Fresh Spinach "pesto" (and what to do with it)

 I was in the mood for pesto last week.  Two problems, though.  My wee little basil plants had maybe a cup of leaves between the four of them, and pinenuts happen to be insanely expensive at the moment.  So I started rooting around in my fridge and came up with a faux pesto.  My sister is an avid gardener and gave me some garlic scapes a couple days prior, so I incorporated them in to the recipe with excellent results.  I'm assuming that most of the rest of you don't have garlic growing in your garden, so use regular fresh garlic cloves instead.  Garlic scapes grow out of the middle of young garlic plants and need to be trimmed off or else the garlic bulb growth will be stunted.  They have a firm stalk and pleasantly mild garlic flavor, perfect for this particular recipe.

Fresh Spinach Pesto


1/2 cup slivered almonds
4 cups packed fresh spinach leaves
2 ounces freshly shredded parmesan or romano cheese
1 large garlic scape, chopped OR 2-3 large cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds for about 5 minutes, until they just begin to turn lightly brown and smell fragrant.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Then layer the nuts, spinach, cheese and garlic in a blender or food processor.  Drizzle in enough oil to allow easy blending but not soupiness (about 1/4-1/3 cup), and pulse the blender or food processor several times until everything is finely chopped and well blended but still has some texture.  Add kosher salt and coarse pepper to taste.  Chill until ready to eat.

 Besides eating the spinach pesto with a spoon right out of the food processor because it's so delicious, you can toss it together with pasta, grilled chicken and grilled veggies.  Absolutely delicious!  And you know what?   My kids had no clue they were eating so much spinach!  It's not something that they readily eat, but they do like regular basil pesto and they didn't notice the difference because I stirred in a handful of julienned basil leaves too to add that flavor in.

To make this dish, I doused two chicken breasts, a couple of cups of grape tomatoes, and two red peppers that were quartered and cored in balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  I like Newman's Own brand when I'm too lazy to make a batch myself.  I grilled the chicken, basting it with more dressing a couple of times during cooking, and added the peppers to the grill skin side down for the last 5 or so minutes of grill time.  Meanwhile, I cooked up half a package of linguine.  Once the chicken and peppers were done, I removed them to cut into thin slices, then dumped the tomatoes on to the hot grill.  They softened up within 30 seconds and got a few nice little char marks.  I removed them right away.  I drained, then dumped the pasta into a large serving bowl, stirred the pesto in thoroughly, then added the tomatoes, peppers, chicken and a handful of julienned basil leaves and carefully stirred it all together.  I finished it off with a dusting of finely shredded parmesan cheese and it was a delicious summertime supper that everyone devoured (except for my almost 4 year old, but her opinion doesn't count on these sorts of things).

Marinated Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

(I will edit this post to add pictures as soon as my computer that has all of my lovely images on it is functional again. In the meantime, use your imagination.)


I'm on a bit of a healthier eating kick lately.  Watching my calorie intake and all that jazz to shed a few unwanted pounds that have snuck their way on to my hips.  You know what?  It works.  I'm not a dieter.  Never have been.  But being aware of what I'm putting in to my mouth has really helped me cut out the junk.  I was mildly appalled the first few days I tracked and realized how often I walk by the pantry and snag a treat in passing.  I don't believe in giving up good food - just working on portion control.  Tonight I roasted a pork tenderloin, served with a side of these lovely crispy roasted potatoes and a simple salad of mixed greens, oranges, strawberries and easy (lowfat) citrus poppyseed dressing.  Total calories for my plate were around 700 for the meal and it was delicious and filling.

You'll need to plan ahead a couple of hours to allow the meat to marinate, but otherwise the hands on prep time is pretty short - less than 20 minutes.  Butterflying and pounding the tenderloin, then browning it before finishing it off in the oven yielded very tender results.  I fully intended on putting a diced pear in the stuffing but got distracted and forgot...feel free to add it yourself :).

Marinated Cranberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Two pork tenderloins, around 1 pound apiece (mine came packaged together, and they are each about the size and length of a woman's forearm)

Marinade:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 red wine vinegar
1 t. kosher salt
1 T. raw sugar (or brown sugar)
1" of fresh ginger root, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
several grinds of pepper

Mix all ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag, then place the tenderloins in, squeeze the excess air out, flip it over a few times until the meat is well coated and place in the refrigerator.  Marinate for at least an hour, preferably a few hours.

Stuffing:
1/2 cup minced purple onion
1 T. olive oil
1 cup day old sourdough bread crumbs (I pulsed three slices in my food processor)
2 T. julienned fresh sage leaves
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup craisins
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Sautee the onion in olive oil until it begins to soften.  Stir in the bread crumbs, craisins and sage leaves, and just enough broth to moisten it.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Prepare the tenderloins by butterflying each one lengthwise.  Lay a piece of saran wrap on top then pound with a meat mallet until it reaches an even 1/2" thickness.  Grind some pepper over the exposed surface of each piece, then divide the stuffing in half and spoon it down the middle.  Fold the meat over the filling and secure with toothpicks.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large skillet, heat 2 T. olive oil.  Sprinkle a little more kosher salt and pepper over each tenderloin, then brown the top and bottom of each in the oil, cooking for about 2 minutes per side.  Place the tenderloins on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until an instant read meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Remove from the oven and loosely tent with foil for about 10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to settle.  Lightly drizzle a tablespoon of real maple syrup over each tenderloin, then slice into 1" thick slices to serve.

This was the perfect dinner for a cold and dreary spring day.  Enjoy!

Rachel's Rosemary Chicken Pot Pie

Alas, I have no photo for this post.  You'll have to imagine a piping hot pie with golden crust, lovely green peas and succulent chunks of chicken peeping out of the vent holes.  My 7 year old has a passion for all things gravy, and chicken pot pie happens to combine all of her favorite elements into one tidy dish.  In the past, I usually made the filling, then topped it with a thick biscuit layer.  Then last year, a very sweet friend of mine showed up on my doorstep when I was having a bad day with a chicken pot pie encased in an actual crust.  Rachel was thrilled, and begs me to make it that way on a regular basis.

It's not rocket science, and really, you can shift the vegetables around to different types and different ratios to whatever pleases your palate, but this is how I made it last night and got rave reviews from the peanut gallery.

