Marinated Tomato Bruschetta

I know tomatoes aren't in season.  I understand the carbon footprint caused by trucking tomatoes from Mexico to Arkansas and why you should buy locally and in season foods.  But sometimes in January, you just want/need to eat tomatoes.  Can I get an amen? And since tomatoes aren't that great in January, marinating them is the best way to eat them raw.

Marinated Tomato Bruschetta  

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 whole green onions, sliced
5-6 whole basil leaves cut into a chiffonade (roll 'em up longways and then cut into strips)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound sweet cherry tomatoes, cut up
1 whole baguette sliced

Mix the oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices, and add tomatoes.  Allow to marinate 2-3 hours or longer. 

Slice baguette, drizzle with olive oil.  Broil for 2-3 minutes, until they start to brown. Turn them and broil for 2-3 more minutes.  Top each piece of bread with the tomatoes, using a spoon to allow for some extra juice to drop onto the bread. 

Slow Cooker Homemade Chicken Stock

Did you know you can make homemade chicken stock 1) with rotisserie chicken and 2) in the slow cooker?  This is the least painful way to make delicious, healthy, cheap, homemade stock.  It's only slightly painful with the cooling and the straining and straining again....

Since I've had so much homemade stock on hand, my meals have been even more tasty.  There really is a difference between homemade and boxed!  Lemon Chicken Paillard and Phake Pho are 2 dishes I've made with the homemade stock, but I have the rest in the freezer waiting for a snow day to make chicken noodle soup, tortilla soup, or chicken and dumplings.

I had the bones of 2 rotisserie chickens in the freezer (you can use any kind of chicken bones, even the neck, ick), so I tried it 2 different methods: stove top and slow cooker.  And good news! Even though the slow cooker method took much longer, the resulting stock was exactly the same as the stove top stock. You do need a big crock pot, though (I have a 7 quart).

Slow Cooker Homemade Chicken Stock

bones, skin, and extra meat of a rotisserie chicken
yellow onion, cut in quarters, skin on
4 large carrots, cut in quarters, not peeled
2 bay leaves
4 celery ribs, cut into quarters
4 whole cloves of garlic
20 whole peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt
spring of fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley or 1/2 tablespoon dried of each (except parsley)
cool water to cover

Place everything in the slow cooker.  Don't bother to peel or chop too well because everything is discarded at the end. Cover with cool water, set slow cooker on low, and let it go for 8-10 hours (or longer). 

When the stock is finished, remove all the big stuff with a slotted spoon and discard.  Strain the hot stock first with a fine mesh strainer.  Then, place cheesecloth in the fine strainer and strain again (you can also use thick paper towels) to remove all the tiny bits. 

Pour the hot stock into a large bowl to cool.  Place the bowl in the sink with cold water and some ice to speed the cooling process.  When it's room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and place it refrigerator overnight.  When the stock is cool, the fat will solidify on the top.  Remove and discard the fat.  Transfer the cold stock to small containers or Ziploc bags to freeze.  Will keep in the fridge for a week and the freezer for 3 months.

How to Boil an Egg

How to boil an egg.  Sounds simple enough, right?  It is. Very, very simple.  But most people do it completely wrong and end up with broken shells, over or undercooked eggs, or that weird green ring around the yolk.  

Here's how to boil an egg perfectly every time:

 

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover pan with a lid. Allow the eggs to sit for 12 minutes off the heat. Transfer eggs to a colander; place under cool running water to stop the cooking.

Wedge Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing

I think iceberg lettuce is complete underrated.  I know it's out of "style", but I just love a crispy, cold wedge of iceberg! Tonight we had wedge salads with homemade creamy garlic dressing with baked potatoes.  And I got to use my crazy powerful new blender.  That thing would blend up the silverware into a smoothie, I think!

Wedge Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing

4 cloves garlic
16 oz Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Add garlic cloves to blender and pulse until they are minced.  Add yogurt, mayo, and lemon juice and blend.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble the salad, cut iceberg lettuce into wedges and drizzle with dressing. Add chopped bacon and blue cheese (if you want).  I did not because I'm watching my calories. But blue cheese would be great on this! 

Lemon Chicken Paillard

Make this for your next dinner party, to impress your husband's boss, or just for your kids.  It's that pretty (and delicious!).  Don't be scared by the sauce; it's just gravy! Sort of.  It's simple, though. Trust me.

By the way, paillard (pi-yahrd) is just a French term that refers to any meat thinly sliced for quick cooking.   This whole meal took about 20 minutes. Quick!

Lemon Chicken Paillard

4 thin cut chicken breasts (alternately, you can pound them thin with a meat cleaver)
olive oil
1 tablespoon herbs de provence
1 lemon, juice and zest
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock (I used homemade, just like Martha would, and I'll tell you all about it later this week)
Baby greens
handful of Italian parsley

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Drizzle chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs de provence, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.  Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove chicken from pan when cooked and cover with foil to keep them hot.  

