Roasted Garlic Peppercorn Sauce

Next time I make this, I'll either use cream or whole milk, skim milk didn't quite cut it. I also added grated mizithra cheese. I served it over lobster ravioli from Trader Joe's, with chicken breaded in matzoh meal, parsley, pepper, and paprika, and roasted green beans and onions.

I got the recipe for the sauce from allrecipes.com

• 1 whole head garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground mixed peppercorns
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Slice off the top third of the head of garlic so the tips of the cloves are exposed. Place in a small baking dish, and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the garlic, then cover with a lid or foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix together the flour and milk so there are no lumps, and pour into the pan with the butter. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skin, and mash. Stir garlic into the sauce, and season with salt, peppercorns, and nutmeg.

Chicken with Lemon Rice

This was good, but could have used a little extra something-maybe broccoli? Good comfort food for a cold night.

16 med. green onions

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 lbs uncooked chicken breast, cut in 3 x 1/4” strips

3 cups cooked rice

2 tbsp grated lemon peel

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tbsp capers, rinsed

1/4 tsp pepper

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Heat onions, garlic, and broth to boiling in 12 inch skillet. Boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender. Reduce heat to med, stir in chicken. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley. Cook 3 minutes until rice is hot and chicken is cooked. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.

Serves 6

Tuna Steaks with Lemon Caper Sauce

I got this recipe from foodandwine.com when Eric wanted fish for dinner and I was craving capers. We had all the ingredients in the house and it went together so quickly!

INGREDIENTS
. 3 tablespoons drained capers
. 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
. 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley-we had dried parsley, so I just mixed it all together to let the leaves soak up the moisture for about 10 minutes and it turned out fine.
. 3/4 teaspoon salt
. 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
. 8 tablespoons olive oil
. 4 tuna steaks, about 3/4 inch thick (about 2 pounds in all)
DIRECTIONS
. Light the grill or heat the broiler. In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, mash the capers with a fork. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and then 6 tablespoons of the oil.
. Coat the tuna with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill or broil the tuna for 4 minutes. Turn and cook until done to your taste, 3 to 4 minutes longer for medium rare. Serve the tuna topped with the sauce.


This was so yummy, and so easy, we're definitely doing this again. The article notes that it would go well with any fish, and I agree! I think I'll try it with salmon next.

Curry lime fish

This one I totally made up so I don't really have measurements but it was really good! We had pollock, but it would work with any fish.

Fish fillets 

Curry powder

Lime juice

Jarred minced roasted garlic

Red pepper flakes (I thought this made it wayyy too spicy but Eric loved it)

Dried parsley

Paprika (I don't know if this did anything, I was just feeling creative) 

Pepper 

Mix equal parts curry powder and lime juice, and just a scoop of everything else. Mix well and spread over fish. Broil fish until done. With the pollock I think the package said 10 minutes.

While the fish cooked, I cooked onions, zucchini and yellow summer squash until tender, then poured in a can of diced tomatoes , a few shakes of dried pepper, and lots of ground pepper. An adaption from a dish we've had at Eric's parents' :)

I also served it with Near East Whole Grain Blends Roasted Pecan and Garlic flavor, which had chunks of pecans in it! I also put a little bit of curry powder in it to accent the fish.

Baked macaroni and cheese

We've made this twice now, once following the recipe, and once with some cooked Italian turkey sausage.

1 box macaroni (we have used ziti and spirals)

3 tbsp butter

1 small onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp dry mustard

3 cups milk

5 cups shredded cheese, any kind you like

pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Boil pasta according to package until the lower time (if it says 8-10, just do 8) Drain and pour into casserole dish.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a pan and cook onions and garlic until soft. (This is also when I did the sausage) Stir in the flour, pepper, and mustard until well mixed. Pour in the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until milk has thickened, about 10 minutes. Take milk off the heat, stir in 4 cups of the cheese until melted. Pour over the pasta, stirring to make sure all the pasta is covered. Top with remaining cup of cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese bubbles.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ok its a little late, but it turned out really good! I read about adding butter, and wasn't sure, we don't usually cook with a lot of butter. Some people said they put in a whole stick, eww! But I put in a quarter of a stick and I think it really made it more rich.

