Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

CREAMY CAJUN SHRIMP AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE PASTA

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While I try to vary our dinner menus, it is really difficult for me to refrain from building a pasta dish more often than we need. We both love pasta, and if you knew us, one glance would tell you immediately that neither one of us restrict our pasta predilection nearly enough! And usually that would cause me concern. But under the current shelter in place mandate, I have taken a broader view of what it takes to keep us healthy and happy. And one of the things that we both enjoy is pasta smothered in a yummy sauce with bits of meat or seafood thrown in for good measure. And if there ever was a dish that met those requirements, it’s this recipe from the dinneratthezoo.com site. (Wonderful site BTW.)

So I made this dish last evening. It was ever so easy to prepare, very little time required, and hardly any energy expended. And both of us sat at the dinner table with big old sloppy grins on our faces because this dish was so darned delicious. Along with the simple green salad I prepared (leaf lettuce, frisée, and massaged kale in an extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing), we were well satiated when we got up from the dinner table.

Now don’t get me wrong. I haven’t thrown caution to the wind. But fixing extra special food right now seems to make house arrest a bit easier to endure. And we aren’t out of the woods yet. It might be several months until we can resume dining with our friends or actually sitting in one of our favorite restaurants. (If they’re still in business that is!) So cooking wonderful dishes right now just seems like the best thing to do to relieve monotony, create anticipation, and keep me from running out on our street screaming “I need friends”! After all, as the old and moldy cliché goes – busy hands are happy hands. (Gack!!)

So with that “happy” cliché in mind, I am going to bid you adieu for today, and go see what kind of trouble I can get into in my kitchen. After all. It’s Friday. And Friday dinner around here is usually casual, fun, and quick to prepare. I’m thinking grilled tuna melt sandwiches. (With Tim’s potato chips on the side as our veggie accompaniment!)

As always – peace, love, and a healthy helping of patience for whatever the next few weeks/months has to offer.    

3 T. unsalted butter, divided

½ c. chopped onion

1 green pepper, halved and then thinly sliced  

2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning, divided (see recipe below)

8 oz. andouille sausage, sliced (I use Aidells Cajun Style Andouille because it’s not too spicy, but still very flavorful. Plus I can buy it almost anywhere.)  

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and tails removed

1 c. whole milk

2 tsp. flour

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper.

1/3 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz. linguine or fettuccini pasta, cooked al dente (save some of the water)

2 T. chopped parsley

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 4-6 minutes or until softened. Season with 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning.

Add the sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter along with the shrimp and the remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

While the shrimp are cooking, whisk the milk, flour, salt, and pepper together. When the shrimp are done, pour in the milk and flour slurry. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until sauce has started to thicken. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta.

If the sauce seems dry, add a bit of the pasta cooking water. Serve immediately garnished with the chopped parsley.

CAJUN SEASONING

2 T. paprika

1 T. granulated onion or onion powder

1 T. granulated garlic

1 T. dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred) (If the dried oregano leaves are large, break them down a bit in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder)

1 T. dried thyme

1 T. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. kosher salt

1 tsp. cayenne

Combine all the ingredients and store in an air tight container.

SMOKED SALMON AND BASIL PASTA

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Sometimes I make a dish just because of the person who created it. (And I happen to have the ingredients on hand.) Or as in this case, I go on a search based on specific ingredients. What I found when I searched for smoked salmon pasta dishes was this recipe on yummy.ph authored by Myke “Tatung” Sarthou.

Now, first of all, I had never been to the yummy.ph site, or at least to my recollection. And I had never heard or read about Chef Sarthou. But just because I found the ingredient list interesting, I decided to do some research on this man. And boy did I learn a lot.

Mr. Sarthou is a very famous and well respected chef, not only in the Philippines, but throughout the world. And frankly, I also liked the fact that he is a cultural heritage advocate. He refuses to read reviews about his cooking, whether positive or negative. And in his own words “Being unattached to achievement allows me to keep moving forward. To be a good chef you should be used to failure and it always goes together – you can never be great without failure. You cannot be too emotional about both sides of the spectrum.”

Somehow his words resonated with me. Because I am always trying to improve my cooking skills. And yes, I have my share of spectacular failures. But I also have moments of brilliance. (At least in my own eyes they are brilliant. And it’s really just all about me, right?)

