Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

Oh my goodness gracious is it amazing! Think your favorite spinach artichoke dip all over the top of baked chicken.

There’s something so comforting about this spinach artichoke chicken that it has really become one of our favorite ways to eat chicken now. While the ingredients list doesn’t specify, I like to use lower fat ingredients for the topping such as part-skim mozzarella cheese, fat-free Greek yogurt, and a light mayonnaise. Of course, use what you prefer!

And luckily, it is one of the easiest things to make that you can think of!


You just throw your chicken into a baking dish, then mix up your spinach artichoke topping and pour it on top. Bake it and then watch it disappear.

The chicken turns out so flavorful and tender. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
It’s great to get kids to eat their vegetables, too.

 

Spinach Artichoke Chicken makes for a simple, delicious meal that everyone will love.

 Serves: 8

 

Ingredients

• olive oil spray
• 8 chicken breasts
• 13.75 oz artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray baking dish with olive oil nonstick baking spray.
2. Place chicken into baking dish. Salt and pepper chicken and then bake 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and then pour on top of chicken. Bake 20-25 minutes.
4. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Mussels with White Wine Sauce & Garlic

Now that the holidays are over, I know one of my New Year's Resolution is to save money and eat at home more.  My husband and I love seafood, and surprisingly this dish is really not that hard to make and doesn't cost much.  Mussels usually come in at $4 a pound, and a bottle of wine will usually go between $5- $10.  So for $20 - you can have an excellent meal at home.  

Mussels with Wine and Garlic Sauce

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  15 mins

Total time:  30 mins

Serves: 3-4

 

Easy and surprisingly frugal!

Ingredients

• 2 lb. mussels (make sure you discard any that are gaping open)
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ C. onion, minced (or shallots)
• ¾ C. dry white wine
• ⅔ C. chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 lb. linguine noodles

Instructions

Prepare linguine according to package directions. In a large skillet with a lid, melt the butter. Add olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions until translucent. Add the wine and mussels and about half of the parsley. Cover and heat until mussels have opened (about 8-10 minutes). Add remaining parsley as a garnish. Serve mussels and wine sauce over linguine.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Oven Roasted Potatoes (Adapted from epicurious.com)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb hickory smoked, thick sliced bacon
3 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper
fresh parsley

Directions:
Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot.  Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered by 2-3 inches of water.  Bring water to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.  My potatoes were fairly large, so this took close to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, partially freeze bacon for easier cutter.  (Ten minutes in the freezer works well.) Slice bacon strips in half, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.  I like to cut my bacon prior to cooking.  It’s easier to work with in the skillet and easy to drain with slotted spoon.


Cook bacon in a skillet until golden, but still flexible.  You don’t want it crunchy.  Remove cooked bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels.  Reserve the bacon drippings.
Check potatoes and if fork tender, drain and allow to cool.  If making this recipe again, I would peel the potatoes before I boiled them or try leaving the skins on all-together.  Yukon Golds have a relatively thin skin, so I think this would have added a nice look and texture to the potatoes.
While potatoes are cooling, preheat the oven to 425° and mince the garlic and parsley.  Also, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Next, prepare the baking sheet by brushing 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half the bacon drippings on the bottom of the pan. I used a fairly large cookie sheet for this and it worked well.
Once the potatoes are cool, peel and cut in half, or quarter if potatoes are large.
Place cut side down on prepared pan and sprinkle with course salt and fresh ground pepper.   Place in 425° oven for 35-40 minutes.  Rotate potatoes halfway through the baking time to ensure an even color.  I did not do this and some of mine were more golden than others.

Reduce temperature to 375°, turn potatoes over and sprinkle with the bacon, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Add more salt and pepper if desired.  Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are evenly browned and cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley.  Makes 4-6 servings, depending on serving size. Serve immediately!

Butternut Squash & Kale Soup

Autumn = squash season. I love eating butternut squash soup for lunch or dinner. Incredibly satisfying, comforting, hearty, and healthy. All the right ingredients that are guaranteed to make you feel good.

Ingredients:
* 1 large butternut squash
* 3 small onions or 1.5 large onions (yellow or white)
* 1 lb. kale
* 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 1 twig of ginger
* 4 cups of chicken stock (homemade or store bought)
* Salt and pepper to taste

Simple ingredients that make a hearty and tasty soup.

