A Pot Pie by Any Other Name...

So I started off with a plan--lots of veggies, chicken, a savory sauce, a nice top layer of crust. I even had two different recipes marked to follow, but as is typical, I wandered off and made something pretty unrecognizable to the makers of the recipe. The one really appealing factor in this recipe is that while I ate it all week long (it made enough for 11 lunches/dinners, and I added veggies to my eggs a couple of breakfasts as well), there was quite a bit of variation in what was on my plate. A versatile base, with lots of ways to build off of it. Take this as a model and build your own!

Ingredients:

 Veggies:

1 small acorn squash
8 oz baby bella mushrooms
1 red pepper
1 red onion
2 bunches asparagus
4 small carrots
4 stalks celery
1 large head cauliflower
2 small bunches broccoli
4 small red skinned potatoes 
1 clove roasted garlic

Meat:

2 chicken thighs
2 chicken breasts

Sauce:

chicken broth
1 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
3 tbs flour
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tbs spicy brown mustard
dash cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

The first step is epic amounts of chopping--each vegetable needs to be diced pretty small, so it will be small in the pie. I had pre-roasted the squash and cooled and peeled it. Once that was prepped, I heated the butter in the pan and added the butter and oil to make a roux. That cooked until nice and golden, and I whisked in the broth and the seasonings and let thicken. Then I added the longer cooking veggies--the carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower. The chicken was chopped and added along with some more broth (I shouldn't have added as much as I did, next time I'd go easier on it.) This cooked down until the chicken lost that pinkness, and I added the broccoli, asparagus, and squash. This continued until the chicken was fully cooked, and the veggies had a little bite.

I divided the mixture into individual oven proof dishes (a new purchase that I LOVE--got them BOGO in a 6 oz and 12 oz sizes) After I'd split them up, I changed my mind and ended up just cooking 4 pies the first day and baking off 3-4 at a time through the week. The rest of the filling went into the fridge.

I used 4 completely different toppings for my top only pies--phyllo dough sheets, cauliflower mash, yogurt biscuits, and cornbread stuffing. The most successful, in my opinion, for eating over the week were the ones topped with the mash and the stuffing. Each baked for 15-20 minutes until the tops were done.

The Verdict: This is a comfort food classic for a reason--it is warm and satisfying. The variety of veggies provide a nice contrast of textures and flavors, and it allowed me to give into my desire to experiment whole heartedly. I love that I can eat a huge bowl of veggies, and have room for a biscuit or stuffing!

Yogurt Harissa Marinated Chicken and Veg

 So once I made that lovely pot of harissa I wanted to find ways to use it, so I found a way to add it to one of my very favorite dishes roasted veg and chicken. I ate masses of roasted veg and chicken the entire time I was losing weight, though usually I did more of a southwest flavor. The thing I love about this is that you can have a lovely large portion of veggies with a little protein and the whole thing can be eaten in a whole bunch of ways over the course of the week.

Ingredients:

1 giant eggplant
3 medium/small zucchini
1 medium yellow onion
2 bunches of asparagus
1 1/2 cups butternut squash
8 oz baby bella mushrooms
2 large chicken breasts
2 small chicken thighs, skin and bone removed.

Marinade 

2 cups greek yogurt
3 tablespoons harrisa
lemon zest and lemon juice
1 cup cilantro chopped
1 tsp ras al haunot
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander ground
salt and pepper




This is a pretty basic recipe. Mix the harissa with the yogurt, spices, and lemon. Chop the chicken and veggies and toss them all in the yogurt marinade. I did do the chicken earlier than the veggies and did it separately because I didn't want the veggies to break down or spend as much time with the chicken juices. I stuck them all in the fridge for a couple of hours until I was ready to eat.





I put all the veggies on sheet pans lined with foil and stuck them in a 395 degree oven. I cooked them for 10 minutes and then added the chicken and asparagus I had reserved (since it doesn't need as long to cook), and cooked for another 20 minutes, or until the chicken looked done.