Anyway, based on learning a bit about this gentleman and his success as a chef, I decided to prepare this dish the other evening. In all honesty, I was a bit concerned because I had never paired anchovy with smoked salmon, or basil with smoked salmon. But then, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And oh am I glad I took a chance. This dish is stinkin’ easy to prepare and is absolutely scrumptious. I can hardly wait to make it again.

So fellow cooks – if you too try a new recipe and it is less than perfect, or you mess up like I did yesterday when I forgot to give my sourdough bagels a second rise, get over it. It happens to everyone. Like Chef Sarthou wrote, if you don’t screw up in the kitchen once in a while, you’re not trying hard enough. (Or words to that affect.)  

As always, stay healthy, stay happy, and keep having fun in your kitchen. Remember, you can’t achieve anything if you don’t at least try. Like the old joke goes – A pedestrian on 57th Street in New York City sees a musician getting out of a cab and asks, “How do you get to Carnegie hall?” Without pause, the artist replies wearily, “Practice, practice, practice!”

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 T. unsalted butter

2 anchovy fillets or 2-3 tsp. anchovy paste (I used 2 teaspoons of the paste)

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 T. drained capers

1 T. fresh lemon juice

pinch crushed red chili flakes

8 oz. linguine or fettucine noodles, cooked al dente

¼ c. cut basil leaves (loosely packed), plus extra for garnish

4-6 oz. smoked salmon, shredded or chunked into small pieces

freshly ground black pepper

½ lemon, cut into wedges

In a frying pan, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add anchovy fillets and mash into a paste. (Or anchovy paste and just stir it around.) Add garlic and brown lightly. Add capers, lemon juice, and chili flakes.

Toss in the al dente pasta. Add the basil leaves and smoked salmon. Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper, and garnish with a bit more fresh basil. Serve with lemon wedges.

TURMERIC-BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS (OR GREEN BEANS, IF YOU DON’T HAVE ASPARAGUS)

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My sister-in-law Katie sent me this recipe that she found in the New York Times. She prepared it with asparagus and she and her husband Rick loved the dish. So, of course I had to make it too. But I didn’t have any asparagus. But I did have green beans. Lots of green beans. In fact we had been eating so many green beans in the last week that I was reluctant to serve them to Mr. C. (again) last evening. (We get a by-weekly veggie and salad box from a local farm. And one of the items in the mix was a pound of beautiful organic green beans. I had also ordered a few extra veggies to be delivered at the same time. And you guessed it. One of the items I had requested was a pound of green beans.) So you see, we were replete with beans.

But I decided to fix the dish anyway. And I am so glad I did. Of course I made a couple very simple changes. I used a bit more veggie oil than directed. I took the chicken out of the pan when it finished cooking, then added it back to the pan just before adding the sauce. And I added a teaspoon of cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it up a bit. But that’s it.

For a dish with so few ingredients, it was absolutely delicious and tasted very complex. And exotic. And loving to cook from world cuisines, this was right up my alley. But to which country or region should I offer my thanks and praise? After a short bit of research and a good dose of guess work, I decided that this dish, or one very similar to it must have its origin in India. But don’t quote me on that. I just love Indian food, so it only made sense to me that it would be just another wonderful Indian dish.

After I made this dish last evening, I went to the source recipe and read some of the reviews. Almost universally, the people who wrote reviews added additional ingredients to the recipe. And yes, I often do that too. In fact I did add a teaspoon of cornstarch. So no offense intended towards anyone who made this dish their own.

But I am going to recommend that you not add any additional spices or veggies or change amounts. Just follow this very simple recipe as written. The flavor is lovely, and part of the charm is in its simplicity. (I didn’t have to slice even one veggie!)

So thank you again Katie for sending me this recipe. It was perfect served with brown rice, as you suggested, and a simple salad.

To all of you who are cooking for yourself or your families, I salute you. As much as I enjoy cooking, it’s still work. I too get tired and I’m only cooking for the two of us.