1 corned beef brisket

6 potatoes, cut into pieces

1 small cabbage, cut into wedges

1 onion, cut into small pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package sliced mushrooms

1/4 stick butter

Saute garlic and onions in a pot. Add roast and sear on all sides. Add spice packet and cover with water and butter (I had also just made chicken broth so I put some of that in there in place of part of the water). Bring to a boil, then simmer 50 minutes per pound. 40 minutes before it is done, add potatoes. 15 minutes before it is done, add in cabbage and mushrooms.

Take out the meat and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing, and serve with the broth and veggies.

Portobello Fajitas

I found this on the internet but forgot to save where. This is one that we cheated on...we added shrimp, but it would have been delicious without it too. These were incredibly good!

1 orange bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 red onion
2 portabello mushrooms
Olive oil
Tequilla-we didn't have this so we just used a couple of splashes of Glenlivet...which is scotch maybe?
1 lemon, or a few table spoons of lemon juice.
cumin
chili powder
1 avocado
2 large tomatoes


Step 1 - Clean and slice up the mushrooms into nice thick slices. Place in a ziplock bag. Pour in a little olive oil, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon, and pour in about 1/4 cup of tequilla. Squeeze out the air and seal up the bag. Let marinade on the counter while you work on the rest.

Step 2 - Slice up the peppers and onion into strips.












Step 3 - Saute the mushrooms and the onions. Cook, covered but stirring often, over medium-high heat for a couple minutes. Add the bell peppers. Sprinkle the whole mess with salt, cumin and chili powder to taste and pour in a lil more tequila. Stir up and let finish cooking. Serve with warm tortillas and top with the chopped tomato and avocado.


We served ours with the leftover refried beans from the other day with a little cheese on top. YUM!

Tofu Curry (or meat curry)

This one I came up with when I was craving curry and we had some tofu that needed to be used. It can definitely be used with any other kind of meat though. And I love chickpeas in my curry!

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 block tofu, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can chickpeas
frozen veggies (we used broccoli and spinach)
curry powder
rice

Saute the onion and garlic, add the tofu, frozen veggies, and chickpeas, and a tsp (more to taste, ours was really strong) of curry powder. Stir until heated through, serve over rice.

Garlic broccoli pasta with tomatoes and cashews

This one was better than I thought it would be. We had all the ingredients and it looked like a good fast dinner, but it was actually very flavorful. The cashews were an afterthought, but definitely made the meal better!

1 lb pasta-we used spaghetti...it might have been prettier with farfalle
1 bunch broccoli
1/2 package grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped cashews
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated romano cheese

Cook Pasta as directed.

Trim broccoli, coarsely chop.

Heat nonstick 12 inch skillet until hot. Add garlic, cook 2-3 minutes, stirring.

Add broccoli, 1/4 cup water into skillet. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes or until broccoli is meltingly tender, stirring occasionally. Add cashews in the last few minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot, add tomatoes, romano, broccoli mix, and reserved cooking water. Toss until well mixed.














**Edited to add-I have made this dish a few times since, and if you want to add a little protein, cut up raw chicken into bite-sized pieces, coat in flour, and cook in a little bit of oil until done, then toss in with the rest of the dish. MMM!

Black bean nachos

Tortilla chips
1 can black beans
1 can black olives, sliced
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
3 green onions, sliced thin
1 can corn (we used a couple of handfuls of frozen)
cheese
refried beans

Heat oven to 450. Drain the beans. Spread chips out on a pan, then layer on beans, olives and corn. Bake for 10 minutes, add cheese, and bake 5 minutes more. Top with green onions, tomatoes, and avocados. Serve with refried beans and enjoy!