Directions:
* Basically, you peel, chop, boil, blend, and voila!

Peel the squash (with peeler).

Chop the onions. You don't have to worry about the size of the pieces because you blend everything together.

Pour olive oil into the pot, and sautee the onions until clear. Add a couple pinches of salt.

Peel the ginger and chop into smaller pieces.

Put the ginger in with the onion and mix around.

Cut the squash into big chunks. Love the bright orange color. Kind of like the signature Hermes orange.

Pour chicken broth into the pot with the ginger and onions. We like to have homemade chicken stock frozen at all times. We tend to do this on weekends when making a dish with shredded chicken. Last week, we made kale chicken zucchini enchiladas. TO DIE FOR. And this chicken stock was from that chicken.

Add the squash into the broth and let it sit all together until it boils.

Wash the kale and remove the leaves from the stems (discard the stems).

Boiling pot of gold.

Add the large pile of kale to the soup. It looks like a lot -- it is a lot -- but it so so good for you that the more the better!

Yummmmm

And then, put the mixture into a blender (vitamix), blend until it is all pureed together, and SERVE!

ORANGE GREEN GOODNESS!

This soup is great as is, or with some crumbled goat cheese. Serve as a main with salad (and a hunk of bread and cheese), or as a starter to a meal. Anyway, you can’t go wrong! Have a great weekend!

Lemon Ginger Tea

Ginger is known for its magical characteristics that make it a natural remedy for many ailments. It is well known as a remedy for travel sickness, nausea and indigestion (I chewed on ginger chews daily while pregnant to help curb my morning sickness). It is a warming remedy, ideal for boosting the circulation and lowering high blood pressure. Ginger is anti-viral and makes a warming cold and flu remedy.  Due to the spicy flavor and warming qualities of ginger, making a lemon ginger tea is perfect for a cold. Both lemons and ginger are high in vitamin C and together, they temporarily relieve sinus pressure, a burning sore throat, and can temper coughing.

I happen to LOVE ginger. The spicy and dense flavor tastes good in sweet or savory foods!

Lemon ginger tea is super easy to make. It is like eating a head of kale; it just feels healthy and good.  There is also something calming and healing about the act of making a hot drink, too. It is like sitting next to a blazing fire with a good book.

What did the lemon say to the lime? Sour you doing?

Ingredients to make a BIG POT of tea to drink A LOT of for SEVERAL DAYS:

* juice from 3 lemons
* 1/2 cup of honey (more if you want sweeter, less if you want more tart)
* A pot full of water
* 1 peeled and sliced ginger root
Directions:
* Place the peeled and sliced ginger into a pot of water

CHOP CHOP CHOP

* Add lemon juice and honey
* Boil all together for 30 minutes to an hour

Murky tea. You don't drink or eat the ginger.

* DRINK. I store the tea in the fridge and every time I need more, I simply refill my cup, microwave it and have fresh tea!

Taiwanese Noodles with Meat Sauce

For Gluten free version - substitute the regular soy sauce with gluten-free soy sauce and substitute the dark soy sauce with gluten free oyster sauce (Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand)

Ingredients:

1 pound noodles or rice of your choice1/2 cup chicken broth2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (or oyster sauce)2 teaspoon light (regular) soy sauce1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar (or young balsamic vinegar)1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder1 tablespoon brown sugar2 teaspoons cooking oil1/2 onion, chopped1 pound ground pork (or ground beef/chicken/turkey)2 cloves garlic, finely mincedOne 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained and diced4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, diced1 stalk green onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook the noodles or rice according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, vinegar, five spice powder and brown sugar. Set aside.
3. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, swirl in the cooking oil. Add in the onion and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the ground meat and cook for 2 minutes. Push aside the onion and ground beef to one side of the wok to create a small spot to fry the garlic. Add in the garlic and stir fry for a few seconds or until you begin smelling the garlic. Add in the bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Toss everything in the wok together.
4. Pour in the broth/soy sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the green onions. Serve the ground beef mixture over the noodles or rice.

Municipal Bar + Dining Company - Bacon Mac & Cheese

We are all for recreating recipes from great restaurants, so when one willingly gives up their secret recipe, we are all ears.

Municipal Bar + Dining Company
A multi-purpose sauce that will add a little zing to your traditional tailgating fare.
 