The Verdict: This simple dish has so much flavor from the harrisa, the lemon, and all the spices--the chicken is incredibly tender and moist, and the veggies are good cold or hot. I served it with a wedge of my crusty 4 grain bread, and have been eating it all week. I made enough for lunches and dinners, and have yet to get sick of the incredible flavors and textures. The eggplant is really flavorful, and the squashes are tender, and it is just one of those easy dishes that tastes so much better than the amount of effort it takes to prepare--plus it is super healthy!

Blueberry Lemon Compote

So I decided to make more cheesecake cupcakes to use up the last of my yogurt, and because the first batch was so good I wanted more! This time I wanted to amp up the fruit flavor, so rather than just putting frozen blueberries in, like I did last time, I wanted to make a sauce or compote to go in and on top. This is pretty simple, but the flavors pop a lot more than simple frozen blueberries.This is my first time making something like this--though it is similar to making cranberry sauce, just less sugar and less cooking time.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 c sugar or 2 tablespoons stevia baking blend
2 teas cornstarch 
juice and zest from one lemon


I put the frozen blueberries in a small sauce pan, zested and juiced the lemon over them, and sprinkled on the sugar substitute.

This cooks over medium heat until the berries defrost and some of juice from the berries comes out. I drained the juice and whisked in the cornstarch and re-added it to the berries. This cooks for a while to thicken the sauce and for the berries to soften more. Once it has cooked down for a few minutes, I used the immersion blender to puree it

The Verdict: The lemon really brightens up the blueberries and makes it tart and delicious. Since I used meyer lemons it is particularly sweet, without too much sour. I put some in the cheesecakes before cooking them and then topped each one with a generous dollop before eating it. I also used it in my breakfast bowls for flavor. It didn't make enough in my opinion, because I just keep eating it in different things. I think it would be good with yogurt, on ice cream, or as a topping for pound cake. I will be making this again!

Lotta Lemons Part 1

 This is kind of an off the wall recipe for me. I'm such a beginner cook, that most of the recipes I try are the first time I've made something and sometimes the first time I've eaten it! Now, this is mostly due to my upbringing, lack of eating out, and relative inexperience with new foods. My goal with this blog is to try new things, expand my culinary horizons, and learn to be a better cook. One thing I want to try soon is a traditional tagine--in the crock pot, since I'm not going to shell out for a tagine pot for my first attempt. One of the typical accompaniments to a chicken tagine is preserved lemon, which you can buy. But I love lemons, and this seemed like something I could make--it is time consuming in that it takes almost a month to be ready, but most of that is sitting and looking pretty. So this is the set up post, I'll post the results in a month along with the tagine!

I actually have a recipe for this in one of my books--I bought a much beloved canning and preserving bible whose spine had broken in several places. I used that and some of what I read on line to throw this together!

Ingredients:

10 or more lemons
kosher or preserving salt
peppercorns
corriander seed
bay leaves
dried pepper
quart jar and lid

I boiled the jar for about 10 minutes to sterilize it, and then let it cool for a little bit. I rinsed and scrubbed the lemons. I cut off a little bit of the stem end of around 5 of the lemons, then quartered them without cutting through to the middle. This is kind of a trick, and some got cut too much and some weren't cut enough.

I put a tablespoon of the salt in the bottom of the jar, and then working over a bowl, stuffed a tablespoon of the salt into each lemon. After putting three of the lemons stuffed with salt in the jar, I added the bay leaves, the pepper corns, the coriander, and a pinch of red pepper. The rest of the quartered lemons in salt were added, and the remaining salt. Then all of the rest of the lemons were juiced and the juice was poured in the jar. The recipe said to fill almost all the way to the top, but I needed some lemons for something else, so it didn't quite make it full. I believe the lemons will release some of the juice to make up the difference.

I screwed the lid on and it is a very pretty jar of sunshine on my table this winter! I'll report on how it tastes in a month!

Taking Stock

This cooked, while I babysat!

