Cheesy "Pizza" Broccoli

I didn't want to serve the same ol' steamed, or stir-fried broccoli, then I remembered a recipe similar to this one, by Daphe Oz (Dr. Oz's daughter), from her lifestyle/cooking book "Relish"
Click image to learn more about the book. It's a perfect choice for college students, young singles and newlyweds. I'm none of those and I like it too. :)

Daphne's version is even more simple than the one I devised (no roasted tomatoes/garlic/red onions or mozzarella in her version)  but this one is a lot more flavorful, in my opinion.

By now, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I love cooking intuitively ~ that is with a basic recipe in my head, and then letting the creative juices flow!  This is another one of those, and you can adjust it to suit your own taste.



Easy and flavorful, here's what you'll need for the basic recipe:
Cherry or Roma Tomatoes Salt, Freshly ground black pepper Olive oil (or oil of your choice)
Dried oregano leaves 1 or 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Red pepper flakes Half an onion, slivered Fresh Broccoli Spears Grated Mozzarella Cheese Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Optional: Lemon wedges Fresh oregano or basil leaves (Extras ~ see below)
Method:
Place rack in center of oven, preheat to 400ºF.
Wash and cut in half a couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes, or as many as you want to make a single layer~  (you can use quartered Roma tomatoes or a similar variety;  tomatoes that are not too juicy work best in this recipe.) In a shallow baking dish toss them with some olive oil, sea salt and  a little freshly ground black pepper.
Place pan in oven and roast tomatoes for 10 to 12 minutes (make take longer, depending upon your oven and the baking dish you are using.) Scatter 1 or 2 sliced garlic cloves, half of a slivered onion (white, yellow, red/purple), a couple of generous pinches of dried oregano, and a couple of pinches of  red pepper flakes (optional), give a stir to coat with oil and continue roasting for 10 to 12 minutes ~ it's okay if some tomatoes begin to char.
While tomatoes are roasting, steam broccoli spears until just crisp tender. Remove tomato pan from oven, arrange broccoli over tomatoes, add a little s & p if desired,  sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese (as much or as little as you like),  sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and place back in oven, or under hot broiler until cheese is melted and begins to bubble.  Remove from oven allow to cool for a moment, sprinkle with a few  fresh oregano or basil leaves. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.



Add any of these optional ingredients if you like: (to be added during second half of roasting tomatoes, or upon serving, as garnish):
sliced or halved flavorful black olives roasted red pepper slivers or pieces marinated mushrooms sliced green onions (scallions) cured anchovy fillets marinated artichoke hearts cooked Italian sausage crumbles, torn prosciutto, etc.   ~ almost anything goes!




Colorful and tasty, it makes a fine main course or a great side dish for simply prepared meat, poultry or fish.
Gluten-Free and Vegetarian friendly, too.

Bon Appétit! And thank you for visiting today!

xo~mari

Homemade Mexican Red Chili Sauce

If you make enchiladas, tamales, or any  Mexican or Tex-Mex style dish that requires red chili sauce, I urge you to bypass the canned stuff and make your own sauce from scratch.
It goes together very quickly, with just a couple of ingredients  and is far tastier than canned, plus you can adjust the level of heat according the the chilies you use.
(Most well stocked grocery stores carry dried peppers in the Mexican food/ingredient  section.)
The method is much easier than you might imagine:
- Simply rinse the peppers, remove the seeds and stems (discard.)    - Lightly toast the peppers in a dry skillet to bring out their flavor.
- Remove from skillet and place in a small sauce pot with water, bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Allow to soak for 10 minutes.
- Puree the softened pepper in a blender with some of the soaking water (or plain water if the soaking water seems bitter)
- Add 1 large clove of garlic, 2 whole cloves, 2 pepper corns, 1 or 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, and salt.  Continue to blend until sauce is smooth.
- Pour the sauce through a sieve into a skillet, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Stir and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Taste for seasonings.
Use immediately in your favorite recipe or cool and store in a glass container then refrigerate or freeze.





Elise, over at Simply Recipes has a wonderful step-by-step pictorial, with the type of chilies to select as well as the recipe.
Next up,  I'll show you one of my favorite ways of using this Red Chili Sauce.