Opening next month in River North, Municipal Bar + Dining Company will be an upscale sports bar that pays homage to our incredible city. The name comes from the Y-shaped municipal device that represents the three branches of the Chicago River. You've probably seen it stamped on public buildings, bridges, and city vehicles. Oh, and former NFL player and Chicago native Simeon Rice is an investor!

Back to game day food! "This recipe of our bacon-mac-and-cheese sauce is perfect for tailgating," says Executive Chef Jeffery Arasi. "Not only can you make it on top of a grill in a parking lot, you can also put it on all your tailgating foods, such as burgers, nachos, hot dogs, and chili — pretty much anything you want to put cheese and bacon on. This is the sauce for our mac and cheese, so you can put it on pasta also."

Bacon Cheese Sauce Ingredients
8 cups bacon, small dice
4 cups onions, small dice
2 cups garlic, minced
1/3 pound butter
1 ½ cups bacon fat
2 cups flour
1 gallon milk
4 cups cheddar cheese, grated
6 cups American cheese, julienne
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Render all bacon in a sauce pot. Once golden brown and crispy, strain and reserve bacon. Add bacon fat and butter, then sweat the onions and garlic. Gradually add flour and cook for ten minutes while constantly stirring. Add milk, whisk in cheese, and complete with the addition of bacon.

Chinese Braised Tofu with Ground Pork

Chinese Braised Tofu with Ground Pork Recipe

Servings: Serve 4 Prep Time:15 minutes Cook Time:15 minutes

You can use either ground pork, beef, turkey or chicken. For a little more Chinese flavor, when you are seasoning the tofu with salt and pepper, sprinkle a little bit of Chinese Five Spice Powder on both sides (you'll use a total of about 1/4 teaspoon - a little goes a long ways!)
I'm a big fan of green onion as a topping to give the dish a little bite - however if your family isn't, you can leave it out. Another option is to add the green onion in the wok at the same time as the garlic and ginger. This way, the green onion gets stir fried and softens.
Serve this with rice.

Ingredients:

1 block firm or extra firm tofusalt and freshly ground black pepper1 tablespoon cooking oil1 pound ground pork, beef, turkey or chicken1 clove garlic, very finely minced1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger1 cup chicken broth2 tablespoons oyster sauce1 tablespoon soy sauce1/4 cup cool water1 teaspoon cornstarch1/2 stalk green onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Drain the tofu and place on towels or paper towels. To get rid excess water in the tofu, place another towel on top of the tofu, then place something flat and heavy (like a cutting board or a cast iron frying pan) on top. You can weigh the cutting board down by putting a couple of cans of soup on top. Let sit for 10 minutes. Cut the tofu into several slices 3/4" thick. Season on both sides with salt, pepper.
2. Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, swirl in the cooking oil. Very carefully and slowely slide in the tofu slices in one layer. Fry for 1 minutes, then flip to fry the other side for 1 minute until both sides are browned. Remove the seared tofu to a clean plate.
3. To the same wok, add in the ground meat. Saute until browned, about 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and the ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add in the chicken broth, oyster sauce and soy sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and the cornstarch. In the wok, stir in the water and cornstarch mixture and bring everything to a simmer. Add the cooked tofu back in the pot. Lower the heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened. Mix in green onion. Serve with rice.

I must be feeling a little homesick lately, I’ve been making Chinese homestyle dishes that my Mom would cook. Tofu has always been a regular staple at our house, Mom would serve it about once a week. Tofu USED to be inexpensive years ago – but that was before it was being marketed to the American market. Tofu companies never had to “market” to the Asian crowd – we have always loved it!


At some Chinese markets (and all of Asia), you can buy freshly made tofu – large blocks would be submerged in water, and you scooped out what you wanted.


Did you know that not all tofu tastes the same? There are big differences in taste and texture (I know some of you are saying, “what, not all tofu is BLAND!?”) My favorite brand  that is easily found in most regular grocery stores is Nasoya.


For this recipe, make sure you buy Firm or Extra Firm Tofu. Anything softer will fall apart in the dish.

Put Winter Squash on the Menu

Put winter squash on the menu.

An excellent source of vitamin A, fiber, and beta carotene (among other things), winter squash is a fabulous fall ingredient. If you’ve never cooked with it before, we’ve got three good reasons to start now.

Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage. Shaped like a bell and not very stringy, butternut squash lasts for months so you’ll have plenty of time to whip up this restaurant-quality pasta dish.

