Mushroom Bourguignon

This recipe from Smitten Kitchen is one I’ve made a few times, and we’ve really enjoyed as a filling, comforting, and meat-free meal. It’s also great as a lighter alternative to the heavy and decadent foods of the holiday season. I’ve added the nutritional breakdown’s from My Fitness Pal to show just how “healthy lifestyle” friendly, notice I didn’t say “diet”, the recipe is, even with the pasta. Enjoy!

 

Serves 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 pounds portobello mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices (save the stems for another use) (you can use cremini instead, as well)
• 1/2 carrot, finely diced
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup full-bodied red wine
• 2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional but vegetable to make it vegetarian; it works with either)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)
• Egg noodles, for serving
• Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

 

1. Heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove them from pan.
2. Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for 10, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.
3. Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender. Add the pearl onions and simmer for five minutes more.
4. Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10  more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.
5. To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with sour cream (optional) and sprinkle with chives or parsley.

 

Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar

Total:	1,896	237	56	65	1,844	19
Per Serving:	237	30	7	8	231	2

Skillet Lasagna

Every week I make a meal plan. Every week I ask Jim if there is anything he’s like to see on it. Every week he says, “No”. Well, that was until this week when he said, “lasagna”, and I said, “No”. It wasn’t that I didn’t want lasagna; it’s just that I didn’t have the time. I felt badly, and went back to scrolling through recipes, when I came upon this recipe from Ezra Pound Cake.

This was a great weeknight meal to serve with a Caesar salad and some garlic bread. Oh, and of course a glass of wine, but by now that’s implied, right? I was a little nervous, as Jim was looking forward to a “crusty edge”, but he still very much enjoyed it. The recipe made a lot, so I saved some for leftovers, and stashed about half in the freezer for an even quicker weeknight meal in the weeks to come.

Ingredients:

• 1 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes
  
• Water
  
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 1 medium Onion, minced
  
• Salt
  
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  
• ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  
• ½ Ground Sirloin
  
• ½ Italian Sausage
  
• 9 Lasagna Noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
  
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
  
• Pepper
  
• 1 cup Low-Fat Ricotta Cheese
  
• 3 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chiffonade
  

Directions:

1. Pour tomatoes with their juices into 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 quart.
   
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add meat and cook, breaking apart meat, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
   
3. Layer pasta onto meat but do not stir. Pour diced tomatoes with juice and tomato sauce over pasta. Cover and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.
   
4. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with heaping tablespoons of ricotta, cover, and let stand off heat for five minutes. Sprinkle with basil and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Serve.
   

 

Servings – 10

WW Points – 6 pts per serving

Bitchin’ Arroz con Pollo

I am an idiot. Some of you are nodding your head knowingly, thankful that I finally realized what you’ve known all along. I’ll remember that the next time I have extra baked goods to share. So, why am I making such a bold statement against myself? As most everyone knows, yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, and since we had the big feast this past weekend, I wanted to make something different than the usual tacos and enchiladas. Well, when I found Bitchin’ Camero’s recipe for her Mom’s Arroz con Pollo, I thought that, not only did it look delicious, but also was the exact type of dish I was looking for.

Again, you’re wondering why I am an idiot, right? Here’s why, Arroz con Pollo, “rice with chicken”, is considered the unofficial national dish of Puerto Rico, and is widely enjoyed in Latin America and the Caribbean, but really has nothing to do with Mexico, other than the fact that they both use the Spanish language. That, my friends, is why I am an idiot.

You know what though, I couldn’t care less. From the moment the sofrito started to sauté, the most wonderful smell wafted through my house to which the scents of paprika, cumin, and, saffron were added. This was my first time working with saffron, and if you’re tempted to skip it based on the cost, I have only one word for you: Don’t. It makes the dish. You can’t identify exactly which flavor the saffron is, but know that it’s in there and making everything taste insanely delicious.

