Black Pepper and Molasses pulled chicken sandwiches

or another name for this is "the easiest, fastest stovetop BBQ chicken sandwich ever"
from cooking light

another good leftover/keeper. very fast weeknight dinner. and delicious!

3 T ketchup
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T prepared mustard
1 T molasses
3/4 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t black pepper
1/8 t ground ginger
12 oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 sandwich rolls
12 dill pickle chips

1, combine first 9 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook stirring occasionally, 23 minutes or until chicken is done and tender. remove from heat, shred with 2 forks to measure 2 cups. place 1/2 d chicken on half of roll. top with pickles and othe half of roll. serve


we had some easy Dijon POtato Salad (from everyday food)
1 1/2 lb new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard (or i guess the regular kind. i like the flavor of dijon better)
s/p
2 T oilve oil
1/2 c freshly chopped parsley


1. boil potatoes until fork tender.

2. in serving bowl combine vinegar and dijon; season with s/p. add hot cooked potatoes; toss let cool tossing occasionally.

3. add oil and parsley to cooled potatoes. toss with salt and pepper.

Couscous with Swiss chard, raisins, and Feta

this recipe calls for Israeli cousous, which i now just love. i was never a huge fan of the regular couscous. i always felt like they rolled around in my mouth and i could never chew them. i think i'll always buy israeli couscous from now on!

from rachel ray

2 T oilve oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/4 c israeli couscous
one 14 oz can veg broth
2/3 cup raisins
s/p
1 bunch swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped separately
one 15 oz can chick peas
2 oz crumbled feta

1. in saucepan heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat. add half of the garlic and the couscous and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. add the veg broth bring to a boil. cover, lower heat and simmer until broth is absorbed, about 10 minutes. stir in the raisins; season with salt.

2. in a skillet, heat remaining 1 T oil over medium heat. add remaining garlic and swiss chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. add swiss chard leaves, chickpeas, and 1/2 c water. cover and cook , turning unil the chard is wilted 2-3 minutes. season with salt and pepper. serve on the couscous and top with feta.



this keeps well in the fridge and is great for leftovers!

Zucchini, of course

i actually did not plant zucchini this year. i think i got overdosed last year on it. i planted a climbing italian squash instead, which i have enjoyed sauteed with butter. it has a great flavor. i highly recommend it. but, i've got to have zucchini bread at least yearly. so my friend from work who has a plethora of zucchini offered me more than i could ever want/need (this was my secret plan all long). i made this recipe today:



Zucchini Bread from Simply REcipes


Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional)
Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, a third at a time. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Fold in the nuts and dried cranberries or raisins if using.

2 Divide the batter equally between 2 buttered 5 by 9 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour (check for doneness at 50 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly.

Makes 2 loaves.


it's in the oven currently... we shall see how good it is!

Peruvian Quinoa Stew

Reprinted with permission from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, by the Moosewood Collective, Copyright 1994 by Moosewood, Inc.; Simon & Schuster/Fireside, publishers

I haven't tried this yet, but will shortly....

Serves 4

Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup water

2 cups chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 carrot, cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch thick slices

1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup cubed zucchini

2 cups undrained chopped fresh or canned tomatoes

1 cup water or vegetable stock

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)

2 teaspoon fresh oregano (OR) 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt to taste

Instructions:

½ cup quinoa

Place rinsed quinoa and water in pot (covered) and cook covered on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until soft.


While the quinoa is cooking place the onions, garlic and vegetable oil in covered soup pot and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes


And celery and carrots to the soup pot and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring often


Add the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, and one cup water or vegetable stock to soup pot. Stir in cumin, chili powder, coriander, cayenne and oregano to soup pot simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.



Stir in cooked quinoa and salt to taste.


Top with grated cheese

Serve immediately.

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Grated Cheddar (OR) Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Guacamole

2 large avocados

2 tsp lemon juice

1/3 cup sour cream

1 small clove of garlic, crushed

1 tsp salt

1 tomato, diced

1/2 onion, minced

few sprigs of cilantro chopped

Flautas

this is from my mexican cooking book. Yum

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 T oil

1 (12 oz) can tomatillos, drained (I found these in the Mex food section) and mashed

1 T white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

saute onion and garlic in hot oil til soft. add tomatillos, vinegar, and salt and pepper. bring to a boil and lower heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes to reduce liquid.

add chicken and cilantro, continue to cook uncovered approx 10 minutes. reduce heat to low to keep filling warm, do not allow to dry out.

fill corn tortillas and fry. I bought the extra large corn tortillas, which I hadn't seen before, but LOVED for this recipe. I made some homemade guac and it was tasty!

slow cooker mashed potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks (5 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste(1 Tbsp)
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon(3 cubes)
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream(1, 8oz)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened(1, 80z)
• 1/2 cup butter (1/2 cup)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the potatoes, garlic, and bouillon until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving water. In a bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.
2. Transfer the potato mixture to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste

Slow cooker barbecued pulled-pork fajitas

1.Place pork in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Place onion on top. Mix barbecue sauce, salsa, chili powder and cumin in small bowl; pour over pork and onion.