Spaghetti Squash Tacos. Spaghetti squash is an interesting variety that appears solid when cut raw but separates into individual strands, like spaghetti, when cooked. How fun is that? Look for yellow ones at the grocery or farm stand; they’re riper than the ivory ones.

Acorn squash. It would take a giant squirrel to stash one of these in its cheeks. But you can cut it in half and serve it as a tasty side dish using this easy recipe I got from my mom.

Baked Acorn Squash
As I started to write out this ‘recipe,’ I realized how very unscientific it is because how much you use of each ingredient will depend on how many you’re serving and how much butter and brown sugar you feel comfortable adding. So I’m just telling you what I do to use as a guide; adjust it to fit your family’s tastes.

Acorn squash (2 servings per squash)
2 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 375°. Pour just enough water in the bottom of a baking pan to cover it.  Cut squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds (you can rinse and roast them later like pumpkin seeds, if you want). Place cut side down in the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully flip squash over (you don’t want to splash yourself with scalding hot water). Put 1 Tbsp. of butter and 2 Tbsp. brown sugar in the middle of each half and return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until cooked through (a fork should easily penetrate the flesh). Serve and eat right out of the acorn.

Quick & easy tomato sauce

Making tomato sauce is usually a long long long process.  I know because I've done it.   With that being said, I try not to do this during the weekday, when I only have 2 hours when I come from work to cook dinner, feed the kids dinner, give the kids a bath, finish homework before ushering them to bed by 9pm.  So I usually pick a meal that's easy to cook, nutritious, but still yummy.

With the weather being so hot lately, I've been craving lots and lots of veggies, so I thought of this fun quick & easy tomato sauce.

Ingredients
4-5 riped tomatoes, cut into small pieces - Zyliss Red Tomato Stem Remover
2-3 carrots - cut into 1/4 size small pieces
1 whole garlic - minced (we love garlic in our house, so we naturally used a lot more)
1 yellow onion - diced
1 teaspoon of marjoram (if you don't have any in your pantry, feel free to use oregano)
1 tablespoon of garlic powder (didn't I mention we love garlic)
1 stalk of fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon of red hot pepper (more if you like spicy, or leave out if this isn't for you)
Canola or Olive Oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium size pot and stir in the garlic & onion till fragrant.  Be sure to not burn these.  Toss in carrot & toss.  Wait approximately 2-3 minutes and start putting in the tomatoes. Look at the pretty colors with all the veggies combined.

Let these vegetables simmer in your pot on medium heat for 15-20ish minutes. Keep a close eye on this and stir if necessary.  You don't need to stand by your stove and keep stirring crazily, but what you're looking for is this. You'll be tempted to add water or chicken broth before it gets to this stage.  Resist that temptation, I promise you it would cook down.  At this point, add all the seasoning into the pot and stir to mix everything together. 

The longer this cooks, the more the sauce would thicken - I kept this on my stove a medium low simmer for approximately an hour (during that time, I bathed both my kids & helped them with their homework).

In the end, I topped this on top of some zitis.  This can also go on top of spaghetti, penne or any pasta you have in your pantry.

So no this isn't your traditional tomato sauce, but the flavors are great (especially since you're using all fresh veggies), the colors are vibrant, and it's quick and easy for a work night.

Tortang Talong

This is the classic tortang talong recipe. But look out for the tip at the end of the post.

Ingredients :
250 g. of ground lean pork
1 tbsp. of finely minced garlic
1/2 c. of finely chopped onions
3/4 c. of coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
4 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp. of flour
4-5 talong (eggplants)
salt and pepper
cooking oil


Cooking procedure :
Mix together all the ingredients except the eggplants and the cooking oil.
Cook the eggplants (boil, steam, grill or broil) until soft but not mushy. Peel off the skins, leaving the stems intact. Using a fork, flatten the meat of the eggplants. Divide the pork mixture into as many eggplants you prepared. Place the mixture on the flattened eggplants, patting the meat to make sure it is compact.
Heat a skillet or wok. Add about 2 tbsp. of cooking oil and heat until smoking. Carefully slide one stuffed eggplant onto the hot oil. Cook over medium-high heat, about 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Add more cooking oil as you cook a new eggplant.
Serve with catsup.

If you want a really special tortang talong, lay a slice of cheese on the flattened eggplant before adding the pork mixture on top.