"What's for Dinner?!" I'm always thinking about it, thought I'd share.

"What's for Dinner?!" I'm always thinking about it, thought I'd share.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Fisherman's Stew with tomatoes, root vegetables and baby potatoes

Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Butter
1# firm white fish (Cod, Haddock, etc.)
1# mixed seafood (Trader Joe's seafood medley / calamari, shrimp, scallops)
2 med. Onions, thinly sliced
1 med. bulb Fennel, thinly sliced
2 ribs Celery, thinly sliced
3 Carrots, peeled cut into 1" pieces
1 Parsnip, peeled cut into 1' pieces
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
1 cn. diced Tomatoes
1# baby potatoes (red bliss/fingerlings, etc.), cut into similar sized pieces
1/3 c. half & half (optional)
1 btl. Clam Juice
1/2 c. fish stock ( can sub. chicken stock)
bay leaf
fresh thyme, fine chopped, to taste
Old Bay seasoning, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
Corn Starch (for thickening)
Crusty bread (french baguette)

Put large pot over medium high heat.  Add oil, heat until shimmering.  Add onions, fennel, and butter.  Cook for 5-6 minutes making sure to stir often, they should be cooked until translucent; add garlic cook 2 minutes.  Add potatoes, carrots and parsnips, cook 2 minutes.  Add clam juice, stock, half & half, and tomatoes (with juice).  Add Bay leaf, thyme, and Old Bay; cook for 10 minutes.  Add all seafood and cook until fish is just done 8-10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
While the fish is cooking, as an optional step if you like the stew to be a little thicker, make a slurry.  This is done by placing a couple of tablespoons of corn starch in a small bowl and while stirring, add just enough water to it that the consistency resembles heavy cream.   Increase heat under the stew until mixture is bubbling and while stirring add small amounts of slurry to stew.  Do this in stages as not to over thicken.  Once  stew is thick enough lower heat, cook 2 more minutes and then serve with crusty bread.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Weekly Menu Nov. 27th-Dec. 3rd

Nov. 27th- Dec. 3rd





Saturday-
Fisherman's Stew with Tomatoes, Root Vegetables, and Baby Potatoes

Sunday-
Turkey Breast Stuffed with Smoked Chicken and Wild Rice Stuffing

Monday-
Chinese Noodles with Tofu and Garlic, Stir Fr



ied Vegetables

Tuesday-
Elizabeth's Birthday - anything goes birthday girl's choice

Wednesday-
Seared Salmon with a Bacon, Onion, and Apple Hash, Zucchini latkes 

Thursday-
"Everything but the kitchen sink" Salad

Friday-
Open-Faced Vegetarian Tortas with an Tomato & Avocado Salad, Lime Vinaigrette

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Oven Roasted Chicken with a Maple Bourbon Glaze

Brine: (Enough for 2 Chickens)
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Salt
8 C. Water (2 cups room temp/6 cups iced)
1/2 C. Cider Vinegar
1 onion, diced
Fresh Oregano
Fresh Thyme
10 Peppercorns
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 whole Chicken, cook into 8 pieces
Olive Oil
Onion powder
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Oregano
Black Pepper

Glaze
1 Tbsp. Butter
1/3 C. Orange Juice
1 small Onion, minced
1/4 c. Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. Bourbon
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce



At least 4 hours before, preferably over night brine chicken:
In large pot combine combine 2 cups of room temp. water and rest of brine ingredients.  Heat over high heat stirring until sugar and salt has dissolved.  Remove from heat and add iced water and cool brine.   Make sure brine is cold before adding chicken pieces.  Place a small plate on top of chicken to keep everything fully submerged.  Keep in the refrigerator over night.

Make glaze.  In a small sauce pan, melt butter, add onions and cook until translucent.  Add brown sugar and cook until bubbling, remove pan from heat, add bourbon.  Put back onto the heat and mix the rest of the ingredients into sugar mixture.  Cook until thick.

Preheat oven to 400.  Remove chicken pieces from brine, dry with paper towel and place in large bowl.  Discard brine.  Toss chicken with olive oil and seasoning to taste.  Arrange pieces on baking sheet, place in hot oven and cook for 25 minutes.  Remove chicken from oven and baste with glaze.  Return to oven and finish cooking (10 minutes).  When done remove, baste and serve.

