Must Love Cream Cheese

This is a yummy, easy pasta dish I made last night. Could be modified with different veggies and meats (or no meat). Makes about four servings.

You'll need:
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped in about 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) snow peas, chopped into 2-inch or so pieces
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1-1/2 cups milk
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Here's what you do:
Cook pasta as directed. Meanwhile, cook chicken and onions in hot oil in large skillet for 6-8 min. or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Add snow peas, red peppers and garlic; cook and
stir 1 min. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil; cook on medium heat 2 min. or until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese, grated cheese, salt and black pepper; cook 1-2 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted and sauce is well blended, stirring constantly.

Drain your pasta, put it in a pretty bowl. Add chicken mixture and sauce, then toss to coat.

Chicken Ranch Enchiladas

If you're looking for a traditional, Mexican enchilada, well, this is not it. But if you're in the mood for some cheesy goodness that you can pretend is Mexican just for an excuse to eat chips and guac, then you're in luck. This made enough for about 6 servings, so I froze a couple of the enchiladas for later. In fact, I just had some tonight, and they were still tasty as ever, even after being in the freezer for a few weeks

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
• 10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center, about 7 minutes. Whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chiles, and ranch dressing in a bowl; spread a thin layer of the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce into each tortilla; divide the chicken among the tortillas and sprinkle with 3/4 of the cheese. Roll the tortillas into cylinders and place seam-side-down into the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until hot, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return to the oven and cook a few more minutes until the cheese melts.

Greek Frittata

I ate at Yolk restaurant in Chicago this past July and had their Bleu Bayou frittata - HEAVENLY! I usually make greek omelettes, but then decided to try my hand at a frittata. 

WARNING: I ruined my cast iron skillet because I didn't season it well enough. You will need a skillet that is oven-proof.

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz diced grape or sweet cherub tomatoes

1/2 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

dash of red pepper flakes

1 large handful of spinach

4 oz feta cheese

1. Whisk eggs and salt and pepper in a measuring cup.

2. Heat a well seasoned oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Saute tomatoes, onion and garlic in 3 Tbsp olive oil for 2 minutes. Add egg mixture, red pepper flakes, spinach, and cheese and stir to combine. Allow eggs and veggies to cook for 5 minutes, or until the top appears to be hardening.

3. Place skillet in a low heat broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the frittata is brown on top.

4. Allow frittata to cool for 3 minutes then cut and serve as pizza slices. Or eat it out of the skillet. I won't judge.

Fresh Mex

Not so fattening, really.

Inspired by the many mexican cuisines I've consumed.

Pico de gallo (1 part chopped tomatoes, 1 part chopped onion, minced garlic, 1 tsp lime juice, minced cilantro)

Juice of one large tomato

1c uncooked brown rice

1lb chicken tenders, chopped

2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp oregano, divided

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves

1-15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

3/4c frozen corn

guacamole (optional)

1. Chop tomatoes, onion and garlic into tiny pieces. Mix in minced garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Refrigerate to combine flavors while you make the rest of the meal.

2. Bring 1-1/2c of water, squeezed tomato, and a scoop of pico de gallo mix to a boil. Combine spices and add half of spice mixture to boiling water. Add rice and cook as normal.

3. Add other half of spice mixture to chopped chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Marinate at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, or while rice cooks.

4. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes. Add bell pepper through corn and cook for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

5. Grab a handful of tortilla chips and heat in a microwave for 25 seconds. Scoop rice and pour a portion of the chicken and veggie mixture over tortillas and rice. Add cold pico de gallo and optional guacamole. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Asparagus Pasta with Sage

Autumn, my favorite time of year, is around the corner, which means squash season!!! I bought a butternut squash and felt determined to harken autumn weather with a "rain dance" of cooking.

A Conundrum.

I love roasted vegetables. Fragrant flavors and melt-in-your-mouth yumm that makes my whole apartment smell amazing. But I've always had an issue with roasted veggies mixed with firm pasta. The contrasting textures are just unappealing to me.

However... sautéed vegetables appear more filling with a pasta. But I can't imagine how sauteed butternut squash could taste better than if it were roasted.

So I improvised and created two separate recipes for practically the same pasta: roasted v. sautéed. Tune in for the surprise result!