Rachel's Rosemary Chicken Pot Pie


Double crust for a 10" pie plate*

1 medium sweet vidalia onion, diced
2 cups diced carrots
4 T. butter, divided
2 raw chicken breasts, diced into 1/2" chunks
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. minced dried or fresh rosemary
1/2 t. dried thyme
few grinds each of salt and pepper
1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium size nonstick frying pan, melt 2 T. of butter over medium heat.  Stir in the carrots and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 5-6 minutes until the onions are soft.  Remove to a bowl and set aside.  Melt the other 2 T. of butter and add the chicken to the same pan.  Saute for about 7-8 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.  Season with the garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, stir in the carrot and onion mixture, then stir in the flour until the chicken chunks are evenly coated.  Pour the broth into the pan and stir until the flour is dissolved and it begins to thicken.  Add in the peas last, then remove from heat.

Place the bottom crust into a 10" pie pan.  Pour the filling mixture in and spread in an even layer, taking care to not let it slurp over the edges.  Keep the flat top edge clean so that it'll seal well.  Dip your fingertips with a little water and moisten the top edge all the way around.  Cut vent slits into the top crust, then center it on top of the filling.  Press the edges together to seal, trim the excess crust, and flute the edges.

If you want to get all fancy, beat an egg and brush it on top of the crust, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Otherwise, pop it into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden.

This is a very hearty and filling pie, and will serve 6.

*This is where I confess that I haven't found a homemade pie crust recipe that comes out consistently well for me, and I resorted to being a slacker and used a Pillsbury crust.  I figured out their secret when I read the label - they use lard!  Appetizing, eh?  Shortening already gives me the squiggies, but I use it because some recipes really need it, but I can assure you that a tub o' lard will never grace my pantry shelves.

Super Simple Sugar Glazed Pork Ribs

I have a 9 year old son that dearly loves ribs.  He has begged for them repeatedly in the last few weeks, ignoring my protestations that it's too darn cold to grill them outside.  Not to mention that it's dark at 4:30 p.m.  He went grocery shopping with me on Saturday night, a really exciting kid date to be sure, and steered me toward the ribs when we got to the meat section.  OK, OK, I can take a hint.  He likes bone in, but I don't, so I exercised my mom-veto powers and went for the boneless country style pork ribs. 

One of my chief complaints about meat in general is that it can easily wind up tough and chewy.  I put my trusty crock pot to use for this recipe, and finished it off with the broiler and wound up with perfect ribs.  They didn't fall apart like I was afraid, but were tender, moist, and had a nicely caramelized glaze on the outside.  I neglected to take a picture before my ravenous kids dug in, and after very enthusiastic reviews, I hurried and snapped this one of the lone ranger still left on the pan.  It wasn't even the best looking one of the bunch, but it's better than no picture at all.  My 3 year old ate two whole ribs herself, and every person at the table enthusiastically cleaned their plates.  I served it with a side of gouda and garlic infused mashed potatoes and buttery sweet corn.  It's definitely staying on the favorites list.

Super Simple Sugar Glazed Pork Ribs

2 pounds boneless country style pork ribs
1 cup barbecue sauce of your choice (we like Jack Daniel's Honey Smokehouse)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Place your ribs in an appropriately sized crock pot (I used my standard round that I'm guessing is 2-3 quarts).  Pour the sauce over them and toss to coat evenly.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Line a baking pan with foil and use tongs to pull the ribs out of the crock pot and space them evenly on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle brown sugar generously over each rib and heat under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar is bubbly and golden.  Use tongs to flip the ribs over and sprinkle the newly exposed bottom with more brown sugar.  Broil again for 3-4 minutes.  Serve promptly with additional barbecue sauce.  (This will serve 4-6 people, depending on how big appetites are.)

