Greek Chicken

Greek chicken

I went on a trip with my family and we ate at this amazing Greek restaurant. I loved the food. Everything had tons of lemon and oregano. It tasted to so fresh. I decided to try to replicate the tastes. We are having a very mild winter so the oregano (and most of our herbs) are still growing.
This dish took me a couple of tries to get it "right." I tried it first with boneless skinless chicken breasts and it just wasn't as good as using chicken pieces with the skin on. I use thighs in this recipe.
I also used different types of potatoes. My favorite turned out to be small red potatoes. I like lots of lemony taste so I used two lemons and their zest. If you aren't crazy about lemons- well you may not want to make this dish. I also used lots of pepper (but then I love pepper).

The key to Greek chicken is fresh oregano

Greek Chicken

6-8 Chicken Pieces (I use Thighs)
4 Large Potatoes or 8 Small Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
A Couple of Sprigs of Fresh Oregano, Chopped
1/2 of a Medium Onion, Chopped
4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Zest from One Lemon
Salt and Pepper, to Taste
1/4 Cup (60 ml) of Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Lemons

Preheat oven to 350F/176C/Gas Mark 4 (regular or convection). Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken in the pan and place the potatoes and onions around the chicken. salt and pepper the chicken and potatoes.

The great thing about this dish is it a one dish meal

Sprinkle the oregano and garlic over the chicken and potatoes. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the chicken and potatoes.

Ready for the oven

Bake in oven for 55-65 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F/ 74 (the best method is to cook to the proper temperature). If you use your convection oven, you should start checking for doneness around 45 minutes.

Yummy greek chicken!

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes. It is wonderful. Next time I may grate the potatoes so they are like hash browns.

Sautéed Sole in a Lemon Cream Sauce

Simply yummy- sole in lemon cream sauce

This is one of Katie's favorite dishes. We made it after we watched Julie and Julia which launched our all French food week. It was wonderful. We made some incredible dishes. My favorite was the braised chicken with tomatoes and olives. This dish was a lot easier to make. Our entire family is crazy about capers- if you don't like them, don't add them. I also like a bit of spice so I add a bit of Creole seasoning.

Sautéd Sole in a Lemon Cream Sauce

2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp of Oil
1/4 Cup (30 g) of Flour
1/4 Tsp of Salt
1/2 Tsp of Pepper
1/4 Tsp Creole Seasoning (Optional)
1-2 lbs (.45-.9 kg) of White Fish, Cut into 4 oz. Pieces
1 Cup (240 ml) of Fat Free Half and Half
Zest from a Lemon
Juice from Half of a Lemon
1 Tbsp of Chopped Parsley
1/2 Teaspoon of Capers

Melt butter and oil in a frying pan over medium heat. 

Butter melting in the frying pan

Dredge fish in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper. 

Frying fish

Place fish a couple pieces at a time in the frying pan (don't crowd). Depending on the thickness of the fish sauté for a couple of minutes to several minutes. When the fish is ready it is when it turns opaque. Remove fish to a plate and keep warm.

Making the cream sauce

To make the sauce add the half and half and lemon zest to the frying pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Serve the sauce over the fish and sprinkle capers on top.

The finished fish

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes, I love this dish and Katie always asks for it. I will only make with a thin white fish.

Rum Glazed Pan Sautéed Shrimp

Rum glazed shrimp on a bed of lettuce with nectarines

I have no idea why I decided that I had to have rum glazed shrimp. I know why it was pan sauteed and not grilled-- it is unbelievably hot outside. I probably could have cooked dinner on the sidewalk. Grilling was out of the question. I think I will grill this winter in the snow (truly-- be ready for the grilling recipes this winter when I am whining about the lack of summer tomatoes).  Note: You could use the same amount of glaze for a pound (.45 kg) of shrimp. Also the sugar is important- it helps the shrimp caramelize.

Rum Glaze

1/4 Cup (60 ml) of Rum (I used dark rum)
1/4 Cup (60 ml) of Lime Juice
2 Tbsp of Honey
1/2 Tsp of Ancho Chile, Chipotle, or Cayenne Pepper

Whisk the rum glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Shrimp

2 Tbsp of Oil
1/2 Tsp of Sugar
Salt and Pepper, to Taste
1/2 lb (225 g) of Shrimp (Peeled)

Everything is ready to go

In the largest skillet you have, heat oil over high heat. Toss the shrimp with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the shrimp (you may have to make this in batches because if you crowd the shrimp they will steam). Saute the shrimp for one minute.