1	pork boneless loin roast, (2 1/2 pounds), trimmed on fat
1	medium onion, thinly sliced
2	cups barbecue sauce
3/4	cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1	tablespoon chili powder
1	teaspoon ground cumin
1	bag (1 pound) frozen stir-fry bell peppers and onions
1/2	teaspoon salt
18	flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter)
	Shredded cheese, if desired
	Guacamole, if desired

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2.

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.

3.

Remove pork from cooker; place on cutting board. Shred pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to cooker and mix well. Stir in stir-fry vegetables and salt. Increase heat setting to High. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until mixture is hot and vegetables are tender.

4.

Using slotted spoon to remove pork mixture from cooker, fill each tortilla with 1/2 cup pork mixture. Fold one end of tortilla up about 1 inch over filling; fold right and left sides over folded end, overlapping. Fold remaining end down. Serve with cheese, guacamole and sour cream.

we use these like tortilla stuffins and also for bbq sandwiches with cheese. yum!

Square Foot Garden

the veggies are quite a bit bigger since this was taken over 2 weeks ago. but it shows you how neat and tidy my little garden is with following the Square Foot Gardening principles. I've enjoyed my first lettuce, spinach, arugula, radish salad yesterday. some other things didn't really come up- or came up sparsely which is puzzling to me. on well. the bell peppers are still, yet again, an epic fail. i don't get why those don't grow here.

anyway, thought you might enjoy.

Costco Run= Dinner Tonight

rotisserie chicken, salad, tomatoes, bread -- all from costco
strawberries from smith's
chives from garden
pecans from the freezer (from arkansas originally though!)
homemade salad dressing (with my new salad dressing maker- thanks!)

pork tenderloin, pear, and cranberry salad

oh my goodness, this was PHENOMINAL!

1 T cider vinegar
1 t dijon mustard
3/4 t brown sugar
1 1/2 t minced garlic, divided
1 1/4 t dried thyme, divided
1 lb ork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
3/4 t salt, divided
3/4 t pepper, divided
2 T flour
1/4 c olive oil, divided
1/4 cup sliced shallots
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c cranberry juice
6 c baby spinach
1 ripe pear, thinly sliced


1. combine vinegar, mustard, sugar, 1/2 t garlic, 1/4 t thyme. set aside.

2. combine pork and remaining 1 t garlic, remaining 1 t thyme, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, toss well to coat. sprinkle pork mixture with flour; toss well. let stand 5 minutes.

3. Heat 1 T oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. add shallots to saucepan; cook 3 minutes or until shallots are tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. add cranberries and juice; cook until liquid is reduced to 2 T (about 2 minutes). reduce heat to medium low. add vinegar mixture; cook 1 minute. gradually add 1 T oil, remaining 1/4 t salt, and remaining 1/4 t pepper. stirring well with a whisk. cover and keep warm.
l
4. heat 1 T oil in a large skilet over medium high heat. add pork to skillet, cook 3 minutes or until browned, turning once. remove pork from skillet. repeat procedure with any remaining pork. toss pork with 1 T warm cranberry mixture.

5. combine spinach and pear in a large bowl. drizzle with remaining cranberry mixture. toss well to coat. arrange about 2 cups spinach mixture on each of 4 plates; top evenly with pork.
from cooking light.



this has to be one of the best meals i've made in a long time! perfect rations, perfectly healthy, and perfectly delicious!!

Open faced sandwiches with ricotta, arugula and fried egg

we had this as a perfect weekend brunch. from cooking light:





4 slices whole wheat country bread
2 c arugula
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 t lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
4 eggs
3/4 c part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 c parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 t chopped fresh thyme

1. toast slices of bread
2. combine arugula, 2 t oil, juice, 1/8 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, toss to combine
3. heat remaining oil or butter over medium heat, fry eggs
4. combine 1/4 t salt, ricotta, parmigiano-reggiano cheese and thyme; spread over bread slices. divide salad and eggs evenly over bread. sprimkle with ramaining 1/8 t salt and remaining 1/4 t pepper.

