Keeping It Simple – Warm Chicken Salad
From the Salad Collection at emealsforyou.com
Warm Chicken Salad
After a weekend of large meals we couldn’t decide on Sunday night’s dinner. We really didn’t feel like eating too much but knew if we skipped dinner altogether that wouldn’t work either. Maybe because we have been on a “heavy” meal trend lately; something simple and tasty seemed perfect. Fresh salad with some leftover chicken hit the spot; we did add a piece of garlic bread.
On another note a friend recently apologized for making a crock-pot meal for her family while she was at work. She thought because I cook I would not approve of crock-pot meals. I told her that the crock-pot chicken she was making would be just fine and by far better then all the additives she would be feeding her family had she purchased take-out. We advocate making good food for your family. The cooking method doesn’t matter; sitting down for a family meal is what matters.
Warm Chicken Salad
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 2 |
| Category: | Salad |
| Meal: | Other (General) |
| 4 | cup | lettuce, mixed |
| 0.5 | tsp | garlic powder |
| 0.125 | Tb | oregano, dried |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 1 | Tb | vinegar, red wine |
| 6 | oz | chicken breast, cooked , skinless and boneless with pan juices |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
Place lettuce in a bowl; add garlic powder, oregano, oil and vinegar. Toss and place in center of plate. Heat chicken and pan juices. Cut chicken into slices and place on salad. Spoon pan juices on top and serve.
More simply delicious meals and recipes at emealsforyou.com.
- Warm Chicken Salad
Recipe of the Week – Braciole (Beef Rolls)
From the Beef Entrée Collection at emealsforyou.com
Braciole
In Cincy the fireworks are not on July 4th; they have them on or about Labor Day. As Cincinnati is a city built on hills we observe the firework display on a hillside in Kentucky overlooking the Ohio river and the downtown area. A friend of a friend has an annual party to celebrate the end of summer and as he has an outstanding location, to view the fireworks. This year the fireworks were pretty much hidden behind a rain storm and cloudy weather but the party was a good time.
Last year we took desserts, tiramisu and baklava, to the party. This year we decided to take something a little more substantial, braciole, Italian stuffed beef rolls. This is a favorite of our host and a very good addition to any party buffet. I made the braciole in half size to fit on smaller plates. The recipe that follows is for the full size, wonderful meal portion.
Braciole – Beef Rolls
| Complexity: | Medium |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Beef Entrée |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 4 | lb | beef, rump roast |
| 1 | tsp | salt and pepper to taste |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 3 | large | onions, sliced |
| 0.5 | lb | pancetta |
| 8 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 0.75 | lb | cheese, provolone |
| 3 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 0.5 | cup | carrots, diced |
| 0.5 | medium | onions, chopped |
| 2 | medium | celery ribs |
| 4 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 3 | 28 oz. can | tomatoes, diced |
| 4 | medium | bay leaves, whole dried |
| 1 | cup | wine, dry white |
| 1 | Tb | salt and pepper to taste |
| 1 | cup | wine, dry red |
| 1 | Tb | parsley, flat leaf, chopped |
This is a classic Italian dish; it must be cooked for at least 4 hours at 275 degrees. Cut all the fat off the rump roast; look for a roast that is fairly rectangular in sharp. Cut slices across the grain about 3/8 inches thick. Place the slices between two pieces of plastic wrap and hit with a meat tenderizer, mallet or even a rolling pin until ¼ inch thick. Slice the onions and pancetta into small pieces; add the garlic and sauté in oil in a sauté pan until onions are soft but not colored. Allow to cool. Place the slices on a work area and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the onion, pancetta mixture evenly over the slices of beef, allowing about ½ inch from the edges. Add slices of the provolone. Roll the beef up from the wider end and either tie with butcher string or secure with toothpicks.
Cut the onions, garlic and celery into a small dice (a food processor works well here), put oil in a large pan and sauté the vegetables until all the moisture is removed and they begin to color. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves and white wine and simmer for 20 minutes.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy oven-proof pot, add some of the beef rolls and brown on all sides. Repeat until all the bracoile is browned. Remove from the pot and add enough of the tomato sauce to cover bottom, scrap the bottom of the pot and add the bracoile back into the pot and pour the tomato sauce over the top. Cooked, covered in a 275 degree oven for at least 4 hours, remove cover, add red wine, carefully stir, add salt and pepper to taste and cover again. Adjust oven to 200 degrees and leave in oven until ready to serve. Sprinkle chopped Italian parsley over the top.
Serve with cheese gnocchi.