Sautéed

Roasted

1 lb pasta, noodle optional

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1" pieces

1 lb of asparagus, diced

1 onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp butter

Fresh sage leaves, minced

Sauteed

1) Cook pasta as directed. Keep one cup of starch liquid.

2) Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, swirl to coat pan. Sauté onion and garlic for two minutes. Add squash, asparagus, salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon to skillet. Sauté for 10 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove skillet from heat and add melt butter into sauteed vegetables.

3) Spoon vegetables over pasta and add sage leaves for desired taste. Add starchy water to leftovers to keep from drying out.

Roasted

1) Preheat oven to 450F. Add vegetables thru cinnamon to glass baking dish or baking pan. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and mix well. Roast for 30 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of butter to vegetables and stir to melt.

2) Cook pasta as directed. Keep 1/2 cup of starch liquid.

3) Spoon vegetables over pasta and add sage leaves for desired taste. Add a little starchy water to leftovers to keep from drying out.

And the winner.... ROASTED veggies with pasta! I could not get past the roasted flavor. Next time I want to roast the veggies on a baking sheet, rather than a glass pan, and create a sauce with a low fat cream.

Pork and Veggie Stir Fry

(Egg roll not included)

It took a few tries to get this just right. After frying the marinated pork, scrape the dried bits in the pan as you add more oil before mixing in the vegetables. It helps if you put the lid on for 30 seconds to steam the bits. They add a ton of flavor to the veggies. Finally, the sauce has a thicker consistency when you add a touch of cornstarch.

For the meat marinade

1 lb. butterfly pork chops

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp chili powder

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ginger

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp canola oil

For the veggie marinade

2 Tbsp canola oil, divided

1 bell pepper, julienne

1 medium white onion, sliced

8 oz. White mushrooms, sliced

2 carrots cut into matchsticks

3 garlic cloves smashed and slivered

2 Tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp ginger

1 tsp honey

1. Trim fat off pork chops. Cut chops in half lengthwise and slice into ½ inch thick slices. Whisk soy sauce through honey until well blended. Pour over pork slices in a bowl and let marinate for 45 mins in room temp.
   
   
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in a skillet or wok over medium high heat, swirl to coat pan. Spread pork into one layer on skillet. Fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove meat and reserve burned bits in skillet.
   
   
3. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil in same skillet over medium heat, swirl to coat pan. Add vegetables stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to scrape at brown bits. Cook until slightly tender. Add soy sauce combination and cover skillet for 1 minute. This will trap moisture and forcefully liquidate brown bits. Uncover and stir until vegetables are completely tender. Add pork to skillet and turn off heat. Serve over brown rice.

Apple Breakfast Bread

It's potluck breakfast day at the office tomorrow. And, of course, I waited until the last minute to think about what to make. So, I scoured my recipes for a dish that featured ingredients I already had. Apple breakfast bread. Bingo.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until it's nice and creamy. Beat (iiiiiit, beat it....) in the eggs.

In a separate, smaller bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Then, mix this into the butter mixture until moistened.

It may seem a little thick, but trust me, it all works out in the end.

Finally, fold in your apples and transfer it into the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Here's hoping the co-workers like it!

Creepy... or Science?

Just when you thought Sarah might, just might try meat again...

Rather, just when you thought you were browsing this blog because you were hungry...

Salt in soy sauce causes cells to react as the salt disintegrates. I didn't know this could happen!

The Perfect Pork Chop!

I just made the perfect pork chop tonight! The trick is to brine the pork chop before you pan fry it. I don't consider myself a very good cook, but this seemed easy enough and it made me seem like a GREAT cook.

I started with 2 thick-cut boneless pork chops.

In a medium bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar in 2 cups of water. Place the chops in the water so they're submerged, cover the bowl with plastic and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

(in those 30 minutes, it's a great time to cook up some potatoes, steam some veggies or make a salad. I made mashed potatoes)

After 30 minutes, remove the pork chops from the water, dry them off with a paper towel and season them with pepper (or any other spice you like. No need for salt since they soaked it up from the water).

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat until it is just smoking. Then, add a slice of butter! Once the butter is fully melted, add the pork chops to the hot skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side and be sure to have a splatter guard if you don't want hot oil popping up!

Done! These were seriously the best pork chops I've had. They browned perfectly and were even a little crispy on the outside, but perfectly juicy in the middle! I didn't even use any rubs or spices on the chop, and it was still delicious enough to eat alone. Yum!

