It's been HOT this summer. Really, really hot. Paddy still asks for scorching pasta and sauce about weekly, but I just can't do it. I'm iced coffee and pasta salad May-Oct with few exceptions. This is super easy and a good change up from the usual.
Half a package of frozen cheese tortellini cooked extra soft and tossed with olive oil
1 cup sliced salami - either chopped up extra deli meat or packaged, sliced salami
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1-2 cups fresh mozzarella, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped jarred peroncino
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar, or balsamic
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Tumeric Tilapia and Coconut Rice
I've always been one for fast dinners but since #2 arrived last month, I'm looking for 20 mins or less to get a balanced dinner on the table...and something that 3.5 year old #1 will eat. Miraculously, he's going through a fish phase so this works. It takes him an hour to eat it but he loves it. This is from Cooking Light.
1 tbsp tumeric
Salt & pepper
2 tilapia filets
2 tbsp canola oil
2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup cilantro
1.5 tbsp lime juice
Matchstick carrots, broccoli slaw or another veggie side
1. Season the fish with the tumeric, salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook the fish until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside - keep warm.
3. Wipe out the pan. Add the rice and heat through. Add the coconut milk and sugar and stir until thickened. Add the lime juice and cilantro.
4. Either remove the rice from the pan or move to one side of the skillet. Add the slaw and cook until softened. Serve on the side.
1 tbsp tumeric
Salt & pepper
2 tilapia filets
2 tbsp canola oil
2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup cilantro
1.5 tbsp lime juice
Matchstick carrots, broccoli slaw or another veggie side
1. Season the fish with the tumeric, salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook the fish until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside - keep warm.
3. Wipe out the pan. Add the rice and heat through. Add the coconut milk and sugar and stir until thickened. Add the lime juice and cilantro.
4. Either remove the rice from the pan or move to one side of the skillet. Add the slaw and cook until softened. Serve on the side.
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Caramelized Banana Upside Down Cake
Maybe it's because I'm seven months pregnant but this cake blew my mind this week. I had a load of overripe bananas and couldn't handle another banana bread. I saw this on Food52 recently and gave it a try. WOW. Not only is it the best cake I've had in a long time, but it took like 15 to make. It's like one big banana sticky bun. Amazing.
Caramel & Bananas
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 bananas, sliced lengthwise either in half or in thirds
Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking pwder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a 10 inch cast iron pan, melt the butter of medium high heat. Add the brown sugar and stir occasionally until it dissolves and is bubbly. Remove from heat and add the banana slices, flat side down, in one layer over the caramel so that all of the caramel is covered.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs and whisk. Slowly add the buttermilk until combined. Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined - don't over mix.
4. Pour the cake batter over the bananas and put in the oven for 35-40 mins.
5. When done, remove from oven and run a knife around the edge of the cake. Let it sit for 5 mins and then carefully invert the cake onto a platter.
Caramel & Bananas
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 bananas, sliced lengthwise either in half or in thirds
Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking pwder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a 10 inch cast iron pan, melt the butter of medium high heat. Add the brown sugar and stir occasionally until it dissolves and is bubbly. Remove from heat and add the banana slices, flat side down, in one layer over the caramel so that all of the caramel is covered.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs and whisk. Slowly add the buttermilk until combined. Fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined - don't over mix.
4. Pour the cake batter over the bananas and put in the oven for 35-40 mins.
5. When done, remove from oven and run a knife around the edge of the cake. Let it sit for 5 mins and then carefully invert the cake onto a platter.
Sloppy Joes
I hadn't had a sloppy joe since...3rd grade? Just hearing the words make me think of the smell of the school cafeteria on sloppy joe day. And it was gross. But these are amazing and one of Jack's favorites. I make the sauce on the weekend and then throw it together during the week in a flash... These would also be good with ground chicken or turkey.
1 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp molasses
Hamburger buns
1. Cook the beef in a large skillet until lightly browned. Remove from pan.
2. In the fat/juice still in the pan from the meat, cook the onions and garlic until soft. Add the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients until well incorporated.
3. If eating right away, add the beef back into the sauce and bring to a simmer. If making ahead, put the beef and sauce into separate containers and when you're ready to eat it, throw it all in a pan and bring to a simmer. Serve on hamburger buns.
1 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp molasses
Hamburger buns
1. Cook the beef in a large skillet until lightly browned. Remove from pan.
2. In the fat/juice still in the pan from the meat, cook the onions and garlic until soft. Add the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the rest of the ingredients until well incorporated.
3. If eating right away, add the beef back into the sauce and bring to a simmer. If making ahead, put the beef and sauce into separate containers and when you're ready to eat it, throw it all in a pan and bring to a simmer. Serve on hamburger buns.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Super Easy Slow Cooker Ribs
I often don't want to bother with ribs because of the long slow cooking. And I never would have thought of this until I saw it on a Tasty video - pop them in the slow cooker for the day and then give them a quick broil before eating to crisp them up. Getting ready for the Superbowl here - go Pats!!