So stay positive, cook what you like best, and be creative. Try new recipes. And invent recipes using ingredients you have in your pantry or cupboard. As I was drifting off to sleep last night I was thinking about the turmeric I had used in this dish. I realized that the turmeric was at least 20 years old, probably more. Had to be. I remember buying a large bag of it at the Cost Plus World Market in Bellevue when I was working in downtown Bellevue. I obviously haven’t been using a lot of turmeric. But I can tell you after making this dish, I am going to be cooking with it a lot more in the future. Maybe I can even use it up before I go to that big stainless steel kitchen in the sky. (And no, you don’t have to throw dried herbs and spices away after a year. They actually have a shelf life of “indefinitely”! However, you might have to use a little more than listed if your herbs and spices are well aged.)

As always, peace, love, and happy kitchens to all.

¼ c. water

3 T. honey

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

kosher salt

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 T. all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. ground turmeric

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 T. canola oil

12 oz. fresh asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle or fresh green beans, sliced lengthwise (carefully) and then cut into shorter lengths

1 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar  

½ lime, cut into wedges, opt.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the water, honey, pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and cornstarch together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of salt together. Add the chicken and toss until coated.

In a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium high. Add the chicken and cook until the turmeric is fragrant and the chicken is golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side or until the chicken is completely cooked. Remove the chicken to a small bowl.

Add the asparagus, season with salt, stir to combine and cook until crisp tender, 1 to 2 minutes. (If you use beans, the cooking time will be longer. You want beans to be just done.)

Add the cooked chicken to the pan, and then the honey mixture. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Adjust seasoning. Great served with brown rice and fresh lime juice dribbled over the top.

SMOTHERED FRIED CHICKEN

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I wanted comfort food last evening. Even though we here at Chez Carr are among the lucky ones, it is still very difficult to realize that our lives have dramatically changed, probably never to return to “normal”. (Normal is now a moving target.) For many retired adults like ourselves, who felt that we were reaping the rewards of hard work, sacrifices made for our kids, monetarily supporting our community, and leading as benevolent lives as possible, we too are having the rug pulled out from under us. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not asking you to feel sorry for me. I’m doing a good enough job of this by myself thank you very much. No, I just wanted you to know that this crisis has affected everyone. There isn’t a rational and informed person alive whom I’m sure hasn’t realized that the economic impact of this pandemic has shattered many people’s dreams. And to all of you for whom shattered dreams is a reality, I offer my heartfelt sympathy. And for those of you who have lost loved ones, I can’t even begin to express how sorry I am for your loss. Now, what can you and I do about making life for ourselves and those around us better.

Well I guess the first step is to realize we are not alone. We are not the only ones hurting. And then – well get our butts in gear and do something to make our own life, and that of our families a little better. And of course you know where this is leading. Cook something yummy. And although I almost always advocate eating healthy, I have to admit that for dessert the other evening we had Cheetos. And if Cheetos aren’t dictionary perfect comfort food “food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking”, I need to go back to first grade!

So if you too would welcome a nice old helping of comfort, this chicken recipe is the one for you. It’s simple to prepare. And very, very tasty. And I must confess that after having a big old helping of this chicken, mashed potatoes, and a healthy cucumber and tomato salad, I felt a lot better about life in general. (I believe chicken gravy actually coaxes our body into making more endorphins. Not scientific fact, but it sure works for me!)

As always – stay positive, stay busy, and keep cooking. If nothing else, working in the kitchen takes your mind off the world for a little while. Who can worry about this crisis when they are trying to sauté veggies, bake bread, set the table, answer the phone, not step on your pets delicate paws, and keep kids entertained at the same time? Peace and love to all.

½ c. buttermilk

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3 pieces each

½ c. + 3 T. unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. dried thyme leaves

tiny pinch cayenne pepper, opt.

2 T. butter

1 T. veggie oil

2 c. chicken broth

1 c. whole milk

Pour the buttermilk into a bowl. Add the chicken pieces. Stir until all of the chicken is coated with the buttermilk. Cover the bowl and place in your refrigerator for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, whisk the ½ c. flour, paprika, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, onion powder, granulated garlic, thyme, and cayenne together in a shallow container. (I use an 8-inch round cake pan.)

After the chicken has been luxuriating for an hour or so in the fridge, dredge each piece in the flour mixture. Heat the butter and oil in a shallow, oven proof, covered fry pan. (I use my Le Creuset braiser. It’s really just a shallow Dutch oven, and it’s perfect for this type of recipe.)

When the butter and oil are hot, add the chicken pieces. Fry over medium heat until golden brown. (They do not have to be done. They will finish cooking in the oven.) Remove from pan and set aside.

