Butternut Squash....

Butternut Squash is a very cool vegetable.  There are tons of different uses for it, like soups and sautee's, I usually roast it, either whole or cut up.  The taste is a cross between a sweet potato and a carrot, its sweet and delicious.  I actually found 2 uses for it the other night, both as a side dish, and a prop.  As you can see from the picture I used the shell for the presentation, and boy was it impressive.  The easiest was to cook the butternut squash is roasting in the oven.

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, place cut side up on a baking sheet, drizzle a little olive oil..and kosher salt, and bake at 350-400  for 1- 1.5 hours until soft.  cooking time will depend on the thickness of the squash.

Test the softness with a knife, once soft remove from oven, let it cool a few minutes and remove the insides with a spoon.  I usually place in a bowl and then use my potato masher to mash.  You get a sweet side dish that's simple and doesn't need anything but a little Salt.

I used the empty squash to fill it with my Chicken with baby corn and cranberry stir fry.  This made for a very appetizing and beautiful presentation.
for the chicken Stir Fry:
1 LB chicken breast - sliced very thin
1/2 canned baby corn - cut in half
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup Asian sesame dressing
In a skillet, strir fry the chicken in oil until it turns white, about 5-8 minutes depending on the thickness, add dressing, corn and cranberries, stir fry for another 5 minutes.   I used an ice cream scooper to scoop the mashed squash on the side and topped with chopped parsley.  Enjoy

Spinach Linguine

One of the advantages of shopping at Fairway is their extensive selection of fresh pasta's.  Last week I tried their Spinach Linguine, which was very delicious.  I paired it with some grilled chicken and vegetables and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, the outcome was delicious.
There really is a difference between fresh pasta and dried pasta from a box.  The fresh takes only about 5 minutes to cook, and has more of a doughy texture, which I love, plus this particular pasta was infused with spinach, and had a very pretty green color.  Here’s how I prepared it.
Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and reserve the pasta water.
Grill a few pcs of Chicken and slice into strips
In a large skillet - combine 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 1 large onion, diced. Sautee for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent, add 1/2 chopped pepper and 1/2 chopped zucchini, sauté for another 2 minutes, add 1 tablespoon butter. Sautee for another minute, add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. You will now have a nice sauce, add the pasta and chicken mix everything together(you can add more reserved pasta water if you need to)  and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Something New.... A Rice Casserole

 It should not come as a surprise to you that I love food shopping.  I can spend hours in a supermarket, especially Fairway. I sometimes even lose track of time, just going up and down the isles looking at different products, thinking of new things I can make.  There are certain staples that I usually keep in my fridge at all times. 

1. Certain vegetables  -  potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, a pepper, broccolli, zucchini, scallions

2. Chicken usually in the freezer and a package of Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage - raw or cooked

3. Some type of rice/pasta and a few canned goods, beans, chickpeas

The above Ingredients can be combined into hundreds of delicious combinations.  Making up new dishes is one of my favorite things to do, so naturally on my way home from work I was trying to come up with a new way to use the Chicken Sausage.  I eneded up making a Casserole with rice, zucchini peppers and sausage with some baked beans on the side.  The combination was delicious.  Every bite had all the ingredients and the baked beans added a sweetness to the dish. Try for yourself:

Ingerients: (veggies can be substituted to your liking)

3-4 cooked Italian Chicken Sausages- Diced

1/2 Red pepper - diced
1/2 zuccchini- diced
1 scallion
1 package of of Rice

cheddar cheese

Cook Rice according to instructions. In a large skillet fry the diced chicken sausage until brown, add scallion, zucchini and peppers, cook for about 5-7  minutes unntil everything is golden. Once the rice is cooked, add to the skillet, mix and transfer to a baking dish, top with cheese, bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Heat the beans in a dish until hot.
Enjoy

step 1- cook all the ingredients

finished product

rice and canned beans i used

Blogworthy Dinner.....

I cook dinner almost every night, why then have I not posted a blog in almost 2 weeks???? The answer is Blogworthyness...well no, that's not the only reason, I have been busier than usual, but the truth is, I only like to post what I think is a really exceptionally delicious and creative meal in my standards :O)

Tonight I made Chicken cubes with spinach and feta cheese, mashed potatoes with whole grain coarse mustard, and sauteed vegetables.  The combination was delightful, my husband even went so far to say  " its the best meal you've ever made", I don't know about that... it's probably the best meal I've made in a few weeks. 

What are chicken cubes? In essence they are just like meatballs, but its the square shape that makes them unique, fun, and very delicious because they get brown on all 4 sides and juts look very pretty especially with the green spinach that runs through them.