Sauteing shrimp

Remove from the heat and turn and saute for one more minute. If you are making in batches remove shrimp from pan and saute next batch. Return shrimp to pan and add rum glaze. Cover and cook until done (a couple of minutes depending on the size of the shrimp.

Almost ready for the glaze

Oh! I served them on a bed of lettuce with nectarine slices. Excellent!

The bottom line: will I make this again? Yes- I am ready to make this again the next night. This winter, I will try grilling the shrimp while basting with the glaze.

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting

Meatloaf cupcake with mashed potato frosting

I made meatloaf cupcakes  for April Fool's day this year but they are so good that we will eat them all year round.The key (I think) to moist meatloaf (and meatballs) is bread soaked in milk. I use potato bread.
I can't justify cream for the mashed potatoes so I use fat free half and half. They are just as good and so creamy.  I really wanted to color the mashed potatoes with beet juice but received too many protests from my family (I love beets and I really wanted pink mashed potatoes). Just wait until I harvest the beets in our garden (60 or so more days). We will be eating beets with every meal! I made extra mashed potatoes so we had leftovers (my family loves mashed potatoes). I prefer fresh fries or hash browns.

Meatloaf Cupcakes
1/2 Cup (125 ml) of Milk
3 Slices of Bread, Torn into Pieces
1 Tbsp of Butter
1/2 of a Large Onion, Finely Diced
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 lbs (.45 kg) of Ground Beef (or a mixture of beef and pork or beef and turkey)
1 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper, to Taste

In a large bowl, soak the pieces of bread in milk.

Bread soaking in milk

Preheat the oven to 350F/176 C/ Gas mark 4. Place 12 foil muffin liners in muffin tins. In a medium skillet melt butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the onion and garlic saute until onion is tender.

Sauteing onions and garlic

Rub the bread between your fingers until mushy. Add the remaining ingredients to the bread and mix well.

Mixing the meatloaf

Spoon the meatloaf into the foil liners.

Meatloaf Glaze 
1/3 Cup (75 ml) of Ketchup
2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp of Mustard

In a small bowl combine the ingredients and spoon onto the tops of each meatloaf muffin. (There will be glaze left over).

Meatloaf cupcakes

Bake the meatloaf cupcakes for 25 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes

Several Potatoes, Peeled and Cut into Chunks
2 Tbsp of Butter
1/2 Cup (125 ml) of Fat Free Half and Half

Boil potatoes for approximately 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and rice potatoes.

Ricing the potatoes

Add butter and half and half. Stir well.

Assembly

Remove cupcakes from muffin tins. Top with mashed potatoes. For a spicy kick, sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Top with half of a cherry tomato if desired.

The bottom line: will I make these again? Yes. The meatloaf cupcakes cook in the foil cup are so juicy and tender. The glaze goes great with the mashed potatoes. I loved them and ate my allotment (4 cupcakes) in one sitting.

Brining Corned Beef

Brining a brisket

Each year I make corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day (my birthday). I have had issues in the past with corned beef that is too fatty. So, this year I decided to brine my own corned beef. It takes 10 to 14 days so if you are going to brine your own corned beef, now is the time. I picked out a nice beef brisket and trimmed off the fat. For the beer, I used an Irish ale. I think a lager, brown ale, pilsner, or Scottish ale would pair nicely as well. I added red pepper flakes to the brine so my corned beef would have just a touch of spice. I hope that was not a mistake. (It wasn't)

6 Cups (1,440 ml) of Water
1 1/2 Cups (12 oz/360 ml) of Irish Ale
1 Cup (135 g) of Kosher Salt
1 Cup (218 g) of Light Brown Sugar
6 Cloves of Garlic
1 Tsp of Ground Ginger
1 Stick of Cinnamon, Broken into Pieces
1 Tbsp of Red Pepper Flakes
4 Tbsp of Pickling Spices
2 Bay Leaves
Ice
1-2 3 lbs (1.35 kg) Briskets, Trimmed of Fat

Place all of the ingredients except the ice and brisket in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Boiling the brining liquid

Dump several cups of ice into the brining liquid to reduce the heat.

Cooled brining liquid

Pour into a nonreactive container and add the brisket. Place a plate or bowl on top of the brisket so it is completely covered by the brine. Stir every couple of days. Allow to brine for 10 to 14 days.

