Planning vs. Improvisation

Sometimes I am so ill prepared I irk myself.  I've been planning to make this dish for two weeks.  I was out and about earlier and could have stopped to pick up the two ingredients I didn't have in the pantry. . . . . but I didn't.  Somehow I forgot. 

Remarkably, my lack of preparedness did not ruin my dinner. 

Lemon Artichoke Risotto

Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 1/4 cups drained chopped canned artichoke hearts
• Grated peel of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I omitted)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (I omitted)

Directions:

• Bring broth and 4 cups of water to a boil - cover and continue to simmer
• Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat
• Add the onion and cook until softened
• Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted
• Stir in 1 cup of the broth mixture, bring to a simmer
• Continue to add the broth mixture 1/2 cup at a time while continuing to stir
• Allow each addition of the broth to be absorbed before adding more.
• Cook until the rice is tender (20 - 25 minutes)
• After adding the last of the broth, add the artichoke hearts, lemon peel, lemon juice and the remaining butter. 
• Season with salt and pepper 
• Stir in the cheese, parsley and walnuts.

The parsley and walnuts would have added some color to the dish.  I wish that I had had the parsley on hand.  I've never been a huge fan of walnuts in food; so their absence didn't break my heart.

Delicious dish - and the risotto turned out much better this time.  It was completely cooked, and tender.  Not scorched but undercooked and crunchy like my last attempt. 

You may be noting that my photography skillz seem to be rather amateurish, but that's what happens when you use the camera on your cell phone.  My digital camera has been acting rather temperamental lately, and I haven't had if fixed yet. 

I hope that you've enjoyed your weekend. 
My weekend was recently made perfect by the Green Bay Packers:)
I'm hoping to share some Super Bowl menu items with you over the next couple of weeks.  I'll have to do some practicing before the big game.

Signing off,

JamiK

Who Needs Witty Commentary When You Have Good Food?

I have nothing interesting to say tonight except that you have to try this dish!!

Stir-Fried Shrimp Scampi
Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 lb large shrimp (i used pre-cooked)
• 1 1/2 bell peppers chopped, but not too small
• 3 Tbsp dry white wine
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

• Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat
• Add 1 Tbsp oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper
• Saute until fragrant - about 10 seconds
• Push the mixture to the side of the pan
• add the shrimp and bell peppers with the rest of the oil
• Saute for about 2 minutes and mix with the garlic / red pepper
• Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and wine
• Stir-fry for about 1 minute and liquid is nearly evaporated

Food delight.

 

JamiK

On A Roll!

I made the most delightful dinner tonight.  I can hardly believe that I have had food success two nights in a row with new recipes.  I am actually developing an eclectic list of recipes.  Look Ma - I can cook:)

Lazy Salmon Supper

Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray
(I couldn't find the recipe on the website - I got it directly from the magazine)

Ingredients:

 

2 cups chicken stock

4 scallions - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced

1 Tbsp Butter

1 1/2 cups couscous

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped dill

Juice of 1 lemon

EVOO

4 6-8 oz salmon fillets

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 cup greek yogurt

Directions:

• Combine and bring to a boil Chicken stock, scallions, garlic and butter
• Stir in couscous and season with salt, pepper, the dill and lemon juice
• Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes - fluff with a fork
• Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over med-high heat
• Season the salmon with the cumin, coriander, salt and pepper
• Place the salmon in the skillet and cook the fish for 2 minutes on each side
•  Serve with the couscous and a dollop of yogurt on top

I have never eaten couscous before, but I assure you I will be eating it again.  The entire meal was very light, but incredibly flavorful.  I would never have thought to use cumin to season fish, but wow.  Ra Ray has got it goin on with this recipe! 

Incidentally, the February edition of Every Day with Rachel Ray is the best purchase I have made to date this year.  It contains at least another dozen recipes I plan to try.