After my adventures roasting the whole chicken, I had a lot of under cooked meat still on the carcass, so I set out to make stock so that none of it would go to waste. I've used stock and broth and seen at least one episode of a TV show where Alton Brown made stock, but it isn't something I'm familiar with. I perused several blogs, advice forums, and cookbooks, and decided this was something I could do!

Of course, I don't have a stock pot, but I do have a crock pot and a whole day to leave it on! From what I've read, this is more a method than an exact recipe, because what you have doesn't have to be the same each time.

Ingredients:

Chicken carcass, chicken necks, chicken bones with meat still on the bone
2-3 carrots
3 celery stalks
1-2 medium onions
3-4 garlic cloves
bay leaf
pepper corns
salt
vinegar
water

So I put the carcass and neck in the pot. Most of the meat on the drumsticks and wings was still on the bone as it hadn't cooked enough to really dissolve the tendons. The neck was completely uncooked and kind of gross, but it should provide flavor. My crock pot is pretty big, so there was plenty of room.

I roughly chopped the carrots, celery and onion. I did peal the onion, though I've read that leaving the skins on can add flavor and color (I've heard of people dying eggs with a dye made from onion skins) The skin on my onion was dubiously clean, so I skipped that. The garlic went in as whole, pealed cloves.

Besides the aromatics (that is what Martha Stewart told me the onion, celery, and carrots were called), I added a good amount of peppercorns, two bay leaves, and a little salt. I also added a dash of rice wine vinegar--I read that it helps the bones dissolve and release the gelatin, which is supposedly the marker of a correctly made stock.

Babysitting!

All of that was covered with cold water to the top of the pot. I put the lid on and put it on high for an hour and then switched it to low and let it cook for over 12 hours. Every couple of hours I scooped off some of the fat and scum from the top, but besides that I mostly let it go from 8 am when I put it in and when I took it out at 11:30 pm after coming back from babysitting. The rib bones had all softened and broken and the stock was a rich color and flavor. 

I strained the broth through a fine mesh strainer and then strained again through a cloth and strainer to get rid of the impurities. It then went into the fridge to cool. I did save the meat for the puppies--it had given up all its flavor and tasted like sawdust, but my dogs still love it! The fat should rise to the top to be scraped off and the rest can be frozen or used in soups. I'm planning on using it to make a cauliflower soup!

Many Mini Quiches

Making Quiche, Julia's way!

So even though the cheesecake cupcakes turned out delicious, my older sister vetoed all of my cooking ideas for our bridal shower except one. Mini quiches! I already had fillo shells that I'd bought intending to make something for work, so I wanted to use them up to free space in my freezer. Plus they are best for occasions where they are served right away, instead of needing to be made in advance.

I am using a method explained in a nifty Julia Child cookbook I bought--Julia Child's Kitchen Wisdom. The book has some specific recipes for quiche, but it also has the ratios for making your own recipes. Really, that is my style--a general guideline that lets me innovate!

Ingredients: 

fillo shells
Eggs
Half and Half, Milk, light cream
salt and pepper, nutmeg
spinach
mushrooms
garlic
green onion
red bell pepper
sharp cheddar cheese

So Julia explains that the ratio for the custard of liquid to egg--whether milk, cream, or half and half--is determined by cracking the eggs in a measuring cup and adding liquid to get to the right amount. So for one egg you add up to the half cup measure for two eggs you fill up to the one cup measure. My liquid measuring cup only goes up to one cup, so I did 2 eggs twice. I'm not sure how much mixture I'll need for the amount of shells I have, but I figured better more mix than less.

The book has a list of different filling options, but helpfully lists other possibilities as well as encouraging experimentation. For a 9 inch pie it says one cup of filling--that is a 3 egg mixture. So that is the amount of filling I aimed for.

I first put a head of garlic in the oven to roast, along with a red pepper. Then I sauteed the white part of some green onions and a few mushrooms--both diced really fine. While that was cooking, I defrosted some frozen chopped spinach, and drained it really well before adding it to the mushrooms and onions once they'd both softened, sauteing it all together with a good dose of salt and pepper. Since this is going into pretty small shells I chopped the mix really fine after it had cooled a bit. Once the garlic and pepper had roasted, I chopped four cloves of the garlic and half of the pepper and added that to the spinach and mushrooms mixture. After that had cooled completely, I added it to the egg custard and whisked it well.