Pork Weiner Schnitzel and Barley Risotto

Pork Wiener Schnitzel

1 lb pork cutlets, pounded to 1/4 inch thick, seasoned with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/2 cup flour on a plate

Beat 2 large eggs and 1 tbsp milk in a shallow bowl

Spread 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs on another plate (we used panko breadcrumbs because we had them)

Dredge the pork in the flour, shaking off excess. Dip into egg, coat with the crumbs, pressing slightly to help them adhere. Heat in a large skilled over medium high heat.

Cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. Remove to paper towels to drain, then keep warm.

Serve with lemon juice and pepper

Barley Risotto

• 1 cup barley
• 1/2 cup small diced onion
• 2-3 cloves minced fresh garlic
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Heat oil in a pan. Add barley and toast lightly - about 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stir and cook until soft. Add 1/3 of the broth, stir until almost absorbed, and repeat. Add pepper to taste Remove from heat, add chopped parsley and cheese and season to taste.














These were both really good (although anything coated in crumbs and fried is good) but if you're not a big barley fan, this is a good recipe for you. The texture is different than what barley usually is in soups and stews, so its a good way to sneak a little barley in!

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

My mom gave us a big box of leftover Thanksgiving turkey. After 3 turkey dinners in a row, we were a little turkey'd out, so I needed to get creative! I found a turkey chili recipe here that sounded good, modified it for the crock pot, and only changed a few things. It makes a ton, enough for us to eat for a couple of days, some to freeze, and some to share with my parents.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans stewed tomatoes, mashed up

1 (15-oz)can crushed tomatoes

1 (15-oz)can diced tomatoes with chilis (unless you don't want it spicy, then just do regular diced)

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can lentils, drained

3-4 cups leftover turkey, chopped

1 tbsp chili powder (more if you like it hot)

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp cinnamon

Put everything in the crock pot and cook. I'm no crock pot scientist, but since everything is already cooked, I figure you just need to cook it for awhile for the flavors to blend, and until it is nice and hot. I did it on low until Eric came home, which was about 6 hours, but it had been hot and bubbly for awhile before that.

Since we had so much, we ate it plain with cheese, over cornbread, and over rice. All ways were delicious!

Chicken and dumplings

It has been cold out and I've been craving this! 

4 chicken breasts

1 large onion

1 clove garlic

6 cups broth

Bisquick and milk

red pepper flakes to taste

frozen veggies-we used broccoli, peas, and soybeans

Make the bisquick biscuit mix as directed on the box. Saute the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes in oil. Add the broth, scraping up the brown bits from the pan. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. Throw in the frozen veggies and grind some pepper, then make flattened balls of dough with your hands and place them across the pan. It should cover the whole pan. Turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Use a fork to test that the biscuits are cooked on the inside, and spear a piece of chicken to test that it is cooked, then serve. 

Unfortunately, we ate it all without taking a picture. It was just too yummy. I'll just have to make it again!

Ethiopian Curry Vegetable Stew

I recently stumbled upon some Ethiopian recipes and they all sound so good! They're just what I like, full of vegetables and flavor. This one was very good, and made a lot of leftovers.

1 head cabbage, sliced into wedges about an inch thick

2 large onions, sliced

5 carrots, cut into bite sized pieces

3 large potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

1 small head cauliflower, cut into pieces

1 can chickpeas

3 tbsp curry powder

2 cups water

We also threw in some frozen broccoli

saute the onions in oil or butter until translucent. Add curry powder and stir. Add water, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes, cover, and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cauliflower and cook 15 more minutes. Add the chickpeas and broccoli and stir. 

We ate it over rice. Mmm!

Pasta Risotto

This recipe was called Orzo Risotto, using the pasta that looks like rice. We didn't have that but we had acini di pepe, little balls

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1/2 lb pasta

1 small onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Heat oil and butter in a saucepan. Add pasta and toast for 3 minutes. Add onions and garlic, cook until soft, stirring frequently. Add wine, stir and deglaze for 1 minute. When the wine has nearly evaporated, add 2 cups of stock, and stir until absorbed. Add remaining stock and ground pepper, and cook until absorbed. Remove from heat, add chopped parsley and cheese and season to taste. 