Try this and more great recipes at emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Raviolis
From the Starch and Pasta Collection at emealsforyou.com
Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Raviolis
I usually opt for the store-bought raviolis when making your typical ravioli and sauce meal. The four-cheese raviolis have a good flavor and are very easy to prepare for a fast dinner. On occasion I get creative in the kitchen and decide to make my own raviolis from scratch. While this sounds crazy to most it really isn’t that hard, and the results are really worth the exercise.
Making your own pasta for the raviolis involves a very quick combining of eggs and flour in your food processor, allowing the dough to rest and then deciding on the filling for your raviolis. A pasta machine is good to have but not required if you have a rolling pin and don’t mind a little work.
Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Raviolis
| Complexity: | Medium |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Starch/ Pasta |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 3 | recipe | Quick Homemade Pasta |
| 4 | medium | figs, fresh |
| 4 | oz | cheese, goat |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| 1 | Tb | honey |
| 1 | medium | egg, whites |
| 1 | recipe | Fresh Ginger Sauce |
Make 3 batches of Quick Homemade Pasta recipe. Roll or use a pasta machine out to the thinness setting. Cut into strips the size of the raviolis you wish to make. Keep the pasta under a damp towel to avoid it drying out. Cut figs in half and roast on a parchment covered cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow figs to cool and then chop into ½ inch pieces. Mix goat cheese, salt and pepper and the figs in a small bowl. Add a Tb of water to the egg white.
To assemble the ravioli: place pasta on a cutting board; with a top piece and a bottom piece. Paint the bottom strip with the egg white. Decide how big your raviolis will be and add a heaping tsp of the cheese mixture into the middle of each section. Place a piece of the fig in the middle of the cheese and drizzle with a drop or two of the honey. Carefully place the other strip on top and push to seal the edges and across and down the middle. Cut into individual raviolis and pinch the edges with a fork to further seal. Place the finished ravioli on a piece of parchment, allow to dry and freeze until needed. This should make about 28 large ravioli.
To serve: Add the raviolis to boiling, salted water. When they float to the top they are done. Make the Fresh Ginger Sauce; place some in the bottom of a plate and add the raviolis.
Note: Add additional fig pieces, golden raisins or dried cranberries to the sauce. Sprinkle some grated Romano cheese on top. Any pieces of pasta leftover may be frozen and used as noodles.
Here is the recipe for the Fresh Ginger Sauce
More Homemade pasta recipes including Lobster Raviolis at emealsforyou.com
To Foodie or Not to Foodie – A Rant and a Recipe
We are always torn when writing on this blog and more importantly when adding recipes to our website at emealsforyou.com how far down the Foodie Road we go. It has been our intention from the start to provide you with recipes and meal plans that are easy to make, use common ingredients and most important, interesting. With this in mind I sometimes think you might take a look at the title and decide the recipe is not for you.
I enjoy cooking, and thinking about cooking. We do have a rule around here that you can’t talk about the next meal while eating the current meal. Cooking is all about confidence. Confidence is about trying new recipes and having them turn out great; or sometimes making them a few times to get it right. The important thought here is to try. Don’t be put off by something new or a “fancy” name. Our readership is composed of all levels of cooks; from chefs to the newly wed preparing her or his first meal for the in-laws.
So here we go! This sounds crazy but it will take a store-bought carrot cake to a new level of dessert. Give it a try and let us know what you think.
Goat Cheese Ice Cream
Goat Cheese Ice Cream
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 2 | cups | cream, heavy |
| 0.5 | cup | milk, whole |
| 4 | large | egg, yolks |
| 0.25 | cup | sugar, granulated |
| 3 | Tb | corn syrup, light |
| 4 | oz | cheese, goat |
Bring the cream and the milk to a boil. Whisk egg yolks and sugar together and slowly add some of the hot cream into the yolks, stirring constantly. Add the yolk mixture to the cream and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk the corn syrup and the goat cheese together and add to the cream mixture. Remove from heat and whisk until fully blended. Cool in a water bath and then process in an ice cream maker. Freeze until needed.
Note: This is very rich and should be used in conjunction with other desserts.
Shown over carrot cake.
From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Baked Pasta
From the Vegetarian Entrée Collection at emealsforyou.com
Baked Pasta
There is a wonderful Italian restaurant in Buffalo, NY that serves baked pasta two ways. The first is pasta with garlic butter; then cover the top with mozzarella and a sprinkling of Romano and bake in the oven until brown, serve with a side ramekin of good tomato sauce. The second is to mix the tomato sauce with the pasta, then cover with mozzarella and Romano and bake. Either way it is something special.
Pasta is something, like salad, that is very difficult to guess how much to make. All of us have made too much pasta at some time. This recipe makes great use of that extra pasta; stretching your food budget and giving your family a special treat. This recipe is so good you will forget that Buffalo is famous for its chicken wings and maybe a little Beef on Weck.