Ingredients:

Rice:

• 3 cups Arborio Rice
  
• 2 cups Warm Water
  
• Big Pinch of Saffron Threads
  
• 1 tsp. Annatto Powder or Sweet Paprika
  

Sofrito:

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 large Yellow Onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 large Red or Orange Bell Pepper, finely chopped
  
• 2 slices dry rubbed, Center Cut Bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
  
• 2 tsp cumin
  
• 1 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
  
• ½ tsp Salt
  

Chicken:

• 8 oz. canned Tomato Sauce (not marinara)
  
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
  
• 1 Pilsner-style Beer
  
• 4 cups Chicken Stock
  
• Juice of 1 Lime
  
• 1 Tbsp Salt to taste
  

Directions:

Rice:

1. Place the rice in a medium-sized bowl. Stir the saffron threads and annatto powder into the warm water, then add the water to the bowl and give it a quick stir. Set aside.
   

Sofrito:

1. Make the sofrito. Set a large (7.5 qt is best), heavy pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, onions, bell pepper and bacon and cook for 5 minutes, or until the bacon fat begins to render out a bit. Stir in the cumin, sweet paprika and salt and continue to cook for another 5 – 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the pepper is soft.
   

Chicken:

1. Once the sofrito is done, add the tomato sauce and chicken to the pot, stirring to ensure the chicken is coated, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, turning the chicken over every few minutes.
   
2. When the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the beer and chicken stock and raise the heat to high. When the pot begins to boil, add the entire contents of the bowl with the rice. This may seem like a lot of liquid, but it’ll thicken up and the final consistency will be like a very wet risotto.
   
3. Bring the liquid back to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice, salt to taste and let the pot sit for 5 – 10 minutes, uncovered.
   
4. Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread or crackers. You can also garnish with jarred pimentos or pimento-stuffed olives (optional).

Baked Jambalaya

If it wasn’t already the case, this recipe could have made Jim fall in love with me. Alright, alright, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but he was a very happy man at dinner last night. I’m not surprised though, as this was right up his alley: sausage, shrimp, chicken, rice, spice, and a lot of flavor.

I actually owe this one to Jim too, as it was his forgetful nature that had me scrambling to find something to make for dinner. I’m a weekly meal planner. I sit down on Saturday or Sunday, take stock of what’s in the house, what we haven’t had in awhile, and what we’ve got going on, to then be able to set to planning what I’ll be making for dinners during the coming week. I hadn’t planned anything for this week, as Jim was supposed to be helping his brother with a project at his house. We’ll he tells me at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday night that he had gotten the weeks wrong, and it would actually be next week that he would be helping his brother. When I asked why he was just telling me now, he explained that he thought he had, but now that he thought about it, that conversation only took place in his head. Gee, thanks.

I have to say that, even without any planning, I did pretty well this week, and it was a great opportunity to use up some leftover odds and end and things that have been in the freezer. When I came upon this recipe from One Particular Kitchen, I immediately thought of the afore mentioned odds and ends I had in my freezer, in particular, a ½ link of sausage wrapped in foil that has been the punch line to a few off color jokes over the past couple of months. I would also be able to use the jar of Penzey’s “New & Improved” Cajun Seasoning I had recently cashed in my free coupon for, but really had nothing planned to use it in any time soon.

I tweaked the original recipe slightly to accommodate what we had on hand, our tastes, and what I knew we would continue to have on hand in the future, i.e. I always have soup base in the house, but don’t generally buy premade soups and broths as called for the in the original recipe. This was absolutely fantastic, and would be great served with a fresh green salad and some crusty French bread or cornbread.