Brining brisket to turn it into corned beef

The bottom line: will I do this again? Yes. It was better than store bought. It wasn't spicy at all. I cooked it in beer (see Corned Beef and Cabbage Cooked in Beer) This time I used an anchor steam clone that we brewed. The results were delicious. I am so glad that I brined two briskets. The briskets are going to have a grayish pink because artificial coloring was not added. That is normal.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Time to channel your inner Julia. This is an amazing recipe. Once you get past the intimidation factor, it is an easy recipe. When you are finished, you have a sophisticated dish. And it is delicious. I made three chicken cordon bleu but you can make many more (and freeze them).

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Boneless Chicken Breasts
Slice of Swiss Cheese (One Per Chicken Breast)
Slice of Baked Ham (One Per Chicken Breast)
Flour
One Large Egg, Beaten
Toasted Bread Crumbs

Preheat your oven to 350F/176C/Gas Mark 4. Place the chicken breast between pieces of plastic wrap. Pound each chicken breast until thin. Place a piece of cheese and ham into the center of the pounded chicken.

Chicken, ham, and then cheese

Fold the chicken over the ham and cheese and secure with toothpicks.

The first step in rolling the packet

Making the chicken packet

Chicken packet

Roll the chicken packet in flour, then egg, and then bread crumbs.

Rolling in flour

Rolling in bread crumbs

Place in a greased pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

Baked chicken cordon bleu

The botton line: will I make this again? Yes. It is incredible.

Fish Tacos

Fish taco

I love fish tacos. I really love the deep fried ones... delicate pieces of fish deep fried and smothered with a creamy spicy sauce...... drool.... We didn't have those. We are eating healthier (grrrrrr). So we grilled the lovely fish. Did I miss the deep fried goodness? Strangely no. These were amazing.

Fish Tacos

2 Tbsp of Vegetable or Canola Oil
3 Tbsp of Lime Juice (Juice from One Lime)
1/2 Tbsp of Ancho Chile Powder
1 Hot Pepper, Chopped
1/4 Cup (5 g) of Cilantro
1 1/2 Pounds (.7 kg) of White Fish
Several Flour Tortillas

Combine all of the ingredients, except the fish and tortillas. Add the fish to the marinade and marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Marinating the fish

Grill fish until flaky.

Grilled fish

While fish is resting, grill the tortillas for approximately 30 seconds each side (the tortillas will slightly puff up when ready).

Grilled tortilla

Spicy Sour Cream

1/4 Cup (60 g) of Light Sour Cream
1 Tbsp of Lime Juice
2 Tsp of Ancho Chili Powder
1 Tsp of Cumin

Combine all of the ingredients.

The garnishes

Garnishes

Spicy Sour Cream
Shredded Cabbage
Shredded Carrot
Sliced Limes
Diced Tomatoes

Assembly

Place grilled fish and garnishes in a grilled tortilla.

The bottom line: will I make these again? Yes, they were wonderful. So easy to make and healthy!

Chicken Kiev

Chicken Kiev

When I was a kid, I love chicken kiev and chicken cordon blue. My mom used to get them frozen and they were a special treat. My husband also had them as a kid and loved them. So, I decided to make them from scratch. I also decided to bake them because it is healthier (and my stove doesn't get spattered with grease; I use a spatter shield and I still get grease everywhere). This dish has more prep time and steps than I want for a weekday meal but it would work great for the weekends. Also you can make a batch of them and freeze them! After you roll them in the breadcrumbs just freeze them. When you are ready to eat them, defrost completely, and bake as directed.

1/2 Cup (113 g) of Butter, Softened (2 Tbsp of Butter per Chicken)
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
2 Tsp Dried Herbs (I used a mixture of dill, lemon zest, and chives)
1/4 Tsp of White Pepper

Place all of the ingredients into a mixer or a bowl and mix until well combined. Place the butter mixture on a piece of plastic wrap, roll into a log, and freeze.

A log of herbed butter

4 Pieces of Boneless Chicken
Butter Mixture, Cut into 5 Pieces (Save one piece for the the bread crumbs)

Place a piece of chicken in between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound.

Pounded chicken

It is a great way to work out the tension from the day. The chicken should be about 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick. Place a piece of the butter mixture in the center of the chicken and fold so that the butter is encased in chicken.

Place the frozen herbed butter in the center of the chicken

Fold over to form a log

Fold over to form a package of chicken around the butter

Place the chicken on a pieces of plastic wrap crease side down wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours. Repeat with remaining chicken.