For the Chicken cubes: 

after



before



1 LB ground chicken

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs

handful of chopped spinach

feta cheese ( not sure how much I used, if its crumbled, probably 1/3 cup)

Mix together all of the ingredients. Eggs and salt first, then breadcrumbs, finally the spinach and cheese.  Line a baking sheet with foil, spray the foil with cooking spray.  Shape the chicken into cubes, ( wet hands help the chicken not stick to your hands)  Preheat oven to 400, bake for 20 minutes, then take out and flip the cubes and bake for another 15 minutes.   I like to broil at the end, to get them nice and brown.
For the mashed potatoes: 
I used about 10 russet potatoes with skin on, you can also use yukon with skins,

Boil and salt water, throw in cut up potatoes, cook until soft, drain and add 1/2 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons milk, and about 2 tablespoons grainy mustard.  This really adds a unique flavor to the potatoes. If the potatoes are too dry you can add more milk or butter or mustard.

For the vegetables - (the trick is to cut up all the vegetables in the same shape)

1/2 red pepper

1/2 zucchini

10 string beans cut up lengthwise
1 small onion
Heat olive oil in a skillet, add onions, ad 1/2 tablespoons butter, cook for 1 minute, add remaining vegetables and lower the heat and cover, cook for abut 7-10 minutes until vegetables are soft and translucent.
Enjoy!!!



 

A Yummy Tart!!!

Who would have thought you can actually bake with fresh grapes?  I was intrigued by a recipe from below food blog.
http://rozannegold.wordpress.com/.
Rozanne Gold made this great looking cake that really sparked my interest because grapes are the last fruit you would think of baking with, I had to try for myself.  Well, this tart came out delicious, and very easy to make.  Grapes add a very refreshing and delicious texture and the pignoli (or pine) nuts get toasty and really add a great flavor.  Try for yourself!!!

Grape-and-Pignoli Breakfast Cake
 (you can use slightly wrinkled grapes)
12 ounces red seedless grapes (not too large)
2 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 tablespoons pignoli nuts (pine nuts)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Wash the grapes and discard stems.  Dry well and set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1/2 cup olive oil,vanilla, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup of the sugar.  Blend thoroughly.  Stir in the flour and mix well until smooth.  Use 1 tablespoon oil to grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and pour in the batter.  Place the grapes evenly, about 1/4-inch apart, in concentric circles on top of the batter to cover the entire surface.  Press the grapes halfway into the batter.  Scatter pignoli evenly on the cake and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.  Bake 45 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool.  Serves 8 to 10

A twist on Lo-Mein

I love coming up with my own version of a food I like.  While walking through an Asian isle at the supermarket this weekend, I saw a pack of noodles, this sparked my idea for tonight's dish.  A Lo Mein with Chicken Vegetables and Cashew Nuts.  Obviously easy, this dish wasn't your regular Chinese Restaurant style lo mein, which is a pretty heavy dish and almost always greasy, leaving you  sick and in need of tums.  My dish was rather light, filled with lots of veggies, its healthy and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 small chicken breasts- cut in strips

1/2 small red pepper

1 medium onion

1/2 cup- finely chopped cabbage(  used 1/4 of a small head of cabbage)

a bunch of string beans cut halfway

a handful of the slaw mix which includes shredded broccoli and cauliflower stems, red cabbage and carrot
1/4 cup unsalted cashews( optional)
soy/teriyaki sauce
Any type of noodles - (I used bean threads)
note: all vegetables are completely optional, add or remove vegetables as you like or whatever you have in your fridge.

I started by sauteing chicken in a wak, about 3 minutes until white, add about 4 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce, few dashes of soy sauce, add onions, sautee for 2 minutes, add remaining vegetables, and cashew nuts and continue to cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat.  If there isn't enough liquid add more teriyaki sauce. 

I cooked noodles according to instructions, which were to soak in water for 10-15 minutes.  These noodles are very interesting, very thin and see through, and very light.

Add noodles to the wak, and mix everything together, cook for another few minutes. Transfer to plate and top with some crushed cashew nuts.
Enjoy!!


cut up veggies, excluding cabbage



Basic with a Twist...

 Growing up, the most basic meal consisted of mashed

potatoes and chicken cutlets.  You can’t get any more Russian than that.  It’s simple, so good and very quick to make. When I cook, I love giving the old classics a twist.  That’s exactly what I did tonight; I added an Asian inspired rainbow slaw to the classic and instantly took it to a new level.  I found this package of salad in the supermarket last weekend and decided to give it a try.  It’s made up of shredded broccoli stems and cauliflower stems, as well as red cabbage and carrots.  The combination is refreshing with a great crunch.  I knew that this salad mix needed just a bit of cooking, so for the Asian inspired slaw I pan fried about a cup and a half it in a little olive oil then added about 2 tablespoons of my favorite Asian sesame sauce, topped it with some toasted slivered almonds, about 2 minutes total cooking time.  Mixed in with the mashed potatoes, this really gave my dish a kick.

