender but not too soft
Melt butter in stock pot over medium heat. Stir in cubed chicken, and cook. About 10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and whisk in soup base, thyme, parsley and chopped veggies.
Whisk in instant potatoes. Cook until thickened. About 10 minutes.
Stir in cooked chicken, and potatoes, and cream. Simmer until hot.
Ladle into serving bowls, serve with puff pastry.

This makes enough to feed me two bowls, my sous-chef two bowls, each of the critics, with a generous helping left over for lunches the next day.

A Schwack Of Chili

Mmm. I LOVE chili. This is amazing, because as a youngster, the idea of chili really made me turn up my nose. There is something about one-pot suppers from m childhood that I just couldn't fathom. Why did everything have to be mixed together? Tuna casserole, Shepherd's Pie, Lasagna, Stews, Soups, you name it, I didn't like it. Now that I am a stay-at-home chef taking care of 3 little critics and tending to the critics every need, including loads of laundry and following behind tidying, the idea of tidying my own mess in the kitchen is sometimes less than appealing...enter the one pot dish. It's fabulous. Everything working together, cooking deliciously all day, making my house smell like dinner all day, and very minimal dishes...it's just music to my ears, mind, body, soul! Now, whenever I see a cooking show that boasts a one-pot meal, I'm all ears. My mom was a genius! My critics turn up their noses at the idea sometimes too, but there are a few that I can win them over with...and chili is one of them. My oldest critic is a lover of beans, and so chili is very high up on her list of favorites. My chili is a meat and beans with little signs of veggies...in fact, the only veggie is onion and then the tomato sauce it cooks in. It tastes SO delicious and I serve it by itself, or over fries or baked potatoes. mmm-mmm-good. I believe that's someone else's slogan, but I'm going to steal it for this chili. A little cheese on top, a little corn chips and I'm set.

Recipe:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 c. red kidney beans
12 oz tomato sauce
1 cup tomato juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper

Brown the beef with the diced onion, throw everything into the slow-cooker and cook on low all day. Serve with sour cream, grated cheese, corn chips, or over fries or baked potatoes.
Add Italian sausage if desired to mix it up a bit.

Some Like it Hot

Today's meal is somewhat of an oldie, in that I've cooked it a number of times before, but it's fairly knew to my repertoire of recipes. I always like to recreate foods that I've had a restaurants, so I can have those yummy meals at a fraction of the yummy price. So tonight, we dine on Blackened Chicken Pasta. The chicken is a bit spicy, so the critics only have a small portion, but the sous-chef and I love it. It's great over salad or pasta, but we opted for some carbs today. I've always like the idea of blackened chicken over a creamy alfredo pasta. A little hot and cool at the same time, but never knew how easy it was to make, until I found this recipe:

Directions:
Cook cubed chicken breast in skillet in olive oil until no longer pink
Cook pasta according to package directions
Add blackened chicken spices to the pan until evenly coated

Drain pasta and coat with favorite alfredo sauce (I use the PC Roasted Garlic Alfredo)
Dish out and serve blackened chicken overtop

Blackened Chicken Spice Mix
2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic or onion powder

I mix all the spices together but keep the ketchup separate. Coat chicken with ketchup first and then add the other spices so they stick to the chicken better. A couple quick turns of the pan until the chicken gets a little 'blackened' and you're good to go.

