ediblebites:

this was amazing. i particularly like this one because it’s everything thrown into the crockpot, no making anything separately.

parmesan garlic chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. olive oil
4 T white wine (cooking, or a dry wine preferred)
1/4 tsp. salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/4 C parmesan cheese
1 C brown rice, uncooked
1 1/4 C chicken broth

lightly spray the bottom and sides of your slow cooker with cooking spray. place the rice along the bottom and pour the chicken broth carefully over the rice. top the rice with chicken breasts.

in a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, white wine, salt, minced garlic cloves, basil and parsley. pour the marinade over the chicken & rice. cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. top with parmesan cheese for serving. 

we’re not big drinkers, so i googled what wine would be best with chicken. we used chardonnay. and since we don’t drink, we practically had the whole bottle of wine leftover. so i made sangria too! juice-heavy, of course.

mypantry:

I happened across some amazing looking lamb shoulder chops at the market two days ago that were on sale for a steal of a deal so I brought them home not really knowing what I was going to do with them.  I have grilled tiny lamb chops (they looked like tiny little t-bone steaks) on the grill a few times and we really liked them.  I’ve never made leg of lamb or those little lollipop looking lamb chops…quite honestly I’m kind of intimidated by them.  So the lamb shoulder chops seemed like a safe bet, something I could work with.

When I got home from work this evening I began raiding my pantry to find something to go with the lamb.  And since I always have couscous in the pantry and peas in the freezer, I was able to put together a pretty simple yet interesting menu.  It turned out great!  I definitely recommend this for a simple and light weeknight Mediterranean fare.

Ingredients:

• lamb shoulder chops
• ground cumin
• garlic powder
• salt & pepper (I used freshly ground pepper)
• 1 c whole wheat couscous
• 1 c chicken stock or broth
• 1 c frozen peas
• olive oil
• lemon
• plain greek yogurt (I use fat free)
• fresh mint, minced

Preparation:

1. Preheat gas grill on high heat.
2. Rub lamb chops with ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Set aside.
3. Bring chicken stock to a boil.  Add couscous and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Remove from heat and cover.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
4. Bring 1cup of water to a boil and cook peas for approximately 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
5. Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of one lemon in a medium bowl.  Mix well.  Stir in peas and a bit of salt and pepper to taste.  Combine the pea mixture with the couscous.
6. Drizzle lamb chops with a little bit of olive oil.  Grill the lamb chops until they are mid-rare, making sure you get a nice sear on them before you turn them.  Remove from grill and let rest.
7. Combine greek yogurt with mint.

You can serve the yogurt on the plate under the couscous or as a dollop on the side for dipping the lamb….or both.

vermilionink:

It finally happened; I finally succumbed to this crappy cold that’s come to NYC with the autumn weather. Hauling myself into work turns out to have been a foolish plan, but at least on the way back I was able to stop off for vital chicken soup ingredients.

Sick Day Chicken Soup

2 packets chicken thighs (bone-in)
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1 box stelline or your favorite soup pasta, whimsical for preference
4 small leeks or 2 large leeks
2 large carrots
8 cloves garlic, as we are sick and not messing around here
a thumb of fresh ginger
fresh tarragon
fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
paprika
cumin
olive oil
salt & pepper

Heat a good dollop of olive oil in your soup pot. Smash garlic, chop leeks, chop carrots into not-too-fat rounds, and sweat in oil over medium heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and a good sprinkling each of cumin and paprika, and allow to sizzle, coated in your veg, for a couple of minutes. Add stock, plus 4 more cups of water. Make thyme, tarragon and bay into a bouquet garni and float in pot. Let simmer for a good couple of hours, while you blow your nose and indulge in sick day TV. If it boils down too much, add additional water or broth, adjusting seasoning accordingly. About 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, add pasta. (You can do it the proper way and cook the pasta separately, in which case you would just add it immediately before eating, or you can just toss the dry pasta in and let it absorb all that broth as it cooks.)