I added frozen broccoli and peas when the stock was almost absorbed the last time. Chopped mushrooms would have been very good too! It was really yummy, it was creamy and the acini di pepe gave it a unique texture.

I served it with grilled chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, and steamed brussels sprouts, and it was a hit! The leftovers didn't last long, so I might double it next time.

Garlic lime salmon

It isn't the prettiest recipe, but it was really yummy!

Finely chop half a large onion and

1 garlic clove

put them in a big ziploc bag, or a 9x13 baking dish

add 2 tbsp olive oil and

2 tbsp lime juice

Stir, and put filets on top. Swish them around so they get all covered, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Flip, swish, and repeat.

Set the broiler on high, and broil for 5 minutes or until flaky.

I served this with Near East Creative Grains Parmesan flavor, which was realllly good, and a big salad with tomatoes and a lime juice and pepper dressing to tie it together.

West African Peanut Chicken

I found THE yummiest recipe the other day, and we just happened to have all of the ingredients in the house, so I made it for dinner today. I found the original recipe on another blog, which is really interesting (the woman totally has my dream life!) and she occasionally posts the recipes she makes for her 10 children. I tweaked it a little, and it was soooo good! Eric said he could eat it every day. It was really easy, as long as you have everything chopped and ready ahead of time.

West African Peanut Chicken

4 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1/2 cup peanut butter

pepper to taste

Brown rice

Veggie-I added frozen peas, because we had them

Brown chicken in oil. Remove the chicken and set aside. Put in the onions and garlic, stirring until soft. Add tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes, then put the chicken back in and stir in the peanut butter. It melts fairly quickly, just keep stirring. Add pepper to taste, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add frozen peas and stir for another minute.

Serve over brown rice.

Next time we're going to try it with crunchy peanut butter, I think that little crunch would be really good too!

Fish, tomato, olive, caper sauce

I realize when I posted the recipe below that I made that fish sauce a couple of months ago and never took a picture or posted it at all. It was so yummy, I have to share it!

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup water

3/4 lb fish fillets, I think we used mahi mahi

16 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1 tbsp capers, rinsed (I used extra because I love capers!)

Some minced fresh parsley if you have it, or 2 tsp dried 

Saute garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, and water. Simmer, stirring, for 15 minutes. Add fish, cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes, or until fish is done. I always worry about undercooking meat, so I simmered it longer. Mash the fish up so it has no large pieces. Add remaining ingredients. 

Serve with pasta, or on anything you would put spaghetti sauce. It was so yummy! I apparently didn't take a picture of any of the things we used it for the first time around, but I froze half of it and put some on the spinach cheese ravioli, pictured below.

Cheese and Spinach Ravioli

1 package wonton wrappers

1 lb ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 box frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out

Ground pepper

(I also grated some ricotta salata cheese, just to try something new)

Mix cheese, egg, bread crumbs, spinach, and pepper to taste. To make each ravioli, lay one wonton wrapper on a plate, put a spoonful of filling in the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger in a cup of water and get all 4 edges of the wrapper wet. Put a second wrapper over the top, and fold and pinch the edges shut. If they come open when you boil them, all the yumminess floats out!

Boil them for 5 minutes, top with your favorite sauce, we used the fish sauce I made a couple of months ago and froze half of. Yum!

Stuffed Green Peppers

4 green peppers (or another color)

1 lb ground beef

1 cup quinoa or brown rice, cooked

1 medium onion, diced

2 cans diced tomatoes

Ground pepper

Mix beef, quinoa, onion, and 1/2 can diced tomatoes. Wash peppers, cut off tops, remove seeds, and stuff with mixture. Place in a baking dish, and po

ur the rest of the tomatoes over the peppers. 

Cook at 350. We put our meat thermometer in one to tell us when it was done, it was about an hour and 15 minutes but we had really huge

 peppers.