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons honey (3 T)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (3 T)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar(3T)
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (1tsp)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste (1)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil (2tsp)
• 4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets (4)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (1Tbsp)

Directions

1. In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.
3. Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

This was really yummy. Go lightly on the sauce though bc it is pretty strong and a little bit will go a long way. I served it with jasmine rice and pan fried potato cubes with rosemary and green beans. Then for dessert the boys made us some tasty fruit kabobs.

2 Tilapia Recipes

I should have taken a picture of the first one, but it smelled so good (and it was) that we dove right in.

Sauteed Tilapia (Halibut) with Citrus-Basil Sauce

(I used Tilapia bc it is in the same category as halibut for flavor and texture +it is cheaper!)

This is a pampered chef recipe that actually makes you cook something without it being pre-packaged!

1 lemon

1 orange

1 pink grapefruit

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c. light corn syrup

2 (6 oz) fish fillets ( 1 inch thick)

1 1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning

1 Tbsp basil/olive oil

1 Tbsp snipped fresh basil leaves (or you can cheat like me and use dried bc I never use all the fresh before it goes bad in "off" season)

1. zest lemon and orange to measure 1 tsp zest from each; set aside zest. Juice entire lemon. cut orange and grapefruit into segments; set aside. In 8 inch pan, simmer lemon juice, onion, and salt over medium heat about 5 minutes or until almost all the liquid is evaporated. Stir in corn syrup; set aside.

2. Sprinkle fish with lemon pepper. heat oil in 10 inch skillet over medium heat until hot. I didn't have their special Olive oil/basil, so I just heated OVOO with dried basil in it. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork easily, carefully turning once. Remove fillets from skillet. serve with orange and grapefruit. Add lemon and orange zest and basil to sauce; spoon over fish.

we had it with asparagus and fruit salad- our new weekday dessert.

Caramel Coated Catfish

I bought some catfish at grocery outlet that was frozen. maybe that was my error or maybe I just don't like catfish, but it tasted either like cardboard or just nasty. If I make this again, which I might try again, I will use a very mild flavored fish like Tilapia. the bottom feeder just may not be for me!

This is a vietnamese dish with great flavors in the sauce.

1/3 cup water

2 Tbsp fish sauce

2 shallots, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I left this out. the pepper alone made it spicy enough that I didn't give any to the kids)

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

2 pounds fish ( I used 1 pound~4 fillets)

1/2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 green onion thinly sliced (garnish)

1/2 cup cilantro chopped (I didn't have any, but it would have been delicious)

Mix 1/3 cup water with the fish sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Combine shallots, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a separate bowl and set aside.

Heat 1/3 cup water with 1/3 cup sugar in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar turns a deep golden brown. Gently stir in the fish sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the shallot mixture and cook until the shallots soften, then add the fish. Cover and cook the fish until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes on each side. Place fish on a large plate, cover and set aside. Increase heat to high and stir in 1/2 tsp of sugar. Stir in the lime and any sauce that has collected on the plate. bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce has reduced. Pour sauce over the fish and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

we had jasmine rice and broccoli with this.

Maple-Mustard Pork chops

from cooking light:

4 bone in center cut pork chops
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T butter
2 T finely chopped shallots
1/4 c chicken broth
2 T dijon mustard
2 T maple syrup
2 T chopped fresh flat leaf parsley


1. sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of pork

2. heat large skillet over medium high heat. coat pan with cooking spray. add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through, but with a slight blush in the center. remove from pan; keep warm

3. return pan to medium high heat. add butter to pan swirling to coat. add shallots; saute 3 minutes or until tender. add broth; bring to boil and cook 1 minute. stir in mustard, syrup and remaining 1/4 t salt, cook 1 minutes until thick. return pork to pan. cook pork 1 minute on each side until thoroughly heated. serve pork with sauce, garnish with parsely.

Mediterranean Barley Salad

from cooking light:

2 1/4 c water
3/4 c uncooked pearl barley
1 1/2 t grated lemon rind
3 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1/2 t dijon mustard
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 small bulb)
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c finely chopped red onion
3/4 t kosher salt
1/2 t ground pepper
8 pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 c chopped walnuts, toasted

1. bring 2 1/4 c water and barley to boil in a saucepan. cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until tender and liquid is almost absorbed. cool to room temp (i didn't do this b/c i didn't plan ahead. i thought it was fine straight off the stove top)

2. combine lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, and mustard in a bowl; stir well with a wishk. add barley, fennel and next 6 ingredients (through beans); toss gently. cover and refrigerate for 30 mintues (i also did not do this. we had it immediately). garnish with toasted walnuts.


we had this with the roasted broccoli and it was a delicious meal! it was our weekly "i heart the environment" meal since it was vegetarian. dessert was girl scout cookies! yum!!!