Thank you for stopping by, and for any comments you would care to share!  Have a wonderful week.

xo ~mari  :o)

Succulent Grilled Garlic-Chili-Vinegar Chicken

Spring!
As usual, for this time of year in the Pacific Northwest, we've been teased with a few days of sparkling, warm, clear weather interspersed among the chilly, damp ones.
Grilling always seems more enticing when the weather turns warm, and we were gifted with one perfectly warm day recently. 

The grill was begging to be fired up, and there was a chicken in the fridge.  But there was no time for a leisurely marinade so I knew the basting ingredients would have to be assertive in order to give that chicken inviting flavor.
This baste works to add delicious flavor to the grilled food in a fraction of the time.
Just salt and pepper the chicken halves or pieces generously on all sides.
Mix the basting sauce in a small non-reactive container:
Apple cider vinegar Crushed fresh garlic (I like lots) Add as much or as little as you like of the following:  Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce  or Sambal Oelek Chili Paste A splash or two of vegetable oil  A couple of dashes of salt
It's one of my favorite simple basting sauces for the grill (good on shrimp and beef as well.) You can use chicken pieces instead of halves as I did.
The key to juicy succulent chicken from the grill is to cook it over indirect heat*, slowly, while turning and basting throughout the cooking time.
Place the chicken over indirect heat, brush it frequently with basting sauce, while turning chicken over several times while it cooks.  Continue cooking until the skin of the chicken is beautifully browned and meat reads about 160-165 degrees (F) at the thickest part using an instant read thermometer.
This method is so simple, but the results are stellar providing you cook the chicken rather slowly over indirect heat, baste and turn frequently, and keep an eye on the grill to avoid  flame flare ups.

*Indirect grilling directions from BBQ/Grill expert Steven Raichlen:
Click HERE.


If you give this method a try, I hope you love it too!
Come join us at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday by clicking this link.

Happy weekend everyone.   Blessings ~ m. xo

Italian Style Chicken Breasts ~One Baking Pan. (It's a KEEPER!)

I've been on a Donna Hay recipe kick lately and, happily, I can't seem to stop. :)
There is a lot to like about Donna's style; her recipes are so  flavorful, plus they are generally fast and easy to put together.  And here's another one. Thank you Donna Hay!
"Italian Baked Chicken" is my new favorite. Although I think she  introduced the recipe about a year ago it's new to me. 
It's very, very tasty ~ 
(It's a two part recipe ~ you partially roast some of the ingredients, then you add the chicken and olives and continue baking until done.)
Boneless chicken breasts, fresh tomatoes,  whole garlic cloves (no peeling necessary), flat pancetta, cubed*,  olives, oregano, fresh basil, a little olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper.
The first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly:
I tossed the tomatoes, pancetta, garlic cloves and oregano in a pan with olive oil, and baked in a 400ºF/200ºC oven for 25 minutes, at which point the chicken breasts, olives, and  black pepper are added and baked for an additional 20 minutes or until chicken is tender.
While the flavors were delicious, parts of the  tomatoes and pancetta ~(or I should say, my substitute for pancetta)  were overcooked by the time the chicken was cooked through.  Although it still tasted good, some of the cherry tomatoes had disintegrated and and stuck to the bottom of the baking dish.   Being that I was a little short in the amount of cherry tomatoes required  I had included some Roma tomato halves (they saved the dish and  roasted up nicely.)
Later on the internet I found a video of Donna demonstrating the recipe and realized what she refers to as "cherry tomatoes" are closer to the size of (what we in the U.S.) refer to as between walnut and l little smaller than a golf ball (or huge cherry tomatoes!)  I find them here as (small) "tomatoes on the vine".
The second time I made it, I used tomatoes that were like those described above (halved them) and proceeded with the recipe, except that I reduced the initial roasting time to about 12 to 15 minutes (your oven may be different, so keep an eye on things) I believe my oven runs a little hot ~ In any case, the pancetta cubes should be getting crispy and  the tomatoes should be roasting and shriveled.)  
Then I added the chicken and olives and continued baking for an additional  20-25 minutes until the chicken was tender.