Dry rub:
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp pepper
Baby back ribs
Bottle of favorite BBQ sauce
1. Rub your ribs and and keep them in the fridge overnight (or you can rub them right before you add to slow cooker).
2. When ready to cook, smear them in BBQ sauce.
3. Place the rack(s) in slow cooker on their side(s) along the perimeter of the slow cooker bowl so that they're standing up. Cook on low 8 hours.
4. Place ribs on a rack on a baking sheet, smear with more BBQ sauce and broil for 5 mins or until crispy on the outside.
Dry rub:
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp pepper
Baby back ribs
Bottle of favorite BBQ sauce
1. Rub your ribs and and keep them in the fridge overnight (or you can rub them right before you add to slow cooker).
2. When ready to cook, smear them in BBQ sauce.
3. Place the rack(s) in slow cooker on their side(s) along the perimeter of the slow cooker bowl so that they're standing up. Cook on low 8 hours.
4. Place ribs on a rack on a baking sheet, smear with more BBQ sauce and broil for 5 mins or until crispy on the outside.
Potstickers
We had a deep fryer when I was little and as far as I can remember, my parents only used it for making fried wontons. And when it was pulled out, it was a major production. But I was raised on dumplings and I absolutely love them. I don't have a fryer and I can't be bothered with all of that hot oil on the stove so potstickers are the best alternative. I make these with ground chicken instead of pork but you could use either.
12 oz ground chicken
1/3 finely chopped green onions - white and light green parts only
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp dry sherry or rice wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper
Package of wonton/gyoza wrappers
Sauce:
3 tbsp rice vinegar or balsamic
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sambal or sriracha
1 tsp minced ginger
1. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and dust with flour or corn starch.
3. On a large work surface or dry cutting board, line up 5 or 6 wrappers and wet half of the edge with water. Drop a tsp of meat into each and fold in half. I pleat the edges to seal them better. Set aside on the baking sheet until they're all stuffed.
4. At this point you could steam them in a steamer. Or for potstickers: heat a large skillet (that has a tight fitting lid) and a couple tbsp of canola oil. Add the dumplings and fry until golden or light brown. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and quickly cover. Let cook until the water is gone. Uncover and cook another couple of mins to crisp the bottoms.
12 oz ground chicken
1/3 finely chopped green onions - white and light green parts only
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp dry sherry or rice wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper
Package of wonton/gyoza wrappers
Sauce:
3 tbsp rice vinegar or balsamic
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sambal or sriracha
1 tsp minced ginger
1. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and dust with flour or corn starch.
3. On a large work surface or dry cutting board, line up 5 or 6 wrappers and wet half of the edge with water. Drop a tsp of meat into each and fold in half. I pleat the edges to seal them better. Set aside on the baking sheet until they're all stuffed.
4. At this point you could steam them in a steamer. Or for potstickers: heat a large skillet (that has a tight fitting lid) and a couple tbsp of canola oil. Add the dumplings and fry until golden or light brown. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and quickly cover. Let cook until the water is gone. Uncover and cook another couple of mins to crisp the bottoms.
Chicken and Lemongrass Noodle Stir Fry
This is modified from Fine Cooking. You can sub the chicken for pork or chicken breasts, or anything really...
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 stalks lemongrass - soft bits from the inside minced (shuck the tough, outer layers)
3 tbsp ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lime juice
1 lb ground chicken, turkey, or pork or any kind of meat
1 package of vermicelli rice noodles
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup chicken stock
2 tsp sugar
Handful of chopped kale or spinach
3 tbsp chopped mint
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Sambal oelek or Sriracha to taste
1 In a small bowl, combine soy, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and lime.
2. In a medium bowl. combine ground meat with half of the soy mixture and let sit for at least 10 min.
3. Prepare noodles according to package. Drain and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl with 1 tbsp oil.
4. In a large skillet or wok, heat remaining oil over high heat. Add remaining soy mixture and fry until fragrant. Add meat and fry, breaking into small pieces until browned. Add stock and sugar. Stir in kale/greens and cook until wilted.
5. Transfer to noodle bowl, add herbs and mix well.
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 stalks lemongrass - soft bits from the inside minced (shuck the tough, outer layers)
3 tbsp ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lime juice
1 lb ground chicken, turkey, or pork or any kind of meat
1 package of vermicelli rice noodles
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup chicken stock
2 tsp sugar
Handful of chopped kale or spinach
3 tbsp chopped mint
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Sambal oelek or Sriracha to taste
1 In a small bowl, combine soy, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and lime.
2. In a medium bowl. combine ground meat with half of the soy mixture and let sit for at least 10 min.
3. Prepare noodles according to package. Drain and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl with 1 tbsp oil.
4. In a large skillet or wok, heat remaining oil over high heat. Add remaining soy mixture and fry until fragrant. Add meat and fry, breaking into small pieces until browned. Add stock and sugar. Stir in kale/greens and cook until wilted.
5. Transfer to noodle bowl, add herbs and mix well.
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