Indonesian Ginger Chicken and Shrimp Bisque

It’s Barefoot Blogger time. I missed the posting date for the first recipe of the month so I’ll give my review for both now. For the newcomers Barefoot Bloggers are a community of food bloggers that twice monthly make, sample and post a review of Ina Garten recipes. Both of the recipes this month PUSHED me right past my comfort zone. I was a good foodie, sucked it up and followed the recipes.

The first recipe for the month was chosen by Todd of A Cooking Dad and he chose Indonesian Ginger Chicken which can be found in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook on page 125 or on the food network site. This was a nice recipe and my family really enjoyed the chicken. I don’t eat chicken off of the bone so my boneless chicken breast was not so wonderful, very dry! I will make this chicken again for my kids and husband. This recipe makes nice wings too.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 cup honey
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
• 1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
• 2 (3 1/2 pound) chickens, quartered, with backs removed

Directions

Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich, dark brown.

Second Recipe of the month

Jennifer of Our Blessed Home chose the second recipe Shrimp Bisque which can be found in Barefoot Contessa at Home on pages 52-54 or again on the food network site.

To say I was not excited about this recipe would be an understatement. I grew up in South Florida and the idea of any seafood prepared with seafood purchased in the middle of Texas just grosses me out. But again, I was a big girl and made the bisque just as Ina would. I took a few pictures then sat down with my family to eat and IT WAS GOOD. Would I make it again??? Maybe when we are in Florida for the summer. My husband and seven year old had seconds. My five year old finished his original bowl and my three year old informed me that she does not like SHARK soup. Who knew?

Shrimp Bisque

Seafood Stock!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 pound large shri mp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
• 4 cups seafood stock
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (3 leeks)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock. Add enough water to make 3 3/4 cups.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the leeks are tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cayenne pepper and shrimp and cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Cognac and cook for 1 minute, then the sherry and cook for 3 minutes longer. Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until coarsely pureed.

In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the half-and-half and cook, stirring with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and heat gently until hot but not boiling. Season, to taste, and serve hot.

Pasta salad with Fava Beans

I love to cook and I love to have my children in the kitchen with me. Having time and something entertaining enough to keep the kids from making me crazy can be a challenge. The other day my son and I made a pasta salad with Fava beans, which worked out well for a rushed weeknight meal. I love the cumin/mint combination. After the pasta had marinated overnight, my 4 year old and I made chicken nuggets while my 6 and 2 year old worked on a salad. My 4 year old was so impressed that his mom could teach him how to make chicken nuggets. I hope I’m his hero for the rest of his life or at least the rest of the week. Having the yummy pasta ready gave me time to invest in my children.

Pasta salad with Fava Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Acini Di Pepe Pasta
• Fava Beans (hulled, boil and skins peeled)
• Cumin
• Fresh Mint (chopped)
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Sherry Vinegar

Directions:

Cook the pasta, combine all the ingredients and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

OH! My Best Friend stop over today.

She gave us this special treat to make our weekly celebration of Pancake Sunday a bit easier and funner!

Thank you and you know we love you! Remember that always(especially as you see this and your picture)!

Stacked Burrito Pie

I feel like I've been playing catch up ever since our computer died a few weeks ago.
I'm working to get back in the groove, which is not easy now that I've lost my camera too. It's been a bit of a technology black hole at our house. First the computer, then my daughter put my cell phone in the toilet and now I've lost my camera. Anyway, the short of it is that I'm trying to get back on track and hope you all understand why I've been a bit flighty lately. Don't forget you don't need glasses it's just the stinky pictures from my cell phone.

Stacked Burrito Pie.
Adapted from " family-fun Magazine"

Ingredients
1 Medium Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped
1 lb ground beef. (I used chicken this time. We had some leftover from grilling)
2 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Cumin
2 tsp paprika
Salt and Pepper
1 Can Black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can Corn (I cut mine off the stalk. again leftover from grilling)
4 - 10 inch flour Tortillas
Sour Cream
Salsa
Cheddar or Monterey Cheese ( I used the Mexican blend that Costco sells)

Directions:
Saute in skillet garlic and onion. Once soft add spices and brown. When the meat is browned, add the beans and corn and cook until almost all liquid is evaporated. Let cool 10 minutes or so.

Using a spring-form pan, greased on bottom, begin to layer.
Spread a thin layer of sour cream, Salsa, beef and then grated cheese. Repeat three more times ending with cheese.
Bake at 350°f until heated through (about 30 minutes). Allow to cool another 10 minutes then carefully remove from pan. I left the outer rim of the pan loosely in place while I was cutting.

Stuffed Chicken with simple Sauce

My husband brought home some boneless, skinless chicken breasts the other day from the grocery store and asked if I wouldn’t mind making stuffed chicken for dinner. Well I guess I didn’t mind because that is what we had that night. I usually have some frozen sauce which makes the dinner very easy and quick to prepare. I guess it’s been a little while since I made sauce because I had none on reserve. So, having committed to making the chicken and not having the 5 plus hours required to make my sauce, I had to make a quick substitute that didn’t taste like a last minute stand in. I also didn’t use basil to stuff the chicken as ours are just starting to pop out of the ground in our herb garden. The sauce and chicken turned out well. I do like my thicker, harder sauce better but this was a nice spring substitution.