Baked Pasta
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Vegetarian Entrée |
| Meal: | Veggie – Little Italy (Theme Meal Plans) |
| 1 | lb | pasta, penne |
| 2 | Tb | salt, kosher |
| 3 | cup | tomato sauce |
| 1 | cup | cheese, mozzarella |
| 3 | Tb | cheese, Romano, grated |
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water and drain well. Using your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce or part of the spaghetti sauce recipe which appears on this site, mix sauce with the cooked pasta, and place in an oven-proof dish. Grate mozzarella cheese and sprinkle generously on top; finish with a sprinkling of the romano.
Bakes at 400 degrees for about 4-6 minutes or until it begins to brown.
Shown here using spaghetti.
We do a great spaghetti sauce over at emealsforyou.com and our Italian beef is pretty good as well.
Recipe of the Week – Seared Scallop Small Plates
From the Fish Entrée Collection at emealsforyou.com
Seared Scallops
My sister-in-law dropped in for a weekend visit on her way home after a visit to the East Coast. As she doesn’t eat meat but enjoys seafood; we had to come up with a menu plan that fit our schedule as well as provide an interesting and palate pleasing treat. We decided on small plates; our version of several great recipes prepared as partial recipes. We usually make about 4- 5 different entrées to choose from.
To make sure the scallops are fresh, buy only those from a vendor who moves a lot of product daily. The scallops should be off-white to creamy in color and not sitting in the white milky substance you sometimes see them sitting in. Avoid those that are “swimming” in this fluid. As we were having 5 small plate entrees I made 2 large (10 -20 count) scallops per person. I also added a few golden raisins to the brown butter sauce for an added touch.
Our other small plate entrées included Grilled Steelhead Trout on Cucumber Slices with Hollandase Sauce, Cantaloupe with Crab Salad, Individual Yellow Tomato Caprese Salad, and Toast Points with Goat Cheese and Fig Jam.
Pan-roasted Sea Scallops
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 2 |
| Category: | Fish Entrée |
| Meal: | Dinner in the Round (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 8 | large | scallops, sea |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| 4 | Tb | Panko breadcrumbs |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| 1 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 1 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 8 | leaves | sage, fresh |
| 2 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 0.5 | medium | lemons |
Note: This recipe takes very little time to make and therefore be sure to have the rest of the meal ready to go before starting the scallops.
Dry scallops thoroughly on a paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides of the scallops. Place Panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish, salt and pepper breadcrumbs. Dip one side of scallop in breadcrumbs. Place butter and olive oil in pan; heat pan until oil begins to smoke. Place scallops, breadcrumb side down in pan and cook until light brown (about 3 minutes); flip scallops and cook for three minutes on reverse side. Remove scallops to a side plate. Lower heat to medium, place sage leaves and butter in pan and swirl, cooking for three minutes. Plate scallops and drizzle brown butter sauce over scallops, serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
Shown here with baby Yukon Gold potatoes and peas.
More small plate ideas at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Peach Tart
From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com
Peach Tart
You have to love July/August; not for the weather but for the peaches. Early in Mid-June the peaches from Georgia start to show up at the local Farmers’ Markets. We wait patiently for the arrival of July when the peaches from South Carolina make their appearance. By August first we have all kinds of peaches to pick from.
While I am partial to the South Carolina peaches any peach in my mind is a good peach. In our family the best peach is one that has to be eaten outside or if inside over a trashcan; thus preventing the delicious juices from flowing all over our clothes. The only problem with this is that you have to keep from eating the peaches until they reach this marvelous state of ripeness. If by chance you happen to buy some that are not quite to this point and you just have to have them; try this easy tart. Baking them will increase their sweetness and your family will thank you for the treat.
Peach Tart
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 10 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | 29 and Holding (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 2 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 1 | recipe | tart shell |
| 5 | large | peaches, sliced |
| 0.5 | cup | sugar, brown |
| 1 | Tb | vanilla |
| 1 | Tb | lemon, juice of |
| 0.5 | tsp | sugar, finishing |
Prepare tart shell according to the recipe. Peal peaches and cut into 8 wedges each. Add butter to a sauté pan and heat until melted. Place peaches in pan and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the brown sugar, vanilla and lemon juice and cook until the peaches are just tender but not mushy. Remove peaches from pan and cook. Return the pan to the heat and cook juices down until thick and caramelly. Place peaches in the baked tart shell; pour reduced juice over the peaches. Sprinkle finishing sugar (course) over top. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
More peachy recipes at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Coq au Vin
From the Chicken Entrée Collection at emealsforyou.com
Coq au Vin
I have a friend who says it is too hot to cook starting about Memorial Day and finishing up sometime after Labor Day. I believe this is a carry-over from her youth when A/C wasn’t what it is today. Anyway, there are some meals that we associate with chilly fall meals and some we associate with summer. I don’t buy off on these theories. I cook and eat what I feel like regardless of the weather.