Garlic n' Gouda Spuds
6 large redskin potatoes, peeled if desired, and diced into 1/2" chunks
water
1 T. salt
~~~
4 T. butter
1/2 cup shredded gouda cheese, preferably aged gouda for more flavor
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
1 t. garlic powder (not garlic salt!)

Boil the potatoes in enough water to cover them completely with the salt added to the cook water until they are fork tender.  Drain the water, add the butter, and mash until fluffy.  Mash in the cheese, pepper and garlic powder last, and serve immediately.

Finger Food

Tonight I was in the mood for kid food, except that I can't really bring myself to stomach chicken nuggets from the freezer.  So I dug around a bit in the pantry and came up with a  more grown up version, and paired them with oven roasted sweet potato fries.  My big kids cleaned their plates happily.  I didn't particularly go out of my way to make the nugget coating nutritious because I just grabbed what surfaced first, but I am quite certain you could add some ground flax seed and whole grain cracker crumbs to the mix to nudge the fiber and vitamin content up.

Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

2-3 large yams or sweet potatoes
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Peel the yams and slice into fries, roughly 1/2"x1/2"x4".  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.  Spread out in a single layer on a 10"x15" baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast at 450 degrees for 35-45 minutes to desired doneness, stirring once in the middle.

Grown Up Chicken Strips

3 chicken breasts, sliced across the grain into 1/2" thick strips

2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 t. smoked paprika
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup smashed Ritz crackers
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Whisk the egg, yogurt and seasonings together until well combined.  Stir the crumbs and cheese together until well combined.  Pour each mixture into a pie plate.  Heat up a large skillet over medium heat and add 3 T. olive oil.  Dip each piece of chicken into the yogurt mixture, turning to coat evenly, then roll it in the crumb mixture.  Fry on each side for 4-5 minutes, or until the crumb coating is golden brown and juices run clear.  Remove to a paper towel on a wire rack to drain, then serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Leftover Turkey? Try a Hot Brown!

Alan was first introduced to the awesomeness that is the Hot Brown at a local restaurant this summer.  He's been plotting to make our own with leftover Thanksgiving Turkey ever since.  The concept is simple, and with quality components, it's a delicious and different way to eat up the rest of the bird.

I made the bread myself, but with a recipe that I unfortunately don't have permission to post.  If you come over, I'll show you how to make it :).  It's really good stuff, and several of you have had the pleasure of eating it.  Otherwise, I'd recommend a thickly sliced crusty sourdough.  No pansy squishy white bread for this - it just won't do.

Alan's other fantastic discovery this year is "Slow and Low" bacon.  He put the bacon in the oven at 220 degrees and let it cook for about 4 hours.  The result is chewy and rich, evenly cooked, and again, deliciously different.  His top secret addition is to sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on about an hour from the end of baking time.

These are called Hot Browns in reference to the gravy you pour over the top.  I am personally not a fan of browned turkey gravy (this is managed by browning the roux before adding the broth in, and in my experience it's a little tricky to walk the balance between browned and burned).  I leave mine light colored.  Therefore I suppose these should really be called a Hot Cream?  Not quite as nice of a ring to it.  We'll stick with the original title.

I recommend eating this with a hearty scoop of mashed potatoes so that you can liberally douse the sandwiches and the potatoes with your gravy, and a generous spoonful of cranberry sauce on the side to balance the flavors.

Hot Brown Sandwiches

12 thick (3/4") slices of a sturdy sourdough bread
12 thick (1/4") slices of roasted turkey breast
1 package of bacon
2 T. brown sugar
12 slices provolone cheese
1 - 2 cups turkey gravy

Cook the bacon according to your preference.  I recommend baking it on a cooling rack placed in a foil lined pan.  Clean up is easy - simply let the grease set up a bit as the pan cools, and wrap it all up in the foil and throw it away.  If you're impatient, bake it at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until it is to the desired crispness.  Sprinkle the brown sugar on for the last 5 minutes of baking.  If you're patient and plan far enough ahead, lay the bacon out as indicated above and bake at 220 for about 4 hours, sprinkling the sugar on at about 3 hours.

Toast the bread under the broiler, flip it over and toast the other side.  Assemble the sandwiches by layering turkey, bacon and provolone cheese on top.  Return to the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve immediately with a side of mashed potatoes, a thorough dousing of warm turkey gravy, and a scoop of homemade cranberry sauce.

(This is an excellent meal to feed to a crowd.  We made three trays of these at once to feed 20 people the day after Thanksgiving.  Everyone left with full tummies and I heard no complaints from even the pickier eaters.)

Summer Sunshine Pasta

I went foraging in the gardens of my generous family members (ours was a wash this year with the whole kitchen project thing - we had no idea how much the house construction would tear up the yard), and found dozens of sweet, ripe, delicious orange and red cherry tomatoes.  The wheels in my brain immediately started turning as I plotted what to do with them.  Lots of possibilities.  I settled on a pasta dish that can be served warm or cold, and it was delicious.

While I prepared the other ingredients, I drizzled olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the bowl full of tomatoes along with chunks of soft fresh mozzarella.  The perlini size balls would have been perfect - I just couldn't find them when I went looking.  If you're not a fan of fresh mozzarella, freshly shredded parmesan would be great too.

I like to make a nice balance of flavors and textures.  Something salty, something sweet, something crunchy.  All really good stuff.  I've recently discovered grilling bacon, an idea born of sheer laziness a few weeks ago when I wanted to cook a few strips, already had the grill fired up, and wasn't in the mood to pan fry it.  I learned the hard way that it's not advisable to put it on the lower rack next to the flame because the first couple of strips turned out rather carbonacious and the resulting blazing inferno was quite impressive.  It does, however, work nicely on the top rack.  Just don't go too far - it cooks up quickly.  For this recipe, I put the chicken on the bottom rack and the bacon right above it so that the drippings would help flavor the chicken.  Absolutely delicious!

Tomatoes and basil pretty much have to go together.  I think there's a law about it somewhere.

The finished product.  A symphony of flavors, and nice and light for a summer evening.  My older daughter tried cherry tomatoes for the first time in her life while I was making this, discovered that she liked them, and tried to eat all of them before they made it into the bowl.  My theory that you just have to keep offering kids the same thing over and over and over again before deciding that they'll really never eat it holds true yet again.

Summer Sunshine Pasta

1/2 a box of farfalle pasta (I prefer Barilla Plus)
3 chicken breasts, thawed and butterflied
6 strips bacon
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup cubed fresh mozzarella cheese
20 leaves fresh basil, sliced into thin strips
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Cook pasta according to al dente, then drain well.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the cheese and tomatoes.  Drizzle with olive oil, and stir gently to coat.  Then drizzle about 3 T. balsamic vinegar, and again stir gently to coat.  Preheat a BBQ grill, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and place them on the lower rack of the grill.  Place the bacon strips directly over the chicken on the upper rack.  Check the bacon after 5 minutes and turn if necessary.  Flip the chicken over at about 7 minutes, or when the bottom shows nice grill marks and the top is opaque.  Remove the bacon when it's cooked to your desired crispness.  Grill the chicken an additional 5 or so minutes or until the juices run clear when poked.  Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thin strips.

In a large bowl, pour the drained pasta noodles in and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss lightly to coat.  Dump in the tomatoes and cheese, along with the oil and vinegar in the bottom of the bowl, the chicken strips, basil and crumble the bacon over the top.  Stir everything gently to coat and correct seasoning as desired with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

This amount will serve about 6 people.

Ethan's Sweet Pork Sliders

My kids are off track, so I am taking advantage of the opportunity to let them spend some time in the kitchen.  I handed Ethan a stack of my cooking magazines and told him to select our menu for last night.  He settled on Sweet Pork Sandwiches that he found in an old issue of Taste of Home, with S'more Bars for dessert.  Later in the day we were driving past a restaurant that advertised sliders, and Ethan declared that we had to make small rolls.  The kids had fun helping me form the rolls, and the meat was delicious.  I modified a few little things, so I am posting it the way I made it.  Quite sweet, but tasty.  This recipe requires a substantial amount of cooking time, so plan accordingly.

Ethan's Sweet Pork Sliders

1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (2 1/2 - 3 pounds)
1 medium sweet vidalia onion, chopped
1 T. butter
1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. molasses
1/2 t. salt
Rolls of your choice

Place pork on a rack in a roasting pan and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until tender.  (I simply used a cooling rack placed inside a 10x15 jelly roll pan, and I tried out convection mode on my oven, still at 350 degrees.  It came out great at the 2 hour mark.  This roast was packaged encased in a mesh sleeve to keep all the little pieces together.  Leave the mesh in place until the cooking is through.)  Once you remove the roast from the oven, allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing to let the juices settle.  Slice it into very thin pieces or shred it.

Meanwhile, in a dutch oven or other sturdy pot, saute onion in butter until tender.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Stir the pork into the sauce and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.  Serve on buns.

~~~
It just so happens that since the pork takes 2 1/2 hours to get ready, that's the perfect amount of time to make your own rolls.  Any of you that have been in my kitchen know that I knead by hand (no mixer, thankyouverymuch, and plus I like it that way), and that I rarely measure anything that goes into my bread doughs.  I've gotten quite comfortable with the approximate ratios that work, and yeast and I are on very good terms.  This is frustrating for people that want to know how I made whatever roll I served to them, because most of the time I really can't remember.  I am giving you the basic principal here.  The only measurement that is going to be really approximate is the flour, and that's something that varies from batch to batch depending on the humidity, how packed your flour is, what type you use, etc.  That's why kneading by hand is so great - I can tell when I've got just enough by how the dough behaves.  Any of you local readers are welcome in my kitchen for fun times with bread dough.  It's such a satisfying skill to learn.  I keep telling my kids that they are royally spoiled because I make yeast dough of some sort several times a week.  I made rolls last night for dinner, and have overnight cinnamon rolls rising in the fridge.  Anyway, let's get on with the recipe.

