Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks

Fish sticks have always intimidated me.  No, not the actual fish stick itself!  The making of the fish stick.  I haven't had much luck, too greasy, too soggy, too much breading.  You name it, I had an issue with it.  That is until I discovered this one!  Even the kids enjoyed these.  That's how I know they are good!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 lb halibut fillets (original recipes said to cut into strips, I left them as is and they turned out perfect)

1 cup panko
3/8 tsp kosher salt, divided
3/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 Tbs canola oil, divided

Dipping Sauce (I did not make this)

1/4 cup light sour cream
3 Tbs canola mayonnaise

2 Tbs finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles

t tsp minced capers

Preparation:

Combine milk and eggs in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.  Add fish, toss gently to coat.  Place panko, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in large zip-lock bag.  Add fish to panko mixture and shake bag gently to coat fish.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 Tbs oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add half of the fish; cook 4 minutes or until done, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.  Repeat procedure with remaining 2 Tbs oil and fish.

Combine dipping sauce ingredients and remaining salt and pepper;

serve with fish if desired.

Serves 4

*Derived from Cooking Light

Bourbon Glazed Chicken

This has quickly become my "go to" grilled chicken.  I've used a whole chicken (as the original recipe states); boneless, skinless thighs; and most recently a whole mess of legs.  So far, the best has been the boneless, skinless thighs.  They turn into these  wonderfully tender little bits of goodness.  A testament to how good these are is the fact that my kids are positively covered in the sauce when dinner is done, which makes this the perfect outside meal!  Oh, almost forgot!  A good friend of mine was making this recently and she and her daughter pulled a Julia Child, bourbon for the chicken, bourbon for me!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs canola oil 

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup bourbon

1 chicken, about 4 lb cut into 8 pieces (I purchased a whole, cut up fryer. Much easier)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Bourbon Glaze:

In heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm oil.  Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in ketchup, molasses, vinegar, and bourbon.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low, simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Grill Chicken:

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Lightly oil grill rack.  Place chicken, skin side down, on the rack.  Position legs, thighs, and wings closest to the heat.  Cover and cook, turning pieces occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer reads 170, about 50 minutes.  During last 10 minutes of grilling, brush pieces generously with sauce.  Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Serves 4

*Derived from Williams-Sonoma

Bacon, Onion,and Mushroom Pizza

Who doesn't like pizza?  And this is not your average pepperoni!  My kids were not crazy about it because of the onions.  My husband and I, though, really enjoyed it.  It was also really easy to put together and warmed up well in the toaster oven the next day for lunch.  Always a bonus!

Ingredients:

1 (11 oz) can refrigerated French bread dough

2 tsp yellow cornmeal

2 cups sliced onions

1 (8 oz) pkg pre-sliced cremini or baby bell mushrooms

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 bacon slices, cooked and coarsely crumbled

Preparation:

Find lengthwise seam in dough.  Beginning at seam, gently unroll dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.  Stretch dough on a lightly floured surface.  You can either make a 12" round pizza or a rectangle one as I did.  Transfer to pizza pan or large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.

Preheat oven to 425.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chopped bacon and cook through, remove to a paper towel and drain.  Next, add onion, sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove to a bowl.  Add mushrooms and sauté until liquid evaporates.  Add mushrooms to onion mixture; toss.  Spread onion mixture evenly over dough, sprinkle with bacon and cheese.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

Serves 6

*Derived from Cooking Light

Mushroom, Beef, & Rice Skillet

First let me say, Why is it so hard to keep track of the remote?  Wait, no, that's another conversation!  Ok, I don't generally like to use boxed ingredients, but sometimes (like swim night, or after karate class) it's just needed.  This one has fresh vegetables, so I feel better about it.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs beef Rice-A-Roni

1lb extra lean ground beef (can use ground chicken or turkey)

2 cups sliced mushrooms 

3 tsp minced garlic

1 chopped bell pepper (approx 1 cup)

1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

Preparation:

Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions

In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground meat, mushrooms, and garlic about 2 minutes.  Stir in bell pepper.  Continue cooking 4 to 6 minutes until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Combine meat mixture with Rice-A-Roni; stir in corn and let stand 2 minutes.

Serves 4

 

*Derived from Rice-A-Roni

Tortilla Chicken Casserole

I'm always looking for dishes that will give me the most bang for my effort, i.e., very little effort, enough for lunch the next day, and it has to reheat well. This does not disappoint!  You can also see from my ingredients, I used as many shortcuts as possible :-)

Ingredients:

8 flour (of any variety) or whole wheat tortillas

3 cups cooked chicken

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
19oz black beans (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 cups corn (frozen, canned, fresh)
1tsp Mexican blend seasoning ( can sub chili powder for more heat)
3 cups salsa
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbs finely chopped cilantro (can sub parsley)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish large enough to fit tortillas, with cooking spray. Heat olive oil, sauté onion and red bell pepper for 5 minutes, until softened. Mix in seasoning, remove from heat and stir in black beans and corn.