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp Butter
• 1 ½ cups Rice, uncooked long grain
• 1 can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• ½ lb, or ½ link, Smoked Sausage, such as Andouille or Kielbasa, sliced and cut into “half moons” (I used a Turkey Kielbasa)
• ½ lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 15 to 20 pieces of size 31-40)
• 1 large Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless, and cut into bite sized pieces
• ½ Red Onion, cut into a large dice
• 1 Green Pepper, cut into a large dice
• 3 ½ cups water
• 1 tsp Chicken Soup Base
• 1 tsp Beef Soup Base
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰.
2. Melt butter in a 13×9″ casserole dish. Swirl around to coat.
3. In a large bowl, stir all ingredients together, including excess melted butter.
4. Transfer to buttered casserole dish.
5. Cover tightly, and bake for one hour. Stir and bake 30 minutes more or until rice is cooked through.
6. Allow to set for about 10 minutes and remove bay leaves before serving with Cajun seasoning and Tabasco alongside for guests to add additional seasoning to taste.

Chicken Chili

I have wanted to try out Ina’s Chicken Chili for awhile, and now that the winter months are closing in on us here in Wisconsin, it is the perfect time for chili.

When I first read through the recipe I noticed a few things that surprised me, and I made a few adjustments to the Contessa’s chili recipe. Most notably the amount of onions in the original recipe seemed high. The final product would yield almost a cup of onions per serving, which is way too much for us. On the flip side, I was missing bean and vegetables, so I added white beans, corn, and, because I had them in the fridge, some chopped zucchini. I could tell we would want more of a kick in our chili than the original recipe. To “correct” this, I increased the amount of seasonings, added some chopped jalapeños, and substituted chipotle powder for the red pepper flakes. Next time I will be buying pre-chopped canned tomatoes, as I don’t see what was gained in the final product by my having to chop the tomatoes myself rather than buying them that way. Finally, I omitted the basil. This was as much a decision based on taste (basil in chili?) as it was on forgetfulness (I didn’t put it on the grocery list).

The final product was good, but reminded Jim more of a tortilla soup than a chili, which wasn’t a bad thing, just not chili. Good thing we liked it though, because there is a vat of it waiting to be eaten. I don’t know who these 12 people are that Ina is serving, but they must be really, really hungry.

 

Ingredients:

• 4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)*
  
• ¼ cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
  
• ¼ cup minced garlic (4 cloves)*
  
• Jalapeños, 1 or 2, seeded or unseeded, to taste*
  
• 4 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
  
• 4 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
  
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
  
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for chicken
  
• 4 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes in puree, un-drained
  
• 2 (15 oz )cans White Beans
  
• 2 cups corn, fresh or frozen
  
• 1 cup (2 small) zucchini, quartered and sliced
  
• For serving: Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream, short pasta
  

*To chop the onions, garlic, and jalapeño, place into your food processor in batches and pulse 8 to 10 times until chopped to desired size. This is a huge time, and tear, saver.*

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰
   
2. Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly.
   
3. Cook the onions, garlic, and jalapeño in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
4. Separate the chicken from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili along with the corn, beans, and zucchini (if you are using) and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes or longer.
   
5. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Hamburger Houdini

Lately I am finding myself in an ongoing battle to get my son to eat something other than fruit and bread. Don’t get me wrong, I love that he loves fruit, but I would like him to give vegetables and proteins a try. Seriously, what kid doesn’t like noodles? During one of these battles, I remembered a recipe my mom used to make for weeknight dinners when I was growing up. It’s ridiculously easy, made all in one pot, and surprisingly good.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground Beef
  
• 2 cups mixed vegetables, frozen
  
• ½ box Pasta, Uncooked Farfalle, macaroni, shells, etc.
  
• 4 cups Beef Broth
  
• 2 tbsp Dill, chopped, if using dried, cut amount in half
  
• Sour Cream
  
• French Fried Onions
  

Directions:

1. Brown beef in large sauté pan with lid.
   
2. Mix in vegetables and pasta.
   
3. Add broth. Mix, bring to a simmer, and cover. Let cook for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is cooked through.
   
4. Season with salt, pepper, and dill. Serve with sour cream and onions.
   

It was as simple and yummy as I remember. Oh, and as for Carter? No, he wouldn’t eat this either. Back to the drawing board!