This image is just for illustration.  If it were in real time, the (raw) chicken breasts and olives would be nestled among the  semi-roasted tomatoes, pancetta/bacon/salt pork, garlic and herbs, ready to be put in the oven to finish baking.   The tomatoes would have given up some of their juices and shrunk, pancetta/salt pork  would be slightly crispy, and the garlic would have begun to soften.

The surface area of the baking pan you use, and the size of chicken breasts will all affect the baking time as well.  The chicken breasts I used the second time were rather large,  so I let the initial baking go a few minutes longer, then added the chicken.   Ideally, the pan in this picture would have been a bit larger so the ingredients  wouldn't be so crowded, but I'm sure you get the idea.

*I did not have flat pancetta or slab bacon. Instead I had some salt-pork in the freezer, so I thawed and used that:


(Left stacked together in clumps so they wouldn't over-brown.)
 It was pre-sliced (thick slices) so I cut it into crosswise strips and kept three  slices or so of the crosswise pieces together so they wouldn't burn. 

To finish, the recipe suggested serving with some fresh Parmesan cheese, I skipped that part and found it perfectly seasoned and flavorful  just the way it was.
Hmm, I want you to know that I've taken longer to explain the recipe  than it will take you to put it together!  
If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, it's HERE on my recipe blog.

Thanks for stopping by today ~ I love it when you leave me a comment so I know you've come by.  :)
Blessings!  ~m.

P.S. For those of you looking for the Tulip cupcake/muffin liners I used with the Raspberry-White Chocolate Muffin recipe ~ You can purchase them at the King Arthur Flour website. www.kingarthurflour.com  

What a Tomato! (Caprese Salad, done differently)

I don't know about you, but my summer meal planning  and strategy is entirely different than the way  I approach meals during other seasons. I tend to spend more time outdoors in summer  and for the most part, less time in the kitchen ~  most of the time I choose simpler fare that can be  prepared quickly. Instead of a full blown meal  I gravitate towards a small plate of this or that  when I'm hungry. This is just the kind of lunch  (or light dinner) that calls my name during  warm weather.  
It would make a wonderful appetizer, too.

(This brilliant method comes from the kitchen of Donna Hay. Yay for Donna Hay!)
Basically it's a different take on the classic  Italian Caprese salad which is comprised of sliced  juicy tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, fresh basil,  and drizzled with olive oil, vinegar, or a vinaigrette.
This method changes things up a bit by wrapping  a ripe, whole tomato in a thin slice of prosciutto, place on a  shallow-rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment) sprinkle tomato with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil. Bake the tomato in a hot oven (390ºF/200ºC) for  12 to 15 minutes* until the tomato is hot and the  prosciutto is slightly crisp. 
To assemble:   (For each serving)
On a salad plate place the baked tomato beside a  smallish size ball of fresh mozzarella  (ripped open so the cheese can absorb the oil and vinegar),   drizzle with 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar and  2 Tablespoons olive oil, shower with freshly ground  black pepper and garnish with as many  fresh basil leaves as you like.

* Best with vine-ripened tomatoes; the ones I used were on the smallish-medium size and almost ripe, so I only baked for 10 minutes.   Best to keep an eye on them at the 10 minute point to see  if you would like them more well done.
Then get yourself a knife and fork and enjoy that vibrant taste  of summer one more time before it's gone. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful day, friends! Thank you for stopping by. :)

Sweet and Spicy Asian-Style Shrimp & Lettuce Roll-Ups

Actually, the food I've been preparing for the past several weeks, hasn't been all that interesting so I haven't posted much. I've been continuing to stick with the healthier eating habits, and I'm happy to report that my bathroom scale is my friend once again. I yet have a little ways to go before I hit my target weight, so please bear with me. :D
I must admit that I'm looking forward to getting to the point of maintaining rather than reducing. ;) Hopefully, soon!