Since I was making these for a party, I made the filling the night before and cooked them at my sister's house right before the party started. I did make two before to test the seasoning and decide what kind of cheese to use. In one I added some feta and cheddar and the other just the sharp cheddar, but the feta didn't really stand out to me, so I didn't add it in the final batch. 

These were actually quite quick to throw together at the party--I sprayed two cookie sheets with cooking spray, laid out the shells, put a pinch of cheese in each, and then using a liquid measuring cup poured a little of the mixture in each shell. They go in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes and can be served warm or room temperature. I finished them off with a shake of salt over the top to give a nice finishing touch.

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The Verdict: The tray was empty at the end of the party and there were none left half eaten, so I suspect that people liked them. My older sister said that she liked the filling, and my younger sister said I was creative (I'm not sure if that is a complement!) I thought the combination of flavors was just right--the sweet garlic and pepper, the sharp cheese, the mushrooms, onions, and fresh spinach, and the crunchy shells added a nice texture. I've never made quiche before, and this was a pretty successful first attempt! I like the idea of trying different fillings and flavors, and it was a nice party dish!

Turkey Cutlets--take two

So this week our theme is second chances. We start the year with high hopes, plans, and ambitions to conquer our demons, and get our lives in order. But sometimes we fall off--things get busy, someone offers you cheesecake and a brownie (who can choose one!), and we find our plans pushed aside. Recently, I was talking to my Mom, who has recently started a healthy eating plan using Loseit--the same website I used to track my eating. She said she didn't think she could stick to it as long as I had--which I think misses the point. It isn't how long you stay on the path, but how good you are at getting back to it when you get off course. Eating healthy, or anything, isn't an all or nothing--if I spend all day eating cheetos and cheesecake, that doesn't mean I'm doomed to eat unhealthy forever.

In the spirit of giving ourselves a second chance, I'm going to give some recipes and foods another chance. I figure that just because the first time or last time I ate something it wasn't great, doesn't mean that it is always gross, or all ways to cook it are equally as gross. With food it is easy to say, after trying once, that you don't like something--though it takes many times of exposure sometimes to really explore an item.

My first effort is trying a Turkey cutlet recipe--well it is chicken in the recipe, but I had bought two packages of thin cutlets. One of which I destroyed by trying to pan fry, turning them dry and stringy. I hope that this new recipe will produce better results with the half I froze.

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2/3 cup of mushrooms, chopped
10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and juice squeezed out
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup (2.5 oz) crumbled Feta cheese
1/3 cup low fat ricotta
1/4 tsp kosher salt and pepper, plus more to taste
Skinless turkey breast cutlets (1.5 lbs total)
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs



I sprayed a saute pan with cooking spray and sauteed the chopped onions, scallion, garlic, and mushrooms. While that cooked, I defrosted and drained the spinach. I added the spinach, the Italian seasonings, and cooked that for a while as I was chatting with my parents. It is hard to cook and Skype without being distracted, so sorry about that Dad!

Then I added the feta and the ricotta--along with some red pepper flakes and nutmeg. That mixed together and was set aside while I worked on the cutlets.

This is the tricky part of the recipe--preparing and wrapping the turkey to go in the oven. I had bought pre-sliced cutlets, so I merely added salt and pepper and put it between two pieces of wax paper. I then used my container of salt to roll it a little thinner so it was big enough to wrap around the stuffing. Once it was prepared, I placed 1/4 of a cup of the spinach mix in the middle and rolled the cutlet up, placing it open side down.


Once that was done the rest of the recipe was less daunting. I've never really breaded anything, but I watch a lot of Good Eats, and Alton Brown covers the breading station in more than one show! So I set it up--the rolls on one side, the egg mixture (egg, water, salt and pepper), then the crumbs, and finally the prepared pan (which I had covered with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.) So the rolls go into the egg, where they are covered, then placed in the crumbs and rolled to coat, before finishing up on the sheet pan. I finished them off with a dash of cayenne pepper and a quick spritz of cooking spray to crisp the top of the rolls.