Chicken Ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Fresh Mozzarella (fresh mozzarella is so nice in this dish)

Parsley, chopped

Oregano, chopped

Salt and Pepper

Sauce Ingredients:

1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage

2 Cans Diced Tomatoes

3 or 4 Cloves of Garlic

Red wine

Onion, chopped

Salt and Pepper

Chicken Stuffing Directions:

Pound the chicken out and flip it over, lay mozzarella on top of the chicken, spread herbs on top of the cheese and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll the chicken up as tight as possible and hold closed with a toothpick or two. Set the chicken aside in a casserole dish until the sauce is ready to be poured over the chicken.

Sauce Directions:

Sauté the onion and garlic in the red wine until the wine is almost fully evaporated then add the sausage and brown. Finally, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer for a few minutes. Try to avoid the urge to add more herbs to the sauce. The chicken has so much favor and you don’t want it to have to compete with your sauce.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake at 350°f until the chicken is fully cooked. I serve my on top of spaghetti.

P.S. I lost my camera and had to use my phone.

Chinese Chicken Salad

It’s Barefoot Bloggers time. Barefoot bloggers are a community of bloggers who twice monthly make and share recipes from Ina Garten’s cookbooks. The recipe was selected by McKenzie of Kenzie’s Kitchen who has chosen Chinese Chicken Salad which can be found in Barefoot Contessa Parties! on page 98. This recipe, in my humble opinion, was not so great. Nor did the large amount of vinegar sit well with me. I made a lot of changes to this recipe and those will be in red. Maybe those of you who like peanut butter and cider vinegar more than me will enjoy this.

Ina’s recipe
Ingredients
4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on) Boneless and skinless
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted Didn’t use

For the dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil Didn’t use
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger Didn’t use
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted Didn’t use
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pan fried mine.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.
Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature. I served this warm over fried rice.

Empanadas and Awards

This is the second installment of Blogger Finds. Blogger Finds is my little way of honoring some of the blogs that I visit and the wonderful dishes that their authors create and share. When you see a link to another blogger’s site please visit them, they are some of the best and they have some wonderful dishes to share.

This month I tried Black Bean and Corn Empanadas from Cheryl of Cooking, Dunkin Style. Cheryl, in addition to having some great meals, has an adorable puppy that you don’t want to miss on Tuesdays. Anyway, back to the empanadas, these are so yummy and very easy to make. My husband and kids just loved them. My husband would eat them daily if I would make them. The idea of using puff pastry is so smart and such a great way to get away from frying them. Thanks again Cheryl for sharing with all of us bloggers.

The recipe as it appears on Cooking, Dunkin Style.
(Any changes made will be in red)
1/2 onion, diced1 can black beans, drained

1/2 can corn, drained (you could use a whole can I am just not a fan of corn)

2-3 breasts of chicken, poached in water, and diced into cubes I cooked mine quick in my fry pan.

2 whole canned chilies, diced 1 can

salt and pepper
1 tsp Bandia Spice
1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 cup Mexican blend cheese I didn’t add cheese, I forgot

1/2 cup Cotija cheese crumbled (you can get this just about anywhere) Again, no cheese

2 jalapenos peppers, seeded and minced No Jalapenos, I would if the kids were older.

1 tbl onion powder I didn’t add this

1 tbl chives

1/4 cup tomato based salsa of your choice

2 tbl lime juice

2 tsp Franks Red Hot Didn’t add, too hot for the kids.

Salsa Verde (to taste)

1 package puff pastry I used two boxes.

Poach (mine-not poached) your chicken breasts, remove from pan, cool and dice, then place in a large bowl.Add in the beans, corn, salsa, and remaining ingredients. Mix well, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. Add salsa verde by the spoonful until it is at the level of taste you desire.

You don't want this mixture loose and moist; keep it on the dry side. You can adjust any of the above ingredients or seasonings.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and use pan spray on your baking sheet.Place your room temperature puff pastry into a floured surface; roll it out a bit until the seams integrate. Cut into 4 pieces.

You are going to fold them into triangles, so place several tablespoons of your filling in the middle of each piece.Using your finger and a small vessel of water, dip your finger and run it around the edge of the pastry.Fold over and using your fork pinch and seal the edges.

Cut several holes in the top for venting. Brush each empanada with a bit of vegetable oil (I sprayed mine) and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown and puffy.

Awards
This month I was the proud recipient of two awards. The first from Culinary Wannabe and the second from Savor the Thyme. So now I will pass these awards on to other deserving bloggers.

From Culinary Wannabe the award below. Culinary Wannabe, I was very honored to receive this award from you as you have been visiting my blog almost from beginning. Your comments and your visits are must appreciated. Thank-you!