Reduce heat and add butter.  When the butter melts, add the flour to the butter and cook, stirring with a whisk, a couple of minutes to make a roux.  Whisk in the chicken stock a little at a time.  When the broth thickens to just coat the back of a spoon, remove pan from the heat. 

Toss the salad greens with lemon juice, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.  

To serve, cover the bottom of the plate with the warm sauce, top with a pile of salad greens, and add the chicken on top.  Sprinkle the plate with parsley.

Spicy Salmon with Avocado Salsa

A friend of mine told me today that her New Year's resolution was to eat fish once a week.  I think that's a great one, and I'm going to give it a shot myself!  It's going to be hard in my house because the kids hate fish....maybe I'll try telling them it's chicken....Either way, I love a healthy recipe that takes 10 minutes to cook, so it's worth a shot.

Spicy Salmon with Avocado Salsa

Spicy Salmon

Drizzle both sides of thawed salmon fillets with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning (I like Tony's).  Broil on the broiler pan for 5 minutes.  Flip the salmon and broil for 5 more minutes.

Avocado Salsa
1 ripe avocado
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro
juice of half a lime
salt to taste

Chop avocado and tomatoes into bite sized pieces.  Add green onion, cilantro, and lime juice.  Taste salsa and then add salt to your taste.  Serve on top of the Spicy Salmon. 

Penne with White Beans and Spinach

This one is healthy, guys. But it's so delicious, you wouldn't even know it! The beans kind of break down and make the pasta creamy.  If you want, you can drizzle everything with a little olive oil before serving.  I didn't but I sure wish I had...

Penne with White Beans and Spinach

3/4 lb dry penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups baby spinach
zest of one lemon
juice of two lemons
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or more to taste)

Cook the pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water. When cooked, drain and reserve one half cup of cooking liquid. Set aside.
In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and saute for two minutes, until toasted and fragrant (be careful not to burn!). Add the cooked pasta, beans, sundried tomatoes and spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Add the lemon zest, juice, salt, cayenne and cheese and toss well. Add some of the cooking water if the mixture seems dry.

Phake Pho

This recipe isn't exactly authentic Pho, I'm sure, which is why I'm calling it Phake Pho, but it's at least as good as the noodle shop in my town (the food is good, but I'm certain it's crawling with roaches).  Pho is kind of a kicked up chicken noodle soup, in case you were wondering...Oh, and it's probably too spicy for kids. 

Phake Pho

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
5 oz noodles (find them in the Asian section of the grocery; I could only find thick ones but thin is better)
sriracha sauce for serving
chopped cilantro for serving
lime wedges for serving

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the minced garlic and ginger and briefly saute for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken, sprinkle with salt, and saute for another three minutes until chicken has turned white but not completely cooked all the way through.
Add the chicken broth, jalapeno and green onions to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until chicken is done.
Add the rice noodles directly to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes, or until noodles are soft.
Add the rice vinegar and soy sauce and stir. You can add a little more salt if you like, but taste first because soy sauce already contains a lot of salt.  Serve with chopped cilantro, sriracha sauce, chopped green onions, and lime slices on the side.
Be sure to eat it with chopsticks for authenticity.  And SLURP! 

Barbeque Chicken Pizza

This is quick and a great use for leftover chicken! Pile on the chicken, go easy on the cheese, and have a big salad on the side, and it's pretty healthy, too. 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Homemade or store bought pizza crust (I used a thin one from my Walmart bakery)
Rotisserie chicken, white meat diced
1/2 cup barbeque sauce (I like the sauce from Rendevous in Memphis)
Fresh mozzarella cheese, very thinly sliced
1/2 whole red onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
chopped cilantro, to taste

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Spoon a couple of tablespoons of BBQ sauce on the crust and spread it evenly. Top sauce with half the sliced mozzarella. Sprinkle on half the diced chicken and thinly sliced red onion.
Sprinkle with a little salt, about a tablespoon more of BBQ sauce, and then bake for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle on plenty of chopped cilantro.

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

As you are resolving to hit the gym or start the couch to 5k to lose weight for 2012 (you *are* doing that like everyone else, right?),  remember that exercising is only part of the equation.  You've got to eat right! No more fast food, don't eat out too often, and don't even bring the junk food into your house.  Do eat more fruits and veggies, fewer processed foods, and drink water instead of soda.  Easy, right? Ha!

Here's a basic salad dressing recipe that you can use for any type of salad.  We had a big salad with rotisserie chicken, apples, pecans, craisins, and goat cheese, but you could add anything you like.  When I make up a salad I like for it to have lean protein, something crunchy (like nuts, radishes, sunflower seeds, or apples), something sweet (maybe raisins, craisins, or fruit), and a little cheese. 

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon pressed or grated fresh garlic
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup good olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, garlic, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of salt.  While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified. (You can also put all the ingredients in a small jar with a lid and shake it up.)  Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.