Whisk the chicken broth, milk, and remaining 3 tablespoons of flour together in a small bowl. Add to the fry pan, and stir until all the brown bits have been lifted off the bottom of the pan and the gravy is starting to thicken. If it seems too thick, add a bit more milk.  Add the chicken back to the pan, cover, and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is fork tender.

Remove from oven and serve with mashed potatoes, steamed rice, cooked quinoa, or whatever your big old heart desires.   

  

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP WITH VEGETABLES AND MACARONI

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OK, if truth be told, I only made this soup because I had frozen meatballs in the freezer that I had planned to use on our recent trailer trip. But because we decided the smart thing to do was turn tail and head directly for home 2 weeks early because of the coronavirus scare, some of the frozen pre-made items I had planned for dinners on the road didn’t get eaten. And then when we got home, and eager to get the trailer cleaned and perishables off-loaded, we just kind of threw the frozen items in our home freezer. Fast forward a few weeks, and I remembered the meatballs and decided they should be eaten, sooner rather than later. And not really being in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs, and kind of hungry for soup, I developed this recipe.

Now I realize that if you don’t happen to have meatballs in your freezer, this recipe might take more energy and work than you are willing to expend. But for those of you who do have the time and energy, build a pot of this soup in the near future. It is pretty darned delicious, if I do say so myself. (Really – goes without saying. If I didn’t think this soup was great, it wouldn’t be on this site!) And while you’re at it – make a double or triple batch of the meatballs. Then freeze what you don’t need.  Then next time you get a hankering for meatball “whatever”, you’re set and ready to go.

Now, if you don’t have a lot of time for food preparation, but like the idea of a vegetable soup using ground beef, give a gander at my recipe titled Ground Beef and Vegetable Soup. (Catchy name, right?!?!) Anyway, just as delicious, but less time consuming to prepare.

Actually, you could build this soup very easily by simply frying a pound of ground beef, or even a pound of Italian sausage, before frying the onion, carrots, celery, etc. The soup would still have a lot of flavor, but you might lose points on presentation. But then again, who gives a flying fig about presentation while being confined to quarters during this coronavirus crisis! You’re probably already going slightly deranged balancing working from home, keeping your family members from killing each other, trying to explain to your pets while you and your family are always underfoot, and trying to figure out who that crazy looking person is in your bathroom mirror! Like I said – presentation, although nice, can wait until you are once again your normal, terribly efficient kitchen Goddess or God.

In the meantime, stay sane, hold fast to your sense of humor, and keep cooking yummy food, even if it’s just for yourself. As always, peace, love, and an extra serving of patience to everyone.

Meatballs:

1 egg

1 T. milk

¾ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

2 tsp. finely chopped parsley

½ c. finely chopped onion

1/3 c. dried Italian or regular breadcrumbs

1/3 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb. lean ground beef

Combine the egg, milk, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, parsley, onion, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese together in a medium bowl. Add the ground beef and stir just until combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, form balls and place on a lightly greased rimmed baking pan.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the balls are baked through. Remove from oven and set aside.

Soup:

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. diced onion   

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ c. dry red wine (I use Gallo Hearty Burgundy)

4 c. beef broth, or more if the soup appears too thick      

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

½ tsp. dried basil

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian)  

4 T. tomato paste, again preferably Italian

1 c. dry macaroni

2 T. chopped parsley

grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (or Pecorino Romero or Asiago)

Heat oil in a medium sized covered pan. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and cook until almost all the liquid is evaporated. Add the beef broth, salt, pepper, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, canned tomatoes (don’t drain), and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Stir periodically. After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning (may need more salt).

Add the meatballs and dry pasta, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente. Add parsley, and serve piping hot. Pass the grated Parmesan cheese.  

BROWN SUGAR AND MUSTARD BAKED PORK TENDERLOIN

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So let’s talk pork tenderloin. One of the most delicious, reasonably priced, super lean, easily adaptable to either baking or grilling cuts of meat there is. And who doesn’t love those qualifications? Well maybe you. But for me, pork tenderloin is a lifesaver. There are just endless possibilities when it comes to preparation. Some recipes require marinating. Some require a fancy sauce. Some require you to baste the meat as if bakes or while it is being grilled. But lucky for you and me, this recipe that comes from theseasonedmon.com site, with my addition of granulated garlic, has no such requirements.

