Curry Chicken Salad

I love when I can use my leftovers and use them for lunch options. A couple of days ago I got a roasted chicken from the grocery store. Obviously too much chicken for just me in one night, so I made this curry chicken salad the next day for lunch! I got this recipe from my Big Book of 30-Minute Dinners, but since I already had the roasted chicken, it only took like 10 minutes!

Ingredients

3 cups roasted chicken

2 cups green grapes

1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1/3 cup light mayo

1/3 cup lemon-flavored low-fat yogurt

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp curry powder

2 Tb sliced almonds

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, grapes, water chestnuts, and celery.

2. For salad dressing, stir together mayo, yogurt, soy sauce, and curry powder. Pour dressing over chicken mixture, and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

G's side notes:

This was such a good twist on the normal everyday chicken salad! The original recipe called for Mandarin oranges, but I thought that was fruit over kill. I might try the oranges next time and omit the grapes!

Veggie Bean Burgers

I have to say that I am a pretty big meat eater. However, I don't NEED to have meat in every meal. I actually love to be creative sometimes, and cut the meat out. I am constantly looking for tasty vegetarian meals, and this bean burger did the trick! The original recipe was taken from a Guy Fieri creation, and I tweaked it just a little bit. (I apologize for this picture of the final product as it does not do the patty justice!)

Ingredients

2 ounces olive oil

3 Tb diced red onions

2 Tb diced black olives

1 tsp diced jalapeno
1 1/2 Tb diced garlic

6 ounces black beans

6 ounces white beans

6 ounces rolled oats

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tb fresh parsley

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 celery salt

1/4 ground sage

2 Tb seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

Directions

1. In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat 1 ounce of olive oil and all raw veggies except for beans. Saute until translucent. Set aside to cool.

2. Add veggies to beans and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients, and egg. Mix together thoroughly and make four even patties. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. In saute pan, add 1 ounce of olive oil and cook patties for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

G's side notes:

The original recipe called for diced artichokes and another type of bean. This recipe already had so many flavors and ingredients, that I decided to cut out those two. These burgers turned out so flavorful they didn't need the extra ingredients. I did add cheese (of course), and I tried to make a spicy chili mayo spread. However, next time, I think I will try a basil lime mayo as I think the lime will go great with the beans.

For the Co-Workers: Valentine's Cupcakes

I love bringing in treats for my co-workers. Since I don't have a big army to feed at home, sometimes I make them my victims. I don't think they mind all that much, except for my boss thinking I am trying to make him gain weight! These cupcakes weren't anything special, just strawberry cake from a box with confetti frosting. But they were fun to make...and they were gone by the end of the day! One thought of mine was to make them have a tropical twist by adding crushed pineapple and orange zest to the batter and then adding toasted coconut on top the frosting! Next time guys! Happy Valentine's day!

Sunday Dinner: Sauteed Pork with Mushroom Mustard Cream Sauce

I spend almost every Sunday at my parent's house. It has been a tradition every since I was little that Sunday nights were a time to relax until the work week started again, and to cook a big nice dinner. This dinner usually consists of a great steak on the grill or my mom's homemade spaghetti sauce. Occasionally though we will mix it up. A couple Sunday's ago, my mom and I cooked this one together. We found the recipe from my mom's BIG binder of recipes. This is a great website for recipes, and I will probably visit here often.

Ingredients:

2 Tb vegetable oil

4 Tb unsalted butter

Four 4 to 5 ounce pork cutlets, lightly pounded to an even thickness

Salt to taste

Ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced shallots

3 cups thinly sliced fresh white mushrooms

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 Tb Dijon mustard

2 Tb thinly sliced green onion tops

Directions:

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat until hot. Add the oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the butter and when it becomes foamy, add the cutlets.

2. Saute the cutlets just until they are lightly browned on the bottom. Turn and cook on the other side until lightly browned. They will not be completely cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and transfer the cutlets to a platter.

3. Add the shallots to the same pan and saute over medium heat until soft, but not brown, 3-5 minutes.

4. Turn the heat to high and add the mushrooms. Saute stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release all their liquid. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

5. Add the white wine and reduce by half.

6. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half.

7. Add the cream and reduce until sauce coats the back of a spoon.

8. Reduce the heat to low and add the mustard. Whisk until smooth.

9. Return the cutlets and mushrooms to the pan (do not boil) and cook just until the pork is heated through.

G's side notes:

This really was a fantastic recipe. There was a lot of transferring things and reducing of liquids, but the end result was worth it. I am a huge sauce lover, so I next time, I would almost double the sauce ingredients. Also, we served this with mashed potatoes and the gravy went excellent with them!

Very Lemony Yogurt Cake

I wanted to serve something sweet and easy after my big Super Bowl dinner with my girlfriends the other night. This was a nice refreshing choice, but it was VERY sweet! Especially after I added the blueberry sauce. This recipe came from Ina Garden.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners sugar
2 Tb freshly squeezed lemons


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 x4 1/4x2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Grease and flour the pan.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it is all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until test fork comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 sugar cup sugar in small pan until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear.

4. When the cake is done, allow to cool for 10 min. Leave in pan, and carefully pour lemon-sugar mixture over cake and allow to soak in. Cool.

For glaze, combine the confectioners sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

G's side notes:
This cake again was VERY sweet and lemony. I chose not to make the glaze, but instead reduced some blueberries, sugar and water together to make a blueberry sauce. Next time, I might not even use the lemon-sugar mixture as I think the cake was great by itself. However, that did keep it very moist.

Super Bowl "Mini" Meatball Subs

My girlfriends and I decided to have a girl's-night-in while watching the Super Bowl...I said I would cook if they brought the beer! Some things just work out perfectly. I also told them to come hungry, because I making a lot of food. I didn't disappoint. This entire recipe really came from Giada De Laurentiis. I am fairly new at making meatballs, and since I was entertaining, I didn't want to mess it up. I think they turned out great though!

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

1 small onion, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
3 Tb ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup dried Italian-style bead crumbs
1 lbs. ground beef
6 ounces ground pork
2 Tb extra-virgin olive oil
Marinara sauce, recipe to follow

Sandwiches:

12 mini sub (or club) rolls
1/3 freshly grated Parmesan
12 thick slices of Provolone cheese

Directions:

Meatballs: Whisk first seven ingredients together in large bowl. Stir in cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in beef and pork. Using about 1 1/2 tablespoons of meat, and roll meat mixture into 1 to 1 1/2 inch diameter balls.

Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, add meatballs to pan and saute until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer meatballs onto paper towel to soak any excess oil. Once all meatballs are browned, transfer them to pot of simmering marinara sauce.

Simmer meatballs into sauce for 20-30 minutes or until all flavors have blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make sandwiches: Set oven broil on high. Spoon meatballs plus sauce (should fit about 3 balls) onto mini sub rolls. Place provolone cheese on top of meatballs, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place under broil for about three minutes or until cheese is melted. Wrap sandwiches into foil to serve.

G's side notes:
This recipe called for ground veal, but I did not use it. First of all, I couldn't find ground veal at the regular grocery store and didn't feel like asking the butcher, but also the ground pork and ground beef came all in one package, so it was nice and easy! The meatballs turned out great without the veal.

Marinara sauce:

2 Tb extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 dried bay leaves

In a large cooking pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add carrots and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Saute another 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese and bay leaves and simmer uncovered over low heat until sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

G's side notes:
I cooked this marinara sauce all day. It just got better and better as it cooked. It didn't originally call for Parmesan cheese, but I thought the cheese would add another layer of flavor, but also help season and thicken. It did start to get a little to thick on me, so I thinned it out with some beef broth.