The finished rolls bake in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through. The turkey is thin so it cooks fast--check it often!

 The Verdict:

It tastes and looks like something I'd buy at the store or get at a restaurant--though it cooked maybe 2 minutes too long. If I'd pulled them out a little earlier, they may not have been quite so dry, but this was WAY better than the last time I made it--it was more tender and the stuffing kept it from really drying out. The flavor was really good--spicy, with the richness of the cheese, the freshness of the spinach, and the crunch of the outside covering. The rolls held together very well in the oven, and now that I've got the hang of the rolling I'll be making this again! I also want to explore Skinnytaste's other rolled chicken/turkey recipes! I'm very glad I gave these cutlets another try, and I served them with parsnips and carrots--my second chance for parsnips as well. I'll post about them on Wednesday.

Brussels Sprouts two Ways

Until about a year or so ago, I didn't think I liked Brussels Sprouts. Which is strange, because I don't know that I'd ever eaten them before. Veggies growing up alternated between canned beans and frozen peas, with the occasional broccoli or cauliflower boiled and covered in cheese sauce. Though my Dad is a lover of veggies, he would sometimes make different options--but he was mostly the one who ate them.

But then, a revelation--my vegetarian older sister made some for a family dinner. I was transported--crispy, salty, and delicious! Ever since than I've made them frequently--alternating between these two methods, with different flavorings and toppings. This past year I've found a lot of foods that I thought I hated, but was really just not familiar with until I tried it again.

The original roasting method:

This is more a technique than specific recipe, and is pretty much based off of the America's Test Kitchen method--what I remember of it--so amounts vary. Pre-heat the oven to 350, and cover a cookie sheet with tin foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

Rinse your sprouts off in the sink, than cut the ends off and slice them in half. Sometimes I'll put the sprouts in a zip lock bag to get the seasoning all over them, but when I'm lazy or in a hurry they go directly split side down on the pan.

If I put them on the pan, I spray them with cooking spray before adding seasonings. Whether in a bag or on a pan, the sprouts are seasoned with kosher salt and pepper, and whatever other flavors you want. This last time I made them, I put fresh thyme leaves, and lemon zest in addition.

Once the sprouts are seasoned and on the pan, I add a couple of tablespoons water--or last time I used lemon juice to go with the flavoring. The pan is covered tightly with tinfoil and goes into the oven for 10-12 minutes--then the foil is removed and the oven is turned up to 400-450 for about 10-12 minutes more. I watch the time less than I do the color on the sprouts--once they have a lovely brown color on the top and bottom they are ready. I finish them off with more large grain kosher salt, and sometimes more fresh herbs or even grated Parmesan.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts--the Second Method.

This is one of my all time favorite ways to eat Brussels Sprouts--it is good cold or hot, as a side dish or a main dish with some shredded chicken added. The one downside to this is that it is more time consuming to prepare--I need to get a food processor and this would be a snap.

I take about a 1 to 1.5 pounds of sprouts--rinsed and the ends cut off. After cutting the ends off and cutting them in half, I then cut the halves in slices. Really the goal is to shred them--so if you have a food processor, cut the ends off and run them through. To get the flavor on them I toss the slices in a plastic bag. I also chop one whole yellow onion in rough dice and toss that in the bag as well. I dress the shreds with some kind of marinade or salad dressing--acid, seasonings, and a little oil.

The last time I made this I seasoned it with lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped fresh rosemary, black pepper, salt, grated garlic, honey, and a little olive oil--the same things I used to marinade the turkey. Once all of the onions and sprouts have been coated, I spread them in an even layer on a cookie sheet covered with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Then they go in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then I toss them a bit in the pan, and cook them for another 15 minutes or so and check--if they have lots of brown crispy bits they are done! Sometimes I'll also cook chicken with it that is chopped fairly finely.