Tag - dinner

Lemon and Dill Chicken with Mashed Cauliflower

This chicken and cauliflower is outrageously good. I needed dill recipes and the internet was a wonderful resource, as always. I wish I had more of the lemon and dill sauce to pour all over the cauliflower — I will definitely double it next time. My other regret is that I only made enough for one meal. I wanted more the next day! These two recipes were served with farmers market spinach, sautéed with thinly sliced garlic and olive oil.

Lemon and Dill Chicken
(Recipe credit to eating-well)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth, flour, 1 tablespoon dill and lemon juice in a measuring cup and add to pan. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

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3. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan; reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to your serving plate and top with the onion and dill sauce.

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Mashed Cauliflower
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/8 teaspoon straight chicken bullion
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Heat a pot of water to boil and add cauliflower. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well but do not let cool.

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2. In a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, bullion, pepper, and butter until almost smooth.

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Chicken Parmesan Roll-ups

Somehow this meal has lasted Sunday through Wednesday. Jason and I had a couple nights where we didn’t get home for dinner so the leftovers have stretched to today. It’s a very filling dish that tastes like comfort food without the extra heaviness that usually comes with chicken parmesan and pasta. My friend Kira passed along this chicken recipe and I’m incredibly thankful for it! I served the chicken with spaghetti squash and roasted asparagus.

Chicken Parmesan Roll-ups
(Recipe credit to the girl who ate everything)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 thin-cut, boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, about 1 1/4 pounds (or slice regular chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create your own cutlets)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Italian seasoned gluten free bread crumbs (or panko)

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Take mixture off the heat and stir in half of basil. Transfer half of sauce to baking dish.

2. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in medium bowl; reserve ½ cup of the mixture. Add remaining basil to remaining cheese. Pat cutlets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Top cutlets with basil-cheese mixture, leaving 1-inch border at bottom of cutlets. Roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dish.

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3. Toss bread crumbs with remaining oil in small bowl. Top chicken with reserved cheese, remaining sauce, and bread-crumb mixture.

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4. Bake until chicken is cooked through and crumbs are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts you may have to cook them longer.

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Sautéed Spaghetti Squash
1 large spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil
Salt and pepper

1. Cut spaghetti squash in half, longways. Sometimes you may need to bring in some assistance as it’s a tough vegetable to cut!

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2. Remove all seeds from inside. Place face down on a baking dish with a touch of olive oil on the exposed flesh of the squash. Add about a cup of water to the pan, to help steam as well as roast. Cook at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

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3. When the squash is finished cooking and tender, use a fork to scrape out the squash into spaghetti-like form.

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4. Heat a touch of olive oil in a large pan and cook the garlic until fragrant, careful not to burn. Add the squash and cook for a few minutes to incorporate the garlic. Add salt and pepper, and basil. Serve with marinara sauce and ricotta cheese, if desired.

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 Roasted Asparagus

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(Roasted asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 for 12 minutes.)

Beet Salad and Chicken Fajitas

Food Prep Sundays yielded great results this week. This is what everything looked like after prepping: carrots/celery, cheese cubes, veggie frittatas, hardboiled eggs, tangos, sweet potatoes, chicken, broccoli, peppers and onions, beets, and black beans with garlic and chili.

Tuesday night dinner was chicken and beet salad with gorgonzola and walnuts. Pre-cooking the beets on the weekend was such a time saver. It’s not ideal to come home from a long day of work and have to wait on beets cooking in the oven for almost an hour before you can eat dinner. Just had to heat everything up, cook the chicken, and devour.

Chicken and Beet Salads
4 beets, medium sized
2 chicken breasts
6 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Skin beets, chop off tops and bottoms and wrap in tin foil. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
2. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme. Place them in a greased baking dish and cover with tinfoil. Cook for 30 minutes, untouched.
3. Place mixed greens in a bowl and top with chicken, quartered beets, cheese, onions, and walnuts.
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Wednesday night dinner was chicken fajitas with corn on the cob. I used the pre-chopped veggies from Sunday and cooked them Tuesday night while we were eating our salads. Again, great time saver so that when we’re both ravenously hungry when we get home from work dinner isn’t that far away. Just had to heat everything up, cook the corn, and assemble!

Chicken Fajitas
2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

1 red pepper, julienned
1 green pepper, julienned
1 onion, 1/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper

1 can black beans
3 garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon choice hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Lime juice

Hot sauce
Sour Cream
Corn tortillas
Corn on the cob

1. Combine canola oil, lemon juice, salt, oregano, cumin, chili powder, paprika, pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Place cut chicken in a resealable bag and pour in marinade. Let sit overnight.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap each corn on the cob in tin foil, with a dash of olive oil inside. Place on a cooking sheet and cook for 30 minutes.
3. Place can of beans in a saucepan and heat with sliced garlic and spices. Add a dash of hot sauce for more heat if desired.
4.  Heat a large skillet with 1 Tablespoon of oil, on medium high heat, cook peppers and onions until they begin to soften. Sprinkle cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and continue heating until slightly charred and cooked through.