This award is for:
"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."

I would like to pass this award to Sara of Sara's Kitchen. Sara has also been a regular at Foodie with Little Thyme since the beginning. She always has kind words to share and has an expansive cookbook collection. She makes some very beautiful dishes too.

The next award from Savor the Thyme. Savor the Thyme, you are so creative I’m honored that you thought of me and included me in your sisterhood, Thank-you. Savor the Thyme always has some fun contest she is hosting. Right now a Peeps contest. Make sure you enter.

This is an award to share with other so… the awards goes to.
A Southern Grace
Adventures With the Woods
Ciao Chow Linda
Elra's Baking
Finding La Dolce Vita
munch+Nibble
Rtemis
Rubber Slippers in Italy
Shortbread
Two Peas in Their Pod

And the guidelines for passing this award, I think and hope?
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 people whose blogs you enjoy.

3. Link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blogs.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person who has nominated you for the award.

Thanks to all of you guys for having great blogs.

Polenta

A few people have asked what my chicken Piccata was sitting on.
I didn’t mean to keep it a secret. I just didn’t really think about it. You may already have your own favorite polenta recipe, but if you don’t, then here is mine. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 C Enriched Yellow Cornmeal
2 C Cold Water
6 C Water
1 Tbls Salt

Directions:
Start the 6 cups of water boiling in a large saucepan. Pour the cornmeal into the remaining 2 cups of cold water and stir with a fork until a paste is formed. Add salt to the boiling water then add your corn meal paste stirring constantly until it returns to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until smooth and very thick. If you should have a lump appear push it against the side of the pan to dissolve. You will know your polenta is finished cooking when your wooden spoon can stand upright, unsupported in the middle of your pan.
Add cheese or tomatoes and serve.
This makes a lot and good pancakes when fried in the morning.

Chicken Piccata

It’s Barefoot Bloggers challenge time again. Barefoot bloggers are a community of bloggers who twice monthly make and share recipes from Ina Garten’s cookbooks. You all know the weekend I had, so, unfortunately I waited until the last minute to make this recipe. Oh, wait, I did that last month too. Unfortunately because this was a fun and yummy recipe to make and I would have liked more time to enjoy it. From start to finish, with a cake and all, I spent 2 hours in my kitchen. Now, I do have a lot of interruptions so I’m sure that time can be shaved off but that’s how long I was “working” on this. While cooking I had the cookbook on the counter and my son said, “Mom, you are cheating. No looking at the book”. It’s not true, you can look at the book although I use it more as a guideline. I’m not so great at following directions, or is that taking direction, and not very patient either. That being said, I did my best to do as Ina’s directions said. My chicken turned out quite yummy and my sons thought they should be wearing a suit to dinner. I will make this recipe again and again. So without further ado…

The recipe was selected by Lindsey of Noodle Nights and Muffin Mornings who has chosen Chicken Piccata, which can be found in Barefoot Contessa at Home on pages 96-97

Ina's recipe: As always my changes will be in red.

Ingredients:

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts I cooked more chicken. I have 5 to feed and my husband takes leftovers for lunch.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper no measuring
1/2 cup all-purpose flour no measuring
1 extra-large egg Cookbook called for 2 and I used 2
1/2 tablespoon water
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs Panko and didn’t measure
Good olive oil

Capers (rinsed)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided no measuring
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved no measuring
1/2 cup dry white wine no measuring
Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce. For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Chicken Roll-Ups

I had friends coming over for dinner and wanted to make something impressive and tasty and yet not too much work. I happened to have had some turkey ham and fresh mozzarella in the fridge and wanted to incorporate those into the meal. I decided to try something new. Because of the ham I kept reverting back to thoughts of chicken cordon bleu so I went with it but with a few modifications.

Recipe:
Chicken (boneless, skinless breast)
Turkey Ham
Fresh Mozzarella
Fresh Spinach
Basil
Seasonings of choice

Preheat oven to 350º F

Pound chicken flat for rolling.
Cut turkey ham into about 1” strips the length of chicken
Slice mozzarella cheese

On top of flattened chicken breast place ham, cheese, and spinach. Sprinkle with fresh basil and other desired seasonings. I’m partial to Tony Chachere’s Spice N’ Herbs and smoked paprika. Roll into tube-like shape and use toothpicks to hold in place.

Sear chicken roll-ups in olive oil then place on baking sheet. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

I served these with roasted sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts.

To roast the vegetables I placed chunked sweet potatoes in a large bowl and tossed with olive oil and honey then placed on baking sheet. These bake from 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size.

I used frozen brussel sprouts, which I partially thawed in the microwave. Then put them in a large bowl and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper. I left these in the oven for close to 30 minutes.

One of my friends brought over strawberries so I sliced them, sprinkled on a little sugar and added a little fresh rosemary and let them sit until after the meal. I made some fresh whipped cream and we had dessert.

Here’s to another successful meal.