Rolls of the Wednesday Sort

2 cups warm water (warm to touch, but not so hot that you have to withdraw your finger)
1 T. yeast
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil (you may also substitute melted butter)
1 t. kosher salt
2 cups whole grain flour (I prefer a mixture of white wheat and semolina)
3-4ish cups unbleached all purpose flour

Soften the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl for a few minutes.  Add in the honey, oil, salt, and whole grain flour and stir to combine.  Stir in the all purpose flour cup by cup until the dough gets difficult to stir by hand.  At this point, sprinkle a fairly generous layer of flour on top of the dough glob, and begin kneading by hand.  Add in a handful of flour at a time until your dough glob works it's way into a lovely smooth ball that feels springy but not too stiff.  It is tempting to add a LOT of flour so that it won't stick, and this is where finesse comes in.  I always have a bit of dough clinging to my hand, but not a freakishly thick layer.  I add just a light layer each time and work it until it starts to get sticky, then add a little bit more.  Total hand kneading time is 5-7 minutes, depending on how efficient you are.

Either drizzle a little oil in the bowl or mist the dough and bowl with PAM, turning to coat.  Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, or until doubled.  Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and cut or pull off equal globs of dough.  To make the mini rolls, the globs were about walnut size.  For more normal dinner rolls, a generous plum size. 

It's difficult to explain how to form rolls properly, but I found this good tutorial.  And again, I'd be happy to demonstrate it to any of you willing to come hang out in my kitchen.  This same principal applies to how I form my round rustic loaves of bread.

Place the formed rolls on a 10x15 baking sheet that has been misted with cooking spray, cover with a towel, and allow to rise again for 30-60 minutes or until almost doubled.  Preheat your oven to 375 (or 350 in convection mode).  If you like a glossy top, beat an egg with a fork, then paint the egg wash over the top of each roll.  You can also brush on milk or melted butter.

Bake for 10-15 minutes for tiny rolls, and 15-20 minutes for larger rolls.  They are done when uniformly golden across the top and they spring back when touched.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Seared Pink Peppercorn and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

I went to Colorado last week with my kids for a quick trip to see my family.  I made time for a trip to the Savory Spice Shop, and just like the first time I went there, it was very very worth it (pssst...they do flat rate shipping).  I came away with a sack full of culinary inspiration.  The flavors of freshly ground spices will absolutely knock your socks off and flood you with desire to whip up something delicious in the kitchen.  I am particularly partial to their True Ceylon Cinnamon, which is sweet and so cinnamony it almost seems fake.  This time, I also purchased a bottle of their Vietnamese cinnamon, which they told me is their absolute top seller.  It's also very cinnamony but the sweetness is tempered with a firey kick.  Cardamom, achiote paste, California bay leaves, a microplane grater with some whole spices included, a moroccan blend called Ras El Hanout, crystallized ginger and some pink peppercorns rounded out my purchase.  I've already used almost all of them.  The achiote goes into my Puerco Pibil.  I tossed a bay leaf into my pot of "cream of whatever's in the fridge" soup.  I made a chicken and apricot recipe with the Ras El Hanout, and I added cardamom and crystalized ginger along with hunks of dark chocolate to my gingersnap recipe with awesome results.  I'm all about tweaking old recipes to make them better.

So let's talk about the pink peppercorns.  I wouldn't have even tried them if the guy at the store hadn't made me.  They're not hot peppery like you'd expect.  More like a blast of pine flavor with a little zip at the end.  I knew immediately that they'd be most excellent paired with pork and rosemary with a fruity finish, and I was right.  You could absolutely substitute coarsely ground fresh pepper in this recipe, but if you can ever get your hands on the pink ones, give them a try for sure!  It turns out that they're not actually peppercorns at all, but are related to cashews.  Who'da thunk it?  Here's my creation:

Seared Pink Peppercorn and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (generally around 2 pounds)

2-3 T. olive oil

kosher salt

1 T. pink peppercorns (or 1/2 T. freshly ground pepper)

2 large sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped

High quality cherry or apricot preserves (Bonne Maman is my personal favorite)

In a large, oven proof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat for a few minutes.  Sprinkle the tenderloin with salt, peppercorns and rosemary, and sear on all four sides  for 2-3 minutes each, rotating with tongs.  Pop the skillet into an oven heated to 400 degrees and cook for an additional 30-40 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 155-160 degrees.  (I have found that with a lower rimmed skillet, the cooking time will be shorter than this, and with a high rimmed pot that's more like a dutch oven, the cook time can be as high as 50 minutes, so definitely go off the meat temperature).  Remove from the oven and roll the meat around just a bit in the drippings to soak up all the flavor.  Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.  Fruit preserves are an excellent accompaniment, and if you are so inclined, the pan drippings would make an excellent gravy.  I recommend serving this with a side of roasted root vegetables.

Saturday Night BBQ Chicken Calzones

These were a product of my husband's imagination.  You have to understand, first of all, that he is a die hard red sauce + meat + cheese and none of this funny business on his pizza kind of a guy.  So I was pleasantly surprised when he specifically asked me to make calzones with barbecue sauce and chicken in them, and I took off from there.  They were really, really tasty, I must say.  The kids ate seconds.  We enjoyed the leftovers the next day.  Definitely a must make again recipe.

See all that melty cheesy saucy goodness?  YUM!

Calzones

Double batch of pizza crust dough**
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
kosher salt, fresh ground pepper
Barbecue sauce of your choice (we prefer Jack Daniel's Original No. 7 recipe or Honey Smokehouse)
1 large bell pepper, preferably orange, yellow or red
1 small purple onion
olive oil
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup real bacon bits

Make your pizza crust according to the directions.  While it is rising, fire up the grill and let it preheat at medium for a few minutes.  Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper over the chicken breasts, and put them on the grill.  Cook for 7-8 minutes on the first side.  Meanwhile, slice the purple onion into 1/4 thick rounds, not separating the rings, and quarter the bell pepper so that you have relatively flat slabs.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the veggies and carefully toss to coat, leaving the onion rings intact.  Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper on top.  Add them to the grill when you flip the chicken breasts over, taking care to place the peppers farther away from the flames because they'll burn quickly if you're not careful.