Paella Hindsight

So tonight I attempted a new recipe. The image capture on the recipe website I got it from made it look SO delicious, and the fancy name made it sound important. Paella. I've been walking around all week saying, Paella, just because it's fun. It also requires chorizo sausage, which also sounds important and exotic.
Well, like I've mentioned before, I am an amateur cook, at best. I can follow a recipe fairly well, but if it's not explicit, my cooking knowledge is not advanced enough to allow for much 'culinary common-sense' to take place. So this recipe was a chicken and sausage paella. It was a pretty easy, step-by-step recipe, but one thing left me confused. The first step was to "Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then place it in the skillet to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes a side". It didn't say anything about, "Till juice run clear" like chicken instructions often do...but it also didn't say anything about NOT fully cooking the chicken in the skillet. And 4 or 5 minutes per side could be enough to cook a chicken breast if it's not a very big one...so I was at a loss. And since I am SUPER paranoid about salmonella poisoning, and not full-up enough of that 'culinary common-sense' I decided to fully cook the chicken before adding it to the pan.
Well, the recipe has great potential. The rice mixture was quite outstanding. The chicken and sausage were a bit dry due to being fully cooked before being stuck in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Now that I read that back, even non-culinary common-sense should have told me that would happen, but alas, hindsight is always 20/20. I will make this recipe again, as I think it has the chance of being really great, but I will not fully cook the chicken before putting it in the oven. That should allow for a more tender and tasty meal.

Here's the recipe:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 4 legs and 4 thighs
Salt and pepper
16 ounces sausage (chorizo or kielbasa) cut into half-moon slices
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups medium-grain rice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of saffron
1 cup seeded and chopped tomato
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas

Instructions
1.Heat the oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then place it in the skillet to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes a side. If needed, work in batches so the skillet isn't overcrowded.
2.Transfer the browned chicken to a plate. Add the sausage to the pan and sauté it until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the plate with the chicken.
3.Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Lower the heat to medium, then add the onion, red pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the rice, cumin, salt, and saffron. Stir to coat the rice and cook for about 1 minute.
4.Transfer the rice and vegetable mixture to an oiled 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the chicken and sausage on the rice and scatter the tomato over the top. Place the pan on the center oven rack and carefully pour the chicken stock over the meat and rice. Bake for 25 minutes.
5.Sprinkle the peas on top and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, another 10 to 15 minutes. Let the paella cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

My variations:
I used 4 chicken breasts cut into 8 pieces, instead of thighs and I opted out of putting frozen peas in, as we're not huge fans of frozen peas. Also, I didn't have any saffron, so we skipped it. Not sure how much a pinch would make a difference as I've never used saffron before, but it still tasted good without. Also, the chorizo sausage was not too spicy. I think it would have been too mild if I had used Kielbasa.

Thanks for stopping by. Maybe I'll post again when I've mastered this one.

Something old , something New

Tonight, a good majority of my family, bit Bourne and Williamson, will be joining us out the homestead to can peaches. My mom is an expert and has agreed to teach the rest. My contribution will be dinner. On today's menu: a classic recipe from my mom's kitchen pus a new recipe of my own. Chicken Broccoli Casserole and Double ChocolateChunk Brownies. The casserole is pretty simple to make, the hardest part is the arm muscles it takes to open the jars of soup cans by hand. It's also great because it's easy to feed a lot of people, it's a crowd favorite, and making extra for freezer meals is a breeze. I bought a few extra ingredients to make just such a freezer meal for the newly weds, Sarah and Tyson, because it's one of her favorites. The brownie recipe is one I saw on tv and my oldest critic (the chocolate lover) immediately said, "mom, you HAVE to make those.". Seems I didn't have a choice, so today was the day. The casserole also makes for easy clean-up so we can get to those wonderful peaches!

Recipes:

Ingredients:
Cut-up cooked chicken (3 cans of Costco chicken)
2 cans cream soup (mushroom, chicken or celery)
1/4 cup of milk
1 tsp curry powder
Cut broccoli florets
Grated cheese
2 boxes Stove-top stuffing (cooked)

Mix together chicken, soup, and curry powder and spread in 9x13 baking dish
Cover with grated cheese
Top with stove-top stuffing
Cover with tin foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in 350 degree oven

Brownies
Ingredients:
3/4 c sugar
2 tbsp water
1/3 c butter
8oz bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
2 eggs
4 oz white chocolate (chopped)
1/4 tsp each salt and baking soda
3/4 c flour
1 tsp vanilla

Bring water, sugar and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate and stir till melted and combined. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Whisk in eggs.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet mixture. Stir in chopped chocolate and vanilla. Pour into parchment lined metal pan. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Allow to cool in pan.