This recipe is so darned simple I was almost reluctant to fix it the other evening. But I was tired (why I don’t know, since I have been practically inert while social distancing from the world) so I didn’t feel like spending much time in the kitchen. So I slapped the brown sugar, etc. together. Slathered the meat with this simple concoction. And threw the whole mess in the oven as instructed.

After the allotted baking time, I removed the pork from the oven, let it rest before slicing, and served it with – wait – I don’t even remember what I served it with. I was that tired. Anyway, I do remember that the pork was really, really delicious. And the next day when I warmed it for lunch, it was perfect. Still tender. Still tasty. In fact, I was really sorry when it was all gone. Next time I will fix 2 tenderloins so we will have planned overs for more than 1 meal. Yes – it was just that good!

So if you are looking for a really easy way to prepare pork tenderloin, prepare this recipe. It’s a real winner. Not the most gorgeous presentation you will ever lay your eyes on. But so what. Sometimes presentation is overrated. I know with my own personal presentation, the package sure ain’t what it used to be. But I’m still the same gal under all those wrinkles. So don’t judge this tenderloin just by the picture above. Just like with older people like me, there’s sometimes a lot more going on than meets the eye. (And in my case – thank God for that!)

As always – love, laughter, good health, and happy eating to all.   

1 T. brown sugar

1 T. yellow mustard (can use Dijon in a pinch)

pinch granulated garlic

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 (1 lb.) pork tenderloin, silverskin* and extra fat removed 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the brown sugar, mustard, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper together.

Line a small rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Lightly coat the foil or parchment paper with cooking spray. Place pork on the prepared pan and pat dry with paper towels. Rub brown sugar mixture all over the pork.

Bake pork for 20-30 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove from oven and loosely tent with foil. Allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing on the diagonal. 

* The silverskin is sinew on one side of the pork tenderloin and looks like thin, silvery fat.  You need to remove it because it will become tough and chewy when cooked.  To remove the silverskin, slip a very thin, sharp knife in between the silver skin and the meat then cut it all away. Take care to just remove the silverskin and not a lot of the beautiful meat itself!

GROUND BEEF AND BROCCOLI STIR-FRY

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As we are still confined to quarters, I remain steadfast in my desire to not only cook new and interesting dishes for Mr. C., but also to help you to do the same for your family.

Now anyone who knows me is aware of my love for Chinese food, ground beef, and broccoli. (Not always in combination, but you know what I mean!) So, the other evening I was hungry for Chinese food. I knew I had some broccoli that needed to be used and a pound of ground beef thawing on my counter. So before you could count from one thousand backwards, I had glommed together this recipe after perusing various cooking sites. None of the recipes I found were just what I was looking for. But I had cooked enough Chinese dishes over the years to have a pretty good idea of the flavor combination I was looking for. So with a little assistance from some of my favorite recipe writers, I hit upon this combination of ingredients. And lucky for me, I had everything I needed without having to get in our car, drive to our local grocery store, don a mask, gloves, and a standoffish attitude!  

So if you too love a good stir-fry and don’t want to spend bunches of money in the process, give this simple dish a try. It truly is tasty and very simple to prepare.

As always – have fun in your kitchen, be kind to those around you, and take extra special care of yourself. Cooks should always be appreciated (and thanked BTW), but probably never more than during this pandemic. So from this cook to you – thanks for all you do for your family. You do make a difference. Never forget that.

1 T. vegetable oil

1 lb. lean ground beef  

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4-6 c. fresh broccoli florets and peeled stems, cut into bite sized pieces

½ med. sized onion, halved then thinly sliced

2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced

2-3 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger  

2 tsp. sesame oil

½ c. water

1 tsp. beef base (I use Better Than Bouillon – Beef flavored)

¼ c. low-sodium soy sauce

2 T. brown sugar

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 T. cornstarch

2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

1-2 T. sesame seeds, opt.

steamed rice, for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink. Remove from pan. (Don’t break the meat up too much as it cooks. You want some nice sized chunks.)

Add the broccoli and onion. Cook over medium heat until the broccoli is crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.

Meanwhile, whisk the sesame oil, water, beef base, soy sauce, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, and cornstarch together.