Baste the newly exposed cooked side of the chicken breast with sauce, and shut the lid for another 7-8 minutes.  Flip the chicken over one last time and baste  again with sauce, and and flip over the veggies at the same time.  If you're feeling really snappy, drizzle a little sauce on them too.  Once the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is nicely caramelized but not burned, remove the chicken and veggies to a plate and let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing into thin strips.  At this point, you will slice the pepper slabs into 1/4" wide strips and separate the onion rings.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a couple of baking sheets lightly with cooking spray.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a circle about 8" in diameter.  Place a helping of peppers, onions, chicken, cheese and bacon on each one and finish it off with a generous tablespoon (or so) of sauce.  Pull the sides up and pinch to close.  If you want to be all fancy and scientific about it, mix the filling around a little bit, but I found that it worked just fine this way.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the calzones are uniformly golden brown, and devour immediately.  I have a sneaking suspicion that these would be awesome with a little bit of well drained pineapple, but a certain someone in my house doesn't think you should add fruit to pizza or pizza-like concoctions.

**This particular batch of dough I used both white wheat and semolina flour as my whole grain mix along with all purpose flour as directed in the recipe.  I find that I really really love semolina in pizza doughs.  It adds a brightness of flavor and I love the sunshiney yellow color.

Tropical Paradise Salad

I'm sick of winter.  I was hopeful that if I made a wild and springy salad, it would warm up outside, but I found myself eating the leftovers as I watched snow flakes flutter down.  It was delicious anyway :).  The dressing is something that I haphazardly threw together, tasting and adjusting as I went.  It's very likely that I'll come up with a different version in the future, but the basic bones of it were good.  Light and citrusy, which is what I was going for.  I made this for a crowd, and was able to prepare everything in advance and assemble it at the last minute.

Tropical Paradise Salad

1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar
dash cayenne pepper
1/4 t. freshly ground sea salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

2 chicken breasts
3 T. honey
2 T. butter
freshly ground sea salt and pepper
1/2 t. dried tarragon

1 mango, peeled and diced
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 cup sliced sweet bell peppers (I used mini colorful sweet peppers found at Costco)
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 bag prewashed baby salad green mix
1 avocado, diced (and with a splash of lime juice if you're not going to eat it right away)

Dressing:
1/2 cup coconut milk
zest and juice of one lime
one orange, zested, and juice sqeezed out of half of it, fruit removed from the other half and added to the mix
2 T. honey
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup pineapple juice
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To make the almonds, heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, then add the almonds, cooking for 3-5 minutes and stirring a few times until they begin to toast.  Meanwhile, mix the sugar, cayenne, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Sprinkle 3/4 of that mix evenly over the nuts, then wait until the sugar starts to liquify.  Stir gently until most of the sugar is melted and coating the nuts.  Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle the remaining sugar over them and stir until it's evenly distributed.  Immediately dump out onto a piece of parchment to let them cool.

You may certainly use prepared grilled chicken strips or diced rotisserie chicken as a time saver.  To prepare it the way I did (though I always prefer to grill - it was just too cold), add two chicken breasts right from the freezer into a large nonstick skillet with a tightly fitting lid.  Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, and season the breasts with the salt, pepper and tarragon.  Put the lid on and simmer over medium low heat for about 20 minutes.  Remove the lid, put a pat of butter on each breast and a generous squirt of honey, put the lid back on for another 2-3 minutes until the juices begin to caramelize, then flip the breasts over and again put the lid on for another 2-3 minutes.  Remove the lid for the last 2-3 minutes to allow the juices to reduce into a lovely syrup.  Pull the pan off the burner and let the chicken rest for several minutes before dicing.

Assemble the salad by laying down the bed of lettuce on the bottom, then sprinkling the fruit, veggies, chicken, nuts and cheese on top.  Prepare the dressing by processing all of the ingredients but the oil in the blender.  Once the blender is spinning, add the oil in a thin stream.  This will help it emulsify nicely so that it won't separate later.  If you want a little bit of a kick, a couple drops of tabasco or a dash of cayenne will do the trick nicely.  A dab of dijon mustard would add a nice tang as well.

If you are not going to serve immediately, I recommend having the dressing separate.  This quantity will serve 4 main dish salads.

Sun Dried Tomato Penne Bake

This is one of those random creations that I put together that turned out well enough that it warrants duplicating.  I have a problem with creativity in the kitchen.  Stuff turns out tasty, and then I can't remember what I put in it when I want to make it again.  That's half the reason I started food blogging!  Anyway, back to this recipe.  This is a concept that is very adaptable and I think would be totally amazing with some grilled zucchini, fresh basil or roasted tomatoes in the height of summer.  I meant to put asparagus in it but totally spaced it...I'll have to make it that way next time.  You can also easily prepare it in advance and pop it into the oven right before dinner.  I made two pans full of it, one so that I could feed my family at the usual time, and a second for a batch of visitors that were later in coming, and it worked out just fine.

Sun Dried Tomato Penne Bake

1/2 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained (I prefer Barilla Plus pasta)

2 chicken breasts

kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

3 T. each lemon juice and honey

1 cup sun dried tomato strips packed in oil

10 mushrooms

2 T. butter

1/2 cup shredded real bacon

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup cream

1/4 cup pine nuts

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill over medium high heat for about 7 minutes on each side.  Before you turn them over for the first time, baste them with a mixture of lemon juice and honey, then baste again right after turning and one last time a minute or so before you take them off the heat.  Set aside on a plate covered with foil to rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mist a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and pour the drained penne into the pan.  Meanwhile, heat up a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt, then add the mushrooms and saute until just starting to turn golden.  Season with salt and pepper, toss in the bacon bits just to heat them up, then pull the pan off the heat. 

Pulse the sun dried tomatoes in a food processor until loosely pureed.  Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips.  Stir the chicken breast strips, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon gently into the pasta until everything is well combined.  Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of it all, then drizzle the cream evenly over the top of the cheese.  Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and cover with foil.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted, then turn the broiler on high and broil for 3-5 minutes until the cheese and pine nuts are nicely golden and toasted.  Serve immediately.  (If you put it in the fridge for a while before cooking, you may need to add an extra 5-10 minutes of cook time.)

Chile Verde, Take 1

My buddy Emily pointed me toward a blog that one of her chef friends started recently as a way to test drive his recipes before he publishes them in a cook book.  The recipe that immediately caught my eye is this one for Chile Verde.  Emily made it and gave me a few modification tips.  Since I don't use alcohol in my cooking, the beer had to go.  I also left out the orange peel/juice and used lime juice instead at Alan's request.  When I went to the store to buy peppers, there were no Poblanos in sight, so I had to settle for Pasillas.  I left out the Maggi, an optional ingredient.  I did find that at the store and in reading the label found that it's basically just MSG, something I avoid if possible.  It wasn't spicy enough for Alan's taste, so I added a bit of cayenne and chipotle flakes at the end. 