Smoked Turkey and Lentil Stew

Olive Oil
1 Smoked Turkey Leg, cubed
1# Turkey tenderloin, 1" cubes
2 medium Onions, diced
3 ribs Celery, large dice
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 medium Carrots, diced
2 small Sweet Potatoes, cubed
1 C. Pearl Onions, skinned and left whole
2 Tbsp. Tomato paste
1/2 cup dry Red Wine
1 C. diced tomatoes
3 C. Chicken Stock
1 C. Green Lentils
2 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme
2 Bay leaves
Salt and Pepper
Water as needed
French Baguette

In heavy stock pot heat olive oil until shimmering.  Sear tenderloin pieces until brown, remove and reserve in bowl.  Add onions, carrots and celery, cook until onions are translucent.  Add garlic, cook 1-2 minutes.  Add tomato paste, reduce heat and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring often.  Add wine and deglaze pot, lifting brown bits at the bottom of pot with a wooden spoon.  Reduce liquid by half.  Add tenderloin and smoked turkey cubes.  Add stock, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, pearl onions, diced tomatoes, & sweet potatoes.   Cook over medium heat until lentils are soft and sweet potatoes are tender (20-25 minutes).  May need to add water if stew gets too thick.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve with french baguette.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Weekly Menu Nov. 20th-25th

Nov. 20th - Nov. 25th
Saturday-
Oven Roasted Chicken with a Maple Bourbon Glaze
Baby Potatoes with Sea Salt, Thyme, and Cracked Black Pepper
Asparagus with Shallots and Lemon Zest

Sunday-
Smoked Turkey and Lentil Stew
French Baguette

Monday-
Vegetable Brown Rice Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Romaine Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Tuesday-
Baby Arugula Salad with Wild Mushroom saute
Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Pine Nuts

Wednesday-
Honey Glazed Ham
Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes 
Peas and Carrots

Thursday-
Thanksgiving at Bob and Valerie's (Just need to bring the Champagne, Vegetable side dishes and Dessert)

Friday-
Steak and Martini Night

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Chicken Shawarma

2 Lemons, juiced

10 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c. Olive Oil
2 Tsp. Curry powder
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. ground Black Pepper
2 # boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
Pita Bread
1 Tomato, chopped

Marinade-
In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, and oil.  Add curry powder, salt, and pepper, whisk to combine.  Add chicken and coat well with marinade.  Cover, place in frig. and marinade min. 4 hours, best if overnight.

Preheat grill to med. high.  Remove chicken from marinade.  Grill chicken for about 10 mins. on each side or until fully cooked through.  Serve on pita and top with tomatoes and Shawarma sauce.

Shawarma Sauce

3 cloves Garlic
1 C. Tahini
3 C. water
1/2 C. Lemon juice
Salt


Add garlic to food processor and chop fine.  Add tahini and pulse to combine.  While machine is running, slowly add cold water until frothy.  Add lemon juice and mix until creamy.  Season with salt to taste.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Chick-Pea Stew

Found this one on the Food Network website.  Fantastic.  Recipe courtesy of Michele Urvater

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 C. Chopped Onions
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tsp. ground Cumin
2 Tsp. fresh Thyme, fine chopped
2 Tsp. fresh Ginger, minced
1 (16-oz.) can chopped tomatoes, including liquid
3 C. Beef Broth
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices
3 C. blanched Broccoli florets
2 med. yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
2(10-oz.) can Chick-peas, drained
2 Tbsp. minced Cilantro


In a casserole heat oil over med. heat until hot.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown (5-7 mins.)  Add garlic, cumin, thyme, and ginger.  Cook stirring for 1 min.  Add tomatoes and liquid, broth and cinnamon stick.  Bring liquid to a boil and simmer, covered for 15 mins.  Add carrots and cook, covered, for 8 more mins.  Add the broccoli, squash and chick-peas, simmer, covered, for 5 minutes more or until vegetables are just tender.  Remove cinnamon stick, stir in the cilantro and serve with couscous.

Halloween Peanut Butter and Toffee Candy Bar

This was terrific, super easy and very decadent!  My daughter and I made this for the Holiday this past weekend.  (recipe from Bon Appetit)








Line baking sheet with foil. Stir chocolate chips in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and warm (not hot) to touch. Pour chocolate onto foil; spread to 1/4- inch thickness (about 12x10-inch rectangle). Sprinkle with Butterfinger candy, toffee, peanut butter cups, and nuts, making sure all pieces touch melted chocolate to adhere.
Put white chocolate in heavy small saucepan. Stir constantly over very low heat until chocolate is melted and warm (not hot) to touch. Remove from heat. Dip spoon into chocolate; wave from side to side over bark, creating zigzag lines. Scatter Reese’s Pieces and M&M's over, making sure candy touches melted chocolate.
Chill bark until firm, 30 minutes. Slide foil with candy onto work surface; peel off foil. Cut bark into irregular pieces.



  • 1 pound bittersweet chocolate chips




  • 3 2.1-ounce Butterfinger candy bars, cut into irregular 1-inch pieces




  • 3 1.4-ounce Skor or Heath toffee candy bars, cut into irregular 3/4-inch pieces




  • 8 0.55-ounce peanut butter cups, each cut into 8 wedges




  • 1/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts




  • 3 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped




  • Reese's Pieces and/or yellow and orange peanut M&M’s