1/2 Cup (60 g) of Flour for Dredging
1 Large Egg
1/4 Cup (60 ml) Milk
2 Cups (300 g) of Breadcrumbs or Panko
1 Piece of Butter Mixture, Melted

Preheat oven to 350F/176C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease a baking pan. Place the flour on a plate or in a bowl. Crack the egg into a bowl, add the milk, and beat the egg and milk together.  If you are using fresh bread for the bread crumbs, toast the bread. Combine the bread crumbs and butter in another bowl. Roll each piece of chicken in the flour, then egg, and then bread crumb mixture.

Rolling in bread crumbs

Place in the baking pan. Bake for 20-40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F/74C. How long you cook the chicken really depends on how thinly you pound the chicken. You usually test the temperature by placing the meat thermometer in the middle but don't do that for this. Test the end otherwise all of the butter goodness will escape and you don't want that.

Baked chicken kiev (the lighter bundle is the panko coated chicken)

The bottom line: will I make this again? This exceeded my expectations. It was incredible. So much better than store bought (or truck bought). I tried to sneak back and get the last chicken kiev, was caught, and had to share it. I preferred the chicken with homemade breadcrumbs and not the panko. So I will be making it again with breadcrumbs.

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef

I love Mongolian beef. Mongolian beef is not really Mongolian at all.  It is a popular dish in Chinese restaurants in the United States. I think it is delicious. It is an amazingly easy dish to make at home.  I like it so much that I finally measured the ingredients and wrote down the amounts. You can adjust the seasoning and make it hotter. I slice the  steak while it is still slightly frozen (it is easier to slice that way). I start the rice before making the stir fry because the rice takes a lot longer to cook than the stir fry.

1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce (I use low sodium)
1 Tbsp of Hoisin Sauce
1 Tsp of Sesame Oil
2 Tsp of Canola or Vegetable Oil
2 Tsp of Sugar
4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Red Pepper Flakes or Sriracha Sauce, To Taste
2 lbs (.9 kg) of Sirloin Steak, Thinly Sliced
1 Tbsp of Canola or Vegetable Oil
4 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

Combine the first seven ingredients together. Add the sirloin and marinate for one hour to overnight.

Marinating beef

Heat the oil (I add a couple of drops of sesame oil) to a large skillet or wok over high heat.

Stir frying the green onions

Add the green onions and stir fry for about seconds and then add the beef and marinade. Stir fry until the beef is no longer pink about 5 minutes.

Stir frying the beef

Serve over rice.

The bottom line: will I make this again? I love this. Yes. Probably this weekend. So easy and so yummy...

Orange Peel Beef

A bowl of orange beef

I have been on an Asian food and orange kick lately. I decided to make orange peel beef (well I used clementines). I love the spicy sweetness of orange peel beef. Since I have a box of clementines and half of cow in my deep freeze all I had to do was defrost the beef. I guess I should clarify- we have half of a side of beef (already processed). We bought it from a local farmer and it is wonderful beef.
For this stir fry, like any stir fry, make sure all your ingredients are chopped and ready to go before starting the dish. I let the beef marinate in the water and corn starch mixture while I prepared the remaining ingredients. One more note, I made this dish for the entire family so I toned down the spice. If I was making it for just Steven and me, I would have added about a teaspoon of crushed red pepper.

Orange Peel Beef
1 lb (.45 kg) of Beef, Thinly Sliced (I Used Sirloin)
2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp of Cornstarch
1/2 Cup (120 ml) of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
2 Tsp of Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp of Corn Starch
1/2 Tsp of Chili Garlic Sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp of Vegetable or Canola Oil, Divided
1/4 Tsp of Red Pepper Flakes or Several Chiles
1/2 of a Small Onion (60 g), Thinly Sliced
1/4 Cup (15 grams/1/2 of a Clementine) Orange Peel, Thinly Sliced
2 Cups (370 g) of Uncooked Rice, Cooked According to Package Directions

Combine soy sauce and corn starch. Toss with meat to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.  In a separate bowl make the sauce by combining the orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, corn starch, and chili garlic sauce. Set aside.

Orange sauce

In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the beef and red pepper flakes.

Ready to stir fry

Stir fry until the beef is just pink, this will take a couple of minutes. Remove the steak to a separate plate.
Add the remaining oil (1/2 tablespoon) to the wok and add the orange peel and onions.

Stir frying orange peel and onions

 Stir fry for one minute. Add the sauce and stir fry until the sauce boils and thickens about two minutes. Add the beef and stir fry until heated through. Serve over rice.

Orange peel beef-ready to eat!

Will I make this again? It was delicious. Amazing even. I snuck back to the kitchen to get seconds before the rest of my family. Once all of the prep work was done, it was easy. So, yes. I will make this again.