Once the broccoli is finished cooking, add the meat back to the pan. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and cook until thickened, 1-2 minutes, stirring the entire time. Stir in the green onions. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

PANCETTA AND KALE PASTA WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

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OK, I know some of you don’t have pancetta just lying around, or kale for that matter. But if you do, you just have to make this dish. I found it (slightly modified by yours truly of course), on the – theviewfromgreatisland site.

OMG – this is one of the best pasta dishes I have ever tasted. And to think, one of the main ingredients is that annoying green veggie kale that every health conscious cook is trying to slam down everyone’s throat! How is it even possible that kale is so good in this dish? (I can hear what you’re thinking, because I was a bit concerned myself.) Not only is it completely possible; it’s the reality! Kale is perfect in this dish. Really! In fact, next time I plan to use even more kale (and yes you read that right) in with the same amount of other ingredients. It was that darned good!

I frankly have no more to say about this recipe. Just make it at your earliest convenience. Except I should add one more piece of advice. Mr. C. and I ate every bit of this pasta last evening. So if you are fixing for a family or you want to have planned overs, you better double the recipe. Consider yourself warned!

Stay healthy everyone. And keep cooking. It helps keep you grounded (in more ways than one!)

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. chopped pancetta* (the leaner the better)  

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2-3 c. thinly sliced kale (loosely packed)  

¼ c. whole milk

¼ tsp. lemon zest

4 tsp. lemon juice  

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

¼ to ½ c. pasta cooking water

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked al dente

grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or  Asiago cheese, for serving

Heat the olive in a large frying pan. Add the pancetta and sauté over medium-low heat until crispy and fully cooked. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute.  

Add the kale to the pan, toss with the pancetta and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes or until the kale is wilted and lightly cooked.

Add the milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir well to combine. While the pasta finishes cooking, ladle about a quarter cup of the pasta water into the frying pan. Bring to a light simmer. Using a pair of tongs, lift the al dente pasta into the frying pan. Toss to combine. If needed, add additional water. (I found that I needed about a half cup of the pasta water last evening.)   

Serve with grated cheese.

*I find great pancetta at Grocery Outlet. It comes in a large package that contains several end pieces. The pancetta is lean and I like the fact that I can cut the meat into the size pieces I need for whatever dish I am preparing. I also like the fact that buying it at Grocery Outlet saves me about 90% off regular grocery stores.  

SHRIMP CHOW MEIN

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I seriously love Chinese food. I can remember going to the Moon Temple Restaurant in Wallingford a few times when I was in high school. But as a family we rarely ate out. Once a year we would go to Ivar’s restaurant and have their seafood platter. I remember that annual event being an absolute highlight of my childhood.    

But being introduced to Chinese food by my teenage friends was probably a defining moment for me when it came to food. With all the variety of flavors, textures, and ingredients, I was immediately smitten. I simply had no basis for comparison. The food served at home was hearty, but nothing like what I was experiencing with my friends. I truly believe my love of food and subsequent zest for cooking germinated in that humble restaurant. Of course having worked in Seattle’s International district for 10 years didn’t diminish my enthusiasm for Asian food in the slightest. If anything, it only fanned the flame that still burns brightly after all these many years.

So with Chinese food in mind, I glommed this recipe together. And as with many of the recipes I come up with, this dish was built around ingredients I had on hand. And yes, I almost always have a package of frozen shrimp in the freezer. And If I even get low on fresh ginger, I break out in hives. Same with onions, fresh garlic, broccoli, and green onions. Kale, well that’s another story.

I never have to worry about running low on kale because the stuff grows like weeds, all year round! I planted some seeds in one of my half wine barrels on the west side of our house about 4 years ago, and since then I have never been without kale. In fact now I have 2 barrels containing kale. (Kale was even starting to grow around the base of the barrels, but I soon put an end to the seedlings!) Anyway, back to this recipe.

Like I said – kale galore! That’s chard coming up in the next barrel.

If you too love Chinese food (American Chinese that is), give this recipe a try. And don’t worry about having all of the same ingredients I used. Matters not. Use what you have on hand. Mushrooms, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, etc. would be lovely in this dish. No shrimp, no problem. Use chicken or no meat at all! That works too. Just be creative. And make it a fun experience. While you’re chopping away, why not have one of your kids read to you. It will occupy your little darling, and it will take your mind off cutting all those veggies with absolute precision. Just be mindful enough that you don’t chop off a finger.