Asparagus/Parmesan Pasta

This is my go-to lazy day recipe. It is so versatile and always so yummy! I don't have an exact recipe, but it's very hard to screw this recipe up. Here are the ingredients:

Pasta (any kind, I usually use rotini or these spirals)

1 bunch fresh asparagus

3 cups fresh spinach (or more!)

2 cups parmesan cheese - shredded or grated

olive oil

garlic powder

To prepare the asparagus, I preheat the oven to 350, arrange the asparagus on a cookie sheet and drizzle it with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake it for about 5-8 minutes, just so the ends are a little crispy. When it's done, chop it up into 1 inch pieces.

To prepare the spinach, I saute it in a little bit of olive oil until wilted.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. I typically use close to a whole box of Barillo pasta.

Once the pasta is ready and drained, put it in a big ol' mixing bowl and coat it with olive oil. When you think it's enough olive oil, add more! I just love olive oil.

Add the parmesan cheese, the cut asparagus and the sauteed spinach to the pasta. The parmesan cheese should melt a little bit and you can add salt and pepper to taste.

And then eat! I love this dish because it is good hot or cold, which makes for a good lunch the next day.

I sometimes add a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette dressing to the pasta for an extra tangy taste. It's also delicious!

Cherry Tomato and Kalamata Olive Pasta

This is a loose and fast recipe for a tasty pasta that can be modified based on what you have on hand. I happened to have a boatload of cherry tomatoes and some basil.

Step 1:
Start with bunch of cherry tomatoes cut in half or whatever tomatoes you have on hand. Drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. Then sprinkle with red pepper flakes... the more you add the spicier the dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Step 2:
In the mean time, boil some pasta and drain. I chose bowtie noodles because they really grip the sauce. 
Step 3:
When the tomatoes are done, pull them out of the oven and add a bunch of cut up basil and stir around. Let it sit for 5ish minutes. You can add fresh oregano too if you have it.

Step 4:
Pour the still hot tomato mix over the noodles in a pot. Turn the burner on low. Add about 1/4 of a cup of cut up kalamata olives. Add a small container of feta cheese and stir till melted.

Step 5:
EAT! then do the dishes!

Veggie Pizza with Gorgonzola Cheese

It is just as delicious and nutritious as it looks! I never made a pizza before that wasn't prepackaged in a factory. The only prepared foods were the frozen thin crusts (3 for $5) and the gorgonzola cheese. Mild mozzarella pales in comparison to the tartness in gorgonzola. But honestly you can use whatever toppings you want. I loaded my pizza with  big pile but while it baked the ingredients eventually flattened out.

1 thin crust pie
2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 of a Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
4 baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 oz of gorgonzola cheese
1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced and chopped
Handful of spinach, slightly wilted (heat in a sauce pan for 30 seconds)
red pepper, salt and pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 450F
2) Thaw crust and brush lightly with olive oil.
3) Spread garlic and tomato slices in pizza leaving 1 inch for crust.
4) Layer onions, mushrooms, cheese, pepper, and spinach. Season to taste.
5) Bake pizza on center oven rack for 10 minutes or until edges of crust are browned.

That's. It. Pretty sure I'm going to make pizza over and over and over again!

Vegan Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Rice

The line-up

I've played with different stuffed peppers recipes and came up with this vegan concoction. A cheese topping would go really well with a vegetarian version. Suggestions?

1/2 c. uncooked rice

1/2 medium vidalia onion, diced

3 garlic cloves minced

15 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

15 oz can of black beans rinsed and drained

1/4 c. frozen corn

salt and pepper to season

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed

cilantro (optional)

1) Cook rice as instructed. I bet veggie stock or some tomato juice from the can of tomatoes would help with flavor. Don't know, wish I tried.

2) Heat some olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, black beans, frozen corn, and spices to sauce pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 5-7 mins until flavors meld.

3) Add cooked rice to sauce pan and stir to coat rice with tomato mixture. This will be your stuffing.

4) Preheat oven to 350F and add 1/2" water to bottom of baking dish. 

5) Stuff pepper halves with stuffing and top with chopped cilantro. Place in baking dish upright and cover dish with foil. Bake for 30 mins or until peppers are softened. 

Hot Mamacita!!