And feel better!

nom-enclature:

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
• 1 cup chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth, heated to boiling
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed under a knife and peeled
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Steps:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly oil an 11 1/2 x 8-inch (2-quart) baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. Process all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until the mixture forms a coarse paste. (The pesto can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 month).
3. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (a mandoline or food processor does the quickest work). Add to the boiling water and cook until barely tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and toss with the pesto to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Layer half of the potatoes in the dish, sprinkle with one third of the cheese, and sprinkle with basil. Continue until you have 3 layers, finishing with cheese. Pour in the hot broth. Cover tightly with aluminum foil
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.

I love potatoes. I love cheese. I love pesto. I love tomatoes. I love this casserole. It looks like we’ve found a winner! Next time I need to make a dinner for a group of people, this will be there. Next time I need to feed myself, this will be there. These actually sound dangerous, because I’ll justify it as healthy because of the tomatoes, and then I’ll just eat all of it. Also, I love things like this right out of the fridge, so even microwaving this (a common obstacle in me eating, because it’s just so tedious) won’t get in the way. ALSO, it’s only four steps, so. I’m excited for this. Bring it on.

alexandriafisher:

Being a college student I sometimes fall into a cooking rut, resorting to my usual, easy recipes.

But being a vegetarian often forces me to challenge my taste buds and adventure. So I thought I would combine my two food desires and make a new take on an easy recipe.

GREEK MAC N’ CHEESE

Ingredients:

4 oz. macaroni noodles

Feta Cheese

Gruyere Cheese

1 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp nutmeg

2 slices of bread

6 Tbsp butter

4 oz. spinach (chopped)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Green Onions (chopped)

3 Shallots (chopped)

Step 1: Remove the crust from the bread and grind them into fine crumbles. Mix them in a bowl with 2 tbsp of butter. Set aside.

Step 2: Begin to cook macaroni noodles only half way (about 4 min.) Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Step 3: Heat leftover butter in a medium sauce pan. Mix in flour and whisk for 3-4 min. Then add in milk and continue whisking for 10-15 minutes until mixture is thick. Remove from heat and add in cheese, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set this sauce aside.

Step 4: Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium pot and add in shallots. Stir for 3 min. and add in spinach and green onions. Stir until spinach is wilted.

Step 5: Combine sauce, remaining noodles and the above spinach mix in a large pot. Then pour into a baking pan. Top with bread cumbs and feta. Bake for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

lovebz:

Recipe

2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 tsp Paprika (Smoked preferred)

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*F.  Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and cut into four wedges.  Toss with oil, cayenne, paprika, and salt.  Lay pieces on baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until browned on outside and tender throughout.

~ 4 servings

Nutritional Facts per serving

CALORIES105.4 CAL

FAT2.6 G

SATURATED FAT0.4 G

CHOLESTEROL0 MG

SODIUM323.6 MG

CARBOHYDRATES19.5 G

TOTAL SUGARS6 G

DIETARY FIBER3.5 G

PROTEIN2 G

http://recipes.womenshealthmag.com/Recipe/spicy-sweet-potato-fries.aspx

birchemberger:

Another Pinterest experiment from http://thegoudalife.tumblr.com/post/20178937535, which was delicious. 

BC Wild Halibut a la Puttanesca

If you prefer another species of white fish, please feel free to swap it out for that. But please, do your research and buy responsibly. 
 
4 Halibut fillets
olive oil
4 whole anchovy filets, packed in oil
3 tbsp caper berries
3 large cloves of garlic 
1 pint grape/cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2-3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced thin
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup flat leaf (Italian) parsley, minced 
sea salt and fresh ground pepper 
fresh lemon juice, optional for garnish

In a large sauce pot over med heat, add a couple glugs of olive oil. Once hot, add the anchovy fillets and let them sizzle and melt away. Add the garlic and let it cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Throw in the capers, tomatoes, olives and white wine. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer away until reduce slightly, 10 minutes

While sauce is reducing, heat your best non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron pan over medium-high heat with a glug of canola/veg oil. Once the oil is sputtering, add the fillets, skin side down, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Using a fish spatula (don’t use tongs!!), carefully flip the fish and cook for another 3 minutes. It should be opaque on the outside and slightly translucent in the center. 

Remove the Puttanesca sauce from the stove top and stir-in the parsley. Serve the fish atop a large spoonful of the sauce or top with the sauce. Sprinkle with a little more parsley and a squeeze of lemon.