But this simple dish is one I felt I had to share ~ it has a lot of things going for it; tasty, easy to assemble, healthful and pretty to look at. Plus you can serve it as an appetizer or as a salad or main course.
It's another one that needs no actual recipe, it's just a matter of cooking the shrimp then assembling the ingredients.  
Here's what you'll need:
Shrimp (I used 30/40 count per pound), peeled and tails removedAttractive, whole lettuce leaves, washed, drained and chilled to crisp themSlivered cabbage (green or red) tossed with a little seasoned rice vinegarThinly sliced scallionsCilantro or Mint leavesChopped salted peanuts (I used dry roasted)Lime wedges (optional)And the drizzle
For the drizzle:



The base is a couple of tablespoons of Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, the amount will depend upon the number of lettuce cups/shrimp you are using. It only takes a couple of teaspoons or less for each lettuce roll-up.
I used Lee Kum Kee brand  Sweet Thai Chili Sauce this time ~ my other favorite brand is Mae Ploy, both are very good.  To the sweet Thai sauce just stir in a little of either one of these Asian hot sauces; either Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (in the center bottle), or Sambal Oelek (jar on the right.) Both are pretty spicy, so add just a little, mix into the Sweet Chili Sauce and taste to see if you want it spicier.  I like it medium spicy so the other ingredients' delicate flavors aren't lost in the heat; it's just a matter of taste.




This time, to cook the shrimp, I brushed each of them with a little olive oil, placed them on a parchment lined baking sheet, sprinkled lightly with salt and pepper and roasted in a hot (450-500˚F) oven for about two minutes, turning once halfway through baking time. (Timing will depend upon the size of the shrimp you choose. Don't forget they will continue cooking after you remove them from the oven, so it's best to slightly undercook them, otherwise they will be tough and chewy.)
Alternately they can be poached in a pan of barely simmering salted water until they just turn pink, then drained, or brush the shrimp with a little oil and grill them on a stove-top or outdoor grill if you prefer.




So easy to assemble:  For each roll-up; One lettuce leaf, the seasoned-rice vinegar cabbage slivers, cooked shrimp, sprinkle of sliced scallions and cilantro or mint leaves, the sauce drizzled over all, then finished with the chopped peanuts (and a squeeze of fresh lime, if using.)
If you give them a try I hope you love them as much as I do!
Blessings for a good week ahead everyone. xo ~m

Smothered Portobello Mushrooms ~ Clean and Healthy Eating

This one is a "no brainer", as easy as can be and you don't need a written recipe to make it. But I have included it over on my recipe blog in case you want to print it out to save the idea (see link at bottom of this post.) Recipe is adapted from "Clean Eating" magazine.

You'll need one Portobello mushroom for each serving. I gently wipe them to clean any debris, remove the stem but not the gills, although some people prefer to remove the gills too.

Preheat oven to 400˚F  Lightly mist or brush a shallow baking dish with olive oil, place mushrooms (resting on their caps ~ gill side facing up) in the prepared dish.

 Spoon 1/4 cup chunky salsa (your choice) into each mushroom (low-sodium salsa if you wish.)

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped or sliced green onion/scallion, both white and green parts, and 1/4 cup shredded, low-fat mozzarella cheese over the salsa in each mushroom. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. 

Optional: Garnish each with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, or a few slivers of green onion.

These make a wonderful first course or main course ~ I served them as a light lunch entree with . . .

Whole-grain tri-color orzo (pasta), slivered onion, flat leaf parsley (cilantro or mint leaves work as well), and  dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, made with just freshly squeezed lemon juice, a dab of Dijon mustard, minced garlic (optional), a tiny drizzle of olive oil & a little salt and freshly ground pepper, all whisked together. 


You could add some toasted pine nuts or walnuts as a garnish to the pasta salad if you like.  It's really straightforward, clean tasting and refreshing.

Surprisingly flavorful, satisfying and delicious with little fat and few calories.  I would definitely make these again. 

If you would like a printable copy of this ultra-simple recipe, please click here.

Hope you enjoy!

Have a blessed day, friends!

Pork Souvlaki

Traditional Greek souvlaki is made with lamb, but you can also use pork, chicken, beef, or fish (most often swordfish.)

I chose pork this time because I had a couple of boneless pork loin chops in the refrigerator. The marinade is very simple (you don't need a recipe for this one.) Fresh lemon juice, garlic (minced), oregano, olive oil and salt and pepper. If you like garlic add lots!