Serves 12

Derived from FoodieFamily.com

Parmesan Tilapia

I've made this a couple of times once with frozen this time with fresh. Fresh fish is a must! I've also found that cod or red snapper holds up better than tilapia.

Ingredients:

2 lbs tilapia (can be cod or red snapper)

2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (I used shredded which I had on hand and it worked just as well)

4 Tbs butter, at room temperature

3 Tbs mayonnaise

3 Tbs finely chopped green onions (optional)

1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/4 tsp dried basil

Black pepper to taste

1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat broiler. Lay fillets flat on nonstick broiler pan. Brush fish with lemon juice. In bowl, combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions, and seasonings. Mix well with a fork.

Broil fish 3-4 minutes or until almost done. Add cheese and broil another 2-3 minutes or until browned.

Serves 4

*Derived from Food.com 

Pizza Pasta

Clearly, this was written last week, which just proves my exhaustion point!  I'll go ahead and say it out loud, when Benjamin Franklin thought day light savings would be fantastic, he didn't have kids. The result has been one very long week for kids and parents. Could I be anymore exhausted?? Being this tired means sometimes a step or two might be over looked. In this case it meant I completely over-looked the baking portion. And it has nothing to do with the teeny tiny print of the recipe, with my glasses upstairs. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Ingredients:

1 cup elbow macaroni

1/2 lb 90% lean ground beef

6 fresh mushrooms, quartered

1/3 cup chopped onion

8 oz tomato sauce

3 1/2 oz sliced pepperoni

2 Tbs sliced black olives

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup shredded cheese

1/4 cup part - skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. In large skillet, cook beef, mushrooms, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, pepperoni, olives, sugar, Italian seasoning, and pepper.

Drain macaroni; add to meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses, stirring to mix.

If you choose to bake, this is what you need to do: transfer to a 1 1/2 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 4

Derived from Sam's Club



New Orleans Gumbo Wanna Be

This is my very loose interpretation of a New Orleans Gumbo. The kids couldn't get enough of the shrimp and the flavors were wonderful!

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup uncooked converted rice

2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 lb boneless skinless chicken cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 lb smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/2" slices
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold water
1 lb uncooked medium peeled and deveined shrimp
1 large green pepper chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Preparation:

In rice cooker, stir in rice, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook according to rice cooker directions.

In a Dutch oven, combine the tomatoes, chicken, kielbasa, thyme, pepper, bay leaves, and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually stir into chicken mixture. Stir in shrimp and green pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and gumbo is thickened. Discard bay leaves.

Stir rice mixture into gumbo and serve immediately.

Serves 8

Derived from Sam's Club



Beef Stroganoff

Let me first start by saying that I can't believe it's been so long since my last post. First we had illness, then our annual Tahoe trip, then illness again (me, this time), and finally a crazy busy schedule. I am glad, however, that this is my next post. So incredibly yummy I ate it off the serving spoon after the hubs plunked it in the sink with the bowl! Not to mention, I had the best Sous Chef ever!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground sirloin

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbs butter, divided

2 Tbs all -purpose flour
2 cups beef stock with 1 Tbs Better Than Boullian Beef Base - or 2 cups beef consommé
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 lb egg noodles, cooked to, package directions

Preparation:

Heat skillet over high heat. Add 1 tbs oil and 1 tbs butter, then add meat and onion. Cook over high heat until evenly browned, 3-4 minutes.

Heat a second skillet to medium heat. Melt 2 tbs butter and cook with flour for about 1 minute. Whisk in beef broth mixture or consommé, thicken 1 minute. Stir in mustard and sour cream, thicken 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Mix meat,sauce, and egg noodles.

Serves 4

Arroz con Pollo

What a hit this was (well, except with D, but that's because girlfriend skipped her nap and was falling asleep in the arroz)! The chicken was so moist, the rice tender, and the flavors so earthy and subtle. Definitely a wonderful family dinner for Sunday, but I can also see myself serving this to friends. I'll let you know later today how it reheats for lunch :-)  UPDATE:  Reheat for lunch the next day = WOW!!  So, so good!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

4 bone-in chicken thighs (original recipe called for 4 skinless drumsticks, but I already had the thighs in the freezer)

2 medium onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 red bell pepper de-seeded and chopped

2 tsp Mexican Blend season (can use 2 tsp cumin instead)

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes with juice

3 cups chicken broth (plus more, if needed)

1 cup white wine (can substitute additional cup of broth)

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 cups white rice

1 cup defrosted frozen or freshly shucked peas

Garnish:

Cilantro

Sour cream

Preparation:

Heat oil in large casserole on medium. Sprinkle chicken with salt and brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter lined with paper towels. Pour off all but 2 Tbs fat from casserole.