I loved it that way - he still says it's missing that elusive "something".  He spent two years down on the border of Texas and Mexico and has strong opinions about the perfect batch of chile verde.  He deemed it very good, just not exactly what he had in mind.  I have to say that I loved it even more the second day after the flavors had mingled in the fridge.  I melted some cheese in it and scooped it up with chips.  Sloppy chip dip, but utterly delicious :), and the texture was great.  I am posting this recipe the way I made it, which deviates somewhat from BDL's posted recipe, so if you're a purist, look at both of them and make your own variation.  I can foresee more batches in our future, and I plan on planting tomatillos in our garden this year.

Chile Verde, Take 1

3 pounds pork, cut into 1 inch cubes, taken from the shoulder, butt or country ribs (I used boneless ribs)
1 T. salt
1 T. black pepper
6 T. flour
6 T. vegetable oil
2 onions, cut in large dice
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds tomatillos, husks, stems and cores removed and cut in quarters (about 8-10 tomatillos)
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. dried Mexian oregano
1 cinnamon stick
3 cups chicken stock
3 Anaheim chiles, seeded, de-veined and cut into 1/2" squares
3 Pasilla or Poblano peppers, seeded, de-veined and cut into 1/2" squares
1/2 a yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2" squares
1-2 jalapenos, seeded, de-veined and minced
1/2-3/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Additional spices added to taste at the end:  salt, fresh cracked pepper, chipotle flakes, cayenne pepper, cumin and cinnamon.

Put the flour, salt and pepper in a bag.  Flour the pork in three batches by shaking until well coated.  Preheat a braising pan over medium high heat (I used an oval magnalite pot that has about an 8 quart capacity).  Add 4 T. oil and heat it up until the air above it appears to shimmer.  Add as much pork as you can fit without the pan being overcrowded, and brown it well on all sides, then remove and reserve on a plate until all of the pork is done.  Add more oil as necessary.  Then add the onions and cook until translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute.

(This is where I deviated, totally by accident - not paying attention - to his prep instructions).  Add the peppers into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften, then add the chicken stock, and stir well, scraping any lovely brown bits off the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomatillos, cumin, oregano, cinnamonstick, and pork and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to bring it to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

I prefer my sauce without big chunks other than the meat, so at this point, I fished out the pork chunks with a slotted spoon, then used an immersion blender to loosely puree the peppers, tomatillos and onions.  Add the pork back in, taste the seasoning and correct as needed, add the cilantro and lime juice, and simmer uncovered for another 30-45 minutes.  We had guests that arrived later in the evening, so I left it on the stovetop at a low simmer for another 2 hours, and the texture and flavor were even better.

We ate this with a side of black beans (seasoned with a splash of lemon juice and a dash of cumin), cilantro lime rice, shredded cheese, and hunks of tortilla to scoop it up.  Alan has informed me that real Mexicans use tortillas instead of forks.  The texture of this sauce would be fabulous as an enchilada sauce or to smother burritos, and I imagine that it would freeze quite well.  I can see this being a big batch thing to do in the summer when I have oodles of produce and freezing it for a special winter treat.

Perfect Turkey

I mean it. This is a 100% fool proof recipe. I have posted this before, a long time ago, lumped in with several other recipes in one post, but this is one that I get asked for frequently enough that it warrants it's own real post with pictures. Plus, I've learned a thing or two over the years after making it several dozen times. One of my versions of this was published in Taste of Home a few months ago, which resulted in a mildly unnerving phone call from a guy on the East Coast that had some questions about how to prepare it, and just wanted to let me know that he was making my recipe. TOH publishes first and last name as well as home town with each recipe, which I never saw as problematic before that phone call. Now it has honestly made me think twice about submitting more recipes. I'm sure he was just a nice old fella, but that was just a bit over the line. Anyway, on with the recipe.

First, select a nice bone in turkey breast. Boneless turkey breasts are just plain weird. They take all the meat hunks and press them into a lump and wrap mesh around it. Not terribly appetizing - take my word for it. I can fit up to an 8 pound breast in my 6 quart oval crock pot, though that is definitely pushing the limit. You'll definitely be safe with one around 7 pounds. Thaw it, either by putting it in the fridge a couple days in advance, or if you're like me and you decide that you've got a hankering for turkey dinner that morning, pull it out of the freezer and let it sit in a sink full of hot water for a couple hours. That size of a bird actually thaws relatively quickly. Remove the nasty gravy packet from the chest cavity and throw it away, then rinse the bird off and stick it in the crock pot, breast side down.

I used to remove the skin before cooking. It's a horrid job, and I've lately found that it slips off quite easily after cooking, plus lends better flavor to the broth if you leave it on. Since I hate to handle raw meat, I now leave it on.

Next, tuck 5-6 cloves of garlic in and around the breast, grind some freshly ground pepper over it all and sprinkle a generous pinch of kosher salt. Tuck 4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary in and around (you can use dried as well, but the flavor of fresh is really worth it), and last of all a tablespoon of brown sugar. For more savory flavor, you can toss a peeled whole shallot into the cavity.

Put the lid on. If you're like me and tend to choose bustier turkey bosoms than your crock pot can handle, you might wind up with a gap between the lid and the pot. Like this one. There was a centimeter gap. So I simply placed a towel over the lid, followed by a layer of tin foil, and then pulled out some old sacks of beans that have been pressed into service for this very thing a number of times, and weighted the lid down. Works like a charm, but I wouldn't push it any farther than I did.

Set it to cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6. Walk away and let the pot do it's magic. When the cook time is up, pull the breast out and flip it upside down on a plate. Tent it loosely with foil and let the juices settle for at least 10 minutes before pulling the meat off. Usually, the meat literally just falls off the bones in two neat breasty hunks, which are super easy to slice for serving.

Now it's time to make gravy. Easy stuff, I promise. I slurp all of the juices out of the pot with a turkey baster and pour them into a pyrex cup. I usually get around 2 cups. (Notice that I did not have to add any water to the pot to achieve this - it's pure turkey magic.) Melt 2 T. of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, then whisk in 2 T. flour until it forms a thick paste. Slowly whisk in the turkey juices, bit by bit, making sure that you incorporate the flour well and smoothly. Once all the juices have been added, correct the seasoning as needed with a little more pepper (I have never needed to add more salt) and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Done!

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This is such moist and tender turkey that you may never cook a full bird again. I have hosted Thanksgiving before with only this kind of turkey. I lined up three pots in the garage, and voila! Not only did I have perfect turkey that everyone swooned over, but I also didn't have it competing for oven space.