Mix the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Cut the meat into bite-size chunks, salt and pepper generously, then toss it into a non-reactive bowl or sealable food storage bag, pour marinade over and allow to marinate for up to two hours. Much longer than that and the enzyme action between the lemon juice and meat protein will begin to "cook" the meat, producing an odd texture when grilled.

Thread the meat chunks on the skewers (add vegetables in between each piece if you like-- I used red onion pieces and cherry tomatoes), brush skewers with some of the remaining marinade. Discard unused marinade. Place skewers on hot grill, turning occasionally until meat is done. You can also cook them on a stovetop grill, your oven broiler, or even in a panini maker.

The souvlaki can be served plain, right from the skewer, or wrapped in pita bread with a little traditional (cucumber-yogurt) tatziki sauce, or on a plate along with Greek-style fried potatoes. I served these with a Greek salad, and some lemon scented rice this time.

They are so delicious, we could easily enjoy them a couple of times a month. If you give them a try I hope you like, too.

Thanks for stopping by today ~ and Happy Wednesday everyone! xo~m.

Korean-Style Grilled Pork (Daeji Bulgogi)

Yum! But first a disclaimer :)  ~ 

As far as I know, I don't possess a drop of Korean blood in my body and I am no expert on preparing Korean cuisine . . . but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it, and attempting to make it at home.  Particularly Korean BBQ (it's actually grilled, even though it is called BBQ.)

For this version I scouted around the internet and combined a few recipes that I came across.  It was a huge success at my house, and I was pleased with the outcome.

Gochujang

I discovered a key ingredient, a mystery to me prior to this time.  It's called gochujang; a fermented red pepper paste.  Vaguely sweet, with just a bit of a spicy "bite".  The paste comes in different levels of 'heat',  the one I chose is level 3 - medium hot. I don't like the feeling of my mouth on fire, and this intensity was perfect for me ~ 
 Mr. OUaP doesn't like much heat at all, he had nothing but compliments.  

You can find this at any well stocked Asian/Korean market ~ but I couldn't source any locally.  


However, amazon.com came through again!  Here's the one I ordered:

If you happen to like your dishes more spicy, I would recommend you use this one and simply add more red pepper flakes to increase the heat to your liking.  

And gochujang is not just for Korean food, you can stir a spoonful or two into regular American style BBQ sauce,  Pasta sauce, swirl a little on pizza, or anytime you want to add a bit of interesting heat to a dish.

Pork Tenderloin (cut into 1/8-inch slices)

I put the 1 pound pork tenderloin in the freezer for about an hour, after it firmed up, I sliced it into 1/8-inch slices. Then marinated it for 3 to 24 hours (you can marinate it for as little as 1 hour, but I recommend at least 3 if possible.)  

Tip: It's best to use natural pork (the kind without the water and salt solution added).  I always double check the label for ingredients ~ I really don't care for the kind with salt & water added as I like to control the sodium content myself.

In the marinade for 3 to 24 hours.

I actually marinated it in a resealable plastic freezer bag, this is what it looked like before I put it in the bag and refrigerated it.

The marinade consists of soy sauce, minced garlic a little brown sugar, mirin (or sherry), the gochujang, dark sesame oil, fresh ginger root, red pepper flakes (you can increase or decrease the amount of red pepper flakes to your taste ~ I used a very scant 1/2 teaspoonful, though many recipes call for 1 teaspoon or more.), a couple of green onions, minced, and an onion, thinly sliced.

The meat pieces are grilled over a charcoal (or gas) grill, for only a minute per side.  You can serve the Bulgogi with rice, or wrapped in a lettuce leaf with some kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage), and some quick pickled vegetables. 

I made the quick pickles with carrots, radishes, daikon radish, and a hot house (or English) cucumber, and a serrano chile for a little heat.  It only takes a few minutes to put these together, and they store well in the fridge for a few days  ~ a refreshing condiment to go along with the pork.

We liked this so much, it's coming up on the menu again this week. Yay, success!

If you would like a printable copy of the recipes for the pork marinade, and for the quick and easy veggie pickles, you'll find them on my recipe blog ~ here's the link.

Thanks for stopping by to visit!