For the chicken Cutlets:
1 lb of ground chicken
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix all together, shape into a cutlet, and pan fry.

Enjoy!!!



chicken cutlets





almonds toasting



Food on Demand: Hummus

I realize there’s nothing easier than buying a container of hummus at a supermarket, but for me, besides the pleasure I get from making my own food, I love the idea of food on demand, I can make whatever I want, whenever I want it..... 
I really like Hummus, it’s such a simple flavor, straight forward and delicious and also pretty healthy.  Basically it’s just mashed up chickpeas.  I’m very aware that middle eastern people take pride in their hummus and even talk bad about each other’s hummus as if it’s a competition on which is better,  I on the other hand am not an expert on hummus and usually go by the Sabra hummus taste in the supermarket, and occasionally at Greek or Middle eastern restaurants.  I’ve wanted to make my own hummus for a long time, just never bothered to stock Tahini in my pantry since I couldn’t think of any other use for it.  Finally a few weeks ago I got a can of Tahini and my hummus was just waiting to be made.
I got this recipe from a food blog but cant remmeber which one so I cant give it credit.  Try for yourself!!

Hummus ( I used canned chickpeas and forgot to add garlic and it still tasted great)
1-1/2 cups freshly cooked chickpeas (or a 15-ounce can)
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini (well-stirred)
1 medium clove garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
optional: toasted sesame seeds and smoked paprika for dusting on top
If using canned chickpeas, drain them under cold water and shake dry.  Put chickpeas, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, garlic, 2 tablespoons water, cumin and salt in a food processor and process several minutes until very smooth.  Add more lemon juice if desired and a little more water to make a smooth consistency, if necessary.  Pack into a shallow dish or spread the hummus on a large plate.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds and smoked paprika, if using.  Makes 1-1/2 cups

Cheese Tortellini with Chicken and Corn

I love recreating dishes.  Sometimes I switch out or add just one ingredient, at times its 2 or 3, the end result is always the same, I end up with something new and delicious.  That's exactly what happened tonight.  I went into the kitchen not really knowing what I was going to make, it kinda just happened. I had some corn on the cob and some Boursin cheese, perfect, I thought, I will make a delicious side dish I learned from a friend.  It involves boiling and grilling the corn and then cutting it off the cobb and mixing it in with the cheese.  The warm corn melts the cheese, a little chopped greens, parsley or dill, and you've got yourself a pretty great side dish.  So that was my starting point, only problem, there was no way I was going outside to grill corn in 20 degree weather, tonight it will have to just be boiled.  I also felt like a little cauliflower would add crunch and flavor to an already perfect salad so I added some chopped cauliflower to the boiling water at the very end.  The salad came out good, but was really missing that grill flavor, so I decided the dish will just need to be recreated. I wanted to somehow incorporate cheese tortellini and chicken into tonight's dinner, so a thought popped into my head, why not combine everything together and finish it off with some more of the cheese.  That's how I came up with tonight's spin off.  It was perfection, all the flavors married together and the cheese gave it that creaminess.  I boiled the cheese tortellini in salted water and drained it, 2 small Chicken breasts were cubed and sauteed in olive oil with salt, pepper and paprika.  Then in a new skillet I combined everything together starting with the corn, then tortellini and chicken, adding about 2 tablespoons of the cheese.  Once everything was warmed up, it was ready to serve.  Try for yourself.

corn/cauliflower and parsley with cheese



the cheese, make sure to get the garlic and herb

cheese tortellini

cubed chicken



The Perfect Sandwich...

Sadly, I must admit, this creation is not my own because I am pretty simple minded when it comes to sandwiches, but this sandwich is truly a masterpiece.  Created by my husband a few years ago, it comes from a bagel/deli place called Gaby's Gourmet in Syosset by our house.  They do such a perfect job creating this sandwich that as much as I love recreating masterpieces, this is one I don't even want to attempt.
Contents:
Everything Flat Bagel
Honey Maple Turkey- alot of it
Swiss Cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Russian Dressing
comes with coleslaw and pickle on the side
I'm not a huge fan of everything bagels/flagels, but for some reason it really works on this sandwich, perhaps its all the toppings of the flagel mixed with the turkey and Russian dressing, that make it so good.  The flagel adds the perfect crunch to this sandwich while bread would usually get soggy from the Russian dressing.  This is the ultimate sandwich and definitely worth a try!!!