Expand Your Repertoire!
Try New Foods!
Avoid Sugar:)

JamiK

The Best Laid Plans . . . . . Sometimes Go Awry

I had planned to make Lazy Baked Greek Chicken for dinner yesterday.  I pulled the chicken breasts out of the freezer on my lunch break, and put them in a Tupperware container and left it on the kitchen counter in the corner where it couldn't be reached by my four legged friend.  Somehow, though, when I got home from work, the Tupperware was on the floor (open); and the chicken was nowhere to be found.  My only suspect met me at the door with her head down, and hasn't looked me in the eye since.  So I settled for an omelet for dinner. 

Today, I played it safe, and put the chicken in the microwave on my lunch break.  If she had been able to get it out of there, we would be on our way to join the circus right now. 

Lazy Baked Greek Chicken
Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray
(I couldn't find the recipe on the website - I got it directly from the magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 a medium onion - finely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic - minced
• 1 10 oz package chopped spinach
• Salt & Pepper
• Nutmeg
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup crumbled greek feta cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425
• Heat 1 Tbsp EVOO in a small skillet
• Add the onion and 2/3 of the garlic and cook until softened
• Transfer to a bowl, and cool - then add the spinach and season with salt pepper and nutmeg
• Melt the butter in the same skillet then turn off heat
• Add the breadcrumbs, remaining garlic and oregano - toss
• Split each chicken breast across (but not all the way through) and open like a book
• Stuff with the spinach mixture and the feta cheese allowing it to overflow a bit
• Place in a lightly oiled baking dish and then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top

• Bake for 30 minutes (approximately).  I actually baked mine for about 45 minutes, due to the chicken breasts being rather large.   

Delicious!!!

Thaw frozen food out of reach of your pets.

Avoid Sugar!

JamiK

Yeesh. It's already time for confessions.

I didn't even make it a week into 2011 without a flub.  I have a severe weakness for ethnic foods - spicy ethnic foods to be precise.  Pad thai is the most amazing dish ever concocted in my opinion.  So when girls night out was planned it was decided that we would start the evening at the thai restaurant.  My original plan was to eat at home before we met for dinner, and settle for a spring roll or two.  Unfortunately, I was running late and didn't make time to eat at home. . . . . thus, I found myself ordering that beautiful dish of very hot pad thai (I forwent the ecstasy of the thai hot version so as to potentially be able to taste again someday).

As I sweated through approximately one third of the dish I vacillated between food heaven and food remorse.  Every recipe I have seen for Pad Thai sauce contains sugar. . . so I shan't disillusion myself with the possibility that maybe this one didn't contain any of the crystalline drug.  Plus, the bloating that followed the meal confirmed my suspicions.  My jeans felt like they were too tight for the rest of the evening.  Was it worth it? I honestly don't know.  That flavor, that spicy taste bud high. 

So today, I planned out my meals for the next week - NO SUGAR ALLOWED. 

I have never cooked or even eaten spaghetti squash. I have also never turned down an opportunity to fill my house with the smell of garlic & onions. I found this recipe on a website promoting healthy recipes for kids. 

Spaghetti Squash with Onions and Garlic

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
• 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 medium Onions, sliced
• 4-5 cloves Garlic, pressed
• Salt and black pepper to taste

 Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds and membranes.
• Place squash on baking dish and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, half of the onion slices, and half of the garlic to each squash half.
• Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Place in deep pan and add enough water to just cover the bottom of pan
• Cover pan with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 60 minutes until the skin gives easily under pressure and the inside is tender. 
• Use a fork to pull out the spaghetti-like strands, onions, and garlic from the inside of the squash.
• Toss and Serve.

It looks just like spaghetti!  The original recipe called for half as many onions - but my squash was rather large, and I don't really believe there is ever such a thing as too few onions. 

  

Excellent flavor as well.  Next time I might add some curry powder to spice things up.

Honey is rather bored with this blogging business, so she declined to offer any consulting advice for today's recipe.  She's been snoring on the couch for the last hour.

Recipe's to come this week: 

Lemon Artichoke Risotto, Stir-fried Shrimp Scampi, Lazy Baked Greek Chicken.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

Avoid Sugar!

JamiK