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5. Heat oil in another skillet and cook chicken until done, should only be approximately 5-6 minutes.

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5. Place corn tortillas on the cooking sheet with the corn on the cob. Heat for a couple minutes on each side. Plate with the fajitas with peppers, beans, chicken, and top with sour cream and hot sauce!

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Slow Cooker Chili

This recipe was Jason’s meaty chili from dinner last weekend. He absolutely loved it and my favorite part of it was how easy it was to make. I used vegetables and beef we got at the weekly farmers market in Jack London Square in Oakland. That market is on the smaller side, but they had all the fresh produce we needed and the ground beef came from Casa Rosa Farms.

Slow Cooker Chili
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 lbs ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1 can (15-ounce) red kidney beans
1 can (15-ounce) cannelloni beans
1 (24-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) can of tomato puree
1 (4-ounce) can of chopped green chiles
2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, plus Tablespoon of sauce
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parlsey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Shredded cheese, tortilla chips, scallion pancakes, and sour cream

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1. Place beef, onion, and garlic in a skillet over medium heat and cook until brown. Drain half of the grease.DSC_0068

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2. Put beef on the bottom of the slow cooker and top with peppers, celery, beans,  diced tomatoes, tomato puree, chiles, chipotle chilis, and spices. Mix until combined.

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3. Cover and cook on HIGH for four hours.

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Baked Tamale Pie with Homemade Enchilada Sauce and Scallion Pancake Topping

Jason and I were craving chili this weekend. I made a meat one for him (recipe is here) and a gluten free meat-substitute one for me. The inspiration recipe called this a Baked Tamale Pie. I decided to add a homemade enchilada sauce to the recipe and used my scallion cornbread pancake recipe as a topping. It turned out to be a perfect combination and one that I highly recommend.

It’s best to make the enchilada sauce before you start anything else so there’s time to clean up and then move on to the main recipe. I made the sauce first and then took a break to do some pottery. I took a two-part class at a local place called “Play with Clay”. The first session was a tutorial in how to use the pottery wheel, which is something I haven’t done since high school so it was a great re-fresher. The second session, which I did today, is how to glaze the pots you made. It was a ton of fun and I hope to do it again. I can’t wait to see how they look after they’re fired!

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Now, back to the food at hand… Baked Tamale Pie with Homemade Enchilada Sauce and Scallion Pancake Topping.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce
(Recipe credit to vitamin-sunshine)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon corn starch + ¼ cup warm water
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

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1. In a large saucepan, add olive oil, and diced onion. Cook for 7 minutes over medium high heat until onion is softened.
2. Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, cumin, oregano, salt, and coriander. Simmer for 5 minutes until it comes to a boil.
3. Remove from heat, let cool slightly and then add to a blender. Process until smooth then return back to the saucepan.
4. Whisk corn starch and warm water in a small cup then slowly pour into the sauce while stirring.
5. Add the lime juice, and turn off heat. (Set aside for further use.)

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Baked Tamale Pie
(Recipe Inspiration from serious eats)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup frozen corn
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely crushed with your hand
1 (16-ounce) package of “meat” crumbles
1 1/2 cup of homemade enchilada sauce (follow instructions below)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems, minced

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1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large saucepan heat oil and then add corn and cook until corn is warm. Add onion, bell peppers, and poblano pepper, season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes.

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2. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, and chili powder and cook until fragrant.
3. Add soy sauce, tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, meat substitute, and enchilada sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until it has thickened.

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4. Stir in grated cheese, scallions, and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a casserole dish or cast iron skillet.

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5. Complete first step of the Scallion Cornbread Pancakes recipe (below). Drop dollops of the batter on top of the tamale filling.

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6. Bake tamale pie for about 20 minutes, until cornbread has turned golden brown.

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Scallion Cornbread Pancakes
1 cup ½ cup gluten free cornbread mix
2 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 green onions, thinly chopped
½ cup fat-free milk
Canola oil

1. Stir together cornbread mix, sugar, salt, baking powder in a bowl. Add oil, eggs, onions, and milk and whisk until combined.
2. Heat canola oil in a skillet and drop dollops of the batter into the oil to fry. Do not overcrowd.

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3. When you can see the edges of each pancake begin to brown, flip over and brown the other side.

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4. After both sides are golden brown, remove from oil and place on a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess grease. Continue making pancakes until all batter has been used.

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