Pizza "casserole"

Not a big fan of casseroles here. I can hardly bring myself to call this a casserole, but it is what it is. I can guarantee that you'll NEVER get a recipe from me on this blog that starts with canned cream of crud soup. Their resemblence to unfortunate bodily discharge is too strong. But every now and then I do need to resort to something that's quick to put together and doesn't require last minute fuss, and this totally fit the bill. Best of all, every person at the table cleaned their plate and pronounced it tasty. Victory!

8 ounces small pasta - shells, elbows or similar
1 jar any flavor spaghetti sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozarella cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Kosher salt
Coarse pepper
1 cup mini pepperonis or regular size cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pasta in salted water to al dente according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and dump into a 9x13 baking pan that has been misted with cooking spray. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the pasta and stir until well coated.

In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon globs of it evenly dispersed over the pasta mixture, and lightly stir. Sprinkle the pepperonis in an even layer, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of it all.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden on top. Serve immediately.

Creamy loaded penne

This is the sort of thing that I whip up on a regular basis. The beauty of it is versatility. You can swap the veggies around to suit your taste, add more meat and different kinds of it. It's just a good, basic, and very filling meal. Everyone in my family eats it without complaint which is a big deal. It's easily expandable and very flexible. I'm going to give you the principles, and allow you the freedom to make it the way you like it.

First, bring a big pot of water to a boil. Dump in half a box of penne pasta (roughly half a pound), a generous dash of salt and a splash of olive oil.

Next, place two chicken breasts in a large, lidded, nonstick skillet. If I were to choose just one pot or pan out of my kitchen, it would definitely be my deep 12" lidded skillet. Season them with a few grinds of coarse pepper, a dash of kosher salt, a generous sprinkling of garlic powder and thyme or rosemary. Add 1/4 cup of water, put the lid on and let them cook unbothered for about 15 minutes over medium heat. If you're cooking them from frozen, they'll take 20-25 minutes to cook through. If they're thawed, more like 15. Once the water has evaporated and they have shrunken to about 3/4 their original size, drizzle a small amount of olive oil over them and flip them over. Put the lid back on and let them brown lightly on the other side for a few minutes, flip them back for a couple more minutes, then remove from heat and allow them to stand for 5 or so minutes before slicing into thin strips.

While the chicken and pasta are cooking, cut up your veggies of choice into bite size slices and chunks. I like to use a variety of colors and textures. Pictured above I simply used half of a red bell pepper and a couple of cups of small broccoli florets. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, other bell peppers, minced garlic, fresh basil, fresh spinach, purple onions, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, capers, roma tomatoes and peas are all possibilities (though not all at once - that might be overwhelming ;)...). Once the chicken is done cooking, I remove it from the pan, drizzle in a little more olive oil and toss the veggies in. Sprinkle kosher salt and fresh pepper over them and put the lid on to allow them to steam in their own juices for about 3 minutes. Take the lid back off and toss in a handful of real bacon bits, and saute for a minute or two.

By now, the pasta should be done. Drain it well, then add it into the skillet with the veggies, and add the chicken as well. Pour 2/3 of a cup of cream over it all and stir well to coat. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese (NOT the nasty pebbles found in the green can - I'm talking real shreds) over it and stir briefly to distribute it. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup over the top and serve immediately. This will serve 4-6 adults, depending on appetite size.

I've done versions of this in which I've heated the cream up, then melted the cheese into it, then stirred it into the food, and that works ok though sometimes the cheese doesn't homogenize well into the cream. I find that I prefer the method in this recipe because it gives you a light creamy glaze over all of it with little pockets of lightly melted cheese. I'm not a fan of thick, heavy classic Alfredo sauce. This pasta satisfies my desire for creamy sauce without totally busting the calorie bank, plus it reheats well without that nasty separation problem you get with Alfredo.

Quinoa Two Ways

I have recently become interested in quinoa. It's a superfood loaded with complete protein, fiber, iron and all sorts of other nutrients. I found a 10 cup sack of it at Costco for a reasonable price and decided to give it a whirl. The first thing I did was to add a handful to a loaf of rustic bread. The kids were none the wiser that I snuck some extra nutrition in, and I found that the additions to the texture were good and not objectionable at all. Because it's a very well hydrated dough, the grains in the center of the loaf all but melted in. The ones on the outer crust were just a bit crunchy, adding a nice zing to an already hearty crust. I have become quite unafraid to mess with different mixtures of grains in my breads and find that I love the flavor boost of adding semolina, rye and whole wheat flour. Experiment #2 involved using my basic basmati rice pilaf and modifying it slightly. It was well received. I simmered chicken breasts with rosemary then deglazed with cherry preserves and apple cider vinegar to go with it and it turned out to be an excellent complement.

Quinoa Rice Pilaf

1 cup quinoa
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup pinenuts
2 T. butter
1 carrot, finely grated
1 orange, zested and juiced
1/2 t. cardamom
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth

Toast the dry quinoa in a dry skillet for 3-5 minutes, until the seeds just begin to turn golden and become aromatic. In a 2 quart saucepan with a lid, melt the butter and add the shallot and pinenuts. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until the shallot pieces are translucent. Add the quinoa, carrot, orange zest, juice and cardamom and stir until well combined. Add the chicken broth, close the lid and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, pull off the heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve. The grain will reveal it's little white curly tail once it's cooked. **It isn't required to toast the quinoa first, but I found that the flavor was very much improved by this. It went from bland to having a hint of nuttiness.

Cider Cherry Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
fresh rosemary sprigs
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 T. butter
1/4 cup cherry preserves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

In a large, nonstick, lidded skillet, place the chicken breasts so that they are not overlapping. It is ok to cook right from frozen. Pull the leaves off the rosemary by pinching the stem and sliding down against the leaf direction, then sprinkle them around evenly on the chicken. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper, then put the lid on and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken has reduced in size by about 25% and all the moisture has dissipated. Add the butter and let it melt, lifting up the chicken breasts so it can run underneath. Turn the breasts to coat lightly. In a small bowl, mix the cherry preserves and cider vinegar, then pour over the breasts, again, turning to coat. Put the lid back on and cook for 5 minutes, then pull the lid off and cook for another 5 minutes, turning the breasts over a few more times so that they will coat and caramelize evenly. Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing into strips, then drizzle the pan drippings over the top.

Quinoa Pork and Black Bean Tostadas

Small flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese
1 can green enchilada sauce (I prefer Hatch)
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless pork chops or pork stew meat
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup quinoa
1 T. butter
1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 t. salt
"Fixings": diced fresh tomato, avocado, shredded lettuce, additional shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa

Simmer the pork doused in the enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan over low heat for a couple of hours, until the meat is tender. Chop or shred into small pieces and return it to the sauce. Stir in the black beans. Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa by toasting it lightly in a dry skillet for 3-5 minutes, then add 2 cups of water, the butter and salt, and simmer for 15 minutes. Pull off the heat, stir in the lime juice and cilantro, and put the lid back on for another 5 minutes.