If I were sitting in a Paris bistro and found Coq au Vin on the menu it probably would be the first thing I would order; Summer, Winter, Spring or Fall. Simple to make, this is one of those meals you start and then just let it cook until you are ready to eat. The smell of the garlicy, wine sauce will spread throughout the house. Add a small tart salad and some crunchy bread with just a little wine and it’s a mini-trip to Paris. Julia Child would be so proud.
Coq au Vin
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Chicken Entrée |
| Meal: | Welcome Home (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 2 | slices | bacon |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 1 | whole | chicken, whole, cut up |
| 6 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 8 | oz | onions, pearl frozen |
| 8 | oz | mushrooms, white button |
| 1 | 10.5 oz can | beef consommé |
| 8 | oz | wine, dry red |
| 8 | oz | chicken broth |
| 3 | Tb | tomato paste |
| 3 | medium | bay leaves, whole dried |
| 2 | Tb | butter, salted |
| 2 | Tb | flour |
| 0.5 | tsp | salt and pepper to taste |
Cut bacon into small pieces, brown bacon in large pan, add oil. Brown chicken in pan, remove chicken, add garlic and onions, sauté for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, chicken, consommé, wine, bay leaves, tomato paste and enough of the broth to just cover chicken. Reduce heat to simmer, cook for 25 minutes, until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to platter. Add flour to some of the juice and add to gravy to thicken, add butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over chicken and serve.
Serve with crusty bread.
More flavorful recipe ideas at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Pasta alla Costco
From the Starch/ Pasta Collection at emealsforyou.com
Pasta alla Costco
This could be called Pasta alla Sam’s Club or whatever wholesale warehouse you belong to. The main point is that when you buy in bulk; purchasing large containers of everything leaves you with large containers of everything and needing a reason to use them. We call this Pasta alla Costco because the extra large jars of olives, artichokes and capers came from our local Costco.
This is ideal for a quick dinner or a Saturday lunch when you can’t figure out what you want to eat. I mean who doesn’t like pasta. Add some chicken, sausage or just as it is and you will think you are in a small corner tavern in Little Italy.
Pasta alla Costco
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Starch/ Pasta |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 1 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 2 | Tb | onions, chopped |
| 4 | cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 1 | 14 oz. can | tomatoes, diced |
| 1 | Tb | capers |
| 1 | Tb | peppers, pickled rings |
| 2 | Tb | artichoke hearts |
| 2 | Tb | olives, mixed, pitted |
| 1 | tsp | garlic chili sauce |
| 0.25 | cup | cheese, mozzarella, shredded |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
| 1 | lb | pasta, cooked |
| 1 | Tb | cheese, Romano, grated |
Heat olive oil in a pan, add the onions, and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, capers, peppers, artichoke hearts, sliced, the olives, chopped and the chili paste and sauté for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Cook and drain pasta. Add mozzarella and salt and pepper to taste to the pan. Add cooked pasta to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Plate and sprinkle ¼ of the Romano on the top of each plate.
Want some more easy meals; try emealsforyou.com
Recipe of the Week – Heritage Tomato Salad
From the Salad Collection at emealsforyou.com
Heritage Tomato Salad
For those of you who don’t know what heritage tomatoes are or those who haven’t tried them yet; a word of caution. You probably won’t experience a “WOW” moment. While some of these tomatoes are very good; most are just over-priced. Having said that, they look really great in a salad. This is one of those salads that adds color to your meal and provides a chance to add your own ideas; adding your special touch to everything from burgers to fresh grilled fish.
Don’t have feta, add blue cheese or shaved Romano. Like olives, add them; like capers add them. Got some bread laying around, make croutons and add them. Add grilled chicken, shrimp or steak for a great lunch. Support your local Farmers’ Market and buy some tomatoes.
Heritage Tomato Salad
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 4 |
| Category: | Salad |
| Meal: | Welcome Fall Dinner (Quick Meals Planner) |
| 1 | lb | heritage tomato |
| 2 | Tb | cilantro |
| 2 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 0.5 | medium | lemon, juice of |
| 0.25 | cup | cheese, feta, crumbled |
| 1 | cloves | garlic, minced |
| 0.5 | tsp | pepper, fresh cracked |
| 1 | tsp | salt, kosher |
Cut tomatoes into bite size wedges. Place in bowl, add remaining ingredients, toss, let rest for 10 minutes and serve.
More salads and great meal ideas at emealsforyou.com
Recent Comments