Add onion and bell pepper, cooking until soft, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Mexican blend seasoning (or cumin), garlic, and oregano, until fragrant, stirring often. Next add chopped tomatoes, return chicken to casserole, stirring well to coat chicken with tomato mixture.

Add stock, wine (don't forget to pay homage to Julia Child, and have a sip for yourself!), spices, and rice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes. If it starts to dry out and the rice is not quite done, add more broth. If it's too soupy, on cover and cook additional 5 minutes.

Stir in peas just before it's done, around the last 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with a side of sour cream.

Serves 6

*Courtesy of Kristin Uhrenholdt



Asian Sesame Salmon

The first bite of this salmon had the whole family saying, "Wow". Daniela, who is normally my Mikey, did not want to try it at first, but once the bribery kicked in, she discovered how much she liked it! What a super quick, healthy, and filling dish! I'll be making this again and again . . .

Ingredients:

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced onion

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

1/3 cup of honey

1/3 cup sliced green onions (optional)

2 Tbs soy sauce
2 lbs salmon filet

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375. Mix honey, green onions, soy sauce, and all of the spices ( with the exception of the red pepper, if using) in a small bowl until well blended. Add red pepper to taste.

Place salmon in foil-lined 13x9-inch baking dish. Spoon honey mixture evenly over salmon.

Roast salmon for 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Baste with remaining honey mixture after about 10 minutes.

Serves 6

*Derived from McCormick recipes



Pan-Roasted Chicken with Leeks

The kids love drumsticks!  I'm not even sure it matters how they are cooked, can they hold it in their cute little hand?  Yes.  Score! 

Ingredients:

3 bacon slices, but into ½" pieces

8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 lbs)

Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 bunch leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup half-and-half

2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425.  Cook bacon on medium-high in a heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet until some of the fat renders, about 5 minutes.  Remove bacon from pan and drain on a plate.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, then add to pan and cooking, turning, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and leeks.  Return bacon to pan, mix with garlic and leeks.  Arrange chicken on top of bacon-leek mixture.  Roast in oven until chicken is golden and thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 160, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Transfer chicken to platter and keep warm.

Return skillet to stovetop over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.  Add broth and half-and-half and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.  Bring to a boil and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.  Stir in parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Spoon leek mixture over chicken.  Serve with remaining lemon wedges.

Serves 4

*Derived from Food Network Magazine

Herb-Roasted Turkey

Here it is.  The star.  The big kahuna of the Thanksgiving meal.  All eyes are on this bird!

Ingredients:

1 fresh or previously frozen turkey (I used 12lbs as we were a small group of 4 adults and 2 small kids)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 Tbs turkey herbs (From Williams-Sonoma that I am convinced I paid too much money for, in too big of a container.  I'll research and have a reasonable priced alternative by next Thanksgiving)
1 bay leaf
8 Tbs (or 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used salted butter and omitted the "salt to taste" up above.  Yes, I know if I used unsalted butter, I'd be using less salt.  Just not wanting to by different butter than I use every day.)
¾ cup turkey or chicken stock (I used chicken stock)
½ cup Madeira wine (I just used more chicken stock)

Preparation:

Let turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 325°.  (A friend of mine convinced me, years ago, to buy a roasting oven.  It frees up so much oven space for the other dishes.  While I was totally convinced, I ended up at Target a few days after Thanksgiving and ended up buying a Rival 20 Quart Roasting Oven on clearance.  Can I just say: Best. Purchase. EVER.  I only use it a couple of times a year and store it in 2 large trash bags in the garage.  But so worth it.  SO love it!)

Remove the giblets and neck and reserve for making gravy, if desired.  Rinse the turkey, inside and out, with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Season the turkey, inside and out, with salt and pepper.  Place 2 tbs of the herbs and the bay leaf inside the body cavity.  If desired, truss the turkey with twine.  Spread 2 Tbs of butter between the skin and meat of turkey.  Rub approximately 2 Tbs olive oil over outside of turkey and sprinkle with remaining turkey herbs.  Transfer to oven or roasting oven.

In small saucepan over low heat, melt remaining 6 Tbs butter and stock (with Madeira, if using).  After 30 minutes of roasting, begin basting the turkey with butter mixture.  Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (away from bone)registers 165°, and inserted in thigh registers 175°.  If breast begins to cook to quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil.  Total roasting time for this small turkey was about 3 ½ hours.

Transfer turkey to warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and lest rest about 20 minutes before carving.

*Derived from Williams-Sonoma