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic

from every day food. perfect for a side:

preheat oven to 450. on a rimmed baking sheet toss together 1 head of broccoli, cut into long florets, 2 T olive oil, 5 garlic cloves (skin on). season with salt and pepper. roast until broccoli is browned and tender, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. toss with 1-2T lemon juice.

soooo incredibly delicious! you have to pop the garlic cloves out of their skin, but then don't forget to eat them too!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

from cooking light: i haven't made it yet but plan on it soon!

3/4 cup ol fashioned rolled oats, divided
1 c flour
1/4 c whole what flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c butter
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla
1 (8oz) carton light sour cream
2 T finely chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 t cinnamon
1 T chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1. preheat oven to 350.

2. spread oats on single layer on a baking sheet. bake at 350 for 6 minutes or until oats are barely fragrant and light brown.

3. coat 9 inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.

4. reserve 1/4 c oats; set aside. place reamining oats in a food processor; process 4 seconds or until finely ground. lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. combine processed oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.

5. place granulated sugar, 1/4 c brown sugar and 1/3 c butter in a large bowl. beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes. add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in vanilla. add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mix (batter will be slightly lumpy because of oats). spoon batter into prepared pan, spread evenly.
6. combine remaining 1/4 c oats, remaining 1/4 brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in a bowl. cut in 1 T butter with pastry blender. sprinkle top of batter evenly with nut mixture. bake at 350 for 38 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. cool cake 10 minutes.

Barley, Butternut Squash and Mushroom Risotto

from cooking light:

3 c cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 T olive oil, divided
3/4 t kosher salt, divided
2 c thinly sliced shitake mushrooms- about 1/2 pound. I couldn't find these at the store so i used regular mushrooms. since you don't like mushrooms you could omit them without losing much from the recipe.
1/3 c finely chopped red onion
1 c uncooked pearl barley
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2/3 c white wine
3 1/2 c veggie broth
black pepper
2 T fresh thyme leaves (i used dried)

1. preheat oven to 450.

2. combine squash, 1 T olive oil, salt/pepper. toss well to coat. arrange squash on baking sheet, single layer. bake for 25 minutes at 450. stirring once.

3. heat 1 T olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. add mushrooms; saute 5 minutes or until browned, transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl and keep warm

4. heat remaining 1 T oil in pan. add onion; saute 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. add barley and garlic; cook 1 minute. add wine; bring to a boil. cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed. add broth, salt/pepper; bring to a boil. cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is nearly absorbed.
remove from heat. stir in squash, mushrooms, and thyme. serve immediately.

really tasty and good! plus a healthy, whole grain side dish with pretty significant protein.

the recipe called for taleggio cheese which i have no clue what it is(it said you could substitute brie, but i don't like that either). i stirred in some romano i had and i thought it tasted like barf (maybe i have just barfed too recently b/c eric thought i was crazy). anyway, i do not recommend using romano. maybe sprinkling the finished product with a little parmesan would be good.

Maple and soy-glazed flank stead

picture from eric's iphone. includes barley butternut squash risotto.

delicious recipes! from cooking light:

1 1pound flank steak
1/4 c soy sauce
3 T maple syrup
2 T dry sherry
2 t sesame oil
1 t siriracha
1/8 t ground pepper

1. preheat broiler

2. pierce steak gently on both sides. combine steak and next 6 ingredients (through pepper) in shallow dish; turn to caot. marinade at room temp 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. place steak on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. pour marinade into a small skillet; bring to a boil, stirring well. cook over medium high heat 3 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

4. brush steak with half of glaze; broil 5 minutes. turn steak over; brush with remaining glaze; broil 5 minutes more or until desired degree of doneness. place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. cut steak diangonally across grain into thin slices.


we also had sauteed kale:

heat 2 t olive oil in skillet over medium heat. add 2 minced garlic cloves until fragrant but not browned. add chopped and de-ribbed kale. toss well. add 1/3 c water or broth, cover and cook for3-4 minutes. remove cover and let liquid evaporate. season with s/p. sautee until you think it looks right :)