Prepare the tostada crisps by preheating the oven to 350. Lay the tortillas in a single layer on a large cookie sheet and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Serve by spreading a couple spoonfuls of the quinoa on top, followed by a layer of pork and black beans, and then the desired fixings.

Hearty roasted southwest chicken soup

I have long sought a recipe for chicken tortilla soup that's hearty rather than brothy, packs a robust flavor into the bowl, and doesn't call for "cream of fill-in-the-blank" soup (banned from my kitchen, I'm afraid). The frost propelled us to clear out the last of the peppers and tomatoes from the garden, yielding bags full of each. We froze a bunch of the peppers until we got tired of chopping, and stashed the remaining couple dozen jalapenos in the fridge. I mulled over what to do with them all day and around 3 in the afternoon, started experimenting. This soup requires some advance planning, but it is not difficult. It is very nutritious and a great way to get some veggies into your kids. And it is delicious! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

15 roma tomatoes, sliced in half vertically and seeds removed
1 large purple onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Prepare the veggies as above, then spread out on a jelly roll pan, drizzle with olive oil, toss lightly to coat, and face all of the tomatoes cut side up. Tuck the garlic into some of the tomatoes, sprinkle everything with salt and pepper, then roast in the oven at 300 degrees for 2 hours. No stirring required - just walk away.

When it's done, it should look like this. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken and jalapenos on the grill:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
cumin, coriander, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder
1 lime
8-10 jalapeno peppers

Sprinkle each chicken breast with the seasonings. Place the jalapenos and the chicken breasts on a preheated grill and cook for 8 minutes over medium heat. Rotate the jalapenos to get even browning of the skins, and remove them once they begin to split. Before turning the chicken breasts over, squeeze half a lime over them to moisten the spices. Cook for an additional 8 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Remove to a plate to allow the juices to settle before cutting each breast into thin strips across the grain, then chop the strips into 4ths. Slice the stem end off each jalapeno, cut lengthwise, and remove the seeds.

Do not fear the jalapeno. This may seem like an outrageous number of the feisty little buggers, but the grilling and subsequent simmering mellows the heat to almost zero. If my 2 year old can eat the soup without complaining, so can you.

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Next, pull out an 8 quart soup pot. Scrape all of the tomatoes, onions and garlic in, and toss in the jalapenos. You will now need:

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2 cans chicken stock

1 cup corn, frozen or canned (drain first)

1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1/2 t. each oregano, cumin, coriander and if you're feeling spicy, chipotle chili powder

1/4 t. smoked salt (you can substitute liquid smoke, but add it cautiously and taste after every few drops - we're just trying to round out the flavor, not overwhelm it!)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

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Pour the chicken stock into the pot with the veggies and use an immersion blender to puree it all until smooth. If you'd like your soup runnier, add another can of stock. Stir in the corn, black beans, diced chicken, seasonings, and adjust to taste. Simmer on medium low for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, then stir in the fresh cilantro and squeeze the other half the lime in just before serving.

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Serve with avocado wedges, lime wedges (this one is really important - the kick of fresh lime squeezed into your bowl is just awesome), grated jack or chedder cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. This quantity will serve 4- 6, depending on how hearty the servings are.

Tuscan Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

I've been mulling over exactly how to make this dish for several days, eyeing my now suddenly prolific roma tomato bushes. The basil didn't do so hot this year in our yard, but a neighbor has an abundance, so I took advantage of her generosity this week and picked a bag full, anticipating a wonderful batch of homemade pesto. This is a dinner that requires planning ahead, though none of the steps are difficult. Roasted tomatoes are worth the effort. The sweetness of the roasted tomatoes is balanced perfectly by the bold flavors of the pesto and the salty bacon. I would classify this dinner in the "deeply satisfying" category, and the fact that my two year old begged for fourths should tell you something. Make it for company and they'll think you're a culinary genius all while you're laughing behind your hand because it's really quite simple.

Pesto is one of those things that I just eyeball. First, I would highly recommend doing this in a food processor, not a blender. I, unfortunately, do not own a food processor, so I was forced to wrangle and mash and grit my teeth through a 45 minute mess in the blender. Irritating, because it would really only take 5minutes start to finish in a food processor.

3 cups of packed basil leaves (washed and stems removed)

2/3 cup pine nuts

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

olive oil - enough to allow it to blend freely, but not be soupy

Place all of these ingredients in a food processor and drizzle a generous amount of oil on top. Pulse several times until it is coarsely chopped, adding more oil as necessary. Pulse a few more times until it is finely chopped. Scoop into containers to freeze or refrigerate, covering with a very thin layer of oil to preserve the fresh green color, or use immediately.

Voila! Pesto!

Next up are the roasted tomatoes. I started these in the early afternoon, because they take 2 1/2 to 3 hours to roast properly. You can crank up the heat to speed them up, but I've found that results in burned bottoms and not as awesome of flavor.

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Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

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Slice 1 dozen roma tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seedy pulp, leaving the core intact. Drizzle lightly in olive oil and toss to coat, then face them cut side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle kosher salt, a few grinds of pepper and 1 T. raw sugar evenly over the top.

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Bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, or until the bottoms are beginning to brown, the tops are soft and shriveled, and the aroma causes you to snitch one right off the pan. (For that matter, fill the whole pan, because you'll be sorely tempted to eat more than one. I used a dozen for the dinner recipe, but made double that.) Roasted tomatoes will keep for a few days tightly covered in the refrigerator, and make an absolutely amazing grilled cheese on sourdough.

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Now for the dinner. Start a pot of water boiling and fire up the grill.

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1/2 pound penne pasta, cooked to al dente

2 chicken breasts

kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic powder

3 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. honey

3 strips bacon, fried until crisp and crumbled (optional)

12 roasted roma tomatoes (24 halves), sliced into wide strips

1/2 cup fresh pesto (store bought or homemade)

1/4 parmesan cheese

fresh basil leaves for garnish

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Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Butterfly the chicken breasts and sprinkle the salt, pepper and garlic on the cut sides. Grill on each side for about 8 minutes until cooked through, basting with a mixture of vinegar and honey. Set aside to let the juices rest for a few minutes, then slice into thin strips.

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Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and pour into a large serving bowl. Add the pesto and toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Add the tomatoes, crumbled bacon and chicken, and carefully toss again until evenly distributed. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top, add basil leaves for garnish and serve immediately.

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Edited to add that apparently Sara and Kate were on the same wavelength as me this week! Check out their post here about fresh pesto, including a similar, but quicker version of this dinner.