So stay healthy dear readers. And keep spending time in your kitchen.

⅓ c. soy sauce

2 T. honey

¼ c. chicken stock

1 T. minced fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper  

1 lb. lg. uncooked shrimp, cut in half   

1 T. vegetable oil

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

½ c. julienned carrot

½ c. thinly sliced yellow or white onion

¼ c. thinly sliced celery

1 c. broccoli florets

6-8 pea pods, thinly sliced on the diagonal

½ c. finely cut spinach, kale, or green cabbage

6 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal   

6 oz. chow mein noodles, cooked according to package instructions

Mix the soy sauce, honey, chicken stock, ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Place the shrimp in a medium sized bowl and stir in about a third of the soy sauce mixture. Cover the bowl and place in fridge for about an hour. 

When the shrimp have finished marinating, heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, and broccoli; cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables start to soften. Add the pea pods and spinach along with 2 tablespoon of water and another third of the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a serving bowl.

Add the shrimp to the pan along with any marinade left in the bowl. Cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side or until pink and opaque.

Add the vegetables back into the pan along with the remaining soy sauce mixture, green onions, and cooked noodles. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Cook for a couple of minutes then serve immediately.

  

CREAMY CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM SKILLET DISH

1 Reply
Chicken just ready to come out of the pan
Sauced and ready to be served

I made this dish for dinner last evening. It was sensational. Easy to prepare and definitely guest quality. Of course because of the coronavirus we are currently unable to have guests over for dinner. But as soon as we can once again socialize without masks and be within 6 feet of each other, you can bet your last roll of toilet paper that I will be making this dish for friends. It is exactly that delicious.

I found the bones for this recipe on the Saving Room for Dessert site. Thank you Tricia for posting such a wonderful recipe. I changed things up a bit to reflect my own taste preferences, but also to accommodate what I had on hand. Like I said in a previous post, I’m really trying to avoid unnecessary trips to the grocery store.

So if you have all or at least most of the ingredients listed below in your home right now, I would say don’t hesitate. Make this dish ASAP. I served it with white rice. Not my first choice, but I had served a pasta dish the night before, and we had no white or gold potatoes available. We had a purple variety, but I didn’t think a purple potato mash would look very appealing alongside the chicken. And I always take presentation into consideration. Well that and it’s really easy to slam rice and water together in a rice cooker. And frankly I had already spent a bunch of time in the kitchen yesterday. I had started some sourdough bread and made an apple crisp for our dessert. And no, we don’t usually have dessert.

But these are desperate times. And as the expression attributed to Hippocrates goes – “desperate times call for desperate measures”. In his work Amorphisms he wrote: “For extreme diseases, extreme methods of cure, as to restriction, are most suitable.” Very applicable to what is happening right now throughout the world.  

So with Hippocrates’s very relevant words running freely through my consciousness, I’ve decided to adopt, at least for the present, (and with abject apologies to the dead Hippocrates) the following addendum: “And when restricted to one’s own domicile is mandated for the good of all, a daily end of dinner treat is to be encouraged.”

Stay healthy dear friends. Stay positive. And keep cooking.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts  

½ c. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. granulated garlic

8-oz. button mushrooms, cleaned and thickly sliced

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter, divided

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

¼ c. thinly sliced onion

1½ c. chicken broth

½ c. dry white wine

½ c. whole milk

½ tsp. fresh thyme leaves

½ tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water or broth

1 T. chopped fresh parsley, opt.

(Sorry about all the space between the ingredients. I have yet to figure out how to create a list after the latest “upgrade”. Grrrrrr)

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Cut each breast in half diagonally into 2 thinner cutlets. Then cut each piece in half. (Will have 8 pieces if you have done this step correctly.)

In a shallow container (I use an 8-inch cake pan) combine the flour, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium until the butter is melted. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, coating both sides, shaking off the excess flour. Add the coated chicken to the skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook another 3-5 minutes. When the chicken is done, remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat until all chicken is browned.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until well browned. Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Meanwhile whisk the chicken stock, wine, milk, thyme leaves, chopped fresh rosemary, and Dijon mustard together in a medium sized bowl. Add to the pan after the garlic has cooked for 30 seconds. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch. Bring the sauce back to a light simmer and add the cooked chicken. Heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley and serve with rice, potatoes, or noodles.